The scientist had carried on most of the conversation, commenting about the city, telling a few stories about her fellow Bureau co-workers, describing a trip she had made to Mesa Verde to rock climb. Tina had supplied the appropriate responses, a few 'uh-huhs', a head nod here and there but otherwise she was quiet, content to let Mariel talk. In fact, it was soothing really, driving along through the hustle and bustle of the city, to listen to Mariel's voice, just the two of them in their own little Buick world. With a sideways glance, the detective smiled when she saw the blond demonstrating with hand gestures.
"And because I'm shorter than most people, I've got to find creative ways to climb, so I'll stretch here or there looking for a hand hold and the next person would be climbing right past me."
Tina chuckled as she wheeled the car down South Halsted. Looking over, she took in the casually dressed scientist with a glance. Wearing a pair of black jeans, Mariel had on a soft grey shirt with a long-sleeved light blue shirt over it. Her black suede barn jacket completed the outfit. With another appreciative glance, the investigator spoke.
"Yeah, but you're muscular and compact. That means you've got quite a bit of strength and leverage in your legs and your upper body can help pull your weight up. You can use that to your advantage."
Mariel nodded and smiled, raising a jacketed arm and pretending to flex her biceps.
"Yep, they never know what hits 'em. I take Seido karate and Sensi Po-Nin works me hard. She makes sure I'm prepared in the field. This knee of mine is killer."
The scientist chuckled as Tina's eyes scanned for a place to park as she slowly drove down the street, turning along one of the side streets off Halsted. Glancing over at Mariel, she gestured with her hand as she spoke, her wrist resting on top of the steering wheel as the car rumbled down the street.
"Don't you carry a gun? I thought all Bureau were issued a piece."
The scientist turned and gazed out the window, taking in the various business along the street before she glanced over and spoke.
"I have one, but I don't carry it. Since I'm part of the behavioral science unit and mainly work in-office, they don't force us to carry it at all times. Eph was pretty upset when I didn't take a weapon for this assignment. To be honest, guns tend to bother me."
Tina looked over as she found a place opening up, a pick-up truck vacating a prime parking spot. With a serious voice, she pulled up her sunglasses and caught the researcher's eye while they waited for the truck to leave.
"You know I carry one, don't you?"
Mariel nodded, her hand reaching out to smooth across the dashboard as her eyes studied the surface before returning to the detective's face.
"Yeah, I kind of figured. You know, Tina, I realize that our profession is dangerous and I do understand the need to use a gun in certain situations."
She paused, watching as the investigator started to parallel park the car, her shades raised up and resting on top of her head as she turned around and put her arm across the seat behind Mariel. When they were securely in the spot and Tina had put the Buick in park, she waited until the detective's eyes met hers before she continued.
"It's just that...well, I think people are so quick to use guns when there are other ways. I guess I've just decided to look for other solutions but I always know that there's a chance that a gun is the only option. We all have to make choices we can live with."
Tina's hand found the keys and shut the car off, half-turning in her seat to face the young scientist.
"Mariel, there was once a time when I used a gun too easily, before I joined the police force...I.."
The detective shifted her eyes to the keys in her hand before she looked up again, finding quiet patience in a set of green eyes. With a slight smile, she continued.
"Let's just say Detroit was a rough place for a kid to grow up. I made quite a few mistakes, hung around with the wrong crowd, hurt people. I was young and stupid, making the worst choices for all the wrong reasons. I thought I was invincible...and with a gun, I was."
Tina paused, her eyes falling back down to her jean covered knee, her hand touching against the worn faded surface before raising to run her fingers through her bangs.
"Mariel, I'm not proud of what I did back then. I...had a brother, Lucas, who used to always try to get me away from the guys I was hanging out with. Said they were no good. He always believed in me, through all the tough times. He used to say that it's easier to believe in yourself when someone else believes in you first. He helped me make a change, helped me find my way."
Mariel was quiet, taking in the almost bittersweet tone of voice the detective used. The blue file she had received from Agent Eph had mentioned her brother's death as well as a troubled childhood in Detroit and the juvenile record that went with it. The scientist was glad, however, that Tina had found a better way in her own life. Mariel always did have a natural compassion for people who found the strength to turn their lives around after hardship or poor judgment. With a genuine voice, she spoke.
"Lucas sounds very special. I'm glad you had him."
Tina smiled, her blue eyes lighting up just a bit as she murmured.
"Me too."
They looked at each other for a bit longer before Tina's blue eyes glanced back through the car window and nodded towards the restaurant. With a smile, she gestured with her thumb.
"Now, you said something about being near-starvation?"
Mariel smiled warmly before she narrowed her eyes and smirked, shaking her head as she playfully reached over and pushed against the detective's shoulder.
"Tina, I said nothing about starvation. Famished and ravenous, yes, near-death, no."
Tina just smirked back at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Right...let's go."
***
They walked into Blue Mesa, its Southwestern motif clearly evident in the decorations. Oranges and browns and yellows were lightly painted across the walls. During the lunch hour, there was a healthy amount of people in the restaurant, each of them dining on the hot Tex-Mex food this place was known for. Sizzling trays of fajitas passed by them, the smell wafting in the scientist's direction and making her mouth water. Standing just inside the door waiting to be seated, Tina glanced down and smiled, taking in Mariel's eagerness.
"Smoking or non-smoking?"
The tired looking hostess called to them as she came walking up, grabbing two menus from the stand next to the cash register. Tina looked at her and spoke in her no-nonsense voice.
"Non. And a booth...near the back. Away from the restrooms."
The hostess looked up at the tall detective who stood there all intimidating with no expression on her face. Why were the big ones always so demanding? Sighing, she calculated the time she had left to work today and multiplied that number by how many potentially difficult customers she would have. Too long. Her eyes then fell on the blond shorter woman who smiled at her in a friendly manner. Well, that one was better. The hostess spoke to her instead, turning and leading them back through the restaurant.
"Right this way, ma'am."
Mariel raised her eyebrows up at Tina and smiled, shrugging her shoulders as she took the lead and followed the hostess back, the detective sauntering after her with a bemused grin on her face. Mariel could even charm a waitress without saying anything. Was there no end to what this young woman could do?
After showing them to their booth, the hostess deposited their waters and left, informing Mariel that her waitress would be there shortly. Before climbing into the booth against the back wall of the restaurant, the scientist started to take of her jacket, her arms struggling to free themselves. With casual ease, Tina stepped behind Mariel and helped slip the jacket from her shoulders, hanging it neatly up on the peg next to the booth.
"Thanks.."
Mariel's voice was light as she scooted into the booth, watching the investigator gracefully glide into her side. It appeared that Tina preferred to keep her leather jacket on at all times, something the scientist decided was clearly a good look on the attractive woman. It just seemed right. Happily, she smiled across the table, folding her hands in front of her on the smooth wooden surface and sighed.
"What?"
Tina's voice rumbled, the researcher's smile causing one of her own to form in response. In fact, if Tina thought about it, she seemed to find herself smiling all the damn time now, like she couldn't help it. It had been a long time since she had reason to be happy actually. Despite the grim nature of the case they were working on, she felt an almost giddy sense of excitement she rarely let herself indulge in. Looking over at the young doctor's face, she felt like the tight control she held on her emotions was in for a serious challenge.
"I'm just excited about tonight. So, who's this friend of yours we're meeting?"
The investigator reached over and took a sip of water, letting her eyes find Mariel's before she swallowed and nodded. With a shrug of her shoulder, she spoke.
"Layla, an old girlfriend of mine."
Mariel tried to keep her expression unchanged, taking in this bit of information with casual nonchalance. Looking down, she moved the napkin and silverware to the side and glanced back up. Affecting a neutral voice, she spoke.
"Oh, uh huh. So you've known her for a long time then?"
The scientist couldn't help but notice the tiny little bit of something twinge inside of her at the thought of Tina having girlfriends. Of course, she would. She was a beautiful woman, sure of herself. Who wouldn't be attracted to her? Heck, she probably had men and women alike falling all over themselves. So yeah, she probably had lots of girlfriends. Many. Tons.
Tina watched the doctor's face, detecting the slightest change from her excited state. Surely, she wasn't bothered by the mention of an old girlfriend who had become a trusted friend now for years. The waitress chose that moment to make an appearance.
"You ready to order or do you need more time?"
Both women glanced up at her and Tina nodded, gesturing slightly with her hand.
"Give us a few."
The waitress nodded and put her pen back in her pocket and drifted off to deal with the rest of her station. Tina turned her eyes back to Mariel, the researcher having found a rather interesting salt shaker in the shape of a sombrero to look at on the table, her hand idly playing with it.
"Mariel, Layla and I have known each other for years. I was with her briefly back in Detroit before she moved here too. She's one of the few friends I have here really."
Mariel looked up and let her gaze take in Tina's expression. There didn't seem to be anything hidden behind the words. Trying to sound casual, she cleared her throat before lifting her eyes to Tina.
"So, you've been with a fair amount of women..."
Mariel let the sentence die, her gaze now directed down at carefully putting her spoon back down on the napkin. Tina shook her head, smiling gently as Mariel looked back up at her across the table.
"Well, I won't deny that but...there were only two that I really.."
It was the detective's turn to let her eyes drop, her keys laying on the table the target of her attention. Talking about her feelings, especially these kind of feelings was difficult. Frankly, she had done more talking in the past 18 hours than she had done in the last two weeks. Of course, with her line of work, she never found herself around many people worth talking to for very long. Somehow though, Mariel made her feel comfortable. The young scientist was easy to talk to, her patient demeanor and genuine personality made Tina feel at ease. Looking into green eyes, she smiled slightly and took a breath.
"There have only been two women in my life that have meant something very special to me. Layla and I were close, but we weren't together long enough for a real relationship. Now, we're just friends."
Here, the investigator paused as she remembered her other love, a woman as gentle as she was tough. Mala. Even her name had a soothing sound to it. She had had a tempering effect on Tina after her wild days in Detroit. In many ways, Mala had saved her from herself, taught her how to control some of the anger she had. Taught her how to love.
"Then there was Mala...I loved her, very much. She was the first person I felt a real connection with, something deeper than surface feelings, you know? That was a long time ago though. Everyone else has either been a diversion or a mutual...arrangement."
Mariel looked over at the detective, finding stark honesty there she had come to associate with Tina, that is, when the detective wasn't hiding behind her reticent mask. Despite feeling a tad bit jealous of these two women who had meant something important to the investigator at one time, she also was heartened to know that someone had once made Tina happy. Letting her voice soften, she spoke.
"So, are you still friends with Mala?"
Tina let her mind drift back to the quiet woman she had shared her life with when she came to Chicago. Her exotic features still sometimes haunted the detective's dreams but enough time had gone by that she had moved on. That felt so long ago and Tina had not let anyone close since. It was simply too painful. Glancing over at Mariel, the investigator swallowed before she spoke, her voice steeled against the pain.
"She died five years ago."
Mariel's face was suddenly compassionate, her hand automatically reaching out to cover the detective's on the table briefly, her quiet voice full of caring.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tina. I didn't mean to bring up something painful."
Tina's eyes caught the scientist's own and she smiled slightly, shaking her head just a bit at Mariel.
"No, it's alright. I'll always miss her but I've let her go."
The detective paused as she heard Mala's voice, gently comforting Tina after Lucas died, even though her own death was imminent, neither knowing it at the time however. With a smile to Mariel, she spoke quietly across the table, relaying Mala's words to the researcher.
