They Call Me Death

by Missy Jane

  “Lex!”

  “They’re coming. I have to go,” I said.

  “All right, but if you need me—”

  “I won’t. Thanks, Andor, you saved my life.”

  “What good will that be if he gets his hands on you?” he asked angrily.

  “He won’t. Now that he’s tried I can file a formal complaint and he’ll have to stay away from me.”

  “Somehow I don’t think a slip of paper will deter him.”

  “Then I’ll have to use my gun.”

  “Is that your answer for everything?”

  I almost felt the frustration rolling off of him and had the sudden urge to reassure him in whatever way I could. But it was too soon, my conflicting emotions too new.

  “It’s worked for me so far,” I replied.

  The sound of boots grew closer, as did Lance’s shouts, and I knew he was with the guard heading our way.

  “Thanks again, Andor, good bye,” I said as I turned and began to walk away.

  “Good bye, Alexia, for now,” he replied.

  I turned back to look at him, but he was already gone.

  “Lex!”

  “I’m here, Lance, I’m here and I’m okay,” I shouted as I jogged toward him.

  There were four men with him, but none of them Lucian, for which I was grateful. They all froze at the sound of my voice and a spotlight was pointed at me.

  “Get that fucking light out of my face!”

  It immediately disappeared and all I saw were spots for a second. Lance’s chest appeared in front of me, his hands roaming over my arms and head.

  “Are you okay? What the fuck happened? How in the fuck are you okay after a fall like that?”

  “Get your damn hands off of me. I’m fine. Someone caught me. Someone or something. He caught me and then took off, I was searching for him when you came running,” I said, impatiently swatting at his hands.

  I glanced at the faces around me, but they were all checking the street and the alleys around us. Lance was looking up toward the roof of the closest building, and I was impressed.

  “Where the fuck is Lucian? The asshole grabbed me,” I said angrily.

  Lance turned back to me, his face a mask of fury unlike I’d ever seen from him before. It shocked me, and I realized he shouldn’t have been as close as he was when I fell. He was supposed to have been patrolling almost a mile and a half away.

  “He’s on his way into BPC to talk to whoever’s in charge at this hour. He’s lucky I didn’t kick his ass on the spot.”

  “Well…good. I guess I need to go in too. I’m filing a complaint on his ass.”

  I brushed past him and headed toward the nearest checkpoint, the men falling in step behind me. I was pissed and there was no way I would let Lucian get away with what had happened. Lance came up beside me and I felt his eyes roaming over me, perhaps checking for injuries. We’d always had a wary understanding of sorts. He knew I wasn’t going to sleep with him and I knew we would never be friends. We were partnered at least twice a week and had always gotten along well enough for me to almost trust him, almost. However, this new protective streak he had toward me was unsettling, and I wasn’t sure how to take it. As we headed through the checkpoint, and he continued to walk with me toward Border Patrol Central, I realized he was acting like Andor had. But where I’d almost appreciated it from Andor, Lance’s behavior was getting on my nerves. What the hell was happening to me?

  “Here, Lex. I found it on the ground beside the wall. You must have dropped it when you were caught by whatever in the hell caught you.”

  I looked over to see Lance holding my gun. My eyes widened, more at the shock of me not realizing it was gone than of him having it. I took it from him gently and holstered it.

  “Thanks,” I said quietly.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You know, you don’t have to go in with me. I can handle this on my own, and if they need a witness someone will call you.”

  He was silent for a moment, and I thought perhaps he would go ahead and let me go in alone.

  “It’s cool. My shift ended at 0500 anyway. I’ll head in with you so they won’t have to wake me up later for my statement.”

  I couldn’t argue with his reasoning, therefore didn’t try. We reached BPC and he reached out and opened the door for me, another first. I frowned at him but he was staring inside with a scowl on his face. I turned to walk in and froze. Lucian stood there watching me, the look on his face possessive and more than a little scary. I ignored it and walked into the small office with Lance on my heels.

  “Lance, aren’t you supposed to be on the wall?” Lucian asked through gritted teeth.

  “Where I should or shouldn’t be is none of your damn business,” Lance replied calmly.

  “What the hell is going on here? Alexia, did you fall? That’s what I heard on the radio, but girl, you don’t look like anyone I’ve ever seen who fell off a fifteen-foot wall onto a concrete sidewalk.”

  I glanced at Commander Wayne and wondered how many people he’d seen fall off the wall.

  “Commander Wayne, I was rescued, though I didn’t see my rescuer before he or she ran off. But the person, or shifter, apparently caught me, sir,” I replied.

  He gave me a slight grin.

  “And you, Slavici,” he asked, turning his serious gaze to Lucian.

  Lucian remained silent, his eyes going from me to Lance and back again.

  “He grabbed her and when he let go she fell,” Lance said.

  “This is none of your damn business, Lance,” Lucian hissed.

  Lance tensed and opened his mouth to reply when Commander Wayne stepped between them.

  “Lance, I would like to see you before this evening’s shift for a full report of this morning’s activities. For now you’re off duty, go get some much-deserved rest.”

