Page 17 of Snow Blind

"Sir, this way please," the security guard said, ushering the man away. He looked back at Helen again. She couldn't read his eyes. It was a red flag, and this man was a danger to her.

Helen wasn't taking any chances. She hurried to the register, paid for her purchases, and left the store. She couldn't run the risk of the man following her to Passion Fruit's place, so she took another tactic.

"I heard your words, Bushmaster. I received them as well," she said, pulling into a coffee shop parking lot.

Helen parked the vehicle and waited. It didn't take long for the man to locate her vehicle, look inside, and search to see which direction she'd gone. For good measure, she peeked her head out, looking surprised at seeing him, and darted into an alley. Her body, pressed against the bricks in an entryway, was out of sight of the footsteps she heard coming down the alleyway.

She kept in mind her first lesson with Passion Fruit: energy equals mass times force squared. The element of surprise was on her side as the man walked past her. Helen sprung, taking him down to his knees. She used the butt of her 9mm to pop him in the temple, knocking him unconscious. For good measure, she took his wallet, removing any cash as well as a couple of credit cards and snapping a photo of his ID. For good measure, she took it anyway. Hurriedly, she left the alley, climbing into her vehicle and speeding away.

"What the frack is that about," she said, gripping the steering wheel.

She made good time, arriving back at the cabin when her phone rang again. This time, it was her man. Her heart rate was still high when she pulled into the garage and closed the door, cutting the engine.

"Hey," she said as she answered the call.

"Hey, how goes your day?" Mustang asked.

"Weird; yours?"

"Same," he said. "Got a call from Bad Apple, wanting us to come for Thanksgiving and spend the weekend."

"What did you say?"

"I said yes because he told me Stephen is making a special cranberry sweet potato souffle for you," Mustang said. "Who is Stephen, and can he cook?"

"Long story, but okay, we are heading to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving," she replied. "I will let Cherry know not to expect me."

"Good enough, but why did you say your day is weird?"

"Got a call from my Daddy," she said. "The holiday season makes him get all emotional. I want to invite him for a visit, but didn't know how you'd feel about that. Should I invite him to Kentucky instead?"

"Of course not. I want to meet him," Mustang said. "When are you thinking?"

"Let me get with Azreal and see what the schedule is. I know we have to be in Kentucky for Christmas," she said. "Maybe the week before?"

"Sounds about right, then I can ask him for your hand in marriage," Mustang said.

"You're so traditional. I like it," she said, smiling. She wanted to tell him about the man, but he'd go all Alpha male and want to rush to her rescue. Therefore, she kept it to herself. "Talk soon?"

"Talk soon and be safe."

"Roger that," she said, terminating the call. A better idea came to mind as she pressed one on her Technician phone. The call was answered on the second ring.

"State your need," the voice said.

"Got a bogey on my tail in Antioch," Helen said. "Picked it up in the bookstore, then again in Target, and it followed me to a coffee shop."

Azreal, her handler, asked, "Any idea what it is about or a description?"

"I can go you one better," Helen said, texting the image of the license to Azreal. "He also has a Chase credit card, and an American Express Platinum business card."

"How did you get these items, Cranberry?"

"He experienced an unfortunate incident, Boss. I lured him into an alley and knocked him the fuck out, that's how. I also robbed him of his cash, you know, working on staging accidents and shit. I couldn't take the chance of him following me back to Passion Fruit's place," she said. "Also, as a heads up, The Bushmaster placed a tracker on my vehicle. He said people are trying to find me."

"God help them if they do," Azreal said, shocked at the honesty of the slip of a woman. "Where is this man now?"

"I left him in the alley in a puddle of what I hope is piss water," Helen said. "Azreal, who is after me and why?"

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