Just doing my Job

He was silent for most of the ride and he lost track of time. They pulled up to a modest one story craftsman style home. They pulled into an attached three car garage. She ushered him to the door and held her hand up to pause him. Pulling out her phone, she pushed a button and spoke. “Jameson, please scan my new guest. I want full biometrics at his convenience. His files should already be in your system. Unlock his room and make sure the bathroom is stocked.” “Yes ma’am. Welcome sir. What would you like me to call you?” the A-I asked the new guest. “Niall?” he said in a questioning voice. “Very good. What temperature helps you sleep at night?” “Cool I guess.” “Thank you sir. Ms. Armstrong will show you how to contact me should you need anything. Good night and welcome to the Villa”. She looked to him for his reaction. Speechless. She chuckled, “Come on. Let’s get you fed and talk. Hope you’re hungry. The kitchen is my domain.”

The heavy wooden door swung open on it’s on. “Thanks Jameson” “No problem miss.” He stood still in the door way. “What. The. Hell.” “She gestured him to keep moving. “Jameson, can you help Niall please?” Just then, a holograph appeared in front of him, making him jump backwards with a startle. “Would this form suit you better sir?” It came from someone who looked like he belonged in the mansions from old school London. “Not really.” Niall closed his eyes and shook his head.” “Jameson, check the files and try that again tomorrow. I’ll get him settled. Security check later?” “Wouldn’t miss it, ma’am.” The holograph disappeared and she was directly in front of him. Her hands gently squeezed his shoulders. “Come sit at the bar. Please?” He quietly followed her in.

He’d only known her for an hour or two but immediately he knew the house was her haven. He could only imagine how much detail had gone into creating such a cozy space that was both functional and efficient. A genius, designer, and all around bad ass all rolled into one. Maybe she would be good for him. He took in the sight of the professionally done kitchen. Top of the line appliances, marble counters and some things he’d only heard about sitting on the counters.

“Close your mouth. You’re beginning to drool.” He smirked at her. “Wow.” “I know right? Took me three years or so to get this place just the way I wanted. It was all my money so I wanted done exactly right. You wouldn’t believe how many contractors and workers I went through. Some things I just ended up doing myself. Like most of the tech you’ll see, that all me.” “What can’t you do” he asked; trying to make it sound like a joke but coming out like he was in awe.
“According to my late mother, God rest her, I can’t seem to make a relationship last. But we won’t worry about that will we.” He shook his head now. She was heating up the oven, pulling out several ingredients and finding the right pots and pans. “Lasagna? Homemade? If this is good, can I stay forever?” She laughed. “Like I said, this is my domain. Can you cook?” He nodded. “I can but I haven’t had much time to try some new things out. We’ve been so busy. That’s one thing I was going to focus on during the break was getting back into the kitchen.” “You’ll get your chance, trust me. Help yourself to whatever drinks you find in the fridge. I’m going to get changed. I’ll be right back. If you need anything, just push this button here and Jameson will either get me or help you”. She motioned to the panel on the wall next to the freezer door. Niall just sat back and took it all in for a moment. A beer was what he needed and he decided that she needed one too.

She came back in a few moments later. He noted her choice of comfort over style and that earned her brownie points in his book. “Your stuff should be here in an hour or so. This for me?” She gestured to the opened beer on the counter. He nodded. Reaching into a lit cabinet, she pulled a rather large stein out and emptied the bottles content into it. “Want one? They taste better this way.” Not waiting for him to reply, she took his from him and poured it anyway. “Now to cook. Wanna help?” He nodded. “Know how to make pasta dough?” He nodded again. “Have at it. All the ingredients are beside the stove top. I’ll put on some music. By the time we get this thing in the oven, your things should be here.” She busied herself cutting up the tomatoes for the sauce. The instrumental music was upbeat and they worked together; moving around each other like they had cooked together before.

It was a rather domestic scene and Niall was completely at ease for once. The only other place he was like that was at home with his mother. They worked together layering the homemade dish in the pan. Once it went into the oven, her eyes darted to her phone lying on the countertop. A camera feed popped up and Jameson spoke. “Ma’am, someone is coming up the driveway. Plates registered to one of your team members. Shall I let him in?” “No. Let him enter the code. We’re at a level 4 setting. Don’t allow for anything unless I allow it.” “Yes ma’am. Anything else?” “No thanks.” “You’re stuff is here kiddo. Let’s go get it, yeah?”

