Accidental Hero
Chapter 1

Copyright© 2020 by Lazlo Zalezac

Mike Radford stood on the porch listening to the screams coming from inside the house. It sounded to him like the woman was being tortured. After growing up and watching his mother getting beaten by his step-father, there was nothing that made him angrier than a man mistreating a woman. He was all for bursting through the door and throwing the perp through the window, after pounding on him for a bit.

Jim Daniels held him back and said, “We do this by the book.”

“It sounds like he’s killing her,” Mike said with a frown.

There were times when he hated his job. The worst times were when he knew someone was doing something bad to someone else and he had to follow procedure. Suddenly the screams cut off. Jim Daniels made a ‘police knock’ on the door.

He looked over at his partner and asked, “What do you think?”

“I would say that we have probable cause. Let’s break it down,” Bob Brown answered worried by the sudden absence of screams. He feared that they had waited too long. He pointed at Mike with his thumb and said, “Let Mr. Bad Ass break it down.”

Mike rolled his eyes half tempted to show them what he could do to a simple wooden door. He was about to kick the door down when it opened. A young man, wearing a bathrobe and looking a little disheveled, stared at them.

Jim said, “We had a call that someone was being killed over here.”

“Huh?”

“We heard some screams. Would you mind moving out of the way?” Bob said.

“Screams?” the young man asked. He shook his head and said, “That was my girlfriend.”

“We had a call that a woman was screaming that you were going to kill her. We have to check it out,” Bob said.

Tired of waiting, Mike pushed his way into the house and looked around. Bob entered the house with him.

The young man shouted, “Cynthia! Cover yourself. We have company!”

Mike walked to a door and looked through it while Jim questioned the suspect. The door led to a dining room. The high quality furniture seemed a little out of place considering the kind of call. Usually, houses weren’t neat and tidy like this. He could see a kitchen on the other side of the room. He stuck his head in and noticed that there weren’t any dirty dishes. On a call of spousal abuse, a clean house like this usually meant a controlling husband, who punished the woman for the least little mess. He didn’t like it.

Seeing that there was nothing out of place in the kitchen, Mike turned back to the main room in time to see Bob heading down the hallway. He was tempted to follow him, but there was another door leading from the living room. He headed towards it.

As he passed by the suspect, the young man asked, “What kind of ring is that?”

Mike frowned at the question. He didn’t like to talk about the sapphire ring. It had been given to him by a woman in Lebanon. She had been found dead two days later and he was pretty sure that it was because someone had seen her talking to him. Others claimed that it was a warning against the local Christian community since the woman was a Christian missionary from France. That had been back in 1988; a small piece of ancient history, that still stung like it was yesterday.

He went into the room and saw that it was a study. He opened the closet door hoping that he wouldn’t find a body stuffed in it. He was very surprised to find that it was completely empty. He frowned. Never in his life had he ever come across a completely empty closet in a house that had been occupied for any length of time. Wondering if it hid something, he stepped in.

The closet disappeared to be replaced by a plain white room. His hand went down to his holster. There was nothing there. He looked down and found that every piece of metal was gone except for the ring on his hand and the fillings in his teeth. As an afterthought, he was glad the zipper in his pants was plastic.

Puzzled by the fact that he had been completely disarmed without knowing it, he said, “What the hell?”

He took a deep breath to calm down. He flexed his muscles in preparation for a fight. He didn’t have any idea what had happened, but he wasn’t going to let someone take him unprepared. He walked around the small room looking for some way out.

Ten minutes passed before there was a small noise behind him. He spun around and found a door swinging open. Cautiously, he approached the door and looked through it. An attractive elderly woman was seated on a white sofa watching him.

Stepping through the door, he asked, “Ma’am, are you being held here against your will?”

“Excuse me?” the woman replied looking at him with a confused expression on her face.

“Are you being held here against your will?” Mike asked looking around the room.

He wondered how the kid had managed to hide this room within that house. It had to be an underground structure, but he couldn’t figure out how he made the move into it and how his weapons had been removed.

The woman laughed at the unexpected question and answered, “No. I work here. I’m Elizabeth Hero Greeter.”

“You work here?” Mike asked confused by her answer.

