1
DAVID
Returning to work after a break was always a little weird. I loved my job, I really did, but after two weeks in secluded luxury at my holiday home hidden away in the forest by Lake Arrowhead, I wasn’t looking forward to returning to the hustle and bustle of central LA.
And I was even more surprised when I was going through my usual morning routine, and my phone started to ring.
The caller I.D on the screen told me it was my boss, Jeffrey Garcia was calling, which was odd considering I was due in the office in a couple of hours anyway.
I answered the phone, as I balanced my electric toothbrush in my mouth, and turned on the coffee maker.
“Hey, Jeffrey, what’s up?”
“Ah, good, you’re awake. David, I need you to come to the office as soon as possible.”
Even though I couldn’t see Jeffrey, I could hear the tension in his voice -- never a good sign.
I’d worked with Jeffrey and his company J&J Security for almost fifteen-years and knew Jeffrey to be a no-nonsense man who got straight to the point.
If he wanted me to come to the office A.S.A.P on my first day back after a vacation, instead of easing me back in with a simple case, I knew whatever he had to tell me was a big deal.
I switched off the coffee maker, knowing I could grab takeout on the way to the office, spat toothpaste into the sink and then said, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I ended the call without another word, finished getting ready and then was in my Range Rover and driving across the city in record time. I stopped only briefly to grab a ‘to-go’ coffee, before pulling into my designated parking space in the J&J Security parking lot.
I entered the modern building that was situated in the central business district of downtown Los Angeles, and quickly greeted the receptionist Deborah on my way to the elevator.
“Welcome back, David. I hope you had a nice vacation.”
“I did, thank you, Deborah,” I said, giving the receptionist a dazzling smile. The woman put up with a lot working for J&J Security and was the first administrative employee anyone contacting the company would come into touch with. It was through her that all business flowed, and I knew much of J&J Security’s administrative side would fall apart without Deborah and her team of assistants. “I’d love to stop and tell you all about it, but Jeffrey wants to see me in his office straight away.”
Deborah gave me a knowing smile, and I had no doubt she already knew what was going on -- it had probably gone through her first.
“Yeah, good luck with everything. You’re in for a wild first day back in the office.”
As I strode to the elevator, I didn’t doubt Deborah’s words. I’d been working for J&J Security for the entirety of my adult life.
Growing up, it had just been me and my mom, and I’d fallen in with a bad crowd. I’d almost ended up in prison, but Jeffrey had saved me from that when he offered me a place in his company.
Since then, I'd worked my way up the ranks of J&J Security and was now one of Jeffrey’s three most senior bodyguards. I’d seen a hell of a lot in my line of work, including brutal murders and gang-related coverups.
I knew whatever Jeffrey wanted to speak to me about would be serious.
I felt my heart hitch as I walked from the elevator to Jeffrey’s office, slightly nervous about what I was about to be told. I took my jobveryseriously, and in the last few years, I’d watched the peace we’d forged with the LAPD slowly deteriorate as gang activity became more common. I had no doubt that whatever Jeffrey wanted to speak to me about, it involved LA’s biggest threat -- the Bloodline Cartel.
I knocked on Jeffrey’s office door, and a moment later, he called, “Come in.”
As I entered the office, I was shocked by two things. First, it looked as though Jeffrey had aged at least ten years in the two weeks I’d been away on vacation. He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin was sallow, and his once lustrous black hair now had more gray streaked in it than ever.
The second sight that shocked me was the presence of Charles Blythe -- Police Commissioner of the LAPD.
Yeah, whatever was going on was very serious indeed.
“Thank you for getting here so quickly David,” Jeffrey said in welcoming, gesturing to the empty seat next to Blythe and opposite himself. “You know Commissioner Blythe, of course.”
I gave Blythe a polite smile and offered him my hand. “Good to see you again, Commissioner. I hope you’re well.”
Blythe grimaced as I took my seat. “I’ve been better.”
