Chapter 9: Late Night Blues

"I have learned a valuable lesson about myself today," Ted proclaimed with an enlightened look on his face. "Today, I learned that I was not as flexible as I originally thought. Flexibility is absolutely not my strong suit."

"You definitely proved that today Ted," Cody said as he tried to stifle his chuckle behind his hand. "I have never seen a person fail so much at doing yoga until you did it today. I can't wait to tell Randy all about it."

"Please don't tell him I suck at yoga. I don't need him teasing me about it for the rest of the week," Ted said as his look of enlightenment turned into a look of annoyance. "You and Kaitlyn have already done enough for ten people already."

"And we're not done yet," Kaitlyn stated with a grin as she rested her head on one of the backseat's headrest. "Your performance in Kelly's yoga class was something that had to be seen to be believed. I especially loved the part where you turned yourself into a vampire pretzel for a good hour and a half."

"It wasn't that hard actually. I easily got into the position alright. I just couldn't get myself out of it." Ted said with a scowl as the house came into view.

"You easily got into the position?" Kelly asked him incredulously as she tapped her fingers along the steering wheel. "I saw you get into that position Ted. You were struggling, STRUGGLING! The other teachers were laughing their asses off when they saw you attempt even the most basic of yoga poses."

"Yeah . . . I heard them," Ted said with a scowl as he pointed to his ears. "When you're a vampire, you tend to hear stuff that you don't want to. They were mocking me to no end."

"Well . . . you were the one that decided to bite off more than he could chew in the first place," Kaitlyn said with a knowing smirk as Kelly pulled the car into the driveway beside Amanda's Camaro. "You, yourself, are to blame for your stupidity."

"Thank you for the realization Kaitlyn. I so needed it," Ted said with a scowl as the car came to a stop. "Anyway guys . . . Please don't mention my gym fiasco to Randy."

"You had a fiasco at the gym?"

"AW SHIT!" Ted exclaimed in absolute shock as he, as well as everyone else inside the car, turned their heads to see Randy standing right next to the car with the smallest of smirks on his face. He was dressed in all black once again, seemingly materializing out of thin air to greet the group. "Damn it man! Where did you come from just now?"

"As if I would tell you that . . . You know what they say: A good magician never reveals his secrets," Randy said in a cryptic tone of voice as everyone exited the vehicle. "So, what's all this about a 'fiasco' at the gym that you don't want to tell me about Ted?"

"I'll keep it simple for all of us," Cody said with a smirk as he patted a sullen looking Ted right on the shoulder. "Ted sucks at yoga."

"You should have seen him Randy. Every time he tried a yoga move, it was like a car crash waiting to happen. It was way too funny. The struggle was absolutely unreal," Kaitlyn said with a giddy smile on her face as she looked at the tall man. She quickly stopped smiling when she noticed the distant look on his face, and inwardly thought that she saw a trace of sadness within the man's icy blue eyes. Without saying a word, Randy walked away from the group and over to the porch, leaving the others in his dust, and in a slight state of confusion. "Uh . . . Was it something I said?"

"Oh don't worry about it. This happens sometimes . . ." said Cody as they four watched the taller man enter the house. "Let's just say that something that you just said reminded him of something from his past and just leave it at that alright?"

"I see . . . Why do I have the sudden feeling that if I tried to ask Randy about his past, he won't even bother answering me?" Kaitlyn asked with a small pout on her face.

"Because he definitely won't answer you," Cody told her with a shrug. "Randy is very private when it comes to his past. He'll barely speak about it, and when he does, it's a very rare occasion."

"Even Cody and I don't know much about Randy's whole past, and we've been working with him for years now," Ted said with a smirk as the group made their way over to the steps. "We only know about him from what we've seen and heard while on the job, but don't ask us to splurge on the details."

"Why not?" Kelly asked as they entered the house. "Has Randy sworn you guys to absolute secrecy in regards to his personal details?"

"Something like that . . ." Cody said with a shrug as the four walked down the hallway. They entered the kitchen to see Amanda leaning against the counter with a soda in hand. "Hi Amanda . . . Did you have a nice day with Randy?"

"Oh yes. It was very . . . educational." Amanda told him with a nod before finishing the last of her drink. "I got a firsthand lesson in what you guys do for a living during my jog just this morning."

"A firsthand lesson?" Ted asked as the two vampires turned their eyes on the psychic. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, a member of the mercenary cell that's after me was tailing Randy and I as were heading for the waterfront. I had no idea the guy was around till Randy spotted him out on the train," Amanda said with a shrug as she placed her empty soda can onto the counter. "We managed to catch the guy behind an apartment building, but after a short interrogation, we got nothing out of him."

"Nothing?" asked Cody as Kelly and Kaitlyn leaned against the wall with unsure looks on their faces. "You got nothing out of him, at all?"

