The Bodyguard
It took Miguel a moment to realize he was in a hospital. Miguel recognized the smell right away. It was the sheets that had thrown him off. He opened his eyes and blinked blearily down at the white fabric. Hospital sheets were never this soft. He tried to sit up, then groaned as he recognized the pressure on the right side of his chest. Miguel stopped moving before the pressure turned into outright pain. Broken ribs, they had been treated so he must have been unconscious for a while. Judging by the overall numbness of his body he was on some pretty good pain medication too. Miguel wondered if the VA was paying for it. He hoped the VA was paying for it. God knew he couldn't afford the medical bill right now. He hadn't been able to find a decent job since he got out of the Army. Eight months of odd jobs didn't exactly pad the savings account.
Miguel rubbed his almost cotton dry eyes. How had he gotten here anyway? Was the fuzziness in his memory because of the painkillers or some head trauma? Probably both, Miguel realized as he felt a bandage taped to his forehead. Miguel took a deep breath and began cataloguing what he knew.
He'd arrived in New York two months ago. He hadn't expected glamour, so he was neither surprised nor disappointed when it turned out to be a lot like LA, but dirtier and more cramped. Still, Miguel didn't have any old friends to get him in trouble here, and that was a definite plus. Miguel was renting out a dingy single bedroom with two other men, and drifting between jobs posted on Craigslist until he could find something more permanent. Miguel shifted slightly. He wasn't used to a bed this soft. It made him feel like he was going to slide right out of it. Miguel tried to gain traction on the bed to push himself higher up on his pillow.
This morning... Miguel refocused his thoughts. What happened this morning? He closed his eyes.
He'd just gotten off the bus stop, on his way to another one-time job, when a boy on a Bluetooth bumped into him. The boy had styled, sandy colored hair and expensive clothing that seemed to be designed to look shabby. The young man had grinned apologetically at Miguel, before continuing his conversation. He stepped off the curb, right into the path of a speeding taxi. Miguel yanked the boy back by the collar of his overpriced hoodie, cutting him off mid-word. The boy gaped at the place he had been, then at Miguel. The expression made him look even younger, though Miguel now estimated the boy to be a year or two older than he was.
"Stephanie, I'll call you back." The young man said into his Bluetooth. Miguel turned around and walked away, while the boy fumbled with the Bluetooth.
"Hey, wait!" He called. Miguel kept walking.
Miguel frowned. Was that it? He opened his eyes and glanced around the room. There was a definite memory gap. Something had happened between ignoring an irritatingly oblivious civilian and waking up in this weirdly soft hospital bed.
Now that he was feeling more alert, Miguel realized that the bed wasn't the only strange thing about the hospital room. First of all, it was a single. What kind of hospital gave a private room to a mostly unemployed vet? Second was the chair. While it wasn't exactly fancy, it looked a bit more like an armchair than any hospital chair had a right to. It was pulled right up to Miguel's bed.
The strangest thing in the room sat in the not-armchair. It was a bear, holding a pillow that read "Get Well Soon!" Miguel stared blankly at the teddy bear. The teddy bear stared innocently back at him. Miguel glanced around the room. If he weren't in a private bedroom he'd have thought that the bear was intended for someone else. Once he'd confirmed that his bed was the only one occupying the space, Miguel returned his gaze to the stuffed animal. Who the hell would send him a get well bear? He didn't know anyone in the city except his roommates (who'd probably steal his stuff if he didn't "get well") and the girl at the corner coffee stand (and he thought she was probably just nice to everyone). No one else Miguel knew would know he was hurt; and if they did, they wouldn't send him a stuffed animal...
Miguel heard a voice rising outside. "What do you mean 'only family'?! I've been in there for hours! I only left to go to the bathroom!"
"Well, maybe if you'd explain your relationship to him-" A woman's voice began.
"Courtney!" Another woman called, her voice was accompanied hurried footsteps. "I'm so sorry. She just came on shift. Please, go right in, Mr. Stone."
The man, Mr. Stone, softened considerable now that he was getting his own way. "It's alright. She's just doing her job." His tone was mellow and easy. Miguel heard more footsteps and then the door to his room opened to admit the sandy haired man Miguel had pulled from the path of a passing taxi. The man's eyes widened.
