SECRETS AND SPIES
Chapter Twelve
"I never set out to be bodyguard," Bella begins; her voice barely above a whisper. "When I was a kid I wanted to be a stunt girl in the movies."
I can't stop myself snorting. Bella pokes me hard in the ribs with two fingers which is unbelievably painful. "Sorry," I groan and kiss the top of her head as another apology.
We're resting on the rolled-up sleeping bag, staring up at the hideout's roof. Bella's top-half is warm to cuddle up to but her leather-clad legs are cold against mine. I'm not complaining though. Despite all the trauma of the night, I'm absolutely loving that I'm able to be so close to her now. Bella continues.
"I took up Judo when I was six and then Karate and Jujitsu when I was about ten. I didn't lie to you at the hotel about not having a black belt. I'm a third Dan in Judo and a second Dan in Karate, which I suppose are still black belts if you want to be pedantic. I've got a brown belt in Jujitsu as well but I gave that up when I was sixteen."
"No shit!" I exclaim. Bella giggles at my stereotypical response which I suppose she must be used to when she speaks about her Martial Arts prowess.
"I did gymnastics to a high standard as well and represented my school in State competitions. My aim after I left High School was to sign up with a stunt agency and work in Hollywood."
"Why didn't you?" I ask while trying to retrieve my mind from the gutter imagining Bella performing gymnastics.
"Because the Army got to me first. We had a recruiter come to my High School and I joined up a few weeks before my nineteenth birthday. At the time I figured a few years in uniform would toughen me up and make me mentally stronger. I wanted to learn to work as part of a team as well. All my sporting achievements had been solitary ones so I needed to prove to myself and others that I could succeed in group situations."
"I can't believe you thought you'd need toughening up," I reply. "You were lethal before you signed up."
"Martial Arts isn't about physical strength," Bella sighs, "And keep your voice down," she reminds me.
"Sorry, Gwass-hoppa!"
"I didn't do Kung-Fu either," Bella growls and digs me in the ribs again.
"Ouch! Okay, so you joined the Army. What happened then?"
"I graduated as top recruit after basic training. My Commanding Officer said he'd never seen a recruit like me. I'd purposely kept quiet about my Martial Arts skills when I applied though. I just said I was good at sports. One of the PT instructors guessed I'd had Judo lessons during my hand-to-hand combat training and asked me point blank if I had. I couldn't lie, so I told him. He asked me what grade I held which was funny. I'll never forget the look on his face. I'm sure he didn't believe me, probably because I'm so tiny. At best I'll bet he thought I was exaggerating.
"Anyway he checked me out with the US Judo Association who confirmed my grading. He got me in his office where I told him about my Karate and Jujitsu grades as well. He didn't say anything at the time but sent me back to my unit to finish my basic training.
"When I came out top of every class, including vehicle maintenance which is why I know what an alternator is," (I groan here), "my CO called me in and told me he was recommending me for specialist training with a unit that guards important people like politicians, diplomats or visiting royalty. In other words, political VIPs. It was that or a tour in Afghanistan. Working undercover sounded cool and I thought the knowledge might help me with my movie career, especially on the consultancy side so I decided to go along for the ride.
"The training was tougher than I imagined it would be. I had to become familiar with different firearms and learn how to handle and defuse explosives which frightened the hell out of me. A big part of the training covered surveillance techniques and specialist skills, like how to read people's faces; recognizing what to look for, like spotting someone in a crowd who's acting suspiciously or sweating too much. I learned a lot and I enjoyed that part the most."
Bella sits up and takes a drink from her water bottle. I've stayed silent while Bella is relating her story in a matter-of-fact way. If this is a fabrication, she's the best, most convincing liar on the face of the planet. She wipes her mouth and settles down beside me again.
"When my training was over I was assigned to a unit that looks after foreign dignitaries visiting the country. My tough-looking male colleagues were the guys in suits with thick necks, earpieces, and curly cables taped to the back of their heads. You see them all the time on the news, looking here, there and everywhere when a president or ambassador is walking to or from wherever they need to be. My role was to pretend to be a female member of the VIP's entourage, or I'd lurk in the crowd dressed in everyday clothes. I had to blend into the background watching and listening for anything suspicious. I had an earpiece and curly cable taped to my neck as well but hidden under all this hair so no-one was the wiser, unless the wind blew, of course."
