Amos trudged up the granite stairs of the mirrored office building. She headed straight to the elevators ignoring the splendor of the over styled indoor atrium that made up the lobby. She got quite a few veiled looks from the individuals on the half full elevator as she got on and pressed the button for the twelfth floor. Amos' hair was pulled back in a lose braid and she was dressed in heavy steel toed work boots, dusty worn and holey jeans, a burgundy tank-top that sported a triangle of perspiration down the front, and was carrying a bright orange hard hat that had her last name stenciled on the back. She was also walking with a painful limp from the still healing puncture wound in her hip. Her prison tattoo stood out in dark contrast against her olive skin. She was very out of place in this building full of well dressed business types. Everyone, men and women alike, couldn't help but stare wondering why this common construction worker was in their building. They all shied away from this imposing woman, not just because she was imposing but because she had obviously spent most of the morning working out in the hot sun. Sweat was annoyingly running into her eyes and had plastered her bangs to her forehead. She was constantly swiping them out of her eyes. You could almost see a sheen of steam rising from her skin as it adjusted to the air conditioning in the building. There was grimy tar covering her legs up to her knees and splattered liberally on her back. And a film of dust covered her from head to toe causing quite a few people to sneeze when Amos dusted off her arms sending a choking cloud into the air. Amos didn't care, she liked having a lot of personal space, especially on elevators, and especially with these particular people. They stared at her as if they'd never seen a dirty person before. One woman was out and out ogling her forearm where the clear reminder of her past was stained into her skin.
 
She was on her way to her first parole check in and counseling meeting with Fairfax Baily. She'd been 'free' for a week now and Sal had been true to his word and two days after she had moved into his upstairs apartment he had gotten her a job doing road construction for Cal Trans. She was not looking forward to this first meeting with Fairfax. She didn't mind the parole check in, it was the counseling that was going to bother her. Not only did she hate the prospect of it, she had spent a lot of time inflicting physical and mental pain on her prison counselors, even going as far as ending one's life.
 
Amos smirked at the collective sigh of relief that she heard come from the elevator as she got off on the twelfth floor. Perhaps from now on she should take the stairs. She slowly walked down the immaculate halls unimpressed with the plush forest green carpet and black marble walls. The hall smelled of cleaning solutions and wax and the walls were so shinny that Amos could see herself in them. Every so many feet there was a small table with a well cared for plant of some sort sitting on it. Each office had a set of glass double doors and they sat about eight feet apart. Suite 12D was at the very end of the hall, Amos entered the glass doors that led to the inner office and rang the small bell sitting on the receptionist's onix desk. A few moments later a woman of average height and weight with medium brown hair came for the back offices and took her place at the desk. She looked up at Amos with bright hazel colored eyes hiding her shocked expression at Amos' appearance behind a wide grin.
 
"Hello there, I'm Sara, how can I help you today?"
 
"Well Sara," Amos drawled trying her best not to show her annoyance at having to be here, "I'm Amos Duncan and I have my first parole check in today with Ms. Baily."
 
"Ah yes, Miss Duncan, Fairfax is waiting for you, please follow me." With that Amos followed Sara, who was surprisingly unperky for a receptionist, back through some winding halls to the slightly cracked oak door that marked Fairfax Baily's office. With each twist and turn of the hall Amos was reminded of New Alcatraz. Even the clean walls and post-modern art work could keep her mind from making the association. The more and more she remembered Alcatraz the edgier and more on guard Amos became. By the time they reached the office Amos was on a hair trigger just waiting for someone to say or do the wrong thing so she'd have an excuse to pound them. "Ms. Baily, Amos Duncan is here for you."
 
The door swung the rest of the way open and Amos was greeted with the sight of a smiling Fairfax dressed in a navy blue power suit with a cream silk blouse. Her uncomfortable heels were mysteriously missing. "Ah, good, Amos come on in...I'll just email your check in to the proper officials and then we can get started on this session. Oh and this is Emily my assistant." Fairfax motioned over toward the center of the room.
 
Amos hadn't even noticed the other woman in the room till Fairfax pointed her out. She was sitting in one of the leather chairs that sat in front of Farifax's desk. She looked a lot like the receptionist, Sara, except for the fact that her shoulders were broader and her hair was a tad bit longer. She was also dressed in a well tailored suit, only it was gray in color. Amos was beginning to wonder what it was with 'power' suits these days. It seemed everywhere she turned, men and women alike, were wondering around with them on. These suits brought many unpleasant memories of a certain warden to her mind.
 
Emily stood and walked over to Amos extending her hand. "Hello Amos, I'm really looking forward to working with you. Ms. Baily asked me to sit in on your sessions if you don't mind."
 
Amos took her hand and gave it a good hard shake. "No, I don't mind, but um....well, I'm on my lunch break and I won't be able to stay for the full hour." Amos looked back and forth between the two women as they exchanged glances, seeming to communicate silently.
 
"Okay Amos, I guess that will be okay, but for your next session we need to make sure you're not working and can stay for the full time, it's part of your parole conditions." Fairfax seemed slightly annoyed at this revelation, but she was taking it in stride causing her to gain a notch on Amos' respect meter.
 
