by Aria Ford
He was hobbling on one leg, and I could see a trickle of blood coming down his white tennis shoe. “I deserve more than this. I killed for this country, and I did it because I felt a duty. I come back and everything changes. All my friends have forsaken me, and I find myself on the street hooked on painkillers to get rid of the memories that haunt me every day.” If he thought that he was going to tug at my heartstrings, then he had another thing coming.
“You jumped bail, and I have to bring you back. We can’t have you running around on the streets, especially with what you have in that head of yours.” Information was a commodity that was worth more than the weight of gold and silver combined. It was a foregone conclusion that three strikes and he was out, but what those in power didn’t account for was the fact that he had everything they needed to make a concentrated strike against what was poisoning the city. “This is my job, and I pride myself on never letting my man or woman get away.” The short leather blue jacket that I wore hugged my ample frame. My breasts were a marvel that made most men drool at the prospect of being with me.
Jacob was backing away from me, and he wasn’t watching what he was doing. I tried to reach for him, but he was feeling the effects of withdrawal and really couldn’t see the forest for the trees. He plummeted over the side, and once again I had no choice but to take on the guise of the wolf. I leaped from where I was with the grace of a jungle animal. landing quickly to snatch his wrist. He looked up at me, stunned, to see that I was holding him with one arm. I could feel my claws digging into the back of his hand, and I knew that he was looking at the inner wolf that had raised its ugly head at the most inopportune time.
“You’re a monster… you’re a monster.” It was a good thing that he was a known drug user. Had he said that completely sober and straight, he might’ve gotten people’s attention. As it was, his delusional nature was only going to be waved away dismissively. I lifted him easily into the air, until we were face to face. He could see true evil close up. His eyes were wide with dismay and terror, and suddenly he slumped into an unconscious state.
He dangled like dead weight, and then I tossed him easily back onto the roof. I followed that up by affixing a pair of flex cuffs to his wrists. I lifted him over my shoulder and over to the stairwell door. I grabbed it and pulled, until the lock gave way and the door swung open easily. I carried my prize down the stairs, not feeling the least bit winded by the time that I got to pavement level.
I opened the door and my newly acquired black bronco was waiting for me down the street at the curb. There was a meter maid signing yet another ticket that she was now placing on my windshield. I shook my head with disbelief, lifting the gate on the bronco and heaving Jacob into the back. She looked like she was terrified for her life, and then she picked up the ticket and ripped it up. Backing away, she lifted her arms in mock surrender, as I went around to the driver’s side.
“Maya, I’m so sorry, and I didn’t know that it was you.” My reputation preceded me and stories of my exploits were getting around. I was truly making a name for myself, and I’d only been in this profession for the last two years. Ever since I got the bite that one night had made me a different person. I was once mild mannered and somewhat of a nerd, but that was the woman that I was, before all of this happened. “I thought that you were driving a blue F150.” Jamie was one of those that had become something of a groupie. She had been trying to get me to take her underneath my wing, but I really didn’t think putting her in danger was going to make me any friends.
“Don’t think anything of it. You were just doing your job, and I got rid of the F150 after the transmission dropped onto the highway. I had just enough money in my account before expenses to buy this heap. I do have to admit that I will never go without a four by four ever again. Boston gets a lot of snow and getting around is paramount in my business.” I looked down to my hands and they were shaking. My left hand was showing the effects of the wolf trying to claw to the surface. I had to concentrate to pull those claws back into where they belonged.
“I see that Jacob has been giving you troubles again. I hope you know that you are a hero to a lot of the girls. You make it easier for us to break through those walls that are keeping us from taking on positions of high authority.” It was not my intention to be some kind of role model, but apparently I had no choice. Whether I liked it or not, I was becoming a benchmark for those that wanted to show that they could do whatever a man did.
I got into the bronco, seeing the ripped blue material and knowing that I was going to have to do something, before the stuffing fell out of the chairs. I slipped the seat belt over my shoulder, feeling it snug between my breasts and the cross that I held with a deep and abiding love for the Lord. I was not seen as the religious sort, but I had a catholic upbringing that made it impossible for me to think that my body was some kind of amusement park.
I heard my watch go off, and I looked down and made a very distinctive expletive that turned Jamie’s face a crimson red. I had a meeting with my best friend Lila. She was the one person that knew of my secret and had made me promise to sit down with her once a week to discuss things in the privacy of her office. I should’ve had my head examined for letting her in. Then again, sitting on her couch had allowed me to let go of the burden and the baggage that I carried with me every day.
I was going to be late, and the roar of the engine underneath my feet told me that there was a hole in the muffler that was going to have to be repaired. I had a mechanic that knew his way around vehicles of any kind. He was from the old school, but my father had trusted him from the moment that he saw his work ethic. I’d found myself fascinated as a child, watching him whistle some strange song underneath his breath as he worked underneath the hood of one of my father’s many possessions.
