Brian jumped several feet in the air.
Sentinel smiled at him. “That seems to be happening a lot around here.”
“What?”
“That.”
“Well if you would quit sneaking up on people it wouldn’t happen so much!” Brian said, exasperated. The man keeps doing that! Walking up quietly and then standing still behind you until you turn around. I swear he enjoys scaring peple half to death!
“Well yes it would help if I was sneaking up on people.”
Brian rolled his eyes. “You need sleep,” he stated.
“You noticed. Will you please go find the troupe so we can leave?”
Brian started to leave, then paused at the door to his office. “Does this include the new fella?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at check-out in a few.” Brian smiled as he walked away. Softy!
**************************************
“Hey there! Miss me?” The friendly smile of Doc Howie greeted the now very troubled AJ.
“You have no idea.”
Howie laughed at this. “People giving you the evil-eye?”
“Rather the evil messages.” AJ sighed as he got up from the table.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, it’s nothing. People just trying to scare me I suppose. It’s nothing, really.”
“It’s not nothing if it gives you the expression you currently have on your face. Look, AJ …”
“Hey, are you trying to hide from me or is it your turn to cook tonight?” Brian called as he walked up to them.
“Hey Brian. I was just collecting at the lost and found. I left poor AJ here a little while ago when they called me in, and now it seems some idiot, or idiots, talked nonsense to him that got him all spooked.” Howie said, the last part half directed at Brian, half at AJ.
Brian looked at the young man that was the cause of all the racket for the last day and a half. He saw a young man, not much older than Nick, who had obviously been living through some hard times. The kid was thin as a reed. His eyes looked haunted, and he seemed to be on permanent guard, skittish almost. Like he expected something terrible to happen to him at any moment. The kid looked very tired too. Another one that’ll be turning in early I expect. And Kevin had better turn in early or I’ll just sneak up on him with a hammer. Yeah right, nice delusional thought Littrell.
Brian carefully extended his hand to AJ, moving slowly so as not to startle the young man. He looked like he had taken just about all the strain he could bear for quite a while. “Hey there. Seeing as how Dr. Dorough has forgotten his manners for the moment, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Brian.”
AJ took Brian’s hand with his left, trying to grip it as firmly as he possibly could. He didn’t get very much for his effort. “Hi … pleased to meet you. I’m AJ.”
Brian smiled. “Pleased to meet you too. Now tell me who the interfering creep was so I can sic my cousin on him.”
Howie laughed. “Don’t joke! AJ is in Kevin’s charge now and you know how seriously he takes that!”
“So?” Brian noticed the curious look AJ gave him. “What’s up?”
AJ looked down immediately. “Oh nothing … just umm … you and K … Sentinel … I mean Kevin are … cousins?”
“Yeah. Kevin. Me. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” Brian laughed.
Howie had been watching AJ carefully during the conversation. “AJ, this … evil message that you got from ‘people’. It wasn’t by any chance concerning Kevin, was it?”
AJ looked up quickly. “Um … well …”
Brian snorted. “Should have figured.”
AJ looked more stricken by the minute. “I’m sorry! I don’t mean to … I … I …”
“It’s okay! Easy buddy, don’t worry about it. We know. It’s not the first time we’ve been through this one – especially not Brian.” Howie tried to soothe the frightened young man.
“That’s right.” Brian. “Look I don’t know what those idiots told you about Kevin, but please don’t believe any of their nonsense. They like to embellish their stories for their own amusement. Whatever they told you was more than likely only half true, at best.”
Half was bad enough, AJ thought but didn’t say. “Okay. I’m sorry. It’s just, well after this morning and everything I’m just … I guess I just wanna know what I’ve been taken into.”
Howie clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it. I can tell you this though; Kevin has taken you in his charge. Believe me when I say that that makes you one of the most protected people on the planet.”
AJ smiled weakly at that. “Okay.”
Brian looked at his watch. “Uh … we better get going. You know the subject of discussion hates waiting. Do you know where Nick is?” he asked of Howie.
“Er … nope.”
“Oooh no …”
