As Alyson watched him sleep for a little, she couldn’t help but wonder. Why did she not kill him yet? Right now would be the best timing, he wouldn’t resist at all. For some reason, she wanted to keep him around a bit longer. He had something that intrigued her.

Seeing him in this state, she wondered what made him so tired. The rolled up shirt in his right had did seem suspicious, but Alyson was too tired to care. Even if he might try to escape, getting through all the glass doors in her house wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Sitting against the wall of her own basement, Alyson took a deep breath. The past few hours gave her a lot of flashbacks from how life used to be. She remembered everything so vividly, thanks to Flynn. It wasn’t a pleasant thing really, but it was enough to make her determined to fight for what she had. This guy cannot arrest her and take her back to the shitty life she had before. There was no way she was going back to that.

Whilst yawning, Alyson lifted herself up from the ground and pulled out the pillow from a drawer underneath the panel. It was supposed to be for the prisoner, but Flynn seemed to handle things just fine. Curling herself up in the one-person sofa in the corner of the basement, she tucked the pillow underneath her neck. It wasn’t her king size bed, and not nearly as comfortable, but she did not trust this guy to be left alone. With her last energy, she put her watch to an alarm: 3 hours from now. With a grunt, she padded down her pillow to a more comfortable position. ”You did good today Al. You don’t need anybody, despite what others say. You’re perfectly fine on your own..” And with that thought, her eyes shut and she fell asleep.

~~~

BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP. “Hmmm…” BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP. “Ughhh.. Seriously..” Alyson grunted and clearly had trouble waking up. BEEP BEEP. With a frown and very sleepy eyes, she pulled her arm up and switched off the alarm. ”This is the worst.. Why did I.. “ Then remembering she had a guest, she scanned the cell for Flynn. And there he was, right in his cell.

As Flynn's mind wandered from exhaustion he began to remember his childhood. He had been orphaned as a child. He couldn't even remember having parents. He lived on the streets stealing what he could to survive. If he hadn't joined the marines, who's to say? He could have ended up like her. His eyes were slightly opened as he watched Alyson curl up on the little sofa. He figured it was just to keep an eye on him, but part him thought otherwise. All this security she had. All these high tech devices. Surely she could keep an eye on his without physically being there. He smiled to himself. She probably knew he was a dangerous man and shouldn't be left alone for a second. He chuckled softly. He wasn't defeated just yet.

He awoke a few hours later. More of his strength had returned and he slowly sat up. He looked out and saw Alyson, still asleep on the sofa. He felt a little sadness inside. He knew how it felt to sleep alone. He hated it, which is why he never slept for more than a few hours at a time. He stood up and shook his head. He couldn't believe he was empathizing with this woman who was probably going to kill him. "Why hasn't she killed me yet?" He wondered to himself. He wasn't worth any ransom. He furrowed his brow as he continued watching her.

He quickly changed gears and began looking at the cot he was sleeping on. It was a simple piece of wood with a flat pad for a mattress on top. He grabbed the wood and shook it slightly. It seemed like it would break off the wall fairly easy. Though he didn't think it was that strong to be used for more then a few hits on the door. It would save his hand and he might be able to use it as a lever and pry the bars. All this would have to wait until he was left alone in the room.

With a little renewed hope he examined his hand. It had healed and stopped bleeding completely. He unwrapped his shirt from his hand and threw it on the small cot. He needed to keep in decent spirits if he was to ever get out of here alive. With that in mind he did a little exercise. He did a little running in place, sit ups, push ups. He did anything to keep his mind off being in this cell. After a few minutes of this and with renewed spirit he laid back on the cot and closed his eyes. He heard an alarm go off minutes later.

With a yawn Alyson sat up and started to rub her eyes. Flynn was still lying on his bed and it seemed like he was still sleeping. At least, his eyes were still closed. For a moment there she looked at him, secretly wishing he wouldn’t go anytime soon. She hated the loneliness, and he seemed to be filling it up pretty well. But Alyson knew he was already trying to escape, and it made her sigh softly.

“Morning.” She mumbled and tried to flatten her hair from the night. It probably looked crazy, but she didn’t mind. She always had her persona if she wanted to look hot. “Ehm Flynn?” Alyson walked a little closer to the bars and stared at him. “I saw you fucking flinch so I know you’re awake.” And with that she laid her hands upon the bars, shaking them around. Yet there was no response.

Alyson then walked over to the 2nd cell on his right, and held her hand to her chin. “Hmm..” ”I wonder if this thing still works..” She thought to herself, running back to her chair and opening up the panel in the wall. Again, Alyson used a few switches, suddenly making the concrete walls slide to the right. At a very slow peace though, but they were moving alright. Once that one wall was aligned to the end of the basement wall, the end of the 2nd cell, a cube the size of a watermelon appeared out of the ceiling. It was made out of solid hard plastic, and had more or less 30 little holes inside it. Also, on the ground, they’re about the same holes, but this time in a slight dent. His cell was now twice the size. Alyson had worked on modifying these cells for a long time, since she knew she’d need them one day. And not having to take him out of his cell was a lot safer. The shower that just had appeared only had water for a bout 15minutes, so he’d notice once the water stops. There was no soap or towels, but Alyson decided she would bring a towel once she came back. In the back of her mind, she hoped to catch a glimpse of his naked body. As her eyes started to twinkle a bit and her cheeks were having a slight blush, she quickly opened up the door to go upstairs.

“Anyway, I’m going to grab some breakfast and have a quick shower.” And up she went.

Once upstairs she had never undressed herself that quickly. With a goofy grin on her face she quickly got through a few security doors, and into her bathroom. The bathroom itself was made out of glass walls, making it a transparent with her kitchen, living- and working area. She figured it was her home and she liked it to be open. She never took any man downstairs anyway, and certainly not when she was about to shower.