Once mother died, we kind of lost our way, and I never did want anything to do with his money. He was dying by drinking himself to death. There was no way that I could stand to witness something like that. I suppose, deep down, I blamed him for making me what I was today. Had I not gone storming out after one of our very intense arguments, I probably wouldn’t have found myself on a desolate highway with that thing coming out to make me something that most people would never understand.
Chapter two:
I stand here looking out at the city that I used to love and things had changed drastically over the years. I was doing what I could to clean things up, but it wasn’t easy as a one woman show.
Sitting at his desk was Captain Rollins. He was going over the paperwork concerning the fact that I had brought Jacob in alive. “It seems that everything is in order, Maya. I want you to know that I don’t condone vigilante violence, but for you I will make an exception. You do have your license as a bounty hunter, and that is something that I won’t try to change. I thought that you were the bane of my existence, but you turned out to be a valuable asset. I only wish that you would come to the academy and get your accreditation to become a real police officer. You know that the offer is still on the table.” Every time that I came in with a bounty, he would be all over me about trying to make myself into a productive member of society. I think that he just wanted to put a chain around my neck and be able to control me. That was one thing that I didn’t want to happen. Being scrutinized by the authorities would only lead down a dangerous road.
“I do what I can, but there is still a lot of work to do. If you don’t mind, I would like to get paid and then get out of here. To be honest, I don’t like cops and the very idea that I’m standing here in front of you makes my skin crawl. It’s nothing personal. I feel the same way about hospitals. I would rather die in the streets than be taken to that disease infested facility.” I’d heard too many horror stories about people going and never coming back out. Routine procedures had a way of turning deadly. I would have to say that the human body was not meant to be cracked open like a lobster.
“Your money will be ready for you by the time you leave here. Please sit down. I would like t
o discuss something with you of great importance.” I knew that he was going to spring something on me, but I had no idea what it could be. I remained standing defiantly, going against his wishes and feeling like the power was back in my hand. “I’m not ordering you to sit down, but I think that it would be a good idea that we discuss things in a more civilized manner.” I was always keyed up to leave this place as soon as possible. I hated the way that the police officers would look at me like I was encroaching on their territory.
“I’m not going to sit down because you told me to. I’m just getting a little tired of standing on my feet all day.” I sat down, but I did put my feet up on his desk. I smiled at him to let him know that there was no way that he was going to make me put them back down. “You must be desperate, and whatever you have to say better be worth my time.” He looked like he was having second thoughts, but then he finally pushed a brown file folder over towards me.
“I want you to look at that and tell me what you think. I’ve read that several times and I’m still not sure what to make of it.” He looked perplexed, and his confusion was only making me curious.
Putting my foot down, I reached for the file and began to peruse the contents at my leisure. I took my time with each word, making the puzzle come together. By the time that I finished it, I was slightly amazed that this man actually existed. It was almost too good to be true. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“If this is true, then you really do need to make sure that he makes it to trial to testify. To have him sitting inside a courtroom dealing the death blow to the drug trade will go a long way to appeasing your constituents.” I knew that it was election year and that something like this could make or break a career. For him to turn to me for any kind of help meant that he wasn’t so sure that he could trust those that were in his command. I was starting to get a better idea of what he wanted. It wouldn’t be above suspicion that somebody inside the department was working in cahoots with the man that had become untouchable. His name was Joseph Arnold. He was supposedly a clean businessman, but everybody knew that he had his hands in anything illegal.
“I need you to escort him to the courthouse tomorrow morning. You are to babysit him tonight and make sure that he stays out of trouble. Believe me, that’s easier said than done with this guy. He has a way of slipping those that are trying to help them. He has this instinct that goes a long way for surviving. Maybe you two have that in common. He’s a little jittery, but his immunity is only good if he testifies and puts Joseph behind bars. I don’t think that I have to tell you how important this is to the city. Most people think he’s above reproach, and nothing so far has been able to stick to him.”
I was going to have to be compensated, and I certainly wasn’t going to do this out of the goodness of my heart.
“What I’m getting paid for Jacob, I want triple that for this guy. You and I both know that you would have never contacted me unless you were in a bind. You obviously think he’s not going to make it to trial.” He was shuffling papers and not bothering to make eye contact. I’d become something of a human lie detector, but that was only because I could tap into all of my senses at the same time. That one bead of sweat over his eye told me that he was not very happy. He was nervous that something was going to happen. “I can take care of myself. Don’t think for a second that you’re going to assign me one of your rookie officers. I’m not even going to take one of your safe houses, in case it has been compromised.”
I was thinking about someplace that I could stow him away, and there was only one place that came to mind. Nobody knew that I still had the summer house on the lake in Cape Cod. I went there to decompress, but I hadn’t been back since I had the accident. I don’t know why I was even calling it an accident, when it was really an attack that left me comatose for three days. When I awoke, they said that I was a miracle and that I shouldn’t be even breathing. I had to stay in the hospital for three weeks, but they said that my recovery was unprecedented.
