THE VOLUNTEER #2
Hemlock slipped his wallet back into the front pocket of his jeans while I threw my jacket on.
The weather was in that weird cold-hot-cold stage still, where you needed a jacket for the morning commute, a t-shirt for most of the day, then a sweater or jacket for the evenings. Freaking Canadian weather.
“Can I walk you home?” he asked, holding the door open for me.
I should say no. It was just around the corner so I’d be there in no time, but it was way past dark and I was still a little buzzed. It wasn’t exactly safe to walk home alone, but the way he was eyeing me had me wondering if walking home with him was safe for my mental health.
“That—”
“Won’t be necessary. I’ll get her home.”
Avalanche was leaning on the brick wall at the edge of the building with his arms crossed. He was blond, in his full costume, looking bored. He gave me a quick once over before he looked over my head at Hemlock—who sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.
“I think you’ll find that I’m more than capable of getting her to her door.”
“I’m standing right here.”
Neither one of them looked at me. It was like they were locked in an unspoken pissing contest. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Boys.
“You really want to do this here?”
Avalanche shrugged. “Do you?”
You have been reading way too much dark romance. This right here is called a red flag. They are literally having pissing match over who gets to walk you home. This is not attractive. This is a red flag.
That was a good point from my inner voice, it really was. Couldn’t make myself care though. I was in every reader’s wet dream, and I was living for it. Oops.
“While I’m greatly enjoying whatever this is. It’s unnecessary. I am perfectly capable of walking myself home. Thanks.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you weren’t capable.” Avalanche’s gaze met mine. “I was simply offering my company.”
“Don’t need it. Thanks, though.” I looked back at Hemlock and smiled. “Have a good night. I might end up calling you when I get back to work on Friday. There’s this kid at 65th, he’s obsessed with you. Let me double-check with him and get back to you with a date. Sound good?”
“You can call me any time, Sunshine. Especially late at night, if you’re feeling lonely.” He winked before strolling away. He didn’t get more than a few steps before he slipped and nearly went face-first into a garbage can.
“You should watch your step there, Hemmy. It’s getting colder and you never know when you’ll hit a patch of ice.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the scowl Hemlock threw at the ice culprit.
“You should watch what you drink, Av. Never know what will find its way into your cup.”
“It’s so cute that you think you can threaten me.” He grinned. “Have a good night, Hemmy.”
Hemlock shook his head, muttering to himself as he disappeared around the corner. When he was completely out a view, Avalanche took off his mask and threw on a black hoody over his signature jacket, hair going back to his usual black.
“So you have two options. One, you let me walk you home. Two, I stalk you home. Which would you prefer?”
I laughed to cover up the blood rushing to my cheeks.
“Isn’t stalking supposed to be anonymous or something?”
He shrugged. “I don’t let myself get bogged down by rules. I figure it’s less creepy if you know about it. So what will it be?”
“You can walk with me.”
“Excellent. After you,” he said with a grin, waving me to pass him.
I rolled my eyes as he fell into step with me.
“You’re not worried about him coming back and learning your secret?”
He raised his eyebrow so I gestured to his head.
“Your hair thing.”
“I’ll know if he comes back.”
“How’s that?”
“Ah, that’s not a secret I’m willing to part with yet.”
“If—”
“Give me your wallet.”
I was cut off when a guy hopped up on crack jumped into our path with a switchblade clutched in his hand.
I scoffed. “You’re telling me that you’ll know if Hemlock comes around but you had no idea a crackhead was waiting around the corner? Unbelievable.”
Avalanche shrugged.
“I knew he was there; he just doesn’t pose any threat. Didn’t seem worth mentioning.”
The guy’s beady eyes jumped between the two of us.
“Wallets! Now!”
I held up my hand—universal sign for wait your turn—and focused on Avalanche.
“Are you going to do something?”
“Naw, you got this.”
“Un-fucking-believable. What was the point of walking me home if you’re just going stand there and be useless?”
“Ouch.” He held a hand over his heart. “I’m here as back up, but I have the utmost faith that you can handle this guy. You don’t need me to save you, you got this.”
Okay, I was in love. Hemlock who?
“Are you fucking deaf? Give me your wallet, bitch.”
“Watch your fucking mouth.” Avalanche’s tone turned deadly.
Fuck me. I was going need an ice bath to cool down after that.
Crackhead McGee decided he was done waiting and took a swing at me.
I ducked, then grabbed his hand at the end of his swing so he didn’t hit Avalanche—who didn’t even flinch.
I brought my left elbow down on the tendon between his bicep and triceps then dropped my hand on the same spot while I swept his legs out from under him, putting him face-first on the sidewalk.
He cried out, letting the knife fall when I kneeled on his shoulder.
“See, told you.”
I looked up to find Avalanche grinning at me.
“Whatever. So you going to hang out while I call the cops or you want to take off first?”
The guy started crying, begging me not to call. Most of what he said was incoherent, but from the bits and pieces I picked up, he sounded terrified.
“Please, please no police. I’m sorry. So sorry. It’s been hard. They… Bad there. Please. I can’t go back. Drugs— Make it stop. Only thing—please.”
“Whoa, whoa. Hey, okay, no cops. Take a breath.”
I released the pressure on his shoulder. He was hyperventilating, trying to gulp down air while tears streamed down his face.
“Don’t send me back. I can’t go back. Please.”
“No one is sending you anywhere. Take a deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth, just like me.” I did it with him, kneeling beside him so he could sit up. We sat there, breathing for a minute until he calmed down. “There you go. You got it, just like that.”
He thanked me about a hundred times before he apologized. “I’m sorry I called you a bitch and that I tried to steal your wallet. You… You’re kind. I shouldn’t have done that. But I need to get out. Out of this place. It’s evil. They’re all evil.”
“It’s okay buddy. We’re all having a rough go.”
“No, you don’t understand! They do things to people like me. They take us and they experiment. It wasn’t an accident; nothing was an accident. They meant to do it. They meant it.” He was making absolutely no sense and getting agitated again.
“A train ticket to Thunder Bay is about fifty bucks right?” I grabbed my wallet from the inside pocket of my jacket and pulled out seventy. “Here’s a little extra. Head to the train station, get something to eat and something to drink. Sober up a bit, okay?”
He burst into tears. “Thank you. Thank you,” he sobbed.
“Don’t mention it.”
“You are a beautiful person. You should run, too. This place… It’s not safe. You should run and never look back.”
“Okay. Thanks for the tip.” I stood up and brushed off my pants. “Safe trip, I better not see you again.”
“You won’t. Never again.” He scrambled to his feet and ran in the direction we’d come from. He was headed toward City Core—where the train station was—maybe he wasn’t lying.
I turned to find Avalanche studying me. “You think I just got scammed, don’t you?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
“You know something?”
Another shake of his head. “Only rumours. It’s probably nothing. Come on. Let’s get you home.”