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David's Contribution: Andrew and Eric-Chapter 4
At the Schuyler Campus, Eric asked Andrew if he could stay the first night in Andrew's bed. After about one second's thought, Andrew indicated he might be able to accommodate Eric. Andrew spoke with his footman and told him that having Eric at the Campus in Manhattan would necessitate interviews for a footman, interview by and assigned to Eric.
The protocol for choosing footmen for senior members of the family was firmly fixed by tradition at the Campus. Eric was automatically a 'senior member of the family' by virtue of being the partner of the heir to the owners.
The most senior footman, the newest footman, and any footman that caught Eric's eye were invited to interview for the position; none were guaranteed, but at least they were in the running.
The next day an older gentleman of perhaps 60 sat in Andrew's office along with a 20-year-old new footman with bright red hair, waiting for the interview. They both had been hired and were in no danger of being fired. Both were hard-working guys, the oldest of whom had many years of experience and insight. Eric spoke with both for a few minutes. It turned out that he had inherited his mother's gift of assessment of people via conversation. After the interviews, he spoke with Andrew.
"I like both of them. Who pays their salaries?"
"The Trust does and if you want both to ease the burden on them, hire them both."
Eric called Alfred in first and asked him to share the footman responsibilities with Paddy and to mentor him along the way. Alfred stated that he was happy to do so and thanked Eric for the honor of choosing him. Eric called in Paddy, the confident Boston Irish red-head ginger whose age was so much closer to his own.
"I want you to share the duties of my footman with Alfred. He can mentor you along the way and is pleased to do so. This is a permanent assignment until you tell me you can't stand Andrew or myself anymore. We are, by the way, both gay. Does that pose a problem for you?"
"Not in the slightest. My partner at home is male so I don't think a thing about it. Thank you for choosing me, Mr. Nelson."
"Please, just call me Eric."
"We're both new at this place," said Eric. "I need all the advice I can get so I'd appreciate your having my back. I'll pass on any news I hear that I think you ought to know and try to be clear about what I need and want."
"I'm already aware of your dietary likes, Eric, and we'll work together to build your wardrobe. If you go shopping for clothes, please take me with you to carry your purchases and become acquainted with your purchases from the beginning to manage your wardrobe."
"I'll ask you about what products you prefer to use and recommend some if you wish. May I assume that you will live in Andrew's suite for now?"
"I think," replied Eric, "I will requisition my own suite for clothes and whatever else, but most nights will be in his bed and shower, so we'll have to double up on some things between the two suites."
"You are allowed a piece of art from the basement for your own suite," Paddy went on. "It's a Schuyler tradition. You may also requisition any Schuyler jet you wish for any trip any time to any place you wish."
"If your family want to visit or stay, they are welcome to requisition a suite temporarily or permanently for their visits."
"I understand from Alfred that the travel office already has the order that your family has access to the jets and the fortune through an upcoming Trust."
"Your access to the Schuyler Trust is direct, however, in addition to your own Trust."
Paddy went on, "Ordinarily that wouldn't be my business to know or comment about. At the same time, we footman know a lot that we don't discuss in order to provide information to our assigned principals to provide better service to them."
"For better communication, please feel free to initially ask me to call the travel office or the kitchen or any Schuyler department to request a service."
"They need to know that I represent you, I need to know what your plans are to provide better service and be ready when you need me," said Paddy. "I'm guessing the same would go for Alfred."
"He has only worked part-time now for the last year or so on weekends usually, but our schedule will be on your laptop calendar. I'll have your laptop in your suite by noon tomorrow."
"The footman travel with their assigned principals. We keep track of the luggage and the laptops and electronic chargers and make sure things are charged up and ready."
"The Schuyler tradition is that once you decide to travel, you only have to bring the chocolate bars and your iPhone in your pocket."
"If you have an iPad, you get to bring that yourself due to the confidential information on it, but I'll bring the chargers and a briefcase or backpack for it depending on your preferences for the trip."
"Alfred told me I should discuss personal services," Paddy continued," The footmen here at the Schuyler campus have seen it all and done some of it through the years. The stories some of them tell are pretty outrageous."
"I'm not shy. If you are in the shower and ask for a towel, I'll hand you one without comment. If I walk into the suite and you and Andrew are in flagrante delicto, I act as if nothing untoward is occurring, avert my eyes, and excuse myself."
