Parker climbed down the steps of the bus staring down at the maps Claudia had given her. The little woman had been a bundle of surprises from the moment Parker had first laid eyes on her. Parker would've thought that by now she'd have stopped underestimating her...but just when Parker seemed to have her pegged, Claudia would surprise her yet again. Printing the maps out was a clever move...an insight that left Parker annoyed at herself for overlooking it. She studied the maps as she walked back towards the venue, quickly committing as much as she could to memory before folding them neatly and tucking them into one of her coat pockets.
Her long stride carried her across the asphalt and into the building looming before her. Once inside, she immediately started scouring the entire place with her shrewd eyes. She mainly observed the people that still remained inside, most of who were mainly members of the crew dismantling the massive stage. The band, dancers, and the five young men who's lives depended on her...had already retired to their respective buses. Parker already had more than a dozen theories on this case...but only one had a nagging presence in her mind. She suspected that the person behind these threats was someone on the inside...someone traveling with the tour.
There really was no evidence to support that theory...yet why would there be four attempts in four different cities? Was there a network of sorts? An entire group of people trying to take these men out? Parker didn't think so, all though it was certainly being made to look that way. Still, that was the only other explanation that Parker could come up with. The perpetrator had to be someone traveling with them...someone who was always in the same city at the same time as they were...someone who would wait a few weeks before making another attempt for the sole purpose of making it look like network job. Parker made a mental note to share her theories with Claudia as soon as she returned to the bus.
She wandered through the endless corridors of the venue, inspecting the various rooms she came to. As she neared the dressing room where the previous meeting with the boys had taken place, she heard hushed voices. Instinctively, her hand reached for the blade strapped to her thigh. Easy girl, she thought to herself, you can't go around suspecting everyone...or threatening to stab them. Her hand moved away from the knife...though not too far, then she vaguely realized that one of the security team members, Jack, was waiting patiently at the end of the corridor. She crept quietly towards the room, pausing just outside. Sometimes eavesdropping provided valuable information.
"I don't see why we have to put up with this," Nick whined for the twentieth time.
"Hello? Someone is trying to kill us remember?," AJ said, annoyed.
"And the alternative to death is putting up with Satan's little sister? Death sounds more appealing..."
AJ shook his head. Nick was being entirely too stubborn about the whole thing, and AJ just didn't feel like arguing anymore. He continued searching for his lost cell phone...his purpose for coming back into the venue in the first lace. Nick hadn't finished packing all of his stuff up yet, and as soon as AJ had entered the room, Nick had started spilling all of his complaints out...one by one.
AJ was looking underneath the table for the third time when he heard Nick mumble something that sounded like, "...high and mighty bitch..."
"Nick will you please shut up!," AJ suddenly exclaimed. "You're making too much of this...and you shouldn't go around calling someone a bitch when you don't even know them."
"What? Did your brain take a leave of absence earlier?," Nick asked, "You were here... you saw what a bitch she is! What right does she have to be telling us what to do?"
AJ was running out of patience. "I'm sure she's just doing her job," he sighed.
Outside, Parker's eyes darkened. Why was this guy defending her? She had been a bitch... she knew it, and would make no apologies for it. She'd made her point, that was the important thing. And she fought her own battles...she certainly didn't need this skinny little pretty boy defending her. Still, she wondered why he was. Mentally shrugging the thought away, she continued down the hall, ducking into the bathroom and leaving the door slightly ajar so she could observe the happenings in he hallway. Minutes later, Nick emerged from the room carrying his duffel bag. He joined Jack, and together they left the arena.
Parker silently left the bathroom and slipped into the dressing room. Apparently she had yet another point to make. AJ was oblivious to her presence as he continued the search for his missing cell phone...something that Parker intended to take advantage of. She withdrew the knife at her side without making a sound, then crept up behind an unsuspecting AJ. In one swift movement, she swung her left arm around his chest and jerked him up against her body pressing the cold steel of the blade against his throat.
AJ went completely still except for the wild slamming of his heart against the walls of his chest. His mind went blank as the cold hands of fear gripped him. He could feel hot breath on the back of his throat...he didn't dare say anything. Then suddenly, he started fighting, thrashing his body to try and wrench free of the person's grasp....fighting for his life. If someone was going to kill him, they weren't going to have an easy time doing it. He brought his elbow back...it connected with a solid surface of hard stomach muscles. The blade pressed into his throat...he wisely stopped struggling.
"You could be dead right now," Parker said, shoving him away from her, the tone of her voice colder than December wind.
