Steve sighed woefully when the backside of Erica Holmer's house featured a steep stairwell leading to the first floor, winding along the entire length of the building and nearly twice as long as the front one.
Automatically scanning the small backyard that was bordered by alleyways on either side, Steve noted the un-cut lawn that looked like it hadn't seen care in many weeks. Against the house, a wooden bench was missing one of the slats in the seat area. It was the sole piece of yard furniture and looked to be in advanced stages of decay from exposure to the elements. A broken, waist-high chain link fence served more or less as a reminder of private property, than an actual deterrent for trespassers.
When he saw no signs of recent activity, he began his steady ascend up the wooden steps, the law enforcement part of his mind remaining vigilant about any changes in his surroundings, the Professor part reminding him that he wasn't supposed to be taken that many steps to begin with, a notion his franticly beating heart supported.
Halfway up the stairs, he took a break, feeling drips of sweat run down the side of his neck as the incessant throbbing in his chest sped up to unbearable levels.
Grunting in frustration, Steve leaned against the wooden railing and reached for the pills in his pocket, sliding two below his tongue, like Doctor Hicks had instructed him in case of an emergency.
Hoping to catch the onset of the attack early enough this time around, he hesitated for a moment, consciously inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, hoping to slow his heartrate to manageable levels at a time when Mike needed him the most.
When the air seemed to get stuck in his throat, Steve reached up to loosen his tie and open the top two buttons of his lavender dress shirt, its thin fabric sticking to his sweat-soaked neck and chest.
As the pills in his mouth dissolved with only a faintly bitter aftertaste, he noticed his pulse slow down significantly, making breathing an easier task. Soon after, the heat radiating from his chest disappeared completely, drying the sweat on his face and leaving him with no further reminders of the issue except some residual lightheadedness.
Steve's victory of counteracting an issue that had been crippling his life in every angle imaginable for the past few weeks was short-lived when he noticed something below a brown tarp, hidden deep in the back alley behind the house.
From the shape of it, his trained mind knew immediately that it was the missing blue LTD.
