Shadow Wars- Surviving Extinction Page 2

  “Well, it’s awesome that you stuck with it.”

  Zeke clears his throat and nods, smiling, “Thanks, man, that means a lot. So, where’s your girl been? I haven’t seen her in here the past few days.”

  “What girl?” Alex asks, laughing.

  “The hot blond that you have coffee with in the mornings. Angie, right?" Zeke asks with a playful grin.

  “She’s not my girl; we're just friends," Alex replies, laughing again.

  “So, you’re saying you never hit that?” Zeke asks with a mannish smirk.

  “Nah, it’s not like that. We’re just friends, nothing more,” Alex replies, shaking his head and grinning.

  “Is she out of town or something? It’s kind of strange not seeing her in here,” Zeke tells him while looking around the store.

  “I don’t know, to be honest. She had a rough night a few nights ago,” Alex tells him, trying to avoid going into too much detail.

  "I know, I heard," Zeke replies softly.

  “What’d you hear?” Alex asks intrigued.

  “Homeless Harry told me you beat some guy's ass because he tried to rape her," Zeke clears his throat and tells him.

  “Homeless Harry, huh?” Alex replies, shaking his head and grinning again.

  Zeke takes a deep breath in and exhales slowly, "I hope I’m not out of line by saying so, but you should go check up on her if she hasn't been seen for a few days. That can be a pretty traumatic experience."

  “I’d thought about it, but I don’t know. I don’t want to step out of line,” Alex lowers his head slightly and tells him.

  “I don’t think you would be. Before you opened your shop, she rarely left her house. In all the years I’ve lived in this neighborhood, I’d only see her leave her apartment maybe once or twice a week tops. Now she comes in every day. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she was always very friendly to everybody when we would see her, and she always talked with Homeless Harry and the viejitas, and the kids too, of course, but she would just go to the store and then home. I don’t know what you’ve done, but you’ve brought her out of her shell.”

  “How do you know so much about her? Should I be worried?” Alex jokes.

  “Nah, it’s not like that. My girl lives in the loft across the hall from her, so I run into her sometimes. For real, I think you might be her only friend here; you really should go check on her,” Zeke tells him with an awkward laugh.

  Alex takes a deep breath in and exhales quietly, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Would you mind watching the store for me?”

  "Yeah, I'll cover for you. It’s my day off," Zeke tells him with a slight bit of excitement in his voice.

  “Thanks,” Alex replies as he quickly grabs a couple of cups of coffee.

  “Don’t be stealing anything either,” Alex jokes as he walks out.

  “After what I heard, you’re the last person I’d try and steal from,” Zeke yells out laughing.

  Alex walks up to Angela's loft and knocks. Still on edge, she checks the peephole as she places her hand on the metal baseball bat leaning against the wall. Seeing that it’s Alex, she unlocks the door and removes the chain.

  Angela opens the door, and Alex is slightly taken back by her appearance. He's surprised to see her without makeup and her hair in a ponytail, only wearing a pair of boxer shorts and an old t-shirt, with no shoes on. It's strange for him to see her like this, especially since she always comes into the store dressed nicely, even when she's not using his place as a meeting point.

  “Had I known you made deliveries this whole time, I would have ordered in a lot more," Angela tells him dismally.

  “Can I come in?” Alex asks softly.

  “Sure,” she replies as she walks to the kitchen table, leaving Alex standing in the doorway.

  He closes the door, walks over to the table, and places the coffee in front of her.

  She wraps her hands around the cup and looks down at the lid, “Have a seat. Excuse the mess.”

  Looking around her very clean, but minimally decorated apartment, he can’t help but notice how dark it is. He wonders if this is how she’s spent the past few days, locked up in the dark. Has she even eaten? He doesn’t see any signs of her cooking or delivery.

  “So, you closed your shop for little old me, huh? I’m flattered,” she tells him with the same bleak tone.

  “I actually have Zeke watching it for me right now," he tells her as he sits in the empty chair across from her.