“He’s downstairs in holding. I’m not going to ask where you’re going to take him. I just hope to god that I’m doing the right thing.” He had streaks of gray hair and every day that he was in this office was making him age before my eyes. “Don’t take this man lightly. If he senses that you’re going to give him an inch, then he will take a mile. He doesn’t want to testify. Going into witness protection is not foolproof by any means. You can expect that he’s going to look for any way to escape. He’s done it several times already, but he always gets caught doing something stupid.” I had read the file, and he seemed to have an Achilles’ heel for betting on sports.
“I’ll bring my bronco around back. All I need you to do is leave the door open and the cameras off. I’ll slip in, get him, and then ferry him away before he does something that is going to attract the attention of Joseph and the men that our working for him.” It was weird to be in this position and my intellect alone had me on the fast track. I was destined to sit in an office and make important decisions. A think tank had already approached me, but after the attack, I felt like I needed a change of scenery.
The bloodlust running through my veins had made me feel like I was going to lash out at anybody and anything. I needed an outlet, and it was fortuitous that I saw a bounty hunter chasing down a suspect. I became obsessed, until finally I got my license and was able to put it to good use. Nobody really took me seriously, but those days had come and gone. Any time that I was in the vicinity of picking up one of my regulars, they would see me and they would bolt out of sheer fear alone.
“I know that you don’t like guns, but maybe for this one time you should consider packing. If Joseph and his men find out where he’s being held, then there won’t be anything that I can do to help you. You’ll have to fend them off yourself, and I doubt even you will be able to survive the onslaught that he brings down on your head. His freedom is at stake, and you can imagine that he’s been crossing his T’s and dotting his I’s to make sure that he doesn’t see the inside of a jail cell. He has high powered lawyers, but they are mostly just a distraction.” I’d heard some of what Joseph had done behind the scenes. It was all conjecture, but with any story there was a semblance of truth.
“Don’t kid yourself. I know what I’m getting myself into, and you can trust that this man will be at the courthouse tomorrow morning at exactly 9:00 AM. If I have to carry him in there over my shoulder, then that is what I will do. I’ve taken down some very high profile targets that have skipped bail. I know that you’re confused at how easily I do that without a gun. That’s the one thing that I will not carry, and the sanctity of life is more important to me than my own. I will not carry somebody’s death on my shoulders or into my nightmares for that matter.” I had to draw the line somewhere. I didn’t need a gun before, and I wasn’t going to start now.
The wolf inside had always protected me, and I didn’t think that was going to change anytime soon. It was always there, and I could call upon it whenever I damn well wanted to. I’d learned through meditation that I could control how far I would transform. It took a lot of trial by error, and I awoke several times to find my body covered in blood. I had no idea what I had done, but I knew that it couldn’t have been good.
“The department is very grateful for your assistance and everything that you do to try to make this city safer. The citizens may not know your contribution, but we in the department understand what kind of position you put yourself in every day.” I believed that he was placating me. I was getting a little tired of hearing his voice. His uniform was making me angry, and I wanted to reach out and tear it from his body, until he was feeling as vulnerable as some of the criminals that found themselves under the hot lights.
“I don’t think there’s anything left to say. You don’t respect me and we both know that you would rather somebody from your own force take on this assignment. You would never give it to an outsider, especially one that has shown you up on several occasions. I’m not sure, but I think that
you wouldn’t lose much sleep if I disappear tomorrow.” I walked out of there, slamming the door and making the glass rattle behind me. It was enough to draw the attention of those that were in the bullpen.
Chapter three:
The gray nondescript door made of metal was open in the back of the department. I climbed the stairs two at a time with my cowboy boots making a god awful racket. I opened the door at the top. I peered down the hallway to see that the coast was clear. The camera affixed to the wall was not showing the prerequisite red light.
I moved quietly and quickly to a holding cell to see that a man was huddled up with a green blanket over his shoulders. He had his head bowed. The poor guy was shivering. That was not my main concern. I had the key that Captain Rollins gave me, and I opened the door. At the sound of the squeaking metal, the man looked up from where he was sitting with a smile on his face.
“Ryan Latham, you are now under my purview. From this moment, until you are safely escorted to the courthouse tomorrow you will never leave my side. Don’t try anything, or I will have to hurt you. Nobody told me that I couldn’t put my hands on you. The only prerequisite was that you were able to walk in on your own two feet to testify. Wheather you do that with a couple of teeth missing and a few bruises is up to you.” I wanted him to know that I was not going to take any of his nonsense. There was something about the way that he was looking at me. When he crossed over the threshold to the jail cell, I felt this instant heat that made me want to reach out and touch him.
“I don’t take you for a police officer. I can only assume that they have decided to recruit outside of the department. It’s probably a good thing. I know for certain that there are at least three police officers that would gladly find me in a dark alley and put a gun into my mouth.” The handcuffs were around his wrist, but to avoid suspicion, I had to relieve him of those shackles. I placed a key into the lock and I turned it, but it was the way that he was smiling that was making me nervous.