Having on fresh clothes, Alison grabbed a glass of milk and a bowl of chocolate cereal. Walking back downstairs, she figured he’d probably be hungry as well. Going back up with a grunt, she took a second bowl but forgot about the milk. She wouldn’t be able to carry it anyway. With a large towel underneath her arm, she excitingly descended once again.

He heard Alyson get up and walk over to his cell. He heard her soft voice tell him good morning. He thought about getting up, but after last night he felt like he was loosing his edge. Sure, he still wanted to escape, but his hatred for Alyson had simply faded to a mild dislike. He feared what it could deteriorate to. He laid there as she said a few other things to him, but he continued to keep his eyes closed. He heard her walk away and he slightly opened his eye. He saw her messing with something then heard and slow grinding sound at the far wall of his cell. "Here it goes." He thinks to himself. "This is how I die." He closed his eyes and waited. For what seemed like an eternity the grinding continued, but it never seemed to get any closer. Then the noise stopped.

Flynn popped an eye open cautiously. He heard Alyson say something about breakfast as he stood up. Alyson had left and he looked around to try and figure out what the grinding noise was. He looked over and saw that his cell was now doubled in size. She had pulled the wall back between the two rooms. He sat there puzzled for a moment. He got up and slowly entered the new room that was now connected to his cell. The new room was identical to the other one. He checked the bars on the door. These ones didn't budge at all. So it seemed like escaping from this room wasn't an option. He then noticed a small recess in the middle of the floor with small holes in it. He furrowed his brow as he leaned down to examine it.

It was just a few small holes drilled into the concrete, like a small drain. He looked up and saw a small plastic cube above the drain. It was a shower. It was too high for him to reach without jumping and he didn't know how well secured to the ceiling it was. He might be able to use the wooden cot to knock it from the ceiling. He saved that information in the back of his mind for later. As he stood there examining the cell, the thought of the shower turned from escape, to hygiene. He looked at his hand, it was crusted with blood as well as was his chin. He desperately needed a shower, but the only towel he had was dirty from being on the floor overnight. If he started to shower and Alyson came down, he would have nothing to cover up with and he couldn't put his clothes on while he was still soaking wet. He would have to air dry.

Flynn's desire for a shower ultimately won over. He stripped off his clothes and put them on his cot and walked under the shower head. He looked up at it and wondered how to turn it on. Suddenly water flowed from it onto his face. It was surprisingly warm. He had expected freezing cold water. For a few minutes he just stood there. Letting the water flow over him. It made him feel alive again. He had no soap, so he simply used his hand to scrub himself clean of dried blood, dirt and drywall. He then turned his face up at the water and just enjoyed the feeling of the water on his face for awhile. He was enjoying the feeling so much that he failed to hear Alyson come in until the water turned itself off.

He was facing the cell wall as the water turned off. "Damn." He swore under his breath. He began shaking the water off him the best he could as he was turning around. Then he noticed Alyson just standing there looking at him. Normally Flynn would feel a little self conscience, but, given the circumstances, he wasn't. He held his hand out and looked at her incredulously. "Towel."

When Alyson first entered the room, the shower was still running. She immediately turned bright red and stood at the entrance for a moment. ”You’ve seen a guy naked before. Act cool, you’re a freaking drug baron!” She pressed her lips together and continued walking towards her chair. Putting down the two bowls of cereal and the glass of milk, she still hasn’t glanced over. “I’ve brought you some breakfa..” She mumbled when turning towards the cell. There he was, butt naked. He was quite the muscular man, which she knew. Their little fight had already proven that. And how did she enjoy the view. ”I hate myself.”

A soft ‘damn’ sounded from his side, and Alyson smiled a little. The shower had stopped running at that certain point. “Yes, I installed a timer. I thought 15minutes would be plenty.” As he turned around, Alyson quickly turned her head to the other side, trying to hide how unnatural this situation seemed to her. “Don’t want to spoil my prisoner too much, right?” With a cough, she walked over to the cell and threw the large towel through the bars.

“You know..” Alyson walked back to her breakfast and took both bowls off the table. “I’ve brought you some cereal, but I’m not certain if I’d give it to you.” She teasingly showed him the inside of the bowl. It was filled to the edge with one of her favourite chocolate puffs. It only was her favourite because you could easily eat it without milk and with your hands, because the chunks were rather large. That and, she loved chocolate.

With a grin on her face she sat right in front of the bars, putting both of the bowls next to her. “Are you hungry, Flynn?” Her voice raised a little, making it sound a lot more teasingly than she wanted.

Flynn caught the towel. With a gruff "Thanks" he proceeded to dry himself off. He scoffed at her "spoil the prisoner joke" joke and started to get dressed. He felt a million times better after that shower, as brief as it was. He watched as Alyson went over to the table and grabbed two bowls. She brought them over and sat down in front of the bars. She joked that she just might not give him the cereal. Flynn looked at her as she sat down. In her attempts to tease him she had sat close enough to the bars where he could reach her. He could just walk over there, reach his hand out and grab her. Pull her close to the bars and make her open his cell. Either that or kill her, and use whatever she had on her to get out of here.

All these idea flashed through his head. She held one of the bowls and playfully teased him, asking if he was hungry. "Just do it. One quick motion and she's in your control. You'll be able to get out of here and collect the bounty. It did say alive OR dead." His inner dialogue started. He sighed heavily to himself as these thoughts flashed through his head. He walked over to the door in front of Alyson, and sat down. He leaned sideways against the edge of the door and turned to Alyson. "You're really funny you know. I am hungry." He looked at her and smirked despite the situation.

He beat himself up mentally for not taking possibly the only opportunity he may have had to get out of here. He chalked it up to mental exhaustion. He would have never let such a golden opportunity like that pass him up before. Maybe he was losing his edge. Maybe he was getting told old too keep fighting all the time. As he thought these things he looked at Alyson and another thought entered his mind. Maybe, he wasn't losing it at all. Perhaps he just finally understood someone and felt a slight connection. He shook his head. Didn't matter the reason now. He had lost a possible chance at escape. Luckily for him, he still had his original escape plan. So he took comfort in that.