"As a general and specific rule, we don't blur the lines between employee and employer in our personal lives. We don't accept orders to commit crimes or unethical behaviors obviously and don't expect them. We represent you and build you up."
"We endeavor to avoid tearing our principals down. That benefits no one. I will tell small lies for a principal. I prefer not to."
"I worked as a concierge at the New York Hilton prior to this gig," Paddy said.
"I'm happy to find theater tickets, give directions, give tours, get sports boxes that aren't available, make appointments...just about anything is available to the Schuyler family in this city, including fixing parking tickets, but you won't be doing a lot of driving yourself."
"Your chauffeur needs the work."
At work one day, Paddy was introduced to a new footman named Tom, about 20 years old with brilliant red hair, a few freckles, a fine figure with a prominent bulge in the right spot.
The new guy was reasonably good looking, a little nervous, and he brightened up at the sight of Paddy's red hair and other assets.
Tom Lyons had served privately as a waiter and a butler in Manhattan. He was deep in the closet but acutely aware that his heart was stable and steady around women.
His heart fluttered and his cock twitched when he saw a good-looking guy. He fluttered and twitched when he met Paddy and half hoped Paddy had noticed and half hoped he had... noticed.
Paddy noticed.
It happened that Paddy, now senior by default because his assigned principal was senior family, was appointed to mentor Tom. Paddy didn't write reports or grade Tom. He was just to teach him the ropes.
Paddy spent extra time with Tom teaching him how to look ahead to anticipate his assigned principal's needs and wants, how to arrange things so his principal saved time, work, and hassle, how to make the family's complicated decisions easier, how to inform, when to back off, the time-honored protocols of footman behaviors at the Campus, the rituals, the uniforms, the code, how to handle the emergencies, etc.
During this process one day, Paddy paused and really looked at Tom who at the moment was looking into his eyes half-listening, half-worshipping, a little dreamy.
"Let's go to the pool and do a lap or two. It's good for circulation."
Tom liked the idea but thought his circulation was just fine, judging from the swelling in his groin at the moment.
"I don't have a swimming suit here."
"Neither do I. Guess we'll do without. We'll lock the door once inside. It's not 'unheard of' behavior for footmen to exercise during a long day."
"In the showers, they disrobed, eyed each other, and dived in the nearly warm water of the pool. Neither remembered to lock the pool door.
Tom and Paddy had just swum up to each other and kissed for the first time, two bright heads of red hair together, when Eric poked his head in the door quietly and smiled. Neither Tom or Paddy saw him, and Eric left, closing the door quietly behind him."
Tom and Paddy pressed together, their swelling cocks together, their skin warm together, their tongues lively in each other's mouths, licking each other's lips and neck.
Tom kissed Paddy's eyelids and nose, tongued his ears and nipples, giving them a firm swipe over and over.
He licked his way down to Paddy's cock, took it in his mouth and sucked hard and fast, his tongue rough against the front and back sides of Paddy's upper cock shaft, especially under the 'V'.
Paddy was past 'faith and begorra'. His vocal level was at silent screech.
When Tom sat him on the side of the pool and began to eat his ass and lick his perineal body under his balls, Paddy thought maybe heaven had arrived early.
Tom's cock was on the large side, long, straight, and thick. He didn't think the water was very slippery, so he spat on Paddy's ass and when it became slippery, he impaled Paddy with his cock and held the fort until Paddy nodded him to start the fireworks.
At that point, Tom heard the closet door slam behind him, and he knew it wouldn't open for him again. His excitement and young energy enabled him to rabbit-fuck Paddy's ass hard.
He felt Paddy clamp down and that was it. Tom pumped his life out into Paddy's ass.
A second later, he felt Paddy's cock shoot a load onto his abdomen and chest, warm and slippery.
Tom collapsed on top of Paddy at the poolside for a moment, his mouth on Paddy's, then murmuring that he loved him and would never leave him, that he owned Paddy's ass now and that no one else should use what was his.
Paddy was in no shape to refuse or disagree had he wanted to.
He didn't want to and murmured back that he loved Tom and would save his ass from all competitors for at least twenty-four hours to give Tom a chance to change his mind. He slapped Tom on the ass.
