Protecting Emily Ch. 01

Author's Note: This story began as a very simple Dialogue practice between me and my writing partner. The original title was, creatively named "The Hooker" - so sorry for the somewhat lack-of-imagination-title here! After we'd been at it for a while, we decided to try to turn it into the first chapter of a longer story. Let us know if you like it - and whether you'd like to read more about Emily and Ben and what we have planned for them.

--Jasmine & Daniel

"Hey! You off to work?"

Ben locked the door before turning, meeting his neighbor's eyes. "Another day, another opportunity to make a million, no?"

"Hah!" She grinned and tossed her head. Her thick brown hair, tied into a ponytail swayed and came resting across her white sweater. "Well, at least you own your own business. Maybe I'll swing again by when I'm done working?"

"I'm sure you'll find exactly what you're looking for." He said dryly.

"What?" Her smile slipped a fraction "A girl can't be into that stuff?"

"No, no. Of course, they can." He raised his hands. "Just not...you? I guess? I think." He grinned. "Sorry. 'Course you can - if you want. I'll even give you a discount."

"You should come over to my place sometime." She tapped the door to her apartment with two long-nailed fingers. "I'll show you my collection, and we can compare!"

He chuckled and shook his head, beginning to walk down the hallway. "That'll be the day, hm? I think I'm just a bit old for you to be hanging around with."

"What?" She frowned, catching up. "That's dumb. You're thirty. So?"

"I'm Thirty-three."

"Yeah, so? I'm twenty-one."

"You're nineteen - in a few weeks, i believe." he corrected, putting his hand on the front door of their building.

"Well, fuck!" She glared "It's no big deal, just hanging out."

"I have enough friends" He grinned at her and pushed the door open. "After you, Emily."

"Look, i-" She'd compressed her lips into a thin line and gave her head an annoyed toss, her walk causing her hips to sway in a way that surely got some attention from the peers at college. Then her phone gave a loud 'ding!' "Shit." She glanced down at it, then back at him. "Dude - I gotta scoot to work, but this isn't over!"

"See?" He laughed "I'm no 'dude'. Haven't been 'dude' for years!"

"Fine!" She was already running down the street, but looked craned her neck and half-shouted "This isn't over, sir!" She flashed him a smile, turned, and ran.

Ben shook his head. College kids. Ever since his neighbor had found out - how he didn't know - that he ran a store and been there once, she'd been on his case about hanging out, doing things together. Whatever she could come up with, it seemed.

It's a wonder she gets anything done between her college, her work, and whatever she does in her spare time.

Tossing his backpack in the backseat of his Fiesta, he started the car, put on some music, and drove to work. And 'work' it was. Five years back, he'd had the ingenious idea to rent a small space near a suburban strip mall and open his own store, selling things he loved. Make your hobby into a business - fuck yeah. Great idea. Minimum wage thanks to the crap profit margins, rents, insurance, and utilities, and get to deal with kids coming in, checking stuff out, and ordering it off Amazon while you watch.

Except...it had been a great idea - that was the thing. He was making enough to pay himself enough to live. He really did get to work with his passion all day long - even if part of it was restocking shelves and doing inventory work, and he'd never felt so free and happy in his life - even if he had to be at work 7.30 AM or feel like shit.

The American dream.

He turned off his car and opened the stoor. Lamps illumined shelf after shelf of comic books, board games, figure games, card games, and tabletop roleplaying games. That certain...smell to it. Newly printed paper and...well, burgers. From the place two doors down.

He put the "Open" sign out the window. There was a lot to do today. He sipped at the coffee from his travel mug and went to work.

It'd been weeks ago when she'd first come in.

He'd been perhaps thirty minutes from closing when the old-school door had announced someone entering. His eyebrows rose when he saw who it was - because he'd seen her around the building. At that time, he didn't even know her first name, despite the fact that she was his neighbor.

"Hiiii! Cool store." She'd announced brightly, looking about. She'd carried a handbag, worn a modest black skirt and a white blouse with a dot pattern. In short - she'd looked exactly like someone who most people familiar with the hobby would say did not belong there. Her hair had been half-straight, half curly, and left free that day, spilling across her shoulders.

"Uh-huh. Can I help you with something?" He cleared his throat. Try not to be the mental picture of an awkward nerd, hm? He cleared his throat "Sorry - if you need anything, just let me know, alright? I'm Ben."

"I know! I'm your neighbor." She came forward and offered her hand. It was small, warm, and smooth. "Emily. I'm Emily Carlyle."

