05-29-2014, 04:27 PM
Connor lounged on the couch, flipping channels. Nothing was on. Ayden lay in his lap, head resting gently against his chest, one of his arms curled protectively around her. She slept, so he kept the TV down. He looked at her curled up next to him. She seemed so peaceful, her sweet face in blissful repose. She was wearing one of his shirts now, her blouse and dress long since gone, with a blanket on her legs. His heart was full at this moment. He kissed her forehead and she stirred. "Shhhh....No. It's ok. Go back to sleep."
She nestled into him and sighed contentedly. He smiled and went back to flipping channels. He'd had a lot of sleep this weekend and wasn't remotely tired. His wallet chimed a message and he looked at Ayden to see if it had disturbed her. Satisfied, he picked his phone up and saw a message from Jensen James. It surprised him. He hadn't expected to hear from him again, after that night. For a moment, his mind took him back. Most powerful in his mind was his memory of speaking to them about his son, receiving that gift from Aria, Jensen and Giovanni, the truth about Hayden, and finally peace. He smiled at the memory, feeling appreciation in his heart for all of them, especially Aria for having had compassion on his pain- rejecting her Atharim rules. "You are a good woman. And I owe you. All of you." He'd meant it too. He owed Jensen.
Are you busy? Because I really need your help.
Connor looked at Ayden for a moment and then back at his wallet. It's good man. What do you need?
As Jensen responded Connor's stomach dropped and his mouth turned in disgust, lip curling. He breathed through his nose, feeling his anger at people who would take scared children and abuse them like that. An image flashed through his mind. A little girl of about 6 trying to get away as a man pawed at her, the tears coming down her face, mouth turned down and crying for her mommy, for her daddy, her screams. And to her, what must be a big man, the leer and look of lust on his face, able to completely ignore the terrified child. No, he thought. He gets off on the fear and the power. His heart pounded and the sound filled his head. He was shaking. He looked at Ayden, afraid it would wake her. She stirred.
He thought quickly. Do I do this? Do I just go charging in again? This was not a lone guy on a subway platform. This was probably armed guys. He should call the police. But Jensen had said not to. His texts indicated he had an idea, but just needed help. He remembered Jensen could use magic and nodded to himself. This might work. It might. Still, he'd never done anything like that before.
But he owed Jensen. He grit his teeth. How was he going to explain this to Ayden? He kissed her on the forehead again gently. Softly he said, "Ayden. Ayden. I need to get up."
She shifted and said, "Hmmm?"
"I need to get up,"
he said again softly. Carefully, he extricated himself from her. For a moment the feel of her body held him. Why am I doing this? And then the image of the little girl came to him and he steeled himself. Finally free, he got a pillow and gently put it near her head, when she lifted it and placed it on the pillow- she was only half asleep at this point. He kneeled down and tucked her in with the blanket and whispered. "Be right back,"
kissing her again.
He went into his room and changed into jeans, heavy work boots, t-shirt, flannel shirt, and heavy jacket. He also shoved his knife in his pocket. He came out and went back to her on the couch. Whispering, he said, "Listen, a friend called and needs my help. I have to go. Hopefully, I'll be back by morning."
She was still mostly asleep.
He wasn’t sure she even knew what he said. “Mmmm-kay”
was all she murmured smiling. She looked so sweet laying there that he felt torn. Am I really going to leave her like this? He breathed heavily, the decision weighing on him. But Jensen needed him. And those children. Gah!....I’ll be careful, he thought. He gave her one last kiss lightly on the lips and then walked to the door. One last look at her- God this was so hard!!- and he opened the door and walked out into the hallway.
The night was quiet as he made his way outside the building. Once he got onto the street he started walking to the metro-station. He had to consult the map to figure out how to get to the Zamoskvorechye district of the city. Once on the train, Connor’s thoughts kept turning. This was not an impulse, seeing an assault or some people trying to stop something, and jumping in. He had time to think about this and his stomach churned. This could be bad, really bad. More than a little fear had time to feed on his worries and doubts and grow in his stomach.
But despite that, he stayed on the train, took the correct stops, and then was walking toward where his wallet said the destination was. The image of that little girl stayed in his mind, her crying out, the look on her face, the fear, the head turning, looking for their mommy, scared to death. But it had changed. Somehow, the little girl was Ayden. His feet kept moving, through the fear.