Trying to imagine Bella, a petite young woman, watching out for terrorists in a packed crowd is difficult, even though I appreciate she'd be the last person anyone would suspect was a highly-trained operative. Her disguise would have been perfect.
"Did you enjoy doing this?" I ask, and I'm genuinely interested as it sounded like an exciting life. Bella's response is surprising.
"No, it was unbelievably boring. Nothing much happened. We'd get a map of the venue and the time when whoever we were guarding was supposed to appear, and from which entrance blah blah blah, and then we'd go over all the vulnerable spots we had to cover. Since Reagan was shot, security has been so tight only a complete imbecile or a suicide bomber would take a chance, and you can spot imbeciles and bombers a mile off."
"So you were in the Secret Service, then?"
"Yes and no. I was still in the Army but my unit cooperated with the Secret Service. Our work came under the Defense Secrets Act so there's not much I can tell you about what we did. I left after serving four years including my training. I was still only twenty-three so I signed up for college and started immediately after leaving the service. I did a few months short of two years there and then got the landscaping job in Oregon."
"They let you leave after all that training? How many years did you sign up for originally."
"Five."
Bella hesitates before continuing. "There's a good reason why I was allowed to leave early but I'm also not allowed to say why. I can only say it wasn't because I was dishonorably discharged. I was glad to get out to be totally honest. I'd realized fairly quickly that regimented life wasn't for me.
"So why didn't you head to Hollywood when you left?"
"I felt it was time to use my brain again. I'd been following orders for four years and needed to think for myself and do something creative for a change. Because of mom's paintings, the idea of designing my own landscapes appealed to me so I applied to go to college. To be honest, I hadn't actually decided when I started the course whether I wanted to do this as a career. I just needed a total distraction from my previous four years in the service."
"So you actually did go to college?"
"Yeah, Edward," Bella snaps condescendingly. "I really did do the landscaping course which I loved and I gave it a hundred percent."
"Seems like you give everything you do a hundred percent."
"I suppose I do. Anyway, I got the landscaping job in Oregon, in a company similar to The Yard. It was about this time last year. I'd only been there six weeks when my phone rang."
"Who was it?"
"One of my old Training Officers. He'd retired from the military and set up his own company supplying private bodyguards to wealthy people and celebrities. He told me he was recruiting people he'd worked with in the past. He had very few women on his payroll, especially ones my age. I said no at first and only took his number out of politeness. Literally ten days later, mom was diagnosed with cancer and I knew she would need help with the bills, and I would have to have time off to spend with her if she needed me, which I couldn't do with the Oregon company. It was a no-brainer. I called him.
"So what type of work were you doing for him before you began looking after me?"
"Just discreet protection mostly, mainly in California and on an individual contract basis. He offers you a job. You negotiate a price. That's it. His company is different from most other security companies in that he specializes in placing bodyguards under-cover."
"You mean secretly?"
"Yep! In normal circumstances, a person will hire a security company to protect them. In other words, they know they're being protected. Having your own bodyguard is a status symbol, especially in the entertainment world. It's 'Look at me! I'm so famous and important, I need a bodyguard, bullshit.'
I laugh here as I know this to be true.
"My boss's company advertises as a third-party operation. To put it simply, the paying client hires one of us to look after someone who doesn't know we're there. His clients are people like parents of badly behaved teenagers or young adults. They hire a discreet bodyguard to prevent their kids from getting into situations where they'd be arrested, like on spring break for instance. The bodyguard would haul their little shit out of a situation before the cops turned up. Or we'd get a court witness or a whistle-blower who refuses protection because they think they can look after themselves. Or it would be someone like you, who could become a target in the future, and their friends or family are concerned for their safety. Because people with my type of training know how to blend into a crowd, plus I'm female and youthful-looking, for certain circumstances I'm the ideal person to take on these types of contracts."
"I'd no idea people like you existed. Is this common?"
