Mia tossed and turned in her bed, feeling her body heat up and sweat, yet shivering at the same time. The air around her had become cold, window wide open as the night breeze flowed in. Her breathing doubled in pace as she slowly felt her body wake up. Waking the consciousness within her, she then sensed a cold dry feeling caress her cheek—opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to the right—there he was, gazing upon her beauty.
Seymour.
Mia immediately gasped in fright, edging to the other side of the bed and rolling off to the carpeted floor beneath her. Seymour stood up and walked around the bed at the same pace it took Mia to stand and she immediately began to run to the bedroom door—only to be stopped as he grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall.
"What's wrong baby? Scared?" Seymour spoke softly, an irony in his voice as he then pinned her and began to kiss her neck with his cold dry lips.
Mia felt paralyzed with fear and unable to overpower him even if she tried. She felt tears beginning to escape her eyes. "No…please don't…please leave me alone." She begged, trembling.
Seymour then pulled away and withdrew a pocket knife, stroking it over her cheeks then down her chest and around her breasts. "If I can't have you, no one can." He then threw her down harshly on her bed, facedown. She felt helpless, eyes wide open, crying. She could hear him unbuckling his belt while amused.
"Jack…" She softly mumbled, hoping for rescue. "Jack…help me…"
Help me…help me, please!
Mia screamed.
Jack's eyes shot open and immediately jumped out of bed hearing the bone chilling scream. While wearing a black undershirt, long dark blue pajama pants, and white socks, he quickly turned his head to the nightstand to see his radio showing the time of 2:13 am. Grabbing his gun off the table, he ran out of his room and across the hall into Mia's. Inside was dark with nothing but the reflection of the moon shining through her window. He turned the light on and looked around to see Mia in bed, squirming about. Quickly he checked her closet to see it clear then lowered his weapon, walking over to her bed and sitting down. "Mia? Mia?" He spoke, waking her up. "Hey, are you all right?" She looked petrified, heart racing, and abruptly sat up and began to look around the room feeling nervous.
"Where is he? Is he here!?" She began to cry.
"Mia, Mia." He spoke in a gentle tone trying to ease her worries. He needed to grab her attention; which led him to move his hands up and cupped her face so that she would look at him. "Mia, it was only a dream. It's okay." As she finally allowed herself to calm down realizing that she was okay, there was then a moment of silence between the two. Jack then motioned his thumbs under her eyes to wipe away her tears. The look of distress in her eyes, along with a trace of fear still there from what she thought she'd seen, cut into him.
In the heat of the moment, Mia placed her hands around his forearms. "I saw him…and I was so frightened. I felt so…helpless…" Feeling an emotion unlike any other, at that moment neither one could look away. It was as if their eyes held each other hostage, making it almost impossible to look away.
That was until a little voice in the back of Jack's head finally clicked, forcing himself to remove his hands off of her and look away. "Uh...erm... It was only a bad dream. Do not think that you are helpless at all, okay? You will overcome your fears of him, I promise."
Pulling away from him as well, she continued, "I... I am so sorry. I shouldn't have…" she tried to speak, observing the man before her in his simple pajamas; his black undershirt exhibited his muscular arms broadly while realizing she was in a plain tank top and shorts under her blanket.
He glanced at Mia, a troubled look on his face. "It's quite all right. Try to get some sleep now, okay?" As he picked up his gun then headed toward the guestroom, he then left without looking back at her and returned to his room where he walked over to his bed and sat on the edge it, taking in a deep breath. That situation could have escalated into something he was clearly warned against by his uncle. He needed to shake any inappropriate conduct out of his mind and focus. Okay. Nothing was impossible. He could salvage things, move back into professional mode. It also made him realize how Seymour had done more damage to Mia than he previously thought. He needed to know more about their relationship to assess the situation more thoroughly. It really felt as if this man had really broken her down to a delicate state. That would explain why she came off as quiet, shy, and fragile. It was going to be a tough case, but he felt up to the challenge. Finally deciding to lay back down to get a few more extra hours of sleep, just before dozing off, he had hoped that Mia would be okay.
As the hours quickly passed by, nearing just 8:00 am, Jack's phone began to ring, waking him up.
He reached over towards the nightstand and picked it up, looking at the call display. Deciding to sit up, he accepted the call. "Good morning, chief."
"Jack. Glad you're awake. How is the Simmons residence?" Max's voice came on to the other line.
"Good, so far. How is the case going? Did you get any info on the guy yet?"
"The guy was an easy talker but doesn't know much—or at least that is the story he is going with. His name is Kyle and is without a doubt one of Seymour's accomplices. He said there are four others helping him."
