Jumping Blindly

"So, how long till you see your psychiatrist again?"

"He'll come to visit tomorrow."

"It's so great being here. Free room. Free food. Gorgeous women."

"You are such a sick man."

"You can honestly tell me you haven't had your eye on the skitzophrenic down the hall?"

"He is cute. He can't help he has problems."

"He's in a rubber room."

"Aren't we all?"

(End comments)

-Moody Blues, 'Know You're Out There Somewhere'

One such weary traveler exited his black '88 Chevrolet. He was a young man, still in his teens. He was alone, not just here, but in the world. His brown trench coat was pulled tightly around him to keep out the rain that drenched his short blonde hair. Only pain could be seen in his hazel eyes. This was a man who had clearly lost someone close to him. Someone he loved dearly.

He walked around his car and pulled out two large suitcases. He heard a rustle in the bushes surrounding the hotel. His gaze drifted to the shadow-covered bushes. All he saw were the shadows that danced happily everywhere. A chill went up his spine. He felt so isolated... so alone.

Nothing could have been farther from the truth... For at that moment, three personages were hiding in the shadows.

"Do your thing, X-Ray. I'm getting drenched," the young woman told one of the men at her side.

She was very young, still in her early teens. Her long, reddish-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes stared intently at the traveler.

"Not much in his suitcase. I see a few suits, jeans, t-shirts, and some nice, black boxer shorts," the man named X-Ray reported.

X-Ray was a man in his early twenties. His eyes were pure black. His hair was a dark red that looked almost like blood.

"Is there anything of value? I don't really care about whether or not he's a good dresser," the woman said.

"He does seem to have a computer and a very nice camera. Other than that, just the usual vacationing stuff," X-Ray reported.

"Nathaniel, I want you to follow him," the woman said, "Find out his room number. X-Ray, I want you to keep a look-out. This is my job."

"You seem really tense, Heather. When we get home, do you want me to relieve some of that tension?" Nathaniel asked the woman.

"We'll see," Heather answered, as she ran her fingers briefly through Nathaniel's dirty-blonde hair.

"Excuse me, you two lovebirds, but we have a job to do," X-Ray stated.

"Be careful," Heather tolf Nathaniel as she gazed into his deep blue eyes for a moment. Then he disappeared into the shadows.

"This is the last time I get put in charge of baby-sitting you two whelps," X-Ray complained.

"You know as well as I do that we were both sent because of our special abilities," Heather said, with the slightest hint of annoyance.

As he entered the room, he flicked on the lights. As light filled up the dark room, his eyes surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.

To one side of the bed was a tiny bathroom. Its tiles were a yellowish color and the pipes that brought water to the sink were well-rusted.

To the other side of the bed was a small dresser, substansial for only two or three day's worth of clothing. It didn't really matter since the traveler had no intention of staying for any length of time.

The only other object in the room was a table where an ice bucket sat.

He laid his suitcases on the bed and, shortly after, pulled from the smaller one a laptop computer. He sat the computer gently on the table and silently said to himself, "Well, John Bruce, I don't know why you're here. Maybe it just suits your mood." Then he picked up the ice bucket and headed into the hallway.

He passed a young man whose deep blue eyes bore into him.

X-Ray and Nathaniel lifted Heather up to the window. It took all of five seconds to push it open and climb inside the room. Once inside, she grabbed the computer and tucked it into herlong, black trench coat. She then turned her attention to the suitcases. It didn't take much to get past the combination lock and open them. She rummaged through them, looking for the camera.

She knew she was taking longer than she should have, but they needed the money.

Suddenly, the door flew open. She did the only thing she could think of; she jumped out the open window, but not before John had seen her.

Hurrying to the window, he was amazed to see that she had landed on her feet and was running with two other figures. Not thinking twice, John jumped as well, allowing his telekinesis to pillow his fall.

John then pursued them on foot, but they were very agile and rounded a corner, loosing him.

Unfortunatly for the thieves, it was the wrong corner. Four men were there, wearing black cloths and the ritual attire of the assassins' guild. The thieves were trapped as two more came up from behind them.

"We're here to teach you a lesson," one of the assassins said. "Never steal from someone who can, with a snap of her fingers, have you killed." "You can tell your mistress to go to--" Nathaniel was about to finish his sentence when an unfamiliar voice was heard. The thieves turned to look.

"Leave these people alone," John said. "I have first dibs on them." "How dare you intererupt an assassin guild mission?" asked the same assassin.

