Knightingale

By Stephanie Laws

Evil has plagued this world since the dawn of creation, seeking to gain control. One family was given supernatural abilities with the sole purpose of protecting the things in this world that evil must never take possession of. Samantha Nelson knew she was cursed. She didn’t know that her unnatural ability of forcing the truth out of people was just the beginning of her curse, until her family is murdered in a horrific home explosion. Six months later, she finds herself face to face with a Knight Protector and her life is turned into utter chaos.

When David received his assignment on his twentieth birthday, he was told that his destiny would be entwined with a woman soon to be born and that his aging would be halted. Since the moment Samantha was born, David protected her from her enemies. As every Knight before him, he does so in the shadows. But David must face the facts that something even deadlier than her enemies is occurring. No matter how much he denies it, he is falling in love with her. When her enemies begin to discover ways around his protection, and murder her family, he is forced to make a decision of what is more important to him; his family or his assignment. All it takes is one warning sign of danger to convince him that he simply cannot live without Samantha and he takes a leap that will change their lives forever. Their only chance of survival is to discover what Samantha’s destiny is and the journey leads them straight to the heart of the Knight family where they discover evil has infiltrated and it is up to them to stop the evil before it destroys the family and gains control of the very thing that God created the family to protect.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie Laws
• Release date: Feb 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301312382

Stephanie Laws

Author of the Paranormal Romance Series, "Knightingale", and the upcoming Contemporary Romance Novel, "Regrets of the Heart".

Book preview

Knightingale

Book I

By

Stephanie Laws

~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Also by Stephanie Laws

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Coming Soon

About the Author

Also by Stephanie Laws

THE KNIGHTINGALE SERIES

Knightingale

Gale Swept (Coming Soon)

Knightime (Coming Soon)