“Yes. I’m Elizabeth Hero Greeter. My job is to greet new heroes and to help them select their caretaker,” she answered thinking that he should have expected to meet her here.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Mike said.

“Sid Jones sent you here, didn’t he?” Elizabeth asked with a frown. The information available to her said that he had come through the portal at Sid’s home. The signature of the sapphire had identified that it wasn’t Sid so it had to be a new hero.

“Who is that?” Mike asked.

“You came here through his portal,” Elizabeth answered wondering why the man didn’t know who Sid was.

“I’m here investigating a crime, Ma’am,” Mike said trying to get the conversation back on topic.

“Did something happen to Sid?” Elizabeth asked suddenly concerned. There was still no news about having captured the man who had started the slave wars.

“We heard a woman screaming in the house. There was a report that someone was killing her,” Mike answered.

“Oh,” Elizabeth said relaxing. She shook her head and said, “That was probably Cynthia. Everyone on Cassandra is talking about what a screamer she is.”

“Huh?”

“She’s a screamer,” Elizabeth said.

She felt that it was a good sign when a woman really let a man know how much he pleased her. It was even better when it was unintended rather than exaggerated.

“I don’t understand,” Mike said looking at Elizabeth somewhat confused.

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment realizing that the discussion was going nowhere fast. It was time for her to do her job and explain the situation.

Finally, she said, “Would you like to take a seat? I’ll explain the best that I can.”

“Thank you,” Mike said walking over to the chair across the coffee table from her. The featureless white room was getting on his nerves.

As Mike sat down, Elizabeth asked, “Would you care for some coffee?”

“No thank you,” Mike said.

Elizabeth asked, “Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”

“Okay,” Mike said feeling a little like Alice at the tea party. Nothing that had happened since stepping into the closet made sense.

“Do you like cream and sugar?” she asked.

“A little sugar,” Mike answered wondering what was going on.

Elizabeth looked up at the ceiling and said, “A coffee with a little sugar, please.”

Mike jumped when a cup of coffee on a saucer appeared on the table in front of him. Startled, he asked, “What? How?”

“Please, try it. If it isn’t sweet enough, let me know,” Elizabeth said gesturing to the cup.

Thinking it was an illusion, Mike reached out to pick up the cup. He was surprised to find that it was real. He took a sip and said, “It’s fine.”

“Let me start at the beginning by welcoming you to the planet Crossroads. To tell the truth, I’m not even sure where it’s situated with respect to Earth. You came here by going through the portal located in Sid Jones’ house. The sapphire ring on your hand triggered the portal,” Elizabeth said.

“I’m on a different planet?. Okay,” Mike said nodding his head. He didn’t believe it for a minute.

“Crossroads connects three planets — Earth, Cassandra, and Chaos. Earth provides Heroes. Cassandra provides Damsels. You might say that Chaos provides adventures. The Damsels go to Chaos. When they get in trouble, a Hero is sent to rescue her,” Elizabeth said giving the most succinct description of the situation as possible.

“Okay,” Mike said thinking that he would play along with her fantasy. She must have been locked in this basement for years to come up with such an insane story like that.

“Once a Hero rescues the Damsel, they return here where she rewards him,” Elizabeth explained.

“With a kiss, I assume,” Mike said.

He was familiar with fairy tales. He took a sip of the coffee to keep the smirk on his face hidden. It wasn’t a good idea to upset an insane person.

“Oh, no. They have sex,” Elizabeth said laughing at the idea of rewarding a hero with a simple kiss.

“So what you’re saying is that I’ve been brought here to rescue a damsel, bring her back here, and then have sex with her. Have I got that right?” Mike asked.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered frowning at how he had phrased it. She realized that he didn’t believe her.

“I’m supposed to be happy about that?” Mike asked.

“You should feel honored. The portal would not have allowed you here if you didn’t have the character of a hero,” Elizabeth said.

“So when do I head off to rescue this damsel?” Mike asked thinking this was really a complex fantasy on the part of the old woman.

Elizabeth answered, “First you have to select your caretaker.”

“You mean my jailer?”