"You're awake!" He exclaimed starting forward. For one heart stopping moment Miguel was sure the stranger was going to hug him, but the other man diverted last second. He scooped up the bear and deposited it on Miguel's lap. Miguel eyed the bear then the man, but before Miguel could ask exactly who he was a doctor came in and started checking Miguel's vitals. The man who was acting very chummy towards Miguel was asking the doctor a lot of questions. He used enough technical jargon for Miguel to realize that this Mr. Stone had some medical training. When the doctor finally left Mr. Stone sat down in the chair. He was close. Too close really. He was acting like he was Miguel's friend.
After a moment, Miguel spoke. "I don't mean to be rude." Miguel tried to keep his voice even, aiming for polite.
The man looked at him brightly. "Yes?"
"Who the hell are you?" Miguel lost some of his control, but not all of it.
"I'm Andy," the man said, cheerfully. "Andy Stone. I told you, remember?"
"The last thing I recall was trying to walk away from you after pulling you out of traffic." Miguel commented drily. "I think you were chasing me."
The man winced. "Chasing might be a little strong a word."
"I was walking away from you and you were following me." Miguel stated.
"Well, yes." Andy admitted.
"How is that not chasing me?" Miguel inquired. He was surprised by Andy's reaction. He laughed.
"I guess it was chasing." Andy admitted. Miguel stared at him. "What?"
"Maybe I wasn't clear, Andy Stone." Miguel said. "Why are you here?"
"Because if what happened afterwards." Andy answered, settling into his seat. "Let's see... I was chasing you."
Andy called after the youngish Latin American man. Not many people would save someone and leave without a word. Andy wanted to thank him, and see if there was anything that he could do for the man.
The Latin American, Miguel, turned his head slightly. It was as if something other than Andy had caught his eye. He began walking more quickly. Andy jogged to keep pace. Then Miguel slowed, giving Andy time to catch up with him.
"Hey," Andy panted. "I just wanted to say thanks."
"Save your thanks." Miguel advised. "You got a map app on that fancy phone of yours?"
"Of course. Are you lost?" Andy pulled out his phone, it was three or four models ahead of what was available to the public. He was fully prepared to give the other man the phone. Andy wasn't going to let him go without repaying him somehow.
"Look up directions to the nearest police station." Miguel told Andy. Miguel wasn't looking at Andy, his eyes were alert, scanning the street.
"Whoa, the police station?" Andy frowned. "Why do you want to go there?"
"It's not for me, it's for you." Miguel informed him shortly. "You're being followed."
Andy started. "I am?" He instantly looked over his shoulder.
"You are." Miguel cut across the street, watching for cars.
"How can you tell?" Andy asked, working to keep on the fitter man's heels.
"They broke formation when you came after me." Miguel cast his eyes around, looking for any thing out of place. "Keep to busy streets. If the GPS tries to take you down an alley, take a different route."
"You're not coming with me?" Andy asked in alarm. This man seemed to know what to do.
"I don't know what you did to make people follow you, but I can't afford to get involved." Miguel responded.
"But I didn't do anything!" Andy protested. Now that Andy knew he was in trouble he didn't want to let Miguel go.
"You did something." Miguel stated grimly.
"I didn't do anything." Andy stubbornly responded. "And I'm staying with you until help arrives, even if it means following you home."
Miguel eyed him apprehensively. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm not." Andy said.
Miguel's voice was mostly angry but also a bit confused. "Why?"
"Because I can call a full swat team here with the push of a button." Andy held up the phone, displaying the panic button for his father's private security. "But I think that if I do that people are going to get hurt." Miguel's eyebrows raised as he looked at the phone, but he didn't say anything. After a minute, Andy continued. "If you are with me, I bet that you could get me to safety without people getting caught in the crossfire."
Miguel considered him.
"Wait, wait." Miguel held up his hand. Andy cut himself off. Startled at the interruption.
"Do you need something?" Andy asked. "The painkillers aren't wearing off are they?"
"No, just- wait." Miguel was struggling to remember something in the foggy haze that abstracted his memory. "Lance Security?"
"Oh, yeah." Andy nodded, pleased Miguel was beginning to remember things on his own. "That's the company."
