They all seemed to enjoy the evening. They spent a couple of hours at the restaurant; they talked, laughed, and all thoroughly enjoyed their food. They wrapped up their evening fairly early, since Tiffany still needed to drive back home later that night. By 9:00 p.m., they were back at the house. Jim and Linda settled down on the couch watching TV, each with a glass of vodka, while Scott joined Tiffany, who was sitting out on the deck.
“So what time do yer have tae leave tonight?” Scott asked, as he sat down next to her.
“I usually start back at about ten,” she replied.
“So, do yer come tae see yer parents every Sunday?”
“Yes, every Sunday. And, sometimes during the week. Where do you live, Scott?” she asked, as she moved the strand of hair that had dropped down near her eye.
“In Ohio.”
“Wow, so how did my Dad hear about you?”
“I was a bodyguard in Iraq fer his friend’s Daughter. Yer Dad got my number from him and asked me tae come and give him some security advice.”
“Oh, of course, you’re talking about Bill. I remember my Mom talking about it last year.”
“Aye, Bill Parnell. I was looking after his daughter.”
“I still can’t believe Britney wanted to go over there!”
“Nor me. I dinnae really get it. But, it was none of my business. I was just doing a job. So, do yer know Britney well?”
“We used to play together a lot when we were kids. Our parents were really close and we’re about the same age. I haven’t had much contact with her since. We kind of drifted apart and lost touch with each other. I know we were at UCLA at the same time, I saw her around campus a couple of times and we said ‘hi’. But, that’s about it.”
“Och, okay.”
“I heard you say something to Dad earlier about you getting injured in Iraq, what happened?”
“Aye, I got blown up by a car-bomb. I was in a coma fer a few weeks and broke a few bones. But, I’m getting better. I was lucky.”
“Oh wow. I’m glad you got back home safely. I am so sorry, I am glad that you’re getting better.”
“Aye. When I got haem, I found oot my fiancé had been sleeping with her ex-husband while I was in a coma. So, that kind of put a damper on things.”
“That’s awful. I know how you feel though. Just after Christmas I found out my fiancé had been sleeping with one of my friends. It had been going on for over a year. Needless to say, we’re not engaged anymore and she’s no longer a friend.”
“I’m sorry tae hear that. We have nae had much luck recently, have we?” Scott said, smiling at her. He could tell it was still a very sore subject and she was hurting.
“No, I guess not,” she replied.
After a brief pause, Tiffany stood up.
“Well, I think I’m going to head back home. I’m just going inside to say goodbye to my folks,” she said, as she stood up and walked into the house.
A few minutes later, she came back outside.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Scott. I do hope you’ll be able to help out my parent’s, with my brothers little overseas adventure. Personally, sometimes I think they worry too much. But, they mean well. Good night,” she said, as she reached out her hand for Scott to shake it.
“Bye Tiffany. It was guid tae meet yer too. Have a safe drive haem,” he replied, as he gently shook her hand.
Soon, she was gone. Scott sat for a moment and then went back inside the house. After a brief chat with his hosts, he retired to his room for an early night.
Scott was up early the next morning. His plane departed from LAX at 11:00 a.m. He was well aware he would need to leave the house a few hours before that to make his flight. Jim and Linda were also up early. They joined Scott on the couch in the living room to have their morning coffee. There was only a brief time before Scott needed to leave. Jim again arranged for his driver to take Scott back to the airport. He was parked and waited for him in the driveway. Jim turned to Scott.
“Scott, Linda and I were talking last night. We know we’re not going to be able to stop Kyle from going on this trip. Even if you advise against it, it seems that his mind is pretty much made up. And to a certain extent, we have to learn to let him live his own life, and make his own mistakes. We just want to make sure he’s safe. What do you think about having someone go with him for protection?”
“Aye, that would probably be a guid idea. Do yer think Kyle would agree tae that?”
“I’m not sure, we could ask. If he didn’t agree, how difficult would it be to send someone with him anyway? And not let him know about it.”
“Hypothetically speaking, if it was me, I would nae have a problem watching him from a distance and he would nae know I was there.”
“Will you go with him, Scott?” Linda asked, bluntly.
“Scott, it would make us feel a lot better if we knew you were going to be there. And you have experience doing this kind of thing. We’ll pay whatever it takes,” Jim added.
“I do need the money. But, I have tae be honest with yer both. I’m nae ready physically tae be doing a job like that. It’s only been six months since I was in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, as well as other injuries. I get tired after teaching my classes’ fer just a few hoors now. Plus, the trip oot here wore me oot. If I was doing this job fer yer, I would have tae be on guard all the time. And, I would have tae react immediately if anything happened tae him. I’m sorry I just dinnae think I could do the job well. At least, nae at the moment.”
“Okay Scott. Thanks for being honest,” Jim responded.
“I could probably find someone who would do it though, if yer are really interested.”
“Yes, please. Oh Scott, that would be great,” Linda said, with a sigh.
