"Okay, I'll let her know ..." Out of nowhere she could have sworn she felt someone walk past her. She actually felt body heat. She looked around and the sidewalk where she sat, it was empty.
"Meryn?" Aiden called her name. She shook her head.
"Sorry, got distracted there for a second. Will you be at the house for dinner?" She was starting to love eating. Before Aiden, eating meant choking down a hot pocket while on her laptop. Now it meant talking and laughing with friends and family.
"Yes, we'll be there. Marius let it slip that he was making his world famous meat loaf tonight. We'll have to fight the guys for a good slice."
"I bet Marius will save me some he ..." Meryn's throat constricted, someone had just breathed on the back of her neck. Goosebumps exploded across her skin and covered her body. A sinister chuckle had her gasping and spinning in her chair. No one was there.
"Meryn what's wrong?" Aiden's frantic question barely registered.
"I think someone is here, but I don't see anything." She whispered.
"Where is Colton? Where is my mother?" He asked. In the background, he was calling out orders for the men to get into the vehicles.
"I haven't seen Colton and your mother is in the café." Meryn's eyes darted around.
"Get inside now!" Aiden yelled. Meryn stood only to have a heavy hand push her back down.
"Aiden something pushed me! It won't let me go inside!" Her heart beat out of control.
"Scream. Scream as loud as you can. Ben's unit is patrolling the city today, someone will hear you." Aiden yelled. She opened her mouth to scream when something covered it. It wasn't until she felt the moist heat that she realized that someone was kissing her. A foreign tongue forced its way down her throat. She thrashed, a strong hand gripped her breast. Flinging herself backward she broke away from her attacker. When her mouth was free she inhaled and screamed as loudly as she could. Seconds later a figure appeared at her side. It was Colton.
"What happened?" He demanded, looking around. She couldn't answer. All she could do was shake and cry. The door to the café opened and Adelaide rushed out.
"Meryn what's wrong?" She was pulled into Adelaide's arms, but she still couldn't speak.
"Colton you worthless dog, pick up the fucking phone!" Aiden was yelling so loud even Meryn could hear him. Colton gently unwrapped her fingers from around her cell phone.
"Aiden I swear I was watching her the whole time. No one approached her." Colton ran a hand through his hair.
Down the street the sound of a roaring engine heralded the arrival of the Gamma Unit. Ben jumped from the SUV and ran over to kneel in front of Meryn.
"What are we looking for kiddo?" He asked. She shook her head.
"A ghost." She whispered. Ben regarded her in confusion before turning to Colton.
"Colton, what are we after here?"
"I have no fucking clue, there wasn't anything there." Colton's practically yelled. Ben remained kneeling in front of Meryn holding her hands.
"You're safe now. Whatever it was will have to go through us to get to you." Meryn turned to Colton and they exchanged a look. Only Colton understood. Because he hadn't seen anything either. How can you fight something you couldn't see?
Behind them, the Gamma Unit spread out and began to question the customers and shopkeepers that had come outside at the sound of her scream. Squealing wheels had her looking up. A familiar black SUV, practically tipping over, turned the corner.
"Aiden." She whispered. The SUV drove right up to them and slammed on the brakes. Before the vehicle had stopped moving Aiden was jumping out of the passenger side. He ran over to her and lifted her up in his arms. Under her hands she could feel that he was shaking. Pushing her own fear aside, she rubbed his chest.
"I'm okay. I'm okay." She kept repeating it until he calmed down. Refusing to let her go he sat down and kept her in his lap.
"What happened Meryn? Take us through the sequences of events, don't leave anything out." Aiden asked. Nodding Meryn sat up.
"We were talking about the tailors and I felt heat, like body heat move past me. But there was nothing there so I ignored it. Then I felt a breath on the back of my neck and someone laughed. You told me to get inside, but when I stood up I was pushed back down. I went to scream and ..." Meryn swallowed hard as tears filled her eyes. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Something kissed me, he also twisted my breast. His breath was foul and he tried to choke me by forcing his tongue down my throat." Meryn felt tears spill over her eyes. Aiden cradled her close.
"I pushed backward and screamed. Then Colton was there." She wiped at her eyes.
"Colton you had guard duty, how could you let this happen?" Aiden demanded. Meryn popped Aiden upside the head. He continued to frown at his best friend. Meryn fumed.
"What part of I didn't see anything did you not understand? Whoever this jerk is had his tongue so far down my throat he was fondling my tonsils and I didn't see anything. What could Colton have done?" She demanded. Aiden took a deep breath.
"Aiden I swear to you on my life I didn't see anything. I would never let anything happen to Meryn." Colton whispered harshly.
"I know you wouldn't." Aiden admitted before turning to other man who had been giving orders.
"Report." He barked.