"She taught me that no matter how much I might want to will it otherwise, life goes on in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. One no worse than the other. She said the real challenge was to embrace both and find the peace that endures in all things."
The young doctor smiled and nodded, slowly bringing her hand back across the table as she murmured.
"That's good...she sounds like a poet."
Tina smiled fondly and chuckled, her voice lighter as the previous weight of the conversation lifted.
"I called her a philosopher, but yeah, she certainly had a way with words."
They both chuckled as the waitress came up, setting down a bowl of chips and salsa before she got out her pen, ready to write.
"You two ready?"
Tina raised an eyebrow over at Mariel in question, smiling when the blond nodded vigorously and spoke to the waitress as she reached for a chip and dipped it in the hot chunky sauce.
"Am I ever! Could I get the chicken enchiladas and an iced tea, no sugar?"
The investigator raised both eyebrows. They hadn't even looked at their menus yet. With an amused voice, she smiled over at Mariel.
"You already know what they have?"
The scientists popped the chip in her mouth, chewing happily as she nodded, swallowing before she spoke.
"Oh yeah...chicken enchiladas are my favorite...standard fare in places like this. I'd be shocked if they didn't have them."
With a sudden look of concern, she glanced nervously at the waitress, her voice worried.
"You do have chicken enchiladas, don't you?"
The waitress nodded her head and smiled at the relief washing over the blond's face. Turning to Tina, she looked into blue eyes, ready to take her order.
"Make that two. And a water."
Tina's voice rumbled as the waitress nodded and turned, taking the menus with her. With a smile, the investigator watched as Mariel took a drink of water. Talking wasn't that bad. In fact, she even had to admit she felt better after letting the scientist in just a bit. As strong as she liked to think she was, it took more effort keeping the walls up than it did letting them down. And to be honest, she was beginning to trust Mariel, the ease with which the young woman naturally drew the detective out felt safe. And if Tina wanted to be really honest with herself, she was tired of traveling the road she was on alone, keeping others at bay. Maybe she had finally found the other half of what was missing in her life. Maybe. She smiled as she watched Mariel reach to dip another chip in the salsa and hold it up, her eyebrows raising as she looked over at the detective and spoke with a playful voice.
"Hey, how did you know I loved Tex-Mex?"
Tina just smirked as she leaned back against the booth, her arm casually draping across the back of the low bench. With a slight cock of her head to the side, she let her blue eyes sparkle as spoke.
"Just a hunch."
Mariel chewed and swallowed before taking another drink of water, letting a smile curve across her lips before she brushed her hair back behind one ear. Her eyes dipped down to glance at the salsa before raising again and meeting the investigator's, her voice happily skeptical.
"A hunch, huh? Do you even like this kind of food?"
Tina reached out and took a chip, scooping up a bit of salsa before taking a careful bite of it. Mariel watched as the detective chewed with evident pleasure, feeling like she knew a whole lot more about the woman across the booth from her than when she woke up this morning. Putting all the pieces together was starting to add up to one very complex, interesting, fascinating, intriguing, and immensely attractive person. She could get very used to spending time with a certain blue-eyed private investigator. Very used to it. With a slight head nod and smile, Tina swallowed and spoke in a low rich voice.
"Oh, I love Tex-Mex too. Trust me."
"Yow!"
Mariel pulled her face back from the leather she had so suddenly become acquainted with and leaned around the detective, just about to make a playfully indignant query as to what the darn holdup was. Looking at the expression on Tina's face stopped that thought cold. Shifting her gaze, Mariel followed where the investigator's eyes had turned to ice blue. Uh oh.
Sitting on the hood of the Tina's golden Buick were two tough teens and another one standing next to it, all of them wearing some professional sports team apparel and baggy pants. They were laughing and joking around, kicking their tennis-shoed heels against the paint. The one standing was looking in the car window, reporting back to the others on the contents that lay inside. He had longer hair, his face baring just a hint of moustache above his lip. Smiling cockily to his friends, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a shortened baseball bat, waving it around and telling them to clear out.
Mariel watched as the teen swung the bat back and then suddenly, the bat stopped its motion, as if by magic. Mariel hadn't even seen Tina move, she was just...gone. And now standing behind the boy wielding the bat, Tina's strong hand reached out to grab the wood just as he drew it back in a grip so firm, Mariel could see the muscles and tendons standing out in the detective's hand from where she stood. Promptly, the detective jerked the bat and brought the young man full around, his surprised eyes looking up to meet her.
"You don't want to be doing that, kid."
Her voice was menacingly low and she had a look on her face that would have made a grown man think twice about the safety of his most important body parts. The teen roughly pulled his hand back, freeing the baseball bat while his other friends jumped off the car and stood next to him.
"Hey, who the fuck are you, lady?"
The taller teen's angrily surprised words sounded harsh. Mariel walked closer, keeping one eye on them all and one on the detective. She could feel the edgy tension coiled in Tina's body, as if it radiated off of her in visible waves of electricity. The power she could feel coming from the detective was amazing really. With a smile that sent a shiver down even the scientist's back, Tina cocked her head to the side and studied the youths.
"Well, boys, I think we have two problems here."
Tina's voice spoke calmly, as if she were making an observation about the weather. With a raise of her finger, she continued.
"One, you called me 'lady'. I hate that."
Mariel watched as the teens exchanged puzzled looks before turning back to see the detective step a bit closer. Holding up two fingers, her expression changed in an instant, her eyes hardening into two blue pieces of steel, the smile fading to a feral sneer. Tina's voice sounded like the noise a wolf would make right at the beginning of a growl.
"And two, no one....no one touches my Buick."
In that instant, the three boys looked at each other before making a very stupid decision. The taller one spoke excitedly.
"Get her!"
And with that, they all rushed at Tina, three forms of varying degrees of maturity and weight all bent on jumping the investigator. Mariel watched as Tina caught the baseball bat in her hand just as it came at her, snatching the piece of wood from the teen with ease as she backhanded another beefy young man. With ease, she ducked a punch from the tall one before her leg shot out and tripped up the beefy kid she had backhanded, sending him sprawling on the ground. The taller teen reached in his jacket and pulled out a switchblade and stood with it, prepared to slash and run.
The scientist saw the third guy moving around behind Tina, her eyes focused on the glinting blade. He was preparing to kick out the back of her legs. Silently, Mariel came closer and used her finger to tap the teen on his shoulder. He spun around surprised as she smiled sweetly at him, her voice innocent.
"Hi. I'm new in town. Pleased to meet YOU!"
And with the last word, Mariel reached her hands around the teen's neck and promptly brought her right knee directly up into his gut, knocking the air out of him so fast he barely had a chance to make a peep. Tina had turned to watch, hearing the commotion and smiling a little smile as she saw the researcher shrug her shoulders. Suddenly, Mariel's eyes went wide and she pointed.
"Tina, look out!"
The knife-wielding teen surged forward getting in a small jab that sliced through the arm of Tina's leather jacket before the detective's eyes narrowed in rage. With a growl, she swung her cowboy booted foot up and around, knocking the knife from the kid's hand before reaching over and grabbing him by the scruff of his jacket and pulling him forward. The other two teens scurried away from the car and stood off to the side, warily watching both Mariel and Tina now. The detective lifted the guy up with one arm until his feet were dangling off the ground. With a hiss, she snarled at him.
"Tell me why I shouldn't wipe the sidewalk with your face, punk?"
The teen's eyes went wide with fear as he felt the strength in her arm holding him up effortlessly. The look on her face was positively scary. His eyes caught the slowly approaching scientist, coming to stand at Tina's side. Mariel reached out and put her hand against the detective's back, feeling Tina's anger in tight control but nevertheless balancing precariously.
Tina took in a breath and glanced down at Mariel's face, finding quiet understanding there as well as gentle entreaty. Feeling the soft pressure of the scientist's hand on her back, she nodded almost imperceptibly at the silent request. She turned her gaze and narrowed her eyes at the youth, her voice a no-nonsense growl.
"Take my advice before you get yourself killed. If I ever see you causing trouble again in this town, I'm gonna make sure you're singing in the girls' choir, catch my drift?"
The kid nodded, swallowing at the implication that finally sunk into his thick skull. His eyes caught Mariel's briefly as she moved closer to Tina's side, her head shaking and her voice serious.
"That was a stupid thing to do, you know. Learn from it."
He nodded again, his eyes darting back and forth between the short and tall woman, wondering how he was going to explain that he got his ass kicked by two girls. They had paid him a hundred bucks to do some damage and the three of them hadn't managed to do more than make a small tear in leather and the Buick was spotless. Damn.
Mariel looked back at him and smiled. She could see that Tina had no problem keeping his weight up in the air, but she had seen the knife cut and nearly lost her own breath. The scientist could also see by the look in Tina's eyes that she was just a half an inch away from doing some serious damage. With her hands on her hips, Mariel nodded.
"Now say you're sorry."
The kid swallowed as he narrowed his eyes down at the blond. Glancing back into blue eyes that were as cold as anything he had ever seen, he reconsidered the smart-assed comment and nodded at Tina.
"Sorry.."
The detective curled her lip and shook her head before she dropped him to the ground, watching him land clumsily before he scrambled to grab his stuff before he left. A cowboy boot crunched down on the knife as he reached for it while another stepped on the end of the bat, flipping it up in the air right into Tina's waiting hand. He then decided that the best course of action was to get the fuck out of there with his friends. Taking off, he motioned to his friends and they ran down the street, drifting off between parked cars and through alley ways.
Tina watched them go with a head shake before she felt a hand pressed against the leather of her arm. Turning she glanced down to see Mariel looking back up at her with concern.
"Tina, are you alright?"
She smiled down at the scientist and nodded, the tension from the fight easing from her body at Mariel's soft words. With a casual shrug, she spoke as she went to unlock the Buick.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Turning, she glanced at the researcher and let her eyes take in Mariel's form with scrutiny before falling on green as she continued.
"What about you? That was one hell of a knee you gave him."
Mariel smiled brightly as she moved closer, her eyes taking in the detective's expression of concern mixed with admiration. As Tina opened the car door, she came in close and murmured before sliding into the leather seat.
"Thanks...you weren't so bad yourself."
Tina just smirked and gave a slight shrug as she shut the door. Coming around to climb into her side, she put her sunglasses on and started the Buick with a rumble, the smirk still firmly in place as she pressed down on the gas.
***
Driving north, the golden car moved down Halsted towards Tina's Lincoln Park apartment. The neighborhood was full of brownstone apartments and smaller businesses. As they turned east on Webster, the scientist shifted in her seat and faced the detective, her hand moving against the soft leather seat.
"So, that was pretty random, huh?"
Tina kept her eyes forward as she slowed the car, finding a parking spot in front of her building. She had her doubts about that since nothing ever happened to her randomly. There were lots of people in Chicago who weren't fans of the private investigator. There was nothing of worth inside the older model Buick and most kids left it alone in favor of higher priced cars. It looked like the three boys who they had caught were there to make a statement. From who, Tina didn't know. It was possible, though, that it was indeed random. Regardless, it meant that she would have to be more vigilant now that the scientist was with her. Tina let her gaze drift over to Mariel and spoke.
"Yeah, but let's keep our eyes open."
The researcher took in the words said and the way they were said, realizing that Tina thought it was possible that their little encounter had not been random street punks. She made a mental note to be prepared, the scope of danger this case might hold finally sinking in. However, watching as the tall detective casually exited the car before turning to do the same, Mariel felt a sense of safety she could only attribute to Tina's quiet strength. Nodding a bit, she got out of the car and found herself standing in front of where she assumed Tina lived. A smile made its way to her face as the detective came around the car and raised an eyebrow at her, motioning with her head to follow. With that, she took off after the detective's long strides as they made their way up into the four-story brownstone.