“Yeah, Linda and I would really appreciate it. Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Aye. There are a couple of people I could ask. Both men are excellent. I’ll need tae explain tae them exactly what they’re getting in tae though. So please, talk tae Kyle first. Find oot if he will be okay aboot having a guard accompany him tae Russia. Otherwise, they are going tae have tae shadow him. Either way is fine, it’s just best if they know from the start the situation and what they’re getting in tae.”
“Okay Scott, we’ll do that. Linda and I will call him right away.”
“I’d better get going. I dinnae want tae miss my plane. Thank yer both fer yer hospitality. I will call yer as soon as I hear back from my contacts. And one way or another we’ll get this issue taken care of fer yer.”
Scott got up from the couch and grabbed his backpack. He shook Jim’s hand and went to shake Linda’s, but she hugged him instead. They both thanked him and said their farewells. Soon, Scott was on his way again. Back to his normal life, back to reality.
Chapter 8
Scott arrived back home safely. He slowly got used to being back in his humble surroundings again. Monday evening, he received a call from Jim. He told Scott, Kyle stated emphatically, that he would not have a security guard accompany him on his trip. Kyle said that the trip was in early August, and he would not have need for a guard. Scott fully expected to hear, just what was said. He figured when he was Kyle’s age, he wouldn’t have wanted a babysitter to go with him to another country.
Later that evening, Scott received the other calls he patiently waited on. He amassed all the information he needed and reported back to Jim and Linda. All the “intel” he received about the casino indicated that it was legitimate. They needed not be worried in that regard. All that he discovered about the Pavlyuchenko family was positive too. They seemed to be clean and genuine, which was very good news. However, he did advise the Robinson’s that due to the instability in the area, it would be wise that Kyle have someone go with him for security reasons. Scott thought Tom Schultz would be an excellent person to ‘look after’ Kyle on his trip. So, he passed on some information about Tom to them.
Scott had spoken with Tom the previous day (Sunday), whil
e he was still at Jim’s house. He remembered; back in Baghdad; Tom told him about a number of good contacts in Russia, as well as other places around the globe. When Scott spoke the prior day with him, it turned out that Tom’s contacts were mostly in the Moscow area. Unfortunately, he was not able to help much. But, the two men enjoyed catching up and chatted for a while. Scott learned that Tom was very disillusioned with life and very unhappy with PCPS, back in Iraq. He believed that he personally might be interested in the security position for the Robinson’s. Even, if it was only a short-term opportunity.
Scott called Jim later in the week. He wanted to run the possibility of having Tom contact him directly about the possible opportunity of securing Tom for the position. Jim seemed very pleased and agreed that Scott could give Tom his home number.
Scott followed through with pretty much everything he personally could, for the Robinson’s. He even called in a few favors and found out a lot of additional information. Also, he knew he had placed them in touch with a very experienced as well as knowledgeable security guy. Scott hoped Tom would look after Kyle on his trip to Russia. Scott was feeling quite happy and content with what he had quickly pulled together. That Friday morning, he promptly received Jim’s check in the mail for the full $3000, which he quickly deposited into his bank account. That would help for a wee bit he thought.
It was mid-Saturday afternoon, after Scott’s return from California. He worked his four nights and had just started to enjoy the weekend off. He was kicked back and resting at home. He caught up on a few household chores when his phone rang, it was Tom.
“Hey Tom. How are yer?”
“Hi, Scott! I’m good. I just spoke with Jim Robinson. He seems like a genuine guy. What do you know about him?”
“I only met him last week fer the first time. He’s a guid friend of Britney’s Dad. They seem tae be a very nice family, very genuine. And they are extremely worried aboot their son heading tae Russia.”
“Yeah, you said that the other day when we talked. They certainly made a good impression on you. Listen, I can’t talk for long, but he’s offered me a lot of money to watch his son on this trip. It will be pretty expensive, is he good for the payment?”
“Tom, the guy is very wealthy. If he offered yer a figure, he’ll pay yer. He paid me three grand just fer going tae talk tae him. I did nae really do much when I was there apart from hang oot with him and his family.”
“Yeah, he asked me to go out there now, to meet with him, too. I said I couldn’t make it out there for a few weeks. So, we’re going to have to arrange something. He said his son comes home from college soon. He doesn’t want me to be at his house when Kyle comes home, just in case he realizes what we’re doing. So, I’m going to meet Jim somewhere else.”
“Aye. I think they did say Kyle was coming haem from college soon.”
“Okay Scott, thanks. I just wanted to check. The money seemed too good to be true for a week’s work. But, if you say this guy is legit and good for it, then that’s good enough for me.”
“Aye, I trust him. Bye Tom.”
“Bye.”
Later that evening Scott was bored and didn’t have anything to do. There wasn’t anything on TV that he wanted to watch and he felt a little lonely. So, he decided to head out to the local Sports Bar. As usual, when he went there, he walked. It was a pleasant evening and the stroll took him about fifteen minutes. He didn’t go all that often, maybe once a month. But, when he was there he always seemed to run into the same people. As Scott walked in, he said ‘hi’ to a few of the regulars. He didn’t know their names, but they always seemed friendly enough. Sam was there too, Scott sat on a stool at the bar and looked up at the various screens. It was that time of year when Basketball, Hockey and Baseball were all on, so it was very hard to decide which screen to watch.
