Chasing Fate (Sentinel & Guide)

Chapter 20

  The stress of the day led to Jack committing the most cardinal of sins. He let his phone battery die out before his mother could call him.

By the time they filed their reports with the police, the NOGS, and about eight other government entities, they were driven three hours out of Bent Valley to a city just large enough to give them some anonymity.

It was ten at night, his usual high caloric intake had not even been scratched by the sandwich and juice they'd brought in for lunch, and he was bone tired from the constant spiking adrenaline. Even a fight day wasn't this grueling. At least now he and his guide were sequestered in a sentinel-friendly hotel suite for the night. They'd be on the first plane to _____ in the morning in a private jet supplied by the governor himself.

He'd barely plugged his phone in when it immediately began to buzz and ring off the hook with missed messages, the majority of which were from his mother. She'd seen the news then.

He clicked return call and she picked up on the first ring.

"SIGFRIED JAMES HAMMOND" was screamed loud enough that even Fate could hear it, looking up from where she'd stopped to take off her jacket.

"Mom I'm sorry!"he immediately tried to explain, only to be bowled over by a screech.

"Don't you 'Mom I'm Sorry'! I've been calling you ALL. DAY. What sort of son did I raise who IGNORES his MOTHER?"

"Mom I didn'-"

"HUSH! I should disown you! How is it I hear my only son is bonded through TMZ! Tee-Ehm-ZEE Sigfried! I get up this morning expecting a call or at least a text from you and what do I have? Bridget (Eliza's daughter, you've met her she's in my youth group) texts me the link to your bonding! It's all over the news and you can't tell your own mother? I carried you in me for nine-months and this is how you repay- "

"Mom-"
"Don't you interrupt me! I am sorry for your poor guide having to put up with such a hardheaded lump of a man like you for the rest of her God-given life. Oh how is she doing, the dear? I remember how overwhelming it was when I first bonded with your father, and that was a quite affair. Her name's Lafayette right? Her pictures cute, but when will you two be home so I can meet her directly? The whole clan is so excited you know-"

Jack let out a long suffering sigh as his mother droned on. He did feel guilty, but it had all slipped his mind. He only wanted to make sure that he and his guide were secure, get some food, and settle in to reinforce the bond before they had to face the world.

His mom was yelling loud enough that even Fate could hear it. Jack felt a ping of amusement as she went to sit on the couch and pretend she wasn't eavesdropping. Good, he'd rather she laugh at his expense than cry anymore.

It took half an hour for his mother to wind down and let his father on the line. Sigfried III didn't waste much time, understanding his frame of mind much better and letting him off the hook after only a mild scolding. Jack's ears were on fire by the time he hung up. He knew he still needed to call his agent and update his fans, but for the next hour he just wanted to be a civilian sentinel. With a click on his phone he pulled up a familiar app and pulled up the room service menu, loading it with his usual high protein dinner.

Across the room he could hear the gurgling of an empty stomach that would be silent to a null.

"What would you like for dinner?"

"I'm not really-" Fate remembered who she was speaking to, a sentinel who had probably known she was running on empty longer than she had, "I'm not really picky. Just.. something light "

She didn't turn to face him even once, curling further into the couch as she tapped on her phone. She did that a lot, curled up into small corners as far away as she could from anyone else, avoided eye contact and spoke while looking down at her hands. She wore a high-collared jacket and kept it zipped with the most practiced ease.

As a man raised in military and fighting circles he'd seen the same bearing countless times shining out of the eyes of spouses, children, lovers. Sometime in her past she'd been abused.

He wasn't sure when, but it did a lot ot explain her antagonism to sentinels. He could make it easy and access her NOGS file, as her legally (hah) bonded sentinel he could request it from the department, even the sealed portion.

It didn't sit right with him to snoop any further into her business than she let him. Sure, they were bonded, but she was still a person, a grown adult with her own life before he'd come crashing in. Just because he coudl feel her emotions didn't mean he had a right to all of her secrets.

As he casually added items to the meal, he vowed he would earn back whatever trust she'd lost in sentinels.