Changing of the Guard

Davin Ross stood in front of the mirror in his apartment, examining his reflection. He was critical of the way he looked in a suit and tie. He had spent nearly a decade in uniform, on assignment to guard one US embassy or another, occasionally providing a secure escort to dignitaries and other visiting VIPs. He’d left the military two years prior when his option to reenlist coincided with the sudden death of his father.

His parents were childhood sweethearts from the same Alabama town, their families attending the same church since the reconstruction era. Inseparable all their lives, his father had worked hard to build a reputation for his business, providing a comfortable life for his family.

Handling the funeral had been the easy part, much to Davin's surprise. Loathing the idea of failure, he'd spent over a year trying to run his father’s business, but six months ago, his mother had gently said, "I don't expect you to fill his shoes. No one does."

The dissolution of Ross Electric Solutions meant Davin could find a job more in step with his skillset. Today, he started as Deputy Chief of Security for the Alignment Foundation, a global charitable organization.

He felt qualified for the position and had been hired within hours of his interview, but was still adjusting to civilian life and hoped he would fit in. Nerves.

Having dry-run the commute once a week since finding out his start date, Davin pulled into the parking garage adjacent to the 22 story building that would be his new workplace exactly 15 minutes before his 7:30 AM report time.

“Hey man, uh, Ross is it?”

The voice had come from over his shoulder as he strode from his car toward the stairwell. He turned to see a smiling man in a suit similar to his own. “Yeah, I remember when you came in to interview. Davin was it?”

Davin nodded and returned the smile, extending his hand formally.

“I’m Arthur Rich. I’m leaving early today, but usually, you’ll see me on your way in. It’s all quiet right now except Drake coming in unannounced.”

“Drake? As in--” Davin started.

“Yeah, the head honcho. I didn’t see him, but I heard he’s here with his whole team today. Very out of the ordinary. I’m sure he’ll want to meet you.”

Suddenly Davin felt like he was running late. “Rich, nice to meet you. Thanks for the heads up!”

Before Rich could reply, the stairwell door was swinging closed, and Davin had descended the first flight of stairs.

Moments later, he glanced at his watch in the harsh brightness of the morning sun, exiting the dimly lit enclosed garage. 7:21. His plan to be early was blown, but if he hustled, he could make it to his desk on time.

He quickened his pace and looked up from his watch just a second too late, slamming into the flow of foot traffic crossing between the elaborate fountain in front of the building and the massive topiaries lining the street.

“I’m sorry--”

“It’s fine! I’m just...I dropped everything.” A woman with curly auburn hair was gathering sheets of paper from the sidewalk. “I can put them in order later.”

A kid, maybe 9 or 10, in a school uniform, was picking up his books from the ground. Painfully aware of the numerous surveillance cameras pointed in his direction, Davin rushed to help both the woman and the child collect their belongings, apologizing profusely.

When everyone was back on their feet, and the sidewalk was cleared of debris, he apologized again and darted toward the main entrance.

He was just reaching his desk at 7:28 when Giselle Broughton, the Director of Security, stepped into his office to welcome him.

“Davin. Good to see you. Please feel free to settle in. I would treat you to lunch on your first day, but we’ll have to raincheck that, as we have VIPs in the building today.”

“Thanks. I understand. I met Rich on my way in.”

“Wonderful. Rich will be a great asset to you. He’s a good guy. Anyway, I’ll be heading up to the c-suites. We’ll touch base.”

She spun on her heel, her long, dark braids swinging behind her as she disappeared down the hall toward the private elevators.

Davin’s desk phone rang almost immediately. He touched the screen to pick up the call.

“Hi. I don’t know your name, but I know you said you were new, so…”

“Who is this?”

“You bumped into me this morning. You said it was your first day and you were rushing. Well, you muttered it really. I had to go through three receptionists to get to you. But I’m pretty sure you’re the right guy.”

“Yes. Right guy.” Davin relaxed a bit before asking, “Is something the matter?”

“I am missing a book. A very important book. I had it before we collided.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe someone else picked it up by mistake.”

“Unfortunately that book is irreplaceable to me. I need to have it back as soon as possible.”

“I mean, I wish I could help, but--”

“I am willing to pay you $10,000 for returning the book to me. It’s that important.”

“Maybe I could check the surveillance footage and see where it might have ended up.”

The woman on the other end of the line left a number where she could be reached and emphasized the urgency of the matter once more.

Davin was standing behind his desk weighing his opinion on the validity of her offer, the possible logistical challenges of tracking down an item like that, and what might make it so valuable. He was pondering the ethical repercussions when he thought of what $10,000 would mean to his mother.

It was worth risking slight embarrassment in front of his colleagues if they caught him reviewing the footage of his rare act of clumsiness. He headed for the main surveillance room.

