by Mari Sillva
When the girl lifted her head, Blade had already dissipated in the air leaving only a small ticket in its place. Carefully she laid her partner's head, which was once on her lap, on the floor, and walked cautiously to the piece of paper stuck under his gun that had been hurled away because of her accurate shot. Why did not he use the gun to kill us? It was what she wondered, but neither Blade had that answer.
You saved my life, I owe you a debt. I'll pay you at the first opportunity.
B.M.
She had no idea where Blade had taken the time to write, leaving the young police officer intrigued. But what worried Jesse most was that she had embarrassed her father once again in front of the whole department, and this time she had overdone the dose. Meanwhile, Blade was already far away, he would have to run not to be late. That night, after passing in an important place, he would settle the accounts with a certain acquaintance that armed him.
Meanwhile, Bobbi was sitting behind the altar decorated with huge dark green curtains that matched his scholarship, with the hopeful heart that his brother would still appear.
-I do not think he's coming, Max, - Bobbi exclaimed sadly to his best friend.
They met on the first day of college and did not separet anymore. And the irony was that he was the son of a great and consecrated judge, a man known for his righteous conduct before the Law. He was chosen by the class to be the speaker and deliver the diplomas. Max looked disappointed at his best friend as he saw the sad look on his face as if something was missing for that moment to be perfect.
-I know you wanted all your brothers to be present, Bobbi, but you should be happy that at least three of them were with you at such a special time!
The friend drew the end of the curtain giving the sight of three individuals sitting in the third row on the left one completely different from the other. On one side was Li Xing, a Chinese living with a nice smile on his face, but hiding many things behind him. In the middle was the Mexican Julius Peres, a man more than two feet tall with muscles, was even afraid to look at him, but his heart was soft and open-minded, he was crying non-stop, wiping his nose on his jacket black man of the man sitting on the right-hand side, Estevão Salvatore, an Englishman with a noble name and the quietest of the three, had a dark, indeed Gothic appearance. His skin was extremely white, his piercing blue eyes, his long hair as black as night, he was a being without any kind of feeling, neither good nor bad, just empty inside, living in an obscure dimension that he created even when small, when it was not accepted by the other children of the school for being different.
-You're right, Max. - Bobbi smiled, looking at the breeding brothers.
He had been adopted by the four friends still very small and loved them more than his own life, even knowing the myriad defects they had, and they were not few.
-But I wanted everyone here with me, but I know Blade, he would never come to such an event. He is not very sociable, my brother does not like to walk too much in the light of day, he is passionate about the night, -he concluded sadly. His family, besides being strange, was full of secrets.
-And now it is with great pride that I call my son Maxmilian Thompson to get his diploma, - proclaimed the proud speaker of the class. He cried as he hugged his son, as did his whole family watching that beautiful scene. Especially Bobbi remembering his conversation with his brother on the phone he was extremely happy with the presence of the three brothers, but without Blade his happiness was not complete.
-You are my greatest pride, Max! I love you, son, -declared the judge still holding him. Bobbi imagined Blade telling him the same thing, but he was sure it would never happen.
-No more than I, father,- cried his friend, crying to the judge.
- Now I call the young Roberto Salvatore Xing Perez M.
John found such a great name being that the latter was abbreviated with only one letter. Bobbi, when adopted, was given the surname of all the brothers. The young man came timidly, his eyes discreetly running over the audience over the brothers and especially a girl named Lia, who despite being only a sixteen-year-old girl, the beauty of the girl already caught his attention beyond normal. The problem was that she was the younger sister of her best friend Max and daughter of the judge.
The event literally stopped when everyone was startled by the scary rumbling of a motorcycle that looked more like a powerful machine. It was the last German model of the BMW that had not yet been released, had the power of three hundred and fifty horses and when being parked, before giving a last deafening sound, of it descended a tall and strong man, that took off the helmet opening vision to a face so perfect it looked like a work of art painting, with thick, defined eyebrows. His mouth with his upper lip in a perfect heart shape, a face with strong, striking features, his eyes were hypnotizing, with the fact that the gray tone left no doubt whether they were green or blue, a true miracle of nature. The cut hair cut short "incarnation style," the beard trimmed low, a real charm.
