“Wh-where are we going?” Ryan asks,

He suddenly gags and bends over to throw up. Again. They both have thrown up a few times from seeing jessica’s insides.

Asher and Ryan have walked through the trees for an hour. “Its an old hangar, remember?”

”Oh. Yeah.”

Asher looks over at him. “It’ll be okay Ryan. You’re in shock right now. We’re going to go see someone, they owe me a favor.”

”Why…why didn’t we go to them first?”

”A few reasons. I haven’t thought about Her in a long time. She kinda hates me though”

Ryan sighs. “What?” Asher asks,

”I mean I’m not trying to judge. But you have some sucky relationships with girls man.”

They stare at each other for a moment as they walk. Asher suddenly starts silently chuckling with turns into a loud laugh. Ryan can’t help but join in laughing.

”I feel you man. Glad you’re here.”

Ryan agrees, they walk in silence until they reach a small opening, shivering in the cold. Asher carries Riley in his arms. “She isn’t going to kill us right? This other girl?”

“Probably not.”

”Probably? Wait! Raegan?”

”I thought I told you earlier…Aria went to pick her up. There wasn’t anything to bring back.”

Ryan closes his eyes and sighs, “I’m so sorry Asher.”

Asher shakes his head. “Don’t think about it. Let’s just get out of here.”

”Alright. We’ve come a long way from school.” Ryan chuckles,

Asher forces a smile, he sees Ryan’s smile disappear. “I’m going to kill whoever did this to us. We’re here.”

Asher walks over to a tree, sets a bound up Riley down and he places his hand against it and gently taps his fist against the tree below his other hand twice.

Asher hums to himself. “What?”

Asher shrugs, “Been a while, probably just needs a jumpstart.”

He takes a step back, then uses the momentum of his entire body to kick the tree, it shakes hard, the snow on the branches fall. A plate slides up revealing a keypad.

Asher punches in a series of numbers. The plate slides down, covering the key pad again. A circular hole opens beside them on the rim of the small opening of trees.

Asher drags Riley over and sets her down. “Want to hand her down to me?”

”Sure.”

Asher drops down into the hole and hits hard ground. Tile. The room is dark, but vast. He looks around it. The air smells stale, but then again. No one has been here in who knows how long. A large object sits on the tile to his left.

”Alright, ready.” He says to Ryan as he looks up through the hole,

Ryan has his arms under hers and lowers her legs into the hole. “Alright drop her.”

Ryan tries to swing her legs out front and does as instructed. She falls horizontally into Asher’s arms. He sets her down and looks up again. “Alright buddy. Come down.”

”K.”

He drops down onto the tile, Asher just makes sure he has his footing and doesn’t fall to his face. He goes to pick up Riley but Ryan dismisses him and picks her up.

”Ryan?”

”Yeah?”

”When we take off in this jet. Ask me anything you want. I’ll answer it as best as I can.”

”You sure?”

”You’ve more than earned it. And I’ve been very unfair to you.”

”Good. Because I got questions. And I’m about have a breakdown.”

”Alright. Rant, yell, ask. Whatever you need to do.”

”Really?”

”Yeah. Go.”

He sets Riley on the ground, ”…Okay what the fricken heck!? I mean what the heck!? Are you fricken kidding me!? This was supposed to be a normal year! Who the crap is this friend of yours? Like honestly man!? How well do you know her because at this rate I need to draw up an end of life plan! Our friends just attacked us! A Braven Hunter was just killed by my best friend, are you even my best friend?! Like I really need to know. Because people I just thought were my friends are freaking robots! How can you be so calm!? What the heck is wrong with you Asher!? Are you a cyborg!? Are you gonna kill me!? Do you care if I die!?”

He is breathing heavily. He didn't breathe a lot as he got all that out. Asher patiently stands there, facing him, waiting.

”Go on.”

