Disclaimer: See the prologue for the specifics, if you recognise it, it's not mine; everything else is. Please only borrow after asking.
Many thanks to Gamine for tirelessly pulling out the nits and insisting I end this chapter properly. Many thanks also to Irina for also nit spotting and for being my guinea pig. Also thanks to Claire and Ekat who've both very graciously put up with me.
Please offer feedback -- it tells me how I'm doing; glad folks are enjoying it so far. This, ladies and gentlemen, would be the halfway point...
~*~
Chapter 6 -- Tag
"Alice asleep?" Eric asked, as Kimberly entered his room, closing the connecting door behind her.
Kimberly nodded. "Out like a light," she agreed. "Thank you."
Eric blinked. "Huh?"
Kimberly grinned faintly. "You're good with her."
Eric hadn't given that matter any thought. "I guess." He smiled a little. "She's fun to be around."
Kimberly smiled in return. "Today's been good." She sat down in one of the armchairs, opposite from his position on the bed. "Apart from when you're encouraging her to splash me."
Eric grinned. "I still can't believe you pulled me into the pool."
"Aw -- c'mon. You deserved it," Kimberly shot back, smiling. "Besides, you should have seen your face when you surfaced."
Eric found himself laughing. "I can imagine." His laughter died away and he slowly shook his head. "I don't think I've had as much fun as today in a long while. Trust me to be perverse like that."
"Oh?"
Eric sighed. "The whole reason we're here is because I've got some crazy bastard after me because I'm 'the one that got away', and I manage to have more fun today than I've had..." He was tempted to offer the truth -- that this was probably the first time he'd ever enjoyed himself this much for a whole day -- but he was painfully aware of how pathetic that would sound. "In a long while," he settled for.
Kimberly looked thoughtful.
"I...um...liked the swimsuit," Eric said, a little self-conscious but wanting to change the subject away from himself.
Kimberly smiled. "Hoped you would."
"It...um...looked good." Man, are you ever out of practice at small talk. "The colours suited you."
Kimberly's smile widened. "I hoped you'd like them."
"My colours, huh?"
"Yep." Eric wanted to say something profound -- or at least romantic -- about the gesture but he found himself tongue-tied and Kimberly continued, "Sort of the reverse of olden times, I know."
"Olden times?" Eric echoed.
Kimberly looked amused. "I thought you were a history student."
"Only for six weeks," Eric replied, smiling ruefully, "and that was modern history."
Kimberly grinned. "I see."
"Olden times?" said Eric, hoping she'd explain the reference.
"Medieval times," Kimberly answered. "A lady would show her support for her knight by offering him her colours to wear...but I figure you'd look silly in pink so I turned it around a bit."
Eric knew he was blushing. Was Kimberly saying what he thought she was? All he could manage was a quiet, "Oh," in response.
"Why does that bother you, Eric?" Kimberly asked gently.
Good question. "I don't know," he admitted. He looked up and met Kimberly's gaze. "Guess I still keep expecting to wake up."
Kimberly's eyebrows lifted. "Wake up?" she echoed.
"When I was a kid...well...freshman in High School...I used to have this dream. It started after I'd taken part in a karate tournament -- one of the other guys taking part in it had gone there with his group of friends. I had to fight him in the semi-final and it was one of those matches that..." Eric shrugged. "It was a good match to win, you know?" Kimberly nodded. "And I won it...but seeing him with his friends -- seeing them commiserate with him... Seeing his girlfriend, at least I figure she was his girlfriend -- from the way she kissed him, I'd sure hate to think she was his sister!" Kimberly grinned. "Anyway...I might have won the match but seeing him with his friends...made me realise just what I didn't have in my life."
"What do you mean?"
Eric sighed and looked down at his hands. "Well...I got home from that tournament to find my..." he hesitated. "To find my mother passed out, drunk. I couldn't even tell her I'd come second in the state-wide tournament. That night, after I'd put her to bed, I dreamed of having someone to be there for me, like the guy I'd beaten in the semi-final."
"I see." Kimberly's voice was quiet.
Eric suddenly went cold. He'd gone too far...assumed too much. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean..."
"Eric, look at me." Eric couldn't look up. Didn't dare look up. "Eric." There was no mistaking that tone. It was a command. But he couldn't risk looking up. Looking up would tell him once and for all that he'd messed up royally. Again. "Eric!"