Source Key (Coming Soon)

~~~~~~~~~~

STAND ALONE NOVELS

Regrets of the Heart (Coming Soon)

Acknowledgments

To my husband Tony, my son Steven, and my daughter Jordyn. I can never tell you how thankful I am for having a family that loves and supports me and most of all, never allows me to take myself too seriously.

To my mother, for being the first person brave enough to read this book and help critique it. You have always been an inspiration and have always encouraged me to follow my dreams. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Prologue

"Home Explosion Outside Ligonier, Indiana

At 6:35 Saturday morning, fire departments countywide were dispatched to a horrifying scene of destruction. A two-story home located in the rural countryside of Noble County, just outside of Ligonier, was completely annihilated by an explosion. Mark Nelson, age twenty-seven, and his two young children, Matthew, age seven, and Sarah, age five, were in the house at the time and are presumed dead. The wife and mother, Samantha Nelson, age twenty-six, was not at home at the time of the explosion…"

He crumpled up the worn newspaper article and tossed it out into the yard as a gust of wind whipped it away into the woods. He didn't need to read anymore; it was etched into his brain forever. It happened six months ago. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He protected his assignment.

A form appeared and walked over to sit in the rocking chair next to him. They both sat looking out at the yard silently for several long, heavy minutes.

How's it going? Jack asked finally.

I don't know anymore. I feel like I'm either losing my mind or God's punishing me for over stepping my bounds. David said.

You still think you were wrong?

We're not supposed to interfere with fate or their free will. I keep getting these strange feelings that feel like warning signs, but I have no idea if they really are. When I go to her, I find myself watching her fall deeper into that pit of despair. You should see the way she wanders around that property as if she's just waiting for someone to put an end to her, so she can finally find some peace. What if I was never meant to save her and I've altered her fate?

That's the problem with living with so many secrets. All we can do is to react the way we've been trained. It's not for us to ask questions.

What do you think?

We all know the severity in which our laws are enforced. But, at the same time, I don't know if I could stand by and watch any person destroy their life and do nothing. That goes down to our core human instincts and compassion. You've watched over her from the time she was born. I don't think it's humanly possible for you not to get attached in one form or another.

If I could only understand why or what I'm supposed to protect her from. I hate to admit it, but the type of attacks indicates that it may be members of our family attacking her. If that's the case, then I may not be able to protect her without exposing myself to her again. That could very well be their plan; it would be a sure way of removing me and leaving her vulnerable. But I can't ignore the warning signs.

What do your instincts tell you?

I can't trust my instincts anymore. No matter how hard I try, I can't see her as just an assignment.

If you're allowing your emotions to jeopardize her safety, then you need to deal with this. I'm not judging you. But this needs to be dealt with before you find yourself in a mess that'll cause you to lose your ability to protect her.

I just want to do my job and keep her safe.

Do you think your feelings for her are making you more sensitive to the dangers in her life?

Great, now you’re going to start acting like my psychiatrist.

No, I'm trying to be a friend and help you through this. I'm not here as a brother of the Knight family to cast judgment on you. I'm here strictly as a friend. What we say to each other stays between us.

I don't know what I feel. She's been the focus of my life since before she was born. Like you said, I watched her grow up. I'm constantly thinking about all the ways I could make her life better and how much more I could protect her simply by letting her know that she isn't alone. That's what my instincts have been telling me for years now. But, if I act on those instincts, I would destroy both our lives. If I fail in protecting her, what does that leave me with? I'm not going to be dying any day soon. Can you imagine what she would think if I was to fully reveal myself to her? She would think I was insane. I thought I had this under control, until I received a warning sign because she was on the verge of committing suicide. That doesn't make sense. I almost let her do it because I couldn't allow myself to break the family laws; but when it came down to it, my feelings overpowered my reason. Now what does that make me, a traitor to the family?

The fact that we're sitting here talking now should answer that question. You still have your assignment and you still have use of your powers. Maybe you've done exactly what God meant for you to do.

What, sit here and feel like a complete failure? She's slowly dying inside because she feels like she has nothing left to live for. All she knows is that she's different from everyone else and has no idea why. It would be like forcing me to survive in the normal world without the protection of the family. She can't hide or repress that strange ability she has. Everyone she comes near can feel it, and it pushes everyone away. She's not going to make it through this very much longer. She has no will power to live, and there's nothing I can do about it. I feel like my whole future and purpose is dying right along with her.

