Like a Modern Day Robin Hood

Midnight.

Well, that's what it felt like. Honestly, Lis had no idea what time it was, she just knew she was working. Tonight it was just her and Malik on duty. Everyone else would of just been in the way as Lis put it. This was a two man job, one to blow the lock and one to listen for danger. Lis was only good at one of those things.

She worked silently and quickly. Each little MINI was attached to the steel door by a flammable paste. Each MINI was wired together and sensitive to vibration, set that way os that when one went off, they all would in sync. It would be beautiful, at least to a chemist and weapons specialist. She attached the last one to the seal and carefully pulled her hand from it. With a grin, Lisette admired her handy work.

"Beautiful…" She said, stepping back. She heard static click inside her good ear. "I know, I know… don't get romantic with it… but lets face it Mal, we are about to have fireworks."

She grabbed her bag and started to clean up her supplies. She had to make the MINI's there on site, they were not safe to travel. One wrong move and BOOM it was all over. She quickly cleared the sulfuric acid, toluene, water, all the usual things you'd carry in a backpack… Lis had condensed the solution to the bare minimum, there would be a blast, but not one like the military. Not like the good days.

Tonight they were taking back stolen property, it was all very robin hood of them. Robbing the rich to feed the poor type of deal. "…and we are clear." She said, swiftly picking up her bag and making her way a good distance from the explosion site. She joined Malik to take cover and turned one last time to inspect her work. " I shouldn't of named them… "

With that, she stood next to Malik. A nod assured him, that it was time to blow the door. A good shot would set the first MINI off… and after that, they would blow two at a time, one right after the next. Generally, this solved the problem and the door was blown, causing it to fall straight forward, allowing entrance.

" Time for fire works."

Robin Hood wasn't a very good comparison to be made to Malik. He didn't have the high ideals of a man that justified banditry and sedition by giving the spoils away. Malik had been born into the military and his moral compass was set to: Follow orders, and look out for your comrades. That mindset still governed who he was today. He didn't take orders now, he gave them, but he still had comrades. Malik didn't care that this was a robbery job, and he didn't care that the property was being returned to its rightful owner. It was a job and jobs paid so that he could take care of his crew. He didn't take jobs that would land him and his in more trouble than the pay was worth. Those were the golden rules: Choose jobs carefully, and make sure you get paid.


Keen eyes cut across the dark distance to watch the area around the door for movement. He was supposed to be watching Lis's back while she was arming the explosives. From time to time he watched her back, rather what lay below her back. She was excited and squirming in such a way that if anyone saw her, they would never in a million years think she was planting high explosives. Malik knew better, and knew Lis was probably just one right touch away from creaming her panties, if she was actually wearing any. "Come on, Lis....," he grumbled under his breath, ...Stop making out with the damn thing and move your ass."


Movement in his field of vision bought his eyes from their sweep back to Lis. She was done setting the charges and making her way back to him. It was a thing of beauty to watch her run. She lived to burn and blow things up, but she was born to run. That graceful stride ate the pavement beneath her, and constantly hungered for more. She was by his side in no time, crashing her small frame into his large body like a backstop. The corner of his mouth turned at one side when he felt the stolen touch pass between them, as she pulled away to look back at her work. She wasn't hiding behind him and peeking out around his back, so Malik didn't feel the need to go for cover. He was wearing the black tactical suit and face mask, but he knew he was still going to feel the heat from this one. "You ready?" he asked, and got his answer from the giddy smile on her face. He'd trained with Cyd to do quiet heist jobs, but when Lis was around there was no such thing a stealth. Malik shrugged to himself, raised his gun, and took careful aim at his target.

The plan was simple. Lis was supposed to run ahead of him, making use of that legendary speed, to sprint passed guards before they could even react to her in all the confusion. She carried two hand guns loaded with iridescent rounds that would mark out any hostiles. She ran by on her way to door number two, shooting guards in her path, and Malik followed in her wake putting them down for the count while they were trying to figure out who or what shot them. All he had to do was keep up, and get to the finish line before Lis had been there long enough to become a target. Malik was in good shape and felt up to the task.




