Reluctant Client- Guardians, Inc. Series- Book 1

Reluctant Client- Guardians Inc. Book 1- Prologue

A zigzag burst of lightning streaked across the dark-grey sky, giving brief moments of illumination beyond his vehicle's high beams. As the boom of thunder followed the formidable light show a few seconds later, the black-colored SUV with tinted windows came to a stop at the intersection. The deluge of rain continued to pour buckets of water down on the vehicle faster than the wipers could sweep it away.

Up ahead, the red traffic light rapidly blinked out a warning. Cautious of any oncoming movement, MJ turned onto Main Street, where the small town of Fairfax existed within several subsequential blocks.

No illuminated signs of business openings or the warming glow of the antiquated street lamps at each corner combated the darkness. Only candles and lanterns flickering through the roadside windows indicated the residents muddling through.

Soft whistling began harmonizing when one of his favorite classic rock songs came on the radio. His finger pressed the toggle control to increase the volume. In MJ's opinion, no one did 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' quite like the Beatles. And it only made it more meaningful‒reminding him of home‒since he was so far from there on this stormy night.

Plus, MJ learned long ago to keep those pockets of his past alive and well. If not, one could get lost, and he refused to allow that to happen.

His attention briefly pulled away from his music to the weather's debris. Mother nature's scattering mess resembled a war zone, except all the buildings looked intact.

Or mostly intact. A skimming glance off the road revealed a few property casualties.

Some broken windows and damaged roofs would require attention once everything calmed down. And those battered tree limbs‒failing to bend to the strong winds‒laid torn and splintered on the ground in the most inconvenient locations.

He maneuvered around them and other obstacles that discouraged full road access.

These back-to-back, violent storms had wreaked havoc on power lines throughout the East Coast into the late night, and here outside of Washington, DC, was no exception.

This, combined with the earlier frequent stops to pull over for emergency and utility vehicles with their flashing lights, had prevented any increased speed.

It made getting to the established meeting place difficult, but not impossible.

Another news update cycled through, and he lowered the radio's volume. It played in the background, competing with the lingering storm's rolling thunder, falling rain, and the steady beat of windshield wipers.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, sick of them cutting into his music.

All the local channels kept repeating themselves, predicting more power losses in the next few days. MJ leaned forward and gave a glance up toward the flashing sky. "Not that any of it will matter," he sighed.

There would be no excuses for being late due to bad weather, and apologizing should never be an option with these new associates. Plus, their taste in music was telling. MJ never understood when one's genre remained fixed to a singular style. What was wrong with having variety?

Slowing down again, MJ turned into a newly developed high-end business park. Rumors hinted that this was the future off-site headquarters of the FBI's new special division. He couldn't help but admire the set of balls it took to arrange this meeting place.

A high-pitched humming filled his cab's interior when lowering the tinted, bulletproof windows of his new Chevy Tahoe.

Pulling alongside the keypad terminal, he leaned outward and inhaled a deep breath. The cooling temperature and dampness of the night air were a welcoming change to the heated conditions inside. And he took the small break in the downpour as a good sign while tapping in the security code. The electronic notes of the punch key device almost sounded musical as they resonated in the stillness around him.