Flynn did not say much when she entered. He couldn’t care less that he was naked. It bothered her slightly: maybe he thought he was quite handsome and worth looking at. Would he be that kind of guy?

For a moment there, Alyson felt the urge to jump up from the ground and take a few steps back. Flynn had taken place on the ground in front of her, leaning nonchalantly against the door. There weren’t even 2 meters apart, sitting in front of them. The only thing blocking their view, were the metal bars of the cell. For a moment there, Alyson just looked at him. She stared at his lips moving as he told her he was hungry, and how still he sat, staring back at her. She almost forgot he had tried to hand er in, or even kill her. And she wanted to kill him too. Quickly, she snapped out of it and coughed softly.

“Well, you can have this, if you tell me something.” It was a random thought, but it could break the ice a little bit. It was a game she and her friends sometimes played, and if you laughed, you had to drink a whole pint of beer. It was how she usually got drunk really fast. But this time it was just one story in exchange for cereal. A total different thing, she figured.

“Tell me your most awkward moment ever. I would like to see the serious mister Flynn embarrassed!” Alyson started laughing out loud, quickly holding her hand in front of her teeth again. Stupid habit. In the mean time, she started to crunch pieces of Choco puff in between her teeth, trying not to look too cheerful.

Flynn rolled his eyes. What the hell was Alyson doing? Was this just some sick game she played with her prisoners right before she killed them? Was she just playing nice and get to know each other to lull hum into a false sense of security? Flynn thought silently to himself. He didn't really have a whole lot to his name. A few credits, his ship and that was all. So there was no reason he could think of to make nice with him before killing him.

"You mean other than getting thrown in here and you seeing me naked?" He snorted. Flynn looked up and thought for a second. "Fine." Flynn started. He was hungry enough to play her silly game. "I had a bounty a few months back. It was some creep who was stealing money from different businesses electronically. I don't recall how really, but he took a good bit of money." Flynn squinted at the ceiling remembering all the details. "Name was Cleve, or Clive. Something like that. Anyways, turns out this guy had an obsession with hookers. You know prostitutes?" Flynn started to get lost in the story and started smiling.

"So, I'm trying to find a girl, real hooker or not, to go undercover and help me catch him. Well, everyone I talked to wanted more money to do it than the bounty was worth. The bounty was about four thousand and these women were wanting eight, nine, and even ten thousand to help me. So, I'm in a bind. This guy's supposed to meet someone in the bar that next night. After that he was taking off and I had no idea what type of ship he had or anything. Just knew what he looked like. So, I had to do something right?"

Flynn sat a little more upright, and even faced Alyson. He was fully into his story now. He started gesturing wildly as he talked. "I, in my genius, decide to dress up like a hooker. The bar was dark and I'd have drinks sent over to him so he'd be too drunk too tell I was really a man. So I go buy clothes, a wig and some make-up." Flynn puts up his hand. "I didn't get a dress or anything. Just a pink tee shirt with a heart on it. All girly like. So I dress up and put the wig on and try my best to put on the make-up. Then I head to the bar."

"So, it actually goes down pretty much according to plan. I get him to my ship, knock him out and turn him in. However, that's not the embarrassing part. I turned him into the Federation still in full women's get-up. I didn't notice until I got back on my ship. Needless to say, I made a hideous woman and I did a horrible job putting on make-up. That dude I took in called me sexy though. So I guess that's something right?"

Flynn smirked as he finished his story. The things he did to get the job done. "So, I told you my embarrassing story. Now I have a question for you." He started, holding his arm slightly through the bars expecting the cereal. "You've got this big fancy place here. You've got plenty of money and people at your disposal." He paused for a second. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know the answer to what he was about to ask, but he went ahead anyways. "Why are you down here with me?"

At first it seemed like Flynn did not seem too amused by her request. For a moment there, he was considering the weight of the story for the food, she knew. But he then slowly started to tell about a previous bounty. As soon as he started to talk, Alyson felt herself excited in his place. The longer he talked, the more he got into the story but so did Alyson. She went along and laughed when he did, and remained serious when he was. He even got a bit closer to her, now facing her full on. It made her slightly nervous. He might grab her by her head and smack her against the iron bars, until she surrendered and opened up his cell. But he didn’t.

“You are so unbelievable silly! That’s the bumpiest idea ever!” Alyson laughed when he came to the end of the story. Alyson now figured this bounty hunting was something he had done for quite some time. And it was his job, like dealing drug was hers. So, sitting here, telling her this story, was nothing more than a job to Flynn. The thought saddened her for a moment.

”Now, I have a question for you.”

Alyson felt alerted. She put the bowl of cereal in his palm, slightly touching his fingers for a moment. Fairly quick she retracted her hand and leaned back a little bit. Hearing his final question Alyson’s smile disappeared as snow in the sun. He had a fairly good point. What wás she doing down here? She had plenty of other stuff to do: Make some more antidotes, bag up several orders, work through some administration, cleaning her ship and his for any clues the cops might find,.. Endless work was left upstairs, but yet she sat down here, doing nothing in particular.

“Well, for once, I don’t trust you for a bit. And seeing you already messed up these bars pretty bad..” She shook the ones he had been working on, showing them how loose they were in comparison with the others. “I noticed this morning though, don’t worry. I guess I just wanted to keep an eye on you for now.” She knew her explanation was pretty poor, because it did not explain why she kept him alive. Silently, she ate a few more puffs as she tried to find a good reason she stayed down with him. But none came.

With her eyes focussed on the ground, still eating her cereal, she mumbled silently: “That’s the worst question, ever. Néxt.”