Finger muscles constricted in one smooth motion to pull back the trigger. A single crack sounded as hammer met primer, and then the fireworks started. A bright trail of fire raced its way around the edge of the door. Pairs of explosion quickly fired off one after another, and a huge column of white smoke wound its way into the sky. The reverberating thud of the door falling inward and hitting the floor signaled success. Malik didn't waste time standing around because Lis could easily outpace him. Strong legs pushed off and Malik started the quick sprint to their 'Dash and Grab' job. In mind stride he sheathed his 9mm and switched to the 'Crush gun' a shotgun that was loaded with high impact nonlethal incapacitating rounds.


He pumped hard and ran fast, but Lis had already pulled ahead of him. His large frame burst through the cloud of smoke coming off the door's smoldering edges, and saw his first two glowing dots in the darkness. They were turning their heads to follow the dark blur moving passed them, and didn't see the larger dark blur coming up from behind. The mouth of the gun erupted in a loud burst of force that sent the guard into the wall behind him so hard that he bounced off, and landed four feet away. The second guard caught a hard elbow to the face while Malik slid the pump back and chambered the next shell. The dance was underway.

As he took aim, she stretched her legs. It was not everyday that she was allowed to run free, especially not in a job site. Stealth was a way of life, but with Lis around, that got blown to shit. His gun fired, and seconds later, so did the door. Her fingers tightened around the grips of her hand guns. 1….2….3…, that would be enough time to avoid any shards that strayed too far. Malik ran ahead of her, and it was her job to strike first. Lisette did not worry too much about that, she'd catch him. She was the quick one, that was one thing no one would ever be able to take from her. Accuracy was not her strong point in a kill shot. Sure, she could hit a man, but it was generally to wound, cheetah's were first wave, they wounded, the other lines came behind and finished the job. That was the way of things.

Suddenly, she exploded in speed. A gun in each hand, she pumped her arms to cover more ground. Soon, she was even with Malik, and moments later, she pulled ahead of him. Arms extended, she held her handguns out and charged into the fray. All that could be heard was the pop, pop, pop of a 22 bullet going off as Lis wounded each of the soldiers in her way. She was not there to kill, no, she had a gun in her back pocket for that. This was to wound and leave no trail. No exit wound, but the damage was irreversible. One man took a bullet to the hip, one to the abdomen, and the last was hit in the shoulder. Malik would do clean up for her and she was too fast for them to recover and shoot back.

Together, in darkness, they danced with the devil. The sound of shots fired was the beat to follow. She was leading, but Malik was the kind of man that was completely comfortable with that. One shot for Lis, one shot for Mal, over and over again. Evertually though, she heard his alpha male take over. No longer was it two quick rounds fired, but Lis shot her 22 pistol… and it was echoed with the roar of a shotgun. She grinned, " Alright big boy…" she purred as she holstered the smaller guns into the thigh holds.

Her hand reached around to the back of her low cut jeans to grip the 9mm that was loosely holstered. Now it was a matter of death for her targets. The cheetah moved swiftly through the corridors, dodging into the shadows, and then appearing from nowhere, the sound of POP POP POP being the only warning that suspects got before she moved on. Each one hit the floor in pain… but they felt lucky to be alive. Sadly, the lion was coming to prey on those who had dared raise a hand against his own.

Malik was perfectly behind her, together they moved with the dangerous precision that the outside world feared from the New Breed soldiers. It felt a little off, Nessa not being her eyes through it all, but that was a cut that had to be made. She and Malik were perfectly capable in a hunt… besides, it was more fun this way. Finally, the cheetah found her final target, a safe. It was small but thick. A challenge. Her golden eyes studied the safe for a moment, trying to determine the weakest point. They were designed for the door to be the strong hold. There was no way she would waste time blowing that. After a thought, she nodded and agreed with herself, "Alright then…," she said out loud and backed up to start her work. Malik was right behind her, she could hear him coming around the corner, finishing what she'd started. To her left, someone appeared, but he was out of LIsette's capability to hear. He fired a round and hit her square in the chest.