Before he could register that Kimberly was suddenly right in front of him, he felt her fingers on his chin, forcing him to look up and meet her gaze.
"What are you sorry for?" Kimberly asked.
"I..."
"You're allowed to have hopes and dreams."
"Am I?" Eric asked softly. "I thought I'd lost that right."
Kimberly smiled in reassurance. "You didn't lose that right."
"And if that dream involves you -- and Alice?"
Kimberly's smile widened at that admission. There might have been a little relief in her expression too, but Eric wasn't sure. "Then that's allowed too."
Life -- and love -- is about risk. Take a risk.
Not giving himself the chance to think about what he was doing, Eric gently pulled Kimberly closer to him and kissed her. Every single thing he wanted to say but didn't know the words for, every single feeling and desire, every last piece of hope went into the kiss. If she rejected this...
But that thought went unfinished and forgotten as he felt her hands creep around his back, locking them together in an embrace, while she returned the kiss whole-heartedly. It all felt inescapably right. It felt like coming home. It felt like finding a part of himself that he hadn't realised he'd lost. For the first time in his life, Eric felt complete.
The need to breathe overcame them and the kiss came to an end, but neither of them was over inclined to move more than was strictly necessary. Eric half suspected he was clinging to Kimberly in much the same way a drowning man clings to a rope but she didn't seem to be protesting.
He opened his mouth to say something but before he could say a word, his cell phone gave two rings before falling silent again. He closed his eyes and started to laugh.
"God loves a good joke," he murmured.
"Cawdron?" Kimberly asked, faint amusement lacing her tone.
Eric opened his eyes again to see her smiling, even as the room phone started to ring. "Let's hope so," he replied.
Reluctantly, he let go of her and started to move towards the phone.
"Want me to give you some privacy?" Kimberly asked.
He reached for the receiver, shaking his head. "No -- stay. Please?" Kimberly nodded and took a seat on the bed beside him. Eric picked up the receiver. "Myers."
"Mr Myers -- I have a call from a John Cawdron," the hotel night clerk began. "Do you want to accept it?"
"Please."
"OK."
There were a few clicks on the line, then Cawdron said, "Myers?"
"Yes, sir."
"You do know I'm not your CO any more?" Cawdron queried.
Eric smiled faintly. "Hard not to know that."
"Yet you still call me sir."
"Habit."
Cawdron gave a bark of laughter. "I suppose it is."
Kimberly looked confused. Eric mouthed "Long story."
Kimberly grinned. "I see," she mouthed back.
"I'll cut to the chase," Cawdron continued, amusement suddenly gone from his tone. "We've come up with a plan of action. The Intel guys are stepping up their efforts at finding out where bel Abis is basing himself. That," Cawdron added, "I suppose, was something of a no-brainer."
"Pretty much," Eric agreed.
"Meantime, we're going to pick you up and take you -- and your neighbours -- to a safe house. You'll be under twenty-four hour security until bel Abis is under lock and key."
Eric nodded to himself -- that was more or less the sort of thing he was expecting. "What's going to happen?"
"You remember Danielle Hines and Ian Foster?" Cawdron replied.
It took a moment or two for Eric to connect the names to faces. When he did it dawned on him that although he had known Foster almost the entire time the other man had been a Marine and although he'd shared an office with Hines for six months, he hadn't known either of their first names. Vaguely, Eric wondered what that said about him.
"Myers?"
"Sorry -- yes, I do."
"Good. They'll be with you at oh-nine-hundred tomorrow morning and they will get you to the safe house."
Eric nodded again. "Understood."
"You don't need to worry about your vehicle -- we'll take care of that."
"Understood. Any other instructions?"
Cawdron gave another huff of laughter, this one lacking the genuine amusement of the first one. "No -- only get some sleep."
Eric smiled faintly. "Sir."
"I'll see you sometime tomorrow afternoon," Cawdron stated.
"Sir."
Cawdron chuckled and hung up.
"Well?" Kimberly asked as Eric put the receiver down.
He sighed. "Not sure if it's 'well' or not -- but it's a plan." Kimberly lifted her eyebrows in silent question. In answer, Eric relayed Cawdron's instructions. "I'm afraid it means your life's been put on hold."
