The Blackfire Protocol by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 22

The days went by without incident as Frank went from one class to the next. When time allowed, he studied in the campus law library, where he had managed to find an isolated spot near the collection of tax laws. As no one seemed to have an interest in that particular subject, it seemed to be the perfect place to acquire the solitude he needed. As he sat reading a lengthy discourse on the establishment clause of the First Amendment, an unfamiliar voice broke his concentration.

“Excuse me.”

It belonged to a female student, someone in one of his classes. Frank made it a habit not to become too familiar with his classmates, knowing that familiarity could lead to some degree of a social life. He was a lone wolf, not a social butterfly.

“Yes,” he replied. “Can I help you?” She had the face of an angel, and although he did not know her name, he did know her by the flawless complexion of her face and the feminine perfection of her shape.

She crouched down near his knee and perhaps, in an intentional lack of modesty, exposed her cleavage. Frank took notice immediately.

“I was wondering if you could help me find the section on environmental law,” she said. “I finally

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chose a topic for my paper, but I can’t find the right section.”

Getting up from the upholstered chair he so often favored, he walked his fellow student to the section she had been seeking. It seemed odd that someone with an interest in environmental law was unable to find the research material she needed. Given the willful display of such beautiful anatomy, Frank was quickly led to believe that he had caught her eye and was now waiting for him to make the next move. But considering the situation that still haunted him, Frank didn’t feel he was in a place to establish even a friendship with a woman. Showing her to the section she sought, he returned to what had become his study area and continued with his work. Hours had passed, and Frank, having dozed off several times, shook the impending sleep from his mind, packing up his books started for the library’s entrance. But once outside, he was stopped by a familiar voice.

“Who was that?”

He spun around to find Ava leaning against the library’s brick façade. Her expression was not so much angry but suspicious and steadfast in her belief that Frank was already seeing someone else. “Who was what?” he replied.

Ava quickly became incensed at the idea that he spend time with anyone but her, and walking up to him reiterated her question.

“Don’t fuck with me, asshole,” she continued. “Who was that girl you were talking to in there?” Now it came back to him, and he suddenly recalled his encounter with his classmate looking for a particular section of law books. Even though she had

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made an obvious play for him, nothing improper had taken place, and Frank was quick to point this out. “She asked me where the section on environmental law was,” he answered. “I don’t even know her name.”

He quickly realized that Ava had been following him, and he quickly needed to put a stop to it. Stepping in close, he allowed his anger to surface, hoping to scare her off.

“Listen to me,” he began. “I’m only going to tell you once. Stay the fuck out of my life, got it? And if I want to go out and get laid, I will. And I don’t need you following me around. Do you understand?” By this time he had his finger pointing in her face as he flushed with the heat of rage. If she were to continue with this behavior, Frank would have to consider any of several reactions. He could file a complaint with the dean or press criminal charges, knowing either could anger her further and bring vindictive consequences. But regardless of the course of action he took, he would need evidence, and one uncomfortable encounter was not enough.

Having offered Ava his thoughts on what he later found to be a frightening situation, he turned away with the intention of leaving the campus. Ava, however, was not finished, and grabbing him by the arm spun him around for what Frank would consider a vague threat.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” she asked.

With an expression of shock on his face, he looked down at his arm that now bore marks where her fingernails had torn their way across his skin. In only

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a few moments, Frank was forced to ask himself what else Ava might be capable of. She had certainly demonstrated violence as well as paranoia and possessiveness. If he was to avoid being harassed, he would have to find a way of becoming invisible—to be unavailable. The only question was how to go about doing it. Still in the moment, Frank continued examining his arm as a small, thin line of blood began oozing from the scratches left behind by Ava’s nails.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” he yelled. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Ava looked down at the wound she had created and, in her defense, replied with something Frank found truly irrational.

“Well this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been hanging out with that whore.” Frank was stunned. He never considered Ava to be unstable, yet she not only had injured him but put the responsibility of the incident on him. Hers was clearly not a balanced mind.

“Whore?” he asked. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know her name.”

Ava had heard enough, and in her paranoid mind backed away while pointing at him accusingly. “You’re not going to see her anymore, got it?” she said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

Frank was now afraid not only for himself, but for the safety of the young woman he briefly spoke with in the library. After Ava disappeared into the evening’s coming darkness, Frank reentered the library and, looking for his fellow student, wondered if by warning her he might put her safety at risk. To assault him almost in public was one thing, but to

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pursue someone who was entirely unknown to him was both frightening and unacceptable. He quickly found himself obligated to warn the young woman, describing Ava in detail and advising her to be vigilant.

“I don’t think she’ll do anything on campus,” he said. “But if she gives you a hard time, go to campus security.”

Hearing the seriousness of his tone, the young woman asked if Frank could walk her to her car. He, of course, agreed, knowing it was entirely possible that Ava might be watching. Once they arrived at her vehicle, she thanked him and offered a brief hug. He graciously accepted her gratitude and, standing back, watched as she drove off the campus. He wondered if he had done the right thing, or if he had simply turned his fellow student into a target. Frank supposed that if she ran into trouble, he would intervene, physically defending her if need be.

Returning to his car, he sat behind the wheel and, considering everything that had happened just minutes ago, told himself how ridiculous it all was. What would Ava do, exactly, he asked himself. Should she assault him again, he would be prepared to overwhelm her, and although he didn’t care for the idea of harming a woman, he believed it might be necessary. But striking her was out of the question. He would have to act defensively. She could easily use a defensive wound to have him charged or expelled, and should his idea for social invisibility fail, he might have to take other measures. The question was what those measures should be.

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