"SHIT!" She growled, and the impact knocked her backwards. The man raised his gun again, but Malik wasted him before he could fire again. She brought her hand to where the bullet hit her and rubbed. "Gods above… that hurt like hell!" Taking Malik's hand she stood, rolling her shoulders to readjust the clothing she was wearing. "That'll bruise… teach me to get cocky and run too far ahead. You alright Hoss?" After the very brief health check, she turned back to the safe. Now it was time to work.

Raaching her hand down her cleavage, Lisette fumbled around, trying to locate a pocket on the inside of the kevlar vest she was wearing. It had saved her life twice now… once from being shot and secondly from not allowing the liquid vial to be cracked. Finally, she produced a large test tube full of clear liquid. The cheetah pulled it out and eyed the safe. " Flip it for me." she said to Malik. He was the strongest and could get that done in no time.

Once the task was complete, she grinned at the bottom of the safe. "Oh, you will give up that ass…" she taunted the cast iron steel and then dropped the glass vial to shatter all over it. On contact, the liquid bubbled up and then foamed. Muriatic acid would eat through cast iron and steel… she'd come prepared for either. Going through the bottom was the fastest way. After a minute or two, the iron was weakened enough, Lis lifted hand and took Malik's shotgun from him. She cocked it, and fired, safety was not a priority. The hole was large enough for her to slip her hand through.

Walking to the dead man who had shot her earlier, she pulled a glove from his hand and placed it on her own. Now she was prepared to reach in and pull out their prize. Her hand slipped in the darkness while Malik kept watch. Fingers felt around until a box was within her grasp. She pulled it clear and then placed it on the ground next to the lion. He was much more trust worthy to carry precious cargo than she. Curious, Lis dipped her hand in once more until she felt something hard.

"Hello… what have we here?" She pulled a mirrored box from the wreckage, eyes looking over the engraving. There were letters, T-A-L-O-S, engraved in silver on it, but it meant nothing to Lisette. There were voices coming, loud enough for Lisette to hear. "I think we've worn out our welcome Mal." She said, puling the glove and stuffing the boxed into the trusty backpack. She fidgeted with something for a moment, and removed it from the pack before she tossed it to Malik.

" Shall we leave with a big bang?" In her hand was a MINI, but larger then the ones that were placed on her doors. She had a sadistic grin, but wouldn't pull the clip unless Malik told her the words. They were about to be closed in on, and it was time to kick some serious ass. "You're call Mal, but make it quick..."

”Shit! Shit! SHIT!!! “, Malik swore as he huffed hard. He was in great shape, but his lungs were on fire. He could run for the better part of a day, but that was only with his practiced pace. No one ever complained that Malik lacked stamina and endurance, but this pace was outside of his comfort zone. Malik wasn’t a sprinter the same way Lis was. She couldn’t sprint forever, but she was faster than anything else on two legs and could out distance whatever she was racing in the time span that she could run. Malik was losing that race and needed to keep sprinting as hard as he could so he could catch up. The sound of a gunshot that wasn’t Lisette’s or his rang out as he was rounding the corner, and a sense of dread lurched in his stomach.

”NO!“ he growled as he saw Lisette get caught square in the chest by a guard’s bullet. Malik flipped the shotgun around in his hands as he neared the guard who was turning around to face the sound, and drove the stock forward. The butt of the gun slammed into the guard’s neck with enough force to break the spine, and shove vertebrae askew. The guard’s body fell to the ground like a rag doll. Even if he wasn’t already dead when he dropped, there was no way that he would be able to move with connection between his head and body severed. Malik turned his head to Lis just in time to see her stirring. He turned and held his hand out to her. Malik kept silent on the I told you so’s because a bullet’s sting said it better than he ever could.

Lis was up and mobile and she seemed to be fine, so Malik turned his attention to the doorway until Lis called out to him for help. Shifting his body, he tossed her his gun so that she could play look out, then set his feet. He didn’t exert himself very often because he wasn’t keen on showing off, but this was a necessary task. Both hands slammed forward into the wall, breaking the concrete, and he dug nails into steel. He could feel the power racing through his body as his arms began to change slightly. The beast was forcing its way to the surface as much as he would allow it, and his body was mirroring its proximity. With a mighty jerk, the safe came free from its confines, and slammed on the floor with a thunderous boom.

