Story Title

It was two o’clock in the morning. Andi had been waiting for the bar to close for the last hour. She and Paige had been on the road for almost a month now. Paige was curled up on the front seat of the beat up, old car like only a thirteen year old could be. Her clothes were beat up, and her dirty blond hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. Even in sleep the poor kid didn’t look at peace. It didn’t matter if she was sleeping in the car or sleeping on a hotel bed, the kid looked defeated.
Andi took a deep breath, opened the driver-side car door and got out. She closed the door as softly as she could, hoping not to wake up Paige. Andi wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out. She was at The Four Horsemen, a bar owned by Mike, an old friend. The name of the bar alone brought back memories of her old life. She had not seen Mike in two years. Not since she decided to walk away from her life in the CIA and her fiancé Ashton, who happened to be Mike’s brother. Andi locked the car and walked the short distance to the door of the bar. She took another deep breath and opened the door.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed.” The familiar voice said as she walked through the door. Mike was behind the bar and didn’t look up to see who was walking into his bar. Why would he? Mike was one of the most deadly people she had ever known. Like her, Mike had walked away from the CIA; only he did it for different reasons.
“Mike,” Andi finally said, standing a few feet away from the bar. Either Mike was going to be happy to see her, or he would be pissed at her for hurting his brother.
Mike finally looked up. “Holy shit! Hell must have frozen over. ‘War’ is upon us.” The smile that spread across his face when he called Andi “War” told her that he wasn’t mad at her. That was Andi’s nickname in the four person team that she had been a part of when she was in the CIA. The name of the bar “The Four Horsemen” was what everyone called their team. She was War because she had a way of leaving a wake of death and destruction behind her. Mike had been nicknamed Pestilence because he was like an infectious disease that killed a large number of people in a short amount of time. Really, he was an explosives expert who loved what he did. Nick was Famine, he was the one who worked behind the scene. He did all of the intelligence work and he always ate all the food, never leaving anything for anyone else to eat. To avoid starvation, the others had to hide food. Ashton was named death. That is exactly what he was and what he still is. Anyone who crosses his path ends up dead. He is definitely not someone you want coming after you. He never failed and he is very smart. A deadly combination.
“Get your ass over here and give me hug,” Mike said as he came around the bar. Andi closed the gap between them and Mike wrapped her in a tight hug that Andi returned. She really did miss Mike; he was always a good friend. He was her family.
“So, what did I do to deserve this honor?” He asked after releasing her from the hug but keeping his hands on her shoulders. Andi looked up at Mike. He was a six two wall of muscle with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was good looking and had a great personality, as long as you didn’t piss him off.
“Mike…” Andi wasn’t sure how to begin. She had showed up after two years of no contact and she needed help. The look on Andi’s face gave her away.
“I see.” He said “You need help.” He dropped his hands. “What do you need, Andi?” His whole demeanor changed. He was no longer welcoming, more annoyed.
“We need a place to stay.” She felt horrible. Andi knew she should not have expected his help because she didn’t deserve it. Not after disappearing the way she did.
“We? You can’t stay here with another guy, Andi. You have to know that.” Mike said before she could finish.
“Mike, it isn’t a guy.” But before Andi could finish, a car horn started to go off out front. Andi didn’t hesitate, she just took off out of the bar and ran to Paige, ripping the car door open.
“Paige what’s wrong?” Andi was looking around taking in her surroundings. Mike had followed her out of the bar completely alert.
“I woke up and didn’t know where you were. I was too scared to get out the car.” Paige shrunk back into her seat when she noticed Mike.
“Andi what is going on?” Mike asked staring at Paige. “Who is the kid?”
“Mike I can’t get into it right now, but Paige and I need a place to stay. Can you help or not?” Andi was running out of patience. It wasn’t Mike’s fault, but the whole situation sucked and it was definitely not a situation that she had volunteered to be a part of.
Mike didn’t say anything, he just looked between Andi and Paige. “Mike, I know this is not an ideal situation. I promise it won’t be for long, just until I figure out what I‘m going to do.