"You are a hot fucker, stud. I don't have to mentor you in that department. We need to talk about moving in together, however, if my ass is going to be yours. That's a two-way street, but we need to live on that street together."
"By the way, I'm going to be inside you from time to time, so buck up and take your turn."
Eric didn't want to put Paddy in a bad place or embarrass him. He mentioned that since Alfred was working less, he (Eric) would need another footman to be assigned to him, preferably someone Paddy could get along with.
Eric said, almost as an afterthought, that there was a new footman with red hair that might be interested and had Paddy met him yet?
Gratified at the blink in Paddy's eyes, Eric noted a faint tinge of color creeping up over Paddy's face as Paddy informed him that he and Tom had met. Paddy said he would ask Tom to contact Eric for an interview.
Eric decided to ignore protocol and not invite the senior footman since that personage was still Alfred.
The interview went well, and Tom was assigned to Eric.
The telephone call Rose expected came as no surprise. Lucy thought things over, then took time to manufacture reasons and excuses, then made her decision. Rose guessed she'd be in on this, not expecting the process to take as long as it did.
The two friends met for breakfast on Lucy's day off and over waffles and fruit, Lucy told Rose she was thinking of flying to New York to see her son in a few weeks.
Rose was pretty sure that Lucy would leave today if she could.
"Let me know if you need a traveling companion."
"Funny you should mention it, Rose," interjected Lucy. "I had a dream last night about us flying back to New York and seeing Eric and the sights. Can you get the time off? I'll buy the tickets... "
Neither Rose nor Lucy had been out of Oregon during their lifetime and New York sounded exotic in the extreme.
"Why don't you check with the bank and I'll call Eric."
Eric was delighted and said he would tell 'Paddy', whoever that was, and Rose had three months of paid leave with the bank that the bank had been trying to get her to use. The friends planned a ten-day trip.
Lucy paid for two first-class tickets on Alaska Airlines and they both bought a new suitcase. They decided to buy clothes in New York.
Their flight was bumpy in places, but they held on to their arm rests and relaxed when they saw other passengers shaken but not stirred much. They enjoyed the service, the beverage service and the comfortable seats.
Lucy was a little surprised the fare didn't include a meal and when she asked, the flight attendant told her that the domestic flights in the US didn't serve meals any longer.
The FA told her that the flights over the ocean to other continents, the long-haul flights, still served meals.
They were met at JFK by a chauffeur with a sign and a footman. They arrived at the Schuyler Campus where they were met by Eric and Andrew at the front door.
The housekeeper took them to their suite on 4th floor and a maid helped them to unpack and helped them to refresh and settle in.
"Dinner is at 5 pm in Salon A, one floor down. Dress is casual. Andrew's parents will be there along with Andrew and Eric. A footman named Paddy will serve you at dinner and also be available for any other needs you may require during your stay as will I."
"Night services continue with the night on-call footmen and maids if you touch '7' on your dial. Also, there is a chef in the kitchen every minute of every day. If you wish a snack, just call your footman at this extension and ask him for anything you wish."
"If you are hungry for an item or a full meal, the kitchen prides themselves on providing it promptly. That's part of the service."
"Your footman can order a car and accompany you for any sightseeing or shopping, get tickets for events, and also tell you what's happening in the city this week and next."
"If this suite is appealing to you, you may wish to permanently reserve it at no cost by telling your footman. It will then be made available to you every time you visit and to no one else. You are welcome to keep personal belongings here year-round since you are family now, both of you, per Eric."
"We ask that you sign a paper agreeing not to discuss anything you see or hear at the Schuyler Campus to preserve the family's privacy. That paper is by your bedside and after signing, please give it to your footman."
"Family is accompanied by security outside the Schuyler Campus while in the city at all times and here are your bracelets, this one with the red inlay for you, Rose."
"The one with the blue inlay is for you, Lucy. These have been registered with the Security Operations office, person-specific so be sure to wear your own colored bracelet."
"Feel free to wear them home and keep them on your person. The Office follows its protected persons all across the country, all across the globe for that matter all of the time. As long as these are on your person, security will know where you are all the time."
Lucy and Rose thanked the maid for the information and prepared for supper. Lucy had spoken with Eric a few times before the trip and had an idea what 'casual' dress was there and had warned Lucy that she should bring one really nice 'casual' dress and pair of shoes suitable for a palace.
