It’s a race against time for me today, the morning flies by without even noticing. Maria stayed to the house with Nissa waiting for her answer with great anticipation, I had a debt that need paying and so I did. Frankie was the type of girl that for a French girl, French food was the last thing she wished for, Italian was the dish of choice by her today. The best nearby was almost half way across town but it didn’t matter the show she gave deserved it, plus you don’t try to half run a girl that can drop you in less than on hit.

Little place off the east side peers that always had great service, thought that the all-male scene would help as the owner is a little sexist to his employees but I guess if the guys do a better job why not. Finishing up just over an hour we were heading back to the station when the hell horn came active a two times 10-80 in progress, a high speed chase. Frankie grips the dispatch wishing location and hearing it does my stomach drop, traveling east by the peer side of forty second.

“Taven run the lights” she snaps to me and I hit the gas, flashing the red/blue bulbs, “make it three times 10-80” she replies unit 32 in pursuit. Mere seconds pass by with the horn call on vehicle collision against a fire hydrant, Frankie whips out her phone looking every micro moment out her window. I wasn’t a good shot, I couldn’t take on a ninja…but I could drive the best in almost the whole station. “Taven, GPS puts us meeting him at the next intersection step on it” and just after her phrase I push down hard to the pedal.

The tires squeal and the acceleration pulls us to our chairs as the engine growls like a lone tone dragon, windows flash past us and her eyes glue to the cross road coming up fast. Frankie gets the information of the vehicle, Mustang Cobra.

“Keep going I see him, quick before he gets to the lights” she snaps out, hanging on the door side as I weave in and out of cars, finally clearing a view for me to see him coming up lightning fast. “You can’t follow him Taven”

“I’ll run him off the road clean” I plan out in speech, but her head spins at mine

“It’s a Cobra Taven! If he passes you he’s gone”

“And how are we catching him? We’re still in the car!” I barked focused to the road; I hear a click of a seatbelt release. Frankie shifts her body forming into the driver’s seat with me; she looks right into my eyes smiling.

“We’re about to have an accident” she slips lose and pushes my foot with her own into the floor board, jumping the RPM gauge.

“Frankie!” I yell but all happens in an instant,

My ears go deaf at the sound of the impact to the passenger side, Frankie head curls into my shoulder as her hands grip to the sides of my seat. Her body had block all spray of glass from the windows, I grab her head and the force pulls us hard to the left, my body strains under the pressure of the seatbelt and all I can think is not making Frankie move. Horns blow off from all around the vicious centrifugal motion comes to a stop as fast as it started, I sit stunned still computing what just happened.

I feel Frankie’s form move off of me, she plants a kiss to my head

“You alright Taven?” I nod my head not feeling blood leaking yet, my ears pick up motion from the side as I move to see Frankie’s hand open my own door having her slip out. Her other hand unclips my seatbelt allowing me to breathe a little better; I’m shocked my airbag didn’t even go off like everything to the right side of the SUV did.

“Stop! Police!” is yelled out to the crowd and not from her voice, must have been the second unit. I shake my head as clear as it would go, Frankie already took off after him and I need to back her play, feeling down to my side I panic…she took my gun.

Adrenaline pumps through me like hit of nitrous, I jump slide over the hood seeing her in the distance ahead of me. Running after her and the blue uniforms also in fast footing pursuit, with the heart racing I focus my breathing as trained before, turning on corner I just get in sight to see the group in front turn another.

Three, three blocks I ran until I finally saw the halt of the blue unit and Frankie, who quickly points guiding the blues to race and cover the back and scan the building sides. I catch up to her side to which I could clearly see she waited for, catching her own breath in the process

“Good hustle” she said to me, passing back my gun

“Why did you take it” I asked checking the rounds still puffing air in and out fast

“Was going to slow him down, he’s fast…trained fast like a runner”

“For track and field runner?” I blurt out

“More like drug runner” she informs, having her eyes leave my sight to scan the building, I watch as her hand unbuckle the top slots of her knives she held thigh tight, gripping two she grips them combat style, puts one to her mouth to open the door.

I motion with a head nod I’m ready gun form tight straight armed, she whips the door open and my Beretta light flashes on. My motion was still…no one there, not yet. She nods and I move it first, we have done this sort of thing before; too many times I fear but it’s always the same approach.