Flynn quickly ate the cereal as soon as he got it though the bars. He didn't realize quite how hungry he was. Her reply to his question was not a very convincing one. When she mentioned the bars, however, Flynn felt the blood leave his face. "She fucking knew." He swore to himself. The fact that she knew how he was trying to escape made him all the more confused. There really was no reason she should keep him alive. She knew he was trying to escape and very well may succeed. Yet she kept him alive. She gave him food, a bed, and a shower. It wasn't the best, but she didn't have to do anything for him. He didn't know if he'd have shown her the same kindness if the situation was reversed.

Feeling lower than dirt, Flynn set his empty bowl outside of the bars and stared down for a moment. he realized his question had seriously upset her. Flynn knew he hated making self-realizations as well. That like girl on the ship who talked about how lonely his life must be. "Hey look." Flynn said looking at Alyson. "That one didn't count. Let me ask you another question. This one counts." Flynn couldn't believe he actually cared how she felt emotionally. Flynn looked at her as her gaze met his. "What is one of the best memories you have? I'll go first while you think about it."

Flynn stood up and put his hands through the bars. "It was my fourth year in the marines. I had just been promoted to sergeant. That's not why I'm telling you this story though. I was on leave on a resort planet. I forget its name though. Beautiful beaches and lush forests. It was fantastic. Anyways, it was my last day there and I was taking a hike. On my way back to the hotel, I hear a small noise in a bush. Upon investigation I found a tiny kitten." He looked down at Alyson and showed the size with his hands. "I don't know if you have them here, but they're earth creatures. Very small domesticated felines."

"She's this little thing. Black and white fur, like she's wearing a little tuxedo." Flynn smiled fondly. "I take her to the front desk and no one has listed her a missing. So I put in a found pet report and take the little beast up to my room. I get her food and water. She's so scared though. She hides in the bathroom, only coming out to eat and drink. The next day and still no one has reported her missing. Now, if I leave her there and no one claims her, they just throw her in the forest. She wouldn't have survived. Yet, the marines have a very strict no animal policy. What the fuck am I supposed to do?" He asks rhetorically.

He goes to the wall away from the door and slumps down to the ground. "Long story short. I got demoted to corporal for breaking their rule." Flynn then smiled a bigger smile than Alyson had ever seen. "But I kept her. Her name was private first class Duff." Flynn then looked off sadly. "Had her forever. She died of old age about one month before I get discharged. She was always waiting at my barracks for me. No matter how long my tour lasted. She was so happy to see me. She was my little lady." Flynn looked up at Alyson. "Best reason for a demotion ever." He smiled.

Flynn had actually made a point when she thought about it. She kept him around for a reason she did not realize yet, but she knew very well it wasn’t something she could share with him. He might not even feel the same. Hell, he probably didn’t, being locking in and all. A sudden thought raced through her mind. Maybe she had to make it him at home, just a bit more. So he would enjoy being here, and keeping her company. ”But you might never trust him Al. So you have to be careful..”

When Flynn started talking again after a silence, Alyson lifted her head back up to stare him in the eyes. His attempt at changing the subject eased her a little bit. It almost meant he actually gave a damn about her. Alyson smiled a bit, but anyone could tell it wasn’t genuine. “Best memory?” She repeated softly to herself as if she was looking through her archive of memories. But she got distracted as soon as he mentioned a kitten. Alyson had never seen one in real, they were rather rare, and only businessmen with enough money could get one from a foreign planet far away. It was quite the travel to the old runes of the earth and its nearby planets. Alyson never wanted to travel that far, at least, not alone. She’d go nuts after a few days and probably die from overdoses aloom.

When his story continued he made his way to the back of the cell, taking a seat there. Alyson on the other hand stayed where she was, silently listening to what he had to say. The story made her heart ache a little bit. Flynn was not a bad guy at all. He was just as lonely as she was. The little kitty, his ‘lady’, was his company and he’d given it his fullest attention. “I didn’t see that coming.” Alyson said softly, but still smiling a bit. As she nodded in preparation to her story she sighted. “My best memory eh? That’s not a hard one.” And with a cough she grabbed with both of her hands for two bars and leaned her face onto them.

“I think I was about 18 when I first started getting into this drug business. Before earning my first payment, I lived on the streets.” Her voice squeaked a little bit, showing how hard this story was to tell. “Me and Alice roamed around looking for food most of the time, sleeping on benches in the park. And I didn’t complain really, it was all I have ever known. You see, my parents died when I was nine.” Alyson looked up at Flynn checking if he was still listening. “On one night, we had to run from the cops for the 100th time, when we found this old, abandoned skyscraper where we decided to live for a while. There we met another group of.. Criminals.” She pronounced the word ‘criminals’ as if they were the worst things in the world. “We were forced into delivering a heap of this weird looking drug to a different planet not far away from here. We would get enough to buy our own little studio, so we did it. Well, we didn’t have much choice to be honest. We were shipped to the other planet, all scared. I mean, common, how would you react?” Alyson laughed a little bit, shaking her head. “The best memory ever, was the moment I bought this basement. A place I could call home. A place I could rest without being scared of getting raped or killed. A place I could shower and eat. A place I could possibly get old and preferably with someone by my side.” Alyson’s voice grew silent towards the end, and she closed her eyes. “Best memory ever.” She jokingly said whilst a tear ran down her cheek. “God, I’m so sorry.” She chuckled through another tear. Quickly, she removed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Here she was, the most famous drug baron in the Milky Way and she was crying in front of her prisoner.

Flynn listened to her story. He knew the feeling of being alone. He'd always been alone. Little miss Duff aside, he never had anyone. He was alone as a child and alone as an adult. The marines helped a little bit, but no one ever really stayed. All the different tours and assignments meant he was going new places all the time. He loved it, but once he came back, there was no one. Maybe that's why he became a bounty hunter after the marines. So he could keep traveling. So he'd have a reason to be alone. He really really hated self-realizations. And being stuck here, he had nothing else to do, but think.

