Mike Stone jerked awake and struggled to draw air into his lungs. He closed his eyes as the sound of children screaming echoed over and over before fading with the images that still haunted him. “Just a nightmare,” he muttered. He was in California, not Mubi. The rattling of his cell phone against his nightstand dragged his thoughts from the painful memories. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he picked it up and read the single word on the display: Protect. He adjusted the pillow under his head and waited for the rest of the assignment. In the pre-dawn darkness outside his window the Pacific Ocean crashed into the sand. His standing sunrise date with a long run on the sand and then a cruise of the waves on his surfboard was cancelled. Well, hell. He sat up and rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck. A shower and a bottle of cola would have to suffice today. Moments later the picture came through along with the primary background on the new client.
