Chapter 16 - Tank Kites Healer Ports

Gamer Vocabulary:

Kites/Kiting: a gaming strategy to take the aggro off of another player Ports: to transport usually through a spell or scroll, typical way to leave an area in gaming.

As Brian got out of his car, he had a really bad feeling in his gut. Something wasn’t right with all of this. He walked into the little café and sat down at the table. The man before him smiled at him happily. “You…look good Hunter,” he said, sounding almost surprised.

“You sound like you didn’t expect me to look so,” Brian replied a little tartly.

“Well, you’ve been here for nearly a month isolated with only that girl for company. I’d expect you to be half crazy by now,” he stated with a smirk.

“She’s not that bad once you get to know her. Look mind telling me how you found me? What’s more, what the hell are you doing here, Larson?” Brian demanded, looking at his friend with irritation. It was dangerous for them to be here in public together and it didn’t make any sense at all. The older man smiled and leaned back in his chair.

“I found you by your cell phone. I traced you when you’d call for updates,” Larson said in a nonchalant tone that was making Brian grown angry.

“Larson, we have little over a week before the trial. What was so damn important that you traced me, came over here risking everything, and dragged me to this stupid restaurant,” he demanded once more not understand his friend at all, it had to something big.

Larson leaned forward in his chair looking Brian straight on. “There is nothing more important than the life of a friend.” he replied.

Brian looked at him confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Larson smiled at him again as he once more leaned back in his chair taking a sip of his coffee. “Last week I was told that I’m being forced to retire in one year, Hunter. Just one silly little insignificant year. I’ll be on a pathetic excuse for a pension that will barely be enough for me to survive off of. After all these years and all the scum I’ve put behind bars they're going to put me out to pasture on a cup of noodles diet,” he said with a sneer on his lips with a bitterness Brian never heard from him before.

“And all for what Brian? Have we made the world a better place? You think putting Chase behind bars will change something? Hell, there is a thousand of punks just like him waiting to take his place.”

“What did you do man?” Brian asked him hoping like hell it didn’t sound like he thought.

“I’ve given myself a beautiful future with no worries off in the Mediterranean beaches with some bronzed beauty is waiting to make my every desire come true,” he said, his smile growing.

“You didn’t,” Brian stated at his friend in horror.

“I did. She’s made me a very rich man or should I say made us very rich men. You can be my wingman Hunter. You and I on some Spanish beach with a voluptuous woman on each arm sounds good right,” Larson said with a hungry look.

“Chase is going to kill her when he finds her,” Brian shot at him.

“Yes he is and he wanted to kill you too, but that’s why I called you out here. I told you I’m saving your life man.”

Brian glared at his friend with horrific realization.

“Relax Hunter, what does it matter? She’s one pathetic little loser with no life, no friends, no family! She does nothing with her time and no one is going to miss her! Hell killing her shouldn’t even be considered murder! Maggie Kent is no one. Hell she isn’t even good to look at,” Larson sneered.

Before Brian realized he had done it, he had hit his once best friend with a right hook to the jaw knocking him over and to the ground. “Maggie isn’t a loser and you have no idea what kind of person she is,” Brian told him harshly Larson looked up at him in surprise. “Come on, Brian. You can’t tell me you’ve fallen for that freak. She’s under you man and I am promising so much better.”

Brian raised his fist to hit him again, but he knew he had to get back to Maggie. Chase was going after her and he hoped like hell he’d get here before him. “I’ll deal with you later,” Brian snapped and started toward the door.

“You’ll be too late Hunter! Even if you leave now, she’ll be dead by the time you get there! Be smart, Hunter. Let’s get out of here and live life like it should be,” Larson pleaded.

Brian turned and walked back up to his friend who had a smirk on his face. Brian grabbed his friend by the collar and jerked him till their face was inches apart. “I’m going to make you pay for this, Larson! If she’s dead, then I swear I’m going to make you wish you were never born!” He warned him and his friend’s smirk fell from his face. Brian let him go and ran out of the café to his car.

He raced back to the house with a feeling he had never felt before no matter how many sticky situations he had been in over the years, he felt panic. As he drove Brian forced himself to calm down, he couldn’t go into a possibly dangerous situation like this. He needed to be cool and level-headed and most of all he needed to be able to think. He took deep breaths and remembered his training.

He stopped the car before reaching the driveway so that they wouldn’t be able to hear him coming. He forced himself to walk carefully and slowly towards the house, dread filled him when he saw the front door was wide open, Chase was already there. Damn it, he swore silently. He took out his gun making sure it was ready to fire and he had enough spare ammunition. Please, please let him not have hurt her, Brian pleaded silently.

Just as he got near the back, he saw finally saw Maggie being pulled around by Chase. He was clearly making fun of her and the men around him were laughing like hyenas, it made Brian’s blood boil. He positioned himself carefully not to be seen and took aim. He took a deep breath in and then released it slowly as he pressed the trigger. One of Chase’s unfortunate lackeys stepped right in front of him and took the shot meant for Chase.

Brian swore quietly as everyone took cover. Chase dragged Maggie back through the doorway using her as a shield. Brian carefully moved through the woods and to changes positions so they wouldn’t be able to locate him.

With another deep breath, he took aim again and shot down one of Chase’s men that was unlucky enough to be nearest to Chase.