As Alyson finished her story she put her head between the bars and shed a few tears. At the point it was over for him. He had always considered himself a strong man. He could handle any situation. He had an answer and a way out of everything. Except when it came to caring about someone. Since he had been alone for so long, he never really cared for anyone. Sure he liked some people, not many, but some. Yet, he never truly cared about them. never understood their pains or their happiness. Now, here he was, listening to this woman spill her guts to him. She had made the best out of what life had handed her and all she wanted was to feel safe and loved.

There were all sorts of conflicting ideas and emotions that swam in his head. Some new feeling drove him now. It was not anger, or fear, but of compassion. Something he had not felt in quite a long time. He slowly scooted over to where Alyson's head rested on the bars and slowly brought his hand to her face. She flinched a little, but didn't pull back. He took his palm and put in on her cheek. He felt a warmth flow down his arm and into his chest as he took his thumb and wiped away a small tear. His chest felt heavy and light all at the same time as he looked into her eyes. "I, I can't believe I'm saying this." Flynn started, feeling a little disjointed."Whatever happens. I'm dropping the bounty." His mind was furious at this idea, but it felt right to him. It made him feel a little at peace.

Totally unexpected, Flynn now sat in front of her. His palm had slowly cupped her cheek whilst his thumb removed the last tear. At first she did not felt at ease, but after their eyes met she knew he meant no harm. What he said next, made Alyson smile whilst shedding out a few more tears. “You pussy..” she mumbled, noticing Flynn was about to take his hand off her cheek in anger. But instead Alyson placed her hand on top of his, closing her eyes and enjoying his warmth. “Thank you, Flynn.” Was all she could bring out. Although she had no certainty he was telling her the truth, but that didn’t matter right now. Alyson wasn’t planning on leaving him anytime soon. All she wanted was him to stay here a while more, although she knew that was a lie. Actually, she already wanted him to stay.

Meanwhile, David had arrived in the basement. “Alyson? You here?” He shouted through the kitchen. He walked back and forth between the offices and the kitchen, but there was nobody there. He was pacing back and forth, obviously nervous and stressed out. “Where the heck is this girl..” As he pulled out his phone, he dialled her number.

Down in the basement the silence had been interrupted by Alyson’s phone ringing. It was an old school telephone ringtone. “Oh shoot..” Alyson had take her hand from his, and by moving a lot as she was looking for her phone he also had to let go of her cheek. “One moment, sorry.” Alyson then picked up her phone. “What? D? I can’t hear you properly I’m in the..” Her eyes widened. She had told David she was going to get rid of Flynn last night, but yet here he was, clearly alive. “No no no I’ll come up, stay there!” She nervously shouted and got up from the floor. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.. Well..” Alyson then giggled as if she was a 16year old girl and made her way upstairs. She felt bad leaving Flynn all of a sudden, but she couldn’t handle David getting upset with her right now. She would have to find a way to move Flynn to a more private property of hers. She had two more, hidden from her friends.

“What up D?” David was sitting in the living area, clearly freaking out. “You know, that prisoner of yours? He is damn famous out in Curao. He handed in our good client Fred, our partner Polo and now Dr. Tomaho is arrested for helping out drug mobs.” David took the backpack from the table and opened it up. He took out a few documents clearly stating a Mister Flynn Taggart had been busy the couple last months. And in this area too. Although Dr. Tomaho was not written under his name but another one, he did receive a payment for being a ‘support’. Alyson knew he was good, but she couldn’t punish him for just doing his job. Yes, Polo and Fred were close friends to them, but there was nothing she could do for them now.

“Well?” She then said, looking up at her clearly distressed friend. “Well?! Planet Curao is packed with bounty hunters, all spreading around your picture! I guess they all picked up that this area had loads of drug mobs. Like us, remember?” Alyson nodded when he spoke, trying to understand what he was saying. “We have to leave Al. This place is not safe anymore. This morning, 6 unknown ships have tried to land on our planet. We’re doomed. Before we know it they’re gonna blow us to pieces.” A deep sigh escaped from his mouth when he walked back to the exit of the basement. “Pack your stuff. Alice, Sarah and Grunt are already on their way to find a new hide out.” And with those words, David left.

This couldn’t be happening. Alyson took a few seconds to understand what David just told her, but she couldn’t quite believe it. Still shocked, Alyson walked back to the basement. Without a word, she stared down at Flynn, still sitting on the ground. She took two bars in her palms and bit her under lip. “We have a problem.”

As Alyson put her hand on his, Flynn closed his eyes and smiled. He was soaking up this moment. Suddenly Alyson's phone rang. She pulled away as he held his hand out a bit longer. Wishing he could have felt her hand on his a bit longer. As she ran out he tried to snap himself out of this, feeling. "I'm a fucking marine. The best of the best." Was he going let some woman make him feel all gooey inside? A singular answer came back. "Yes." Flynn sighed. "Well shit." Flynn smiled to himself. He glanced at the bars he had been trying to loosen and felt no desire to try and escape. Whatever was going to happen he was going to let happen. This whole situation was a bit odd, but he felt fairly good inside. It was the first time he'd felt that way in a long time.

He then heard Alyson come back in. He looked up with a slight smile, but she seemed concerned. She walked up to the bars and looked down at him. "We have a problem." She said to him. He stood up and gripped the bars right above her hands. He figured she was going to tell him that she would have to kill him now. 'What?" He said cocking an eyebrow up. She then told him about the group of bounty hunters that was in the area. "Shit!" Flynn exclaimed walking away from the door. "Makes sense." He said, pacing up and down the cell.

