I dipped into the nearby alley. The paleness of the night was getting to me. It was too pale, like a Rhodesian out in the sun. I could feel the midnight air creep up behind me, and I couldn''t escape my intuition screaming that I was being watched.


    "Flynn, you need to come back?"


    The gal was still after me. Chief Rayner must''ve been offered a bribe, or maybe they were being extorted. They would never give me up willingly, they brought me on the force to clean this side of town up. Nobody else would, they were all sitting idly by as criminals were allowed to roam the streets. Who would''ve stopped the pebble propagandists if not for me? Who would''ve gone after the horde of mystical beasts that wracked the streets of East Prym with infection and bloodshed? She valued me too much to simply throw me to the dogs now. I had just solved a lucrative case, and I was on the brink of finding another. I ran through the dark streets, with momentary bursts of light to guide my way. The rain had ceased and been replaced by a light mist that eased me into a sense of security. The water caressed my face like a dame who was waiting for me up in the sky. The gal wasn''t far behind me at this point, I could hear her footsteps creeping up closer even though I was sprinting as fast as I could. She was trained, I could tell by her form. This was someone who had been running for a while, someone who knew how to run. This was the kind of runner who saw an objective and just went, she wasn''t the type of runner who I could just evade, who I could tire out. I went into another alley to escape her grasp, but I didn''t elude her sight. She chased after me into the alley that I thought I would find some refuge in. We ran down the alley together, with her screaming at me to give up and go back with her. I knew I had no other choice but to run, whatever they did to force Chief Rayner into submission was something they would soon do to me. I couldn''t be taken from this city, this was the place I owed my entire life to.


    We ran for so long that I had lost track of where we were, but we both stopped under a lamp post. I had finally gotten her exhausted, but I was not far behind from passing out myself. We both leaned against the lamp post as we caught our breath, but before we got the chance to argue about the meaning of life and freedom a mysterious figure appeared before us both. This was a tall man, nearly half the size of the lamppost. Stand him next to a door and he''d win, what a sight. He wasn''t particularly fit, but he didn''t seem like the fatties I''d watch roll down the street in their fancy carriages with their collection of servants. He seemed like the kind of man who they sent to remind you of your place, the kind of man whose mere presence was a reminder, no, a threat. However, he didn''t show aggression only to me. My now adversary fell under his violent gaze as well, and we both attentively watched his next move.


    "What are you two doing out so late?"


    "Sorry sir, we were just getting home."


    He stared at the gal, I didn''t know what he was going to do to her. The intense silence took over any hopes of immediately escaping, and I readied my hands. It had been a while since I''d felt the thrill of a good fight. I brought up my fists for whatever may come from this large man, but before I had any time to plan my next step I saw an arm pass right in front of my head. I had narrowly evaded a punch that wasn''t even intended for me, but my female adversary had not done the same. Her body dropped to the ground like a coin, it was as though this man was toying with her, throwing her around purely with his strength. This was no easy opponent, whoever sent him after us wanted us gone for good. In the next few seconds, I immediately dashed at him. I got in a good few jabs in his stomach and dealt a good deal of damage to his legs. He winced in pain, but ultimately I hadn''t done anything to him. The man was built like the wall of Prymdor, an impenetrable barrier that I could only chip away at with the hopes of one day toppling the whole thing. The man made quick work of me shortly after my first attempt at bringing him down, and I found myself thrown to the floor unable to get back up to face him once more. Before he was able to lay another hand on me I saw the gal creeping up behind him. Just as he threw the fist that would''ve knocked me out clean she wrapped her arms around his neck. This girl must be trained in the art of combat, but why didn''t she simply run away? If her objective was to incapacitate me then she could''ve just left me for dead. I would never be able to deal with this unnecessarily large figure all on my own; I''d be out for the count in a few seconds time. I could leap around the answer as much as I wanted but it was ever-so apparent to me. This girl who I had shown my affection to many times before was finally accepting that she had that same feeling. I knew now that she only chased me down out of worry for me, and here she was using every tool she had to save me. How could I look at such a brave gesture and not respond in kind? I managed to get myself up off the ground just when she had been thrown to it once more.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Come on big fella, I''m not done with you just yet."


    He had pulled out a blade that he now held in his right hand. The light from the lamp post above us allowed it to gleam, I could see every part of the blade, every face of it. No, it wasn''t just that. The man lunged at me like a beast, he brought the blade forward to end my life, but he was far too slow. I found myself able to see right through everything he was trying to do. I quickly dodged to the left and he had to catch himself right before he smacked into the wall of a nearby house. Every time he would make any sort of movement, a kick, a punch, a stabbing motion, I would see it all before it even happened. What was this sensation? My eyes were burning like the candle inside the lamp posts, but it didn''t hurt. I felt like, for the first time, I was truly using my eyes. An outline of this man was made apparent to me, an image of his actions before they would occur. Stab to left torso, dodge to the right, and counter with hook to lower jaw. Slice across the chest, step back and return with forward kick to waist. Lunge to neck, dodge left and respond with knee to stomach as he''s unable to stop himself. Temporarily stunned, further destabilize with uppercut to kneck. Another pause, he can''t breathe. Finish with strong hook straight to the nose. He was lying flat on the ground, he wouldn''t be getting up any time soon. I picked up the gal, I didn''t have to worry about her coming after me anymore.


    I thought about the fight I had just gone through the entire walk back to Chief Rayner''s office. Where had this ability been my whole career? Maybe my ability to see the truth is connected to this, maybe I just see things better than the people around me. If that''s true, then I''m definitely putting this power to great use. Imagine what people like the pebble propagandists would do if they had this ability, to know things that others couldn''t in a million years. I knew why someone was sent after me. There must be another person above Chief Rayner, no, maybe someone above this whole city. They''d seen my feats and they knew that this ability of mine would soon awaken. Imagine that. A man who can see everything that''s going to happen before it actually happens. I must be one of the worst threats to whatever horrible plans they have laid out for this city, maybe even for this country. I had to lay low for a while, I couldn''t go around solving anything else. They may not even know where I''m staying, or that I''m working under Chief Rayner.


    I brought the gal home, and I decided that my tent was no place to spend the night. Whoever was out for me would stop at nothing to see me fall. Chief Rayner was well asleep when I got back, I''d talk to the gal in the morning and make sure that what happened tonight was kept a secret. There was too much at risk for me to get the Chief involved this soon. I didn''t even know what I could do, I didn''t expect that I''d make it back tonight. All I knew was that there was something coming, there was another mystery for me to solve. I knew that this one would be my biggest yet, and I couldn''t afford the people who give me the time of day getting hurt in the process.


    This was something I had to handle alone.