(Surprises)
Needy watched as Bridget started to push open the door. She was surprised when the other girl stopped and looked the door over. She was even more surprised when the petite red-head jumped up. Clinging to the upper door frame with one hand she ran her other fingers along the top. With a grunt of satisfaction the other girl gave a yank at something before she dropped back to the floor.
"Come on," she told Needy as she opened the door.
"What was that all about?"
"Fire doors have an alarm on them to sound when they're opened. I don't think we really want that." With that Bridget pushed her out into a dark alley way and closed the door behind them. The only light was from a flickering street lamp across the road that seemed to give no illumination at all.
"This way." As though she could see perfectly clearly the other girl took her hand and led her unerringly down the alley, avoiding dumpsters, abandoned cars and pools of stagnant water along the way.
The fugitive girl could hear the sirens closing on the front of the mission. As they neared the end of the alley she turned her head to see the dimness was broken by cascading red and blue lights. But they were all at the other end and for a moment Needy hoped she was indeed being taken to safety.
Then a bright light illuminated the pair of them and a voice commanded them to halt.
"Shit," muttered Bridget to herself. Just when they had almost made it clear. By now Don should have a pick-up team very close by. Her sharpened vision took in the police officer baring the way and she realized three things.
First the officer was young, very young and from the look on his face and the tenseness of his body was probably new to the job. Second was that the light was coming from an aluminum police style flashlight mounted underneath a wicked looking shotgun, one that looked even more menacing than usual since it was aimed at them. Third the probably rookie officer knew he was tracking someone reputed to be very dangerous indeed and he was all alone and it looked like he was scared. To scared. In fact...
"SHIT!" This time the word was full voiced. Realizing what the scared young officer was about to do she reached out her arm to give Needy a shove. But the other girl had fallen slightly behind her and was out of reach. Bridget could see the whitened finger tightening on the shotgun's trigger and did the only thing she could. She sprang between the muzzle and the other young woman.
Needy was just raising her hands in surrender when she caught the wild eyed look in the officer's eyes, a wild eyed look that was familiar. She had seen it in her own eyes for an instant in a mirror when she crashed through Jennifer's bedroom window. He was losing control. Her body tensed in an automatic but futile response.
Then a body hurtled between them just as the shotgun went off. Only one pellet made it past the red-headed human shield to trace a bloody line along Needy's left shoulder.
She wanted to scream as Bridget's body hit the ground but found her voice was as paralyzed as the rest of her muscles. The police officer looked down at the shotgun in his hands as though he had never seen it before in his life.
"Oh my GOD! I didn't mean to..." the officer stared down at Bridget's body with horror.
Needy thought this might be her only chance to escape while he seemed frozen. As awful as the situation was and why in heaven's name had Bridget done that it wouldn't help for her to go to jail. Then her jaw dropped and she froze once more in shock as the woman on the ground was suddenly springing back to her feet.
"Damn that HURT!"
The officer's mouth gaped open as much as Needy knew hers was doing. That probably made it easier when Bridget snatched the shotgun out of his unresisting hands and tossed it to one side. Needy was worried it might go off again until she caught a glimpse of it as it sailed through the air. Even the best firearms don't work with its barrel bent in a half circle.
Bridget's left arm shot out and her clenched fist knocked the police officer back into the wall. In a blur that made Needy blink her eyes the red-head was squatting over him checking his breathing and pulse. She straightened up and turned to beckon to Needy.
"He's going to have a helluva headache for a while when he wakes up but there shouldn't be any damage. I didn't hit him that hard."
"Didn't hit him that hard?" a bemused Needy thought. "I'd hate to see her hit anyone what she might consider hard."
Bridget grabbed her hand once more and pulled. The two young women broke into a trot, turning the corner of the alley way onto a street nearly as dark as the one they had left. To the right was the bulk of a police cruiser. They went left, Bridget fishing inside her jacket.
"Don? Talk to me. Where are they?"
Neely couldn't hear an answer but obviously Bridget could as she nodded and said "Thanks." before breaking into a run. The pair rounded one more corner and a set of vehicle lights flashed from a parking lot.
"Over here," the red-head said, rather unnecessarily.
Two figures in workman's clothes with some sort of logo on their breasts jumped out of the truck. They opened the side compartments of the tool boxes built onto the back of the vehicle. Shelves of tools swung out to reveal a hidden compartment beneath them.
"One for you and one for me," Bridget pointed.
"Quick," said one of the men, holding out his hand. He led Needy to the other side and helped her in to her hiding place. "Don't worry, you have plenty of air holes and it won't be all that long a trip. Assuming of course we don't get caught but that's a chance we have to take."
Needy wanted to ask a million questions but the man was already pushing the tool racks back into place over her and then closing the outer door. She could still hear clearly, certainly enough to hear the first man talking.
"God Bridget you're bleeding all over my damn truck. Don't you ever manage to duck anything?"
