Chapter 157: Company
*We’re on our way up, going straight through. Keep our daughter safe. – Isiah*
Nessie was in her kitchen office putting together her weekly food order for the menu she had already made. Reviewing the details, something was keeping her from submitting the order. Something in the kitchen fell to the floor startling her.
She walked into the empty kitchen and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. Turning to go back to her office, she saw it.
Then she felt the presence. “It’s not good, is it?”
Of course, he did not answer. She left the kitchen, walking past the stairway to the basement, where the seven were unusually quiet. Even the fool in the bar could feel it.
Without preamble, she opened the door to her uncle’s office. “Company is coming.”
“How do you know?” Toad asked.
“The broom that I keep by the backdoor fell.” She said and let out a sigh at his look of disbelief. “I’m tellin' yeh, company is coming. And it’s bringing blood with it.”
His phone on the desk lit up and he looked over to see Ink’s name on the screen. It was only ten and early for him. He nodded at Nessie dismissing her and answered the phone.
Nessie went and found several of the club girls. She assigned them rooms and told them to make sure that they were ready for guests. When they asked who was coming, she shrugged and shook her head.
“Just doing what I’m told.”
She returned to the kitchen and pulled out her cards. A half hour later she was no more settled and in fact was more concerned. Leaving the broom where it was, she grabbed her cards and returned to the big office.
“Toad, I don’t commune with the dead.” Siobhan said over the speakerphone as Nessie opened the door. “I don’t know how she knows these things.”
“The broom fell.” Nessie said.
“Company is coming.” Siobhan said over the phone.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Toad demanded of the woman in his office and the one on the phone.
“The broom by the backdoor is a special broom. It’s used for spiritual cleansing.” Siobhan explained and Nessie nodded.
"And no one knocked it over? Didn't put it back right?" He asked running a hand through his hair.
Hoping and praying that something about this morning would start making sense.
“No one touches the broom but me.” Nessie added.
“Well, you’re right." Toad sighed. The more of his wife's family he met, the more certain he was in the twilight zone. "Evie’s family is coming. Her father asked for a meeting, he’s calling us in a few minutes.”
There was a light knock on his door behind Nessie. Both she and Toad turned to see Trevor standing just outside the door. The man was nearly seven and a half feet tall with shoulders nearly four feet broad. He was literally a giant teddy bear that looked intimidating.
“The speaker is set up.” Trevor told him.
“Thanks, Trev.” Toad said.
“Rooms will be ready when they get here.” Nessie said as she turned to leave.
She returned to her office and changed her order. Then she sent an email to the company representative. Since the order was larger than usual, she knew that David would reach out to her. He responded back in just a few hours.
The larger order would not be a problem. He made sure tk let her know that if she needed to add to it, she had twelve hours. Also, they had a special abd he included a link. There were s few things that she added and then confirmed the order.
Nessie loved her kitchen. She loved cooking. She loved the planning. She hated the actual ordering.
A little over twenty-four hours after the call, word quickly made it through the club that Evie had been shot. A few hours after the incident, Renegades from Texas and Louisiana rolled into the compound.
Nessie met them in the front room with a half dozen club girls. They all wore jeans and lilac polo shirts with Nessie’s Kitchen on the left breast. On the right were their names underneath the line drawing of the Loch Ness Monster.
“I thought that yeh might be hungry. The girls will take yer bags oop if yeh’d like to follow me to the dining hall.” Nessie smiled at them. She noticed the large black man staring at the bar. “Would yeh like a drink?”
“No, it’s…. Never mind.” He said shaking his head.
“He doesn’t know when to shut oop.” She said with a smile. “The others are much quieter.”
“Good. I’m Darkness.”
“Nessie.” She said accepting his hand. “Yes, just like that Nessie.”