"No motives though, eh? Maybe if we can get the four others then Seymour will show." Jack continued as he stood up and began to get dressed for the day.
"Time will tell. He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. How is Ms. Simmons holding up?" Max asked.
After having a rough night with her personal fears of the man, it was best not to give Max any of these details, not yet at least unless necessary. "She's a bit shaken up but I think will be okay."
"After a traumatic scene like yesterday, for sure. There's no doubt that she is stressed out since hearing of Seymour's return. Why not take her out somewhere to get her mind off it?"
"Out in public again?"
"It's Saturday so choosing somewhere there is a heavy civilian presence would be beneficial. Might get a lead and come across another accomplice."
"Alright, Chief. Consider it done."
******
Not too much later that morning, Mia had woken up, feeling weary. It's always usually too hard to sleep after nightmares, no matter what age. Seymour was a man of many evils, which she truly regretted being involved with. She desperately wanted to forget her past and him and hoped that someday soon, she will. Getting dressed and leaving her room, she noticed Jack's door was open and empty inside. Deciding to head downstairs and into the kitchen, where he was at the table drinking coffee and eating breakfast, cooked by none other than the Simmons residence chef, Lewis.
He turned his head to see Mia standing there in the doorway, making her way over to the table. She wore tight jeans with a soft pink t-shirt and white socks. "Good morning…" He began, looking over at the chef behind him quickly then back at Mia, "Ma'am."
"Good morning, Agent." She continued to play along, taking a seat next to next to him as Lewis had just finished preparing her plate and presented it to her. "Thank you, Lewis." She continued and waited until he left the room.
"Did you sleep okay?" Jack asked then took a sip of his coffee.
"As best as I could." She replied, looking down at her food of bacon, eggs, and toast, then back up at Jack. "Um…I wanted to apologize again for last night for my behavior. I didn't mean to…do what I did. I woke up in shock."
"It is okay." There was a pause of silence between them as she began to eat. "What are your plans for this weekend?"
"After yesterday it feels like I should be under house arrest with all the attention I've caused. Maybe I should stay indoors?"
"How about I take you out to get your mind off all this? When I was growing up I remember my parents taking me to Luna Park. We can stake a stroll along the boardwalk and check out Coney Island Beach? It's a popular place filled with people so it shouldn't draw much attention. We can take a cab to lessen the chance of being seen and followed."
"Really? You would do that for me?" She asked, feeling wanted. "I would love to."
Jack was having a good feeling about taking Mia out for a day to get her mind off the case and Seymour. He hoped that the day will go as planned with no threats or dangers so the destination should be at their advantage. He was certain that Seymour would not show himself publically around so many people so that just left the four others who might be wondering about. Time would tell. It would also be a good test for him to revert back to the professionalism of his job and make sure no further inappropriate conduct would take place.
Getting ready that morning, Jack wore jeans and a dark green polo t-shirt that was equipped with a protective bulletproof vest underneath as well as his gun in his holster. Not to cause any scenes, he also had a short sleeve plaid shirt as well, halfway buttoned up to hide his weapon. Once finished, he waited by the front door for Mia, who looked absolutely stunning once she presented herself walking down the stairs. She wore jean shorts with a purple over-the-shoulder shirt and casual white sneakers. Her hair was down and straightened. "Ready when you are." She spoke first, giving him a small friendly smile. Talk about keeping it casual; she was beautiful, that was definite. But more than that, seeing that smile on her face - was beginning to allow Jack to see another side of Mia - one that would help her move on from her troubles and worry and allow her to return to enjoying life once again.
They left the house together and hopped into the cab that was waiting for them outside to take them out.
The weather was perfect that day with not a cloud in sight. The two of them enjoyed the late morning and early afternoon walking around and indulging in some carnival games and hot food for lunch. Although they weren't up for any of the big rides, they did enjoy one another's company playing arcade games and enjoying the scenery. Seeing a smile on Mia's face made Jack feel accomplished that he made the right choice to get her out of the house and enjoy the day. Nearing the late afternoon, they decided to head away from the attractions and enjoy a nice walk along the boardwalk that overlooked the beach and ocean in the close distance.
"So you grew up in New York?" Mia asked, taking a lick of her strawberry ice cream. "Tell me more about you."
"Well, I'm originally from Long Island. We moved around to a few different places while growing up. Once I graduated from high school, I enlisted in the Armed Forces for four years, which mainly spent overseas. When I returned to New York, I still didn't feel quite the same being back home... See, Chief Murphey, he is actually my uncle and saw an opportunity for me in Seattle. I was recommended to be apart of a security company as a high profile bodyguard. After a year of that, I was actually so good at my job that the Seattle Police Department sought me out and hired me for security cases. I've been working for both for the last three years. So you can say I was quite surprised when out of the blue my uncle calls and assigns me to your case working alongside the NYPD." Jack spoke, then looked over at Mia. "How about you? What is your life story?"
