by Gayle Keo
“That was nothing compared to what is going to happen to you. Never mind that thing you are dating,” he said maliciously. Savanah felt her anger growing. She was used to malicious compliments from time to time. This guy though was beginning to get under her skin. She could see Mike had just about had it too.
“What are you going to do? Are you on the run and in danger of every sports fan in the state kicking you butt? How exactly are you going to do anything. I doubt your boss is going to let you start a stupid little war with a high profile basketball player. The kind of press that is going to bring will be bad for business,” Mike told him. Obviously trying to make Tony sweat. It did not appear to work.
“Now who is being stupid Mike. My boss is just fine with it; in fact, he is as fine as I am with seeing the two of you dead. I think I will finish Joe and do that Lena chick. I may have to bang her first though. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t touch that he/she you are so fond of. Her, I am just going to kill. Do you want to watch, or maybe I will make her watch me take you out first?” Savanah was getting a cold feeling in her gut. There was something wrong here and she couldn’t place it
“So your boss likes killing sprees does he Tony?” Mike said to keep him talking. The more they could get on her recorder the better.
Savanah glanced up and saw something that made her freeze. There was a man on a lifeguard’s ATV wearing a lifeguard uniform looking at them through binoculars from over fifty yards away by the water. Watching the man, she leaned towards Mike to say something.
“You may want to wake up hero. Your boyfriend has spotted me. How did you ever make the team?” The crazy man taunted. Mike looked up from the phone and spotted Tony, too. Without any words between them, they both were on their feet and sprinting towards the bad man. Mike waved towards men on the hill above the tents. She saw Tony throw his phone into the water and take off up the beach at a good speed. Innocent people had to dive out of his way and one person got clipped. The woman spun to the side and onto the ground. She ran to that person and heard Mike on the phone. As she bent over the injured woman she saw several big guys sprinting up the beach after the ATV.
“Are you okay ma’am, do you hurt?” She asked the woman. Using her ability to help this woman to push back her fear. Tony was better than she had been told by everyone. This had taken balls and careful planning. In her mind his abilities just hit the roof and she would not underestimate him again. She heard Mikes voice on the phone with the cops. By the sound of his voice he would not be underestimating Tony again either. Good, she thought. This little turd had to be put down. He was a nuisance and danger to the world in general.
*****
The next day Savanah had to convince the cops her idea was a good one. She had a feeling Mike was going along with her on faith because she could understand reluctance with her plan. She believed in being bold when it was called for. That is how she became who she was.
“Look Detective Roswall, this will work. Mike is game and you said it could be arranged so why not?” Savanah asked the man.
“I have the commissioner leaning on my captain and the mayor is leaning on the commissioner and the NBA is leaning on the mayor. Mr. Kalick is a hot commodity and they are all worried about his safety,” He pointed out although it looked like it pained him to do so.
“Mike has been my best friend since we were kids. If any of those people you mentioned believe I am going to risk his life, they are nuts. It is a shared cabin and my friends have no problem with me using it. We can end this thing pretty quick and that should make your superiors happy. Besides, this Tony is smarter than we knew. If he decides to bolt he will be in the wind and good luck finding him. You know that,” Savanah tried. Roswall looked annoyed.
“Alright, give me an hour to let people know I am turning the ball over to you and you guys can get to it. I do like your plan, I am just in a bad spot,” he said.
“I understand. If this works you can take the credit and if not, I can take the blame,” She told him.
“That won’t be necessary. Just make sure it succeeds. I have money on next yeas playoff,” He said as he turned to leave. Mike laughed.
“It is nice to know I am appreciated,” Mike said when the Detective had left.
“Isn’t it. You make people’s fortunes every time you shoot a three pointer dude,” she told him jokingly. He laughed again.
“So Savanah, let me get this straight. We go to this cabin you talked about and we just sit there. That is a plan, no cops with us or back up?
“Yeah, something like that. It will work like a charm. Tony will come to us and we know it. So all we have to do is be ready. I don’t believe he will have back up or other people working with him. He is too pissed to let anyone else get us but him, you heard how he was on the phone. Trust me honey, I have got good at reading people and Tony had become obvious to me. His ego is not going to let him farm this job out. Not to mention, he made this mess. If he can’t clean it up his boss is going to have his ass. Unless…” she trailed off with a new idea in her head.
“Unless what?” Mike asked concerned.
“I am just wondering, what if he is the boss. The cops leave him alone because they think he is low level yet they can’t find who he works for. It would be the perfect cover. The way he waltzed onto that beach without a care in the world and makes me think he is very good at conning what he wants,” she said.
“That would be a good con too. I always remembered him as a little dangerous guy who would never really make his mark. If you are right, he liked it that way, until this all went down and Joe refused his business,” Mike said thoughtfully. Savanah nodded.
