Caity had been living at the motel for a month. It wasn't very glamorous, but it had four walls, a bed, and most importantly, a hot tub. The motel was clean, the employees nice, although probably undocumented, but Caity didn't care. She had started working at her new office and already had many files to deal with. Luisa had spent the first day thanking Caity before starting to rearrange her office, HER office as she kept laughing. Her good humor and energy were a pleasure to see. Getting back to work after those few days was what Caity needed. Three weeks after her arrival, she had already won her first case. Orville had been accepted at UCLA, as well as Morgan at Miami. Everything was going well for everyone.
Krista had returned to work the day before, but had to settle for administrative work for the time being, the time to have the results of her psychological evaluation and fire test. During her break, she texted Caity, giving her news of her father and mother, which she managed to obtain by chatting. Sean was not fooled, he knew that Caity and Krista were in contact, and played the game. Kara had observed Caity from a distance, on her first day of work, then it was Bethany who stayed until she left her office, photographing her as she chatted on the sidewalk with a Latino-type woman, before following her to the motel where she was staying, photographing her as she returned to her room. For several days Bethany watched Caity then, reassured, gave her space, since that was what she wanted.
If Bethany had stayed in front of the motel, she would have seen Caity come out after dark, dressed head to toe in black and not come back until dawn. Perhaps she would have made the connection with men found in alleys, squats, savagely beaten, drugs or weapons left in evidence. Perhaps she would have made the connection with those whom witnesses called the ninja, dressed in black, his face covered, nothing suggesting the color of his skin, nor his gender. Caity, she, relieved to remove the vest that compresses her chest. If Bethany had waited a few more days, she would have seen her walk into a new gym.
It's in the second month of his new life that Caity receives an invitation to participate in an underground fight. She hesitated for a blink of an eye. Finally a place where she was going to be able to hit without fear. She entered the date into her calendar and prepared accordingly.
Dressed in yoga pants and a crop-top, she ties her short ponytail and looks in the mirror before going to position herself and waiting her turn, watching the other participants hit on each other with envy. At the call of her pseudonym, she stepped forward, not taking her eyes off her opponent. The other woman was a little taller than her and more massive, therefore heavier. At the sound of the siren, her opponent rushed at her faster than she thought she was capable of. Caity bent down and spun around to throw her leg which struck the abds, knocking her opponent back, giving her time to spin again to attack. Hitting fast and hard. The woman hold it, but weakened. Caity's punches were coming from all over the place, it was a regular beating. Her opponent, like a cornered bear, reacts with a final gasp, grabbing Caity and gripping her against her, lifting her up. Caity disoriented her by hitting her ears with her open palms, forcing the woman to release her. No sooner did her feet touch the ground than Caity leapt up, kicking again and again. Her opponent was trying to throw punches, but her vision was blurry, she was aiming off into space. Caity had beaten her badly, but she refused to give up the fight, relying only on her strength, hoping only to be able to grab hold of Caity. Tired, Caity grabbed her opponent's arm and, looking at the cheering crowd as they shouted her name, she twisted the woman's arm around and struck it with the palm of her hand, dislocating her shoulder.
The host announced the end of the fight and his victory, the crowd shouted his name, Wildcat. Leaving the improvised ring, Caity raised her hand in greeting to the crowd, she went further to wipe herself, breathe and wait for the end of the other fights before going to claim her money. She pocketed the sum without counting and agreed to come back the following weekend; she already had challengers who wanted to compete with her.
In her tub, she let the jets of the hot tub massage her, before drying off and getting dressed, going to a country bar several streets away. She had stumbled upon it one night while chasing a drug dealer down an alley and had taken a liking to it. Greeting customers she recognized, she joined the gang on the dance floor and got into the rhythm, dancing and having fun, before collapsing on a banquette, laughing.
"Hey Caity! How are you?
— Hi Emeline! Great and you?
— Nothing like evacuating a week of shit."
I know another way, thinks Caity smiling.
"It's certain. Come on, let's go back!"
After several rounds of dancing, Caity comes out, holding her man by the hand, ushering him into her SUV, as he feverishly kisses her, while trying to unbutton his pants. He was obviously in a hurry and Caity helped him, fearing that he would cum all over him, he was so nervous. She undressed which excites the young cowboy even more. Caity, polite, helps him unroll the condom, and encourages him by feigning pleasure as he enters her. The man was vigorous, but in a hurry, he was nevertheless abrupt enough to satisfy Caity a little. Dressing, she thanked him, offering him the same thing the following week, same time, same place. Once his nervousness had passed, Caity had found him interesting, hoping he would be more determined next time. Back in her room, she washed herself before going to bed, the evening had been torrid from every point of view.
