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"Keep watch, and if there is no further activity as of Sunday, then close the assignment. Hopefully, they got the message." Silas stated and then added. "When finished, take a week off and relax before your next assignment. There is plenty to entertain you here at the Palace."
"Yes, sir, and thank you." Archer had four days remaining on the job as long as the Cougars didn't try anything else. He was definitely looking forward to some downtime and some entertainment. The Palace was a great place to relax for a few days.
He spent the next few days just staying present and watching his target. Kevin was an interesting fellow with simple tastes and an easy disposition. The longer he observed him, the more he felt a desire to actually know the man. It wasn't something that usually happened during a mission, but this one was different. He was there to guard and defend, not eliminate. That had to be the reason he was feeling so protective of this target.
It was Saturday morning, and Kevin went about his usual daily routine. Archer had been watching the man for going on a week now, and he always kept to a schedule, nothing hardcore, simply a way of going through his day. He got up and either let Johnny in or, if he was already in, then he prepared his meal. He fed and watered the cat, and then he washed up and got dressed. He often stepped outside without his shirt on if Johnny happened to need to get out before he finished dressing.
Archer appreciated those days watching the lovely, tanned, muscled flesh stretching in the morning sun. Kevin was a very handsome man, and with his bare feet, tousled bright hair, and fine-toned muscles, he was a pleasure to watch.
Archer settled in to spend the last day with his charge. He would miss following the man's every move and might try to meet him in real life if possible. Kevin was making his home in the cabin he built and with the one living thing in his life, Johnny Orlando. He had no visitors and made no calls. No one was looking for him, and he was looking for no one.
The reason for Kevin moving to the woods was still a mystery. His building skills were spot on. He built this one-room cabin of a considerable size in a little over a month and was continuing to fine-tune it each day. The carvings on the porch were impressive and added a bit of art to the project. He knew what he was doing, although Archer did not read him as a man who was raised on his own or in solitude.
Kevin gave off vibes of a man who was well off and part of a family. This living in the woods, even with his skill and determination, had roots in something that took place in his other life, and Archer was beginning to want some answers. He was starting to feel invested in the life of Kevin Paulson, and that alone was reason enough to bring this job to its end. Archer smiled at his own wondering thoughts and then turned his attention to the cabin once again. Kevin had gone inside, and the grounds were quiet.
The cougars hadn't been back since the night that Archer confronted them; neither sign nor scent had been detected in the area since his warning. They had taken his words to heart, which was fortunate for them. He would maintain his post until morning, and then he would pack up and head out. The thought of leaving Kevin without a guard bothered him, but he pushed the feeling aside. Kevin was his own man and would live his life well and happy even without Archer's influence.
Kevin finished the dishes from breakfast and cleaned up the cabin before heading outside to start on the shed for his firewood that he planned to build. He sketched it out last night while sneaking peaks outside. He had a feeling that someone was nearby watching him. It was a serious feeling, and even Johnny agreed with him.
Kevin had put up curtains in the kitchen and over the small window in the door. He was careful to keep the windows covered after dark. The feeling of being watched did not go away and seemed to be always present.
It wasn't unpleasant. It didn't feel dangerous in any way, so Kevin assumed it was an animal keeping an eye on him. He hadn't heard from Billy and his boys in several days, so that was good news. Maybe he finally accepted reality. Billy was getting annoying, and reason was not working with him. He still kept an eye out for him, wondering if he would make another appearance, but so far, so good.
"Hey, Johnny, been walking the grounds making sure no one is here that shouldn't be here." Kevin reached down and petted the old cat that had, over time, become his closest friend and confidante. He loved that mangy old cat, and they had a good relationship, but Kevin was not an expert on the subject. He failed worse than most and never wanted to go there again, but Johnny was different. Johnny was his pal.
It was getting warm, so during his break, when he sat on the porch and drank lemonade and rested, he pulled off his shirt. He hung it on the railing that he'd finished carving a couple days ago. He was now working on the shutters for the two windows, although he did not feel a rush to finish those. It was more important that he first build a place to protect his firewood, the item that would keep him warm this winter.