"Apparently not. Well it will stop shortly."
"Stop shortly?" Needy thought. Then her wondering just what was going on with Bridget changed to wondering what all this was going on around her. Who were these people and what did they want with her? So far they had seemed to be on her side, or at least considered that they were on her side maybe. After all Bridget had thrown herself in front of a shotgun for her. She shivered as her mind replayed the scene; Bridget flying backwards and then hitting the ground only to bounce back to her feet. Maybe the red-head was wearing a bullet resistant vest or something like that.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the truck backed out. Her sharpened senses told her that the truck was not speeding away but rather the driver was being casual, just like someone on their way home from some sort of service call.
A low pitched voice came from the cab. "Roadblock up ahead. Just sit tight and we'll handle it."
The truck slowed to a stop-. There was a bit of a wait then it jerked forward a bit. Another pause and then another move up. Needy realized they were in line but the suspense was about to drive her as crazy. Then there were voices again.
"Good evening officer. Here's my license and our company insurance card."
"That's not required tonight. This isn't a roadside check. We're looking for a pair of extremely dangerous females."
A snort came from the passenger side. "Based on my two divorces I'd say that applies to all females."
"I hear you," came a laugh from that side of the truck. "Seriously though, one of the females is a mass murderer. Killed her best friend and then wiped out an entire rock band. We had a tip where she was but some other female we don't know helped her escape. They couldn't have got far, one officer encountered them only a couple of blocks from here and they resisted. He shot one so they must be around here."
"Well, no haven't seen any females wandering or staggering around with a gunshot wound. Just the broken cable connection we finally finished tracing."
Needy tensed as she her some rattling in the truck bed. A stray crack in the built in tool box showed a flashlight was being used to check there. But then came the next words.
"You guys be careful. Look at this wanted picture. If you see her call 911 immediately."
"You got it. Hey was that band that got murdered Low Shoulder?"
"You heard about it huh?"
"Yea. Didn't pay much attention. Their music sucked anyway."
"Go on get out of here," scolded the cop. "That's a terrible thing to say. Even if you ARE right."
Needy felt the truck pull away gently and breathed a sigh of relief. Now it looked like all she had to worry about were her new acquaintances.
It seemed like hours but was probably no more than twenty minutes or so before the truck slowed down once more, turned and bumped over something. It came to a stop. There was the sound of a metal door or doors being closed. Then the truck tool box was opened, the shelves swung out and an offered hand helped Needy climb from her hiding place.
She looked around. They were in a concrete garage with several other vehicles lines up. An open door was to her right. There was a grunt from the other side of the truck.
"I bet you're going to expect me to clean up that mess aren't you?' came the voice of the vehicle driver.
"Why what a terrible thing to be saying," Bridget's voice floated over the truck. "Even if you are right."
"Bit of an Irish accent," Needy thought even as she was escorted through the door and down the hallway. Bridget and the other "cable repairman" were right behind them. One of the doors that lined the hallway opened and a man in his thirties stuck his head out. Needy noticed he was wearing a headset.
"All good?"
"Yes Don except that I'm afraid the radio you gave me is busted," replied the other woman.
"And that's not all. I see you shredded yet another jacket and shirt and probably those jeans."
"Yes I did. Good thing I took them out of your locker huh? I would have hated to have ruined anything of mine.'
"Bridget!"
The red-head ignored the sputtering man. She walked up coming up to Needy before leaning over and whispering.
"I really didn't use his clothes but isn't it fun to see him go nuts?"
Needy felt her eyes widen. She looked at the red-faced man and then at the girl beside her who s green eyes twinkled with laughter. And she laughed. It felt good. It felt very good. It had been a long time since Needy had found anything to be worth laughing at. She needed it.
"Anita I know you probably have a million questions but you look like you have been drug through the knothole backwards." Bridget guided her to another door and opened it. "This is one of the guest quarters. Why don't you take a shower and get some sleep? If you're hungry there's a phone in there and our kitchen is open till all hours. By the way, the door locks from the inside. If you want to wait just a few minutes I can get you something to sleep in and maybe some new clothes for when you wake up."
Needy could hear the shower calling and even more than that the soft bed she could see neatly made up in the room. But before she crashed she needed to know something.
"Bridget?"
"Yes Anita?"
"Why? Why are you helping me?"
"Let's just say that the troubles you faced back home aren't the only ones in this world by a long shot. There's a lot of evil out in the world and a lot of innocent people get hurt. There are things that most folks believe only exist in nightmares. They're real and there are way too many humans who are in league with them. We belong to an organization that exists to battle that evil. And we'd like you to help us."
Before Needy could say anything more the shorter girl gave her a hug and pushed her towards the room. "Everything else can wait till tomorrow. Go. I promise you that tonight you are completely safe."
Once more Needy believed her. "Good night Bridget."
"Good night Anita."
(To be continued)