"We looked through his phone, but it was clean. I also looked through the man's thoughts and memories. He was just a low level lackey. He wasn't privy to any important info," Amanda calmly explained to them as she crossed her arms over her chest. "All he was assigned to do was to watch and follow me and that was it."

"I'm guessing Randy didn't let him off with a warning right?" Kelly nervously asked as she weaved her fingers together.

"Oh no . . . He definitely didn't do that," Amanda said with a shake of her head, just as Randy walked into the room, the distant look now gone from his face. "Randy, would you like to share with the others what you did to my stalker, or should I have the honors."

"I killed him, plain and simple," Randy told the room. Kelly looked at him in absolute shock while Kaitlyn simply raised an eyebrow. Cody and Ted faces remained the same as Randy said his piece, mostly because they've been through this routine before. "I simply suffocated him with my foot in order to keep him quiet."

"You do know that if the guy that was stalking Amanda doesn't report back in, his buddies will know that something's amiss right?" Cody asked with a blunt stare as he turned to Randy.

"They'll probably send someone to investigate their comrade's disappearance . . ." Ted further mused as he brought a hand to his chin.

"They won't," Randy said with a strong shake of his head. "The guy I killed already told his pals that I was the one that accompanied Amanda out on her run. I don't think it'll take them long to put two and two together if you ask me."

"At least we know that they know that you're a part of Amanda's protection detail," Cody said rather sarcastically as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Who knows how long it'll be before they retaliate, well, if they retaliate at all?"

"I wouldn't really put much thought into it Ted," Randy said with a small smirk on his face. "According to what Amanda saw in the guy's memories, the members of the cell are a bit wary of the fact that I'm a part of this mission."

"However, the person the dead guy talked to over the phone with, didn't really sound so wary," Amanda butted in as she jumped back into the conversation. "The guy he talked to . . . He sounded calm, serene even . . . He sounded so at peace that it was a bit unsettling. Despite warning my stalker to make sure Randy never saw him, he sounded like it didn't matter to him at all."

"He sounds like one of those guys that don't even perceive Randy as an actual threat," Cody said with a slight hint of disbelief evident in his tone. Amanda simply shook her head in agreement. "These guys are not giving you that much credit Ran."

"I know right?" Randy asked with a shrug. "I even told Amanda here that I felt a little insulted by the comment."

"Oh yeah . . . You were real hurt over the fact that someone was undermining your abilities," Amanda said with a sigh as Kaitlyn held back a chuckle while Kelly remained quiet. "So, what do we do now? It is possible the cell will up their plans in order to get me. It won't be long before they show their hand again."

"And when they do, we'll be ready for them." Randy said with a small nod of his head.

"How can you be so certain?" Kelly asked him with narrowed eyes. "You may not know much about this mercenary cell that's after 'Manda, but apparently, they know a lot about you. I'm sure they must have a file or a dossier on you somewhere."

"Kelly does bring up a good point," Kaitlyn added as she tapped her fellow blonde on the shoulder. "The more well-known you are, the more your info is broadcasted to the public. You may have gained yourself a reputation in the mercenary business that's made you well-known Randy, but that kinda hurts you a little when you want to keep your personal details . . . you know, personal."

"Girls, let's get one thing straight . . ." said Ted as he let a small grin show on his face. "You guys don't know Randy like Cody and I have. Sure Randy's name is well known in the mercenary circles, but it doesn't matter. No matter how much info an enemy has on Randy, he still gets his mission done in the end, no matter what the obstacle is."

"I'll be honest. I was just as skeptical as you guys when I first started working with Randy years back." Cody said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"You were?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he raised an eyebrow at his comrade. "What about me made you so skeptical?"

"Well, back then, you acted totally different than how you do now. I had no idea how serious you could be until you actually were sent on a mission. That first mission we worked on together . . . That was an eye opening experience that I will probably never forget," Cody told him with a slightly startled look on his face. "But then, over the years, things happened, and well, you know . . ."

"Know what?" Amanda asked as she turned to see Randy with a slightly dark look on his face. "I'm guessing whatever happened all those years ago pretty much resulted in a bit of a personality change in Randy right?"

"Uh . . . you can say that," Ted said with a shrug as Randy walked out of the room. Amanda quickly walked right after him. "Uh . . . I don't think going after him is such a good idea."

"He's supposed to protect her isn't he?" Kaitlyn asked as a smirk showed on her face. "So I don't think it should be a problem for him to keep her in his sights during the duration of this mission right?"

"Huh . . . You make a good point there." Ted said with a shrug as he looked at the entryway that the two disappeared through. As the four remained in the kitchen, Amanda followed Randy onto the porch, where she found him sitting on the seat furthest away from the door, still with a dark look on his face.

"You followed me out here . . ." Randy said in a dull voice as he looked out into the street. "Why?"

"I came out here to make sure you were okay . . ." Amanda told him simply as she leaned against the doorframe. "It would be no good for me to see that one of my protectors is unable to do his duties because of some bad memories impeding his work."

