Chapter 15 - Epic Gankage

Maggie eyed her computer screen suspiciously. Watching Tank raid with them had convinced her that he had taken a dive on their spar. It caused her a mix of irritation and a strange giddy sensation that may actually be indigestion, she wasn’t sure yet. Either way she couldn’t deny he was a good gamer, she thought as she logged off once their raid was finished. Maggie didn’t get anything all too great besides more medallions to trade in for epic items.

She walked into the kitchen grabbing an orange, glad that her head was finally starting not to hurt so much. Somehow it didn’t surprise her when Tank waltzed in there soon after she did. She swore he had a never failing radar for when she left the room.

“Hello Maggie, that was a good raid no?” He asked as he opened the fridge.

“Yeah it was good which proves you let me win our spar,” she shot back giving him a pointed look.

He turned and gave her one of his charismatic smiles as he took some things out of the fridge. “Now why would I let you win?” He asked the smile still on his face as he made a sandwich.

“I don’t know but you did,” she replied then ate a piece of her orange.

He laughed and shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like much of an argument Maggie,” he told her with a teasing voice and she couldn’t stop the small smile that formed on her lips. He sat in front of her with that smile still on his face. “So Maggie, tell me about yourself, just who is Maggie Kent?” Tank asked before taking a bite of his sandwich. She eyed him a little skeptical as to why he’d want to know about her.

“What do you want to know?” She asked and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Where were you born?” He asked.

“St. Louis but my family moved to here when I was still really young,” she replied. “What about you?” she asked back.

“I was born and raised in the city. Never really been one for traveling,” he replied and she nodded. “Okay how about your parents, what were they like or is that a sensitive subject for you?”

Maggie shook her head; she didn’t mind talking about them. “No it’s okay to talk about them,” she told him. “They were your normal everyday parents.” Her father was a busy man, but he always called to wish her goodnight every night. Her mother was beautiful, charming, and outgoing woman that made everyone around her feel loved. She was a little disappointed that Maggie was more of a loner than she was. “They were good people. They died when their jet crashed.”

“What about your foster parents?”

Maggie frowned with a shake of her head. “They’re nobody that I want to talk about,” she demanded feeling angry just at the thought of them.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked and she noticed that he sounded angry now.

She sighed and shook her head. “No nothing like that but they weren’t any different from the rest of the world. They thought I was a loser and only really cared about the money they got for fostering me. What about your parents?” she asked quickly wanting to change the mood and topic.

He gave her another smile, but it came and went quickly. “Their good people too. My dad’s a retired cop and my mom still works in a flower shop. They’d like you,” he told her.

She involuntarily snorted with a shake of her head. That was the worst lie he had yet to speak, she thought.

“They would, but that’s an argument for another day. Alright how about your favorite color?” he asked.

“Purple, yours?”

“I like blue. Favorite food?” Tank shot off again.

“Pizza and you?” she replied.

“I’m a meat and potatoes type of guy,” he replied with a small shrug. “How did you become friends with Hannah Hall?”

Maggie smiled remembering though she didn’t think it was too funny at the time. “She knocked on my door to say hello the day she moved in and I made the mistake of opening it. She just kept coming back and when I stopped answering the door she just walked on in. How many friends do you have Mister popular?”

“Close friends? Only a few, not as many as you assume. How about your first kiss, who, when and where?” He asked with an impish glint in his eye.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Tank. “That’s technically three questions.”

“So you can ask me three back,” he replied, smiling way too interested to be reasonable.

She debated for a moment then sighed. “It was a neighbor. I was twelve and it was in my foster sister’s room. She dared him too.”

“So your first kiss was because of a dare, doesn’t sound like that should count,” Tank told her.

“Doesn’t matter. Why do you like to be so nosey?”

“That counts as one of your three questions and I’m not nosey but curious; I like to know who the people around me are. After being a cop as long as I have you start to realize that no one is how they appear to be,” he explained.

Maggie bobbed her head that did make sense actually.

“Next question,” he chirped in looking all too happy.

“What did you do so bad to get stuck babysitting me?”

Tank laughed now. “I didn’t do anything Maggie, I was assigned to be your bodyguard by my superior, but it wasn’t as a punishment more like I’m the best at what I do,” he told her with a cocky smirk on his face and she rolled her eyes. “And the last one?”

“What your problems with personal space?”

Again he laughed loudly. “I don’t have any problems with personal space Maggie. It’s not my fault your sacred personal space is enormously huge. Why do you think you don’t like to be touched,” he asked and she shifted uncomfortably.

