The sound of shoes crossing through the room caused AJ to wake. Was Devon back already? She thought curiously as she glanced around the room. But to her surprise it wasn’t Devon. It was her boss. He was menacingly standing over her, not as a guardian would hover over its charge, but in the way a killer looms over it’s prey before a kill.
Alarm surged through her veins as her boss thrust a silver blade towards her chest. Rolling out of the way of the knife she let out a shrill scream. Her shout startled her boss and he darted out of the room faster than AJ could rise from the bed.
Ambling off the mattress she wheeled the iv rack unsteadily beside her. As she reached the open door, AJ nearly found herself trampled by a few nurses accompanied by Michael Knight and Bonnie Barstow. The group studied the knife protruding from the bed and the young patient with puzzled expressions.
“My boss…. Sargent Hurtzler….. he just tried….to…..to kill me….” AJ sputtered, pointing a finger down the hall.
Michael rushed out of the room in pursuit of the dark-haired officer.
Bonnie moved forward and helped AJ back to her bed and cooed, “it’s okay. You’re safe now.”
The young officer was trembling violently as the sparking wave of shock washed over her.
Bonnie called Devon and requested permission to place AJ under protective custody. Devon had been named as AJ’s Godfather and Bonnie had become like an aunt to her through the years but when she had started working for Hurtzler (nearly three years ago) she broke contact with FLAG. But Mr. Miles and Dr. Barstow still felt protective of her and her stay at the Foundation’s headquarters.
The discharge papers were signed and the iv removed from AJ’s arm, when Michael finally returned.
“We lost him…. I’m sorry,” he glumly announced with a helpless shrug.
“Oh, AJ, this is Michael Knight. I’m not sure you remember him but he works with Devon and myself,” Bonnie stated softly.
AJ cast the poodle-permed man a weary gaze before answering, “I… I know… who he is. We met once….”
“Michael, we are taking AJ with us back to FLAG. Mr. Miles and I both agree that she is the perfect candidate to help us with project KANNON. You know we’ve been having trouble filling the driver and agent position. And considering how her last boss just tried to murder her, I’d say she is going to need a job…. Not to mention her car has been totaled,” Bonnie added, her excitement clearly bubbling over.
AJ’s eyes widened and she stammered in surprise, “what? Wait? You lost me…..”
“Well, your boss will be arrested. But until he can be detained, you will be staying with us at FLAG headquarters under protective custody. Devon and I talked it over and if you’d like to join the FLAG crew as an agent, we’d love to have you. We both know how much you liked the investigation and detective job you had and we can use your skills. What do you say?” She re-explained, slower this time so that AJ could wrap her mind around the information.
“Can…. Can I …. I think about it?” She asked, as the three of them entered the hospital parking lot.
“Take all the time you need,” Michael answered, having been in a similar situation when he was offered a career with the Foundation.
Staring out the window of a sleek, talking, black Trans AM, she couldn’t help but feel intimidated and worried. If her boss had tried to kill her, she wondered if she could trust anyone; even the employees of FLAG. Sargent Hurtzler’s attempt to kill her had shaken AJ much harder than she outwardly let on. After all it was to be, her own personal struggle.
YOU ARE READING
