Part 5

Brofnakken turned slowly around on his stool, lifting his eyes to a radiant, delicate face framed by dark black curls. The woman who had touched his shoulder was stunning, her bright green eyes cutting through the dim light in the bar like emeralds, searching his own for traces of recognition. She wore a dark trenchcoat which might have been purple, but the lighting made it a guessing game. It hugged her like a second skin.

"I'm Winter. Do you remember me?" She asked in a soft voice.

Brofnakken stared for long moments. "Of course I remember you. I see you have my package."

She nodded, offering him a nondescript brown box. It felt empty.

"So tell me, Carolyn, was it hard to find me?" He asked, opening the package. Inside was a single folded sheet of paper. He did not immediately open it, instead looking up to the stunning woman. If she was surprised by the use of her real name, she did not show it.

Emerald eyes judged him again for a moment. "It was. You're not an easy man to find, Broffy. Hell, you're not even an easy man to look for. Where have you been?"

Brofnakken slipped a finger into the note and opened it, stalling his reply, since he had no memory of his recent past.

Father,

Please come to the house in Oak Ridge as soon as possible.
I heard you were back in town.
Are you forgetting things again?
I bet you are.
I can help, but only if you come quickly.

"We have to go," Brofnakken said, slipping some bills onto the counter to pay for his untouched Red Rat and standing up. Winter blinked at the abrupt action but said nothing, following him out into the night again.

"Want me to catch us a cab?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

Just then, a scuffling noise at the mouth of a nearby alley caught Broffnakken's attention. He grabbed Carolyn by the arm and pulled her aside just before the sharp report of a handgun cracked through the darkness, gouging a chunk of concrete from the wall behind them with a protesting whine.

"Shit. Come on!" Brofnakken growled, tugging her down another alley into the shadows, kicking up a small storm of papers as they fled.

"Who the hell is that?" Carolyn shrieked at him, stumbling to keep up before she found her stride.

"If we're lucky, we'll never know!"