Before he Sees

The girl looked up, surprised. She looked instantly relieved but then looked back to the ground, maybe a little embarrassed.

“I don’t think so,” the girl said. “Some guys just don’t take no for an answer.”

“Shut up, bitch,” the crewcut guy said. He then looked directly at Bryers and said: “What business is it of yours, anyway?”

Bryers withdrew his ID so fast that it was like watching a gunslinger go for his irons. “It’s my business in more ways than you want to imagine,” he said.

“Oh,” crewcut said. “Well, I think I might – ”

And then he turned and ran.

“Ah, hell,” Bryers said. He started to take off after the young man but Mackenzie couldn’t stay still any longer.

“You stay with the girl,” she said. “I’ll get him.”

“Are you sure?” Bryers asked. “I don’t know if – ”

“I’m sure,” she said, already starting to sprint after the suspect.

Without looking back for confirmation from Bryers, Mackenzie dashed forward. There wasn’t much of a crowd assembled along the concourse, giving her few obstacles to contend with. Within two seconds, she knew she’d catch up to the creep easily. He was running on panic and fear while her own strides were balanced and controlled.

The idiot even stopped to look over his shoulder, further giving her the edge. When he saw that she was on his heels, he found another gear. But by then, Mackenzie already had him. She gave an extra push, finding her own next gear, and got within arms’ reach of him. The few people standing in her way saw what was occurring and had stepped out of the way, mainly for their own safety but also to watch what might happen.