-If you get one more of this, you're out of the police! - Major Carter's stern voice echoed through the four corners of the Los Angeles Department of Criminal Investigation's boardroom.
This made all the curious glances from the other people in the room turn to the delicate face of the young FBI investigator, Jesse Carter, who immediately took on a dark, velvety red. The girl embarrassed pretended to straighten out her oversized glasses, trying not to show her nervousness, shrinking more than she already was, as if hiding beneath the blue upholstery of the chair where she sat at the back of the room. Then, discreetly, she turned his eyes to the major who was like a dragon, ready to set fire to the sales at any moment. A tall black man with a strong, muscular body in his early fifties but looking thirty-nine at most, many of those years devoted to impeccable care within the police. He had a résumé to make anyone jealous. Apart from the fact that he participated in the ambush that caused the death of the Maldonado couple, the most wanted bandits of all time.
- Sorry, dad… I mean, Major. - She shrugged, correcting herself before taking another warning for contempt of authority for her own father. After all, in the work environment she was not the daughter of anybody, there her genitor was the superior of her and of all the others equally. And it would not take light just because they had the same blood, on the contrary, would use Jesse as an example for others.
-Do you have any idea how serious it was, Miss Carter?
More he realized than he asked, his voice was bitterly serious, which made the girl wince in fear. And she shuddered even more when she felt the steady steps of the major coming toward her, with her vast experience of twenty-six years beside her father was enough to know how furious he was with her. A false breath and he would be able to take the belt of the pants and to give a good lesson to her in the presence of the coworkers. She grew oppressed, getting a beating even today if she did something that did not please him.
-I just wanted to help, sir, -s he said in a tone so low he could barely listen, keeping her head down with a stare to the pair of shabby sneakers.
-For Goodness sake, Jesse! - At least look at me when I'm talking to you, soldier! -He tapped his hand hard on the small board of the chair that was used to support objects, unnecessarily rude. -Besides letting the criminal flee, you've even nearly killed your partner. -Speaking like that, he made it seem worse than it was at least that's what Jesse thought.
- Who ever missed a shot? - She rolled her eyes at him innocently. - Or stumbled falling on someone breaking one's finger in three places, who throw the first stone! -That was the last straw for Major Carter to lose his temper once, shooting her with a hard stare.
Hugo Rodrigues, the "Mentalist" of the Criminal Division, a master at unraveling people's expressions and deciphering criminals' minds, could not stand the girl's words in her own defense and let out a delicious laugh. Jesse found a grace, especially her innocence and fragility.
-Are there any clowns here, Mr. Rodrigues? - The young man in low-stature, low-slung, bottle-bottomed glasses and a brilliant mind was not intimidated by the bitter voice of the department head. He was almost a clairvoyant to unravel clues, completely perfect in what he did. And the Major knew this, he might even get angry with him, but he'd never let him go.
- No sir! - He replied with a laugh, showing his tongue as soon as the chief turned his back, making Jesse smile. It did not matter to him to play the role of a clown if the prize later was a smile of those as a reward.
-Looking for what, Miss Carter? - Of nearly having amputated the finger of one of my best men? Suddenly the girl had to blink several times to hold back her tears.
The Major felt a certain expression uneasiness of guilt present on the young woman. He knew better than anyone how sensitive her daughter was. He did not want to be so hard, just did not like the firstborn to insist on being a police officer and if the girl had come here, it was not with his help. He knew that the girl really did not have a way, she was naturally lovely. She had the ability to grasp what was not visible to the eyes, only with the heart. He thought that if he had had a son, things would be very different, and he blamed his wife Maria Joaquim for it as if it were possible for her to choose the sex of the baby to be born. For Mr. Carter's bad luck his second heir came another girl, the youngest Mainara Carter, who in his opinion was not so bad because he had inherited the family brain,s he was good at everything she did. Already Jesse, she gave him nothing but heartbreak, anger and, mainly, shame.
