Dakota's Way 1 - Dakota's Way

by Robin Hicks

  'Man were those definitely the good old days or what?' She remembered how they would take some towels down to the Elizabeth River and lay out on the bulkhead to get suntans.

  There really wasn't any beach for them to lay out on down there. The only place that had any sand was in the backyard of this really mean lady that used to try and sick her dog on them if she saw them on her property.

  The river was polluted even way back then, but that didn't stop them from swimming in it. Though, it wasn't as bad then as it is now of course. All you really see there much anymore are McDonald wrappers and beer bottles along the bulkhead.

  The last time she had gone down there just to reminisce, she could hardly even see the bulkhead because of the brush that had grown up around it. She did get a nice piece of driftwood that had been wedged under the pier though.

  The best place to swim back then was at the pool in the new gym that the Collage had built. Her and Jamie had told some people there that their parents worked at the collage so nobody questioned them for being there. That is until a campus cop had caught them one day, and that was the end of that.

  They had known even way back then that they liked girls instead of boys. They also knew that they made better best friends than anything else so they had only played Doctor that one time.

  Jamie got her first girlfriend when she was thirteen, and Koty was so envious of her at the time. Koty got her first girlfriend at fifteen. The same girlfriend Sheila, that Koty had begged her parents to come pick her up from in the snowstorm. Man would she ever stop having that nightmare?

  Yeah, those were definitely the carefree and easy days when the only thing of real importance was summertime, weekends, and sleepovers. No harsh worries except for who was gonna make it as the captain of the softball teem.

  Chapter Forty

  Koty had broken up with Sheila a year after her parents were killed. Sheila had been so good to her, but Koty was going through such a tough time then that she shunned everyone that was close to her. She was afraid that she was going to lose everyone as long as she loved them.

  The only ones that refused to let her push them away were Monty and Jamie. They had made a pact between themselves to always watch over and take care of Koty. A pact that they still hold true to.

  As strong as Koty seemed to be at times, there were other times that she was very fragile as well. Monty and Jamie both knew that they had their work cut out for them, but they refused to give up.

  Koty would never go without someone to lean on or to talk to, no matter what the time of day or night it was. They were secretly her Guardian Angels.

  Koty had been sitting in the same spot on the beach for several hours. The man and his dog had left long ago leaving her a lone figure on the sand. The only sounds that she could hear were the sounds of the seagulls around her and the waves crashing to the shore.

  'God what a lonely place the beach is when it's deserted. I need to get my act together.' Slowly getting up to stretch her stiff back and legs, she stared out into the vast ocean a moment longer then trotted to her car to leave.

  When Koty arrived home, she shut off the phone and the answering machine. She didn't want to talk to or see anyone right now, and wanted to be left alone.

  She had pulled her car into the garage, which was something that she rarely did, just in case anyone were to drive by. They would think that she wasn't home.

  She didn't even cut any lights on since there was just enough ambient light coming through the windows. Dragging herself to her bedroom she stripped off her sandy clothes, to a quick shower. Putting on a tee shirt and boxers, she sprawled across the bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  She didn't awaken until eleven thirty the next morning. Waking long enough to go to the bathroom and get something to drink. Not yet ready to face the day, she took a sleeping pill and crawled right back in bed.

  'Screw the world for one more day. If I ever do heal from this I am giving up on relationships. It hurts too damn much when the relationship comes to an end.' She closed her eyes to try and stop the tears and the pain.

  ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

  Around seven o'clock that evening, she woke up with a bad headache, and in a very ugly mood. Sitting up in the bed, she tried to figure out what had roused her.

  As she went to stand up she thought she heard a noise coming from the living room. Walking to the bedroom door, she noticed the light from the lamp by the couch was on. 'Now I know damn well I didn't turn any lights on last night when I came in.'

  She felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and as she slowly turned around, there in the recliner, sat Bob Wheatly. 'That's the sonofabitch that shot me!' Shit, and I made Jason stop surveillance.

  "Did you have nice nap there pretty lady? Uh uh, don't try anything stupid, and I won't have to hurt that sexy little body."

  Koty noticed the gun on his lap pointing in her direction. "What the fuck do you call shooting me asshole? Ya think that didn't hurt?"

  Any other time, the detective would have berated herself for being so cocky and talking to him this way. Hell, he had already shot her once. What made her think he wouldn't do it again? Well, she really wasn't in the mood for this prick and right now, she really didn't give a shit.

  "So what the hell do you want from me now?" She asked with a frown.

  "I need money. I need to leave the states, and I just happen to know that, that brother of yours would pay to make sure that you didn't get hurt again."

  Koty turned and started to walk towards the bar.

  "You have ahearing problem cop? You think I'm playing games here?"

  She slowly turned to face him. "You want to shoot me asshole then shoot me. I've had a really shitty couple of weeks and I need a drink, so if you're gonna do it then do it. Otherwise, I'm making myself a drink."

  He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "Fix me one while you're at it."

  Koty looked at him dumbfounded. "Sure, why the hell not. We can just make this a fucking party."

