here is the seond installment i hope you like it!

CHAPTER 2

They started firing as Rob and I made our way along the narrow ledge to the hopefully vacant apartment. We finally arrived leaving Wood and bullets in our wake as we made it through the window. Slamming the window shut we leaned against it out of breath. A few minutes later Rob headed towards the closet and started going through it looking for clothes. I paused a moment to thank the good lord for letting us out alive and as well as letting me see Rob in nothing but a see through white sheet. After all it was every girls dream wasn't it? When I was done paying homage I went to the front of the apartment that was similar to mine except for being decorated in an expensive yet airy style. I opened the front door to see if the men in black were gone. I then quickly slammed it shut. I bolted it and ran back to the bedroom where Rob was less then presentable.

"We have to go now," I said in a voice that I would say was pretty calm. Okay it wasn't but would you be so calm after seeing men in black suits aim guns at your head not to mention actually shoot at you? Forcing you to crawl on a five-foot story ledge, then when you open a door pointing a gun at you and barring your escape root? I would think not.

"Wh---?" Rob started to ask when he saw the look of dread on my face. He grabbed the clothes he had 'borrowed' from the guy who lived here and we then went back out onto the ledge I was very definitely beginning to hate.

Now I will state here and now that after this day if I Jess Mastriani makes it out alive I promise not to ever make fun of Cully or any other agents whether they be dorky or studdly. That is to say of course if I actually see tomorrow or the next or the day after. Oh yes and a date with Cully really isn't looking as bad as it once.

Rob and I started along the ledge this time without the bullets and after many strenuous minutes we made it to the next apartment, pausing outside it. The one thought that kept crossing my mind was if we didn't loose the macho men, we would be up sh..s creek and definitely without a paddle. As luck would have it or not have it there was a fire escape, which we started climbing down right around the time that the egomaniacs in black suits decided to open fire again on us. Of course if the poor people in the street weren't shocked enough to see two half naked people climb down a fire escape with no hint of a fire they freaked out when bullets started spraying.

Really I felt sorry for the poor souls. I would be to if they saw me half dressed, though since I have been working with the FBI and occasionally kicking ass I didn't look to bad. Rob and I made a dash for the parking lot where both of our cars were parked. Ironically they were parked side by side.

"We need to split up. Meet me at the park in four hours. Approximately noon time," I told him. Before he could protest, "Look I have some contacts that can help you but we need to go NOW." Nodding at me he got into the car and drove off to where ever.

I got into my car and proceeded to take my time and get dressed. If those guys even thought about coming and shooting me they would be in for a rude awakening. Obviously luck was on my side because no one came and I pulled out of the garage just as police cars pulled up to my building. When I was a safe distance away I stopped and pulled out myself phone from my purse. I wasn't the type to carry a purse but I did have enough sense to keep one by my bedside in cases of one in a million emergencies, like the one that had just happened. I punched in a few buttons and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey it's me, Jess. Something's come up and I need your help. Can I come by? I'll be there in ten minutes tops."

I hung the phone up and drove to my colleague's house. I parked the car and went up to his townhouse and rang the bell.

Jordan Cully came down and let me up. In his early thirties he was one of the best agents n the field. With a blonde crew cut a deep tan and muscles to match, he could have been a poster boy for Abercrombie. Only he actually had the guts that Abercrombie boys only showed. Jordan I guess you could say was my partner slash handler. He was also a friend and someone I trusted deeply. I guess you could say I had feelings for him of some kind or another. We had even gone out on a date, which was not too shabby. I guess the only thing that had gotten in the way of it ending up like last night was Rob. Frankly I didn't know if I could trust a guy again which left me feeling po'd at times.

"Jess are you all right? What happened?" he asked in a way that made me tell him everything whether I wanted to or not.

He ushered me up to his kitchen where he set a steaming cup of coffee in my hands with lots milk and sugar on the side. He then busied himself making breakfast. He was still in a blue bathrobe and red boxers that fit him nicely. As he made scrambled eggs and popped bread in the oven I told him everything. Well not everything, of course I left out the bit about rob and I you know doing it. I also left out the part about how my feelings were screwed up, though I did let him in on my feelings about the $$h—es who had attacked and probably destroyed my apartment. He kept silent the whole time letting me rant. Only when he set breakfast before both of us did he start to comment.

"We need to involve Krantz in this. Second if these men are after Mr. Wilkins then he needs to put under protection. As for you Jess if these men IDed you. You could be in some deep sh-trouble," he said correcting himself.

"Jordan, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." Though it is a pretty nice gesture and one that s greatly appreciated. "I can handle myself. I do agree with you on Rob though. As for Krantz, I don't know."

"I do Jess. These people are dangerous and I won't let anything happen to you."

Oh really? "That's sweet of you really but I am a big girl," I said.

"Well hey that's what partners are for right?" he said.

Oh right, so right, I thought to myself. After that we finished eating and he went to take a shower while I surfed through the TV. We then made drove in separate cars to the park. Though it was only ten o' clock I figured Rob would be there. Unfortunately he wasn't he obviously had found another place to go to until our twelve o' clock meeting.

"Look, Jess, someone should go and brief Krantz. Why don't I stay here and wait for Mr. Wilkins and you can go brief him on what's happening?" Jordan said after a half hour.

As much as I would love to see the two of them meet I wanted to be there but I grudgingly acquiesced and drove off. When I got to the office it was pretty busy but Krantz wasn't there. He had left some papers to look over which I did and by eleven twenty when he still hadn't shown up I began to get worried. If there is one stickler and one person who loved his job it is Cyrus Krantz. In all the years that I have been working for him (which I admit haven't been many) he has always been on time.

As much as I hated pulling myself from the massive paperwork (not) I grabbed my keys and headed for my car. Krantz lived in a small-secluded neighborhood. Almost everyone worked in some form of government or another. I pulled up in front of his two-story house and made my way up the stone path to the front door.

It was open which in my business was never a good sign. I scooted down and grabbed the gun that had been attached to my ankle. Now don't think that I am some hardcore cop because I'm not. I have never ever fired it I don't even think I could. Of course the criminals don't know that which is the way I prefer it. I pushed the door open with my foot as to not smear any finger prints-if their were any- and slowly made my way into the house. Now the smart thing would have been to call for back up, but then I have never been what some might call smart, nor am I one to walk away from a fight, which is when ten seconds later a masked intruder in a black ski cap came barreling at me I fired the gun.

I totally missed him but at least he was stunned for a minute, of course it was only a minute. I looked around wildly for a baseball bat but either Krantz wasn't into baseball or the masked intruder had taken it. I was taking bets it was the later as shim swung it at me narrowly missing me. I ducked around him and ran into the kitchen, which is when I saw something I probably will never forget. Before I even had time to digest it I was running for my life. Who ever the person was shim was hell-bent on trying to kill me or at least give me one major headache. I ran into what must have been Krantz's workroom and found some plywood that I could use as a weapon. Who knew Krantz had been into woodsmenship? I turned around just in time to raise the wood and then have it knocked out of my hands.

"Now that isn't fair is it?" I couldn't help but say.

The shim didn't even have the courtesy to reply to me before he took another swing at me. He just kept making grunting noises. I grabbed another piece of wood and then another. Wherever Krantz had gotten that bat it sure was destructible. Running low on wood I made the mistake of trying to get around the person or I suppose alien. I couldn't really tell with the mask. Shim hit my shoulder causing me to stumble I managed to make it back into the kitchen before he struck me this time on the side of my head. I fell to the floor and the last thing I saw was Cyrus Krantz bloodied body next to me, then everything went black.

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love kat