Once the safe was out Malik and Lis juxtaposed positions so that they could get back to their particular jobs. He’d fired on every guard that he came across on his way here, and all of them were still alive but unconscious. He’d only killed one guard so far, and that one lay at his feet because he was the only one who managed to hit Lis with a bullet. Malik knew she was wearing a vest, but his emotions were as wild as the beast inside him. Knowing someone could have taken Lis from him, brought the monster raging forth. It was his nature. From time to time he would look over his shoulder to watch Lis do the dirty, but for the most part he kept guard until she needed him. Once the prize was theirs Malik took the precious cargo and placed it in his backpack for safe keeping.

Keen ears heard the footsteps at the same time Lis heard them. Reinforcements were on the way, and they had worn out their welcome. ”A bang sounds good,“ he said to Lis as he took the big MINI bang, ”but not the type you’re thinking of.“ He cradled the MINI in his arm and grabbed her little ass with his big hand and pushed her into the gap between some large file cabinets and the wall. He stood in front of her, tossed the MINI at the floor so that it landed and rolled to the wall. ”FIRE IN THE HOLE!!“ Malik yelled before pulling his goggles down, pressing himself back into Lis, and shooting the big MINI.

Just like its little brothers the MINI exploded in spectacular fashion. A ball of flame erupted from the small canister driven by a shockwave of force in all direction. Luckily their clothes were flame retardant because living with Lis meant fire was an ever present problem. The flames washed over Malik and Lis, and when they cleared there was a gaping hole in the wall. Beyond the black smoke and rubble was the clear air of outside. ”Hughk Aaggghk, Come on! Let’s go!“ he yelled then pushed Lis towards the newly made exit. He was hot on her heels, leaping through the hole towards freedom. It was a short run to the dirt junk yard salvage dirt bikes that waited for them outside the cut in the chain link fence.

The sped off into the night leaving behind a burning building, and a large number of people frantic to get their unconscious comrades out of harm’s way. Miles away they finally came to a stop at the abandoned house building they designated the safe point. There was enough of a criminal presence around this part of the slums that the police kept clear. Even if there was a chase with the law, once they got in the area there would be enough local resistance to help them get loss in the chaos. There was no chase however, because their plan had worked and they had made a clean get away. Inside the first floor of the broken down structure, Malik and Lis got off the bikes, and started phase three of their plan.

The two of them got undressed, taking off the heist gear they wore, and stacked it atop the bikes. While Lis covered the pile with thermite Malik went over and got the stashed bags that held their changes of clothes and equipment. ” Everything’s still here. Burn that stuff and let’s get changed.“ he said to her as he unpacked their gear and started to get dressed by the overwhelming warmth of a thermite fire. There was one thing that bothered him now that they were safely away from the warzone they created. ”We were supposed to get one package for this job. You grabbed a second. What gives?“

She couldn't hide the disappointment when Malik nixed her big bang idea. She'd of blown them all to hell. Her eyes watched his lips move as he spoke to her. This was when it was handy to have Vanessa around… Lis had to draw her eyes from the approaching danger to make sure she understood. Ness always watched for her. Malik spoke loudly and deliberate enough for her to comprehend it all. His hand took to her ass and in one swift movement, she was tossed aside and shoved into a pocket. His body pressed against hers, her view was blocked… so she waited. Her eyes closed as the deafening blast rung in her one good ear. She felt heat, but that was all she'd see of the phenomenal masterpiece she had created earlier. 'what a waste!' she thought to herself as one of her 'babies' exploded.

She felt sweat on her body as flames engulfed them. Lis kept her eyes closed until she felt cool air grace her skin. Mal had moved away from her. Unable to hear, she watched his body language, it was time to move. She took out in a full sprint, not bothering to make sure the lion heart was behind her. Eyes scanned the place for any signs of police, but of course, that was a lost cause…. they were the law here. Through the chain link slipped the cheetah and he waited, holding it open for her counterpart to follow. They hopped on bikes and fled the scene as quick as a cat could.

