A Stab at Riches

An RP by NekoLen and Tachigami

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Amir sat back and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. It had been several hours since he'd looked away from the monitors and when he did, he could see the same image burned into his eyes. At five-thirty that morning one of his night guards had come to him, saying they heard suspicious rustling near the west fence line, and since no one saw the source and animals didn't come by that gate often, if ever, he said he would review the security cameras. Now he regretted taking on that responsibility, but Amir's job was very clear. He was head of security and any problem, issue, or suspicious activity was reported directly to him. He took care of the half-dozen guards on day watch and night watch, handling their pay, their schedules, taking care of internal conflicts. They all lived just nearby, the nearest neighbors the huge estate had.

He saw nothing in the four hours of tape he had reviewed on high speed. Nothing that raised his hackles, nothing that narrowed his eyes. Not even a bird lighted on the tall fences. Spinning around in the wheeled chair, Amir stood and groaned, bending down to massage his numb legs and hobble out of the control room. His mouth was dry and he needed something to eat, so he dragged his prickling limbs back to the main house and let himself in after scanning his thumb print and going through a corneal read. The lock clicked, and he entered. He was only one of two that could open any doors leading into the main house, so anyone else would have to be in the presence of him or his charge, with whom he lived. The entryway was large, bright, and airy, spacious and clean with tall ceilings and a sweeping staircase leading up to the second level. Two double doors faced one another as if squaring off across the floor, and he headed left, blinking in the bright light after leaving the control room's dark interior.

Finding his way into the large kitchen, Amir went to the sink and pulled a glass from the cupboard, filling it halfway as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled a little at the name on the screen. "Billy."

"Amir, did you have a chance to review those tapes?" Billy's voice was a bit tentative, and Amir laughed, pausing to drink half the water in the glass.

"I did, and trust me when I say I saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Are you sure what you heard was real, or was it a product of boredom and an overactive imagination?"

"I heard something, damn it!" Billy sounded indignant. "I heard something but I didn't... see anything, yeah? God... just... send me over there so I can keep an eye out."

"Are you my boss, now, Bill?"

"Just do it..."

"Okay, okay. Billy, go keep guard at the west fence line."

"Thank you." The line disconnected and Amir rolled his dark eyes, laughing and filling the glass again.

So many knocks on his door, behind which many different strangers stood, begging him for money, trying to be his friend. He was drowning in requests from the small town he had grown up in, after moving there with his family when he was 3. The Gentleman he was known as, being one of the most kind and unselfish people in the town. But now, he had to try to find a way to say no, to close the door on these multiple strangers. Curse the media for leaking his name. Lily had told him to get security, someone to make sure nothing bad happened to him. He just laughed it off.

Then one night, he heard a loud bike pull up his driveway. He thought it would only be another stranger visiting him to ask for money. He answered the door to a particularly crazy looking man, who screamed something about being a heretic. The pain in his chest exploded, as red liquid oozed from him. His very life draining before his eyes.

With a gasp, Vincent woke with a start. Breathing heavily, it took him awhile to adjust to his surroundings. His new mansion, which was in the middle of nowhere and guarded by various security measures, still didn't feel safe to him. But there was nowhere he could hide from his memories. He glanced about, blinking slightly and waiting for his heart rate to become normal. He had fallen asleep in his cosy study, watching the exotic fish swimming in the wall-sized tank. He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was becoming late morning.

He stretched and left his comfortable armchair, bringing his empty cup with him as he made his way towards the large kitchen. Despite how big the house was, he only made use of about 25% of the building's rooms. He was scared of people, so he barely had staff. The only ones allowed inside his home were his parents, best friend Lily and house keeper Beth, who lived in the home and cleaned what rooms were used. The only man that came inside the house that wasn't his father was Amir, Vincent's personal body guard and head of security. The only time Vincent felt safe was when the man was nearby.

He entered the kitchen, surprised to see the lights already on and the kettle boiling. Amir sat at a counter, eating something he had made for himself. Vincent was relieved to see the man, even though most would find his presence intimidating. He smiled, which was a rare sight nowadays, and set his empty cup on the bench next to the kettle. He reached up for his teabags, only to receive a sharp pain in his chest, which made him double up and inhale suddenly.

