The Truth Behind Those Eyes

Chapter One

He held his hands up in protest. "Calm down Nikki, I'm not here to hurt you." His grin broadened and he chuckled quietly. 

Nikki's eyes dilated in alarm. "How do you know my name? Just who the hell ARE you?" 

Purposefully he lowered his eyes to her chest and nodded: "Your name tag." 

Her free hand shot up to her ID badge and once again her face flamed again. 

"I'm Josh," he went on. "I live just up here." He waved his muscular arm in the general direction they were heading. 

"Oh ... God," she mumbled, "Sorry. It's just in this line of work you meet some really dodgy characters, and it's not always safe, and--" 

"Hey, it's fine. Really. But seriously, this isn't a street you want to be walking down alone, especially at this time of the day." Josh glanced at the package and pressed his mouth into a hard line. 

"What?" Nikki asked cautiously. "What's with that face you're pulling?" She let her eyes drop to the prominent address on the package.

"That is not a door you should go knocking on." 

The concern in his eyes unnerved her but she refused to be intimidated. Absently she looked from the package to the alley and back. She didn't want to put herself in danger; but she needed this job and no signature equaled no job in her boss' eyes. Indecision plagued her. 

Focusing back to the man in front of her, Nikki weighed up her options. He could be playing her for a fool, it wouldn't be the first time, but equally he could be telling her the truth and no job was worth endangering herself. 

"Ok, how about this?" Josh cocked his head and smiled brightly. "I'll sign for the package and take it to them while you get back in your van and watch from there." 

Nikki opened her mouth to argue but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. "Hang on, just listen. You'll get your signature, they'll get their package and you're kept out of harms way. If I run off you can always say I intercepted you at the door. How were you to know I didn't live there? Plus you'll have a decent enough description of me to give to the police." 

Glaring at her new companion, Nikki made a mental note of his appearance. Dark brown - almost black - hair flopped over his forehead. Hazel eyes with a small nose. He was tall, at least six-foot and his toned frame filled a white t-shirt proudly shouting a band name Nikki didn't recognise but she committed it to memory. 

She bounced from foot to foot. What he'd said was true enough; she'd have her signature and a plausible story – if things went wrong that might be enough to save her job - besides, every fiber of her ached to get as far from this dank back alley as possible. 

"I know!" Josh declared, his eyes bright. "Here, take this. That way you have some insurance - just in case." He slipped a silver chain over his head and pressed it - and the curious pendant adorning it - into her small hand. Before she could protest he had grabbed her clipboard and signed with a flourish. "There!" He grinned triumphantly. "Now go wait in your van. I'll be two minutes." Without another word he turned and bounded up the alleyway. 

Dumbfounded, Nikki shuffled out of Black Row Avenue trying to process what had just happened. To say she was uncomfortable with the situation would be a huge understatement but the relief of being back in her van was immeasurable. 

Slamming the door hard, she peered through the window. 

As Josh neared a large converted warehouse, he turned to smile. Giving him a half-hearted smile in return, she wondered about this new person who had forced his way into her late afternoon: uninvited but not entirely unwelcome. Slumping back against the leather seat, she found herself shaking her head disapprovingly. 

How had he managed to disarm her so quickly? She'd been in many uncomfortable situations in her life, and some downright bizarre ones, but none as peculiar as this. It had all happened so quickly. God, she hoped this wasn't going to cost her the job. 

The door to the parcels destination opened, momentarily bathing Josh in a yellow glow and then he was gone - swallowed by the building and leaving an unidentifiable shadow lingering on the grimy pavement. 

Out of the blue, the icy hand of fear gripped Nikki, sending an unpleasant shudder down her spine. Her pulse quickened and her palms became sweaty. Nothing about this situation was right. 

As her heart accelerated the feeling of vulnerability increased. Realising how defenseless she actually was, Nikki snapped the door lock down and chewed nervously on her thumbnail. 

Balling her hands into fists, she was about to attack another finger nail l when she became sidetracked by the pendant Josh had thrust at her. In the tight clench of her fist it dug uncomfortably into her palm. Uncurling her hand she stared with curiosity down at the shiny silver shape. Turning it over, she examined it closely. 

It was some kind of bird with its wings outstretched. She ran her thumb over the hard metal, feeling the rigid texture and the filigree in the feathers. The longer she stared at the intricacy and delicacy of the carving, the more she found herself calming. She was losing herself in the beauty of his jewellery ... 

A shot rang out, quickly followed by another: two cracks so ear-splittingly loud it left a ringing in her ears and dread in her heart. Nikki whipped her head up and held her breath. This wasn't good. 

A cold sweat encased her trembling body as silence returned to the undesirable neighbourhood. Turning around in her seat, she searched frantically for any sign of life - for someone else to take charge of the situation - but there was only her; she was alone. No one else was going to help her now. Besides, look at what had happened to the last person who had tried!

Images of Josh hijacked her mind: his cooling body splattered with blood, as he lay unresponsive on the floor. 

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" she muttered frantically as she tried, without success, to force her fingers to move. But it was too late; she was out of time. 

Someone barrelled through the large, open door and was pounding his way towards her van. 

Her mind screamed at her to do something, ANYTHING, but shock had her in its iron grip. Try as she might, she could not escape. She was paralysed. In that moment time stopped and it was all she could do to breathe. 

As he ran towards her she couldn't stop her eyes drifting to his white T-shirt which was splattered crimson, but Josh himself did not appear to be hurt. He met her terrified expression with a timid smile, and her breath caught in her throat. 

"Oh God!" She gasped as a new thought dawned. She had feared for him but what if it was him she should have feared? 

"NIKKI!" he shouted. "Open the door, please!" He glanced behind at the building, panicked. Flowing his gaze her racing heart stuttered painfully. 

Four large men were edging cautiously out of the open doorway, pistols in hand. 

Her eyes met Josh's and for a split second her world stopped turning.