Same disclaimers apply, see Part One. Also, a big thank you to Missy Good for letting me introduce in this story one of the characters she created in her fab stories.
"Tina...it's been a while. I thought we saw the last of you years ago."
The detective shrugged in a non-committal way.
"I've been busy, Losa."
The seated woman's face was expressionless as she nodded. She had a tentative relationship with Tina Amphipoli, at times distrusting her and her motives in the leather community, at other times, admiring and respecting her. As much as she protested otherwise, Tina was considered a part of the loose-knit group of women in Chicago known as the Leatherwomen, bound together by trust and honor, living the way they chose without apology. Losa was the acknowledged leader, by vote and by common unspoken consensus. She was fair and she expected those within her community to abide by the unwritten rules of the leather life. As she took in Tina and her companion with a cautious eye, she pointed to an unoccupied low leather couch across from the two other women.
"Have a seat."
Tina let her gaze find Losa's rich brown eyes, nodding imperceptibly. In this domain, the detective was willing to play by her rules. She had always found the Leatherwomen leader to be honorable, if not a bit rigid in her ways. But, she needed this woman's help and in order to get it, she was going to have to be nice. She had no bones with Losa. Throwing Mariel's leather jacket across the back of the low leather couch, she put her hand on the scientist's shoulder and guided her over. Once seated, she casually let her hand rest on the inside of Mariel's thigh, making it clear to the room's occupants their 'relationship'. With a nod, she let her eyes slide over to the scientist.
"This is Mariel, a friend of mine."
Losa looked over at the blond and appraised her. Mariel was nestled up against the detective, her green eyes had more or less been totally focused on Tina since they came in, waiting for the taller woman to let her know what to do. Losa had never seen this woman in the community before, but she appeared as if Tina had taught her well. At the mention of her name, Mariel's eyes went from the detective's face to Losa, lowering her gaze slightly with respect to the seated woman. Losa acknowledged her with a head nod before turning her attention back to Tina.
"So, Tina. What brings you here? Surely it isn't for the drink specials."
The Chicago Leatherwoman's voice was no-nonsense, her face impassive. The investigator shifted on the couch and leaned back in a casual gesture, her hand still resting possessively on Mariel's leg. She glanced over at the woman and young girl who had been quiet the entire time. With an eyebrow lift, Tina silently inquired about these two. The corner of Losa's mouth raised slightly and her arm gestured out towards them.
"They stay. This is Lari and Caitlyn. Whatever you have to say, it can be said in front of them."
Lari looked over at Tina with a casual eye, she had heard about this mostly mysterious woman from some of the others in the leather community. Of course, everything that was said was true: Tina Amphipoli was impossibly beautiful. With her long brownish hair pulled back from her face with a leather head band, Lari was dressed in a brown leather bra and leather skirt adorned with golden rivets and trim. She nodded in the direction of the couple and remained silent. Tina let her blue gaze fall on the young girl before turning her head to Losa.
"She's a little young to be here, isn't she?"
The detective was referring to Caitlyn, a slight girl of maybe fourteen, long pale blond hair falling around her shoulders. She was dressed more conservatively though, wearing a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. She looked over at Tina with grey eyes, a bit defiantly the investigator noticed. Losa remained silent when Caitlyn spoke up in a girlish but strong voice.
"Pardon me, but I have just as much right to be here as you. These folks took me in and have been totally cool to me, they're the only family I have now."
Mariel let her eyes catch Caitlyn's and she smiled, nodding her understanding and acceptance at the girl as she let her hand reach down and press against the detective's. With a light squeeze, the scientist looked up at Tina and gave a gentle entreaty with a tiny raise of her chin. The investigator looked over at Mariel for a few seconds before she turned back to the young girl and nodded.
"My apologies, Caitlyn, Losa."
The young girl smiled politely back while Losa reached for her drink and took a sip, watching the interaction. Caitlyn, while young, had a world of experience, some of it rather unpleasant of late. She had come to Losa when she had nowhere else to go and they had let her stay, giving her a roof over her head and meals. They tried to shield her from some of the more graphic activities in the club, but Caitlyn actually had little interest in that, preferring to avoid that scene anyway. All of her energy was focused elsewhere, on her own quest for answers to a question that had been haunting her for months.
"Now, about what you want from me, Tina.."
The detective looked casually over at Losa after the leader had spoke, her hand pressing against the smooth leather covering Mariel's leg. It was clear that the older woman wanted to get down to business and Tina knew that she needed to make this quick, because of their own time constraints, but also because Losa would tolerate being probed for information only so long. The investigator cut to the chase with her own brand of no-nonsense.
