Chapter 5: First Mission

Hospital rules said you couldn't walk out on your own so Jonas was riding in a wheelchair pushed by the tired looking nurse. The doctor had given him an old green scrub shirt to replace his own. His pants were still caked with blood but they didn't draw the same attention his bloody shirt would have.

Jonas had to steel himself when he was wheeled into the Emergency room waiting area. The Emergency room was full of people and the dancing auras around them took him by surprise. He saw a gentle blue flickering around a young girl, maybe eight or nine year old. A boy that looked like her older brother was sitting beside her with his own flickering blue green aura but Jonas could see a shadow of bruised yellow in the tones too. It made him sad for some reason. The kid couldn't be more than 12 or 13 but Jonas could see how life in the slums had hardened him. There was a tough looking biker guy sitting next to the boy and girl with a kerchief around his bald head and tattoos covering both arms. Jonas was startled when he saw the bright green aura of a man committed to life flickering around the biker. A slight man sat across from the biker that looked like a book keeper and his aura was a dark, bruised yellow-orange color. The book keeper guy would look around the room but his gaze always returned to the little girl. He had a hungry look.

"So much for telling a book by its cover," Jonas muttered.

"What was that?" Detective Jordan asked. He was walking beside the wheelchair.

"See that little guy over there," Jonas asked pointing towards the waiting area.

The detective nodded as he looked at the crowded room. "The fidgety guy with the dark brown coat?" he asked.

Jonas nodded and said, "Watch out for him. He's a bad person. He likes to hurt people and likes little girls because they can't stand up against him. He enjoys corrupting innocence and will get a lot more dangerous very soon." Jonas knew he was right. It was like the auras spoke a silent language to him.

"Oh really?" the detective asked skeptically. "Is that information from your old job?"

"No, from my new job," Jonas replied absently. He was trying to not be so aware of the auras. He knew he needed to be aware of them but only wanted to notice them when he needed them.

"And how about the biker dude?" the detective asked. "He looks a lot more dangerous than the bookkeeper."

"He likes the freedom of the lifestyle and dresses the part," Jonas said absently still trying to figure out how to make the auras fade into the background of his perception. "He drinks and smokes some weed but most of his efforts are spent trying to help innocents, kids mostly. He brought the boy and girl in when the girl hurt her foot. Given a chance he might be able to guide the boy away from the life of crime he's headed for."

The detective looked at Jonas sharply. "Why didn't their parents bring them in?"

"I don't know. I can't see them," Jonas said relaxing slightly. The auras were still there but they didn't seem to be as much of a distraction.

The automatic doors opened with a whoosh as the wheelchair neared then passed through them. A woman and her daughter entered through the doors at the same time Jonas was being wheeled out. They looked so much like Sheila and Liz that his breath caught in his chest. A sob escaped through his constricted throat as the door closed behind him.

"I wish I could kill them Detective," Jonas groaned as he struggled to get control of himself. Tears were streaming down his face. "I want to find them and kill them but I can't. I was told that I can't have vengeance on them so it's up to you Detective. You have to find them for me."

Detective Cleves Jordan could only stare at the Mafia hit man in astonishment.

Jonas struggled to get control of himself. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. Jonas stood and looked at the tired looking nurse and smiled.

"Thanks. You really should take some time off," Jonas said to the nurse with a gentle voice. "It would be good for you and your son."

The nurse looked at him in surprise. She had heard what Jonas said as they came through the waiting room and dismissed it. This was different though because he couldn't know about her son.

"Maybe I will," she said slowly before Jonas turned away.

He took two steps then stopped and looked around. He didn't have a car. He didn't see a taxi.

"Where are you going?" Detective Jordan asked.

Jonas looked around and said, "That way," and pointed towards downtown.

The detective looked at Jonas in astonishment. His raised eyebrows were lifting the bags under his eyes again. "Okay," he said slowly. "It may not be my business but can you be a little more specific about where that way?"

"Not right now," Jonas said.

"Okay," the detective said again and let out a sigh. "Would you like a ride 'that way'?"

"Sure, thanks," Jonas replied seemingly unaware of the detectives sarcasm.

Detective Jordan led Jonas to a Crown Vic that had seen better days. It was scratched and dented all over as if it had been in a bad hail storm. Maybe it had been too. Hail in Kansas and Missouri were as common in the summer as sun light in Arizona. One side window in the back seat had a crack running from the middle to the edge. It looked like a bullet hole in the middle. The tires were good though and the car sat level on its shocks. The detective unlocked the doors with a remote and gestured for Jonas to get in.

"Do I ride in the front seat or should I get in the back?" Jonas asked blandly.

"Maybe he wasn't as oblivious to sarcasm as he seemed," Clevis thought. Aloud he grumped, "Front seat please. I want to hear more about this new job of yours."

Jonas lips twitched like he wanted to smile but couldn't quite make it. Thinking about being a Protector led directly to losing his wife and daughter. Every time he thought about them his heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest. He got in the passenger side of the front seat. After the detective closed his door Jonas said, "There really isn't much I can tell you. There are certain people that I am supposed to help when I can."

Detective Jordan looked at him for a moment then started the car. The old Crown Vic might look like a POS car, Piece of Shit car that is, but it purred like a well oiled machine. "So, these people that you are supposed to help. Do they have names?"

Jonas smiled at that. The detective wasn't going to let go. "Of course they have names Clevis. Doesn't everybody? May I call you Clevis?"

"I would prefer Detective Jordan," the detective replied coldly.

"Okay," Jonas said and took a deep breath in resignation. "Well, Detective Jordan, I don't know their names but I'm sure they have names. Look detective. I don't know a lot about what I am doing with my new, ah, career. I know cops like information kind of neat and orderly but I can't do better with an explanation than what I am doing."

"So, is this new career what caused these cartel guys to come down on you," Detective Jordan asked?

"No. It's kind of the other way around. Their visit caused my new career," Jonas replied with a grimace.

"So your new job is a revenge thing," the detective said nodding.

"No it isn't," Jonas said sharply. He was getting a little irritated with the detective. He knew it was unreasonable but he couldn't help it. The detective was just doing his job. In a low voice he said, "Sorry but I think I told you that before. I couldn't go after them even if I knew where they were. I could tell you where they are so you could go after them but that's all. The only way I could even slap their wrist would be if they were attacking one of the people I was assigned to protect."

There was a long moment of silence. They just sat in the idling car and said nothing. Finally the detective put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking space. When he turned towards downtown he muttered, "Son of a bitch."