Ordinary Hero

by Ellis Michaels

  “Cool,” I replied. “I'll help blow up the air mattress and get everyone settled and then I'm going to go to sleep, too – or, at least, try to.”

  We got the air mattress set up in Melissa's bedroom at the foot of her bed. Amber and Krystal agreed to sleep together, giving Kasie the couch. Everyone got settled in and we all said goodnight. I crawled into bed with Melissa after shutting off the lights and she cuddled up next to me. Before long, Melissa was out cold and it sounded like Krystal and Amber were, too.

  I laid in bed for a while with my eyes open thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. After what felt like maybe an hour, I got up to use the bathroom. I crept past the girls on the air mattress and tried to make my way to the bathroom without waking anyone. Being as quiet as possible, I used the bathroom and started tip-toeing my way back to Melissa's room so I could shut my eyes and try to fall asleep. Right before I got the bedroom doorway, a faint but familiar voice called my name.

  “James?” Kasie asked, almost whispering. “That you?”

  “Yeah, it's me,” I replied, taking a few steps closer to the couch.

  “Will you come sit with me for a minute?”

  “Of course.”

  I slowly worked my way over to the couch, being careful not to bump into anything in the dark. Kasie was sitting up in the middle of the couch and I sat down next to her.

  “What's up?” I asked. “Can't sleep?”

  “No, it's not that,” she replied. “I just wanted to apologize for everything I said to you earlier and the way I reacted when all you said was 'thank you.' It was selfish of me to say all of that to you when you've got so much on your plate. Well, maybe not selfish, but it definitely wasn't the right time. But, now that you're getting all this attention from different women... I guess I just didn't want you to forget about me.”

  I don't know if she could see it in the darkness, but I smiled at Kasie. My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark and I could see her face, but I couldn't make out any details. Kasie had some hair hanging down in front of her face and I delicately brushed it behind her ear.

  “Christina Kassabian,” I said softly, leaning in close to her, “I could never, ever forget you. You mean more to me than any other woman on the planet. Okay, maybe not my mom, but that's the only exception. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love all the attention I've been getting from women lately, but it doesn't really mean anything to me. You, Kasie, you mean the world to me. You always have. You always will.”

  “Really?” she asked. “You mean it?”

  I leaned in even closer and gently pulled her head toward me until our foreheads were touching. Between being best friends and living together, I was comfortable being physically close to Kasie. Somehow, though, this was different. It's not that I was uncomfortable, but there was definitely a different feel to it. And what happened next crossed into uncharted territory altogether.

  “With all my heart,” I replied.

  For a moment, we both just sat there on the couch with our foreheads touching. Then, Kasie pressed her lips against mine and we started kissing.

  Popping up in my vision appeared:

  Quest Complete: KISSLE the BFFLE

  Skill Increase

  [Sexual] Kissing: 7/10 (+1)

  As soon as it popped up, I thought to myself, “close,” and the words vanished as quickly as they'd appeared. I didn't want anything to distract me from kissing Kasie.

  It was a moment I'd been fantasizing about for years. Yet, as wonderful as it felt, it also felt unreal – because it was. I wasn't kissing the real Kasie but some sort of simulated projection of her. Still, my heart rate increased slightly and I felt like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had been let loose in my stomach. Even though my mind knew that the experience wasn't real, my body and my emotions didn't seem to know the difference.

  Instinctively, I ran my fingers through Kasie's hair as we kissed. She threw her arms around me, pulling me closer. I have no idea how long we sat there kissing, but it certainly felt like a long time. We'd kiss ferociously for a minute, then sit in silence for a few seconds, and then go right back to kissing. This went on for a while and we didn't speak at all the entire time.

  Kasie's lips felt incredible. They were even softer than I'd imagined them. It made me wonder how they'd feel on other parts of my body. Part of me wanted to see how far I could take things. I'd been attracted to Kasie since I met her and knew it might be the only chance I'd ever get to have sex with her. But, somehow, it just didn't seem right. If I ever managed to have sex with Kasie in real life, I wanted our first time to feel like our first time – to actually be our first time.

