Page 14 of Urban Justice

Chapter 7

Luke barely caughta wink of sleep when he reached the apartment above the garage after leaving the Vigilante. His body was thrumming with adrenaline and with what he identified as a need to finish the battle. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

When he opened the door, he had his first surprise. He expected a smelly couch with a toilet in the corner, but instead, when he switched on the light, the place looked like one of those fancy apartments he’d visited but never had the money to rent on his professor’s salary. A kind of modern loft that belonged on a magazine cover.

The second surprise had been the level of security, both the place and the Internet connection. The alarm code had been written on a scrap of paper on the counter, along with the door and Wi-Fi password. He still had his tablet in his messenger bag, and despite the fight, it was working, so he could use it to notify the university of his sudden absence, as well as his grad students. The holidays were close, so everything could be pushed over to the next year without causing too much trouble.

Once everything was in order, Luke realized what he was doing. From the moment of the attack, he’d gone through the motions in survival mode, but now that stillness surrounded him, reality set in. The Vigilante, the man described in the press both as a monster and a hero, had saved his life and had requested his help.

The memory of what happened in the tunnel came to mind. He’d downed a target for someone he didn’t know. Did that mean he’d made his choice?

His method was questionable, but Luke had to admit he was making a difference. When he was a Marine, he’d had orders to follow and a clear target on their mission. In the line of fire, the only certainty was that the people trying to kill you were the bag guys.

How was war different from Chicago? He’d accused him of being a killer, but how many lives had he ended himself in the line of duty? And how many heroes had fallen by his side thinking they were doing the right thing?

Through the maze of his conscience, Luke had finally dozed off, but not long enough. It hadn’t been a restful sleep, not in this setting, not with danger looming close. It reminded him of his last tour in Iraq, and images formed in his mind.

It was a knock at the door that finished bringing him back to reality. Out of habit, he reached for the weapon he always kept on his side table, but he wasn’t home, far from it.

He was in this hideaway apartment provided by the Vigilante, and that someone behind the door was probably the mysterious blonde.

Just in case, he checked the peephole before unlocking it. There she was, her lush mouth quirked up, and if he wasn’t mistaken, those sky-blue eyes slid down his body. It felt like a flame licking his skin, and any other time, Luke would have taken advantage of it, but the current situation felt like being thrown into an ice bath.

“You.”

Her gaze zoomed up. “You always welcome guests half-naked?”

Amusement and appreciation twinkled in her eyes. This time, she’d decided against the suit and was sporting a pair of khaki pants with black boots, a canvas winter coat, and a cable-knit scarf in bright pink. Something was amiss, but he couldn’t put his finger on it yet.

“I only removed my shirt. You’re lucky as normally I sleep in the nude.”

With a laugh, she walked past him and discarded her winter gear on a chair. “I don’t blush easily, professor. And this isn’t a booty call, so don’t worry. I’m here because I received a call at an ungodly hour telling me to get my ass here.”

The way she moved around told Luke it wasn’t the first time she’d been inside this apartment.

He grabbed his discarded sweater before putting it on. “So you know who the Vigilante is.”

Her step faltered, but it was so subtle, he almost missed it. “Because he always has a mask on, it’s difficult to identify him. But he said you were willing to help.”

“I said I’d consider it. Did you know there wasn’t a name on your card, and you weren’t even polite enough to introduce yourself?”

That at least brought the woman’s attention to him. “You shut me down before I could explain. Can I explain now?”

Luke went to the small kitchenette and checked for coffee. As he’d expected, he found pods in a cupboard and creamers in the fridge. Once everything was brewing, he turned again. “Not before you come clean. I suspect that you’re accustomed to hiding things, and that you even thrive on it, but that’s not who I am. Even if I care about the people of this city, I have limits. And I may have reached the point of no return, so tread carefully.”

At his words, the tension between them spiked, and all amusement fled from her. “I don’t like threats, professor.”

“And I don’t like feeling like a pawn at the hands of strangers and chased by an invisible threat I can’t see coming.”

The smell of coffee filled the room, but Luke didn’t pick up his cup and instead waited for the woman to answer.

She opened her mouth once before closing it. It was clear there was a debate going on in her head. “I’m ready to explain the situation. But I’m a believer in that the less you know, the more protected you are.”

Luke turned his back on her before she could see him snarl. “Then, thank you for saving my life, and as soon as I finish my coffee, I’ll see myself out.”

“If you leave, you’ll be killed. Even if you don’t plan to help us, stay here until...”

“Until when? Until the end of time? I don’t think so.” With another gulp of scalding coffee, he felt himself growing restless.

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