Another bitter morning my lungs as I make my way from the door to the car. The monotoned sky symbolizes the bleak state of my mind.

“Good morning!” She spurts out in a spry tone.

“Morning Kid.”

“Great mood as always.”

“How are you just so fucking happy in the morning?”

“My dad used to tell me that if you start off your day the right way the rest will fall into place.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Better than waking up like you just ate a lemon.”

“I don’t look like that.”

“Morning kid.” She says mockingly while squinting her eyes.

“Alright now that I’ve had my morning spoiled as usual can we get going?”

“Yup. But you should really try not being such a sour puss all the time. It makes more people like you.”

“Who says that I want people to like me?”

“Because despite your bitter demeanor there's a sweet guy screaming to come out.”

“Can we go already?”

“Sure. But we should go for brunch some day.”

“I would rather be dead.”

“I’m sure I can arrange something.” She says with her nose held high.

We make our way over to the Doc’s office. The streets seem so quiet and lifeless which is strange for the holiday season. Usually by this time people are killing each other over the latest doll or some shit.

“Hey Kid. I’ve got to go in alone on this one. You know, patient confidentiality and all that.”

“Sure thing. I’ll make myself scarce.”

She drives off and I make my way into the office.

“Doctor Reid please.” I asked the receptionist.

“She’s just finishing up with a patient. Have a seat and she’ll be right with you.”

As I wait I can’t help but notice this flickering of the fluorescent light above my head. The flashes made me think of the dreams clouding my mind last night. A cluttered room filled with so much shit that I couldn’t move. Ghosts of my past screaming in my head. I woke up in a cold sweat like a junky on remission. Since the night with the kid that I… I can’t get that voice to go away. Even the small banter makes me so angry sometimes. The worst part is that I don’t feel guilty at all. It’s just another kill on the list. Another face to meet me in hell when this is all over.

“Thank you Doctor” I hear from a voice leaving the Doc’s office.

There is something that strikes me about it. The man makes his way through the hall past me. I don’t know why but my instincts are screaming at me. My stifled breath stops me from moving from my position. That’s where I notice it. The shoes. Could it really be him? Would he be that bold? No. Can’t be. No one is that sadistic. Psychotic. He takes a glance over at me as he walks by.

“Don’t worry sir. The doctor is very good.” He says never having slowed his pace.

It takes everything in me not to act on impulse. I want to scream, claw and kill him. Fuck I want to kill him. The next thing I notice, I have my hand on the holster. All my vision tunnels until all I can see is his silhouette disappearing into the distance. The red of the carpet starts to bleed through until it’s all I can see.

“Scott.” I hear muffled in the distance.

“Scott!” She exclaims, grabbing my arm.

I hear the Doc’s voice come into focus.

“Are you ok?” She asks, concerned.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m losing my mind these days.”

“Good thing you came. Let’s go to my office.”

With a tight clutch of my sleeve, she drags me in a hurried pace and leads me to the couch.

“Want to tell me what that was all about?” She asks in an accusatory tone.

“What do you mean?” I replied, confused.

“Don’t play games Scott. I saw the way you looked at that guy.”

“I just thought I recognized him. That’s all.” I say shrugging both shoulders.

“Did you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure of many things right now.”

“What’s going on Scott?”

“It’s just this one case I’ve been working on. This guy just gets under my skin.”

“That’s pretty substantial seeing how thick your skin is. What is causing this?”

“The thing is that he hasn’t really done all that much yet. A taunt here and a threat there. But no action.”

“What kind of threats?”

“You see Doc, he’s after me. Personally. I just can’t figure out why.”

“Why do you feel he’s targeting you?” She asks, opening up her big black book of notes.

“Without saying too much, he’s told me himself.”

“You’ve had direct contact?”

“Sort of, I was tied to a chair and things were all fuzzy.”

“Wait. You were abducted?”

“Ya I guess so.”

“Well no wonder you are feeling this way. That must have been a very difficult situation.”

“Nah. He was just fucking annoying.”

She lets out an exasperated sigh and leans back into her chair.

“Ok. So why do you think he annoyed you so much?”

“He was just this proper talking asshole who seemed to have a stick logged pretty far up his ass.”

“That’s not a reason, Scott. What did he say that rubbed you the wrong way?”

“It’s not so much what he said. He just keeps leaving these bread crumbs everywhere I go with some extremely vague threats.”

“What kind of threats?”

“After he has me tied to this chair, holding a knife to my throat, he says something about ruining my life and the people close to me. Then later that day he leaves this piece of paper on my partner's car with some names written down.”

“Names?”

“Ya like Shaw’s family, you and my partner.”

“Me? What do you mean, me?”

“That’s why I’m here Doc. I can’t piece that part together.”

The Doc is silent. The blood from her face starts to fade.

“Scott. I need you to be less nonchalant about this.”

I lean forward on to the couch and stare into her trembling eyes.

“I’m very serious about this.” I say, trying to reassure her.

“Ok…” She says before taking a deep breath in. “What do you need?”

“I need you to tell me who the guy who left when I came in was.”

“Him? No he’s just a client.”

“Since when?”

“Umm… let’s see…” She says while going through her book. Her fidgeting hands clumsy going through the pages.

“Doc.” I say assertively. “I may be a failure at most things in my life. But I’m good at this. I’m here to protect you. I just need everything you can give me on this guy.”

Her hands steady a little.

“Eric Jackson, he has been a client for about one year and eight months now.”

Jackson? Are you fucking kidding me?

“What’s he in for?”

“He started coming here after he was in a car accident and lost his wife and daughter.”

“Did he have any particularities? Way of speaking?”

“Not that I can think of. He was always very polite, never had a temper no matter how difficult the conversations got.”

“Anything else?”

“Let’s see. Well he would often relive the crash in his dreams. He would talk about how they would have family dinners where they would go out for food every friday. Nothing abnormal.”

Starting to sound an awful lot like our guy.

“Did he speak in the third person?”

“Actually kind of. Not all the time but every time he would talk about the past he would say we. Even when the story didn’t quite line up.”

Doc I’m going to need a copy of everything you have on this guy. Names, dates, everything.

“Ok.” She replies in a hushed tone.

Suddenly three hard knocks hit the door behind me. I watch the soul leave her body for a moment before answering.

“Yes, what is it?” She asks reluctantly.

“Hanes! I need you right now.” I hear muffled through the door.

“Kid? Ya ok I’m on my way.”

Something in her tone seemed hurried.

“I’ve got to go Doc, send me those files to my office will you?”

“Sure thing.”

As my hand makes it to the brass handle of the door I hear her say.

“Is something going to happen to me?”

I turn to look at a childlike figure clutching tightly to her book causing the pages to ripple.

“I can’t promise that nothing will happen. But whatever happens. I’ll be there.”

A subtle nod and a bitten lower lip reassures me. She’s not used to being so close to the line of fire. I get it. You don’t exactly take that kind of job expecting to be a target.

“What’s wrong kid?” I ask Ashe as I close the door behind me.

“Just got a call. There’s a hostage situation four blocks away. They want us there.”