"Hey!"
Her phone screen made her dizzy just as she was about to fall asleep, she had forgotten to put it in the drawer of her bedside table.
"Hi Krista. You don't sleep?
— Did I wake you up?
— Within a few seconds, yes.
— I miss you. I miss not seeing you arrive at the police station as if you were on conquered land.
— I miss not seeing you anymore, but I'm not ready to come back.
— Can we see each other tomorrow? I have to go to the hospital for a routine visit.
— At hat time?
— Eleven o'clock.
— I'll be there.
— Great ! Good night Caity."
Between chatting with her friends and holding them in her arms, there is a world. Emily cruelly reminds her of this by hugging her as hard as she can.
"You are such a mulehead. You can come by the house you know, we haven't seen your family for a very long time. Holly is going to shoot some test scenes with Julia next week, come see her, it will make her happy.
— If I can free my agenda, but I have a trial next week, a mother, known to abuse her children, custody was denied to the father. It's an important case.
— All right. I'm so glad to see you! You left me overnight! I have a girlfriend right now, aren't you disappointed?
— Emily, I'm happy for you! She's nice, she deserves you?
— Yes, we get along really well.
— Then I forgive you for misleading me," smiled Caity, hugging her.
"And me then? Where is my hug?" Krista coughs behind her back.
"Come here you! Caity catches her. Shit! I missed the hugs.
— Hello, Emily," Krista manages to say, stepping away from Caity's smothering love. "I have an appointment for my assessment."
Caity accompanies Krista and stays in the hallway, waiting, before meeting her when she leaves, chatting while walking her home, waving to Emily who is busy. Krista is operational for the field again and was eager to entrust Caity with doing administrative duties since her injury had made her want to take the exam to become a Lieutenant, so she had started studying for it. Caity congratulates her, and encourages her by telling her that she will be there to help her with her studies.
"Do you have time for coffee or tea?
— For you, always."
Settling in the cafeteria, a little aside, Krista blows on her coffee while looking at Caity.
"Have you heard of the Los Angeles Ninja?
— You know, ever since I got back to work, I haven't really had time to watch TV, and where I live, I'm not sure they have all the channels.
— Caity...
— What, it's not a TV show?" laughs Caity.
"I get it," Krista smiles.
"You're a smart girl, I said that the first time we met.
— Are you careful at least?
— Are you wearing a microphone?
— Caity! Come on, how could you even believe that I would betray you.
— There is no death of man, you clean the city, everything is fine, right?
— If the papers talk too much about this vigilante, you'll start drawing attention to yourself, don't you think?
— Probably yes. Too bad. It's my decision.
— What gives you the right to play vigilante? There are laws, you know something about them. These guys could be freed for procedural flaws!
— But they know if they do it again there's someone to put them down again.
— How far will you go? Are you armed?
— It depends what you mean by weapon. My beautiful eyes and my smile, does that count?
— Caity..." sighs her friend, her eyes sad.
"Don't worry, I'm careful, Krista. Alright, I'll leave you, I have to go to the office. Bye sweetie," she said, hugging her before walking away.
All week, Caity worked on her trial, her investigator had prepared a photo file that was going to destroy the defense and annihilate this woman. She was just waiting for the defense to say the photographs were taken out of context to show the videos it was extracted from. It would be radical. Her argument was going to make the jurors cry, the media were going to make their headlines. Arriving dressed in her strict business suit, but in red heeled shoes, she climbed the steps, dragging her briefcase containing her files before shaking her head as she stopped in the middle of the steps.
"I don't have time to argue, Dad.
— I know.
— How did you know I was there?
— I keep myself informed of judgments, I look for your name, I follow your files and your career. Do you think you'll win? The father is nothing, the mother a known influencer.
— I'm going to run over her like she doesn't expect," Caity replies, continuing up the stairs. "She will understand the reality of being in front of a camera.
— Aren't you asking about your family?
— Everyone has turned their backs on me, I'm moving forward. Say hi to mom, I'm sorry you're in the middle of this. I have to go. Bye, Commissar.
— Good pleading, Ms Hammonds."
Caity passed through the security gates and then headed for the courtroom, greeting her client and reassuring him, but without revealing anything to him, talking to him risked shaking his emotions and derailing her objective. Sitting in her place, her client at her side, she prepared her documents then stared straight ahead, waiting. Saluting his colleague on the opposing side, smiling when he heard his client's wife arrive as if on conquered land, playing the victim. Once the judge has given his recommendations to the jurors, the public, the media present, she and her colleague make their introductions.