I can't imagine God would set you apart as He has and leave you with no purpose for it. The Knight side of me wants to tell you to get away from her and try to find something else to occupy your time. But the father, husband, and friend inside wants to tell you to do whatever feels right. It's a battle you must face where I'm not so certain there really is a right or wrong answer. It seems to me only you have the power to choose what path you can live with. But remember, if you choose the path that includes her, you can't turn back and erase what you've done. Once you enter her life, you'll always be a part of it whether she wants you to be or not. You won't be able to hide in the shadows and leave as soon as the danger is gone. You'll make yourself a danger to her, but if she is being attacked by our family, then I'm not so sure it really even matters. But it could cause a lot of problems for you.

And if I choose to follow the rules and remain in the shadows, then what?

Then every single day will be like this, until you make the effort to get her off your mind and find some other reason to live.

There are not a lot of options out there for someone that will never age.

God has a purpose for everything He does. It's up to us to discover what our purpose is.

Chapter 1

October, this used to be one of my favorite months. Now it's hard to find anything that incites even the slightest twinge of joy. It's been six months since the explosion that took everything from me. Now I feel empty and useless. Nothing means anything when you have no one to share it with. How do you move on? How do you forget the pain and start all over again?

All I'm left with is a blank piece of property that has been bulldozed clean as if it was clearing the slate for a new beginning. But there's a scar in that slate in the form of a huge dark crater where my home used to be. That crater mocks me every time I look at it as if it's waiting to become my own cold, dark grave as if I somehow cheated fate, and it's waiting for fate to catch up with me.

The night after the memorial service, it almost did. But something stopped me. I don't know what it was. I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me or if there really was a man there. I remember his voice. In fact, I hear it so often in my nightmares that I'm almost certain it was my mind trying to break through and prevent me from taking that last step into the deep, dark abyss of the crater. I vaguely remember seeing a form of a man, but it was so dark that I don't know if it was real. I've agonized over these faint memories, trying to make sense of them until I've had to face that I was so emotionally distraught, I simply was not in the state of mind for reason. I can't say I'm any better now.

I've spent the past six months trying to make sense of everything that has happened. I go out to the property hoping to find something that will give a clue as to what caused the explosion, but I can't find anything. Even the authorities could never determine the cause. I tried to stop going out there, but every time I leave this apartment, hoping to find some kind of distraction, I find myself there. I tried to justify it by cleaning up all the damaged limbs that were now falling out of the trees. I've even tried to use them to fill up the crater so it would stop mocking me, but nothing will ever hide it.

My mother called me this morning asking if I wanted to go shopping with her. She keeps calling and inviting me to do things that I never liked to do before, let alone even want to do now. I know she's worried, and I really should spend more time with my parents. They're the only family I have left, but every time I go to their house, memories consume me of all the times I spent there with my family. It's too quiet. I can't even seem to find something to talk about that doesn't drudge up some painful memory.

But I hate this apartment. I hate living in town and hearing all the noises of people living their lives and hearing children playing and laughing. It's torture. I miss the peace and quiet of my home way out in the middle of nowhere. I miss the sounds of my children playing.

The longer I stood there looking out the window watching the leaves swirling around in the breeze, the more I wanted to escape, but I didn't want to go to the property. I desperately needed to find something to do to occupy my time before I ended up going completely insane. Winter was coming soon, and I would be trapped in here even more.

As much as I hated shopping, I decided to go to Fort Wayne. The only thing I could think of, that sounded remotely entertaining, was finding a decent book to read. I could only hope it would be a distraction that would make the misery go away for a little while.

When I parked and walked into the bookstore, a twinge of the old familiar sense of happiness struck me. I always felt like I was going on a treasure hunt for that perfect world to escape into when I entered a bookstore. But as I began walking through the best sellers and then the aisles of my old favorite genres, the feeling began to dissipate. I found myself shying away from anything that would remotely remind me of my life. I couldn’t bring myself to read a love story or anything that had to do with death or some form of life altering loss. Each time I would pass a book I had already read, my mind would seem to shut down before I was assaulted with the memories, as if the stories had somehow become a part my own tragedy.

Before I could stop it, the tears of frustration began to well up in my eyes. I was doing so well at keeping my emotions in check. I knew I had to get a grip on myself, but that made me even angrier. I was tired of feeling weak and out of control.

