Chapter 49: Andreza

When I finally left Aunt Jenna’s house an hour later, I had just settled into the seat of my minivan when I got a text alert on the iPhone telling me to head to the Hyatt Regency in Steiners Ranch. Andreza was following me the whole way. Once there, she checked into a two-bedroom suite on the top floor. After she got her luggage, I grabbed my backpack and followed her up to her rooms.

“That was pretty amazing,” she observed after we had settled on the couches in the living room between the two bedrooms. “If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, it would be even harder to believe.”

“Yeah,” I replied as I just shrugged my shoulders. I really didn’t know what to say to that.

“I mean, I read your file on the plane this morning, but it all sounded so incredible, I guess my mind just dismissed most of it. But now, I am fascinated. Will you tell me more about yourself and all you can do?” she asked.

“Hang on just a minute,” I said as I pulled up the iPhone and snapped a picture. Then I sent it to Reggie with a question mark. Thirty seconds later, my iPhone rang.

“That’s your new bodyguard,” he said immediately. “I would guess that if you’re talking to her, something happened. Put me on speaker.”

I did and he said hello to Andreza and asked her what happened. She quickly recounted my afternoon and why she had revealed herself to me. Then she explained that she had invited me back to her hotel to begin learning about me.

“Okay, Daniel. Andreza’s your new bodyguard. She’s been with the Foundation for more than a dozen years and is very good. Work with her,” he instructed. “And don’t go ditching her and running off. She will find you and probably hurt you if you do that to her. Let her do her job and go about your life there for now. We’re getting closer to finding out what’s going on. Just keep doing what you’re doing and take it easy for a while.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“And Daniel, since Andreza’s there, I’m not coming back on Monday. She can handle everything. Also, Cynthiana suggested that you work on your golf game and call your mom and do a little damage control. Do you need anything else?”

“I think I’m okay,” I said hesitantly.

“You might also call Carina. She’s really worried about you. But use your other cell phone,” he said as he hung up.

Then for the second time that day, I told my story. Except this time, I included much more detail.

We took a break and ordered room service, and then I answered more questions before finally begging off around nine o’clock.

“I have to be at work before six in the morning,” I explained. Then I explained my job to her. “Reggie felt it was probably safe, so you don’t need to follow me all day,” I told her. “I get off at three and will come back here.” We had already discussed staying at the Hyatt until Monday.

Then I made my way to bed feeling pretty drained.

The Hyatt didn’t begin serving breakfast until six, but the attendant felt sorry for me and fixed me up with a pastry, an apple, and a large cup of coffee at five-thirty. I never noticed the Mercedes-Maybach trailing me from a distance.

There was a Ladies Club Tournament today and it was chaos when I walked into the maintenance shop that morning. Once Steve saw me, he had me going with Randy to move the pins on the last six holes (number thirteen through eighteen). Then it was cleaning all the golf course bathrooms and finally, following behind the last tournament group and filling divots. I’ll say this, those ladies can sure tear up a golf course.

At the end of the day, Steve approached me and asked if I could work late tomorrow (Sunday).

“No problem,” I told him.

“Good. Don’t bother to come in until eight tomorrow morning and I’ll try to get you out of here by five,” he told me and then went on to speak with someone else.

I made it back to the Hyatt by three-thirty, still failing to notice the Mercedes Maybach trailing me the whole way, and headed straight to the shower.

“Hurry! We have to be somewhere in less than thirty minutes,” Andreza said when she walked in the door moments later. I was in, and out, and dressed in fifteen minutes and followed Andreza down to the parking lot. Reggie had given her the Mercedes-Maybach, so we headed out in style.

“Where are we going?” I asked her.

“Just stick with me,” she said with a grin. “Cynthiana has a surprise for you.”

We turned in to Central Texas Golf Cart Company right at four o’clock. One hour later, I was the proud owner of a Bintelli Beyond street-legal golf cart, fully loaded with LED lighting, a Bluetooth sound system, a reverse camera, hydraulic disc brakes, on-board smart charger, dual USB plugs, head lights, tail lights, turn signals, and a DOT windshield with wiper. It even came with seat belts!

Selecting the color took the longest time. I was partial to the black-on-black, while Andreza kept pushing for the white. She said the I would bake in the black one in the Texas sun. But it wasn’t until the owner rolled out a custom burnt orange and white Bintelli Beyond with Longhorn emblems on the sides and the word ‘Longhorns’ across the front that I got excited.

