Chapter 2 Hutch (POV)

I just finished my meeting with my handler. Niko was something else when it came to 'freelancing' he liked to call our job assignments. Mercenary for hire...how else would you advertise it? I had been in the military right out of high school. Dating once or thrice, I'm no prince. I'd rather hunt down 'the bad guy'. Thought about police work, too much recording time, politics and not enough money in it for me. I have been on 'job assignments for almost 10 years now, save up a pretty penny. Looking to buy a small cabin in the country and just breath.

I'm pretty good with computers, maybe I can find a 'remote work from home' job just for daily expenses. I'm 6'0" fit build, blue eyes. I like to work out mainly kick boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. An occasional suit is fine but prefer to dress down, relaxed. Jeans, plain t-shirt and work boots. I can blend in easier in any crowd. Favorite food- Italian, hence Lucciola's Italian restaurant is my usual spot for meetings. As I was leaving exiting the front door, I had just taken a couple steps onto the sidewalk and hear this piercing scream just 50 yards in front of me. I bolted across the street and see a guy duck back into the alley take off running. There's someone leaning up against the building.

As I move closer it's a woman in scrubs. Medical worker? of some sort. I kneel at her side and move her hair aside from her face. My God, she's beautiful. Dark brown hair, maybe brunette. Her eyes amber colored. Stunning. Great Hutch, think she's just been attacked she needs immediate help. I look up and stand, taking three steps back out of the alleyway. I look to the left, nothing, no one of course. I turn right and a block down just at the street see the emergency room entrance. I grab my phone calling 911 to report the incident. Not sure I want to more the woman, she starts to moan and turn to her side trying to sit up or possibly stand. "Just hold miss. I'm call 911 for you." I tell her. 911 operator answers. I give the operator the information of the incident and the location of the victim. I did not get a good look at the perpetrators face, but body build, clothing, lingering smell in the alley I should be able to catch up with him quickly if I leave now.

But I look down and realize I cannot just leave her here. I need to make sure she gets help and now. As I'm talking to the 911 operator, I am standing at the alley entrance and see a paramedic unit just pull up to the entrance of the emergency entrance. One of the paramedics is on the radio. He gets out of the front of the vehicle, turns and is facing me. I start waving my hands in the air and whistling loudly, crossing my arms back and forth. He sees me and reaches back into the emergency vehicle grabs a bag and yells back at the other paramedic that had stopped at the entrance of the hospital. The paramedic with the bag starts running toward me and the other paramedic jumps back into the emergency vehicle and starts driving back towards me. The one paramedic that was running reaches me and says, "where is the victim." I point into the alley, and he immediately goes to her. I follow them watching closely for some reason I cannot figure it out yet.

I hear him say "Alli, geez what happened darlin". The emergency vehicle pulls up and the other guy jumps out. "I'm grabbing the gurney from the back". I hear, "Jack hurry, It's Alli from the 2nd floor". "Geez, is she conscious?" Jacks asks. "She's in and out, Manny hurry with the gurney". The woman named Alli mumbles under her breath Senator Dever..." and she goes quiet. Would she be trying to get a message out about Senator Deveraux? She started to mumble again. But I could not hear any words coming out. I wanted to jump in and help these guys but did not really want anyone to remember my face. I watched as they checked her vitals, put a neck brace and an arm wrap for the blood pressure monitor. Her name is Alli, beautiful. I start to wonder what the attacker wanted. Just an assault. Not likely. He wanted something and by the looks of it. He wanted it badly. Injuries like what she had is a clear message. I'm pretty familiar with those types of messages in my line of work.

The paramedics loaded her up in the emergency vehicle in less than 4 minutes. Jack is jumping into the driver side and yells over to me to come the hospital, they need more information for the police. Sorry guy, not happening. I waited until the emergency vehicle turned around and I started down the alley. It had been roughly 20 minutes since the guy took off running back into the long alley. I walked to the next street, proceeded down to the next block. No dogs barking. No movement anywhere. I keep going the next two blocks and walking straight to the pier market area. Just people cleaning up. I stop and ask a guy just getting into his delivery truck and ask if he seen anyone coming from the alley. He says "no bro, do you need help or something?" I told him the was a woman found pretty banged up and was checking the area for anyone of the description I gave 911. No help but thankful for his offer on needing help. You don't get that everywhere. There are people out there that do offer to help in situations like this, but not everywhere.

The delivery guy says, check with the other guys in the market here. They may be able to help. I told him thanks. I can't risk too many people remembering my face. So, I turn and walk back into the alley, heading back to the restaurant where Niko is still at. There's something about that woman that is stuck in my mind. There's just a protective feeling in my gut. And I always follow my gut.

Niko was standing at the bar when I walked back into the restaurant. He turns to me "I thought you were done for the night. Looking for another freelance gig?" he chuckles. "Do you have any activity on Deveraux?" I ask. He rubs his jaw, "funny that you ask. He's leaving the state to gather more intel on the cartel job we are currently working. You want in?" he pauses looking at me. "Yep, this is going to be quite interesting. The was a woman across the way attacked and pretty beaten up and she was mumbling Deveraux's name. I need to look into this woman just take over to Amsterdam Hospital. Can you send me the file?" I ask. "You wanting to know about the pay?" He looks back at me from his laptop that he just put back on the counter and opened up. "don't care how much, just need in" He start to turn to head back out. "I see. You are more interested in the woman?" he questions with a smirk. "No brother, she caught my attention when I was helping her, but when she mumbled Deveraux's name that made it more interesting. I knew we were working on something for the senator. Heading back home now. Send me file and YOU try and stay away from the ladies."

"No way bro, I'm down for some fun tonight. If you know what I mean!" ha. He's dork but he's my best friend since we were 8 years old. Went to school together, got into trouble together. Both went into the military together. After we were discharged Niko found an opportunity to become a handler for a special ops division that handles certain cases that the government wants 'cleaned up but quietly'. Niko called me for a meeting and 3 other guys from our former unit. There are 4 of us that handle 'special gigs.' Thomas Quinn, Reggie Sanders and Conor Kupps. Niko Jandaza was our lead in the military. He is also my best friend. Thomas was on assignment in Russia. Reggie was in South America and Conor has just got back from Africa. We are known as the Zombie Squad. We take ultimate elimination assignments no one wants. Thomas lost his parents when he was 16 years old, no other family. Reggie was in the system as an orphan until he was 17 years old. No know family. Conor was from a wealthy family. He chose to walk away from. Parents did not care about anything but their money. He was an only child. Expected to run the family business. He hated corporate America. He chose to walk away from their money as well. The five of us together made a hell of a team. Niko always looked out for us. So, after we were discharged, Niko called us up one by one offering small gigs here and there.

We all enlisted the same day and were part of the same unit. Four brothers had each other's six. We are each other's family. But my thoughts went back to the woman named Alli. The look in her eyes. Fear. No control. Anger. I know that feeling. Thoughts of checking up on her condition. We are supposed to remain in plain sight, but not visible. It's bugging me. Deveraux. What does this woman have to do with the senator? We have an assignment with the senator. Was she a mark? I need to get home and fire up my laptop. Some part of my heart fluttered when I looked into her eyes. I have never had that feeling before. I wanted to feel it again.

Having a strange feeling I was contemplating going back to the hospital to check on "Alli". I wanted to know more about her. Like I was feeling drawn to her. Need to protect her. Why?