"It figures," John mumbled quietly to himself. "I want a quiet vacation and I end up fighting the legendary guild of assassins. With my recent luck, this actually seems like a good thing."

The assassin to the left of the one that had spoken threw a knife. It was headed straight for the female thieve's head. Suddenly, it stopped in mid-air and turned around, returning to stab its thrower in the arm.

"Odds are even, now," Heather said to the others.

An assassin was standing a little too close to her. She punched him in the stomach, then kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and causing a temporary lack of consciouness.

Nathaniel attacked an assasin from behind, putting a knife through his spine.

Another assassin threw a knife at John. Not seeing it in time to stop it mentally, he dodged. He looked around him. The thieves were good fighters.

"Run, Heather!" X-Ray called as he took out another assassin. The woman began to run, but turned at the sound of an explosion as a large building went up in flames. The other thieves began to run as well.

The assassins attepmted to follow, but John stood in their way.

"Most intelligent men would cut their losses and leave now," John said. "What are they to you?" one assassin asked. "They are not your people, outsider."

"Maybe they aren't my people, lad, but the HAND killed my family, and I will do anything to stop assassins anywhere! Now, leave these people alone."

The fight continued, and John disabled the remaining men.

Afterwards, he decided to find the thieves and get his computer back. It had a tracking device.... The hard part would figuring out how it worked. John wasn't great with machinery.

After an hour of trying to figure out what all the little dots meant, he came across a condemned builing that was many stories high. It had probably been an office building at one point.

He hesitated a moment. He really didn't want to die. However, he had helped them, and if they had any honor at all, they would at least let him state his case before they slithis throat.

Entering the building, the damp and dusty smell nearly choked him. The room was dark, and he wished he had some kind of light. He wished he knew what lurked in the shadows.

After only a few steps, what was left of the door closed. He turned quickly and, within seconds, a knife was to his throat.

Suddenly, the light from a lantern illuminated the room.

"Before I kill someone," a familiar female voice said, "I generally like to know what they're after."

"It's the moron who tried to help us fight the assassins," said X-Ray, laughing.

"I mean you no harm," John said. "I only want my computer back."

"We at least owe him that," said Heather, her voice softening as she put the knife on the ground.

John turned to face the voices and was surprised to find that over a hundred people stood in the room. Many of them were children.

"Who are you?" John asked.

"We are poor thieves," Nathaniel answered. "Outcasts."

"How many of you are there?"

"Before the explosion, there were close to six hundred. Now, only four hundred." Nathaniel told him. Heather closed her eyes for a brief second, in mourning for those that had died in the explosion earlier.

"Where did you all come from?" John asked.

"Here, if you don't want your child, you leave it in an alley, and a mythical savior will take it and care for it. We take these children and raise them as our own. Some are born from mothers here, as well."

"I would be willing to buy back my computer," John said, looking around and seeing their need.

"We are honorable people," Heather said. "You are a friend forever. You may take it without pay."

"Your name is...?" John asked the woman.

"Heather Nightengale." she answered.

"Okay, Heather. I'll tell you what. If you show me a nice pub, I'll call it even. I'll even pay for drinks."

"I think I know just the place," a man said. "And if you're wondering, I'm Nathaniel."

"So, what brings you here?" she asked John.

"It's summer break and I needed to travel. I didn't want to go home, seeing as I don't have a home to go to. My parents died last summer."

"You have a slight accent," Heather noticed.

"I'm originally from Scotland," John explained.

"Where are you staying?" she asked.

"At college." he answered.

Suddenly, Heather looked around nervously. "Assassins," she hissed.

Three figures approached the table.

"I believe," one said, "That we have some unfinished business."

"I told you to leave these people alone," John said. He reached out telekinetically and shattered the bones in the man's arm.

"My arm!" the man screamed. The others hesitated. They didn't know what had hit their leader, but they knew it wasn't good.

"Later," the assassin said, and headed for the door, holding his arm.

"That was a warning," John stated simply. "If I hear of the Guild attacking these people again, I will finish what I started with your arm."

"You are a good man," Heather said.

"I hope to see younext time I come to the big easy," John said.

"I just hope the assassins leave us alone," Nathaniel remarked. "But somehow I doubt it."

"They're harder to get rid of than sewer rats," Heather agreed.

"I have to leave you now," John said, standing. "I have an appointment in New York. I hope to see you again... soon."

As he left, he suddenly didn't feel so alone. He suddenly felt alive. Somehow, he knew that these people would have a lasting effect on his life."