“I live upstairs,” Mike said. The three of them looked up to the second and third floors above the bar. “I have two extra rooms, but one is already being used. If you can share a room you can stay.”
“Thanks, Mike. I promise it won’t be for long.”
“Andi, I want some answers.” She just nodded. Andi knew she was not going to be able to ask him for help without giving him something. In all honesty she wanted to tell him because she really had no idea what was going on.
The two girls followed Mike back inside the bar and waited for him to lock the doors. He led them down a hallway behind the bar, through a heavy door and then up a flight of stairs. He entered a code into the key pad, and the door at the top of the stairs opened.
Mike’s apartment was not exactly what Andi was expecting. It was open and modern. The area they walked into was the living room, but it was open to the kitchen and dining room, like one big room. The dark hardwood floors and the white walls were a contrast, but it worked, and made it all look elegant. “I’ll show you where your room is,” Mike said as he headed towards another flight of stairs. “You have your own private bathroom, but you will have to share a bed.”
Andi and Paige followed him to the end of the hallway and into the room. The room was not as modern as downstairs, more of a rustic feel with all the unfinished wooded furniture. “Mike, thank you again.”
“Tomorrow morning we need to talk.” Mike was ready to walk out of the room then paused. “Andi, I should probably tell you that the other guest I have is Ashton.” He then walked out and shut the door.
“Shit.” Andi muttered. Why did Ashton have to be here? OK so Mike was his brother but seriously, he was always running off for work, why couldn’t he be away now? She was thinking as she paced in the bedroom. “I really do not want to face Ashton.” She said to herself.
“What’s wrong Andi? Are we not safe here?” Andi stopped and looked at Paige. This poor kid has been through more in thirteen years, hell, just in the last month, than ninety percent of the population. Even now, looking at her, Andi could see she was trying to be brave, but all she really wanted to do was cry. Andi was shocked that the kid had not cried at all yet. With everything going on, she had yet to shed one single tear. It broke Andi’s heart.
“Paige, I promise we are safe. I just wasn’t expecting Mike to have other company, but don’t worry, neither Mike nor Ashton will hurt you or me.”
Paige didn’t say anything else, she hardly ever spoke. She just crawled into the bed, wrapped her arms around herself like she was trying to hold herself together in one piece, and closed her eyes.
After heading to the bathroom Andi crawled in bed with Paige, with a separate blanket and let herself really sleep for the first time in almost a month.
**************************
“What the hell do you mean Andi is here? Here as in town or here as in the apartment?” Ashton yelled at Mike the next morning.
“Calm down, Ash. Seriously, the way you are acting you would think that you were still in love with her.” Mike smiled. Tormenting his younger brother was always one of his favorite things to do.
“Why is she here, Mike?” Ashton was pacing in the kitchen. He couldn’t sit still.
“Honestly, I have no clue, but something tells me when she explains that to me this morning, I am not going to like what she has to say. Something isn’t right, and she’s got a kid with her.”
“A kid? Her kid?” Ashton was trying to conceal the emotion in his voice. Though he swore he was over Andi, it still hurt to think that two years after leaving him she would have moved on enough to have a kid with some other guy.
“No, I really don’t think so, unless she had this kid when she was really young and never told us about her.”
Ashton continued pacing in the kitchen. “Fuck!” he slammed his coffee on the counter.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Ash?” Mike was not really shocked at the way Ashton was acting.
“You know you are going to be involved in whatever it is that Andi is mixed up with, right?” Mike just shrugged his shoulders. “That means I’m going to get mixed up in it all also.”
“I really don’t see how you would get involved in it unless you wanted to.” Ashton just stared at Mike as he talked.
“Mike, seriously you think I have a choice. Andi is mixed up in some kind of shit. You are about to get dragged into it, and you think I have a choice whether I get involved or not? Seriously, you should just call Nick, and the four of us can get into our normal amount of shit.”