Kimberly nodded. "Probably means I've lost my job, too. They were understanding about the time off I had to have over Dirk -- but there's only so long they can hold a job for someone."
"I'm sorry."
Kimberly smiled faintly and shrugged. "There are other jobs -- and to be honest, I would rather be here, with you and knowing what was going on, than not." She paused. "Besides which, I didn't get a great look at the fire yesterday, but I kinda get the feeling they torched my place along with yours. Right?"
"Afraid so."
"I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we'd been home."
"I'm..."
"If you apologise I might be forced to do something you'd regret," Kimberly warned, waggling her finger at him.
Eric grinned faintly. "I was going to say I'm sure that bel Abis' men were under strict instructions to make it a warning."
"You're a rotten liar," Kimberly observed.
Eric offered an apologetic shrug. "As it goes, I am fairly sure about that." He smiled wryly. "Something tells me bel Abis wants the 'pleasure' of my death to himself."
Kimberly shuddered. "I can't believe you just accept that someone wants you dead."
"Not really like I have a hell of a lot of choice in the matter." He was suddenly aware of Kimberly dissecting him with a glare. "What did I do now?"
"You're not thinking this is something you deserve?"
Eric smiled wryly. "No." He sighed. "My self-esteem might be screwed up but it's not that bad." Kimberly looked a little sceptical. "Kim, I can honestly say I have never thought of Kosovo or the shit that's followed it as being something I deserved. Nobody 'deserves' any of that."
"Not even bel Abis?"
"OK, that's stretching a point," Eric admitted. "But you know what I mean."
Kimberly nodded and silence fell between them.
"We...probably ought to get some sleep," Eric finally murmured.
"Yeah."
Neither one of them moved.
"Um..." Eric hesitated. "You don't have to go."
"Are you suggesting I sleep with you tonight?" Kimberly asked, quietly.
"If you wanted to," Eric replied. Kimberly's eyes widened, and Eric realised what his suggestion had sounded like. "I don't mean like that -- I mean...yes I do want to sleep with you in that sense, but not tonight... I'm not trying to proposition you." Eric was uncomfortably aware that what he'd just said wasn't the best way to impress Kimberly. "Can I try that again?"
Kimberly offered him a faint smile. "Go for it."
"I..." Eric rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little sheepish. "I've only had one proper sleep without sleeping pills, music or nightmares since I came back from Kosovo...and that was the three hours I caught in the SUV last night."
Kimberly blinked. "What do you mean?"
Eric looked down. "If I don't take sleeping pills or somehow else sedate myself I have nightmares." He forced himself to look up and meet Kimberly's gaze. If this relationship was to have any future he needed to be honest about this. "Bad nightmares."
Kimberly nodded slowly. She didn't look surprised by that revelation -- but given what had happened first thing that morning, Eric knew it wasn't really much of a revelation. Somewhat to his surprise, she took one of his hands in her own and gently squeezed. Somehow that one gesture seemed to say more than any words possibly could and he knew he could finish his explanations.
"For...whatever reason, last night in the SUV, I got the best three hours' sleep I've had since I came back from Kosovo...and by all rights, given what happened yesterday evening, that shouldn't have been the case."
"You think it was because of me?" Kimberly asked quietly, her thumb gently stroking the back of his hand.
Eric shrugged a little sheepishly. "I know how dumb it sounds but...it's the only thing that makes sense."
"It's not dumb," Kimberly answered. "Dumb would be trying to pretend you didn't have nightmares period." She offered him a smile. "You do know that if I stay with you tonight and Alice realises I did..."
Eric cut her off with a small smile and a nod. "I know what Alice will think...and if you're OK with it, I don't mind. I meant what I said this morning. It's up to you."
"Staying sounds good," Kimberly murmured. She leaned forward and lightly kissed him. "I'd like to give 'us' a shot."
~*~
Kimberly studied Eric's sleeping form, absently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was just past seven o'clock and she knew she was going to have to wake him soon but bearing in mind what he'd told her the previous evening, she was loath to do it just yet. He was sleeping so peacefully -- it was such a contrast to the state she'd found him in the previous morning.
If Kimberly had been in any doubt as to whether he truly did trust her, this sight would have removed them.