AJ spun around, his eyes wide with surprise at first...then they narrowed into an angry glare that matched hers.
"You sick, sadistic..."
"Bitch?," she supplied. "Maybe so...but had I actually been the one intending to harm you...you'd have been dead before anyone had time to hear you scream."
"Jesus Christ!," AJ swore, "You scared the shit out of me!"
"Good," Parker replied, "maybe now you'll take me seriously. I told you to never go anywhere unattended, and I meant it Mr. McLean. Next time it might not be me...you might now be that lucky."
"Lucky? You're supposed to be protecting me! Not trying to fucking kill me!"
Parker chuckled, "If I had wanted to kill you...I certainly wouldn't have done it that way."
AJ glared at her. Great...a sick, twisted, bitter, gorgeous, insane, psychotic...God look at those legs...security guard. Just what he needed. They stared at each other, doing battle with their eyes. Hers were a fathomless ocean of darkness...he found himself getting lost in them. Wondering what they would look like half closed with passion, silently pleading for him, begging...
"Will you take me seriously now?," she asked quietly, alarmed by the sudden heat in his eyes...and the way her stomach was doing somersaults in reaction.
"Sure," he said, though without conviction...simply to appease her for the time being. He actually had no intention of letting this woman dictate his life.
Parker frowned...his reply had been anything but convincing, despite her efforts to scare him enough to realize that he could easily lose his life at any given moment. She sighed softly...so be it. He'd learn the hard way.
"Come on," she said, "I'll take you back."
"In a minute...I'm looking for my cell phone."
"You lost it?"
"I had it before we went on stage," he said. "But I haven't seen it since."
Parker leaned back against the door while he looked for it, keeping herself occupied by sharpening the blade of her knife on the small stone she kept in her pocket. AJ glanced up in annoyance...the scraping sound was making him uneasy. Parker shrugged and kept sharpening.
"Okay fine," he said, "I guess it's not in here...let's just go."
Parker nodded and slipped the knife back into its sheath, then fell into step beside him as he walked down the corridor.
"Detective huh?," AJ said, "You a cop or something?"
"Or something," Parker replied, not one for small talk. AJ didn't say anything else. They continued outside, walking in perfect stride together until they reached the bus. Parker waited until he had boarded safely, refusing to say anything else to him...even when he said, "I guess I'll see you later."
She only nodded and walked away, heading back to the bus she shared with Claudia. She found Claudia exactly where she'd thought she would...in the entertainment room...their new office. Most of the computer system was already set up, Parker was impressed with how quickly Claudia worked. Parker sat down on one one the plush sofas and pushed her hair away from her face.
"I think we're going to have more trouble than we thought," she said.
Claudia abandoned the computer and joined her on the sofa, "What do you mean?"
"I have this theory...an idea really."
"Me too," Claudia said quietly.
Parker raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"You first."
"I think it could be someone on the inside."
Claudia smiled and nodded, sending her wild hair dancing around her shoulders. "Me too," she replied, thankful that she wasn't imagining things. Intuition was rarely ever wrong, and she'd had this weird feeling ever since she had read the case file for the first time. Now she found herself feeling relieved that Parker had drawn the same conclusion.
"I've called a meeting," Parker suddenly said, "the security team will be here in a few minutes. You'll get a chance to explain all this "high tech security stuff" then," she finished, mocking Nick's earlier phrasing.
Claudia smiled, "It will take me a few days to get everything working...as far as the tracking devices go. Surveillance could take a few more too...but I've got most of the radio equipment ready to go."
Parker held up a hand in a motion for silence...Claudia's eyes had sparked with sudden excitement. Parker correctly assumed that she was about to launch into another technical explanation. "Save it until everyone gets here," she said, trying hard not to smile.
Claudia nodded and stood up to go back to her computer. She whirled around suddenly as she remembered something. "Oh! I almost forgot." She walked over to the table and picked up a stack of papers. "Howie brought these over while you were gone."
Parker took the stack from her, raising an eyebrow in silent question.
"It's the lists of their activities," Claudia provided. Parker nodded and began leafing through them, immediately shaking her head at the first few things listed. She found a highlighter and began marking through things...if the boys thought she was a bitch now...then they'd hate her after this. A few minutes later, a loud knock shattered the comfortable silence.
Claudia looked up from her computer, "I'll get it."
Parker merely nodded...totally engrossed in the process of eliminating certain activities from the lists.
