Nick replied, exasperated, "No way—where would I get the nerve for that? If Dye found out, he'd tear me a new one."
"It's like this: the company has blown up lately, and we're attracting some unwanted attention. I wanted to reach out to the military and see if I could hire some retired or discharged vets to beef up our security."
"Blown up? Talk about an understatement, kid." Director Kai laughed over the line. "Look, helping veterans find work is a noble cause. Why don't you just call the local VA or a recruitment center?"
Nick chuckled. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't be bugging you. You know the kind of players we're up against—ordinary security can't handle them. I need guys with high-level skills and real-world experience. Don't worry about the payroll; the compensation will be top-tier. I'm going to make sure they're well taken care of."
"I believe you on that," Director Kai said, his voice softening. He paused for a second. "How many boots on the ground are we talking about?"
Nick grinned. "Let's start with a squad. If that doesn't cut it, I'll ask for reinforcements."
"Get out of here! Are you starting a private militia? 'Start with a squad'?" Director Kai barked, though he sounded amused.
Nick laughed sheepishly. "Just twelve or thirteen guys. That's all I can swing for now."
"Don't give me that. You're rolling in it now—you can afford a dozen guys." Director Kai teased him, then got down to business. "Alright, I'll put feelers out. When do you need them? Is this a 'yesterday' kind of situation?"
"It's urgent. Extreme priority. You might not have heard, but last night, the cops caught three suspicious characters lurking around the perimeter. The whole office is on edge. We've had to pull people into twenty-four-hour shifts starting today," Nick said, cranking up the drama.
Director Kai sounded surprised. "It's gotten that bad?"
"If it weren't a crisis, I wouldn't be begging for favors," Nick said with a heavy sigh.
Director Kai frowned. "Alright, I'll move some mountains for you today. Keep your head down, Nick. These people are definitely tracking you. If things get hairy, don't try to be a hero. Safety first."
"I hear you. Thanks, Director," Nick said.
"Yeah, yeah. Talk soon."
As soon as the line went dead, Nick breathed a massive sigh of relief. The situation wasn't nearly as dire as he'd made it out to be, but he knew he needed to light a fire under Director Kai to get results.
After a moment's thought, he dialed Arnold's number.
It didn't even ring twice before a low, gravelly voice answered: "Hello."
"Hey, Captain Arnold. It's Nick."
"I know who it is. What's up?" Arnold's voice was as cold and flat as a slab of granite.
Nick cleared his throat. "So, last night, three guys were caught prowling the grounds. The patrol officers picked them up."
"I'm aware. And?" Arnold asked.
Man, this guy is exhausting, Nick thought.
He decided to stop beating around the bush. "Look, the office park guards and the local PD—and your team, of course—have been doing a lot of heavy lifting lately. We want to stand up our own internal security force. It'll give us better protection and hopefully take some of the load off your plate. I wanted to get your take on it."
"Sure. Better than nothing, I guess." Arnold sounded completely unimpressed, his tone bordering on disdain.
Nick felt a vein throb in his forehead and almost hung up right then. But he reminded himself he was the one asking for a favor. He needed to be the bigger person.
"We know most 'security firms' out there are just guys in uniforms with flashlights," Nick explained. "That's why I've asked the leads at the Air Force research institute to help us source elite veterans."
On the other end of the line, Arnold's tone shifted. The disdain vanished, replaced by professional focus. "Using military vets is a smart move. It would definitely lighten our load."
Nick jumped on the opening. "You guys have been working so hard for us. We wanted to send over some thanks, but honestly, we couldn't even find where your team is stationed."
"If you could find us, we wouldn't be very good at our jobs," Arnold said with a rare hint of pride. Then his voice took on a slightly salty edge. "Hot tea, catered meals, designer parkas, and leather gloves... you really spared no expense for everyone else's comfort."
Nick winced, hearing the blatant jealousy. "Hey, that was just to show some appreciation! It's the dead of winter and you guys are out there in the elements for our sake. Everyone's been putting in the work."
"Including our guys in the Security Department," Nick continued, "who probably have it the toughest. We're putting together a big New Year's care package. We're planning to bring a drumline and some local news crews to visit the departments, drop off supplies, and present some 'Thank You' banners. I was going to have them stop by your place to make a big scene of it."
"Don't you dare!" Arnold growled. In his line of work, being low-key was life or death. They were supposed to be ghosts.
But as he opened his mouth to give Nick a piece of his mind, he thought about those care packages. He thought about the "New Year's goods." His team worked a high-stakes, high-danger job, but their pay was modest at best. They did it for the mission, not the money.
He thought about the guards and cops he'd seen through his binoculars—warm, well-fed, and decked out in high-end gear. His nose felt a little tight. Just a few hundred yards away, his team of young guys were huddled in the shadows, rubbing frozen hands together and breathing into their collars to stay warm.
Their job required them to be invisible. While the patrol officers were sipping hot tea, his guys were lucky if they could find some boiling water for a cup of noodles. Most of them hadn't been home or had a day off in months.
Accepting a little "public gratitude" wouldn't break any regulations, as long as it was handled right.
"Skip the drumline and the cameras," Arnold said gruffly. "Just get the supplies ready. I'll have someone come pick them up."
"Done. Consider it handled." Nick smiled. Once people start taking your gifts, they're much more likely to do you a favor.
Before he could even pitch his next request, Arnold cut to the chase. "Spit it out. What else do you want?"
"Hehe, nothing major," Nick laughed sheepishly. "It's just... these vets have the training, but they've never done corporate security. I was wondering if I could borrow two of your guys to help train them up?"