“I don’t want to end up as a fricken trophy Asher! I don't want my head mounted on a wall! I’m freaking out man! What about my family!? My parents I mean geez! Do they know that I’m gone?! Who is this chick that you know!? I know you’re gonna answer it on the jet but dude! Dude! I’m about to freaking cry! If I’m gonna die them for mercy’s sake just shoot me here! I can’t keep doing this! I’m not a soldier! I’m not police! I have no training! Im freaking out man!”

Asher nods, “So…You’re scared, you feel like you are about to die every other second. And you feel even worse because you don’t have training. And it’s all happening so fast that you just feel like you can’t keep up? Let alone keep surviving it? Is that right? Oh and worried about your parents.”

Ryan, who is breathing heavily nods, “I’m losing my crap Asher. I’m not…I can’t just keep getting lucky.”

Asher nods. “I know it feels like it. And you don’t know anything. You’re following me blindly, trying hard not to get left in the dust for whoever is chasing us. But give yourself some credit. You’re still here, luck or not. You know at least to expect the unexpected. The rest I can help you with. We can go get your parents now if that’s what you want, there’s options, we could send a drone to check on them. We can go and get them. They know I’m involved. Not necessarily that you are involved. They could be safe. But I might be selfish but thinking that. I’m truly sorry. We’ll take care of them. If you want to leave Ryan, say the word dude. You deserve a break. You don’t deserve any of this. I was worried I had already condemned you. They might not know.”

Ryan nods, “I’d like to get them.”

”Alright. Our first stop. Full speed.”

Ryan nods, “Thanks.”

”Take a second. Catch your breath. I’ll prepare our bird.”

Ryan sits down next to Riley and waits while Asher flicks on the lights in the small room, in the center is a small jet, looks like the previous one that the others tried to steal, but slight differences. Along the back wall where Asher is, he flicks a few more switches, a humming sound overhead causes Ryan to give Asher a weird look, but Asher has already read his mind.

”Heaters, melts the snow up above so it doesn’t mess with or damage the jet. The door up there though is painted white so…no one will ever see it from the sky.”

Asher turns and readies backpacks along the back wall, Ryan climbs to his feet and helps. They open the rear door of the jet and strap Riley inside in a seat. They fire up the engines, it starts up like it’s new.

”How long has it been here?”

”This thing is old, but it’s the last of it’s kind. It was discontinued because it’s superior to most jets.”

”How so?”

”It’s got a thicker shell, it can deflect most any kind of bullet, no matter what part gets hit. But it’s older. The engine uses a mix of chemicals and gases as fuel. The air is literally the fuel.”

Ryan’s eyes widen. “No way.”

Asher smiles, “Pretty cool right?”

Ryan smiles and nods, “Yeah.”

It was a weak smile. “Aria?”

”I’m in the jet. Preparing flight plan.”

”Take it away.”

They jet begins to lift out of the hole, it closes after they hover out. The jet rises above the trees and into the frigid air. It’s boosters then kick in and they start off, their heads hit the head rests of their seats.

”Aria? Full speed, we need to get there as soon as possible.”

”Understood sir.” The jet quickly speeds up,

”It’s faster than the other jet, we’ll be there in a few hours.”

Ryan’s eyebrows shoot up, “Jeez. I’m kinda glad they didn’t hijack this one. So…I only have a few questions Asher.”

Asher nods, “Shoot.”

”Who is this girl? How is she going to help us? Why? Where?”

”San Diego. She always changes her name, last I knew her it was Beau. She is a Skrout Ryan.”

”What’s that?” He asks shaking his head,

”Surprised you haven’t heard about them. There’s the homeless community, then there’s Skrouts, people that were homeless, they have fought, bled, stole, and killed for power, you can think of them as the biggest gang in the world. They can range from just sketchy people to very dangerous. Usually they are pretty dangerous. But they got power and numbers. There are different factions and gangs within the Skrout world. Beau is the leader of the Skull Dynasty. They are probably the most dangerous or tied. She’ll help us because she owes me. And she loves having debts that are in her favor, under her belt. I’ll owe her after this, that’s her weakness I suppose. She likes me…enough. She might have some information or know someone who does about this S.S. she will also have access to plenty of safe houses.”