“Neither one of you needs to get involved in any of this.” Both Mike and Ashton spun to see Andi standing at the bottom of the stairs. “This is not a mission for our team. This is not even something that I asked to be involved with, but I am, and I am not going to just walk away from it.”
Ashton couldn’t help but look Andi over from head to toe. Her long dark hair and bright blue eyes were not something he would ever forget. Not to mention her perfectly fit body. “Andi.” Ashton said as he took one step towards her then stopped. He was torn. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, but at the same time he wanted to scream and yell at her.
“Ashton,” she said. Before leaving her room she thought she had prepared herself to face him, but that was an epic fail. “How are you?” She finally managed. Ashton, like Mike, was a six two wall of muscle. He also had dark brown hair, but instead of Mike’s brown eyes, Ashton’s were green. He was gorgeous.
“Really?” Ashton shook his head. He was ready to say something else, but Mike interrupted him.
“Ash, leave it.” Mike then turned his attention to Andi. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Please.” Andi gave him a small smile as she stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at the table across from Ashton, who was just staring at her.
Mike set a cup of steaming coffee in front of Andi, along with the cream and sugar, and sat down next to Ashton. “So want to start telling us what the hell is going on?”
Andi didn’t answer; she just went about making her coffee. She really didn’t know what to tell them. She didn’t have much of an idea about what was going on either. Finally she took a deep breath, sat up straight, and squared her shoulders. “I don’t have a lot of information.”
“So why don’t you start with what you do know, and we will determine if you know more.” Ashton said.
Andi glared at him. “Don’t, Ash. Do not treat me like a prisoner. I have no reason to hide anything. You want to feel my pulse the entire time I talk?”
“Just talk.” He replied.
“Who’s the girl?” Mike asked.
“So I was working at a bar in Philadelphia and that is how I met Paige. She was caught digging in the trash cans out back looking for food.”
“Where are her parents?” the anger in Ashton’s voice was gone, but the hardness on his face was still there.
“I’m getting there.” Andi took another deep breath. “I was staying in an apartment above the bar. I had Paige come upstairs with me and I made her something to eat. It turned into a tradition. She would come every night and I would feed her dinner. She has no idea who her father, is and her mother is, or was, a drug addict. Paige was basically raising herself. I am the only person who gave a damn about her. One night Paige showed up covered in bruises. I decided I was going to have a chat with her piece of shit mother. Paige insisted that her mother didn’t do it.” Andi was seeing everything play out in her mind as she spoke. “I got to her house and stormed in. I didn’t knock; I just ran in the house and started to demand answers. I didn’t get very far. Paige’s mother was hysterical. I was having a hard time figuring out anything she was saying. Then a car pulled up out front and Mary, Paige’s mother, grabbed me. “Run! Don’t look back, just run!” She yelled. I didn’t think twice. I grabbed Paige’s arm and ran out the back of the house. I stole a car and headed south.”
“Why did she want you to run?” Mike asked.
“I honestly don’t know. I know whoever was in the car scared Mary to death. I could see the fear in her eyes. Fear may not even be the correct word. Terrified would maybe be a better description. Anyway, I saw three men dressed in suits getting out of the car. In the neighborhood we were in, three men getting out of a nice car dressed in suits screamed danger.”
Andi knew there was something off about the entire situation; she could feel it in her gut. At the same time there was something about the men that showed up at Paige’s house. They seemed familiar, like Andi had seen them before, but she couldn’t figure out from where or why. At the time everything was happening, she didn’t care. All she cared about was getting Paige out of there, but now that she was explaining everything, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew those men, and that Paige was keeping something from her.
“OK, so you and Paige got out, and you headed south. So, how did you end up here in Florence, Oregon?” Ashton asked. He believed Andi, but knew there was something she wasn’t saying. It was something she was just realizing, he could see it in her eyes. He didn’t want to push her on it, and knew Andi would not hide things intentionally.
