The Monster Hunter Ch. 41-50

He turned his back to let her in, and she walked in then ducked into the kitchen as the others followed right behind. "FBI! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" The agents ordered him to his knees and handcuffed him.

"What the hell is this about, boss?" Ken was shocked to see Dan Robinson with the group.

"You're under arrest for perjury, possession of child pornography, and distribution of child pornography." Dan read him his Miranda rights. "Do you understand these rights as I have described them?"

"Yes. I want my lawyer."

Mary exited the room before the others, taking a cellphone photo of Ken's perp walk. "He's going down," she texted Angel as she attached the picture.

As promised, Angel had rewarded Daniel for his efforts that night. It took two blowjobs and three hot rounds of sex before Das D couldn't answer the bell again. That was just after two in the morning. Angel took him down for a massage and a soak in the hot tub, then back up for a shower, still unable to get a rise out of him. Any thoughts of Round 4 ended when he passed out in bed.

Angel got up to brush her teeth when her phone dinged. It was Mary, and the photo made her smile. "Thank you for everything," she texted back. She slid under the sheets and tucked into Daniel's side, smiling as she fell asleep.

In the end, one of the agents flipped for a deal that had him plead guilty to one count of felony perjury and a sentence of probation in exchange for his testimony against the other. The plea deal ended his career but made the cases against the others ironclad. Faced with the video, his testimony, and the physical evidence from the search warrants, the other three pled guilty within weeks. Two of the men got two years in prison on the perjury and possession charges. The AUSA wanted Ken as the ringleader, and he was facing thirty years if he went to trial. He eventually agreed to a plea deal giving him twelve years in prison.

Angel's lawyer hadn't been quiet during all this. He filed a lawsuit against Ken Markhart on her behalf for sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It was settled just before Christmas for another three hundred and fifty thousand dollars minus the 20% fee. Angel accepted the settlement check in her lawyer's office and left the whole mess behind her as she walked out into Daniel's arms.

Ch. 49

"Are you ready for this, baby?"

"What's the worst that can happen, Michael? They will love you as much as I do." Amber was nervously waiting in the driver's seat as they waited outside the airport for her parents to come out.

"I can think of a lot of options for the worst thing," he said as he tapped on the dashboard of the SUV. "I thank God your father can't bring firearms on the aircraft. That means only clubs or knives when he finds out I knocked you up."

"I'm sure a highly trained protection agent can defend himself against a sixty-two-year-old healthcare executive," she replied. Her eyes lit up. "Wait! I see them!" She got out of the car and waved. "MOM! DAD! OVER HERE!"

Michael got out of the car and spotted the tall, elegant woman waving back. Her husband trailed behind carrying two bags, and Michael limped a few steps onto the sidewalk to meet them with the aid of a cane. Amber was still holding her mother's hand when they came up. "Mom, Dad, this is my man, Michael Johnson. Michael, these are my parents, Henry and Lois Burgos."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Amber's told me so much about you," Michael said as he shook Henry's hand. He wasn't lying; Amber had done her best to prepare him to meet her family.

He reached for Lois with his hand, only for her to come forward and hug him around the neck. "Thank you for saving my baby from those evil men at the bar," she told him before she kissed his cheek.

"You raised an amazing daughter," Michael responded. He helped her father load the luggage in the back as the ladies got in the front seats.

Lois turned to look at him as Amber pulled away from the curb. "How are you healing up, Michael?"

"It's getting better every day, Ma'am."

"Lois, please. It must have been bad if Amber had to nurse you these past two weeks."

"It's a good thing she did, Lois. I'm not very patient as a patient. I tried to get up before I was ready and ended up in the hospital again. Between Amber and my sister, they've been watching my every move."

"He's got another week with the cane and physical therapy every other day now," Amber added. "His therapist gave me exercises to do with him three times a day so he can recover his strength and range of motion. The shrapnel really did a number on his ass." Amber giggled. "Literally."

Michael could tell already that his challenge would be winning over her Dad, and he wasn't holding back. "Amber told us what happened in Kazakhstan. You're in a dangerous line of work, aren't you, Michael? What happens the next time?"

