4. Dane

4

DANE

O nce Selene realizes it’s me, she stops squirming. I keep my hand over her mouth until I’m sure she understands the need for stealth.

My ears strain for the sound I heard earlier. It comes again, soft and subtle but unmistakable. A tiny squeal of the floorboards under Selene’s kitchen depressing as someone walks over them. Someone who’s taking great pains to move quietly.

Selene shifts against me, not struggling but changing her stance. She’s getting comfortable in my grasp. Her lavender-tinged scent floods my nostrils, the feel of her soft body pressed into mine becomes insistent. This isn’t the circumstance I imagined when I first fantasized about getting my hands on her back in the office.

From the moment I laid eyes on Selene, I felt drawn to her. She’s always trying to think a few steps ahead, just like me. She fidgets a lot, playing with her fingers or twisting around her woven bracelet in endless circles.

Her creativity is as intoxicating as her beauty. I’m keenly aware of how attractive I find Selene. That’s why I feel bad about what happened in our conversation earlier. I really froze up when she asked about my time in the Navy. Not an easy subject for me.

When it really counted, I wasn’t good enough and suffering was the result. She probably deserves to know who is protecting her.

I slowly let go of her mouth, and gently nudge her toward the bed. I indicate that she should climb underneath, and she quickly obliges. Once she’s out of sight, I creep over to the doorframe and peer out into the hallway.

From my perspective, I can see about a two-foot sliver of the kitchen. A bit of the counter, half the fridge, and one corner of the kitchen sink. At first, I don’t see anything amiss.

Then, a man in dark clothing and a ski mask strides across my view. I control my reactions and remain stock still as he looks down the hall. The light glints off the barrel of the revolver in his hand.

.38 revolver. Not powerful, and loud, but virtually untraceable. They don’t call it the Saturday Night Special for nothing. This guy might as well have a sign that reads I am a criminal hanging around his neck.

He must be here for Selene. I wonder what his move will be. Maybe they want to use her studio pass to get onto the movie lot? Best not to speculate. Deal with the hostile first, keep Selene safe. Then we’ll worry about Moreno’s motivations.

The problem is, this guy is on high alert and clearly no amateur. The only reason I heard him is my extensive training and battle honed instincts. That, and the fact that Selene probably has termites weakening the support joists under her floor. That little squeak saved our asses.

If I make a move, he’s likely to notice. I have to find a way to distract him. I grab a troll figurine off of Selene’s nightstand.

I really hope this isn't a treasured childhood heirloom.

I give it a toss, down the hallway and into the bathroom. Then I duck back into the deeper shadows.

A moment later, my efforts are rewarded. The man in black prowls down the hallway, gun drawn. He glances into the bedroom door, but he doesn’t really look that hard. He might have spotted me if he had.

He knows the sound originated from the bathroom down the hall. I step into the hall behind him, drawing my own gun. I decide that since I’ve got the drop on him, I won’t have to kill. I can take him alive and maybe figure out what’s happened to Justin.

I switch my grip on the pistol, so I can use it like a club. I’ll probably give him a concussion, maybe even crack his skull, but as long as he’s coherent enough to answer my questions I don’t give a shit. He should be thankful I’m not going to shoot him in the back.

The masked man bends as if he’s going to pick up the troll doll, and then spins in a sudden twist, gun leading the way. I barely have time to grab his wrist and push the barrel out to the side before he pulls the trigger.

A sharp bang makes my ears ring and steals my hearing, as the muzzle flash blinds us both. We grapple in the bathroom, each of us gripping the other’s wrist.

He slams my wrist into the doorjamb, getting it right on the radial nerve. My pistol falls heavily to the floor. Pissed, I slam my knee into his groin.

He doubles over, and his grip on the revolver loosens. I use his own trick against him. I don’t catch the radial nerve, but about four bashes does the trick.

Neither of us has a gun now. I push my advantage as he reels from my low blow, attempting to bowl him over into the tub.

He grabs a bottle of perfume off the sink and smashes it into my temple. Pain explodes in my skull, and he manages to squirm out of my grasp. He goes for my gun, laying on the floor in the hallway.

Ignoring the pain in my head, I throw myself through the air and tackle him from behind. We both go down, his hands mere inches from the pistol .

The masked man squirms around until he’s on his back. He snaps his foot out and catches me on the chin. I catch his foot before he can kick me again.

I struggle to my feet, dragging him away from the gun in the process. He scissors my ankle with his legs and knocks me off balance. The edge of the sink catches me flush in the ribcage. Air explodes out of my lungs as he squirms out of my grasp again.

He goes for my gun. His is laying in front of the toilet. I dive for his pistol and bring it up to take aim.

My mind flashes back in time. A time when I had the shot, but I didn’t take it. I hesitated, and innocent people paid the price. Not this time. No one else is going to get hurt because I didn’t act when I needed to.

I squeeze the trigger just as he reaches the doorway. He screams, blood spattering on the wall. The masked man’s left arm dangles uselessly at his side. He abandons the idea of retrieving my gun and runs straight up the hallway instead.

“No!” I cry.

Terror seizes hold of me. In my mind, he can only be running to the bedroom to take Selene hostage, or to kill her in a mad suicide mission.

Instead, he rushes right past her bedroom door and into the kitchen. I realize he’s trying to run away. My foot hits a patch of his slick blood and I stumble, almost toppling over.

It’s just enough of a delay to give him a big lead. I rush out the door just in time to see him vanish around the end of the block.

I start to follow, but what if that’s what they want? What if this guy was just bait, to lure me away and leave Selene defenseless? I can’t say it’s a bad plan, though I’m sure they didn't expect he would get shot.

I go back inside instead, closing and locking the door behind me.

“Selene,” I say. “You can come out now.”

I give her a hand out from under the bed. She trembles like a leaf in a strong wind.

“Where did he go? I heard a gunshot. ”

“I winged him, but he got away from me. I don’t think he’ll be back, but this place isn't safe for you. We need to get out, now.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you have ten minutes to pack an overnight bag. I’m sorry, Selene, but you’re in more danger than we thought.”