-Do not be so hard on her, sir! -The girl was just born to be a civilian and not an officer like us, police officer Amanda Moura commented ironically. -And you're not old enough to have judgment when making decisions amid the misadventures of everyday life, it's too jovial to work in a serious department like this.
It was just to say that Jesse was inexperienced to work in the department, but Amanda loved to speak beautiful to impress others, it was not only her intelligence that attracted attention, but her beauty as well. She was visibly the most beautiful and sexy woman in the department. She was tall and thin, her body full of curves. Her breasts were huge and round that exploded on the first two buttons of the uniform, which she insisted on leaving open. Her blond hair waved in broad curls halfway up her back. The eyes were emerald-colored, a rare greenish found only in the turbulent seawater of Maui Island in Hawaii. Big, beautiful and sexy her mouth was a perfect thin scratch, which covered two rows of impeccably aligned teeth. But what was left of her beauty left her wanting in character. Offered and self-willed, she used people to get what she wanted.
-My age does not define my maturity, much less my notes or speeches well assembled with beautiful words. If it's to open my mouth and hurt somebody, I'd rather keep quiet. -Jesse replied awkwardly, it was not on her way to be rude to anyone, but she was sick of swallowing people. Then she let the twenty seconds of courage speak louder, at last, she ventured.
Jesse knew she would never reach Amanda Moura's intelligence level or beauty even because she made a point of playing it in her face whenever she could, wickedly. Miss Moura was an astute and cunning woman, the dangerous type who used the knowledge to manipulate people and succeeded. Especially Major Carter, who sucked at everything Amanda spoke in beautiful words, which Jesse often had to look in the dictionary or search the Internet to know what she was talking about. What she did not know was that it is not worth having the gift of the word if we do not know how to make good use of it, it is like seeing the grains of a sand castle when falling with the wind. If there was one thing Jesse learned in life that when the mask does not fall, God pulls it off. The inexperienced FBI investigator was aware of the flaws she had, but in fact, she never stepped on anyone to rise in her life, that would be no advantage to her, but disease.
-That's what the losers and losers always say, - she said, laughing ironically, but in a way that only Jesse would hear, she keeps a good Samaritan to the others present.
In the beginning, when Jesse had met her, by the time of the course to enter the police, Amanda even seemed to be a sweet and gentle girl. But once she began to see her manipulative way and become what she is today, she realized that maybe she always was. No one changes over time it just shows who you really are. Jesse always liked being a lonely person, so he did not hurt anyone and especially he was not hurt. Sometimes the biggest disappointments come from the people we love the most, just whom we trust the most.
-No more misguided explanations, Miss Carter you're out of the" Fearless Men "case! - Exclaimed the Major sternly.
That was how the Blade thieving team was called, they longed to get their hands on them, especially the last Maldonado, who was known in the city as a demon the boogeyman of the stories that parents told their children before bed.
-If you even try to get involved, you'll never work for the rest of your life again. Miss Amanda Moura will take your place in this investigation, where she should have been from the beginning - finished rude, breaking her daughter's heart into a thousand pieces and knew full well.
If the Major looked down, he could see the thousands of bits of her heart scattered on the well-waxed dark floor, for in the apartment there was a cleaning lady who, besides being very friendly, was extremely capricious, one of the few who treated Jesse as people in that place for the rest she was almost invisible.
-Now that you're no longer part of this investigation, you can leave you have nothing else to do at that meeting.
The Major turned his back on her, making her feel insignificant, more than usual. Jesse did not dare to respond, saying that he himself had taught him when he was small that it was ugly to turn his back on a person when he was talking to her, because it would not really help. He would not let her explain that she just wanted to help the partner, that what had happened was just an accident and could happen to anyone. But the worst was yet to come when she had to face her father alone at home. Then he picked up every bit of his shattered heart and walked slowly out of the room under the glances and whispers of his co-workers.