With his jacket in hand, he came seductively walking steadily with his cane boots on the red carpet, wore tight-fitting Keans slacks framed tightly by his thick legs. White knit shirt with short sleeves glued to the broad muscular chest, showing the two arms taken by tattoos to the extension of the wrist. God knows how he got there so fast and bathed, he could feel the smell of Armani's French cologne for miles. On the neck a string with the numbering that was called in the army. There was no one who did not look at that figure. He was the type that stood out, even in the middle of one in the crowd, mainly because of the bad face that the guy had. He stopped well ahead, where he was passing the diplomas, faced the front judge, he was a man without fear. Bobbi had hardly received the diploma from the hands of the famous Judge Thompson, who was open-mouthed looking at his brother's triumphal entrance.
- Who is he? - Judge Thompson asked with his sixth feeling sharp knew a thug well when he saw one.
-This is my brother. - Bobbi said with a huge smile and tears streaming down his face, he had already lost hope of his coming. - Blade! -He added, responding gratefully to his brother's nod.
In that strange and mysterious family besides secrets there was also a lot of union and mainly loyalty. He threw the diploma to the floor and ran to embrace Blade. You've never been so happy in your life! He hugged his brother so tightly it looked like he was going to break it in half at any moment, but Blade just as he was, standing like a stick, did not move a millimeter if he wanted to. He was not accustomed to that kind of show of affection, even more so with two hundred pairs of glances over them. Bobbi did not care he was already used to it. Every time he hugged her, it was the same, but he did not give up trying, he hoped that one day his embrace would be reciprocated.
-I knew you'd come, - said the young man, touched, and he did not cry because he knew Blade did not like it.
-Congratulations, Mascot, - he said softly.
Bobbi was the only possible good part that existed in Maldonado, at least for now.
Chapter 2
-If you get one more of this, you're out of the police! - Major Carter's stern voice echoed through the four corners of the Los Angeles Department of Criminal Investigation's boardroom.
This made all the curious glances from the other people in the room turn to the delicate face of the young FBI investigator, Jesse Carter, who immediately took on a dark, velvety red. The girl embarrassed pretended to straighten out her oversized glasses, trying not to show her nervousness, shrinking more than she already was, as if hiding beneath the blue upholstery of the chair where she sat at the back of the room. Then, discreetly, she turned his eyes to the major who was like a dragon, ready to set fire to the sales at any moment. A tall black man with a strong, muscular body in his early fifties but looking thirty-nine at most, many of those years devoted to impeccable care within the police. He had a résumé to make anyone jealous. Apart from the fact that he participated in the ambush that caused the death of the Maldonado couple, the most wanted bandits of all time.
- Sor
ry, dad… I mean, Major. - She shrugged, correcting herself before taking another warning for contempt of authority for her own father. After all, in the work environment she was not the daughter of anybody, there her genitor was the superior of her and of all the others equally. And it would not take light just because they had the same blood, on the contrary, would use Jesse as an example for others.
-Do you have any idea how serious it was, Miss Carter?
More he realized than he asked, his voice was bitterly serious, which made the girl wince in fear. And she shuddered even more when she felt the steady steps of the major coming toward her, with her vast experience of twenty-six years beside her father was enough to know how furious he was with her. A false breath and he would be able to take the belt of the pants and to give a good lesson to her in the presence of the coworkers. She grew oppressed, getting a beating even today if she did something that did not please him.
-I just wanted to help, sir, -s he said in a tone so low he could barely listen, keeping her head down with a stare to the pair of shabby sneakers.
