by Kayla Myles
He had everything set down to the wire—he had his team help out and arrange the blockades for the fans, assigned each person to an exit, memorized the list of people who would be coming to the event, plus their personal staff, the employees in the theater, and reviewed the timetable of the premiere.
And that was how he noticed something was wrong.
He kept an eye on the people who entered the cinema, and noticed Veronica was missing. He asked around about her whereabouts and one of his men told him that her PA had left to go get some coffee. Strange behavior, considering she was supposed to be ‘assisting’ Veronica, but he let it slide since he had more important things to check on.
Further probing led him to know that one of Arclight’s employees did not inform him of additional people added to the list. He practically scared the bejesus out of the employee as he admitted they bribed him to get in and they claimed to be for a YouTube celebrity gossip show and needed to interview Veronica.
He put two and two together and ordered his men to look everywhere in the cinema. They managed to find Veronica, bound and gagged, and rescued her safely into their custody.
He called the police, gave them his account of what transpired, and Veronica’s handler, Henry Stevenson was all thanks and praises.
He was a short, stout man with very little neck, and his hair was receding a bit from his forehead. The second to the last button of his white shirt was about to pop due to his protruding belly, and the buckles on his belt looked worn and thin. He spoke with a British accent and his brown mustache twitched whenever he stopped speaking. He had a very warm and fatherly personality though. Chase was able to relax while they talked.
Henry placed his hand on his forehead with a sigh and a shake of his head, the color on his face coming back from the redness from before when Chase watched him rip Veronica’s personal assistant to shreds. Chase knew the girl probably deserved it, but shouting at her in public was probably too much. Still, it wasn’t in his place to get involved, so he stayed back.
“To tell you the truth, my good man, we have been getting a lot of threats and suspicious fan mail for Veronica lately,” Henry admitted. “At first, we just kept dismissing it as one of those ludicrous attempts by fanatics, but after this failed kidnapping attempt--,” he sighed once more, his eyes downcast and exhausted.
“Well, have you narrowed down the suspects?” Chase asked, and Henry shook his head.
“Sasha and I have been trying to narrow it down, but it’s taking a while to sort everything out. For now, I think the best course of action would be to focus on Veronica’s safety,” Henry said, and Chase nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I think so too,” Chase murmured. “If you don’t mind me asking, em…,” Chase trailed off, scratching his head nervously. He thought he really needed to work on his sales pitch. “Can I ask you what your plans are for that?”
Henry smiled at him, clapping Chase’s back with his meaty hand. “My boy, I believe I have, and that is actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.”
***
Chase was floored by Henry’s offer. He had not expected the old man to trust the security of one of his precious stars to his very inexperienced hands. He was new to the game, and since he had done a good job at providing security back at Arclight, Henry was offering his company the job.
Henry had wanted Chase to be Veronica’s bodyguard personally, but Chase turned it down, with the excuse he already had his hands full running the company. Chase didn’t think he could pull off protecting someone as high profile as Veronica Langley, not with the skills he possessed at the moment, and certainly not with the degree of danger she seemed to be at risk of.
He was struggling now. He wanted to accept the offer, but at the moment, none of his men had the proper abilities to protect her. He needed someone with the right skill set, who was equal parts protective yet deadly. But who?
He was startled out of his thoughts by his phone ringing, wondering who could possibly be calling him at 2 in the morning. Regardless, he picked up the call, and after a few moments of speaking, his eyes lit up as he found a solution to his problem.
“Hey man, listen. If you’re really looking for a job…”
Chapter 3
Jason
“Good afternoon, folks, this is your captain speaking. We will be descending to LAX in about fifteen minutes. We hope you had a pleasant flight with us and hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. This is Captain Edward Davenport wishing you all a very nice day on behalf of Etihad Airways. Thank you.”
The announcement stopped and my small screen finally played the movie I was watching. I woke up from sleep about three hours ago and decided to catch up on my Marvel movies I missed during my mission in the Middle East. So far, Guardians of the Galaxy was just as great as I heard it was.
The curvy flight attendant that had been semi-flirting with me came on the aisle and told me to put up the blinds on my window, and I obliged. I winced as the first ray of light shined through the crack and I closed my eyes to try and block out the rest, the shine making the lids of my eyes go red. I turned my head away and opened my eyes to let them adjust to the brightness, and I caught the man I was sitting next to fidget and turn away from me.
I smirked a little and looked at my screen again, touching my hairy chin. A lot of us let our beards grow out so we could blend in with the folks in Afghanistan, and I hadn’t touched a razor in five years. This poor sap probably thought I was some sort of terrorist.
Hmm, maybe it was time for a shave.
I took my seatbelt off and crossed over the man onto the aisle so I could head onto the lavatory. I spotted the flirty flight attendant earlier and raised my hand out to call her attention. She smiled and batted her eyelashes.
