Page 2 of Two for the Guard
"Come on, let's go, boys." Brad faked the enthusiasm. Casey and Kyle got into the back seat, leaving the front seat for Hank. They were picking up Hank from his home in Chelsea, about a 20-minute drive from their place in Ann Arbor. It was then a four-hour drive to their destination in Eastport. It was going to be pure hell.
"Never again," Kyle whispered and glanced pointedly at his twin, who nodded in agreement.
Brad and Hank entertained themselves throughout the drive with stories about work, women, and other war stories. Thankfully, they ignored the twins, who ignored them right back.
Kyle spent his time working on a series he’d begun earlier in the week. It would play off a previous game they had written together. They were gaming software developers who worked freelance for other developers and also ran their own projects. They found the downtime on the road trip ideal for work.
They weren’t far from Eastport when Brad finally spoke to them. “We have three rooms at the Jack Pine Lodge, not far from town, although it's in a more rural area. We thought you two would enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the place.”
"Sounds great." Casey lied, but with a smile and a nod. When did they ever give the impression they loved quiet rural places? Walking in nature wasn't their vibe, but Brad had no idea who they were. Kyle's phone vibrated, and when he looked, it was a text from their mother. He read it and then showed it to Casey, who mirrored his confused expression.
“Try to be nice and do as Brad tells you. I know how impertinent the two of you can be. He's the expert here, not you two. Do not go off on your own. The woods are dangerous, and it's easy to get lost. He's trying to be a good stepfather, please let him."
"That makes no sense at all," Casey whispered. “We're never rude to his... face. We have better manners than that, and she knows it, and since when would we go walking off in the woods? I hate the woods.” Kyle wrote back very briefly, saying basically, 'no problem,' and left it there.
“That’s her preemptively blaming any poor outcomes on us and our inability to get along with our stepfather.”
“I don’t care.” Casey rolled his eyes. “I just want this weekend over.”
Bram relieved the guard on duty in the west and took over. The sun was setting, and it was getting dark, so he wouldn't have to deal with hunters until morning. The air was fresh, and the atmosphere was peaceful... for now, anyway.
He received a notice from Truce, who worked in the cyber-surveillance department, a very specialized area of IT. Truce let him know that the Jack Pine Lodge, a favorite hangout for hunters, was full, indicating there would be many hunters in the woods starting early.
“As a rule, they stay away from our borders. No one wants their hunting trip complicated by cops or our muscled guards or other legalities.” He chuckled. “You probably won't see them, but you will hear them and watch out for stray bullets. They really sting.” He chuckled again.
"You are just a laugh a minute, aren't you?" Bram shot back sarcastically.
Truce continued to laugh. “My entertainment comes so rarely that I have to enjoy every morsel." He said, then added. "Are you wearing orange? They're not supposed to shoot you if you're wearing orange."
“No orange, just standard black and gray.”
"Seriously, be careful, those people can get out of hand if they mix too much partying with their hunting." He became thoughtful. Truce was a good friend; they’d trained together as soldiers early in their careers and had become friends, but it quickly became clear that Truce’s expertise was more aligned with technology.
He was quickly moved into the appropriate department where his skills would benefit. He moved up fast and became the leader of his own department. The man was a genius onmany fronts, and Bram never took his assistance or friendship for granted.
"I'll be careful, Truce.” He laughed.
“I’m going to do background checks on the clients at the Lodge.” He stated. “I’ll let you know if there are any psychopaths among them.”
“Good to know, thanks.” Bram knew better than to question. When Truce was focused on something, there was no stopping him.
“Let’s get together for dinner Sunday, there's a new place in Eastport I'd like to try." Truce suggested.
“Sounds good. See you then.” He closed the call and continued his patrol.
CHAPTER TWO
They stood together at the large window at the back of their room, looking out at the wild, untamed wilderness. The Lodge was right on the tree line of a forest, and there was nothing close by. It was not on the edge of town as Brad had described it. Rather, it was far outside of town. Casey had searched online and found that it was about 10 miles from Eastport's city limits.
“They said to meet them for dinner in the restaurant, but I told them you weren't feeling well... some sort of motion sickness or something." Kyle walked over and flopped down on his bed. The room was clean and functional; nothing to complain about, except that they didn't want to be there.
"Good move, Kyle. No way did I want to sit at a table with Brad and Hank continuing their hunting stories," Casey said and sat down next to Kyle on the edge of the bed. “They hardly said two words to us the entire drive. Why the hell does Brad want us here?”
“He always has an angle to everything he does," Kyle commented softly. “I just can’t figure out what it is this time.” They stopped talking and looked toward the door when a knockcame, followed by someone yelling ‘room service’. Casey got up and answered the door.
“Your stepfather asked this be delivered to your room." The waiter said. "Would you like me to set it up?" Casey nodded, stepped back, and let the man take care of it. When he was leaving, Kyle handed him a twenty. "Thank you." He said and left, closing the door behind him.
“Brad bought us dinner?” Casey drew his eyebrows together as he studied the offerings. "Looks good." He said, picked up a chicken strip from the pile, and dipped it in the provided sauce. Kyle poured them both a glass of cola from the pitcher, and then a smile graced his face.