Asleep, like this, the shadows that perpetually lurked in Eric's expression were gone. Kimberly quietly promised herself that if she could, she would banish them for good. I don't know your life story yet, but I get the feeling you've never had many breaks. She smiled, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder to wake him up. I think you're about due some. "Eric -- it's quarter past seven."
Kimberly watched as Eric literally went from asleep to awake in a heartbeat. For a brief second he looked ready to attack, then he relaxed and offered her a smile. "Good morning," he murmured.
Kimberly grinned. "I think it might be," she replied as he sat up.
"Did you sleep all right?"
Kimberly chuckled. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
Eric smiled a little. "I haven't slept a whole night through without the aid of a sleeping pill or six in three years...until last night. Thank you."
"I slept fine," Kimberly replied. She started to lean forwards, intending to give him a good morning kiss when there was a purposeful thump from the other room, closely followed by,
"Mommy?"
Eric started to laugh softly. "It's like being a teenager and having your parents continually walking in."
"More than you know," Kimberly agreed. Louder, she said, "What is it, honey?"
The connecting door between the two rooms pushed open and Alice entered. "What are you doing in here, mommy?" she asked.
"Um..."
Alice tipped her head on one side and studied Kimberly for a moment. "Does this mean Eric's going to be my daddy now?"
Kimberly glanced at Eric, hoping this was what he'd been expecting from Alice. He offered her a smile as if to say 'want me to answer?'. She nodded, suddenly nervous.
"It might do," Eric replied.
Alice's answering smile was bright enough that it almost lit up the room. "Yay!"
"Someone approves," Eric murmured softly.
"It's not definite," Kimberly felt duty bound to put in, but her comment took none of the wind out of Alice's sails. I hope this works out. She felt Eric gently and unobtrusively squeeze her hand. Through the contact she could feel his nervousness too. God, what a pair we make. She sighed. I'm tired of being nervous.
"Are we going swimming again today?" Alice asked, changing the subject.
"Actually," Eric answered, "we're going to be going somewhere else."
"Home?" said Alice hopefully.
"Afraid not, honey," said Kimberly. Alice pouted. "But soon." She glanced at Eric. "Right?"
"Definitely," Eric agreed. "Tell you what, how about we all get dressed and I can get us some breakfast. My friends will be here soon."
"Will I like your friends?" Alice asked. "What are their names?"
"Ian and B...Danielle," Eric answered. Kimberly wondered what he'd been about to say.
"They sound nice," said Alice dubiously. "Are they?"
"Yes."
"Good. C'mon mommy -- I want to get dressed."
"Borg ancestry," Eric murmured softly.
Kimberly shook her head. "Go on through, Alice -- I'll be with you in a moment."
"OK." Alice departed.
"You think we can make this work?" Kimberly asked softly.
For answer, Eric squeezed her hand again and kissed her on the cheek -- a safe, chaste action, given Alice was stumping around in the other room. "We can make this work," he promised. "It has to."
He opened his mouth to say more, but a plaintive, "Mommy!" cut him off.
Kimberly groaned. "How many times can we get interrupted?"
"Don't ask that," Eric begged. "You don't want to find that out."
"No, probably not." Kimberly sighed and reluctantly climbed off the bed just as there was a knock on the hotel room door.
There was a long, frozen moment. Kimberly looked at Eric. He had switched from relaxed to on guard in an instant and she could see the very real fear in the suddenly tense lines of his body. She opened her mouth to say something. He shook his head and jerked his thumb in the direction of the other room.
"Alice," he mouthed and put a finger to his lips.
Kimberly started to nod when there was a second knock on the door, this time followed by a male voice calling softly, "Sarge?"
Kimberly stared as Eric suddenly seemed to fold in on himself and his shoulders started to shake as though he was crying or...laughing? He looked up. Definitely laughter -- although not particularly humorous, more hysterical, Kimberly decided.
"Panic over," he said softly. "But you might want to keep Alice in there for a few moments and cover her ears -- what I'm about to do is not something you want her to see or hear."
Kimberly nodded. "OK." The mild hysteria was leaving Eric's expression now and she got the feeling she did not want to be present when he did whatever it was he planned on doing to whoever the visitor was. "Call me when it's safe to come back."
Eric smiled faintly. "Will do."
With that, Kimberly withdrew.