”You saw what happened to the last safe house Asher!”

Asher just stares at him. “I don’t care who you are or how skilled you are. You’re an idiot if you try to penetrate the Skull Dynasty, whether its smoothly and quietly or guns blazing. They’re careful, smart and one of the safest places for us, at least considering our options now.”

“So, why didn’t we go before?”

”I’ll owe her. She’ll use it to her advantage, probably my disadvantage. For amusement. That’s why.”

”Will we be safe?”

Asher shakes his head, “No. But you need to come with me. There’s no way she’ll agree if you don’t walk in with me.”

”What about my parents? I thought you said we might be in the clear?”

”You might be. But this will be safer. And if she and I agree on it. She’ll protect you with her life and the lives of her men, even if part of her wants to kill you, but she won’t want to.”

Ryan swallows hard. “Are you sure about this Asher? I need an honest 100 percent on this. My parents won’t want to come either.”

”I’m 100 percent positive about this Ryan. It’ll work. Because she will really want me to owe her. I’m her ‘good luck charm’ whatever that means. She’ll agree to it and make sure no one touches you.”

”……Okay. What about my parents? We aren’t tranquilizing them.”

Asher snorts, “We’ll convince them. But Ryan?”

”Yeah?”

”What do you think? I’m not saying your doomed if you don’t do this. I just wanted you to know what the option was, and what I was doing.”

”I’ll decide when we get there, what about Riley?”

They both look back at her, the tranquilizer’s effects still leave her unconscious, her limp bound body shakes lightly in the seat.

“Let’s find out.”

”Ugh. What if she wakes up?”

”She won’t, I brought knockout gas, it’ll keep her under.”

”Okay. I don’t want to watch.”

”Alright. I’ll just cut the wrist, I can seal it back up fast.”

He hooks her up with a mask and a giant pressured gas container. He turns the knob slightly, allowing gas to shoot through a tube and into her mask.

He pulls a knife and cuts the side on her forearm. Bone. Human. He uses a tool much like a caramelizing torch and it seals her cut.

”She’s human.”

”Okay, so what do we do with her? Get rid of her?”

”Yeah. I don’t blame her for the way she acted. But we can’t trust her anymore.”

”Where do we dump her? She’s not a homeless person.”

“We’ll drop her in a rich district. She’ll find her way home.”

”Okay, what about her family?”

”I’ll leave a note telling her not to tell anybody. What she does with it is her decision.”

”Alright. I think I’m gonna sleep.”

”Yeah, good idea.”

”You okay?”

”Yeah. Don’t worry about me. I got this.”

Ryan relaxes in his seat and quickly falls asleep. Asher flies in silence, no way he’s falling asleep. He is not letting himself just be vulnerable like that ever again. He feels so guilty for all this, Ryan deserves so much better. An easy, ordinary life. A few hours later, he wakes Ryan, they touch down on a roof and drop Riley off on it. They cute her loose and leave her, she lies there, unconscious. Asher feels a little guilt for her fate as well. He sighs and they continue on to Ryan’s parents.

They touch down on the roof, thanks to cloaking technology their ship remains hidden. “Keep it running Aria.” Asher says,

”Yes sir.”

They walk out onto the roof of the four story building. “Ryan? We can only tell them so much at first.”

He nods in agreement. They climb down a fire escape and drop to the concrete ground. They walk around the front and knock on the door hard.

After a few seconds it opens, a woman stands in the doorway, she gasps and immediately starts crying.

”Ryan!”

She pulls him in for a tight hug and the two start crying. Soon a second person emerges from behind the door that is half open. He joins in on the hug as well.

Asher smiles softly, his mother and father pull away and look at Asher. “Come in! Please!”

They both walk in, the door shuts behind them. “Where have you been!? What happened!? Oh my gosh look at you! His father says stunned at the multiple tiny cuts on his face,

Or at least Asher assumes it’s his mother and father. “Mom? Dad? This is Asher Palmer.”

They just stares at him for a moment. “Mr. Palmer. From the news? Wait! What happened?”