"Ben Williams. Owner." He added his last name - and job title.

"Yeah. Kiiinda figured from the sign." She flipped her thumb to the 'Williams Hobby Store' and grinned, showing a crescent of white teeth and a pair of charming dimples.

"So...you lookin' for anything special?"

"Nah, just browsing." She walked around, peeking at the various shelves. "I like this stuff."

"Oh, sure. This...stuff." Right.

"What? A girl can't kick some ass?" She picked up a box and frowned at it. "Some...empire ass, I guess?"

"Elf." He corrected. "Sure they can. Not the cheapest hobby for a college student, that's all."

"Oh, I do fine." She near-sashayed over to another shelf. "Besides, it's been some time since I last checked this stuff out. It's fun to see what's new."

"And how long ago was that?"

"Couple of years. Must've been...thirteen?" She frowned, then nodded. "Me and my guy friend had a big collection." She picked up a starter Ork starter box and grinned. "Yup. These are my guys. Oh shit!" She'd apparently glanced at the price.

"Yeaaaah, they've gone up a bit the last few years."

"I'll say. Wow." She put the box down. "So how come you never say hi to me in the hallway?" She rounded the shelf and came to stand by the counter. "Or really...anything? I've seen you around."

"Oh." he frowned. "Not sure? The whole 'don't get too close to your neighbors' i guess? Not sure if you've seen movies, but sometimes neighbors turn out to be serial killers." He grinned.

"What? Do I look like a serial killer?" She put her hands on her hips.

He squinted at her. "In the right light...maybe?"

Emily laughed.

He raised his hands and shook his head. "Nah, look - I don't know. Neighbors don't often talk, or even greet in the building. Plus, I either go to work or come home - I usually have a lot on my mind. Sorry?"

"Gotcha." She smiled. "Well, I certainly heard you a few weeks back. Quite the party you had. I'm a little offended you didn't invite me over."

Ben snorted. "I'll keep that in mind if we have another Battlestar marathon." That was a great night. He and his two friends had spent hours re-watching the first season.

"Deal." She grinned.

"What do you study anyway?"

She grimaced. "Just...business management. Typical stuff. Not that I'm any great at it."

"It would probably be easier if you had...you know, a bag that could actually fit a few books, as opposed to some lipstick and a hairbrush?" He indicated her purse.

"What? Oh." She frowned. "Yeah. Left my books at college today. It wasn't a great day."

"Oh. Sorry."

"That's why I thought this could cheer me up." She grinned.

"So" Ben frowned and crossed his arms. "You're really...into this stuff, are you? RPG's tabletop, Warhammer? The whole nine?"

"Yeah! I mean...my friend got me into it, and it didn't exactly do wonders for my high school social life, but...yeah." Emily looked up at him, perhaps a foot-and-a-half shorter than him "I loved it. Love it. Is that weird?"

"You know what? I wish it wasn't. Wish more girls thought like you. More are these days - it's great to see - but yeah, it's still a bit weird. Most of my regulars wouldn't consider you a typical customer." He shrugged. "Me, I'm happy to have any sale."

"Happy enough for a discount?" She grinned.

"Ha!" He snorted. "No - not gonna happen."

"Oh, boooo. Sooo, have you lived in the building for long?"

"Just long enough to realize how crap it is - but not long enough to find anything else that works."

"Yeah." Emily grimaced. "Tell me about it. I'm happy to have a place of my own, but damn! Not exactly a penthouse."

They'd talked back and forth for a few minutes more before he'd closed up shop, and had even driven her home. From that day on, they had said 'hello' in the hallway, though not much more than that. She seemed to him like the type of girl who based on her appearance and social skills should have an active circle of friends - except whenever he saw her around the building or coming home, she was always alone. She never seemed to go out, as most of her age did, and unlike most of her peers, he'd never seen her bring a guy home.

To say he was attracted wouldn't be a lie - but Ben had realized years ago that there was a price to be paid to be in most relationships - and he was willing to forego paying that price and making the sacrifice of being single. Not that he was awkward or ugly - he knew how to dress, and earlier partners and dates had said he was handsome. He was tall, had a head of hair, thin-rimmed glasses, and some stubble.

Average, really, with some muscle to him from his previous occupation.

There was also the small matter of her being more than ten years younger. It had ended with him viewing her, at least for now, as something of a younger sister. A younger sister, and a bit of a weird mystery with fascination that he tried to keep at an arm's length - because who knew what she really wanted?