Amir was alone for a while, and being alone wasn't something he dreaded. He went around quietly, filling a kettle for Vincent when he came by and making strong coffee to wake him up, then putting together a ham and cheese sandwich for a late breakfast, one might call brunch. Then he slipped upstairs and rummaged around his bookcase, finding an older novel of his and carrying it back downstairs with him. As long as he was alone, without his guards bothering him or anyone that was allowed in the house coming around to talk to him, he might as well reread on of his books. A vice of his, romance novels, specifically Nora Roberts. Why he read them so religiously was a mystery to him as well as everyone else that caught a glance of a big, scary-looking type reading a fluffy historical romance. But a glare usually kept them from commenting.

He glanced up when he heard footsteps, smiling when Vincent did. He liked the Englishman's smile, and in Amir's opinion it wasn't there nearly enough. But he couldn't blame the guy for not smiling much. And being so afraid of people he'd employ Amir and his security detail to keep twenty-four hour watch on his home. He studied the man while his back was turned, until an obvious shot of pain sent Amir's protective instinct rising. "Are you okay?" He asked, standing but not necessarily going forward. Vincent was still on his feet, after all, but if he started weakening Amir would be there in an instant.

"I'm... I'm fine... Just playing up is all," Vincent replied. He did like that Amir was protective enough to be ready to help at a minutes notice, but not so much that Vincent felt crippled. He straightened up, resting on the bench to take in a few steady breaths. "I had my usual nightmare... It always plays up afterwards." As if the knife that cut through his flesh in his dreams was really happening while he slept. He shuddered at the thought.

Trying to reach up once again, he managed to get the small box of Earl Grey tea bags he was fond of. The kettle had finished boiling, so he poured the hot water into his favourite mug and placed a tea bag inside. He didn't take milk or sugar in his tea, hating masking the bitter flavour with sweeteners. He took the cup and joined Amir at the bench, noticing he was rereading a novel he had already read. It was amusing that such a threatening looking man like Amir read such fluff, but Vincent knew better than to comment about it. He took a sip of the tea, sighing at the burning water going down his throat. "How have you been, Amir?"

Amir nodded and sat back where he was. He didn't want to suffocate the man more than life already was, more than his nightmares already did. He glanced out the window nearby and couldn't see any sunlight casting shadows. Clouds. It was supposed to rain all week this week. Sighing, he turned his side to the sight and looked at Vincent when he spoke. "Oh... just the same." He shrugged, turning the page in his book, then bookmarking it. "One of the night guards thought they heard something at the west fence. I checked the night's footage but I didn't see anything more than some wind shaking the trees. Not even a bird on the fence. I reviewed it twice, and I've got one of the day watches over there now. I think I'll take a look before the rain starts, if you think I should...?" He looked at Vincent. The man was overly cautious in the eyes of most but it was doing him well.

The news of suspicious activity put Vincent on edge. He shook slightly, thinking about another Jimmy Uper breaking into his house and hurting him, maybe even finishing him off. He moved closer to Amir subconsciously, not even realising that he had done so. The man's tallness and... strongness always calmed him when he was feeling scared. There was no way Amir would let another Jimmy come even a mile close to Vincent.

"I want double the concentration on finding out what it was. Let's just hope it was only one of my cats..." Vincent was fond of animals, and owned several cats, birds and horses. His last purchase had been a pure white dog, who was named Angel. He didn't have much to do during the day, so he spent it caring for his pets and riding his horses. He wished Amir would learn how to ride so they could go together through the countryside.

Amir nodded, not quite putting much thought into the way Vincent would sometimes close the distance between them when something odd or threatening even considered nearing him or his home. When they were in public Amir was always glued right to his side, sharp dark eyes keeping a lookout, just in case anyone wanted to come too near. It was his job to be just as paranoid---if not more---than Vincent.

"Of course, Vince. I'll keep two on the main road, one midway down the private trail's one-mile mark, and get the last three where the noise originated from. I'll head out in a minute to look for any sign of human activity but I have a feeling it's just a rodent or one of your cats messing around in the grass back there... I should have someone cut the grass back there..." He made a mental note to have the landscaper take care of that the next time he came by. Anyone that wasn't directly living near or on the grounds and in at least semi-constant contact with Vincent spoke only to Amir.

