by Ron Francis
The Dunamis Covenant
Reluctant Hero
By: Ron Francis
Special thanks to:
Thank you to all of the people who helped me along the way with The Dunamis covenant: Reluctant Hero. I would like to specifically thank Laurie, Jo Ann and Jack for all of their suggestions, and helpful critiques. I would also like to thank Mike Brennan (from mikebonedesign.net) for a fantastic cover, and Brian Incontrera for his editing services. Most importantly, I'd like to thank God for giving me a creative mind, and the ability to write stuff down.
Chapter 1
"She's out of your league, amigo," Manny joked while he put the receipt in the bag and handed Thomas his purchase.
"What?" Thomas replied, his brain on autopilot while he continued to watch the beautiful woman who had just walked into the bookstore.
"I said, she's out of your league," he repeated with a laugh, and Thomas cracked a smile.
Thomas liked Manny; he played in Thomas' recreational baseball league, and he was almost always working when Thomas came in for a new book. He replied, "You're probably right, Manny. I'll see you on the field next week." He hoisted a quick wave in Manny's direction as he made his way over to the bookstore's cafe. Manny was already busy helping the next customer by the time Thomas stepped past the stanchions that marked the cafe area of the bookstore. He continued up to the cafe's counter and ordered a coffee.
Occasionally, Thomas would travel to the bookstore just outside the immense complex known as the Parks Mall, after work. He loved to read, but barely had the time. When he did make time, he would sit in the cafe with a coffee, and read for a while before going home. He liked to hear the noise and the bustle of the people moving about while he read. When he read at home, he would sometimes turn the television on with the volume low, but it wasn't the same. He imagined that if he still lived in New York he would love reading on the subway. When he finally found some time to read, he was usually partial to the classics, but he also liked sci-fi. He had just sat down with his coffee, and was about to open his book up, when he noticed the same woman he had seen before stopped near the cafe in the aisle labeled Classic Literature. He saw that she was reading the back cover of a book: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. I prefer Dickens, but that's not a bad choice. All of a sudden, an image flashed into his mind of her lips pressed against his as they were locked in a lover's embrace. He shook his head clear. What was that? he wondered. He didn't want people to think he was staring, so he picked his book back up and tried to focus on his new novel, Cold Iron, by Devon Monk, but all he could think about was her full lips pressed against his. He stole another glance and noticed her slim yet athletic figure as she reached for another book. She had chestnut colored hair cut just past her shoulders, and her cheeks had just a touch of red in them that gave her face a roundish appearance. She had a small nose that she scrunched when she read, and the greenest eyes he had ever seen. Her eyes were a perfect match for her green tee shirt. Her image would forever be burned in his memory, he was sure of it.
Just then his phone rang. He looked at the screen. It was Lucas calling. He put down his book and answered his phone. "What's up, Luke?" Lucas had been his roommate at UT, and had recently moved to Dallas to take a job with the Mavericks front office. Thomas wasn't into basketball; he was strictly a baseball guy. Much of his summer free time was spent at the Ballpark at Arlington. Lucas was more of an all-around sports fan. Thomas didn't even like Lucas when they first met, but by the end of the first semester they had become friends. Now he lived in town and was always up for a party. For his part, Thomas preferred hanging out with a few friends to a large gathering, and more often than not, turned down Lucas' invites.
"Thomas, I've got the suite tonight for the Mavs game. You in?"
"Mavericks game tonight? Bro, you know I don't like basketball and I have to be at work early." "Come on, man! Good food, free beer, your best friend; what else do you need?"
"I'll call you back in a little while, I'm doing something right now." He still had his eye on the woman in Classic Literature.
"So what you're saying is, you're not coming," Lucas replied.
"Probably not, but I will call you back this time." He hung up, then he put his phone on the table.
Another image flashed into his mind of the attractive girl being thrown to the floor. It was as vivid as the fist image, and now he was confused. Thomas shook his head clear and looked over to see if she was alright. She seemed to be okay, and Thomas wondered what that thought was all about. His mind snapped back to reality when he heard a yell: "Hey! Someone stop him! Please! He stole my bag!" Thomas saw a man running for the store's exit while the beautiful woman was picking herself up off the floor. Before he realized what he was doing, he was out of his seat and running towards the fleeing man. Thomas tackled him as the automatic door was opening. They spilled out onto the sidewalk, and the bag slid away from them. The thief looked at Thomas, looked over at the bag, and decided it was no longer worth the trouble. He took off in the opposite direction while Thomas picked the bag up off the ground. He walked back into the store and handed the bag the young woman when she made her way to the door.
"Thank you so much," she started then stopped. "I don't know what I would have done... See, I'm new in town and..." In her excitement, it seemed like she was trying to say several things at once, and it was all getting jumbled.
Thomas smiled and said, "No problem," but his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He had never done anything like that before, and he had surprised himself. A small crowd of onlookers had gathered, including a smiling Manny.
The woman looked at Thomas, and he could see gratitude in her green eyes. She took his hand and said, "Thank you." She smelled like jasmine, and he felt sure her smile would haunt his dreams; at least, he hoped so. He didn't want to look away. Just then, two officers from store security showed up.
