“My feet feel like two blocks of solid ice in these ridiculous elf slippers,” Myra said wearily as she pushed the elevator button.

Both women sighed with relief when the elevator door swished open.

“Look, Myra, there’s the door. I can see it from here. All we have to do is walk twenty feet, and we’ll be warm again. You don’t think we’ll get pneumonia, do you?” Annie asked fretfully as she took Myra’s arm and clomped her way to the door, where she pressed her thumb to the doorbell and held it there. When it didn’t open immediately, she screamed, “Open this damn door right this minute!”

A heartbeat later the door was opened by Kathryn, with a gun in her hand. Another heartbeat later both women’s feet left the floor. The black boots stayed by the door, as did the elf slippers.

The Sisters were rushed to the two bathrooms in the apartment, stripped down, and shoved into steaming showers.

“Who are those women tied to the table legs?” Myra asked from behind the foggy shower door.

“The two surrogates. Snowden’s people brought them here. We took over and they left,” Nikki said.

“What about Baron Bell and his paramour?” Myra asked.

“I don’t know, Myra. Our only contact with the outside world is through Maggie. None of our special phones are working. The cable isn’t working either. It’s a good thing there’s a landline in this apartment, which, by the way, is not too shabby for a corporate overnight stop. It works for a while, goes dead, then comes back on. Right now it isn’t working. This apartment is no frills. You know what I mean. No pictures, no doodads, no green plants. But it has two bedrooms, two full baths, and the fridge has food in it thanks to Snowden’s people.” Nikki knew she was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

“Does this place have a washer and dryer?” Myra asked.

“It does. One of those stackable apartment things. Why?”

“Dry the Santa suit and beard and the elf suit. We might be needing them.”

“Okay. Do you want hot coffee, hot chocolate, or hot tea?”

“Coffee, dear. Thank you.”

When Nikki made her way to the kitchen, she found the Sisters huddled up against the refrigerator. She waited until the swinging door settled into place before she spoke. “Myra said to dry the outfits, and she wants coffee.”

Isabelle pointed to the dryer, which was humming softly. She then pointed to the coffeepot.