The two boys look at each other. “It’s a long story.” Asher says,

“It’s difficult to explain. I…screw it. Someone is after us. Someone, we don’t know who, wants me dead.”

The parents stare at them, not sure whether they should believe them or not. But Asher continues.

”We don’t know why. Or who. But someone has tried to kill me. Because Ryan was with me, he got caught briefly in the crosshairs. I never meant to bring him in danger. I don’t know why this is happening, or who is behind it.”

”W-what?” His mother asks softly,

”You have two options, stay here, be normal, they might not know who Ryan is or that he is involved with me. But at this point. I doubt it. You can stay here, or you can come with me to a place that will be safe.”

They don’t say anything at first, then suddenly, “Are you serious?! You brought him into this!?”

“Hold on!” Ryan tries to say but his mother cuts him off,

”Okay what? What are you talking about? What happened?” His mother asks again,

Then the power shuts off. The lights go out and everything is dark except for faint moonlight shining through some windows. Chills run up and down Asher’s body.

He immediately pulls out a pistol his had tucked away. “Whoa!” His dad says,

”Shh!” Ryan and Asher say almost in unison.

Asher looks all around at windows and walls. The softest thud sound. From upstairs. They all look up.

”What is going on?” Ryan’s father whispers angrily,

”I’m calling the police.” His mother says,

Ryan rips the phone out of her hands. “Ryan!” She whispers angrily,

He shushes her. A soft popping sound, another, a thud.

Ryan’s mother covers her mouth. It was definitely a silenced gun. “Third floor.”

”Probably a team. We need to get out a window. Now.”

”Sir? I’m detecting three heat signatures, Two on the third floor moving down and one in the basement.” Aria says softly,

”Out the window now!” Asher whispers angrily,

Ryan quietly hurries to a window, his parents stare at Asher. He raises the gun at them. They hesitantly follow Ryan. Asher follows them, facing opposite the window. Ryan crawls out first onto the asphalt alleyway, his mother and father are next. Then Asher climbs out and softly shuts the window. He waits a moment, peeking through.

“Asher!” Ryan whispers,

””Lets go!” His whisper whispers,

”Grab him!” Ryan’s mother whispers,

Asher holds up the gun and points it at the father. “Back off. Wait a minute. Aria? The baseme-“

A door opens and a dark figure very slowly emerges. Pistol in hand from the look of the silhouette. It starts toward another room. Asher can’t make out anything. He had hoped to see some kind of uniform. But its impossible. He’s not gonna just sit here either.

”Aria? In the street, pick us up.”

”On it boss.”

Asher and the rest hurry out of the alleyway and to the road, its empty except for cars parked on the sides of the road.

Ffffsssooooooo!

A large door suddenly opens revealing the inside of the jet. “Are you insane?!” The father spits,

”Get on the fricken jet!” Asher softly growls as he points the gun at them.

They look at it and do as instructed. He hurries after them and the door starts closing before Asher even steps onto the door.

”Aria get us the heck out of here now!”

”This will be rough.”

The jet flies directly upward fast making everyone stumble as they find seats. Then the kick forward knocks the father and Asher to the floor.

”Agh!” The father hurries to buckle himself in the seat,

Asher finds the pilot seat and buckles himself in. “What the heck just happened!?” The mother asks,

”Someone is trying to kill me. They think Ryan is with me and came for you! We need to get you some place safe.”

”Who!? Why!? We haven’t done anything! What did Ryan ever do to you!?”

”A normal day. That’s all I want.” Asher mutters to himself,

He turns in his chair and faces them, “I don’t know who this is! I don’t know why they are after me. I don’t know what any of this is about! Ryan was helping me when I started to suspect something. If I knew it would turn out like this I wouldn’t have involved him at all. I am truly sorry this involved all of you. Truly! I want you give you guys your lives back as soon as possible. Three men came to kill you, they didn’t know we were there. If you don’t stay with me for a while they will find you and kill you. I never wanted anyone involved in this. I’m so so sorry.”