Vincent nodded absentmindedly, taking another sip from his cooling tea. He realised how close he was sitting next to Amir and blushed slightly, moving away and taking his glasses off to clean on his shirt for a distraction. Vincent had never really thought about attraction, or whether he loved someone before. He had once thought he was in love with Lily, his childhood friend, but it was only awkward to try to even hug her. Ever since meeting Amir, he wondered about his sexuality. He had never considered having a man be his partner before, but there was something about the big man that was just... exotic. Maybe it was the protectiveness he found attractive.

He continued drinking his tea in silence, glancing out the window as large raindrops fell onto the glass. He felt slightly bad for the security guards, who mostly worked outside. There were only a few stations around the fence they could shelter in and none were close to the place they needed to watch. His thoughts went to his horses, who would need to be put inside before they got sick. He finished he tea and stood up, glancing at Amir as he put his glasses back on. "Um... I need to put my horses in their stable."

Amir smiled a little and nodded, feeling a little more awake now that he had caffeine in him. Waking at three in the morning wasn't healthy, he knew that, but there was little else he could do. "Sure. I'll come out too... I should check that spot in case someone was there... the rain will wash anything away if we're not careful." But Amir was careful. Vincent was careful. He ran extensive background checks on anyone that wanted to even say hello to Vincent and didn't let them into the grounds after a full body check. Sure, it was extensive, but his main priority in life now was Vincent's well-being. His sense of security. His life. His happiness. If it were anyone else the same would go for them, but it wasn't. It was Vincent. And Vincent was rather sweet.

But he wouldn't admit that aloud. He would never admit that aloud now. That had been more or less beaten out of him a long time ago. Standing, stretching and setting his cup on the counter by the sink, Amir stretched. "We shouldn't stay out too long... It's supposed to be a rough storm today." Thunder exploded above them and Amir startled, gritting his teeth. He hated thunder.

Vincent smiled, hearing the thunder and gritting his teeth a little. No one liked thunderstorms, not even the big body guard Amir. It was just the sudden loudness Vincent hated, and how it evoked panic in his animals. Thinking about his horses, he quickly walked through the house and to the back door. Frowning slightly as he unlocked the door and glanced outside, he waited for Amir to join him before leaving his home. He hated being outside, he felt... Insecure.

He walked with Amir to the paddock, finding his horses already standing near the barn's door nervously tossing their heads and trampling the dampening ground. Vincent bowed his head against the large raindrops falling from the dark clouds above, rushing to the stable's doors and opening them with Amir. He led the horses inside, placing them in their stalls and putting blankets over them to keep them warm. He said loving words to each horse, treating them like scared children being tucked into bed for the night.

He turned around, looking at Amir and laughing slightly at how wet the man had gotten while looking around the bushes outside. He looked like a wet pillow and Vincent guessed he looked similar. "Come, let's get inside before we drown," he laughed, taking Amir's large hand in his and running back to the house.

Amir went along with Vincent, hurrying outside and gasping a little at the cold wave of water that came down from the sky and started soaking them. He helped Vincent with the door but let him handle his beloved animals on his own, going to the west fence line and creeping through the undergrowth. There was slightly flattened grass, but nothing too obvious. It appeared something was resting there for a while, but there were no footprints in the earth and no trash indicating a camp-out.

He returned to Vincent when he was finished with his horses, shaking his head hard and sending his hair flying, following quickly to get to the shelter of indoors. The outside guards had shelters, umbrellas, parkas and jackets, they were more or less equipped for a hurricane. In the mudroom Amir laughed. "Well, that was a trip, wasn't it?" He asked, plucking his black shirt as it clung to his chest. "I saw nothing particularly out of the ordinary other than some flattened grass, but any animal could have done that. No footprints or other things that might indicate someone was sleeping out or sitting around and watching." That should at least help Vincent relax a little.

"Are you certain?" Vincent asked Amir, already knowing the answer. The reason why he employed the man was because of his careful nature. No little detail was missed whenever Amir was on the case. He sighed and felt slightly better, knowing that he wasn't being watched or targeted by some crazy. He took off his wet sweater, leaving it on the coat rack to be cleaned later, and left his sandals by the door as he walked down the carpeted halls towards the living area. He would sit by a large window and smoke, while watching the rain fall outside.

He entered the large room, going straight to the bay window and opening it wide. The rain was falling vertical, so there was no chance of him getting wet as he lit his cigarette and retired on a nearby armchair. He picked up one of the remotes that he kept on the small coffee table nearby and switched on his radio, making it play a CD of classical music. Anything to calm himself down and stop his mind from wandering back to his torturous 5 hours.

