Globe Tracers 1: The Case of Thomas Crain

Chapter 3: Jessica

I decided Jaden would be fine as he got up with his candy and ran behind my legs to play at hiding, really hoping Jessica would pretend to chase him.

I looked back to Kyle. "I wasn't told the president had a daughter too. They just don't like to talk about her?" I asked, chuckling as I did. Pretty sure I was off the mark.

"Oh no," Kyle said back, almost laughing at the thought. "That stack of- pure energy, is my bodyguard, Jessica." At the sound of her name, Jessica let up making faces at Jaden as he jumped back and forth behind my legs giggling at her.

"Jess, Jess, Jessie, Jessica that's my name, don't wear it out! Oops- too late."

Kyle started to chuckle. "She's really kinda fun sometimes," he said, smiling at the girl.

"I hope so!" Jessica shouted. Her eyes widened. "Oh crap, I forgot my bag!" The girl disappeared.

Kyle looked back up at the ship. "I think there's a strategy to her bright clothes- they draw attention... I think..."

"That's your bodyguard?" asked Frank. "I thought you guys were supposed to be the nigh-unstoppable alien force that almost wiped out the entire gargoyle race." He stood up. "You've got to be kidding me with this." He looked at the right ship guard next to him. "Can I totally kick your butt too?"

"I would love for you to try," the man said back, smiling and tightening his grip on his twin-bladed staff. Frank stood tall, dwarfing the man by a full foot, his shadow covering the man who didn't even seem phased. The guard started to lower his blade to attack.

"Frank... Ya know what? No one is gonna miss him," I said shaking my head. Maybe I should have regretted such a line, but this guy was on my last nerve. What did he think he was even after?

Jessica appeared next to Kyle again, me swearing I could hear a cartoon "pop" noise as she suddenly- popped in. This time she had a bright yellow backpack on her shoulders. "Your buddy there sure is bellicose isn't he?" she asked, understating the obvious.

"Very much so," I said, still looking at Frank.

"Hey, Ky... where's your bag?" Jessica asked her protectee.

"I don't know, you're my servant, so where is it?" asked Kyle with a slight grin.

Jessica lowered her eyebrows at him. "Mmmmhmmm... my mistake," she said in a low tone. She dashed away again.

"Something tells me that was a bad thing to say," I commented.

"There's a distinct possibility," Kyle admitted, just before a black backpack was dumped on his head and he landed face first in the dirt.

"Will there be anything else my noble master?" asked Jessica, folding her arms over Kyle and tapping her foot.

I couldn't help it, I laughed openly at that one, both kids smiling up at me.

I think the rain kept falling, but by this point, it could have stopped and I would have felt the same. These two were rays of sunshine, just like my kid.

Kyle started getting up saying, "Nope. I'm good here." He returned to his feet, slipping the bag onto his shoulders, his face covered in mud.

"Okay seriously," I had to ask. "Not that I'm trying to start anything, but what in the world makes you a bodyguard? Looks like you're more likely to cause trouble than solve it."

"You know why it's a bad idea to touch a ticked-off Pharaoh right?" Jessica asked.

"They can shock anything they touch," I replied. "Up to six feet away sometimes." I was now rattling off my understanding of pharaohs because- why not? I was getting pretty relaxed with these two, they were disarming.