They had decided it was better to be a little overdressed than under the standard. It turned out to be a wise decision.
The Salon was gorgeous, now gold and off-white with enormous bouquets of flowers on plinths in each corner, on the dining table, and on either side of the entry. An enormous chandelier hung over the large oval table and the side serving desks were spotlighted gracefully from overhead. They sat on priceless antique upholstered chairs, comfortable old French chairs.
The first course was a cold Spanish gazpacho followed by an Italian salad.
A vegetable terrine in aspic or cold pistachio chicken terrine in aspic was next, followed by an entree of barbecued beef brisket or steamed tofu foam in a chickpea curry sauce.
Assorted vegetables were served, then a fruit and cheese individual platter for each guest and afterward, mango and fresh peach frozen custard choices with assorted nuts.
Wine had been offered along with choices of fruit juices, herbal teas and Fiji water, a longstanding Schuyler tradition dating back to Blossom Jones many years prior.
Everyone gathered in a library to chat after supper and the parents met, inspected, and pretty much liked each other.
Both Alfred and Paddy tucked Eric into bed with Andrew that night, commenting that the visit had started off well, making sure that the bedside water pitchers were filled, that the top drawers had the right number and size of condoms and lube, checked the night thermostat settings, asked about wakeup times, checked the mini-bar contents, reminded Andrew and Eric of tomorrow's appointments, prepared their morning clothes to hang by the walk-in closet and exited.
Paddy noted out of the corner of one or two eyes that Eric had already buried his head in Andrew's neck and that his hand was moving under the covers on Andrew's groin.
"Horny gentlemen," he thought, but refrained from comment.
Rose and Lucy's maid turned back both of their queen beds, unpacked their suitcases, put away their delicate items in the antique bureau drawer, hung up what clothes they had brought along and stored their cosmetics in the appropriate spots in the bathroom, checked the night thermostat settings, and checked their minibar contents.
She asked about wake-up service requests (none) and gave them the internal number to call for a car for shopping the next day and reminded them to take their footman along who would automatically bring security along.
Feeling just a little tired and a little overwhelmed by the grand setting, comfortably full and excited for the next day, Rose and Lucy fell asleep.
After talking for another hour or so, that is.
Alfred and Paddy helped the other footmen tidy up the Salon, went to the footmen lockers, disrobed, showered, threw their uniforms into the laundry chute, changed into street clothes, gave report to the night footmen on call, discussed the day and plans for the next day, talked about expected needs of their principals for the next day and were chauffeured to their homes, security in tow.
Paddy walked up the brownstone steps, found his key, opened the door, smelled a disagreeable odor and found his lover on the floor of the bathroom, quite dead.
Paddy screamed. He touched his bracelet twice, and in a few minutes heard a loud knock at the front door. He opened it and the Schuyler security team rushed in. They assessed the situation. The team head touched his own bracelet three times. The night security office at the Campus noted the light and patched in NYPD's Night Operations center. Two cars responded to Paddy's address along with a hearse.
Paddy called Alfred and explained his situation. Alfred told him to take a cab to his apartment when the immediate situation allowed him to leave.
"Bring your stuff here for a few days, a change of clothes, your bag, anything you need every day. You can bunk here until your place is available again or until we can find you another place. I'm sorry to hear of your loss, Paddy. That's got to be hard."
After the body was removed and after the NYPD was through with pictures and prints and their routine for such cases, they threw up a yellow tape and Paddy took a taxi.
Alfred welcomed him and noted that he was still in shock.
"Drink this slowly."
A double shot of brandy went down the hatch and slowly Paddy began to relax a little. Alfred called the night footman and asked him to notify Eric in the morning. He wasn't sure that Paddy would be at work the next day but didn't want to speak for his presence at work. In any case, Alfred said he'd cover if Paddy didn't make it.
Paddy awoke the next morning, thought a few moments and decided that doing his duty at work would be therapeutic. He got up, showered, dressed and thanked Alfred for taking him in.
"Paddy, my boy, I'll see you here this evening," replied Alfred.
The medical examiner ruled the death as a drug overdose, a surprise to Paddy who didn't even know his partner did drugs. It didn't make sense to him.
Eric spoke to Andrew about the case. Andrew spoke to the Security Operations office and they pressured the detective on the case to dig a little deeper. There was no evidence that Paddy's partner had ever taken drugs.
