Sipping on her Moscow Mule, Katie watched as the hazel eyed woman smiled and readjusted her posture then gulped down her pure rum.
"Just needed a little more to drink." The hazel eyed woman boasted with a notably feminine tilt to her voice. However, Katie perceived a hidden conflict, though whether the source existed in the club or not, she couldn't tell.
Furthermore, Katie squinted her eyes to fixate her vision. She'd seen this woman drink at least seven or nine cups of rum tonight, yet her expression wasn't distorted. Any movement she made was too precise, too calculated and intentional to indicate any level of impairment. She must be really good at holding her liquor. Hopefully she feels a little buzz.
Katie snatched a random cup and downed it in one kickback.
"I love your blouse!" She beamed a smile as she shouted to be heard over the chaotic rhythm and the DJ's motivating sway. The hazel eyed woman laughed and averted her gaze, but Katie felt the reaction was forcefully limited.
"Thank you." She mouthed, the beat drowning her gratitude.
"What's your name?" Katie leaned beside her, keeping her arm in the empty space between them.
"... Zuri..." The girl said as she brought the empty cup to her mouth, forgetting her earlier inhalation of alcohol.
"Katie." Inching her hand closer, Katie's fingers hovered near Zuri's arm, eyes smoldering with the wild nature of the night. For a couple of seconds, Katie read Zuri tensing but her body slightly relaxed.
"Come and dance for a bit..." Katie offered, caressing her arm, preparing to tug her to the dance floor.
"I'm... I'm not much of a dancer..." Zuri confessed.
"You don't need lessons... you just need to feel the motion..." Katie purred.
"And your body will move on its own."
Zuri's eyes widened a hair at something; eyes fixated near her neck, presumably taking note of the gold chain she wore.
Slowly, Zuri extracted her arm from Katie's touch. "I... have a boyfriend so... and he doesn't like it when I'm..."
"He's probably in the bathroom entertaining some bitch." Katie berated this boyfriend.
Appearing as if she were coming to terms with her cheating boyfriend, Zuri sighed and glanced in a specific direction before fixing her gaze back on Katie. She offered a vulnerable smile.
"Well, if he found out I left then... he'd be really mad..." Zuri stared at the floor.
"And he's with the Neon Nobles... so I'd rather not get you..."
Zuri's eyes shifted to Katie. Of course, those bastards don't know how to treat anybody. Confident, Katie interlocked fingers with Zuri, eliciting a sharp intake of breath.
"People know not to fuck with me. Long as I'm here, he'll be lucky to bark."
Katie witnessed a surge of security and confidence fill Zuri's eyes. Abruptly, Zuri tugged Katie and they weaved through the crowd. Zuri apologized profusely, as random club goers recoiled, stumbled or fell outright on the floor, shocking Katie at their lack of balance. Is everyone insanely hammered? She laughed.
Into the cool of night outside the bar, the women quickly emerged, rushing up the stairs. Departed from the club, Zuri chuckled as they traveled a few steps before she forcibly wrenched her hand away. Katie froze.
"What's wrong?" Katie asked out of concern.
"I... no... I shouldn't leave him. He's been getting better. I've been changing him all this time. Just keep being a better person for him..." Zuri rambled like a mad woman.
Before Katie could say anything else, a man with a buzzcut appeared from the exit and stopping short a small run from the pair. Zuri took a couple of steps forward and pointed at Katie accusingly.
"She tried to...!"
Her expression a mix of anger and befuddlement, Katie's hands practically formed fists, most likely to strike Zuri, if she had the chance. Bolting in a random direction, Katie dashed down a long street. The man with a buzzcut pursued, shouting and cursing.
~
Lounging in a leather love seat and with the leg rest propped up, Eirene shuddered, holding a glass of sparkling ginger ale. The tension of the past few days of high intensity chases and arrests settled and evaporated. Not even Randall's small mishaps ruined drawing a blank in her mind to meditate on serenity.
Delicate hands smoothed over her shoulders, rhythmically squeezing and releasing. Eirene trembled and moaned, breathing slowly to savor the loosening muscles.
"Keep it up..." She spurred, the ministrations continuing.
"Nice to have you home early for once." A clean-shaven man confessed. He wore a basic green t-shirt and black basketball shorts, his stomach close to hanging over his waist. Eirene nodded. Although he expressed a comforting energy, anxiety oozed.
"Wish this could happen more often." Eirene whimpered, taking a sip of ginger ale.
"You could've gotten that job with the insurance company. Either sitting at the desk or going door to door doesn't sound too bad. And it's safer."
"Kevin..." Eirene gave a stern tone.
"Babe... don't try to shut me down." Kevin countered.
"This is what I want to do, and you seemed to have no problem with it when we met so what's the problem now? Are you embarrassed? Feeling fragile?"
"What are you...? I have nothing to prove to myself." He offset whatever notions Eirene had.
"You're being ran ragged." Kevin finished his point.
"I'd get tired of doing this eventually, but I'd rather do this every night and hearing you complain about some asshole on the phone or paperwork rather than you being wheeled to the emergency room."
Kevin subtly referred to three years ago when Eirene was still relatively fresh in the force. She had been shot in the leg while on duty when responding to a possible petty theft. In the heat of the moment, she fumbled the tourniquet multiple times, and she recalled her vision going bleak. Thankfully, backup arrived and her senior officers were able to treat her leg until EMTs drove up to the scene.
