Page 19 of Winds of War

CHAPTER 15

Almost three weeks passed since Kieran came to The Base, and he still didn't have a clear idea as to why he was there. After the first couple of days of waiting to be summoned by the leader of the organization or whatever this place was, he finally shrugged it off and fell into a routine he strictly followed.

Every morning after breakfast, Kieran went to the perimeter around the school and kept an eye on the kids who were coming for the morning classes. He came to know each and every child, and when one of them was missing, he went to the dorms and personally checked on the kid in question.

His responsibility and dedication helped Kieran make a lot of friends among the men who kept the intruders away, and they compared him to Van, the boss's sons’ and nephews’ personal bodyguard. He didn't get to spend much time in the companyof theman, who was a living legend of sorts, because Seamus, Kieran's former cellmate, needed him for a mission.

The so-called drug dealer, Van, and Spyros, another guard, left for Albuquerque three days earlier, and there had been no news from them so far. All the guards at The Base, and even some other people who worked and lived there, were pretty tense about the situation, but they didn't show it so the kids won't be affected, too.

From all the people working at The Base, a guard named Soames, who also patrolled around the school, and Principal Bloom-Hunter were Kieran's favorites. The stark contrast between the physical fragility and inner strength of the one who ran the school amazed the ex-inmate and made him respect and admire the principal.

“The right man at the right place and time.” A pleasant, masculine voice pulled Kieran out of his thoughts, making him turn his head. “The big, bad boss wants to see you. I'm here to safely deliver you to his office,” Dunbar, the possessor of the voice, winked.

“Finally,” Kieran blurted out, then blushed a deep shade of pink. “I was wondering when I was going to meet the great man. Tell me, please, is there anything I need to know, subjects to avoid in his presence, stuff like that...”

“Ardan is the easiest guy to talk to, patient, caring, and affectionate with a big heart made of gold. There is nothing to be afraid of, trust me.” Dunbar's answer came in a warm voice filled with admiration. “This way.” He gestured to the alley that led to the administrative building.

“So...” Kieran started after walking in silence for a couple of minutes. “I noticed you have access everywhere and know everyone. Are you also a boss of sorts? I don't know a lot of things about this place's hierarchy, and I'd appreciate very much if you can enlighten me on the subject.”

Dunbar let out a quiet, amused laugh. “The one you saw who has access everywhere is my twin brother, Dehaan. He is in a relationship with Ardan's twin brother, Fergus, and yes, is a smaller boss himself. His other life partner, Xavier, is the leader of the bikers guarding The Base. Dehaan’s the one who knows all the people from here and then some. My circle of friends is much smaller.”

“Oh...I see.” Kieran made efforts not to sound disappointed. “Look, there are so many things I don't know about this place, but I can't ask around just like that. I was a loner all my life, and it's hard to change that overnight.” The man paused, choosing his words. “You seem the kind of guy I could trust and...”

“Here we are.” Dunbar cut Kieran short. “This is the administrative building. Ardan's office is the first door to the right, knock two times, then go in. He never keeps it locked. Good luck.” He grinned, sending chills down the other man's spine, then turned around and left.

“Come in. I was waiting for you,” a man's voice greeted Kieran from the other side of the door. “Hello, I'm Ardan. Nice to finally meet Seamus's famous and mysterious cellmate.” The Base's boss extended his hand with a friendly smile.

“And I thought Seamus was the famous one,” Kieran tried a joke. “I'm happy to finally see you, too.”

He swept his gaze up and down Ardan's slim but well-toned body, a little disappointed by the man's appearance. He expected the one who ran The Base to be more muscular with good combat skills; the perfect soldier capable of defending the sanctuary and its residents with his bare hands in case of an attack.

Instead, Kieran thought, studying the man in front of him, the leader everyone was singing praises of looked like a clerk sitting behind his fancy desk and giving orders to the guards and all the others who broke their backs doing the hard work. Lothier, the chief security, or even that hothead Brennan, his right hand, would have made much better bosses, Kieran said to himself, disappointed.