He did indeed die of a drug overdose, but he didn't take it orally. An injection site in a buttock was found and evidence of injected drug still in a muscle pocket there. The medical examiner now suspected murder.
Paddy's alibi was rock solid. He'd been at work with lots of witnesses. The camera footage at the apartment entrance showed a man entering at 11 am with a small bag and one frame allowed a facial recognition computer program to match that with another few frames from arriving passengers at JFK the day before.
The detective threw NYPD resources into the hunt and hundreds of cameras around the city were scanned for evidence of the man's movements during his stay.
A camera at the entrance to a seedy motel in Queens...another camera at a diner a few blocks away...a traffic camera near a mob boss's house in Queens...a camera from Rome's Fiumicino airport departure lounge...a consult with Italian authorities.
After two or three days a picture emerged of a hired gunman.
At that point, the Schuyler security operations office connected some dots and remembered a museum that had neglected to return a loaned Titian and had gone so far as to refuse to return it until Italian authorities had threatened to arrest the museum director for grand theft at which point the museum board caved.
Isaac and Valentine had informed the museum board that they would not be doing business with the museum in the future and would refrain from lending to museums that lent to that museum in particular, kind of a blacklist of sorts.
The Italian authorities were informed again and eventually one of the directors was arrested for the murder of Paddy's lover, an Italian man who had previously been a partner of the director years before.
The theory was that the director had thought to kill two birds with one stone. Fate was not kind to him. The museum director ended his days in prison.
That night after Andrew and Eric had gone to bed, the footmen sat in their rooms, a little dazed from the activities of the day, drinking a little warmed brandy by the fireplace. Gerald had knocked to confer with them about something and had accepted a snifter.
"How long have you two been a couple now?"
"Just the six months you've known us. Just after Tom joined us."
"I was married for about that long. My wife died from cancer, a fast spreading tumor of the ovary."
"So, if I can be so personal," asked Tom, "are you in a relationship now?"
"I'm not. I won't marry again, at least not with a woman. The daily and monthly ups and downs aren't for me."
"As long as we're being personal, what are you doing for relief?"
"I'm not. I don't have time to date or energy either. I envy you two, having each other."
"Have you been with a man, Gerald?"
"No. That's one thing I haven't tried. Didn't ever meet anyone that offered, and I was reluctant to offer the couple of times it seemed that a decent guy got near for fear he might go ballistic or something."
Paddy looked thoughtful and glanced over to Tom, who held his gaze for a minute then nodded.
"Gerald," asked Paddy, "what would you think if the two of us introduced you to man sex?"
"You mean right now?"
Tom nodded. "Yeah, we wouldn't do anything that made you uncomfortable and it would be private here."
Gerald thought for a minute, then looked up and grinned. "Yes, I'd like to try it with you two. I think you would be good teachers. I've been hard ever since I walked in here tonight for some reason."
"Tom and I aren't looking for a third permanent partner," said Paddy, "and we've never played with another guy as a couple. If you can accept that this would be a one-time hookup for teaching purposes, then I'm in."
"What's the first step?"
Tom stood up, placed his brandy on the side table on a coaster, then slowly took his shirt off. Gerald watched transfixed at Tom's chest and gorgeous red hair and prominent nipples centered in a wide dark areola on both sides.
"God, that's hot."
Paddy stood and removed his pants revealing his low-rise bikini under gear, cotton, white with thin horizontal blue stripes. He then removed his shirt slowly and took Eric in his arms and the two ginger guys touched lips and both reached an arm to Gerald.
Gerald stood and tore off his clothes, all of them. His short blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes came closer. At twenty-six he was a little older than Paddy and Tom, his swimmer build firm, his abdomen rock hard and his cock medium-sized and now hard as marble, straight upright.
Tom stepped behind Gerald while Paddy knelt in front of Gerald, taking his cock in his mouth to suck. By that time, Tom's clothes were off, and he pressed his cock to Gerald's ass, gently rubbing it up and down in Gerald's crack. Gerald quickly became a happy man from all the pleasure and started to gently fuck Paddy's mouth.
"Let's move this to the bed," suggested Tom.