Claudia strode to the front of the bus and opened the door to find three very large men gazing up the short flight of steps at her. Timidly, she attempted a smile and invited them inside. She hadn’t accompanied Parker when the primary introductions had taken place, and truth be known....she was more than a little nervous. Awkwardly, the first man climbed the steps, sticking out his beefy paw for a shake. “Name’s Jackson.” he greeted her, tone gruff but with kind eyes. Claudia accepted the handshake, her green orbs widening when she saw how entirely his hand engulfed her own.
“Hi. Come on in.....Parker’s in back.”
Jackson nodded and moved to expose yet another man rivaling the size of a refrigerator. Claudia made a mental note never to get involved in a brawl with any of these men. They were solid muscle, through and through. “Jack.” he gave her a curt nod before tracing the other man’s footsteps.
“Don’t mind him.” came a new voice, “He’s just a bit grouchy today....and every other.” his teeth gleamed as he flashed her a genuine smile. “My name’s Nathaniel. Good to meet you.”
“Likewise, I’m sure.....” she responded quietly, her head tipping back until it hurt as she looked him in the eye. He too, made his way down the short hallway, leaving Claudia to follow in his wake.
Entering the back room, she found it steeped in silence, the tension so heavy she could have sliced through it with a knife. The couches were occupied for the most part by the men, so Claudia edged her way to the single armchair bolted in place in front of the terminal. Crossing her legs beneath her as she sat, Claudia hid her hands inside the sleeves of her sweater so no one could see how badly they were shaking. Just her luck.....stuck on a tour with the world’s most intimidating group of people in history. She wondered briefly whether or not all security guards were like this.
Interacting with people was a different change of pace for her. Claudia was used to sitting on the other side of a modem, her face stuck in the computer screen, carrying out transactions, deals, sales, and all manner of communications. Having to actually sit down in the same room with a posse of material bodies, was another story all together.
Parker had taken the psychological advantage by standing, forcing the other occupants to crane their necks slightly to see her. Just as the dark woman opened her mouth to speak, a fourth burly body rushed through the doorway to the room.
“Sorry I’m late!” he gasped, out of breath.
“Glad you decided to join us, Michael,” Parker replied coolly, her features stony. “Have a seat.” Michael complied and the room appraised one another uneasily. The lines were drawn, two teams designated. There were the security guards.....and then there were the women; one strong and overbearing and the other little more than a waif.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Parker’s voice resonated throughout the small quarters; she didn’t bother to wait for a reply. “This is our first official security meeting. It will become a weekly ritual, so I suggest you get used to it. The fact is, there are six of us and five lives held in the balance. So, no matter who you are, what you are, or how you think we should operate......you leave your discrepancies at the door. That understood?” Five heads, including Claudia’s nodded in acknowledgment. “Good. I’m glad we see eye to eye on that. Now, I’m sure you all know the facts of the case, as you were here when the incidents happened. Let’s cut to the chase.....none of the Boys are allowed to go anywhere without one of us to accompany them. This is not negotiable. I want you standing outside the door as they piss. THAT’S how serious I am. Hotels, clubs, restaurants, it doesn’t matter; from this point on you’re their shadow, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.” As she spoke, Parker’s eyes met those of every person in the room. Her stare was cold and hard, unwavering. Finding not a shred of resistance thus far, she deemed it safe to continue. “I’m sure you’re well aware, gentlemen, that we’re living in the midst of a technological era. Starting now, we’re moving into the present with every advantage we can possibly get our hands on. I didn’t come alone to head up this security team. I brought with me a partner, Claudia Valentine.” With that, Parker turned to face her counterpart, silently urging her to take over. Claudia stood and cleared her throat, wishing the men weren’t so quiet and foreboding.
“I......I guess I should start with the radios.” she began hesitantly, toying absently with the cuff of her sleeve before reaching over to pick up a model. “As you can see, this room is our base of operations. I’ll be here much of the time, monitoring communications, locations, and schedules. To keep in touch, you’ll each receive a two way radio. It’s a tiny pack that can be hooked inside your clothing or to your belt, with an ear piece attachment. The pack contains a battery which you’ll have to be careful to charge whenever you can. A tiny microphone connects to the pack via wire; you can tape this to your chest, near your collarbone. It’s got a mute feature, so you needn’t worry.” she added, correctly assessing the look of panic creeping into a few of the men’s eyes. “Anyway, I should explain that these are closed circuit radios, meaning no one else can tap into our conversations. Each of us wearing a radio, will be able to communicate openly with the rest of the group. To do so, you press the ‘B’ button. Just remember, ‘B’ is for ‘buddy’. The other button is an alarm feature. If at any point you feel yourself or one of our charges is in danger, you activate the emergency notification system with a press of the ‘A’ button.”