Then, as if I wasn't furious enough, someone had the nerve to put their hand on my arm. I jerked my arm away and spun around ready to swing, but the moment I looked into the most crystal clear blue eyes I have ever seen, I was stunned.

Whoa there Brutus, you've got the wrong man for that. I'm here to help you.

What the hell are you talking about?

He started watching one end of the aisle and then backed off a step to look at the other. I know this doesn't make any sense. But if you value your life even in the slightest, we need to get out of here. I promise I only want to keep you safe.

I sort of tried to laugh, but it came out sounding more like a snort I choked on. Why don't you find someone else to play whatever kind of game this is?

I didn't get it. This guy wasn't just handsome, he was gorgeous. He had jet black hair that was slightly spiked. He was wearing a black leather sport jacket and blue jeans. But his face was one of those faces you find yourself staring at, because there's no possible way someone could look so flawless. His facial features were so defined that I think a master sculptor would be hard pressed to even come close to capturing his likeness adequately.

But, when the shock of his appearance started to wear off, I realized that there was something far too familiar about him. It was his voice. It was the same voice I'd replayed in my head over and over until I was certain it was nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

Who are you?

My name is David. You're in extreme danger. Let me get you out of here and I'll tell you everything I possibly can.

Do you realize how insane that sounds? I'm not going anywhere with you. Just as I started to turn away, a man appeared at the end of the aisle walking towards us.

David quickly grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the other end of the aisle. At that moment, I was filled with such a strange feeling I didn't even fight him.

He pulled me outside. The sky had darkened with sinister looking clouds that were threatening to burst wide open at any moment. When I realized he was leading me in the opposite direction of my car, I started to pull away. It was then that my mind finally started to come to its senses.

Where are you going? I demanded, as I jerked my arm away from him.

If you'll give me time, I'll explain everything. But, right now, we have to get out of this storm.

Why are you here? Why do you keep coming around me like this?

I can’t tell you here. Give me a chance to get you to a safe place. I promise I’ll explain everything.

Why can’t we talk in the mall?

What I have to tell you is not meant for prying ears. I prefer to talk to you somewhere private. I assure you that I mean you no harm. I only want to help you.

Forget it. I’m leaving. I said, as I turned to head towards my car.

I took two steps and it was as if the sky split in two. Rain started pounding down so hard I was completely soaked in a matter of seconds. I started to run towards my car, but before I could even get to the door, he was there with my door open waiting for me. I didn’t respond. Instead, I jumped into the car and started searching for something to dry off with. I found a blanket in my back seat and just as I grabbed it, I realized he was sitting in my passenger seat.

What the hell are you doing?

Start the car and turn the heat on. he said, as he pulled the blanket the rest of the way over the seat and handed it to me.

I started the car and tried to wipe myself dry while keeping my eyes on him. He sat looking at the dash, almost nervously, but not enough to make him appear vulnerable in any stretch of the sense. I shouldn’t have run to my car. I should have gone back into the mall where at least there were people around. I put myself in his trap like a complete idiot.

Will you get out of my car?

I know this sounds completely asinine right now, but I need you to do me a favor.

Why would I do you a favor?

I’m not going to hurt you. Trust me when I say that I can’t hurt you. If you need a reason, then remember that I have saved your life before.

Who are you?

My name is David Knight. You don’t know me, but I assure you that is going to change if you give me a chance.

What makes you think I want to know you?

He smirked. It was the first hint of emotion I had seen cross his face, other than sheer determination. He turned to look at me, and before I could get lost in those brilliant eyes of his again, I turned away. The rain was pouring down so forcefully that it was leaving a sheet of water on the window so thick you couldn’t see through it. To make it even more uncomfortable, the windows were steaming up.

What if I told you that I could help you find the answers to what happened to your family?

Cold chills started to run down my spine.

I want to help you. I'm not asking anything of you, except for a chance to talk.

Why? How do you know anything?

This isn’t some casual conversation I can afford to have anyone else overhear. We need to go somewhere safe.

Everything inside of me was telling me to get out and run, but there was one little voice that told me running wouldn’t do any good.

What did you do to me that night? I asked barely above a whisper.

I did what I could to save you.

That doesn’t answer my question.

I can’t answer your question until I know we're in a safe place to talk.

Who is going to hear us? We’re alone and I doubt anyone is out in that rain.

I’m not just talking safety from being overheard. There are too many people here.

What are you trying to say?

Please, let me take you to my house. You can change into some dry clothes. It’s one place that I know is safe.

