Crazy in Love with a Crazy Detective

Morning arrived but was masked by the same dark clouds that seemed to follow them everywhere they went.  The rain continued on unphazed by the passing of any time.  Edward woke slightly only to notice that the train was still moving, meaning that they hadn't arrived yet.  In his arms and on his chest he felt some weight and the feeling of being squeezed.  Peering down slightly out of partially cracked open eyelids he saw her, nestled close and gripping on to him like a spider monkey.  Fighting the urge to smile, he resumed resting his head back and dipping back into some sleep.  Nothing was going to stop him from solving this case.  She was the best prize he had ever sought after, never in a million years did he think he would be considering giving it all up for someone he fell for.  Going through it in the past had yielded him results that were the primary reasons he swore off of it.  Turns out it is possible to cross a detective and make him feel like a useless no hope waste of space.  But Meg, it still astonished him that upon seeing her made him actually speechless.  It had never happened to him before, one of the reasons he made it his mission to pursue her.  She stirred in her sleep and his mind slipped into rest and the rain lulled him to another small sleep.
She awoke not soon after, immediately hearing the rain slathering the speeding train once again.  It was so dark out she was almost convinced it was still the middle of the night.  She was still in his arms, another day another smile.  Being careful not to wake him, she slithered out of the bed, taking a quick peek out of the window.  The storm carried on even though the landscape had changed, they weren't in city territory anymore.  The trees and hills were beautiful, at least she was able to see them before a possible last day alive.  She needed to stop thinking like that, with her luck she was going to dwell on it so much that she'd will it to happen.  Good thoughts, good thoughts.  She caught herself in the bathroom mirror.  Some bed hair but otherwise.....she removed her clothes and examined her naked body.  The bruises were going away thankfully and everything else looked damn fine if she did say so herself.  She changed her clothes and suddenly remembered the man he had killed and left in the bar car.  Surely by now someone would have stumbled upon him, they'd start checking the rooms for any suspicious activity right?  A wave of anxiety flushed over her and she had to grab onto the sink to hold her balance.  There was nothing to pin it to them, nothing to worry about.  Edward took care of the weapon and neither one had any specks of blood on them.  Except....the barman.  He saw them both.  Shit.  This was beginning to cause all types of panic.  Better wake him up so at least you aren't panicking alone.  Shaking him awake, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a beautiful brunette who looked like she just discovered a bomb.
"Hey beautiful....what's wrong?"
"The barman!  He saw it all!"
"Relax, I paid him, he'll keep quiet."
"How can you be sure?"
He thought for a moment, his years of detective work stepping up to reasonable thought.  "You're right."  He got up out of bed, still keeping his arms around her.  They shared a passionate kiss and just for a moment she forgot what it was she was concerned about.  But only for a moment.
"Edward, if anything happens he can identify us though.  I think I saw a constable walking the halls, you aren't higher than the police."
"For a price you are, how do you think that gang is where they are?"
After getting dressed he took a look out of the window to determine where it is they were.  "Hmm, still have about a couple hours until we reach the station at the coast.  If they haven't started checking rooms yet then we should be alright."
As if karma was listening right outside their door, they immediately start hearing muffled voices from farther down the hall and doors being knocked on.  The two looked at one another.  Edward put a finger up to his lips to mime being quiet and cracked the door open slightly to look at what the commotion was.  Down the hall, the constable and his officer along with the barman were knocking on doors asking about last night.  Just what they needed.  He shut the door and leaned against it pondering how to get out of the situation.
"It's them isn't it."
"We still have a little bit of time to figure out what to do."
"Why did you leave him there?"
"I was under the assumption that I was paying a bar man without a concience. "
They gathered up everything they had brought with them and searched the room for a place they could either hide or escape from.  The only thing they could settle on was the connecting door that went to the room beside them. 
"He came through there, does that mean nobody is occupying that one?  We could switch over into that one once they are done searching it and move to our room."
"That's not a bad idea.  Come on."
"I swear dew drop, it's like you carry bad situations along with you on a rope."
He smiled and they took position in the doorway of the connector.  They waited and before long there was some shuffling and knocking in the opposite room.  The noises died down and there was a loud knock on their door.  "This is the train constable, there has been an incident and we are checking rooms for suspicious persons.  We only ask a moment of your time while we search the room."  The two change rooms just as the police enter and begin searching theirs.  They don't think to check the small doorway to the side.
"Okay so now what, just stay in here?"
"They may keep checking until they find who they are looking for.  We have to keep moving or find somewhere totally away from where the searches will be conducted."
"They are going to search everywhere, especially if the barman knows exactly who he is looking for."
"Let's start in baggage and work from there, generally people can't get in through there but I can pick the lock.  It will at least buy us some time."
The two make their way carefully out of the room and down the hall, they switch cars a few times until they reach the end where the baggage is kept.  The car is darker and full of various types and sizes of luggage.  Oddly it's more comfortable and warmer than the other cars.  They sit in silence for a time before getting too comfortable and believing that the search may have been called off.
"They have to have given up searching by now."
'It has been a reasonable amount of time."
As they stand up, there is a collection of noises coming from the door handle.
"Or, they made their way back here."
Meg looks defeated and slightly panicked.  "There's nowhere to go, we can't kill them too."
"No, cop killer is way worse than random gang guy killer."
They huddled behind a large stack of luggage as one of the policemen wanders in with flashlight in tow.  He shines it here and there coming ever so closer to the couple.  They tense up watching the light dance about getting ever closer to their position.  The cop walks by them searching the walls and stops letting out a sigh.  Giving up his search he turns around to leave and his flashlight beam lands right on them.  "You!  Freeze!"
Edward jumps up and pushes a stack of luggage on the cop knocking him over and he grabs Meg's hand and they race out of the room.  Slamming the door behind them they are then seen by the other cops at the end of the hallway.  "Stop them!  They are here!"  They take off running towards the couple.
"Shit Edward what do we do?"  She clutches his hand as he surveys the area around them for a plan of escape.  His eyes finally landing on the emergency exit leading outside.  Better than in here.  He kicks the door open and they climb a ladder to the top of the train as rain pelts them all over from the speed of the train.  "Are you crazy!?" 
He holds her close as they go step by step on top of the train holding on to everything they can to keep steady.  "We're going to die up here Edward!"
"We'll be alright, they won't follow up here and we can get back in at a car farther up."
As he ended his sentence, two policemen climbed the ladder to follow pursuit behind them.
"Stop saying things like that Edward!  Your karma is poisonous!"
Admittadly she was right.  The rain slicked the roof of the train and his grip was getting slippery.  Something pinged the floor near him and rickocheted away.  They're shooting at us!
"They're shooting at us!"
"We may have to jump Meg."
"Say again?"
"It's our only option."
"I can think of a few others!"
"If we stay we die, we have to make a jump for it."
"Edward, if I didn't love you I swear."
"That's why we're doing it.  Because I love you too."
Before she could retort back he dove off.  Still holding her hand.  Screaming, her body followed his and the rain clouded her eyes as all she saw were trees and ground coming at her at a speed she was far from comfortable with.  He pulled her close and forced a roll with both of them when they hit the ground.  More bruises.  Eventually the noise of the train died away and they lay on the ground soaked by the rain, hurt but safe. 
"I swear to god Edward."
"Coast isn't too far from here, might be better this way anyways, they won't know we will be walking in."
"You are crazy.  But we are safe."
" I won't let anything happen to you."
He held her and picked themselves up.  The landscape was beautiful from what she could see and dragged him in the direction of a small cave where they could be out of the rain.  They took a few moments to dry what they could and embraced while watching mother nature take over.  It was a hairy situation they just came out of but he was glad to still have her by his side.  She looked even more amazing drenched in water.  Reassuring her of their mission, she was all smiles before long and the cave became a sort of romantic spot for them.  "We leave in an hour, I think we both need a rest."
"Not going to argue that."
The rain pelted on but she was happy, bruised yet again but happy.  It was nuts how far she would follow this man, but in her heart she knew it was what she wanted.  Crazy in love with a crazy detective.