"Do you know anything about the slave market for kids in this city?"
Losa blinked before her eyes hardened and she sat forward. With a low warning tone, she leveled her gaze at the detective.
"Just what the hell are you implying, Tina?"
Mariel felt the tension in the room suddenly come to life as she glanced at her partner, noting the detective reacting to Losa. With soothing strokes to the hand that rested on her thigh, she let her green eyes find Tina's in a gentle request before she herself turned to Losa and responded, her voice soft.
"With respect, Losa, she wasn't suggesting that you had any personal interest in this. I'm sure we all agree that that kind of thing is very wrong. Tina just trusted you enough to be honest with you about why we're here."
Losa turned her gaze toward Mariel and narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth drawn tight in a hardened expression. Cocking her head to the side, Losa's words were clipped and angry.
"Oh really? And just why is it you're here? To accuse us just like the cops have? We won't be cowed into making excuses for our lifestyle. Just because we're Leatherwomen doesn't mean we condone the activities of all those involved in the scene. The slave market is just another one of many patriarchal systems that exploits the weak and the innocent. It's a man's world, not because it should be, but because we let it."
Tina sat forward and rested her forearms on her knees, her eyes conveying an understanding.
"Exactly, Losa, and that's why it needs to be stopped. You and I both know the cops haven't been able to do a damn thing with this because they can't get inside the scene."
Their eyes locked for a few silent moments as the leader of the Chicago Leatherwomen weighed her suspicion against the detective's words. Finally, Losa stood and walked over to a low shelf against the wall of the room, pouring herself another glass of wine and grabbing a grape from a bowl of fruit. Turning back around slowly, she leveled her eyes back at Tina and Mariel before she spoke in a skeptical voice.
"And you think you can get in?"
Tina nodded slightly and looked back at the leader with an eyebrow raise as she reached out and let her hand glide down the leather of the scientist's leg. Her expression was one of self-assurance and confidence.
"You tell me."
Regarding the two, Losa took a sip of her wine. The room was silent, save for the light pulsating beat of the music coming from the Whip Room. Lari and Caitlyn sat watching both their leader and the couple exchange looks. Setting her drink down on a small table near the couches, Losa crossed her arms, reluctantly conceding.
"It won't be easy, you know. Word has it that most of the business goes through a hardcore men's club called the Cage. No one knows much about it. But if you don't know the right people, you won't get in. We've tried. One of our own members was last seen there a few months ago, but we had no proof. We're just about ready to take matters into our own hands. I think you know what I mean, Tina."
The detective stood, her tall body stretching out to its full length. Intimidating in her leather and cop pants, her blue eyes found Losa's in a look of pure strength and determination.
"I know exactly what you mean, and trust me, if there's anything left when I get done, you're welcome to it. But we need your help to get in."
Mariel listened as the investigator spoke before she rose from the couch herself to stand slightly back to the side of Tina's tall form. Letting her green eyes find Losa's, the scientist's voice was a gentle request.
"Please. Anything you could tell us would help, Losa."
The leader shook her head as she glanced at the two women before briefly looking at Lari and Caitlyn. With a shrug, she walked over and sat back down in her leather chair, crossing her legs and finding the detective's eyes.
"It's a long shot, but try finding a guy who goes by the name Atoli. Likes to hang out at the Mortar and Pestle. A bit cocky, even for a man but he's a real sucker for a strong woman, if you know what I mean. You'd probably find him at the end of a leash"
Tina nodded and reached behind her, grabbing Mariel's coat and helping it over the scientist's shoulders. Letting her hand drift down against Mariel's back, she turned her gaze to Losa and they exchanged a look of mutual respect, knowing that both of them were committed to the same cause. With a slight raise of her chin and a murmur, the detective let a small genuine smile grace her lips.
"Thanks. I owe you."
With just the corners of her mouth raising ever so slightly, Losa nodded once as she settled back in her chair. Despite their outwardly challenging appearances, Losa and Tina shared similar sentiments about how to deal with those who would take advantage of women and children. As Tina and Mariel were moving towards the doorway that led back out into the public areas of the Whip Room, the leader of the Chicago Leatherwomen called out, her voice sincere.
"Good luck, Tina."
The detective just held up her hand in a wave as she walked out, not bothering to look back as they made their way out of the club. Once they were gone, the three women looked at each other, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the entire conversation and situation. Standing, Caitlyn's lanky body stretched before she nonchalantly ran a hand through her pale blond hair. With a slight shrug, she let her grey eyes flicker over to Losa and then to Lari before making an announcment in a casual voice as she headed out the door.
