Reggie climbed to his feet replacing his weapon in his back holster. He watched Earl Lewis wind his way through pedestrian traffic, cross the street and disappear around a corner.

Lula winced in pain. Diving to the ground her pump heel broke and her ankle burned. She was pretty sure it was more than a twisted ankle.

"You hit?" Reggie asked as he reached down for his walking cane.

No, I'm OK. Holding up her broken pump, "My shoe died."

Reggie didn't react to her attempt at humor. Turning around he quickly scanned the scene looking for signs someone down range had been injured or killed. Nobody appeared bleeding or injured, just shaken. A fresh chip in the sidewalk might be where the bullet ricocheted. Quickly figuring the shooters height, the chip and possible trajectory, his training lead him to the mailbox at the corner. There he found the slug impact but no exit on any other side. The slug was was still inside the USPS box. Better than in some body.

He returned to Lula, "Can you get up?" He asked dispassionately.

"I twisted my ankle." She removed her other shoe and held both as she got to her feet. She gritted her teeth from the pain as well as the cold sidewalk on her bare feet, "Sidewalk is cold." She didn't want Reggie to know how bad her ankle might be. He was preoccupied.

Miraculously the cab had remained in front of the restaurant. Reggie motioned for it to pull forward. He held the door for Lula, "It is warmer in here." Looking at the cab driver he said, "No matter what she tells you, stay here." The cab driver nodded still somewhat shaken from the shooting.

Turning back to Lula Reggie commanded, "Keep quiet, let me sort this mess out." That must be his FBI voice she thought and wisely remained quiet, just nodded her head.

The sounds of sirens were drawing close and Reggie pulled out his identification and waited.

Reggie explained to the police Lula worked for a bail bonds company in Trenton, purposely failing to call her an apprehension agent, and was reacting on instinct when she realized the man who nearly ran her down was a fugitive she and her partner had been looking for.

Lula watched from the cab growing more and more nauseous and frightened. Police are not her favorite people. The police Sargent was a woman who leaned into the cab to interview Lula. "I was surprised to see him and just reacted without thinking," was all Lula could say.

The Sargent demanded, "Let me see your purse."

Lula opened the purse to reveal the tissue package, her driver's license and one tube of lip stick "Red Hot Momma." The Sargent opened the lipstick to make sure it wasn't a single shot gun.

The cop looked at Lula, you carrying any weapons on your person?

"No ma'am."

"I need to check."

Lula froze and her eyes pled with Reggie to intervene. Reggie felt Lula's pain knowing going to a police station would be terrifying.

"Tallulah, here or the police station."

"OK," and angled out of the cab, standing on one foot. The Sargent did a quick pat down and said that would be enough. Lula slid back into the cab.

Reggie gave the Sargent his card and slid into the cab. He was still seething, "I'll give you credit Tallulah, you could sure run in those heels." He draped her wrap around her shoulders.

"Reggie, I'm sorry..."

Reggie was trying to control his anger, " Your actions were reckless. You could have gotten someone killed, you, me, anyone on the street. It was fortunate the slug hit the mailbox. That gun has the power to kill someone far, far down range. The streets were crowded with people."

Lula remained quiet, she didn't have an argument and has already said she was sorry.

"Even if by some miracle you caught him, how were you going to confine him, with tissues? You had no right to him, you didn't have apprehension papers. You are not a licensed apprehension agent. Hasn't Carlos taught you anything?"

"Ranger don't train us, Stephanie and I do our own thing. He might come and rescue us like when I blew up a building with a rocket launcher or when Steph's cars get blown up."

"Rocket launcher? What were you doing with a rocket launcher?"

"We needed to get into the building, there was a kidnapped victim inside."

"You blew up the building to gain entrance?" He gasped.

"No, I was using it for persuasion. Once we were already inside I got jostled and the rocket fired."

"Anybody killed?"

"No. Ranger and his men were outside watching and grabbed us before the the fire spread too much and the police arrived."

"Why was Ranger watching?"

"He has trackers in Stephanie's purse and on her car so he can rescue her quickly."

Reggie fumed quietly for awhile. "I assume your handgun isn't licensed."

She looked at him as if to say, "Get real."

He shook his head. "Do you at least practice with your gun?"

"Yeah, when someone is trying to steal my car, my baby, I'll fire a few caps at them. "

Reggie's eyes widened. "Other than the toe incident, have you ever hit anybody else?"

