CHAPTER TWO

The atmosphere of the little restaurant was warm and friendly. The "Agostino" was known for it's authenticity and five star menu. Kim twirled her spaghetti around her fork mindlessly, momentarily forgetting the handsome man sitting across from her. "That dress looks beautiful on you," complimented Max. Kim blushed as she uttered her response.

"Thanks", she said.

"No problem", replied Max, smiling that smile that she loved and that always took her breath away. She smiled back at him as the waiter brought their drink refills.

"So", said Kim, "How'd you know about this place?"

"I asked around, people said it was supposed to be the best Italian restaurant the world has ever seen" answered Max. Kim laughed, "Well, it is pretty wonderful I'll give them that." Kim took a bite of her spaghetti and took a long look about the room. That's when she saw him. He was sitting at the back corner table with a couple of other guys. The oldest looking of the three men was sitting across from the other two.

"Kim?" asked Max, "Are you alright?" At that moment the eldest man locked eyes with her and Kim felt a chill go down her spine. She didn't know why but she felt absolutely frightened.

"Can we go?" she pleaded, "Please?"

"Sure," said Max confused, "Waiter, the check". Max beckoned to the waiter while Kim wished he would hurry it up. As soon as Max paid the bill, Kim got up and hurried with Max out of the restaurant. Once they were outside, the cool air hit Kim, this calmed her a little. "What's wrong?" Max asked. Kim looked up at him, his blue eyes as dark as the night sea.

"Can we go to your place?" she asked hopefully.

"Do you promise to explain what's wrong when we get there?" asked Max. Kim nodded and Max waved to the valet, signaling him to bring his car around. As Kim got into the car and shut the door, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, The three men were coming out of the restaurant heading straight for the car. "Drive," she commanded Max. He followed her instructions and started to drive away from the restaurant. Kim thought they were safe once they started driving but she was wrong. When they were only a little ways away the men got into their car and then started to follow them. "Oh no, they're following us," said Kim in a scared voice.

"Who's following us!" exclaimed Max, "What's going on?!"

"I promise I'll explain, just drive please?" asked Kim.

"Alright," he said, "Hang on, I think I can lose them." Max took a sharp left turn down Williams Street, went straight for a little, then took a sharp right, and increased his speed. Kim looked back and could still see the beams from the men's car.

"I still see them," she said. Max's response to her comment was taking a quick turn and disappearing into an alley. He stopped the car and stilled the engine. A few seconds passed and whoever had been following them passed on. "We lost them," Kim said with a burst of relief. They waited a couple minutes then went back onto the freeway towards Max's place. They drove in silence. Max was concentrating on driving and Kim was wondering just exactly what she was going to tell him. Most of what she knew consisted of a short flashback and a bad feeling.

"It's a long way to my apartment," said Max, "Maybe you could clue me in a bit." Kim bit her lip and looked away. She liked Max and she didn't want to scare him away. What if he didn't believe her? Kim decided to take a shot and whatever happens, happens. "I will tell you but, do you promise not to talk until I'm done?" asked Kim.

" I promise," he answered. She then proceeded to tell him the whole story. From waking up in the city all the way to her bad feeling at the restaurant. After she finished her story Max said nothing. A little while passed and they finally reached his apartment building. Max opened the door and led Kim through the door and up the stairs to number two-zero-seven. "Keep in mind," he said, "This may not be the fanciest place you've seen but it's home." He opened the door and Kim stepped through. What she saw before her looked like the place you only saw in magazines. Kim sat on the small settee in the main room. Max set the keys down and went to sit on the edge of the couch next to Kim. Kim just kept her head down and just kept thinking "Oh why oh why did I get him into this." "Hey," he said lifting her chin with his hand, "No matter what happens I'll be here to protect you." She gazed into his eyes and thought "How could a guy I just met want to protect me?" Kim wondered if she was even worth it.

"Max," she whispered and sighed, "If something happens to you." She started but Max cut her off.

"Don't worry about me," he said and hugged her tightly, "Everything is going to be okay." After that Max got up to get some blankets and a pillow, he put them down on the couch. Kim reached for them when Max stopped her. "Are you kidding me?" he joked , "I'm taking the couch you take the bed, its down the hall to the left."

"Max," she said, " I'm not kicking you out of your own bed."

" I insist," he said.

"Thanks," she said. Kim started to walk down the hallway. She stopped to flip off the switch and turned around to see Max already under the blankets on the couch. "Good night," she said.

"Night," he replied. She entered his room, slipped under the covers, and fell into a dream which explained what the men were chasing her for. Kim was in the college from her flashback. It was evening and she was caring a bunch of books and hurrying down a large hallway. When she heard a noise and stopped. The noise was coming from behind the door leading to the parking garage. Her dream-self was telling her she was going to be late to class but, she had to find out what the noise was. She pressed her ear to the door and she could tell that the noise was some people talking but it still wasn't good enough to hear. All she could hear was muffled speaking. She opened the door a crack and saw the three men from the restaurant and two others. The first of the two men looked to be a mob boss if the T.V. taught her anything. The other man was on his knees in front of the four men with a briefcase at his side. The man seemed familiar but she couldn't tell because the man was turned away from her. "Where's the program?" asked the mob boss demandingly.

"Right h-h-here," stuttered the man kneeling. He handed the mob boss the case with shaking fingers. The boss tore it from his grasp and handed it to the man next to him to check.

"Make sure it's for real Mo," said the boss. Mo opened the case and took out what appeared to be a small Cd. Mo took the man who was to his left's bag and reached in and took out a small computer. He put the Cd into the drive and within a few minutes spoke. "This is it," he said. "Well, looks like your works done here Mr. Chen," said the boss.

"Does this mean you will leave my daughter be?" he pleaded.

