Alex clocked out at 6:00 pm and exited the employee door. Immediately Gabe's lean figure detached from the wall opposite the doctor's office. Alex let her chin fall on her chest.

Oy. So obvious. Morgan will never follow me with such a shadow. I wonder if his brothers came and are better hidden.

She walked briskly around the corner to put some distance between them. Gabe followed closely. Alex took two lefts and a right. Gabe stuck right with her.

This Guardian of the universe is not noted for his stealth, is he?

Alex gritted her teeth and ducked into a dark alley.

Get the hint and go around, Gabe.

Alex slowed her pace and dared a look behind her.

Sweet Saints in the Super Bowl, he followed me right into the alley.

Alex sighed and swung her bait purse. She walked straight home, refilled the cat food bowl, and entered the apartment.

"Any luck?" Rile asked.

Alex growled and slammed down her purse on the kitchenette table. One metal leg bent a little further.

"Not a sign," Gabe said.

"He was obvious, wasn't he?" Rile asked.

"No comment," Alex said. "I'm taking a shower."

"Didn't you take one this morning?"

"What's your point?" she snapped.

"I didn't know that humans bathed so much," Rile said.

"Learn something new every day." Alex slammed and locked the bedroom door. She gathered her scrub brush and razor and prepared to draw blood.

Cale clacked his claws. "Humans do not bathe that much. I asked Dr. Dewey's wife Mary.  I suspect that Alex feels Morgan's touch lingers on her, contaminates her, and she endeavors to remove it with excessive bathing. I'll ponder how best to help her."

When Alex came out, she wore her black jeans and black leather jacket. "Money's in the bait purse. Buy whatever you want for dinner as thanks for shadowing me. I brought home menus from the Thai place because you can walk there. I'm going out."

"Where are you going?" Gabe asked.

"Y'all have a noble purpose in the universe, but I was a fool to let you give me hope that I could be free of Morgan," Alex said. "I'm going back to my real work, cleaning up my little corner of New Orleans. Don't wait up." She yanked open her front door and speed burst out.

"This is your fault," Rile told Gabe. "You scared off Morgan by being obvious and she's lost faith we can stop him. Now she's upset and taking it out on ordinary muggers."

"She's insane," Gabe said. "Morgan's out there and she went out alone?"

"Since you did such a good job of warning him off, heir to the throne."

"Shut up," Gabe said. "We should follow her."

"She sped out of here, genius. New Orleans is such a small town I'm sure we can find her," Rile sneered. "Let's eat. How much money is in that purse? Alex looked plenty mad enough to take care of herself."

*****

Alex landed and stripped off her leather jacket. Underneath was a leather bodice. She opened her purse and applied the hated make-up. She refused to wear the spike heels of most prostitutes, though, because she couldn't walk or run in them. Her flat leather boots with the crisscrossing chains would have to do.

Now she had to separate out the johns from the pimps. Alex strolled the streets, rolling her hips, squashing her fierce expression.

"Whassup sexy?" a man called from his car.

Alex leaned toward the open window to expose her cleavage, but not close enough to be grabbed. "You. For forty bucks."

"Where's yo' man?"

"Works fo' myself," she said.

"Get in."

Alex assessed the car.

Three men inside. Nope, not getting in.

"Come here, baby." She backed away from the car. "My office." She smiled and unlaced the top of her bodice as she backed into the alley.

Two men exited the back seat and the car parked at the curb. Alex tugged on the leather and exposed more of her left breast than she cared.

I'm sex on a stick. Come and get your candy.

Alex backed further into the alley, caressing her breasts. The men advanced as predators. Alex allowed the first man to grab her. She placed one of his hands on her rear while the other hand roamed her body.

Fire truck moron. Your hands are busy while mine are free to fight.

"Ours now," the first man said. He gripped her chin and forced her against the alley wall.

Alex looked into his eyes. "You destroy women. You destroy children. Your turn."

She head-butted him and rammed her knee into his groin at the same time. She threw him back and blasted the second man who rushed her with a knife. He hit the alley wall so hard that his skull cracked. The first man surged upwards, gun in hand. White fire burst from her hands again and slammed into him. He collapsed onto the ground.

Alex speed burst out of the alley and through the windshield of the car. Light flared from every window as she blasted the driver. She dragged him through broken windshield glass into the alley. She threw him down and ground her heel on his throat. He writhed and she kicked him in the crotch. Then she blasted him unconscious.

Alex surveyed the three unconscious men before quickly stripping them naked. She stuffed their cash in her purse, took their rings from their fingers, yanked off their gold chains and tore their earrings out, leaving their earlobes bleeding. Alex unfolded a small fractal mask from her pocket and placed it over her face. She speed burst to the nearest police department.

A Glock, a Sig, and a knife wrapped in a bundle of clothes landed on the police department's doorstep after the nearest security camera exploded from Alex's blast. Alex kept flying down the street. She usually stuffed pimps' cash in a church donation box, but tonight she decided to donate it to the battered women's shelter. She would pawn the jewelry and use it for vet bills for the cats.

Fire truck those pimps for owning guns. I can't leave them free for the bad guys. Only the good guys should have them. And the weak and helpless of the world. Not everyone has neuro-electric powers.

*****

Alex stopped to feed the orange tabby before opening the door to her  carriage house apartment.

Lights flooded her vision as Gabe flicked on the switch.

"It's 3:00 a.m.," he said.

Alex startled and almost blasted him. "Sweet Guardians of the universe, I told you not to wait up."

"Don't you have to work in the morning?"

"Yes. I'm tired and dirty and going to bed. Downstairs to your brothers, please. You must be cold and you'll grow colder. I don't want to worry about you."

"What about your nightmares?"

"Too exhausted to have nightmares and I have to wake up in three hours. Please go downstairs to your brothers. I feel guilty enough about letting you grow cold. I'll be fine." Alex shut and locked the bedroom door behind her.

Gabe curled up on the couch. He wondered if the sobbing in the bedroom was because Alex was wrong about the nightmares or for another reason.

******

A/N: What do you think of Alex's real work?

Dedicated to EGTczarzenskawitz

Who writes lavish military fiction, dedicates a chapter to me, and I go all Dragon
Editor on it before I realize it's dedicated to me!

DianaTheThird

is right. I'm a Smaug. Congratulations to her as well for her invitation by Wattpad Italian ambassador to contribute to an anthology! Can't wait to read it!

Sam_le_fou

taivaan_sininen

I tried to add pic of fractal mask. Couldn't get whole thing in. Can you see enough ?