The figure and Asher stand in the elevator silently, he shakes softly.

She pulls her pistol and aims at the door, the elevator finally dings and the door slides open. She holds up a hand, telling him to wait.

She walks out, he could easily push the top floor button silently and start this all over again. If there's anyone left, they'd likely be dealing with her while he escaped. But she saved him, if she wanted to hurt him, it would be as easy as blinking for her.

He's not sure if its fear or that he trusts her, maybe it's both. But either way, he sticks his hand out and keeps the doors from closing.

She clears the floor and motions for him to come. He does as commanded and hurries over to her. She takes his hand and hurries to a small cement wall, they hop over it and run they run across an abandoned street and into an alleyway.

"Wait! Wait! Where are we going!?"

She doesn't stop pulling him, they stop right before they exit an alleyway and she lets go of him and looks at him and signs.

'I am Noctus. James Palmer died a few days ago. He was a multimillionaire-'

"Y-yeah, I'm aware, what does this have to do with me? What the heck...does this have to do with me!?"

She slaps her hand to his mouth. She holds a finger to where her mouth would be.

'James Palmer was...he was a cruel man. Asher, you are an orphan who never knew your parents. Your mother was Jennifer Dud, she was married to James Palmer. The reason she gave you away, James would likely have thrown her to the streets.'

Asher's eyes widen, his heart drops as she signs every word. There's no way! No way!

'There are many people who would sabatoge and murder to obtain your father's position and property.'

"He's not my father. There's no way."

'Asher, James Palmer learned of your existence the day Jennifer died, 1 year ago.'

"Then why wouldn't he say anything?"

The woman sighs, 'It's as I said, your father was a cruel, selfish man. But he had enemies, keeping his property out of their hands was more inportant. He was poisoned, he wrote a will and gave everything to you.'

Asher falls against the wall and slides to his butt. He knows she's not lying. Even more panic and fear set in his heart.

She crouches down, 'Do you know the law concerning murder and heirs?'

He hesitates for a moment, he licks his lips and shakes his head.

'Should someone who stands to inherit something be murdered before they inherit it, then the murders inherit all that was to be given, with no criminal punishment. What they just did, that was attempted murder, if they succeeded, the charges would be void. I was your father's protector, I will defend you to my last breath.'

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Asher holds up a finger and crosses his arms, after a few moments, Noctus sits on one knee and waits patiently.

A few minutes pass and she tells them they need to move, that there is a safe house.

He nods and gets to his feet slowly. "S-so, why protect me? How do you know I'm not the same?" Asher whispers,

She quickly, gently squeezes his wrist once. Asher guesses it's her telling him to not talk about it in public.

They walk down the sidewalk, passing several people and lights and buildings overflowing with pounding music of different kinds.

Finally Noctus stops and walks up to an SUV, she holds up her gloved hand and holds it against the car window.

Fwump!

The car unlocks, Noctus opens the car and climbs into the driver's seat, Asher hurries around and climbs into the passenger seat.

She puts it in drive and starts off, she taps the stereo screen several times and suddenly a voice comes from the speakers.

"Incognito mode, activated, car now secure."

Then it starts again in the female automated voice, "Asher, I have an ear piece in my ear, it sends electronic signals to my brain the same way my brain sends those signals to my body to function. It senses the words I'm thinking and allows to to talk to you like so. You inherited me from your father, you are my master. I serve you and protect you."

"W-why? You said he was cruel, how do you know I was different? You could have gotten off scot-free!"

"Because, I researched you a little before coming. You were born with nothing, you know survival, but not how to live, you don't understand money, you don't understand power. Based on research I have collected, I believe you to care for others, especially those in need. You, are not like your father, you would use what you inherit to help those in need."

"So that's why you decided to help me...and....what if you're wrong?"

"If I am wrong, forgive me, but you can't be as corrupt as your father was. You seem to me to be a good man, too often men with good hearts are stepped on and beaten. You don't deserve to be slaughtered like so many others.

"You really care about greater good that much?"

"I despise the rich, the are often stuck up and use those below them as stepping stools for sport."

"You have no problem speaking your mind huh? So what now? I inherit it all?"

"First you need to survive. I have a safe house, in the morning we will take you to inherit that which is yours."

"So Noctus...what's your story?"

She looks at him and then forward again. "What?" Asher asks,

"I don't talk about it, with all due respect sir."

"Fair enough. So, they know who I am, what about friends of mine?"

"They...might go after them." The speakers say,

"Then we have to help them!"

"We can't."

"You aren't leaving me, I'm not leaving them! That's my final word, turn the car around or I'll get out of the car while it's still moving."

She looks at him quickly and sighs, she looks at the road and shakes her head. "We'll arrive two blocks over, I will give a note to one of them and leave before they answer the door, the risk for contacting more than one is too high."

"Come on Noctus!"

"That is my final word. My job is to protect you, if you die, I failed. One person, that's it."

"Raegan Moore. I know the address."

They do as she said, they park the car two blocks away, Noctus pulls paper out of her center consol and a pen and writes the note and then listens to Asher's directions to the house.

She taps the screen again a few times, "Sentry mode activated, protecting priority subject."

Noctus hurries down the street and jumps fences behind the houses until she gets to a tiny backyard. She looks up at a young blonde woman and man, they sit in chairs and stare at her.

Noctus reaches into her suit coat and pulls out the folded note, she pulls out and taps her phone a few times. Then a female voice speaks from the phone.

"Raegan Moore?"

The man jumps up in front of the woman. "Who are you!? What do you want?" He demands,

Noctus holds up the paper, she holds it out, the man hesitantly takes it. Noctus taps her phone screen again.

"A note, from Asher. Let me be clear, you did not see me. You are in danger, Asher is safe with me."

Noctus tucks the phone away, turns and starts to the fence.

"W-wait! Asher, where is he?"

Noctus looks back at them, she hops the fence as smoothly and swiftly as snapping her fingers. She hurries back to the car and they start off to Noctus's safe house.