  “I should really be getting to sleep,” I said during one of our short make-out breaks. “I need to be well-rested for tomorrow. We all do.”

  “Yes, we do,” Kasie replied.

  “Try to get some rest. You and I will continue this after Carter's been defeated and everything goes back to normal.”

  “Okay,” Kasie whispered. “Good night, James.”

  “Good night.”

  I gave Kasie one final kiss on the lips and another on her forehead. We hugged for a minute and then I got up, cautiously working my way back into Melissa's bedroom. I laid down next to her and got comfortable, closing my eyes.

  It wasn't long before I was out cold. I don't remember falling asleep but it couldn't have been more than a minute or two after I laid down. Sometimes I surprised myself: I would've expected to be up all night thinking about Kasie and stressing about Carter. But I fell right asleep and slept like a baby all night long.

  22.

  We all woke up early the next morning, eager to get ready for the difficult task ahead of us. None of us knew exactly what to expect. All we knew was that Carter planned to rob the biggest bank in Boston and was prepared to kill a lot of people in the process.

  “Good morning, James!” Kasie said as I stumbled out of Melissa's room with my eyes still half shut.

  “Mornin'.”

  There was something comforting about hearing Kasie's usual overly-enthusiastic morning greeting. It put me at ease, if only for a moment, on what was sure to be a challenging and stressful day.

  “Where's Melissa?” I asked when I noticed she wasn't in the condo.

  “She went out to get...” Krystal started but, before she could finish her sentence, the front door opened and Melissa walked in with her hands full of stuff from Dunkin' Donuts. After a brief pause, Krystal finished what she was saying: “breakfast.”

  “Who's hungry?” Melissa asked all of us.

  She came in and put everything on the kitchen table. Melissa bought a dozen donuts, five different kinds of breakfast sandwiches, and a big thing of coffee. Naturally, I poured myself a cup before doing anything else. We all sat down at the table and ate, thanking Melissa for being so thoughtful. There was enough to worry about without having to figure out what we should all do for breakfast. Melissa made it easy for us so we could focus on more important things.

  “So, what's the plan, fearless leader?” Amber asked, running her hand across my back as she walked past me on her way to get another donut.

  “As smm hm we're dmm eatmmm,” I said, talking with a mouth full of bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin.

  “Chew, swallow, and then talk, sweetheart,” Melissa said with a smile.

  “As soon as we're done eating and getting ready,” I said after swallowing the mouthful of breakfast sandwich I was chewing, “we're going to get in the Tahoe and drive to Boston Bank. Since we don't know exactly when Carter and his gang are going to hit the bank, we'll just have to sit and wait. I know it's not the best plan in the world, but it's the best one I can come up with based on everything we know. As soon as we see Carter and his goons show up, we take the medication that Melissa's prepared for us and then go do whatever we have to do to stop him.”

  “Speaking of which,” Melissa said, holding up an inhaler, “I
've got one of these for each of you. They're naloxone inhalers with five doses in each one. That should be more than enough to protect everyone from the harmful effects of the carfentanyl. As soon as we see Carter and his gang, give yourself two squirts in the nose and take a deep breath. That'll keep you safe for anywhere from thirty to ninety minutes. If at any time you start to feel sleepy or strange or anything out of the ordinary, give yourself two more squirts. Got it?”

  “Yup.”

  “Yes.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Excellent,” Melissa said, then took a large swig of coffee.

  We finished eating and got ready. I hopped in the shower, something that always helped me to clear my head. Both Amber and Krystal offered to join me, but I declined. I was too focused on what the day was going to bring to relax and have fun. And besides, the only woman I could think about was Kasie. After kissing the night before, thoughts of her popped in and out of my head in between thinking about Carter and his gang. Fooling around with Amber, Melissa, and Krystal was great, but Kasie was the one I really wanted to be with.