"Are you all right ma'am?" The larger one asked.
"Yes, I'm fine thanks to him." she said, and pointed at Thomas.
"How about you, sir? Are you all right?" the smaller security guard asked.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Do you mind if we ask you two a few questions? The police are on their way and they may need to take your statements as well."
"Is that really necessary?" Thomas asked.
"I'm afraid so. It won't take long," the large guard replied.
"Okay, but I need to get my stuff before we go." He walked back towards his table without waiting for a reply. He passed the stanchions and arrived to the table to see that his coffee had spilled to the floor in his rush to get up. He frowned and thought, At least my phone didn't go with it. He picked up his phone and his book and walked back towards the security guards. When he reached them, they guided him and the woman towards the back of the store. "So are we getting the backstage passes or what?"
The smaller guard didn't acknowledge his attempt at humor; he just replied, "Yep, the police will meet us back here shortly. It'll only take a few minutes.
The woman looked over at Thomas and said, "I never got your name. I'm Abby."
"Abby, I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you." They arrived at the small security room and sat down on the two metal folding chairs provided. The room was plain white with a metal table in the center, and a digital clock mounted on the wall. The smaller guard left and returned with two more chairs.
*****
Twenty minutes later, Thomas and Abby were on their way. Thomas had been thanked for his help and chastised for interfering, "leave it to the pros," they had said, but he didn't care. His action had saved Abby's bag and as an added bonus, helped him to meet
her. They walked back through the store towards the exit and Thomas was hoping this wouldn't be the end when Abby stopped and said, "Hey, don't listen to those guards, you did a good thing. You know, there's a burger place next door, and I'm pretty hungry; would you like to get something to eat?" She looked down at her purse and then continued. "I feel like I should thank you for helping me."
Thomas tried hard to keep his cool, but the image of her kissing him pushed back into his mind. He looked at her and replied, "Yeah, I'd like that." She smiled and they continued walking out of the bookstore. A few steps later, Thomas was opening the door to the restaurant for Abby. She passed through and held the inside door open for him.
A cheerful brunette greeted them at the front door. "Hello, welcome to Buford Burgers. Will it just be the two of you?" Abby nodded and the hostess grabbed two menus and two sets of silverware, and then motioned for them to follow her. The hostess seated them near the front corner of the room, just past the end of the windows and right under some memorabilia promoting the Texas Rangers. The booths were glossy wood and the benches had red cushions, A light hung low over the middle of the table and Thomas felt like they were alone, even though there were several people dining near them. Abby took the seat facing out towards the restaurant while Thomas sat on the other side of the table.
The hostess looked at them, set the menus on the table, and said, "Your waitress will be right with you." Then she put the two sets of napkin-wrapped silverware on the table, and hurried back to the front.
Abby had just picked up the menu when Thomas started speaking. "So, Abby, in the store you mentioned that you're new in town. Where did you move here from?"
"New York City. Staten Island actually."
"No way! I lived in Staten Island when I was little, I think til around third grade."
"Have you been back at all?" she asked. Her interest appeared to be piqued.
"No, and I don't really remember much of it either."
"Still, I never would have thought I'd run into someone from Staten Island out here." She looked at the menu for a moment and then looked back up. "Do you still have family on the island? I have a huge Irish family and we know everyone."
"Irish, huh?"
"Yeah, Fitzpatrick."
"Yeah, that's pretty Irish." He thought for a moment and then added, "No, I don't think I still have any family there. Do you know any Archers?"
"What, like Hawkeye?"
"No, as in my last name." He noticed the look of amusement on her face and realized she was having fun with him.
Just then, the waitress arrived and said, "Are you ready to order your drinks?"
Thomas motioned for Abby to order first and she said, "I'll have a sweet tea."
"Water for me," Thomas said.
"Are you ready to order or do you need some more time?"
"Could we have a few more minutes, please," Abby replied. The waitress hurried away, stopping two tables over to remove some empty dishes from the table.
"So, tell me your story, Thomas." She put her hand on his arm when she asked, and let it linger there for a moment.
Thomas looked down at her hand on his arm, and he could have sworn he felt an almost imperceptible electric charge. He thought it was a pretty flirty move, but he didn't mind at all. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering. "Well, I graduated UT two years ago, class of 2012. Go Longhorns!" he joked, "and now I work for the post office."
"Wow, that's great." Her piercing green eyes lit up, and he almost believed she didn't find that to be boring. "You must really know your way around, then," she added.
"I guess I do, at least from Collins Street to Fielder Road, from Park Row to Green Oaks. Central to North Arlington is my domain." He paused and smiled. "Actually, it's my route." He acted nonchalant when he said that, but he wanted her to find it acceptable. He didn't know why, but all of a sudden her opinion of him meant everything. "How about you? What's your story?"