~*~
As the connecting door closed behind Kimberly, Eric rolled off the bed, collecting his t-shirt and pulling it on before he padded softly over to the main room door and peered through the peep-hole just to be certain it was who he thought it was. Sure enough, there were Foster and Hines -- although not in uniform.
I'm going to kill them. Slowly. And painfully.
"Perhaps he's not awake yet," Hines was observing softly as Eric opened the door.
"He is awake," Eric retorted shortly, "and he wants to know what the fucking hell the pair of you are playing at." He opened the door a little wider to allow the pair entry. "Get in here."
"I told you," muttered Hines to Foster as they entered the room.
Eric closed the door behind them. "I'm waiting to hear this explanation. Never mind that I was told you wouldn't be here for another hour and a half."
"Sorry Sarge," Foster answered. "It's not Barbie's fault. It's mine."
Eric's hands went to his hips. "I'm still waiting."
"I'm sorry," Foster repeated. "I just figured -- given the situation -- you'd rather be picked up as quickly as we could manage."
"And did it occur to you that I might have been told what time to expect you precisely because of that 'situation'?" Eric retorted.
"I don't get what the big deal is, here," Foster said.
"Let me break it down for you," Eric answered. "There is a guy out there who wants me dead. Yes?" Foster nodded slowly. "He is a sick, sadistic, twisted, fucked up son of a bitch -- something I know first hand. Yes?" Foster nodded. "I am here," and Eric gestured to the hotel room, "because that sick, sadistic, twisted, fucked up son of a bitch torched my house two nights ago. Yes?" Foster nodded. "Put yourself into my shoes now."
"Oh shit."
Eric nodded. "Oh shit would cover it." He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to recover what was left of his self-possession. "If you've finished scaring the shit out of me...?" Hines and Foster both nodded. "Thank you."
The pair stared at him.
"Pardon?" said Hines, bemused.
"For being here at all."
Foster looked a little sheepish. "I let you down after Kosovo...and since. Doing this duty's not going to exactly make up for it -- but it's something I can do."
"Ditto," said Hines. "I was not exactly the easiest person in the world to get along with and, apart from that once, you didn't lose your temper with me...and I know...I guess...that the six months we worked together weren't exactly the greatest of times for you."
Eric tried hard not to stare slack jawed at the pair of them, but it was a struggle. "Thank you," he finally managed. Then something dawned on him. "You actually answer to Barbie?"
Hines grinned. "Not like I have a whole lotta choice in the matter, but yes."
Eric slowly shook his head.
"So where are you hiding your neighbour, Sarge?" Foster asked, clearly still as irrepressible as he'd ever been.
"I'm not 'hiding' her," Eric retorted. "She's in her room." So saying, he crossed to the connecting door between the two rooms and opened it. Kimberly was finishing braiding her hair. "Do you want to come in and meet them?"
"You've finished shredding them?" Kimberly replied.
Eric smiled faintly. "Yeah."
"OK. Coming Alice?"
"'Kay." For possibly the first time, Eric saw Alice look nervous.
"It'll be OK," he promised, holding out his hand to her.
She timidly took his hand and he led her and Kimberly into the other room.
"This is getting more and more like the last barn before bandit country by the second," Foster murmured as his eyes fell on Alice.
Foster, that was not a comparison I wanted you to draw, Eric groused silently. "Fos, shut up."
"What?" Kimberly asked softly.
"Long story," Eric answered. "I'll tell you later." Louder, he said, "Kim, Alice, this is Ian Foster and B...Danielle Hines. Fos, Hines, this is Kimberly and Alice Cunningham."
"Pleasure to meet you both," said Foster, offering Kimberly a dazzling smile. "Especially such a beautiful lady as yourself."
Without saying a word, Eric draped his free arm around Kimberly's waist in a move that was deceptively casual and belied by the belligerent glare he pinned Foster with.
Hines elbowed Foster in the ribs. "Behave," she hissed.
"You've got some interesting friends," Kimberly observed softly.
"You don't know the half of it," Eric agreed. To Foster he said, "Keep that up and Hines' elbow won't be the only thing you've got bruises from." He glared at the taller man, daring him to try anything else.
Eric watched as Foster looked from him to Kimberly and back and blanched. "I'll be good."
"First time for everything," Hines murmured.
"So," said Kimberly. "What happens now?"