"So, this is where you live, huh?"
Mariel looked around the starkly furnished apartment that Tina had just led her into, taking it in with curious green eyes. There were only two rooms in this fourth floor corner apartment, the kitchen and the living room which served as a bedroom. It was spacious enough though with hardwood floors as well. Along two walls facing north and west, windows let in the bright sun, the blinds open. In one corner, a futon lay on the floor, the dark green flannel sheets of the detective's bed crisply made. Next to that, a low chest of drawers sat, its dark wood richly brown. In another corner, weights and exercise equipment were set up. A simple table and a chair were the only other furniture in the room. A door along one wall seemed to lead to the bathroom and another door near the futon was probably a closet. There was nothing hanging on the walls, just plain white expanses of plaster. It seemed nice enough albeit a bit spartan and lonely. Turning, Mariel watched as Tina shut the door with her shoulder, noticing the subsequent flinch in the detective's eyes.
"Hey! Come here...you were hurt, weren't you?"
The scientist took a step forward and reached out, grabbing the investigator's hand and pulling her over to the table and chair. With a determined look on her face, Mariel scrutinized Tina's face as she sat the taller woman down, narrowing her eyes when she heard the investigator's voice sounding casual.
"It's not bad. Just a scratch."
Mariel's eyes looked down at the detective's leathered left arm and saw the knife slice where the teen had got her. Her eyes went wide when she saw the slightest darkening of the leather starting to stain around the cut. Her voice was worried, anxious, and slightly angry all at once.
"Dammit, Tina, you're bleeding! Take that jacket off right now."
The detective looked up at the scientist who stood in front of her and smiled, her voice slightly amused.
"Take it easy, Mariel. It's nothing, I hardly feel it."
Mariel narrowed her eyes further and let her hands go to the collar of Tina's jacket. With careful movements, the scientist slipped her hands under the jacket along the investigator's shoulders and started to ease it off. When it became clear to Tina that the young researcher was determined and not in the mood to argue, she helped shrug off the jacket, letting it fall behind her on the chair.
Mariel took a breath at the sight, a red gash along Tina's upper arm stained the white, short-sleeved t-shirt she was wearing. Carefully, the scientist's fingers lifted the sleeve, glancing at Tina's eyes watching her before she leaned in and examined the wound. It was really only a surface slice, not very deep so no stitches required but it was still bleeding and needed to be cleaned. Tina's low voice next to her ear tickled.
"See? It's not that bad."
Sighing, Mariel turned her head and shook it, the momentary worry starting to fade as her eyes met playful blue.
"I've got a rule for you if you want to work with me out there in the field."
Mariel spoke as she moved into the kitchen, locating a couple of napkins and wetting them before coming back to stand in front of the investigator. Tina sat quietly with a smile on her face and her hands clasped together in front of her, forearms resting on her knees. With a raise of her dark eyebrow, she spoke.
"Yes?"
Mariel bent her head and rolled up the sleeve of Tina's shirt before she carefully wiped against the detective's arm, cleaning off the blood with gentle touches. Turning her head, she raised her own golden eyebrow and spoke quietly, her breath softly brushing against the investigator's arm.
"You tell me when you're hurt or else."
Tina chuckled, her eyes catching Mariel's before the scientist went back to her gentle work. Mariel's hands were warm as one lightly circled her arm, holding it gently while the other cleaned the blood from around the wound. With a low voice, she spoke.
"Or else what?"
Mariel straightened up and looked down at her with a head tilt and a smirk on her face, one hand coming to rest on the detective's muscled shoulder.
"Or else I'll hurt you myself, lady. Understand? No more of this tough as nails act of yours."
Tina laughed, both at the name she despised but somehow found endearing coming from Mariel and at the impossibility of the threat. Raising her hands in surrender, she smiled.
"Yes, ma'am."
Mariel smiled and nodded, returning to the kitchen to throw away the napkins, her voice lightly calling back to Tina.
"Good. Now where's your first-aid kit?"
Tina sat back in the chair and let her legs stretch out, her booted feet crossing at the ankles as she eyed her arm. Looking up, she caught the gaze of the scientist who was taking off her jacket and waiting with an expectant look on her face. Might as well let her have her way, Tina mused. Pointing to one of the doors, she spoke.
"In the bathroom, under the sink."
Mariel threw her jacket on the Solo-flex machine as she went by, rummaging in the bathroom before emerging with a small blue and white box. Tina watched as the researcher walked into the room, the determined stride and rather distracting sway of her hips caused her to drop her eyes to her boots momentarily before smiling up at Mariel's voice.
"Ok...let's see what we have in here."
Mariel walked forward, letting herself stand straddling the detective's outstretched legs as she set the box on the table, reaching over to pull out some anti-bacterial cream, a bandage, and gauze. With the material in hand, she looked down at the investigator and quirked an eyebrow, smiling as she stepped back over Tina's legs and came to stand to the side of the seated detective. Tina just looked at her with a return smile and gave a cock of her head, saying nothing.
With nimble fingers, Mariel softly applied the cream along the thin two inch cut, careful not to press too hard. Tina shifted just a bit to watch, her arm moving out. Mariel lifted her eyes to meet the detective's and spoke with a hint of serious teasing in her voice.
"I'm a doctor, let me work here. Now hold still."
Tina raised an eyebrow and chuckled, watching as Mariel put the bandage on her arm and used the gauze to bind it. With an amused voice, she pulled her head back to regard the intently working blond.
"Mariel, you're a PhD, not an MD."
Mariel let her eyes fall on blue and she shrugged, a smile gracing her lips, green eyes sparkling.
"Same diff. Ok, I think you're set here."
Mariel let her hand move down the detective's arm before she patted her forearm. She let her eyes drift over Tina's relaxed form, the white v-neck t-shirt she wore outlined the sloping curves and muscles under it. Her arms were pleasantly sculpted but yet had a feminine smoothness to them, the light hairs barely visible. Her long black hair fell haphazardly on her shoulders, contrasting nicely against the white of the shirt. In faded Levi's, it was quite possible that Tina Amphipoli was the most gorgeous creature Mariel ever wanted to see out of those Levi's. Taking a slight breath, the young doctor stepped back and let her eyes find blue intently looking back at her. Tina's voice was low as a smile found its way across her lips.
"Thanks, Mariel."
The scientist just nodded and swallowed, a smile softly coming to her lips as well. With a shrug, she spoke.
"Anytime..."
Tina gave her a nod before rising, her lean muscular body stretching as she flexed her arm, testing the bandage. With a satisfied nod of approval, she reached down and untucked her t-shirt, pulling it out of her jeans as a hint of muscled abdomen peeked out just above the waistline of her Levi's. With her hands casually holding the cotton fabric ready to take it off, Tina glanced over at Mariel, blue eyes sparkling and voice slightly teasing.
"Ready to get dressed for tonight?"
With casual grace, the detective walked over to the low chest of drawers and rummaged through them, pulling out a black t-shirt. Glancing back over her shoulder at Mariel, she spoke before putting the shirt over her head.
"Layla should be here any time. Want something to drink?"
The young researcher swallowed. Something to drink. Yes. That would be good. Very good.
"Uh..yeah..that'd be great thanks."
Tina turned fully dressed again and reached behind her neck, freeing her long hair from the shirt collar before moving into the kitchen, smiling briefly at Mariel before opening the refrigerator. Looking inside, she turned back towards the living room, calling out to the scientist.
"Well, looks like I've got beer...and..."
Mariel got up and walked to the doorway, leaning against it as the investigator looked back inside at the mostly bare shelves. With chagrin, Tina turned and smiled.
"...more beer. Sorry. Oh, and water."
Mariel chuckled and came forward, assessing the situation before she reached in and grabbed two oatmeal stouts. Setting them on the counter, she rummaged through the detective's drawers, finding a bottle opener while commenting with a smile.
"You know, Tina, you really should go grocery shopping once in a while. Buy a few things to eat...you know, that sort of thing."
Tina just smiled and shrugged her shoulders, reaching for the offered beer and taking a drink before she spoke.
"I'm not much of a cook. I eat out mostly."
Mariel just nodded and said nothing more, taking a drink of beer as the buzzer to the detective's apartment rang. She followed Tina into the living room and sat down again on the one chair, watching as the investigator went over and spoke into the intercom.
"Yeah?" v
Mariel heard a chuckle come through the intercom before a tinny response.
"Et tu, Brute?"
The detective smirked and pressed the button for a second and then turned to face Mariel. She took another drink as the scientist spoke in a question.
"What was that all about?"
Tina smiled and shrugged before responding.
"An old joke. I always know it's her though so it's safe."
Mariel was immensely curious about this woman. What was she like? What type of woman would Tina go for? She was looking forward to meeting her even though the thought of one of the detective's old girlfriends was not a particularly appealing one. She took another drink and stood when Tina opened the door.
Walking into the room with a bag was a shorter woman with a big smile on her face. She had darker smooth skin, her hair falling in long curls on her shoulders. With deep brown eyes, she was slightly built, not much taller than Mariel. Wearing casual leggings, a sweater, and a brown leather coat, she had an exotic beauty all her own. But what the scientist noticed most was that smile. Bright, open, and honest. She greeted Tina with a friendly peck on the cheek before turning her eyes to Mariel, her expression one of pleasant interest.
"Hi...you must be Mariel, I'm Layla...nice to meet you."
With a grin, the woman held out her hand and the scientist smiled back, putting her beer down to shake it. Layla had a curious accent that Mariel couldn't quite place, but it sounded very melodic. Mariel liked this woman right away, her unassuming personality coming out quite naturally. The researcher felt at ease immediately.
"Nice to meet you too."
Layla smiled back widely and nodded, setting her bag down on the table before going into the kitchen and getting herself a beer. Tina just leaned her good shoulder against the living room wall and smiled, watching both women. Coming back in and taking a sip of her beverage, Layla came to stand next to Mariel and looked over at the detective with a slightly devious smile on her face as she nudged the scientist with her elbow.
"She's a mysterious one, isn't she? Lord only knows what goes through that gorgeous head of hers sometimes, eh?"
Mariel laughed as Tina narrowed her eyes and smirked over at Layla. With another drink of beer, Layla pointed her bottle towards the door.
"Now, Tina, don't you have someplace to be. I've got to work here without you hovering over me..."
They all chuckled as the detective's eyebrows raised in mock indignation.
"I do not...'hover'."
Layla put on a serious face and nodded, reaching down and grabbing Tina's leather jacket to hand to her.
"Right...see you in an hour or so?"
Tina let her eyes catch Mariel's, seeing the gentle amusement and level of comfort that told her the scientist would be fine. With a smile, she set the half-empty beer on the table and shrugged into her jacket.
"That works. I'll grab some carry-out for dinner."
Mariel nodded, smiling at Layla before finding Tina's blue eyes with her own. She spoke with a light tone of voice.
"Sounds great...see you then."
Tina smiled at her before reaching into her coat and pulling out her keys as she walked over to the door. Opening it, she turned back to both women, thinking that leaving them together to talk was perhaps a dangerous proposition. With a raised eyebrow, she spoke in a low voice.
"I do not hover."
Layla and Mariel looked at each other and affected a serious expression before turning to Tina, both of them nodding and saying nothing. The detective raised her eyebrow higher and gave them both a look, before smiling and letting the door close and lock behind her.
