Haven: Book Four of The Channel Riders

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from where the old building settled. She lay there contemplating it for a moment, wondering if it had gotten bigger

onto the bed and padded over, her silent cat feet shifting the blankets. Spin stopped mere inches from Elena's face and meowed. Elena tried ignoring Spin. The ca

p in bed. Spin watched her as though afraid that Elena might

ead a little as if to mock the possibility. Elena frowned, admitting to herself that the cat was right

tive bow off to the side. Elena smiled. In the time she had known him, Elena came to realize that Smith did not enj

long tail and stay out of the way or very short for pretty much the same reason. Elena cut her long braid off when she left the Guild and wore her hair in a short shaggy bob cut until she returned. Now, her h

ht red lipstick to her mouth as an extra jab at Smith's sensibilities. She had

uld think of to verbally hurl her way. Elena dutifully passed the message on to Peter, the Guild's representative, but he had his own business to take care of during t

oine was forced to run away from the bad guys wearing impractical heels, Elena slipped a pair of sneakers into her oversized purse, just in case. After all, if she had the comfortable running shoes with her, it cut down on the p

she commented as she walked to the k

a's primary role as the bringer of food was fulfilled, she was no longer important. Realizing there was no tim

were busy not only ferrying the resources they came across to her labs here on earth, but to the Docking Facility or DF, which served as the human centric outpost in the middle of the intergalactic tra

get back to Earth." Elena unlocked her battered green Toyota and realized she would have to make time to get its oil changed. She made a mental note to scan the vehicle for bugs before taking it to

h Smith. She knew he wanted to talk to her without Peter's looming presence and figured getting the meeting out of the way before he turned to drastic measures was probably a good idea. She request

is meetings. Elena yawned. The dream returned in the night and she felt exhausted by it. In her dream she wa

ged around her. As usual, her clothing changed, but the necklace remained. In the dream she knew she had cargo she could not allow to fall into the wrong hands and even though th

Elena muttered as she drove, barely registering the early spring flowers that popped up on the side of the road. The dream had

, over time it seemed to be getting more detailed. "As though I were driving towards it and could see it

on of Danvers. She found its appearance disconcerting. Luckily, it remained as crystal and not turned to rain. The re

nt way. Since her cousin tried to kill her by running her over with her car, Elena did a lot of carefully not thinking about Therese. She was afraid that if she did her anger would

e days it seemed like every time she turned around her responsibilities grew. Two years ago she could

" Elena pulled her car to a stop at the gates and gave the g

ng Smith always used. Elena parked and was escorted to the conference room. The young

herself a cup from the communal pot. She settled into the comfortable chair placed around the gl

he summer's humidity curled the ends of her hair a little and she absently tucked a curling strand behind her ear. As usual she thought her

ted behind the mirror. She took another sip of coffee, wondering how long they would keep her waiting. Elena was halfway through her coffee when Smith, Jonatha

ought glumly. 'I think reporting stuff l

at cushion. Elena shrugged. Smith, it seemed, was always in a bad mood. Thompson being added into the mix just seemed to exacerbate the s

d one in his forehead that would stand out every now and again. Thompson seemed to produce a teeth grinding effect in

r bubbled. Elena was fairly certain that one day his veins would reach capacity and blow

nathan said to her

of how to deal with him. Jonathan showed her that Andre was betraying her by giving away information to Riko's nephew Douglas, but she didn't know if he reported the Guild politics t

rying to sell me something I didn't want, ' she thought. Thompson merely nodded

eclared, his eyes nearly b

ied, although she wasn't sure why they expected her to tell the truth to them in the first place. They made their introductions after Smit

ther planet, " Smit

nd it's not like I hid it in the closet until you

had never actually been the direct cause of someone's death before and despite her own jokes, wasn't sure she liked the

ena thought noticing the others' concern. She

you some water?

er, " he barked.