“It could be. Let me go get packed. Was your manager able to get you what you needed from your apartment?” She asked. He nodded and she went back to her room and began loading a bag with everything she thought she would need. She was operating on autopilot mostly and was glad that Lena and Joe were being looked after. That had been her worry, they set themselves up as bait but leave Joe and Lena hanging. She would not have been comfortable doing it. Thankfully the cops understood that part of it and those two would be protected. It left her and Mike free to lure the bastard in to them. She finished packing and smiled looking around her little house.
It was strange that two foster kids like her and Mike had ended up where they were in life. It was an unexpected outcome from where she had thought as a child. She was becoming a respected private detective and Mike was a championship basketball player. Who would have thought? She laughed softly. Now they just had to make it through this and everything would be back to normal.
They drove up to the cabin in the woods. Her car was a nice Prius full of enough stuff for a long stay. She was sure it wouldn’t be a short one, but there were appearances to worry about, she thought. They unpacked the car before dusk and started making dinner. As it cooked she went around the little cabin and checked the windows and door to make sure everything was exact. By the time she was done showing Mike that part of it, dinner was ready.
“Stroganoff. I haven’t had this in years, nice job Savanah. Where did you learn all that stuff you were showing me? You were always smart but that is new,” he said. Savanah blushed again, hoping that one day she would lose that habit.
“I’ve known for years what I really wanted to do for a living so I took a bunch of different classes to pick up what I needed. It has worked good so far,” she said with a grin and dug into her meal.
Afterward Mike made some coffee and they just put the dishes in the sink. She pulled out a few of her cigars and handed him one, lighting hers. She loved them with coffee more than the occasional one with beers. She dimmed the light and they sat between the windows at the front of the house. They could both turn their head and look out if they wanted. Perfect, she thought. Out of the firing zone but able to scope the area out if they needed.
“So do you think he will come soon,” Mike asked. She could see he was getting nervous and a bit scared. She was getting a
little nervous too, but not scared. She had been scared when she realized Tony was near at the tent, but they hadn’t known it. In this case she was sure of the outcome. They just had to play it right.
“Probably sooner than later. I figure he followed your manager to my place and then us from there. Or he did the research and found out I use this cabin from time to time. If he is as good as we think that would not be hard. He will want this over and done as soon as possible so he will be here,” she said confidently.
“Well then he and I have that in common. I want this over and done too. Just not the way he does. I want some serious alone time with you away from everyone. How does Hawaii sound?” He asked. Savanah smiled.
“Hawaii always sounds good. I haven’t been there to find out yet though,” she told him and he grinned. He opened his mouth but the sound of a car and the flash of headlights flashed across the walls through the windows. They moved to a table in the back of the front room near the hallway that led to the back of the cabin. She knew no one could get in that way without them hearing it first. So they sat facing the front door. Savanah adjusted her loose green army jacket and tugged her turtle neck down. Her stomach had butterflies. She had never tried anything quite like this. The door was thrown open and they both jumped slightly.
“Look at you two all cozy. Did you think I wouldn’t find you?” Tony asked. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. His eyes were angry but he was smiling as he closed the door behind him.
“How did you find us, just curious?” Savanah asked. He sneered at her.
“You made it easy. Your car sat there unattended at your house for so long I just had to use it against you,” he said looking at her in disgust. It always amazed her how bigoted people always assumed the person they did not like was automatically stupid.
“I really should have checked that,” Savanah admitted. “I just figured if you made it up here you would have known a head of time where it was, or followed us. Following someone is not that hard to do,” she confided to the thug.
“You know this is your own fault don’t you Tony. If you had backed off or at least not gone so ballistic after Joe turned you down, none of us would be in this position,” Mike told him resigned.
“So you think. Other than those idiots attacking me, everything is going according to plan. You two are at my mercy through your own stupidity. The cops have started a manhunt for the both of you, south not north. Something about the commissioner being pissed, you were allowed to try and deal on your own. The NBA is silent but pissed. You are pissing people off faster than I do,” he said.
“It’s a gift,” Savanah told him turning slightly in her seat. She had to be positioned right. Then Tony raised a gun from behind his back. A nice Ruger that could be very dangerous. She was still confident, although Mike was licking his lips nervously. Easy lover, she thought to herself, almost there.
“So I am going to kill you both and up here, it will be a simple thing to hide the bodies. There are nasty critters up here that will make you disappear. After a while, the guards on Joe and the stupid chick who is running his place will be lowered and I will get them too,” He pulled the hammer back on the gun and stepped forward a few feet.
“So Mike, do you want to watch your twisted friend get killed first. I have a feeling I am not going to resist needing several bullets. Watching her suffer will be a bonus. Then again watching her cry over your body would be good too. I will let you decide,” Tony told Mike. Savanah could see Mike was about to try something dangerous and everything was right on the edge as it was.
“I knew you were weak Tony,” Savanah said suddenly. “You are proving it now by threatening to shoot us. Scared to get your hands really dirty I see. Or is it your boss that ordered the hit?” She asked. Tony glared at her and took another step forward.
“I am the boss, you dumb bitch, I have been for a year now and nobody knows or will know,” He said tightening his grip on his gun.