TO BE CONTINUED.......
xoxoxoxoxo

The Perfect Savior to Let into My Heart

She awoke in the middle of the night and it was quiet.  As quiet as it could be on a train traveling through a storm.  It had been a while but she actually felt, calm and comfortable.  Edward wasn't making a noise and between him and the wall, she felt a safeness.  She wondered how long it would take until someone discovered that the man in the suit in the bar car wasn't actually sleeping with his head in his hands.  Taking advantage of this moment where she wasn't running or hiding she decided to stay awake for a little and enjoy the moment.
"Even if we don't make it, i'm glad it led me to you.  Probably can't hear me, being asleep and all, but I just wanted to say...you saved me.  Hearing the detective stories on the radio growing up always made my imagination run wild and actually being in the read deal now makes me realize just how much those stories were dramatized.  When I first saw you I thought you were just another one of them out on that roof, making sure that if things went bad in that room, I wouldn't make it out of there alive.  But you waved and I could see your face, it wasn't a face I feared.  I'd be lieing if I said that I trusted you fully at first.  I mean, I just got caught up in a situation where my friend of a few years turned out to be someone messed up with the mafia and carrying around a million dollars in dirty money to a party.  I wish she was still around so I could ask her how it all happened."
She adjusted her head on his chest and continued even though she knew he wasn't conscious to listen.
"My parents didn't want me moving here, kept telling me I should stay there and the city was no place for a pretty girl to be alone.  But I wanted to prove myself.  I thought schooling and a decent job would send me on my way to the top.  Three waitress jobs and a failed attempt at a degree later and  I'm living large in a small apartment and becoming a professional want ads reader.  Sigh.  If only my parents knew the truth. This past week has been a whirlwind of close calls and nervewracking events.  But I can honestly say it's also given me some of the best feelings I've ever had.  At the risk of sounding cliche, I've been through a lot.  As the years went on I felt like I was just getting more and more lost, following a path that I thought I was supposed to be on as an adult.  But as each year passed I found myself in the same position I was in the last one, maybe a step or two to either side but still the same.  I met her at my last job and we quickly became good friends.  Visited the city sights and talked about how we were going to show the other how successful we would be this year.  She wasn't stupid, finding out she had mafia ties was eye opening to say the least.  Maybe I should have talked to her more, I don't know.  They say life has a plan for you and everyone has a path that is set out before them.  It's just too unbelievable to me that her path involved this.  Hell, it's hard to believe mine did too.  But you, you are proof that maybe there is.  You encounter so much in life that there are times when you question if somewhere that path diverged into a dark wood and the exit is far beyond where you could fathom.  Those nights that I cried myself to sleep, I wished for someone like you to be there.  Behind me, arms squeezing tightly."
She felt his arms around her pull in and squeezing her tightly.  Was he listening?  It didn't matter.
He was warm and she laid in the darkness with him listening to the drops hitting the glass.  The train barely made a noise to her, she was savoring a moment that she never thought she would get.  There was still a ways to go and as the night wore on it became clearer that there was only one man who followed them onto the train.  She held his hand and snuggled as close as she could to him.
"Thank you darlin, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect savior to let into my heart."
She felt him squeeze her hand and he kissed her forehead.  She felt a little embarrassed that he may have been awake but he showed no other signs of movement.  For the first time in days, she laid her head down on his chest and closed her eyes knowing that she didn't have to watch the door or listen for movement.  A smile crept across her face as she drifted off.

Back at the departing station, a burly man placed a dime in a nearby payphone.  He dialed a series of numbers and waited.  "It's me.  They boarded the train going east to the coast.  Slats followed them on, won't know how it turned out until they arrive."
"That's not a chance I'm willing to take.  Do you know the path the train is going on?"
"Sure, follows the countryside until the mountains, then down to the coast."
"I want you to take Notes with you and catch up to it.  Hop aboard and rendevou with Slats.  If he ain't moving then make sure they don't make it to that station.  You read me?"
"Understood boss."
He hung up the phone and met up with a thinner partner nearby who was leering at some women in skirts.  "Boss says we catch up to the train, board it and make sure it all went to plan."
"No faith in Slats eh?"
"More of an insurance policy."
The thinner man winked at one of the women who promptly turned away from him.
"Boy what I'd give to have them skirts above their heads."
"Come on, we gotta get to the car and get movin, train's already been out for a few hours."
"Yeah yeah, we take the back valley we'll be there no sweat."  He put a toothpick in his mouth and took a few steps towards the women before being pulled back by the much larger brute.  "Now Notes.  Vagina ain't goin extinct, get in the car."
With a huff he followed and the two took off towards the valley, keeping an eye on the tracks.

The bartender wasn't comfortable leaving the bar with the man still at the table but he locked up the booze so it should be alright.  He just felt so uncomfortable about the whole situation.  He couldn't shake the feeling and while he wanted to stay in bed and get some good rest, he couldn't just assume the man in the suit was alright.  The one man seemed to be trying to pay his silence that evening and seeing him hide the girl was a bit odd.  It was against his nature but he got up and curled a robe around himself and left his cabin.  Thunder and lightning shook the cars and he slowly made his way to the bar cab.  Passing the many rooms on his way was like an abandoned hotel with quiet door after quiet door.  With the exception of one that was doing a poor job of keeping the moans of a woman inside.  When he reached the door to the bar cab he peeked through the window and saw the man still at the table, head in his hands.  Maybe he fell asleep.  Still, he felt responsible and went inside.  He walked up to the man and put his hand on his shoulder.  "Hey, mister, I think you'd better get back to your room, it's pretty la--"  Before he could finish his sentence, the man slumped over revealing his side stained completely with blood.  The barkeep gasped and backed up a few steps before panic set in and he rushed to the small receiver at the bar.  "Yes this is the barkeep, I have a situation back here that the constable on board might want to have a look at.  I think I may know what happened.......and who is responsible."

TO BE CONTINUED    <3 p="">

The Beautiful Detective in the Making

Edward walked casually and slightly out of breath over to the bartender who was cleaning up for the night, frankly surprised that he was still there.  But thankful.  He gave him a nod of the head.
"Meg, see that bar cart at the end of the car near the door?  I want you to get under it and don't speak or move until I say so."
"Hide under a cart, got it."
She ran over and ducked underneath making sure the cloth covering it fell over every part of her.  It was dim under there and she had to be careful as there was dinnerware on top of the cart and any movement may shake it noisely.  Edward turned to face the bartender.  "Just a little game we're playing, won't be but a few moments, if anything is disrupted I'll make sure it is paid for."
The barman seemed suspicious but a small game here and there wasn't too bad.
"Listen, also if you could do me a favor.  I'm going to be meeting a friend of mine in here very soon and if you could keep a watch on him until we're done I'll make sure you are compensated for your troubles.  He's going to look a state, he's been upset about a family matter and has taken to the alcohol I'm afraid.  Just letting you know it may get a little rowdy, if it gets a bit much I may need some assistance removing him from the car."
"I understand, not a stranger to bar fights myself."
"I thought you'd understand.  Thanks so much."
Edward walked over to a table in the middle of the car and waited patiently for his midnight attacker.  It wasn't long before a man in a tossled suit came barging into the car looking worse for the wear.  "You."
Edward smiled and pushed a seat out from under the table.  "I know you've been having a rough night, why don't you sit and we'll take a load off and enjoy each other's company."
The suited man noticed the barman watching him and turned it down a little.  He straightened out his jacket and tried to process what he was walking into.  The barman kept his eyes on him and cleaned the rest of his area.
Meg watched what she could see from under the tablecloth at the end of the room.  She saw Edward's feet planted firmly under a seat of a table in the middle of the room and another set walking over to join him.  Keeping her breathing as quiet as she could she watched and listened intently.
The suited man took a seat and stared Edward down.  "You are a lot of trouble you know that."
"So I hear."
"You aren't making it to your stop.  Cute move coming in here with a witness, I'll just have to dispose of him too."
"People will start questioning."
"I'll be gone by then."
"So it's now come to getting rid of me and no longer about the case."
"The case will be found, you pointed us in the right direction but you are just way too untrustworthy.  We're losing men and any and every deal we try and make with you is thrown right out the window."
"I don't make deals."
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb, the girl.  Meg.  You've set her up in a worse situation than she was at the start."
"Still alive though."
"Neither of you are getting off this train."  A click is heard under the table and Meg sees the suited man pull a gun out from his belt and aim it at Edward underneath the table.
"You won't get far on a train after you've shot someone in the open with a witness."
"Don't you worry about that.  Now where is she?"
"What is so important about this cash filled case?  Surely your boss already has sums more than that."
"That's not the point, it's where it came from."
"That so."
"No no, you aren't squeezing me for information.  Tell me where she is before this trigger slips."
Edward noticed the bartender had stopped cleaning and was watching them talk.  This could go a number of ways.  He didn't want a witness though, it was just another person who could identify him and raise more questioning.  Meg was doing a fantastic job so far keeping quiet, just needed to break this guy's focus for a minute. 
"Eddie, patience, it's gone.  Now, I'm done fooling around."
"Ah, barman, if possible could you bring us a bottle from the back?  We won't have it here so you won't have to clean, I'd appreciate it."
The barman nodded to him and after a moment of hesitation, went to the back room.  It was just them in there now.
"You are so pathetic.  Okay, so now there's no witness, you just made this a million times easier for me."
'You know, it's a lot quieter and easier to cover up when it's not done with a gun."
"What are you talking about."
Meg was trying desperately to keep quiet and stifled a sneeze but the way she was positioned couldn't hold and she leaned a little on the leg of the cart.  A spoon fell from above and clattered to the floor.  The suited man's attention jumped up to the cart in the back and Edward took the chance.  He kicked the gun, hurting the man's hand once again and it clanged to the floor as he shoved the table forward knocking the man backward in his chair.  He reached down and scooped up the gun and leapt onto the man before he was able to compose himself to get up.
"When you have a man at gunpoint and at your mercy.  Pull the trigger, don't talk."  Then Edward slid his knife into the man's side and blood stained his shirt.  The suited man had a look of shock on his face and his eyes rolled back in his head.  Edward quickly picked the man up and sat him at a farther table and set his body up in a way that made him look like he was angrily resting with his head on the table over crossed arms.  Meg poked her head out from under the cart.  "Wow.  I'm so sorry."
"You did exactly as I had hoped.  Let's cross our fingers he was the only one on here and get back to our room."
The barman came back out with the bottle and saw the suited man sitting in the back and Edward walking towards the bar with the girl.  "Things resolve themselves I take it?"
"Could've cut the tension with a knife.  He's going to pout for a while and then go to his room.  Thank you so much for the bottle, you've been very accommodating."  He took the bottle and paid the man double and hand in hand him and Meg went back to their room.  With the door once again locked, he popped open the bottle and poured the each a glass.
"So where were we."
"This is so nerve wracking, every day there's someone in the shadows waiting."
"Comes with the job."
"You think he was it?"
"I guess we'll find out, but first, you need to decompress."
They drank for a few and rejoined back into bed for whatever rest they could find.  She held on to him through the night and any moment he didn't drift off to sleep he spent watching the door and caressing her curves.  She kissed him on the chest and continued sleeping.  The destination wouldn't be long and then the real chase would commence.  It was close and the gang was stepping up their game.  He had to get her through this so they could start their real life.  She was a real trooper, most would have caved first sign of a man breaking in.  Her breathing soothed him and under the moonlight he finally made peace with rest.  Snuggled up tightly with the beautiful detective in the making.