”I already told you. I’m with you Asher.” Ryan says softly,

He smiles at Ryan. His parents look at him and then at Asher. Probably stunned and terrified for several reasons, one being that they are being told what to do…by a kid.

They ride in silence for the next thirty minutes, processing it all. His parents are totally in shock. They had a tenant or someone that lived above them. That was the thud. And the silenced shot sounds.

Asher closes his eyes, why did this all happen? Why do they have to be involved? They don’t deserve anything like this. This isn’t fair to them. They deserve happy normal lives.

”Who? Us?”

Asher turns and looks at them, “I said that out loud?”

Ryan gives a soft smirk and nods. “You didn’t mean for this to happen. We’re right behind you.”

Asher looks at Ryan’s parents. They just stare at him. Clearly still distraught. He turns forward again, Ryan begins to bring his parents up to speed, leaving out graphic and important details like how Jessica and Mia and Riley were involved, he leaves out the part about torturing the Braven Hunter, but he tells them how we were attacked, that somehow they had found them. His parents shake with terror. But then Ryan does his best to convince them that Asher is their hope of survival.

”He’s a kid Ryan.”

”And he’s trained. In a few ways. We wouldn’t survive in our own. I know its weird trusting two kids right now but I’m asking you to trust me. He’s our best bet at survival right now.”

There’s a moment of silence. “So where are we headed?”

”Heh…here’s where trust comes in. Ever heard of Skrouts?”

”What!? Are you insane!? They’ll kill us just as easily!” Ryan’s mother shouts, the father joins in.

Asher turns to face them, Ryan yells at them and for a moment they stop but their expressions turn angry again. Before they can continue, Asher cuts them off.

”Will you at least here me out? I have reasons for it. It’s not my first choice either. Our first choice got blown to smithereens. I was a Skrout before I inherited everything from my father. I have serious connections. People owe me, they’ll help. Garunteed. But we play this smart, you do exactly what I say when I say it.”

”No! You d-“

”Shut up! I’m not done talking! If there was a safer option, I’d hightail it! We can’t go to the police, we’ll paint a target on our backs. These aren’t air-soft pros. They know what they are doing, they don’t care who gets in their way they don’t care if you live. The reason we are going here is because this group of Skrouts will be loyal and die defending us. The guys chasing us would be idiots to challenge them. Or need one heck of a force to do so. You don’t mess with these people. If you do, half the world turns against you for revenge. This is our safest bet. It’s also dangerous, which is why I am doing all the talking and we are doing this my way.”

“We’re gonna die. Aren’t we?”

”No mom. We won’t. Trust us. I got a good feeling about this. I’ve been sketched out this entire time too. This, I got a good feeling about this.”

”You want three rich people to just walk in with you?”

”Arriving sir.”

”Good, take us down Aria. And no. This is how it will go down. You two stay here. Me and Ryan go in, you two stay here till we come back for you.”

”No way! We’re putting up with this! We’re going with you! End of story!”

Asher sighs, “What if you went with me? Just you? It can’t be more than two of us…to start.”

”Why?” The mother asks,

”The girl we are seeing. She’s not an idiot. She’s cautious. A little too much so. If four of us say we need to meet with her, she might kick us out or something worse regardless of the fact that she owes me.”

”What does that have to do with anything?”

”Owing people in the Skrout world, you die before you break the contract. She might kill or imprison all of you but because she has a pact with me, she’ll let me live. Two of us go in. She’ll be easier to talk to and negotiate with. She will want to feel like she’s the one gaining.”

”We all go in.” The mother says,

”Asher, what about three of us?”

Asher shakes his head, “Two of us. That’s it and it can’t just be me. She will want to meet at least one of you right off the bat. Otherwise she won’t agree to anything.”

”How do you know so much about her?”

”I was a Skrout. Like I said.”

They are all shaking. “I’ll go. Okay I’ll go.”

Asher looks at the father, “I guess we’ve never been properly introduced. Asher.”