I’m not going to your house. What kind of idiot do you think I am?

I don’t think you’re an idiot. I wish I could tell you more, but trust me when I say it’s better for the both of us if I tell you in a place I can be certain no one can interrupt us.

Which is all the more reason for me not to go anywhere with you. Do you realize how insane you sound right now?

He started laughing. Let me put it this way. I'm so determined to keep you safe that whether or not you come to my house, I am going to follow you. I know where you live. I took you home and drove your car to your apartment that night. I’m not saying this to threaten you. I’m telling you that this conversation is inevitable. The circumstances are beyond my control at this point.

I sat frozen as all the memories of that night came pouring back. I convinced myself they weren't real. They couldn't be. How the hell could I be standing at the edge of that crater one minute and sitting in my apartment the next?

What circumstances? I asked breathlessly.

The circumstances that determine whether you live or die and I would prefer to keep them on the living side. Now, the rain is starting to slow down. But, according to the weather report, we have more on the way. I would like to get out of this parking lot at some point.

A strange battle erupted inside me. Part of me wanted to kick and scream until he got out of my car, but there was a strange calming sensation drowning it all out, making me feel helpless to the point I couldn't function.

We can sit here all day if you want, but I’m afraid you’re not getting rid of me.

I don’t understand any of this.

I know. You were never meant to. But times have changed. Your life is in danger, and I have no choice but to reveal myself to you so that I can keep you safe. It’s my job to protect you. I assure you I'll do everything I can, but I can’t until you can trust me. It’s not safe to talk here for many reasons.

Why? Who would want to hurt me?

I can’t answer that. Not yet. That’s going to be something we both have to figure out.

Are you saying that my family was murdered because someone was trying to kill me?

He slightly nodded and then looked away.

I sat there, staring at him in complete horror. No matter how much I didn’t want to believe him, I knew he was telling the truth. It was all there. I could hear it in his voice. I could feel it in his emotions. I could sense it, as if I had never heard anything more truthful in my life. No matter how much I searched for any sign of falsification it simply wasn’t there. I was born with the ability to tell when someone was lying. It was the bane of my existence, but never so much as it was right now. I didn't want to believe him.

How do you know this?

It’s my job.

Why wasn’t my family protected?

It’s not an exact science. I only know when you're in danger. Even then, I can be very limited in how I can protect you. Take, for instance, right now; I can’t force you to leave this parking lot because I can't interfere with your free will. I’m even less able to protect those I’m not assigned to. I didn’t know there was a bomb in your house. I only knew you were in danger. Normally, I can assess the danger enough to understand what’s taking place, but I couldn’t this time. There were too many lives involved. If I had known, I would have done anything to get them out of that house. I didn’t, so I thought the best way was to convince you that you had something to do away from home. Normally, the danger would follow you, so I could get you safely away from your family and take care of the situation before anything harmed to you. It didn’t happen that way. I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am and how much of a failure I feel like for not protecting them.

Someone put a bomb in my house?

I’ve told you more than I wanted. We have to get out of here. Let me drive you to my house. We can talk more there.

I don’t understand.

I know. I wish to God I didn’t have to introduce myself to you. But, I promise, I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe if you'll allow me to. Your free will is becoming as dangerous to you as your enemies.

What do you mean?

They're finding cracks in my protection. I’m assigned to you, but not those around you. They can attack someone close to you and kill you simply because of their close proximity, and I may not even get a warning sign. There are some things I can’t protect you from, and fate is the first and foremost. But, apparently, even fate can be manipulated. I don’t know if it was luck or God that I received the warning sign for the bomb, but that’s not a risk I want to take again.

What have I done to deserve this?

It’s nothing you have done.

But, why are you protecting me and no one was protecting my family?

I only know that there's something very unique about you. It’s not often that someone in my family is given a person as an assignment. We're not told why we're protecting something. We only know that we need to protect our assignment by any means necessary.

What am I supposed to do?

You can start by letting me protect you in a way I know I can. We can talk about making some changes that'll give you more security.

So, am I supposed to live the rest of my life with someone trying to kill me and not even know why?

I'll help you find the answers, but you need to understand that from this point on, the more you know, the more danger you will be in. I don’t know why they're attacking you, but it would be my guess that they want to prevent you from finding the answers.

This doesn’t make sense. I have nothing of value.

No, but you do have peculiar abilities.

How do you know that?

