Flash Fiction--The Thief

Today, I'd like to share a bit of flash fiction and I hope you enjoy it. The original inspiration came from a movie I was watching just before Halloween. I don't know if it will grow into a story of it's own, but it's giving me some definite ideas.

The Thief

Liesa hurried down the crowded street. She moved as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself. She chanced a glance back over her shoulder. Still there. Dressed completely in black, the man stood out amid the sea of color worn by
those around him. Who the fuck was he? He definitely wasn't with the city guards. He wasn't wearing the bright red uniform and he wasn't ordering her to stop. Still, she was sure he was following her. No matter how many turns she made, he was right behind her. She couldn't lose him. He was definitely after something and she had a feeling it was the relic she'd just stolen. She was just lucky she was near the exchange point. After that, it didn't matter if the man caught up to her.

She saw her friend Darnell as she entered the town square. Water showered from a statue into a pool in the center of the large primarily cobbled area. The paving was broken only by squares of grass and carefully cultivated flowers. He stood near the ornate fountain. She saw him start walking and knew that he'd intercept her at a point about halfway across the square. She didn't worry about his pace or hers just kept walking and concentrated on making this the cleanest pass of her life. She didn't want the relic stolen before they even collected their pay for it. As Darnell brushed past her, she slipped the chalice into his hand. It was up to him to conceal it before anyone saw it.

She kept going, hoping to draw her follower away from Darnell. She continued hurrying through the city. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the man in black clothes still behind her.

A few strands of long glossy black hair hung over his shoulder undoubtedly blown there by the light breeze. He didn't look happy. His eyes were narrowed and his lips set in a frown. She turned her attention back to the city streets and getting somewhere unoccupied. She'd like to put some distance between them and now that she had nothing to fear from any guard stopping her, she intended to do it.

He didn't look like a thief. The thought flashed through her head. He was muscled and tall. His broad shoulders and large frame wouldn't lend themselves to tight spaces. Not to mention the fact that the whip and the short sword at his waist did make him stand out a bit. Most of the male thieves she knew were short and wiry. They could go anywhere, blend in with almost any crowd. That man would stand out and not just because of his size. His eyes were a riveting green. The combination of that with high cheekbones and a strong jaw gave him a hard male beauty that drew the eyes of male and female alike.

She turned onto an empty street and exhaled heavily. Finally. Not pausing a moment longer, she ran. Her shoes made almost no sound on the stone street. When she heard the staccato thud of boots on the pavement, she knew she wasn't going to lose the man easily. Her eyes scanned the street ahead. There had to be somewhere she could go that he couldn't. Finally, she saw a thin pipe going up the outside of one of the larger, dark brown stone buildings. She'd have to take the chance that it would hold and that her shoes wouldn't slip on the stone. It was probably a warehouse, but she didn't care right now.

Taking a running leap, she grabbed the pipe and began climbing. The wall wasn't as smooth as she feared and she managed to get up to the top without tumbling back to the stone paving. She looked back down and saw the man stop at the base of the building. She waved to him and then took off at an angle across the roof.

At the other side, she hung down and dropped to the ground before turning and running again. Relief flooded through her when the only sound she could hear was the soft scuff of her own shoes and the normal sounds of the city. Her thighs began to ache and her throat felt dry and rough. She wanted to stop and just walk, get a chance to catch her breath, but there was no time. She didn't slow down and kept going because she wouldn't be safe until she was out of the city. She saw the bridge that separated the more genteel side. A smile crossed her face. On the other side of that bridge were the working docks and a man who'd take her out of this city. Nearly there.

She rushed to get across the bridge. About halfway across, she saw a man step out of the shadows of a building and into the center of the road in front of her. He had long gleaming black hair and piercing green eyes. Dressed entirely in black, she couldn't miss him now that he was away from the building. She stopped and stared at him. It couldn't be. She'd left him on the other side of the building. There was no way that he could have gotten in front of her. But she couldn't deny what she saw. The handsome predator was the same one who'd been chasing her. For a few moments, she didn't move, but when he started forward, her muscles unlocked. She backed away and spun.

All she saw was black. Hands clasped her arms, holding her. She tilted her head back and looked up into riveting green eyes. She blinked and she wondered if her mind had fractured. He'd been at the other end of the bridge. She looked over her shoulder and saw the mirror image of the man holding her strolling toward them. Twins. It made sense now.

"I don't have what you want." She shook her head. She tried to pull away but the man holding her, but his hands tightened preventing her from moving away from him.

"Since you have no idea what we're after, how can you be sure of that?" The man holding her asked. His lips curved into a smile, but it wasn't at all friendly.

"I don't have anything of value." She licked her lips.

"You don't?" the man behind her asked. "Well, what we're after is very valuable."

She knew she shouldn't ask it, but the man in front of her wasn't letting go and the one behind her was closing in fast. This wasn't good. "What are you after?"

"You."