"Sir, I've been in dangerous jobs since I left college. The Marine Corps with Embassy Protection details, the Diplomatic Security Service with personnel protection, and now with SecuriTech. I do it because I'm good at it, and I can make a difference. People are still alive because I did my job right, sir."

"You got blown up by an RPG!"

"I'll heal up, and I'll work again. The good news is that I can make a decent living without having to be gone all the time, and I can be more selective about the jobs I take. I want to spend time with your daughter and my sister, the two most important people in my life."

Dad changed tactics. "Isn't she a little young for you to be chasing around?"

"I wasn't worried about her age because she's responsible and mature already. I was worried that I was too old for her to be interested in."

"He treats me well, and he loves me, Daddy. Isn't that the kind of person you wanted me to find?"

"And I don't remember any hesitation when you found out I was fifteen years younger than you," Lois added.

"That's different, we were older, and I fell in love with you at first sight."

"Exactly," Amber said.

Her father knew he wasn't winning this one, so he started talking to Michael about his job and plans. "You're living with your sister?"

"I have been since college. Since our parents died, we never felt the need to live on our own. I share the costs, and she gives me a garage and a room to keep my stuff between tours. I spent more time overseas than at home in the last decade, and I don't have to live in any specific area because of how my job works." He explained how SecuriTech worked, with contracts for various locations and durations, with pay rates set accordingly. "I usually function as the Team Leader, coordinating anywhere between three and twenty other security professionals."

Lois was impressed by what Michael said; he was no rent-a-cop. "What happens now that you are injured?"

"The company insurance pays me while I'm rehabilitating. When the doctors clear me to return to work, I will."

Her father switched topics. "Amber, have you moved in with him?"

"No, Daddy. I still have my apartment by my school. I've been staying with Michael and Amber because he needs my help." Michael didn't say anything more since they weren't even engaged yet. "Once I graduate and find a job, we'll figure out what comes next."

Amber was telling them about her school and work, and soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway in front of Angel's condo. Angel walked out to welcome them to her home and took care of getting them settled while Michael did his exercises.

It didn't take long before her parents were comfortable with Michael and Angel. The next night, Daniel joined the men in the garage to talk about motorcycles while the ladies had a private hot tub night. Amber spent most of it sitting on the edge of the tub with her feet in the water. Her mom noticed things; she was drinking juice instead of wine, wouldn't stay in the tub more than ten minutes, and would put her hand over her lower belly without thinking about it. Lois took a sip of wine after making sure the patio door was closed. "Amber, how far along are you?"

Amber's eyes got wide. "Mom!"

"Please, you should know you can't hide anything from me. Now answer the question."

"Seven weeks. We haven't told anyone except Angel and Daniel, but everything is going well, according to my doctor." She reached her hand out towards her mother. "I didn't want to say anything until I was farther along. We didn't exactly plan for this to happen."

"What does Michael think?"

Amber blushed. "He's thrilled, thank God. He's so good to me, Mom. He'll be a great Dad to our baby."

"I can see that, baby. Things don't always happen the way we plan, but I see the way he looks at you, and I'm happy for you. Dad won't be so happy."

"I know. I didn't want to tell Daddy over the phone or ruin Thanksgiving dinner, and now you know. We'll tell him before you leave." Amber slid into the tub and hugged her mother.

"Michael and I will make sure she's taken care of," Angel said. "She's family now."

"Thank you," Lois said as she stroked Amber's hair.

The next morning, Angel had help in the kitchen making the turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and when it was time for the prayer, Michael had everyone hold hands. "Lord, this day is a special one, set aside to recognize Your providence in the lives of our forefathers. It is a day of reflection where we look back on the previous year and see Your hand as it guided, protected, and blessed us all. We have much to be thankful for; your hand saved my life, and you brought new people into our lives to share our futures. We ask you to bless this food and our time together in Jesus' name, Amen."

"Amen." People started reaching for the food before Michael stopped them. "One more thing," he said as he slid off his chair and slowly lowered himself onto one knee facing Amber. "Of all the things in my life I am thankful for, I am glad that I met you. I love you, Amber, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He held up a two-carat diamond solitaire ring he'd retrieved from a pocket. "Amber, will you marry me?"