Miguel stared at him. Andy did not like the look on the Latin American's face. It seemed to be a combination of disgust and fear. "What kind of kid has Lance Security on speed dial?" Miguel had seen what Lance Security was capable of first hand. They were well paid, well organized mercenaries.
"It's not my idea." Andy protested defensively. "My dad hired them. He had the panic button installed on my phone." Andy had put his hands up at some point. He didn't remember doing it. "I don't like how they do things! That's why I asked for your help. Remember?"
Miguel nodded slowly. Reluctantly chalking it up as a point in the other man's favor. He still didn't understand this Andy Stone; the earnest rich boy who would rather put his safety in the hands of a complete stranger than call on protectors who would put others at risk.
"What happened next?" Miguel asked. "We were attacked, right?"
"You remember?" Andy asked, eager to return to their conversation.
"No, but I wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed if everything had gone smoothly. Would I?" Miguel raised a single eyebrow. Andy laughed sheepishly.
"True. We weren't far from the police station when they must have realized where we were headed."
"Meaning they'd either have to back off or take action." Miguel commented. He knew how these operations worked.
"You can probably guess which course of action they took." Andy grinned.
Andy didn't know what surprised him more, Miguel tackling him into the pavement or the sound of tires squeaking and honking from other cars. Andy heard doors fly open. Miguel swore under his breath. Before Andy could blink, Miguel was kneeling next to the front of the car. His entire body was taunt. When the first man came around the car seconds later, Miguel disabled him with a strike to the throat, grabbing his weapon and firing two shots before the first man had fallen to the ground. That was when the screaming started.
Miguel grabbed Andy by the arm, yanking him up and pushing him forward before he aimed again and fired another shot. One or two of the men returned fire but Andy didn't pay attention to them as he made a beeline for an alley. He tripped once; so hard that his hoodie fell over his head before Miguel caught him, keeping him from falling on his face.
They darted into the alley and Miguel groaned as he realized it was a dead end. A locked chain-link fence stood resolutely between them and the next alley. Miguel glanced around. His eyes landed on Andy in his hood. "Give me your jacket."
Andy pulled it off, starting to ask why. Miguel snatched it from him and shoved Andy behind some trash cans. He raced to the fence throwing the jacket on with the hood up. He shoved the gun into the front of his pants, covered by his shirt. Miguel just made it to the chain-link fence when the men came down the alley. Miguel grabbed the chain-link and shook it desperately with both hands. Andy took out his phone. His finger hovered above the panic button.
"Well, it looks like your bodyguard has run off." One of the men sneered. Miguel stopped shaking the fence. Andy realized what this looked like. That Miguel had scaled the fence and made it down the alley before Andy could. That was why Miguel needed the jacket. Andy started to press the button, but stopped when he heard something that filled him with relief, sirens. They were close to the police station! The cops would be there soon.
"Come on, rich boy." The same man ordered. "Time to go." Miguel turned, his hands raised and head lowered to obscure the top of his face in the depths of the hood. He just had to stall. Andy watched him desperately. Miguel began to walk forward. After a few steps, the man, who seemed to be in charge, said "Wait a minute..."
It was all Miguel needed. Before the others were back on guard he wrenched out the gun and fired the last three shots. Two of them hit one man, though not fatally, the last went wild. Miguel dived behind a dumpster, as the remaining men began to fire.
"Hold!" The leader shouted. The firing ceased. "We don't have time for this." The leader said grimly. "You two grab him."
Miguel came out fighting. He used the empty gun as a weapon to strike out at them, but now that they knew what they were dealing with the two men easily subdued Miguel. They dragged him in front of their boss. Each held him by one arm and one of them kicked him behind one knee to force him to kneel.
"So," the boss said coldly. "Where is the rich kid?"
Miguel glared defiantly up at him. The boss sighed and turned. Only to spin abruptly and plant some kind of night stick into Miguel's side with enough force that Andy thought that he could actually hear the ribs crack. "You'll soon learn that you ought to answer me." The boss informed Miguel shortly. "Now where is he?"
Miguel was bent over gasping for breath. He was only held up by the two men's firm grip on his arms. Miguel looked up at the boss and spat something in a language that Andy didn't understand. The boss raised an eyebrow, then lifted his nightstick again.