The three men went into the bedroom of the suite and threw back the covers. On the cool sheets, they moved Gerald on to his back and guided his legs up. Tom got on top facing Gerald's feet and took his cock in his mouth, placing his own cock at Gerald's lips. Paddy began to kiss and lick Gerald's ass.
At this point, Gerald got pretty excited. He moaned and cried out each time his hole was licked, and his cock sucked.
"What are you guys doing?" he cried. "That feels so good! Oh fuck! Don't stop, pleeeaase, don't stop!"
The lube and condoms came out of the drawer. Paddy lubed Gerald up, introduced a finger into Gerald's ass, then another gently. Paddy found Gerald's prostate and rubbed it a few times and Gerald just about levitated up off the bed. He appeared to like that very much and begged, "somebody fuck me please!"
Tom did the honors, touching the tip of his cock to Gerald's asshole entrance, waiting until the winking sphincter muscle relaxed and nearly sucked his cock inside, sliding over the lubricated skin at the entrance.
When Tom's cockhead sank just inside, he waited until Gerald asked him to go ahead, then Tom's exuberance took over, rabbit-fucking Gerald's ass, then a few slow strokes deep and slow, then fast again.
Paddy's cock found its way to Gerald's mouth and Gerald found its taste, though neutral, and texture, hard covered with velvet skin, and smell, a hint of funk... a huge turn on. All of the men came hard though not at the same moment.
Gerald was surprised at the amount of cum flying through the air and even more shocked when Paddy and Tom fell to licking the available cum up and swallowing it.
"So, what did you think?"
"I wasn't doing a lot of thinking during," said Gerald. "Now I'm wondering what took me so long, like where have I been all these years wasting my time doing lesser things. Dibs on the next footman hire even if he's one-eyed and ugly."
"Thank you, guys. I'll be going back to my room to count my blessings and plan my future now. Doubt I'll have any problem going to sleep, either. What a workout!"
Paddy and Tom laughed after Gerald left. "Love teaching," said Paddy. "Might have to get my master's degree or Ph.D. or something."
"You won't be teaching without me in the room, buddy," Tom replied, "so don't get any ideas."
Paddy grinned and reached over to hold Tom's cock.
"I know where my ass, er bread, is buttered. You're my man and I'm yours. You notice I didn't let Gerald near my ass. That's yours and will always be yours."
Andrew and Eric had exchanged body fluids before they slept; both slept well dreaming of waking in time to shower together and get in a good fuck before breakfast.
Eric snuggled in behind Andrew, his partially engorged cock sitting in Andrew's cock, responding during sleep to Andrew's movements.
Had his heart been monitored, the cardiac monitor would have noted brief periods of a faster heart rate, busy filling up his cock, only to subside with deeper sleep and detumescence.
Morning came and at awakening, Eric's morning erection had found Andrew's entrance. Andrew smiled when he felt it and pushed back against Eric, feeling Eric's log slip its way inside him.
The feeling of fullness satisfied a deep need, induced a state of absolute internal energy for a second, then his ass stopped fighting it and relaxed entirely to cradle and tenderly hold Eric's cock as it stopped to settle in and begin its thrilling reconnoiter.
Down the hall, Gerald was frantically encouraging his cock to feel even better than last night with dubious results.
Paddy and Tom were in the midst of a 'Paddy fucks Tom' moment, not a frequent turn of events. Both were enjoying the back and forth, so to speak, but neither was doing their favorite moves, and both were thinking it.
They had, some months back, agreed that the 'flip-flop' was a healthy thing and that doing one's favorite moves all the time was the best way to make those favorite things into 'routine' things...all the same, Paddy loved nothing more than Tom's rabbit-fuck moves in his ass.
Tom's energy pretty much transferred to Paddy at those points and Paddy never failed to respond to that energy in ways that seemed to cause Tom to make a note to do that again.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF VACATIION STUFF HERE ON X....VACATION STUFF INTERLOPERS DRONE ITALIAN MUSEUM GUY INCLUDES CASABLANCA AND HOME
The security team, minus the night-duty guys, hadn't wakened yet at 7 am. It would be another hour before the scheduled changeover to day shift.
The day Schuyler Security operations office in Manhattan, however, was alert, monitoring the drone coverage high over the condominium in Zermatt when one of the officers noted three dark spots, human temperature, human motion, moving slowly toward the building over the snow.
