Prologue

Standing in the shelter of the trolley stop, I saw her standing out in the rain, illuminated by the lightning. She was soaked to the skin in an instant.

The dim streetlight, its automatic eye shutting the bulb off with every burst of lightning, turning on with the darkness, flickered like a dancehall strobe. It was one hell of a storm.

She wasn't there a blink of an eye ago.

An old fashioned pocket watch in her hand, she looked at it, shook it, held it to her ear, shook it again, frowned and collapsed.

The watch bounced off the curb and into the street.

What the hell?

Forsaking the dubious shelter of the too small trolley stop, I rushed to her and saw her head was bleeding.

What the hell?

The glint of fractured ice in her hair and the fist sized ball rapidly shrinking in the rain ... another splashed in the gutter.

Ah ... that's one mother fucker of a hailstone.

I pulled her into the trolley stop.

My clean today handkerchief applied to her head I waited. I could feel the lump as it rose under the hanky.

That's one hell of a lump I thought.

Normal circumstances would dictate a splash of water to bring her around ... that brought on a chuckle ... water, water, everywhere and she's already soaked.

I heard a distinct crunch under the trolley tire as the driver pulled over. I slung the girl over my shoulder and climbed aboard.

"Evening, Ben," I nodded to the driver. "Let me just put her down and I'll come pay."

"Dampish out tonight, David," Ben said. "You find girlfriends in the damnedest places."

"You got that right," I grinned. "Thump 'em on the head with my trusty club and haul 'em to my cave." I brandished my unused umbrella.

"Put her down," Ben said.

"Don't run off yet. I need to pick up something she dropped ... if I can find it."

"No hurry, you're it ... nobody else braved the storm," Ben said.

I took the small redhead to a seat ... close to the front where the heater was, leaned her back in the seat and bolted for the door.

The watch was a mess.

Climbing up the steps I dropped my pass in the slot and grabbed it as the machine spit it out. I ran it through again.

"Thanks David," said Ben. "Drop you off out front of your house?"

"You're a lifesaver, Ben ... I didn't want to carry her two blocks in this weather. I don't think she weight more than 90 pounds but even 90 gets heavy."

"Try a 90 pound pack, an M14, 200 rounds and three rounds of 60mm."

"Ben ... I did." He knew ... but he worked for a living while I had been an officer.

"Oh ... that's right," he said, sounding dubious. "Go hold her so I can get going."

Chapter 1 »