He holds his hand out. The man looks at it and grabs it a little too tight. “Killian, and Marcy.”

Ashe smiles at the mother. “Okay, if we go in with you looking like that. It might draw distractions from the person we want to talk to. We need to…dirty up a bit.”

”Dirty how? Like hit me?”

”No. Literally, though hitting might help. Come on, let’s find some dirt and mud, uh!- leave your jacket.”

Killian removes his red jacket, he wears a grey turtleneck and jeans. They start off the ramp. “We will be back.” Killian says,

The door closes behind them. They are on a roof of a large one story building.

”Alright, first things first, give me your shirt, no turtle necks.”

Killian sighs and pulls his shirt off and hands it to him. Asher uses his knife to jaggedly cut off the neck. He hands it back and they climb down a ladder to the ground.

”Alright, roll around on the ground here.”

Killian gives a disgusted look. “Come on. Just close your eyes.”

”Shut up.” He says to Asher,

Killian lays slowly on his belly and rolls back and forth on the ground, he gets up to his feet and shivers at himself in disgust. Asher can’t help but smile.

“Shut up.”

Asher grins, “I few last touches, we got to rub it in so it looks like it’s been there a while.”

Asher helps smear and rub in the dirt and mud . “Okay, do exactly as I say, don’t talk to anyone, if anyone tries, let me jump in.”

”Alright.”

They walk out onto the sidewalk and walk about five blocks down until they get to what looks like a club.

”In there?”

”Did you expect a flower shop?” Asher asks,

Killian scowls at him as they walk up. “Can I help you?” A bouncer asks, a more muscular man, dark skinned.

”I’m here to see your boss, Beau, or whatever she goes by these days.”

”I don’t think so.”

”I’m Asher Palmer.”

”That supposed to mean something buddy?”

A hand slaps the man’s shoulder. Another bouncer that stood next to him joins the conversation. He whispers in the guy’s ear. The bouncer’s eyes widen.

He looks at Asher. The second bouncer resumes his position and checks people inside. “She’s probably in her lounge.” The first bouncer says then steps aside,

”Thanks Wilfred.” Asher says to the caucasian bouncer,

He nods at him and Asher and Killian walk through. Killian is pale, shaking a little.

”We’re gonna die in here.”

”Would you man up? Just shut up and stay behind me, focus on breathing.”

A beat and music pounds against the walls of the building as they walk in. People of such a variety but clearly Skrout dance and jump, some talk, some rave, drink, some eat. Asher never minded the food here actually, the Skull Dynasty takes care of it’s people. They had good food and drinks, outside of alcohol anyway. Beau got him to try it once because he owed her. Their relationship has lasted longer than most. And is more unusual than most.

Asher’s ears explode every time the beat drops, he glances back at Killian who is trying hard to contain himself, he glances at Asher with an intensity as they weave through people. He definitely wants to stay close to Asher. But if he stays at his hip. It’ll look bad. He draws a few eyes but not nearly as much as Asher thought he would have. Asher stops and runs his hand once through Killian’s hair. Killian is a few inches taller than him. It adds to the look, Killian flinches at the action.

”Man up.” Asher says to him,

Asher turns and continues walking mumbling to himself. He is so not going to last long unless he can keep his composure. They walk through the massive building and finally come to a giant wall. Another Bouncer stands guard. He sees Asher, it takes a second but a smile breaks across his face.

”Asher.”

”Collin! It’s good to see you man but we got to see Beau.”

He frowns for a moment but then flares his eyebrows. “Ah gotcha. Well, she’s expecting someone pretty important in a few minutes man. You should come back.”

”I can’t. She owes me.”

His smile disappears. “Alright.”

He opens the door and lets them through. The room is engulfed by red lights. “You’re buddy looks like he’s about to whiz himself.” The bouncer laughs,

Asher looks at Killian who just seems to be losing it now. The door closes behind him. Asher gets close to him.

”Killian, in, out, in, out. Slow.”