"Well, I'm not going to let that happen," Randy told her bluntly as he turned to her. "Don't worry. I'll do my job. No bad memories of mine will stop me from completing my mission."

"Good to know . . ." Amanda said with a smirk as a buzzing noise began to echo out from her pocket. She reached into her right pocket and pulled out her phone, her eyebrows furrowing when she looked at the screen. "Huh . . . I don't recognize this number."

"Is there a name?" Randy asked as he got out of his chair.

"No . . . All it says is 'Private Number'," Amanda told him as she decided to answer the call. She then activated the speakerphone function so that everyone could hear it, just in case the voice was someone that garnered suspicion. "Hello?"

"Hello Amanda, I was hoping you would answer my call," said an eerily deep voice as it echoed out of the phone. It didn't sound natural, which made Randy and Amanda conclude that the caller was masking his voice. "I hope the tracker didn't cause you that much trouble on your jog this morning."

"Oh no, on the contrary, your tracker wasn't that much of a problem at all," Amanda calmly stated as Randy walked over to her side. "Although, he did have to leave his job early, real early. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't expect him back at work any time soon."

"I understand. The lackey made a mistake by getting himself noticed by you and your . . . protector," the man said with a small chuckle. By that time, Cody, Ted, Kaitlyn, and Kelly had all joined them on the porch, mostly because Cody and Ted heard them easily with their enhanced hearing. "It's not hard for me to imagine that Randy killed him to make sure he stayed quiet. It wouldn't surprise me if he was there beside you listening to our conversation right now. Then again, you did put me on speakerphone."

"You sound a little full of yourself, you know that right?" Randy couldn't help but ask as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No . . . I just sound confident, that's all," the voice said as he let out a sinister laugh. "You and your two pals may have been assigned to protect Ms. Evans, but not even you three will be enough to stop us. You will fail, we will win, and Ms. Evans will be brought to our client whether you like it or not."

"Who is your client?" Amanda asked in a low tone, her voice void of any emotion as she tightened her hold on her phone. "Who is he and what does he want with me?"

"Only he knows that one sweetheart. My crew and I aren't privy to that information. All we've been assigned to do is to ensure your capture," said the man on the other side of the line as his voice went all serious. "Don't think for a second that your protection detail will maintain yours and your friends' safety Ms. Evans. It's just a matter of time before we come to collect you. Don't bother trying to track this number. It'll just lead you to a dead end . . . Sweet dreams Amanda. We will be seeing each other real soon."

After the man said his last comment, the line went dead. Amanda quickly pocketed her phone and looked up to see her roommates' eyes on her. When she looked at the three vampires, she saw that Cody and Ted's eyes were squarely set on Randy, who looked deep in thought already.

"Okay . . . What's the plan?" Kaitlyn asked, her voice finally breaking the sudden silence that had befallen the group. "You guys do have a plan right?"

"We have a plan . . . I think," said Cody as he turned back to Randy. "We have a plan . . . Right Randy?"

"We'll come up with one, but for now, the three of us will take turns being lookout tonight. I'm not taking any chances that they could have a second lookout somewhere in this neighborhood," Randy said with a shake of his head. "Cody, you take first watch, I'll take second, and Ted will follow after me."

"Oh good . . . You guys can take watch while us girls worry in our boots about a possible threat coming to our doorstep," Kelly said rather sarcastically as she walked back into the house. "I'm so going to get a peaceful rest tonight, that's for sure."

"Must you sound so negative Kelly?" Kaitlyn asked with a smirk as she followed after her. "Have some faith in the boys!"

"Yeah!" Ted further added as he followed after them. "Have some faith in us!"

"I don't blame Kelly for feeling this way," Cody said with a shrug as he walked down the steps. "I understand her pessimistic attitude."

"Well, you do have a habit of being pessimistic yourself," said Randy as he couldn't help but have a small smirk show on his face. Cody shot him a narrowed eyed look in return. "Don't look at me like that. You have lookout duty right now, so go do your job!"

"Yes sir!" Cody replied with a mock military salute before disappearing down the block. Once Cody was finally out of view, Randy turned around to see Amanda looking at him with a wary look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Randy asked her with an eyebrow raised. "You're not worried that my pals and I won't protect you, are you?"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Amanda told him quickly as the two walked back into the house. "I'm just wondering what the enemies' client may possibly be like. You heard the guy on the phone Randy. Not even they know the real reason as to why their client wants me out of all people. Who knows what his endgame may be?"

"Yeah . . . I see why that would be unsettling," Randy said with a small nod of his head. "But don't you worry your pretty little head about it. They won't get anywhere near you or your friends. You have my word."

"Good, cause I won't be a very happy customer if you fail to do your job," Amanda told him with a smirk as she headed up the stairs. "You, Ted, and Cody better be on your toes Randy. I have a pretty good feeling things will get more interesting from here on out."

"Yeah . . ." Randy said with a nod as he turned around to look at the front door. "Unfortunately, I have that interesting feeling too."

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