Nothing More Than A Mark

[Little Red Fish]

She knew a secret.

She slid close to the garbage bin, a small projectile skimming the calf of her leg. She'd have to make sure to look over that for poison─but for now, she'd have to try and keep the urge to scream at a minimum, seeing as her pursuers were close behind her, and the urge to drop her camera along with it. She clumsily slung it over her shoulder, grabbing at the fence in front of her and pushing up with her leg. She could feel her jeans soaking up the warm, red liquid as she jumped over the steel fence. The camera's strap loosened and the small appliance flew into the air as she landed─luckily landing in Shea's outstretched hand. She broke for the entrance of one of the nearest buildings, and turned the key to a door labeled "102-B" on the seventh floor of the middle-class apartment. She stood at the doorway for a few minutes, her breaths gradually returning to normal as she listened to the hurried footsteps of many men going through the hallway in search for something. She let out a sigh, and as if on cue, a pair of huskies ambushed her, smothering the woman in affection. She pet them each, getting low to the ground and ruffling them each on the head, then led them to the couch where she turned on the television.

Pretending that she hadn't just been chased by a group of government workers was a norm. They came sometimes, finding her in the strangest of places. This time in particular, however, she had been caught taking pictures of random people on the street for inspiration. Life stuck inside her modest hovel wasn't exactly the most stimulating thing one could do, and even a simple girl such as herself needed to get out and just be able to walk around. It was dangerous, she knew. But it was a necessity of life to be able to live it. It was unfortunate that she was being targeted by some government higher-ups, but it never stopped her from going out before. Their tracking her was becoming more frequent, though. She was obviously becoming an easy 'mark'. That was a problem.

Shea Prodan knew a secret. Something that would be disastrous for a certain government official's chances of getting elected in the next election. He was a corrupt man, who accepted bribes and hired people to get rid of his competition. A beast with a bottomless lust for power; and Shea was in his way. Given she had taken a few things─things that she probably shouldn't have had─here and there from other countries and also the fact that she had witnessed, many-a-time, little bribe-accepting meetings with an underground dealer. She would have let it known to the public, but it was interesting to see the man squirm for a while. After a while, however, he gained more power, more money, and he threatened to destroy her. She saw it as a good time to go into hiding, and since then she's been cramped inside her little one-bedroom apartment with her two huskies, Gunter and Ivana, who were turning three the next month. They hadn't caught her yet, but she had a feeling karma would have to get her back at some point; and something told Shea it was going to be soon.

 

[Vbx.n]

People never change....Thats what Andrew thought as he leaned in his chair and streached his tired arms. He had been working on a few papers and getting ready to head out and finish off some old dried up bandit that was taking peoples petty money. There was only two things he loved about his job and they were catching people for the cheif and getting paid. Looking down at his last few papers that were giving detailed discription on a new problem that was bewing in the outskirts of the city. It was something that had to do with drug activity but the cheif wanted to deal with that problem and Andrew agreed because the less cases he got the better.

It had took a few hours to finish up in his office and just as he was going to finsh up his half eaten sandwich one of the officers opened up the door to his room and poked his head in. " That women, they found her but they lost track can you handle it?". Intaking a deep breath he nodded slowly before geabbing his coat and then putting it on as he placed his phone and gun on his side. In all honesty he wanted nothing to do with this problem but the urge swept him once again and he found himself remember everything...

Damn this is the last thing i want to do..deal with "Her" again. Andrew thought as he ran his hands through his hair and then walked out the building. The " Her" He was responding to was Shea, She was a big person the government wanted locked up, he had heard what his cheif said and he knew he couldn't disobey him but at the same time it was kinda hard tying to capture or kill the woman you fell inlove with. Just the thought of Shea made Andrew shudder in place and sigh. As many times that they ran into eachother he couldn't bring himself to take her in, and she would always remind him why.

They would argue and he'd threaten to take her in to his boss but then in a blink of an eye they were touching and kissing like was nothing else in the world going on and all those old burried feeling would come back and then she'd be gone. Getting into his car he drove around slowly protrolling the area and he got out where a he saw two or three men infront of a gate. As he got closer he realized that they were taking a blood sample and he looked over the gate having a gut feeling inside him.

Nodding at the men he told them they were doing a good job and he climbed over the gate in one swift movement. Looking at the ground scratched his head and then started walking. There was a building on the right and just like old memories he headed inside and climbed up the stairs since the elevator was usually always broken. Andrew stood infont the door and then knocked three times waiting. Taking out a small key he'd coppied from the matinence man incase she didn't open the door.

