Flash Fiction (Number 18)

It’s a man’s world

A scarlet glow stained the predawn sky: drenching  Eddie Lakewood’s features in a fiery halo, and waking him up a little after the long night. Eddie stared out of the large window, over the still and silent streets of upper West side, taking a sip of the whiskey Harry had handed him. He wasn’t thinking about the rape he had just stopped, but about Dawn Swan. It had been six months since she disappeared, after one of the best weekends of his life, and he still missed her. It was near impossible to move on, given that she had been there for the vast majority of his life.

“Here’s to another successful save,” Harry laughed, as he discarded his black hoodie, before pouring himself a drink. “Maybe now  criminals in this city will realise that crime doesn’t pay” he took a long sip of his whiskey.

Eddie’s reply was cut off by the robotic voice, and he turned as the computer sprang to life “Robbery in progress, at Hudson’s Jewellers on Lexington,”

“Guess these two didn’t get the memo yet,” the screen showed footage from the CCTV inside the store, of two black clad figures wearing balaclavas and smashing display cases with the butts of their pistols. Eddie was going to leave it for the police, feeling exhausted and needing to focus on the next out of town mission, when a woman entered the store. The camera angle made it impossible for me to see her face but something in the way that she held herself, made Eddie think that he had seen her somewhere before.

Then the angle changed, letting Eddie see the scar over her hand, and the realisation made him swear. He remembered all too well the day that Dawn had received the scar, and knew that she would likely need back up. “Need help?” I hadn’t even realised that I had begun to gear up again, until Harry’s question.

“Nah I’ve got this. Get some rest.” Eddie told Harry as he pulled up his hood again, “Wheels up for the trip to Madrid at 13.30 tomorrow, tell the rest of the team.”

“You’re the boss.” Harry smirked as Eddie left the apartment via the window. His familiarity with the city meant that it didn’t take him long to run over the roofs to the jewellery store. The police were nowhere in sight when he landed on the roof. He heard a muttered curse and then grunts of pain. A glance through the skylight revealed that Dawn was more than capable. As Eddie watched she threw her head back, the back of her skull breaking the nose of the man gripping her arms. He staggered back with a howl of pain, and she took advantage, hitting the other with a strong right hook to the face. The force of her punch, snapped his head back and then she kicked him squarely in the stomach, sending the burly man flying backwards several feet. His head hit the white plaster wall with a bang which made Eddie wince involuntarily.

“Okay that was hot,” the sound of Leo Enfield’s voice was a complete surprise, and Eddie turned to see that the teenager was standing right next to him, “Harry told me where you were,” Leo responded to the look, “Are you going to get her to join the team?”

“Yeah I hope so,” Eddie glanced down through the skylight, to see that Dawn was pulling off the unconscious man’s balaclava. She discarded it, throwing it down at his side.

“She’s got a great ass.” Eddie shot him a censorious look, drawn out of the dreams about having Dawn at his side again. “What?” Leo dragged his gaze away from Dawn’s per rear. She was intent on the unconscious robber, tying him to the leg of the display case with his own belt, and was oblivious to the fact that the other man had recovered somewhat. He held his gun trained on her back, blood smearing his nose and chin from the injury.

Without hesitating Eddie dropped through the skylight in a bid to help her. the sound of the crash, distracted the robber as he had hoped. The man was clearly unsure which of them presented the greater threat, the gun swinging back and forth between them. “Drop it,” Eddie suggested as he raised his compound bow, the arrow pointing right at the man’s heart for a kill shot. He was surprised at the anger that still burnt in him at seeing somebody threaten her, and wasn’t going to take the risk of losing her when he had just found her again.

The man seemed to be complying but then his gaze ticked to someone behind Eddie, and Dawn’s bright eyes widened in horror. Before Eddie could turn, he felt a sharp pain in the small of his back, and heard the loud report of a gunshot.

The shock of the impact sent him falling forward, his knees hitting the tiled floor with a jolt. He could feel the blood seeping through the leather, and struggled to focus. “Grab as much as you can carry, and let’s get out of here.”

She ignored the robbers’ retreat, sinking to her knees before him “Hold on,” she said softly, one hand pressing on his wound, the other gripping the black leather, as she tried to keep him upright. “Just hold on Eddie, okay?” The last thing that Eddie saw before his world went black was a tear trickling down her cheek from under the ornate mask.