“I drove straight through until I got to South Carolina. I ditched the car and stole another one and headed to Kansas. I don’t know how, or why, but those men kept finding us. So I bounced around the country for the last month until I lost them. Before leaving Philly, I stopped at the locker and grabbed my emergency CIA bag, it always made me feel better knowing I had everything I would need together in one place that no one knew about.”
“So what does Paige say about all of this?” Ashton asked.
“Nothing. She has no idea who those men were or why they were at her house, or so she says. She understands that her mother is probably dead, but she is lost inside herself. She doesn’t really talk to me about anything remotely related to what happen. As soon as I start asking questions, she shuts down.”
“Who bruised her all up?” Mike asked.
“She said it was one of her mom’s boyfriends. Look, I know I don’t have much information, all I know is this girl is in danger, and she has no one.”
“If she’s hiding information, you need to get her talk about it all. You have no idea how much danger you could possibly be in.” Mike said.
“I don’t care about me being in danger. I just need to make sure Paige is OK. I know what it’s like not having anyone, being scared and alone, I can’t do that to Paige. I will figure this out and make sure she is safe.”
Ashton shoved his chair back, stood up and walked over to where Andi was sitting. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Don’t let me hear you say that you don’t care if you are in danger ever again! Do you understand me?” He didn’t yell but his tone was laced with anger. Andi just stared at him slightly confused. What does he care? She thought to herself.
“So what is your plan?” Mike asked staring at Ashton also.
Before Andi could answer, everyone looked up when they heard Paige. “Andi?”
Andi shrugged out of Ashton’s hands and headed towards Paige, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Andi introduced Paige to Ashton, and got her settled at the table. Andi sat next to Paige, Ashton sat across from Andi, and Mike headed towards the kitchen to make Paige something to eat for breakfast.
“Paige, I was just telling the guys about everything that was going on.” Andi knew she needed to get Paige to say more about it all, more then one word answers. She almost hoped that Nick were here; he had always been good at getting through to kids. “We need to talk about it more.”
“I don’t want to. I can’t” Paige said dropping her head into her hands that were on the table. Andi looked over at Ashton and gave him a look that said how do I get her to talk?
“Paige,” Ashton said. He waited for her to look up at him. “We won’t be able to help you unless you tell us everything you know.”
“Then don’t help me!” Paige screamed and took off out of the kitchen back up the stairs.
“Like I said, she shuts down and the conversation dies before it even gets started. I have no idea how to get her to open up about it,” Andi said, a little defeated herself.
“Well, kids were never your strong suit.” Ashton joked, but little did he know just how much that comment hurt Andi.
No one said anything else. Mike rejoined them at the table, and they all just sat there. Andi thought about going after Paige, but knew from experience that she just wanted to be alone. “Any ideas?” She finally said, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, call Nick.” Mike answered half joking half serious.
“And tell him what? We have no idea what is going on because a teenage girl won’t talk to us. Can you come butter her up and get the information out of her?” Andi’s tone was more sarcastic than anything.
“Well, we always made a good team when the four of us were together.” Ashton looked like he was considering what Mike said.
“Guys, I had no intention of getting you involved, let alone Nick.” Andi new that without the guys, she was going to have a hard time figuring this out. She was more of the shoot first, ask questions later type of person. She didn’t have enough patience and her brain worked better in tough situations where she couldn’t over think things. It was one of the things that made her so good at her job.
“Andi, seriously, if you didn’t want us involved you should have never come here. Now that you are here, we are involved.” Mike said seriously.
“I’m sorry. I never should have come.” Andi was getting up when she spoke.
“Where are you going? Sit your hot ass down until we figure this out.” Ashton said.
“Hot ass?” Mike asked with a knowing grin on his face. Andi did not want to think about, let alone know, what the looks passing between Mike and Ashton meant. Finally, Mike turned back to Andi. “If we are going to do this then we need to treat this like any other case.” Andi and Ashton nodded in agreement. Andi knew there was no other way to figure this out. “That being said, I am calling Nick. We are going to need him for more than trying to get that girl to open up.”