"Whoever gave me the bounty must have tried to contact me. I didn't respond so he sent the bounty out to anyone that wanted it." He turned and looked at Alyson as his eyes widened. "I guarantee that when I took the bounty, VIC broadcast everything I did and everywhere I went back to...Fuck! I know who put the bounty on you." Flynn began to shake his head. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. I don't remember his name, but he was my first bounty. He was just some two-bit drug hustler. He wasn't an easy catch. He had connections everywhere. When I finally caught him, he swore he'd be the number one criminal in the galaxy."

Flynn punched the cell wall in frustration. "As I kept hunting, more and more of my bounties ended up working for him. I heard talk that he was mercilessly killing every big time criminal he could. At the time I didn't care. It made my job that much easier. Now he's after you." Flynn rushed up to the bars and looked at Alyson. "He couldn't find you, so he put a bounty out on your head. Let bounty hunters do the work." He looked pleadingly at Alyson. "You need to let me out." He saw the look on Alyson's face. Before she could say anything. "You need to come with me. Those other bounty hunters will kill you all and will blow up any unknown ship that takes off from this planet. I know you have that cloaking thing, but you're detectable for a few minutes as you take off. They'll know my ship. They won't shoot me down...right away. You have to trust me." Flynn looked at Alyson imploringly. "Please trust me. I won't let anything happen to you."

“You have to be kidding me..” Alyson gave him an angry look and took a few steps back. “So you’re the reason I have to leave my home? The place I wanted to grow old in?” She still hasn’t completely thought it through, but that was what he said. Thanks to his work and his ship her planet was now unsafe and they had to leave. And then he even asked her to let him go. Alyson frowned and shook her head, walking closer again. But then he said he wanted her to come with him. No, not wanted. Needed. “You need me to do.. What?” She mumbled and let her hand brush through the back of her head. The whole situation had evolved so incredible fast Alyson did not know what to say or do. At first they were sworn enimies and from this morning they had somehow become a lot closer. It didn’t make any sense. “Why would you want to protect me? Why wouldn’t you just hand me in when we get out of here?” Her voice was shaking as she looked at him. “How can I trust you after what you did in the ship..” The words made her heart ache. If he was smart enough, he would now realise what she was saying.

Silently, she sat down on the chair in front of the cell. Both of her hands clenched around her head in frustration, trying to figure out what to do. She wanted more time, but hearing how David and the crew had already left long ago, she had none.

At that very moment, a loud boom sounded. The whole basement started to shake beneath their feet and the ceiling slightly crumbled. It was a very tough building but it could only handle that much. As her heart started to race when she looked up at Flynn in fear. Fear of dying underneath rubble of her own house, fear of getting caught, fear having her trust hurt again. Another bomb hit the surface, this time an even bigger one. This time, more pieces of plaster and concrete came down, one even hitting Alyson in the head. “Fuck!” She yelled out, grabbing towards her head. Her fingers were slightly red. Blood. “We need to go.” She then said. Determined, she grabbed her laser gun out of the panel in the wall and loaded it up. “We go where I want to go. If you even change course a little bit, I will blast this up your ass, got it?” She seemed serious, but in her eyes there were tears building up, begging Flynn to be trust-worthy.

With a deep sigh, Alyson pressed in a few buttons underneath the panel, and a click sounded. The door of Flynn’s cell was now open, but Alyson stayed where she was. Her hand was clenched around the gun, clearly fearing the worst. Whilst she waited for him to come out, and do whatever he planned, she thought about what to do before they left. She had to detonate a self-destructive bomb inside the working area. This would burn all the administration, together with everything inside her basement. Even the drugs would burn up. She still was quite the rich girl, having several bank accounts across the galaxy, but this place meant a lot to her.

Also, picking up a few clothes before they left would be handy, she figured.

Flynn saw the mixture of confusion and anger in her face. "Please trust me." He implored her. "I'll get us out of here." Then something she said made him pause. "What you did on the ship." She said to him. It all started to click in his head. That's what she had on her. That was the unknown object. It was an illusion devise. Rage flowed back in him. Everything around him faded away. She had tricked him. He was about to go full on berserk, when he heard it. It started out as a distant rumble, but soon it got louder and the place began to shake slightly. They were attacking. He looked at Alyson's face. All he could see was fear. His rage vanished as quickly as it had surfaced. "I don't fucking care!" Flynn yelled at her. "I don't care what happened on the ship. It doesn't matter who first lied to who. I need to protect you." The words came out before he realized what he had said. This wasn't a time to mince words.

Another rumble hit the building. This time pieces of the ceiling began to fall. "Alyson!" Flynn yelled, reaching out his hand to her. Then another hit on the building. This time a large piece of the ceiling fell onto her head, gashing it open. "Please!" Flynn yelled again. He watched her grab her head and stand up. She grabbed a pistol off a hidden panel in the wall. She looked up at Flynn and threatened him with death if he betrayed her. Flynn watched as she unlocked his cell door. As soon as he could squeeze through the opening door, Flynn ran to Alyson. Trying to usher her towards the door, he ended up slightly picking her up and sitting her down in front of the door.

"Take me to my ship!" Flynn shouted as the rumblings in the building were now at a deafening pitch. She punched in the code and door opened. They both ran up the stairs and she led him into a control room. "I have to set off the bomb." She yelled running to a control panel. "Just hurry!" Flynn shouted back at her. He watched as she started punching buttons. Her hands moved seamlessly over the panel. Flynn looked around the room and he saw it. His vest and gun were sitting at a table. He sprinted over to them and put on his vest and examined his gun.

Alyson finished at the panel as all the lights in the building now flashed red. "We only have a few minutes until..." Alyson started as she turned to Flynn. She saw the gun in his hand and pointed hers at him. Flynn's eyes widened in realization. "No no no!" Flynn screamed quickly holstering his pistol and putting his hands up. Alyson eyed him suspiciously before putting her gun down. She ran past him and towards the docking bay. Flynn followed close behind her. Flynn saw the docking bay doors and hope started to renew in him. Suddenly Alyson turned right and ran up some stairs. "Where are you going?!" Flynn demanded. He didn't hear her reply. He stood there for a second looking at the docking bay doors. He was right there. He was only a few yards from freedom.

