get their bearings again after the deaths of Lucas and Daphne.
I cleared my throat. “Training is suspended for today and we aren’t going on any missions for a week or two.”
Everyone looked at each other.
“So,” Nariko said, “we’re officially taking a break?”
“ It seems timely.”
She nodded.
“In that case, do you mind if I go to a medical convention?” Griff checked something off on a list in front of him. “I want to go to a hematology seminar. It’s something that might help me in the research of vampire biology. A blood replacement product company sent me an email and I was already going to ask you if I could get away.”
“ Of course, Griff. And you don’t have to explain, though it does sound cool. Where is it?”
“ Germany.”
“ All right. Email me your dates and whip out your company credit card. Just be prudent with it.”
“ Always.”
“ Can I take a week of vacation?” Jade asked. “I need to go toast myself on a beach somewhere and not think about vampire hunting.” She looked at me with pleading in her eyes.
“ Absolutely.” I paused. “You’re our network administrator, so I need to ask you this. You’re coming back, right?”
“ Yes, I’m coming back. I just need to decompress. Obviously, I won’t use the company credit card for my vacation.”
I smiled. “Is there anything I should know in your absence besides that Control-Alt-Delete should be the keys to press should anything go awry with the server?”
“Please don’t do that to my server.”
“ I was joking.”
She paused. “The big black notebook with all of the passwords and related stuff is in Lucas’s safe. Well, it’s your safe now. Everything should be fine and if it’s not fine, I have the system set up to send me an email with an attached trouble log and I will fix things remotely, if necessary. You won’t even know I’m doing it.”
“ Very nice. Thanks for telling me.”
Jade added, “If anything ever happened to me, everything in that black notebook will help a new network administrator get up to speed in short order.”
“You’re irreplaceable.”
“ No one is,” she said. “If they go away, they are missed, but somehow, the ones who are left make a life without them.”
I nodded. “If anyone else wants to take a short vacation, this is a good time for you to take a break. I want to rearrange some things and get back on track as a cohesive group, but it might take me a week or two to get some things done.”
“I want to go to the beach, too,” Nariko said. “Where are you going?”
“ Aruba. I hear it’s vampire-free and there’s going to be an eclipse. Come with me,” Jade said.
“ Yay!” Nariko smiled. “Is it okay with you?” she asked me.
“ Yes. Go, but just come back safely, you two.” Nariko looked at Mikhail and I saw the look that passed between them that let me know they were in a relationship of some sort. “Do you want to come?”
“ I don’t like getting sunburned. Have a good time, girls.” He winked at Nariko and she smiled back. She and Mikhail were close. As close as Ambra and me.
Joan said, “I’m going to sit tight here, use the heated swimming pool and write the curriculum for our advanced fencing classes, now that you are all up to speed in intermediate techniques. I also want to bake and freeze a bunch of stuff. This is a carb-intensive group and pretty soon, if we don’t get some goodies in the freezer, we are going to have to resort to the American boxed macaroni and cheese at the back of the pantry. I have no idea how long it has been there or who brought it to Switzerland, but we can’t resort to eating garbage.”
“Bless you,” I said. “Truly. I don’t know if I have said it often enough, but I value your fencing expertise, Joan. Actually, all of you are very precious to our mission and to me personally. You are my family, my friends, and…my life.”
“ We’ll find Kristin,” Griff said. “The world
I cleared my throat. “Training is suspended for today and we aren’t going on any missions for a week or two.”
Everyone looked at each other.
“So,” Nariko said, “we’re officially taking a break?”
“ It seems timely.”
She nodded.
“In that case, do you mind if I go to a medical convention?” Griff checked something off on a list in front of him. “I want to go to a hematology seminar. It’s something that might help me in the research of vampire biology. A blood replacement product company sent me an email and I was already going to ask you if I could get away.”
“ Of course, Griff. And you don’t have to explain, though it does sound cool. Where is it?”
“ Germany.”
“ All right. Email me your dates and whip out your company credit card. Just be prudent with it.”
“ Always.”
“ Can I take a week of vacation?” Jade asked. “I need to go toast myself on a beach somewhere and not think about vampire hunting.” She looked at me with pleading in her eyes.
“ Absolutely.” I paused. “You’re our network administrator, so I need to ask you this. You’re coming back, right?”
“ Yes, I’m coming back. I just need to decompress. Obviously, I won’t use the company credit card for my vacation.”
I smiled. “Is there anything I should know in your absence besides that Control-Alt-Delete should be the keys to press should anything go awry with the server?”
“Please don’t do that to my server.”
“ I was joking.”
She paused. “The big black notebook with all of the passwords and related stuff is in Lucas’s safe. Well, it’s your safe now. Everything should be fine and if it’s not fine, I have the system set up to send me an email with an attached trouble log and I will fix things remotely, if necessary. You won’t even know I’m doing it.”
“ Very nice. Thanks for telling me.”
Jade added, “If anything ever happened to me, everything in that black notebook will help a new network administrator get up to speed in short order.”
“You’re irreplaceable.”
“ No one is,” she said. “If they go away, they are missed, but somehow, the ones who are left make a life without them.”
I nodded. “If anyone else wants to take a short vacation, this is a good time for you to take a break. I want to rearrange some things and get back on track as a cohesive group, but it might take me a week or two to get some things done.”
“I want to go to the beach, too,” Nariko said. “Where are you going?”
“ Aruba. I hear it’s vampire-free and there’s going to be an eclipse. Come with me,” Jade said.
“ Yay!” Nariko smiled. “Is it okay with you?” she asked me.
“ Yes. Go, but just come back safely, you two.” Nariko looked at Mikhail and I saw the look that passed between them that let me know they were in a relationship of some sort. “Do you want to come?”
“ I don’t like getting sunburned. Have a good time, girls.” He winked at Nariko and she smiled back. She and Mikhail were close. As close as Ambra and me.
Joan said, “I’m going to sit tight here, use the heated swimming pool and write the curriculum for our advanced fencing classes, now that you are all up to speed in intermediate techniques. I also want to bake and freeze a bunch of stuff. This is a carb-intensive group and pretty soon, if we don’t get some goodies in the freezer, we are going to have to resort to the American boxed macaroni and cheese at the back of the pantry. I have no idea how long it has been there or who brought it to Switzerland, but we can’t resort to eating garbage.”
“Bless you,” I said. “Truly. I don’t know if I have said it often enough, but I value your fencing expertise, Joan. Actually, all of you are very precious to our mission and to me personally. You are my family, my friends, and…my life.”
“ We’ll find Kristin,” Griff said. “The world
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