He moved toward the lumber he had ready but stopped before picking up anything and looked off into the treetops. There was something there. He could almost hear it, but then nothing. He stared for several minutes, listening and studying the area before stepping back and grabbing the lumber to be used.
It still felt like someone was watching him, but not like before. This felt malicious, like it had a beef with him, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Kevin instantly thought of Billy and his group. He glanced around and then took off for the house. Once inside, he pulled his shirt back on and took a seat at his small table, feeling suddenly paranoid. It was stupid to feel this way. There was nothing out there except his own anxieties.
Kevin dropped his head and stared at the floor for a few seconds, getting himself back under control. He hadn't felt this off since moving to the woods. There had been that strange feeling of being watched and someone being around, but it was never a bad feeling until today. Today, there was a sense of doom hanging in the air.
"Maybe I should go to town and get some supplies. I need to clear my thoughts and get back on task. This is no time to be frightened of the dark." He spoke to Johnny, who always seemed to understand. Kevin reached down and gave his head a pat as he laughed at himself.
Kevin walked back out onto the porch and took a tentative look around. It was then that he saw the red dot trained on his chest. He looked up just as a man with a gun stepped out from behind a tree and smiled. Kevin assumed he was dead, and then suddenly, the man was gone, taken down as quickly as he appeared.
CHAPTER THREE
There was something in the air, and it had Archer tensing up and training his focus on everything around him. He saw everything down to the change in wind current and heard even the slightest rustle among the leaves. Something was out here with them, and it was moving closer to the cabin and closer to Kevin.
Archer saw the flash and knew what it meant and, in an instant, shot a round into the light, knowing full well what was to come next. They returned fire directly into where he'd been sitting. These weren't cougars; these were professionals. Someone sent real killers after his Kevin. Archer was racing to the cabin, cutting shots in the general direction of the attackers, hoping to slow them down. His vampire speed was instrumental in reaching him in time.
Kevin was shocked and unable to even speak as Archer came barreling toward him and grabbed him around the waist with one arm, lifting him off his feet as he burst through the cabin door. They hit the floor just as bullets began to pepper the door and walls of the cabin. Archer pushed Kevin flat to the floor and slammed the door with his foot as he began to return fire through the small window in the door. Luckily, the door was thick and solid and gave him plenty of cover.
“What’s happening?” Kevin managed to scrape out the words as his eyes took in everything.
"Stay down." That was all Archer had time to say, but thankfully, it was enough. Kevin followed directions and scooted to a corner, making himself as small as possible. Archer could see the men closing in on them. The closest one had his gun ready and was sweeping the area in front of the cabin, going side to side in an awkward manner. They appeared professional yet acted unsure of their next move.
When he was ready to strike, Archer stood and immediately took him out with one shot to the forehead. He was down, and the other started to run. Archer took two shots, but both missed as the other shooter took off.
Archer dropped back to his haunches beside the door and, while staring at Kevin, kept his awareness on the area outside the cabin. Was it just two, or were there more lurking in the woods? The silence was heavy with the sounds of the wilderness, no sounds apart from the expected. He noticed the cat, Johnny Orlando, walk over to Kevin and get on his lap. It was a calming move for the cat, showing his concern for the welfare of his human.
Archer got up and walked carefully to the large window in the main area of the cabin. Thankfully, Kevin kept the cloth up covering the window, so it afforded a modicum of coverage. Archer looked out the side of the window, just barely moving the cloth, and saw nothing. He then took a seat across from Kevin on the floor and kept his gun at the ready. The shooter outside was long gone, but he couldn't be sure of that, so he had to wait it out.
"Who are you, and why did you save my life?" Kevin said in a whisper while holding Johnny tight to his chest.
"Someone is after you besides the cougars," Archer stated the obvious, at least the obvious to him. "Who dislikes you to the point they would want you killed?"
