Chapter 217

September 12, 2005 – 11:30 (Winnipeg Time)

"They took notes of what she did?" said Sebastian, smirking.

"Yes, and honestly, they wanted her to burn everyone when she got captured in Sri Lanka. They understood why she didn't and admired how resilient she was, but had she been killed in there, they would have expected her mate to raise an angry mob against her captors and betrayers."

"He would have, of that, I'm sure," said Sebastian, seeing Coralis approaching them with Eva.

"He would have what?"

"Had you been executed in jail, your mate would have led the angry mob," said Emery.

"Hmm yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what he would have done. He wanted me to kill them all when I was in there."

A few minutes later, Coralis and Sebastian took off and headed toward the city hall to inquire about abandoned properties.

"Raymond was right," said Coralis, standing in front of a dilapidated building in the old part of the city.

"I can picture how it would look like once we're done repairing and renovating it," said Sebastian, standing beside her, glancing back and forth between the blueprints he held and the derelict building."

"Same. We're close to several hubs without being too close. Four floors and two subbasements, so it gives us space to play around and accommodate all factions we'll be serving."

"They only want $400k for it. At that cost, I don't even think you care if it takes a long time before the CMMA can pay you back."

"Correct, I couldn't care less. All right, let's go back to city hall to file the paperwork to acquire it and apply for the permits we will need," said Coralis before taking off, Sebastian following her.

"We'll probably need to make it look like we're hiring very skilled workers so they won't suspect what we are. Well… the mayor and some councillors know… to an extent…"

"Yes, though if they look overly skilled, we'll get asked questions we don't want to answer, and we also want them to believe we're merely very skilled agents to fit the narrative the Secret Posse is feeding people."

"I think what we need to do to make the Core Elders happy and finalize this part of the reform, is to at least have the condemned status partially removed. I mean, for us to be able to get in to solidify the floors and walls, so we could safely walk inside and have the Core Elders do what they need to do."

"Agreed. We'll do some research to have an idea of how long it usually takes to repair a building in this condition and try to make it look like we're complying with building codes and regulations. You know, legalities."

Forty minutes later, they walked out of the city hall to return to Coralis's apartment.

"I suppose we'll call for a meeting in my living room tonight."

"Do I need to make a list of what we'll need to talk about?"

"Nah, I think we got this."

Erik, Henry and Frank were home when Coralis and Sebastian returned. Sebastian dropped a pile of documents and receipts on their living room table while Coralis poured everyone drinks.

"I take your day went well and was productive?" said Frank.

"Did you find a building for our headquarters?" said Erik.

"Yes, very productive day," before turning her attention to Frank. "Your brother was right! Looking into abandoned buildings was the way to go."

"We found gold, I believe. Well, what will be gold for us," said Sebastian while Henry looked at the receipts and the blueprints on the table.

"Holy gods from above!" said Henry, reading at the data on the blueprints. "Is this what you bought? This is PERFECT! Can we go there now?"

"I'll send you the coordinates if you want to go have a look at it, but we can't get in yet because it's considered condemned," said Coralis, distributing drinks.

"Considered condemned? If you had to file for permits, it could take a long time before you get them. The purchase itself can take a long time to go through," said Frank.

"Nah, we'll have it by tomorrow, and we'll be able to walk in to solidify walls and floors by Wednesday. The city wants to get it off their hands as quickly as possible, so they're rushing the process," said Sebastian.

"Please send us the coordinates, I want to look at that thing. How derelict it is?" said Henry.

"Very. It's so delipidated that they only asked for $400k and will make sure we can start with the repairs by tomorrow, which is to our benefit. The only stipulation is that the façade needs to somewhat look like the surrounding buildings, something about preserving history, which is fine by us," said Coralis.

"$400k for a building in ruins? Did you negotiate the cost?" said Frank, chugging his drink while Sebastian sent Henry the coordinates.

"I didn't negotiate because I didn't care about the cost. Buildings for sale in the area cost a lot more, we saw, and like you said, it would have taken much longer for the purchase to go through. If you're worried about whether I can still pay for a house for us, don't be. You could still get something for over a million, and we'd be fine."

Erik and Henry left as soon as they got the coordinates.

"Trust! I believe it's worth every penny. Granted, we may need to use our imagination based on the blueprints to see its potential, but Blue is right, we need to thank your brother for the tip, abandoned buildings were the way to go."

"I'll have a bottle of fine brandy delivered to him as a thank-you note," said Coralis, and Frank chuckled.

The twins returned two hours later.

"HOLY GODS FROM ABOVE! That place is perfect! We even recorded a full visual of what we could see from my hologram. You said we'll be able to get in by Wednesday?" said Erik.

"Yes, I'll sign the deed tomorrow morning, and they'll rush in the permit applications. I already put a deposit on it. They just want that thing sold," said Coralis, grabbing her phone to call Veronica before her new crew arrived.

"Luv," said Frank, thinking of something, "when you signed the paperwork, which name did you use?"