1
She knew she was in trouble the second she saw him in the bar. He had warned her… she had just not listened.
He strode over to her, waiting until she finished her game of pool, he wasn't stupid enough to try anything when he had such a large audience, especially as so many of them were trained in combat.
She tried to concentrate but her hands were shaking so badly she missed the shot completely, caroming off three cushions before the white rolled to a stop. Her opponent looked at her puzzled, up to the second she had seen him enter she had played cool and calm, not a seconds pause between shots and every one going exactly where she wanted it to. He looked around, trying to guess what had changed to make her lose her cool like this.
She stood back from the table and ran a hand through her hair, she tried to laugh but it came out as shaky as her hands.
"Damn, missed" she said, gesturing for him to take his shot. The young airman still didn't step up and she really wanted to make sure he didn't notice the baleful glare directed at her, she knew he would be no match for the man making her tremble.
"Your shot" she said, and he seemed to shrug off whatever was distracting him, he took the shot and sank the ball, scooping up the paper money from the cushion he moved close to her.
"Everything OK?" he asked, she closed her eyes, praying he would move back before the temper of the man at the bar snapped.
"Sure, sudden headache, think it's the lights in here" she said putting her fingers to her temples and squinting, hoping he believed her. "Next time I'll win, but I need to get home right now and take some tablets before it gets worse" she placed the cue in the rack and moved away from the table.
"You sure?" he said, his hand resting on her arm, she saw HIM get off his chair and move towards them.
"Positive, excuse me this headache is a killer" she pulled away quickly and headed for the exit. She hoped the young man wouldn't have the experience to see through her, someone who had been in combat a few times wouldn't let it drop, they would know it wasn't a headache, their instincts would scream trouble.
She sighed in relief as he turned back to the corner with a shrug, she had to get out, get away… but she knew it was futile even while she thought it, it was too late.
She got outside the pub and ran, and she was almost to her car when she felt him catch up to her, he grabbed her arm and slammed her into the huge truck parked next to her small city car. The sensitive alarm on the vehicle activated, but he didn't care, he raised his hand and brought it across her face, knocking her to the ground.
"Slut!" he shouted "What did I tell you would happen if you tried to leave me? WHORE! And what did I say about going out without me?" he brought his foot back and kicked her in the stomach as she lay on the ground, she tried to curl up and protect herself, but she knew if she tried to fight back it would be worse… she had landed in hospital last time she had tried to protect herself.
"What did I tell you?!" he screamed, and this time his field boots connected with her cheek, she felt it snap and she screamed in pain, hoping it would satisfy him, because no matter what she had no intention of answering his question… it was a small defiance, but it was all she had at the moment.
"Hey!" she heard someone shout… Oh god no!
The last thing she needed was someone who was bent on 'rescuing' her, the last person to try had ended up in the next bed to her, and he had a sever concussion and was unable to identify who did it to him… her one hope of getting him out of her life shattered by the blank look when the policeman asked "What happened?"
"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" the outraged voice shouted
"Fuck off and mind your own business" he said, he drew back his foot once more and she watched fascinated, unable to turn away, almost welcoming the blow that would put her out of her misery, maybe even permanently.
"Pick on someone your own size" she heard, her head starting to swim, she opened her swollen eye and saw the man who would be her knight in shining armour, he was slim and tall, brown hair in a strict military cut that then stood out all over his head, only the edges neat.
He stopped his attack on her and turned to face this new threat. "Like you, you mean?" he sneered with all the arrogance his years in special ops had given him, she wanted to warn the would-be hero, make him run… but she couldn't her mouth was full of blood and it was all she could do not to aspirate it.
He swung his fist at the new opponent and she was surprised to see the stranger dodge the blow and come up under it with a fist to the gut. He collapsed on the floor, gasping and the man moved closer to her, but wasn't down for more than a few seconds when he rolled back to his feet, he was really mad now, she didn't want to watch, some day she knew he would go too far, he would kill someone and she just hoped it wouldn't be today, she wouldn't ever be able to live with herself if she caused someones death by being stupid and being caught not doing as she had been told.
He brought his foot up in a flying kick, but the man just side stepped it casually and brought his arm down, hitting the back of his neck as his momentum carried him forward. She recognised the move, and she knew he did too, his eyes narrowed as he reassessed his opponent, he brought his temper under control and became icily calm, he was even more dangerous now she knew.
She moved slightly, unfortunately drawing the eye of her rescuer and the momentary distraction was just what HE had been waiting for, he launched himself at the man, a knife suddenly in his hand, but she was amazed to see him block the move easily, and once more bringing his hand down on the back of his neck, this time driving him to the ground for longer.
"Let's finish this" the knight said and brought the side of his hand down sharply, knocking her assailant unconscious.
"Hey" he said softly, bending down close to her, ignoring the body behind him "don't move, I'll call for an ambulance" she tried to nod but it hurt, everything hurt, but her head and face worst of all. She heard him call both the ambulance and police and he sat beside her on the cold ground.
He pushed the bloody hair away from her face, she was laid on her right arm and could feel the whole of the left side of her body hurt. She tried to move, which was stupid of her she knew, but the man held her steady, not pressing her into the asphalt, but not allowing her to rise either.
"Stay still" he said, "you could very easily have internal injuries, stay as still and calm as you can" she knew that… she was, after all a Captain in the Air Force, but he didn't know she was. He took off his leather jacket and covered her upper body, she could hear sirens in the distance and hoped to god they were for her, she could really use something to kill the pain, her face hurt, her side… god it even felt like her hair hurt!
The sirens WERE for her, the ambulance pulled up and the man rose to his feet, he told them to ignore him explaining that she had been the victim. The paramedic gave the unconscious man a disgusted look and moved straight to her. Flashing lights heralded another vehicles approach, and her rescuer gave them a short statement, as he finished and the paramedics were lifting her onto a trolley HE woke up. The police had already handcuffed him, which was a good thing because he acted like a wild animal, he kicked and spat and tried to bite, screaming all the time about how she was going to pay, and that bastard helping her! The stranger helped the two policemen to lift him into the back of their car and then he walked over to the back of the ambulance, he climbed into the back and placed himself near her head.
The paramedics had assessed her and put a collar on her neck just in case, though she could have told them it wasn't necessary if not for her being unable to talk.
"Ma'am?" the policeman said as the drugs the medics pushed into her started to work, she felt the coolness spread as the pain was blanketed, she opened her eye, the left one swollen shut by this time "do you know your attacker?" she tried to nod but had to be content with blinking.
"What is his name?" she tried but she wasn't sure if she had managed to say it before passing out.
The rescuer and policeman heard "Jonas…" as unconsciousness claimed her.
OoΩoO
Changing Dreams von Tribal Matriarch
Story Bemerkung:
Usual Disclaimer, not mine, wish they were!