  Lance glanced at me as if deciding what to do. Then his instincts for self-preservation finally kicked in and he saluted the Commander, before turning and walking out the door. Commander Wayne watched him leave before turning his attention to Lucian.

  “All right, Slavici, you wanna explain what you were doing putting your hands on one of my soldiers?”

  “It was a reflex, sir.”

  “A reflex?”

  “Yes, sir. I heard a noise and Alexia was standing beside me. I grabbed her with the intent to shove her out of the line of fire, but I was overly aggressive and she stumbled.”

  “What were you doing out of your tower, Slavici?”

  “I admit I was away from my post, sir. I went down for a breath of fresh air and to say hello to Alexia.”

  I narrowed my eyes and glared at Lucian as he spouted off his lies. Unfortunately, it was my word against his. I knew Lance saw him grab me, but there was no way he would’ve been near enough to hear a noise or not. All Lance could attest to was that Lucian grabbed me, which he’d already admitted. Commander Wayne turned to me.

  “Is that what happened?” he asked, his voice betraying nothing.

  “I heard no noise,” I replied just as blandly.

  “But Slavici did grab you?”

  “Yes, sir, and I told him to release me. He did and I stumbled and fell.”

  “So, he didn’t push you over the edge?”

  Lucian made a noise of protest, which the Commander silenced with a look.

  “No, sir. He didn’t push me.”

  Wayne was quiet for a few minutes as he walked around his desk and sat. Lucian and I watched him in silence.

  “Well, it seems to me, though his intentions may have been honorable, Slavici had no right to grab you as he did. You’re both trained on how to deal with an attack on the wall and his actions go against your training. Therefore, Alexia, if you wish to file a report against him you may do so. However, be fairly warned it will go in as a first-time, unintended offense, and he will receive no more than a verbal warning.”

  I fought the urge to gasp and shout obscenities at the outrage. Lucian s
tayed completely still and silent beside me and I felt his gaze. I considered filing the report but knew all it would accomplish was to start a new rumor within the ranks. Nothing would be done to Lucian and the others would view me as a rat. As unfair as it seems, that’s the way our world works on the wall. We depend on each other to watch our backs against enemies without a second’s hesitation. You can’t patrol with someone you don’t trust. But if I let it go, within a few weeks the incident would be forgotten and I could deal with Lucian in my own way. Oh yeah, that sounded much better.

  “No, sir. I don’t feel a report is necessary. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding and Slavici will keep his hands to himself in the future,” I said.

  They both turned to me in shock, Lucian hiding his expression more quickly than the Commander.

  “Well, okay then. If you’re feeling all right, I guess you can both go,” Wayne said, looking me over, head to toe.

  “Yes, sir, I’m perfectly fine,” I replied.

  “Good. Well, good day to you both and, Slavici, remember how this could have gone.”

  Lucian gave a curt nod as he held the door open for me. I was tempted to slug him, but I fought it. He walked out behind me and I stepped aside as he came up beside me. I looked him in the eye.

  “Don’t ever touch me again, Lucian. Next time I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”

  “Alexia—”

  “Shut up, you bastard. I don’t even want to hear you say my name. I never have and never will want anything to do with you, understand? There is nothing going on with me and any of the other men in this unit and there never will be anything between us. If you ever come near me again, I’ll put a bullet in your head without a second thought.”

  “But…wait…”

  I turned and walked away from him, feeling his gaze until I rounded the corner.

  Chapter Nine

  I had a fitful sleep all day tossing and turning. The possibilities of what might’ve happened ran through my mind. Sometimes my overactive imagination is nothing but a fucking curse. I still felt Lucian’s hands on my arms, making my skin crawl. A shower didn’t help. The vigorous scrubbing did nothing more than turn my skin red. I was staring at my ceiling, lying under a thin sheet in nothing but panties and a thin tank top when I heard a noise on my roof. My ceilings are high, about twelve feet from the floor, but the roof is metal. I love it when it rains, but hate it every other time anything hits those metal plates.

  The noise was a screeching scrape, like nails on a chalkboard. Then I clearly heard footsteps headed for the edge of the roof. I grabbed my Glock and decided not to worry about my lack of attire. Sometimes feminine body parts can be an advantageous distraction. The footsteps stopped and I saw a shadow against the drapes as a figure leaned over and pushed the window open. My drapes are made of thick cloth, meant to darken any room. I stood in shadow at high noon, concealed against a pillar in the center of my floor plan. I felt confident with my gun in my hands, aimed at the floor, my finger on the trigger.

  My window opened and the drapes shifted out of the way as a large brown shape swung in and dropped silently to the floor. It rolled as it landed and stopped in a crouch, revealing nothing of its size or gender. I fought to control my breathing and heart rate, both of which would give me away if it was a shifter in my midst. The figure stood, arms extending to the sides, palms flat out and empty. It took a step back toward the window and into a shaft of daylight. I saw brown hair and recognized the golden skin of his bare arms.

  “Andor,” I whispered, nearly breathless as I watched him, for he was naked.

  “Alexia, I’m sorry to drop in this way but I fear you’re in danger,” he said.