“And what may I help you with, sir?” she said, her voice ending with a slight purr. I kept my stance relaxed and gave her a small grin.
“Yes, ma’am. I was wondering, do you have a razor I could use? It’s been a while and I think I could use a good shave, I said, pulling on the ends of my beard in emphasis. “Don’t want the locals to get the wrong impression,” I told her and she giggled.
“I hardly think you’re threatening at all, sir. Not with the uniform like that,” she said, looking at me surreptitiously from head to toe. I was still wearing my camouflage shirt, pants and black combat boots out of habit, and I realized what attracted her to me was the uniform. “But as a matter of fact, we do have a razor here. Wait just a moment,” she said.
She walked back to the containers and pulled a small pack and a cylindrical container, and then handed them to me. I looked at the label of the container. ‘Shaving cream’.
“Compliments of the airline,” she said brightly. I smiled and nodded at her, walking past her and entering the lavatory, sapping the lock closed. The light went on automatically as soon as I closed the door, and I unsnapped the button of the little package to look at what was inside.
There was a razor, small soap, a tooth brush, and a small tube of toothpaste, all with the words ‘Etihad’ and its Arabic translation embossed on them.
I placed them down on the small counter and turned the sink on, splashing my face with cold water a few times. I looked back up to peer at my reflection.
My hair was slightly longer than the standard military cut as I had neglected to cut my hair back at camp, but my sideburns blended with my hairy face, making me look like a lumberjack. My eyes were baggy, probably from lack of (good) sleep, and a little bloodshot.
I really looked terrible. It was amazing how that flight attendant could even be attracted to me when I looked like this.
Oh, right. She was looking at my uniform, not my face.
“Well, I’m going to have to fix that,” I muttered, before going to work.
After I finished cleaning myself up, I looked at my reflection again, feeling my newly-shaved chin with my fingers. Well, at least now I looked like a proper soldier.
I pulled on my
uniform, adjusting it a bit and when I was finally content with my appearance, I took my stuff with me and unlocked the door.
It seems the flight attendant was waiting for me to come out because she looked up as soon as I folded the door open. Her eyes widened and she looked me up and down, her tongue coming out and licking her lips a little. I nodded at her before walking back to my seat, allowing myself a little smirk as soon as my back was turned.
Well, now she had two reasons to want me.
***
I helped an old lady take her luggage out of the overhead storage before taking my bag out, and then I fell in line as the passengers got off the plane. The flight attendants on duty were wishing everyone a pleasant stay, and when it was my turn to leave, the one who kept helping me out earlier extended her hand for a handshake. I took it without hesitation and smiled. I felt a small piece of paper placed on my palm as she shook my hand with a smile.
“Thank you for flying with us, sir,” she said, giving me one last wink before taking her hand away. I nodded again and walked away, putting the paper in my pocket.
I looked at my wrist watch and whistled as it read 0700. The plane landed earlier than expected. I went over to the designated conveyor belts and waited a few minutes for the luggage to start coming out. I spotted my duffel right away and waited until it reached my side before hauling it off.
I walked out of the airport with my bag slung over one shoulder and my duffel bag in one hand, squinting as the rays from the sun hit my face. I shielded my eyes with my hand as I looked around the road for my ride. I had already expected he wouldn’t be here yet, though. I told him to pick me up at eight-thirty.
Since I didn’t have a phone yet, I looked around for the phone booth and spotted one at the side of the entrance to gate 2. I was about to walk over there when I heard a car honk loudly, making me turn my head. I saw a white Toyota pull over the side of the road, honking twice before the windows in the passenger seat started to roll.
I smiled as soon as I saw my friend, Chase Lincoln, wave at me from inside the car.
“Wasn’t expecting me here already, huh?” he asked, and I shook my head at him. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get in!” he said, popping his trunk open. I placed my stuff inside the trunk before getting in.
“I figured the plane might not arrive on schedule so I came here earlier, just in case,” Chase explained.
“That was good thinking,” I complimented him.
“Well, you know me. I always have to come up with a plan,” he said lightly, keeping his eyes on the road. “So, how long has it been, hm? We haven’t seen each other in, what, five years?” he asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, about.”
“Still the same tight-lipped Jason as ever,” he said, chuckling. “Nice to know the war hasn’t changed you.”
“It changed some things, just not all of it,” I responded.
“Yeah, you Delta Force bastards are a quiet bunch, so I guess you’re just fitting the bill,” he said. “So, uh, I didn’t get to ask when you called me a couple of days ago, but why didn’t you sign up for another mission? I mean, you’re still pretty young, not to mention you were already a Captain, last I heard,” he said.
My jaw went taut and my mind immediately flashed the memory of an explosion. I clenched my fist, willing the memory to go away as I turned and looked through my window instead.
“Just got tired,” I said curtly, unwilling to talk about it. To Chase’s credit, he didn’t push me for information and changed the topic.