Satellites relayed a threat warning to the night shift nearly instantaneously and issued a wakeup call to the next shift still sleeping. The night shift watched the picture sharpen on their iPhones and deployed with automatic weapons behind prepositioned barriers. They had the advantage of prior knowledge and training.
The day shift jumped out of bed and started the routine for this incident. They halted the building elevators, locked the stairwells, and herded their principals into their showers, guarded the bathroom doors with weapons trained on the suite doors. Two guards stood at each suite door in the hall as well.
Police in Geneva and locally were notified.
The move that mattered fell to the drone itself. The operators in Manhattan sharpened the focus on all three targets and pushed a button labeled 'fire'.
A small mechanism at the base of the drone unfolded, and the precise coordinates of the drone downloaded to smart darts similar to tasers without the wires.
The coordinates of the targets were loaded into the smart dart's chips, then darts were away, heading downward rapidly. At the same precise instant, each dart plunged into the back of each person and a strong electric charge fired, neutralizing all three targets.
The night team then ran to the targets and after making sure of their targets, secured them carefully and took them to a security van. The rest of the crew inside the building stood down and informed their principals that all had turned out well.
The local police didn't take well to terrorists. The local detectives, aided by a team from Paris flown in, soon learned that the family of the Italian museum director had hired revenge hits.
The Italian government, now fed up with the mess and eager to show good faith, ordered a military operation to round up all of the family in Italy and the island from whence the family had been born, and confiscated all of their land and wealth.
The family was warned by an Italian special judge that their civil rights were terminated so that any future terrorist activity would result in mass disappearance of the imprisoned. Each prisoner had their own cell. They could not speak to each other.
There were no guards at the prison. No out-going mail or electronic devices were permitted in the prison. Three times a day, a bowl of food and pitcher of water was delivered to each cell after the previous meal's bowl and pitcher were handed out. No utensils, no knives.
Sobered, Andrew and Eric took their security team to the slopes to see the resort ski instructors teach Eric how to snowplow, ski a straight course downhill, how to stop, how to turn, how to carve a turn, correct ski posture, and the etiquette and technique of the lifts.
Eric was a good student and learned quickly, probably helped by his recent physical training. Andrew loved watching him learn his own second favorite sport, the first 'favorite sport' being sex with Eric.
After four weeks, they decided to try a few days in Zermatt at their new digs there.
Both liked the view of the Matterhorn and would ski on the Swiss side in the morning, cross over to Italy for lunch sometimes, then ski on either side in the afternoon.
They and the security team partied a couple of nights late, dancing in one of the nightclubs, but would have just as soon stayed in to play their mutual 'most favorite' sport and go to bed early.
Eric didn't drink and neither did drugs; the partying was tame until they reached their bed at which time an inferno of lust erupted which no amount of snow could cool.
The Zermatt stay extended to another four weeks.
"Eric, let's unthaw for a week or two in Casablanca."
"I've never been, and I'm not opposed to some warm sunshine."
"I'll tell the crew we're leaving on Monday a week. Dad bought a hotel there last year. You couldn't guess what mom named it."
"Uh, the Schuyler Casablanca?"
"Ding, ding, give the man ten points. I'm not sure I could have named it anything more iconic than that. It looks a little like a cross between a pyramid and a giant ship."
"It has some kind of Babylonian-type hanging gardens on the roof. I'll ask Gerald to get the Royal suite for us and park everyone else on the same floor if possible... "
"Speaking of Gerald... have you noticed anything different about him this week?"
"You wouldn't be referrin' to the quickness in his step and the glow on his face now, would ye?"
"Oh no, maybe he's found love or something. I can't ask him. If you remember and want to, you could pump Tom and Paddy for what they might know about it."
"Those footmen stick together, I don't know."
"You know you want to know."
"I'll ask em, I will. But only to satisfy your perverted curiosity!"
"Did I ever tell you, Eric, that you are a gentleman and a scholar?"
"No... and it's about time. Did I ever tell you you're a rogue and a dumbass? Stop tickling me! Help! You're MY rogue and dumbass, damn it!"
A little later: "Yeah, lick me there some more, my sweet rogue."
The planning for Monday began immediately and promptly at ten am the helicopter left for Geneva and Morocco. Eric was now beginning to enjoy the black runs a little. He didn't expect to find any snow in Casablanca. He knew that the Atlas mountains experienced winter weather at altitude.