After a short ride, they were pulling over to do the usual change. She started with the shirt, then vest, and was soon she was stripped down to the bare minimum. " Okay. But I'm keeping this…" she pulled the kevlar vest that had saved her life from the pile and proceeded to lit the rest up. [color-#ff8286]"It's a shame, you know… I can't get attached to any outfit I own."[/color] She tossed a match and watched the magic. As the flames and heat rose, she took in her bottom lip between her teeth. Fire was a rush for Lisette, and in other circumstances, she would be very, very excited by this whole ordeal… however, the pain of being shot at close range was starting to rear it's ugly head. Adrenaline was wearing off and Lis could feel again.

She inspected herself, lightly touching her rib cage and wincing. "I think that I cracked a few ribs." she grumbled. It hurt to take a really deep breath. something along the lines of 'damn it' fell from her lips as Malik tossed her new clothes. As he posed the question, Lisette turned her head to listen. She was listening to words but more importantly, judging his tone. After a second to ponder the question, she responded. " It's so pretty. Look at it. Perfect craftsmanship, I bet we could hawk it for a nice price. And what do the letters mean? What word is that on there?" Words were so important in the world, yet, Lis could only read a handful. She was learning. But the mystery word was unknown to her.

"I just assume that whatever it is will go for a nice price on the market… and we deserve a steak." They were not thieves, but, in Lisette's eyes, stealing something that was stolen was a bit like dealing out justice… right? She glanced at him sideways, "You disagree?" Waiting on his answer, she started to dress herself.

Barely paying attention to his own movements while he undressed, Malik watched as Lisette slinked out of her clothes. Life was about the little moments and there was nothing more regrettable then letting them pass by unappreciated. "Go ahead, keep it," he said to her not seeing the harm in her keeping the bulletproof vest. The vest was stock, just like a million others in the city. As long as she didn't keep the bullet it stopped there was nothing to tie her back to the attack on the building. "Don't blame me for that. You can't keep an outfit because they usually get singed." He watched as Lis stood there half naked in the orange glow of the flames. He could see the goose bumps rising in her flesh despite the heat as she got excited. "See? Just like that." he said to point out she was standing too close to the thermite.

Hands quickly synched the belt at his waist and then pulled the shirt on over his head as he walked towards Lisette. She said she'd possibly cracked a few ribs and that worried Malik. He strode up behind her and with the back of his fingers, gave her arm a gentle nudge upward for her to move it out of the way. His hand then gently rested on her side with the greatest of care, "Shhhh," he whispered to sooth her. He knew his touch may bring her pain or discomfort but he needed to make sure she was ok. Malik closed his eyes and concentrated on what he felt through the pad of his hand. When she took in a breath he could feel cracked edges grating on each other.

"Damn," he grumbled, "you cracked two. Keep the shirt off. I'm gonna wrap you up." Malik went to the duffle bag and pulled the med kit out of it. He had packed one just in case one of them got hurt during the job and needed to be patched up. Malik was hoping that he wouldn't have to use it, but this was the best case scenario for an injury. "Come on. Arms up." When Lisette raised her arms, Malik would carefully wrap her chest up tight enough that she wouldn't jostle them, but not so tight that she couldn't breathe.

Malik packed up the med kit and put it away, then reached over to the box that she was talking about. "I'm not much on antiques. It looks old, and old usually means expensive. You did good grabbing it. When the heat is off I'll talk to some people and see if there is a market for it." He turned it over in his hands to look at it from various angles in the fire light. When Lis was done adjusting herself and putting a shirt on he tossed the box to her. "You don't need me for this one. It's simple." He walked up to stand beside her and said, "You know the sound the letter's make. Just sound it out." He took his time with her, working through the letters one by one so that she could put the sounds together and say "Tal....os," with him.

