“Cheer up Kris, he'll be out before you know it.”
Noticing the extreme pallor of her skin, his curiosity peaked. They blended into a group of people exiting from different courtrooms, all in a hurry to get to the elevator.
“How about some lunch? A nice cold beer, or two?” Micky winked as they nestled into the rear of the elevator. The doors rattled to a close. Before she could answer, they jerked open again and Nick shoved his way inside. Disgusted, Kristen winced and sank back as far as possible. Still she couldn’t escape his penetrating glare. She closed her eyes as the elevator made its painfully slow descent to the lobby.
When the doors eventually opened, she tried to sneak out.
Nick was on her heels. “Tough luck for your boy, heh Kristen?”
She picked up her pace, veering to the exit. Nick didn’t slow down.
On impulse, she turned to face him.
Fuck this! I am going to tell him exactly how much I loathe him, curse him out, make him feel like the sub-human piece of shit he is and always will be. At the last second, she couldn't lower herself.
“Drop dead Nick!” The late morning glare was blinding, but she didn't let it discourage her. Micky strode behind, anxious to catch up.
Jake spotted her the instant she stepped into the sunlight. He also spotted an odd looking man in an oversized jacket lurking nearby observing them.
Why would anyone wear a jacket in this heat?
With his suspicions rising, Jake took slow steps in Kristen’s direction. When she came to an abrupt halt, he stopped in his tracks, sliding off to the side out of view. After scanning the area, she continued down the staircase, resting at the bottom to search for her sunglasses.
Nick took advantage, darting to her side. “Why are you being so hostile to me, Kristen after all the fun we had together.” Not waiting for an answer, he clamped her arm, pulling her closer.
“Are you crazy? Get the fuck off of me Nick!” She yanked her arm out of his grasp.
Micky caught up to them, out of breath and unsure if he should interfere. Consumed by hatred, Kristen glared at Nick, ignoring Micky.
Jake remained fixed in place, giving her the chance to handle Nick on her own. As his temper flared, one hand disappeared into a jean pocket, the cold metal offering instant gratification. Out of the corner of his eye he spied the stranger converging on them. Very interested now, he squinted into the sunlight, trying to get a clearer picture of the man’s face. The glare made it impossible and the bad vibe persisted. He continued blinking until the faint glimmer of metal reflecting off the man’s fingertips, came into focus.
“Let's go! Now!” Jake called out moving in.
Kristen stumbled, whipping her head around in the direction of his voice, her wide-eyed look of surprise turned irritated.
“Jake what are you doing? I have to talk to Micky!” Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she turned her back on Jake.
Shocked by her reaction, Jake snapped his eyes back to the man to assure he hadn’t imagined the entire thing. This time the gun sealed in the man’s hands was in full view. His arm rose higher.
Jake pulled Kristen forward, propelling both of them to the ground. She winced as he rolled onto her, shielding her with his body.
For her, the rapid popping sounds came out of nowhere and sounded more like firecrackers than gunshots. She wiggled around, hoping to get a look. That’s when the force of Jake’s weight pinning her down, the way his heart drummed into her flesh, told her she was wrong—they were gunshots, and they were very, very close. Paralyzed by fear, she buried her head in her arms.
The area erupted. Frantic screams, cries, shouts—frenzied people scattered in every direction, some falling to the ground in panic. Several more rounds rattled out, followed by more hysterical screaming. The chaos escalated to a feverish pitch, then without warning died down. The police yelled out commands, some of which were lost in the screeching sirens that grew more ear-piercing as the ambulances approached.
Jake raised his head cautiously, easing some of his weight from Kristen’s trembling body. His eyes landed on the team of officers surrounding two motionless men: Nick, lying on the steps, the alleged assailment sprawled out by the bushes nearby. It was too surreal to be true. Spellbound, he sat up.
All around voices buzzed, as people wobbled to their feet, some crying out, others too horrified to speak. It was impossible to determine the magnitude of the casualties in the commotion. The news vans arrived, reporters scurried around all anxious to be the first to report the tragedy. Onlookers called out trying to find out the details or contact friends and relatives that were affected. Law enforcement did the best they could to restore order in the turmoil.
Once his shock diminished, Jake did a quick assessment of the area, returning his eyes to Kristen still huddled on the ground with her face hidden.
“I think it's safe now Kris.” He placed his hands under her arms, gently lifting her up. Her knees buckled at the sight of Nick, twisted and limp on the stairs, a pool of blood trickling along his body to the concrete below.
“Are you okay, baby?” Jake whispered, holding her close while his eyes darted around once more. Kristen shook her head, too dumbfounded to answer.
“What the hell happened?” Jake maintained his hold on Kristen as he spoke to Micky.
Micky shook his head, taking several deep breaths to compose himself. “Apparently that guy harassing Kristen wasn't very popular.”
Jake stiffened, his face darkening as he stared off into the distance.
“Looks like they got the guy though. Damn, that was close! It’s hard tell if anyone else was hurt.” Micky narrowed his eyes to follow Jake’s before bouncing back to Kristen still buried in his arms.
“Holy shit.” Jake mumbled, his eyes widening.
Kristen raised her head, her voice shaky. “Is he dead?”
The terror in her face, rendered Jake speechless. His fingers were cold and numb, yet somehow he managed to shove the knife deeper into his pocket.
What would have happened to her if I hadn't shown up?
They stood silently amidst the ensuing chaos, each of them lost in their own thoughts, trying to make sense of it all.
Coming out of the trance, her eyes danced across his face. “Jake, what are you doing here anyway?”
He was too absorbed in the flurry of police activity around him, to hear her. The knife in his pocket loomed in his mind, turning his desire to leave into paranoia. “We need to get out of here.”
His words washed over her. As she struggled to catch her breath, it dawned on her. I could've been the one lying dead on the ground if he hadn't been here for me. She clutched his arm with both hands, holding on with all her might.
Micky’s impatience mounted. Pulling a large envelope from his briefcase, he decided to break the silence. “Listen, I really don’t want to be involved in this investigation crap.”
“Yeah you and me both.” Jake mumbled, allowing his eyes to travel back to the confusion on the courthouse steps.
Micky refused to be distracted by it. “Kristen, here's the documents from Marsha.”
She gave him a blank stare.
Micky raised his voice over the rising noise.
“The new attorney that rents space in our suite now… remember?” When Kristen’s expression didn’t change, he pushed the envelope to her. Aware of her disoriented state, Jake intercepted.