I know just about everything about you. I have to in order to protect you.

What about my parents?

The best we can do is stay away from them as much as possible.

So you’re saying that anyone in my life right now is in danger because of me?

We can only be safe by assuming so.

Then, why are you here?

Because, it’s my job.

Why?

Will you come to my house to talk about this?

No. If what you’re telling me is the truth, then I’m not putting your life in danger too. I’m going home.

You can go home any time. I just want to talk so we can figure out what to do to make your life more secure.

Did you ever think that maybe you've already messed with my fate, and I should've died in the explosion?

If that were the case, then I wouldn’t have received a warning sign.

What about the night when you stopped me from jumping into the crater? That was my own free will you were messing with. Why didn’t you let me do it, then you wouldn’t have to worry about me anymore?

Once again, I received a warning sign.

And did you receive one just now in the mall?

Samantha, I’m not here because you’re a job to me. I care about you. You’re going through hell right now, and I want to help. I've failed you already, but I refuse to fail you anymore. I know you have no reason to trust me. But, I also know that you know I’m telling the truth. I can’t lie to you. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance to protect you the best way I possibly can.

What’s in it for you?

This is my life. This is exactly what I was born to do. It has nothing to do with gaining anything. It has everything to do with fulfilling my purpose, and I can only do that by keeping you safe.

You’re nothing more than a kid. You look younger than I am.

I assure you, I have enough age and wisdom to do my job effectively. he said as if he was slightly annoyed.

So, I essentially have no choice in the matter. I either go to your house or you'll follow me.

I’m sorry, but yes.

But won’t I bring the danger along with me?

I have the means to protect my house that I don't have elsewhere.

So are you saying that you want me to move in with you?

We don’t have to go to that extreme. But there are other living conditions that are more suitable than where you're currently living.

I was so overwhelmed that I simply couldn't process everything. I came to the mall to find an escape from all the pain and chaos only to find more. I didn’t want to believe anything he told me. None of it made any sense. But this annoying ability of mine left me with no other choice. My life was turning out to be even more of a nightmare than I had ever imagined.

Finally, I gave up and agreed to follow him. I drove him to where his car was parked. He didn’t say anything; he simply got out of my car and quickly into his. We drove to the outskirts of the city, and when the scene started to change from urban to the more rural country side, he turned left off the highway. We drove down a narrow winding road for what seemed like forever. Huge overhanging trees now surrounded both sides of the road. The further we drove, the narrower the road grew and eventually turned into a gravel road. We drove for a few more miles, and then he turned right onto what was apparently a driveway. I would never have noticed it if I wasn’t following him. The vegetation of the forest crowded the gravel lane; it felt like you were driving through a tunnel. After about a mile, he pulled up to this beautiful three-story Victorian style house. It had to be over a hundred years old, yet it looked immaculate as if it were recently built.

It was nothing like I expected. He ended up opening my door for me before I even attempted to get out of my car. As we walked up the wide steps, I ran my hand along the smooth railing that wrapped around the porch and seemed to go all the way around the house. The exterior of the house was painted white and the front door was made of deep red cherry wood. There were intricate carvings of rose vines all the way around the outer edge.

I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. He unlocked the door and led me into the foyer. The floor was the same wood as the front door. It was so shiny I didn’t want to walk on it. The walls were papered in a solid white paper with beautiful soft embossed floral designs.

I must have been shaking. I was too engrossed in the house to notice, but he did.

I’ll get you some clothes to change into.

I shook my head a little trying to find a way to make my mouth work. That’s okay, I… I was losing my mind.

He smiled and led me to the staircase that gently spiraled to the second floor. Apparently, all the woodwork in the house was the same deep rich red cherry. The banister was so smooth it felt like glass. We turned at the landing, but the staircase continued on its gentle spiral to the third floor.

Who else lives here with you?

I’m the only permanent resident, but I do have friends that visit quite often.

He motioned towards a door on the left and opened it for me. The bathroom is through there, if you'll give me just a moment, I’ll find something for you to change into.

I stepped through the door and looked around. A huge canopy bed sat centered against the far wall. The frame of the bed was beautiful twisted wrought iron. The canopy was made of ice blue silk that contrasted exquisitely with the black of the iron. The bedspread was made of the same silk and was piled high with soft billowy pillows. I couldn’t help myself, I had to go touch the bed and run my hands across the smooth silk. When I looked to the door he was standing there leaning against the wall, watching me.

Here you go. They’ll be big for you, but at least they’ll be dry and warm. I’ll be downstairs. he walked up to me, handed me the clothes then turned, shutting the door behind him.

