Agent in the Dark

Despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins she still felt as weak as a newborn kitten. How would she defend herself? Against who would she be defending herself against?

Scattered thoughts returned to her all jumbled up. She had been running and then the mob had seized her and then…… She swallowed hard remembering, as the door of the room swung open. The sick monster had come for her!

I glanced up from the tray to my very awake patient. She'd moved as far from me, as the cord around her wrist would permit. I set down the tray and slid a knife out before leaning across the bed toward her.

Her eyes darted to the knife in alarm and she strained harder against the tether of the strap. Carefully I slipped the blade of the knife between the leather strap and the skin of her wrist and sliced through the leather binding.

"I didn't want you to go wondering off on me, while I was gone Asia." I said softly making direct eye contact with her.

Her eyes flared at the use of her assumed name. I flipped the blade end for end in my hand and offered her the handle of the knife. Her eyes came up to mine in open question of my action.

"Take it." She did and I drew back from her.

"Now I know you're thirsty and if you were hungry enough before to dine out on a rat then you're probably ready to start downing centipedes." I held out a cup of water and she reached for it so eagerly that she almost dropped the blanket, but she recovered the blanket quickly looking mortified in the process.

"Allow me." I said tipping the cup of water up to her lips. Dutifully she drank, but kept one eye fixed on me the entire time, as her hand gripped the knife so hard she might have squeezed water out of it. The cup empty I took it away.

"Could I please have some more?" She asked, her voice rough and unused sounding.

Her English was perfect, except for only a slight accent that I liked instantly.

"You certainly may, but we need to space it out some." I responded in keeping with her perfect manners, but I couldn't help grin a little at the silliness of having manners in such a setting as this.

It was hot inside the tower and I hadn't bothered to put a shirt on. I knew how intimidating I could look, especially to a woman fully expecting to have to defend herself against being raped. Her eyes seemed focused on one part of my chest in particular and I glanced down to the area in question. It was the scar I'd gotten from one of my bear skirmishes that hadn't gone too well for me in the past.