"Where is he?" The man asked, a note of warning in his voice. Miguel scoffed softly.
"Somewhere you won't find him." He told the boss with more conviction than Andy would have been able to muster in that situation. The man frowned and brought the nightstick down on Miguel's head with a sickeningly loud crack.
"Leave him." He ordered his men, who automatically dropped Miguel in a heap in the center of the alley. "We have to go." They collected their wounded accomplice and left the alley.
"And I waited until I heard the van drive away and came out to check on you." Andy finished with a grin. Miguel scoffed.
"You should have waited until the police got there."
"It was only a couple minutes." Andy shrugged dismissively. "Besides, I was worried about you." Miguel glanced at Andy and saw it was true. "I'm still a bit worried." Andy admitted.
"I've bounced back from worse." Miguel assured him with a yawn. "But I need to check out soon."
"If you're worried about the bill, don't. I'm paying for everything." Andy told him.
"Thanks, but I still can't be in bed any longer than the doc says." Miguel shrugged. "Can't afford it." Andy's eyes lit up.
"Really? Excellent! Then I have a proposition for you!" Andy plowed right by Miguel's startled expression. "I want to offer you a job. Technically it is a bodyguard position. But really it's just hanging out during my classes and then we go to the movies and clubs and stuff!" Miguel's foggy mind was struggling to catch up.
"A bodyguard? Look, Mr. Stone-"
"Andy." Andy instantly corrected. "And I swear, it'll be nothing like today. I've only been targeted twice! It's money for nothing." Andy grinned. "So come on. My parents have been on me for years about a bodyguard, but they are really irritating." Andy shook his head in exasperation.
"Andy," Miguel struggled to sit up. "I get that you might be grateful but I don't want charity."
Andy snorted. "If it were charity I'd be giving you a choice."
Miguel froze and frowned at Andy. "What do you mean?"
"I mean if you don't agree to take the job, I'm sticking you with your hospital bill." Andy told him cheerfully. Miguel gaped at him.
"You must be joking." Miguel said in a strangled voice.
"Nope." Andy replied. "But I'm sure you'll take the job. You can always quit in a couple of months if you don't want it, and I'll make sure your signing bonus is at least a car. A cool car." He added. Then Andy frowned at Miguel. "But first I'm going to ask the doctor about your painkillers. You don't look so good." Andy stood up, straightened Miguel's sheets and walked out of the room.
Miguel sat there in shock. Despite Andy's carefree attitude the threat was there. Was Miguel really going to be blackmailed into a job? It was a good job and Miguel had no doubt that Andy would make it as interesting as possible. But the way he was going about it brought back one or two bad memories for Miguel. He closed his eyes and shoved them away.
Miguel opened his eyes and they landed on the get well bear. He knew he was going to take the job. Miguel was too much of a pragmatist to decline, but he could leave a distinct impression on Andy while he accepted.
Andy cheerfully walked away from the doctor. He liked Miguel. Miguel listened and he had a still, calming presence. He wasn't like the thick necks his parents tried to convince him to accept. He was smart and sardonic and he was a genuinely good person.
Andy felt his smile slip slightly as he remembered the thug strike Miguel. He hadn't mentioned how angry that had made him to Miguel. Relax, Andy. He told himself. That stuff almost never happens. Andy tried not to think about the investigation into the abduction because it reminded him about how his parents had tried to force him to leave the hospital with their security. Security that remained downstairs despite Andy's protests. That was another reason Miguel had to take the job. Andy couldn't deal with being followed by Lance Security goons. They made him more uncomfortable than kidnappers.
Andy walked into Miguel's room to find Miguel propped up. He frowned. Miguel shouldn't be sitting up on his own just yet. That was why Andy had paid to make sure the bed was as comfortable as possible. He'd even sent an assistant out to buy better sheets.
"I'll take the job, on one condition." Miguel's voice broke through Andy's internal chastisement. Andy smiled more happily than he had all day.
"Anything." He answered. Miguel leveled his gaze at Andy.
"Never do that again." Andy was startled at the serious tone in his voice. He realized that he'd made a mistake. "It was blackmail." Miguel continued calmly in that same frighteningly serious voice. "And you can never do it again. Not to me." He was angry. Andy could tell.