If his ears had been out they would have perked up at the mention of the word steak. He didn't need to answer her offer of steak. Lis already knew that Malik had two routes to his heart and one of them was his stomach. Malik packed up the rest of their gear that wasn't burned to nothingness by the thermite, and ushered Lis out of the building to where the Mule waited down the street. Tonight wasn't a night for their usual hang out. They didn't have steak there and Malik was in the mood for a good cut of meat. He started the engine and made his way to a restaurant that he trusted to serve quality product. Once inside they got a table and waited for the waitress to come and greet them. After the pleasantries he ordered "I'll have a porterhouse mid rare with all the fixings, and a baked potato. Aaaand a pitcher of lager." Malik looked over to Lis and asked, "You aren't going to say well done again are you? The flavor's in the juices." Once the waitress was gone Malik turned the conversation to business. "What's the deal with our target's buyer?" he asked since she was the one who found this job.

Malik took a roll from the basket that the waiter left on the table, buttered it, and then kicked back to talk shop with Lisette over the package that they now held.  The bread was nice and crisp, with an extremely soft middle that was still warm.  It was like eating it fresh from the oven.   ”Diamonds?  This box must be pretty valuable to them.  Cashing in stones could be a bit troublesome if their hot.  It could also affect the value.  I know a few people that could get rid of them for us if they aren’t free and clear.  Either way it’s one hell of a payday.  Good job Dash.”


The waiter brought out their food on a large tray and set it all out on front of them.   Despite his dress, Malik did have table manners and made good practice of using them.  He was an animal and ate like one with his choices, but he didn't go completely feral when he was at a table. He'd been taught better than that.  Malik was by no means ready for high society, but he didn't behave as a heathen to embarrass himself or the people he was with.  The lion thanked the waiter, unfolded his napkin, and set in to his meal.  Juices ran from the steak as he cut in to it.  The cut of meat was cooked to perfection.  The collection of ingredients that went in to making everything was evident in a perfect storm of aromas and flavors. 


Malik looked up over the food and smirked at Lis with a devilish grin that only said everyone was to be jealous of their meal because they weren't there.  Malik passed the meal directing Lis's attention to the diners at other tables so that he could poke fun. Lis was the perfect partner to play this game with, and Malik loved it as a guilty pleasure because he could torment her. Malik had a gut Busting sense of humor and Lis could read his lips, so other tables would hear and see her burst into laughter without any noticeable cause.  The true madman would give apologetic looks to the people around them, and then look at her like she was crazy.  Tonight he was being gentle because of Lis's ribs, but they would not be denied their fun. 


It was nice to just sit back and enjoy some down time with Lis, especially after a job.  The adrenaline rushing through his veins was better than any drug.  Malik could only guess at the truth of that statement because he refused to do a drug that would harm his body or dull his senses.  The lion couldn't wrap his mind around the reason anyone would do that to themselves.  Alcohol was almost as bad but he could at least control that beast.  He saw what the others could do to a person.  With that coursing through his veins and his stomach getting full the beast was nearing contentment.   "So, are we delivering the goods and getting paid tonight, or is there a holding period before they feel it's safe to take possession of it?"

[i">"Thanks, Boss."

It was rare that Malik would come out and compliment. He had his way of saying 'good job' or 'atta boy', but that was a soldiers way. A pat on the shoulder or a nod, but this was different. He spoke it. She couldn't hide a smile. She'd done it right. Usually it was Nessa or Malik that got the job and Lisette was one of the little soldiers that made it happen. Tonight was different, she'd done this right. They had a clean break, in and out, and made out like bandits.

She tried to avoid talking to the waiter. They were always a little soft-spoken, her partners were good about covering for her. He came and went, and all the while, she couldn't help but feel fortunate that for one night, she had Malik all to herself. Sure, they had other nights, but this felt like something else. It was not carnal and vicious, it was appreciative.

"Naw, I'll take them in the morning. I figure we can chill for the rest of the night, or whatever…" She grinned and gave him a little wink, ]"I'll ride in tomorrow and do the drop off. You can trust me." She raised her glass and tilted it forward in a 'toast'. Jobs well done always merited a lovely evening out.