"Absolutely. Personal protection of any sort is a huge business and can be very well paid. Landscape gardening isn't. Mom didn't have enough insurance to cover her cancer treatment and is still too young to get Medicare, which is the only reason I said yes to him. I've been using the money I earn to pay off some of her bills."
"So what about the places you worked. I've got a file of references for you."
"Errr … two of the landscaping ones are fake; sorry, and everything I did between leaving High School and college is fake too."
"How the hell did you manage that? I checked out the landscapers and they're legit." Bella 'shushes' me again as I've raised my voice without thinking.
"They are legit," she whispers, "but the other two companies have an owner who's ex-military. I needed references to cover the whole of last year when I was working as a bodyguard. They supplied them for my boss when he asked them. Apart from the first company in Oregon where I had a legitimate contract, I've never set foot in the others. When I was working on the security jobs I carried on designing for the Oregon company during my time off or when I was between contracts, just for a bit of extra cash, and also to stop me from getting bored. My plan since I left Oregon has always been to go back to landscaping when I don't need the money. When mom gets to the end of her treatment that's it; no more bodyguard duties for me."
I've yawned twice while she was talking and not from boredom. I can feel myself getting sleepy, but I'm determined to stay awake a while longer as we're coming to the part which involves my dad and I won't be able to switch off until some basic facts are cleared up.
"Okay, Bella. I've listened to all this but now you've got to tell me how my dad contacted you and when. You must be straight with me. I've had enough secrets for a lifetime."
"Alright, I'll tell you everything I know about your dad, and I promise I'm telling you the absolute truth."
Bella takes a deep breath and I guess she's worried about what my reaction will be when she relates this part of the story. I resolve to remain calm whatever she says, even though I'm expecting to get angry at some point.
"Before I get into what happened, I need to tell you that I never actually spoke to your father directly. The contract to look after you came via the company I work for."
I'm disappointed about this but also relieved. If Bella had been in contact with dad, I don't know how I would've handled that she'd kept this from me.
"About three months ago I came to Colorado to stay with mom for a few weeks. I'd just finished a lengthy protection contract so I wasn't working, apart from some freelance designing for the Oregon company. Mom was getting over some pretty horrible Radiotherapy treatment which made her feel weak and she was grateful to have me around. I needed a break as well but to be honest, it didn't work out coming here. I love my mom and she loves me but we're so different. Now we can't be under the same roof for long because we'd end up killing one another."
I laugh at this as I could only cope with being with dad for about five days if he ever came to visit.
"It was the beginning of May. I was on the point of going home to my apartment in Oregon for a break from her when I got a call from my boss who said he had a job for me. I'd asked him not to contact me while I was with mom so I was pissed when I saw his number come up on my cell.
"When I answered the call I was determined not to be talked into taking on another job, at least until the fall. I didn't need the money as I'd been well paid for my previous contract and to be honest I was tired. Saying 'no thanks' was a no-brainer for me. Before I had a chance to say anything he asked me not to disconnect, but to listen to what he had to say. I said I'd give him two minutes and then hang up.
"He said a short-term contract had come up and it was near to Denver. All I needed to do was to keep a close eye on a guy whose father was being protected by the company as well. He said you were a landscape gardener with your own business, so a perfect cover for me, and that he wanted me to move into the company as an employee. He said there was a remote chance you might be abducted and held for ransom because industrial spies might be after your dad's work.
"I asked him how they were going to get me in if there were no vacancies and he assured me this was in hand. I found out through my own digging that a substantial amount of money in the form of a fully funded sponsorship had been paid to the RHS in England to entice Laura away from your company. The RHS sent her an offer of a job on Linkedin so I presume she believed she'd been headhunted. I waltzed into your office about a week after she left and you took the bait. I gave up my apartment in Portland, found myself an apartment close to The Yard, and moved out of mom's."
Bella stops talking. I guess she's giving me the opportunity to explode with indignation. I had learned from Rosalie that she'd asked Alice if I was bothered when Laura left which indicates she felt guilty about how it was done. Alice had told her she wasn't absolutely sure if I was just putting on a brave face in front of the others. Our recent passionate encounter would hopefully convince Bella that Laura is old news now.