“Good show, Hunter, but you’re too late! I have the girl,” Chase shouted.

Brian moved again and studied his situation; he honestly didn’t see how he could get Maggie away from Chase. It was driving him crazy to see her like that! He could see her shaking from here with a look of disgust on her face that he knew came from Chase touching her. He just had to do something!

“Come out, come out wherever you are, Hunter,” Chase shouted with a sing-song voice. “You can’t be the hero this time. Now if you give up now, I swear it will be quick, but if you keep up this little show of yours. I’ll make her suffer,” he threatened Brian nearly came out of hiding when Chase twisted Maggie’s arm until she cried out. Keep cool man, he told himself. Chase still had four of his men and Chase had Maggie in such a way that it prevented him from getting a clear shot.

“I’m going to give you till the count of three Hunter then I’ll start doing some real damage,” Chase shouted. “And you don’t want that do you little m-m-mouse,” he said mocking her stutter with a cold laugh as he grabbed her face roughly.

“D-don’t t-touch me,” Maggie snapped at him. Brian couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll do whatever I want with you,” Chase sneered and brushed his lips across her cheek in a way that made Brian see red. “Now Hunter! On the count of three….One,” he shouted.

Brian wracked his brain trying to think of something.

“Two!”

All he had left was crazy, he thought and walked out of the shadow of the woods with his hands held up.

“Ah there you are,” Chase sneered.

Maggie shook her head at him with a pleading look.

“The tank can’t let the healer be ganked,” Brian told her and a small smile appeared on her lips while Chase looked absolutely confused. Good, Brian thought. “Tank kites the aggro and Styrene ports,” he told her.

“How about you just shut up Hunter,” Chase snapped holding onto Maggie even tighter.

“Don’t forget healers can melee too,” she told him then suddenly stomped on Chase’s foot using all of her weight then elbowed him in the face with a loud crack causing Chase to let her go and she ran.

Brian without hesitation started firing on at the men keeping them at bay while she ran passed him.

“That bitch! Come on you idiots shoot. Don’t let them get away,” Chase shouted holding his bloody nose.

Brian turned continuing to shoot at them blindly as he followed Maggie into the woods. Brian took her hand in his and he led her through the trees with an idea more or less of where he wanted to go. Feeling the need to rest, He saw a bushy hill that would be ideal to take a pause. They slowly made their way down the hill and Brian sat down in a little nook where they were surrounded by tall bushes on three sides. He turned to see Maggie looked as tired as he did. “Are you okay?” He asked worriedly Maggie suddenly flung herself at him giving him a hug. He smiled hugging her back ignoring the sudden pain in his left shoulder. “I’m fine,” she said as she backed away from him then gasped and he followed her gaze. His left shoulder was bleeding heavily. “Oh no! Tank you’ve b-been shot,” she cried and placed her hands on his shoulder.

He winced with pain but couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as he noticed she was touching him.

“What are you smiling at? This is bad!”

“You’re touching me, Maggie. Damn you even gave me a hug,” Brian replied.

Maggie gawked at him. “Chase is looking for us. You’re shot. We’re probably lost and that’s all you think about?”

The look of disbelief on her face that made him laugh then groan as it caused his shoulder to hurt more. “If I knew getting shot was what it took to get you to hug me, I would’ve done it a long time ago,” he teased.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at him and shaking her head at him. “I can’t believe I’m the only one taking this seriously,” she complained.

He smiled. “I’m taking this seriously. How many people can say they got a free and willing hug from Maggie Kent? Help me take off my jacket and shirt so I can bandage up the wound,” he told her. Using his shirt they bandaged his shoulder and made a makeshift sling.

“Come we should keep going. See if we can’t make it back to my car,” he told her as she helped him up. “But first I need something. I’m going to need a kiss from you.” The look on her face was priceless.

“I think you’re losing it,” Maggie told him.

Brian gave her a pained smile. “I don’t want to die without being kissed by you Maggie.”

“Oh for the love of wood elves!” she said rolling her eyes. “Stop being so weird and let’s go.”

“Just one kiss,” he told him giving her a pleading look. “Please,” he added drawing out the word. “I’m shot, bleeding pretty badly and there’s a good chance I won’t make it! How can you refuse a dying man’s last wish?” He wasn’t ashamed to use the pleading puppy eyes on her either.

She sighed as she shook her head at him again. “F-fine,” she snapped Brian would have jumped with a shout if he didn’t hurt so much. “But a real kiss Maggie, no sissy kisses,” he told her, earning a look of stupefaction from her.

Hesitantly she leaned forward to kiss him and he closed the distance between them. With his good arm he pulled her closer softly as she kissed him, it was hesitant and shy at first, but soon he could feel her skittishness disappear. Her hands rest on his chest as she started to really kiss him back. To his surprise, the kiss moved from a simple kiss to a deeper and passionate kiss. The world faded around him as he explored the pleasures her kiss had to offer which were none too few.

The kiss broke just as he felt like he was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen. He swallowed savoring the taste of her still in his mouth. Maggie looked surprised, but there was a hint of a smile on her face and a flush in her cheeks that told him she liked it as much as he did. “Damn I’m going to have to live just so I can do that again,” he said with a sly smile and the flush in her cheeks grew darker. “Come on Maggie let’s get to my car,” he said more serious as he pushed away from the tree he was leaning on for support.