As she left the police station completely devastated, as soon as she touched her feet on the sidewalk she realized that the world was an unfair place, especially for sensitive people like her. For a moment she thought that perhaps her younger sister, Mainara, had been right when she said that she had done wrong to abandon the dream of being a photographer to follow in her father's footsteps with the police. Her shoulders were hunched in the long gray woolen coat that placed over her uniform two numbers larger than the size that suited her, which she had picked up wrong when she started to work and until today she had not been able to change, having to live the base of belts and pleats made with care by the caring mother. In fact, that fact did not matter, Jesse felt comfortable in wide clothes, she made no point in showing off her body, but she did not know who did it. For her respect was the basis of everything, hers ended when the other began. She did not like jumps and was not many fan of makeup, which earned her high school nicknames like "Maria João", "Macho / Female", "Romp", among others boy had never invited her or taken ice cream at the ice cream shop on the corner. It was part of the group of "Invisibles", so called by the popular school.As incredible as it seems, she was friends with one of the school's most famous girls, Nayla she was an extrovert and kind to everyone perfectly beautiful, with a symmetrically perfect face. She studied fashion and today was a well-known fashion designer, even after high school still great friends.
With every step she took, she reflected on the people who passed by on the street talking excitedly, others not so much. Some were just like her, returning from a bad day at work, others spent the week looking for a job. she felt a cold wind touch the tip of her nose, immediately Jesse hid her hands in his pocket, felt an absurd cold in this small and delicate part of her body. Los Angeles was a city with a comfortable climate, the young woman who was cold beyond normal. she had no resistance to cold things, especially words. she smiled as she felt the comfort of keeping her hands inside that little warm space, and as she moved her fingers she found a small piece of paper. As she took off to see what it was about, her eyes widened in alarm, shivering from top to bottom. It was the ticket left by the thug, there was a clue on the other of the ticket.
-I owe you a debt, paid at the earliest opportunity.
He saw a small flash of light at the end of the tunnel, seeing that the back of the paper had an annotated address probably the thug did not check both sides of the paper before writing the message.
What if I went there and arrested him? she thought innocently as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The address was from a bar on the outskirts, a place famous for its high danger, where only the "worst of the worst" criminals frequented. She hesitated, but acting on impulse, instead of walking the five blocks to her house, to save money on the bus (she earned a good salary, but had some responsibilities she had to severely comply with at the time), called a cab as he left her in front of the bar, he went out singing a tire, but not before asking if the girl really wanted to be alone there.
She gripped the edges of the coat tightening against her body as a shield for fear, looked back and forth at a frightening darkness. She did not go out much at night, even more alone. Her father was the old-fashioned type, he had not left any of his daughters out of his sight for a long time, especially Jesse who had no sense of judgment and being there was proof of that.
How am I supposed to find a man I've never seen in my life? The chip began to fall, but he had not come here to give up now. In a burst of courage,s he crossed the street and stood in front of the bar. It was a huge establishment with its entire facade lined with flashing lights like a Christmas tree, something common in the buildings of La Vegas. When she came in, she was horrified to see a half-naked woman dancing on the pole dance in the center of the establishment, climbing the end of the iron rod and coming down with her legs spread out. On the left side, there was a small casino set up with tables full of players, probably spending what they might not be able to pay later.
The researcher felt her cheeks burn when she saw a couple in the corner practically fucking in front of everybody, totally at ease. And they were not in the dark the inside of the bar was as bright as the outside, with lights of all sizes and colors. With great difficulty, she practically crawled among the people who were dancing, if she could call it a dance. To the sound of loud music, with lyrics as vulgar as the women present, it was evident that all the customers in that place were marginal. Finding what she was looking for would be like wanting to find a needle in the haystack. Totally lost, Jesse sat at the bar in the despairing bar, thinking how foolish she was going there alone, so she, who was always very brave, saw all her courage dissipate in the wind when a bearded, bald man in motorbike clothes entitled to waistcoat and all, very tall and large in size and tattered tattoos all over his body, looked at Jesse maliciously, looking totally intoxicated. She thought of running away and screaming for help as he came toward her, only she was stronger than that and stood firm in the same place.