The neighborhood was bad, but the freezing cold kept the streets quiet. His feet crunched through the icy snow covered ground, breath misting around his face. There it was. The building looked brown in the dingy snow reflected light, skeletons of trees scattered sparsely around it. Most of the windows were dark, with only a few with lights on, mostly on the 3rd floor. Connor walked to one of the entrances near the west corner and cautiously opened the door. The foyer was small and unlit, but he could make out the stairs from the cast light of one of the landings above. Carefully, he walked up the stairs. Jensen had said 3rd floor, that there were 4 guys hanging out in a room next to the landing.
As he walked up the steps his heart began to pound in his chest. This was really happening. He was really going to do this. Fear clenched his throat, but he pushed on. Jensen needed him. So did little Ayden, and all the others. God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. He paused at the door, hand ready to knock. He took a deep breath. Here goes.
He knocked and he heard the sound of chairs scraping and men’s voices. The door opened a crack. An ugly man with a scar on his cheek looked out. “What do you want?”
He hoped Jensen had set things up.
“My friend messaged me.”
His stomach turned at what he said next. “He said you had some good…product.”
He took a breath. “And that I should join him. He said to ask for Baronej.”
There, it was done. He tried to look nervous but also…anticipatory, he guessed was the right word. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
The door opened wider so he could see a man with a large chest and head. The man looked suspiciously at him. In a guttural voice he said, “Who said you could come here?”
There were 4 other men in the room, all holding guns at the ready.
“Wait, wait!,”
he said anxiously raising his hands. “Hold on! My friend is in there now. Said that that I had to try the…product you had.”
He mentally winced but then went on with his lie. “We, uhh, we do that sometime…you know. Together.”
He looked away, throat burning. He was going to be sick.
The men looked at each other and chuckled. The man that he assumed was Baronej looked at him a moment more. “Let’s go see your friend then. We’ll talk about his sending messages. And payment. If you are not telling the truth,…”
The man didn’t have to finish his words as he patted his gun. What did I just get myself into.
The walked through the building passing a few rooms until they came to a corridor where a man with a thick beard and a rifle sat. Connor’s heart was in his throat as they passed through the doors. The walked the hall until they came to a door.
The man put his hand on the door handle….
Edited by Connor Kent, Jun 4 2014, 11:33 AM.
She nestled into him and sighed contentedly. He smiled and went back to flipping channels. He'd had a lot of sleep this weekend and wasn't remotely tired. His wallet chimed a message and he looked at Ayden to see if it had disturbed her. Satisfied, he picked his phone up and saw a message from Jensen James. It surprised him. He hadn't expected to hear from him again, after that night. For a moment, his mind took him back. Most powerful in his mind was his memory of speaking to them about his son, receiving that gift from Aria, Jensen and Giovanni, the truth about Hayden, and finally peace. He smiled at the memory, feeling appreciation in his heart for all of them, especially Aria for having had compassion on his pain- rejecting her Atharim rules. "You are a good woman. And I owe you. All of you." He'd meant it too. He owed Jensen.
Are you busy? Because I really need your help.
Connor looked at Ayden for a moment and then back at his wallet. It's good man. What do you need?
As Jensen responded Connor's stomach dropped and his mouth turned in disgust, lip curling. He breathed through his nose, feeling his anger at people who would take scared children and abuse them like that. An image flashed through his mind. A little girl of about 6 trying to get away as a man pawed at her, the tears coming down her face, mouth turned down and crying for her mommy, for her daddy, her screams. And to her, what must be a big man, the leer and look of lust on his face, able to completely ignore the terrified child. No, he thought. He gets off on the fear and the power. His heart pounded and the sound filled his head. He was shaking. He looked at Ayden, afraid it would wake her. She stirred.
He thought quickly. Do I do this? Do I just go charging in again? This was not a lone guy on a subway platform. This was probably armed guys. He should call the police. But Jensen had said not to. His texts indicated he had an idea, but just needed help. He remembered Jensen could use magic and nodded to himself. This might work. It might. Still, he'd never done anything like that before.
But he owed Jensen. He grit his teeth. How was he going to explain this to Ayden? He kissed her on the forehead again gently. Softly he said, "Ayden. Ayden. I need to get up."
