Whispers of a Past || ON HOLD

Chapter 4: Cobra Bubbles?

[Seward, Nebraska. January 13th, 2017]

"Can I help you?"

I hold the door open just wide enough for my body to fit in between, my slightly incredulous eyes repeatedly looking from each person to the next.

This is seriously like something out of a movie.

There's four nicely dressed men - all in spiffy black suits, dark sunglasses, buzzcuts, complete with shiny shoes - standing around the front door. Their arms crossed at their front as they stare emotionlessly at me.

Uhhhh.....

The one that's standing slightly closer to the door than the others - the boss I'm guessing, straightens his head up, looking me over through his dark sunglasses.

He kinda reminds me of Cobra Bubbles off of Lilo and Stitch actually.

"Miss Nora Miller I presume." His question comes out more as a statement, an air of authority surrounding his large - aka, muscular - frame.

My mouth hangs slightly slack, and I immediately snap it back shut as I stand straighter.

"Yeeees. Can I...help you?" I drawl out, raising an eyebrow up at the suspicious group.

You definitely don't see this everyday.

He reaches his hand back, one of the others immediately placing a paper - that he got from somewhere, into his hand.

"We're searching for a fugitive who escaped custody sometime last night, and we're asking everyone around if they've seen him." He holds the paper up.

The air seems to evaporate from my lungs as I take in the messy raven black hair, the specific facial features - that scar, the stunning, serious ice blue eyes that I've never seen before in my life.

Casey?

But...what?

"He's considered highly dangerous and is not to be approached if seen." Mr. Bubbles hands the paper back, attention still on me.

Highly dangerous?

Casey hasn't seemed at all dangerous in the past twelve or so hours I've known him.

Though it could all be an act. There's no doubt about who they're looking for after seeing the picture.

But what's with all this? The spiffy people - my eyes flicker to the curb beside the house, a flashy black SUV parked there - the car, the...secrecy?

Why didn't they just broadcast it on the news?

Something doesn't add up.

Bubbles seems to sense my hesitation, his head moving to look behind me. "Miss Miller, have you or have you not seen this man?" He repeats, something in his voice changing.

My eyes flicker back up to - after somehow being on the ground, Bubbles, cautiously looking over the three silent men in the background.

"No." I blurt out, making Bubbles raise his own dark eyebrow up at me.

He straightens the front of his expensive looking suit. "Anyone aiding and abetting this criminal will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." He leans forwards slightly, not convinced.

"So I'll ask once more, Miss Miller." He lowers his voice, the tone low and threatening. "Have. You. Seen. Him?"

I feel a drop of sweat run down the side of my forehead, heart pumping in my chest.

Why am I even defending him? Is it some weird loyalty/protective thing I've got going on because he ran into my Jeep?