  I got out of the shower and, when I opened the bathroom door, I was blown away. The girls had all bought new outfits the day before and were dressed and ready. They all looked incredible.

  Amber was wearing a short plaid skirt, even shorter than the one she was wearing when we first met. She had fishnet leggings on with black open-toed heels and a red tank top. Gorgeous. Krystal was wearing a long, purple dress with matching shoes. The color of the dress looked amazing against her olive skin. Beautiful. Melissa was also wearing a dress. Hers was white with flowers on it and, on her feet, a pair of flip flops. Breathtaking. And then there was Kasie. She was wearing a pink tank top with black yoga pants and flip flops. Though she was dressed more casually than the others, I thought she was the sexiest of them all.

  “Wow,” I said as I looked each of them up and down. “You all look amazing. Absolutely stunning.”

  “Thank you!”

  “Awww, thanks!”

  “Thanks!”

  “Thank you, James!”

  “Before we get going,” I said, “I want to thank all of you. Over the past few days, you've helped me feel stronger and more confident than ever before. Without you, I wouldn't have the courage to go after Carter and his goons. That being said, things could go very badly today. I think I already know what you're all going to say, but I want to give you each one last chance to walk away. If you want to walk away now, I completely understand. No hard feelings or anything.”

  “Nope.”

  “No way.”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Never.”

  “That's what I thought you'd say,” I replied and smiled. “Now, is everyone ready?”

  “Yup.”

  “Yes.”

  “Ready.”

  “Good to go.”

  “Alright,” I said. “Let's get going!”

  We loaded into the Tahoe and started heading to Boston Bank. It was a little after nine in the morning. The girls' weapons were still in the back from the day before. As soon as we got on the road, everyone – myself included – became quiet. None of us said anything until we were just a few blocks from the bank.

  “What time does the bank open?” Amber asked.

  “The bank opened at nine,” I answered, “but the manager doesn't get there until ten. Carter needs him to open the vault so he and his gang will have to show up sometime after that. It's only about nine-thirty now so we should have plenty of time to find a good parking spot long before they show up.”

  “And then what?” Kasie asked. “We just wait, right?”

  “Yup,” I answered. “That's all we can do. Just stay put and keep our eyes peeled being careful not to be seen. As soon as we see Carter or any of his boys, we'll snap into action and do whatever we have to do to stop him.”

  “Gotcha,” Kasie replied.

  We turned onto the street that Boston Bank was on. There was a bit of traffic, typical for a weekday morning in Boston. The bank was a couple blocks up the road with two traffic lights between us and the bank. We got through the first light, the last vehicle to make it before turning red. The next light turned green and traffic slowly started moving. Just when we were getting close to the intersection, the light changed and we had to stop with just one car in front of us. The bank was just ahead on the left and we had a clear line of vision to the front of it.

  “Something's not right,” I said from the passenger seat.

  “What's not right?” Melissa asked. “I can't really look. I'm watching the light and the road.”

  I didn't answer her question. I just muttered two words under my breath.

  “Oh no.”

  I noticed that there wasn't anyone going into or coming out of the bank. Parked directly in front of it was a black windowless van. Parked across the street, another identical van. I'm sure there could've been a dozen perfectly-rational explanations for why they were there and why there was no foot traffic going in or out of the bank. But, somehow, I knew that it was Carter and his gang. I had a sour feeling in my stomach and just knew.

  “This doesn't make any sense,” I mumbled.

  “James, talk to us,” Melissa said, whacking me in the arm. “What doesn't make any sense?”

  “Carter,” I said. “He's already here.”

  “You can see him?” Kasie asked, leaning into the front from the middle row, looking out the windshield.

  “No,” I replied, “but there are two black vans parked out front and no one's going into or coming out of the bank.”

  “So, you don't know it's him,” Kasie said.