"Nothing major. Turns out I need to wear glasses for distances."

Reggie put his head back on the seat and shut his eyes. It took great effort to control his breathing and temper.

"You OK Reggie? "

It wasn't until they pulled up in front of Reggie's condo/apartment building did he noticed she was barefoot. "Where are your shoes?"

She held them up, "I broke a heel on this one. It's too hard to walk with one high heel shoe. She still hadn't mentioned the ankle, but it become suddenly obvious when she had trouble getting from the cab into the building. "Your hurt."

"Just a twisted ankle," she was beginning to feel it was more but wasn't going to admit it.

When she limped into the apartment Reggie disappeared and returned with thick wool socks. "Not fashionable but will keep your feet warmer for the drive back to Trenton." He didn't put them on her feet so did not see the swelling. It wasn't the end to their date either had foreseen.

Reggie wasn't expecting to be driving back to Trenton this early and was grateful he had held off on the alcohol. The miles rolled under the German luxury car quietly. Neither of the occupants spoke for awhile.

Finally Reggie broke the silence, "Talllulah, I'm sorry I lost my temper back there."

"It was my fault. I was just reacting like I usually do. I don't think ahead."

They were quiet again for awhile when Lula broke the silence, "Reginald, are you armed?"

Yes, Tallulah, I carry a gun most of the time."

"Then why didn't you shoot Earl Lewis when he shot at me?"

"It is part of training. He shot low, not really aiming at anyone. It was a random shot to scare people so he could continue running. We were fortunate it didn't ricochet and hit someone. After firing he immediately turned and continued running. He was no longer a threat to us. If he had stood there aimed directly at you, yes I would have shot him. But there were two other considerations, one was the risk to bystanders including those down range, and second, I had been drinking. "

"Not very much, you hardly touched your wine."

"But I touched the wine and the aperitif. No matter how little I had to drink, guns and alcohol never mix. The same goes for driving. I knew we'd be returning to Trenton...sometime."

There was silence again as Reggie thought then spoke. "You once told me you run when confronted or afraid. Yet today you took off after a known felon. I'm confused. You have no self defense training but yet you purposely put yourself in a dangerous situation."

"Reggie, I've been afraid most of my life. I've developed this persona to hide my fear. As a child I was abused by my mama's pimps so learned to run and hide. When she died, I was afraid of the foster families. Life as a ho is a whole new fear but I had to act brave or invite more abuse. Then came Benito Ramierez...

"The boxer?"

"Stephanie was working her first bail bond case and a she wanted to talk to Ramierez so pumped information from us girls on the street. Benito didn't like it and cut me up, bad and left me tied to Stephanie's fire escape. She found me just in time. I wanted to be just like her; strong and assertive."

Chucking Lula continued, "Turns out she's not very strong either. We make an awful team."

Taking a deep breath, Lula continued, "She mentioned Vinnie might have a filing position for me. I was the file clerk until the office burned down and the new office went digital. I tried going back to the street, but can't do it anymore. Now I just hang with Stephanie."

"Have you considered continuing your education, maybe a trade school?"

"I was studying sociology in night school, I thought I'd like to help girls get off the street."

Reggie's head swung around. "That's what my mother did for years. You should talk to her. It's not easy in fact it can be dangerous as the pimps resent losing their girls."

"Don't I know." She remembered her fear of pimps who were afraid she had gone with another handler. "I've sat in the hospital with friends who have been beaten and cut as well as Ranger's man when he was shot, but I don't like hospitals, blood or police stations. I've seen all three too often."

Reggie understood.

As they neared Trenton, Lula spoke quietly, "Reggie, I really hate to ask this...would you drop me off at St. Francis. I'd like to have this ankle Xrayed. It may be more than a twist." His head flew around. "Why didn't you say something before?" She shrugged. "My records are at St. Francis, this will save paper work."

A bone in the ankle was broken and the joint sprained. A boot was fitted over her foot and she hobbled out. Reggie was still there. "I figured you'd left."

"How would you get home?"

"Taxi, I guess."

Lula was uncertain where Reggie would take her; her apartment or his temporary apartment closer to the capital building. "Reginald, up until my brain misfired, I had a wonderful time. You have treated me like a woman, a proper woman. No one has ever done that before. I'm sorry I ruined our evening. I think I want to go home."

"But your ankle..."

"Reggie I think it best while we sort out our feelings. I'll be fine," she said, but it was her heart that was bleeding.