Layla turned to Mariel and looked her over, her brown eyes sparkling as she took another drink. With her charming accent, she put her beer down and took off her jacket, rubbing her hands together before speaking.
"So, let's get you dressed, eh?"
***
Mariel found herself essentially stark naked standing in the middle of Tina's living room while the detective's old girlfriend assessed her with a critical eye from where she sat on the futon. She supposed that she should feel uncomfortable given the surreal experience, but instead decided to live a little and go with it. Taking a drink of beer, the woman spoke.
"You know, you're really beautiful, makes my job pretty easy. You'd look great in everything, dear. Tina had better keep an eye on you tonight."
Mariel blushed and came over, sitting next to Layla on the futon, dressed only in a pair of light blue silk panties and lace bra. With a shy smile, she took a sip of beer and peered over at the large duffle bag Layla had situated between her legs on the floor. Clearing her throat, the scientist spoke quietly.
"Thanks...uh, did Tina mention that this is my first time...I mean, that it's my first case like this? I'm a little out of my element here."
Layla looked over at the younger blond warmly before letting her hand press against Mariel's arm, her voice sincere.
"Relax, Mariel. You'll be fine. Tina told me the general idea last night. I suspect if you follow her lead, there won't be anything to worry about, eh?"
Mariel watched as Layla reached into the bag and pulled out various clothing items. With a soft voice, the scientist spoke again.
"I trust her. Besides, how hard could it be to follow her lead? She's pretty, uh..."
Layla looked over at Mariel and smiled, a low chuckle coming from the gentle woman.
"Confident? Yeah...she's always been like that. That's what first attracted me to her. She has that...self-assured thing down real well, you know?"
Mariel smiled and nodded her head, knowing exactly what Layla was talking about. With another sip of her beer, she caught the woman's brown eyes with her own and spoke again, her voice a bit unsure.
"So, what do I need to know here? I'm not completely sure what I'm doing."
Layla paused and looked at her, knowing Mariel was speaking about more than just tonight's adventure. She knew enough about Tina to know right away that there was more to this than just a case. Her brief conversation on the phone and today's assessment made that perfectly clear to her. They were old souls, all of them somehow connected in an immutable bond. Layla liked to think of herself as a visionist, sensing things beyond what was on the surface. She 'felt' things, 'knew' things. And right now, she had a pretty good idea of what was unspoken. With a serious voice, she let her brown eyes directly look into Mariel's, taking in the depth of golden green.
"Trust your heart, Mariel. It knows everything, remembers everything."
The scientist glanced down at the floor before turning to look at the woman who had once been close to Tina in a way she was finding herself wanting. She couldn't explain it, couldn't begin to analyze it with her rational psychologist mind. All she knew was that she simply had to be around Tina, had to work with her, had to follow her...it was crazy and completely beyond logic. She hardly knew this woman a day and already, she felt like she had known her for lifetimes. With a quiet voice, Mariel spoke.
"A..friend once told me that there are some people we meet that have always been part of our lives...um, even our past lives. I know it sounds crazy, but she said that there are people we keep meeting over and over again, lifetime after lifetime, and there's an instant connection because we've always known them. That's pretty out there, isn't it?"
Mariel's voice was partly doubtful and partly wishful. Layla smiled gently over at the researcher, seeing the struggle between hopeful belief and that rigid logic most people held on to when they felt something that they didn't understand or that scared them. With a shake of her head, Layla put her hand on Mariel's and squeezed, her voice soothing and warm.
"Mariel, it's not crazy. I happen to know it's true. You'll just have to let your heart be your guide on this. Choices that come from there, right or wrong, are usually always worth making in the end. Trust in that and believe in yourself. And in her."
Mariel's eyes flickered at the woman's words, still not entirely convinced. Even though she would joke with her friends about past lives and all that New Age stuff, she never seriously considered it possible that any of it was true. Layla spoke like she knew the scientist. She'd never met the woman before and she was telling Mariel about making choices? As nice as Tina's old girlfriend was, Mariel wasn't ready to buy into everything hook, line, and sinker. But, it was a nice thought, that she and the detective had some connection. At this point, the scientist was ready to settle for any explanation that somehow managed to make sense of her feelings. Mariel nodded quietly as Layla handed over an article of clothing.
"Now, let's get you ready before our private detective friend shows back up, eh?"
***
"Are you sure this isn't a bit...understated or something?"
Mariel chuckled as she looked down at herself and glanced back over at Layla sitting at the table admiring her handiwork. The woman just smiled widely and shook her head, finishing her beer before she spoke.
"Trust me, honey, it works. You still look a bit...Midwestern, but I think you can pull it off."
Mariel smirked over at Layla and put a hand on her hip before laughing.
"Hey! How hard can it be?"
Layla chuckled and shook her head, brown curls swishing side to side as she let her hand rest on the table. With a smile, she spoke.
"Don't be too over-confident. You need to tone down the...attitude a bit to make it convincing. You don't want to question Tina in front of other people or they'll think something is up. Save that for in private. Besides, there are lots of benefits to your role, trust me."
The scientist came over to perch on the edge of the table, looking down at the brown-eyed woman with interest.
"Oh really? Like what?"
Layla got up and moved to the window, looking out at the setting sun wishing she could see the lake from Tina's window. Turning around, she crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. She liked Mariel, the young woman's genuine personality and charm were clearly evident. It's no wonder Tina had just growled at her on the phone when she had teased the detective about the necessity of going this far undercover. Definitely mixing business with pleasure, but then again, some of the best work could be done that way.
"Well, for starters, Tina's always going to know where you are so that means she'll either have her eyes or her hands on you at all times. Can't let anyone else try to snatch a beautiful thing like you up."
Mariel just laughed and waved her hand over at the detective's old girlfriend, feeling at ease with her.
"Oh, Layla, come on."
The woman just shook her head and continued, finding the blush on the scientist's face amusing.
"It's true. She's going to make sure you're well taken care of so someone else doesn't come along and catch your eye."
Mariel snorted as she stood, walking around in the apartment, getting used to her clothes. She had to admit, they felt a bit strange on a body that was used to cotton, but certainly they made her feel...different.
"Fat chance of that. So...besides losing the attitude, do I have to do anything special for her? I mean, to make it look real and all."
Layla walked over to the chair and grabbed her coat, smiling as she put it on. With a gentle nod, she spoke to the blond, the light from sundown falling on the scientist in a golden glow.
"All you have to do is let yourself react to her. Let yourself go where she takes you, follow as she leads, feel what she does to you. I think you'll be just fine, my dear."
Mariel was quiet as she watched Layla move towards the door. With a smile, the scientist walked over to her and put a hand on the woman's arm.
"Thank you, Layla. For everything."
The woman smiled back before pulling Mariel into a hug, patting her back before reaching for the door. She had a good vibe about this. With a delighted voice, she pulled back and smiled.
"You're welcome, Mariel. Have fun tonight."
The scientist nodded and smiled, letting her eyes fondly catch the woman's brown. Even though she had known Layla for less than an hour or so, she also felt some connection she couldn't explain. Just a gentle 'knowing' and comfort level that made the detective feel at ease. She spoke quietly.
"I really wish you could stay until Tina gets back."
Opening the door, Layla nodded, smiling back at the young woman who unknowingly captured the heart of her dark friend. With a shrug, she chuckled.
"Got soundcheck to get to...gotta get myself and my guitar over to Schuba's for the show tonight. Opening for Melissa Ferrick. Good crowd, eh? Tell that old detective that I'll call her next week."
Mariel's eyes conveyed the genuine warmth she felt for this woman from Tina's past. With a nod, she smiled softly at Layla.
"Thanks again."
With a wave, the petite singer walked out into the hall and smiled, her words coming over her shoulder in that soft indescribable accent of hers.
"My pleasure. Ciao."
***
Mariel leaned against the window sill, watching the rapidly darkening sky go from reddish oranges to navy in the transition. Her mind was elsewhere, thinking about the approaching evening and Layla's words. 'Feel what she does to you'. Hell, that's all Mariel had been doing since she met the investigator. Feeling everything was the easy part, knowing what to do next was the challenge. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let herself go with it, preparing her mind both for the job they had to do, and for Tina. She'd just wing it.
Tina walked up the stairs to her apartment, whistling a little to herself as she juggled the boxes of Chinese carry-out and her keys. With skillful hands, she unlocked the door and used her foot to open it, surprised to find the apartment semi-dark, the last bit of sundown casting a bluish glow inside. Layla was gone, that much was clear, but she could sense Mariel before her eyes picked up the scientist's quiet form leaning against the wall by the window. Without saying anything, the detective shut the door and went over to the table, dropping the boxes and her keys down before her gaze shifted back over to Mariel. She was noting the subtle change here, from the darkened room to the silent doctor.
With slow steps, Tina walked over to her dresser and clicked on the soft lamp, it's low glow sending yellow light in the room. Turning towards the window, she let her gaze flicker over to Mariel before she reached out and shut the blinds to the windows. Her booted footsteps were the only sound as she shrugged out of her leather jacket and walked over to the quiet scientist. With a low voice, she let her eyes fall on green.
"Hey...you ok?"
Mariel let a little smile cross her lips before she stepped out a bit from the shadows. Looking down at herself, she lifted her eyes back up to the detective's and cocked her head a little to the side, holding her arms out and speaking with a light nervous chuckle in her voice.
"Yeah, I'm good...a little chilly, but good. Do you think this will work?"
Tina stepped back and gazed at the scientist's form, given full permission to look at Mariel with an admiring eye. Her hair was essentially the same, though perhaps a bit fuller, the blond-red lengths falling freely. Tina took in the rest of the scientist, glancing up at Mariel's face before letting her eyes linger down over the researcher's sleek body. Mariel wore a black leather bra and nothing else under a short, black leather motorcycle jacket, the expanse of exposed skin contrasting against the dark leather. A pair of tight, thin soft black leather pants curved over her hips and clung to the scientist's legs like second skin. Black boots completed the outfit. It was exactly what fit Mariel's personality, making the transition for their work easier. Neither too much nor too little, it was perfect. Any more and it would look contrived on the scientist, making her feel uncomfortable. Any less and it wouldn't be clear that Mariel was a part of the scene, making others suspicious.
"Verry nice..."
Tina nodded, a smile coming to her face as she saw the slight blush travel up the scientist's neck and cheeks. She watched as Mariel shrugged and smiled a bit shyly.
"Thanks...it's certainly, um..."
She paused, unsure of what exactly the outfit was. Revealing, yes. Uncomfortable, no. She looked up into Tina's eyes, seeing cautious appreciation there hidden behind the detective's no-nonsense wall of professionalism.
"It's perfect. You look..beautiful, Mariel. Really."
It was the detective's turn to pause as she lowered her eyes and ran a hand through her hair as she looked up, watching Mariel walk over to the table and take a seat, a smile coming to her face as she raised an eyebrow. With an amused voice, the scientist spoke.
"Your turn."
Tina chuckled as she ambled over to the table, pointing at the take-out boxes.
"Go on and grab something to eat while I get ready. I take it Layla had to leave early."
Mariel smiled and eyed the boxes before reaching over and grabbing a fortune cookie. She spoke as the detective walked across the room, her tall form moving in the dimly lit room with measured ease.
"Yeah, she said she had a gig. I liked her, she's very sweet. You know, I'm not really all that hungry, believe it or not."