Andy shakily returned Miguel's solemn gaze. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I swear." He promised. "And..." He hesitated, he didn't do this much. "I'm sorry." Miguel relaxed.
"Good." He grinned at Andy. It was the first genuine smile Andy had seen on Miguel's face. It was definitely worth the apology.
Miguel rubbed his almost cotton dry eyes. How had he gotten here anyway? Was the fuzziness in his memory because of the painkillers or some head trauma? Probably both, Miguel realized as he felt a bandage taped to his forehead. Miguel took a deep breath and began cataloguing what he knew.
He'd arrived in New York two months ago. He hadn't expected glamour, so he was neither surprised nor disappointed when it turned out to be a lot like LA, but dirtier and more cramped. Still, Miguel didn't have any old friends to get him in trouble here, and that was a definite plus. Miguel was renting out a dingy single bedroom with two other men, and drifting between jobs posted on Craigslist until he could find something more permanent. Miguel shifted slightly. He wasn't used to a bed this soft. It made him feel like he was going to slide right out of it. Miguel tried to gain traction on the bed to push himself higher up on his pillow.
This morning... Miguel refocused his thoughts. What happened this morning? He closed his eyes.
He'd just gotten off the bus stop, on his way to another one-time job, when a boy on a Bluetooth bumped into him. The boy had styled, sandy colored hair and expensive clothing that seemed to be designed to look shabby. The young man had grinned apologetically at Miguel, before continuing his conversation. He stepped off the curb, right into the path of a speeding taxi. Miguel yanked the boy back by the collar of his overpriced hoodie, cutting him off mid-word. The boy gaped at the place he had been, then at Miguel. The expression made him look even younger, though Miguel now estimated the boy to be a year or two older than he was.
"Stephanie, I'll call you back." The young man said into his Bluetooth. Miguel turned around and walked away, while the boy fumbled with the Bluetooth.
"Hey, wait!" He called. Miguel kept walking.
Miguel frowned. Was that it? He opened his eyes and glanced around the room. There was a definite memory gap. Something had happened between ignoring an irritatingly oblivious civilian and waking up in this weirdly soft hospital bed.
Now that he was feeling more alert, Miguel realized that the bed wasn't the only strange thing about the hospital room. First of all, it was a single. What kind of hospital gave a private room to a mostly unemployed vet? Second was the chair. While it wasn't exactly fancy, it looked a bit more like an armchair than any hospital chair had a right to. It was pulled right up to Miguel's bed.
The strangest thing in the room sat in the not-armchair. It was a bear, holding a pillow that read "Get Well Soon!" Miguel stared blankly at the teddy bear. The teddy bear stared innocently back at him. Miguel glanced around the room. If he weren't in a private bedroom he'd have thought that the bear was intended for someone else. Once he'd confirmed that his bed was the only one occupying the space, Miguel returned his gaze to the stuffed animal. Who the hell would send him a get well bear? He didn't know anyone in the city except his roommates (who'd probably steal his stuff if he didn't "get well") and the girl at the corner coffee stand (and he thought she was probably just nice to everyone). No one else Miguel knew would know he was hurt; and if they did, they wouldn't send him a stuffed animal...
Miguel heard a voice rising outside. "What do you mean 'only family'?! I've been in there for hours! I only left to go to the bathroom!"
"Well, maybe if you'd explain your relationship to him-" A woman's voice began.
"Courtney!" Another woman called, her voice was accompanied hurried footsteps. "I'm so sorry. She just came on shift. Please, go right in, Mr. Stone."
The man, Mr. Stone, softened considerable now that he was getting his own way. "It's alright. She's just doing her job." His tone was mellow and easy. Miguel heard more footsteps and then the door to his room opened to admit the sandy haired man Miguel had pulled from the path of a passing taxi. The man's eyes widened.
"You're awake!" He exclaimed starting forward. For one heart stopping moment Miguel was sure the stranger was going to hug him, but the other man diverted last second. He scooped up the bear and deposited it on Miguel's lap. Miguel eyed the bear then the man, but before Miguel could ask exactly who he was a doctor came in and started checking Miguel's vitals. The man who was acting very chummy towards Miguel was asking the doctor a lot of questions. He used enough technical jargon for Miguel to realize that this Mr. Stone had some medical training. When the doctor finally left Mr. Stone sat down in the chair. He was close. Too close really. He was acting like he was Miguel's friend.