Fairfax's office was rather large. Just off center in the room stood a large oak desk with a computer smack in the middle of it's vast top. In front of the polished desk sat two gray leather arm chairs that matched the plush carpet well. Behind the desk were filling cabinets that held all of Fairfax's hard files, just in case the computer systems were to go down at some point. Opposite of that was an area that had a small couch and some chairs in a haphazard circle, for group counseling no doubt. They were all the same gray leather as the chairs in front of the desk. Because the office was in the center of the floor there were no windows in the office and various table lamps were scattered around the office providing a nice calming glow instead of the harsh light that would have been produced by overhead lights. On the wall opposite the door were framed ink blot pictures that had funny little notes scribbled under them, obviously in Farifax's handwriting. The rest of the walls were bear except for the marbled burgundy and gray wall paper with a black and gray border that ran along the ceiling and all of Fairfax's qualifications were framed and hanging at various spots.
 
Fairfax and Emily walked over to the group area and seated themselves on the couch motioning for Amos to join them. The tension that had built up on the short walk back to the office was coming off of Amos in waves and having an unsettling effect on the two professionals. She seated herself directly across from them in one of the plush chairs not really worrying about the fact that she was getting all kinds of dust and tar on the expensive leather. She threw her hard hat in the chair next to her and hunched forward her elbows braced on her knees while her fingers steepeled together just under her chin. She fixed the two counselors with an icy stare that made both of them visibly shift and squirm like they had ants in their fancy designer slacks. Amos was happy to see that she hadn't lost her touch in the eight years that she had been behind bars, if anything it had gotten better, but of course none of this fierce twisted happiness showed on her exquisite angular face.
 
"Well...." Fairfax opened a file and got out her legal pad for notes, "where should we start. You said you're on your lunch break, it's good that you got employment so fast, tell me about it." The experienced counselor wrote as she spoke.
 
Amos sighed and leaned back in the chair, deciding to give the women a break from the pure ice of her eyes. "What's to tell, I work for Cal Trans doing road construction. You probably drive past me every morning cursing at the delays we're causing." Amos smirked at this thought, she had been given the finger so many times in the last week that she had stopped counting. Doing hard-core resurfacing right smack in the middle of the financial district was bound to cause more traffic flow problems than were already caused by the simple fact that it was the always busy financial district.
 
Fairfax smiled at this, she had indeed drove past one of Cal Trans' many construction sites this morning doing just that, cursing her head off. This Amos Duncan was one sharp woman, one of the many skills that made her such a cold calculating killer. "Yes Amos, you have hit that right on the head there," a small chuckle left Fairfax's lips. "but tell me more. What are you doing and how is it going? It is my finding that most ex-cons find the first few weeks the most harrowing as far as getting back into society and work." That in and of itself was an understatement, Fairfax knew this, many of the ex-cons she had counseled over the years had been beside themselves after release, not knowing how to fit in and having the desire to slip back into their criminal ways. She expected the same from Amos. But...
 
"I'm what they call a digger, I dig up the old asphalt and relay it, simple as that. It's going fine." Amos knew what Fairfax was searching for, she wanted to hear about insecurities about being back in society and having trouble relating to co-workers and an all consuming want to go back to her murdering ways. She would get none of that from Amos. She had successfully cut herself off form almost everyone and everything around her, except Sal. As long as she did that she could keep from slipping back into the monster she knew herself to be. If it drove her to the point of suicide then so be it, the world would turn just fine with out Amos "Electric Blue" Duncan in it.
 
Fairfax could see that this was going to be one very frustrating woman to council. With a resigned sigh she trudged on. "Are you socializing any?" She decided to try a blunt approach since that seemed to be the way Amos communicated.
 
"No."
 
Well, that was blunt enough. Fairfax knew she was getting no where, she wanted to understand this woman, to help her find a place where she could be happy. She could tell that Amos was not happy and just simply surviving right now. She didn't think she could keep it up for to long before she decided to go back to killing or worse perhaps entertain thoughts of killing herself. Fairfax wasn't about to let that happen, helping people live happy full lives was her lives work, it was time to take this stubborn bull by the horns. "Emily, could you excuse us for a moment?"
 
"Um...sure Ms. Baily." Emily did not want to leave the room, she could feel the uneasy waves rippling off of the dark woman sitting in front of them, but she would do as her mentor asked.
 
As soon as the door clicked closed Fairfax rose from her seat and walked to the wall with the framed inkblot pictures and looked intently at her favorite one running her slim fingers over the sleek frame. To her it was a beautiful butterfly and it always had a calming effect on her. She knew she needed to be calm to deal with Amos and not let her frustration show. "Amos, we aren't getting anywhere. Why are you fighting this? I'm here to help you, I am of the opinion that everyone deserves a second chance, even you." Fairfax finally turned back around to face Amos and found the tall woman standing uncomfortably close to her with piercing blue eyes boring into her. She hadn't even heard the ex-con rise from her chair and come up behind her. Amos towered over her and the almost feral look in her pale blue eyes was making Fairfax's pulse pound. She could almost smell the danger radiating from the tall dark woman.
 
Amos leaned over the blond counselor who had stepped back so that her back was now pressed against the wall. Amos could see the fear in her eyes and smell it in the air. "Ms. Baily, let me inform you of something," Amos' voice was a low dangerous growl, "you may think I need a second chance, that counseling will help me, but you have no idea what I am." Amos slammed her hand into the wall next to Fairfax's head causing the pictures to jump and a splintering crack to form. "I...am...a...killer, plain and simple. Don't try to help me just let me be. Other's have tried and failed, and one was even killed!" The absolute self disgust in Amos' voice was clear as day. With that Amos picked up her hard hat and stormed out of the office barely keeping her temper in check. It was just too much, too much like the sessions that the warden had tormented her with in prison.
 