And she wasn't, which was odd. She could only attribute that to nerves or the other half of Tina's chicken enchilada that she managed to talk her way into 'borrowing' from the detective's plate. After getting up and putting the boxes in the refrigerator, she sat back down and unwrapped the golden piece of baked pastry. Opening up her fortune cookie, Mariel pulled out the slip of paper and read it: 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'. She smiled at the words and tucked the piece of paper in her jacket pocket before lifting her eyes to glance across the room, curious as to what the detective was going to wear but not wanting to stare.
Reaching behind her, Tina unclipped her gun from its perch on the back of her waistband and set it on the dresser before opening her closet door. Kicking off her cowboy boots, she knew that Mariel was fighting with herself about whether she wanted to keep her eyes on the detective while she changed or whether she should allow the woman her privacy. Tina smiled to herself and let the scientist puzzle over that while she stripped out of her jeans, throwing her Levi's on the futon beside her. Time to put some of her past to good use.
Mariel swallowed and glanced over at Tina for what felt like the millionth time, no longer able to fight the urge to see what the private investigator was going to wear. Her green gaze fell on the tall detective's form, standing in her living room in just a black t-shirt and black silk boxers. She saw Tina reach into the closet and pull down a pair of pants and a belt from the rack. With casual ease, she slipped the pants on, and reached back into the closet, picking up a pair of black motorcycle boots and some other items.
Turning, the detective smiled quietly over at Mariel before tucking in her black t-shirt from earlier. In bare feet, Tina walked over and stood next to the table, setting the boots on the floor and the items in her hand on the table. Mariel noticed now that the loose-fitting pants Tina was wearing were dark grey with a black stripe running up the leg. Clearly, these were the bottoms of a police uniform. The scientist let her gaze fall on detective's hands as they reached over and slipped the wide black leather police belt around Tina's waist. The investigator even put a nightstick in her belt loop for added effect and wise planning. Most likely the gun was not coming along with them tonight.
Mariel couldn't think of anything to say at the moment so she just watched as Tina knelt, pulling on her socks and boots quickly before rising again. Wow. At that moment, the scientist decided to silently thank the Chicago PD for not confiscating old uniforms. Tina looked positively commanding in it. Casual, yet it made a bold statement. Tina could wear something like this with the attitude to go along with it. It was perfect for their situation. She didn't need layers of leather to show off, she didn't need a sign around her neck proclaiming anything. The detective simply projected authority in stature and personality. It certainly worked for Mariel.
"You ready?"
Tina's low voice rumbled as she grabbed her own fortune cookie and cracked it open, walking over to the closet one more time. She munched on the slightly sweet cookie while she pulled out her slip of paper, reading it with an amused smile on her face: 'The best things in life come in small packages.' Indeed. Reaching in, she pulled out a jacket and turned to face the scientist. With casual shrug, she put on a thick black leather motorcycle jacket of her own and let a lopsided grin come to her face. Walking towards Mariel, she stood tall and raised an eyebrow, her arms out to the side as she chewed the remaining bit of fortune cookie.
"So, what do you think? Does it work?"
Mariel chuckled and came forward, letting her eyes take in the detective's partially uniformed body. Black t-shirt, black leather jacket, grey police pants, black motorcycle boots, black leather belt, black hair, and blue, blue eyes. Oh yeah. It worked alright. Following this woman's lead all night was going to be a piece of cake. Keeping her mind on her job was another matter. Focus, Mariel, focus. With a smile, she tilted her head and looked up at the investigator, her voice playful.
"I think you and I are going to work this case, Detective Amphipoli."
Tina raised a dark eyebrow as she came over, letting her arm casually drape over the shorter woman's shoulder, leading her towards the door. With a smirk, she looked down into the scientist's eyes and winked.
"You got that right, Doctor Potidean."
Tina opened the door and ushered them both through it, smiling a little as the scientist kept close to her, ready to play their respective parts for tonight's information quest willingly. Out they went into the October chill in search of clues that would lead them closer to solving the mystery behind the string of disappearances in the city of Chicago. It was going to be a long night indeed.
"I think this calls for a celebration, don't you?"
Ari's low voice rumbled around the table as he smiled widely, his black hair slicked back at the sides. Wearing an impeccably tailored charcoal suit and red tie, he brought his glass of champagne up, raising his eyebrow at the table's occupants.
"I couldn't agree with you more, Ari. It's not every day we have such distinguished...guests."
Cirra's voice was saccharine sweet, clearly uninterested in schmoozing their dinner guests any more than necessary. Dressed in a short black dress that clung to every curve she owned, its neckline plunged down between her breasts in a delicious display of flesh. That fact alone impressed the two men seated across from her enough to raise their own glasses and nod.
"Here's to another brilliant deal, my friends."
Ari chuckled after he spoke and sipped his champagne, savoring the bitter bubbly liquid as he watched the others follow suit. Brokering alliances between international business associates was his specialty. With these two powerful men in his fold, he'd begin to corner the market on slaves in both the Far East and Middle East. Once that was done, he had plans for seizing control of the drug trade into the United States from the outside in before tackling the international market. The key to gaining that kind of worldwide power was first conquering or persuading the petty and disorganized drug lords to join him one by one. Once that was done, he'd have the States as his crown jewel and the rest of the world would fall under his thumb. It was indeed a brilliant deal, a brilliant plan, and of course, a brilliant idea if he did say so himself. Oh, and Cirra, she was a nice part of the package as well. Certainly not essential, expendable if necessary, but entertaining nonetheless.
Cirra let her eyes find the two men across from her as she drank from her glass of tonic water with lemon, her ruby painted lips practically caressing the glass. Such easily persuaded men. Pigs. All she had to do was flirt with them, bend over a few times during the business meeting, let a little leg show, and they agreed to the offer right away. If she didn't know better, she suspected they would have loved to have groveled at her feet. Ho-hum. It didn't much matter, really. They were simply pawns to be played for the fools they were. Ari had such lofty ideas; Cirra's were much more...immediate. It was all a part of her grand plan. Everything that came before this was just...foreplay. The blond smiled to herself at that. Indeed, an elaborate game of cat and mouse so stimulating, she nearly got wet thinking about it. This time, she would be the panther, and her mouse? Oh, her mouse was getting closer and closer every day. She could even taste it now.
"And here's to dinner. May we all eat well..."
The men all turned to look at Cirra who had purred out her toast with a rather seductive smile on her face. Raising their glasses, they followed suit.
"Zhu Ming, tell us how Bangkok is these days...still lucrative?"
Ari asked in a low voice as he reached over and spread some of the liver pate' on a small thin wheat cracker, smiling as he chewed it.
"Ah, as you know, Bangkok has been good to my family, Mr. Warinopolis. The people are lazy and don't care to challenge our trade. Buying the police is as easy there as it is here, yes?"
Zhu Ming was a surprisingly tall man, his light grey suit with a deep, rich green tie rested squarely on his shoulders. Bald, save for a ponytail down the back of his head, he had a thin moustache, clipped just below the corners of his mouth. His face was stern, appearing as if he was always scowling, especially when he talked. But, he controlled one half of the China trade and had ties to the communist party. Therefore, he was an important man, especially in his own eyes.
"I don't know why you bother buying the police. I simply purchase the politicians who control them and all is well and good."
Their eyes turned to a goateed man, his dark good looks coming across as he smiled jovially at the rest of them. He wore a black suit with a royal blue tie, his full black hair slicked back from his face. With a nod at Cirra, he took another sip of his champagne before holding his glass out for a waiter to fill it.
"Indeed, Drakkar, Morocco has never been known as a police state. I imagine they take a much more relaxed approach to your business in Marakesh."
Ari nodded as he spoke, his eyes taking in Drakkar El-Amin's lascivious looks directed towards Cirra before signaling for the waiter.
"Relaxed indeed. It's almost like taking candy from babies. And certainly, our commodities are just as sweet for the buyers."
Cirra took another sip of her water, assessing both men. Her main interest lay in the person who was not yet in attendance. She reached over for the cavier, spreading a bit on a cracker before nibbling the Beluga with delicate bites.
"Well, it simply makes our jobs that much easier, doesn't it, boys?"
Ari laughed as he looked over at the men before letting his hand rest on Cirra's thigh. He missed the look he got from the blond when the waiters brought them all their first course of salad.
"I've got a phone call to make. You'll excuse me, won't you, dear?"
Cirra lifted Ari's hand from her leg as she got up, smiling down at the dark handsome man next to her and over at their dinner guests. Ari raised his eyebrow and cocked his head at her actions and just nodded. They rose partially as she glided out of the room, her short dress showing off her legs, the black spiked heels making her appear taller than she was.
"She's a damn fine piece of ass, Ari, any thoughts of selling her too?"
Drakkar spoke hopefully, raising his glass over to the man who began to eat his salad. With a shake of his head, Ari chewed and swallowed before speaking.
"Trust me, you don't wanna buy her. She'd kill you before you knew what happened. Between you and me, she's a little..."
Ari waved his finger around his head in a circular motion, raising an eyebrow while he smiled. Taking another bite of salad, he washed it down with more champagne before he leaned back in his chair and regarded the two men across from him. With a smirk, he shrugged his shoulder before he spoke.
"But she's one hell of a fuck, I'll tell you that, my friends."
Ari and Drakkar laughed while Zhu Ming simply raised a corner of his mouth in a half-smile as all of their thoughts turned to imagining Cirra Callistone's naked body writhing beneath their own. Or imagining themselves being spanked by her very firm hand. Hell, the possibilities were endless with a body like hers.
***
"Teddy, dear, are things set there?"
The blond stood in front of the full length mirror in the restaurant's brightly lit and impossibly clean lavatory, her eyes glancing over to the towel matron before returning to her own reflection. She held her cell phone casually as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Yes, Mistress Cirra. Both of them are as you ordered. Lisa..she's had two more doses since this morning, she's cooperating a bit more. The other one..."
Cirra smiled at herself as she crossed an arm over her chest and held the phone in the other hand while she spoke in a delighted voice.
"The other one is ready to crawl out of her suffering pathetic skin, isn't she?"
Teddy's gruff voice came through the phone.
"Yeah, she's not doing very well."
Cirra tipped her head back and laughed, the towel matron trying to look anywhere else but at the statuesque blond and trying like there was no tomorrow not to listen in on the conversation. She had heard enough things in this bathroom to know that the less she knew, the better.
"Oh, that's perfect. I want that little bitch to suffer...thinking she could double-cross me? Please. What about the rest of it? Secured?"
Reaching up, the blond took a strand of her hair and twirled it around her finger as she listened to Teddy.
"Yeah, the place is secure. I called in more guys to make sure. All is as planned, Mistress."
Cirra came over to the mirror, standing a few feet from it before cocking her head, her brown eyes looking back at her while she spoke.
"And what about our little boy friends? What's the report on that, mission accomplished?"
She heard Teddy hesitate, her dark eyebrows narrowing at the silence before he spoke haltingly.
"They..uh..well, they.."
Cirra's expression turned annoyed as she spoke in the phone.
"Spit it out, for Christ's sake. Did they or didn't they do it?"
Teddy's voice came back softer through the phone.
"She..uh, caught them before they could do anything. They got away though..."
Angrily, Cirra whirled around in the bathroom, scaring the towel matron with her seethingly loud voice.
"God dammit! Those little shits! One simple thing and they can't manage to do it? Do you know how long it took me to get the information about her car!?"
Teddy said nothing, knowing when it was best to let Cirra blow. In a lower voice but nonetheless laced with fury, she spoke into the phone as she paced across the spotless white tiled floor, ignoring another restaurant patron coming in.
"There had better not be any more fuck-ups, Teddy. Do you understand? I want to hear from you the minute...no, the second you get word of anything from the club, do you hear me?"
