Alan watched her head to her room with only a twinge of envy. Thereâ€™d be no sleep for him, there was way too much to do to insure he knew all of the people who would be attending this event. He dropped his pack on the table in front of the couch and sat at the edge of the couch. Pulling his terminal link out of his bag he clicked a button and a screen sprang from the small black cube. His hand reached up moving though the screens of the terminal showing him updates from his home planet and updates from his team. Placing his mobile link in his ear he conference called his team. Their images appearing on the screen before him.<br/><br/>â€œRajas, Soren, Axas.â€ He greeted them in their code names keeping his voice low as he spoke. â€œAre you settled? If not this can wait.â€ Sarah shook her head and looked at him.<br/><br/>â€œWeâ€™re good, Alexander. What are our assignments?â€<br/><br/>â€œRajas, I want you in the network. Look though the security footage and find out how the hell these people are getting to her. I want answers and I want them yesterday. Soren, find any and all blind spots in the existing security protocolâ€™s, cameras, guard routes, every crack and hole in a wall that could be compromised I want a report on. Axas, find me any terrorist groups that match the methods of the one Iâ€™m currently working against.  I want to know who these guys are, while youâ€™re at it get me a list of anyone whoâ€™s got a grudge against the royal family and screen them.â€<br/><br/>The three of them nodded but it was Aku who spoke up. â€œAlexander, what are you going to be doing?â€ Alan smirked and leaned back against the couch.<br/><br/>â€œIâ€™ll be preforming background checks on everyone who will be attending a large political event tomorrow. You guys will be watching though the cameras and reporting anything to me that seems suspicious. Alright youâ€™re dismissed Iâ€™ll be on link.â€ Sarah and Ren vanished but Aku lingered his face enlarged on Alans screen. â€œAxas?â€ He asked watching the others face.<br/><br/>â€œAlexander, will you be alright? Iâ€™ve got a bad feeling about this job.â€ Aku looked away from the screen as if he couldnâ€™t make eye contact with Alan.<br/><br/>â€œAxasâ€¦ Iâ€™ll be fine. Itâ€™ll take more than this to do me serious harm.â€ Alan wasnâ€™t sure where this was coming from but Aku wasnâ€™t prone to random bouts of paranoia, something was clearly bothering him.<br/><br/>â€œIt concerns me, Alexander that we arenâ€™t together on this mission. We always are there to carry them out with you, and you with us. No one there has your back. Youâ€™re in jeopardy every moment youâ€™re there. I donâ€™t like it.â€ Akuâ€™s voice was light but as he looked back at Alan; there was something that looked like fear in his eyes.<br/><br/>â€œAxas, Iâ€™ll be fine. The worst they can do is gossip about me. Iâ€™m not fearful of that. But, I need you guys out in the city. The best way to keep all of us alive is to make sure no one knows Iâ€™m here. If we can keep it that way thereâ€™ll be very few blasters leveled at my head. Just help me as best you can from out there, Axas.â€ The other nodded looking at Alan seriously.<br/><br/>â€œKeep yourself safe, Alexander. Iâ€™m in no mood to take your job.â€ He paused for a moment and then smiled. â€œBrothers till the bitter end right?â€<br/><br/>â€œOf course, brother. Now go do your job and let me do mine.â€ Aku cut the feed but Alan could tell that something was still bothering him. Aku got feelings sometimes, and most of the time those feelings were right. If this was one of those moments Alan needed to tread with care. One misstep and he could be nothing more than a memory. Something deep was at work here, something that he couldnâ€™t see.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Just keep your eyes open and pay attention. Worrying about it is definitely a way to get yourself killed. </span><br/><br/>Alan leaned back and pulled his sunglasses off rubbing the bridge between his eyes and looking at a spot on the wall for a moment before replacing them and pulling up the list of guests for the next nightâ€™s events. He cracked his knuckles and leaned forward again going through the records of each of the guests. Alan didn't move from that spot for hours before his eyes protested and he rose to walk about the room and stretch for a few minutes before sitting once again eyes focused on the screen, fingers of his left hand twitching in front of him moving the screen when he needed too, while his right drummed a steady rhythm on his thigh.