TO BE CONTINUED   <3 p="">

A Kiss for Good Luck

The man lunged inside at the ready to eliminate the two occupants.  The second the door was flung open a woman dropped her mug of coffee to the floor and screamed in surprise.  Having realized that the cabin was wrong, the man put his hands up as a sign of harmlessness.  "My mistake madam, I thought my wife was in this cabin and I wanted to give her a nice surprise."
"Some woman she must be to put up with jumps like that."
The suited man apologized again and backed out of the room.  He stood in the hall of the train curious and confused.  That had to be the room, he had seen them go into it and watched from when they got onto the train.  They would not have gotten off the train, the foreman wouldn't allow it once it was boarded. He promised he would have this handled, can't have more mistakes like this or it will arise attention.  A suited man jumping into rooms scaring people and having a weapon on him.  The train lurched back and forth and he stood in the center of the car confused as to how to track down his two targets.
A climax filled the small room and she slid off of him.  She thought rather selfishly to herself, well if this doesn't pan out then at least she felt some of the best pleasures of her life before she went.  Went out with a bang so to speak.  She giggled to herself at how cheesy her thoughts turned.  He rolled to face her.  "What?"
"Nothing, just thought of something that made me laugh."
"I'm glad we switched rooms but I still don't like staying in one place for too long.  I don't think we will have the same luck with another passenger to switch like we did with that woman."
"You can be pretty convincing when you're nice."
"Am I not nice?"
"You're nice.  But your professional voice is pretty threatening."
"Years of practice I guess."
The train spouted off a loud horn as it puffed on.  The rain continued to pound on the outer walls as the speeding bullet tore through a mountain tunnel and emerged on the other side with the smoke stack pounding away.  The night was getting later and most of the passengers on the train cars had gone to sleep with very few lights being kept on other than the hall lights.  A foreman walked up and down the halls every so often to check on things and make sure anyone needing anything.
Edward watched the clouds from the bed feeling the grip of sleep washing over him.  His body was trying to tell him to rest but for the past week he was barely listening to it.  He watched her from the bed, she was standing in the small corner washroom washing her face.  She was slightly bent over the sink and the light shining in accentuated her curves in a glow that was impossible to look away from.  It was such a shame that someone that beautiful had gotten caught up in such a bad situation, but at the same time he was thankful because he would never have met her and who knows where he would be at this point.  Once she was done washing, she toweled her face and leaned against the frame of the doorway looking at him.  She turned the light off.  "We safe to get some rest then?"
"I set up the chair to the door so if anything tries to get in they will set off the chair and it'll wake anyone up.  We should be good."
Her standing there in the shadows was a vision that only the luckiest men get to see in their lives.  Her body played with the light and dark in ways that created a painted look that would go perfect in a museum.  Her breasts moved slightly up and down with her breath and her fingers ran up and down her thighs almost distracting him from anything else.  His cautious intuition couldn't help itself and reared its ugly head.
"I'm going to check the car just to get a view of where we are and for my own piece of mind."
"Alright, I'll be under the sheets, don't be surprised if i'm snoring when you get back."
He got up and was just about out the door, looking both ways up and down the hall.  She slunk back into the bed.  "Be careful, come back quick."
He smiled and shut the door behind him.  The hallway was quiet, the train while still on noisy rails seemed to have gotten quieter as well.  Nothing seemed out of place or suspicious so far.  Trees blew by out of the hall windows and the rain had slowed to a steady pace.  He tried to remain as quiet and inconspicuous as possible to not arise any attention to himself.  The dining car was the next door over and after his evening exercise he was feeling a little hungry.  Maybe he could bring her back something too.  Upon entering the car he noticed only a bartender and a man in a suit reading a newspaper at one of the booths.  He ordered a sandwich for himself and a buttered roll for Meg.  The man behind the paper kept peering over the top at Edward.  Once the food was ready, the paper man got up and took a seat next to Edward at the bar.
"Some rain we're having, hasn't disrupted the train though."
"No, one of the quieter rides I've experienced."
"Where you headed?"
"Coast.  Nowhere specific."
"The coast huh, nice time of year to do that.  Any particular reason why?"
"Friends, figured I'd give them a visit."
A silence fell over the conversation for a moment before the man in the suit pressed his luck.
"Noticed you were with a pretty hot number when I saw you board earlier.  Wife?"
Edward wasn't stupid, he didn't get his position with idle chit chat that led nowhere.
"She's with me."
"Well congratulations, she's beautiful.  I'm traveling alone this time, boss at my job has me on a little mission that may take a day or two.  Out of town work, pay is good but these train rides are a pain."
"You don't say."
"You in the C Car up there?"
"I'm in a room that's quiet enough for me."
The man in the suit was getting impatient.  Edward sensed this was way too out of place for a middle of the night chat and gathered what was left of the meal and headed to leave.
"Nice talking to you, have a good night."
"You too Mr.....?"
Edward didn't answer and left the car.  He walked down the hall and ducked behind the wall at the end to pretend like he went into the nearest room.  He waited for a few minutes and when he didn't hear any movement continued on to his room.  The door closed behind him and the suited man stepped out from the end of the hallway.  A grin spread across his face and he reached into his coat to pull out his knife then began walking.
Edward closed the door behind him.  She was asleep, if they stayed here they were in danger but then again if they left then they were stuck on a moving train with someone who most assuredly wanted them dead.  She put some night clothes on, good, bad enough if a chase were to occur than a chase while naked and distracting.  He didn't have any protection on him other than a small gun which would make more noise than he was comfortable with.  His quickest thought turned to any blunt object and landed on the chair.  He unscrewed a leg of the chair and wielded it like a baseball bat.  Standing ready at the door he waited for the poor schmuck to try breaking in.  It would scare Meg awake but at least he was ready so no harm would come to her.  What felt like an eternity passed and he was starting to feel quite tired.  Either the man gave up or was biding his time way better than he was.  Unbeknownst to Edward, the cabin rooms were all connected by smaller doors that were locked but was a way to enter other rooms in case of emergency.  The small door behind him opened slowly and the man in the suit rose up behind Edward.  In an instant he was bashed over the head sending him stumbling forwards and crashing into the table.  The noise woke up Meg and she screamed awake trying to take in everything she was seeing.  Edward climbed up onto the bed with her and held her hand, she immediately felt safe.  The suited man held a knife in front of them.
"The boss sends his regards but is quite tired of all this run around.  This is where it ends I'm afraid.  First the detective which I'll enjoy quite thoroughly and then you pretty girl."
"I wouldn't try that if I were you, you don't know what you're messing with."
"Pfft, shut up, I know all about you detective.  Seems you two have formed quite the little bond this week haven't you?"
Meg sat a little straighter.  "What would you know about love."
Offended he took a step forward.  "Watch your mouth sweet cheeks, I've already got plans of what I'm going to do to you, don't make me think of more."
Edward was silently reaching for the chair leg in the shadows, hoping he wasn't seen.
"You move a muscle and I start swinging.  First the location of this damn case and then you're gone."
By the end of his sentence Edward was on his feet and swung the leg at the man.  It hit his hand and he cried out in pain as he dropped his knife to the floor.  He gripped his hand and stumbled backwards in pain.
"Meg come on!"
He grabbed her hand and the knife with the other and they both took off out of the room and ran down the hall to the other side of the car.  Meg was shook but confident.  "What do we do now?  We're on a train, there's only so much we can do."
"Don't worry, seems to be just him and he's only one man who is now unarmed.  We'll take care of this, I've got an idea.  You alright?"
"I'm always fine with you dew drop."
He smiled, kiss her on the cheek and then led the way, starting his plan.  They may have been tracked here by a man in a suit but he wasn't going to get them so easily. 
"Follow me to the restaurant car, I think I know what we can do with him."
She followed without question and a small feeling of excitement jumped through her body.  It was scary but something in her told her they were going to actually pull this off and rid her life of the gangsters.  She couldn't help but smile as they entered the food car. 
"Alright, here's the plan."
She didn't let him finish and kissed him on the lips passionately.  "For good luck"
"A kiss for good luck is the luckiest of all."
They embraced once again and he took her hand.  "Just follow what I do, if he makes it through this then he's Superman."