-Will you dance with me, kitten? -Did you know you're a hot brunette? - Carter almost got drunk with just the "breath" of alcohol that came out of the mouth of that guy, who because of the loud sound brought his face close to hers to hear.
-I'm on my way, excuse me,- she replied politely, completely terrified at the way the man was staring at her, especially now that prostrate before she seemed much bigger and weirder as well. The fact that Jesse was just over five feet tall did not help much, it was one of the big problems she faced to become a police officer. Discreetly she took the cell phone in her pocket and called her friend Nayla for help, she thought of calling her mother, but she loved her too much to give her more concern, she tried to avoid it. However, it seemed to be a magnet for confusion. At the first touch, she felt his arm being brutally pulled by the man who did not accept the negative response to his invitation. He began dragging her by force into the lane, causing the cell phone to fall to the ground. In an attempt to break free from his hand, the coat eventually ripped open, leaving anyone looking to see the FBI uniform ready.
-Take it in the area, - a man shouted, making other men appear from all sides around Jesse, who easily caught her and dragged her to the back of the bar where the owner's room was, a disgusting, balding, a sleeveless shirt made of very poorly designed floral prints. Her mouth studded with gold teeth, laughing at her in a frightening way.
-You're very brave coming here alone, young lady! - He turned his chair to face her. - Who sent you here? -He asked roughly, almost shouting. She was still being held by two security guards. She looked down in terror, praying to heaven to send a miracle or that her death would not be so painful.
-Is not the frightened little mouse going to talk? - He asked wryly and without the girl's answer, he decreed his fate. One of the security guards slapped her face causing blood to flow in the corner of her mouth, but Jesse remained silent. -I know she does not make you kind of men, but you can play with her at ease before you eliminate her," he ordered quietly, turning his attention to a pile of money on the table, counting a note with an Italian cigar on the mouth.
-Now let's have some fun with you, kiddo, if it's good, we're not going to hurt you too much, - one of the five thugs said as Jesse opened his belt. They kept throwing her back and forth tearing her clothes. It looked, in fact, a frightened little mouse being the toy of four evil cats. Taken by despair, she began to cry and struggle. It was so until she fell down and fell to the floor, all wild and sweaty. He had delivered the points.
-Good girl, - one of them said, lowering his pants. So he took his hand in the poor girl whose face was tearful and a large part of her body exposed by the tears in the clothing that remained in her small, fragile body. She stepped back, startled by what she had just seen.
- Get her hands off! -Blade was standing in the doorway with two unlocked Full M9 guns.
What frightened the man was not the guns, but those eyes not blue or green, perhaps gray, which shone in the dark like two precious stones, a sneaky fox ready to attack anyone who dared to touch her again. Meanwhile, the rest of the "Men without Fear" team had no idea what was happening to their partner. They were in a bar talking animatedly, Julius drank a double Scotch whiskey with two ice rocks dancing inside, clinging to each other like a couple in love. Li opined with water with gas and gin, while the Englishman Stephen Salvatore was in total trance state tasting his glass of wine of the best and oldest Italian vintage, with the bottle worth one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, a would mix for him. His thoughts were far away, some good years ago.
It was a beautiful November yellowish afternoon autumn in England was never as splendid as it was that year. The floor of the streets covered with a cloak of orange leaves, a climate comfortably pleasant, neither hot nor frosty, to the right measure a perfect day to enjoy the beauty of nature, which was visible from all sides. Less for him ... who lived in a dark dimension, had always been like this since he was a child. To be beautiful, in her opinion, nature would have to have at least ninety-five percent black that green all made her nauseous. It had a peculiar taste for things this was remarkable only in looking at the sixteen-year-old. He was sitting at the back of the classroom, did not like to mingle with his classmates. The truth was that people did not mind their frightening presence around, everyone was afraid of him. They called him "Edward, Scissor hands" because he always wore black, especially a long hooded coat. His skin was snowy white, with penetrating blue eyes, soul readers. Black-haired at night, always held at mid-back with extremely straight strands in a straight cut in half, was a striking, rare-looking young man.