After the third viewing, he made out himself handing a small black book that had, unbeknownst to him, skidded away from the curly-haired lady’s shoulder bag when she dropped it on impact, to the kid in the school uniform as he gathered up a stack of larger books.

It was a dead end. There’s no way he was going to find a random little boy in a city this large. He sent a copy of the video to his email anyway. Maybe the woman on the phone---they hadn’t even exchanged names, this must be a scam---would want proof that he didn’t keep it himself.

He had been pleasantly surprised to find the camera room unmanned, so he made sure to slip out before that changed. He was happy to avoid any awkward explanations.

Upon returning to his desk, his cell phone buzzed.

Director Broughton: Can you come to my office?

Davin’s heart was in his throat. He felt his face flush. He wondered if he had already violated policy, or if his slinking up and down the hallway had distracted him from an urgent task that was his actual reason for being here.

His feelings of embarrassment and alarm were only increasing as he stepped into his boss’s office four minutes later.

Director Broughton was at her desk wrapping up a phone call and motioned for Davin to have a seat.

He was not eager to settle in if he was about to be reprimanded. He was used to taking correction standing, after all, but obliged when he saw a trace of a smile.

As she spoke, he glanced around her office. He shifted his gaze from the plaques and awards on the wall behind her to the family photos on her desk. He froze.

That’s the kid.

“Ross. How’s it going? I had a little break before lunch and I wanted to make sure you’re meeting folks and getting settled in. It’s quiet around here most Fridays. That’s why I had you come in today. It’s a great time to get a lay of the land without too much interruption.”

Davin wondered if the relief was obvious in his facial expression.

“It has been quiet. That explains it. So far, so good. Is this your family?”

“It is. I was actually just on with my son. I let him walk to school on his own this morning. It’s his first day with a cell phone. He called to remind me about soccer practice after school so I won’t be worried---or worse, show up”, she laughed fondly. “As you can see, he’s pretty into it.”

“Really? I used to play at his age. Those were really fun years.”

“Maybe you’ll get to meet him sometime. Give him some tips. I’m no help, but we are enjoying the season.”

“Sure. I’d be glad to.”

“ Well, I better get back upstairs for this luncheon. I’ll see you again before we head out?”

“Sounds good.”

Davin spent some time at his desk replaying the recording of Reid Broughton from the security footage. He watched him gathering the books and gratefully beaming up at Davin when he handed him the last few. He looked up the school from the crest on his uniform. It was just a couple of blocks away.

He decided at 3:15 to take a walk. He arrived at the field behind the school just as the kids in soccer kits began to file out of the building one or two at a time. He spotted Reid and strode over, glancing around for an adult.

“Hey! I know you from this morning.”

“Hi. Yeah. I was wondering if you would remember. I work with your mom at Aligned.” Davin showed the child his badge and smiled. Just then, a coach called Reid over to him.

He returned with his backpack in tow. “He wanted to know who you were. I told him you were probably here for this.” He handed the book to Davin.

“I found it in class.”

“Thanks. That’s exactly what I came for. Someone called about it, and I want to make sure she gets it back.”

Reid smiled, “Cool. Gotta go.” He was off to huddle with his team before Davin could say another word.

On the walk back, he tucked the book inside his jacket pocket and called to report that he found it. The as-yet-unnamed woman thanked him graciously and offered to meet him at his office within the hour to retrieve it.

He bumped into Director Broughton in the hall.

“Deputy Ross, can you come with me?”

“Sure” he replied, following her toward the private elevators.

This felt intensely formal. Nerves again.

As the elevator doors opened on the executive floor, they stepped out to applause.

The curly-haired woman from that morning was standing in the center of the semi-circle, flanked by the CFO, COO, and other leadership.

“Cordelia Drake” the woman said, stepping forward and firmly shaking his hand.

“Deputy Ross, Ms. Drake will be stepping up as CEO starting Monday” Director Broughton offered over his shoulder.

“And, if you’ll agree to it, you’ll be starting as my personal Chief of Security”

“Me? I just---”

“I’ve reviewed your resume. I’ll be traveling extensively in the coming months and would like someone with your experience leading my new team. I hope you don’t mind the exercise today. I needed to know you could be trusted to be discreet, ethical, and strategic. You executed without causing any harm or telling any lies. That’s crucial to me.”

Davin was unsure how to take what Ms. Drake was saying. As he realized everyone in the room had been “in” on his test, he remembered the book and handed it over. Cordelia flipped through the pages to show they were blank.

“I won’t pressure you to answer right now, but I’ll tell you a $20,000 bonus has been sent to your bank account. We’re glad to have you on the team, Davin, whatever you decide. Welcome aboard.”