"I don't know what you are expecting to find. It's not like I'm in the witness protection program or anything. I told you, I've been exposed to several different styles of martial arts, and I have lots of brothers. All I did was immobilize two girls who were cat fighting. No big deal."
"The boyfriend took a swing at you that would have cold cocked most men, and you just shook it off.
Oh yeah, she'd forgotten about that, but maybe he'd seen it an angle. "It was a glancing blow, looked worse than it was, I saw it coming and moved my head. Another split second and I'd have moved it enough to keep from getting hit at all. Still, I managed to move enough that he didn't really get that much impact."
"But that's the point, you immobilized two people and still had enough focus to dodge a third person's fist coming at your face."
"Ranger, I don't know what you want me to say. You want me to admit that I can hold my own in a fight? Okay, I officially admit it: I can hold my own in a fight. But that doesn't mean that I used to be an international spy and now I'm hiding out in Chattanooga and then you came along and accidentally found me."
Abbot, I need you to call Aaron Drake, find out if he's going to hire this guy, and if so how long it will be before he tells him about supernaturals. I think we may need to tell him something before he leaves. Either that or mojo him so he won't go digging into my past and trying to see if I used to be an international spy or something.
He's still curious about how you managed to immobilize him the other night?
Yeah, and then there was a small incident at TBR tonight that I helped Mike handle. Nothing major, I handled both girls while Mike handled a boyfriend that jumped into the mix... but, it's got him convinced all over again that I've had some sort of training and that there must be something I'm not telling them.
Okay, I'll call Aaron.
Kendra played Eric in the next game of pool and beat him, which meant she got to play Ranger again. She decided to let Ranger win, so he was playing a game with Eric when Abbot walked in with Aaron and Nathan.
Kendra saw them and said "Aaron, Nathan, it is good to see both of you. It's been a long time."
Aaron smiled, "Hi Kendra, it's good to see you, lovely as always. Abbot and I handled all of the necessities when we first moved to town, of course, but we haven't had need of much else until now. Is there somewhere we can take Ranger to talk?"
Ranger looked from Kendra to Aaron, and then back to Kendra. "Wait, Kendra, you know Aaron and Nathan? Why didn't you speak up about this last night? And, does this mean I was right about you?"
"No Ranger, it does not mean you were right. I am not in your line of business, I have not had the kind of formal training you think I have had. However, there is some information you don't have, and I guess that Aaron and Nathan are about to supply you with that information."
As she said the last part she looked at Aaron with a question so he answered. "If you can show us to somewhere private to speak with Ranger then Abbot can fill you in on things out here."
"Of course."
She took them back to the office and then went back to Abbot and Eric.
What's going on Abbot? If they tell Ranger of werewolves and werelions then Ranger will know something Eric won't know about. And Eric still won't be able to talk to Ranger about the fact that I'm a vampire. Or, is Aaron going to tell him of shifters and vampires all at once?
He's going to tell him of shifters in general and Nathan will demonstrate by partially turning into a lion and then coming back to human. He will tell him there are other supernatural beings as well, and that he'll find out about them on a need to know basis. I have given him permission to admit that you are a supernatural with strength and speed much faster than a human. Aaron will do whatever it is he does that will keep Ranger from sharing the secret, they don't call it binding, I'm not sure exactly what they do, but it works. We are going to tell Eric that Ranger is going to be told of supernatural beings, but not vampires specifically. He will have permission to speak of you as a supernatural being, but not as a vampire.
That's going to put the two of them in kind of a tough spot, Abbot. It's almost setting them up to fail.
There is no way around it right now. I'm not comfortable with Ranger knowing our secret until he is living in my territory. He still belongs to the government now, and I've never felt comfortable with an enlisted man knowing our secret. To add to it, Aaron isn't comfortable with Eric knowing of shifters until he can spend some time with him.
What if Ranger doesn't accept the job? Aaron won't have as much control over him, will he? Or does their binding process work different?
If he doesn't accept the job then Aaron will make him forget, and in the process will put the suggestion in that he isn't interested in your history, and that he thinks you are good for Eric and is glad Eric seems to be so happy with you.