• CHAPTER 1 - CLARK

    The blue light of the computer illuminated the bedroom Clark was sitting in reading an e-mail. This peculiar e-mail read:
    Clark,
    You may not know who I am, but you will. You see, I’ve been watching your every move. No I’m not stalking you, I’m your protector.
    Sincerely,
    The Protection

    Clark knew what it said but did not understand it. He understood it meant that someone had been watching everything he had done. For how long? Clark didn’t know. Clark Jenson always had people watching him, but in the normal way, and they didn’t ever e-mail him to tell him that they had been watching.
    Everyone watched him because his dad was a well-known business man. No one watched because Clark was interesting. In fact, Clark was the exact opposite of interesting. He was, well, mind-numbing, tiresome person. Clark had no talent. He wasn’t a jock, a band geek, a nerd, a jerk, or even very talented in school. His report card consisted of B+’s or C’s. His GPA wasn’t a 4.0, it was more like a 3.35, or something that barely got him on the honor roll. It’s not like Clark wasn’t smart, he knew everything they taught, but he just wasn’t ever compelled to complete his homework since he knew it all.
    Clark sat contemplating whether or not to tell his mom. He knew it wouldn’t matter, just some stupid kid trying to freak him out. Well, at 2:56 AM it was working. How could he know if it was just some stupid prank or if someone was seriously watching him do all of the normal things he did. Clark clicked his reply button and typed:

    Not cool, man. I don’t believe you. If you want me to believe you, you have to tell me what I was doing at 3 o’clock to 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. If you don’t reply, I’ll know that this is Jim or Sam or maybe even Lyle. Good-bye.

    Well, that should take care of that, Clark thought. He shut down his computer and flopped into his bed with Hunter, his beagle.

    The next morning, Clark got up and powered up the computer to see if “The Protection” had replied from his e-mail. Once the computer had taken it’s time to power on, and Clark had put on some jeans and a green and white striped polo shirt, Clark sat down and saw that the Outlook Express had one new e-mail. He double clicked it open and it read:

    Clark,
    At 3 o’clock sharp you were at your mom’s office sending a fax to your dad asking if he would be home soon. 3:15 you went home and watched TV until 3:30 when your mom got home and told you to clean the litter box. Therefore from 3:35 to 3:40 you were doing exactly that. At 3:41 you went up to your room and you were posting on forums until 3:52 when your mother told you to come downstairs for an early dinner so that she could go to the casino with her friends. So from 3:52 to 4:25 you were eating Kraft singles with Potato Bread from Costco, cooked of course.
    Sincerely,
    The Protection

    Now Clark was freaked out, whoever this was really was watching him. So he sent beck:
    Why are you watching me? I am so boring and I know it. kids always tell me that. Who are you? And don’t say The Protection. That is so old… O.K to tell the truth, I am f. r. e. a. k. e. d. out.

    Clark sent the e-mail and went downstairs to grab a pop-tart and a cup of coffee that he wasn’t supposed to have in his room and ran back upstairs to the white carpet with baby blue walls and the twin bed that had an old plaid set of blankets and pillow cases mad out of flannel. “The Protector” had already replied.

    Clark,
    I am doing this because it is my job. Mr. Boss man sent me on this trip to watch over and protect you. I don’t like it anymore than you do. I can’t tell you my name. But I will describe myself.
    Weight: 155 Height: 6’1” Eye color: Dark Brown/Black Hair color: Black Birth date: 8-6-1989
    Also, I’m a woman, and incase the math is too hard for you I’m 20 years old.
    Sincerely,
    The Protection

    Clark was puzzled. No one wants to know what he does and he doesn’t need protection! Clark felt his only threat came from The Protection herself.