Amir chuckled and nodded. "I'm sure. But I'll keep an extra back there just in case." He made a mental note of doing just that, then pulled his muddy, wet shoes off his feet and left them by the door. He didn't like creating too much of a mess even if it couldn't be avoided, and would clean up any tracks he left, regardless of who was around to do so instead. He did handle up to six men each day and night, deal with their squabbles, their complaints. None related to the weather and it all seemed to regard one another, he often felt like the father he couldn't be to a little girl to fully grown men instead. And he didn't like that exchange at all.

He talked to Billy as he dressed in clean clothes, hanging his wet clothes in the shower so they'd dry and not mildew. When he finished that call, he heard another phone ringing. This one was in the sitting room---his personal cell. Stepping into the sitting area, leaving his bed behind, he scooped it up and stared at the screen, sighed, then answered it. "Andrea."

"Your daughter wanted to talk to you." The female voice was curt and clipped, and very cold. But Amir was fine with that. He used the same when he spoke to the woman on the other end quite often.

"It's still a week until her birthday." Amir replied, just as coldly, but with a little curiosity. He didn't often get a call on any other day than Elsa's birthday, when he finally got to see her. She was going to be eight in a week, and on that day he would get a new photo of her.

"Yeah, well, don't ask me. Hold on."

Amir shifted, restlessly walking to the door to his room and sliding down the wood into a sitting position. When a little voice picked up with a cheery, "Hi, Daddy!", Amir's eyes stung a little. The only good thing to come out of a doomed, hasty marriage.

"Hey, sweetie..."

The CD had finished playing and his cigarette was all gone, yet he didn't want to move from his chair. The beautiful smell of the rain cleansing the Earth made him smile as he watched the storm grow bigger outside. He had heard Amir's phone ring and he was talking in a different language, possibly to his ex-wife Vincent knew little about. He wondered why they had broken up. Amir had a child too, but he never talked about her. Vincent wished he could have a kid, know the joys of being a parent. He sighed and moved his gaze to the gates. He watched two security guards stand under an umbrella, talking.

"Amir, when you aren't busy, can you do me a favour?" he called, knowing it was rude to interrupt a phone call. "When you are done there, can you bring all the guards a flask of hot tea and some biscuits? I feel terrible they have to stay outside in this weather."

"Mommy's got a new boyfriend." Amir tensed a bit at Elsa's words. "He's not very nice..." She spoke hushed then, as if telling a forbidden secret.

"Oh really?" Amir asked, rubbing his hand down the lines along his inner arm. "Does he hurt you?"

"Noooooo." Elsa drew the word out and Amir had to laugh a bit at the stern tone her little voice took. "He likes to yell. Lots."

"Like when I used to yell?" Amir asked tentatively. He'd only ever raised his voice when absolutely necessary, when Andrea wouldn't listen to anything he'd say. When she'd berate him for not making enough money to feed her habits, mostly online shopping.

"No way! He only yells at me." Elsa's voice took a turn and Amir winced.

"Well... if he ever touches you, or if he ever hurts you, like when Mommy lied about me, you know who to tell."

"Not Mommy. Someone else." Elsa said. "Cops."

"Very good. Now, I have to go." Amir glanced around at Vincent's words. "Lots of work to do. I'll see you in a week, okay?"

"Okay!" Elsa's voice cracked with elation. "I love you Daddy!"

"Love you too, princess." Amir ended the phone and sighed shakily, standing and stretching and leaving his room. "Sure thing, Vincent. I'll gather them together until the storm passes and stay with the monitors to keep an eye on things." He supposed they could take their break early. And gathering in the control room wasn't a bad idea, since it was away from the main house. Vincent didn't like people in the house that weren't previously invited by him or checked thoroughly by Amir first. He went to the kitchen to pack a waterproof bag, and think about next week. He had to ask Vincent for that day off, or at least invite him along. Perhaps it would be a quiet location, somewhere he felt safe.