-Greet the new student, Nayla Borges, - said Sir Albertino Hamilton, a professor of Philosophy, a grumpy lord at the height of his early forties. Tall, thin and bald he wore his usual dark green sweater, with a bow tie, all in very bad taste. Drawing the attention of the young man who was looking across the large glass window, a blackbird, a raven, he would have something as if he had been talking to him. Esteban looked at him intently as if he understood. And he understood they were long-time companions. He began a thorough analysis of the new classmate, beginning with the pink-baby shoes that were full of sparkles and sequins bright in the same shade. On the side was a very well-made tie with a white ribbon, which made the girl's small feet even more delicate. He stared at the ripped jeans, though he discreetly noticed how shapely his legs were. A stripped-down white T-shirt with the floral print a jacket also jeans over and a plaid blouse of red with black tied at the waist. On the neck a choker with a pendant with the letter N swaying as it moved on his back a brown leather backpack. The girl was stylish! But what drew Stephen's attention the most was the generous smile on her face, sweet and gentle. Without realizing it the young man admired his big brown eyes and the beauty of his rebellious curls adorned with small white flowers. He was fragile but visibly confident.
- Hello Nayla, welcome to our school! I'm Bryan, you can sit next to me if you like, -said the big star of the school's football team, who was now wearing the captain's jacket because he was the fastest and smartest. She had a striking, tall, strong beauty and golden hair that contrasted with the well-tanned white skin from the vacation she had spent in Hawaii, from a well-to-do family. He was a young man devoid of character, especially since he was the most popular there, and all the girls died of love for him.
-Thank you for the kindness, Bryan, but I've already chosen another place to sit!
Estevão looked surprised she smiled at him sympathetically casting a glance at the empty chair beside him. She would never sit next to the captain of the football team, Nayla had an incredible ability to see the essence of people, after all, she was very demanding about beauty, had to come from the inside out.
-If you'll excuse me, Professor, I do not want to disturb your class anymore. - The teacher smiled at the new student, thinking about how lovely a young woman she was.
Salvatore's eyes widened in surprise as his heart began to pound as the newcomer approached him. To tell the truth, he did not even know he had one. I was averse to feelings, good or bad.
- Pleasure, I'm Nayla! -She moved sympathetically up to Stephen, who simply turned her face in the same position as before, looking out over the garden. He spent most of his time like this. He regretted that the raven was no longer there, he was the only friend he had there.
- Working in pairs! - Said Professor Albertino. - So that there is no choice of partners we will make a lottery and do not want any complaints! He warned the students.
He adopted the draw because he felt an injustice they did with Salvatore by excluding him from everything. Bryan was fingers crossed wishing that the newbie was drawn to pair with him had become somewhat interested in the young woman.
-Estevão Salvatore and Nayla Borges, - the professor announced after sticking his hand into an improvised plaster basket, taking out two small pieces of well-folded paper.
They were the first pair to be drawn. It was from that day that they began something that would go far beyond friendship, something much more dangerous, which scared the young man enough because everything was very new to him. But he felt that she was different and really was. He had an incredible ability to see the inside of the people to observe what was good inside them. So, in a short time, it became popular because it treated everyone equally. Always friendly and mostly polite, and that caught the eye of everyone, especially Bryan, who was not enjoying the approach to Salvatore. Losing her to "Edward, Scissor hands" was unacceptable to his huge ego.
- I think I like you, Estevão! -She declared herself totally ashamed, making the dark skin turn red.
