by DK Cassidy
I raise my voice to make sure James can hear. “You’re a crazy bitch!”
I’ll say one thing: The lady’s got a temper. She runs toward me screaming, but then she stops. Her eyes widen, and she starts to back away. I turn. James is walking in with his guns sticking out of his arms, just like he said.
“Stop what you are doing,” he says, “or I will shoot. I warn you, I will shoot.”
We get behind James and continue to walk forward with him as our striding shield. Jupzi and Jennifer both look confused. When we get to Grant, I untie him and help him up. He’s been badly beaten, and I can tell his arm is broken. I whisper to him and tell him to stay behind James.
“Does this tin can belong to you, Lucien?” asks a confused Jennifer.
“Why, yes, he does, and he means what he says. He has two high-powered guns, and they are aimed at your hearts. I’d suggest you stay where you are.”
Jupzi, the coward that he is, puts up his blue hands in surrender. He isn’t brave enough to fight an armed android. That was the easy part. I tie him up and sit him in the chair they’d tortured Grant in. Jennifer, on the other hand, isn’t going down without a fight. I move toward her to restrain her next, but she darts away.
“You want me, you’re going to have to earn it.” Jennifer fires several bullets at James, emptying her gun. They all bounce off. No dents or damage. Out of frustration, she tosses her gun, then picks up a chair and throws it at him. James dodges it easily.
All that is left for her to do is run. Jennifer sprints for the door, not looking back. Lucien and I give chase. James stays behind to keep an eye on Jupzi and to protect Grant. I don’t know how Jennifer can run so fast in high heels. We’re getting closer when we hear hovercrafts approaching the warehouse. The New Seattle police force has arrived.
I still want to be the one to capture Jennifer, so before the police can swoop down and grab her, I speed up. I catch up and tackle her. She falls, and I mount her, holding down her arms. Jennifer tries to grab my hair, but I keep my head out of her reach. She manages to shove me off and begins to crawl away. I grab her by the ankle and start to wrestle with her. She bites my arm in an attempt to get away. I swear, and then I punch her. She falls back, and I finally get her pinned down again.
I hear clapping and turn to see it’s Lucien. “Get her, Lily!”
Sure, clap. I did all the work. I hope he was planning on jumping in if things got out of hand.
The patrol cars land, and ten cops surround us. Lucien tells them what’s happened and leads half of them into the warehouse to arrest Jupzi. The remaining cops pick up Jennifer and handcuff her. I sag with relief, my body aching all over. We caught her.
Grant limps out of the building with the assistance of James. He attempts a smile, but his broken nose makes the effort too painful. Instead he focuses on walking.
The four of us watch the police hovercraft pull away. Thank goodness they arrived in time. I’m not sure if I want to sit down and assess my injuries or jump up and dance with joy.
Jennifer and her crew will surely go to jail. If I know Jupzi, he’ll sing like a canary. The best part of this victory is knowing that one avenue of maxxolonium distribution is stopped. I’m not naive. There will be other drugs and more bad guys, but for now, I feel great.
Lucien helps Grant hobble to the limo. Once they reach it, James lifts Grant, setting him gently on the back seat. His injuries are serious but not life-threatening. He’s about to get his wish to spend more time with his family. It’s going to take several weeks for him to fully heal.
Lucien walks toward me, grinning. “I think that went well, partner.”
I hold up my bleeding arm. “Easy peasy, right? I could do this every day.”
We both laugh.
“So, now that we’ve solved our first case, I think it’s about time we rename our business. Any thoughts?”
Not being a creative person, I hope Lucien has an idea. I pretend to think about it for a few seconds, then defer to him.
“You should get the honor of coming up with a new name. And stop looking so surprised. We’re partners, which means we share responsibilities. I’m not your boss, and you’re not mine.”
“I admit, I’ve been mulling this over for a while. How about Moonglow Guardians?”
“I like that. We’ll tell Judy in the morning. For now, I just want to go home. Let’s hope we get another case soon.”
He looks at me curiously.
I shrug. “Rent’s due.”
The End
Acknowledgments
To Crystal Watanabe my patient editor, thank you for helping me find the perfect words. Your skill and insight make me a better writer.
About the Author
D.K. Cassidy has been scribbling stories since she was a child and loves to write Science Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery Thrillers, and Modern Gothic. Many writers like to specialize but she enjoys mixing it up and exploring different genres.
Her first memory of Science Fiction was watching the television show, “The Twilight Zone”. That series messed with her mind! Her imagination developed, helping her discover the lack of conventional boundaries in storytelling. Because her fiction is character driven, the focus of her stories tends to be about emotions, relationships, and society.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her greatest fans: her husband Mark, twin sons Aidan and Jared, and three cats. When not writing, she loves to travel, run, use the Oxford comma, and of course read!
Join her newsletter for updates about when Book 2 of this series, The Cheater’s Gambit, is available, and for special promotions. Receive a FREE copy of her Science Fiction story Room 42 when you join.
Please visit D.K. Cassidy’s website to find out more about her other books.