"YES!" She and her mom were crying happy tears as Michael slid the ring onto her finger, then she pulled him into a kiss. Daniel helped him back to his feet as Amber went around to show her parents the ring.

"Congratulations, baby," her Dad told her in the group hug. She didn't know that Michael's parents knew it was coming; he'd asked her father for her hand while the girls were in the hot tub. It took a few minutes for things to settle down before they could eat.

It was the best Thanksgiving ever.

Black Friday almost lived up to its name when Amber and Michael told her father that she was pregnant. Henry was worried that they were rushing into marriage because of the baby. Michael quickly dispelled that notion. "I ordered the ring before she knew she was pregnant, and I originally planned to ask her over Christmas break. The news moved up my schedule, but it didn't change the way I feel about Amber or what I want for our future."

"Is that why you asked us here?"

Michael nodded. "In part. I didn't want you to learn the news without seeing how much we love each other. It's not the order I wanted things to happen in, but I did want all these things to happen."

He looked at the two, then at his wife, who wasn't even shocked. "You knew about this."

"Of course I did. I figured it out during hot tub night because of how she was behaving. A college student wouldn't drink fruit juice instead of wine if she weren't pregnant. They're going to be wonderful parents to our grandchild." She wiped away a tear. "That's why Amber wants to get married after Christmas while her brothers and her family are in town. She wants to get married before it becomes noticeable."

"That's not much time," Henry said.

"Oh, shush. Amber, Angel, and I are taking care of the planning. Your job is to write the check and walk her down the aisle." Michael smiled, getting a preview of what his wife and his life would be like in a few decades.

He liked it.

Ch. 50

Things fell into a routine after Amber's parents flew home. Amber and Angel would study for hours every day, Michael worked out for hours each day getting back into shape, and Daniel was busy with his teaching duties.

There were a few changes. Amber notified her roommates she wasn't returning to the apartment for the spring semester and moved in with Michael. Daniel kept his apartment in Annapolis but was spending every weekend and a couple more nights a week at Angel's place. The weather wasn't always good for riding, but the four got out when they could.

Daniel and Angel were in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy Game the second Saturday of December when Michael got a call from his boss. "How are you feeling, Michael?"

"I'm about fifty percent, Len. I'm working out every day and getting stronger. I should be back at full strength early next year."

"Could you get cleared for work even with restrictions? I'm completely tapped out on people, Michael, and I need your help. I wouldn't ask if I had another choice, but I need a babysitter for a job."

In their line, babysitter usually meant a static protection detail, where the target stayed in one location. It wasn't near as complicated a job as a bodyguard for a client that was out in public. "I can sit and shoot if needed. What's the situation?"

"We've got a client who has a valid death threat against him. We've got four men on the job, working 12-hour shifts, one inside and one outside his home. The client is completely isolated, so the inside guy watches him while the outside guy watches for threats. One of the men on the night shift, his wife went into labor three weeks early, and he's gone. I've got the three guys juggling the schedule, you know..."

"But it isn't sustainable." With three guys, each would be working eighteen hours a day. "How long do you need me?"

"A week or so, then one of our bigger contracts ends, and I'll have a replacement for you."

Michael thought about it. "I'd need my doctor's permission, and if I go back to work, the disability payments end." The SecuriTech insurance considered his injuries work-related and paid his salary as long as he couldn't return to work.

"See the doctor today, and I'll put you back on payroll and pay hazard rate for your time." That was another five hundred a week. "I'll send the jet to pick you up as soon as I hear the Doc gives you clearance. I'm begging you, Michael. I'm desperate here."

Michael owed Len more than this, and he mentally agreed. Now he just had to convince Amber and his doctor. "Who's the client and where?"

"Henry McKnight, he's holed up in a rural home outside of Chattanooga."

Michael was shocked. "Jesus, Len. You're protecting one of the Monster Hunter's targets?"

"For fifteen thousand dollars a week, I'll protect the devil himself. This job is much easier than watching a client under threat from the mob or a gang, Michael. There's only one guy to worry about, and he wants him dead in a particular way. Two guys are plenty for this job, and you can call the cops if there is suspicious activity."