TO BE CONTINUED...

Angel of my Nightmares

The train shuddered as it readied itself for its journey.  The foreman came along up and down the cars checking tickets to make sure those who were supposed to be there were there.  A few notable more wealthy patrons only peeked their faces out so as not to mix with the lower class and went right back to the privacy of their room.  The two were pointed to a room in one of the middle cars and bid a very well trip.  Meg was trying to hide her excitement and fascination with the new experience all the while watching Edward to make sure she didn't commit anything that was frowned upon.  The sound inside the room was at a much lower volume away from the hussle and bussle up and down the halls.  The first thing he did was check the window and door frame and any possible way they could be watched or broken into.  The beds seemed stirdy enough and the one window between gave a nice view of the pouring down rain outside.  They didn't have any luggage with them to stow so they immediately took up residence near the window to watch the platform disappear into the distance once the train started moving.
Down the hall, the man with the paper had followed them on and took notice of which cabin they were in.  He showed his ticket to the foreman and entered his own cabin.
She took up his hand while they watched the drops cover the pain of glass.  "Thanks again for all of this, I know I keep saying it but I would not have made it this far without you.  You've rescued me and made me feel truly wanted.  It isn't often in my life that I've been able to feel that way."
He smiled at her and took off his coat.  "To be honest, I've never really felt this way.  All these years doing this, it was always job first and the mission.  At the end of the day if I was alive, then that was the reward and I would go another day.  Sure there were others who peeked my interest and gave me some thought but there was something inside of me that once I saw you, just....clicked."
She was blushing now and noticed his finger was caressing hers, it sent chills up her body.
They sat down at the small table under the window, still holding hands.
"When I was younger I would always listen to the radio shows of the detectives.  It always fascinated me how they were able to find the clues and track down the bad guys no matter what they did.  For a little bit it was almost something I wanted to grow up to be."
"What changed your mind?"
"Life happens.  You grow up you experience different things and it shapes you.  I went from wanting to be a tough private eye to..."  She looked out the window realizing how far from her dream she actually ended up.  "To a girl who was working with one so she could live day to day."
"Life will always throw something at you that you aren't expecting.  Hell, I kind of making a living on that.  Being a detective isn't like the radio shows though.  I've had the end of my life looking straight at me in the eyes more times than I'd like to remember.  It takes a toll on you and it's upsetting seeing just how bad it really can be out there."
"Still, it must feel good when you finally catch them."
"Sure, yeah you sleep better once you know one more scumbag is off the streets.  But what does it leave you with.  I've been doing this for a number of years and I'm still in the same position I started, only, more alone."
She squeezed his hand.  "Not anymore."
The train gave a hard lurch and started moving.
"Well, here we go.  Shouldn't be too long, we might be able to catch some rest in the meantime."
She watched the station pull away and the city start to get smaller as she peered out the window.  Rain caught up with them and blasted the window.  At this point it would be weird to see the outside world when it wasn't raining. 
"My family never took any trips.  I'm almost embarrassed to say that this is my first time on a train."
"It's nothing special.  Just something to get from point A to point B."
"Still, it's interesting to someone who has never been to any point Bs."
They looked out the window for a time, enjoying each other's company.  They chatted about family and past experiences all the while watching the rain whisk them through the country side.  The sun was setting where it could be seen through the clouds and the lights came on inside the train.  The man a few cabins down was biding his time waiting for night fall before he went investigating his prey.  He adjusted his suit and placed a weapon in the inside pocket of his jacket.  He stared in the mirror at the person he had become.
The beds were pulled out across from one another and while there were two she almost insisted that they both lay on one. 
"I don't want to sleep away from you anymore."
He smile while undressing.  "You don't have to twist my arm."
The two joined under the covers and turned off the lights in the cabin.  The only light source at that point was any moonlight that was able to fend through the rain clouds and shine through.  The tracks weren't the smoothest and caused some slight bumpiness as they went but once they were together, she held on to him as if she let go she would fall for a lifetime. 
"You are a tight squeezing sleeper."
"Sorry, I feel so much better when I do."
She reached down below his waist to feel him rigid.
"Plus it seems like you don't seem to mind as much."
She looked up at him and he couldn't hide the smile on his face.  His body was going off on its own, not like he was in disagreement though.  She climbed up and they began kissing, his hands through her hair and her hands investigating his body.  The bumps of the train added an extra element and the darkness created shadows around the walls.
The suited man sat straight up in his bed, he had timed this well enough so that most of the train should be asleep right now.  He rechecked to make sure he had his weapon and then peeked out of his doorway.  There was nobody in the halls and as hard as he could listen he heard nothing.  They had no idea how easy they had made this for him.  The boss would congratulate him in the best way possible.  The creaks of the floor as he walked were masked by the sound of the train rolling through the hills.  He followed the doors until he reached the one he noted to be the couple's.  There were noises inside that sounded faintly pleasurable.  What a way to catch them, in the most vulnerable state.  He pulled a cloth out of his pocket and wrapped it around the handle to hide any fingerprints and readied himself to dive into the room.
"Edward, you are the angel of my nightmares."
Feeling flattered he almost couldn't think of what to say next. "Meg, you are why I can still get up in the morning."  Not his best but he was a little distracted.
The handle of the door was turning slowly and she was getting louder.  The train made a big jump as the track went through a more angular bend in the road and the door flew open.