Inventory work went slow, and by the time he looked at his clock, he'd been working it for going on three hours. He was hungry, grouchy, and it was almost 9.30 PM. All in all, he wanted to lock up out back, leave and go home. Maybe enjoy a cold soda or beer in front of some Netflix.

That was also why when he heard someone knocking on the front door, he really didn't feel inclined to go check.

'Knock-knock-knock'. It came again, more insistent.

"We're closed!" He shouted, knowing it would carry.

'KNOCK!' Someone seemed about to shatter the glass with how hard they were knocking

"Hey! Can't you read? I said CLOSED! Get los-!' he shouted, walking out, then stopped.

Emily stood outside - though he almost hadn't recognized her at first. Her face was a blood-covered mess, red trailing down her chin and giving her the look of a late-night horror movie, her white sweater stained with a dark patch.

"SHIT! Hold on!" He called, unlocking the door. He grabbed her and helped her inside. "Hey! Emily! What happened? How bad is it?"

"Just...beat...i'mok." She mumbled thickly, groaning.

"Were you attacked? Mugged?" he grabbed a paper towel and wiped her mouth. It came away red, smearing it across her lower jaw. "Hey - you're okay. It'll be okay. What happened?" He peered into her eyes.

"Shit." She shook her head and swallowed. "Sorry. Yeah. Attacked by...some guys. Sorry. Didn't know...where else to go..."

"Hey - it's okay. You're safe here. Where'd they hit you? Any other wounds? Any gunshots? Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Emily shook her head. "Nah...just knocked the crap out of me, s'all. I'm...okay. I'm okay." She repeated. "Just need to...catch my breath. Some water, maybe?"

"Water. Sure." He went to the small bathroom and filled a paper cup which he gave her. "How come you're out so late anyway? You know this can be a fucking dangerous neighborhood?"

"Mhm. Now I know. Thanks" She sipped from the cub and held the paper towel to her nose. "Really. I'm okay...now. Just some assholes. Wanted money and...stuff. One of them just...hit me."

"You wanna call the cops?"

"Fuck no!" Emily shook her head. "I mean...no. That won't help. What can they do? Not like they'll catch them anyway." Emily closed her eyes, breathing heavily. Her lips trembled. "Shit. I never thought this would happen to me."

"How many were they?"

"Two." She grunted, rose, caught her reflection in one of the mirrors and touched her face. "Oh, damn. You mind if I use the bathroom? Just to clean up? Look a little less like...i dunno"

"Of course! You sure you don't want me calling the cops?"

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks though." Emily smiled. "Christ. I'm lucky you were still here." She raised her arms and pulled her stained sweater over her head, showing off a white top with thin straps. She folded the sweater on the counter and wiped her mouth. "Just a sec."

"Sure."

After the bathroom door had closed, there was movement outside the store as a black SUV pulled out. Two guys jumped out, and the moment Ben saw them, he knew that there might be further trouble.

Indeed, a few moments after jumping out, they entered the store - because of course, he'd forgot to close the door.

"Sorry, we're closed," Ben called out, waving to the door.

"Yeah, we're not here to buy toys, man." The speaker was a bulky guy, tattoos on his hands and a chain peeking out from the thick, teal hoodie he wore. His companion seemed Latino, inked up similarly. He looked between the shelves. "Hey, you see a girl come through here, man? Short - cute, kinda young. Twenty-ish. Brunette chick, decent set of tits, great ass but with a fucking mouth on her?"

Wow. Charming description. "'fraid not." He shrugged. "Been doing inventory work all night, and was just about to close."

"You sure about that? She went here, and there's nothing else open, except that burger joint. And she ain't there, right?"

"Nope." The second man put in.

"I'm sure." Ben put his hands on the counter. "So look somewhere else, aight? I'm about to close up shop and-"

"Yo, Kyle. Check it." The Latino - though he spoke without any accent nodded to Emily's stained shirt lying on the counter. "That's hers, ain't it?"

Shit.

"Sure is. So." He lifted up his sweater and pulled out a 9mm, flipping off the safety with a faint 'click'. "Let's try this again, book-boy. Where the hell is she?"

"She isn't here, okay? She came, but she left."

"Look, you fuckin' faggot" The man called Kyle, perhaps five years younger than him stepped forward " - you don't know what the fuck you're messing with here. So just tell me where the fuck the bitch is, and you can go back to playin' with your fucking toys and no one gets hurt."

"You don't get hurt" piped in the Latino.