“No, she’s not your jailer. She’s your caretaker. It isIt’s her job to take care of all of your needs while you are here on Crossroads. She will help you plan your adventures in Chaos,” Elizabeth answered.

“So I pick a caretaker and then head off to rescue some woman,” Mike said.

“No. You and your caretaker will take some time to get to know each other. She needs to know what your strengths and weaknesses are so that she can select your adventure. You’ll go back to Earth while she’s looking for appropriate missions for you. When you’re ready, you’ll come back here to leave for your adventure,” Elizabeth explained.

This was the first mention of him being able to leave and Mike decided to follow up on it. He said, “So I’m free to come and go as I please.”

“Well, you have to wait at least three days before coming back here,” Elizabeth said.

Shrugging his shoulders, Mike said, “Why not? What have I got to lose?”

“Your life,” Elizabeth answered.

“My life?” Mike asked thinking this fantasy of hers had just taken a very dark turn for the worse.

“These adventures on Chaos are dangerous. You will face hard tough men who are completely ruthless. More often than not, rescuing a Damsel will require you to kill or be killed,” Elizabeth answered. She looked at him for a second and then asked, “What weapons do you know how to use?”

“I’m a crack shot with a rifle and a pistol,” Mike answered.

“There are no guns on Chaos,” Elizabeth said frowning.

“I’m trained in the martial arts. I’m good with a knife, the bow, and nunchucks,” Mike answered.

“Ah, you are trained in the oriental tradition,” Elizabeth said with a nod of her head. Usually most of those heroes had training with edged weapons. She asked, “How are you with a sword?”

“I’ve never used a sword,” Mike answered wondering if she was thinking that he was going to be an armored knight riding off to slay some dragon.

“Staff?”

Nodding his head, Mike answered, “I’ve had a little training with a staff.”

“You might survive,” Elizabeth said with a worried expression. Heroes who weren’t adequately prepared typically didn’t last long.

Mike bristled and said, “Ma’am, I’m not an easy man to kill. Believe me, plenty of folks have tried and failed miserably.”

“Excellent,” Elizabeth said appreciating the sudden fire in his eyes and iron in his voice. She looked up at the ceiling and said, “Folders for the unassigned caretakers, please.”

Three folders appeared on the table. Mike stared at the folders wondering how they magically appeared like that. This woman’s fantasies seemed to have a lot of magic tricks supporting them.

Elizabeth picked up the folders and, while handing them over to him, said, “These are the folders for three caretakers who have not yet been selected by a Hero. You should study these folders very carefully before you select your caretaker. She’s going to be one of the most important people in your life.”

Curious, Mike accepted the folders and opened the top one. He read the page inside. It looked like a resume, but there were detailed listings of subject areas studied by the person. Looking up from the page that he was reading, he asked, “What should I be looking for?”

“Each Caretaker has trained to serve a Hero. They have studied many different aspects of the art of war. Select one who has strong skills where yours are weak. Pick wisely, your life will depend upon her,” Elizabeth answered.

Mike sat down and read the folders. His eyes grew big when he reached the naked picture of the caretaker at the end of the folder. He looked at the picture thinking it was surreal to be looking at nude pictures in front of such a prim looking woman.

Looking at Elizabeth, he said, “She’s pretty.”

“Of course she is. All caretakers are pretty, but that’s not a reason to pick one,” Elizabeth said.

He set the first folder aside and then read the second folder. He spent a lot more time reading the second folder. She had not only read about the kinds of tactics employed over an eight hundred year period, she had organized reenactments of them. She had also read some of the greatest books on war. There was a note that she was a recognized expert on the geography of Chaos. She even had some training in weapons that he had never used.

He set that folder aside and opened the third folder. He read her basic skills recognizing that they appeared to be less than the other two women. Curious why they would include her, he read a little more about her background. He smiled when he read that she worked as a criminal profiler.

“How valuable is knowledge of logistics in a caretaker?” Mike asked thinking about the first folder that he had read.

“She can teach it to you, but she can’t do it for you,” Elizabeth answered.

“Interesting,” Mike said. He skipped back to the rear of the folder and looked at the picture of the woman. She could grace the center of a men’s magazine without a problem. He said, “Interesting.”