“That’s it!” I said enthusiastically when I saw it. Andreza just rolled her eyes. “See? It’s even got a white top!” I told her happily.

They said they would deliver it Monday afternoon, so Andreza and I headed to dinner at the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse. It was crowded, which was par for the course on a Saturday night, but the service was good and the steaks were divine!

After dinner, Andreza took me to the Walmart again to walk off our dinner and pick up supplies for the new house.

When we got back to the hotel, we transferred most of the stuff to my minivan so she could use the Mercedes tomorrow for more shopping.

I felt lazy staying in bed until seven on a Sunday morning, But I enjoyed it. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, I still got to the golf course before eight o’clock.

It was another busy day with great weather and weekend golfers crowding the course. I found out that Sundays were all about maintaining the course and keeping the golfers moving. I was Steve’s personal gofer today, running all over the course with supplies, parts, and messages for just about everyone. I did have to help Steve fix the sprinkler head again on fifteen, and got thoroughly drenched in the process. When we finally got back to the maintenance shop, Steve just sent me on home, even though it was only four o’clock.

“Go get yourself cleaned up and dried off. I’ll see you at six in the morning,” he told me.

Andreza had been shopping again and had to show me the sheets and towels she had purchased. She also had Thai carry-out and a bottle of wine for our dinner.

“I had forgotten how much fun it is to be a bodyguard,” she said as we lounged around on the sofas in the living room after dinner. “I’ve spent the last three years doing investigative work for the Foundation and sometimes, it can get really boring!”

Andreza was from São Paulo, Brazil. She had attended the University of São Paulo gaining a degree in Computer Sciences with a master’s degree in communications, and a specialty in Data Encryption. At thirty-eight, she had been working for the Foundation for thirteen years. She had never met Cynthiana, but had spoken with her several times. The latest was when Cynthiana called her yesterday and discussed getting me the golf cart. While Cynthiana had not told her directly that I was the heir to her position, I believe that she at least hinted at it.

Andreza admitted that she had been married in college, but the marriage fell apart when she accepted the position with the Foundation and moved to Zurich. Standing about five-foot-ten, I was guessing her weight around 130 to 140 pounds. She was a big girl, but didn’t appear to have an ounce of fat on her. I discovered that she worked out religiously, and was more than efficient with a whole group of weapons. I would probably call it deadly.

And her specialty was booby-traps. Both discovering them and setting them. She had been to most of the Foundation’s ‘Special Schools’ including a two year stint of bodyguarding that included two of the foundation’s directors.

When I got around to asking about her family, she became quiet and wouldn’t discuss it. I couldn’t even find out if she had any family at all.

Monday morning, I went to work at six, as usual. That was when I finally spotted the Mercedes-Maybach tailing me.

Andreza pulled up behind me in the employee parking lot and rolled down her window. “I wondered how long it would take you to spot me,” she said with a smile. “We’re going to have to start working on your survival skills.”

I just nodded and headed into the maintenance shop. I knew she was right.

It was a busy day of cleaning up from the weekend, and getting the course ready for a Division One tournament with Texas Tech and Baylor on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Andreza showed up at lunchtime with my new golf cart and took my minivan home to unload at the new house. Of course, everybody had to come check out the new wheels. I just told everyone that it was a gift from a friend.

At quitting time, I stopped by the office to give Melinda my new address.

“Mom and Dad wanted me to invite you over for dinner one night this week,” she told me.

“Would it be okay if I bring a friend?” I asked.

“Male or female?” she shot back with a grin. When I told her it was a female, she seemed surprised.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m sure that will be fine.”

“Let me check out the schedule tonight and I’ll let you know tomorrow, okay?”

“Mom said any night but Friday would work,” Melinda told me. “Where did you say you got the new golf cart?”

“A friend got it for me,” I replied.

“The same friend you’re bringing to dinner?” she asked.

“Ah ... no,” I told her. She could tell I didn’t want to go there so she just told me she’d see me tomorrow.

I called Carina Monday night and gave her all my contact info, but it was 3:30 in the morning in Cannes and she was sleepy, so we didn’t talk long.

The week proceeded as usual with Andreza and I settling into the new house and me settling into my new job. Steve gave me Wednesday and Thursday off, but held me in reserve for Friday. I spent my time off using the driving range in the mornings and taking care of the miscellaneous details of living the rest of the time.

If Andreza was watching me at work, I never saw her. But I did tell her how much I appreciated her following me to and from work.