She shifted and said, "Hmmm?"
"I need to get up,"
he said again softly. Carefully, he extricated himself from her. For a moment the feel of her body held him. Why am I doing this? And then the image of the little girl came to him and he steeled himself. Finally free, he got a pillow and gently put it near her head, when she lifted it and placed it on the pillow- she was only half asleep at this point. He kneeled down and tucked her in with the blanket and whispered. "Be right back,"
kissing her again.
He went into his room and changed into jeans, heavy work boots, t-shirt, flannel shirt, and heavy jacket. He also shoved his knife in his pocket. He came out and went back to her on the couch. Whispering, he said, "Listen, a friend called and needs my help. I have to go. Hopefully, I'll be back by morning."
She was still mostly asleep.
He wasn’t sure she even knew what he said. “Mmmm-kay”
was all she murmured smiling. She looked so sweet laying there that he felt torn. Am I really going to leave her like this? He breathed heavily, the decision weighing on him. But Jensen needed him. And those children. Gah!....I’ll be careful, he thought. He gave her one last kiss lightly on the lips and then walked to the door. One last look at her- God this was so hard!!- and he opened the door and walked out into the hallway.
The night was quiet as he made his way outside the building. Once he got onto the street he started walking to the metro-station. He had to consult the map to figure out how to get to the Zamoskvorechye district of the city. Once on the train, Connor’s thoughts kept turning. This was not an impulse, seeing an assault or some people trying to stop something, and jumping in. He had time to think about this and his stomach churned. This could be bad, really bad. More than a little fear had time to feed on his worries and doubts and grow in his stomach.
But despite that, he stayed on the train, took the correct stops, and then was walking toward where his wallet said the destination was. The image of that little girl stayed in his mind, her crying out, the look on her face, the fear, the head turning, looking for their mommy, scared to death. But it had changed. Somehow, the little girl was Ayden. His feet kept moving, through the fear.
The neighborhood was bad, but the freezing cold kept the streets quiet. His feet crunched through the icy snow covered ground, breath misting around his face. There it was. The building looked brown in the dingy snow reflected light, skeletons of trees scattered sparsely around it. Most of the windows were dark, with only a few with lights on, mostly on the 3rd floor. Connor walked to one of the entrances near the west corner and cautiously opened the door. The foyer was small and unlit, but he could make out the stairs from the cast light of one of the landings above. Carefully, he walked up the stairs. Jensen had said 3rd floor, that there were 4 guys hanging out in a room next to the landing.
As he walked up the steps his heart began to pound in his chest. This was really happening. He was really going to do this. Fear clenched his throat, but he pushed on. Jensen needed him. So did little Ayden, and all the others. God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. He paused at the door, hand ready to knock. He took a deep breath. Here goes.
He knocked and he heard the sound of chairs scraping and men’s voices. The door opened a crack. An ugly man with a scar on his cheek looked out. “What do you want?”
He hoped Jensen had set things up.
“My friend messaged me.”
His stomach turned at what he said next. “He said you had some good…product.”
He took a breath. “And that I should join him. He said to ask for Baronej.”
There, it was done. He tried to look nervous but also…anticipatory, he guessed was the right word. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
The door opened wider so he could see a man with a large chest and head. The man looked suspiciously at him. In a guttural voice he said, “Who said you could come here?”
There were 4 other men in the room, all holding guns at the ready.
“Wait, wait!,”
he said anxiously raising his hands. “Hold on! My friend is in there now. Said that that I had to try the…product you had.”
He mentally winced but then went on with his lie. “We, uhh, we do that sometime…you know. Together.”
He looked away, throat burning. He was going to be sick.
The men looked at each other and chuckled. The man that he assumed was Baronej looked at him a moment more. “Let’s go see your friend then. We’ll talk about his sending messages. And payment. If you are not telling the truth,…”
The man didn’t have to finish his words as he patted his gun. What did I just get myself into.
The walked through the building passing a few rooms until they came to a corridor where a man with a thick beard and a rifle sat. Connor’s heart was in his throat as they passed through the doors. The walked the hall until they came to a door.
The man put his hand on the door handle….
Edited by Connor Kent, Jun 4 2014, 11:33 AM.