Chapter One

"Kinney! Get in here, I have a new project for you," Police Chief Beckett called. Brian Kinney looked up from the reports he was filing and groaned. He closed the file he was re-reading, and stood up, his hand running through his soft chestnut hair. Entering his chief's office, he closed the door behind him and sat down in a chair at Chief Beckett's desk.

"You growled, sir?" Brian joked. Beckett shook his head, but smiled.

"I was just given a new project to distribute. And since you're the best on this force, I'm giving it to you," Beckett informed him. Brian tilted his head to the side.

"I just finished one job, chief. Do you really think it's best for me to jump right into another one?" Brian's hazel eyes looked around the chief's office.

"You'll be fine. You're the best for this," Beckett handed Brian a folder. Brian sighed and opened it up, glancing at the contents.

"Okay. Fine. So … what exactly is it that I'm supposed to do?" Brian asked, looking up from the folder.

"The client is Justin Taylor—"

"The actor Justin Taylor?" Brian asked, and Beckett nodded. "Fuck that! I'm not working for some stuck-up actor!" he said, standing up and dropping the folder down on the desk. Beckett reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Sit your ass down and listen to me," he instructed. Brian rolled his eyes, but did as the chief asked. "Now, yes. Justin Taylor the actor. He's taking a break from making movies or whatever, and he's staying here in Pittsburgh, since he was born and raised here, or some shit like that. Why he's here is not important. He's been receiving some letters, stalker-ish in nature. Some even threatening his life. He's requested to have a full-time live-in bodyguard, and he's requested the best of the Pittsburgh PD, and that's you."

Brian sat in silence for a second before speaking. "So. You want me to be a live-in bodyguard for this guy. As in the twenty-four-seven kind of thing?" Beckett nodded.

"Yes. The twenty-four-seven kind of thing, but—" he started, but was once again interrupted by Brian.

"Come on! You expect me to work twenty-four-seven for this guy?" he asked. Beckett pressed the pads of his fingers into his eyes for a second.

"Would you fucking let me finish a statement before you interrupt me? Jesus Christ. I was going to say yes, it's the twenty-four-seven kind of a job, but you can bring a partner along with you, so that you get a break," Beckett said. Brian rolled his lips into his mouth for a few moments, thinking.

"Fine. I'll take it," he said, standing up. Beckett nodded.

"Good. Because it's not really like you had a choice or anything," he said. He laughed when Brian rolled his eyes. "Now, go pick your partner," he said.

"I'm going to take Novotny on this one with me," Brian informed him.

"Um … Novotny? Are you sure? I don't really know if he's the best to put in charge of protecting someone else's life," Beckett said. Michael Novotny wasn't the best officer on the force. In fact, he was probably one of the worst.

"He's not going to be in charge. I'll be in charge. He'll just take over on the times when I sleep or whatever. He's not incompetent," Brian argued. Beckett held up his hands.

"Fine. Novotny it is. Now, go home. Get some rest. You'll start tomorrow morning."

"Great. Can't wait." Brian got up and left the office, going home to his loft to get some sleep before his next big job started.

--------

Justin Taylor glanced around his cozy little cottage in the middle of nowhere. Sure, it was in Pittsburgh, but on the very outskirts of Pittsburgh. He hoped that his little stalker wouldn't find him out here. But, he had a feeling he would. Shaking slightly, he pulled out the binder where he kept all of the letters and everything sent to him from the stalker. He opened it to the end, and added the most recent letter. It said:

"Find a safe place, brace yourself, bite your lips. I'm sending your fingernails and empty bottles you've sipped back to your family, cause I know that you will be missed.
So you can find a safe place, but brace yourself. I will find you. And you will be MINE."

Justin closed the binder and put it away. His stalker wasn't even all that creative! He stole those words from some popular punk band. Moving around the empty cottage, he made sure that all the doors and windows were shut tightly and locked. After tomorrow, he'd have company in the form of a bodyguard to make sure that if his stalker found him, he would be protected. He didn't want to have to move again. He was sick of moving.

Lying in his bed, Justin stared out the window, half-expecting to see someone staring back at him. Slowly, his eyes closed and he drifted off, dreaming about the knight in shining armor that would save him from this stalker nightmare.

End of Chapter One
06/29/05