She heard the door open and took a protective stance before the young Irishman. “It’s a beautiful night.” The man coming through the door replied, “The stars are shining brighter than ever.” Leslie relaxed. “What the?” Niall muttered. “No worries. We have codes for different times of the day. Certain words mean certain things. Basically, I asked if everything alright on the drive out. Meaning was he followed or did anything look suspicious. He, in turn, said that the drive was fine, he wasn’t followed and everything looked ok.” Turning back to the rather large man she said, “I hope you’re hungry. New blood and I made my famous lasagna. It’ll be out shortly. Will you show him to his room and put his stuff in there. Niall, why don’t you get a shower and get changed. We’ve got quite a bit to talk about.” The rather large man extended his hand and gave a very firm handshake. “Jenson Stonebridge, at your service. The boss here hand-picked me from the Seals. I was retiring from the service and she offered me a hell of a package. Been with her for six years now.”

Blondie seemed impressed. “Wow. What else have you got up your sleeve?” As he walked behind Jenson, she called out, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She prepped the bar with plates, cutlery and dished out the generous servings for her and Jenson. She would wait on the kid’s. A bad hostess was not a title she wanted. While waiting, she pulled a manila envelope from her briefcase and started up her tablet. Speaking to herself she said, “I hope you’re ready for this young gun. It’s not going to be easy or fun. I’m going to help you in any way I can.” Rifling through the papers, she heard one set of footsteps. “Jenson, how does he seem?” “Didn’t really say much. Asked me about where I served. You know I couldn’t really tell him much. But we did figure out that I was at one of his concerts in Bahrain. I knew I recognized him from somewhere. He seems genuinely worried about his band mates. More for them than his own self. That kind of concerns me but it also tells me he’ll do whatever is asked of him and whatever is necessary.” She nodded. “I got that too. From what I’ve studied, he’s going to be a quick learner. I want you work with him on hand to hand. Maybe tomorrow?” “Sounds good.”
While they talked, Niall decided on a quick shower. He was in awe of the bedroom and en suite he currently occupied. The simplicity of the décor combined with the hominess of the furniture guaranteed him a nice, safe place to stay. He wanted to let the lads know he was ok but wanted to make sure it was safe before he tried. He definitely wanted to know more about Jenson’s career and meet the rest of the team. So far, her ensemble was very eclectic and he could see that the rest of them would be equally interested and qualified. Pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he padded barefoot back to the kitchen. “What is that wonderful aroma?” She laughed, “I’ll get you a serving. Have a seat.”

With a heartiness, the trio dug in to the homemade concoction. Both of the boys were too busy devouring their meal to speak. She inwardly smirked when she heard the “Ohhs” and “Ahhs” between their bites. “I take it you like supper?” Niall nodded vigorously. A few moments later, all three were finishing up. Jenson began to clear the bar top. “Ok, kiddo. Here’s the deal. You’ve been receiving a few threats here lately. They have all been checked out and they aren’t very concerning. This last one though is the kicker. That’s why you’re here. The way this letter is worded is an “M O” that sent up red flags. This person is a suspect in a few other stalking cases that have sent people to the hospital and to the morgue. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything for you. You need to know the truth and you need to be scared. Not so much that you shut down but so that you are aware and ready to act when the time comes. I’ve scheduled Jenson to come in tomorrow to work with you on hand to hand combat. You’re Irish. You know how to brawl but not to save your life and get out of the situation. This is a different ballgame.”

He was taking in everything with a calm demeanor. She continued, “I need you to be honest with me about everything. If anything questionable comes up on your phone, show me. If someone looks at you wrong, tell me. If the breeze blows the wrong way, let me know. I’m serious. Nothing is too small to be checked out. I’m now your right hand until this matter is resolved. You can text your bandmates and family after I put a new software on your phone. No one will be able to trace your location except me. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me or Jenson or any of the guys. You’ll meet the rest of the team at lunch tomorrow. Your manager has given me the full rundown of how you want to spend your break and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you have as much fun as you originally planned. We are going to do our best to keep this as normal as possible. Sometimes I will have to pose as your date or potential girlfriend. When this is over, the media will only know that I have faded from your life and that we parted on good terms. Still with me?”

