My heart fell at his statement. When he didn't go on I reached over and pulled the glasses down from his face. His eyes were worried, guarded. He looked much older now than he had on that windy balcony yesterday. His eyes were still tired. He rubbed his face as if to confirm his exhaustion.

"His initial orders were what I told you."

My hand kept pressure on the binoculars to keep them from returning to his eyes.

"But?"

"Back at the house, I had an email from him. I thought he sent it only to me."

He glanced out the window before continuing.

"He'd said if you were becoming too much of a liability, we could take you out of the equation," he said with frustration rising in his voice, "I told you he's insane. I guess Higgins thinks you are becoming a liability. He's at least considering doing it himself if he half strangled you last night."

My stomach dropped and tingles climbed up my spine. Unconsciously, I raised a hand to the bruises on my neck.

"How did Higgins see it?"

"I don't know. He may have been contacted also." He tapped his thumb on the glasses, thinking.

"So, am I a liability?" I asked, releasing my hold on his glasses. Sick as it was, I wanted to know.

"Honestly? You're a huge liability right now."

He leaned toward the window again, studying a couple that had just exited the hotel.

I watched his profile for a moment, his eyes moving in calculated surveillance. "Why are you disobeying orders?" I asked tentatively.

His head snapped back around toward me, his jaw muscle clenched.

"Are you asking me why I don't kill you?"

I shrugged, not wanting to reply "yes" to such a question.

At that moment he jumped up, putting the glasses back up to his eyes. "Got you," he muttered. He moved back away from the window, indicating that I should do the same.

"Where's he going?" My whisper was barely audible, as if Higgins could hear us in here.

"That's what I'm about to find out."

He picked up his jacket he had removed earlier and began putting his glasses away. Dressed in all black, he was probably anticipating a night of surveillance.

I had an idea, albeit a bad one. I voiced it before I could reconsider, "Do you need an extra hand?"

He stopped his packing and looked up, "You serious?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, fighting the nagging fear in the back of my mind, "anything to get out of this room."

Gnawing idly on the side of his mouth, he studied the street below before responding.

"I usually have a wingman and we shouldn't be doing anything dangerous tonight."

He was actually considering it. Every inch of me shook with anticipation.

"Ok, if you're sure. Shouldn't be any blood, just surveillance."

I glanced down at my clothes. The black shirt and dark skirt were good enough. The wedges by the bed had been comfortable so far, so my attire shouldn't be a problem.

He slid off his jacket and handed it to me. "Here put this on. Temperature's dropped." I took it from him, making a mental note of what I had to do. I was surprised he hadn't reviewed it with me already. First, stay quiet. Second, do exactly as he says. Third, try to be a help not a hindrance. I glanced back at my snoring friend, knowing he wouldn't miss me tonight.

"Where's your gun?" he asked. I headed back to the bed, slipping it out from under the pillow.

"Not a good hiding spot," he whispered as I came back to stand beside him.

"I thought everyone hides it there?" I whispered back defensively and tucked it into my skirt.

He nudged me toward the door as he muttered, "Not in reality."

Walking with him toward the door I retorted, "Fortunate, I guess, that I didn't remember it when you startled me awake."

We exited the hotel at the back in case Higgins had someone surveying as we had been. In a rental car Kael had gotten earlier in the day, we followed Higgins but were careful to maintain a safe distance. With shaking hands, I manned the GPS and prayed silently I didn't misdirect. After a few minutes of driving, we followed Higgins down a dark alley. We turned off our lights and parked a few hundred yards from where he finally stopped.

Looking around cautiously, Higgins left his car

"Can he see us?" I whispered and slid low in my seat.

"Not with the tinted windows. What is he doing?"

He tapped his finger on his mouth thoughtfully. Despite his words he motioned for me to stay down, placing Higgins out of my view.

Eyes moving back and forth across his steering wheel in thought, he waited several moments and then glanced up and swore commanding me, "Get down!"

He pushed my shoulder down so I was tucked beneath the dashboard. He followed suit.

"I thought they couldn't see us in here!" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper. My shoulder stung from where it had smashed into the dashboard.

"They can't, but..."

He chanced a glance above the dash before ducking down again and this time his face came dangerously close to mine.

"It's Gideon! Something is definitely wrong if they're meeting without me. I have to get closer to hear. Whatever you hear, just keep the gun and your head down."

"Wait," I started but he had already silently unlatched the door. I stopped my protests so as not to give away our position. Without a sound, he exited the car, closing the door behind him.

Just outside the car, perhaps a few hundred feet away, Gideon stood, my father. Despite the undoubtedly diabolical nature of his discussion with Higgins, I couldn't help my sick curiosity, my desire to chance a look out the car window. I imagined him, much as he appeared in the painting at Harper Manor, standing in the shadows of a shop at the far end of the street. My shaking hand grasped the edge of the seat. I pushed against it, the faintest elevation would provide a glimpse, I was sure. Before I'd gotten half an inch away from my seat, I stopped. Whether it was fear of being seen or of actually seeing the father I'd always imagined I couldn't decide. But I wouldn't be responsible for a premature meeting tonight. I dropped my head in my lap, letting the still silence of the night envelop me.

