A Struggle
She rounded the corner from the lounge a second too slow, her shadow lingering in a street bulb. He smiled and strolled down the quiet street. Easy.
He turned the corner. Some tarped scaffolding and stairs down to an old ray-train platform sat on the sidewalk, but that was it. The lane was empty.
“Sigh, back to square-” A noise above. The scaffolding!? “What the- hey?!” She threw herself down into him. She’d planned everything, and he fell for it! She was good.
They stumbled backward, and he felt himself falling. A lot. They plummeted down the platform stairs, grappling for control on their way to the bottom, one over the other, bumping, scraping, and bonking.
Four stairs left. One tumble to go.
He was on top of the roll. He planted his foot on a stair and kicked, throwing them out over the floor. He’d have her pinned once they landed. A perfect tackle! This was it. Nothing was gonna stop him now!
She rammed her knee into his groin. His catlike pounce melted. They hit the floor. She stopped her skid, let him flop over her, followed his momentum until she was over him, then reached for her hip. She’d won out.
He winced. His inguen ached. He shook his head, clearing his mind to greet the sidearm pointed at his face. There was a really angry-looking lady behind it.
“Who are you?”
“Ngh…Lady, I’m not sure you realize how much that hur-”
“Who ARE you?!”
“Who are YOU?!”
“I asked first!”
“You usually tackle people down the stairs before you ask?!?”
The cold barrel kissed his forehead. The tension rose.
“Wanna find out?”
A pause. His brows met in confusion. His eyes checked hers.
“Just answer.”
Yup, she definitely knew.
“...Mkay…here, whoever shoots first doesn’t have to.”
Her eyebrows had their own meeting, then adjourned as she felt the poke at the side of her torso. She glared at his seven-shooter, then at him. His face shrugged and asked, “Can you blame me?”
“You drew first. I’m a kind and forgiving man, so I don’t mind answering your question, but I’d appreciate some personal space. This is just getting uncomfortable.”
She mulled it. Rose slowly. She stepped off and away from him, and he grunted to his feet. Their guns didn’t blink.
“Thanks, miss. I’m Lee. You?”
“Why do you think I’d say?”
“I’d say it’s fair since you threw me down the stairs and sucker-kneed my valuables.”
“I just don’t want to answer.”
“Clearly. New question, then, equally as important: Why did you throw me down the stairs?”
“Why did you follow me?”
“Oh, that’s why.” Her face twitched in frustration. He was good.
“Guess there’s no point in bluffing, then...” He stretched his arms and groaned. His gun stayed focused. “...Plus there’s a pretty high chance one of us ain’t walking out of this. Not much to lose.” He relaxed his arms and sighed.
“I was hired to wipe you, a quick and easy job. Turns out it has not been so, and I’m getting underpaid.”
She had her finger ready. He’d caught her off-guard once. Not again.
“Well, I’m NOT sorry to disappoint. What’d I do to get your leash holder going?”
“That’s awfully private. You wanna actually tell me something first?”
He had a point about not leaving.
“Fine. I was actually hired to wipe you, too.”
He raised his eyebrows at that one.
“Hunter and hunted playing each other at the same time. That’s rare. Anyway, my employer just doesn’t like you. Said you were a worn cord ready to be disconnected.”
He caught recognition in her eyes.
“My employer said the same thing.”
They paused.
He looked at her, quite concerned.
“Lady, did they say the exact same thing?”
“Yup. Exactly the same thing.”
The pause came back.
“Rix doesn’t happen to have a secret twin with his exact vocabulary, does he?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Huh.” He looked down at the floor.
“... Ailynn.”
He looked back up.
“Come again?”
“My name’s Ailynn.” Her eyes burned like a nuclear heater.
He pursed his lips and nodded his head in satisfaction. He sheathed his seven-shooter.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
She glanced away and folded her piece as well. The anger stayed. He could tell that none of it was at him.
“Hey Lee…” She glared through him. “You got any plans tonight?”