We leave the car

I gazed at the vacant space left in the small car's rear and the bleach eyes met mine. - ``He is well trained! He is fast and he is about the only one of you all that knows what he is doing!'' - For some one so totally off most of the time, he seemed to read me like a book.

- ``Thanks!'' - I complained in a untouched feeling, hiding the gratefulness I felt for his comfort. He managed to ease my anxiety at least for the Dark Knight. - ``How about the others?''

- ``Wish I knew! They have had training alright. It's not like any of us hasn't, the whole year, but I can't really tell how they will behave... Hence the contingency plans.'' - His right shoulder and eye brow both raised and dropped.

-``Training all year? When were you going to tell me? Since when were you planning this?'' - Sonya was getting more and more frustrated, the good thing is we were almost there!

- ``I would say they are the unpredictable link! Usually I don't deal with such concentration of week links, but... In this case a significant amount of chaos might actually help.'' - He continued.

- ``Nice for you!'' - I scowled as I slid back to my seat, pretending I didn't hear Sonya. I didn't want to fight, I didn't want to get into it and couldn't even if I wanted. Fortunately the car just drove us off.

I looked out the window. It was starting to be stuffy with condensation. The tall lamps spread lonely light spots on the otherwise dark swallowed streets. The only sound around was of a few creatures of the night and some dog that barked from time to time. The houses passed us by in a steady pace and my heart dug dipper in its cavity.

- ``Left please, just drop us off on the next cross road and please leave... and don't worry! He will know what to do afterwards. Thanks a lot Sonya... we didn't have more wheels and it was ridiculous to attempt this without them.'' - She didn't move, just gave a silent ``humhum'' and I kissed her cheek. It was all I could do to thank her for now. That and pray that all would go well and she wouldn't be in any danger. I hoped against reason she would listen and for the first time in her life let go, but I knew that was the longest shot of them all.

I will never forgive myself if this goes south and any of you get hurt. My sight blurred and I realized my heart was beating slow and deep, my throat was crushing and the windpipe was hardly providing enough allowance for the air I needed to breathe. I swallowed dry and forced a deep breath, cleaning my face blank and taming my body.

- ``You are not that bad yourself.'' - Bleach eye's voice echoed from my back. I was torn between hating him profoundly for his superiority in such comment and pitying his inability to compliment. He was still fixed on his train of thought as though we hadn't moved or talked.

The car stopped in the dark. This was a huge street, bathed in a generous quantity of light, the street we came from was also large and small commerce filled the lower floor of the buildings surrounding it. We choose this street because we had space, an opening, a traffic light and the route had a turn here.

I put an arm behind Sonya's neck, pushed her to me and wrapped the other on her front. She pouted, turning her face from me lightly. But she didn't offer any resistance so I kissed her cheek nonetheless. - ``You know I love you, right? I'll never forget this. Your trust means everything to me.''

I reviewed the plan in my mind while I opened the car door. As my foot touched the floor it felt my body's weight before I applied it. When I stood up I was weighing four times what my legs were able to stand and ten times what I should. Even my chest seem to drop on my belly and my belly press my pelvis. I felt like I was made of jelly, a very heavy jelly, a mercury based jelly. Then my heart started pounding and my legs shook. The equilibrium failed me and two white long hands caught my shoulders steady, before I could realize what was going on.

-``Adrenaline dear! Try and get used to it, tonight you could drown in it! '' - His eyes watched through me as if I weren't there, to the surrounding buildings undaunted and unaltered. He grabbed a stone from his bag with his free hand and looked around.

I shook his hands off and walked to the small hollow between two buildings where the trash was kept and the outer recoiled stair cases faced each other. A splinter sound followed by footsteps behind me. Bleach eyes broke the street lamp, signaled Sonya to continue and he came after me. I put my sneakers in my back pack, looked back to ensure that I wouldn't be seen and jumped bare feet for the first platform on the right, where stairs gave external access to the building. It was a swift jump that would impress any human walking casually by, but unmatched by the rapid flight that landed behind me.

- ``Show off!'' - I faced him, his slim fit turtle neck shirt had a cape on the back that would conceal lightly the membranes released under his arms and from what I could imagine a backless cut. - ``So that is what you guys wear when you go out playing ninjas? ''

His face rotated expressionless to face the road and his eyes met nothing nor anyone.- ``All in position? All according to plan so far! Please let us know when we should move!'' - He said touching his neck collar.