"I would have thought you looked over my life profile by now, Mr. Agent." She chuckled.
"There's a lot to know." He laughed as well. "Personality I think it sounds better hearing it from you."
She could feel her cheeks flush when he spoke those words to her, really taking in at the thought that he was more than interested in knowing about her; despite their client to job relationship. "Growing up… my parents were busy a lot when I was young. My father was always working, even to this day, he spends a lot of late nights at the office. My mother passed away when I was six...cancer. I was educated from a young age to be prepared to take over the family business one day. Private schools and tutors. My childhood was as normal as it could be from that perspective. A few close friends. It's actually a little disappointing I don't have much more to tell you."
"It's more than enough." He smiled as they then stopped and looked over at the ocean, the sun slowly setting in the distance. Leaning on the wooden rail, he took in a deep breath of the fresh air. "This is nice. Been a long time since I had a day out to enjoy."
"Me too." She replied, leaning on the railing as well beside him. "Jack… want to thank you for today. I can't remember the last time I was out and about. Also... I really enjoyed spending time with you."
"You're very welcome. I'm glad. I had a really good time spending time with you too." When she looked away back out at the scenery, he continued to look at her. Even though it had only been two days, he could see all her emotions in her gaze. She wanted to be free again. She wanted to be happy. He wanted to be the one to give that back to her. "We should be heading back soon."
"Okay." Mia nodded, both heading off the boardwalk, through the park, and haling for a cab to take them home.
******
The car pulled into the driveway just past 6:30 that evening. Lewis would have dinner prepared just in time for their arrival, which both were looking forward too. As Jack and Mia unbuckled their seatbelts, the driver turned his head, "That'll be $46.00 even."
Jack reached in his pants pocket for this wallet when he looked out the window and over to the house to notice something off. He paused for a moment looking around suspiciously. "Is something wrong?" Mia asked him, watching his eyes shift all over.
He felt the bottom of his stomach turn. "There should be a guard outside the front door. He's not there." Everyone went quiet for a moment. No sounds, no movement.
"Maybe we should -" Mia spoke but was immediately silenced as a bullet shot straight through the rear window, between her and Jack and pierced a hole straight through the driver's forehead - his blood splattering throughout the car and all over both of them. She immediately panicked at the sight and was about to scream when more guns open fire on the vehicle.
"GET DOWN!" Jack instructed placing his hand over her back as the two of them ducked down to the floor as low as they could. The windows shattered, the tires punctured, the vehicle rocked as the side Mia was on began to fill with bullet holes. She screamed, covering her head and laying low as possible. "You're all right, Mia. I'm here, I'm right here. Jack spoke trying his best to ease her fear. As the car continued being shot at, he worried, needing to think quickly to get them out of there.
Jack then reached over and held Mia's hand. "We are going to be okay, I promise." She gripped his hand back holding it tightly while looking over at him - his eyes, they were serious and sincere at the same time as he kept his eyes on her as well. She was petrified, as he was as well just without showing it. Jack saw a spark her eyes, that even at her most vulnerable moment-he began to feel different. At his most confidence, he was determined to rescue her from her worries and this night. He was determined to save her. After a few seconds, the shooting had stopped. The gunmen were possibly reloading and closing in on them. Jack had to think fast. And within a moment, he had an idea. "Mia, stay here. Stay as low as you can." She nodded in response as words could not be spoken out of her fear.
He then let go of her hand and turned around, opening his door which wasn't facing the shooters. Carefully and keeping low, he left the car and crawled to the front door and opened it, grabbing the deceased driver out and onto the ground below. Outside was quiet, too quiet. He didn't have a moment to spare. Crawling in quietly, he reached over for the keys and started the car - only to be inhaled by a new set of bullets being fired at the vehicle. Jack then put the car into drive and thrust his leg down and floored the gas pedal. Within a few seconds, the car drove straight and right into the garage, destroying the doors. They were inside and safe for the moment and away from the gunfire.
Jack jumped out of the car and around to Mia's door which looked just about ready to fall off. He opened it and reached down to help her out. Accepting his hand and leaving the car, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Outside became quiet again. They must be nearing the house. "They are still out there. You go inside and find a safe place to hide. I'll call my chief and request immediate assistance." Mia looked hesitant to leave his side after what had just happened. Both of them still covered in blood, she felt weary. "I'll be right behind you. Just need to make sure outside is clear."