"I think I'm going out for a walk. Nice night."
With a wave, the young girl was gone. Before the other woman could protest, Losa closed her eyes and nodded towards the young girl, knowing that she could take care of herself and knowing how futile it was to try to stop one so determined.
"Let her go, Lari. If she's going where I think she is, she's as safe as she can be if she's near them. She needs to do this. She needs to know."
***
As the cab made its way to their next destination, the Mortar and Pestle, Mariel let her eyes glance down to her leg. Unconsciously, the detective's hand rested on her thigh near her knee as they sat in the darkened car. Tina seemed lost in her thoughts, looking out the car window as they drove through the city streets, her thumb gently moving against the leather covering Mariel's thigh. It was a warm secure feeling, knowing that the investigator felt comfortable enough with her to forget they weren't in front of an audience and didn't need to keep up appearances. Of course, it also meant that maybe there was more to this than their case. Mariel smiled to herself. Despite being focused on their mission, every single touch of the detective sent a little tingle down her back. If she didn't know better, her body was trying to tell her something. With a soft voice, the scientist's eyes turned towards Tina's shadowed face, the strong smooth lines standing out in gentle relief against the car's window.
"See something interesting?"
Tina turned her head towards the scientist, broken out of her revery. She had been thinking about the past two days, half of her brain working on the case and the information they had, the other half thinking about the woman sitting next to her. It was so easy and so comfortable... With a sudden realization, the detective looked down at her hand and pulled it away from the researcher's leg, her voice apologetic.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I...was just thinking about how you handled yourself with Losa."
Mariel smiled gently before reaching over and taking the detective's hand in hers, letting her smaller fingers entwine with Tina's. It felt like the most natural and normal thing to do in the world. Giving the investigator's strong warm hand a light squeeze, Mariel's expression was soft and open.
"It's ok, Tina. Really."
The detective looked over at the young doctor's face, the streetlights shining on and off, highlighting the softness of her smile. Settling their hands on top of her own leg, she smiled slightly, knowing that this was no longer just about solving a case. With a little head nod, Tina's voice was low, her simple word acknowledging everything.
"Ok."
Mariel smiled again as her eyes caught the detective's and she shifted in the seat, her fingers settling tighter and more securely into Tina's grasp. With a slight raise of her chin, the scientist's brows came together in gentle concern.
"So, it was alright that I stepped in and said something to Losa? I know you wanted to do all the talking."
Tina shook her head, her eyes catching the doctor's as she replied.
"No, you were perfect. Diplomacy usually isn't my style. You were a good balance. Losa needed to know that we weren't there to accuse them."
As the cab continued through the streets, Mariel considered the investigator's words. And she really, really liked the idea that she was a good balance to Tina's style. Even though she was qualified as a forensic psychologist, she still had doubts about her abilities sometimes and it was nice to hear that her gut instinct to respond had been the right one.
"So you think this Atoli guy is going to be able to help us?"
Tina looked out the window as the clouds covering the Chicago sky became thicker, almost as if it were threatening to rain. Shifting to turn towards the scientist, she shook her head slightly.
"Maybe. It's the best we've got right now. I think we're going to have to be very careful from here on out. The Whip Room was a relatively safe place, these others aren't. It's important now more than ever that we not raise suspicion. You still ok with this field work?"
The scientist had to smile at Tina's concern. At this point, she was ok with just about anything involving Tina Amphipoli and to hell if she was backing out of this when it was just starting to get very interesting. With a sparkle in her green eyes, she looked up at the detective.
"Loving every moment of it."
Tina chuckled and squeezed the young doctor's hand, her head shaking back and forth in amusement.
"Good. Now, once we get to the Pestle, you stick close to me. It's a rougher place and crowd and I don't want anyone getting any ideas about staking a claim on you. You're mine, Doc."
The scientist chuckled at the playful tone in Tina's voice. Raising up her free hand in a gesture of defeat, she shrugged her shoulders with a smile on her face.
"What can I do? I'm a bottom."
Tina laughed and shook her head. Reaching behind her to her police belt, she pulled out a pair of shining silver handcuffs from their black leather belt case and held them up into the light. Mariel looked at them with a raised golden eyebrow before turning her eyes to Tina in a question. The detective's voice was low and amused.
"Relax. It's only for show. You'll just wear them on one wrist like a bracelet. It's a code in the scene. They'll see that you're with me."
