Jack of Hearts…another chapter

“Parts of him?” asked Ian.

Ace shrugged.  “I guess.”

“Are they sure it’s him?”

“Pretty sure,” she said.  “They’ll know more after they do their tests and find the rest of him.”

“I hope it was quick,” he said.

“Listen,” said Ace, holding up her hand.  “You hear that?”

“It’s coming from over there,” whispered Tim, pointing to his right.  “Is that a swimming pool?”

“You catch on fast,” said Ace, pushing him aside.  “Did the diving board give it away?“

“Cute,” he said.

“Stay here or you know what I’ll do to you, right?”

“Look, it’s not right that you keep knocking me out all the time,” said Tim, in a very hushed voice.  “It’s mean.”

“Stay or sleep?,” said Ace.  “Your choice.”

“Fine.  I’ll stay here.”

“Leo,” whispered Ace, looking straight ahead.  “Go.”

Leo bent down and ran for the building in front of the olympic size swimming pool.

“Joseph,” she said, nodding to the side.  “Go.”

The noise from the pool increased and so did the level of fear.  Ace took off toward the pool, threw herself at the fence and was over it, guns blazing.  “Stay down,” she screamed to the beings crouched in the pool.  “STAY DOWN.”

Leo and Joseph started shooting and within a minute or two, the neighborhood was quiet again.  Ace put in a call and then jumped into the empty pool and went to help the beings huddled together, their appendages over their faces.

Ace took one look at them and started singing in a soft and soothing voice.  The beings began to quiet.  She started another song and the beings uncovered their faces and leaned into each other, sighing.  She sang until help came and the beings were gently taken to safety.

“What about the warehouse?”  asked Leo.

“Can we stop by the playground?” asked Tim, excitedly.  “Now that everything’s okay, I mean.”