    CHAPTER 2-KIKI

    Why Zeke? Why did you send me on this whiney crybaby rich kid job? I asked for a serious job!” Kiki demanded from her boss, Zeke Goldman. “I didn’t even want to send him the e-mail but OH I have to!”
    “You did have to. If you didn’t and all of a sudden Veranda decides to attack the kid and you come swing in and he doesn’t know how you knew he was in trouble, if he knows he’ll only be mildly freaked out!” Zeke said.
    “That may be true but look at this!” Kiki shrieked shoving the last e-mail from Clark on to Zeke’s desk. “He’s more than mildly freaked out by the fact I have to watch over him!”
    “Well he’ll get over it, don’t you think? After a while he’ll forget all about it.” Zeke said matter of factly. “Besides, he doesn’t know anything about you, just that you’ll watch him from a distance.”
    “Wait he’s not supposed to know anything about me?” Lindsey asked.
    “You’ve blown it again in an entirely different way!” Zeke shouted.
    “I assumed that you wanted him to know about me, so I answered his questions!” Kiki yelled at Zeke.
    “He KNOWS your name doesn’t he! You’re NEVER supposed to say the name! Even you know that!” Zeke shouted back.
    “Listen, I didn’t tell him my name, but I described my self to him. You know 6’1” 155lbs black hair and eyes. You know that kind of stuff,” Kiki said, quieting down.
    “I don’t care! If he knows what you look like then he could find you! Now you’ll have to disguise you self!” Zeke said, anger flaring in his eyes.
    Kiki turned on her heel and left Zeke’s office. Everyone went back to work pretending that they hadn’t been eavesdropping on the conversation, even though some of it wasn’t all that hard to hear. All right. I’ve had it with this. Sometimes I just gotta do what I gotta do. Kiki thought. Kiki sat down in her office and looked at her e-mail. One new mail from Zeke. It read:
    Stop by Kyler’s office for your disguise before you leave. NEVER tell him you name, or our location. That will blow our only protection we have from Veranda.
    Yours truly,
    Mr. Goldman
    Okay, I got to get going. If I want to keep my only job, I can’t lose this job, it is my fallback plan. Kiki thought as she rose from her desk. She put on her civilian clothes, changing from her black jumpsuit in to a pair of Levi’s blue jeans and a nice T-shirt, and changing from her black boots to a pair of blue and white Converse sneakers.
    As she walked down the hall, past Kyler’s office of course, Kyler caught up to her holding a brief case. Kyler was a man who was about a foot shorter than Lindsey. “Zeke wanted you to have this, Lindsey. I think you should use it if what I heard is true.”
    “What exactly have you heard?” Kiki asked, snatching the briefcase out of Kyler’s hands and beginning to rifle through its contents.
    “Oh, just that you gave away what you look like to the boy, Clark, I believe it is.” Kyler said.
    “Hmm,” Kiki said. The briefcase contained a red wig and a blonde one, a brown skirt with white flowers on it, and a plain brown shirt. “Why do I need clothes if I only described my outward self not what I wear?”
    “I don’t know but you should probably put it on in order to not make Mr. Goldman angry. Besides don’t you ever get tired of wearing the same exact thing every time you go out?” Kyler said.
    “Yeah, well, tennis shoes don’t exactly match this ‘business’ outfit. So, oh well. Go tell Zeke that it won’t word,” Kiki said, extremely annoyed.
    “Ah! But that’s not the case! I swiped your boots, and they’ll match perfectly. And don’t worry; you’re not the only person to almost blow their cover, why do you think I’m the costume design? Ha Ha!” Kyler said laughing.
    “Ugh! I’m not wearing this! Plus, you don’t have any permission to be in my office,” Kiki said, by now they had reached the door to the outside where Kiki’s black Triumph motorcycle waited.
    “Yeah, actually I do,” Kyler said holding up a note from Zeke stating that he was indeed allowed in her office.
    “Fine! But I’m not wearing that. I cannot ride a motorcycle with a skirt on!” Kiki said as she pulled on her helmet and her jacket.
    “Oh well, wait until Zeke hears about this! Uh-huh, you’ll be out of here as fast as 1-2-3!” Kyler said slyly.
    “Give me that!” Kiki said grabbing the briefcase, which she had handed back to Kyler, out of his hands and put it in her saddle bag, “Goodbye!” She shouted as she rode away toward her dull job for the next 6 ½ hours.