"Okay." Was all she could speak, looking at him one last time then turning away and running over to the door, which connected the garage to the foyer of her house.
Jack pulled out his phone and pressed his speed deal. Waiting for him to answer his phone, he knew he didn't have much time to stall the shooters.
"Chief Murphy speaking."
"Max! It's Jack! I am in need of immediate assistance at the Simmons residence! We are being open fired at! HURRY!"
******
Running down the short hallway that led to the foyer, it didn't take long for her to stop suddenly upon reaching the room. Mia froze in fear as she looked out to see someone standing in the middle waiting. Waiting for her.
The man turned his head and grinned.
Lewis and Charles, the chef and butler, were both sitting on one of the couches with their hands tied, everyone looking over at her.
"My sweet Mia, there you are." He spoke, his voice sarcastically cheery. "I've been wondering where you had run off to today." She didn't speak. Even if she could, she was flabbergasted for words. Slowly, she took two steps back. "I wouldn't run off again if I were you." He taunted her, taking out a pocketknife and began to fidget with it. "We have guests. It would be rude to leave them here... defenseless."
She stopped, looking over at the two men her family adored and spent many years with, knowing she couldn't put them in harm's way. "...What are you doing here, Seymour?" Mia finally had the courage to say.
"I just want to talk. I've missed you." He began to slowly walk up to her. "My, my, so much blood. I suppose my friends went a little overboard in their plans."
She was panting with fear feeling her heart race. There was nowhere for her to go. Mia shifted to the right and took three steps back till her back was against the wall. "Y-You shouldn't be here..."
He then moved up that stood right in front of her, slamming his hands, one on each side of her, against the wall violently. She jumped from the shock and closed her eyes momentarily wishing this was just another dream - but opened her eyes to see Seymour there before her. He had her pinned against the wall now, his closeness making Mia's heart feel as if it was about to pound out of her chest. As he pressed in closer, she saw the muscles in his arms on the wall flex. "You have a new little boy toy following you around. I don't like him. He is also responsible for one of my friends being arrested yesterday." Again she didn't respond. She felt herself shivering from the fear of being so close to him once again, lone tears escaping her eyes. "You can't run away from me, Mia. We belong together." He then lifted his right arm and took his fingers and brushed them against her hair, tucking a strand of blood stained hair behind her ear. "I don't want to hurt you. You know how much I love you." He breathed in her ear, then moved his mouth down to the side of her neck, his lips grazing down it.
The feel of his touch made her uncomfortable but continued to stand still for her fear of his actions would be worse if she resisted. "Jack…Jack…help me… She yearned for rescue. The seconds that passed felt like minutes as now both his hands began to touch her body. His blue eyes piercing hers as his fingers trailed lightly up and down her arm leaving goosebumps in their wake, making her shiver. He was a poison to her and the longer time passed the sicker she felt.
"Mia! Mia!" Came a voice in the near distance.
Seymour took a step back and turned his head to the right to see Jack run into the room and look over at him - face to face for the first time - staring at one another. Seymour's angered eyes pierced through Jack's shocked expression and without hesitation or even waiting a second longer - Seymour withdrew his gun and immediately shot him in the chest.
"Jack!" He heard Mia scream as he fell to the ground, grunting. She slipped away from Seymour and ran over to him, bending down to her knees beside him. Jack opened his eyes and placed his hand over to where he was shot to see no blood. "Y-You're...you're not dead!?" Perplexed at first, she watched as Jack pulled his shirt down from the collar to see that he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
"Not yet." He joked while sitting up and looking over to see that Seymour had fled. "Damn, he's gone." Coming to the realization that he had just seen the man who was putting Mia through so much terror, he stopped for a moment looking at her. She was shaking, her eyes heavy with fear and still covered in blood... she needed him now more than ever. "Come on. Let's get you out of here and somewhere safe."
******
After Seymour had fled, the other shooters had gone as well. The police showed up minutes later to assess the situation. Lewis, Charles, and the guard who was in charge of watching the front door all cooperated and told the officers all that they had seen and witnessed about the break-in, Seymour, and the shooters. It was a planned attack since they were the only ones home at the time and were easily overpowered. Norman had come home as well after hearing what had happened and was speaking to Max when Jack came walking over.
"The damage is not excessive. Your insurance company should handle all the details." Max began while finishing up his report.
"Thank you. I'm just glad that my daughter is okay. She must be so shaken up." Norman replied then looked over at Jack. "How is she?"
Jack turned his head and looked over at Mia, who was sitting in the back of his car, silent and wanting to be alone. "I can't say that this evening has been easy for her. I am going to escort her over to the safe house for the night. Hopefully, she can rest there." He then looked over at Norman and Max.