After a moment, Miguel spoke. "I don't mean to be rude." Miguel tried to keep his voice even, aiming for polite.
The man looked at him brightly. "Yes?"
"Who the hell are you?" Miguel lost some of his control, but not all of it.
"I'm Andy," the man said, cheerfully. "Andy Stone. I told you, remember?"
"The last thing I recall was trying to walk away from you after pulling you out of traffic." Miguel commented drily. "I think you were chasing me."
The man winced. "Chasing might be a little strong a word."
"I was walking away from you and you were following me." Miguel stated.
"Well, yes." Andy admitted.
"How is that not chasing me?" Miguel inquired. He was surprised by Andy's reaction. He laughed.
"I guess it was chasing." Andy admitted. Miguel stared at him. "What?"
"Maybe I wasn't clear, Andy Stone." Miguel said. "Why are you here?"
"Because if what happened afterwards." Andy answered, settling into his seat. "Let's see... I was chasing you."
Andy called after the youngish Latin American man. Not many people would save someone and leave without a word. Andy wanted to thank him, and see if there was anything that he could do for the man.
The Latin American, Miguel, turned his head slightly. It was as if something other than Andy had caught his eye. He began walking more quickly. Andy jogged to keep pace. Then Miguel slowed, giving Andy time to catch up with him.
"Hey," Andy panted. "I just wanted to say thanks."
"Save your thanks." Miguel advised. "You got a map app on that fancy phone of yours?"
"Of course. Are you lost?" Andy pulled out his phone, it was three or four models ahead of what was available to the public. He was fully prepared to give the other man the phone. Andy wasn't going to let him go without repaying him somehow.
"Look up directions to the nearest police station." Miguel told Andy. Miguel wasn't looking at Andy, his eyes were alert, scanning the street.
"Whoa, the police station?" Andy frowned. "Why do you want to go there?"
"It's not for me, it's for you." Miguel informed him shortly. "You're being followed."
Andy started. "I am?" He instantly looked over his shoulder.
"You are." Miguel cut across the street, watching for cars.
"How can you tell?" Andy asked, working to keep on the fitter man's heels.
"They broke formation when you came after me." Miguel cast his eyes around, looking for any thing out of place. "Keep to busy streets. If the GPS tries to take you down an alley, take a different route."
"You're not coming with me?" Andy asked in alarm. This man seemed to know what to do.
"I don't know what you did to make people follow you, but I can't afford to get involved." Miguel responded.
"But I didn't do anything!" Andy protested. Now that Andy knew he was in trouble he didn't want to let Miguel go.
"You did something." Miguel stated grimly.
"I didn't do anything." Andy stubbornly responded. "And I'm staying with you until help arrives, even if it means following you home."
Miguel eyed him apprehensively. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm not." Andy said.
Miguel's voice was mostly angry but also a bit confused. "Why?"
"Because I can call a full swat team here with the push of a button." Andy held up the phone, displaying the panic button for his father's private security. "But I think that if I do that people are going to get hurt." Miguel's eyebrows raised as he looked at the phone, but he didn't say anything. After a minute, Andy continued. "If you are with me, I bet that you could get me to safety without people getting caught in the crossfire."
Miguel considered him.
"Wait, wait." Miguel held up his hand. Andy cut himself off. Startled at the interruption.
"Do you need something?" Andy asked. "The painkillers aren't wearing off are they?"
"No, just- wait." Miguel was struggling to remember something in the foggy haze that abstracted his memory. "Lance Security?"
"Oh, yeah." Andy nodded, pleased Miguel was beginning to remember things on his own. "That's the company."
Miguel stared at him. Andy did not like the look on the Latin American's face. It seemed to be a combination of disgust and fear. "What kind of kid has Lance Security on speed dial?" Miguel had seen what Lance Security was capable of first hand. They were well paid, well organized mercenaries.