oncern blunted by irritation. She caught a small smile from Thompso

is amused, ' she

?" Jonathan asked politely as Smith conti

ponses very carefully. She formed some guesses as to what they would ask and she knew

t. Elena was trying hard not to directly lie to them, but not to tell too much. It was a fine line to walk, but she didn't want to find out what would happen if t

s find the channel?" Smith

m what I saw before you hadn't managed to spot the one you just managed to sail through once

s seemed unable to open the channel you sailed through to the planet." Elena tried not

il the same routes

ldiers, " S

ft on the planet to study the pl

soldier

aid truthfully. Thompson smiled. It

and women on the pla

, returning Thompson's smile with one of her own. She knew he enjoye

a hardly thought that a fair description o

nvading Earth?" she asked lifti

issed from betw

s as intergalactic comic relief. Boxed sets of old Star Trek episodes

sounding somewhat offe

nage to get along with ourselves for more than a decade at a time. And even that i

ring to invade was not one Smith was prepared to accept. He kept circling back throughout the m

t Smith would take all of her time if she let him and she wanted to be able to check the time without digging through her purse during the meeting. The Marvin the Martian watch was a gift

need to be?" Sm

esides, she was running out of ways to hedge her answers to Thompson's questions. She managed to not give him any more real information than he

ssed them together to staunch whatever an

I've already delayed my trip to meet with you and you are simply repeating the same questions

bout my men, " Thompson sai

Maine if she is still stationed near the Marta." Elena told him. She didn't th

l the end of the season, " he told her. "Altho

et to the planet without her help. "I have no problem with leaving them on the planet or with you stopping by to check on them." She smiled sw

out." Thompson walked around the table and led Elena back down the hall towards the exit. She could still hear Smith mutt

is head. There was more than a little mock in his tone. Elena got into her c

and off the base. She found herself running through possible scenarios as sh

She saw no parking spots so she decided to park at home and then walk over. Once her car was safely parked in the garage

on. With the economy bucking and shuttering, there were fewer large scale clients. Very few people were redecorat

o supplement the foot traffic and that seemed to be doing well also. The ad campaigns that Andre created for Nibbles tended to feature elegant dinner parties at home using both the foods that Nibbles sold and the items

onvinced Consuelo, the rather eccentric chef of Dockside Annie's and a favorite with Guild members, to part with a few recipes and they were

track which store the cards were taken from and approximately when they were taken. She hadn't paid too much attention, trusting her two m

small bakery located a couple of blocks over that was also seeing the cards as well. She spoke to the owners of the bakery at the last merchants meeting and they seemed interested in getting involved. Her

rts store and looked around. TJ left his customer at the ca

?" TJ asked

aven't run off to join the circ

"This week is all about digging a tunnel to

doors are

he hardhats if we just use

to waste if you ditch the accessories. Well it's good to know the pla

Susan would have a mountain of paperwork for her and swung by the office. Susan was on the phone and Elena listened as

o pick up a few things we hav

xperience that the curls would spring out when Susan next moved. Susan and her curls had an ongoing battle for control. "Just stopped

o your assistant, " She t

cto

than one assista

reason I hired him." Susan confirmed that everything was running smoothly and Elena went to check in with Roger. App

nal events seemed to delight Roger in a strange, unfathomable way, Elena left him to it. Elena felt her smile growing a little brittle as

season because she spent so much time out of town, but she felt they were building towards something. She liked his quir

far Elena managed to not deal with him. He simmered on the back burner next to the mental pot marke

had a pencil tucked behind his ear. She wished he had a giant wart on his nose or gained

uring rash too much

n her smile stayed polite instead of warming. "The new ads are on the table." Andre led her

ouses picked up were finding their way into the Calabrese inventory. As most of the goods came from different planets, they featured alien containers whi

t up ingredients lists to insure that allergic reactions were avoided. Then the items were repackaged and new labels were added. They were developing quite an ext

t easier to concentrate on business. She approved all

rning for another trip out

son and blaming it on the life of a pilot. The smart thing to do would be to let him think she d

ly, " she s

y?" Elena let out a startled laugh. It sounded sharp. Andre seemed

her's death although from what Elena knew of the situation, Dmitri promised too many things he couldn't deliver to the wrong sort

Douglas." Elena said. Andre stiffened an

ion about Peter, " Andre

, " Elena said, feeling

.." he

Elena interrupted. "Sell

"He deserves to be taken down. I only passed

traying her, just Peter. She shook her head and the stupidity of blind anger. "Anything you

id softly. Elena shook her head,

ng to fire m

won't fire you." He

y n

red you, despite the fact that al

sounding triumphant. "You know h

of Peter. His being scary and ruthless actually helps me. I don't want anyone's death on my head, Ian was bad enough. If I tell him what was done, then I'll have a part in yours. You know how he deals with betrayal.

moment. "I really wrecked things between us didn't I?"

dark cloud of anger and hate seemed to cloak him, twisting him into something u

e thought as she left him and began walki