I'm not angry about Laura being enticed away, even though Bella's boss obviously wasn't concerned that Laura could have been a vital member of my team, or had considered my feelings if he knew we were an item. However, I'm not the slightest bit convinced with this part of Bella's story and suspect either she isn't telling me the truth or her boss had purposely fed her a bullshit line, which is much more plausible.
Knowing my dad, there is absolutely no way he would ever have agreed to Laura being enticed away from my company. As far as he knew we were in a solid relationship, even though we weren't. Then there's the expense. Who the hell has the money to finance a sponsorship at the Royal Horticultural Society, which is probably the most prestigious gardening organization in the world, just so they can move a random bodyguard into a company short-term? I just don't believe it, but Bella is relating her story so convincingly, she's either a consummate liar, or she's totally swallowed a line her boss has fed her.
My back is aching so I roll onto my side and lean on one elbow staring down at her intently. The tea lamp is still illuminating our space but there's not enough light for me to really examine Bella's face to get clues as to whether she's being honest or not. "What else did your boss tell you?" I ask as I want her to finish relating what she was told before voicing what I feel about her explanation.
"Not much really. I presumed at first it was a colleague of your dad who hired me as a bodyguard. Someone like Bill Gates for instance. He could afford Laura's sponsorship. My boss implied it was your dad who hired him but I've got no proof of that."
"Anything else?"
"Only that my initial contract was for six weeks. I presumed my boss would have to re-negotiate with the client if the risk was still active. I asked for fifty percent immediately to pay one of mom's bills, with the rest promised on completion."
"Only six weeks?"
"Yeah, I queried that at the time even though it fitted in with me. He said if my contract needed to be extended after six weeks he'd let me know. I didn't tell him at the time that I had no intention of working for more than six weeks, but that was of course before I met you."
I lie back down again and pull Bella across my chest. This line about a six-week contract has confirmed that Bella's story is bullshit. A risk is a risk. You can't put a time limit on danger; even I know that. I can feel myself getting angry which is not what I expected. I'd been hoping to get answers from Bella, not more questions. What I haven't asked her yet is why she didn't own up to me who she was as soon as I got back from San Francisco.
Stroking Bella's hair calms me as I go over what she's said. When I'm stressed at work or at home I'd stroke Mitzi for the same reason and it seems Bella isn't complaining about unknowingly being used as a replacement pet.
I want to believe Bella's not lying to me. She was emphatic with her promise that she wouldn't and I can't see any reason for her to lie now. Whether she's told me the whole truth, that's another matter. I can't leave it like this so I don't hold back with my response.
"I'm getting that you've no reason not to trust what your boss told you, Bella, but the story he's given you doesn't add up at all. The note dad left with his neighbor on the last day he was seen alive, was from the perspective of someone who was expecting to go missing or worse. So why would he not tell me that he'd hired a bodyguard for himself and me in the letter? There'd be no advantage to keeping that from me anymore. Sue was told to pass the note to me only if something happened to him, so what would've been the point of keeping you a secret?"
"I've no idea. I didn't know your dad, so can't really comment."
"Another thing, he thought he was the only one in danger, Bella, not me. His only concern about me specifically was that someone might befriend me to get information about his work. I'm absolutely positive that if he'd thought there was the slightest chance I could be kidnapped or worse, he would've got me away from Colorado in a shot and in hiding somewhere. There's no way he'd leave me in a vulnerable position, even if I had a whole squad of ex-military looking after me 24/7."
"You think my boss is bullshitting?" Bella had sat up while I was talking and by the tone of her response, I'm guessing she's thinking my instincts could be valid.
"I don't know. My guess is your boss has only given you half the story. He's paid you to look after me, but I'm positive my dad was unaware that either of us was being protected."
"What?" Bella whispers but louder than usual.
"Think about his letter, Bella. Dad told me not to trust anyone which is understandable. If he'd hired me a bodyguard, why the hell didn't he tell me that Bella Swan was the only person I could trust?"
"I don't know, Edward … but does this mean you don't believe me?"