The prison therapists were not as qualified as Fairfax Baily and often looked to the warden for guidance on how to deal with convicts. In Amos' case that was not in her best interest. Desdemona would always make sure each therapist pushed Amos on subjects that would cause her go into either violent rages that called for 'punishment' or catatonic states that lasted for days on end, both strengthening the powerful self hatred Amos' had festering in her soul The therapists, not really knowing better because Desdemona would specifically ask for the one's she knew she could manipulate, always followed counseling plans laid down by the warden instead of taking the initiative to make their own. Amos, nor any other prisoner for that matter, had a chance at making enough progress to get a re-evaluation and get released. Desdemona didn't ever want anyone released from her prison. So, as soon as Fairfax had started being blunt and asking her to keep giving more she snapped and her volatile temper forced it's way to the surface. Thank goodness she had made it out of that office without causing physical harm to anyone.
 
Instead of going to the elevators Amos made a b-line for the stairs. She kicked the door open with a metallic clang leaving a large dent in the steel door and started flying down the them two and three at a time in an effort to counteract the tremendous amounts of adrenaline and rage that were pumping through her veins. Rage at herself for not trying to make the therapy work, rage at the fact that her time in prison had obviously made her even more violent somehow. Her fuse was definitely much shorter now than it was when she had been put in New Alcatraz. There was rage at the fact that finally back in real society she could not truly be a part of it due to what she was, rage that she was breaking her promise to Doc, and rage because that was the only emotion she truly had any experience with.
 
When Amos reached the street she set out at a jog still needing to bleed off some of the adrenaline in her system and because if she didn't keep a fast pace over the three miles back to the construction site she'd be late. Her boss would have her head if that happened, he'd probably put her on a double shift just for breaking wind the wrong way so being late was out of the question.
 
________________________________________________________________________
 
It had been almost a week since the incident in the park where Emma had been saved by a beautifully mysterious woman named Amos. Ever since that night her dreams and her writing had been filled with images of this woman, in fact work on her novel was falling behind due to it. She had not even been bothering with answering her phone or cleaning her normally spotless apartment due to all the daydreaming and poetry writing about this woman. The pull to find her and get to know her was a tangible feeling in Emma's gut but she had no idea how to go about searching for her.
 
Emma, now though, needed to get her head clear and focused for a meeting with her publisher followed by a late lunch with her sister. Emma was bustling around her apartment in a frantic search for the shoes she needed when there was a knock at her door. Every time someone knocked at her door these days Em's pulse would pick up and her hopes would rise that it would be Amos coming back to accept her offer for dinner as thanks, and every time she was crushed when it was just a friend or another annoying door to door sales person. This time was no different, but she was surprised to find her sister standing outside her door, they weren't supposed to meet until after her meeting with her publisher. She quickly unbolted and unchained her door allowing her sister to enter.
 
"Hey Adena...what on earth are you doing here, we're not supposed to meet up for lunch till my 'confrontation' with my publisher is over." Em quickly hugged her sibling and went back to frantically searching for her favorite black patton oxfords.
 
Adena Riordan-Sheridan was three years younger than Emma but stood a good three inches taller and instead of their mother's blond locks and green eyes she had inherited their father's dark brown hair and murky chocolate eyes. If they hadn't shared the same facial features you would not have been able to tell that they were sisters. Adena had married right after graduation, hooking up with her rich high school sweetheart and becoming your typical wealthy housewife just down the street from their parents in one of the richest areas of Nob Hill. Adena, just like their parents, was constantly disapproving of Emma's chosen profession and way of life. She didn't understand why Em couldn't just settle down and marry her high school beu, George Nolan. He worshipped the ground she walked on and was very rich and decently handsome. Adena, having followed the path her parents had set down for her, was baffled as to why Em didn't do the same. They had all hoped that her silly obsession with writing and the want to live on her own would pass. It never did and she was now a best-selling author, and had earned her, in her families eyes, moderate wealth all on her own instead of marrying for it.
 
Adena looked around her sister's apartment amazed that it was not in it's normal perfect and clean order. Em obviously had something on her mind, Adena knew when Em began 'obsessing' about something her ability to clean seemed to faulter. "Em dear, what have you been doing lately, I haven't been able to get a hold of you on the phone," she looked at the answering machine blinking 37 messages, "Ah, that explains why."
 
"I'm sorry Adena, but I've been kind of preoccupied lately." A wistful smile came over Emma's face as the vision of a raven haired beauty popped into her mind. "Ah, finally, found those darn things." She pulled a pair of worn and scuffed black patton oxfords out from under he couch and plopped down to pull them on. They went nicely with Em's worn and holely Levis and soft yellow T-shirt covered by a black and yellow plaid flannel. Adena could hardly believe her sister would wear this to a meeting with her publisher. She, and their parents alike had never much approved of Emma's appearance. Adena was, as the family riches dictated, your normal rich housewife. Never doing a lick of house work, leaving it all for the servants just like mother had taught her, and always dressed in designer clothing. In fact for this simple lunch date with her sister she was dressed in her finest Armani suit. Yet even for all their differences the sisters were very close.
 
"Emma.....EMMA!, are you listening to me? I said I haven't been able to get a hold of you fore nearly a week I was getting worried. Just what has gotten you so preoccupied?" Adena was getting annoyed with the way Em was just flitting about today, not really paying her much attention even though she'd taken the time to drive all the way here and leave her precious Mercedes SLK parked out front. "I wanted to talk to you this week to let you know that I would pick you up and just wait for you at your publishers. That is if you don't mind."
 