TO BE CONTINUED

The Girl He Held Close All Night

The morning came too fast for her liking and surprise surprise it was dark and stormy outside.  If you had been blind and just given sight you'd believe the world operated in black and white.  He was already up and had shaven in the bathroom, now standing out on the balcony under the rooftop and smoking a cigarette.  Who knows when he got up but it was nice to know he didn't risk sleeping too long and not being up and fully aware if something did happen.  She joined him nude outside, the sound of the rain hitting above her distracted her from the upcoming day of events that held absolutely no resolution in her mind that ended well.  Cars sped up and down the streets below with their lights reflecting off of the wet surfaces around them.  She would come out here every time it rained and watch the world cleanse itself.  People would run and cars would make the fast splash sound with their tires that she could close her eyes and drift off to anytime.  At least it wasn't a cold day, she hated those with a passion, although her body claimed otherwise with a few notable physical signs that it was indeed cold.  "Been out here long?"
"Thought I'd watch the sun come up, still waiting."
"I think all it does is rain around here.....thanks for being there for all of this, I needed last night."
"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it isn't your last night."
She leaned her head against his shoulder and they watched the rain.  Lightning lit up the surrounding area and for a moment she almost forgot that they were on the hunt for something that may or may not even exist anymore.  The air drew out of her lungs and she tried with great force to stay uplifted.
"Do you have any leads?"
"Luckily I do, I pretty much exhausted everyone I've ever come in contact with and then some but I managed to have one ace in the hole that provided some help."
Every single person on the street could be a potential threat with their whereabouts currently on high alert.
"My contact says he's seen the briefcase and thinks he may know who has it.  Some willful spending was caught happening on the coast and there was a visual match on what you described the case to look like."
"Oh that's perfect!  Let's go get it now before we start getting housecalls."
"Not that easy, first we gotta make it over to the train station and ride that over to the coast, my contact will be waiting with the information and whereabouts."
"The train station?  We're leaving the city?"
"Gotta do what we gotta do to retrieve this case."
"What if they come after us, they've gotta be watching the routes out of here."
"They will be, so we have to be more descrete than usual.  So I'm afraid you'll have to wear something other than what you got on right now."
She covered her breasts out of embarrassment.  "Well yeah."
"We leave in fifteen, if there is anything in this apartment that may mean something to you I suggest moving it someplace else for safe keeping because this will be the first place they'll come looking."
"Don't have to move it, it's coming with me."
She held his hand and he showed a quick flash of surprise before covering it up with his usual detective gruff.  He squeezed her hand back and they kissed.  A flash of lightning and thunder exploded in the sky as their lips kissed like they're love was physically manifesting itself around them.  She made her way back inside to do a once over of her place and get dressed.  Today was going to be very interesting.  This time she dressed conservatively and with things that may lessen any blows or scrapes she may and quite possibly will encounter on their way over.  It had been one hell of an adventure so far and her heart quickly fell for this knight in shining trenchcoat.  If it had been anyone else she wasn't sure she would have felt the same way or even so quickly.  She emerged from the bedroom dressed and ready to go, he was standing near the door with a collection of roses in his hand.
"Oh Edward."  Her nose crinkled as she smiled at him and they kissed once more.
"A woman as pretty as you should always be cascaded with the most beautiful of flowers no matter what the situation."
"You are beyond words dew drop."
After a final farewell to the apartment she had come to know, they shut the door behind them and planned their next route as they walked down to the outside road.  It was always annoying how many people would try to ask for change and accost you on the streets.  The city wasn't something you wanted to show off to people with dirty streets and the homeless wandering around in droves.  Still, once it started raining it did literally clean itself up a bit.  Before they left the safety of the alcove and into the rain, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close.
"Probably not the best idea to go walking over out in the open, even if it is raining.  Less people will be out in the rain making us more conspicuous."
She knodded her head in agreement and was happy to be closer to him for the moment.  He scanned the area thinking of what the best method might be when finally he stepped off the curb and hailed the first taxi that drove by.  It was nicer than the usual dumsters on wheels and the driver didn't look like he was found in a field after five days of drug use.  He leaned into the window to speak with the driver.
"Fare plus double if you can get us to the Jamie Lynn station quick and with no red and blues noticing."
"Shouldn't be too hard, but if I see anything I don't like then your ass is out of the cab, got it?"
"Crystal clear."
He ushered her in first and took up residence next to her in the back seat.  The driver and Edward checked the areas all around them before taking off away from the apartment building.  The drive was smooth and rarely had to make any stops at all.  Even though it was raining harder, it didn't seem to affect the driver's visibility and he was making record time.  The driver began to glance a bit too often into the rear view mirror and while she assumed he was checking on his suspicious cargo, it was clear he was stealing shots of her cleavage.  Apparently conservative dress to her wasn't conservative enough, but it wasn't like she could hide the things.  Edward leaned a little farther into view and glared a little at the driver who cleared his throat and kept his eyes glued to the road after that.  The city blurred by in the watery view out of the window and her mind began to wander off to a time when she was younger and was able to walk these streets without as much danger as there was now.  She had lofty dreams and ambitions then, sidetracked a bit due to financial reasons and a certain friend who always seemed to get her in trouble.  She hadn't had a whole lot of luck lately, especially with other people.  But there was something about Edward that she just couldn't describe.  When she looked over he was busy looking out the window deep in thought.  He's putting a lot on the line for me and it could mean the end for him too.  He told her about what had happened the day before in his office, how he had killed two of the men after her but left the other.  She didn't think she had the stomach to kill someone maybe in the heat of the moment but even then.  Fear began to rise up inside of her, what if they were already waiting at the station?  As if he sensed her anxiety, he pulled her close and held her tightly.  Whispering in her ear words that made her fear drain out of her body.  "You're going to be okay.  I'm going to be right with you."
The sensation brought her back to last night when she let him have full access to every part of her body.  He had done things to her that she always fantasized about.  At least she was able to experience that before the end, if it does come to that.  The minutes went by quickly and before she knew it they were at the station.  The monumental iron design work was a sight to behold and created an almost out of place piece of architecture that housed the toughest steam engines the city contained.  The cab pulled up to the front and the rain continued to batter the windows in a way that dared them to step outside.  Edward handed him a wad of bills that she couldn't see the denominations of and just as quick as they left, they were outside in the rain again moving on to parts unknown.  Once the cab drove off it was just the two of them hand in hand looking up at the threatening building.
"Let's get this train and move on out of here.  Be careful and keep your head low, be ready if things go upside down."
She squeezed his hand in acknowledgement and they took the stairs up to the glass doors and disappeared inside.  The train hadn't left yet and there were small pockets of crowds sprinkled around the platform.  Smoke poured out from under the train creating a powerful and strong beast of a machine.  She had watched the trains go by growing up and always would make up where they were going in her head, pretending to be a passenger inside and commenting on the passing locales.  Another first for her, riding a train.  Also showed just how much she never left the city.
"Here, Gate 23.  Almost there."
He led her to the gate, his fingers twisting around hers.  If he didn't cut it out she would drift off her feet into the clouds, not paying attention to anything that was going on around them.  The people around them paid no attention to them and were too busy making sure they were together themselves.  Business men, children excited for adventure, and couples separating on business trips.  She envied them but also felt sorry for them.  It wasn't until her life was on the line did she realize how much she would take for granted.  A loud whistle sounded and the gates opened, people pouring onto the train like water out of a broken dam.  He made sure she was close and helped her into the train, then followed after her.
A man reading a newspaper peering overtop of the sheets watched them board.  Once they were on, he stashed the paper into a trash can and made his way through the nearest gate and onto the train.  He adjusted his sunglasses and scanned the platform back and forth before stepping fully onto the train.  From a distance he kept his eyes on the couple, he cracked his knuckles and tilted his head down to stay out of view.
They had made it to the train, he didn't want to congratulate himself yet, anything could still happen, but he did allow himself a moment to bask in what he was doing.  Out of the office on the most dangerous case of his life and with the most beautiful girl by his side.  When they survived this he was going to propose to ensure nobody else could ever come close to her. Meg, the girl he held close all night.

TO BE CONTINUED..........

The Girl with the Knife under her Pillow

The gunmen were getting uneasy and even though they couldn't see him reflecting back to earlier in the week, they could tell his mind was racing with thoughts other than how to help them out.  They had been chasing Edward all over town and were far beyond run out of patience.  What started out as an easy pick up and dispose of turned into a week long marathon of hide and go seek.  If they would have known then that this trash was watching them from outside when the deal first went down they would have done everything in their power to chase him down then.  It had been 5 days since the initial threat for the briefcase and so far all they had gotten was a new person to chase after and more questions.  And no briefcase.  At this point it wasn't even really about the case anymore, it was eliminating these two thorns in their sides solely because they knew information.  The girl was supposed to be it, she turned out to be a lot smarter than first assumed and had eluded them on every turn.  The last known bit of information they had on the briefcase was a sighting of it near an apartment complex near San Marco, this turned out to be true but by the time the pack of them arrived to collect their property it had disappeared once again.  A minor slip up had finally given them a break and they were able to track down a paper trail leading straight to the office of Edward himself and lucky for them he happened to be there when they arrived.  It was ending tonight whether he liked it or not.
"You got ten seconds Edward and we're blowing your brains all over your blinds.  This briefcase business has run its course, now where is she hiding?"
If they kill me then they won't have any information, then again, they probably still will and continue the search anyways.  The only thing I can do is talk my way out of this, they aren't the smartest group so it's at least a shot.
"I tell you and you'll kill me anyways so where's the fun in that?  Besides, maybe I'm on to the trail of where the briefcase is..."
"None of this bluffing crap Edward, I've had about enough of chasing you around this damn city.  So unless that briefcase is under your ass right now, I don't want to hear it."
"You don't redecorate my walls with my insides and I can lead you straight to the case, then me and the girl skip town and nobody hears nothing for the rest of our lives."
"It ain't all about the case anymore genius, now it's personal.  We been at this for days and you've caused enough headaches for me to be addicted to aspirin.  The case is irrelevant."
"See, I would think that would make your boss plenty happen.  Especially if he knew that the contents of the case have tripled in value."
He paused for a moment and his eyes shot a glance at his cohorts then back to me very quickly.
"What do you mean tripled."
"I have leads of my own and been following the case myself.  Information that I've gotten so far is that the case is in the hands of someone who is quite fond of gambling and has since tripled the loot in said case."
The gunmen to the left visibly showed too much excitement "That'd make the boss happier than he's ever been man."
I could tell my line was out to sea and the fish were nibbling.  Just had to keep it casted out just long enough to convince them, then get out of here to make sure Meg was safe.  She was number one priority.  Ugly leaned off my desk and started to walk a little towards the door, his back facing me.  "Three million huh.  That's some high job security.  How do I know you aren't bluffing just to get out of here Eddie?"
"You're going to kill me either way, so what's the point in lieing.  It would just be delaying the inevitable.  Three million and I know how to get my hands on it."
He didn't turn around.  "What's the catch?"
"No catch really, I get you the case, you let us go with the wind."
"The girl huh?  This Meg you're so crazy about."
"Three million."
"We don't have anymore time, god knows if we leave you to go get it you'll skip town anyways and then it'll be back to chasing you around."
"Then I give you the same deal you gave her.  One day."
"You can get pretty far in a day."
"You found me though, didn't you."
Still not turned around, you could tell the gears were turning in his head.  His other two sidekicks had their focus on him and weren't looking in my direction anymore.  Bingo.
With the quickest reflexes I've ever been able to muster up inside myself, I lunged to the right and threw my arm around the wrist of the one gunman and used it to shoot the one on the left.  The shock in both of their faces was priceless and before he could even register what had happened, I forced the gun around on him and shot him as well leaving just me and the talkative jerk in the room. The gun was warm in my hands and its aim was trained on the lone man.  He had turned around shocked at the commotion and a look of fear and surprise was on his face.
"One day and I'll get you the briefcase, but you leave us be after that."
"You got spunk Eddie, you'd be great in the gang.  Shame you had to off my compatriots, they were good men."  He paused for a moment.  "She really worth all that?"
"More than you could ever afford or steal."
There was a small huff of respect that came out of his mouth.  His face relaxed and there was almost a sign of mutual compassion.
"All right Eddie, you got one day.  Then I'm coming for you.  Do not let us down because I won't waste a second next time."
He left the room and shut the door.  The only noise was the fan above and a slight rumble of thunder in the distance.  It worked, I had bought time.  Gotta dispose of the bodies and then get to Meg, I hope she was alright.