Teddy's voice was softer still, boyish again as he spoke.
"Yes, Mistress Cirra."
Cirra paused in front of the seated towel matron, her eyes scanning the woman with casual indifference as she reached out her hand for a tissue. Using it to blot her lipstick, she smiled as she turned to the mirror, her gaze going somewhere far-off.
"Tonight's the night, Teddy dear. I've waited so long, planned so hard. Tonight...I feel it."
She abruptly clicked off the phone as she stood facing the mirror again, letting the lip-sticked tissue drop to the floor in front of the matron without a second thought. With a cock of her head, she smiled wider at herself, brown eyes glowing with glee. In a cheerfully scary voice, she spoke aloud to her vision.
"Come to me, Tina. Tonight..."
***
Returning to the dinner table, all eyes focused on the blond's svelte form as she came back into the private room. They all had finished their salads and were waiting on the next course. Cirra let her eyes take in the table, one seat still unoccupied. Damn. With an indifferent sigh, she sat down and put her chin in her hand as her elbow rested on the white table cloth.
"Is everything ok, dear?"
Ari let his eyes take in Cirra sitting next to him, his voice rumbling. The blond rolled her head to the side and looked at him, smiling a fake smile.
"Everything's just peachy, Ari dear. So tell me, boys..."
She let her eyes drift across the table to the two men seated across from her. With a seductive curve of her lips, she let her eyes go smoky.
"Did you think about me while I was gone? Hmmm? Maybe wish you could have what Ari here had this morning...oh, and this afternoon too? A nice piece of my..."
Ari chuckled and sat forward, interrupting the blond.
"Now, Cirra, our guests are honorable men. Let's enjoy our dinner without causing them any discomfort."
Cirra laughed and rolled her eyes. As if. Zhu and Drakkar looked over at Ari and Cirra before Drakkar smiled and laughed as well. Holding out his glass for more champagne, he spoke while he smiled.
"Ms. Callistone, the discomfort you cause me in that dress is well worth it, trust me. Ari's a lucky man. Surely, he'd be willing to share the wealth.."
Before any other comments could be made, a man walked into the private room wearing sunglasses and a pair of khakis, sports coat, and tie. He was clearly underdressed for this place. Looking behind him first, he turned back around and glanced around the room, taking note of the two men he didn't know and the other two that he did. With a nervous gesture, he took off his glasses and sat down in the unoccupied seat, his eyes finding Cirra's across the table. She was smiling widely at him, the previous conversation long forgotten. With a purr, she nodded over at him.
"Ah, Lieutenant Cortesey, so glad that you could join us."
***
Lisa threw up for the third time today, her head leaning over the bucket in the corner before she dragged herself back to the cot she had been sitting on most of the day. They had just given her another injection, her body too lethargic to fight. Leaning her head back against the wall, she felt her hands and feet go heavy before her eyes half-closed, the seductive sensations running through her body making her mind forget the predicament she was in. Feeling wave after wave of numbness move through her, she simply held on and let it overtake her again.
Valerie, on the other hand, was practically curled in a ball on the other dirty cot, her body racked with shakes and sweating profusely. Even attempts at seducing the two leathered men when they had come in to shoot up Lisa had not worked. They just pushed her aside, backhanding her once when she desperately lunged for the syringe full of heroin. She herself had thrown up once already before dry heaves set in. She fucking couldn't take much more of it, the withdrawal painfully making her body feel like one big aching, miserable lump of clammy flesh. It even hurt to think, so she didn't.
With a glance through the small square dirty window into the room, Tara smiled at the two girls. Cirra's plan was working perfectly. She was simply a master at manipulating people and causing pain. Too fucking cool. The young juvenile hopped back down from the box she was standing on and swaggered down the hall before climbing the stairs that lead to what used to be the factory manager's office. Glass covered one wall and overlooked the cargo bay below where the van was parked. It also had a good view of the rest of the plant, the dead and silent tool and dye machines standing like dark steel giants in a field of cold cement. Metal catwalks above the floor crossed back and forth over the machines, used for checking controls, pouring the chemicals, and monitoring the activities below.
"Boy, those two are really fucked up. Cirra really knows what she's doing, huh?"
Tara's voice fell on deaf ears when she entered the room. Adam and Bud, the two leathered men assigned to smack duty, were seated around a small TV, Teddy's bulky form standing behind them watching it as well. Leon was on the other side of Teddy, peering intently down at images too. Going over to the small dirty refrigerator under the control table running along the big window, she pulled out a beer and opened it before coming over to see what the guys were watching. Teddy glanced at her and grabbed the beer from her hands, taking a big gulp before turning back to the TV.
"Hey! That was mine, you big lazy-ass."
They ignored her. On her tip-toes, she tried to peer over their shoulders to see the screen, but couldn't quite make out the images. Nudging Teddy with her elbow, she spoke.
"What the hell are you all watching? I can't see a thing."
Teddy's eyes didn't budge from the TV as he growled over at her.
"Shut up, Tara."
She huffed and leaned around Bud's shoulder, just barely making the flickering action on the screen. Adam's voice was excited as he talked, pointing to the screen with his finger.
"Ok, here's the cool part. When she stabs them, they just kind of explode into a million pieces. There! See that?"
The guys grunted in agreement, watching as kicks and punches flew across the screen. Teddy smiled, chuckling just a little before his voice rumbled.
"She's a hot one, huh?"
Leon nodded and while Adam and Bud just shrugged indifferently. The action paused for commercial break, the station's announcer informing the audience that the show would be right back after these messages. Tara stepped back and looked at the four guys before she crossed her arms in front of her chest, speaking with a certain disdain in her voice.
"What the fuck kind of a name is 'Buffy' anyway?"
Tina's low voice called out in the darkness, her tall form leaning casually against the short red brick wall of the steps leading into the apartment building. Mariel could just make out the lines of the detective's body, the streetlights casting shadows across her face. Her presence was a tangible thing, something Mariel could feel without seeing. Or it might have been that the young scientist was simply hyperaware of the woman who radiated waves of quiet strength and beauty in every direction around her. Even in the dark. With a smile, Mariel shook her head.
"Yeah, I just had to grab my pen and notebook. Can't leave home without it."
Mariel smiled and patted against the leather jacket she wore, the inside pocket holding her possessions. She had remembered these items just as they had got out of the door and had insisted that it was a must to have something to write on if they were out gathering information. Tina had just smirked and shook her head, letting the young researcher run back up into the apartment. Walking towards the street, Tina let her eyes glance down at Mariel before speaking with a smile.
"Remember to keep it under wraps. We're supposed to be two people out on the town having fun."
Mariel followed next to Tina down the darkened sidewalk, zipping up her jacket against the chill. Looking up at the detective's determined face, she had to smile.
"Right. Fun. I've heard of that."
Tina glanced down and smiled at Mariel, letting her hand briefly guide the shorter woman across the street as the scientist looked up at her puzzled.
"Hey...where's your car? Aren't we going to take that?"
The detective shook her head, her eyes scanning the street as they walked to the corner to catch a cab. With a quick lock of her eyes on Mariel's, Tina spoke.
"I moved it. With our little run-in today, I think it's better to keep a low profile. Just in case."
Mariel walked next to the statuesque detective, her shorter strides coming quickly to keep up with Tina's. With a nod, she went quiet as they approached the corner at Halsted. The chill in the air cooled the leather she was wearing, her bare midriff exposed against inside of the jacket. The zipper was like one cold line running up her body and she shook involuntarily. The detective caught the movement with her eyes as she let her gaze fall down on the scientist next to her.
"You're cold."
Mariel looked up and smiled a little, shrugging her shoulder as they stopped on the corner of the busy street.
"Not too bad."
Tina just raised an eyebrow and moved behind the shorter scientist, her tall body coming in close until she was leaning up against Mariel's back. Letting her hands rest on the scientist's shoulders, she rubbed them just a bit as she kept her eye out for a cab.
Mariel simply let herself absorb the welcome warmth of the detective, a bit surprised at the contact but not complaining either. This close, the scientist could smell leather, stronger than that she wore, and also the slightest hint of something like nutmeg or cinnamon. Something. Whatever it was, it was purely Tina and it made Mariel's pulse race for reasons unknown.
"Here we go."
Tina's low voice rumbled down as one hand raised up and hailed a yellow cab and the other drifted down between the scientist's shoulder blades, guiding her towards the street with casual ease. The detective opened the door of the cab and let her eyes glance around them as Mariel got in. After a slight pause, she ducked down and climbed into the warm car, sitting next to the young doctor in the back.
The heat from the front of the car blasted back through the few holes in the plexiglass separating driver and passengers. There was the faintest hint of music coming from the speakers, a latin beat pulsing lowly. The driver was a woman, her black hair cut in a bob. Letting her brown eyes find Tina's in the rearview mirror, she spoke with a Cuban accent.
"Where to, my friends?"
Tina leaned forward, moving the nightstick at her hip to a more comfortable position as she spoke through the slot between the front and back.
"1631 LaSalle."
The driver nodded and smiled as she took off, her voice drifting back to her passengers.
"Ah, yes...the Horner Art Gallery. Lovely place."
Tina just jerked her chin in response before she settled back into the seat, turning her head to regard Mariel. With a serious voice, she spoke softly.
"Mariel, we should probably talk about tonight."
Mariel pressed her shoulder against the back of the seat as she turned and faced the detective. As they drove under the lights along the city streets, Tina's face was alternately covered in dark shadows and golden light. Nodding, she let her hand rest on her own leather covered leg, the thin skin absorbing the heat of her palm easily. Quietly, she listened as the detective continued.
"I need to see a friend at the Whip Room. She can tell me if there's been any talk among the leathers."
Mariel nodded, her eyes finding Tina's as she spoke softly.
"This is the women's only place right?"
The detective nodded and glanced out the window as they made their way along Belmont, the driver navigating the yellow cab safely through the traffic. Looking back over at Mariel, Tina continued.
"Yeah. These folks are fine. We shouldn't have any problems there but...have you been to one of these places before?"
Mariel shook her head. The researcher had never been to a gay bar let alone a leather bar. In the past, her usual outings had been at the occasional jazz place or brewery. Since most of her friends from college had been straight, there was never really an opportunity to check out the very few gay bars in Madison and West Lafayette. Hell, she didn't even know if any existed in those places. Madison, maybe. And forget it about a leather place. Right now, she was in the presence of more leather sitting in the back seat next to Tina than she had been in all her life. She didn't really know what to expect. Layla's words came back to her, 'follow where she leads, go where she takes you.' She watched Tina nodded back at her and heard the detective's voice soften.
"Ok. Just relax when we get there. Let me do the talking, you keep your eyes open. When they see the two of us come in, they'll expect that we're together and that's what I want them to think."
Mariel nodded, her green eyes hidden in the darkness of the car. Glancing through the back window, her gaze returned to Tina and spoke quietly.
"Alright. Anything else?"
Tina paused, shifting in her seat just a bit to look directly at the scientist. Even in the shadows of the cab, the detective could see Mariel was focused on her, her brows slightly together in a serious expression, soft eyes catching the streetlights and glowing with an intensity all their own. She was beautiful and Tina could not help but think that even in the middle of this assignment, she found herself reacting to Mariel. The casual touch they shared before getting into the cab had been so sweet in its simplicity. This next part was as much for the sake of their undercover work as it was for Tina's own interest. With a low voice, she spoke.
"Will you be comfortable with me touching you in public?"