"Oh Ady, no I don't mind at all, in fact that's perfect, I was going to have to take the bus today. My car is in the shop, can you believe it, but I'm sure you already knew that. I don't know how those idiots got it towed without me knowing it." Halfway through the week Emma had gone out to get groceries and found her car gone. After talking with her neighbors she had found out it had been towed by an R and R Towing Co. truck. At the mention of George's favorite towing company Em knew that he had shrugged off all her insisting that he not get her car detailed for her and done it anyway.
 
"Em, I think it's absolutely wonderful that George is getting your car detailed for you. He's so sweet. You two should really get together again sometime."
 
"Adena, I do not need my car detailed, and every time George and I get together I about die of boredom. Yes he is sweet, but like I keep telling you and mom and dad, and him, he's not the one for me. Now quit bringing him up!" Em was really starting to get tired of all these not so subtle hints that she and George were 'meant to be together.'
 
"All right Em, geeze calm down. Now will you please answer the question that I have asked twice now. What has you so preoccupied that you have 37 messages on your answering machine and your apartment messier than I can ever remember." Just as Adena finished this tirade of words Argo came bounding down the stairs and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Adena. She began hissing and growling. Adena looked at the cat with little enthusiasm. "Well hello to you to you dumb furball. Em really, why must you keep this damned cat around?"
 
"Ady quit, you know how much I love Argo, she's just not a people loving kind of cat, lay off her." Em finished with her shoes, stood and straightened her clothes while walking over to her desk to grab her laptop and disks she'd need for the meeting. "Now, even though you just insulted my best friend I'll get to answering that question of yours." Emma took a deep breath wondering what kind of reaction she was going to get out of Adena, she just hoped this little tale about her adventure last week didn't get back to their parents. Adena had a habit of tattling on her older sister at times.
 
Em headed for the door dragging her sister with her." Come on I'll tell you all about it while you drive me to my meeting." The Riordan sisters were in Adena's car and on their way to the financial district as Emma started her story. "First off Ady, if any of this gets back to mom and dad through you I'll have your head." She looked over to see her sister smirking as she drove. "A little over a week ago I was out doing some research for the book I'm working on, and don't you dare open your mouth once while I'm telling you this!" Em expertly intercepted what she knew would be a snide comment from here sister about her work, without looking over she heard the tell tale sound of a jaw smacking closed. "I needed to get some atmosphere for a few scenes so I went walking in New Hyde Park, stupidly at night." Em heard the soft gasp that came from her sister but was glad that she kept her mouth shut. "Just as I started to get scared and leave I was cornered by a gang that I believe intended to rape and rob me, but someone came along and kicked the stuffing out of all five of them. In a sense she saved my life...." Here Adena just had to interrupt.
 
"Hold it, did you just say someone actually stopped to help, that's very odd Em. You sure it wasn't some weirdo who was just checking you out, trying to set you up for a robbery or something?." The amazement was clear in Adena's voice. She was shocked first of all that her amazingly smart sister would be daft enough to go into a park like that at night, and even more shocked to hear that she was nearly accosted. But the most shocking thing was that she actually had been rescued by someone, people helping those in need was not a common occurrence these days, and it was obvious by the look on her face that it was this woman who was preoccupying Em's thoughts.
 
"No Ady, I haven't even been able to find her since she saved me to thank her. She'd just gotten back into town and didn't even have her new address and phone number." The disappointment was clear in Emma's voice and she let out a frustrated sigh. "I was only able to convince her to a cup of coffee for thanks, but I feel I owe her so much more. I mean come on Adena, she pretty much saved my life."
 
"Em, get over it, if this woman wanted or thought she deserved more thanks you'd know it. I can't for the life of me figure out why you obsess about things all the time. First your writing, then this living on your own thing......"
 
"Adena! My writing is an obsession yes, but it's also my career, I will not have you talking about it like I'll just quit doing it and, as mother puts it, 'come to my senses' some day!" Emma was fuming now, she hated it when her sister and parents trivialized her career choice.
 
Adena sighed, she always seemed to get this reaction to the subject of Em's writing. "All right Em, geeze calm down will you, what's gotten into you today?"
 
"I'm sorry Ady, you know how I get when I have these meetings. I don't know why they can't just let me write and turn everything in on one deadline. I hate these check ins to make sure I'm on schedule, don't they think I can keep a damn schedule myself. I am a college graduate after all." Emma sighed and lightly bumped her head against the car window trying to get her mind in order and focused. "And I know they're gonna be fuming today because I am behind."
 
"Yeah Em, let me guess you're behind because you've been obsessing about finding and thanking, again I might add, this 'savior' or yours. Am I right?"
 
Sometimes Emma felt as if Adena knew her to well. "So what if I have, it's none of your business Adena, but for some reason I feel a deep need to find this woman. You wouldn't understand." Em turned away from her sister and just gazed at the passing scenery trying to ignore her sister as she continued to mindlessly chatter.
 
"Em are you listening to me, I asked you a question for goodness sake." Adena was really starting to worry about her sister. She seemed so far away today.
 
"Huh, what Ady, no sorry I didn't hear what you asked. Can't this wait till we sit down for lunch, I'm kind of focused on this meeting right now." That was about as far from the truth as Em could get, the only thing that was on Em's mind at the moment was a certain blue eyed stranger who had so valiantly come to her aid one dark night.
 
Adena sighed and focused on driving. She knew her sister was lying and that her mind was a million miles from the impending meeting with her publisher. This was the first time Adena had known Em to obsess over another person, and it was especially unsettling because of the circumstances and place that her sibling had met this object of her growing infatuation.
 