I scope low and far, she scans short and wide spread, the building was pitch black as any would be after the sun beaming on the eyes that long. We try to slow our breath attempting to here if the runner wasn’t, but if he was like us…he would be hard to take down.

My head wonders a little as my mind tosses thought of what if, this guys was involved with Alec, was sent to finish his family. The area wasn’t too large, maybe 2500 square feet with barrels of something in it, smelt only damp and with the addition of rusting metal. Low left, low right, fast up to the right then over left again…nothing.

I look behind as the cross way of room comes up; I was going to say I’ll go left, she wasn’t there. Bang! Rang the sound of a barrel and I spin to catch the source. My eyes focus to a rock that strike the drum side then it hit me, a foot to the right side of my face, a boot followed raking across my hands dislodging the gun from my hands…I groan out in pain as I stumble.

I dive for my gun but he grabbed for my first spin tossing my body the other way into some drums, they were full and as my shoulder jammed into them I knew they were above halfway, they didn’t move at all. I turned to see him go for my weapon and reaching down did I see it, a knife her type and style pierce his back leg. She greeted him with a side kick to his face then a down slice of her other blade, he blocked her arm. Swinging back he landed a hard hit to her torso giving him space, he spun to his feet pulling the gun to a straight aim, she went low for a spin trip to knock away his feet, success!.

Jarred to the floor the man harshly tried to again position but this time Frankie had control, with a flick of her wrist she dart shots her dagger with flawless execution. The dagger tip goes right into the trigger finger, severing it from his hand. He screams in pain but only for a second, getting to her feet Frankie toe kicks the man in the face with those steel toe size nines putting him out cold. I just lie there for a moment just thankful for the combat result that I really didn’t do much for this time; puffing for some much needed air Frankie looks to me combing her hand to push the hair from in her face,

“Taven you ok” she puts out there, and that is the second time I have heard her say that in an hour, I don’t even look to her yet. Just put my shoulders to the floor relaxing for the first time in what seemed to be hours.

“We are never having lunch…again”

“Oh that’s not fair” she protests, laughing a bit

“And you are now riding in the backseat” I table out, then my ears pick up sirens from what I count to be two more units arriving. The doors open having the new blood flow inside, Frankie calls out our location…a voice is heard by both of us,

“Connor’s here” she says in both awareness and warning. He approached with a jog to his step and a worry gaze to his face,

“I saw the SUV three blocks away, who was driving”

“I was” I spoke out, “up until the last thirty feet, then it was all her” I pointed out tossing the young French ninja under the buss, who just stuck her tongue out at me. Connor looked to Frankie with a judgement,

“What! We had to stop him”

“Police use barricades for that Frankie”

“I found one, just had to improvise a bit” she smiled to which Connor gave back no such return “Oh come on Connor we caught him didn’t we, and no one died…not even him” pointing to the knocked out man, Connor looks at the guy.

“What did you hit him with... a pipe?”

“No, my foot”

“So…a pipe, almost thought that could have been done by Taven until I saw that” Connor ended pointing to the missing finger “That is all you Frankie”

“Oh no I didn’t do that, he cut it on a barrel rim as we chased him” she rebutted, Connor tossed eyes of bewilderment agreeing he motioned for the cops to take the man away. As the cops passed Frankie popped up “Oh wait guys” grabbing the finger to the ground, then hands it to the nearest one who goes squeamish at the offering “you need to process all of him”

Connor aids me to my feet and outside to a squad car with Frankie in tow,

“Captain heard the chase and the result, both of you are to get checked out by medical and he send our new member home until tomorrow”

“We’re fine Connor” I dart out

“Not my call guys, and the next time you wish to do a dinner and a show, call me first…you both clearly need a Chauffeur “

Clearing the medical as I knew I would I head home from a short but composed day, opening the door I see Maria, whose mood was great for her level.

“I got the job Taven” she exclaimed excited, I put a smile on my face but crumble her happy cloud…because I responded with,

“And I got into an accident, then got pounded by a drug runner” I ended pleasant; Maria had no words…just a jaw that dropped in shock.