"I want to believe you, Bella. I really do. But if what you're telling me is true, that would mean I'd have to believe my dad knowingly left me in a vulnerable situation. The only other alternative is that my dad didn't hire you and that your boss is behind all this, which means he's either the enemy or he's working for the enemy."
Bella doesn't respond to my assertion straight away which is telling. The fact that she hasn't immediately jumped to her boss's defense means she must be taking my suggestion seriously.
"Okaaaaay! If my boss is the enemy as you suggest, then who are the guys in the SUVs, and why did they pretend to shoot me outside the Deli today? Why are they intimidating you, chasing you, getting Jacob drunk, et cetera? Why bother if my boss is the 'alleged' enemy, and already has me as a spy in the camp?"
"There's only one answer to that, Bella. We're dealing with at least two enemies. My dad said in his note he was caught up in a battle of Titans – Game of Thrones doesn't hold a candle to what he's in the middle of or something like that. It's the only explanation. Your boss is working for one Titan; the guys in the SUVs are working for another."
"Holy Shit!" Bella exclaims as my suggestion hits home.
"This makes complete sense, Edward. When I told him you'd been threatened at the cabin on your first night back, he didn't sound surprised. He must know other people are involved, which means there's a good chance he wasn't involved in your dad's abduction. He said I could stay at The Yard until the end of the contract but didn't say anything about extending my contract, even though you were clearly still in danger. I was planning to stay whether he wanted me to or not, but I didn't tell him that. I wasn't bothered who was paying me, but I might as well be paid twice for doing something I wanted to do and being where I wanted to be."
"So you wanted to stay, even if your boss stopped paying you or told you to leave?"
"Yes, which is why I didn't tell you who I was after your dad died. I didn't want to risk you sacking me because I'd got the job under false pretenses. I'd already made up my mind not to work for him anymore but to stay at The Yard. That's if you want me of course."
"Of course I want you to stay. You know that?"
"Yeah, and that made me feel a lot happier when you said it after the bust-up with Jake."
"This is so messed up," I sigh as I pull Bella next to me again. "I still can't get my head around why I'm so important."
"You need to sleep," Bella says as she kisses me gently on the lips then snuggles up close.
"I know I do, but you need to explain one more thing."
"What?" Bella groans and then yawns.
"The bikers – who the hell are they?"
Bella giggles as she pulls the blankets over us.
"Why do you think I drive a rusty old truck, Edward?"
"God only knows," I reply wondering how this could possibly tie in with the bikers.
"I enjoy riding dirt bikes and N..., the rust bucket, is ideal for ferrying my bike to different tracks. When I went to stay with mom, I checked on the internet to see whether there were any dirt-bike clubs in Denver and found these guys. There's about twenty of us. We meet up on the weekends and take our bikes out to places where we can legally let loose on someone else's bumpy terrain, often at night which is more fun. When you got back from San Francisco and told us about the SUV that roared up to the cabin, I told the guys my boss's dad had been murdered and there was a chance they may come after you.
"Some of the guys are ex-military like me, which is how they got hold of the night-vision goggles. I've never asked how they managed to 'acquire' them as they're expensive kit. What I don't know won't hurt I suppose. They're the ones who prepared this shelter for us. They know these mountains like the back of their hand which is fortunate. That's not my bike out there either. Mine's a single seat and bright red and easy to lift on and off the truck. I borrowed a dual-sport tonight in case I had to take you as a passenger. Some of the guys have firearm permits but I told them they mustn't use them. On the …"
"Hold on," I interrupt. "Did you tell your boss about the threatening phone call I got on my first night back and the SUV? If you did, why didn't your boss supply the back-up?"
"I did tell him, but he said he couldn't help me. All his guys were busy allegedly, and none were in Colorado. He sounded very agitated though. My guess is he's worried his company will get bad publicity when it comes out he was supposed to be protecting your dad. In the security world, it won't go down well that someone got to a client and murdered him on his watch."
"So do you think it was him who called that night to warn me to back off investigating dad's death or I'd end up like him?"
Bella shakes her head but I can't believe she hadn't considered this as a possibility. Maybe this is what triggered her to assess where her loyalties lay. With me, or with her boss.