Adena constantly worried about Emma, because as far as she knew the only friends her brilliant sister had were that damned cat and her neighbors. She knew Emma had always longed for a 'best friend,' and that all through school she had never found one. Kids could be so cruel sometimes, making fun of Em's tendency to daydream and go off into her own little world where there were heroes and villains. Her dear sis had never really fit in. It was confusing too because people always seemed to be drawn to Emma's absolutely charming personality and optimism, unlike most people Emma could talk to anyone comfortably. But Adena knew that Emma was still searching for that one great friend and she could see inklings that her sister was thinking that this dark stranger who had come to her rescue could be that person. Emma often did this, found a person who she thought would accept her for who she was and not get caught up in her wealth and the family's wealth and name, and she had been disappointed more times than Adena could remember. She was getting tired and frustrated with picking up the pieces every time.
 
________________________________________________________________
 
Amos slowed her jog to a fast walk and trotted back into the fray of the construction site that she had been assigned to. It was the main sight of resurfacing going on in the financial district. One whole lane had been closed for and entire five mile stretch while it was being resurfaced, when it was finished the same would be done with the other lane. To say that this caused congestion was an understatement, the flaggers were not very good at their jobs. Amos thought it was a pretty stupid way to be doing the resurfacing, but she had no say in how it was done, it was just her job to dig up the old asphalt and load it into trucks to be transported away. It was hard nasty work that didn't pay enough, but Amos knew it was probably the best she could hope for with her kind of criminal record.
 
What made the work even worse was her boss. Somehow he knew specifics of her record and would often seem to be punishing her for her crimes through the hard tasks and extra work he expected from her. His name was Keith Gunnar and he disliked Amos Duncan almost as much as Desdemona Tempest did. Little did Amos know that Keith, along with running all road construction projects for the city of San Francisco, was a huge crime boss who had looked to hire her as the ultimate hitwoman for his organization back in her heyday. In fact he had even sent her numerous anonymous invitations to work for his 'company.' Her constant rejection of the offers had made him very bitter towards her and he felt that it was absolute justice that she was now working a lowly construction job under his supervision when she could have been a well respected hitwoman in his huge crime organization.
 
Keith Gunnar was a tall man, standing exactly six foot one. He had broad muscular shoulders and was well muscled from working out often. His face was all sharp angles and he had a close shaven beard, very handsome yet at the same time very menacing. One had to be menacing to run such a large crime operation effectively. He was always quite well dressed, even when on one of the numerous construction sites throughout the city that he had supervision over. He took great pleasure in making out all of the schedules for his employees to make sure that those who deserved it got hard shifts without the extra required pay. To say the Keith Gunnar was a harsh man was an understatement. He took great pleasure in the suffering of others and had no qualms about hurting and stepping on as many people as needed to get what he wanted.
 
He saw Amos striding back onto the site and looked down at his watch. She was late, mind you only by one minute, but still late. Which was just perfect, he was looking for someone to drop a double shift on this afternoon. "DUNCAN! get your lazy ass over here!" Mr. Gunnar's yell echoed off of the buildings surrounding the construction site leaving a harsh ringing in the air.
 
Amos cringed as she heard her bosses booming voice calling her name. She now really wished she'd taken the time to wear one of the watches Sal had offered her. She slowly made her way across the site to stand in front of the hulking form that always seemed to have it out for her. "Yes?" Amos didn't bother to hide the annoyance in her voice. She held nothing but contempt for this man. She knew deep in her heart that she had no right to feel this way, but the way he treated his employees was despicable. Perhaps she deserved his wrath, but certainly none of her hardworking co-workers did. The majority of them were just trying to make a decent living and support their families.
 
"You are late. I will not put up with such infractions on any of my job sites. If you are ever late again, no matter what the reason you will be discharged." There was a sinister grin slowly spreading across Mr. Gunnar's face as he took great delight in degrading Amos. "Now for this transgression I am ordering you to work a double shift today. What time did you arrive on site and start work?"
 
Amos knew this was coming. She had seen Mr. Gunnar eyeing her all day and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to think up a way to degrade and then practically work her to death. She truly hated the days that he would show up on site. "I arrived on site at 6:27 this morning and began work promptly at 6:30.......sir." Amos practically spit out the word sir, at this moment in time there was only one person in the world that she hated more than Keith Gunnar, and that was herself.
 
"Very well you may leave site at nine this evening . You're in luck, we're having a night shift this evening since the weather is good today." As he turned and strutted away a nasty chuckle filled with pure evil bubbled up from his throat and filled the air.
 
Amos watched his retreating back giving Keith Gunnar a stare that could freeze even the most fierce man in his tracks. Only problem was, his back was turned. She stood there fuming for nearly a minute before returning to 'the front lines' to spend another back breaking eight hours of hard labor. She quickly made her way around the large truck holding the heated tar used for the resurfacing and grabbed up her shovel and started chipping away at the stubborn old asphalt. It had bothered Amos ever since she had started this assignment that they weren't allowed to use jackhammers. This particular area had so many high class business and influential offices that the noise level had to be kept down. Although using the sturdy shovel to chip away at the old hard pavement was a great way to get rid of the frustrations of the day. Amos put more and more force behind each downthrust sending larger and larger bits of debre flying around her. Soon she was hitting the ground with amazing force and feral growls and half yells were tearing from her throat. Others working around her were soon standing back and staring in awe at the awesome raw power this towering dark beauty was putting forth. Finally on one amazingly powerful stroke the handle of Amos' shovel snapped in half. The bottom went flying just missing another worker and the top stayed in Amos' hands.
 