Vincent nodded, though he kind of wished Amir would stay by his side. The darkness from the storm outside made his home dark and almost creepy. He didn't say anything, however, and watched as his body guard left the room to go outside and sit in the control room. He sighed and picked up the remote, making the CD play again and staring out the window at the rain. His friend Lily was supposed to come around soon, and he had forgotten to warn Amir. She hated being frisked every time she came around, but understood her friend's paranoia. In his confusion and pain, he had called her instead of the ambulance. She was terrified, but calmly handled the situation.

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He wasn't sure if he had drifted off or not, but a sudden noise grabbed his attention. He jumped to his feet, looking around the room. Someone was banging around in the kitchen. Shaking all over, he slowly made his way there, grabbing his walkie talkie as he walked there. It was given to him by Amir, in case of emergencies. He held it tightly as he approached the kitchen, his body sweating and his heart thumping painfully in his chest. The banging around didn't stop as he came just by the door, and he peeked around the frame. His hands whipped up to his mouth so he didn't scream. Jimmy Uper was in his kitchen, opening and closing cupboards as if looking for something.

Hands shaking so violently, he almost dropped his walkie, he brought it to his mouth and turned it on. "Amir?" he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. "Amir... There's someone in the house. Please... Amir..." The whispering caught Jimmy's attention and he turned around, grinning inhumanly wide.

"Ah, there's my little mouse!" he laughed, slowly coming forward and holding a large kitchen knife. "Where were we? I think you were going to do 'anything' to get me to leave, you fucking Heretic."

"No! No! Go away! Amir! He's got a knife! Amir!" he screamed into the walkie before dropping it and running full speed away from the kitchen and diving into the nearest wardrobe, where he cowered, trembling and crying.

Amir put on a black parka this time as he sent a mass text to the six guards bringing them what Vincent had requested in a large cooler bag and setting it on the low coffee table in the control room. The lights were turned on as the damp guards filed in with relief on their faces, and Billy was the last to come in, closing the door to the rain and shrugging out of his own wet parka. "Hey, thanks for the break." He said, sighing and flopping into one of the padded chairs.

"Don't thank me. Vincent felt sorry for you lot." Amir didn't look away from the monitors as he spoke, standing similar to a drill sergeant, dark eyes studying every camera angle. He hated leaving the grounds unguarded but the guards needed a break or they'd go crazy.

"Everything clear?" Billy asked after returning with a paper cup in his hand. "Nothing over where I heard a noise last night?"

"Absolutely nothing." Amir rolled his eyes. "I checked when the rain started but it wasn't late enough that anything would've been washed away."

"Amir, sit down. You gotta relax a little."

"The entire grounds are unprotected." Amir snapped. "Do you really expect me to relax while I have all my day guards stuffed up in here?"

"That's the thing, you never relax." Bill huffed.

Amir opened his mouth to speak when Vincent's frantic voice came over the walkie on the desk. His heart leapt and he grabbed it, diving under the desk for one of his handguns. He had a small arsenal in the control room and in his room, and both were always at the ready. The guards were armed as well. "Bill, keep watch." He said, and didn't bother grabbing his parka as he dove out of the control room and sprinted up the flooded cobblestone pathway. He didn't burst into the house, but slipped the door open slowly and quietly, staring around the area and switching the safety off on his weapon. He held it in his dominant hand, and pressed the button on the walkie. "Vincent, it's Amir. Where are you?" There were dozens of rooms in the house, and if someone was hiding, they could easily find one and be able to move about undetected for quite a while. Alternatively, Vincent could be just about anywhere. Amir crept quietly, slipping doors open and casting a very careful glance through each room.

Vincent stayed in his closet, regretting dropping the walkie. He had no idea where Amir was or if Jimmy was still in the house. This had happened before, except last time he was hiding while naked and bleeding. He had been called a heretic again and he still had no idea what it meant. He heard footsteps nearby and covered his mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. He watched as a tall man with a gun walked past and heard his voice. Amir.

"I'm in here," he whispered, opening the door slightly. "Don't shoot." He didn't want to leave the safety of the closet, but Amir was here now. He felt safer. "He was in the kitchen... It looked like Jimmy... I..." His heart sunk and suddenly he felt stupid. He covered his face, glad Amir couldn't see him. "I'm so fucking sorry... I think I was dreaming..."