I stood there for a few minutes trying to wrap my mind around everything. I began to feel like I was in a dream. My hands were still shaking, but I didn’t feel cold, just overwhelmed. Then my mind began to snap back into reality. I quickly changed and ran my fingers through my hair then stared at the door. I made three attempts before I found the courage to open it.

Quietly, I walked down the stairs then realized I had no idea where he was. Flashes of horror movies started to run through my mind. I had to remind myself that he wasn’t the monster. He was trying to protect me. I thought about calling out just to relieve some of the tension, but that seemed too foolish. I probably couldn’t speak if I wanted to.

I took a deep breath trying to force myself to calm down and somehow it worked. I took the last few steps and then slowly started walking towards the front door. I looked into the rooms as I passed them and soon found him lounging on a couch watching a huge flat screen television in the living room.

I stood there for a moment debating what to do. He seemed harmless. Part of me said to run, but another part knew it would be useless. When I stepped into the room, he sat up and waved me in to sit down. I sat in the chair next to the couch.

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record but what is your part in all this? No one does anything for nothing. I get that this is somehow your job. I don’t understand it but, for the time being, I’ll accept it. Why are you risking your home and your personal safety for me, knowing full well what danger it places you in?

I have nothing to gain from this, not in any way that you're expecting. I don’t get paid or compensated to do my job. It’s not like that nor has it ever been. Our family has always been well provided for so that our focus can be placed on the security of our assignments. I assure you, I’m not doing this as a means to exploit you in any way. In fact, I want to do everything I can to prevent anything like that from happening. I know this doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, but I know you more than you could possibly imagine. You’ve never been just a ‘job’ to me, per se. The best way I can explain it is that we have kindred spirits. I feel connected to you in a way that makes me care about you, more than perhaps I should. I guess, right now, I want you to understand more than anything that you’re not alone. You don’t have to go through this all alone. If you choose to, then that's your choice. I'll remain doing my job and I won’t interfere in your life, but it needs to be your choice and not something you’re being forced into.

It’s almost like holding a gun to me and giving me the choice of where I want to be shot.

I know. I can’t stop the danger. I can only prevent it from actually wounding you. But, as I said before, the danger is growing too difficult to combat in a way that allows me to keep myself from being made known to you.

So are you saying that this is something that has been going on for a while?

There's been danger in your life from the day you were born. It’s nothing that you've done or could have prevented. I don’t know why you're being attacked. All I know is that the things my family protects are things that must remain shrouded from common knowledge. There are certain things in this world that must remain secreted, simply because of what they are, and the danger they could potentially pose if allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

So, you’re saying that I’m the real danger then?

Everything in this world can serve more than one purpose. It's the intentions in which something is used that dictate whether it's good or evil. The capability of evil is inside every human. You're not unique in that aspect, but there is something in which you are unique. These people are trying to kill you. It’s not because of something you've done. It is because of something you're capable of doing. The fact that they aren't trying to capture you proves that whatever it is they fear is something that cannot be altered or manipulated to work in their favor. It's something that even you can't prevent from happening, but they'll go to any lengths to try to stop it themselves.

It doesn’t make sense because I don’t know how to do anything.

No, but you have a unique ability of knowing and revealing the truth. Imagine how many people’s lives and careers you could destroy with one simple conversation. You would be a politician’s worst nightmare.

I stood up and started pacing the room. I felt like everything was crashing down around me. Albeit I wasn’t much more than an empty shell, it still felt as if that shell was crumbling to pieces. No matter how angry I wanted to be, I couldn’t get beyond the fact that my family was murdered because of me. Nothing else mattered. I didn’t care about my life or some stupid fool that thought I was dangerous. Three innocent lives were destroyed because I was being protected from some enemy that wanted me dead for something I had no control over.

I started to feel claustrophobic. I had to get outside to get some air before I suffocated. I all but ran to the door. I walked straight down the steps and headed down the driveway. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, but I needed to do something before I lost complete control of myself.

I headed to my car but soon realized I didn’t have my keys, so I walked on heading further down the driveway until the house was completely out of sight. The only thing I could hear was the occasional sound of a bird calling in the distance. The moment I realized I was