SEVEN BLADES-RICH MAN

TIME FLIES STUDIOS

BLADES

Rich man-New York docks

Patrice’s feet dangled over the murky Hudson River as she quietly waited for her father. She looked at the muddy skies and wondered how this place could be on the same planet as her beloved France. Her green eyes sparkled as she watched her reflection in the dull waters.

“Trice.” A familiar voice brought her from her daydreams as she looked in the direction of the sound.

“Papa.” The leggy redhead jumped to her feet with an agility of a cat.

“Papa, I feel like I wait forever for you.” She gave him her little girl out as she linked her arm in his.

“It has not been that long. We were not here to shop. I had business on the docks.” He said in a stern voice as he looked at his young daughter’s face. “How much like her mother she is.” He thought as he broke into a smile.

“Papa, Look at all the bargains.” She said as she began to dance around him. “New York, New York. A hell of a town.” She sang a little off key.

At twenty-three Patrice had endured the death of her mother and she had almost been kidnapped. He saw his late wife’s beauty and grace in his daughter and he was grateful for her company on this trip. Although he had gotten her into several self-defense courses he was over protective of what he considered to be his rare jewel. Paris had become a cold hard place to live and he jumped at the chance to see New York again.

“Patrice Dupree, you are not a singer.” He said smiling. “A model maybe but not a singer at all.”

“But Papa, look at the blue skies, the bright sunshine, the singing birds, the bargains.” She said as she took both of his hands in hers. “It is so nice to be outside and without cares. No guards, no annoying cell phone, just us.” She twirled around him like a ballerina.

“Look Trice, this is a business trip and we are not here to shop.” He pulled her arm into his and started to walk towards the street. Just as they stepped off the dock, Patrice spots an old shop with a curved Indian statue standing outside the door. She pulled her father in that direction.

“Please, Papa. Just a tiny peek.” She flashed her big green eyes at him and he gave in with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Ohh, look papa.” She said as she pointed at an old sea chest sitting in the corner of the shop. “It looks like a treasure chest.”

As she runs her hand over the carvings on the chest, a toothless old sailor walks out from behind the counter.

“You like it? It’s an old family heirloom. Worth lots of moola,” he smiled at the odd couple in front of him.

“I am sure that it is an old family heirloom that you latched onto real cheap.” He father said as he looked sternly at the old sailor. Patrice looked at her father with a pout on her lips.

“Please papa. It could be my treasure. Please, please.” She rang her fingertips across her father’s arm as he tried to look seriously at her.

As he took her arm he turned to the toothless man with a look of defeat on his face.

“Okay. I give up. How much for this old thing? Honestly Trice you will put me in the poor house yet.” The young girl’s eyes lit up with delight as she jumped up and down

Clapping her hands.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold money holder holding a large amount of money. The old sailor’s eyes glowed with greed.

Patrice ran her hands across the chest again with a look of triumph as he handed the man the money.

“I will never get use to this American money or my daughter’s craving for everything she sees.” He said as he looked at her.

“Gee. Papa. It’s only money.” She smiled as she hugged him.

“Hey for a couple of extra bucks, I’ll run it to your car.” The old sailor smiled his toothless grin at them.

“Okay.” He said as he headed to the door. “It’s that red sport car across the street. Deliver it in one piece and I’ll add a little extra.” They watched as the sailor hoisted the chest onto his back and started to follow them out of the shop.

“Thank you, Mon papa.” Patrice said as she kissed her father’s cheek. He smiled with a look of defeat on his face.

As they neared the car, two scruffy-looking men lean against the red car and smile at the couple. The old sailor stops in the middle of the empty street with the chest still on his back.

“Well, looks like we have a sugar daddy and his pop tart here. Hand over your cash and make it fast.” The taller of the two said as they flashed their switchblades in the faces of their victims. They jump as they hear a crash in the middle of the street. The trunk was lying in the middle of the street and the old man was backing up to his shop with a look of terror on his face. Frightened at the sound of the crashing trunk, the closest thug plunged his blade into Patrice’s father. “Time’s up. You did it now.” The other guy said as he started towards the young girl.

“No papa, no.” she screamed as she realized what had happened.

“Ice her too. No witnesses.” he said as he withdrew his blade from the fallen man. The second guy grabbed the girl’s arm and she whirls into a kick sending her attacker backwards against the car. A second kick sends the other guy down holding his stomach his face filled with rage.

“You hurt my Papa.” She screamed at them as she started over to him. Hearing all the noise a couple more gang members came to the rescue of their comrades. They circle the young girl as she holds her father’s head on her lap.

“We got us a tough chick here that needs a lesson.” The guy yelled from the ground still holding his stomach. Patrice jumped up and backed up against the car. One of the thugs was almost in her face.

“I know just the way to soften her up,” he said spitting in her face as he talked. Patrice scrambled over the car trunk and headed for the street. She falls over the remains of the chest as she blindly backed up. She screamed as she fell and one of them is almost on top of her. Her hand scrambled through the silks that were inside and she grabbed a handle of something inside the material. As she pulled it forward, she is shocked as electricity flew through her hand. She flings the object forward and her attacker falls screaming to the ground. She looked at her hands and realized she was holding a long thin sword with an emerald glowing in the hilt. She started to shake uncontrollably as she faced her attackers.

“Git her.” Shouted the guy on the ground as he held what was left of his stomach with one hand and tried to point with the other.

She sliced through the air and the closest guy lost his head to the sword. The others looked in amazement and horror.

“Let’s git outta here before she slices us in half.” One of them shouts as they scattered like roaches into the docks.

Patrice’s eyes close as the sword draws her into a whirl of darkness. She feels the sword seal itself to her hands and run through her body like a thousand needles. The girl is pulled up into the air and floated for what seemed to be an eternity. She falls to the ground and lands in the silk cloth that is scattered on the road. The sword drips in blood as she opens her eyes.

“Defend yourself and save the world.” The words gleam in red on the sword. As she looked the sword the blood melts into the stone making it a fiery red for a moment. She shakes her head as she hears the distant sound of the sirens. She grabs the sword and heads over to her father. As she drops down next to the fallen man she cries.

“Papa how am I going to live without you?”