"Shut up, Julio."

Ben took a deep breath, sweat trickling down his back. Zero to one-hundred in five seconds. Great.

"Jesus, Kyle, stop it! I'm here, okay?" Emily had opened the door and glared, but she looked scared. She had her hands up. "Put that thing away and don't hurt anyone! I'm here!"

"Bitch, you don't fucking tell me what I do or don't do!" He waved the weapon at her "Next time you run out on us like that, I'll skullfuck you against the fucking dumpster instead of just beating on your ass."

Emily flinched. "Look, you just scared, me that's all. You get fucking psycho when you're on coke. I'll be back tomorrow after I've had some sle-"

"Nuh-uh! Fuck that shit - Pedro wants a chat with you, so you're coming the fuck back with us. Now. Don't know what you did, but he's real interested."

"Hey man - she said she doesn't wanna go, so she's not going-" Ben tried to interject.

"Was I talking to you, faggot?!" Kyle yelled, putting the gun in his face.

"Alright, alright." He raised his hands and slowly backed off.

"Stop it, Kyle! Fine! I'll come! Christ! Just put the gun away, okay!" Emily screamed.

"So get your whore ass into the car!" Kyle waved with the gun. The other guy - Julio - seemed content to stand with his arms crossed, watching the exchange with a guarded glance at Ben.

Ben was ready when the younger man turned. He grabbed beneath the counter, happy for once that one of his closest friends was a gun nut who'd pressed him into taking more lessons and had bought him a ridiculously oversized Beretta. It'd been a running joke that given where his store was, he might need to use it - and truth be told, he'd forgotten to put it into its locker. He remembered telling Nicholas that no one, in their right mind, needed a semi-automatic shotgun as store protection.

Now...he was happy he had it.

Unsure when he'd made the decision, he cocked the shotgun, both of the men's backs to him. "Hey asshole!"

Kyle turned, and Ben didn't even hesitate. He pulled the trigger, preparing for the recoil.

'BANG!' Shotguns weren't effective at long range - but this wasn't long-range. The blast caught Kyle in the chest and he went down in a spray of blood, the gun flying from his hand. Emily screamed, and the other guy wasn't far behind.

Ben jumped from behind the counter, weapon aimed at the other guy.

"Hands up! Now, asshole, or I'll take your fucking head off! Get your fucking hands up!" Ben yelled.

"I'm cool! I'm cool - don't shoot! Christ!". His hands rose from behind his back, though slow.

"Yeah?" He stepped forward one step, then two. "Good. You better-"

'Bang' A smaller shot, from a gun. There was a yell and the guy fell against one of the shelves, knocking over a stack of board game cartons. 'Bang' Another shot, this one in his head.

He whirled.

Emily stood, chin streaked faintly pink from blood. She held the other guy's - Kyle's - 9 mm, smoke trailing from the barrel. Her eyes were wide and she shook visibly, the gun quavering in her trembling hands.

"What the fuck!" Ben exclaimed. "Why'd you shoot him!"

"Take-....look, Ben. His left hand."

He looked down. The man's - the dead man's - hand was gripping a somewhat-concealed pistol he'd seemed about to draw from his waistband.

"Shit." He swallowed. So much for my training.

"Yeah. Look-" Emily inhaled, shaking visibly. "Kyle is...loud, but Julio was really the one to be careful around. He's a fucking sociopath. He'll do anything." Emily shook her head. "Was. He was a sociopath. Holy shit. Hoooooly shit. Oh fuck, I think I'm gonna be sick." She turned, breathing heavily.

"Hey. It's okay. It's fine."

"F-Fine?! I just fucking killed someone!"

"Hey!" He put the shotgun against the shelf and took her by her shoulders, careful to aim the gun elsewhere "They were trying to hurt you. Threaten me. Wouldn't leave my store. It was self-defense. I certainly don't blame you."

She nodded vigorously, but her hands shook. "Ben, i-"

"Look. Sorry. First things first. Who were these guys?"

She bit her lower lip and looked up into his eyes. "Can we...get out of here first? I'll tell you. Everything. For sure. Just...can we leave? Their car is here."

Leaving sounds like a great idea, but...he took a quick look at the surroundings. Two shelves were a mess, and there was the small part about two dead bodies in the middle of his store floor. He took a deep breath. Focus. One-two-three. In and out. First priority. "Alright. Fine. But first, we need to decide on what to do about these. And this. And that." He indicated the bodies, the car and the store.