The black BMW stopped in front of the insurance company where he worked. The dark tinted window slid down and a face with shades peered at the building. Jared clicked his tongue, eyes roaming over the street, up and down, slow and calculating.

-         Come out, come out, wherever you are… - he sing-songed, his lips moving with the tip of a toothpick sticking out between them. The pads of his fingers were caressing the steering wheel in small circles, his senses heightened to their top. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the busy New York street. The man with the newspaper, yeah, definitely him… The woman with the shopping bags at the bus stop…. The businessman on the corner… So they had found him first, that was too bad for them. His shades reflected the reddish light of the dying sun as he shifted his head forward again. He smiled an alligator’s smile and moved the toothpick to the other corner of his mouth. His hair was an idea longer than the regular, pure black as his eyes sometimes got. The strands were spiked with gel and stood sticking out in all directions. Yeah, the party was just beginning. He pulled out his phone and dialed the desired number of the man in the building in front of which he was.

-         Hey, sunshine… Time to get moving if you want to live…

- What the… - Jensen looked at his cell when he heard the other man’s voice. He had never heard it before. But then the man behind the desk saw a few people in tuxedos coming in front of the Insurance agency door. – No way! – He mumbled under his breath.

The stranger on the phone said that if he didn’t run he would die. But Jensen’s life was boring and there was nothing happening to him whatsoever, just some strange hallucinations sometimes. It was nothing for which someone would want to kill him. The green eyed man could feel the heat in the office. Like in slow motion he saw how they entered the room. Then the truth smashed him in the face. He really had to run. And he did. He ran for his life. The men with the suits were blocking the front door so he ran to the back one still holding the phone in his hand.

-         Now what? –Jensen asked the stranger in a shaking voice.

He followed with his eyes the movement of the killers sent after Jensen Ackles and chewed a bit on the toothpick. They would recognize him if they saw him now. When you are a deadly device, the others that are like you see you as you are. The BMW pulled out and rounded the corner, coming to a halt beside the small alley behind the building.

-         You boss left a few minutes ago. Go to his office. Two meters away from the window there is a cleaning platform. Jump on it. Then lower it to the second floor. Remember, the second. They have a killer on the first floor that mustn’t see you for more than a second at a time. There will be a garbage dumpster just beneath you. Fall into it, and then climb into the black BMW.  Meanwhile I’ll clear your path. 

He hated bodyguard assignments. But this poor bastard was neck-deep in shit and Jared was the lucky one picked. He was like them, nonetheless... Jared snorted, the insurance guy certainly had a long way to go. The assassin got out of the car, slowly unfolding his tall frame. The double holster with the guns shifted across his muscled shoulders as he scanned the area again. A familiar buzzing sound approached. Jared shuffled a step to the side with blurring speed and the bullet went past his ear smashing the window of a passing car. He drew his gun, fingers curling around the blood-red painted handle and pulled the trigger. There was a loud crash as a body fell from the roof. Damn snipers. That was one down, many to go.

Jensen was listening carefully to what the other man was saying. This was crazy. Who the hell could want him dead? And to jump from the second floor, the stranger was crazier than the killers.

-         What the hell do they want from me? – Jensen shouted in panic into the phone continuing to run to his boss’s office. But the other man didn’t respond and then Jensen heard the first gunshots. Panic gripped him. He started to sweat and his hands were shaking while opening the window.

                    Why were all those killers chasing him? Did he make a wrong insurance claim? He saw the platform and closed his eyes for a second taking a deep breath. Jumped on it and pushed the button. Stopped it on second floor and his eyes followed the path down. Could he hit the trash container or would he break his neck on the ground.

-         This is ridiculous! – Ackles mumbled under his breath before jumping.  Man, he was sure that the killers would not catch him because the jump would kill him.

But he hit the target.  He jumped out from the badly smelling container pretty fast looking around for the black BMW.

