It was midnight. They stood in the middle of a barren field in the heart of nowhere. It was pouring rain. Lightning lit up the sky for an instant, illuminating the field like noon.
It would be one or the other. A duel to the death lay before them.
She reached for her knives and watched him do the same with his swords. They started walking slowly, closing the distance between them, and sped up, as they got closer. They were all-out sprinting by the time their weapons met.
There was a flash of light as they slammed into each other, weapons slicing through the blackness. "Why?" she screamed, with as much pain in her voice as fury, "Why did you betray me?"
Hey T,
I need your help. Same place, same time. See you there?
-E
He read the email again. Once, twice, three times. He hadn't heard so much as a rumor of her in months, and now she was saying she needed him. He shook his head and chuckled a little. What had she gotten herself into this time?
He checked his watch. In order to be on time he would have to leave in ten minutes or so. Fortunately it was almost time for lunch. He called out to anyone who was listening that he was taking a personal lunch break. Someone soon grunted their acknowledgment, but he was already out the door.
Once he got his car out onto the open highway he turned off his phone and removed the batteries. It soon lay in the glove compartment, untraceable and therefore safe. He knew he wouldn't be going back to work today.
About an hour and a half later he turned onto a dirt road that wound past abandoned farms in the middle of nowhere. He parked by a giant open field. As he got out of his car he saw her.
A young woman, a few years younger than him. Her hair was long, straight, and brown. Her jade green eyes were set like jewels in a face that seemed strangely exotic. They flickered over his face and around the field. Her clothes were both provocative and practical. Tight black pants and a black tank top. A red leather jacket that just reached the middle of her stomach. Tall red boots. She looked good.
"Haven't seen you in a while, E. How have you been?" he didn't get too close. Her body language told him that something was terribly wrong.
"Tony!" she looked at him and managed a wan smile. It quickly faded. "Tony... they're back. And they're looking for me."
