Protecting Kendra

Chapter 4 - Paxton

I waited for Kendra to leave the parking lot before I started to drive. Tonight, I have a debriefing with my team. Kendra knows where my house is, so I want to avoid any questions about where I went after our training. If she sees my truck turn the opposite way, there's a chance she will become curious enough to ask. I already feel bad about keeping what really happened to her father a secret. Her dad never wanted her to find out about her uncle. He made me promise if anything ever happened to him at his hands, I would keep Kendra far away from any knowledge of the matter. I was to ensure that she believed it was an accident. So that's exactly what we did. To the world, Randy died from injuries related to his car accident. He lost control one late evening on icy roads and his vehicle rolled down the hill. I don't know if I could have kept this promise if I did not respect Randy so much. He was one of the few men I ever looked up to. His loss devastated me. I can't even begin to imagine the level that Kendra felt.

Thinking of Kendra both brings me comfort and sorrow. I felt a connection with her the day that we met. If I'm honest with myself, I recognized that instant attraction we had for one another as well. We would sneak glances at each other when no one was looking, often catching one another. I played it off as a part of my job. How can I protect someone without confirming their presence? Kendra's intentions for looking were rather obvious. Every time I noticed her looking at me, she'd quickly turn her head in another direction. Her cheeks would turn red with embarrassment, and she'd nervously bite on her bottom lip. That only drove my thoughts further away from what I was hired to do. I knew I should request another assignment for this fact alone. Guards cannot afford a distraction. However, when her first words to me involved calling me out for my bullshit, I knew I could never walk away.

As the years went on, our connection only strengthened. We became each other's person for everything. I would call her for help cooking, when I needed a new TV series to watch, or when I spilled wine on my dress shirt. The last one I could have taken to the dry cleaners, but I was a sucker for an excuse to hear her voice. She would in turn call me for house projects, pick up food, or for dating advice. The last is the only conversation of ours that I dread. I'm truly amazed at my ability to keep it together through those talks. Each time I'm consumed with the thought of tracking down the guy that is stepping in on what's mine. Except, she's not. Not in that way. It can never be that way. This reminder hits me in the gut each time.

I'm really in a bad mood once I arrive for my meeting. It's going to be hard to talk without my fellow guards and boss, detecting that this has become a personal matter for me. Discussing a person that is trying to hunt down and take Kendra will hit too close to my thoughts tonight. At least I can do this guy harm. I get out of my truck and started walking to the building. I glanced up at the sign on the building that says "Alliance Security." There was a pain in my chest as I remembered the last debriefing. Kendra doesn't know that she has an uncle, especially one that has dedicated his life to seeing her dead. Daniel Beaumont is one of the most horrific human beings out there. The only life he values is his own. Randy was the hero that finally got him behind bars. He was supposed to serve life in prison, but he found a way out. I take a steady breath and open the doors to enter.

My boss and Noah are already in the room. They’re making small talk to one another. I’m not close enough to hear them yet, but it doesn’t seem like a light conversation. I clear my throat to get their attention. “Should we begin? I’m not comfortable leaving Kendra with a fill-in guard for long.” Ever since his escape we've had 24/7 surveillance on her. She is completely oblivious to this knowledge. She doesn’t even notice how a vehicle follows her every time we part. She especially hasn't noticed two vehicles parked outside her apartment every night, one at the front entrance and one at the back that has a view of her windows. My boss, David, nods his head and sits down at the head of the table. Noah follows suit and sits down. I sit opposite of Noah where we can all see and speak to one another with ease.

My stomach was beginning to form knots, but I forced a question out anyway. “Do we have an update on his location?” Daniel escaped from what was supposed to be the highest security prison in the country. We learned about this news just a few short days ago. The day after he escaped. I am still livid about that fact. A whole 24 hours went by. That is a huge chunk of missing time that is inexcusable. I would be in a prison cell myself if something had happened to Kendra because of this late notice. I really hope that Randy is wrong, and Daniel won’t be interested in her anymore now that he’s gone. After all, it was Randy he wanted to see hurt by her death. You can’t hurt a dead man.

“Unfortunately, we have not had visual confirmation of where he has been since his escape. However, some of the other prisoners have come forward with some information. With Daniel gone, they felt comfortable coming forward in return for a lowered sentence.” He glanced up from the table to see my reply. I simply nod. It’s not what I wanted to hear, but at least we have something to go off on. “What did they say? Can we rely on it?” I asked. It is not a secret that prisoners will give information, whether it’s true or not, just so they can get out early. His answer provides little comfort. “He overheard Daniel telling someone how he’s going to lie low and avoid trafficked areas to avoid being spotted. He knows the general direction he's headed to, which is this way.” I sit still gathering my thoughts. “As for the part if we can rely on him, I feel confident saying yes.” I nodded again.

“So, what’s the plan?” Noah said, breaking the silence. My boss kept his eyes on me even though it was not my question. “We have hired a couple more private investigators to work on his disappearance. Surely, we will have a location soon between the three of them. You both continue doing what you are doing in the meantime. Make sure training is not missed. Enforce more if you must get her where she needs to be. Make sure one or both of you are always watching her. We have requested heavy patrols around her apartment and work to help keep an eye on suspicious activity. Maybe the presence of a patrol car alone will be enough to deter him. I will continue to call you in for debriefings as more information becomes known. You all are dismissed.” David says as he stands.

Noah and I don’t waste any time leaving. We must get back to work. There may be someone currently watching her, but he is not informed as we are. He was under the impression, like many others, that her father was overprotective and wanted a guard for his daughter. He is now scheduled to be informed now that Daniel may be headed this way. Man, he is going to be in for a shock. I wish I was the one scheduled to head back to Kendra’s apartment for surveillance. Instead, I must head back to my own to prepare for tomorrow’s lesson and get some rest, so I can be at the top of my game tomorrow. It brings some comfort that Noah will be there, but not much. It's never enough unless I'm with her.