"Thank you, Agent Keller. My daughter is alive thanks to you." Norman finished, shaking his hand then proceeding towards inside the house.
Jack looked at Max and breathed a sigh of relief. "What a night."
"You did well today, Jack. We will catch Seymour and his goons."
"I know. You should have seen the look on Seymour's face. Pure evil. This is going to be a tough case."
Max took a puff of his cigarette and looked away, oddly. "Yes, well, you just make sure Mia is kept safe. Leave Seymour to us."
"You seem hesitant. Is there something I should know?"
"Just be on guard, kid." Max finished, beginning to walk away. "See you at the station in the morning. Don't be late." Max was definitely hiding something from him and by his suspiciousness, he felt like it could be something important. But he suppose it had to wait for another day. It was time to get Mia out of here.
******
After all the reports and dodging the media that were trying to cover the story in front of the home, Jack had finally managed to slip away and safely escorted Mia to the safe house around 8:30 that evening. The safe house was located in a small five story apartment building equipped with underground parking. It was the first time for him as well seeing the inside of the apartment, unlocking the door and proceeding inside with Mia right behind him. It was a cozy one bedroom apartment, equipped with all the essentials; kitchen, small dinette, two couches, and a flat screen TV. There were fresh towels in the bathroom and fresh linin in the bedroom. Jack even went over to the kitchen to see it was already stocked with a few food and drink items in the fridge and cupboards. Not bad at all.
Jack placed his duffle bag and laptop on the table and quickly went into the bathroom to change his clothes and wash his face so that he could go out and grab them some pizza at a nearby pizzeria while she stayed and showered. Trying to make the trip as short as possible, he returned to the apartment; entering and locking the door behind him. While walking in and placing the food on the table, Mia had just came out of the bathroom just in time to eat. He looked over at her, flushed, observing her outfit of pajama short shorts and a pink tank top. Sure the June weather was rather humid; but while feeling flushed, he looked away as she approached.
"H-Hey good timing," Jack began, feeling his words stutter a little. "I bought us pizza. I hope that is okay?"
"Y-Yes..." her words her soft and low, as she walked closer and over to the kitchen counter. Jack watched as she was gathering the items to make herself some tea, her hands shaking undoubtedly from the shock she was still in from earlier.
"Let me help you." He offered, walking over and standing beside her. She was trembling. He could only imagine the pain she was in and the fear she was experiencing through all of this. His next move was bold but felt she needed it. "Hey, don't worry. Come here. Everything is going to be okay."
Jack then motioned her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her, embracing. She needed comfort and when she responded back by wrapping her arms around him tightly, he knew it would help. They stood there for a good minute before Mia was the first one to begin to pull away slowly. Still holding one another, they pulled apart just enough for their faces to be mere inches apart. His heart began to race, indecision weighing in his heart and wrapping around his throat like a pair of hands, making it difficult to breathe. Each beat of his heart echoed heavily in his chest. She wasn't showing signs of moving away from him. She wanted to be close to him. But wouldn't it be wrong? They were so close - their foreheads almost touching as they breathed in the same air. Jack looked down at her while she was staring at his lips. What could she be thinking? What was Jack thinking? It was entirely unprofessional of him to be this close to her and he'd be lying to himself if he tried to deny any sort of spark between the two of them.
It was going to happen. Mia couldn't help herself as she looked up, kissing him softly, sweetly. He stiffened at the contact and didn't kiss her back, full well knowing this wasn't a good idea. But as her lips touched his again and then once more, her body pressed firmly against his, he felt his own body responding to her, and his lips reciprocated as he leaned down and tentatively kissed her back, his hands on her hips as hers laced around his neck. It felt unlike any kiss he had ever experienced with another woman - gently, loving - he didn't want to stop. Damn, she was so beautiful; too beautiful. As their moment continued, he was damned as that little voice in the back of his head was there again forcing him to think of the consequences of his actions. Regardless of any feelings - he knew she was in a vulnerable state and as that crossed his mind, Jack then moved his head away which triggered Mia to instantly remove her hands off him and take two steps back.
"I, uh, I'm sorry." He spoke first, looking over at her to see her look away. "We shouldn't have..."
"No...no... it's okay." She paused for a few seconds, looking away, her eyes heavy with worry. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't of... I should get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning... Goodnight Jack." Quickly turning away, Mia hurried off to the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Jack signed, feeling like an idiot for making their situation awkward now. He needed to get his mind off of any thoughts and continue on the case. The only thing he could do now - eat some pizza, shower, and get some rest on the couch.