“Hi Scott. What can I get you honey?”
“Hey Sam. I’ll just have a bottle of my usual. Thanks.”
“We haven’t seen you in here for a few weeks. What have you been up to?” she asked, as she handed him his beer.
“Nae much really. I found a job and work four nights a week. Plus, I was oot in California last weekend.”
“Ooh nice! Did you have fun?”
“Aye, I did actually. It was supposed tae be fer business, but I really enjoyed it.”
She smiled at him, and moved to the other side of the bar. There were a number of people who waited to be served. Scott sat for a couple of hours and watched the games, drank a few beers and enjoyed occasionally chatting with Sam. Then, his phone rang, it was Katie. ‘What does she want?’ he thought. He wanted to let it go to voicemail. But, decided to answer it.
“Hello.”
“Scott, answer your door. I’ve been knocking for ten minutes. I need to talk to you, now,” she said angrily.
“I’m nae haem. What do yer want?”
“You know what I want. Where are you?”
“I’m at the Sports Bar in town. Katie, I have nae idea what yer want!”
“Are you coming here or shall I come there?”
“I’m nae coming haem yet. Just leave me alone, please,” he answered her, and hung up his phone. ‘What the fook was all that aboot,’ he thought.
About five minutes later, a very angry Katie burst into the bar. It was not overly busy, so she easily spotted Scott and briskly made her way towards him.
“I want it back, Scott!” she said, as she got in his face.
“I dinnae know what yer talking aboot!”
“Yes, you do! My engagement ring! It was stolen. I know it was you.”
“Katie, I never once asked yer tae give me yer ring back. Plus, I dinnae even know where yer live now.”
Katie was angry, she was very loud and the people in the bar started to stare. Sam walked over to the two of them.
“Is there a problem here, Scott?”
“Mind your own business, bitch,” Katie snapped.
“Hey, cut it oot.” Scott responded, immediately coming to Sam’s defense.
“Get out now or I’ll call the cops,” Sam said calmly to Katie.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I’ll take care of it,” Scott said, as he got up and gestured for Katie to follow him. He walked out of the main door, onto the steps that led to the establishment.
“I have nae stolen anything Katie. Why are yer looking tae start trouble? What’s going on?”
“It was taken from my Mom’s house, who else would have taken it?” she said, aggressively, as she pointed her finger near his face.
“I like yer Mom and Dad. Why would I break in tae their house? Yer are nae making any sense, Katie.”
“We know it was you. You could have easily gotten in there, with your skills.”
“Just go haem, Katie. I have nae done anything,” he said, as he turned and started to walk away from her.
“We’ll see about that,” she said, as she walked back to the parking lot. She climbed in to the passenger’s seat of a black SUV. There was a man seated in the driver’s seat. But, Scott could not see him well enough to have recognized who it was. He quietly stepped back inside the bar.
“I’m sorry Sam,” he said again, as he sat back down at the bar.
“Scott, you didn’t do anything! And, I would presume that was the ex!” she stated, as she shook her head.
“Aye, I think she’s gone crazy. She accused me of stealing her engagement ring.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it Scott. You could tell from looking at her eyes that she was high.”
“Aye, I would nae be surprised.”
“Plus, I thought you told me she was pretty!” she said, smiling at him.
“She is. Well, actually, I suppose I should say, she used tae be!”
“It doesn’t count when 95% of your prettiness can be wiped off with a Kleenex,” Sam said, and winked at Scott as she smiled.
“Aye, she was wearing a lot of make-up.”
Scott tried to forget about the incident, and enjoyed the rest of
his night out. He continued watching the games. Later, just after 11:00 p.m., he decided to leave. As he walked across the parking lot he saw a black SUV. It sped across from the other side of the lot and came to a sliding halt near him. Both doors opened. Katie and a man got out and approached Scott. Katie looked to be upset and seemed to be trying to persuade the man to get back into the car. By now, there were a few people from the bar who stepped outside. They had heard the SUV race across the parking lot, and its brakes squeal as it stopped.
“Please Keith, let’s go home,” Katie pleaded, and held onto the man’s arm trying to hold him back. He was a big heavy man, just under six feet tall and probably close to 300 pounds. Although most of the weight was being carried around his mid-section, Scott could see how he might have intimidated some people. He wore big black work boots, dark jeans, a black leather jacket, which was open and a dark baseball cap. Scott watched him carefully as he aggressively approached.
As he moved closer, Scott could see how wrinkled his face was, he looked old. ‘What on earth was she doing getting herself involved with an unpleasant, overweight, old man like this’ he thought. Katie still held on to him and was hysterical. He shrugged her off and she fell backwards to the ground.
“Where’s her ring?” he questioned Scott aggressively, as he moved closer.
“Are yer really nae going tae check that yer girlfriend is okay? Being as though yer just pushed her doon tae the ground.”
He glanced quickly behind him, as Katie slowly rose to her feet. She appeared to be okay.
“She is fine, and it’s none of your damn business anyway. Just give me the ring and we’ll leave.”
KILTED DESIRE 2 - Russian Roulette Page 7