"As you know, I just moved here from New York. I graduated Wagner College two years ago, also the class of 2012, but I had some recent issues and needed a change of scenery. I'm looking for work, and I'll get something pretty quick. I always do," she said, and he liked her confidence. "Thomas, would it be too much trouble if I asked you to show me around? It's all so confusing. Interstate thirty, Interstate twenty, Highway three sixty, Dallas, Fort Worth; I just get turned around all the time."
I guess being a Good Samaritan does pay off sometimes. He tried to put on a cool outward appearance as he replied in the most casual tone he could muster, "Sure, no problem. I get off work at three every day. I have Saturdays and Sundays off, so whenever you would like, I'm sure we could arrange something."
He almost thought she was happy as she replied, "Really, you'll do it? You don't mind?"
"Of course not. It's fine. So, when would you like me to show you around?"
"How's tomorrow afternoon? Although I doubt you'll be able to show me everything in one day." She winked while reaching across the table for his cell phone. She began to put her number in the phone while he watched.
"Tomorrow will be great," he replied while trying hard to keep his cool. He wanted to get up and start doing back flips. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He was going to be spending the afternoon with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he couldn't wait.
She slid his phone back to him, and he noticed she had typed in her name followed by a heart. Then she asked, "Where should we meet, Thomas?"
"I can pick you up. Where do you live?"
She reached for the phone in his hand again, and brushed his fingers while her lips maintained a playful pout. She typed in her address and handed the phone back to him.
Their food arrived, and they spent the next forty minutes eating and talking. When the waitress came back, Abby took the bill before Thomas could even see it and said, "Remember, it's my treat." She dug her credit card out of her purse and handed it with the bill to the waitress. The waitress returned a moment later and gave her a receipt which she signed and wrote in a generous tip. When she had finished with the receipt, she looked at Thomas as though a thought had just occurred to her. "Give me your phone one more time," she said with her hand held out, waiting.
"Why?" Thomas asked, unsure of what she was doing. He paused before slowly handing her his phone.
"I want to take a picture of myself and put it with my number. Come on." She held out her hand again, and he handed her the phone. She snapped a shot in a pose he would never be deleting, and then she gave him a quick half hug and a kiss on the cheek. She looked at him and said, "Thanks again, for getting my bag back." And then she turned to leave. Three steps later, she turned around and gave a short wave. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Three-thirty-- don't be late," she said with a smile, and then she floated away.
Thomas couldn't believe what had just happened. He didn't believe in horoscopes, but he made a note to check his anyway. He began to have a slight nagging doubt about her intentions, but maybe he was just doubting his good fortune. He decided he was going to call Lucas sooner rather than later. He knew his friend's advice would be to go out and have as much fun with her as possible and it would all work itself out, but he needed to call him back anyway. Then he'd do a little Internet searching, maybe friend request her on Facebook or something, just to make sure.
*****
Abby watched a happy Thomas Archer get in his pickup truck and drive away. She stood alone in the shadows cast by the dim light of the parking garage. He looked just like his picture. Tall, with dark hair and eyes that were like black holes threatening to suck her in. His face was accented by his high cheek bones and a heroic jaw line. He didn't look like he was in bad shape either, although it was hard to tell with his jacket on. Still, he filled out those jeans nicely. While she watched him, she recognized a presence approaching her from behind. "It's not wise to sneak up on me, Asa," she growled without turning around.
"I know all abou
t your heightened senses, Abigail," he replied. Abby almost thought she could hear amusement in his voice. "Did Archer go for it? Will you be seeing him again?"
"Was there ever any doubt?"
"How can you be so sure?" he asked.
"I play an excellent Damsel in distress. Was the bag snatching really necessary? I could have just found a way to introduce myself, maybe knocked over his coffee with my purse. It would have been just as effective without all the theatrics." She added while waving her arms in a dramatic circle. "What if someone else had gone after you?"
"Then we would have tried it your way with another woman accidentally bumping into him in a day or two, but I wanted to see how much if any of his Paladin spirit remains. When he came after me, I learned that he may not have as far to go was we thought."
Abby hid her annoyance at his mention of another woman taking her place. Asa couldn't know her true motive for being here. "By the way. How are your ribs? It looked like he tackled you hard."
"He is both quicker and stronger than I thought he would be; which is good news." He grimaced when he rubbed his ribs. "But are you sure you are connected to him well enough to keep him interested?"
"Absolutely, on top of his obvious attraction to me, I also forced an image into his mind that connected him further to me. Just to make sure."
"You used your powers, Abby? Do you have any idea how risky that is?"
"It was one image, barely a flicker of my powers. There is no way Devlin's Shadow Mage could have tracked that. You didn't!" She thought better of mentioning the second image of her in danger, she knew that one bordered on manipulation, but it had achieved the desired result. She turned and faced Asa for the first time. His long dark hair flowed over his leather jacket, and the brim of his cowboy hat shaded his dark eyes. His bronze skin gave him an almost Native American look, and Abby thought he might have been very attractive when he was younger. He was accompanied by a strong scent of Old Spice, clinging to him like an insecure girlfriend. She looked at him and asked, "What are you really doing here, Asa? I'm sure one of our Paladins could have pretended to mug me. Don't you even trust me enough to accomplish a simple a task?"
