My murderous crush

An Unexpected Encounter

The men were closing in on Mia. She began to regret not driving home and deciding to walk instead. She needed to get to her car and drive somewhere safe as soon as possible.

She called Tracy, but her line wasn't connecting. She decided to take another route to the dojang. She would be safe there, and she could drive to her father's place later. The only other route was a quiet, lonely path, but Mia decided it was worth the risk.

A decision she would soon regret.

The men had gotten close to her. One pulled out a handkerchief and tried to place it over her nose to knock her out, but her reflexes kicked in. She moved away just in time and began running.

Both men followed her in hot pursuit.

One of them grabbed her arm from behind. She turned quickly and punched him, but as she turned to continue running, another man shoved her. She fell, scraping her elbow against the ground and leaving it bleeding.

The man stood over her. She kicked his leg inward, breaking his balance, then lifted herself slightly and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head.

She stood up to continue running, but she was already surrounded. Four men had surrounded her, all holding push knives.

Her eyes fell on her purse lying on the ground beside one of the men. She had a Taser inside and needed to get to her bag.

She made a quick dash for it, but the man standing beside it grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the stomach.

She groaned in pain, clutching her stomach. He raised his hand to slap her, but she blocked the strike, hit his throat, and kicked him in the groin.

The man stumbled backwards, cursing under his breath.

Mia tried to reach for her purse, but before she could take another step, one of the other men grabbed her from behind.

She struggled against his grip, driving her elbow backwards, but he barely loosened his hold. Another man approached with a knife in his hand.

“Hold her still!” he barked.

Mia's heart pounded. She had trained for years, but four men surrounding her with knives was a different situation entirely. She couldn't let them take her. She had to find a way out.

Then a voice cut through the commotion.

“Four men against one woman? That's embarrassing.”

All four men turned towards the voice.

A man stood a few feet away, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his trousers. He wore a face cap and dark shades, his expression impossible to read.

Alfred.

Mia didn't recognize him. She was too busy trying to free herself from the man holding her.

“Mind your business and keep walking!” one of the men snapped.

Alfred tilted his head slightly.

“I was going to,” he replied calmly. “Then I noticed how pathetic you looked.”

The man's face twisted with anger. He stepped towards Alfred, waving his knife threateningly.

Alfred sighed.

“Your funeral.”

The man lunged at him.

Alfred moved aside, and the attacker stumbled past him. Before the man could recover, Alfred knocked the knife from his hand and sent him crashing to the ground.

The remaining men exchanged uncertain glances.

“Get him!” their leader shouted.

Two men charged at Alfred while another kept Mia restrained.

Alfred's expression didn't change. He avoided the first man's swing, shoved him off balance, and turned to face the second. Within moments, both men were on the ground, scrambling to get away from him.

The man holding Mia loosened his grip in surprise.

Mia seized the opportunity, wrenched herself free, and stumbled away from him.

“Stay back!” she warned, raising her fists.

But the man had already seen enough. He glanced at Alfred, who was calmly adjusting his sleeve, then looked at his companions.

“Let's go!” he shouted.

“Just like that?” one of the men protested.

“Do you want to stay here and find out what happens next?”

That settled the argument.

The four men scrambled to their feet and hurried down the path, throwing nervous glances over their shoulders as they disappeared around the corner.

Alfred watched them leave.

“Cowards,” he muttered.

Mia barely heard him. She was bent over, one hand pressed against her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. Her elbow stung, and she could feel blood trickling down her arm.

Alfred turned towards her.

“Are you alright?”

Mia straightened immediately, despite the pain.

“I'm fine.”

He glanced at her bleeding elbow, then at the way she was holding her stomach.

“Clearly.”

She shot him an irritated look.

“I said I'm fine.”

“Alright.”

He raised both hands slightly, as though surrendering, and took a step back.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Mia studied the stranger. She couldn't see his eyes behind the dark shades, and his face cap cast a shadow over his features.

“Thank you,” she finally said, reluctantly.

He gave a slight nod. “You should be more careful about where you walk.”

Mia's eyebrows rose.

“Excuse me?”

“Four men followed you into an isolated path. You were outnumbered, injured, and nearly overpowered. Walking alone down here wasn't exactly your best decision.”

Mia stared at him, offended by his bluntness.

“I didn't ask for a lecture.”

“And I didn't ask to interrupt my afternoon.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Who does this man think he is?

Alfred bent down, picked up her purse, and held it out to her.

“Your bag.”

Mia collected it, quickly checking inside to make sure everything was still there.

“Thank you,” she repeated, this time more quietly.

“Try not to make it a habit.”

He turned and began walking away.

“Wait!”

Alfred stopped but didn't turn around.

Mia hesitated. “What's your name?”

For a brief moment, he considered giving her a false name. Then he remembered why he was in Amber City in the first place.

He turned his head slightly.

“Alfred.”

“Mia.”

“I know.”

The words escaped him before he could stop them.

Mia frowned. “What?”

Alfred paused.

“Your name. You were on the phone earlier. I heard you mention it.”

She watched him suspiciously for another second before accepting the explanation.

“Oh.”

He gave her one final nod and walked away, leaving Mia standing alone on the path with her purse clutched against her side.

She watched him disappear into the distance.

Strange man.

She had no idea who he was, why he had been nearby, or why something about him made her uneasy despite the fact that he had just saved her.

Alfred, meanwhile, continued down the road, his expression returning to its usual blankness.

He had planned to observe Mia Josh from a distance.

He hadn't planned on introducing himself so soon.

But as he slipped his hands into his pockets, he couldn't help thinking that perhaps the opportunity had presented itself at just the right time.

Now Mia had a reason to remember his name.