Chapter 3

Jamie was frightened. The man from the train and his friend had followed her, and now he held her wrist so tight she knew there would be a bruise there soon.

The man who had introduced himself as Charles began pulling her down the block. She tried to resist, but with her small frame and high-heeled strappy sandals, she wasn't having much luck.

"I don't want to have a drink with you," she said, swinging her handbag at him and pulling back hard, squatting low to try and pull him off balance.

Her captor batted her bag away, his smile becoming wolfish. "Jim, give me a hand here, will you?" His head swung around. "Jim? Where the heck did you go?"

Jamie's head swiveled, looking for his companion. The business jerk took the opportunity to pull her off-balance, tugging her into him so that his arms went around her waist.

"Let me go!" she yelled, fear lacing through her like a thousand needles of ice.

"You heard her," a voice said from behind them. For a moment she thought it was his friend who was trying to make Charles come to his senses, but a glance into the jerk's confused face proved otherwise.

"Mind your own business, pal," Charles said, starting to walk them down the block again.

"This is my business, pal."

Jamie craned her neck around to try and catch sight of the speaker. Over the jerk's shoulder, she could make out an average-looking man with brown hair wearing a jacket over a t-shirt and jeans. She silently sent her thanks to the concerned citizen.

"It's just a little lover's quarrel," Charles said, giving the bystander an easy smile. "She'll forgive me in a minute, won't you honey?"

"No! The only quarrel here is that I won't be your lover. Now let me go, dammit!"

"Listen to the lady, unless you want to get hurt."

The concerned citizen certainly was brave. The business jerk had at least four inches and forty pounds on him. Jamie cheered him on in her mind as she went back to trying to break Charles's grip on her.

"Beat it, man," Charles said, his voice becoming rough. "The only one who will get hurt is you if you don't fuck off, buddy."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." The bystander's hand grabbed the back of the jerk's neck and pulled. Suddenly Charles's grip was gone.

And so was Charles.

Jamie was still in the process of resisting, so the absence of his hold caused her to tumble to the pavement. When she looked up, she realized that the businessman was now twenty yards away, lying on the ground.

How did that happen?

"Are you hurt?" The concerned citizen was bending over her; his face etched with anger.

"I'm okay," she said, and suddenly she was upright. The bystander had lifted her to her feet in such a fluid motion that it took her a moment to realize that she was standing again. "Uh, thank you."

The man nodded, then looked down the sidewalk at Charles who was just starting to regain his footing. "You son of a bitch," the enraged businessman said, walking a few paces to pick up his shoulder bag. "I don't know how you got the drop on me, but it won't happen again."

Jamie looked into the bystander's face. His eyebrow cocked at Charles's words, his expression making a definitive statement. Bring it on.

Charles picked up his pace, jogging back to his rival until he was close enough to lunge at the man.

The bystander easily sidestepped his clumsy attack, moving so quickly that he circled behind the businessman, planting a foot in his behind and causing Charles to hit the ground hard enough to slide along it for several feet.

"Fuck!" The downed man groaned, turning over to reveal an angry abrasion on his face from where it had met the pavement.

"Do yourself a favor," her rescuer said. "Stay down."

"I'll sue you for this," Charles said, wiping the blood off his cheek. "After I kick your ass."

The bystander shrugged off the threat and waited for the businessman to stand. Charles was slower this time, his body obviously a bundle of aches.

"Last chance," he said, his voice low as Charles’ fists rose.

"You're right," Charles said. "This is your last chance to fuck off."
The bystander shook his head. His face was resigned.

Charles threw a hard right hook. His opponent caught his fist with what appeared to be almost no effort.

The businessman groaned, gritting his teeth, then swung his left fist.

This one was caught too, with a quickness that seemed like a blur to Jamie. Then both fists were flung downward, and in the opening, the bystander struck.

Jamie heard a loud crunch. Oh shit, that sound was a bone breaking.

Charles hit the ground, and this time he didn't move. He lay there, still, like a doll some child had discarded in the dirt.

"Oh my God," Jamie said, leaning over the unconscious man. "I think you broke his jaw."

The bystander's face was stone. "He deserved it."

"He might be dead," she said, her breath stuck in her chest. She poked a foot into him, rolling him over enough to crouch down beside him.

Jamie dug into her bag and pulled out a small compact. She held the mirror under his nose, hoping for a sign that he was breathing. The mirror clouded slightly, confirming that Charles was still among the living for now.

"We have to call an ambulance. He could be critically injured." She stood up, giving her companion a once-over.

He was only a few inches taller than her; his medium build not belying any of the muscles that could have been used to inflict this kind of damage. "What are you, some kind of kung fu master or ultimate fighter?"

"Something like that," her companion said with a mirthless grin.

"I'm calling 9-1-1," Jamie said, digging around in her bag for her phone. "And the other one, where is he? He should be helping his friend."

"He's indisposed at the moment." The man cocked his head in the direction of the alley between two buildings.

Jamie took a few steps in that direction. "I don't see him."
The bystander frowned and made his way over to the alley. Jamie followed, compelled by curiosity. Her companion pulled up the lid of the small dumpster situated there, and Jamie leaned over, peering inside.

The other businessman was curled up inside. He appeared to be sleeping, but Jamie knew better.

"Jesus," she whispered. "You really did a number on them."

The bystander just stared at her and dropped the lid on the dumpster. His gaze unnerved her. There was something about him, something different. He definitely wasn't the ordinary guy she'd mistaken him for initially.

Jamie finally had to drop her eyes from the intensity she found in his stare. "Well...er...I'm going to make that call." She pulled her phone from her bag and tapped the button to light the screen.

"Since you are unharmed, I'll go," he said, starting to head down the street back in the direction of the train platform.

"Wait!" Jamie yelled. "You'll have to make a statement!"

The man turned slightly but didn't stop walking. "You make it."

"But how am I supposed to explain what happened? You have to wait for the police!"

His eyebrow rose again before he turned and continued walking away.

"Wait. You--" Her words were cut off when the 9-1-1 operator answered her call. Jamie began giving the woman a rundown of what had happened, her eyes watching as the man turned the corner and disappeared.

Oh great, what am I supposed to say? Some superhero came out to rescue me and then flew away?

Jamie sighed, taking a seat on the stoop of a nearby brownstone. Adrenalin was making her muscles shake.

She finished her report and disconnected the call, then put her hands on her thighs and her head between her knees. It suddenly felt like the weight of the universe was on her back.

My sister is lost in outer space, my fiancé is an astronaut, and even he can't find her, and now I have to explain to the police that a mystery man beat up two guys who were trying to force me to have a drink with them.

Jamie stared up into the darkening sky. She half expected an asteroid to blast through the atmosphere and crush her where she sat.

Well, I've always wished my life were more exciting. Guess I should be careful what I wish for.