3. Isaac #2
The room became very quiet. Nico clicked again, and another photograph appeared. This one showed Logan talking to a production assistant while walking between trailers.
Again, the angle looked strange. For one, it was too high and far away.
"This one came from the tree line behind the northern equipment storage area."
Another click led to another image of Logan laughing with one of the stunt coordinators. Yet again, it was another impossible angle, and a location that should have been inaccessible.
A place someone shouldn't have been. A cold feeling settled low in my stomach. Beside me, Logan sat up a little straighter.
"Where did you find these?" Logan asked.
"Fan sites." Nico opened several browser windows which showed forums, discussion boards, and finally, social media pages. Thousands of comments flew past as he scrolled.
Most were exactly what I'd expected, excitement, speculation, and the usual celebrity chatter. Then Nico stopped scrolling.
"This account posted the first image,” Nico said.
A username appeared on screen. MoonlitHunter92. Another click and Nico showed me a different account, SilverElfForever. Then Nico showed us several more usernames from different platforms.
"These all belong to the same person," Nico finally said.
I looked at him sharply. "How do you know that?"
"The writing patterns match." He clicked another window open. "Same punctuation habits, posting times, image compression settings. Finally, same metadata signatures on uploaded photos."
Logan frowned. "So one person made multiple fan accounts?"
“Yes, here.” Nico then showed us more posts, where the comments became more alarmingly personal and specific.
He's smiling more lately.
Looks tired in this one.
Someone should make sure he's eating properly.
I think blue is his favorite color.
He always touches his watch when he's nervous.
I wonder if he still drinks coffee with two sugars.
A chill crawled slowly down my spine, as it occured to me that those weren't observations made from interviews, magazine articles, or public appearances. Those were observations made by someone watching far too closely.
Logan shifted beside me. "Okay, that's a little weird.”
Although Logan sounded like his usual self, I could see his shoulders tensing a little.
Nico nodded. "Now look at the dates."
The timestamps lined up beside each comment. Some were weeks apart, then months and years apart. The same obsession stretching back through multiple accounts and platforms, growing steadily more personal and intimate.
Another click. The room seemed to get colder.
The bodyguard is annoying as heck.
I frowned and Nico glanced at me. “They’re talking about you.”
Right. I was too slow to react, because I was still processing this new bit of news. The post continued.
He’s an annoyance who always gets in the way. I can’t take a good shot of Logan today.
Another post.
He watches everyone too closely.
He's always there.
I wish he'd disappear.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up.
"When was this posted?" I asked.
"Three months ago."
A memory surfaced immediately. Logan and I were at Los Angeles for a premiere event. An overly enthusiastic fan had ignored barriers and tried pushing through security toward Logan.
I chalked it off as nothing unusual. It happened occasionally. I'd intercepted them before they reached him. Security had escorted them away, and I hadn't thought about it since. Could it be that fan posting these messages?
Logan's expression tightened. "I don't remember this person."
"You probably wouldn't," Nico said. "Most celebrities don't remember individual fans."
Nico hesitated, and then added. “This person remembers you though.”
Nico showed us more posts, and this time, there was no pretending they were harmless.
Nobody understands him like I do.
Everyone around him wants something.
One day he'll realize who actually cares.
They keep us apart.
The word us sat on the screen like something alive. My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, as I’d seen this before. Well, not this exactly, but enough versions of it.
Celebrity obsession had rules. Fans felt connected to people they'd never met. Parasocial relationships happened. Most remained harmless, and normally people respected boundaries. However, this felt different.
I looked toward Nico. "You think this person is dangerous."
It wasn't a question. Nico met my eyes.
"Yeah,” he answered with no hesitation. He looked back toward the screen. "Normal fans want access. You know autographs, photos, recognitions.”
He pointed toward one post, then highlighted one sentence. Everyone keeps getting in the way.
The room seemed to hold its breath. Nico looked back at me. "This person doesn't want access. They want ownership."
The distinction hit me immediately. Nico was right. Normal fans wanted to be noticed, craved interaction, but this person viewed everyone around Logan as obstacles. Problems to remove.
A knot tightened in my chest. Beside me, Logan had gone unusually quiet.
That worried me more than if he'd made a joke. I looked back at the screen, at the photographs, the impossible angles, and the hidden vantage points. Suddenly the extra cameras didn't seem excessive at all.
Now, they seemed necessary and long overdue. For the first time since arriving in Pecan Pines, I felt something dangerously close to embarrassment.
I'd spent the last few hours assuming Nico was an overeager fan who'd somehow stumbled into a job requiring competence.
Instead, he'd quietly dug through months of online activity and identified a potential threat before anyone else had even realized one existed, including me. I didn't like that feeling.
If Nico was right, then I should have caught this already.
I was the bodyguard, and protecting Logan was my responsibility, my purpose. If someone had gotten this close without me noticing...The thought made my stomach turn.
"What do you need?" I asked.
Nico blinked. "What?"
"For the cameras,” I said.
His eyes widened slightly. "Approval mostly."
"You have it,” I said.
Logan looked between us. "Mine too."
For a moment Nico simply stared. Then he recovered quickly. "Okay. Awesome.”