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Beep. Beep. Beep.
The team’s phones start blaring, and Jerry immediately springs into action, going to the living room and pulling up the footage. I pick up Alex’s plate so he can continue eating breakfast at the coffee table instead.
“Where’s the perimeter breach,” I ask.
“It’s in Delta two, to our Southwest,” Jerry answers quickly.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Another breach. “Same sector?”
“No. This one’s in Delta three. I’ll put them side by side on the main screen.”
“That means they’re coming from the main road and parallel to the driveway.” I scan the video feed and watch as two men, one on each side of the road, stealthily make their way through the wooded area. It’s a mile-long driveway, but the invisible perimeter beam is set about 150 yards inset from the road. At the pace the two men are moving, it will take them a while to get here.
“Zoom in on their faces, please, Jerry.”
When he complies, Ariella gasps, and Alex waves at the screen happily.
“Can Tristan and Marcus see me?” he asks innocently.
“No, Sweetie. They can’t see you,” Ariella tells him. Then she tells the rest of us who the men are. “Tristan and Marcus are…”
“The same two men who were spotted last week in the woods,” Jerry interrupts. “All 40 data points are an exact match as well as the similar clothing. Once again, only a handgun in a holster as a weapon.”
“Let’s try this again without the interruption. Who are they, Ari?” I ask, giving Jerry the stink eye.
“Sorry,” he says chagrined.
Ariella pats him on the shoulder and gives him a warm smile. She makes eye contact with each of us before focusing her gaze on me. “They are part of Jordain’s royal guard. They often watch over Kiernan, Alex, and me when we stay or visit the palace in Brachha.”
“It appears that Ethan was right, and we have two different threats to contend with. It looks like both Jordain and Julietta are making their move.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, hoping that might relieve some of the tension. It doesn’t.
After watching them for another twenty minutes, the two men stop just before the woods open up into the five-acre expansive lawn in front of the house. There is nowhere for them to cross without stepping out into the open and being seen.
“Why aren’t they doing anything? More importantly, why aren’t you guys doing anything? They’re just sitting out there, ripe for the picking!” Ariella says, frantic. Her anxiety isn’t helping the situation, and Alex is beginning to pick up on the fact that his “friends” out in the woods might not be such a good thing.
“Alex, why don’t you and I go downstairs and get started on your lessons for the day?” my mom asks. She holds out her hand for him to take, not giving him an opportunity to decline the invitation. He looks at all of us before saying, “Please don’t hurt my friends, okay? I don’t know why they’re in trouble, but they’ve always been really nice to me.”
Savannah gets down on one knee before him to be at his eye level. Holding out her pinky, she tells him, “I promise that as long as they behave and don’t try and hurt anyone, then we’ll do the same. Deal?” Alex links his pinky with hers.
“Deal.”
Once Alex is downstairs with his grandma, Savannah goes to stand beside Ariella. “If this particular situation was at the palace and it was the royal guard watching over you, would you question them on how they do their job? Would you panic, or would you follow their lead?”
“I would follow their lead. I trust them to know what’s best,” Ariella answers quickly. When she notices Jerry’s arched eyebrow, she realizes her mistake. “My apologies. It’s not that I don’t trust you all, I promise. I’m not used to getting the opportunity to witness the action. If there is a threat, I’m rushed off to some secure room and have to wait it out. They never give me time to question them.”
I take a few steps over to her and switch places with Savannah. “I know this is all new for you. But I’ll try to answer your questions the best I can. As for why they aren’t doing anything? I don’t know. As for why we aren’t doing anything? That’s because they aren’t doing anything illegal.” I point to the two men sitting in the woods and watching the house.
“Can’t you have them arrested for trespassing?” she asks hopefully.
I place my arm around her shoulders and draw her close, trying to comfort her before giving her the bad news. “If we go out there to warn them and they don’t comply, then absolutely. But if we do that, they will be in police custody, not ours. That won’t do us any good and only arm them with the knowledge that we have surveillance in the area.
“When performing their duties, your royal guard has immunity, and their actions supersede those of your police force. When they’re protecting you and your family, they don’t have to worry about criminal charges being brought against them. Unfortunately, we do.
“Unless we are hired by law enforcement and granted special powers for that specific operation, we are bound by the laws at all levels. As licensed private investigators, we have a little latitude when it comes to bending the rules, but we cannot be the aggressor in any scenario.”
Ariella hugs my middle before mumbling, “Great. They have to shoot first so that we can ask questions later. Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
