Inside Access

Chapter 22: Bond

He heard them before he saw them. The hit man had chosen a night of the new moon and the world was the darkest it could be at any time of the month. However, the still of the dark night just made it easier to hear and Brooklyn was by no means a pushover.

He heard the shuffling first and forced more speed into his legs to follow the sound.

It took a moment to make out their gray forms in the shadow of the complex. It took another one to differentiate between Brooklyn's flailing body and her attacker's struggling one.

He felt a rush of pride as he ran up to them because she was putting up too much of a fight for him to have the opportunity to harm her.

Warren skidded to a halt beside them and reached down. A moment later, after a brief tug of war, Warren was throwing the man off of Brooklyn.

“Warren!” she gasped recognizing his shape immediately. “Don't let him get away!”

Forcing down the urge to make sure she was okay, Warren turned just in time to see the hit man scrambling to his feet. Warren knew the man would run and try to come back another day rather than facing him. This time, however, Warren was there. He wasn't knocked out, he wasn't away from the scene and he wasn't going to let the attacker get away.

Warren charged after the hit man, Brooklyn climbing to her feet behind him. The hit man was fast but Warren was faster.

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“He's uglier than I thought he would be.” Kieth said unhelpfully as he looked the hit man over.

“I doubt his attractiveness plays any factor in how good a job he does.” Crispin signed with a smile.

The two of them were on guard duty over the man who had refused to say a word since Warren had dragged him into the complex.

Warren and Jack were with Brooklyn making sure both her and the baby were alright. Until they got back Crispin had been appointed by Jack to make sure the hit man didn't escape. He was handcuffed to a chair but there was virtually no chance that he would escape a siren. Kieth had volunteered to stay and was sitting cross legged in front of the hit man and looking him over with a critical eye.

He was older than Kieth expected with gray peppered through his dark brown hair. There was a scar under his right eye shaped like a sickle. Other that, there was nothing physical outstanding about him.

“I guess the scar kind of works but I thought he would look scarier.” Kieth shrugged, slightly disappointed. “Movies kind of make life a let down, you know?”

“You shouldn't expect life to be a movie.” Crispin told him wisely. “Movies are completely unrealistic.”

“Yeah, but they're exciting.” Kieth grinned wide, stars in his eyes. “There's always an adventure right around the corner. The excitement is awesome, the girls are hot, and the hero always lives to see another day. Another adventure.”

“That's in a movie.” Crispin shook his head at the younger man's description. “Real life is-”

“Boring?” Kieth cut him off.

“Harder.” Crispin corrected. “Movies are easy. Life is a thousand times more difficult. Here is real life, fear accompanies that adventure of yours which makes it considerably less fun. Real excitement, real adventure can't be found in those movies because it always fades to black before it starts.”

“That is such an old man thing to say.” Kieth groaned as he rolled his eyes. “Come on, Crispin. You aren't even middle aged yet. You're still young, don't act so old.”