PROTECTION

Consider please, a flashback. It was more or less, five years ago. Silas and I were in the heat of battle with the ferocious Geng Khan, the drug lord of middle Yolo-Central. I was still considered a rookie then but Silas didn't see me that way, he saw me as an equal, a capable person worthy of responsibility. Geng Khan was a huge man, and he overpowered us with strength alone, even though we had taken down all his minions.

Afraid that we would loose the fight and our lives before back up arrived, Silas commanded me to do the one thing I had been forbidden by the higher ups to do…use my energy powers. At his command I attempted to shoot Geng Khan down, but in the process I went berserk and blew the whole building up. Geng Khan was dead and Silas was nowhere to be found. It was assumed that he had died too, and I was to blame. Ever since, I had suffered hatred and discrimnation from my colleagues and rightly so, I thought, because I killed a good man.

A good man. The man we just saw was not a good man. How was Silas still alive?

"I'm taking you off this case," Chief said as he watched the medics from the ambulance check our vitals.

"What, you can't do that!" I replied, beckoning the lady attending to me to stop.

"I'm your captain, I can do whatever I want," he replied calmly.

The aftermath of the encounter with Silas left the Troopers, the firemen and the paramedics working overtime as they attempted to clear any trace of the fight. It was barely a fight. The sun slowly submerged into the horizon and the pink sky gave a sweet evening colour to the atmosphere. Some of the locals came out to help with the clean up.

"We're so close to the end of this case, Chief," Lemon said, thanking the paramedic after she was done with her. "The X master, the pattern of the serial killing and the mystery of the X master identity, or should I say, identities. Taking us off this case would not help anybody."

He exhaled looking at her with folded hands.

"No," he said looking around. "This has gotten way too dangerous…and personal. It's obvious Silas wants both your heads, y'all need to be put on some type of witness protection program."

We scoffed, laughing as we looked at him. Apparently he was joking, is what we thought. His serious stare said otherwise.

"You can't be serious," Lemon replied, shocked that he was indeed, actually serious.

"We can take care of ourselves Captain Edward," I added. "We don't need a witness protection program, save that for the civilians."

He exhaled, turning back and walking towards his car. We followed, trying to persuade him to change his mind. I thought he would when I used his name for the second time that year, an attempt at sending a sign that I was also serious about not giving up the case.

"Chief, common," we pestered him.

He finally stopped walking, right in front of his car.

"Silas is my responsibility," he said, turning to us. "Not yours, I was the one who brought him into the force, and I will be the one to take him out."

We kept quiet, his tone was emotional and firm. He began sounding like he did during times when he would visit us after work hours, like a father figure.

"You don't have to do it alone, Chief," Lemon replied after he was done talking.

He looked at her and exhaled, pulling out his keys. "I'm not going to be alone. You two aren't the only detectives in Yolo-Central, I'll be working with Jack and Jill."

We scoffed immediately, laughing.

"The Hunter twins?" I asked, laughing. "Those two can barely solve a crossword puzzle, they won't last a day in this case."

"You have to be joking Chief," Lemon said, cleaning her eyes as her grin slowly dropped.

He was not joking. He pulled his door open and climbed into the car. Then he said;

"A designated Trooper would be at both your service twenty-four seven. Plus, you'd be leaving the country before the night runs out."

"What?" I said, shocked.

"Come on Chief," Lemon added. "We barely just got back."

"It's for your own safety. I can't afford to lose both of you," he started the engine of his car. Then he smirked, looking at us as we quietly watched him lean on the door. "Besides, this would give you both a chance to finally have time for yourselves and start that family you keep on replaying in your heads whenever you see each other."

"Wait what?" Lemon asked, all flustered.

"We do no such thing," I added, also quite flustered.

"I'm a persuasion empath," he chuckled. "You can't hide feelings from me. I honestly don't know what you guys are waiting for, kiss already."

Kiss already? Seriously chief, seriously?

"Tha…that's besides the point," Lemon stuttered. "We know who's behind these murders chief, this case is as good as done in our hands."

He nodded. "Yes, we do. It's obviously a rogue version of Silas Burndead. Listen, have babies, don't have babies, that's not for me to decide, but I will not let you continue this case, you're already targets. You two could be the next victims."

"And you could become like Hannah on the wall," I replied.

He smiled, reversing. "Don't worry, I can handle myself. Send me everything you have on the case, and don't you dare miss your flight."

"Our flight?" Lemon asked. "Where are we going?"

He had already hoovered off before she could finish that sentence. She exhaled, walking over to the sidewalk to take a seat.

"You okay?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Chief doesn't know what he's getting himself into," she replied, picking up a pebble and throwing it towards the light pole on the other side.

I scoffed softly. "Yeah, no kidding."

She kept quiet for a while. We sat in silence as we watched the people walking to and fro, busy with one thing or another.

"You think we should tell him about the guardian stuff?" She asked.

I exhaled, leaning back on my arm. "I don't think he would have believed even if we did. Besides, without the Author's Sight, he won't be able to see my system in this dimension."

"Yeah," she exhaled. "I guess you're right."

We sat in silence for a while, lost in our thoughts as we observed our surroundings. Then, out of the blue, she asked the question;

"Do you think it would work?"

I looked at her, puzzled. "Do I think what would work?"

"Us," she replied, looking at my face. "What he said about us, do you think we could ever achieve that?"

"What, a family?" I asked, chuckling.

She nodded. Her eyes were filled with sincerity. She really did want to know, and I can't deny that I saw that coming a mile away. We had chemistry, obvious chemistry. And lately we've been flirting with each other more than usual, the signs were clearly before me and it was stupid of me not to notice it until today.

"Well," I replied, adjusting my sitting position so I could look directly at her. "There's only one way to find out."

She grinned, chuckling a little.

"What, what's so funny?" I asked, smiling.

"You sounded so cheesy," she replied, laughing some more. "But sweet. So, should we start with din—"

Right at that moment, a Trooper in a black suit, a black coat and some dark shades interrupted us.

"Good evening Detective Ezra and Detective Lemon," he said standing before us. "My name's Laos, I'll be your designated witness protection assistant."

Lemon and I looked at each other.

"That was fast," she replied.

We stood up, receiving the handshake he offered.

"Captain Edward said to call him if you had any questions or are not satisfied with my service."

I looked at him closely with a squint.

"Are you an android?" I asked.

"Not quite sir," he replied. "I am a cyborg."

"Cooool," Lemon and I immediately replied.

"Perhaps I can tell more about this on our way to the airport."

"The airport?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Where are we going?" Lemon asked.

"I'm afraid that information is classified for your own safety," Laos replied. "I believe all I can say is that, it is a cabin somewhere in Yolo-Gold."

"Africa?!" Lemon and I replied excitedly. "Awesome."