Page 66 of Protected

A loud beeping sounded interrupted their banter.

“Is that a camera sensor?”

“Yep.” Kenton rolled his chair forward to look at the large monitor.

It showed six different areas of the exterior of the building. A man and a woman stood outside at the main entrance, appearing to be arguing. When Kenton pressed a couple of keys on the keyboard, he activated the camera’s audio.

“Are you sure about this?” the woman asked. “What if they think I don’t need security?”

“Well, you do, and we need to convince them to take your case. So come on,” the man snapped.

“We like to get a good look at people before we let them in,” Kenton said. “We normally keep the volume off during the day because it picks up traffic and people walking by.”

Supreme was located on a side street, and the building and parking lot took up the block. The only other structure was the huge warehouse across the street that was being renovated.

The guy outside reached for the handle and tried to push the door open, only to realize it was locked. “What the hell? They’re supposed to be open.”

“We never unlock the door until they push the buzzer. I’m sure they’ll notice it in a minute,” Kenton said. “That gives us a chance to take still shots of people who look suspicious.”

Chelsey nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“Just an extra safety precaution. We might provide personal security, but the well-being of our people come first. Which is why Egypt and Hamilton are so thorough with vetting potential clients. We might agree to take on those who come to us for help, but not without knowing what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Though it was mentioned in the training Chelsey had gone through, Kenton went on to tell her that there were times when a simple protection assignment could turn into so much more.

Through offering security to clients, Supreme had assisted law enforcement numerous times with catching criminals;everything from stalkers to drug dealers and a host of other miscreants. Supreme provided way more than just basic security.

“I’d say that guy looks suspicious wearing long sleeves, jeans, and combat boots when it’s ninety degrees outside,” Chelsey said.

Tattoos traveled up the side of the man’s neck but were mostly covered by his collar, and Chelsey didn’t miss the tats on the knuckles of his fingers. One was a black dot which usually meant he served time in prison, but there were other tats that she didn’t recognize.

The high-definition quality of Supreme’s cameras was impressive, so much so that she could almost count the number of freckles on the woman’s fair skin. As the lady paced in front of the building, Chelsey took in her short sundress and sandals, which were more fitting for the hot weather than the guy’s attire.

“She looks anxious,” Chelsey said, but that could easily be caused by whatever situation she was in. “If we’re suspicious of them, do we still let them in?”

“Yep, because one or both could be in trouble and really need our services. I already took a couple of pictures of them, and emailed them to Egypt.”

“And this is why Hamilton insist that armed security monitor the front desk,” she muttered it more to herself, but Kenton confirmed it.

They both stood before he unlocked the door and let them in.

When the couple stepped in, Chelsey said, “Welcome to Supreme Security. Can we help you?”

“Yes. My sister needs protection,” the guy said as they slowly approached the desk. They didn’t look related, but there were plenty of siblings in the world who didn’t look alike.

The man glanced around, seeming to take in every inch of the large open space. To the right was a waiting room of sortsthat held sofas and upholstered chairs. A comfortable area that wasn’t often used, except for by employees.

Previously, the main floor was an open space. Visitors used to be able to see down the long hallway behind the main desk. But recently, a wall and a locked door had been added to keep the reception area confined.

The main hallway, behind the wall, included several conference rooms, bathrooms, as well as the kitchen that was toward the back of the building. Though there had never been a problem with anyone trying to force their way into Supreme, the wall was an extra precaution.

“Your names?” Kenton asked.

“I’m James White and she’s Debby.”

“All right, Mr. and Miss White. I’m Kenton and this is Chelsey. Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” James said. “Does she need an appointment to get protection?”