-For Goodness sake, Jesse! - At least look at me when I'm talking to you, soldier! -He tapped his hand hard on the small board of the chair that was used to support objects, unnecessarily rude. -Besides letting the criminal flee, you've even nearly killed your partner. -Speaking like that, he made it seem worse than it was at least that's what Jesse thought.
- Who ever missed a shot? - She rolled her eyes at him innocently. - Or stumbled falling on someone breaking one's finger in three places, who throw the first stone! -That was the last straw for Major Carter to lose his temper once, shooting her with a hard stare.
Hugo Rodrigues, the "Mentalist" of the Criminal Division, a master at unraveling people's expressions and deciphering criminals' minds, could not stand the girl's words in her own defense and let out a delicious laugh. Jesse found a grace, especially her innocence and fragility.
-Are there any clowns here, Mr. Rodrigues? - The young man in low-stature, low-slung, bottle-bottomed glasses and a brilliant mind was not intimidated by the bitter voice of the department head. He was almost a clairvoyant to unravel clues, completely perfect in what he did. And the Major knew this, he might even get angry with him, but he'd never let him go.
- No sir! - He replied with a laugh, showing his tongue as soon as the chief turned his back, making Jesse smile. It did not matter to him to play the role of a clown if the prize later was a smile of those as a reward.
-Looking for what, Miss Carter? - Of nearly having amputated the finger of one of my best men? Suddenly the girl had to blink several times to hold back her tears.
The Major felt a certain expression uneasiness of guilt present on the young woman. He knew better than anyone how sensitive her daughter was. He did not want to be so hard, just did not like the firstborn to insist on being a police officer and if the girl had come here, it was not with his help. He knew that the girl really did not have a way, she was naturally lovely. She had the ability to grasp what was not visible to the eyes, only with the heart. He thought that if he had had a son, things would be very different, and he blamed his wife Maria Joaquim for it as if it were possible for her to choose the sex of the baby to be born. For Mr. Carter's bad luck his second heir came another girl, the youngest Mainara Carter, who in his opinion was not so bad because he had inherited the family brain,s he was good at everything she did. Already Jesse, she gave him nothing but heartbreak, anger and, mainly, shame.
-Do not be so hard on her, sir! -The girl was just born to be a civilian and not an officer like us, police officer Amanda Moura commented ironically. -And you're not old enough to have judgment when making decisions amid the misadventures of everyday life, it's too jovial to work in a serious department like this.
It was just to say that Jesse was inexperienced to work in the department, but Amanda loved to speak beautiful to impress others, it was not only her intelligence that attracted attention, but her beauty as well. She was visibly the most beautiful and sexy woman in the department. She was tall and thin, her body full of curves. Her breasts were huge and round that exploded on the first two buttons of the uniform, which she insisted on leaving open. Her blond hair waved in broad curls halfway up her back. The eyes were emerald-colored, a rare greenish found only in the turbulent seawater of Maui Island in Hawaii. Big, beautiful and sexy her mouth was a perfect thin scratch, which covered two rows of impeccably aligned teeth. But what was left of her beauty left her wanting in character. Offered and self-willed, she used people to get what she wanted.
-My age does not define my maturity, much less my notes or speeches well assembled with beautiful words. If it's to open my mouth and hurt somebody, I'd rather keep quiet. -Jesse replied awkwardly, it was not on her way to be rude to anyone, but she was sick of swallowing people. Then she let the twenty seconds of courage speak louder, at last, she ventured.
Jesse knew she would never reach Amanda Moura's intelligence level or beauty even because she made a point of playing it in her face whenever she could, wickedly. Miss Moura was an astute and cunning woman, the dangerous type who used the knowledge to manipulate people and succeeded. Especially Major Carter, who sucked at everything Amanda spoke in beautiful words, which Jesse often had to look in the dictionary or search the Internet to know what she was talking about. What she did not know was that it is not worth having the gift of the word if we do not know how to make good use of it, it is like seeing the grains of a sand castle when falling with the wind. If there was one thing Jesse learned in life that when the mask does not fall, God pulls it off. The inexperienced FBI investigator was aware of the flaws she had, but in fact, she never stepped on anyone to rise in her life, that would be no advantage to her, but disease.