  “And here I thought I was special," she comments under her breath.

  “Well, I don’t deliver for just anybody,” he tells her with a goofy grin to try and lighten the mood.

  “Just the ones that need rescuing, right?” she asks as she takes a drink with her eyes still glued to the table.

  "Come on now, that's not fair," Alex sits back in his chair and tells her.

  “And just why isn’t it fair? It’s true, isn’t it?” she asks sullenly.

  Alex leans further back in his seat and takes a deep breath in, "Come on; you don't need rescuing."

  “Well, you rescued me, twice actually, and now you’re here delivering coffee to the local shut-in. So, what does that say?” she hangs her head and asks.

  “What was I supposed to do? Just let him do whatever he wanted?” Alex asks, slightly frustrated.

  "It comes with the job," she tells him softly and still avoiding eye contact.

  “That should never be a job requirement!” he tells her in a slightly raised voice.

  “Yeah? Well, that’s not how life works,” she replies softly again.

  “Only if you let it,” he tells her apologetically because of his voice tone from earlier.

  “I put in lots of work to earn these guy’s trust so that they’ll take me to these events. It’s not uncommon for them to think that because I was their date that they deserve more at the end of the night. It's a hazard of the job,” she tells him while rubbing the lid of her coffee cup with her finger.

  Alex is listening intently as she is talking, and she takes notice. She can’t help but smile because it makes her feel good that he genuinely does care; it’s not something she's used to, and it's nice.

  “Do you ever report those guys to the police?” he asks somberly.

  “Yeah, right. A former law student that had to drop out because she took the wrap for her punk ass ex-boyfriend and now earns a living by being someone's arm candy for the night? I’m sure they’d jump right on that, especially if they knew what I was really doing,” she scoffs.

  Alex sits up in his chair, trying to decide on what he should say next, or if he should say anything at all?

  “Why’d you come here?” she asks, finally looking up at him and making eye contact.

  “Honestly?”

  “No, I want you to lie to me,” she answers sarcastically.

  “I came because number one, you haven’t been around much, and I was worried…" he begins to say.

  “I’m a tough girl, I can handle my own,” she quickly interrupts while staring back down at the cup she’s gripping with both hands.

  “And also, because I kind of miss our morning chats,” he admits.

  Hearing the sweet confession, she lets out a small smile, "Whatever. You’re a good-looking guy, you could have any pretty customer join you for coffee in the mornings, and I'm sure they'd jump at the opportunity."

  “Not all attractive women are worth talking to. If I wanted to have a one-sided conversation with something pretty, I’d get a painting and hang it on the wall,” he tells her jovially.

  Hearing his witty remark makes her laugh, and it feels good to her. She hasn’t done much of that the past few days, and it makes her feel better.

  “Well, thank you for stopping by, I really do appreciate it,” she tells him, finally smiling.

  “I’ll officially forgive you tomorrow morning,” he tells her, grinning.

  “Tomorrow morning?” she asks, confused.

  “Well yeah, I’m not delive
ring two days in a row. If you want your coffee, you’ll have to come to get it yourself,” he tells her with a playful wink.

  “Deal,” she replies with another small laugh.

  “Well, I need to get back. Today is Zeke’s only day off, and he’s doing me a favor, so I don’t want to keep him waiting. Plus, I need to make sure he isn’t stealing anything,” Alex quips, as he stands.

  “He’s a good kid, I’m pretty sure your store will be ok. And if it isn’t, I’ll have his girlfriend beat him up next time he comes over,” she replies with a small chuckle.

  “Thanks for having my back,” he quips.

  Angela walks Alex to the door, and he opens it to leave but stops abruptly and turns back towards her, "One more thing. That stuff should never be a part of the job description. You're a fighter; next time you beat his ass, and I guarantee that he won't try it again."

  “Wait? How’d you know I know how to fight?” she asks, bewildered.