He hadn't made any contact all night, this wasn't like him, maybe something happened.  Her thoughts were full of concern while she took the chance to shower to rid herself of the grime of the outside world.  They had managed to retrieve some information on the case miraculously but she was still worried out of her mind.  It was a long week but during that time she had fallen for her savior, he not only had kept her alive and mostly out of harms way but he had real compassion for her.  Something you don't see very often anymore.  Plus, what detective not only saves your life, helps you find a lost case, and fills your apartment with flowers.  She dried off her body and stood naked in the mirror.  There were small bruises on her arms from a fall they had taken while evading the gang members that managed to track them down.  She quickly dressed as even though she enjoyed the feeling of nudity, it would be the worst to be attacked by those gang members now clad in nothing but her birthday suit.  Once dressed she walked over to the flowers and laid on her bed and re-read the note again.  She had his business card, should she go there?  It was close but not close enough.  She was exhausted, running around across town and the outskirts was taking a serious toll on her and she had barely slept all week.  Maybe she would be able to nap now, I mean, if he thought she was safe enough here to have it filled with flowers then what's the harm?  Once she decided, she checked the locks on the door and brought a knife with her into her bedroom where she placed it under her pillow and got under the sheets.  The moon lit her room up as a sort of nightlight that she appreciated and it wasn't long before she was out cold.

Her skin was cold with goosebumps all over.  The blankets around her slowly were pulled off and she laid on the mattress with arms and legs open.  Air was breathing over her body making he hair stand on end.  She rolled to her side and grabbed for a sheet that was not there.  Pressure felt her legs up and down, pressing on her so that she rolled back onto her back again.  Tugs brought her pants off delicately while she felt her shirt lifted to above her breasts.  Something or someone was moving about her body.  The pressure moved around her chest, her nipples being slightly squeezed.  The feeling made her move about and make small noises to try and wake herself.  Her legs were spread apart and something was caressing her crotch.  Wake up.  Wake up before something bad happens to you.  Her sleep remained deep and someone entered her.  Gentle at first and then gradually faster to a steady pounding sensation.  She was on the brink of an orgasm when she woke up, jumping awake and sitting up in bed throwing the sheets off of herself.  She was covered in sweat and looked around the room searching around.  Checking her body revealed that she was fully clothed, the knife still under the pillow.  A dream.  What the hell kind of dream was that?  The clock revealed that she had only been out a few hours.  The moon hung in the air and rain drops were scattered here and there on the glass.  Does it ever stop raining here.  She pulled her shirt tighter and curled back up under the sheets.  The room was quiet as death and this unnerved her a little.  Sleep was supposed to be the safest place.  Being alone here was proving to be more scary than it was running around out in the city while people shot at you.  Her breathing calmed down and she felt calm again.  Just as her eyes began to close there was a knock at her door.  Her body tensed to full panic mode and she grabbed for the knife.  She didn't say a word and quietly sneaked over to the door and looked through the peephole.  It was him.  Elation and happiness flowed through her body and she opened the door.  He was wet from the rain and looked like the way over there was rough.  He looked her deep in her eyes for a moment before they dove into each other's arms.
"I missed you"
"Being without you is a tortuous nightmare that I can't wait to wake from."
She didn't care about formalities anymore and kissed him.  He kissed her back with such passion that she forgot about every single danger around them.  The door was kicked shut and locked back up.
"Come on, let's get you out of those wet clothes."
"Though you'd never ask."
She smiled and was glad it was dark so he couldn't see her blush.  "We need to get some rest, it's been one hell of a week."
"Yeah well it's not over yet."
"Don't have to remind me."
He began taking off the wet articles of clothing and she walked back towards her bedroom.  "I'll be in bed when you're ready."
She smiled and winked and went into the room.  Once he was rid of all the soaked clothing, he took a glance around her place and then followed the hall down to her room.  Stepping inside he saw her under the covers looking as comfortable as possible.  Her clothes were on the ground next to the bed.  He met her eyes in the moonlight.  "oh"
Removing the rest of his, he slinked under the sheets with her and their lips met once again.  Their love growing in the twilight, never could he have asked for a better woman.  One he would literally travel to the ends of the Earth for.  Meg constantly surprised him with every chase, every repore, and everything they were thrown into that week.  If this truly will be his last days on Earth, then an angel was there for his final days and he couldn't have been happier.  She climbed on top of him and they continued to kiss, love filling the air.  The mafia was off their tail for the night and it was well deserved.  The search would begin back up in the morning but tonight was his. His and the girl with the knife under her pillow.

TO BE CONTINUED

The detective who would save her heart

His footsteps echoed in the stairwell as he made his way down to the bottom floor.  She intrigued him and made him feel in a way he thought he had left behind or forgotten.  What would he say to her though?  He had no idea who she was or if she would even consider seeing him.  She did agree to meet him below however.  There had to be something he could do to help her out of the situation.  Some way to find this briefcase and save her life, do something so special for her that she would stay with him.  He ran through all of the connections he had.  A few connections came to mind, ones he would consider deeply in the coming hours as he had to be able to trust them as well.  It's not every day someone as attractive as her came across his path.  He dismantled the microphone and stashed it in his bag before finally reaching the bottom floor exit.  His future lay just outside this door.

She took her time down the flights of stairs, the windows on each landing showing her a different view of the night sky and the oncoming rain.  Who would believe that this is where her life would have ended up.  Stopping for a moment, she looked out into the streets around her.  People ran trying to cover from the rain while others drove by unaware of what had transpired a few floors above them.  They were off home to enjoy a relaxed night, not worrying about a damn briefcase that sealed their fate because of a stupid friend.  She took a deep breath and continued down towards the door.  She could hear the rain picking up outside hammering on the ground.  Her future lay just outside this door.