Mariel swallowed, sensing somehow that the few touches they had indulged in before were not what the detective was referring to. And knowing that she was moving in that direction without her control. And feeling very comfortable with it, in a nervous, excited, scared, happy, intense kind of way. With a nod, the scientist agreed, her voice sounding soft in the dark car.
"Yes...I, uh..yeah, that shouldn't be a problem."
Tina smiled slightly at the scientist's words, shaking her head as her voice rumbled.
"Good. We've got to make this convincing. Especially when we go to the Mortar and Pestle. That crowd is rougher and I want to make sure we get in and out with the minimum of interference"
With another nod, Mariel quietly deferred to the detective she assumed had seen and done it all. She was also preparing herself to play her part in all of this and that meant letting Tina take over. With a soft voice, she spoke.
"Tina, you just let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it."
The detective took in what Mariel said and nodded a bit. She was glad for the dark of the car's interior, feeling the slight rush of warmth to her face at the scientist's words. With a breath, Tina looked back over at Mariel and spoke again.
"Mariel, whatever happens, I promise that I'll take care of any trouble and keep us both safe. You can trust me on that."
Mariel was quiet for a bit before she looked up into Tina's eyes, the blue reflecting the gold from the streetlights and showing a depth and clarity that the scientist could feel, the security that came with them feeling right. With a nod, she spoke sincerely, her eyes conveying what she now felt.
"I do trust you. I'll follow wherever we need to go, do whatever we need to do. I promise that."
Tina searched the scientist's face, knowing that this young woman spoke from a place deep inside. Yes, the case was important to her, but right now, with where they were going and what they might face, something deeper was needed. A fundamental trust, a leap of faith. They both had to believe in it for more than just their physical safety. The detective had been burned so many times in the past, had lost trust in so many that putting herself in that position again with this relative stranger was like jumping off a cliff so high she couldn't see down it. Could she believe in this one young woman enough to overcome the past?
After looking back into Mariel's honest eyes, Tina returned the sentiment quietly and completely with a nod of her head. It had been that easy and that hard all at once. And as she fell down dizzying heights, Tina knew that wherever she landed with this young doctor was far better than standing alone.
***
The cab turned down LaSalle, curving along past buildings and stretches of dark sidewalk. Most of the places along this way were higher priced buildings and some stand alone mansions set back off the street, red brown blocks of stone forming elaborately large and complex frames. Curving archways, smooth stone columns glowed in the moonlight, immaculate lawns slowly passing by through the windows. The Chicago Historical Society building stood like a ghost with its grand, unreachable charm and law offices followed in a row of smaller but impressively built structures.
Slowing down in front of a gated entrance, the driver turned the cab down a long black driveway, the bare trees lining it on either side stood starkly naked, the leaves having dropped quickly after the first real chill. The Horner Art Gallery was a huge four-story brown stone building, the windows all dark save for a few dim lights on in the top floor. The reflecting pool in front was empty for the approaching winter, the koi long since removed. The car's headlights flashed along back to a dim parking lot full of cars, surprising in that the gallery appeared closed. Pulling up along the back entrance driveway, the driver appeared to know exactly where she was going. Despite its rather grand surroundings, the Whip Room was situated far below the gallery, tucked away in a private area beyond the prying eyes of the general public. The Horner and the Whip Room had a rather pleasant relationship, the founders of both places happy with the arrangements. Stopping at a doorway that lead down, the cab driver put the cab in park and turned around, smiling at the two occupants as she slid open the partition through the plastic.
"Here we go, my friends. The Horner. Five bucks please."
Tina reached in her pocket, pulling out a ten and letting it slip through the slot.
"Keep it. Thanks."
The driver smiled and jerked her head towards the darkened entrance, her face genial and knowing.
"Tell them Luna sent you, ok?"
Mariel smiled as she watched Tina's return reaction, the slight raise of her dark eyebrow indicating she appreciated the gesture. The driver glanced over at Mariel and smiled before turning back around, ready to leave them for the night. The detective opened her door and climbed out, her tall form standing regally in the darkened parking lot as she held the door for Mariel, reaching her hand out and helping the scientist from the car. Tina directed them around the back of the cab as it took off, letting her arm again drape casually over Mariel's shoulder as they walked down the stone steps that lead to the Whip Room. Leaning down, Tina let her lips rest against the scientist's ear, her voice coming in a low tone.
"Ok. Let's make this look good."
Mariel shivered just a bit as she unzipped her jacket and let her eyes look up and meet the detective's. With a smile and an eyebrow raise, she spoke quietly.
"Whatever you say, boss."
They were chuckling when they opened the door, the soft music reaching their ears first before their eyes took in the darkened room. It wasn't like a regular bar. There were low soft leather couches up against the walls, candles providing the main lighting. Plush carpet covered the floors and a few small black tables were surrounded by comfortable chairs. Throughout the entire front room, there were women lounging and chatting, most all of them in leather, but some in other clothes. They were sipping various drinks as they laughed, their eyes briefly looking up to see the newcomers before they went back to their conversations. A woman seated at a small podium near the door looked over at Mariel and Tina and smiled before speaking.
"Hey. How's it going?"
Tina pulled Mariel just a bit closer to her, one hand wrapping securely around the scientist's leathered shoulder and moving them over to the podium before she let her gaze fall on the woman. She affected a nonchalance before she gave a lift of her chin in response.
"Not bad. Luna sent us."
The woman at the door stood and smiled, nodding her head as she came around to stand next to them, her gaze taking them both in with an admiring eye. With a chuckle, she put her hands on her hip while she spoke.
"Well, everyone she sends along to us comes very highly recommended so no worry here. The bar's in the back, there are private rooms off to the side, and a public area for your use should you want it. The only rule we have is that whatever happens in here is safe, sane, and consensual. Sound agreeable to you?"
Tina nodded, letting gaze drift over the crowd, taking in the women paired off or clustered around and talking. Without even looking, the detective reached for the back collar of Mariel's leather jacket and skillfully pulled it off and down between her shoulders, her firm grip sliding off the leather with ease. No better time than the present to show off her companion and establish for the crowd exactly what the situation was between them.
Mariel blinked slightly but caught herself as she felt the warm air of the room cover her now bare skin. Standing next to the detective in just her leather bra and pants, she felt exposed and on display as curious eyes turned their way, taking in the rather commanding dark-haired, blue-eyed woman and her blond friend. Without missing a beat, she nestled close against Tina as the investigator casually carried her jacket in one hand and put the other hand on the small of Mariel's back, her fingers spreading against the bare expanse of skin and pressing her forward as they walked back towards the bar.
Walking from the main front room through a darkened hallway with doors leading off to the sides, they entered another part of the building. Here, the space was much larger with the same kinds of couches and tables set around, candles and wall-mounted lighting illuminated the room in a reddish glow. Along one wall, a mirror reflected back the images of the room's occupants while across from it along the other wall ran a large bar made of black metal and silver railing. Tall, black stools with leather backs stood lined against the bar, as a few people mingled there, sitting on the stools drinking their drinks as the music played a bit louder in here, speakers set off in the corners of the ceiling.
Tina led the scientist over to an unoccupied seat and nodded with her head, indicating that Mariel should sit there. Leaning in against the bar, her forearms rested casually and confidently on the dark surface as she let her eyes glance once over at the researcher, making sure she was settled before catching the eye of the bartender. The redhaired tall woman tending the bar ambled over and cocked her head, smiling slighty as she spoke in a southern accent.
"What can I get y'all?"
Tina brought her hand up to her chin and rubbed her jaw as she let her eyes scan the bottles in neat rows behind the bartender. With a low voice, she raised an eyebrow at the southern redhead and spoke.
"A shot of Wild Turkey and a water."
A woman with black hair and dark skin dressed all in black was seated at the bar to Tina's right. Lifting her glass, she smiled slightly over at the detective.
"Good choice."
Tina just nodded while looking over at her with casual eyes, taking in a short-haired blond woman further down the bar who leaned forward, her head bobbing as she spoke with conviction.
"That's fucking piss water, my friend, let me tell you."
The woman to Tina's right just turned and shook her head, taking a drink of said beverage before speaking.
"Man...that is just so wrong."
The bartender handed the detective her drinks before she leaned in against the bar. Her longer red hair caught the glow of the lights behind the bar as a short leather whip attached to her beltloop thudded against the counter behind the bar. Holding up a hand, she spoke to the two women.
"Listen, missey, y'all are both working me tonight so just chill."
Tina took her drink and left the three to continue their good-natured bickering and turned back towards Mariel at her left. At that instant, the detective's blue eyes narrowed, she set the drink back down on the bar and turned, standing up to her full height. Her expression was entirely not happy.
Standing next to Mariel was a woman with short blond hair dressed in a leather jacket, pants, and boots. She wore a grey bandana tied on her head and had a long strip of leather looped around her belt. A silver pair of handcuffs dangled on the other side of her hip. But the most distinguishing feature about this woman was the fact that she foolishly had one hand on the scientist's knee. Bad move.
Tina moved forward and caught the woman's eye when she placed her own hand on Mariel's bare shoulder. Letting her gaze drift menacingly down to the woman's hand on the researcher's knee, she glanced at Mariel's face before she spoke in a low growl to the woman.
"Problem here?"
Mariel simply kept quiet, a tad bit thankful that the detective had turned to take care of this situation. She had just been minding her own business when the woman had approached her, asking her to go off to one of the private rooms. She could have handled it but thought it best to leave it to her partner. She watched as the woman removed her hand from her knee and looked up at Tina's tall form before speaking.
"Sorry, I didn't know she belonged to you."
Tina came around to stand at the side of Mariel's chair, letting her hand rest down on the scientist's thigh. With a slight squeeze, the detective smiled darkly before she spoke, her blue eyes sparking.
"I'd say she belongs to herself..."
Tina paused as she turned to Mariel, letting her hand drift up along the scientist's bare arm before coming to rest on her back. Dipping her head to the side, she let her lips just briefly touch against Mariel's exposed shoulder before smiling into the skin, letting her teeth show as she lightly bit down before turning back to the woman. With a cock of her head and a rather dangerous smile, she continued.
"...but she's here with me. Got it?"
The woman just nodded, not wanting to mess with the imposing detective. Putting her hands up, she smiled as she backed away and went off into the front room, searching for less dangerous companions. Tina just watched her go before she let her eyes take in the room, making sure everyone understood that the blond woman seated at the bar was off-limits.
For Mariel's part, all she could concentrate on was the fact that her skin was still tingling where the detective had let her lips and teeth touch. Just a quick kiss against her shoulder and the scientist's whole body was jolted into awareness. She felt like she had been marked as the investigator's property in a way, the rest of the room clearly getting the message that she was Tina's. And that thought wasn't entirely unappealing. Just new. And strange. And good. She could feel the warmth of Tina's hand against the small of her back, the strong solid pressure of her hand against her skin. She swallowed when she felt the detective lean in close to her ear and speak in a low voice.
"You ok?"
Mariel's soft voice answered.
"I'm fine."
Tina pulled back and let her eyes search the scientist's face for signs of discomfort. Seeing the slight flush against Mariel's cheek, the detective smiled as she raised the hand from her back and let her fingertips touch against the color on the young scientist's face briefly before letting her hand rest on the back of the chair. She nodded before raising her hand to the bartender, signaling for her.
So this was undercover work, huh? Mariel mused as she shifted in her tall chair and glanced over at the detective, not bad work if you could find it. She was with the most gorgeous woman in a place that simply oozed sensuality. Mariel hadn't expected her own response to the detective's touch because it was entirely unprofessional if she did say so herself. Unprofessional and pretty damn instense. She simply smiled when Tina's eyes caught her own for a brief second, seeing a slight raise of an eyebrow and playful gleam in her blue eye. If Mariel didn't know better, she'd guess that Tina was enjoying herself just as much.
