“She's shaken up, but otherwise alright. The EMT's examining her for head-trauma, but it looks like she just needs some rest.”
“Thanks for helping me here, Bill. I appreciate it,” Russell said, preparing to step past.
Xavier stopped him with a hand, “Russell, I understand she's a good looking girl, but what's this all about?”
Russell met his eyes, “I'll tell you when I figure it out.”
Xavier released him. He stepped into Maggie's room, found her sitting on a queen-sized bed. An EMT checked her blood pressure and pulse while the other women from the shop sat beside her.
“How are you?” He asked, stepping to Maggie's side.
“How the fuck d'you think she is?” One woman asked. “Someone tried to kill her.”
“Ash, stop,” the other woman said.
“I'm fine Ashley,” Maggie said with calm despair. She looked to Russell, “Thank you for coming. This is Ashley and Mandy.”
“You're not hurt, right?” Russell asked over ripping Velcro. The EMT pulled off the blood-pressure cuff, set it in his bag.
Maggie watched him, “Not really, I took a hit to the head, but…”
Her voice trailed off into a thousand yard stare. It gave way to a shudder. Russell ran his hand through his hair. Millions of questions bubbled in his mind, but he stepped to a waist-high dresser in front of them, leaned against it.
“Could you give us some privacy?” He asked the EMT.
“Sure, I'm finished here. Just let us know if she starts exhibiting any unusual symptoms.”
He carried his bag out, closed the door. Maggie sighed, “A-am I in trouble?”
“Why would you be in trouble, Maggie? Defending yourself? That's not against the law—least the last time I checked,” Ashley said snidely.
“Ash,you're being an ass,” Mandy countered.
Ashley opened her mouth to speak, but Russell intoned first, “No, you're not in any trouble. But I don't think you're safe either.”
Maggie's eyes flickered with panic, “What d'you mean?”
Russell hesitated, gave up on any air of formality, “Something's going on. It's not a coincidence Ryusaki was murdered just before we were both attacked.”
“That's exactly what I said,” Ashley said to Maggie.
“Wait, you were attacked?” Maggie asked.
Russell retold of the attack and what had been said, hoping it might spur some connection in their minds. The three listened, but only grew more confused, agitated.
Russell sighed at their mutual ignorance, “Look, bottom line is, we have to figure out what's going on. For the time being, I've assigned you a security detail but you may need this.”
He removed the holstered spare-pistol, offered it to Maggie. Her eyes glazed over with exasperation, “Who d'you think I am, some kind of nut? I'm an artist! Tonight was the first time I've even seen a gun, let alone fired one!”
Russell frowned, looked between her and his hand, “You hit the mark, and saved your own life. I'd say given circumstances, that's a worthy first time.”
“But that was luck. This can't be safe.”
“We never really know what we're capable of 'til we're tested,” he said, stoically.
Maggie thought in silence a moment. Then, with a deep breath she accepted the gun, set it beside her on the bed.
Mandy glanced at Russell, “What about us?”
“All three of you need to stay together,” Russell instructed. “The security detail will escort you anywhere you need to go, but I'd advise against traveling much right now.”
“Mandy has school, and we have a business to run,” Ashley countered. “We can't just hide away.”
“I'll do my best to make sure you don't have to,” he assured her. “But you need to find somewhere safe to stay the night.”
Maggie nodded. Fear still coursed through her, but the brigade of police in her apartment put her a little at ease. Russell's own presence kept her level, if nothing else.
“Okay, but… what about this Omega thing? I mean, what we should be doing to stay safe?”
“I don't know, Maggie. I'm
“Thanks for helping me here, Bill. I appreciate it,” Russell said, preparing to step past.
Xavier stopped him with a hand, “Russell, I understand she's a good looking girl, but what's this all about?”
Russell met his eyes, “I'll tell you when I figure it out.”
Xavier released him. He stepped into Maggie's room, found her sitting on a queen-sized bed. An EMT checked her blood pressure and pulse while the other women from the shop sat beside her.
“How are you?” He asked, stepping to Maggie's side.
“How the fuck d'you think she is?” One woman asked. “Someone tried to kill her.”
“Ash, stop,” the other woman said.
“I'm fine Ashley,” Maggie said with calm despair. She looked to Russell, “Thank you for coming. This is Ashley and Mandy.”
“You're not hurt, right?” Russell asked over ripping Velcro. The EMT pulled off the blood-pressure cuff, set it in his bag.
Maggie watched him, “Not really, I took a hit to the head, but…”
Her voice trailed off into a thousand yard stare. It gave way to a shudder. Russell ran his hand through his hair. Millions of questions bubbled in his mind, but he stepped to a waist-high dresser in front of them, leaned against it.
“Could you give us some privacy?” He asked the EMT.
“Sure, I'm finished here. Just let us know if she starts exhibiting any unusual symptoms.”
He carried his bag out, closed the door. Maggie sighed, “A-am I in trouble?”
“Why would you be in trouble, Maggie? Defending yourself? That's not against the law—least the last time I checked,” Ashley said snidely.
“Ash,you're being an ass,” Mandy countered.
Ashley opened her mouth to speak, but Russell intoned first, “No, you're not in any trouble. But I don't think you're safe either.”
Maggie's eyes flickered with panic, “What d'you mean?”
Russell hesitated, gave up on any air of formality, “Something's going on. It's not a coincidence Ryusaki was murdered just before we were both attacked.”
“That's exactly what I said,” Ashley said to Maggie.
“Wait, you were attacked?” Maggie asked.
Russell retold of the attack and what had been said, hoping it might spur some connection in their minds. The three listened, but only grew more confused, agitated.
Russell sighed at their mutual ignorance, “Look, bottom line is, we have to figure out what's going on. For the time being, I've assigned you a security detail but you may need this.”
He removed the holstered spare-pistol, offered it to Maggie. Her eyes glazed over with exasperation, “Who d'you think I am, some kind of nut? I'm an artist! Tonight was the first time I've even seen a gun, let alone fired one!”
Russell frowned, looked between her and his hand, “You hit the mark, and saved your own life. I'd say given circumstances, that's a worthy first time.”
“But that was luck. This can't be safe.”
“We never really know what we're capable of 'til we're tested,” he said, stoically.
Maggie thought in silence a moment. Then, with a deep breath she accepted the gun, set it beside her on the bed.
Mandy glanced at Russell, “What about us?”
“All three of you need to stay together,” Russell instructed. “The security detail will escort you anywhere you need to go, but I'd advise against traveling much right now.”
“Mandy has school, and we have a business to run,” Ashley countered. “We can't just hide away.”
“I'll do my best to make sure you don't have to,” he assured her. “But you need to find somewhere safe to stay the night.”
Maggie nodded. Fear still coursed through her, but the brigade of police in her apartment put her a little at ease. Russell's own presence kept her level, if nothing else.
“Okay, but… what about this Omega thing? I mean, what we should be doing to stay safe?”
“I don't know, Maggie. I'm
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