Protective Shadows (The Protective Series, Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

[Asko's P.O.V]

Dozens of applications were scattered across the table, amongst the empty trash from the McDonalds lunch we'd had, deciding to take a break halfway through. So far, most of the papers we'd read hadn't been satisfactory. The applicants sounded like they just wanted glamour and fame, without knowing it was a drummer we needed, and not someone who could play the bagpipes or triangle. It would have been funny, if they weren't absolutely one hundred percent serious.

I was halfway towards the path of sleep, when Jarmo nudged me hard in the side. I snorted, snapping my eyes open and stretching my arms above my head, groaning in relief when my neck cracked. I must have fallen asleep on an uncomfortable angle, considering the side of my face had been resting against my folded arms when I'd begun to drift off. I bent down beneath the coffee table, lifting up the cap of my bottle, and downed a few long gulps, adding some moisture to my dry mouth and throat.

"So as I was saying," the young adult male on the other side of the screen said, flicking his shoulder-length auburn waves over his shoulder. "I think I would make a good fourth member of Protective Services because I've followed you guys right from the start, and I know every lyric to every one of your songs."

Jarmo scribbled down notes in front of his Lenovo laptop, his eyes glancing up to the screen during second intervals just to ensure that the guy was still on the line with us. Rubbing at my weary eyes and yawning, I decided to grab a notepad from my back pack and also jot down what he was saying, even if he turned out like the other hundred or so we had spoken to up until this point and was unable to fit the bill we wanted.

"Look, we don't want to sound rude," Jarmo sighed, "but we don't care how long you've been a fan, or what songs you know better than others. We need someone who is good on a drumkit, and someone who will uphold our beliefs and views, and someone who will go out of their way to protect the world's population from being hurt, or killed."

Ryan shifted on the other side of the screen, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. He had painted his nails black, contrasting his pale complexion. His blue eyes were darkened in the dull light cast by his nearby bedside lamp, emphasising his white t-shirt. His bedroom was neat and orderly, with a pile of freshly dried clothes folded neatly at the foot of his double bed.

"No, like, I get that," he smiled, folding his arms atop of the wooden desk on his end. "But I'm just saying, you wouldn't need to train me as much as you would a lot of other people, cause I live and breathe every dance move you guys have ever come up with."

Jarmo closed his eyes briefly, choosing to reopen them when he turned his face towards me. Anxiety and sadness lined his face, and I could tell that he was missing Jed just about as much as I was, or maybe a slight fraction less, considering Jed held graver, deeper meaning in the bottom of my heart.

"Maybe we should just stick with the three of us," I exhaled, taking another swig from my water bottle. "We all know each other like the backs of our hands, and if we got in another member, who we know next to nothing about, it would be pretty awkward for a while there."

Jarmo narrowed his lips into a firm line, idly twirling his blue ballpoint pen through the gaps of his fingers. "We all agreed, in the beginning, that it was all of us, or none at all. And if one of us died, the group would falter. So, why are we still trying, when we know it's pointless?"

"We'll call you," I said, averting my gaze to Ryan. He looked down at the iPhone in his lap, tapping his thumbs alternatively across the cracked screen. "You should get a response within a day or two, maybe three at the most."

"Alright, cool beans." he murmured, leaning forward on his side of the screen and switching off the webcam attached to his monitor. A low pop sound was heard, and then Jarmo and I were gazing at a blank screen, displaying the call history between Jarmo's account and Ryan's.