  “It's him,” I replied. “I'm sure of it. I don't know how I know, but I do. What I don't understand, though, is what he's doing here this early. He can't get into the vault until the manager comes in at ten. It's only a little after nine-thirty.”

  The light changed and the car in front of us took a right, leaving the next block wide open. Melissa stepped on the gas, then slowed down right in front of the bank. There were no open parking spots on that strip of road. I could see inside Boston Bank through the large front window and any doubt I may have had about it being Carter was gone – it was definitely him and the Southie Soldiers.

  Inside the bank, I could see several people laying on the ground. They weren't all laying face down like you'd expect from a robbery, though. Some were on their backs, others on their sides, and none of them appeared to be moving. I swallowed hard as I realized that we were probably too late to save any of them. I still didn't understand why Carter and his gang showed up before ten but, in that moment, it didn't matter. The only thing I cared about was stopping them from doing any more damage than they'd already done.

  “We need to get in there right now!” I yelled.

  “There's nowhere to park,” Melissa said.

  “Stop here,” I replied. “We'll get out. Then you can find a place to park.”

  “Okay,” Melissa said. “Now's the time to use your inhalers before you go into the bank. By the time you're inside, it might already be too late.”

  She stopped the Tahoe and the rest of us got out. We all pulled our naloxone inhalers out and took two puffs, just like Melissa had instructed. She popped the trunk and we ran around to the back so the girls could grab their weapons. As soon as Melissa stopped the Tahoe in the middle of the busy street, several cars behind her started honking like crazy. I wish that the stereotypes weren't true, but they are: Boston drivers are angry, impatient, and quick to slam on their horns. It's no wonder why people from other states call us Massholes.

  “Git outta tha freakin' road, ya idiot!” the man in the car behind us yelled out his window.

  “You can't pak ya ca in the road!” someone yelled from the car behind him.

  None of us acknowledged any of the typically-rude Boston drivers – we were too focused on what we had to do. The gir
ls took their weapons out of the back and, when the drivers behind us saw them, the honking and rude comments stopped immediately. Everyone's a tough guy until they see a crossbow come out. Once the girls took out their weapons, we didn't hear another peep. It would've been kind of funny if the situation wasn't so dire.

  I slammed the trunk shut after everyone was equipped and ready to go. We ran to the bank entrance with me in the lead. Amber and Krystal were both wearing heels and clip-clopped their way across the street and sidewalk. When we got to the entrance, the four of us stopped in the door for a second to assess the situation.

  It must've been a real sight to see us entering the bank. Not so much me but the girls. Imagine seeing some twenty-two-year-old dude run into a bank with three drop-dead-gorgeous, weapon-wielding women right behind him. Tall, leggy Krystal with her katana. Short and petite Amber in her plaid skirt and fishnets, holding a crossbow. And Kasie, looking a bit underdressed next to the others but no less gorgeous, with throwing knives in each hand. It must've been a strange thing to see.

  When we stood in the doorway, I could see that things were as bad as I'd feared. There must have been two-dozen people on the ground, at least. None of them seemed to be moving. The thick door going from the lobby to behind the counter was wide open and the same guard that I'd seen standing next to it the day before was on the ground in front of it. I didn't see Carter anywhere but I did see several of his guys standing around.

  After quickly surveying the room, I counted four of them in the lobby. They were all wearing head-to-toe protective gear and holding some sort of spray canister. The hazardous material (Hazmat) suits they had on were white with a black tube going from the back of the head to an oxygen tank on their backs. Their faces were the only part of their bodies that were visible, behind a layer of clear plastic.

  As soon as we walked in, all four of the goons in Hazmat suits took notice of us – I'm sure it would've been hard not to. I don't know what looked more out of place in the bank: a bunch of guys in Hazmat suits or a young man with three weapon-wielding vixens by his side. Too bad none of the bank customers were conscious to behold the unusual sight.