 

[Little Red Fish]

She took the remote in her hand and flipped through the channels; an unfruitful search. Nothing she wanted to watch was on─maybe this was a good time to use that 'on demand' thing she subscribed to several weeks ago but never used. She leaned over her dogs to grab a Burgundy out of the many wine bottles that had accumulated on her side-table. As she settled back into the couch and took a sip out of the decanter, only to drop and catch the bottle as her huskies' barks filled the room. Their sensitive ears had picked up on a few doors slamming from upstairs and surprised them. The neighbors usually did that. The family living upstairs harboured a number of children that would slam the doors so hard she was surprised they didn't just fall off already. But her dogs' reactions weren't normal. They were always so quiet, even at loud noises, perhaps the police had startled them? It was probably caused in part by her own anxiety as well─which she was attempting to drink away at the moment─of what was next on that governor's agenda for her.

There was always a second wave. If the first guys couldn't find her on their little run-around, there was always a follow-up guy. On an average day, they would never find her. The apartment building was simply too large, and because they didn't want to alert─and startle─the entire population of the criminal living among them, they kept searches short, and lazy. If she wasn't still running, they wouldn't open doors or anything. Besides, it wouldn't be as fun if a random bystander turned her into the police.

Now, on a careless day, like today, they would send the sharp one after her─Andrew─the one that always knew where to find her. The one that had the chance to get at her, but never did. The one that made her think she was part of a different universe at times, but she never knew how to handle. At times she kept herself up at night waiting for her door to come down, for arms to reach at her and finally throw her behind bars, but it would never come. This man kept her thinking, and their meetings only obscured their relationship more and more every time. It was kind of scary─but she preferred it this way.

As she came to end of her thought, her dogs had calmed themselves, and there was knock at the door. It was him for sure, no one would be visiting her at this hour, and that knock. It was definitely his.

She didn't bother putting down the wine bottle as she walked to the door, "..I know it's you.." She stated mildly, resting her head on the wall closest to the door's knob. She looked down at it, mentally slapping herself as she realized she had forgotten the most important key to running and trying to hide─the lock! She mumbled curses to herself, as she shut her eyes in disbelief. She tried to turn the lock as quietly as she could into the 'lock' position, but it still made a noise. She had to wonder why she would do that in the first place, actually. Suddenly, she released a small squeak as she felt something warm at her calf, looking back to catch her big dog, Guns, licking at the small abrasion through her jeans from earlier. She shooed him away, trying to make him spit out the blood in the process, but her only resolve was to run to the kitchen and lead him to a bowl of water; shooing along the feeling in the back of her mind that leaving the door unattended wasn't what she wanted to do as well.

 

[Vbx.n]

Leaning against the wall Andrew pulled out his phone and scrolled through some of his messages waiting for Shea to open the door although he already knew that she wouldn't. He had brought himself to the same building and the same door so many times even the man downstairs just let him in without question because he thoguh he lived here. Knowing how the outcome would turn out he tapped his foot against the floor and counted in his head until he got to ten. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.. The door didn't open and instead he heard the clicking noise of the lock being turned. Andrew just looked down at his key.

It was always difficult for him being in the sutuation he was in fot the simple fact that he was the only one that could take her in but everytime he headed back to his apartment or work he was empty handed and Shea was out doing whatever that was attracting the police attention. Jogging downstairs for a quick moment hee talked to the man in the front who was busy munching down on a piece of pizza like there was no tommarow. It took about five minutes to convince the man to get him the master key which he refused so Andrew had to take it without him noticing.

Heading back up the stairs slower than the last time he stared at her door before putting the key in the door and turning it slowly until he heard the click. Once he did Andrew opened the door to the apartment to see that Shea was over by the kitchen and her two dogs by her side. CLosing and locking the door behind him he placed the two keys in his pocket and just looked at Shea. " So i guess a greeting insnt you anymore? Did you honsestly think that i couldn't get in?". Taing a few more steps inside he found himself by the kitchen where he crouch down and petted one of the dogs. He figured since they saw so much of him they'd be used to him especially in the past.

 

[Little Red Fish]

She was waiting for him to just come in; force of habit she guessed. Their past relationship had her wired to wait for the man to enter, then give him a warm welcome. When he finally came in however, she wasn't there to run into his arms and kiss him. "So I guess a greeting isn't you anymore? Did you honestly think I couldn't get in?" She heard him comment an inquire. He came closer to her and the dogs, leaning down to pet the smaller one like old times. "Hey there, hot shot," she responded, ruffling the back of his hair familiarly as she got up and patted off her knees. The dogs had always been fond of him, and they flocked around him, rubbing against his nice work clothes. Worried for a moment that their hair would come off on him and he would get caught for not bringing her in, she remembered quickly that she had brushed the duo down just the day before. Someone would have to be making things up if they said they saw any trace of dog fur.