He tossed the folders on the table. He went to look at his watch, but it was gone. Noticing the gesture, Elizabeth said, “You’ve been here almost three hours. Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” Mike said absently.

He wondered why Jim and Bob hadn’t torn the house down looking for him. It seemed to him that they should have mobilized the National Guard by this time.

“How do you like your steak?” She asked.

“Medium well,” Mike answered looking over the folders. There were two of them that interested him the most. He’d know better after talking to them.

Sally looked up at the ceiling and said, “A steak cooked medium well, a salad with a variety of dressings to the side, a baked potato with a variety of fillings to the side, steamed asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms, please.”

The meal appeared on the table in front of Mike. Impressed that it could deliver a meal like that on a moment’s notice, Mike took a bite of the sautéed mushrooms. It was surprisingly good. Before he knew it, he was digging in and enjoying one of the best meals that he had ever eaten. It took him twenty minutes to clear the plate.

Satisfied, he sat back and said, “That’ was good.”

“Would you care for an after dinner drink?” she asked.

“Just coffee, please,” Mike answered thinking that at least the food was good even if he was going to be stuck here. He was still trying to figure out how things appeared out of thin air.

Elizabeth looked at the ceiling and said, “Coffee with sugar.”

After it appeared, he grabbed it and took a sip. He said, “That’s good.”

“Have you decided on a caretaker yet?”

Settling back in his chair, he said, “I’d like to talk to two of them before I make a decision.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. You must pick them based on their qualifications. Everything you need to know is in those folders,” Elizabeth explained.

Mike picked up a folder and looked at it a second time. He looked down at her current employment and said, “She’s a psychological profiler?”

“Yes, she’s rated among the best in the country,” Elizabeth answered.

“I’ll take her,” Mike said. He had a lot of experience with war, but he didn’t really understand what motivated some folks to do the things they did.

“Let me see the folder,” Elizabeth said. She looked it over and frowned. She said, “Are you sure?”

“Why not?”

“She’s not extensively trained in the military arts of war,” Elizabeth said.

“That’s true, but she does understand people. She’ll also be able to tell my why someone is doing what they are doing. I can use that against them,” Mike said.

“I’ll get her,” Elizabeth said rising from her chair.

Mike watched her walk across the room. He had to admit that she was an amazingly graceful woman. Her manners reminded him of a southern belle without the southern accent. It seemed to him that they didn’t make women like that any more.

A short ten minutes later, a young woman entered the room and looked at Mike. A smile slowly grew on her face as she took in his athletic build and strong masculine features. Her eyes shifted to his crotch and her smile grew even larger. She approached and stopped five paces away.

In a very soft feminine voice, she said, “I am Catherine Caretaker of Cassandra. You have requested that I be your caretaker. You can call me Cat.”

Mike stared at the woman unable to believe his eyes. He had seen her picture and thought she was attractive, but the reality was a thousand times better. She was wearing a brilliant blue wrap- around dress made of the finest silk. It flowed across her body; accenting every curve. Her jet black hair, cut in a style that reminded him of Betty Page, was absolutely perfect. Her green eyes sparkled in the light of the room. Her lush full lips practically begged to be kissed. Her lightly tanned skin was flawless.

Mike rose from his chair and said, “I’m Mike Radford.”

“Hello, Mike. I have waited for you my whole life,” Cat said as she flowed over to where he stood.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. Mike put his arms around her feeling her hard nipples press into his chest. Her perfume was intoxicating. His cock reacted in the most predictable fashion.

He said the only thing that came to mind. “You’re gorgeous.”

Cat could feel his erection pressing against her. She stepped back and released the tie that held her dress closed. With a subtle gesture, the dress slipped off and fell to the floor around her.

As a shudder of excitement passed through her, she said, “Take me.”

“Uh,” Mike said wondering when Jim and Bob were going to find him. Knowing his luck, it would be any minute now. Without conscious thought, his hand flew up and undid the top button of his shirt. He stuttered, “Oh, wow.”

Cat held out a hand and said, “I’ll take you to our bedroom and unwrap you there.”

It was an offer that Mike couldn’t refuse.

Edited By TeNderLoin

The source of this story is SciFi-Stories

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