He nodded, “At least you’re hot. No one would question my taste. Oh, have you ever been to Ireland?” She shook her head. “I think you and the boys will love it.” She laughed, “Already making dates for us?” He blushed, “Just thinking ahead. You should know by now that the paparazzi are everywhere.” “At least you’re thinking ahead. That’s smart. Come on, let me give you a quick tour.” He tucked in behind her. She showed him her room, the entertainment room, the indoor pool, the gun range, and headed outside. For it being dusk, the property was still very visible. “I have a one mile path marked out. I go for runs almost every other morning. You’re welcome to join me. I’ll be out in about eight hours or so.” He was silent; taking it all in.
“Let me show you one more spot I’m pretty sure you’ll like.” That got his attention. Back inside, just off the heated pool was a small but seemingly complete gym. His eyes lit up. “Had a feeling this is was you were looking for. You have access to all this. You’ll gain access to some of the more restricted areas after some training. I just want your stay here to be as normal as possible.” “Thanks Leslie. Can I just get to my room? I’m kinda tired. I’ll catch a shower and get some rest. Maybe I’ll see you in the morning?” She nodded and led the way. Stopping in the doorway to her guest’s room, she turned on her heel and stared her housemate in the eyes. They were a hauntingly bright blue color. “I’m just down the hall. Not trying to sound like a mother but I am here if you need anything.” He hugged her without thinking. She stiffened up at his touch and realized he probably needed some form of physical comfort at the moment and gave in. ‘Wow, this boy is sure muscled.’ She scolded herself and ended the intimate contact a bit early. “Goodnight Niall.” He replied and shut his door.

His phone was ready to call his mates yet so he settled with a few quick games while waiting for his shower to warm up. The bathroom he currently occupied was like no other. The large claw foot tub had a clear plastic shower curtain that was properly steamed up. The large fluffy towel on the table beside was warm and the toiletries he needed to fairly close the ones he used on a daily basis. It was creepy and thoughtful at the same time. This meant that this was the plan for quite a while to allow the young agent to prepare for his arrival. She was about as normal as he and it surprised him. He expected a drill sergeant or something worse. He was danger but for some reason, he felt at home and protected. Damn she was good.
Sheepishly, he smiled. A longer than normal hot shower was what he needed but he was worried she would have a cold shower. Typical Niall, he thought, worried about someone else when his own life was on the line. Changing into sweatpants and a tee, he made himself comfortable on the huge bed that took up majority of the room and tried to go to sleep. It came quicker than he expected. The day had apparently taken a toll on him both physically and mentally. Here was hoping for a decent night’s rest.

She stood outside his doorway, hand over her mouth to muffle her laughs. He was singing in the shower. Not that his voice was bad; because it wasn’t. People don’t sing in the shower unless they’re totally comfortable. She was doing ok, she thought. Making one more round, she and Jameson made the security checks for the last time that night. “Update please” she called out. “Yes ma’am. The three mile vicinity is clear. Mr. Jenson just left and did a sweep on the way out. All doors and windows locked and secured. Niall is asleep judging by his breath sounds and pulse. When shall I run a biometric scan of the lad?” “No need. I’ll get you his glass, provided you haven’t turned on the dishwasher.” “Excellent miss, I was wondering if you would think of that.” “Jameson, you cheeky bastard. You know my moves before I do sometimes.” “Just doing my job ma’am.” “Thanks.”

“What time should I wake you?” “Five is fine. Good night.” “Good night ma’am. Pleasant dreams.” She retired to her haven. Her bedroom. The darkened room lit automatically once she crossed the threshold. The recessed lighting focused on the artwork lining the walls. Her bed, which was on a step up, was lit from underneath creating a warm glow. Pushing a button on her phone, one of the expensive framed pieces slid down and revealed several computer screens. From those screens, she could surveil the entire property and keep an eye on her charge. Enlarging the screen in his room, she stood back and took in the serene sight. The slow, smooth breathing indicated his deep sleep. His face looked at peace. Sleep was going to be important to him keeping his sanity in the next few weeks. She would be damned if she interrupted it.

Notes

For some strange reason, I hear David Tennant voicing Jameson. Maybe that's just me.