  “We’ll discuss it tomorrow morning,” he tells her, grinning as he walks away.

  Angela closes and locks the door after him, lingering there momentarily. Feeling much better after his visit, she walks to the window and opens her curtains. It's the first time she has felt the sun in two days, and it feels good on her face. With coffee in hand, Angela sits on the windowsill, watching the families playing in the park across the street, thinking deeply about the visit.

  Several days pass, and Angela enters the store excitedly.

  "Hey, you're chipper this morning. Does that mean Angie's finally back?” Alex greets her while pouring her a cup of coffee.

  “Yes, she is,” Angela replies, laughing at his greeting.

  “Welcome back, Angie,” he tells her playfully while handing her the cup.

  “So, I was thinking about what you said about going to Europe,” she tells him as she takes the cup.

  “Ok, and?” he asks while motioning with his hand to their usual table.

  “I want to do it. I don’t know where I want to go, I just know that I need to get out of here. Maybe Paris, even if it’s just for a short vacation,” she tells him as she sits.

  “Really? Good, I’m happy for you. You know, Switzerland is beautiful this time of year too,” he tells her, genuinely excited for her.

  “Maybe there too. Regardless of where I decide to go, I want you to come with me,” she tells him with an excited glow.

  Feeling put on the spot, Alex sits up straight in his chair and leans in closer, “Really? Why me? Why not go with one of your girlfriends? You can make it a girl’s trip.”

  “To be perfectly honest I don’t really have any girlfriends, well any friends for that matter anymore,” she lowers her head and tells him dismally.

  Hearing this confession breaks his heart. He’s not a doctor by any means, but even he knows that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs says we need companionship. Did everyone turn their backs on her when she took the fall for her ex? Is that why she got into this line of work instead of something else? Is it her way of redirecting her feelings of being betrayed? Has she really been alone this whole time?

  “I don’t know. What if I come back to find that you’re the new owner of my store?” he jokes, trying to hide his real thoughts.

  “Just do it! Have you ever been to Paris or Switzerland before? Besides, we both know that if I wanted your store, I’d have it already,” she tells him with a facetious grin.

  “I don’t know, I mean, Paris is a pretty romantic city. I’m not sure what to say to that, to be honest,” he tells her with a slight bit of discomfort in his voice.

  “Friends can go without expectations. Plus, we can be each other’s wing person,” she tells him with a mischievous smirk, causing Alex to laugh again.

  “I’ll think about it,” he replies with another small laugh.

  Angela takes a deep breath in and locks her eyes on the coffee cup she’s gripping with both hands, “I know we joke around a lot, but you really are an amazing friend; my only friend actually, and it’d be nice to have someone to go with.”

  Alex’s phone dings, signaling that he’s received a text message. He looks at his phone and sees an alert that reads White confirmed. Leaving the text message unopened, he places his phone, face down, on the table.

  “One of your girls?” she takes a quiet, deep breath in and asks.

  “No. You know I’m not talking to anybody. Who has time for women when I have an empire to build?” he tells her with a roguish grin.

  Angela shakes her head, laughing, “You’re so dumb. You can get that if you need to?”

  “No, it’s ok. I’ll reply later," he tells her with a small laugh.

  "It's ok, go ahead. I need to get going anyway; I have some things I need to do," she tells him as she stands.

  “You’re going back to work already?” he asks, concerned.

  “No, I’m taking a break from that life for a while. I’m going to do like you suggested and start looking at other ways I can help people; maybe even do a little designing and see where that goes. Who knows, maybe I’ll get discovered while we’re on vacation,” she tells him with a light-hearted wink.

  “Good, I’m really happy to hear that. And who knows, you might just find your calling,” he tells her with a relieved smile.

  Seeing how worried he got over her going back to work, she finds herself unable to stop smiling, “Think about what I said, though. I think it would be fun.”

  “I promise, I’ll think about it,” he tells her with a small chuckle.