Maggie shrugged. “I just don’t like it. Feels invasive and weird, as in a bad weird. Not a good weird.”

“So basically you avoid it when you can because of that?”

At the sympathetic look on Tank’s face, Maggie replied, “Yeah and don’t get that poor little loser look on your face.”

“Why do you do that, call yourself a loser and such all the time?”

“Hey, that’s two questions! It’s my turn now,” she told him throwing a piece of her orange peel at him successfully getting the look off his face.

The twenty questions went on for a little longer until Tank had to check with in his boss. She started to get up from the table when he suddenly grabbed her hand and his fingers tangled with hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him with shock and surprise. “You’re not a loser Maggie you know. I don’t think Hannah saw you as a loser and I don’t see you as one,” he told her.

Maggie got that giddy stomach thing again, she hoped she wasn’t getting sick and tried to pull her hand away from his, but he managed to keep her in his grip. “I’m sure that’s what you tell all the girls,” she shot back with a teasing smile.

As she hoped for, Tank laughed. “I don’t mean to push, but I don’t like you isolating yourself. I won’t hurt you or violate anything but your bubble,” he said, giving her a bright smile.

“My bubble is enough. Honestly, I feel sorry for your girlfriend,” she told him, finally freeing her hand.

“I don’t have one, but I’m taking offers,” Tank said with a wink just before leaving.

Maggie shook her head as she went to her room. There was no way he could honestly and seriously consider her being girlfriend material. About five minutes later Tank knocked on the door and walked in before she could say anything. She was about to let him have it on his invasion of her room but closed her mouth when she saw the serious look on his face.

“Something’s come up Maggie and I’m going to leave for a little bit,” he started in a serious, businesslike tone.

“Is something wrong?” She asked feeling worried by his sudden formal look.

He was hesitant for a moment before answering. “No…well I don’t know. I’m going to check it out. As soon as I leave I want you to lock the door and make sure all the windows are closed and locked. Don’t answer the door for any reason or go outside till I’m back okay. I should be back in a half hour to an hour okay,” Tank explained.

Maggie got up with a nod as she followed him. “I remember everything you told me. Don’t worry and be careful,” she told him, watching him get ready to leave.

He gave her that cocky smile of his before closing the door and she locked the door right behind him then then checked all the windows. Feeling nervous, Maggie went to play her game until he came back, hoping it would chase away the bad feeling she had.

An hour had passed when Maggie got up to get something to drink. Her worry for Tank was growing. He had said a half hour. She took a sip of water when a knock at the door, startled her. The glass nearly fell out of her hand but she caught it in time to keep it from falling. She stared in the direction of the door with wide eyes as another knock echoed through the house. Despite her better judgment, she creeped into the living room and looked out the peep hole.

Two dressed in suits stood there. They were big and bulky. Despite the suits the word thug came to mind. She’d never seen either of them before in her life, which wasn’t saying much. Maggie didn’t know anyone to begin with. As if they knew she was there one of the men called out, “Mrs. Kent, Brian Hunter sent us. Something’s happened and we need you to come with us now.”

Yeah right. While Maggie may not do well in social situations, she’d bet her tier five epic staff that Tank didn’t send either one of these guys. That could only mean...her blood ran cold as she stared at the door. Tank had been hurt or he was dead. Maggie felt as if someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart. Poor Tank, she thought but jumped as one of the men pounded on the door, calling her name.

Maggie had to get out of there. The door wouldn’t hold them for long. She turned and ran into the hallway, looking for another way out when she heard the door burst open. Glancing back she saw they’d kicked it in.

“There she is!” One of them sneered.

She let out a girly squeal of fear and raced into the kitchen, looking for something to use as a weapon. Hearing them closing in, Maggie grabbed the first thing she saw, a frying pan. She spun around to face them, accidently hitting one of them right across the cheek. He made a pained grunt and crumpled to the ground, out cold. “Oh my God! I one hit him,” she blurted in awe and shock. Maggie looked up to his partner, not sure who was more surprised that she’d taken out the unconscious guy so easily, him or her.

“Why you little…” he started Maggie threw the pan at him and ripped open the back door. The woods, however scary, was her best bet to getting rid of him. She was only able to take a couple of steps before she ran into someone. Strong arms wrapped around her and as Maggie looked up, her heart stuttered to almost a complete stop.

“Hello Mouse, long time no see. You have no idea how hard I’ve been looking for you,” Chase said smiling at her.

Oh God, she ran from the bad guys right into the epic boss himself.