Killian nods and starts to actually do it, probably for the first time since they walked in. Asher turns and they continue in further, the Royal lounge for VIPs. Her special guests and friends, a big room with maybe 50 people. Another song threatens to make Asher’s ear drums explode. He makes his way to a booth against the wall where she sits with several others.

She glances at him then looks to someone else but immediately jolts, almost spilling her soda bottle. She takes her feet off a table and looks at him. Her eyes narrow but a smile breaks out across her face.

”Asher freakin Palmer!”

The people sitting with her give him mixed expressions, some bitter, some happy some neutral.

“We need to talk!” He shouts over the intense pounding.

She smiles, “I’m pretty busy! As you can see! Join us!”

”No! We need to talk Beau! It’s important!”

She grins, “You have such a way with words Asher! I’m busy! Who’s your friend?! Looking for a good time?!”

”You owe me one Beau!”

She stops sipped her soda and swallows, she looks up at him. “I have a meeting in a few minutes Asher! Wait till after!”

”How long will it take?”

She groans, though he can’t hear it over the pounding. “Just wait an hour and a half! Maybe three.”

”I’ll owe you two for skipping the meeting!”

Her eyebrow raises, her eyes narrow, she’s clearly thinking it over. “Hey! Epsilon!”

A bouncer standing near hurries to Asher’s side so he can be ready to hear and act on her whim.

”Cancel my next meeting, tell them an oath came up!”

”Yes ma’am!” He turns and hurries away,

She gets to her feet and walks up way too close to him. She rests her hand on his shoulder and brings her mouth close to his ear. “My private lounge.” She says loudly so he can hear,

She walks past him, letting her hand run across his chest. He and Killian follow her to a black mirrored box against the corner of the room. The bouncer in front of the door opens it for her and her followers then shuts it, with him inside and locking the door behind them.

She walks to a bar and opens a drawer, “Oh. It’s not Beau anymore by the way. It’s Lucky Lou.”

Asher snorts, “The name I gave you?”

”You got it. It fit pretty well.” She says shrugging,

”Yeah it does.” Asher says,

”Well go on, relax.”

”Lou, we need help. Bad.”

She rolls her eyes, “Oh come on. You’re safe in here and you know it. Relax take your time. Enjoy some pleasures. Drinks?”

”I see you stopped drinking alcohol.”

She smiles, “I don’t think I ever really started, I had a drink every now and then. But yes. I’m not trying to ruin myself here. So? Soda? Water? Maybe something sparkling?”

”I’m fine.” Asher says,

”What about you handsome? Hope your wife knows you are here.”

He stiffens, She watches his reaction and giggles, “You didn’t want people to know, don’t where a ring.”

”Relax.” Asher whispers to him,

He continues, silently, the breathing exercise that Asher told him. “You didn’t answer. Drinks?”

Asher looks at him and nods, Killian shakes his head. Lucky Lou groans, “You guys are boring.”

She pulls a drink out of the fridge and shuts it behind her, she plops on the couch. Within this box they can say everything outside of it. Smart mirrors are her walls, no one can see in, but she can see out. A beautiful chandelier hangs above them, its long but does well at illuminating the room.

Lou smiles as they take their seats across from her on the couch. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail, the sides of her head are shaved close. Tattoos line her left arm hidden beneath her jacket.

”So. What is so important that you are willing to owe me two times over?”

”Information, and a place to stay.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Asher you’re coming to me for actual help?”

”Someone is trying to kill me. I need to figure out who and protect a few people while I do.”

She tilts her head. “He’s not the only one? Who else?”

“A wife and son.”

She hums to herself, “A family….from where Asher?” She asks, sitting up,

”The rich district.” He says,

Her eyes widen, the bouncer jolts and reaches for a gun hidden in his back. She holds her hand up to stop him. She stares at him.

”The…rich district. And you brought them here?” She asks with a surprised smile,

She shakes her head, “Where did you grow some balls?”

Her eyes narrow, “Asher…who’s after you?”

”I don’t know, I need information on them too. Anything you can give me.”

”Hah! I can’t help you if you have nothing to go off of!”

