Protecting Lulu Sample

Sample a bit of the first chapter of The Global Protection Agency: Protecting Lulu

Chapter One

After an intense, nearly sleepless week in Mexico City extracting the family of a witness who was testifying against a Mexican drug cartel and twelve hours on a plane, Noah Callahan could barely keep his eyes open.  Back in the day, he would finished the job, hopped off the plane and then partied all night.  Not anymore.  Even though he was only thirty-six, at the moment he felt ninety-six.  He wanted nothing more than to sink onto the comfortable sofa against the wall and sleep for twenty-four hours, except Harrison had dragged him out of the terminal and into this meeting with a possible client before Noah had a chance to blink.

Wilder Bennington was a tall, slim, dark haired man wearing a dark gray ten thousand dollar suit that fit him to perfection, like the old world elegance of his office. Dark wood paneling covered the walls.  A carpet deep enough to mask any sound stretched from wall to wall, and a black lacquer desk sat perpendicular to the windows so Bennington could enjoy the view.  A sitting area at the other end of the large office contained large over-stuffed chairs in cream leather and two sofas in dark brown leather.

The view out the window was prime Times Square real estate.  Wilder Bennington had money, lots of money and influence.  The background check Harrison had complied and Noah had read in the car on the way here had done nothing to prepare him the man in person.  Even though he knew as much as Harrison could find out about Bennington and his sister, Lulu, Noah was still impressed.

"I thought there would be more of you," Bennington said with a sharp glance at them.

"I asked your assistant to put our team else in the conference room while Harrison and I checked things out."  Even though the room was large enough to hold ten times the number of people Noah had brought, he hadn't wanted Wilder Bennington to feel overwhelmed by so many strangers invading his personal space.

"To decide if you wanted to take the job or not?" Wilder said with a shrewd, studied glance at Noah.

Good, this guy didn't pull any punches.  Noah respected that. "Something along those lines."

"I'm not here to audition for you."

"We understand that, Mr. Gennington." Harrison's eyebrows rose.  "Why hire us?  You have your own security team?"

Bennington pinched the bridge of his nose, controlled anger showing in the clenched tightness of his jaw.  "My sister is not taking the threats seriously.  Every suggestion from my security team has been turned aside or simply ignored."

Being ex-Delta Force had taught Noah to read people quickly, because survival depended on it.  Bennington was a man used to getting his own way.  The fact that he wanted to hire Global Protective Services Inc. meant things were going sideways in a way Bennington couldn't control.  "How so?"

The man's jaw clenched even tighter and he held his hands straight against his side.  "Lulu refuses to believe anyone would dislike her enough to want to kill her."

"A lot of people find it hard to believe someone wants to kill them."  Noah didn't want to look a gift paycheck in the mouth but did he want to take a puff job?  He didn't need a New York society babe conjuring up fake threats just so she could run around New York with a gang of bodyguards in tow like little purse dogs.  But then again, as a fairly new company Noah needed the money and doing a job for media tycoon Bennington would go a long way toward cementing his company's reputation.  Except if they were just spinning their wheels babysitting for some poor, little rich girl.

"Dave Larkins recommended you," Bennington said with a glare.

"I've met Dave Larkins, he's very good at what he does."   Larkins, Bennington's head of security, was a hard ass, ex-army ranger Noah had run into a couple of times in Afghanistan.  The man had a rep for handling his business.

"He is or he wouldn't be working for me."

Noah glanced at Harrison.   This guy was wound really tight.  "I see."

Bennington's eyes narrowed betraying a deeper level of tension.  "Dave's a good man,' he said, "but Lulu introduced him to his wife and is also his son's godmother.  She can get him to do whatever she wants.  I need someone who won't cave in to my sister's…ability to wrap people around her little finger."

"She sounds stubborn," Noah said.  The background check had given him facts about these people, but not who they really were.  His sense of caution deepened.  He wanted to say not interested, but instead folded his arms over his chest and studied Bennington waiting.  "Why not let the police handle this situation?"

Noah doubted the police would do much of anything except take a report.  The department was under-staffed and over-worked and the current political climate was determined to down-size them even more.

Bennington pinched the bridge of his elegant nose.  "You don't read my newspaper do you?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't."  Noah was a Times man.   Not that there was anything wrong with Bennington Media's many newspapers, Noah just like the predictability of the Times.

Wilder took a deep breath.  "I'm not a fan of the new Police Commissioner.  I've been very vocal about it."

As far as Noah was concerned, any guy, who owned one of the biggest media corporations in universe, could talk all the shit he wanted about whoever he wanted.   From what he heard from his contacts in the NYPD not many of the rank and file cops were fans either.

Bennington closed his eyes.  "I'm not risking my sister's life on the personal vendetta of an idiot."

Said idiot being the police commissioner.   Hell, Noah didn't trust that man to find his shoes much less stop a crime.

Noah considered all his options one more time.  "I want to meet your sister."  That should give him more of a clue as to whether he should accept the assignment or not.

Bennington checked his gold Patek Philippe watch.  "She should be here anytime now."

Translation, the princess is taking her sweet time, Noah thought.  He'd bet the twenties in his wallet, the sister would be at least another half an hour.

Bennington glanced at the open double doors into the reception area beyond.  His face suddenly looked pinched and worried. "While we're waiting for her, I'd like to meet the rest of your team."

"I'll get them," Harrison said and walked out of the office.