  Alex watches her as she exits the store, and with her finally out of sight, he looks back at his phone a little concerned but excited at the same time. He was hoping to have more time in San Antonio, but receiving this text message tells him otherwise. For this message to be sent by text, instead of by ordinary means, tells him that time is of the essence, and he can only hope that he’s done enough to earn Angela’s trust. His biggest dilemma at that moment is whether he should tell her everything and place her at risk or if he should stick to the plan and hope that she doesn’t think he’s abandoned her like everyone else has, especially after what she just revealed to him.

  Weighing all the options, he decides that the best course of action is to just stick with the original plan because it will keep her safe as well as protect the integrity of his mission. He shuts and locks the door and places a sign in the window to let customers know that he is now closed. Turning off the lights, he heads to the back, pushes the cleaning shelf to the side, and enters a hidden room to start working on his plan.

  The next morning, in keeping with her promise, Angela walks towards his store for their morning coffee. As she approaches, she notices a to-go cup of coffee and a package with a note attached.

  “Angie, I’m sorry, but I have to leave for a little while to take care of some personal things. Don’t worry, we’ll keep in touch to finalize plans, and my phone is always on if you need me. In the meantime, this is for you; it will help you in your quest to help others.”

  Reading the note, her heart stops, and she wonders if he took off because she was too pushy about them going on vacation together. She’s been abandoned her whole life, so she should be used to this feeling by now but feeling the knot in her stomach, and a lump in her throat tells her that she isn’t. Taking a deep breath in, she nervously opens the package to find a circular gold medallion with five lines leading outward from a light blue diamond in the center.

  Seeing the medallion somehow comforts her, but she doesn’t know why, and it feels strangely familiar. The sun reflects briefly off the diamond, and for some reason, it reminds her of the way he’d wink when he was attempting to be funny or acting goofy. Seeing this as a sign that it’s ok to trust him and that he hasn’t abandoned her too, she grabs the box and her coffee, and heads home.

  Sofia’s Story

  Alex is driving through a rough East Los Angeles neighborhood in his jet black Classic 4x4 Silverado pickup truck, staring at all the graffiti, rundown buildi
ngs with bars on the windows, and occasional street art that shows pride in the Mexican heritage of the area as he passes. He's heard stories about the city and how the gangs aren't known for being overly aggressive to strangers, but he knows that he needs to stay alert regardless because they also have a reputation for being some of the most violent in the country if crossed wrong.

  Scanning the road ahead, he spots the restaurant he’s been looking for. Intelligence gathered over the past few days say that lately she’s been coming here and, being the first good tip that he’s had in weeks, he hopes that she’s inside.

  Pulling into the parking lot, Alex can feel his adrenaline rising and heart beating faster. He’s no stranger to these types of missions, but this situation is even more difficult because not only is he on his own, he’s also vastly outnumbered and outgunned with no immediate support if things go wrong. If something happens to him, then this mission fails, and it would be unlikely that someone else could continue it.

  Opening the door to the restaurant, the smell of fresh meat and peppers sizzling on the grill overwhelms him. He enters the restaurant, trying to carry himself confidently while trying not to draw attention to himself. Tactfully scanning the restaurant, he spots a beautiful, sweet-faced Mexican woman at a corner table laughing and talking with some gang members. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he brings up an image of Sofia and realizes that the woman in the corner is definitely the one he’s been searching for.

  He's surprised by her appearance, seeing her dressed casually in tight designer jeans and a form-fitting pink and white t-shirt with her brunette hair in a ponytail. She looks nothing like the female gang members he’s seen in the movies or online, and if he didn’t know any better, he never would have guessed she was in a gang. Noticing him looking at her, they briefly exchange glances before he redirects his attention to the young girl behind the cash register.

  "Buenos Dias (Good morning),” the girl greets him pleasantly.

  "Buenos Dias (Good morning),” he replies, smiling.

  "¿Qué puedo conseguirte hoy? (What can I get you today?)” she asks prepared to take his order.