  He remained completely still as I approached, not even moving to cover his nakedness. I dared not let my eyes wander, knowing I needed to concentrate on what he said.

  “What do you mean? From who?” I asked.

  I kept my gun pointed at the floor and removed one hand to my hip. He relaxed and dropped his arms, perhaps considering my change in position less threatening.

  “It is as I feared. My position has been compromised, and the information of my assignment has been leaked. Which means any who delve into it will see your connection and may therefore come to silence you.”

  He lowered his hands to his sides, but remained where he was.

  “Why are you naked?” I asked, no longer able to ignore the obvious.

  “I had to leave quickly and in animal form to get to you first. Is there anywhere you can go where you will not be found? Anyone who will hide you?”

  “No. I’m not running away. Hell, Andor, I don’t even know what I’m running away from! Those disks told me nothing of a conspiracy between the governments or anything else that could be construed as worthy of killing over. What the hell is going on?”

  I didn’t try to hide the frustration and anger from my voice and I knew he saw the wariness in my body. I was so tired of it all, and I had a feeling it was just getting started. All I wanted was to be left alone to live each day until I died. I didn’t want to be a hero. I didn’t want to try to save anyone, human or animal. I wanted to turn my back on Andor and the whole mess he had invited into my building, my sanctuary. Andor seemed to sense all of this because he walked up and pulled me into his arms. He placed a hand on my head and pressed my cheek against his bare chest. His other hand rubbed my back slowly.

  “Alexia, I’m very sorry this has fallen upon your doorstep, but I truly do need your help. I’m as you are, alone in this world with no one to trust but myself and perhaps you if you will let me.”

  I was too shocked by his actions to think of protesting. I stiffened at the feel of his skin against mine. Andor didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it, but I could barely string two thoughts together.

  “H-how do you know I’m even in danger? How does anyone even know about me?”

  He sighed, and ran his hands up and down my arms. I felt myself relaxing, melting into him, even as my common sense protested his touch.

  “The person I feared betrayed me is dead. She was killed in her home where some sensitive information was hidden. When I went to retrieve it, it was gone. Your file was in the information as well as notes stating I planned to contact you. I must assume her killers will come after you. They already destroyed my home and nearly got me at my office. However, I sensed their presence and their intention and was able to escape. I came here as soon as I was able, to ensure your safety.”

  I looked up, but didn’t know what to say. I could only stare into his golden eyes as I tried to ignore his naked skin pressed against me. He was looking into my eyes but I couldn’t read the expression on his face. I thought he might kiss me, or say something gentle. Instead, he let me go and turned away, making me feel bereft and cold. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging his lingering warmth to me. He walked up to the window and closed it, pulling the heavy curtain closed. We were shut into darkness but I knew he saw perfectly fine. I couldn’t.

  “What do we do, Andor?” I asked, just to get a sense of his position in the room.

  “We leave this place and find somewhere to both hide and sift through the information we have,” he replied from behind me.

  I jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. I hadn’t realized how close he was until I felt his breath on my neck. I fought the urge to turn back into his embrace and continued to stare into the darkness before me.

  “And where in the hell is this magical fairytale land you speak of?”

  He laughed and it sounded bitter.

  “My home, of course. A place filled with emptiness and memories. No one will think to look for us there.”

  “Are you sure? Won’t they know where your former residence is?”

  “Yes, but it is no longer the three story house it used to be. After my divorce it was auctioned off and turned into an orphanage. That failed and the building has been abandoned for the past two years.”

  “An orphanage? And it was
closed?”

  He was silent for a moment, and I thought he might not respond.

  “It was an orphanage for shifters,” he replied quietly, his voice betraying emotions I hadn’t seen from him yet. “When the humans reached the site during one particularly vicious battle…they killed every living thing inside.”

  I felt his fingertips against my arms and broke out into goose bumps. He ran his fingers lightly up my arms to my shoulders and gently pulled me back against his chest. My breath caught in my throat and I lifted my head. I felt him press his face into my hair and inhale the scent of my lavender shampoo.

  “Let me protect you, Alexia,” he whispered.

  It was hard to think of a response as he kneaded my shoulders in his strong hands, but I did nod my consent. He released a breath I hadn’t realized he was holding and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “Are you certain Lucian didn’t hurt you?”

  I frowned at the abrupt change of subject, then realized it was essentially the same topic.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I replied quietly.

  “I wanted to rip his heart out when I saw him grab you. I’m just grateful I stayed close enough to catch you.”

  I was almost shocked into silence.

  “You were watching me?”

  He seemed to hesitate, but I placed my hand on his arm in preparation to push him away and his grip tightened.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, Alexia. I know you still don’t trust me but please believe I value your safety.”

  I closed my eyes, the words “I do trust you” on the tip of my tongue. But I couldn’t bring myself to say them. Andor released me slowly.

  “I’ll go with you, Andor. And we’ll figure this out together.”

  “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  I heard his bare feet padding quietly across the floor. I knew he was letting me hear him walk away, and took it as a sign he no longer wished to talk. He walked into my bathroom and closed the door. I heard water running as I went into my bedroom to dress.