Apartment Showdown
Matthew Ryan Fischer
Everyone was off doing their own thing, so Kaylee figured she
should just do as she pleased as well. Declan disappeared as soon as she told
him about Jinn and his warning. Sonny was supposed to keep track of Bagus, but
it was obvious that he was going back to his old cases instead. Kaylee didn’t
want to judge them, but couldn’t help herself. She had trusted Declan, put her
career in his hands, heard and kept his secrets. But she knew nothing of him.
He only ever told her just enough to keep her working on what he wanted her to
work on. Once upon a time Declan told her he had been a member of the Dragon
Claw, but never told her more. He had promised to, of course, but didn’t ever
get around to it. Why should she even believe him? He certainly didn’t seem to
be in any rush to take them down, the way he promised to. She could tell her chief
what Declan said, but she had no evidence. All she knew was what he once claimed
and that was no way to begin an investigation.
Kaylee had grown tired of the job, of her tasks, her chores. She
wanted to see Jinn again. Not because he was suddenly confiding in her, but
that was how she justified it to herself. He was a handsome man. Perhaps there
was a coming gang war and she should be worried about it. She should wonder why
Declan was the man to be warned and if the two had been feeding information
back and forth before. But she didn’t really care about any of that right now.
She had seen Jinn smile once or twice during their talks and she wanted to see
him smile again. That was enough for now. Maybe later he could tell her more of
his secrets and what it was he wanted Declan to prevent.
When Kaylee got to Jinn’s apartment, the door was open and a woman
was inside with a pair of scissors, ready to fight. Kaylee recognized her as
one of the women throwing themselves at Jinn. She wasn’t surprised or upset to
find the woman here. It was more unexpected to see the woman so blatantly and clumsily
searching his things.
“If I had been Jinn, you might be dead by now.”
“Who?”
Interesting, thought Kaylee, she doesn’t know his name. Or maybe
he gave a different fake name to each of us.
“Listen, I didn’t come here for a fight. I was just hoping he was
around. You don’t have to do anything stupid. I’ll go.”
“Are you calling me stupid?”
The woman waived the scissors closer and closer towards Kaylee’s
face. Another inch of two and I might have to do something about this, Kaylee
thought to herself.
“I’m really hoping you let me leave.”
“I don’t think so. I think you need to tell me why you’re here and
what’s going on.”
Kaylee let her training kick in and she soon took those scissors away
from the woman.
“You bitch!” the woman screamed, grasping her injured wrist.
“I think it’s time we both leave this apartment.”
The woman was obstinate and had a foul mouth, but Kaylee didn’t
want to reveal who she really was. She could have easily beaten the woman or
arrested her, but it seemed more important to allow herself the chance to stay
in the apartment building and be close to Jinn. Eventually they negotiated a
path forward and Kaylee backed out of the apartment and the woman followed. They
glared at each other and Kaylee watched from the stairs as the woman left the
building.
Kaylee resolved to follow her and figure out who she was working for.
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