Chapter 39: A Difficult day for the guard man

Theo’s pov~

“I need you to protect her, Theo.” His words were exactly right. The job had sounded easy: a two-month gig protecting a spoiled princess.

But she was far more than that. She was not just a spoiled princess; she was a damaged one, too.

When Wade, my old friend from the army, called me, I was reluctant. We weren't the best of friends in recent times but Tammy needed the money. Having my baby on life support wasn't exactly how I planned our 3rd anniversary.

“This is a high-value case, Elsie is the key to Angelo’s undoing, he has cost this city a lot and it's time to take him down” Wade had explained, but now I was certain Elsie was the key to my undoing.

Ten years sober and now I've been dragged back into the hell I escaped from.

The moment we walked in the entire room reeked of every carnage possible, Someone ran to where I stood and puked on my shoe, She smiled at me and belched.

“Shit!” I exclaimed jumping back, I flung the horrid puke from my shoe, and with my other hand, I protected Elsie from the drunk Woman.

“Ohhh I know…hic….. I know you” she started pointing at Elsie, I quickly moved my finger away.

“No you don't" I replied, I turned to Sylvie, “This is what you do now? Hang out with nonentities?” I asked, a look of displeasure on my face.

“That is none of your business, she wants Vybe and that's all I'm getting for her” She turned away from me.

Sylvie was going to go to Harvard after school, but she cheated on me with Jason, asshole jock. Everyone couldn't keep their eyes off and he got her hooked on drugs and now this Vybe.

Sylvie was far gone, that much was obvious, but still lingering feelings I felt for her compelled me to ask.

“Take us to whoever runs this joint, so we can be done with you, you irritate me” I said, I couldn't hide my disgust but she couldn't care less.

Elsie looked around, she wasn't loving the place from her expression but you can tell she wasn't particularly inclined to care.

Sylvie took her hand and pulled her towards an inner room and I followed.

“Lancelot owns a lot of joints like this, he gets us the Vybe and we pay handsomely for it” she exclaimed in glee.

“Lancelot? Like the English knight?” Elsie asked amidst a shy laugh.

I hadn't seen her laugh before, it was well….

Beautiful.

Fuck! snap out of it Theo, you are here for a job and a job only!

Think of Tammy and the baby inside her.

Sylvie nodded just before pushing the inner door, which revealed another smaller room.

“Lancelot” she called, a short round man turned around, he had white hair and a green beard, his brows were pink and he had a sword nestling close to his hip.

Sigh, that's where he gets the name.

I was embarrassed on behalf of the male gender, this Lancelot man was an abomination to his species.

“Sylvie my darling, I thought you left?” he asked, giving Elsie and me a welcoming but suspicious look.

“Oh I did, but then I ran into old friends and they seem to want to be customers of yours” she smiled before walking over to him.

She ran her hand down his back and he shuddered at her touch, instantly irritating me.

“How am I sure they aren't cops Sylvie, You know I have to be careful who I let into the joint, boss’s orders” he replied, shooting me an intimidating glare, I kept my eyes on him.

He looked back at Sylvie, “No cops Lancelot, they are old friends they just want to you know…. Vybe” she chuckled.

“Fine, even if I wanted to I can't at the moment, we have a trackstar on our hands” he said.

Sylvie gasped, “Really?” Her eyes darted between mine and Elsie's.

Lancelot nodded and pointed towards an inner chamber.

“What the hell is a trackstar?” Elsie asked, I was just as curious, I didn't think this was an athletic club.

“A trackstar is a junkie who cooked” Sylvie laughed, “what?” Elsie asked in confusion before looking inside the dark chamber.

“Who is the trackstar this time?” Sylvie asked, “Nettie,” Lancelot replied.

“Nettie always had problems, What happened this time?” Sylvie asked.

“Terry threw her out, she and her kids, she asked for some money to buy I couldn't give her, I just couldn't so she stole the key to the chamber and she's locked in, she's cooked in there” he explained.

Sylvie sighed before shaking her head, “ I knew Terry was trouble, we warned her” Sylvie nodded, so how do we get her out?” I asked.

Lancelot turned to me, his stare intense, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

“She’s in there with the Vybe but there’s something else there I can't let anyone else? Get their hands on” he started.

“And what the hell is it?” Elsie asked.

“I've got an arsenal in there,” he confessed.

“Why? Why the hell would you have an arsenal in there Lancelot” I asked wide-eyed.

For a crack joint, it didn't look like much from the outside, but with his confession, something else was going on.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“That's none of your business but if you want Vybe you are going to have to go in there and get it yourself” he finished with a small smile.

He was up to something, something other than selling Vybe.

I turned to Elsie who had positioned her pleading eyes, “No, let's get out of here it's not worth it” I stated.

She pulled me aside, “I have to get my hands on it, Theo please” she pleaded.

“Elsie, do you know how crazy you sound? We can't go there? Stuck inside a fucking chamber with no escape, an armed junkie on the loose? This was a bad idea from the get-go, so we are leaving” I replied.

“No,” she replied sharply.

“What?” I exclaimed, and she pressed her mouth into an annoyed pout.

She turned to Lancelot, “I'm going to need that sword of yours, because I'm going to Guinevere myself into that place, and Mr Angry face here will be my Merlin” I sighed in surrender, I ran my hand down my hair.

Elsie smiled with satisfaction, she reached for Lancelot’s sword but I took it from him in time.

“Tell me, weird-looking man, is there another way inside this chamber?”