A Surprise Favor – Chapter 12

After my nap, I shower, dress, and meet Nina Correa, Amira, and Kenzie out on the back patio. My giant sunhat keeps the harsh rays off my skin and the wandering paparazzi drones from reading my lips.

“Don’t worry,” Nina says as I sit down. “I put up the privacy field, too.”

I tilt my head. “Is that why I can’t hear the waves on the beach?”

She nods. “An unfortunate side effect, but it’s what we need.”

She eyes the two women already at the table sipping sangria. In the center of the table, an array of cured meats and cheeses fill a wooden board. Gouda, blue cheese, and brie are arranged in wedges, with olives and pickles, nuts, dried fruit, and crackers. Yum. Someone has been busy in the kitchen this morning while I slept.

“I didn’t realize you needed a security officer.” Kenzie sets her glass down. “Is your situation really that dire?”

“Not exactly.” I reach to the wooden board for some cheese. “But I’ve already had a few run-ins with the press and other intruders, so I figure it’s best to be cautious.”

Nina nods in agreement. “Yeah, it’s true. No matter how much we try to keep them away, they always seem to find a way in. That’s why I’m here to talk about how we can deal with any threats and protect Skylar from unwanted attention.”

Kenzie’s eyes are intense, almost daring me to give away my secrets to my own detriment. She looks skeptical, but who wouldn’t be? No one avoids the press. Vivian didn’t.

Amira drums her fingers on the table and doesn’t make eye contact. I hadn’t considered Kenzie a possible enemy until this moment, so I change tack and consider a better alternative to the situation I’m in.

My smile is subtle. “Plus, you know what Kalvin and I went through on Sonoma.”

Nina turns to me with wide eyes. “That was you? You and that pilot survived the Novato Desert?”

I sip my sangria and let the fruity tastes roll over my tongue. “That was us. And my ship has been hijacked before, as you know.” Our eyes meet and she doesn’t look away. “And now I’ve had death threats, too.” I lift my chin. “People want me dead. I do not want to be dead, so security is necessary,” I say to Kenzie. Her expression is cold and unfeeling.

I suspect she wants me dead as well.

“Then let’s talk weapons,” she says, keeping her voice even.

“Nina knows my budget. She’ll be making the choices.” I sit back in my chair and take an olive from the charcuterie board in front of me.

Amira and Kenzie exchange glances, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation. Nina takes a deep breath before speaking. “We have plenty of options to keep Skylar safe. I’m looking for at least four handguns, a small size, easy to carry.”

Kenzie produces a notebook and pen and begins to write a list.

“Those require precise aim and knowledge of safety protocols,” Kenzie tells her. “Will you be training Skylar’s crew to shoot?”

Nina nods. “We have an appointment tomorrow at the range in town to go over basics.”

News to me. I raise my eyebrows at her.

“This is important. Especially onboard a ship.”

Nina clears her throat. “Then I would like at least two automatic weapons, preferably something all-purpose or an assault rifle. These will provide more firepower, but they’re much larger and require more training to use properly.” The sound of crunching fresh breads, crisp crackers and assorted nuts mix as we talk and eat at the same time.

Kenzie nods in agreement, reaching forward for an olive. “We also have non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray, tasers, and stun guns that could be used if things got out of hand. They wouldn’t kill anyone, but would still be effective at keeping an attacker away.”

“It seems like we have plenty of options.” I mull over each suggestion. “We have to think about where I’ll be and what kind of trouble I might face. Defending me while keeping everyone else safe too is our highest priority.” I cover my ambivalence by grabbing more food. Play it cool, Skylar. “Oh, and it needs to all look legit. You can provide permits and receipts?”

“Of course. The good ones cost extra, though.”

“Of course they do.” It’s a feat of strength to keep the ice out of my voice.

“Okay.” Kenzie studies her notebook. She writes for a moment, circles something a few times, and then shows the notebook to Nina.

Nina’s eyes scan down the list before she nods. “This will be acceptable.” She hands the notebook to me, and I try not to cry at the credit amount. Well, there goes any intention I had of buying some clothes while I’m here.

But remember, Skylar, you have to be alive to wear clothes.

Good point, brain.

“My bank transfer key code is at the bottom there,” Kenzie says, pointing to a string of digits. “Half now. The other half on delivery. I can have it on your ship tomorrow morning before your trip to the range.”

“Deal. Just a moment.” I turn over my wristlet, access my accounts, and send her half.

A few seconds later, she tips over her wristlet, stares into space as she accesses her accounts and nods, indicating she received the money.

“Great.” She pushes away from the table. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She puts her sunglasses on and grabs her bag.

“You’re not staying? I think sandwiches are coming out soon.” I try to stand up, but her frosty glare keeps me in my chair.

“No, I’m not. We’re done, and we’re not friends.” She smiles down at Amira. “Shall we go?”

Amira pulls back. “Uh, no. I was planning on staying all afternoon.”