"I'm sure they'll be breaking the speed limit to save THIS asshole," Michael replied. "Fuck it, you took the contract, and it's not like I have to like the guy. I'll call you as soon as I know."

"Thanks, Michael. I owe you."

Amber wasn't thrilled but knew he needed to get back to work soon. He promised he'd behave himself and keep up with his exercises while he was gone.

Michael had the number for his doctor's service, and twenty minutes later, the surgeon called him back. He'd had a post-op visit the day before, so he didn't need to be seen again. After explaining what he needed, the doctor emailed him a return-to-work authorization with restrictions. Michael forwarded it to Len and called him back. "I can't have prolonged sitting, deep squats, or running, but other than that, I'm good," he told his boss.

"Pack your bags, Michael. I dispatched the jet as soon as you hung up. The gear you need is already on scene."

Michael only needed a few minutes to pack for a week. Since he was flying private aviation, he donned his shoulder holster for his Glock 19, with the pistol under his left armpit and three extra magazines plus a knife under his right. Michael dressed comfortably for the trip; jeans, boots, a light blue long-sleeve dress shirt, and a light jacket. Amber drove him to the airport, and they kissed for a long time before he walked away.

Michael settled into the leather seat as the copilot closed up the aircraft. He sent a text to Angel while waiting for them to start taxiing. "On a job for a week, protection detail for McKnight in Chatanooga. Have fun at the game."

The response didn't take long. "The FBI will be watching him too. We talked about this, Michael. You don't need to do this job."

"I know, but Len needed my help, and I'm bored. I'll keep him safe, and I won't exert myself. I promise I'll be the perfect babysitter."

He smiled as he thought about what Angel must be thinking. Not only was the fox guarding the henhouse, but he was getting a lot of money for the job. "Fine. Remember what I said."

"Noted. Beat Army!" Any more responses would have to wait. Michael put his phone on airplane mode for the takeoff.

The flight took about ninety minutes, and a driver was waiting to take him to the house. After getting the call at nine in the morning on Saturday, he arrived just before five at the client's home. The police department had a squad parked at the end of the driveway to keep the press and the crazies away; Michael showed his SecuriTech identification and was allowed them past.

"Thanks for coming, Michael," Terry said as he got out. Terry was one of the three men left on the job. "Leave the bag there, and I'll give you a quick tour outside while it's still nice and light."

The property had two acres along a dirt road. The other homes were all on 1-acre lots, and there was state forest land running along the back property lines. Trees and shrubs shielded the property from his neighbors. "Pretty tough to set a perimeter," Michael said as they walked along the back.

"Yeah, it's between ten and twenty yards from cover to the house. We've added to the security with a surveillance package." He pointed to the wifi-enabled cameras attached under the roof eaves. "Infrared plus motion detection, all connected to the computer inside. We've added alarms at all the entry points."

"Communications?"

"Radios with earpieces. It's a pretty sweet gig, as long as the weather doesn't suck. We've been doing two in, two out." We got back out front, and he continued his patrols while I went inside and turned over with Reggie. He was thrilled Michael was here, as now the two would be able to head to the hotel and get a decent night's sleep.

Tonya arrived just before six, bringing takeout barbecue with her. She usually worked celebrity protection details, so this job had to suck in comparison. The five-ten African-American was a former Secret Service agent and respected in the company. "Thank God you're here," she said as she came in and set the bags down. "Those two guys whine like little bitches when they miss their beauty sleep."

"All the sleep in the world won't fix your ugly ass, Tonya," Reggie joked.

"Bitch, please. I take dumps better looking than you." Reggie wisely turned back to the security cameras.

"I've had a turnover on both stations, so which do you want to start with?"

"I ate on the way here, so I'll take outside first. Take Henry his food; it's in the bag on the left. Anything leftover put in the fridge." She handed him a hotel room card. "Room 428, the company has it for the next two weeks." He watched her as she walked back to the door. "It's good to see you back on the job, Michael. I saw the video from Kazakhstan. You were damn lucky to survive."