For my friend Alice, called away from this world far too soon ...

'I can't do this,' Suzi said while physically shaking.

She'd never before been as petrified as she had become in this moment. At the venue for her latest in a series of blind dates, this one is to be very different to any other either come already or yet to be.

'Yes, you can,' Trystan told her. 'You've got me, I'm right here and goin nowhere. Amy is right here as is Taren, even that Peter fellow from your last date is around. We all have your back, you got this.'

'No, this is a bad idea ... it was bad to begin with and now it is darn right ridiculous not to mention the fact I might die.'

'You won't die, you won't even leave the building without say so. C'mon ... you're here already ... so is he. Catch him out and the police will do the rest.'

'This whole thing is bigger than him and you know that ...'

'It's a start, who knows what information he'll give up ...'

'Exactly, no one knows what he'll give up, if anything at all. If there is enough to take him in then he'll clam up, if not then I'm in danger ...'

'Think of all the lives you'll save, and you need to do no more than just talk to him.'

'How do we know we even have the right guy?'

'Look, the police know what they are doing, they've scoured every access point they have, and they are sure they have the guy or at least a right guy ... they believe him to be, anyhow.'

'You're not filling me with confidence here Trystan ... I knew I should have had a drink before coming out.'

'I know you're scared, c'mon ... we have you're back. I'm a big guy, right? And that Peter fellow too and he has a background in amateur wrestling. We, got you, we always gotchu.' He locks her in one of his patented bear hugs for about ten seconds. 'Breathe with me ... in ... out ... in ... out.' He lets go of her. 'Now that's him over there at the bar.' Trystan nods rather than points. 'We'll see you real soon, my dear.'

He moves away to take his position and she does breathe long, deep breaths ... in ... out ... in ... out ... just like Trystan said. She eyes where it is she needs to be. Time to do this and do this she can for she must ... 'Seriously,' she says to herself. 'I'd be much better off alone ...'

There is a man sitting alone at the bar of the particular club of choice. It is early, so the place is nowhere near as busy as what it can get to be, still there are plenty in attendance. He, the fellow at the bar, is crouched over so it is next to impossible to judge his age. It is impossible to judge anything about him other than the fact his hair is dark-ish, he does appear to have a full head of it though there are such things as wigs, and even natural hair can be dyed. Nothing else about him can be seen other than whatever clothing is visible.

'Why am I doing this?' ... She moves to take a position next to who she has come to meet, and she does this softly, so not to scare him in any way. This fellow is where he said he'd be, so this has to be him. 'Hi ... you must be Alice.'

He stays as he is, only tilting his head towards her and he silently looks her over, but more in a manner to study her rather than to take in any kind of beauty. 'And you must be Suzi ...'

'Alice ... that's an unusual name for a guy, and I mean no offence by saying that.'

'None taken, it is a name associated throughout history with royalty especially in the likes of France and in other French speaking countries, many Dukes and so on have been named Alice ...'

His manner and tone along with his lack of movement do suggest to Suzi that offence has been taken despite his saying otherwise, and it does feel awkward though he soon is quick to quell that, '... and of course, there is the rock musician Alice Cooper ...'

'Of course, ...'. She smiles, put to ease a little no matter that this all still seems awkward.

'And I too mean no offence by suggesting that your name, Suzi Sparrow, could easily be a name right out of a children's book though I imagine you are not one who is willing to deceive a stranger for some sort of agenda or other?'

'No, no agenda here other than one of hope, the hope of a pleasant evening yet to come ...'

'Forgive me ...' he says, only now moving up and out of his stool like bar chair, '... for taking so long to greet she who is to be my company for the evening with the respect she deserves'. He reaches for her right hand, takes it, and slowly places a kiss on its back.

Watching on, Trystan is uneasy with what he sees, and with a slight shake of her head while Alice is focused on her hand, Trystan knows he should fight the urge to go get his friend. He wants to ask her if she is okay, he speaks those words, but they don't quite come out of his mouth properly. She's fine, she more or less signalled him such. If something where to happen to her, he would never forgive himself. He had insisted she do this, and it was his and Amy's challenge that had her going on these dates in the first place.

The club is a large place, plenty of folk around, what could happen her here? Distance is maintained, Amy tries to reassure Trystan, and Peter, well Peter is Peter, not that Trystan actually knows anything about him.

'Kayoay?' Peter speaks with a smirk to Trystan.

Trystan just looks at him a second or two and says, 'don't make me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry ...'

'I have a table booked in this facilities' restaurant; would you care to join me?'

'I surely would' Suzi responds with what she hopes is a sincere looking smile.

If this fellow is aware of the set-up, then who knows exactly how the evening will progress. For right now, a game of Follow-The-Leader is on the go for as soon as an invite has been accepted, Alice makes a move without assuring the fact that Suzi is in tow, apparently, he just simply wants her to follow him. This at least, strengthens the assumption on her end that they are onto the right guy, or as said earlier, a right guy.