“Guys, I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to involve you, I just didn’t know where else to go.” Andi then looked up at Ashton. “Ash, I also had no idea that you were here. If I would have known, I never would have come here.”
“It’s fine, Andi. Let’s stop worrying about the crap that no one can control and start worrying about what we are going to do,” Ashton said as he reached across the table and squeezed Andi’s hand. He was having a hard time figuring out the emotions he had towards Andi. Anger and love were both swirling around in his head.
“OK, so I’m going to call Nick. Andi, do you need to go shopping or anything for clothes or whatnot?” Mike asked. Andi was still in the same clothes as yesterday and needed a shower.
“Thanks, Mike, but no. I have two bags in the car. How do I get back down to the car?” Andi didn’t know the code needed to get back in.
“There is a door down that hallway,” Mike pointed to a little hallway off the kitchen. “It has stairs down that drop you off at the corner of the building. The code to get in either of the doors, is 6495.” He smiled.
Andi shook her head. The code was all of their birth months. “Mike, seriously are you stuck in the past, or did you really just love us all so much that everything in your life revolves around us?” she laughed.
“Ha-ha, very funny. Just remember I can kick your ass!” Mike laughed and walked off through a door to what looked like his office.
Andi turned to head towards the hallway Mike had pointed to earlier. “Andi, let me go get the bags.” Ashton said, laying a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“What? Don’t you think I can handle carrying two bags?” Andi knew she sounded harsh, but now that Ashton and she were alone some of the anger she had for him for the last two years leaked out.
“Andi, stop.” There was anger in his voice also. “I was just trying to be nice and figured you should go check on the girl.”
Andi stared at him for a few moments then stepped aside so he could go past. “Thanks Ash.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll leave them outside your bedroom door.” Then he disappeared down the hallway. Andi just stood there staring down the hallway before turning to head up to the room Paige and she were sharing.

Chapter Two

After spending hours in the room with Paige in an attempt to get her to talk, Andi finally gave up. She left Paige with one of the pre-paid cell phones just in case she needed to get a hold of her and headed down to the bar. Mike and Austin headed down there a few hours ago when the bar opened.
Andi sat on one of the wooden bar stools while Mike placed a beer on the bar in front of her. “Any luck with the girl? He asked.
“No”
“That’s just because you don’t have the magic touch” A male voice said from behind Andi.
Andi spun to face the man that was standing behind her. “Nick” she just about yelled as she jumped off the bar stool and hugged him.
“How ya doing beautiful?” Nick asked as he released her from the hug.
“I’m great! Well, really, I guess I could be better, but seeing you again just makes all it seem a little better.” Andi replied. Though Mike was like a brother to her and Ashton was her ex-fiancé, Nick was seriously her best friend. He was the only one from her team that she had stayed in contact with over the last two years. She made him swear not to tell Mike or Ashton that he knew where she was, or that he knew how to get a hold of her.
Nick knew Andi’s reasons for leaving the way she did. Though, he didn’t exactly agree with her reasons, he understood why she was doing what she was doing. When her life turned to shit six months later, he was her support system. He was the only reason that she made it through everything. When she was so depressed that she couldn’t function, he was there to help her along. As she started to get her life together again, he supported her, but gave her the space she needed at the same time.
She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about letting Ashton and Mike know that Nick and she had been in contact. She knew for sure that neither of them knew when they didn’t say anything to her about it this morning.
Nick must have known what Andi was thinking, and in making her feel better, he winked at her when he said “It’s great to finally see you to, and I swear, if you ever disappear again, I promise you, I will hunt you down and drag you back!”
“I’m sorry.” Was all Andi said in response. She hated to hide things from the guys that use to be her family, but Mike and Ashton would be pissed, not only at her but at Nick also, if they knew that the two of them had stayed in contact over the years and that Nick knew why she really left.
Nick gestured for Andi to sit back down as he sat on the bar stool next to her. Mike dropped off another beer for Nick after they said their hellos. Before Mike moved along to help another customer Nick turned to Andi “You will explain to everyone why you left the way you left before this is all over. That’s the price for my help.”
