The Urban Healer

Author: Michael Brown

Chapter 1: The Frightened Beauty

Words : 1802 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

A dead-straight stretch of highway cut between mountains green as jade. Suddenly, a figure appeared on the slope of a peak, leaping down like a nimble monkey. He moved fast, touching rock and ledge in quick succession before landing lightly at the roadside. Only then did it become clear he was no monkey at all, but a young man in his early twenties. He stood six feet tall, sharp-featured and handsome. Even the patched clothes on his back couldn't hide it. He seemed cut from the mountains themselves, all clear lines and bright eyes. He'd dropped from such a height without breaking his neck, and he wasn't even out of breath. It was hard not to stare. "Where on earth did I end up? I should find someone and ask for directions," he muttered. His gaze swept left, then right. There-a couple hundred yards to the west, a single figure stood by the road. His eyes lit up. A knockout. She had a killer figure-serious curves. "Go ask for directions," he told himself. He moved in a blur. A heartbeat later, he was in front of the woman, like he'd been carried there by the wind. "Hey, gorgeous, mind if I, uh… ask you something?" Bella Doyle had been waiting for her ride by the roadside. A voice at her elbow made her flinch. She'd heard no footsteps at all. Was she imagining things? She turned instinctively, and found a man standing right behind her. "Ah! Who are you?" Bella screamed. "D-don't come any closer, you creep!" Sneaking up on her was bad enough; saying "do that thing" took the cake. The young man smirked. "Hey, my name isn't Creep. It's Fabian Farrell." "I don't care what your name is. Get away from me." Bella tensed, instantly on guard. She was being hunted. For all she knew, this guy was either a creep or a hired killer. Fabian stared, completely unabashed. He was a kid from deep in the hills and had never seen a city girl this stunning. An oval face as delicate as a cameo, willow-leaf brows over phoenix eyes; deep dimples warmed her cheeks. On looks, she was off the charts. Her outfit was stylish and refined too. Fabian had only ever seen that kind of thing on TV. Suddenly, TV had stepped into real life. Catching him gaping, Bella flushed. "Hey-what are you staring at?" Fabian didn't miss a beat. "My master said women dress up for men to look at. You're dressed to turn heads. Isn't it normal for me to admire you?" He curled his lip again. "My master also said city folks are really open. You might meet and, within a day, hop into bed. So I'm looking-big deal. Quit playing innocent. I can see right through the act." The crude jab nearly made Bella faint with rage. She yanked a canister of pepper spray from her bag and leveled it at his face. "Back off, or I'll spray this right in your face." "What kind of weapon is that?" Fabian eyed the small bottle curiously, puzzled that something so tiny could threaten anyone. He reached out and plucked it from her hand. "Huh?" Bella blinked in shock as the pepper spray vanished from her grasp. Her breath hitched. That was her one tool for self-defense. Then, abruptly-"Pssst!" Fabian pressed the nozzle. A burst of reddish mist enveloped his head. Bella stood there, dumbstruck. This creep really didn't have a clue; he'd stolen her pepper spray only to spray himself in the eyes. "Good. Let's see how you act up now," she said, relief washing over her. The next instant, her smile froze. Fabian waved a hand through the mist, fanning it away. He frowned at her. "What is this stuff? Smells awful." Bella went rigid. Pepper spray was supposed to leave you gasping and sobbing-a direct hit to the eyes should have dropped him. He'd taken it in the eyes and looked fine. Losing interest in the bottle, Fabian tossed it aside. "Can you tell me how to get to Haltoria?" "T-that way." Bella pointed west, every nerve still on edge. Just then, a car sped toward them and screeched to a stop right in front of her. It was a luxury sedan, paint gleaming, a trident mounted on the grille. "Finally." Bella exhaled, shot Fabian a terrified look, and bolted for the door. The window slid down, revealing a young man. He greeted her with careful respect. "Bella, hop in." He shot Fabian a wary look, confused. Bella didn't wait for prompting. She yanked the door open and darted into the car. "Drive, Dexter. Go." Watching the sedan zip away to the west, Fabian muttered, puzzled, "Why would anyone put a fish spear on the front of a perfectly good car? Does the gorgeous one like spearing fish? That spear is way too small." Had Bella heard him, she would have passed out from sheer exasperation. It was a Maserati. Spearfishing had nothing to do with it. "I should get to the city," Fabian said under his breath. The car had vanished in the direction the gorgeous one had called Haltoria. He'd trained with his master in the country for more than ten years, hard-won skills honed in the quiet of the mountains. Now he was finally free, and could go see the big city. In a blink, he was gone. He shot down the highway like a streak of light. He kept pace with the Maserati. Inside the Maserati, Dexter asked, "Bella, how did you shake those people off?" Still shaken, Bella said, "They rammed me until the back of my car was smoking. I made it onto the expressway and, thanks to the car's performance, managed to lose them. But I ran out of gas. I left the car in a mountain hollow, then went into the hills to hide." "They won't give up just because they missed you," Dexter said, jaw set and voice ringing with conviction. "I have to get you safely back to Haltoria." He pressed the accelerator. Neither of them noticed the speck on the far end of the highway behind them, a tiny dot eating up distance at an unbelievable speed. About ten minutes later, the Maserati got off the highway, turned, and was about to enter the city. Then came a pair of muffled pops. "Pfft! Pfft…" The car dropped suddenly and lurched out of control. "What happened?" Bella cried. "We hit a spike strip!" Dexter said, face going tight. They braked to a stop and climbed out. All four tires were shredded-three-pointed caltrops all over the road. The car was going nowhere. It was an ambush. "Bella, we have to move. This is a setup," Dexter said, grave and low. Prey that stumbled into a snare rarely slipped free. "Hold it. Bella Doyle, you're not going anywhere today. You're coming with us." Four burly men vaulted from the grass on both sides of the road and closed in, hemming them in on all sides. At the sight of them, Bella and Dexter turned pale, terrified.

The Urban Healer

Chapter 1: The Frightened Beauty

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