Claudia handed the pack to the nearest person, who happened to be Nathaniel. “Go ahead.” she invited, “press it and see what happens.” He looked doubtfully from Claudia to the pack and back again before complying. A high pitched beeping issued forth from the terminal. Claudia turned the Powerbook to face her audience. An electronic table was displayed on the screen, showing each of the radios and their status. The column which read “Nathaniel -Radio 1” was flashing with a red light. Five pairs of eyes turned from the screen back to Claudia.
“That’s great!” Michael grinned, prompting Claudia to decide she liked him. Jackson squinted at the screen and nodded his head slowly.
“It’ll work, I guess.” Jack mumbled. Nathaniel simply laughed and starred in wonder at the pack in his hands. Claudia turned to Parker, bracing herself for her reaction. Parker surprised her by smiling.
“Good. Very good.”
Encouraged by the reception she’d received, Claudia continued. “Now, you’ll notice one column is blank here, and that’s where your location information will go.”
“Whoa....hold up! What do you mean ‘location’?” Jack asked.
“We’re setting each of you up with a tracking device. It’s actually a little pin that you can place on your collar, inside your shirt, wherever; it doesn’t matter. The signals those little pieces send out feed into the computer and the GPS.”
“GPS?”
“Global Positioning System. This way, I can keep track of where you and the Boys are at any given moment. Guaranteed distance estimate to be within six feet.” Claudia stated proudly. “Each of the Boys will also wear them.”
“Can we see one?” Nathaniel inquired.
“I....uh....well.....they’re sort of on special order.”
“Oh.”
“While we’re on the subject, so are the security cameras we plan to implement.”
“WHAT?!” Jack exclaimed, coming to his feet. Parker frowned and stepped forward as Claudia shrank back from the man’s pale and angry face. “You can’t be serious!”
“Oh, I assure you, we are.” Parker countered in a glacial tone. “It’s a very good idea, you ought to listen to her.” v“I’m tired of listening to her ramble about these toys! This is turning into one big episode of Bond or Inspector Gadget!” he advanced a step, bringing himself dangerously close to being in Parker’s face. “You know as well as I do that being a body guard isn’t about this shit. Fact is, we don’t need any of it.”
“Oh, really?” she challenged, one dark eyebrow raising, her tone mocking. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but haven’t you failed in your duties more than once? What was it? Oh! That’s right, FOUR times. FOUR assassination attempts. Yes, Jack, you’ve certainly got things under control.” Parker’s voice grew quiet. “Listen, if it comes right down to good old fashioned hand to hand combat, so be it. No problem. But in the mean time, if some of these ‘toys’ come in handy, just happening to save someone’s life.....well, that’s motivation enough for me to use them.”
The room was still as Jack and Parker continued to square off. Finally Nathaniel turned to Claudia, desperate to break the mood. “So, about these cameras? Where would they go and how to they work into this plan?”
“I’d set them up in strategic positions such as in the hallway at the Boys’ hotel, outside the dressing room, inside the green room. All camera links would run to this computer, displaying their images on the screen. These cameras operate on a wireless basis which eliminates the need for cords or extensions.”
“Clever.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t design them.” Claudia blushed slightly, and began to play with the radio Nathaniel handed back to her. “That’s all I have planned to start out with, but more is on the way.”
“All right then. Let’s talk about assignments.” Parker recalled her coworkers’ attention. “The easiest way to do this is to pair each of us up with one charge. That insures that we only have one set of habits to memorize, also guaranteeing us some sleep at the same time. Sentry duty will be split up accordingly, but a lot of the surveillance and watch will be taken care of by Claudia. Any questions?”
When none were forthcoming, Parker continued, “Good. Now, Nathaniel, I’ve paired you with Howie. He’s mellow enough that he shouldn’t give you many problems, and that frees you up for more sentry. Jack, you’re with Brian.” This announcement brought a scowl to Jack’s features; why did he have to be stuck with the rambunctious one? Parker hid a smirk. She hadn’t taken a liking to Jack and she received more pleasure from his discomfort than she wanted to admit. “Jackson, you’ve been assigned to watch Kevin’s back. And Michael....you’re on the AJ watch.”
“Are these assignments final?” Jack asked sourly.
“Very. Any other points we need to clear up?” When nothing was said, Parker nodded curtly. “See Claudia for your radio hook ups, then find your charge and inform them of your ‘new best friend’ status. Send them my way when you’re finished. Dismissed.”
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