“So, anyways, I’m actually glad you’re here. I’m working on something and if you hadn’t called, I would’ve been in a serious bind,” he said, and I turned back and looked at him.
“Yeah, I noticed. What’s this job you said you had for me?” I asked him. He didn’t exactly elaborate on the job, just that my skills would definitely be of some use to it.
“Well, first things first, do you know who Veronica Langley is?” he asked, and I frowned, racking my brain trying to see if I knew someone with that name.
I shook my head.
“No, it doesn’t ring any bells. Why do you ask?” I said.
“Well, I’ve recently opened a business. You know those little companies that provide security detail, protection, and what not to clients who need or ask for them?” he asked. I nodded, still not getting where this was going. He continued his explanation. “I started a couple months ago and one of my bigger projects was that movie premiere back in Arclight Hollywood,” he said.
“Okay. But what does that have to do with the name you mentioned?” I asked him.
“I can’t believe you don’t know who she is, man! Veronica Langley is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood to date!” Chase said, and I rolled my eyes.
“Just get to the point, Chase,” I said, clenching my teeth in frustration.
“So anyways, Veronica Langley attended the premiere at Arclight because she was the lead. Everything was all set-up and ready until I noticed she was missing, and there were people who were unauthorized to get inside impersonating as a camera crew on the guise there to interview the stars. Their real plan was to isolate Veronica and kidnap her,” Chase explained. “I foiled the plan, saved the girl, all that shit.”
“And this is relevant to me because…?” I trailed off, raising my eyebrows at him.
“I’m getting there, I’m getting there! Jeez, don’t get your panties in a twist,” Chase said, exasperated. “So, as I was saying, her handler was so impressed with my work, that he asked me to start providing protection for Veronica. Seems the girl has been receiving several threats already from some crazy fanatic and the kidnapping attempt was just the icing on the cake,” he finished.
“Again, I don’t see how this is relevant--,” I stated, but he cut me off.
“I need you to be her protector,” he said, and I looked at him like he’d grown a second head.
“What? Are you serious?” I asked him, and he winced,
“Look, I know it’s not exactly your cup of tea--,”
“Damn right,” I said, cutting him off.
“But this could be a good opportunity for you!” he continued, making me scoff. “Just hear me out, okay? You’re out of a job, and you’re going to need some money soon, and this job doesn’t really stray far from your work as a Delta Force Operative. You’ll still be protecting someone, just not for the sake of the whole country,” he said.
“I specialize in covert operations. This is the complete opposite of that. I’ll need to protect her in front of millions of people!” I cried, shaking my head.
Chase sighed.
“Come on, man. Do me a solid! You’re the only one I can count on,” he said, his eyes pleading me to accept his offer. “And you’ll be making a ton of money on this! You’ll get rich, I’ll get more recommendations, and it’s a win-win for the both of us, eh?”
“I don’t know, man…,” I trailed off, smirking a little as I watched him beg for mercy.
“Dude! Please!” he yelled, his driving becoming a little erratic and veering off lane as I chuckled at his antics. He waited for me to say something, but after a couple minutes of silence, he sighed and shook his head.
“Tell you what,” he started, and I waited for him to tell me his new plan of convincing me. “How about we continue this discussion over a couple of beers? It’s been a while since we had a drink together, and I know this really chill place we could go to,” Chase offered, and I looked at him like he was insane.
“It’s still too fucking early for that, don’t you think?” I said, and he rolled his eyes.
“Nonsense. It’s never too early to drink,” Chase assured, and I shook my head at him.
“Really?”
“Come on, please! For old time’s sake,” he begged, and I winced at him before finally agreeing. He made a fist pump before signaling for a U-turn, because apparently, the bar he mentioned was all the way over on Sunset Boulevard.
We reached the
place called ‘Frankie’s Bar’ and Chase told me it was frequented by soldiers as well, since it was a good spot to spend your furlough. The owner himself was a war veteran back in the day and even won a distinguished medal of valor for his service.
Chase and I took a seat by the bar and he waved over an elderly man wiping glasses with a dish rag over by the corner. The man seemed to recognize him because he waved back with a smile and hurried over to us.
His face was lined with many wrinkles as well as dotted with liver spots, but the man didn’t seem the least bit exhausted. In fact, he was pretty able-bodied for his age. He wore a crisp white polo shirt tucked into khaki pants, and I smirked a little, thinking the style was left over from his military days. His hair was still cut short, but longer than the standard buzz cut of a soldier.
He planted both of his hands on the counter as he gave us a friendly stare.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Chase Lincoln. It’s been a while since you came here, boy. What brings you here so bright and early?” he said, the corners of his mouth tilting upward as he grinned. Chase smiled back and answered.
“Oh, you know me, Frank. I’m never one to pass on a chance to drink,” Chase replied, and Frank chuckled at his response.
