Aftermath Ch. 03

3

I locked the door and walked to the elevator. My breasts felt out of place in my bra. I had begun to fix them by grabbing the bottom of my strapless and giving them a hefty lift. They felt great, my hands lingering lifting and squeezing. Just then the elevator opened. A smiling woman in a tank top with matching yoga pants was standing there in the center of the elevator looking right at me. She was early thirties with classic European features. Her blond hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail that screamed pull me. Her head tilted eyes brows up as she took a step into the elevator. "Well that's a bold invitation." She continued past me. I stepped into the elevator as she came out trying not to bump into her.

She turned gave me a once over before she said in an incredibly sexy accent, "Maybe another time when you're not on your way out." I was half way down before I could close my mouth. I wanted nothing more than to go back up and find out what she was offering.

I had gathered enough composure to make it out the doors and into cab instead of taking that elevator back up and find out what yoga pants meant by that. I wondered if she had a cowboy hat too.

I finally flagged down a cab at 7:32 and already began thinking of a three part apology. Mells was a little sensitive to people being late and people acting as though her time was not as valuable as others. It was a rant I had heard many times.

I arrived at the club at 7:46 and decided to blame the lack of cabs. I began weaving through the dancing bodies of the packed club. I spotted her right away at the back corner in a small booth. She had two shots of tequila and a vodka soda waiting for me. Her golden locks put in a semi twist so that the curls underneath were swept to the side of her neck. Her cream lace blouse a green ribbon under the bust and a fitted pair of charcoal slacks. It was adorable when she dressed up to pretend she was the top in our sexless relationship.

She grabbed my waist and gave me an intimate hug in the way only she could get away with. "Sit. Drink. Spill. Tell me how to make it better. She sat down listening to every word all the while talking over me to get me to go on the train of thought she wanted to follow. I talked her back around in circles so that we ended up on the paths I began.

She gave me shit for sleeping with Sherry then commended me for telling him the truth. I couldn't tell her that I slept with her so that I could access the security cameras so I took the scolding with grace. I slammed the two shots back waited for her to finish her beer. It was a club we went to many times. It was filled with straights, bis and gays. They were all here to get laid or the rare find someone to date. I liked it for the music. I got Mells hooked on old school metal and grunge. I took her hand and walked to the dance floor. She danced in front of me arms up around my neck as she swayed to the beat. I caught the cutest little thing watching. She had short black hair, purple corset and black tights. 'Fun!' I thought liking my lips. I slid my hands down the front of Mells as I stared intently at the Punk girl. Her eyes shifted from my eyes to my hands watching I could see the heat rise in her skin. I grabbed Mells by the hips and spun her around so that Punk Girl would get a perfect view of my wide hips and round ass. Mells knew what was up so she gave my ass a bit of a squeeze and then a pat before she said she was running to the bathroom. I nodded and continued to dance for Punk Girl.

My hips moved in a smooth hypnotic to the music. I slowly rotated my hips to turn my body around so that I could face her. I found her dancing behind me to the same rhythm. Neither of us said anything we just looked at each other's faces as our body danced in perfect rhythm. She leaned in close and brushed her lips along my neckline. I heard her inhale my scent. As she came up my jaw line to have her lips brush mine I pulled her into me and gave her a crushing kiss that made my own head spin. She moaned in my mouth in response. I felt Malls close to me so I pulled back. Mells was standing beside me with our purses waiting patiently. I took my purse and got out my personal calling card. I slid it slowly into Punk Girl's front pocket and threw my arm around Mells neck. I looked back as we walked to the front door. She was looking at me making the hand signal of I will call you.

We got outside, the air was that cool dampness you get from the great lakes. I lit two smokes at the same time. "Do you want to stay and dance and drink some more?" Mells asked as she took one of the lit cigarettes from my mouth.

"That sounds..." I trailed off looking to the side listening to the streets because I was most certain I heard a man yelling. I then heard crying and the unmistakable crack sound of flesh and bone being struck with something hard as it echoed through the night. The streets were still busy enough for the sound to be ignored. I ripped off my stilettos cursing. Like a loyal sidekick Mellissa ran behind me picking up my shoes behind me. Priorities to some are simply a nescience to me.

I was running as fast as my bare feet could run while watching the street as to not step on anything sharp. I grappled the building corner as to not lose momentum or over shoot my trajectory. I dropped my right shoulder to slam into the man who was about to kick the crying woman huddled on the ground. I hit just under his left shoulder blade so that he fell forward into the wall. I grabbed his right elbow all at same time so that he couldn't break his fall. I used his weight to bring us onto the ground I had both his arms and my knee firmly his small his back. I did this in one fluid motion before anyone knew but me as to what was happening. I patted him for weapons. I found a glock in the waist of the back his pants. I pulled it out wrenched on his arm harder so that he would be struck with pain. I did it to give me that few extra seconds to empty the clip safely. I wiped down my prints with his shirt and threw the clip and the gun in the corner behind the dumpster. The man kept yelling profanities in protest. I heard Mells feet come around the corner.