"Goddammit Alyson!" Flynn screamed running up the stairs after her. At this time the building was falling apart. Everything was falling down and crumbling around them. The stairs ended at a hallway that connected several rooms. He ran looking into each until he saw Alyson in one of them grabbing some clothes. "We have to go! NOW!" Flynn shouted to her. She turned slightly and went to say something when the door frame collapsed between them. "No! Goddammit no!" Flynn screamed immediately trying to pull the rubble free. No matter how much he yanked, none of it moved. He screamed in anger. "I'm not fucking leaving you here!"

Suddenly a voice down the hall yelled out to him. "You coming?" Alyson said calmly. Flynn was beside himself in confusion as he ran towards her. "How did you get out here?" Flynn asked. "The rooms are connected to each other." She said calmly. Flynn's face went red. "Come the fuck on!" He yelled leading her to the docking bay. The docking bay doors slid open slowly as they ran through. Only two ships reminded in the bay, Flynn's and Alyson's. They rushed to his ship and the place started to fall apart completely. Once inside Flynn slammed down into the chair and Alyson stood behind him. "VIC! Take us wherever Alyson says and put me through to the ships orbiting the planet." Flynn barked.

The ship slowly took to the sky as VIC chimed up. "Coordinates can be entered once we have left the atmosphere. Patching you through to the ships now Flynn." The windshield went blue as the radio sprang to life. "This is Corporal Taggart. Original claimant of the bounty. I had her until you jackasses started to bomb the planet. You have severely damaged my ship. You can fucking have the bounty as the building is collapsing in on her." For a moment there was silence as Flynn smiled at Alyson and patted her hand. Suddenly a voice came over the radio. "How do we know you don't have her on your ship?" The voice hissed.

Alyson looked at Flynn frightened. Flynn shot back over the radio. "Look, I don't give a fuck what you think. I'm not claiming the bounty because she's dead down there. The fact that I'm not claiming the bounty should be enough for you assholes. However, if you want to explain blowing up a damaged ship containing a member of the Marine Corps to the Federation, be my fucking guest." With that Flynn shut the radio off and looked at Alyson. "Now we just wait until we leave the planet to see if that worked."

As soon as they got onto Flynn’s ship, Alyson sat down in the control chair and silently listened as Flynn had a word with his fellow bounty hunters. It was clear they were not fooled that easily, but the fact that Flynn indeed was not claiming the bounty seemed to be enough reason to let them through. None of the other ships tried anything funny when they flew by them and it made Alyson close her eyes for a moment. Her head was throbbing and she had nearly forgot she got hit on the head a few moments ago. “VIC, I’ll manually give you the coordinates. It’s a long flight, do plan in a few stops for extra gas, food, water, you know, the usual.” Her voice was less strong and determined as it has been before. She slowly started to feel dizzy as well, when suddenly a dip of blood ran down her forehead. “Fuck..” With the back of her left hand she wiped it off, so Flynn’s control panel wouldn’t get all smeared. Alyson quickly gave in a set of numbers, which she seemed to know by heart. “Set course completed. I have planned 7 stops in total.” A list of docking bays came up and Alyson took a quick screenshot so Flynn couldn’t change things up later. “Thank you, VIC.”

Although he had saved his life, and proven that he would not just leave her behind even if he had the chance, she had to be careful. Besides, they were now stuck together in space for the next few days. What was the worst that could happen? Images flashed through her head: Flynn holding his hand up against her cheek and she holding him there. The warm feeling gushing through her entire body and the flush of red on her cheeks. The images were cut off by another drip of blood splashing open on her jeans, bringing Alyson back to the reality.

With a grunt Alyson got up from the chair and walked a few steps down towards some sort of living area. It had a long sofa and small glass table set up in the middle of it. She threw her backpack on it and ruffled inside to grab a packet of tissues. Once she pulled one out, she folding it double so it would soak up more blood. With a pained face she pressed it against the back of her skull. “Do you have anything to stop the bleeding perhaps? I think I’m starting to feel light headed..” Alyson mumbled. Her face was turning pale and her eyes seemed dull and tired. It was true she had not slept a lot last night, as she was babysitting her prisoner. But the past event had not made it easier. Her house was now buried in debris and she would never see it again. She even wondered if her friends would show up or even leave a message.

“And maybe some place I could sleep..” She was struggling keeping her eyes open at that point, but still managed to keep her balance and sit up. Alyson knew that it was crucial of her not to sleep right now, but it was harder than she though to stay awake. In the mean time, her tissue was already soaked with blood and Alyson took it away from her head. Her blond hair on the top of her head clearly coloured red, but there was no real cut visible. “Ugh I probably look so gross right now, don’t look at me!” She said and looked up at Flynn whom already walked towards the sofa and sat down right next to her.

As Alyson punched in the coordinates and the ship slipped into warp, Flynn held his breath. Most bounty hunters were just old war vets like him. Most, however, just indiscriminately killed. They thought their bounty license made them above the law. For a more minutes he waited. After a few more minutes Flynn relaxed, but only just. If they didn't find a body down there, they might come after them. Though they'd probably go after the other ships that left the planet first. As Alyson stood up and walked back to the other cabin, Flynn followed. She sat down holding her head. She began to look pale. Her injury must have been deeper than they originally thought.

Flynn gently took Alyson's face in his hands and slowly pulled her head so he could get a look at the injury. Flynn chortled as Alyson told him not to look at her. "You've seen me naked. This is nothing." Flynn retorted. "That's a nasty gash. Sit here, I'll be right back." He hopped off the couch and went into the cock-pit. He reached in a drawer and pulled out two small white discs. They looked like paper punches. He went back to the other cabin and opened a large cabinet next to the couch and pulled out some gauze. He grabbed a pillow and folded it. He put in on the edge of the couch and instructed Alyson to lay down with her head on the pillow. It would elevate her head and slow the bleeding. He took one of the discs, peeled off the self adhesive and put in on her throat, right over the jugular vein. The other one he put on her temple and used the gauze to keep it in place and cover her wound.