Amos slowly came out of what seemed like a daze and looked at the half a shovel in her hands. She hadn't even realized the raw power she had been exerting. She looked up at the ring of workers who were surrounding her staring, completely in awe at the sight they had just witnessed. Soon, Abe, the site foreman was pushing through the crowed of gawking workers to see just what was going on. When he got through and saw Amos was the center of the 'problem' a long frustrated sigh left is lips. "You causing trouble Duncan?" Then he noticed the broken shovel in her hand.
 
"Um no sir, I guess I just didn't know my own strength." Amos was still reeling from the 'trance' she seemed to have just went through. It worried her, she had obviously exerted an amazing amount of violent power during it yet she couldn't even remember what had happened. That was a very unsettling and very dangerous revelation.
 
Abe's thick Irish brogue came through as he surveyed the amazing amount of roadway Amos had removed in such a short amount of time. "Blimey girl, you are a strong one. Ya need to quit breaking the equipment though. I'm going to give ye a rest for a bit, go over and do loading for a few hours." Abe had really come to like Amos over the week that she had been working on his site. He didn't know why Mr. Gunnar was so mean to her, but then again he was mean to everyone. Abe just wished Amos would be more open and quite being so closed off. He guessed that she was ashamed of her criminal past because everyone of course knew she must have a record because of the prominent tattoo on her forearm. He knew there wasn't much he could do about that though, so he just went about doing his job and tried to keep from exhausting his best worker even though Mr. Gunnar kept putting her on insane 12 to 18 hour shifts of nothing but digging and loading.
 
Amos trudged over to where there were three large dump trucks were parked haphazardly on the sidewalk causing horrible pedestrian congestion. She grabbed up another shovel and began the tedious task of shoveling the broken up asphalt piled in front of her into the back of the trucks. Once again, bad planning on the part of Keith Gunnar caused them to have to shovel the debris into the trucks instead of using loaders and backhoes for the loading. There just wasn't enough room for equipment such as that because of how everything was set up. It was cluttered enough as it was with the dump trucks, tar trucks, rollers, and paint trucks. She was really beginning to hate this job.
 
________________________________________________________________________
 
Emma stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby of the large office building that housed her publishing company and let her eyes roam in search of her sister. She spotted her sitting over by the large three tier fountain reading a magazine and filing her nails. Em never could get the hang of doing both those tasks at the same time. She could barely file her nails properly as it was. She started over that way, walking slowly, going back over the previous meeting in her mind. Her publishers, Warrior Heart Publishing Inc., had not been happy that she had fallen behind and was two whole chapters short of what she was supposed to turn in today for editing by their expert staff. The verbal pummeling she had went through had put her in a fowl mood and she was hopeing that lunch with her sister would be a much more pleasant affair.
 
"Hey, Adena, lets get out of here. I am starving." Em's voice teemed with frustration and even though she hoped that lunch would make her feel better she just knew her sister would bring up frustrating subjects. Maybe some shopping afterwards would do the trick and bring back the halfway decent mood she had been in earlier.
 
"Oh Em, you startled me. You all done, I thought you were going to be up there all day. What on earth do they talk to you about for nearly two hours?"
 
A long exasperated sight left Em's lips. "Well Ady, when you're two whole fucking chapters behind in your work they kind of like to verbally berate you and tell you what a dumb ass you are and that you better suck it up and get the work done or next time they'll kick you out on your sorry ass." There, that statement should keep Adena from making anymore comments on her writing.
 
"Well.....when you put it that way...." Adena knew that was a clear sign to drop that particular subject. "I figured we would head over to Union Square for lunch. I need to stop at Macy's when we're done if you don't mind."
 
"That's perfect, I think a little mindless shopping and spending should put me in a better mood." With that they headed off, Em wanting to regain her good mood and Adena wanting to do her best to convince Emma to agree to a dinner date with George. That was the mission that their mother had sent her on and the main reason why she was having lunch with her sister today.
 
Adena pulled out of the underground parking garage and straight into one of the worst traffic backups she had ever seen. "Can you believe this construction? I bet you're glad you're not driving eh big sis. You have George to thank for that you know."
 
Em should have known this was coming. It was odd of her sister to ask her to lunch twice in the same two week period, this must have been their mother's idea. Well, she'd just have to deal with it and not take the bait. "Actually Ady, I find being in the solitude of my car stuck in traffic with some good music quite relaxing. All you have to do is not let the circumstances of the situation get to you." There, thought Em, that should throw her a bit. "I have gotten some of my greatest ideas stuck in traffic. You remember the ending to my second novel? Got the whole idea for it while stuck in the morning traffic jam on the way to the publishers to turn it in. If it I hadn't gotten stuck in traffic that morning I wouldn't have gotten the book in on time. I sat there for fifteen minuets not moving just typing away at my laptop. It's inspiring for me to even think about it today." A very wistful look had come over Emma's face, she was truly enjoying the memory of her great triumph that day.
 
Adena on the other hand thought it was rather corny. "Oh please Em, being stuck in traffic is not inspiring." They actually got to move about ten feet and were finally able to see the cause of all the problems, a flagger who didn't have a clue how to do his job properly. "Figures, it's beyond me why they have to do this resurfacing during business hours, it just mucks up traffic that is already horrendous." Seeing that an even bigger delay had just been caused by a miscommunication between the two flaggers Adena put the car in park to wait for things to get moving again.
 