Ardan moved back behind the desk and, with the same friendly smile on his face, gestured to one of the chairs across the desk. He doesn't like me very much, the man thought, sighing inwardly. Most likely, Ardan continued his internal monolog, the guy formed a certain image about how The Base's boss should look and act like, and I don't meet it.

He took his thick-rimmed glasses off and put them on the desk, then rubbed his eyes, letting out a tired sigh. Without the glasses, Ardan looked vulnerable and somewhat lost, the sight he offered changing Kieran's mind. It took a lot of self-control for him not to leave the chair, get behind the desk, and give the man a warm, brotherly hug like he did to the kids on the street he’d kept an eye on before going to jail.

Stop being a judgmental asshole, Kieran chastised himself. This guy is nothing like the lazy, indolent Social Services and Child Protection clerks, who passed you from an orphanage to another. He is losing sleep trying to find a way to pay for everything and to run everything smoothly, while I...

“I'm sorry for not making time to see you earlier, but this imminent street war made me change my plans more often than I wanted,” Ardan started in an apologetic voice, pulling Kieran out of his thoughts. “I've been gone on a one-week trip to Chicago, and when I came back, I had to take care of some other urgent matters.”

“I understand now.” Kieran nodded, a small smile on his lips. “To be honest, I was picturing you like an invincible warrior, capable of defeating an army just by his simple presence, which was...foolish and unrealistic. Then, I realized children have to be fed, clothed, educated, kept warm, and someone has to take care of all these needs.”

“Thank you for understanding. Every time a child is brought here, I feel relieved because they are no longer tortured, beaten, raped, or starved. Taking care of them in every way is my duty, but it’s also a thing that brings me joy and peace. Unfortunately, this crazy, senseless street war made everything difficult, and we’re all on red alert.”

Ardan's words, spoken in a mixture of pain, frustration, and helplessness, cut through Kieran's heart like a sharp knife, making him see the gravity of the situation for the first time. “Speaking of war,” he started hesitantly, “any news from Seamus? Or don't you trust me enough to share this kind of information?”

“I have no news.” The answer came right away. “But I don't expect any, not so soon. This mission will take about three weeks, and only one has passed since they left The Base.” Ardan inhaled sharply. “As you probably noticed, a lot of the guards accompanied him, Van Johnson among them, which brings us to the subject of our conversation. I want you to temporarily replace him.”

The name sounded familiar to Kieran, but he wasn't sure where he heard it. “Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the tall, muscular black guard who greeted me and Seamus when we came to The Base? Oh, I'm so stupid.” The man slapped his forehead. “You weren't here at the time.”

“You are right. I was in Chicago back then, but your description of him is very accurate. The guy must have impressed you quite a bit.” Ardan grinned. “I want you to become the bodyguard of my son, nephew, and their close friends until he returns. According to Ian, you are good at keeping kids out of harm's way,” The Base's boss continued in a warm voice.

“Yeah, with one notable exception, which still gives me nightmares.” Kieran hung his head low, guilt washing over him. “Had I paid more attention to that poor kid, he would have been alive and well. Sorry, I can't let you risk the safety of those boys by putting me in charge of guarding them.”

“I won't risk anything.” Ardan spoke with conviction, boring his turquoise eyes into Kieran's. “The kid survived. We went to the morgue, but they told us he was still breathing and was transferred in the ICU. Two weeks later, we brought him to The Base, and now he's on the path to recovery.”

“What...how did you...” Kieran stuttered, shaking his head in disbelief. “Did the kid really survive? He was so small and pale, curled up like that, his body bloodied, battered, and torn apart...” The man stared blankly ahead for a few seconds, then spoke in a firm voice. “Thank you on that poor child's behalf. I promise you I'll do everything it takes to keep your son, nephews, and their friends safe.”

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