Amir froze when he heard a voice, recognizing it as Vincent immediately. He had dropped his walkie, Amir saw it a little ways away on the floor, the back popped off. "Vince, calm down. It's okay." He stepped to the door, flipping the safety on his gun before slipping it into his belt at the back of his pants, then pulling it open slightly. "C'mon out, there's no one here." Definitely not Jimmy. He wasn't quite sure where Jimmy was, Amir hadn't heard anything of the guy. Crouching down, Amir put a hand on Vincent's shoulder. He knew the guy had PTSD, he'd seen it and experienced it before, but he'd not seen Vincent's case fall into the realm of hallucination. "If it makes you feel safer, do you want me to sweep the house and make doubly sure no one's here?"

Vincent sniffed, wiping his eyes and looking up at Amir. He must look pathetic. He felt stupid, and bad for calling Amir into the house so suddenly. "I... I'm so sorry..." He reached up and clutched Amir's arm, feeling safer that he was near. He nodded to the question, standing on shaky legs. "I know I was just hallucinating now... Jimmy... He can't hurt me any more." The crazed hobo had been locked up in a mental asylum for an indefinite amount of years. "I guess I was thinking about it too much... And my nightmare this morning didn't help..." What he needed was a nice hot cup of tea and a cigarette. But first, he wanted the house searched and he wanted to stay by Amir's side while he did so.

Amir smiled a bit, helping Vincent to his feet and pulling him out of the small room. "Don't apologize. It's what I'm here for, you can call on me any time, even if it's a false alarm. See, one day it might not be. Better safe than sorry." He felt like a parent again, telling a child it was okay to be scared, but not to give in to that fear. Vincent, though, was an adult. And an adult that had gone through a pretty vivid hell. Maybe it was because Amir had so much to relate to Vincent that he'd wanted to be the man's full-time guard. He put a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "C'mon, we'll search the whole house. Make sure nothing's got in somehow." He seriously doubted anything could get through the double-locked windows and doors, and he'd have seen it. If he didn't see it, Billy did. And it was always immediately referred to Amir.

Vincent nodded, following Amir as the carefully looked in all 50+ rooms of his large house. It took about an hour to do so, and once they were certain no one was in the house, Vincent collapsed on a nearby chair. He was panting slightly, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He smiled weakly and chuckled. "All safe and sound... Look, Amir... I'm sorry to make you do all this... I just... Well... I should be fine now."

He smiled wider and nodded, standing up and walking with his body guard back to the kitchen. No one was in there, of course. He went to the kettle, filling it up and turning it on. He really needed a nice hot cup of tea after that. "I should be fine now, Amir. I'm sorry I wasted your time... And broke your walkie."

Once they finished exploring the house, Amir keeping a studious eye on the halls they left behind. His gun was out and at his side until the very last room was checked top to bottom. When he followed Vincent into the kitchen, he sighed and shook his head, checking the safety on the gun and sliding it back into his belt, then going to retrieve the walkie from the floor. "Don't worry about it, Vincent." He said calmly, returning to the center counter and sitting. "I can fix this easily, and having me run around the house when you're even a little unsettled is in my job description. It doesn't exactly seem right to apologize for having me do my job." He smiled, studying the walkie in his hand and turning it over. It was just a matter of rewiring the battery pack and screwing the back on again.

Vincent sighed and took off his glasses. He had been begged to go to a therapist, to help with his nightmares and delusions. But he just felt so uncomfortable under anyone's eye. Also, if he went to a doctor, that meant talking about what happened during those 5 long hours with Jimmy... His kettle signalled that it was done boiling. He smiled and poured the hot water into a nearby clean mug. He put in a tea bag, and sniffed the vapours. It really did let him unwind and calm down. "Did you bring the guards some hot tea and food?" he asked, glancing out the window at the dark clouds that were dumping water.

Amir was quiet, half listening to the sounds in the kitchen, focusing on the battery pack he was trying to rewire. Pushing the bottom in, he twisted the bare end of the wire around the positive end and slipped the whole thing back into the cavity, closing the back and unscrewing the loosened screws from their holders. "I did." Amir said, looking up as he dug in his pocket for his multi-tool. "They're all gathered in the control room and I have Billy watching the monitors."

He screwed the back onto the walkie and smiled at his work. "And done, it's all better." He set it on the counter in front of him and studied Vincent. "Vince... have you thought about learning how to use weapons? A gun, maybe? If you learn and keep one close at hand, it might help you relax more." He would be able to help Vincent---he had a permit, after all, and they were far enough away from town to practice shots.