He felt something that he could not decipher. He made no response, held her hand, and kept his gaze fixed on the horizon. During the months they spent together, she knew him enough to know what he meant by that little gesture that also liked her. They were always together, but it was the first time he had let the girl touch him he had problems with physical contact. They were sitting on a wooden bench in front of Green Park Lake the grass was green with flowers growing everywhere, spring at the height of its beauty. -Nay, - he called her, was in a flowery blue dress under a red coat. Her hair was loose, Estevão liked it that way, not that he had told her, but the girl noticed it when he looked at her.
-Would you like to go to the spring nail with me? - The words slid from Salvatore's mouth without his realizing it.
-It would be a pleasure, Este,-she said smiling, by the nickname he invented, which he hated. Nay was surprised when a chill wind blew. Salvatore pulled the hood on and pulled her into his arms so he would not feel cold. She was startled to see how cold his skin was, more than the wind itself!
On the day of such a dance, Nayla was radiant in a salmon dress it had taken her to fall, long and faithfully following the curves of her body to the base of the waist, then opening giving a beautiful effect to the play. To give it more charm, she put on little gloves above her elbows. She made a loud coke with a few loose curls and a very soft makeup completed her look. He entered hand in hand with Stephen, who was impeccably elegant in a very well-fitting black suit. After many years, it was the first time he had left without the cape. After meeting Nayla, he no longer had to hide from the world.
- would you like to dance? -she asked with a smile so big that he could not say no, it was only to please her because her sixth sense told her not to go. Incredibly, he knew how to dance very well, whirling her like a princess all over the hall. He came from a noble family, the Salvatore had blue blood. They had an untold fortune, owners of a Castle and the County all around him.
-I've never liked anyone so much as I like you, Stephen, being by your side only makes me feel good!- Her head was lying on his chest, listening to his heart beating quickly.
-Being with you makes me feel good, Nayla, it makes me feel human! - This time he was not silent, what he felt was too strong to keep for himself. He took the girl's hand and twirled it in the air it was such a beautiful scene to see that if he was the kind that smiled, he would have given a big smile. But it was not, never smile, in fact. They stopped dancing and stared at each other for a long time, their lips moving closer and closer to each other. They were panting at the same time without touching each other, both parties longed for this to happen. Neither of them had kissed anyone before, they were waiting for the right person. In fact, Stephen thought that there was no one for him, who was born to live alone.
-Nayla, could you come here for a minute? - Chloe, Bryan's sister, appeared out of nowhere to stop their kiss it seemed to be on purpose.
-Sorry Chloe, now I can´t! I'm busy! -she looked at her partner in a malicious, innocent way.
-Please, really, it's very important, -s he begged, and to get it over with, Nayla decided to go. She laid a kiss on the young man's face, loved the naturally cold temperature of his body. - Wait here, I'll be right back! -She winked and left. As soon as she was out of sight, the lights went out and the music mysteriously stopped.
-Edward, Scissor hands, - they shouted in a choir of laughter and laughter. When the lights came on they were all with bladders full of paint of various colors, which began to fling into him. The first was Bryan, hitting naughty well on the young man's face. There were so many that he could not even stand, the most frightening was the sound of laughter. They were having fun at his expense, but why had he never hurt anyone? He asked himself, still fallen. What Stephen needed to learn was that he did not have to do anything against anyone to be hated it was enough to be different. He looked at all the faces present trying to find Nayla, but he did not find her. She had abandoned him, or worse, she was in the middle of it all. The lights blinked twice, the third he had simply disappeared. No one else ever heard of him, let alone Nay.
- No! - Shouted Stephen after waking up another nightmare.
Lately, he had been having the same dream over and over again. He disappeared into the world to see if he forgot what had happened, but no matter where he went, he always brought with him the memory of this horrible day. He went into the crime scene after that, it was easier to live hiding like that. The night was rainy, sweaty and breathless. He heard knocks on the windowpane, got up and walked over to her.
- Hello boy! -He said to the crow how like the memories followed him wherever he went.