The All-Seeing Security Guard

Chapter 004

Dawn had barely broken when Cade Merrick took up his post at the security booth.

He waited there for what felt like forever, and his patience was finally rewarded when a man showed up trying to sneak into the community to plaster flyers on every wall he could find. Cade chased him off with a grin so wide and so eager that the man actually quickened his pace in alarm, glancing back over his shoulder as if he'd just escaped someone with very strange intentions toward him.

The moment the man vanished around the corner, Cade heard the familiar chime of the system. His points had hit 1005. He could barely contain himself.

"Open it," he thought, practically vibrating with anticipation.

[Congratulations, user: you have unlocked a new ability, Telekinesis.]

[Usable twice per day, upgradeable. Effect: the user may manipulate objects weighing under four ounces within thirty feet. Each use lasts five minutes.]

Cade stared at the system's readout, and a wave of giddy disbelief washed over him. Telekinesis was real. Did that not mean that one day he might cut down enemies a thousand miles away like some legendary sword immortal? Moving things with his mind alone was something else entirely.

Before he could fully savor the moment, Greta Doyle called him away.

He found her in her office. Two women sat on the couch, and he recognized them instantly: Lila Sinclair and Dana Whitlock. The moment Cade stepped through the door, Greta turned toward the short-haired woman and Lila with an almost fawning warmth in her voice.

"Ms. Whitlock, Ms. Sinclair," she said, "this is Cade Merrick."

Cade looked between them, confused. "Ms. Sinclair, did you need something from me?"

Dana rose from the couch, a polished, professional smile settling onto her face as she extended her hand. "Hello. We met last night. I'm Dana Whitlock, Lila's talent agent. I never got the chance to properly thank you for what you did."

"No need," Cade said, shaking her hand lightly. "Anyone would have done the same."

Dana glanced at Lila before continuing, her tone shifting into something more businesslike. "Lila has a packed schedule here in Rivermont over the next few days. After what happened last night, she's been on edge. I wanted to ask whether you'd be available to look after her security while she's here."

A bodyguard? Cade hesitated, looking toward Greta for some kind of guidance.

Dana caught the look and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Ms. Doyle has already agreed to it. As for compensation, you don't need to concern yourself with that either. A hundred and forty dollars a day sound fair?"

Greta nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. Cade, don't worry about anything here at the property for the next few days. I'll sort things out with Rourke. Just focus on keeping Ms. Sinclair safe."

Cade considered it for a moment, then nodded.

Lila shot up from the couch the second she heard his answer, practically beaming. "That's wonderful! With you watching over me, Cade, I won't have to be scared anymore!"

Dana gave a faint, wry smile at her client's enthusiasm and gently pulled Lila back beside her. "Lila, mind your image." Then, turning back to Cade, she said, "Starting today until we leave Rivermont, we'll be relying on you. Tonight we have a dinner event at Whitethorne Manor. Please come by at six to pick us up."

She handed him the car keys and led Lila out of the management office.

Dusk had begun to settle when the car pulled up the drive to Whitethorne Manor. Lila wore a pale yellow gown that made her look sweet, radiant, and brimming with energy, while Dana stuck to her usual sharp professional look, a black and red blazer paired with a fitted black skirt that stopped well above the knee.

The entire drive over, Lila had chattered away like she was performing for a camera, sweet and warm, constantly trying to strike up conversation with Cade about nothing in particular. Cade, for his part, had kept his eyes carefully forward, never quite daring to look at her directly for too long.

"Ms. Sinclair!" A middle-aged man in a black suit jogged up to greet them the instant Lila stepped out of the car.

Her entire demeanor shifted the moment her feet touched the ground. Gone was the playful warmth from the car. In its place settled a polished, practiced smile, two faint dimples appearing as she held an expression that was both charming and distant.

Dana stepped forward, placing herself half a pace ahead of Lila, and caught the man's outstretched hands. "Mr. Pike, hello."

"Hello." Mr. Pike released her hands and gestured for the group to follow him inside. "Ms. Whitlock, Ms. Sinclair, right this way, please."

The moment they stepped through the entrance, Cade found himself stunned by the sheer extravagance of the place. Everything about it screamed wealth, from the gleaming floors to the gilded fixtures. He finally understood, in a way he never had before, what it meant to feel like a kid in a candy store.

Even Lila and Dana, who had surely seen their share of luxury, couldn't quite hide the flicker of surprise in their eyes.

Mr. Pike noticed all of their reactions and couldn't help the swell of pride in his chest. He lifted his chin slightly and said, "This manor belongs to Mr. Hale, the richest man in Fairmont State. He keeps it as his residence whenever he's in Rivermont. Word is it cost upward of a hundred and forty million dollars to build. It's rarely ever opened to outsiders."

Cade watched the pride radiating off Mr. Pike's face and thought dryly to himself that anyone who didn't know better might assume the manor belonged to him personally.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Pike," Dana said, inclining her head politely. "You've given Lila and me quite the eye-opening evening."

"Please, think nothing of it," Mr. Pike said, waving a hand quickly. "I'm hardly deserving of the credit. The one who truly invited Ms. Sinclair here tonight is someone else entirely."

Dana's brow furrowed. "Someone else? And who might that be?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Mr. Pike led them deeper into the manor until they reached a central courtyard where several medium-sized trucks sat parked in a row. Workers unloaded stones from the beds of the trucks while others stood nearby jotting notes, and still more carted the stones away on wheeled trolleys, pushing them down a long room that stretched dozens of yards into the building. Every stone bore a number painted on its surface in bright red.

Cade studied the scene curiously, and when his eyes met Lila's, he found the same confusion mirrored there.

Mr. Pike caught the exchange and immediately launched into an explanation for Lila's benefit. "These are all rough jade. They'll be moved into the exhibition hall once the banquet gets underway."

"Rough jade?" Lila asked. "You mean gambling on rough jade?" She'd never taken part in it herself, but she'd certainly heard of the practice.

Mr. Pike nodded with a smile. "That's right. If you're interested, Ms. Sinclair, you're welcome to try your luck later. Who knows, with the right stone you might even cut into rich emerald-green jadeite."

Just then, a voice rang out from somewhere inside the building.

"Ms. Sinclair, welcome! Forgive me for not greeting you sooner."

A young man strode briskly out of the room toward where Cade was standing.

It was him again.

Cade's brow furrowed instantly, something cold and sharp flickering behind his eyes.

The newcomer looked to be around twenty-four or twenty-five, with handsome, well-defined features and a tall frame that leaned toward thin. Mr. Pike stepped forward to greet him and turned to introduce him to Lila.

"This is Julian Ashford, son of Mayor Ashford here in Rivermont."

Lila noticed the shift in Cade's expression right away and leaned in to ask quietly, "You know him?"

Cade gave a small, self-mocking laugh and shook his head. "Someone as insignificant as me? There's no way I'd actually know the mayor's son. I've just heard the name before, that's all."