A part of him was excited, he had been out of the realm of love for quite some time and it took someone like her to jump start that old feeling in his bones again.  He could hear the rain defying his decision to go outside but against its loud defiance, he opened the door and through the fog of the downpour, she emerged.  He thought she was beautiful before but now his eyes were treated to a more up close view of her and it was better than he could have imagined.  There was a slight trepidation between the two to go near one another but once she saw that he was drawing near, she found the nerve to continue on as well.  To her, he was handsome and had a look to him that you couldn't quite pin down.  She had read about detectives before and that was the only thing coming to her mind that made sense.  They looked at each other in the eyes for a period of time, something felt warm between them like it was supposed to be.  He had a slight smile that made her feel safe and comfortable, contrary to the human trash she had just experienced floors above.  He was close now and had a hand held out assumingly directing her out of the rain to an overpass close by.
"Come, let's get out of the rain and open view for a moment."
Her heart reached out to him with a sense that he was going to be what saved her, in more ways than one.  She let him take her arm and matched his pace to the overpass, it felt good to not be drenched in the rain.  They were both cast in shadows obscuring them from the view of any passerbys and he lit a cigarette.  The small flame lit up his face and there was a feeling in the depth of her stomach that she hadn't felt since she was a child.  He looked caring yet professional.
"Name is Edward, seems you are in a bit of trouble."
"You could say that.  What are you, a detective?"
"Could say that.  I solve problems and help people find things.  I heard a bit of information from your little meeting tonight. "
"You were up on that roof listening in the whole time?"
"I've been following those jerks for quite some time.  We have a....history...if you will."
"I'm sure it's very lovely.  So you heard about the case then?"
"Missing.  Not a clue where it went or who took it.  Quite the sum inside, smart girl not to mess with it."
"yeah well, I'm sure I would be crazy noticeable with little Meg suddenly dropping large loads of cash for new shoes, purses, and various assortment of treats."
"I want to help you.  You're a good soul and..."
He trailed off and couldn't look her in the eyes.  Two men ran by splashing in the street yelling something to one another that she couldn't make out.  His eyes were the bluest she had ever seen, definitely someone she wanted in her life.
"and?"
"You're very beautiful.  I don't see many girls out there that look like you and give off a sense of....peace."
She blushed.  "Well thank you, you're not so bad yourself Mr.Detective Edward."
Lightning flashed and a rumble of thunder rolled over the clouds.
"How will you help me find the case?"
"I have a lot of connections and I've found way crazier things in the past.  I can't let anything happen to you.  Something inside me wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't.  Besides, a world like this is lucky to have someone like you in it."
"I would be honored if you would help me.  Can I see you formally sometime?  Maybe.."
"Dinner, sure.  I'm going to get a few things going tonight as fast as I can for you, your little time limit can and will be extended.  You'll be safe with me."
She couldn't find the words for it but she knew she would be safe with him.  Trying not to jump to conclusions that arose from the adrenaline of having a day left to live, she wanted to kiss him but shook herself out of it citing the rush of dread might be swaying her feelings.
"Should I go home or...?"
"Yes, go home.  They won't hurt you during your little time period, they want that money.  Get your things together in case you have to be out of there immediately.  You have my word that I will take care of you."
She smiled and held herself close for warmth.
"Thank you."
His eyes finally laid upon hers and for a moment the rain didn't make any noise at all.  He watched her eyes like he was looking into the future for both of them.  It felt amazing.  She would do all she could to keep him around and if she survived this, then she would happily pursue more.
"I'll find you when i have more information.  If you have any problems please get in touch with me."
He gave a small card to her that listed his business and a phone number.  He pulled the collar of his coat up to shield from the rain and started walking towards the other end of the overpass.  He stopped a few paces away and turned his head back to look at her again.  The water had left her looking shiny and smooth.
"Looking forward to seeing you again beautiful."
Then he turned the corner and was gone.  She rubbed her arms to create some heat before she too exited the pass and continued towards her home.  She felt like she was on the strangest cloud of her dreams.  Going from a death threat to....did she feel it?  Was she in.....love?  She had to get home, this was all too much too fast for her.  She gripped the card in her pocket and ran back to her building, she couldn't wait to see him again and get to know him more.  Her last hours alive would be a gift if it were to be spent with him.  Edward.  The detective who would save her heart.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Brunette who was wanted by the Mafia

He could smell the grunts disgusting breath inches from where he sat.  If he leapt up quickly there would be maybe a second before he was gunned down by either one of them.  His options were slim to say the least.  The ugly mug staring him in the face wasn't the first time he was inches away threatening his life.  Lucky me he thought.  This situation was different, for one, he wasn't actually trying to take down a mob boss or solver a murder.  With two steel death cannons aimed at his face, his mind reflected back to how he got into this situation in the first place, a sort of life flashing before his eyes moment.  Funny how your life seems to put itself on pause for long enough to go through a slide show of your own personal best of reel.
The city was taking the night off and the neon that lined the various bilboards and rooftops lit the night in an ecstasy of emotions and colors.  Two of the taller towers stood next to one another separated by a comfortable distance and a line of street vendors at the bottom.  Edward sat in shadow minding the storm clouds that were making their way to his location.  The lightning hadn't started yet so his cover of darkness was holding up quite well.  In his hands he held what looked like a long sniper rifle with an antenna pointed skyward.  The only source of light distinguishing him from the neon was the soft warm glow of the cigarette his lips held onto.  He quieted his puffing and held one hand up to the headphones he was wearing as not to miss a beat.  His glance was pointed across the distance to the other tower, specifically to a line of windows with dim lighting and a group of people inside.  What would seem like just a room full of people to anyone else was a room full of scum and a payload he couldn't pass up.  The rifle was a sophisticated microphone designed to hear over far distances or a certain room with dim lighting.  Across the way in the other tower, four men and a beautiful girl glared angrily at one another.  Three of the men were the current threatening suits with guns pointed to his head in the present and the fourth was a slightly older gentleman whose face looked like it had seen a lot of years of action and was probably the cause of most of it.  The girl was the prettiest he had ever seen.  She had long curls of brunette hair that concealed half of her face but from the distance he was, she was a knockout.  At the moment though she looked like she was being held against her will and not enjoying it.  She continued to glare at the three men circling her while the older fourth poured a drink at the counter.  Edward craned his head as far as he could to aim the rifle just right and tried to block out any and all noise.  The older suit finally turned around.
"You really thought you'd get away didn't you.  There was a lot of money of mine riding on that situation but you had to walk your little shapely ass in the middle of it all and mess it up."
She adjusted in her seat, embarrased by her figure now and wanting to be as far away as possible from these dirtbags.
"Sorry I didn't know you were planning on killing my friend, I should've known your little mafia was involved in his affairs, I'll ask more next time."
"Your humor and sarcasm are not lost on me sweetheart, you still stole property that belonged to me and I want it back."
"I don't know where it is."
"Oh please, you really think I'm that dumb?  My men saw you take the case when you left the area, now where is it?"
"I don't have it I swear!"
"You're going to make us do this the hard way aren't you.  I would answer now, we have various ways of making you talk."
He nodded to his men and they reached into their coats to pull out their guns.  She couldn't believe how everything was escalating all over something she honestly didn't have.  A wrong place at the wrong time scenario that has come back to bite her in the ass with teeth.  She happened to be at a party with one of her closer friends, well she thought they were close, and found out she was mixed up in the upper city mafia gang and not only owed them money but was acting as a mule to switch hands on some dirty money.  The resulting reward for the job would clear her debts and keep the party of dangerous followers off of back for good.  How she had hidden that from Meg she had no idea but she did a damn good job ,until that party.  Maybe it was nerves and a combination of the wrong drinks or someone had it out for her regardless of the outcome but something panicked her to the point of spilling it all to Meg.  She was shocked and at first thought it was a joke but once men in suits began following her around the party, she knew there was something really bad going on.  The briefcase in question had over a million dollars in cash in it and was to be handed off to a particular person of interest to then 'launder' the cash so as to help make it untraceable.  Needless to say the money never made it.  The panic sent her friend to the wrong person and in a breakdown of fear she hid the case and told Meg where it was as a safety measure.  An enemy of the gang must've heard about the case and cornered her friend, she tried to help but once she saw the weapon she backed off.  When the case wasn't detected with her friend, she was aggressively attacked to get her to say where it was.  She just kept repeating 'don't they'll kill me!' and once they had lost their patience, they went ahead and granted the request.  The site of her friend being murdered was more than enough to send her into a frenzy.  She ran out of the area and grabbed the case, they didn't know who she was or that she had it so why not?  The drive out of there was a frightening drive of constant paranoia and once she was home it took her a few days of caution to see that she had gotten away with it.  In celebration she dumped the cash on the bed and rolled around in it naked, just like the movies.
Then the messages started coming.
Random and inquisitive at first but soon escalating to threatening and stalker sounding.  They knew about the money.  She had never felt fear like that before and the night they came to collect her, they destroyed her apartment looking for it and then knocked her out only for her to wake up in an office alone and in the dark.
Cut to present.
The older member lit a cigar and finally raised his eyes from her breasts to her eyes.  "You see darling, we checked around and traced your little friend's information.  Not much of a life but we did notice one thing.  Who she came to the party with.  A certain you who a few members recall seeing a short woman in a black dress running out with a briefcase.  Now explain to me how you don't know what this briefcase is again."
Okay so this will be hard to talk you way out of.  Could always go the sexy route but with the three of them here it could get ugly and painful real fast.

Edward threw his cigarette across the roof and peered through the scope of the microphone.  "Briefcase?"

"You give us the case and you have our word that you will never see us again.  Case and we're gone."  She didn't believe them but that much money may warrant some compassion from the other side.  But she really didn't know where it was.  She kept all the cash in the case and had it in her closet until one day she woke up in the middle of the night to some noise and the next morning it was gone.  Unless she could provide some kind of proof, there was no way out of this.
"Never see you again huh?  Just for this case?"  Buy some time, girl.
"My word of honor.  But we gotta know where it is."
She looked down at the ground and wasn't sure how to go on. What lie would even have them go check and they wouldn't be stupid enough to just leave her there alone and come back later.
"It's in a different spot, I had it kept in my closet but had to move it.  Keep it in different places as a safety precaution.  You know, smart stuff like that."
"Smart idea.  So where is it now?"
"I can have it to you, I just need a day to get it and all that."
"A day?  No no honey, we need it now."
It's worth a shot, here we go.  "It's just important in retrieving it that I have to do certain things.  Just a day, you know where I live and all that so it's not like I can go hide somewhere.  One day and I can get you back what you need."