”I have something.”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “Well? Don’t keep me in suspense.”

“A name for a person that doesn’t exist. Kaela Bridge. I’m not sure on the spelling for Kaela. And a type of badge or something she wore. Maybe a patch, the letters S.S.”

She puts a cigarette in her mouth and with a lighter in her other hand ignites the end. She sucks on the end, she pulls it out, and breathes out the smoke slow.

”So much for caring for yourself.”Killian says,

”Shut up.” Asher softly spits to him,

Lou looks at Killian then Asher and dies one more drag and breathes out. “Get Devon. I want this contract documented. But I want a moment alone with them.”

The bouncer agrees to the command and exits the room. Lou clears her throat.

”S.S. You didn’t come because you knew I consider you a favorite did you?” She asks rhetorically,

”I did, but I also know you believe in, you call them fairytales?”

She smirks, she takes a long drag of her cigarette and holds it in for a moment, she then slowly breathes out.

”I’m not even sure if I know anything. I don’t know this name at all.”

”You could look into it.”

”You’ve had training haven’t you Asher? Proper training. I bet you could even give a few of my bouncers a run for their money.”

”So?” Killian asks,

Asher rolls his eyes and sighs at him. “So. Whoever tried to kill him, or you. They are dangerous. You’re quite important, you have your inheritance. Why try to kill you?”

A knock sounds on the door. It then opens and in comes the bouncer who left as well as two other people, a middle aged man and a younger man. They sit at a bar around the backside of the couch, one pulls out a pencil for his paper, another opens his laptop and sets out a recorder, they wait for her head nod, telling them to start the recorder.

”You want my help Asher? You owe me three times over no restrictions to job or favor size. You me three for the protection, two more for the information. Thats a total seven.”

”Seven?!” Killian mutters to himself,

”Dude. Shut up.” Asher says,

Lou smiles at Killian then at Asher, “I like you a lot Asher. You’re lucky I’m not refusing you. What you’re asking will paint a big target on Skrouts. You owe me seven for skipping my meeting, for the protection of you and your…’friends’ and for the information that I might be able to provide.”

Asher thinks for a moment. “Deal. I owe you seven.”

She grins, “All of which, are unrestrained by size. And I promise to personally dig into this.”

”If I can make a condition of my own.”

”Oh? What is it?”

Asher looks at the assistants, they finish typing and writing and look at him. He looks at her.

”This family has top class. They aren’t servants, they aren’t slaves. First class protection.”

She bites her lip. “How exciting this is. I’ve never seen you like this. Take charge. Deal.”

She extends her hand, Asher extends his. They grab each other’s forearms. “I swear by the oath that I will protect your friends with my dying breath. I will personally look into this assassin who is after you and your friends. I will provide information that I have and dig up as much as I can. Your friends will have residence with me and have First Class Protection from me. In exchange for you owing me seven times with no size restraints.”

She smiles at him, he swallows hard, “I swear by the oath of Skrouts, as you swore to protect me and my friends and look into this assassin that is after us, I will assist you and I swear that as you have sworn to give share information with me and the protection that that I owe you seven times no size restraints.”

”I swear by this verbal and blood oath.” They say simultaneously,

They let go and face their palms upward. The bouncer opens a book with several columns and rows with blood finger prints. The bouncer lightly cuts Asher’s thumb. He flinches slightly at the cut. Never breaking eye contact, he spreads his blood over his thumb and presses it against the book. Then presses it again under her thumb print, long since dried. Showing her debt was repaid. The bouncer give him a rag and a bandaid.

Lou smiles and relaxes in her seat. “You owe me a debt. I never thought I’d get an opportunity with you. I have been wanting this for a long time.”

”It’s recorded ma’am.” One of the assistants says,

Both of them get up and walk out of the room. Asher sighs and waits, staring at Lou.

She smiles and hums. Then takes one last drag of her cigarette, she holds it in for a long time and finally exhales through her nose. She then discharges the cigarette to the ash tray.

”I hate those things too. Usually they are E cigs. Show them to me.”