Andreza and I did go to the Henderson’s for dinner Wednesday night. We didn’t have a very good time as we had to keep tiptoeing around who Andreza was without using the word ‘bodyguard’.

Melinda also told me that Steve didn’t need me for Friday, so the next day I would work would be Saturday.

Later, Andreza spent some time on our new computer, showing me how to change my address with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and with the University of Texas. She also showed me how to go about registering and selecting my classes for summer semester.

As for calling my mom, I just kept putting it off. Although I did call Aunt Jenna to check on Emily. They were doing great and Emily had even gotten rid of her wheelchair and enrolled in fitness classes.

The next three weeks went by in a blur as Andreza and I settled into a routine. I found myself usually working four days a week and on my off days, Andreza and I would explore the Austin area. We took several days discovering the University of Texas-Austin campus, trying to locate as many of my potential class buildings as possible. We also visited the Blanton Art Museum and the Texas History Museum. I thought the Museum of Illusion was interesting, but Andreza wasn’t impressed.

Sometimes Andreza would make us a picnic lunch and we would explore some of the state parks near Austin. We both liked the Longhorn Cavern State Park and their Wild Cave Tour. Andreza seemed to enjoy the McKinney Falls State Park. She said it reminded her of a place she had visited at home, in Brazil, when she was growing up.

Throughout all this time, while we laughed, and talked, and even argued occasionally, I was never intimate with her. But I did grow to respect her and her abilities to keep us safe. Andreza was different from Reggie or the others in that she didn’t say we couldn’t go somewhere of do something because it was dangerous. She would just work out a way to make it happen, or in a couple of instances, she would suggest something better.

We even had dinner with Aunt Jenna and Emily and heard all about her new life, but I just never seemed to get around to calling my mom.

A thunderstorm knocked out the power during the night and so my alarm clock was blinking the wrong time when I finally awoke sometime after 8:00am Friday morning and realized that I was late. Of course, my day just went downhill from there.

I was supposed to have my new street-legal, orange and white, Longhorn golf cart back to the dealer today at 7:30am to take care of a few minor warranty issues.

Andreza had planned to follow me over there and then take me down to the main campus to meet with administrators about my high school transcripts and then to the cashier’s office about setting up my Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization, but it was still storming, so we decided to put off taking in the golf cart until next week. Then we piled in the Mercedes and headed for the main campus.

We were at the traffic light on Northland Drive, getting ready to take the entrance ramp to the MoPac Expressway when out of the blue, a late model SUV slammed on her brakes in the lane beside us and skidded through the intersection, hitting a pickup with Henry’s Lawn Care on the door, careening off of the pickup and hitting a power pole causing the transformer mounted on the pole to explode and the electric wires to fall on the SUV.

I was out of the Mercedes in a flash and running towards the SUV with Andreza close on my heels. I had seen a car seat in the back seat, but with the airbags deployed, it was difficult to see how many others might be in the crumpled automobile.

I could hear the small child crying in the car seat, but detected no other movement as I reached for the driver’s door.

“Wait!” screamed Andreza. “The wires!”

Too late, I suddenly noticed the wires that were dangling down on the hood of the SUV, causing sparks to fly each time the still moving wires touched the metal of the car.

Without really thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed the wire and pulled it away from the car, at the same time I told Andreza, “Quick! Get them out of there!”

Andreza froze as she looked at me. She knew there had to be a shit-load of electricity coursing through me and was having trouble understanding how I was still alive.

“Andreza!” I screamed. “Now! The car may blow any second!”

Andreza snapped out of her trance and went to work freeing the driver from her seat belt and dragging the still unconscious woman from the car. The guy from Henry’s Lawn Care was busy removing the crying child and moving her back to where Andreza had pulled the mother.

Another guy ran up with an umbrella and held it over Andreza and the woman while he talked to 911 on his smartphone. “Help’s on the way!” he told Andreza, as another woman approached her and explaining that she was a nurse, took over caring for the unconscious woman.

Andreza stood then and looked at me, standing in the pouring rain holding a power line. I could feel the electricity running through me, but it wasn’t hurting. However, I knew that if I let go, I would probably feel a massive shock. The thought ran through my mind that this was how they must have electrocuted people way back when they used that for the death sentence.

Finally, I had an idea and pulled some of the slack line towards me so that I could ground the end of the live wire into the ground stake at the foot of the demolished power pole.

“Get back!” I warned everyone. Then to myself, I counted down... 3... 2... 1 ... NOW! as I ground the exposed end of the power wire into the ground stake and quickly let go.