"Good question." Eric looked to Hines, seeing as Foster actually did seem deflated for once. "Hines?"
"As soon as you three are ready, we'll hit the road and get to the safe house," she answered. "The sooner you're settled there the better."
~*~
It took half an hour for everything to be arranged -- which, Eric reflected, was an amazingly short span of time, particularly given that in that time, he had managed to grab a quick shower and he, Kimberly and Alice had managed to at least grab a rudimentary breakfast.
"Got everything?" Foster asked, having recovered somewhat.
"We do," said Kimberly quietly.
Eric took a glance around his hotel room. "Yep," he agreed.
"OK -- rules of the road," said Foster, turning serious. "In an ideal world, we'd be doing this under cover of darkness but... Eric -- since it's you that's the..." Foster glanced at Alice. "The focus of this, you're gonna have to keep out of sight until we reach the safe house, just to be on the safe side. We have an SUV, so that isn't going to be too much of a problem but Kim, Alice, you guys can't look at him...talk to him...he's not there, if you see what I mean?"
"Hide and seek, remember?" Eric said to Alice when she looked puzzled.
"OK." Alice nodded.
"It's not a long journey," Foster continued. "A couple of hours at the most. What we're gonna do is the four of us -- that's me, Hines, Kim and Alice, are gonna go down to the lobby, we'll do the check out sh...stuff -- if the desk clerk asks about where you are, you've already gone but I'm betting the clerk won't ask. You meanwhile, need to head down the fire escape stairs. They're internal, so there's no problems there, and they're also not overlooked -- they're basically for the housekeeping staff."
Eric nodded.
"At the bottom of them, there's a staff door out of the building which will be unlocked. That'll let you out to the side of the building and right onto the exit road from this complex -- unfortunately, that exit is overlooked from the highway, so you're gonna have wait until you hear the SUV pull up. As soon as it does..."
"Get my butt into the back and get my head down," Eric finished.
Foster nodded. "That's about the size of it, yes."
Eric nodded. It was a nice, simple plan. "Gotcha."
"Everyone ready?" Foster asked.
Kimberly hugged him tightly. "No macho bullshit," she murmured.
"No macho bullshit," he promised.
"Be careful," Alice begged as Kimberly released him.
"I will be," he promised.
"Let's get this show on the road," said Foster. "Fifteen minutes and this will be all over."
Eric watched Foster and Hines lead Kimberly and Alice from the room. He waited a couple of minutes, then made his way to the fire escape Foster had mentioned. The stairwell was empty -- although given it was not yet nine o'clock that wasn't so surprising. Quietly, he descended the five flights of concrete stairs until he reached the bottom -- and there was the door.
Now all he had to do was wait.
He hated waiting.
Foster's crack about the last barn before bandit country came back to him. Please let that not be an omen. At least in that barn, in that firefight, the situation had been his to control. This...this was beyond his control. He was relying on others -- and while he trusted Foster and Hines to do their jobs he couldn't help but feel antsy.
A car drove passed.
Minutes ticked by.
Another car passed.
More time crawled by.
Finally the sounds of something pulling up and stopping.
Caution led Eric to only open the door a fraction. Navy blue SUV. That was Alice and Kimberly on the back seat. This was it. Moving swiftly, he opened the door and started to step through it, noting that Foster was getting out of the passenger side, making as if there was a problem with the front tyre, covering the real reason for stopping.
One step.
Eric got the itchy feeling that someone was watching him.
Two steps.
He tried to quicken his pace.
Three steps.
:::Phe-tooo:::
Eric heard the sound but it was only as pain blossomed in his right thigh that his conscious mind caught up to the fact that someone had fired a silenced gun. At him.
Time slowed to an absolute crawl.
His leg gave out under him and he went down. Foster was already moving towards him. But so were several other people. And they were still shooting.
"Foster get out of here!" Eric yelled.
Foster hesitated.
"GET OUT OF HERE!"
Eric thought he could hear Hines' voice raised but he wasn't sure. Either way, Foster made a decision and dived back into the SUV. The squeal of tyres as Hines put it into gear and drove away was not loud enough to mask Kimberly's scream:
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE HIM THERE!"
I'm sorry Kim...
One of the other people had reached him now.
"Night-night," the man hissed.
Eric felt the boot connect with his head and then everything went black.
TO BE CONTINUED...