"Oh we'll leave her alone," he laughed and smiled evilly. "But I'm afraid," he said, "You know too much." At that point Mo pulled out a gun. Kim's eyes got wide, she wanted to drop everything and go help the man but she seemed rooted to the spot.

"No please," the man begged. But, it was too late. Mo shot him twice in the head and Mr. Chen fell to the ground. When he hit the ground Kim realized why he looked so familiar. "My father," she thought. Images of him pushing her on the swing when she was little flashed through her mind.

"What do we do with him Mr. Drake," asked Mo.

"Dump his body in the river, for all I care," he answered, "Just get rid of him."

The three men nodded their heads and proceeded to lift Mr. Chen into their car when Kim sneezed. She tried to hold the sneeze in but it escaped anyway. All the men looked up and stared at Kim. She was frozen in fear.

"It's her," yelled Mr. Drake, "Well, what are you standing there for get her!"

The men dropped Mr. Chen and ran after Kim. She was finally able to move and proceeded to run with all her might. She could hear the men behind her getting closer. She pushed herself to go faster. She got through the front door and was heading towards the parking lot. She stopped at a small blue beetle and fumbled to find her keys. As she tried to find the right key she heard footsteps coming closer to her. They were almost to her, she had to hurry. Just as she found the right key and stuck it into the lock, they grabbed her and turned her around. Before she could even realize what was happening, they slammed her head against the side of her car. The last thing she saw was the men gathering around her and lifting her up. At that point everything went black. Kim woke in a sweat absolutely terrified. It was just a dream she tried to tell herself but, she knew that wasn't true. Max burst into the room.

"Are you okay," he asked looking around, "I heard you screaming."

"It's nothing," she said, "I'm fine. She tried to smile but her smile was weak and barely lasted a second. Kim burst into tears and Max immediately came to her side. "They killed him," she cried.

"Who?" asked max, "Who'd they kill?"

"My father," she whispered in a shaky breath. Max held Kim in his arms and managed to calm her down a little. After a few minutes she was calm enough to tell him all about her dream. From her walking down the hall to the point where she was knocked out. She told him everything. Kim didn't see any point to lie to the one person who had saved her and helped her so much.

"Are you sure this wasn't just a dream?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied confident in her answer if still a little bit shaky from her recent shock. The room fell silent as Max went lost in deep thought.

"I'm sorry about your father ,"he said. Kim was quiet but she finally replied, "Thank you ." The room went silent and as soon as Kim was going to break it, they heard a car door slam. Kim rushed to the window and looked out.

"Oh god," she said. The men were here and they were on their way up. Max came up beside her. "What do we do?" she asked all hope gone. Max thought quickly for he knew time was running out.

"Quick," he said, "Down the fire escape." she followed him out the room and to the old rickety fire escape. She looked down at the fire escape.

"I don't think I can do this," she said.

"Yes you can," he told her, "I'll help you." They started making their way down when they heard the front door be kicked in. "Faster," said Max. Kim hurried as fast as her legs could go, she could hear the men talking as she descended.

"Where is she?" said one of the men. That was Mo's voice, there was no doubt about it. "Search the rooms!" Mo commanded. At that moment the worst thing happened. A part of the fire escape broke and Kim fell through the grate barely managing to grab hold of the rail. She held in her scream but she knew it didn't matter, the sound of the crash radiated through the air. "They're on the fire escape," yelled Mo, "Get them!"

"Max," cried Kim, "I'm losing my grip." Max quickly reached for her hand and was lifting her up, when Mo came through the window with his men. "Max!," yelled Kim, "Behind you!" The men were coming through to the fire escape. Max looked down at the ground and made a snap decision.

"Kim!" he said, "Let go!"

"What?!" she exclaimed, "Are you crazy?"

"Just do it," he said, "Trust me."

"I trust you," she said and let go. Kim fell fast but landed on top of a full dumpster. Not having time to grimace at the thought of landing in someone's garbage, she looked up to where Max was. He was taking on the men all by himself. Kim watched helplessly from down below.

"Max!" she screamed.

"Kim, get out of here!" he yelled.

"I won't leave you !" she cried.

"You have to," he said, "Now go!"

"Max," she yelled.

"Go!" he grunted as Mo pulled his arm behind his back. Kim didn't want to leave but she knew Max was right. She took one final look back at him and ran for the hills. She was heading down the street back towards the highway that she and Max had taken to get to his apartment. Kim stumbled through the downtown streets in her search for a place to hide from her pursuers, who she was sure were hot on her trail. She stopped outside of an auto mechanic shop and looked around to find an opening into the place. She discovered a back door which was open a crack. She slid through the crack slowly and silently. The place looked empty until someone turned the light on. Kim squinted in the newly found light and met eyes with the person. It was the mechanic who had given her a ride.

"Never thought I'd be seeing you again," he said, "What are you doing out here so late?" She was about to make up an excuse when she heard several heavy raps on the door. She looked at him her eyes filled with terror and simply said, "Please, help?" Wasting no time the man ushered her into a storage closet. A second after he closed the door Mo and his two men stormed into the building. Kim watched with bated breath through the tiny crack of the closet door.

"You seen a girl come through here ?" asked Mo.

"As a matter of fact I have," he replied. Kim took a deep breath preparing for the inevitable. "She came through here in a mighty hurry and disappeared out my back door," he lied. Kim let out her breath quietly so the men wouldn't hear her.

Mo and his men started to head to the back door when he turned to the mechanic and said, "You never saw us," said mo.

"Yes sir," he said. The men disappeared out the back door and into the night. Soon after they had gone the mechanic opened the storage closet door.

"I think it's time you explained this all to me," he said to her. She didn't know where to begin.