Hell, Fire & Freedom (Fighting for Freedom)

Hell, Fire & Freedom (Fighting for Freedom) by Shannon Callahan

Book: Hell, Fire & Freedom (Fighting for Freedom) by Shannon Callahan Read Free Book Online
Authors: Shannon Callahan
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a taxi to take us to the address Tara provided me with when she called the hotel last night. We learn it’s not very far from the café we were at and probably would have been quicker to walk. I’m not familiar with street names, though, so lesson learned.
    The apartment is a large red, brick building only a few minutes walk from downtown. The outside of the building is clean and looks promising. The area doesn’t seem to be too bad either. Tara greets Marie and me in the lobby with a big smile on her face.
    “Brynn, Marie! It’s so nice to see you two! I’m so excited for today. A safe home to make new memories in. Come on in, and let me show you around. This is one of the best parts of my job, and one of my favorite apartments,” she says excitedly. We give her a big smile and follow her into the building where she punches in a security code to get in through the first door and uses her key for the second one.
    “The code is 76936. It will change every two months; the landlord will slip the paper into your mailbox or under your door letting you know about the change a week in advance. You’re on the third floor, so you’ll have a bit of a climb, but it’s not so bad,” Tara says.
    We follow her up the stairs and down a long hallway. The building is clean, a little dated, but that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The carpets are a dull burgundy, and the walls are white with a faded gold trim. I’m guessing in its prime years, this building used to be a great spot. She stops at a white door, with the gold numbers 312 hanging above. She uses her key and opens the door wide, beckoning us in.
    “Welcome home, girls!” she squeals.
    I walk in first, and I’m immediately awestruck. The hallways may not have been updated but the apartment definitely has been. It’s an open floor plan design with the kitchen off to my right, living room to my left, and I can see a hallway in the back of the living room. The living room is furnished in creams and blues with printed throw pillows. A lovely L-shaped sofa, reclining chair, and coffee table are all centered to a wall-mounted television and what looks like the original wood flooring.
    The kitchen cupboards are white, and the countertops are a dark grey. The appliances are white as well and look fairly new. There’s three stools along an eat-in island, and the flooring from the living room is continued into the kitchen.
    I look over at Marie who has a smile plastered on her face and then back to a nervous looking Tara. “Well …?” she asks.
    “This is incredible, Tara. Are you sure this is the right place?” I ask in shock. I mean, seriously, I could never afford this place in New York City!
    “I’m certain. This building is actually all condos. A very generous elderly lady who lost her daughter to domestic violence donated it to the shelter almost ten years ago. We pay the condo fees and the utilities, so that’s what your rent will be for. The electricity, water, heat, internet, cable, and phone are all included in your rent cost as well. We’ll determine what you’re able to pay once you get your first pay check and we can go from there. Don’t worry about anything; we would never charge more than you could comfortably afford.
    Now, there’s a bedroom right off the kitchen and one down the hall from the living room, and that’s where the bathroom is, too. There’s only one, but I’m sure you two can make it work just fine. The washer and dryer are in the bathroom, as well, and it’s stocked with towels and extra linens. Make yourselves at home, and let us know if you need anything. Oh, and that reminds me, are you going to need some grocery money until you receive your first pay check?” she asks politely.
    “We still have a little bit left over from selling my jewelry for the plane and bus tickets that should hold us over, but thank you for offering.”
    “Marie, why don’t you check out the bedrooms? I’m thinking you’re going to like the

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