“Yeah, I would really like those answers to” Ashton said walking through the door from behind the bar that led to the kitchen.
“Well, sounds like we all have quite a bit of catching up to do” Mike added before moving away.
Andi picked up her beer and took a long pull not making eye contact with any of them. She knew they all deserved answers. Ashton more than the rest, but at the same time, if he would not have done what he did, or said what he said, she would have never left the way she did. She still would have left the CIA, but she definitely would not have cut the guys out of her life.
“So what’s the plan?” Nick finally asked. When Andi looked up she saw that he was not talking to her but talking to Ashton. That was good. She didn’t want to think about the other situation she was dealing with at the moment, she was too wrapped in having to give the guys the answers she didn’t want to give.
“I think the first thing we need to do is get rid of the car Andi stole and drove here.” Ashton replied.
“That’s probably the best place to start.” Nick said, taking a pull from his beer before turning to Andi. “We need to sit down and trace all of your steps over the last two years, and the girls.”
“Don’t we need to get the girl to talk first?” Mike asked as he walked past.
“Well, yeah would probably be a good start.”
“OK, Mike and I will get rid of the car tonight after the bar closes. You two” Ashton said pointing at Andi and Nick. “Work on tracing all of Andi’s steps for the last two years, but focus more on the time when she first met Paige until now. Tomorrow morning, Nick you get Paige to talk.”
With the current plans made, Ashton set off to help Mike behind the bar while Andi and Nick chatted about everything other than the last two years of Andi’s life, and the current predicament that she was pulling the guys into. She really did feel bad for getting them involved in whatever it was that she was involved with now. That’s what made her anxious about this whole situation. Not the fact that her life was possibly in danger and a bunch of men had somehow managed to continuously find her and Paige. It was the fact that she had no clue what was going on. She knew how to take care of herself. Being in life or death situations was not something new to her, or the guys. But, not knowing what was going on or having a plan, even if it went to shit in the heat of the moment, is what bother her. Also, the fact that she had a feeling the guys chasing her and Paige were somehow connected to her past. What made no sense was if they were connected to her past, what did Paige, or Mary, have to do with any of it. Where they after Andi or were they after Paige?
At first, it seemed to be apparent that they were after Paige, and Paige alone, but now something was telling Andi that was not the case. She also felt like Paige was hiding something. She understood that talking about everything had to be hard for a kid considering everything she had been through in the last month. At the same time, though, wouldn’t Paige want to do anything she could to help stop the men who may have possibly killed her mother?
These were things that Andi needed to figure out, and figure out soon; her gut was telling her that it wasn’t over. These men were not going to stop looking for them, and somehow, she knew they would find her and Paige again. It made no sense how they continuously found them before, but they did.
***********
When the bar closed at two am, Andi and Nick helped Mike and Ashton clean up. When that was done, Ashton and Mike took off to get rid of the car that Andi had stolen to drive here. They were going to drop it somewhere over the border in the state of Washington. They wanted to make sure that it was far enough away from them that no one could possibly trace it back to Andi.
“So, what can you tell me about the last two years that I don’t already know?” Nick asked once he and Andi were settled back upstairs in Mike’s apartment. Andi had already checked on Paige a few times throughout the night and the last time she checked on her, Paige was sound asleep.
“Nick, I know not telling Ashton and Mike that we have been in contact since I left is not easy, but you know they are going to be pissed at both of us if, or when, they find out.”
“Andi, I wasn’t talking about that, but if you want to, let me tell you what I think you need to do.” Nick said as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed them both a beer. “You need to tell them. No, I really don’t care if you tell Mike. What was going on at the time was between you and Ash alone. He deserves to know the truth.” He held up his hand to stop Andi from saying something after handing her a beer. “I understand that he was a complete ass when everything went down. You have every right to be pissed at him. Hell, I was pissed at him when I found everything out, but he deserves to know the truth.”