"Give me your ribbon! Make sure she's okay!" I yelled to her. Something I could always count on was her carrying out orders without a word of protest and when a crisis was over then she would have her melt down. I took the ribbon from her hand tying the yelling man's hands together expertly. I stood up giving my body a good stretch before I put my foot firmly on his back. Mells had the woman in her arms rocking her back and forth in the comforting way that seemed to help people when they are in pain or sad. I made sure the guy couldn't see our faces while I took his wallet out of his front pocket of his jacket. I had pressure in the middle of his back so that he couldn't get up while I looked through his wallet. First thing I saw was the badge. 'Fuck. A Batter.' I thought. I took the money out of the wallet and his cards. 'I'll take care of you later' I thought while ignored his threats. "Hail a cab from across the street. Take her with you. Come here first." I handed her the money and nodded to the woman signaling to Mells that the money was for her. I didn't say it out loud because I didn't want the bastard to blame the woman for what happened but the least he could do was pay for her medical bills. There was a good five grand there.

I wiped my prints off the wallet but kept his gym membership card and threw the rest in the dumpster. I wasn't going to take any cards with chips in it so that I could be tracked. I stood up. Leaning backwards to see if they had gotten in the cab I didn't see them. "Stay down you sorry son of a bitch or I'll shoot." He lay still. I silently walked backwards on the balls of my feet grabbing my purse that I dropped when turning the corner. I got my folding flats out of my purse slipped them on and walked down the street as if nothing happened. I walked back to the club. I took out a smoke and asked the man standing alone if he had a lighter. He lit my smoke for me while I made polite small talk. I watched out of the corner of my eye to see the man I tackled come staggering out of the alley way. He looked wildly around the street for his attacker. An unmarked car stopped and two people helped him in.

I flicked my smoke as the car drove past. I touched the man on the shoulder, "Thanks for the light." I walked back down the street to the alley way. I picked up the shredded ribbon I tied the man up with before the sweepers found it. 'Stupid Batters never think about DNA. The sweepers sure would.' I had about two minutes to clean up and get on my way. I pulled out my hair spray bottle of highly concentrated explosive spray and covered every inch that Mellissa and I had touched. I stepped out onto the street, lit a smoke and held out a hand. As I stepped into the cab I flicked my smoke into the alley corner and felt the heat of the fire that erupted.

"6th ave and 19th street please." Like most cabbies they ignored all the strange and violent things that surrounded them. It was the only way to survive.

I got to Mells house to find her sitting on her steps of her condo smoking furiously. I walked towards her thinking, 'And here comes the melt down.'

"You okay?" I asked.

"Lillian Alexandria Scott!" She scolded. 'The LAS.... Yup, I'm in shit.' I looked her right in eye and waited.

"You can't just run around saving damsels in distress from guys!" She threw her arms up and down in the air making that really funny face women make when they are mad. "You can't be some cocktail dress wearing vigilante! The batters won't stand for it one of these days you're going to get pinched or shot!" She was stamping her feet and I was trying to keep a straight face because it was so funny in such an ironic way and she had no idea. "I will never, Never forgive you if you get killed Lily!" She looked at me really hard as if she was trying to get me to promise not to get killed. "Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"I'm not." Trying to be serious and failing not to smirk.

"What's so funny!?" I looked at her little fists on her hips. I couldn't help but start to laugh. She wound up and clocked me right in the jaw. That was it I was holding my sides 'Oh man, I gotta pull myself together but it's just so funny!'

"I'm sorry! It's just that you're making the cute angry face and you think you can punch!" I'm laughed. She threw another but I ducked and scooped her up in a hug.

Melissa started to cry in my arms. 'Ah hell.' "Don't cry. We are okay. That woman, where did you take her?" I asked.

"I," Melissa sobbed, "dropped her off at the hospital but stayed out of camera view like you taught me." She squeezed me tighter. "Things are getting worse Lily; it's not like when we were kids. You can't keep doing this. You're supposed to keep your nose out of trouble and off the radar like you taught me. Why can't you follow your own rules?"

I squeezed her back. "I don't know." It was the only answer I had even to myself. You would think I would know better. I can do a lot of things that the sheep can't. It's the reason I cannot turn a blind eye or do nothing.

Melissa and I just sat on the steps holding each other lost in our own thoughts.

Sheep, the slang term used by the government for the people not in service to the country. The sheppards as they call them are the patrols of the city to keep the sheep in line. We call them batters because they are dumb as sticks and carry billy clubs and guns. The government's goons. The resistance has been driven underground. Every ten years a small civil war breaks out. People die and they are more powerful and the resistance has become an underground council. Resorting to covert Intel, assassinations and secret penetration of parliament. Dangerous work for someone to get into. If I was caught for attacking that Batter I would be sent to fields to work without trial for 15 years then sentenced to death. It was why I had to be so careful with him not seeing our faces.

"Get some sleep love, I'm going to head home and clean up. Maybe ice my jaw." I teased. I kissed her on the forehead. "Night."

"Night Pan." She said her voice sounding distant.

I only lived three blocks from her so I walked home. It took me 9 minutes to get into my apartment and pass out on my couch.