Alone again. I tucked myself deeper into the passenger side floor, praying for the uneventful meeting Kael had promised. The dark silence was all too familiar to me. Unwelcome flashes from my past came into my mind's eye. First I saw Mr. Kinley's form, then his wife's face, streaked with blood and tears, then the darkness swallowed me and refused to let me escape my memories. Next I saw the dark alley, Mr. Kinley crying for help, begging me for help. I looked up. I could see him. I didn't move to help. I didn't cry out for someone. I watched. I was paralyzed with fear and twisted amazement.

Suddenly, a muffled voice made me jump and I realized it was coming from within the car. Looking around frantically, I noticed the GPS screen had changed. The voice was coming from the device. I grasped it and raised a shaking hand to my ear.

The voice on the other end was Kael's frantic whisper, "Harper! He is headed over to the car. Stay down. Do you hear me? Harper!"

I heard the footsteps then, approaching steadily on the driver's side of the car. I hardly had time to think, my mind was still reeling from the uprooted repressed memories. I heard them coming closer. I pushed myself as far back as I could under the dashboard, grateful for the ample leg room the car provided. Tears formed puddles on my knees, but I barely noticed them. The steps were close enough now that any movement I made would be too great a risk.

The steps stopped just outside the car. I could sense someone's gaze through the dark glass. Tucking myself further back, I knew that part of my leg was still visible, but there was nothing more that I could do. The handle clicked loudly as the person on the other end tried it. I twitched at the sound. As I had hoped, it was locked. Silence followed. I held my breath and waited for him to retreat. Whether the person outside was Gideon or Higgins, I no longer cared. I wanted them to leave. My curiosity had vanished.

With a loud crash, the driver's side window shattered suddenly and sent sprays of glass into the car. I felt it graze the right side of my arm and leg even as I saw an arm reach inside to unlock the door. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to scream. The door flung open. Higgins looked down at me with loathing.

"Well, what have we here?" His smile was cynical, almost as nauseating as Madeline's. For some reason, it was only at that moment that I remembered my gun stashed securely into my waistband. I swore to myself, wishing I had drawn it and released the safety before the window had been broken, before Higgins's ugly sneer was visible.

"Glad Gideon asked me to check this car on my way out. Time to fix this loose end, sweetheart," he crooned as he removed a knife from the side of his waistband, "No one said I couldn't enjoy it, though."

I reached back and grasped the gun, remembering to switch off the safety with my thumb as I brought it around to the front, but I couldn't do it. There was no way I could shoot another human being. Suddenly, Higgins face vanished and Mr. Kinley's appeared, the same cynical smile taunting me. I knew I was doing it all wrong, but my hand rose steadily and levelled the gun. I closed my eyes and shot. A howl sounded from my victim the instant the bullet hit. I opened my eyes to see Higgins with rage filled eyes; his hand clutched at a bleeding arm.

"What do you think you are doing?" he roared and knocked the gun out of my hand with one swat from his own. He raised his hand again. I winced and shrank away, bracing for a blow I knew was intended for my face.

My face wasn't the one hit, however. The force of Kael's punch knocked Higgins further into the car. For a second, his eyes were inches from mine with anger glowing in their depths.

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, Kael pulled him out, landing two more blows to his face before Higgins began a feeble attempt at retaliation. He successfully blocked a few more blows aimed at his head, but Kael was too fast for him. Within seconds, he landed numerous kicks to his abdomen and back and forced the older man to his knees.

"You have no idea... how much trouble... you are in protecting that... that..." he spat out and pointed into the car where I crouched on the floor of the glass covered passenger seat. Higgins caught his breath and finished his stuttered threat, "...that girl," and then spluttered, "Gideon said..."

"I heard what he said," Kael growled as he punched the man's face again. Higgins fell face first onto the street, unconscious.

Kael stood for a moment, looking down at the mangled man who had once been a trusted employee. I slid open the lock on my side and vacated the car, brushing glass from my dress. I felt a stinging sensation in my arm as I did so. As I came around to the driver's side, my eyes fell on the man lying on ground, his face swelling noticeably where he had been hit. A pool of blood had started to form under his head. My eyes froze on the growing puddle. Knowing myself, I looked away and was startled to find Kael standing beside me.

"He's losing a lot," he stated, referring to the blood but watching me.

I swallowed and fought the urge to vomit.

"Yeah, I think so."

I swayed. I was unable to keep the thought of the blood from fogging my mind.

"Hey, now."

He moved to support my feeble legs with a hand around my waist.

"Pull yourself together, Harper. You know what? You did really well just now."

"You think so?" I asked feebly.

"For sure. You can be my wingman anytime."

I offered a small smile, wishing the gray spots would leave my vision. "There wasn't supposed to be any blood," I reminded him.

I couldn't help wondering in some twisted way how much longer he could live in that state, how much he could lose and survive. I looked back at Higgins. I regretted it. There was enough now to make me sway. I felt Kael's arm slide under my knees. I was lifted off the ground. "Please don't. I'm fine," I murmured, pushing against his chest weakly. I couldn't catch his reply as my whole world was swallowed in darkness.

*****
Higgins finally got what was coming to him, but why is Kael protecting her from her father? Love to hear your thoughts and theories. Always. :)
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