“It’s not that easy Nick.”
“Andi, it really is that easy. I know talking about all of it and reliving those memories is not going to be easy, and I will be there for you if you need me. But, it’s time he knows.” Nick paused and Andi didn’t say anything. “You know he’s still in love with you right?”
Andi spit the beer she had just put in her mouth out. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh come on. You know it. You can see it in his eyes. You’ve always been his weakness and you always will be. Why the hell do you think he’s helping you with this? If it were anyone else, he would have said ‘fuck it’ and walked away.”
“OK, you know what let’s stop talking about Ashton, my past with him, and if he may or may not still be in love with me. None of it matters at the moment. We do have a little bit bigger of an issue to deal with right now.”
Nick just nodded, obviously not real happy at Andi for ending a conversations he felt needed to be had, but she was right. If these guys are after her and Paige, whatever happens between her and Ashton could be a moot point if something happens to Andi in the meantime. He pulled out his laptop, and once he was all set he told Andi to begin.
Andi told him a little about the time before she met Paige. She didn’t need to give him a lot details because he already knew most of everything. She recalled all the events that happened since the time she met Paige. The only difference between the story she told to Ashton and Mike was, this time, she told Nick about how she somehow knew these men.
“I can’t explain it Nick, and I didn’t really think about it until this morning when I was telling everything to Ash and Mike, but I know these guys. I can’t place where I know them from or anything, but I know them.”
“Can you describe any of them so I could maybe get a sketch of one them? Maybe then we can see if it jogs anything more in your memories if you see them again, or maybe even if Ash, Mike or I possibly recognize them.”
“I can, but it may not be a perfect description.”
“That’s fine. Anything is better than nothing.”
For the next two hours, Andi and Nick worked on coming up with a sketch of two of the men that Andi saw. They were not exact matches, but they were pretty damn close. Nick used the sketches they came up with to compare with video camera footage that he hacked from different places where Andi and Paige stayed before coming to Mike’s.
Exhausted and still trying to catch up on sleep that she missed over the last month, Andi headed to bed. It was pushing five in the morning, and she knew she needed to be up for Paige in the morning.
The next morning, Paige woke Andi up around nine. They both headed down to the kitchen where Andi proceeded to make the two of them breakfast.
“Where are the guys?” Paige asked
“We all had a late night last night. I went to bed around five this morning, but god knows what time they all went to bed.”
“Oh.” Paige said dropping into a chair at the kitchen table.
Andi finished making the eggs and toast and carried them over to the table. She sat down across from Paige as they both started to eat. “Paige, I really need you to talk to us. I know it’s hard, and I know you don’t want to, but the only way we are going to be able to keep you safe is if you talk to us.”
“I can’t Andi. I don’t know who those guys are. I don’t know anything about what is going on.”
“Well, it is possible that you know more than you think” A male voice said startling both Andi and Paige.
“Nick you scared the crap out of me. What the hell are you doing up?” Andi asked.
“I haven’t gone to bed yet.” Nick said flashing his heartbreaking grin. His sandy blond hair was a disheveled mess on top of his head, and his blue eyes looked tired. He didn’t have the same muscular build that both Ashton and Mike had, but he wasn’t far behind. If he wasn’t Andi’s best friend and Ashton’s partner, Andi would say he was gorgeous, but that would be like calling her brother gorgeous.
“Who…who are you?” Paige asked in a tiny voice as she shrunk back in her chair. It broke Andi’s heart every time she looked at this helpless little girl, who probably is an orphan now, shrink away from someone.
“I’m Nick.” He said, walking up to Paige and sticking his hand out for her to shake. Paige looked at Andi, who gave her an encouraging nod. Paige shook Nick’s hand tentatively, then quickly released it. “Do you have a name?” Nick asked when Paige said nothing to him.
