Facing Away (Broken Streetfighter)

Chapter Fifty

Wow. Fifty chapters. Each with at least 2000 words. 100,000 + words. Little over two years working on this. Wow, just wow. Welp, here it goes:

External Narrator:

It was a darker night in LA. The night sky was filled with clouds, blocking off any form of natural light. It was predicated to start raining at any second now.

The man, Rob, hurries through the less crowded streets. He had been living on the outskirts of LA for the past two years, but never had he felt as he did now. There was a chill in the air and a pit in his stomach that no matter what he ate and how many times he went to the bathroom, just wouldn't disappear.

After the first hour, he had realized that it wasn't a digestion problem, but rather a deep, figurative gut feeling. He didn't like the feeling. He didn't like not knowing what was happening. He didn't like the chill in the air. Least of all, he didn't appreciate the silence of the child put within his care.

His footsteps echo in the night as he turns the corner, not quite running, but not walking either. He was so close, so damn close. 

Until he wasn't. 

They grabbed him from behind, appearing out of thin air. He lets out a yelp as he's dragged back down by his hair. They were wearing masks, but the symbol behind one's ear was shining in the moonlight.

These were not Night Howlers, this gang, these were the Lunar Praise.

For the first time within two years, it's true, raw fear that curls in Rob's gut.

-----

She shouldn't have come. There was a pit in her stomach while she had put on her black pencil skirt and lilac colored shirt which covered her cleavage, but hugged its shape. 

When Alexander had turned towards her defensively, she knew that he didn't know anything. Shawn had told her as much, but she needed to be sure the leader wasn't keeping secrets, even from someone ranked like Shawn.

After leaving Alexander, she went looking for Amy Kuether. She had only seen glances from afar of her and her attire, but it seems that her oldest friend had attracted quite the audience.

"Hey," Shawn grins as he casually slides an arm around Riley's shoulder.

"Hey," Riley greets backs, but barely throws a glance in his direction. 

"Do you want some birthday cake? I hear the punch is spiked though, so I'd stay away from that if I were you."

"No thank you," she mutters while scanning the room. "But I know what a sweet tooth you have, so have some for both of us babe."

"Hmm," Shawn moans and leans down to peck her lips before disappearing off to find some cake. 

There was a chill in the air all around her. It could have been because she was wearing a skirt while there was still snow outside, but the chill was bone-shaking. It was something worse than a horror movie.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t the spy," a bitter voice spits out.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t the lost puppy. Tell me, where is your owner? Shouldn't you be following her around?" Riley raises an eyebrow without turning.