-That's what the losers and losers always say, - she said, laughing ironically, but in a way that only Jesse would hear, she keeps a good Samaritan to the others present.
In the beginning, when Jesse had met her, by the time of the course to enter the police, Amanda even seemed to be a sweet and gentle girl. But once she began to see her manipulative way and become what she is today, she realized that maybe she always was. No one changes over time it just shows who you really are. Jesse always liked being a lonely person, so he did not hurt anyone and especially he was not hurt. Sometimes the biggest disappointments come from the people we love the most, just whom we trust the most.
-No more misguided explanations, Miss Carter you're out of the" Fearless Men "case! - Exclaimed the Major sternly.
That was how the Blade thieving team was called, they longed to get their hands on them, especially the last Maldonado, who was known in the city as a demon the boogeyman of the stories that parents told their children before bed.
-If you even try to get involved, you'll never work for the rest of your life again. Miss Amanda Moura will take your place in this investigation, where she should have been from the beginning - finished rude, breaking her daughter's heart into a thousand pieces and knew full well.
If the Major looked down, he could see the thousands of bits of her heart scattered on the well-waxed dark floor, for in the apartment there was a cleaning lady who, besides being very friendly, was extremely capricious, one of the few who treated Jesse as people in that place for the rest she was almost invisible.
-Now that you're no longer part of this investigation, you can leave you have nothing else to do at that meeting.
The Major turned his back on her, making her feel insignificant, more than usual. Jesse did not dare to respond, saying that he himself had taught him when he was small that it was ugly to turn his back on a person when he was talking to her, because it would not really help. He would not let her explain that she just wanted to help the partner, that what had happened was just an accident and could happen to anyone. But the worst was yet to come when she had to face her father alone at home. Then he picked up every bit of his shattered heart and walked slowly out of the room under the glances and whispers of his co-workers
.
As she left the police station completely devastated, as soon as she touched her feet on the sidewalk she realized that the world was an unfair place, especially for sensitive people like her. For a moment she thought that perhaps her younger sister, Mainara, had been right when she said that she had done wrong to abandon the dream of being a photographer to follow in her father's footsteps with the police. Her shoulders were hunched in the long gray woolen coat that placed over her uniform two numbers larger than the size that suited her, which she had picked up wrong when she started to work and until today she had not been able to change, having to live the base of belts and pleats made with care by the caring mother. In fact, that fact did not matter, Jesse felt comfortable in wide clothes, she made no point in showing off her body, but she did not know who did it. For her respect was the basis of everything, hers ended when the other began. She did not like jumps and was not many fan of makeup, which earned her high school nicknames like "Maria João", "Macho / Female", "Romp", among others boy had never invited her or taken ice cream at the ice cream shop on the corner. It was part of the group of "Invisibles", so called by the popular school.As incredible as it seems, she was friends with one of the school's most famous girls, Nayla she was an extrovert and kind to everyone perfectly beautiful, with a symmetrically perfect face. She studied fashion and today was a well-known fashion designer, even after high school still great friends.
With every step she took, she reflected on the people who passed by on the street talking excitedly, others not so much. Some were just like her, returning from a bad day at work, others spent the week looking for a job. she felt a cold wind touch the tip of her nose, immediately Jesse hid her hands in his pocket, felt an absurd cold in this small and delicate part of her body. Los Angeles was a city with a comfortable climate, the young woman who was cold beyond normal. she had no resistance to cold things, especially words. she smiled as she felt the comfort of keeping her hands inside that little warm space, and as she moved her fingers she found a small piece of paper. As she took off to see what it was about, her eyes widened in alarm, shivering from top to bottom. It was the ticket left by the thug, there was a clue on the other of the ticket.