Emma sighed and flipped open her laptop with the intention of doing a little of the writing she had neglected over the last week. She had opened the file for the chapter she was on and was staring pensively ahead trying to figure out a good way to start the next section when her eyes landed on one of the construction workers. There was something very familiar about this person even though their back was turned. She then realized it was the way the worker was moving, it was very catlike and gracious even while doing such ungraceful work. Looking more closely she could see that the reason for that gracefulness was that this person was a woman. A woman dressed in jeans and a burgundy tank top with a braid of inky black hair down her back. Emma couldn't take her eyes off the woman, a strange fluttering feeling took up residence in her stomach and she found herself wishing that the woman would turn around. Adena's complaining faded into the background as the woman stopped her shoveling for a moment and turned to lean against the back of the truck as she drank from a waterbottle that had just been handed to her. Emma's mouth dropped open, her sister was startled out of her ranting and raving as a quiet barely audible 'oh my God' left her sister's lips. Her hand was on the door release and she was out of the car long before her sister could ask her what on earth she was staring at so intently.
 
"Emma....EMMA! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?"
 
Emma quickly made her way up to the orange sawhorse barriers that were closest to Amos hoping to get her attention, but first she just stood there watching her. It was an unusually warm day and Emma noticed that Amos' tank top was soaked down the front and back with sweat. She was covered in dust and tar. As Emma reached the barrier Amos had turned and gone back to her shoveling, with each shovel full she flung into the truck her biceps bulged and her back muscles strained out. To Emma she looked haggard, overworked, very dirty, very sweaty, and extremely sexy. Just standing there watching her ignited a fire in Em's gut and set her head reeling. She quickly snapped herself out of staring at this exquisite woman and tried to get her attention by waving her arms and calling Amos' name.
 
"Amos, HEY AMOS.......Over here, it's Emma!" She was waving her arms around frantically hopeing against hope that the dark, blue eyed woman would look her way. Em knew there was no way she was going to be able to get onto the construction area.
 
Amos could have swore she heard her name being called. She stopped her shoveling for a moment and looked around the site. Soon her eyes landed on a diminutive form that was frantically waving at her from one of the barriers. Amos strained her eyes and shook her head unable to believe what her brain was telling her. How could it possibly be that Emma Riordan was standing there doing her damnedest to get her attention. Amos couldn't believe it, she thought she would never see this woman again after she had dashed out of her apartment building exactly a week ago. Although if she was honest with herself Amos knew that Emma was never far from her thoughts, she often caught herself absent-mindedly thinking about the young woman, and sometimes her nightly torturous dreams were broken with a sweet vision of this green eyed, golden haired angel. Amos hesitated as their eyes locked and she swallowed hard as she set her shovel aside and began slowly walking toward the barrier. There was a major war going on inside her mind. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, she should just ignore the woman and go about her business, she did not want to be making friends. But.....but there was something, a deep feeling in Amos, that pulled her to the lovely emerald eyed woman. As she reached the barrier Amos was stunned by the huge sincere grin that stretched across Emma's face.
 
Em immediately began estactically gushing, unable to control the giddy grin that took total control of her mouth. "Oh WOW, what are the chances? This is amazing, it must be fate. I've been arguing all morning with my sister that I would and should be able to find you to properly thank you for your heroics a week ago. She had the gaul to make a the comment that you were probably just some weirdo who wanted to rob my apartment." Hearing this statement caused Amos to reach up with her left hand to try and cover most of her tattoo. "But that's nothing new, we're always arguing about something, I think that's what makes us such close siblings. We can argue and argue and it doesn't ruin our relationship." Finally Emma noticed the bewildered look on Amos' face and realized that she had been babbling. "Oh...I'm sorry where are my manners, you'd think I was raised in a barn or something. It's great to see you, how are you?" Em's smile grew even bigger, if that was even possible as Amos forehead wrinkled in concentration, or was it deliberation over what to say. Em realized she had done it again...talked so much that she had bewildered the person on the receiving end of her verbal tirade.
 
Amos looked down at the author a not really knowing what to say, so much had come out of her mouth so fast. "Um...yeah, hi...um, I'm fine. Mmm...uh.....um, how are....you?" Amos felt like the village idiot, why did her ability to speak seem to fly out the window in the presence of this beguiling little author? She couldn't even believe she was over here talking to her so she guessed it shouldn't have surprised her that she couldn't form a full sentence. There was just something about Emma that called to her. Amos didn't know whether to run screaming from this feeling or fully embrace it and take a chance at making a friend. She'd have to decide fast though because if Abe caught her loafing around she'd be in deep shit for sure. "Listen, I can't really talk right now...."
 
OH!, geeze, I'm sorry Amos, you're at work, I'm so sorry I shouldn't be bothering you should I." It was only at that moment that Em realized that she was probably going to get Amos in big trouble by taking her away from her work. "I'm horribly sorry, I'll go I don't want you to get into trouble on account of me. I just wanted to see if you'd reconsidered."
 
"Reconsidered?" Now Amos was even more confused, she had no idea what Emma was talking about. "Reconsidered what?"
 
"Will you let me take you to dinner, as a thank you, for saving me last week?" Emma was hopeing that Amos would say yes. She just had to, it couldn't have been just normal coincidence that she had come upon her like this. The fluttery almost giddy feeling running through her was screaming at her that this was not just a meeting of chance and that she should latch onto this woman and never let go.
 
Here was her chance and Amos' heart had already made up her mind making her speak before her brain could lodge a protest. "Um sure, you know where the Amphipolis Garden's is?"
 
"Yes, it's just three blocks from my building." Emma felt like jumping for joy, she was going to get her chance to befriend this mysterious woman, and she was getting it tonight.
 