“I’m Paige.” She said in such a small voice that if you weren’t standing right next to her, you would have never heard it.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Paige. I’m an old friend of Andi’s, and I came to help keep you guys safe.” Nick’s tone, when he talked to kids, was so pleasant. He spoke in a way that reminded you of an innocent child talking. It was probably why he was so good at getting information out of kids. The way he talked to them, it was like he was on their level.
“I don’t know anything.” Paige suddenly snapped at him.
‘I didn’t ask you if you did.”
“Yes, you said I know more than I think.”
But, that was a statement of fact, not a question.”
Andi was shocked. She didn’t expect what Nick said to phase Paige at all, but it did. You could actually see her thinking about it, about anything, for the first time in the last month. Nick quickly turned his attention to Andi, completely ending the conversation between himself and Paige. “We need to talk once the other two wake up. I think I may have found something.”
“What did you find?” Paige asked, yet again shocking Andi. The kid never asked questions, especially questions about what was going on.
“I think I may have found the men following you on a security camera from one of the hotels you two stayed at before coming here.”
“Nick, are you serious?” Andi asked. She hoped he was serious. She needed to figure out who these men were.
“How did you do that?” Paige asked, real curiosity filing her voice.
“That young one, is my secret.” Nick said winking at Paige, who smiled for the first time since Andi had met her. Nick seriously was a magical worker when it came to kids.
Nick headed into the kitchen and made himself some coffee. When he was done, he sat at the table with Paige and Andi. They talked about things that had nothing to do with anything. Andi was surprised how much Paige contributed to the conversation. Maybe Ashton was right, she was just bad with kids.
When Mike and Ashton finally came into the kitchen, they mumbled their hellos and head for the coffee. It was time to figure out what Nick found out last night, or earlier this morning.
“Paige, why don’t you go get a shower while we talk. Then if you want, we can play some video games.” Nick didn’t want to give all the information to Paige. She was just a kid, and she had already been through enough.
Paige, nodded, and headed off upstairs. Andi watched her go, and once she was out of sight, Andi turned to Nick. “How the hell are you so good with kids?”
“He is a kid. You know kids accept other kids.” Ashton said, finishing off his coffee.
“At least I know how to have fun. All three of you should try it sometime.”
“Yeah OK,” Mike said “Start talking Nick. I want to go back to bed. Two hours of sleep is so not enough, and I have to work tonight.”
Nick had the three of them follow him into Mike’s office, which was also being used as Nick’s room while he was here to help. He sat in front of one of the laptops he had set. “Andi, come look at this.”
Andi walked around the desk and froze when she saw the image on the laptop. It was a picture of the two men Nick and she had sketched earlier. “That’s them. Well two of them, there should be two more of them.” Nick hit a button on the laptop, and another picture came up. It was one of the other two guys. He hit the same button again and there was the last of the four men after Paige, or after Andi, or both of them.
“Guys I want you to look at the pictures to. Andi said she knows she knows these guys from somewhere, but she doesn’t know where.”
Both, Ashton and Mike, walked around the desk and looked at all the images. When Nick got back to the first image he showed Andi, Ashton told him to freeze. “I know that guy.”
They all looked up at Ashton. “Who is he?” Mike asked. “I’m with Andi they all look familiar, but I can’t place them.”
“I can’t remember where I know him from, but I know it was one of our last jobs as a team.”
“OK, I’ll pull up all the info from the last five jobs we did together and see where we can go from there.” Nick said opening other programs on his laptop.
Andi, Ashton, and Mike left Nick alone to do what it is that he does best, computer work. Mike headed off to his room, presumably to get more sleep. Ashton went to living room and turned on the sports channel, which was something that Andi, even when they lived together, would leave the room for. Unless killing bad guys was a sport, she was not interest, which had not changed in the last two years.
Andi headed up to her and Paige’s room and found Paige just lying in bed writing in the journal she had started to keep. Andi thought it would be a good way for Paige to cope with all the things going on. Paige seemed to like it because she was often writing in it. Not wanting to disturbed Paige, Andi headed towards Ashton’s room. If he was going to watch sports, she was going to steal his bed and take a nap like Mike.