  Nonetheless, she fixed them both a drink, sat his on the table in front of him, plopped on the couch and rubbed her temples. 'Shit my head hurts! This is all I need.'

  "Call your brother." He told her as he reached for his drink and took a long swallow.

  Koty just looked at him, propped her feet on the coffee table and chugged her drink. " Ya know, if Monty catches up to you, he is gonna kick your ass all over Virginia Beach."

  "Call your brother!" He lifted the gun and waved it in front of her.

  He stood as she reached for the phone and dialed Monty's phone number. 'Man is Monty gonna be pissed at this piece of shit. Maybe he isn't even at home.'

  He snatched the phone from her hand and listened to it ring, waiting for Monty to answer.

  "Hello?"

  "Is this Monty Silvers?"

  "Yes, who is this?" Monty felt a tingle go through his body, sensing that something was wrong.

  "Look, if you don't want your pretty sister here to get hurt, you will bring me thirty thousand dollars to her house. Don't even think of doing anything stupid. Like I told her, this time I'll finish the job I started."

  Monty cursed and then was quiet for a moment. "You hurt one hair on my sister's head asshole and I'll rip you apart piece by piece with my bare hands, then feed your ass to my neighbors pit bull. You got that bud!? There won't be anyplace this side of hell, that I won't find you!" Monty yelled into the phone.

  "Don't try to be a hero brother, it ain't like I got nothing to lose."

  Bob downed his drink and told Monty that he had until midnight to bring him the money, or he would shoot her only after he got himself some of that woman flesh.

  Bob knew he would never do that or actually shoot her, the time before was an accident, but he was running scared and he had to make them believe that he would. This was the last thing he knew to do to get him the hell away from here.

  He had nowhere else to hide and he knew that it was just a matter o
f time before the cops caught up with him and put him in prison. His buddies had warned him not to get hooked up with Coleman but the money was too good to pass up.

  Koty sat there through the conversation thinking that she needed to get control of the situation before it got anymore out of hand than it already was. She knew Monty wouldn't hesitate to get he money, but he would try and take Bob down. She had to think of something before that happened.

  "Is it alright if I make us another drink?"

  Chapter Forty-One

  "Chris, call Jason and tell him to get over here now!"

  Chris's hands were shaking as she dialed Jason's number. She had heard Monty on the phone and knew that Koty was in trouble. Monty was in a mood that she had never seen before in all the years they had been married, and wasn't sure what he would try and do.

  "Jesus Monty, what's happened to Koty?" She had asked after she hung up with Jason. Tears filled her eyes, and fear filled her heart when she saw Monty come back into the room with his gun. He pulled her into a hug and told her what Bob was demanding and what he threatened.

  "He's got her held there Chris. Holding her for thirty thousand measly fucking dollars, and he has a gun. The same gun he probably used before. He said that if I tried anything stupid he would...God damn it, where is Jason?!"

  "Monty, I've got to call Kasey and let her know what's going on. She would die if I didn't tell her."

  "Monty hesitated. You can call her Chris, but have her come here and tell her. I don't want her running over there and getting caught up in the middle of this."

  While Monty was making more calls, Chris got her cell phone and called Kasey.

  "Um...Kasey, this is Chris, look, we have a situation over here, can you come over please?"

  "Chris, what's wrong?"

  "I would rather not say over the phone hon, do you want me to pick you up, or do you want to just meet me here?"

  "No. No, I'll be right there, just give me a few minutes."

  "Alright Kasey, but please hurry."

  Kasey had sensed the urgency in Chris's voice, and it made her very anxious. Still in her sweats and a faded Wynonna tee shirt, she grabbed her coat and ran out the door not even bothering to tie her tennis shoes.

  She had no clue as to how many speed limits she had broken on her way over to Chris's house. All she knew was that she needed to get there, and get there fast.

  When she pulled up to the curb Chris and Monty were already at their vehicles along with Jason Price. Snatching her keys out of the ignition, she jumped out of the car and ran up to Chris.

  "Chris! What has happened?"

  Chris grabbed her by the hand. "Get in my truck Kasey, I'll tell you on the way over to Koty's."

  'Koty's? Oh Jesus!' "Chris...what's wrong with Koty?"

  ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

  Koty was sitting there finishing off her drink when she looked at Bob and said, "So why did you shoot me anyway?" She knew it was a stupid question to ask but was trying to think of something that would distract him.

  The guy actually looked at her sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders again. "I didn't mean to shoot you. Hell, I didn't even know that I shot you until I felt the gun go off and you fell."

  "You left me there to die." Koty told him softly.

  "What was I suppose to do? I was scared shitless. Besides, Coleman would have killed me if I tried to help you." He said defensively. "I've done a lot of bad shit in my life, but I ain't never hurt anyone before."

  Koty leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Why don't you just turn yourself in Bob? They would go a lot easier on you if you did."

  "Bullshit! It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference and you know it. I shot a cop! Besides, I ain't gonna do anymore time. I can't be closed up like that. They may as well kill me. I got locked up years ago for breaking into some dudes house, and I took a plastic knife from the chow table and broke it to where it was really sharp. Then I cut my fucking wrist, right there in front of everyone."