"It's not my idea." Andy protested defensively. "My dad hired them. He had the panic button installed on my phone." Andy had put his hands up at some point. He didn't remember doing it. "I don't like how they do things! That's why I asked for your help. Remember?"
Miguel nodded slowly. Reluctantly chalking it up as a point in the other man's favor. He still didn't understand this Andy Stone; the earnest rich boy who would rather put his safety in the hands of a complete stranger than call on protectors who would put others at risk.
"What happened next?" Miguel asked. "We were attacked, right?"
"You remember?" Andy asked, eager to return to their conversation.
"No, but I wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed if everything had gone smoothly. Would I?" Miguel raised a single eyebrow. Andy laughed sheepishly.
"True. We weren't far from the police station when they must have realized where we were headed."
"Meaning they'd either have to back off or take action." Miguel commented. He knew how these operations worked.
"You can probably guess which course of action they took." Andy grinned.
Andy didn't know what surprised him more, Miguel tackling him into the pavement or the sound of tires squeaking and honking from other cars. Andy heard doors fly open. Miguel swore under his breath. Before Andy could blink, Miguel was kneeling next to the front of the car. His entire body was taunt. When the first man came around the car seconds later, Miguel disabled him with a strike to the throat, grabbing his weapon and firing two shots before the first man had fallen to the ground. That was when the screaming started.
Miguel grabbed Andy by the arm, yanking him up and pushing him forward before he aimed again and fired another shot. One or two of the men returned fire but Andy didn't pay attention to them as he made a beeline for an alley. He tripped once; so hard that his hoodie fell over his head before Miguel caught him, keeping him from falling on his face.
They darted into the alley and Miguel groaned as he realized it was a dead end. A locked chain-link fence stood resolutely between them and the next alley. Miguel glanced around. His eyes landed on Andy in his hood. "Give me your jacket."
Andy pulled it off, starting to ask why. Miguel snatched it from him and shoved Andy behind some trash cans. He raced to the fence throwing the jacket on with the hood up. He shoved the gun into the front of his pants, covered by his shirt. Miguel just made it to the chain-link fence when the men came down the alley. Miguel grabbed the chain-link and shook it desperately with both hands. Andy took out his phone. His finger hovered above the panic button.
"Well, it looks like your bodyguard has run off." One of the men sneered. Miguel stopped shaking the fence. Andy realized what this looked like. That Miguel had scaled the fence and made it down the alley before Andy could. That was why Miguel needed the jacket. Andy started to press the button, but stopped when he heard something that filled him with relief, sirens. They were close to the police station! The cops would be there soon.
"Come on, rich boy." The same man ordered. "Time to go." Miguel turned, his hands raised and head lowered to obscure the top of his face in the depths of the hood. He just had to stall. Andy watched him desperately. Miguel began to walk forward. After a few steps, the man, who seemed to be in charge, said "Wait a minute..."
It was all Miguel needed. Before the others were back on guard he wrenched out the gun and fired the last three shots. Two of them hit one man, though not fatally, the last went wild. Miguel dived behind a dumpster, as the remaining men began to fire.
"Hold!" The leader shouted. The firing ceased. "We don't have time for this." The leader said grimly. "You two grab him."
Miguel came out fighting. He used the empty gun as a weapon to strike out at them, but now that they knew what they were dealing with the two men easily subdued Miguel. They dragged him in front of their boss. Each held him by one arm and one of them kicked him behind one knee to force him to kneel.
"So," the boss said coldly. "Where is the rich kid?"
Miguel glared defiantly up at him. The boss sighed and turned. Only to spin abruptly and plant some kind of night stick into Miguel's side with enough force that Andy thought that he could actually hear the ribs crack. "You'll soon learn that you ought to answer me." The boss informed Miguel shortly. "Now where is he?"
Miguel was bent over gasping for breath. He was only held up by the two men's firm grip on his arms. Miguel looked up at the boss and spat something in a language that Andy didn't understand. The boss raised an eyebrow, then lifted his nightstick again.
"Where is he?" The man asked, a note of warning in his voice. Miguel scoffed softly.
"Somewhere you won't find him." He told the boss with more conviction than Andy would have been able to muster in that situation. The man frowned and brought the nightstick down on Miguel's head with a sickeningly loud crack.