Jared was observing the descent of his target with weariness as his eyes roamed over the rooftops in search for more snipers. There were none. Three motorcycles emerged from the other side of the alley and headed straight for Jensen.

-         Fuck… - swore the tall assassin heatedly and turned towards the insurance guy. – Head down and move. NOW! – He hollered and his vision began to pulse in time with his heartbeat which accelerated rapidly. He saw the motorcyclists drawing guns as if in slow motion, Jensen’s too wide terrified eyes as he ran towards him. Jared gripped the butt of the gun tightly and raised his hand in a fast half-circle shooting at the right time three times in succession.  The bullets curved in their motion, turned past Jensen’s shoulder and shot down two of the killers. The third turned sharply to the right in another alley. The woman with the shopping bags pulled out two Uzis and Jared hurled himself forward. He hated machine guns. The sidewalk cracked under his feet as he moved faster than humanly possible. He grabbed Jensen by he shoulder, rotating them both and pushed him into the backseat as the bullets swam around them. He kicked the door shut continuing to rotate and put his foot on the brick wall pushing up into the air. His eyes were burning behind the shades as he shot the killer down and actually jumped over the whole car landing on the driver’s side and quickly slipping inside.

-         Do as I say and be quiet… - he threw over his shoulder as the BMW’s tires screeched and they pulled into the traffic under a rain of bullets.

Jensen was a little bit shocked from the speed with which the tall one ran. He could feel the wind created by his motion while being hauled into the car, and the jump…!?!? How was this possible? And after all that the man wanted him to keep silent? Well, Ackles didn’t mind staying silent, but first he had to know why all those bastards were after his ass.

-         OK fine with me, but at least I have the right to know why those son of bitches want me dead so badly!

- Because you are dangerous- came the curt answer while the BMW wheezed in staggering speed between and around other vehicles. He had almost been too late, another hour and Jensen would have been dead. – What’s in your blood is dangerous. – Suddenly a heavy truck emerged behind them, ramming into the back of the car. – Son of a bitch. – hissed Jared and accelerated even more though the very heavy traffic. He went into the opposite lane and horns beeped from the stunned drivers headed right for them. Two cars were coming quickly side by side. – Hang on. – He swerved sharply to the right and without missing a beat pulled the handbrake. The BMW went on two wheels between the cars on its left side. The truck scattered those behind them like toys and started gaining in on the car. Jared made a harsh movement with his body and the vehicle dropped on its four wheels again. – Come to the passenger seat, I need you to take the control for a moment.  – He said as if nothing had happened with eyes on the construction site some distance ahead.

      - What the fuck you are talking about?! I'm dangerous?!?! Me?! You are out of your mind! And what about my blood? My family is so fucking ordinary, there's nothing wrong with our blood!

      But Jensen’s speech was stopped by the order of the stranger to catch the wheel.

 -         No fucking way, man! That thing is flying at 180 km/h.  There is no way I’m touching that wheel even if a speeding train was after us! And did I mention that I WANT TO GET OUT of this fucking car? - Panic took over Jensen. Now he totally freaked out. He couldn’t accept all the strange info that man was feeding him. - AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?       

Jared locked his jaw angrily and his eyes bore heatedly into the rearview mirror and the ashen face of the man behind him. He took off his shades, put them in the glove compartment and the reached out casually and smacked Jensen across the face with the back of his hand. Then grabbed him by the front of the shirt and turned his head so that he held the other’s gaze while navigating the car without looking. Just from the noise of the street he knew everything he had to.

-         Listen to me and get your shit together. – He pulled him not too gently into the front and then pushed Jensen into the seat. – You are an elite assassin. These hallucinations you are having are not hallucinations at all. They are pure reality.  Now you’re going to grab that wheel or we are both dead. It’s your choice. – with these words Jared released him, jabbed the accelerator with the first aid kit and arranged the upper part of his body out of his window on his side, gaze burning.

-         Come on, you son of a bitch... – he pulled out his guns and began firing at the windshield of the truck.

Chapter 2