Cutting her steak, she spoke, ]"How many do you think we killed back there?", as if this was everyday, no big deal dinner talk. ]"I think You've gotten better. I remember you were good in the military, but now, this free lance stuff, You can't miss." She took a bite, chewed, swallowed, then added, ]"And you looked like a monster when you thought I was shot. I've seen that look a few times, but never for me." Of course, this was all in perception. Lis was usually too quick to be injured. The look was generally for Nessa, their beloved human.

]"Thanks, for coming with me tonight."

The steak on his plate stood about as much chance as a deer in open field while he was in his full werelion form. There was nowhere for it to go. It had no escape from the hungry Malik, and he was intent on heating his fill. The waiter had come back to check on them, and Malik smiled before asking for another round of sides to accompany the thick cut of meat. He almost asked for another while stake as well, but that would draw too much attention. The addition of another round of sides could easily be explained away as the result of a good appetite. Two full dinners would show his heightened metabolism, and make the pair of them stand out in memory. That was the last thing he wanted to do so soon after a heist.

Malik was engrossed in his meal when Lis nonchalantly said that she was going to do the merchandise drop alone. He stopped mid drink of his water and looked over the glass. If he was in feline from his ears would have been laid back against his head. He set the glass down, finished chewing his food, swallowed, and said "You're not going alone.". There was no talking him out of it by the tone of his voice. "We always watch each other's backs. I'm going with you even if it's just to snipe." Malik wasn't going to send her in alone to get payment for merchandise because it would invite some idiot to get a bright idea. The philosophy was simple: you do a job, you get paid. It was amazing how many people couldn’t keep that straight.

There was no question in his mind about Lis, he trusted her with his life and the lives of the rest of the Pride. That was without question. He just didn’t trust the world with any of their lives. Malik went back to eating and all seriousness seemed to drain from him once more. His feet were set and there was no need to make his position known. ”Three by my count,” he said in a very matter of fact manner, ”I definitely killed the one that shot you. That asshole deserved it. One of them guards coming after us while we were making our exit took that not so Mini to the face. The third took a bean bag to the throat. I give him a fifty-fifty chance. With those Mini’s of yours im surprised more people didn’t die.” He laughed when he said it, but he was dead serious. Lis was a monster when it came to pyrotechnics.

Malik stopped for a moment to think about what she said. He never thought about how good he was at what he did. He was alive, the people he cared about were alive, and he had a reputation for getting the job done. It was a very animalistic way of looking at his abilities, and ego never entered into it. It wasn’t until she called his attention to his performance that he thought about it. He wanted to say that he was just getting better with age, but that wasn’t it. Over the last few years, fighting felt different for him. It felt different when the war was over, and he was all alone trying to find his way in the world, then it changed when he found Nessa. It had been like that ever since, growing stronger when Lis came along, and even more so with each new addition. ”It’s different now. I’m not fighting someone else’s war. It’s my fight now. Y’all are my family…. Keeping you safe, keeping food on the table and the Mule running…. It’s my fight.”
Malik had finished the last of his sides and steak and set his fork down on the edge of the plate. He looked at Lis’s plate and saw she was finishing up too. ”You don’t get to see it because there’s too much smoke after you’ve blown something up,” he said as he fished out his wallet. The lion was a Were of is word and he’d promised dinner was on him that night. Malik trusted her explicitly and tossed his wallet across the table to her. ”Get some desert if you want and then ask for the check. Give the guy a thirty percent tip if I’m not back when he comes to pick it up.” Lis was illiterate but she knew numbers and math just as well as she knew her chemistry because the two went hand and hand. It was astonishing how intelligent she was, and how difficult reading was because she was an adult.

Malik stood from the table and said, ”I’m gonna hit the head and then give the girls a call to let them know we made it out in one piece. You know they’re gonna have questions.” The lion looked around them for a few seconds to make sure the room was still secure and there were threats waiting for them to separate. When he was certain that it was safe to leave Lis by herself he left for the bathroom. As he was walking by Lis he stopped and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. His lips lingered for a moment and he whispered in her good ear before standing up. ”You and me, Kitten…… Always.” With that he left to take care of business, and returned a few minutes later to see if Lis was ready to leave the restaurant.