"Meet me there at ten, at the front door, don't go in till I get there, okay?" Amos couldn't believe it, why had she just done that? Half of her was shouting that this was going against everything she had promised herself when she got out while the other half was jumping for joy giving her a pat on the back for giving herself a chance to make a friend and have a shot at happiness.
 
"Sure, sure, no problem, this is great!" Em just could not help herself, she was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet absolutely ecstatic about the prospect of having dinner with Amos. "Okay then, see you there!" With that Emma bounded back to her sister's car, it was like she was practically floating on air or walking on a cloud. Adena hadn't moved an inch when Em got back to the car and she was still muttering about the incompetent construction workers.
 
"All right sis, spill it, who were you just over there talking to?"
 
"That my dear sister, was my savior." She couldn't hide the giddy grin that plastered itself across her face, nor could she keep the excitement out of her voice. "She just agreed to have dinner with me tonight at that charming little Greek place three blocks from me. You know the one, Amphipolis Gardens, it's run by that enchanting lady and her son."
 
Adena turned and faced Emma fully with a look of total shock. "Em, are you pulling my leg? Are you crazy! What on earth do you think you are doing!?"
 
"I think I'm going to have a lovely evening getting to know the person who saved my life last week. What is so wrong about that?" She knew Adena was going to make a big deal out of this, she just hoped she could get her off the topic when they finally made it to lunch.
 
"Emma, how much do you know about this woman? She could be some crazed maniac for all you know. I don't know many people who go around beating up five gangbanging thugs just to save someone in need." Exasperation was creeping into Adena's voice. "Em, It just doesn't happen in this day and age." Adena now had a new mission this afternoon, talking her sister out of this foolish idea of dinner with a total stranger. "Do you even know her name for goodness sake?"
 
Emma sighed and decided to plow through this discussion quickly. "Yes Ady, I do know her name, I am not some bumbling idiot you know." Em could hardly believe that her sister thought her stupid enough to not even get this woman's name. "It's Amos Duncan, she grew up in the same area I live right now. Said she just got back into town after being away for quite a few years."
 
"Hmmmmm, why does that name sound familiar?" Adena began drumming the steering wheel in thought as traffic finally got moving again. "Amos Duncan.....Amos Duncan......I know I've heard or read that name somewhere in the last week. I just know it." Traffic finally thinned out and the sisters where on their way to Union Square, half way there Adena snapped her fingers startling Emma out of the writing she was doing. "The newspaper!!!"
 
One of Emma's eyebrows arched up her forehead. "What?" Emma was very confused now, they had been driving along in relative silence since Adena had stopped mumbling about knowing she'd heard or seen Amos' name somewhere. "What does the newspaper have to do with anything Ady?"
 
A horrified look edged it's way onto Adena's face. "Oh Em, what have you gotten yourself into this time? Your 'savior's' name was in the paper last week, it was an article in the law enforcement section." As they slowed for a stop light Adena turned to face her sister. "Em do you remember that serial killer the press nicknamed "The Monster?" At the positive shake of Emma's head Adena continued. "She was tried, convicted, and sent to New Alcatraz eight years ago. Her name was, or is Amos Duncan."
 
"What are you trying to say Ady? I'm sure it's just coincidence...it has to be." Emma started to wonder if she was trying to convince Adena or herself of that.
 
"Em, I seriously doubt someone named Amos Duncan 'rescuing' you on the exact same day that the murderer Amos Duncan was released from prison on a technicality is a coincidence." They were both startled out of the discussion when a car horn blared behind them. The light had been green for nearly half a minute. "Emma think about it, it's not coincidence, please don't go on this dinner."
 
"Ady, I'm not going to stand her up just because you think she's an ex-convict. Anyway, ex-con's can be wonderful people. Often times they've just been....um....troubled in the past." Emma's all embracing nature wouldn't allow her to not give a friendship with Amos a chance, even if she was the recently released murderer who had terrorized the state of California for three years with an unprecedented killing spree that had all started in her very neighborhood. In her eyes everyone deserved a second chance. "Now, can we please drop this subject, I'm going to have a nice dinner with Amos tonight and that's final. Nothing you can say will change my mind."
 
Adena knew when her stubborn sister made a statement that final that there was no arguing with her. They arrived at Adena's favorite Chinese place and settled down for a tense and mostly silent sisterly lunch.
 
________________________________________________________________________
 
After Emma had showed up at the site and startled Amos beyond all coherent thought the day had moved by very quickly, even though she was doing backbreaking labor. She now found herself trudging up the steps to her apartment both looking forward to and dreading the dinner date this evening. It had all happened so fast that Amos wasn't sure what to make of it. For some reason she just could not say no to the charming little author. There was something so comforting and accepting in those deep emerald eyes. It would be so nice to have someone to become good friends with, and Emma was offering freely so Amos guessed that's why her heart had over ruled her mind and said yes to dinner. Amos was convinced, though, that once Emma learned of her past of cold blooded killing and horrible violence that she'd never want to see her again.
 
As soon as Amos made it in the door she shed her heavy boots next stripping herself of the sweat soaked jeans and tanktop. In her underwear she wandered into her small bathroom hopeing for at least luke warm water to wash of the grime of another long workday. Amos turned on the shower and stepped around the curtain. Her skin was immediately hit with intensely cold water that slowly warmed up to just below room temperature. This jolted her out of the sluggishness that had settled heavily on her shoulders on the bus ride back toward home. As she washed her hair and lathered up her body Amos' overactive mind took her back to a cold dark day nine years ago.