The Bodyguard

Dangerous

Emilia couldn't tell if the docks look beautiful or incredibly terrifying in the dying Florida sun. The reds and oranges make everything look alight with an internal fire, catching edges and making them glow brilliantly. But as the sky shrinks, the shadows grow longer, creating monsters and hidden pockets where anything, or anyone could be ready to pounce.

She feels stupid more than anything else, walking around with her phone's flashlight on as she tries to find something that would give her a clue to what is going on around here. She didn't know what she had expected, a hoard of people making drug deals, human trafficking, really any obvious criminal activity, but the docks are just silent except for the occasional gull stretching its wings or sewer rat scurrying around the corner.

The most surprising thing of all though, is that Alexander is almost silent, the only reason she even knows he still there is because she can hear his breathing he is standing so close to her, and incredibly tense. He is much quieter than her at least, no matter how much she tries her feet scuff loudly or knock a pebble every now and then making her wince.

She had expected to creep around, looking like someone from a horror or spy movie as they look for trouble to intercept, or clues to discover. She quickly realizes how dumb that would actually be as she keeps walking, looking at the logos and fronts of crates, just about anything to try and give her a clue to her father's death or Mr. Delmont's dealings.

Rather quickly she realizes that most of the huge metal shipping crates have the same logo, looking a little closer she tries to make it out but struggles to in the gathering darkness even with her flashlight on.

Deciding it will be easier to study in her room with a large photo, she takes a photo silently, the flash extraordinarily bright in the gloom and making Alexander tense up impossibly more than he already is. The man is so on edge that a pin drop would set him off. Emilia muses to herself before continuing her rather leisurely walk.

Moments later, a hand on her shoulder has her jumping clear out of her skin as she turns to face Alexander, glaring at him for scaring her so badly. His only reaction is to lay a finger across his lips, a hand on his gun as he moves in front of her slowly and peers around the edge of the container. She can feel her heart pounding in her ears, the noise blocking out a low hush of voices that had been oblivious to her ears until he had made her overly hyperaware.

She can't help her intense curiosity as she follows his example, peering around that corner in his wake, her eyes much lower than his as she tries to see who is talking. Of course, all she sees is two shadows conversing very quietly, making out a rather large man, and a rather short one that could be male or female, she wasn't certain.

She squints narrowly, trying to see what in the world is going on nearly 20 feet in front of her in darkness that is impenetrable by her eyes. But, Alexander seems to be able to hear or at least, see better what is going on than herself as he is staring so intensely.

"What is it?" She whispers to him, her voice very quiet, but it clearly carried as he grabs her quickly and turns her to be slammed very quietly against the container, hiding them both from the suddenly silently voices. His body covers her own, his eyes meeting hers as she tries not to panic, not sure what to think of this.

"Who's there!" Yells a voice, a man's though decently higher pitched than most, with a very thick accent that she can't quite place as other than a romantic one.

"If it's that damn security guard again, he'll get a bullet this time, not a bribe." Snarls the other one, also thick with an accent but deeper than his friend's.

Alexander shakes his head at her, telling her to be silent, telling her not to move, telling her that it is dangerous. She takes a slow breath in and out, trying to calm the heart that was furiously trying to suffocate her at the moment. Why had she done this! Why had she gone through with her threats! She was so stupid to try and explore a damn dock at night, and now, as she hides in the dark, she feels Alexander leaving her.