Kenzie’s chest rises and falls several times as she looks between Amira and me. “Fine.”

She turns on her heel and heads back towards the house. Kalvin is at the door holding a tray of food. She stops and touches his arm. I hold my breath.

“Last chance,” she says.

He laughs. “Absolutely not.”

She drops her hand and walks off through the house. I hear the door open and close behind her.

Nina accesses her wristlet and pauses. “Okay, she’s through the gate and gone.” She leans over to me. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing. It’s a long story.” I sigh as I pull out Kenzie’s chair and wave to Kalvin to sit in it. He sets the warm ham and cheese paninis on the table and sits.

“What did I miss before I showed up?” I ask Nina and Amira. “She was extra frosty.”

Nina sighs and takes a sip of her water. “It was tense before you got here. Kenzie and I have some history, so there was already a bit of friction between us.”

“What did you talk about?” I ask, wondering where the conversation went wrong.

“Nothing personal. But I asked about heavy ship weapons and she let me know about the weapons systems she had available for the Amagi.”

“You’re not going to arm the Amagi with military grade weapons,” Amira interjects, her voice rising in anger. “That goes against everything Skylar stands for.”

Pride wells in my chest to hear Amira go to bat for me. I picked the right friend.

Nina’s face hardens as she shoots Amira an icy look. “They may not be our first choice, but they’re the best way to protect the Amagi and Skylar’s entire network from any possible threats. And that’s my job.”

I hold up my hands. “Look, it only became your job this morning. You don’t know me yet, and you don’t understand everything I’m dealing with. So, chill out, and give yourself some time to settle in, okay?”

Nina’s stare is colder than space.

“I’ve already decided,” I say, adding a sandwich to my plate. “We’re not arming the Amagi. We can arm ourselves. But the ship? No.” I sigh. “In the wrong hands, that could be a shitshow.”

Nina thinks for a moment before nodding once. “Understood. Kenzie wanted us to purchase the big ship guns as well. When I told her they may not be what we’re looking for, she threatened to take her business elsewhere. Amira talked her down.”

Great. So everyone was upset at this table before I even arrived. Can I get a break, please?

“Kenzie objected to Nina even being involved, given her previous employment.”

Nina remains silent.

“Kenzie has connections to some underground circles who could provide more protection than most official channels could,” Amira says, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite. She hums her approval and gives Kalvin a thumbs up. He lifts his shoulders, proud that people enjoy his food.

“And, of course, Nina didn’t like that option,” I say with a knowing nod.

Nina scowls at the table before she speaks up again. “I understand why it might be necessary for most people, but I don’t trust the underground. There could be too many Reformers in the ranks. You now have me and my legitimate connections. Your network has to trust whoever’s protecting you and whatever they’re doing to keep you safe, no doubts or second-guessing allowed.”

Do I doubt Nina? I focus on her and wonder if we trust each other enough for this to work.

Kalvin nods. “We don’t want outsiders muddying things up and making our situation even more complicated than it already is.”

Nina was an outsider until she showed up this morning. I should have been more cautious about letting her in. Oh well. It’s too late to change this now. She’s here, and she wants to do this job.

I lean back in my chair, letting out a long breath. “There has to be another way to protect ourselves that doesn’t involve weapons.” I sip the sangria, mulling over the various possibilities in my mind.

“What about surveillance systems?” Kalvin offers. “More AI, and not just Ai, as delightful as she is. Nanci is a ship’s AI and not meant for security, so it would have to be something new. We could deploy more cameras around the perimeter of the Amagi and have an automated system that alerts us the moment it detects any suspicious activity or visitors.”

Nina finally takes a sandwich. “That could be worth looking into. We can use drones for surveillance and alarms to warn us of unauthorized access to wherever Skylar’s staying.”

Amira adds, “This would be less disruptive and allow her to keep her anonymity while still protecting herself and her network.”

Kalvin smiles at Amira. “Thanks for being so helpful.”

“Sure. I don’t want my best buddy running into dangerous situations.”

I sigh. “So, another AI, and a security one at that? It’s going to cost me.”

Nina tilts her head. “Maybe you can get one out of that delicious man you have in the house. His company has a cache of them.”

I laugh. “Which delicious man? There are several.” I’m pretty sure she means Takemo. He has security systems for all of his trash haulers.

A hiss and snap overhead causes all of us to look at the sky. With a flashing pop, a paparazzi drone dies an instant death and falls into the pool. It sizzles before dropping into the depths of the clear blue water.

“And that’s why I need all the help I can get,” I say, pointing to the sky. “This is only the beginning. Within another day, the press will hound me at every turn. I still have a life to live, and apparently, a court case to win.”

The click of the back door echoes over the pool, and Marcelo, Takemo, and Saif hustle out of the house with more food and drinks.

“What did we miss?” Takemo asks, sitting down across from me.

“Nothing, dear,” I say, batting my eyelashes at him. He smirks.

Nothing at all.