"Leave him." He ordered his men, who automatically dropped Miguel in a heap in the center of the alley. "We have to go." They collected their wounded accomplice and left the alley.
"And I waited until I heard the van drive away and came out to check on you." Andy finished with a grin. Miguel scoffed.
"You should have waited until the police got there."
"It was only a couple minutes." Andy shrugged dismissively. "Besides, I was worried about you." Miguel glanced at Andy and saw it was true. "I'm still a bit worried." Andy admitted.
"I've bounced back from worse." Miguel assured him with a yawn. "But I need to check out soon."
"If you're worried about the bill, don't. I'm paying for everything." Andy told him.
"Thanks, but I still can't be in bed any longer than the doc says." Miguel shrugged. "Can't afford it." Andy's eyes lit up.
"Really? Excellent! Then I have a proposition for you!" Andy plowed right by Miguel's startled expression. "I want to offer you a job. Technically it is a bodyguard position. But really it's just hanging out during my classes and then we go to the movies and clubs and stuff!" Miguel's foggy mind was struggling to catch up.
"A bodyguard? Look, Mr. Stone-"
"Andy." Andy instantly corrected. "And I swear, it'll be nothing like today. I've only been targeted twice! It's money for nothing." Andy grinned. "So come on. My parents have been on me for years about a bodyguard, but they are really irritating." Andy shook his head in exasperation.
"Andy," Miguel struggled to sit up. "I get that you might be grateful but I don't want charity."
Andy snorted. "If it were charity I'd be giving you a choice."
Miguel froze and frowned at Andy. "What do you mean?"
"I mean if you don't agree to take the job, I'm sticking you with your hospital bill." Andy told him cheerfully. Miguel gaped at him.
"You must be joking." Miguel said in a strangled voice.
"Nope." Andy replied. "But I'm sure you'll take the job. You can always quit in a couple of months if you don't want it, and I'll make sure your signing bonus is at least a car. A cool car." He added. Then Andy frowned at Miguel. "But first I'm going to ask the doctor about your painkillers. You don't look so good." Andy stood up, straightened Miguel's sheets and walked out of the room.
Miguel sat there in shock. Despite Andy's carefree attitude the threat was there. Was Miguel really going to be blackmailed into a job? It was a good job and Miguel had no doubt that Andy would make it as interesting as possible. But the way he was going about it brought back one or two bad memories for Miguel. He closed his eyes and shoved them away.
Miguel opened his eyes and they landed on the get well bear. He knew he was going to take the job. Miguel was too much of a pragmatist to decline, but he could leave a distinct impression on Andy while he accepted.
Andy cheerfully walked away from the doctor. He liked Miguel. Miguel listened and he had a still, calming presence. He wasn't like the thick necks his parents tried to convince him to accept. He was smart and sardonic and he was a genuinely good person.
Andy felt his smile slip slightly as he remembered the thug strike Miguel. He hadn't mentioned how angry that had made him to Miguel. Relax, Andy. He told himself. That stuff almost never happens. Andy tried not to think about the investigation into the abduction because it reminded him about how his parents had tried to force him to leave the hospital with their security. Security that remained downstairs despite Andy's protests. That was another reason Miguel had to take the job. Andy couldn't deal with being followed by Lance Security goons. They made him more uncomfortable than kidnappers.
Andy walked into Miguel's room to find Miguel propped up. He frowned. Miguel shouldn't be sitting up on his own just yet. That was why Andy had paid to make sure the bed was as comfortable as possible. He'd even sent an assistant out to buy better sheets.
"I'll take the job, on one condition." Miguel's voice broke through Andy's internal chastisement. Andy smiled more happily than he had all day.
"Anything." He answered. Miguel leveled his gaze at Andy.
"Never do that again." Andy was startled at the serious tone in his voice. He realized that he'd made a mistake. "It was blackmail." Miguel continued calmly in that same frighteningly serious voice. "And you can never do it again. Not to me." He was angry. Andy could tell.
Andy shakily returned Miguel's solemn gaze. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I swear." He promised. "And..." He hesitated, he didn't do this much. "I'm sorry." Miguel relaxed.
"Good." He grinned at Andy. It was the first genuine smile Andy had seen on Miguel's face. It was definitely worth the apology.