Edward was confused but was almost distracted by the whole situation by spending most of his time just looking at her.  She was so beautiful.  Thanks to his handy microscope he now could put a name to a face too.  Meg.  Rain started to fall and it aggravated him a little.  The drops could wet the microphone and cause some disruption.  Plus, he didn't have a coat.  So far all he could get from this job was this gorgeous girl had taken a briefcase from a party out of fear and now the mafia wanted it back.  Not much information to go by.  Seemed now she was going to try and buy herself some time.  Beautiful and smart.  Why was his heart fluttering?

The two henchmen circled the girl slowly, eyeing her up and down.  The older man thought for a second and took a few puffs of his cigar while walking over to the window.  The rain was making little streams of water run down each pane of glass.  The rain helped obscure Edward from view from anyone looking out that particular window.  A few moments passed and the man made his decision on the matter.  "One day.  24 hours.  Then we come find you and bring you back here.  You have the briefcase then we will do our business and be on our separate ways.  You don't have the briefcase, you'll be seeing your friend in hell."
"Hell?"
"Baby, with a body like that, you gotta be a little devil."
Boy he was hilarious wasn't he.  Sure she had her naughty tendencies but other than that she was a model citizen.  One of the henchmen pinched her butt and smiled, she jumped forward away from him.  "Excuse you.  Never touch a lady unless she asks."
The old man gathered his men and made his way to the door.  "24 hours.  You better have that case."
They left leaving her alone to just the sound of the rain.  She walked over to the window and stared out, wondering how in the hell she was going to spin this.  Scanning the horizon she saw someone standing on the rooftop across the way.  A handsome man with what looked like a gun.

She sees me.  He stood out in the open forgetting about his cover and met her eyes.  The two stood watching one another for what seemed like hours.  He wanted her.  For the first time in his life he felt a sense of wanting to start a life with someone just from a first look.  She needed help and knowing her information and working in his line of work, he felt more than qualified.  She looked curious and scared and not to let this opportunity to let an angel out of his midst, he raised a finger to indicate for her to hold on and then pointed down to the ground. 

Does he want me to meet him on the street?  Is he part of that gang and why was he on the roof with a gun?  A cop maybe?  If I'm going to die with no briefcase anyways, what is there to lose in meeting him?

She raised a hand in sign of agreement and left the room.  His heart skipped a beat and he packed up his equipment to make his way to ground level.  This was one woman he didn't want to let out of his sight.  The brunette who was wanted by the mafia.

TO BE CONTINUED

The girl who was worth all of it

The ceiling fan spun slowly with just enough air to make the room too hot.  He wasn't interested in going outside, the only things out there were trouble and more trouble.  The chair creaked in disgust as he leaned back to take some of the pressure off of his back.  A sigh escaped his lips and he took the last hit of what used to be a fulfilling cigarette, the addiction that used to settle his nerves of which now tasted like gunpowder and regret.  The last of the smoke disappated around the room, not that you'd notice due to the lack of care he took for the shape of it.  The moon shot horizontal layers through the window shades that hung down the windows around him creating a makeshift jail cell look to the whole environment.  If she wasn't worth everything in the world he wouldn't be anywhere close to here right now.  But she was something he had never seen before.  Tough hardened jaw like him had seen it all including hell and back, or at least what he considered a good enough representation of it.  The job was dangerous and took a few days of consideration before he decided to take it on.  Sweetening the deal was a promise of her, one look at her and anyone would do what it took just to be near her.  He picked up a small photograph of the woman laying on his desk, the edges worn from being taken in and out of his coat pocket a few hundred times.  She was beautiful.  The kind of beautiful that got men killed in the line of duty or made them swear they had seen an angel cross their paths during a particular rough night.  Brown hair framed a face that he knew kissing would taste better than God could create.  She had gorgeous sexy brown eyes to match and even just through the picture he felt a twinge of love in his heart and a heat not caused by the room.  He had managed to see her in the flesh but once when he was scouting the job and for the first and perhaps only time in his life he froze, unable to finish any thought.  She was a short vixen who made his knees weak and his heart work overtime to make up on lost time not being in love.  Love.  Something this job never allowed.  Sure, he had thought about it, hell, he even pined for it at one point.  But she was different.  Looking at her made him think of his future, his future with her and how great of a husband he would be and a father.  A father, wow, look at you all getting mature and stepping away from the service.  But he would for her.  Upon closer inspection he swore he could see a hint of pain and sadness in her face, a girl who was hurt and yearned for someone to hold throughout the night.  This one he couldn't let go.  His heart beat nervously as he knew the next step wasn't going to be easy.  As if by premonition, knocks appeared at the door. 
"We know you're in there Edward.  Let's make this nice and easy and just let us in and we'll talk nice."
Yeah sure, talk nice.  Their definition of talk nice always involved you not talking because you were nice and dead.  He weighed his options and carefully set his weapon under the desk for easy access.
"You know I don't want any trouble."
They were unphased.
"Neither do we pal, and I'm sure you wouldn't want any harm to come to her now either would you?"
Damn them, was it that obvious that he loved her?
"We ain't got all night Ed, we're comin' in"
The sentence wasn't even finished when the door was kicked in and three men in pin striped outfits walked into the room, two had guns aimed at his head.
"Now look what you made us do."
"Get out of my office, I'm out of the game, you got nothin to do with me."
"Oh Eddie, please, how can I believe you when you got a picture of little Megs there on your desk?"
Damn it, a careless mistake.  He was usually very good about little details and covering himself.  He was so inamored with the photo that it slipped his mind.
"So how do you want to do this Eddie?  Fast or Really Fast?"

Across town, on the sixth floor of an apartment building, a short pretty girl fumbles through her purse for her keys.  She had to leave work early and watch her back the entire way home as there was a letter mailed to her office that said simply "They know."
She discovered her keys and unlocked her door, she peered in cautiously and scanned the room for anything no matter how small that may tip off an intruder.  The large print of Audrey Hepburn adorned the wall with an inviting look as to say come on it, it's just us.  Her dog snoozed away in the corner.  Thank you guard dog, I don't know how safe I would be without you.  If he wasn't up then the place should be moderately safe, although she wasn't sure if the dog would get up if someone was in the room anyways.  She turned some lights on and placed her purse on the counter.  She grabbed some tea out of her refrigerator and took up a place by her windows.  She stared out at the city and knew he was out there.  Was he safe?  She didn't really know him but had seen him once, he didn't see her or at least she thought he didn't.  He was handsome and didn't look like the other brutes that seemed to always offer themselves up for her.  There was talk through the grape vine that he was looking for her to rescue her from something really terrible.  A knight in shining trench coat.  She changed into a white tanktop and shorts and stopped cold in the hallway.  There was something on the ground, pieces, that led to her bedroom and the door was shut.  Was this what he warned her of?  If someone was there they had to have heard her and known she was home.  Were they watching her now?  Maybe the room was a trap and they weren't in there at all.  Suddenly she was super self aware and skin began to tense with every beat of her heart.  She reached over and flipped the light of the hallway on.  Leaning closer she discovered what it was leading to the room.  Rose petals?
Could still be a trap.  The worst thoughts ran through her head ranging from drag down fights to unwanted sexual forcing.  Before she walked to the room she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and edged closer to the bedroom door.  Slowly creaking it open she was surprised to only find the rest of the petals and her entire bed filled with roses.  There was a white note centered in the middle of the pile.  Never letting go of the knife she opened the note and read.
Ever since I saw you I haven't been able to take my mind off of you.
There are dangerous men out to get you for business dealings with a crime lord that I have yet to identify.
It would break my heart something terrible if I knew that you weren't around in this world any longer.
You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety and your heart.
I hope these roses keep you happy tonight as a replacement for my touch.
Know that you are in my thoughts constantly and the moment I am able to be near you will be the moment Heaven proves itself real.
I will see you soon, please be careful, I will be there for you.
While we may not have met that much in this crazy world, I'm glad the forces that be brought us together.
My love is all for you, Meg.
Be Safe.
Edward.
She couldn't see herself but she knew her cheeks had blushed to a deep scarlet.  The nerves in her body were replaced with warm tingles of joy and flattery.  This was the man she had seen before and hoped would see again.  But what danger?  What was he doing and who was after her and why?  So many questions.  She ran to the window again feeling a sensation that if she looked out he would know and find her quicker.  She bit her lip and prayed he would find her soon and hear heart beat out loudly to call to him to make it complete.  As she stared out the window, all she could wonder was where he was and what danger he might be facing.

Back across town, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.  The trio of gunmen showed no sign of any mercy and circled his desk.
"Seems you actually have a heart after all huh Eddie?"
They were toying with him now, his mind was going over a million ways to get out of the situation.  Each one proving worth it just to see here again.  He had to be smart with this one.
"We gotta finish this now Eddie, then we'll make sure you're lovergirl gets the message of love from you.  Over and over and over."
His blood boiled as his hands gripped the chair almost splintering the wood.  If they laid one finger on her beautiful silky skin.
The two on his sides raised their guns towards him while the third bent over his desk and rested on his elbows inches from his face.
"well, edwardo, what's it gonna be?"

TO BE CONTINUED   :o