Eirene sighed. "It's usually not like this. Sure, the gangs are a problem... but they've gotten bolder lately so the department's trying to crack down on it. Not to mention... some of the officers said these guys punch harder than they thought. One of them nearly blacked out on the spot."
Solidifying her resolve, Eirene reassured Kevin with a smile.
"And I'm not a new officer anymore. I've been in multiple shootouts since." Even had one guy with a knife charging me as he laughed like a little kid. Eirene shuddered at the memory.
"All we have to do is apply and get that interview set up." Kevin spoke convincingly.
"I'll be fine. Every officer has their close calls." Eirene stated without hesitation, yet her gaze wandered as she cogitated. Kevin exhaled. Kevin is just really concerned. Same as my parents and the rest of my family. After everything calms down, maybe I'll start looking around. It's not fair to make Kevin worry about me.
~
Lying in bed, Abby reached toward the ceiling fan, as she held the phone to her ear.
"There have been a couple of abnormalities. When we raided that house, I didn't get to see those crimson jewels and he seemed rather tame. Last night though, I didn't accompany him because I knew he'd handle it."
Giggling, Abby flopped out of bed and walked to the kitchen, oversized shirt bobbing up and down.
"Is that so?" Abby scavenges through the medicine cabinet, feeling for a specific shape and uses the moonlight through the curtains to aid in her search. She froze, shivering but then after a couple more seconds, her body seemed to ease.
"That's good... thank you. I'd rather not be a target in her eyes."
Listening and pulling out a packaged pill, she laughed while pulling down a glass and pouring herself some water.
"He's already a handful if he doesn't regulate himself. What makes you think you could handle her?" Tossing the pill into her mouth, Abby already started to work at swallowing then sent water after the pill down her throat.
~
Panting, Katie glared behind her. The man's figure faded for a second before his image became clearer, determined. Another button had popped off his white shirt, displaying more of his hairy chest.
Reflexively, Katie pivoted into an alley. On one side was the structure of a parking garage several stories high. Most of the bays were empty yet the lights were still on. The other side had backdoors to various units, whether restaurants or stores. Reaching the end, she stumbled to a halt as she beheld a gate at least twice her height.
Looming closer, the man flexed his fingers.
"You think you can make a pass at my girl and get away with it?" He growled.
"Stay the fuck back you piece of shit!" Katie bellowed trying to retreat.
"I'm warning you. If you do anything to me, you'll fucking regret it! We'll fucking rip out your entrails!"
Despite Katie's threat, the man's eyes raked over her form, then his eyes noticed the golden chain around her neck. Piecing together her warning, he smirked.
"Is that so...?" His laugh penetrated any certainty of escape.
"You're telling me I can get fucked up and scratch out a Golden Python in one night?"
Behind the man, Katie observed a black-haired green eyed boy peer in the alley. He appeared to be of average build, fair skin and wore a gray backpack. His hair could've been better and his hands were in his hoodie pocket. The streetlights enhanced his presence.
This stranger paused, attempting to study the situation before him. Seeking clarification, he began to approach them.
Following her eyes, the man looked behind him.
"What the hell do you want?" He boomed, agitated.
Stopping short, the green-eyed boy slowly reached to his side then pulled out a handgun. Hearing the clack of the holster draw, the buzzcut man spun around, eyes widened as his breathing became frantic.
The green-eyed boy smiled.
"Cornering a woman in a back alley. That doesn't have good implications."
"Stop...!"
Bang! The green-eyed boy shot at the ground to his right, making the man flinch.
"Leave or I'm dropping your ass." His green eyes narrowed, muzzle aimed. Huffing, the man stomped past him as he grumbled under his breath.
Finally, alone, Katie stared in amazement, her knees nearly failing her. The green-eyed boy approached her and exhaled before holstering his gun.
"You alright miss?" He asked as he held out a hand. "I had to pop off for him to know I wasn't bluffing."
Katie grimaced and started walking past him. "... I'm fine. He didn't do anything, so thank you."
Spinning around, he caught up to walk beside her. Aggravated, Katie increased her walking speed, but this boy seemed to keep pace so infuriatingly easy.
"Did you threaten to torture him?"
"..." Katie gritted her teeth.
"That's not the best thing to do when cornered like that. Guys like that only think about the moment, not the future."
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Not really..." Depressingly, he affirmed.
"What was that all about though? Is he a part of one of those gangsters around the city?"
Katie refused to speak, still simmering from betrayal and the near assault. Imagining even worse outcomes, Katie avoided giving this greed-eyed boy any gesture. Nevertheless, he persisted to stroll with Katie, bearing the silence of the emotions playing on her face and in her consciousness.
"... can you not follow me?" Finally, she urged.
"I'd leave you with my gun but... I'd rather not. I'll just walk you home. But don't worry. I have an overbearing girlfriend who'll be out searching for me, and she'd kill me if she thought I was entertaining anyone else.
"I'm Sean by the way."
Sirens blared. Wait... it shouldn't take them too long to get here. And I don't want to talk to the police. They look too deep and they'll suspect something. Quickly, Sean snatched Katie's wrist and dragged her down the sidewalk, staying vigilant of blue and red flashes.