"VIC." Flynn said as he finished wrapping her head. "Keep an eye on heart and brain activity." VIC chimed back "Yes Flynn." With that he pulled a chair up right next to the couch and faced Alyson. "That couch is the bed." Flynn started. "But you're gonna need to stay awake for awhile to make sure you don't have any brain damage. Other than the normal amount you already have." Flynn laughed at his own joke. Being back in his ship had brought him back to his old self. With a slight bit of compassion now included. "So, to keep you awake let's talk for a bit. We can start with how you've already been on this ship once before, but not as yourself."

"Flynn, subject's heart rate has increased."VIC chimed in. Flynn smiled. "Thank you VIC, but just alert me when they're at dangerous levels." Flynn said. "Understood." Was VIC's reply. "Now then." Flynn started back. "We were both trying to do our jobs. Mine was catching you and yours was not being caught. So, let's consider that over and done with." Flynn leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. "I did feel bad for what I did. I am sorry. Just so you know, that thing you said about that skin making you feel pretty. You don't need it." Flynn smiled slightly. "So where exactly are we going? Or is that a 'need to know basis'?" Flynn smirked.

Alyson felt helpless and fragile as Flynn started to patch her up. For some odd reason, she did not even struggle when he stuck two discs onto her body to keep her checked up by VIC. It felt like her energy was very low, considering what she had for breakfast and what had happened a while ago.

When Flynn took a seat in front of her, he told her that the couch she was laying on was the bed. It made Alyson frown a bit, wondering where she’d sleep. “Dibs on the couch.” Alyson still managed to squeeze out a grin and reached out for his hand with hers. Having some human contact would surely keep her awake, she secretly thought. Once she had found his, she softly just let her arm rest on part of his knee, and nodded when Flynn repeated sleep was out of the question at this point. They were going to talk for a bit, instead.

When Flynn started to talk about ‘what happened earlier on the ship’ Alyson couldn’t help but get nervous. The moment she had told him about that earlier in the cells, he got quite angry. But, to her surprise, he took it quite well. He even apologized for scanning her that day. “Well I am sorry for kicking your ass, hard.” Alyson again managed to smile a little and vaguely squeezed Flynn’s hand. When he complimented her though, Alyson couldn’t help but retract her hand and close her eyes. A light blush appeared onto her cheeks and she took a deep breath. The way he smiled made her heart skip a beat but at the same time she felt quite uncomfortable. What is happening between the both of them? Were they.. Flirting? Is that what they call it?

Happy Flynn decided to change the subject Alyson answered: “We’re actually going to a small but cosy hideout of mine. I absolutely loved the planet when I was there for a delivery and decided I’d get myself a small cottage there.” Alyson opened her eyes. “It’s quite remote though, so I hope you like nature.” The planet they were going was actually in the Milky Way of the ancient Earth. Within the rims of it though, but it was not as modern as other planets usually were. There still were loads of mountains, trees and grass, which Alyson loved. There even was a beach just an hour flying away from the cottage. The temperatures were also a lot better than Aeros, so they could even catch a ray of sunlight now and then.

"I was planning on sleeping in the captain's chair." Flynn smiled as Alyson rested her hand on his knee. He got and went to the fridge. He pulled out two bottles of water. He opened them both and handed one to Alyson. He took a swig from his as he sat back down. Alyson again put her hand back on his knee. He wouldn't admit it right now, but he enjoyed having her touch him. They went back to talking. Flynn laughed a little when she apologized for kicking his ass. "You just caught me off guard." He grinned and winked at her.

He took another sip of water as she talked about where they were going. "Sounds all nice and homey." He said. They sat and talked for awhile longer. The longer they talked the more Flynn saw that she was an alright person. It was almost as if her locking him up had never happened. After awhile he saw Alyson's eyes getting heavy. "I think it's been plenty of time." He went to check her injury and didn't know when it happened, but they were holding hands. He looked under the gauze and the bleeding had stopped. The slowly unwrapped her head and threw away the gauze. He took off the two discs and placed them on the table.

He softly patted her on the cheek. "Looks like you'll be okay doll." Flynn said looking down at her. "Go ahead and go to sleep. I'll be up in the captain's chair making sure we're not being followed." He stretched and walked into the cock-pit. He sat down in the chair. "Anything to report VIC?" Flynn asked, yawning. "Nothing." VIC replied. "Good." Flynn replied, leaning back and closing his eyes. As he started to drift to sleep VIC chimed in. "In coming secure message." Flynn opened his eyes. "From who?" Flynn asked. "Unknown." VIC replied. "Of course." Flynn replied. He reached and grabbed his ear piece off the console and told VIC to bring the message up.

"Hello Mr. Taggart." A voice began. "Who is..." Flynn started. "Please do not talk. I know she is on board and we wouldn't want her to hear this conversation." Flynn felt a pit in his stomach form. The voice continued: "I'm the one that first gave you the bounty. By now you probably have an idea who I am. So I'll dispense with the pleasantries. You have my bounty and I want her in my custody. If you bring her to me, I will give you four times the amount of the original bounty." Flynn started to object, but the voice cut him off. "Don't answer now. You have one week to decide. If I do not hear from you in a week, I have sent a small tracking virus to your AI. It will activate itself and I will come after the both of you. Don't try and find the virus code. I'm pretty sure your AI is so old that most of it's code is a jumbled mess. You have one week Mr. Taggart." The message ended.

Flynn stood up and walked back to where Alyson slept. He sat in the chair near the couch that still faced her. He softly brushed the hair out of her face as she slept. "Goddammit Flynn. What have you gotten yourself into?