As he moves, on toward the building's restaurant area, Alice moves directly past the table where Trystan, Amy, Tarin, and Peter all sit. Is this itself a statement, or a moment of complete chance? Should Trystan, and those with him, follow? Or should they stay right where they are? There are two plain clothes detectives in the building, and a van outside with officers and technicians with a multitude of devices observing the proceedings so it's fine, ... everything is ... fine.

This Alice fellow, he is most certainly a little off, he is dressed quite casually as if he has put no thought whatsoever into making an effort to physically impress a lady with whom he has never met before. If this were a regular blind date then, Suzi would be considering ditching the guy already rather than seeing it through. Of course, it's information she's after, she has brought the rope and now it is up to him as to if he'll hang himself with it or not. There is no waiting or messing around, the two are shown directly to a table.

'So, Alice, may I ask as to what you do for a living?'

'You may. My work revolves around deals of a certain and unique type...'

'Nothing on street corners or anything of the likes I hope ...'

He looks at her a moment, the utter distain is clear and short lived. 'Not at all, I seek out certain goods, head hunt if you will, acquire said goods and move them on. I interact upon a very specific market ...'

'Sounds a little shady to me,' she says with a smile so false that even this fellow before her must be able to see right through it.

Perhaps she should not have said what she just had, but she has said it out loud. The hopes, if there are any, are of having him elaborate to some extent and this is about to be thwarted.

A waiter arrives to the table inquiring as to if he can take an order. Suzi has to stop herself asking another question and a momentum is halted. Alice puts his order in almost immediately with no consideration for the lady he so happens to be out with. She can even see that he is about to order for her too, and she's not having that. To hell with reasoning and consideration for why it is she is here. She is a lady more than capable of thinking for herself. Ain't no one gonna get away with behaving like a monster in her company, so she orders her own starter and main of choice.

There is a slight pause as he regards her some, then conversation continues. ... 'So, Miss Sparrow. What is it you do?'

'A little bit of this and a little bit of that, I had gone into medicine but changed that for a degree in English. I plan to teach for a while before seeing what the world has to offer me.'

She watched him intently while she spoke. The cogs in that noggin of his were definitely turning. If this fellow were what he supposedly is, then might he be planning on trading her on this particular evening, or at least a plan may be in the works for how he might get her away from this place. She imagines herself locked away somewhere where no one will find her, somewhere where no one will hear her screams.

'How nice that must be for you and your family.'

'I don't have much in the way of family ...' a little white lie, of course. 'I share an apartment with a couple of friends I hardly see, they were good enough to aid me through my studies ...'

He looks her over, a little differently that he had earlier, though it is as if he is studying her ... trying to make his mind up as to what he thinks of her. His cell phone rings, he looks at the screen a moment. 'Excuse me please, I need to answer this.'

He stands and moves away slowly, without looking back. This is slightly worrying. Is she losing him? Starters arrive to the table.

'Should I hold this one back?' inquires the waiter ...

'Nah, I'm sure he'll be right back.'

Trystan comes into the restaurant, almost tippy toeing his way over to Suzi.

'Don't have to be so friggen obvious, ya know.'

'Sorry I just needed to ... oh, that looks nice ...'

He is about to pick at something when she slaps his hand away.

'Get outta here, will ya? ... Don't want him to see you here picking at his food, do ya?'

'No, I certainly don't.'

Ten minutes pass and a return has not been made. Her starter has been finished and cleared. Another five minutes pass, ten pass ... fifteen. A plain clothed officer soon joins her at the table.

'Sorry Miss Sparrow, it looks as if the bird has flown the coup ... so to speak.'

'Aw crap ...'

'Nothing you done wrong young lady, don't worry about it. I believe our target received a tip that we have a presence here.'

'Did we get anything on the guy?'

'Before tonight we only had thoughts and beliefs, now we are sure he is involved in recruitment for a place called The Flesh Factory. This Alice fellow is a henchman for a mass murderer known as The Butcher ... we are one step closer to closing it all down. Thank you so much, Miss Sparrow ...'

Trystan waits until the officer is done before returning to his pal. 'If ya don't mind ... since tonight wasn't much of a date ... why not see the evening out with me?'

'With you?'

'Nothing wrong with that, is there?'

'Not at all.'

'And just because of it all too, doesn't mean you are off the hook ...'

'I wouldn't have it any other way, a challenge is a challenge ... and you my friend, better have coffee at your place.'

'My place? What about our place of which you told your friend earlier ...?'

'How would you know what I told him?'

Trystan smiles and begins to make a move to where the music is, Suzi won't be too far behind ...

Part of the 31 Blind Dates Anthology which begins on @rskovach's profile, where you will also find a full list of all the stories involved.