Two

Later, everyone was back in my father's office, and everything was fairly quiet outside, although I'm sure the undeniable presence of the cops was hanging over everyone now. I still stayed back, not really wanting to be a part of anything; wanting to simply retreat, to find somewhere safe where I could just watch it all unfold, then analyze it all.

My father was still laying on the floor, unconscious. Dennis was pacing, Kevin sat against the wall, and Mars, standing in the shadows, smoking, was like me; he seemed content to watch. Jennifer, holding frightened little Tommy in her arms, was yelling at Dennis, scolding all of them, saying they would all go to jail. Dennis got fed up with her quickly, issuing the general command to tie us all up.

Kevin protested, "tie them up with what?"

"I don't know, just figure something out! Tie them up! Go upstairs!"

Dennis had not been in control of this situation for quite some time. I rolled my eyes at him. I glanced over to Mars. It wasn't hard to pick out just who the leader was here. I knew Mars' kind. I knew that eventually he'd overrule Dennis, yet I simply couldn't figure out what his motive in all this was. What was in it for Mars that he had to stay back and let Dennis think he was in control? Mars intrigued me. I wanted to know what he was thinking.

Mars knelt down next to my siblings, reassuring Jennifer when she protested. "I'm going to take care of him. I'm gonna get some ice for his head, maybe a pillow. It's okay."

It was the first time I'd heard his voice. His voice was like his eyes; it held so much, even when heard briefly. Now it was soft, gentle, beautiful. But Mars seemed the only changing entity that day. Everyone else seemed trapped in a state of shock, stress, confusion, panic. Mars was calm. That stoicism allowed him to be whatever the situation demanded of him.

"Come on, let's go." Dennis urged, impatient as always. He stopped his pacing and glanced at me. For once, Dennis seemed to have his shit together. He obviously had gathered that I was the potential threat, being the oldest, and seeing as I hadn't put up too much of a fuss about any of this. "Mars, take her."

----

"Is Mars your real name?" I asked innocently. Mars and I were in the guest bedroom, where I would have been staying if this family visit had gone as planned. I entered the room before Mars, I was sitting on the bed now, and Mars pushed the door partly closed.

He looked at me, tilting his head so his hair fell back slightly, showing me his eyes. "Marshall."

I nodded. He moved closer, sitting on the bed next to me, still holding the roll of packing tape he was supposed to use to tie me up. "What's your name?" He suddenly seemed young now, a confusing tone that sharply contradicted the natural strength held by his voice due to its depth.

"Valerie," I answered, looking into his eyes, trying to see inside of him.

He denied me his eyes, suddenly looking down, as if ashamed. "I'm sorry," he said, showing me the tape.

I smiled. "It's okay." I held my hands out to him, and he proceeded to wrap the tape around my wrists. I flinched a little, unhappy with the idea of having to eventually take it off. Strangely, I felt so at home with Mars that I never once thought of the guns in his belt, never once thought that he could kill me. It seemed unfathomable to me now that he was the man who killed the female cop outside, who spent at least ten minutes shooting at the rest of the small local police force. To me he was harmless.

In fact, this entire ordeal held a twisted balance of familiarity and strangeness. Things like this - crimes - were what I had decided in my teens to devote my life to studying, and suddenly being thrown into one, it felt natural yet foreign. I knew what to do, yet I couldn't bring myself to do anything. All the cases I'd studied, they suddenly meant nothing as I found myself in the presence of a 'criminal,' and he was just a man. He wasn't a 'criminal,' he wasn't inhuman. Yet he was still an alien to me. He was free. He could walk into someone else's home and inspire fear. He could kill as if it were instinct. And here he was, speaking so gently to me, the emotion of a child spoken in a man's voice. I knew I'd found a kindred spirit in Mars, and I think he knew he'd found someone who'd accept him.

I don't know how long we sat together, just taking in the details of one another. Even after he'd finished 'tying me up' he still held my hands in his. Part of me was shocked at just how much I felt for Mars. Physically, he was my idea of perfection; a dark angel. And he lived up to his name; god of war, bringer of death. In these moments with him, however, I didn't know the extent of his capabilities. I didn't yet know just how much death he would inflict.

"Mars." Kevin stood at the partly opened door, his tone a little stronger than I felt it should be. From the look Mars gave him, he shared my opinion. Mars turned his attention back to me, granting me one last look into his surreal eyes. He stood from the bed, running a gentle hand through my hair before he left the room.