She watched Andrew for a moment, remembering things. Things that used to make her chest tight, like seeing him pet the dogs. She was surprised to feel that it still pulled at the heartstrings. She had to stop with that, though. It wasn't going to get her anywhere, especially with the state of their relationship—or lack of. "Could you feed them for me?" she asked him, pointing with her thumb in the direction of the dog food. She knew he didn't need direction. He came by so frequently that the neighbors were actually under the impression that the two were a married couple. "I have to clean up this gift your co-workers gave me on the way here," she said, referring to the gash on her leg. It seemed to have stopped bleeding, but it left a nasty red blotch that was going to stay on her light jeans no matter what kind of miracle stain remover she used; no questions asked. Leaving the bottle of wine on the kitchen table, she walked the straight line through the kitchen to her bathroom. Throwing the leg over the sink and pulling up the hem, she reached for a bottle of rubbing alcohol and winced slightly at its contact with her open skin. It should have been treated earlier, but she remembered that she had


The door was left open, as usual. She tried to initiate some small talk with Andrew, to deviate away from the inevitable questions she had concerning his plans. "Are you still working late?" It was a miracle she could still find something normal to ask, considering all the mixed thoughts that were floating around her head like alphabet soup. So.. When are you taking me in? was the question at the very top, but she knew better to bring it up. She would have asked what he was there for, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer to that already.


She didn't understand why this big boss guy was following her so feverishly now, more than ever before. One would have thought that she smuggled in something extremely illegal for the coppers to be chasing her everywhere, anytime they could—and that didn't exclude the rare instances when she went to the store to buy milk or stock up on food, either. The thing was though that the she hadn't even committed a single crime in the past few months; and the last time she did, it was a small drug run. All it was, was a matter of bringing a small amount of marijuana for some old guy who was just planning to boot the gong for his hip.


Luckily for her, someone had been standing by on the sidelines and helped her escape. Shea found herself in this situation quite often, given the time to think about it. She sucked at hiding—she sucked even more at staying in hiding. There was always someone "on the side" or a kind soul that helped her to escape from the cops. Then there was Andrew. He was living proof that she would have been sitting behind bars by now if she was left to her own devices. It was a stroke of luck that the two felt a spark somewhere along the line, but now that seemed to have started to flicker, and she just wasn't sure what was going to happen to either of them. If Andrew went back empty handed again, she was worried he might get in trouble, but she couldn't just go along with it—she wouldn't. And staying somewhere he could always find her just didn't seem like a good idea anymore. Not that she didn't trust him, but she didn't trust herself with that thought weighing down inherent shoulders.


"I'm.. thinking of moving." She said, applying an adhesive to her wound. "I just thought I should let you know," it might not have been the best idea to let him know, actually, it might have been the worst idea to do so at this point. But she still felt inclined to do so. As long as he didn't ask where, she should have been safe.

 

[Vbx.n]

He petted the dogs and watched as they curled up under him and licked his cheek exictedly, almost like they haden't seen him in weeks, but in a way was kinda true since he was busy with paperwork and reporting action and suspicions to the chief it was like a never ending road. The smooth soft fur was warm against his hand and he played with them for a few moments when he heard Shea asking if he could feed them. It was the least he could do since he was in the apartment and he loved the dogs. Standing up he grabbed their dog food and poured some evenly into each of their bowls and watched as they didn't hesitate to eat.

The question keep comming to him one by one and Andrew looked up at Shea. When he did he saw her cleaning her open wound and he felt the urge to go over and tend to it. " Yeah im still working late but i get paid extra so im good, and as for my co-workers they were just rying to do their job". Hesitating for a moment he felt in his pocket for a small bandage wrap and he walked over to Shea before slowly placing it around her wound. As much as his job ment to him, whenever he saw Shea ingured he got weak and felt the need to help her, it was probubally one of the main reasons he couldn't bring her in.

To Andrew he knew how things would end and he kept replaying it over and over in his head. He would return back to the office empty handed but just say that she slipped out his grasp. The cheif never questuioned him nor complained because to the cheif everyone was catchable it only was a matter of time before they caught her.

But the main problem was his feelings. No matter how many times he stayed away or went off to another city for a few days, drinked. She was always in his head and it seemed like there was no way to forget. He didn't want to. He fell hard for her and when they were together it felt like when they were in a relationship. Her smile, the warm feeling of her cuddling up to him in the early morning. He just wished that their situation was diffrent because he cared to much and it was affecting his job.

The next few words stoped him dead in his place and all he could do was look at her in disbelif. " Moving...wh-". He couldn't even finish his sentence and he didn't want to because he already knew. The guards were close to finiding out where she lived and it wasn't safe but sitll... Shaking his head Andrew ran his hands through his hair and then pulled her into his arms and held her for a few moments. His hand gently rubbing her back and then he backed up so that they were looking at eachother. " If thats what you want...i cant stop you even if i tried". Slowly his hands sank down but they were still on her body and he looked at her unsure on where to look away or to kiss her because he wanted to do both.