The Gulfstream flight from Geneva to Casablanca is a short run and they began to lose altitude for the landing almost right after take-off. Limousines and large vans for security formed a motorcade from the airport to the hotel where they were greeted by the manager and escorted to the top floor.
"We're delighted to welcome you to your hotel in Casablanca. Let us know anytime if we can make your stay more comfortable."
The sun was unbearable hot in contrast to the Swiss high-altitude snows and the air-conditioning was a life-saver in the very large Royal suite. Andrew knew the Schuyler history in Morocco and shivered a little.
Eric didn't connect the assassination attempt of Barbara Schuyler, first woman president of the US, with the Schuyler Campus or his newfound wealth, the chain of custodians whose last link was his boyfriend, Andrew (see Nifty Archives, Relationships, The Schuyler Fortune, 'Rose Lost, Rose Home').
"Let's have breakfast down by the pool this morning, Eric."
Over chocolate croissants and tea and scrambled eggs the next morning, Eric spotted his mom, Lucy and her friend Rose headed toward their table. He jumped up in surprise, his arms outstretched, delighted to see them. Several waiters hurried over to set two more places and took their orders for breakfast, including delicious Moroccan coffee for Rose.
"Mom, Rose, where did you come from, I mean, how long have you known, I mean, I'm so glad to see you," Eric squealed.
"We decided you needed to see your sainted mother, naturally," deadpanned Rose. "That fragile bond should be nourished often."
"Of course," said Lucy. "But enough of us, how are you men getting along?"
"Just trying to stay afloat among the debris, mother."
"You should be able to float OK here in Casablanca. There are enough pools and if shopping does it for you, the medina is a place to start, if subdued these days. The medina in Tangier might be a little busier. Casablanca has largest mall in Africa, the Morocco Mall."
"Mother!" You've never been here before."
"Have you ever heard of the Internet and the library, son?"
"Right... "
Andrew smiled. "We could tour the souks and take the helicopter to Tangier one day. But this Morocco Mall I must see. We won't tell anyone, however. My security team is already nervous about this trip as it is. They would be happier if the Seventh Fleet were on shore duty here in town right now."
"Speaking of your visit, can we rustle up rooms for you here?"
"That would be lovely dear. If it isn't convenient, we have reservations at the motel near the docks downtown."
"As if." said Andrew. "I own this hotel and the manager will quit if he finds out you stayed elsewhere. May we give you a ride home when you are ready?"
"We flew over on Royal Air Maroc and have reservations back."
"Sweet Pea is available to take you back whenever you wish without the long TSA lines and much better food to whatever airport you like, almost."
"If you insist, dear."
The quartet shopped a lot, had a blast in the souks, got some bargains and overspent on other things, visited Tangier for part of a day, and ate a fair amount of lamb and mint tea. After the ladies had flown home, Eric told Andrew he needed some 'Andrew' time.
"What's up, lover?"
"Any chance we could stop in Paris on the way back home? I would like a day or a week at the Louvre before starting my art courses in Manhattan next quarter. I'd also like to meet the 'powers that be' at the museum."
"Sure, we can. I'll make the arrangements. I've been wanting to see the Schuyler Traders office at the Place des Vosges again anyway. It's one of my favorite places in the world other than the Place du Tertre, the public square in the Montmartre near Sacré Coeur."
The men left for Paris with their retinue, staying just above the Traders one floor on the Place des Vosges. The place also had Schuyler history.
John Lodge and Jayden Miller had stayed there first before us many years ago while learning more about art at the Louvre. (see Nifty Archives, Gay, Relationships, 'This One Might Be Different').
The curators at the Louvre knew Isaac and Valentine and were delighted to see Andrew again. His family's connections and value to the Louvre had not been forgotten. All of the administration and the various curators were welcoming to Eric as well.
Arrangements were made for Eric to have open access to the Traders and the living quarters above that exchange anytime he wished. There was a new doorman now, seriously French, formally-dressed, burly gentleman named André who promised to look after Eric like a son when he arrived.
Both Andrew and Eric were glad to see the Campus in Manhattan. They had been gone for over two months of the New York winter, the last quarter of the school year was rapidly approaching, and Eric was due in classes soon. Isaac hugged them both and told them he was glad they were home again.