AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wh-what?” He stammers, just before grabbing for his gun. I knew he was going to do that. I kick his hand, causing the gun to fling from his hand and I smile brightly.
“I’ll give you a head start…” I chuckle, taking a step back to give him some room. “Three seconds…and….GO!”
He darts quickly away from his car and down the alleyway closest to us. I jog to catch up. He’s up the fire escape in what feels like a millisecond, but I soon hoist myself up after him. I run, jumping to the ledge. He’s already hopping to the roof. He’s fast.
Faster than me.
But that’s ok…
He’s climbing through one of the windows.
I yell out into the darkness, anger and pain suddenly anguishing from my open mouth. I gain on him before he’s able to step inside and yank him back onto the fire escape steps.
Part of me hesitates for a moment, and I hate that about myself. But, reality was coming into view. What the hell was I doing?
A solid punch connects to my jaw. I stagger backward, into the rail.
That hurt.
I’m impressed.
I take a moment to catch my breath, and I wipe the blood from my busted lip. He runs up more flights and climbs his way to the roof. There’s more room there. I welcome it, Jarrod.
A single light, from a maintenance closet on the rooftop, casts a small hue over the man’s face.
The guy is so familiar looking…
My chest can’t help but tighten with every passing second I look at him. My fists are up. Defensive. A breathy chuckle escapes his lips. That’s the same response I would have given, too. “Who the fuck are you, old man?”
Old man? What the hell?
I grab his shirt and pull him close. It’s crazy how stone cold someone can look.
It’s impossible to see past his frown. But from what I can gather, there’s not much beyond a frown when it comes to him.
There’s something there… a trace of longing, a hint of pain, maybe some guilty… and something else…
“Are you willing to give everything up for her?” I yell. “Your life?” I ask again. “For Madam Rosa?!”
He spits. “My life?” He asks, his hand connecting to my throat. “Your life…”
I’ve had enough. I grab his hand to twist it.
He’s strong. I’ll give him that. He fights me harder than anyone I’ve ever fought before.
Sucking in a long string of air through his teeth, he grips my hands. His fingers are cold. Freezing. There are scars all over him. His arms, his hands, his neck...
Reminders of who you are…
Just like all of the ones I have.
And he’s … so young….
I lose myself in the moment a little too long, because before I know it, his feet donkey kicks me in the chest and I fly back. I feel his body leap onto me, the heaviness of him crushing. The sting of cool metal sliding across my skin used to be so familiar. So why am I so scared of it piercing my flesh? I’m not keen on the pain from a knife wound, but it’s not something I’ve ever been scared of before.
I can’t go back.
I can’t ask Madam Rosa for an assignment.
