The Rescue

Chapter 1

"We need a round of shots over here!" Winn frantically waves his hands above his head to get the bartender's attention.

Kara yells into Winn's ear, "I think we've all had plenty! Quit ordering!"

"Come on, Kara! Let loose. We are celebrating!" James shouts back. "It's not everyday that I land a photography job with one of the biggest media conglomerates on the coast!"

Kara sighs softly before she beams at him, so proud of her friend for pursuing his dream and getting it. She nods her head in understanding and takes a deep breath, preparing herself to rally for an even longer night. She was already feeling well past tipsy and bordering on sloppy drunk.

She didn't even realize that the bartender had already finished pouring their shooters until Nia and Alex crowd the space around the bar. They each take a shot glass and hold it up, waiting for Kara to take hers. Kara rolls her eyes playfully and gingerly holds hers up with only a few fingers. They clink it all together with a cheer to James before downing it. Only Winn and Kara grimace at the taste and quickly swallow a chaser; the rest move back to the dance floor.

Kara leans back against the bar with her elbows propping her up as Winn makes for the DJ to either ask about the equipment or request a few songs. She laughs at her friends' horrid dancing skills. Normally, she would be out there in the thick of it, but she needs a breather after the tequila sloshing in her stomach. Her leather jacket almost feels suffocating, but she doesn't dare take it off.

She lets her eyes wander, taking in the scene. Her eyes lock onto a situation that immediately makes the hair on her arms stand up. Just on the other end of the bar, there is a beautiful woman surrounded by men that just keep feeding her drinks. She is clearly inebriated and should have been cut off long ago. The men are well within her personal space and eyeing her in a way that is predatory.

Come on, Kara, she might know them. She might even be with friends. Not everyone has ill intent. I'm sure she is fine. She must be here with people who are looking out for her. Kara is staring at them without any subtly with a pronounced crinkle in her brow when her sister approaches.

"Hey, sis! Come join us!" Alex yells drunkenly. "Winn just asked for a bunch of Britney songs!"

"Do you think she is okay? Should we do something?" Kara shouts while nodding her head at the raven-haired beauty.

Alex sighs once she takes in the situation. "Kara, just leave it alone. I'm sure she's okay, and she probably knows them. Not everyone is a damsel in distress. And even if she is, all she has to do is ask for help from literally anyone in here."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Kara mumbles. Alex tries to pull Kara out to the dance floor, but Kara just shakes her head and stays rooted to the bar. She's feeling too tipsy to go out to the dance floor right now. She laughs hysterically at her sister as she makes a fool over herself dancing back to their friends.

Kara turns back to face the bar and asks for a glass of water to try to sober herself up a bit. She watches the situation not even 15 feet from her out of the corner of her eye. She can't let go of her train of thought. What if she doesn't know them? What if by me not doing something, something awful happens to her? What's the worst case scenario if I do intervene? If she knows them and isn't as drunk as she looks, it's not like I will have done anything wrong.

With conviction, Kara decides to take action and slams her now empty glass down on the bar. She wanders over to the huddle of men surrounding the woman. Kara unfortunately doesn't have to act all that drunk as she quite literally stumbles into the group.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kara exclaims. She pulls back to look the woman in the eye. It's almost like a record scratching happens in her brain, and she nearly forgets what she was there to do. Before anyone can interrupt, she tacks on, "Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you in ages!" She quickly wraps the woman in a hug watching the reaction of the men surrounding them both now. She can tell that they are confused and a bit annoyed with her interruption. Kara whispers in her ear, "If you need help, go along with it."