I NEED YOUR HELP

I NEED YOUR HELP

The day went by so fast, and Nathan was relieved to be far away from Donald. All he did was follow Donald everywhere he went—even the bathroom wasn't excluded.

A pistol was provided to him, licensed under the company. For Donald's protection only.

As he got off the bus, a man in a black jacket got off too. He didn’t think much of it until he turned twice, and the man was still walking behind him.

Occasionally on the bus, he had caught him staring at him. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, he tried to convince himself. One more turn—if he follows him...

Nathan took a turn around a corner, and the man still followed him. He had to do something. If the man was still on his tail, he’d have no choice but to confront him.

He turned into a dark alley, taking cover behind a dumpster.

“Where did he go?” he heard the man mutter to himself as he looked around.

Nathan loaded his gun, his finger on the trigger, and stepped out, walking into the light. “Who are you?” he demanded.

The man’s hands flew up in surrender. “Easy there, fella,” he said, backing away. “I mean no harm.”

“Coming from a man who’s been following me?” Nathan moved closer. “Give me a reason why I shouldn’t empty these bullets into you.”

“Calm down,” the man said, trying to reach into his pocket.

“One funny move from you, and you're a dead man.” Nathan had handled tons of guns before and was a sharp shooter. He could put three bullets in him before his hand even reached his pocket.

“I’m a detective,” the man announced. “You can check my pocket—my ID card is there.”

“Detective?” Nathan scoffed. “Do I look stupid, huh?”

“I apologize for my approach,” the man said, wincing as his arms began to ache. “If you don’t find my ID, feel free to shoot me.”

Nathan slowly moved closer. He pressed the gun to the side of the man's head while reaching into his pocket for the ID. Then he stepped away.

Emmett John — he was a detective, alright.

Nathan lowered the gun. “Just being extra careful.” He handed him the ID. “What do you want from me?”

“Ouch,” Emmett finally lowered his arms. “I need your help,” he said.

“My help?” Nathan furrowed his brows. “Why would a detective possibly want my help?”

“Let’s sit somewhere and talk over a cup of tea,” Emmett suggested. He led the way to a tea shop, where they sat outside. It felt more private, as there was no one else around.

“Why do you need my help?” Nathan asked, impatient.

Emmett sat up. From his inner pocket, he produced a photo and handed it to Nathan. “Do you know the man in this picture?”

It was a picture of Donald, smiling. Of course, he knew this demon. “I know him. Any problem?”

“This man, Donald Ervin, is wanted for several crimes,” he began. “Smuggling illegal firearms, producing meth and other substances, murder…” That was just a few of the crimes he had a hand in.

“Why come to me for help?” Nathan eyed him suspiciously.

“We’ve been watching him, and we found out you recently got hired as his personal bodyguard,” Emmett revealed. “You’re the best person for the job.”

“You can get help somewhere else.” Nathan wanted nothing to do with Donald. “Whatever he does is none of my business.”

“It actually is.” Emmett took a sip from his glass. “You’ve been to different correctional facilities due to substance abuse.”

Nathan’s fingers tightened around the glass. He had buried his past, healed the wounds, but Emmett had dug it up. He had never wanted to abuse meth, but it had seemed like the best escape after the abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepfather.

Eloise was the only one who had stood by him. She’d helped him get over his addiction—something therapy and correctional facilities couldn’t do.

“These drugs have ruined—and are still ruining—the lives of teenagers. We have to stop it.”

“What do I have to do?”

“All I need is for you to gather enough information—who supplies him, and who works for him.”

“I’ll do it,” Nathan said. “Anything to ruin that bastard.” He gritted his teeth.

Emmett’s lips curled into a smile. Victory was at his fingertips. Finally, Donald Ervin was going to face the wrath of the law for everything he had done.

They exchanged phone numbers. “If you’ve got anything, call me. The earlier, the better.” After that, they finished their teas and parted ways.

Nathan returned home, he had calked in earlier and Eloise had packed up his belongings. It took a great deal to stop her from crying. He would miss her, but money had to be made and an alleged criminal had to be caught.

Donald had sent a car to pick him up. His home, a fully furnished mansion was at the outskirts of town.

Privacy, he said.

Nathan was ushered into his room. Just like every other room, it had been beautifully decorate. He flopped himself on the bed, his hands behind his head, his eyes staring at the ceiling.

How was he supposed to gather evidence? He raked his brain. A man like Donald was sly, secretive and very careful.

He sat up. An idea had popped into his head. One he greatly detested—It was the only way. He could tell that Donald liked him, he could use that against him.

Get him to fall in love so deep that he wouldn't hesitate to kiss the ground which he walked on. The mere thought of a man liking him made him pucker his face in disgust.

It's for the best, Nathan said to himself. Donald had to pay.