  He leaned forward, pulled his sleeve up to his elbow and showed Koty a long jagged scar that ran about four inches up the inside of his arm. "I just can't go through that again. I just want to get the hell out of here..."

  Chris filled Kasey in on what was happening as they followed Monty and Jason to Koty's house.

  "Oh my God Chris, what if he hurts her?" Kasey whispered.

  Chris reached for her hand and held it as she glanced over and saw tears running down her cheek.

  They pulled along the side of the curb behind Monty's truck right down from Koty's house with their lights out. She turned off the engine and turned to Kasey.

  "Kasey, she's going to be ok."

  "God Chris. You know her temper, and I just happen to know that she is not in a very good frame of mind right now to be dealing with him. I think she has been drinking pretty heavily, and she might try and do something stupid."

  "Why would you think that Kasey, has something happened?"

  Kasey explained everything that had gone on since the phone call at the lodge, including the previous night.

  "Hasn't she told you about this Chris?"

  "I knew about the phone call, but Koty hasn't talked much to anyone here lately. So no, she hasn't said much."

  "Oh shit Chris. If anything happens to her I'll feel like it's my fault!"

  "Uh uh Kasey. Don't even try to go there. That's not true and you know it."

  Monty walked up to Chris's window and tapped on it for her to roll it down. "You two are not to get out of this truck no matter what happens. Do ya'll understand?"

  He looked over at Kasey and saw her tears. "Hey Kasey, I won't let that sonofabitch hurt her again. I promise you that."

  "Monty," Chris said as she grabbed his arm, "Kasey seems to think that Koty has been drinking heavily."

  'Shit.' He knew all too well what she was capable of doing if she was pissed off and drinking. 'Keep your head together sis. I need you, and losing you doesn't fit into my plans for this lifetime.'

  "Keep this window rolled up." He told them as he leaned into the window to kiss Chris. "Jason and I will take care of this ok?"

  As he started to walk back to his truck, he thought about his sister. 'This guy will be so fucking sorry if he lays one finger on her.' He would not lose another member of his family. Besides Chris, Koty was all that he had left.

  His world came crashing down around him when Koty had been shot. Not even Chris knew the extent of his anguish. He had gotten pretty good at hiding his feelings when he needed to.

  After the deaths of their parents, he and Jamie had made that promise at their gravesites that no harm would ever come to Koty and they would always take care of her. He felt like he had failed that night when they got the phone call from Jamie. He always knew that Koty's line of work would keep him on his toes, but he knew that she could generally handle herself pretty well.

  Monty knew that Koty was gay even before she knew it herself. He remembered how she mainly just played with the boys in the neighborhood because the girls played 'sissy games.' She wanted to play football and softball with all of his friends, and of course his friends always agreed because she was better than most of the guys, and she was normally one of the first to be picked when they were choosing teams.

  Jamie was the only other girl that they all would let play because she was almost as good as Koty, and could run just as fast. Just to be fair though, they would always make them play on opposite teams.

  Koty had come out to him when she started liking Shelia. All of a sudden she was spending more time with her and not the boys. He never held any disregard for Koty's sexuality; even thinking in a way that it was kind of cool because they had more in common. He had told her that she better not hit on his girlfriends.

  Jason got out of the car as Monty leaned against it and pulled out his cell phone and dialed Koty's number.

  "Yeah?"

  "This is Monty, let me speak to my sister, and you don't need to be answering her
phone."

  "You got the bread brother?"

  "Look asshole, I ain't your brother, and you don't get shit until I talk to my sister!"

  Bob looked at Koty and said, "Be smart girl, your brother is really starting to piss me off."

  Koty took the phone. "Monty?"

  "Jesus Koty, are you alright?"

  In a voice that sounded a little too calm, she said. "Are you getting his money for him Mont?"

  Monty pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment and stared at it. Something wasn't quite right. 'She's up to something. I can tell it by her voice. Maybe she has a plan, but I'm not willing to chance it.'

  "Koty, has he hurt you in any way?"

  "No Monty, this man ain't gonna hurt me, he just wants..."/

  Bob snatched the phone with his left hand and waved the gun at her with his right. "Like I said before, where's my money?"

  "Look, it's going to take a little while. That's a lot of cash to come up with in the short amount of time that you gave me. I will have it shortly though so just chill out a little why don't you?"

  "Yeah? Well you have until midnight. If not, like I said earlier, I will get a piece of her before I pull the trigger... Again." Then he hung up the phone.

  There were ten undercover units and a swat team surrounding Koty's house and her block, ready to do what they needed to do. Koty was one of their own, and she had far too many friends on the force for them not to be there to help her out.

  Monty knew that just about anyone of these guys would probably take a bullet for Koty, just as they knew she would do for them. With the exception of a few, they were a pretty close knit family of cops.

  Koty had earned their respect by dedication, hard work, and the respect that she showed everyone else. Her being gay was not a secret and for most part, nobody cared. They all watched each other's backs.

  'This guy Bob had better pray the cops get to him before I do cause I'm going to rip his heart out with my bare hands. My sister has been through too much lately for him to come and add more to her grief.'