She watched as the bartender came over and leaned against the bar, hearing the detective's voice rumble as she spoke.
"Tell Losa that I have her chobos and I'd like to discuss them with her in private."
The bartender nodded at the cryptic message and went off. Mariel turned to Tina and let her voice softly question.
"Who's Losa?"
Tina let her eyes glance around the room before she finding the scientist's. Even in this light, Mariel looked radiant, her blond hair spilling across her bare shoulders. So much skin exposed for her eyes made it difficult for Tina to concentrate, almost wishing that they weren't on a mission. Feeling how soft Mariel's skin was against her hand was very distracting. And very good. Tina suspected that tonight would be full of distracting moments if she wasn't careful. Leaning in, she let her voice drop to a low register for Mariel's ears only.
"Losa is the head of the Chicago Leatherwomen."
Lieutenant Cortesey warily watched the blond ten paces in front of him, his thin blue sports coat no match for the chill he felt. How he ever got messed up with her was a mystery to him. Five years after the incident involving that upstart rookie Tina Amphipoli, Cirra showed up. Cunning, seductive, and highly persuasive. He had more than handled Tina in his own way, making sure she was no longer a threat to his operation. And this beautiful but deadly woman insisted on knowing everything about Tina. Of course, how she got the information out of him was another story.
He shivered just a bit, part from cold but part from remembering. Cirra was single-minded in her determination to find out all about Tina and she wasn't willing to take no for an answer. Laying under her magnificent body, Cortesey gave it all up as he groaned out in pleasure. He told her everything: about her brother Lucas on the force, his death, how they had set that up, how they made sure Tina would never find out about the truth. Those cops under his command and involved in Cortesey's side 'operation' made sure that Tina Amphipoli had nothing to go on, no loose strings. Cortesey smiled just a bit as he paced closer to Cirra. Lucas had been one very big loose string that got cut, immediately. He had found out about Cortesey's side business and was just about to go to Internal Affairs with it when he had a most...unfortunate...accident. Random driveby shooting in a bad South Side neighborhood, what can you do? They had the same thing planned for Tina but that damn Lamonie and the feds supported her enough indirectly to make that plan unfeasible.
But now, seeing Cirra Callistone's darkness against the night sky, Cortesey understood that Tina was no longer his to conquer. No, the blond perched gracefully at the observation deck railing had claimed the blue-eyed ex-cop as her own. And she summoned Cortesey to meet her this night for that reason.
"Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight?"
Cirra spoke, not bothering to turn her head to look as the cop came to stand next to her at the railing. She let a casual hand drift up, her fingertips brushing against her bare neck as she took in the sparkling skyline below her. Looking out over the city into the blackness that was Lake Michigan, Cortesey shrugged as he spoke, his voice a tight clenched-jaw gravel.
"You're much more beautiful than the city, Cirra."
The blond rolled her head to the side, taking in the cop with a bored expression. He was not such a bad looking man, his sandy brownish blond hair was cut short and he had scruff on his face. Though slightly crumpled looking in his clothes, he was nonetheless just another man who was there to be used, his pants doing the thinking for him. With a roll of her eyes, Cirra shook her head, her voice sounding condescending in the night air.
"Oh please, Cortesey. Your compliments are so pathetic. We both know why we're here so let's get to it."
Cortesey shrunk back just a bit, never one with a real backbone when it came to women, he felt much more powerful when he was back in his little office in the precinct, telling his boys what to do. Still, he wanted something out of this too. With a slight smile, he nodded.
"As you wish. Here's the deal. I give you the information and we stay out of it. You make sure Ari keeps supplying our operations. And you give me a little something extra."
Cirra looked at him with brown eyes, her expression unreadable, which made it all the more scary. There was always something 'extra' for everyone. Sex, drugs, money, attention, whatever. She had a good idea which one of those Cortesey wanted. Then again, she needed to know about Tina Amphipoli.
"Fine. Ari has no intention of not carrying through with your precious drug shipments. He and I have negotiated that part of the bargain already."
The blond paused as she regarded Cortesey, his slightly chiseled features standing out against the city skyline below them. Turning to face him, she reached out her hand and grabbed the bulge in front of his khakis, holding it with just the right amount of pressure and force to let him know she was the one who called the shots. In a deceptively sweet voice, she smiled.
"And I'll give you what you want after I take care of my little friend. Mmmm...doesn't that sound good?"
Of course, the cop wasn't sure whether the blond was referring to the sex part or exacting her revenge on that private detective, but it didn't really matter to him. Cortesey nodded shakily, feeling himself rise in Cirra's hand as she caressed him. Knowing he wasn't allowed to touch her, he stood there, closing his eyes to the sensation as he ground out his words.
"God, you are so fucking good."
Cirra rolled her eyes again at this pitiful excuse for a cop. He was a crooked as they came, but he promised that his men would not to interfere in anything involving Tina and Cirra. He couldn't control all of the Chicago PD, but he would stay out of it. Besides, his paltry little drug operation wasn't in danger. Not anymore at least. With a bored sigh, she gave one last squeeze to his very small penis and pulled back, crossing her arms and waiting impatiently for him to open his eyes. When he finally did, she barked at him.
"Tell me!"
Cortesey reached out and grabbed the handrail to steady himself, the bulge in his pants standing out against the fabric of his khakis. Blinking, he cleared his throat and spoke, his jaw clenched tight.
"She's on the case now. Lamonie talked her into it yesterday. And she's got a partner. Some young FBI chick. From what I know, she's out in the field now, trying to track down information. That's all I've got."
Cirra spun around in a circle, her black velvet cape swirling around as she smiled and clapped her hands together, a gleeful spark in her brown eyes. With a laugh, she looked out over the city and spoke to herself, all but forgetting the cop.
"Perfect! I knew she would take the bait. Oh, Tina, how I long to make you suffer. You're making it so easy for me..."
Everything was coming together so nicely. Tina would fall into her trap tonight as planned. She had made sure her operatives were stationed all over the city on the look-out for a tall, dark, blue-eyed woman who Cirra remembered to be as beautiful as anyone she had ever seen. Of course, the last time she had come in contact with Tina Amphipoli, it had been the single most devastating day of her young life. And it had forever changed her. With a glance over at Cortesey, she nodded as she turned toward the observation doorway, speaking in a sugary voice.
"Thanks, I'll be in touch. Oh, you might want to wait until that..."
She paused, letting her eyes rake down his body and stopping on the small lump in his pants, pointing one long finger out at him and cocking her head to the side as she continued.
"..thing goes back into his little shell, hmm? Ta ta."
With a dismissal hand gesture, she left him standing on the deck of the Hancock building, her mind filling with all the planning she needed to do for tonight. Oh, it was going to be brilliant!
Cortesey looked down at himself and then back at the closing door as a big gust of chilly Chicago lake front wind blew around him. Mumbling with a gravel voice, he shook his head.
"Little?"
***
Ari was just about to take a big puff off of his newly lit Cuban Cabanas cigar when he saw Cirra walking in to the 95th's after dinner lounge. Ming and Drakkar were sitting on the leather stools next to him, sipping brandy when their eyes turned to the blond making her entrance into the mostly male enclave. Her cape was thrown over her shoulders and she had changed, discarding the slinky black dress they all had admired for a pair of black leather pants, boots, and a leather bra with silver studs. Walking with an air of primal authority and a total disregard for the dress code, Cirra came over to the seated men and spoke in a no-nonsense voice.
"I've got other business to attend to, boys. The merchandise will be ready in the morning. 6am sharp. If I have my way, you'll have one more before the night is through. I'd much rather she be sent to Jakarta, but Zhu, you can have her. You'll get an extra one next time, Drakkar."
Ari held up his hand and stood, his tall form taking up space at the brass and wood bar. This wasn't in the plan. He knew Cirra enough to know that she was more preoccupied with her plan for vengeance than she was in helping him secure the Chicago slave and drug trade. With a deep voice, he spoke.
"Wait. What's this all about, Cirra? I thought we were going to celebrate tonight. You're not letting other things get in the way of this deal, are you?"
Cirra reached into her pocket and took out her keys, twirling them around one long index finger as her eyes sparkled. Ari had such a one track mind. Catching her keys in the palm of her hands, she pointed a finger at him, her smile fading in and out.
"Listen, I promised you girls for your business associates here. I made arrangements with Cortesey for you. And I fucked you all day. You promised me satisfaction..."
Here Cirra paused, letting her eyes rake over the gorgeous man. He wasn't half-bad, but right now, she had other things on her mind and those things did not include wasting any more of her time clapping these three on the back and toasting to their own brilliance. With a smug voice, she continued.
"...and as satisfying as you are, Ari, I've got a date with an old friend that can't wait. I'm sure you'll understand. Besides, by the time you come to pick up the shipment in the morning, I might be in the mood for a little celebrating of my own."
Ari shook his head, knowing that he had as much chance of talking Cirra Callistone into something as he did at disappearing into thin air. Still, he didn't trust this woman as far as he could throw her. With a warning glare, he spoke.
"You just remember our deal, Cirra."
With a smile as fake as her hair color, Cirra reached out and took the Cabanas from Ari's hand and put it between her own lips, drawing in the deep rich taste of the priceless Cuban smoke. All three men watched as the blond's perfect mouth wrapped around the cigar, caressing it as she inhaled, her cheeks sucking in the taste. With a smile, she removed the cigar and exhaled a big puff of white scented smoke in their direction before turning on her heel to leave. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled grandly and spoke.
"Goodnight, boys."
And with that, she strode out of the bar, her cape flowing behind her as older stodgy men moved out of the way for her, intimidated by her bare skin and gorgeous looks. She had a purposeful stride to her steps as she sauntered through the doorway, her face holding a sinister crazy smile. If anyone cared to follow her down to the parking garage, they'd have seen that that smile didn't fade one bit as she climbed into her convertible black Porsche and sped off into the Chicago night, oblivious to the chill in the air, her cape flowing out behind her through the city streets. She was on her way to a reunion she vowed she would have ten years ago, a reunion that would end in bloodshed one way or another.
***
Silver rows of corn, endless rows in the dark night. Lisa's legs had given out a long time ago and now she was tired, her feet feeling like cement blocks as she trudged up and down each row, looking for her sister. Once, she had thought she had seen Mariel, three rows over and she had fallen while trying to get there. It turned out to be the golden strands of cornsilk, the moonlight catching it just right. On and on she went, her voice was hoarse from the calling and dry from the air, the field had turned to dust.
"Mariel...."
Her voice echoed in the night air, the insects quieting down so that now the only sound was her own breathing and her own weak voice. Falling to her knees, Lisa turned her head to the sky and silently begged anyone or anything that might be listening to help her get out of this maze.
"Please..."
Lisa jerked awake, the word still on her lips. Her body was stiff from sitting against the wall and from the effects of the drug. Blinking her eyes, she found herself in total darkness, save for a light coming through the window on the door. She couldn't see Valerie's miserable form on the cot near hers and frankly, she did not particularly care either. Rubbing her swollen eyes with her hands, she licked her lips, feeling the parched cracks and the dryness in her mouth. Just as she was about to go find the water they had left them, she saw two faces appear in the lighted door window smiling at her before she heard the unlocking of the door. With a cry that surprised even her, she screamed out.
"Nooo!!!!"