“YES! I knew it,” Savanah exclaimed. “Sometimes I amaze even myself. If I was right about that, then I am definitely right about you being a coward,” she said with false exuberance. She had never been happier than when he took another step forward. That put him in the center of the room on the little area rug. The pressure plate under it activated and all hell broke loose.
The house alarm went off with loud sirens and very bright flashing lights, causing Tony to jump back in surprise. Mike stood throwing his coffee mug with all of the strength he had and it slammed into Tony’s arms and he dropped his gun, staggering back in front of the door. His gun went off and Savanah heard a ricochet as she stood pulled and pointed her 357 magnum at the criminal and stepping forward a few steps. Tony made a move as if to rush forward but saw her gun and stopped, cursing. Savanah could not help smiling.
“Now what Tony,” she shouted at him over the alarm. He never got a chance to answer as the cops burst through the door behind him. It hit him in the back and knocked him down. In an instant he was handcuffed and done. She went and shut the alarm off.
*****
Mike took two drinks from the bar and took them over to the couch. It was just the two of them in a private jet halfway to Hawaii. He handed her the rum and coke and sipped his bourbon while joining her on the couch. He could not believe the adventure they had had. At least it had ended well he thought.
“Ya know Savanah, I was not sure that plan was going to work for a minute,” he said. She smiled up at him next to her. He thought she had a beautiful smile that felt like it was just for him.
“How come?” She asked.
“To many moving parts. When we strategize for games we try and keep them as simple as possible. To many moving parts and things have to many chances of falling apart,” he said.
“Oh I see. Well the basics were simple, but a simple trap he would have seen. I was glad the cops could do that head fake. Without that we would have been done. He would have waited until the furor went down and hunted us then. He would have known we were trying to lure him in. I am afraid the press was not happy,” She told him. Mike nodded not caring. Her name had got dragged through the mud a little and it really pissed him off. So if they were mad at the fake news the cops had given them he couldn’t care less. It had enabled them to work the plan.
“Besides,” Savanah said. “It is much more exciting with moving parts don’t you think?” She said with another big grin. He laughed softly.
“Does nothing scare you?” He asked her. Her smile went away for a moment.
“No, Mike I don’t think there is much that does anymore. After the life I have had, not much does. I enjoy the excitement, I hope that does not worry you too much,” she asked. Mike leaned forward and kissed her to reassure her.
“No it doesn’t. You are good at what you do. Better than I would have imagined. It was exciting if a little hair raising. I wish you had told me you had a gun. I would have felt a little better,” Mike admitted to her. She leaned into him.
“Sorry about that lover. I should have told you about that. I have a bad habit of keeping things to myself. I will try to do better with that, okay,” she said raising her glass in a toast gesture. They clinked and sipped.
“At least it seems like everyone is going to be good. Joe is healing up nicely, finally. Lena is running the place like she owns it. Joe is going to have fun when he gets back. That will be fun to watch,” Mike said with satisfaction.
“Not to mention Tony’s shadow organization was torn down when he went down. We should have known he would rat everyone out,” Savanah said.
“Well you did call him a coward, you were right,” Mike said taking another sip of his drink. “So let’s forget all about that and talk about something more important. What do you want to do in Hawaii?” He asked and her eyes gleamed.
“Bake in the sun, drink rum and spend the rest of the time in bed,” She said winking at him. Mike liked the idea.
“And until then sweetheart?” He asked.
“Mi
le high club?” She questioned with a raised brow. He knew time with this woman would never be boring. He set his drink down and reached for her with no idea what the future held, only living for the moment.
THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 3 of 36
A Race for Love
“I’ll have another round,” Amber said in a moderately-high pitched voice.
“Okay. I’ll make sure it comes up right away,” the bartender said.
She sighed, sitting at the bar filled with people. Truthfully, she felt like she was just another woman here, but she was different. Amber was a transgendered woman, which meant that in some people’s eyes she was seen as a weirdo, even though she had been on hormones for years and was slated to get reconstructive surgery at the end of the year.
Amber had a great job as a graphic designer, a job she fought to get tooth-and-nail, finally proving her worth and able to get situated into the job. The job paid well, which helped her with her breast augmentation, and for Amber, it was nice to have her life in this sort of fashion.
But of course, even with all of that, she still never felt like she fit in. She was a woman, sure, but her personality was meek and timid, which meant that in some cases, many saw her as weak, fragile and a bit quiet. Amber was a good woman to the core and she definitely enjoyed the life that she was given. She came to this bar hoping to meet people, but she realized that she was considered a freak in the dive bar.
The people there were all bikers, bad boys and girls. They all seemed to be rough and tough, although they minded their own business. For Amber, it was nice to be in a place that was different, but she also felt like she didn’t fit in. She didn’t fit in at the ritzy clubs either. Not fitting in anywhere made it hard for her to even go out and have a good time. She was quiet about being transgender since it’s something that a lot of people didn’t understand. She had gone to the gay bars since she would find a crowd of LBGT-friendly people at gay bars, she had gone to a few. But even in them, Amber felt out of place like she just didn’t quite belong there either.