Chapter 2 - Strange encounter

I greeted them with a slight seriousness, “Good evening, gentlemen. The clubs are a little further down on Main Street. I’m sure they’ll notice if all their bouncers took their breaks at the same time.” Trying to lighten the mood, I chuckled to myself as the song “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart popped into my mind.

I turned to open my car door, but the man behind me pressed his hand on my car’s side, preventing me from following through with my action. Irritated, I turned to face him as he spoke, “We’re here for Umbridge,” his voice calm but menacing.

I froze, unsure of what to do. The bouncer-type men could be competition. Mike was worth a substantial amount, and I got to him first, so I wasn’t inclined to give him up to them. I weighed my options, trying to decide what my next move should be.

I could see Mike’s once beautiful face through the window. His hair was a mess from my tackle, and he still had specks of gravel stuck on the blood-crusted scratches on his cheek. What surprised me the most were his eyes. They were wide with fear, almost pleading with me not to hand him over.

“Sorry, I caught him first. He’ll be in jail in the north part of the city; if you want him, you can pay his bail. Until then, he’s mine,” I said with a sharp tone, glaring at the big man standing before me. He scowled in return, his bulky figure looming over me.

I sensed he was about to place his large hand on my shoulder, so I moved quickly, grabbing his forearm and sidestepping. I ducked under his arm, bringing it toward his back, and hit my knee just below his thigh. The big, muscular man was now on one knee, and I had the upper hand.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to take a woman by surprise?” I hissed in his ear, my breath hot on his skin. “I’ve already had a bad day chasing this guy. I don’t want you to make it worse.”

Despite bringing him down, he was still almost my height. I shot a quick glance at the others, who stood there frozen, unsure of what to do. I patted the man’s back and let him go as I got into my car, quickly closing the door behind me. Once inside, I started the engine and shifted into first gear, avoiding the SUV in front of me. I swerved back onto the road and looked in the rearview mirror in case they followed me.

I slightly turned to Mike, and asked, “Were those your friends?”

He looked like he had a heart attack in the backseat. Without waiting for an answer, I shifted once more, then stepped on the accelerator and zoomed through the streets, heading straight for the police precinct. Mike was still trying to catch his breath when he finally spoke up.

“How did you do that? One minute he was up, and the next, he was down. I barely saw you move!” he exclaimed.

“I train a lot,” I replied. I had always been passionate about fitness and worked hard to build my strength and muscle, which helped me deal with guys like those. I had a natural predisposition for this type of thing, too. I had always been faster and stronger than most. It was just something I was born with.

“Well, training or not, you just took down one of their vampire security,” Mike called from the backseat.

I rolled my eyes. “Again, with that absurd conspiracy. Vampires don’t exist, Mike. We’re not living in a fairytale. This is real life, and you have to own up to your mistakes. Now, shut the fuck up so I can think.” I knew Mike tended to get carried away with his wild theories, but I couldn’t afford to waste any more time on it. Once I returned to the office, I would have to ask Moe if the contract was open. Moe was my bail bondsman, and he was the one who hired me for this job. I had worked with him on many contracts, so I doubted he would have given me an open bond without telling me first. The arrival of the two SUVs and the intimidating men who emerged from them puzzled me. I hated going in blind, and Moe would have a lot of explaining to do.

I drove my car to the back of the police precinct and parked it. Mike seemed unwilling to leave the car. I had to pull him out by his hair and push him toward the back entrance. He stumbled but regained his balance quickly.

I buzzed the intercom, and a few moments later, a voice answered, “Yes?” The voice sounded almost robotic.

“It’s Max. I’ve got a ‘skip,’ one Michael Umbridge for processing.”

“Someone will be down shortly.”

We waited for a few minutes until two police officers opened the door. One of them took Mike, who gave me one last pleading look. The other officer took the papers from me and scanned them quickly before he looked at me and whistled. “That’s the fourth one this week. Max, don’t you ever live a little?”

I shrugged. “Come on, Dan, you know I need to make a living. Besides, this is way more fun than dating.”

Dan looked at me in disbelief as he stepped inside to sign the necessary paperwork. After a few moments, he emerged from the building, holding a stack of documents and my handcuffs.

“You know, if you ever change your mind and decide to go out with me, I could show you what you’re missing out on,” he said with a husky voice, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

I rolled my eyes in response, trying to ignore the unhappy flutter in my stomach caused by his words. I had lost count of how often he had made this same proposition. I couldn’t risk complicating my job by dating a coworker, and I started hating his advances. They made me uncomfortable. Dan was a macho guy who would never appreciate a strong woman like me, and it would only hurt his pride if I outdid him. I loved being a female bounty hunter because I was less likely to stand out and draw attention to myself. It was easier to blend in with the crowd and catch the criminals by surprise. But knowing Dan, he would come to resent my profession.

“I’ve already told you. I don’t date coworkers or associates. It would only make things complicated,” I said, trying to keep my tone firm and professional.

Dan laughed at my comment and ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair, ensuring I could see his toned body underneath his navy blue police uniform. “Ah, but one of these days, you’ll say yes,” he said with a wink. “I’ll keep trying until you do.”

I walked backward and waved goodbye. I checked my watch with a sigh, realizing that I had to hurry back to Moe’s bail bond office before it closed. The thought of missing this opportunity made me anxious, so I turned on my heels and dashed for my Beetle.

Friday nights always meant party nights, and the city was bustling with activity. Cars honked, and pedestrians rushed by, creating an energetic and lively atmosphere. As I drove towards Moe’s, the city’s neon lights illuminated the way.

When I got to Moe’s, I walked straight to the reception, where Bea’s desk was and sat down, waiting for her to return. Bea was Moe’s wife and his secretary. They were partners in this practice, and I appreciated them both. They were kind-hearted people.

Moe was a retired soldier who had sustained injuries during his service, leaving him with a limping leg and shrapnel lodged in his backside. Despite his disabilities, he remained a remarkable man with great humour. Both Moe and Bea were in their mid-fifties and had no children. I felt like I filled that gap when I started working with them a few years ago. They had always taken care of me as if I were their own.

Bea returned to the reception area with a smile on her face, and her eyes locked onto mine. “Max! We didn’t think you’d be back tonight. Any luck?”

I grinned ear to ear as I placed the papers on her desk. She gingerly picked them up for inspection and entered all the information on her computer. With a button push, my cheque was printed, and she handed it to me.

“Is Moe here?” I asked as I listened to her opening cabinet doors in the adjoining room.

“Yeah, he’s still here, Hon,” she replied.

I heard Bea call her husband from his office, and a few moments later, Moe emerged and greeted me with a warm smile that sizzled down into a light frown. I followed his gaze and became aware of my dishevelled appearance—my jeans were scuffed near the knees, my hair had fallen out of my bun, and my lip was visibly busted. I mentally berated Bea for not mentioning anything about my appearance.

“Did you have any trouble with your target tonight?” Moe asked, his voice laced with concern.

“The same as usual. He ran, tried to fight back and escape, but I managed to catch him,” I replied, brushing off the dirt from my pants. “But, Moe, I wanted to ask you something. Was the Umbridge contract open? Because something strange happened on my way back. Two black SUVs flanked my car, and men dressed in black tried to subdue me and take the guy. I took care of it, but still…” I furrowed my brows in a questioning stare, then crossed my arms over my chest.

Moe looked puzzled and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Max, I only give you private contracts, and the Umbridge case wasn’t open to anyone else. You had exclusive rights to him.”

“Then who the hell were those fuckers?” I growled as my brows knitted together.