"What happened then? Did he want you to stop working for me?"
"No, he told me to stay put. I asked him who'd be paying me now your dad was dead. Sorry for sounding so mercenary but I was interested. He told me not to worry about that. He'd pay me to the end of the contract."
"Okay, one more thing. The basement in my house; did you tell your boss about it?"
"Errr.. yeah, sorry. I still believed he was working in your dad's best interest two days ago and I reported to him that you'd asked us to search for bugs. I suppose it's possible my boss's guys broke in that night and maybe it was them that cleared the study during your dad's funeral. Look I'm really sorry, Edward. I genuinely told him about the basement for all the right reasons."
"I believe you," I sigh and kiss the top of her head. "Luckily there was nothing in there then."
I adjust the rolled-up sleeping bag under my head and pull Bella up so she can get the benefit of it as well. I've imagined being on a bed with Bella many times. Lying fully clothed on a hard floor under two thin blankets on top of a sleeping bag had not been one of my fantasies.
"One more thing," I ask while I'm stroking her hair. "What's your boss's name?"
"James Hunter, and that's your last 'one more thing' for tonight."
"What you got planned for breakfast, Bella?"
"A frying pan across the back of your head if you don't shut it, Edward," Bella hisses.
"Goodnight honey," I say as I bury my face in her hair.
I don't remember much after that, but one thing I can take away from our talk is that I now know the rust bucket's name starts with an N.
Twenty hours previously:
In his office in Atlanta, James Hunter is waiting for a call. It's the middle of the night but he won't go to bed until he gets the news he's been waiting for.
His client is expecting progress. Unfortunately, there's no equivalent for the word 'patience' in this guy's language and he can only stall him for so long. Even though the reward will be phenomenal if he pulls this off, James now wishes he had never involved this guy. He'd made it very clear in his last call, failure would not go unpunished. What had made matters worse, James now had compelling evidence he had attempted to cut him out of the deal. Either that, or there are other players in this game which could prove even more dangerous. The situation had been going on way too long so tonight's news is vital.
James was well aware he'd made some fundamental errors in the planning, which in his line of work is unforgivable. His biggest error though was installing Bella Swan at The Yard. Admittedly when he placed her with the younger Cullen he had no plans to take advantage of the situation that had presented itself. Also, she had fed him the vital information about the basement which he wouldn't have known if he'd pulled her out. If he didn't get good news tonight, he would have to involve Edward to get the result he desired. This meant he would have to outwit her, and that would be nigh on impossible.
He puts the cell up to his ear and listens carefully to his operative's report and then disconnects without responding to the caller.
"Holy Fuck," James shrieks. He picks up a heavy glass vase containing silk flowers and hurls it across the room. It smashes against the wall and breaks into a thousand pieces. His eyes flick around the room searching for another missile but there's nothing to hand that isn't too valuable to destroy. He digs his fingernails into his scalp and howls like a banshee before resorting to a line of Coke to soothe his temper.
When he's calmed enough to think coherently, he prods his iPad into life. After a few minutes of aggravation as he's not adept at finding his way around websites, he's booked himself on the morning flight to San Francisco.
"Fucking imbeciles," he hisses as his temper rises again. "If a job needs doing, do it your fucking-self," he spits before heading for his bed to get some much-needed sleep.
Oh Lord!
Nasty James is involved. I can hear you all hissing! What was the information he was waiting to hear and from whom? He's obviously involved with some very shady people.
Do you think Edward should believe Bella's story about being in the Army? Her background seems plausible enough. She's obviously very capable and assertive, which could be her army training kicking in.
There's still a lot of unanswered questions here, especially about Carlisle hiring bodyguards. Edward definitely doesn't believe this as he's sure his dad would've mentioned her in the note, but more importantly, he wouldn't knowingly have left his son in a dangerous situation. The story about Laura's removal doesn't seem plausible either. Bella promised to be truthful, but maybe she doesn't know the whole story?
(BTW The current President of the Royal Horticultural Society is a Mr Weed - honestly!)
Next chapter Jake comes back to The Yard. What is his excuse going to be for his outburst?
Joan x