Mariel nodded her agreement and watched as Tina let go of her hand and undid the cuffs, gently placing both cold metal circles around her right wrist, securing them comfortably. When they were on, the detective held up her arm and looked at the glinting silver bands, feeling their weight experimentally. Tina sat back in the cab seat and watched her, gauging her reaction to them. Shaking her wrist just a bit, Mariel smiled when the metal chain jangled between the cuffs before she let her hand drop back to her leg. With a cock of her head, she lifted her eyes to Tina.
"Well, it certainly makes a fashion statement."
Tina chuckled as the cab pulled to a stop near the corner of Belmont and Broadway in front of a pulsating nightclub, a crowd mingling on the sidewalk in front of the place. After paying off the fare, the detective opened her door and stepped out, her face now expressionless and ready for business as she scanned the crowd, appearing indifferent. Leaning back down into the cab, Tina let her eyes find Mariel's before giving her an eyebrow raise and a wink. Reaching her hand out, the investigator looped a finger in the chain of the cuffs on Mariel's wrist and gently pulled her out towards her. With an appropriately adoring and submissive expression, the young doctor smiled up at her big bad leather cop as she stepped out onto the crowded sidewalk. A finger still entangled in the handcuff chain attached to the scientist, Tina led Mariel towards the club's entrance, her tall form projecting an air of authority.
Glancing down, Tina gave them both the once over, making sure everything was set. She let her blue gaze fall on Mariel's smaller form as the blond covertly scanned the crowd with her inquisitive eyes, taking in everything. She would have never guessed this small town girl would have looked so at home next to her in this kind of a scene. It had to be the black leather. Definitely. Either that or the way the scientist's body knew instinctively where and how to move with Tina's own body. Just before they prepared to enter, the investigator abruptly stopped them short and leaned down, her mouth finding Mariel's ear before speaking in a low rumble.
"Can I just tell you that you look incredibly good?"
Mariel shivered at the words and the detective's warm breath and everything. Tina pulled back and let a sly smile cross her lips, knowing she had just caught the young doctor off guard...in a good way, of course.
"Now let's do this right."
With a nod of her head, Mariel's eyes briefly caught Tina's before the taller woman reached her hand out and placed it on the side of the scientist's face, her blue eyes focused solely on Mariel. Tina let her thumb roughly slide across Mariel's bottom lip in a subtle display of power and ownership for the rest of the crowd to witness. Letting her hand move down, the detective's fingers held Mariel's bare neck, her thumb pressing up under her chin, raising it. For a long moment, they just looked at each other, oblivious to the people around them and the case temporarily forgotten. Mariel held her breath, part from the intense look in Tina's eyes, part from her own body's reaction to that look, and part from not knowing what she was supposed to be doing. Slowly, a possessive smile crossed the detective's lips as her hand slide down Mariel's neck and gently grabbed the zipper to the leather coat. It seemed that the only sound either one of them could hear was the slow zip down as Tina pulled open the jacket, once again exposing the scientist to her eyes and anyone who happened to be watching. With a satisfied cock of her head, the detective's voice was low.
"Let's go."
Tina's hand reached down and she tangled her fingers in both the cuff chain and Mariel's own hand. Decisively, she pulled the researcher to her, waiting until she felt Mariel's body against her own before she led them to the door of the Mortar and Pestle. For the scientist's part, her heart was beating a mile a minute and all she could do was follow. Hell, she'd go anywhere with this woman. Case? What case?
With Tina leading the way in front, the scientist reached out and put her hands on the investigator's waist, grasping her belt firmly as her taller companion muscled their way further into the club. One of Tina's hands was covering her own, making sure she was still attached while the other gently, but firmly pushed people out of the way. Everywhere Mariel turned, she saw members of every sex either paired up in some fashion or another or on the lookout for a night of fun with a stranger. Certainly this place was not as comfortable as the Whip Room and the young doctor had the feeling that this club was much more like a meat market than not.
The music was so loud that neither one of them could exchange words while they made their way back into the Pestle, pressing towards one of the three bars located in the large space. Mariel let her gaze take in the scene around her, getting an eyeful of a rougher side to the leather scene. There were two kinds of men, either dominating over someone else with tough macho stances or being led around by various body parts, submitting eagerly. Similarly, there were women doing the same. There seemed to be no one established sexuality, the pairings or threesomes or more were randomly mixed between straight and gay and everything in between. Mariel had to turn her head up at a couple of cross-dressers towering above even Tina's head as they passed by in tight spandex dresses.
Shuffling her way behind the detective, Mariel tightened her grasp until they finally found a more open area near one of the neon-lit bars. Only a small cluster of people gathered by it, engaged in various activities ranging from sharing a cigarette and drink to publicly punishing someone who was 'naughty'. Mariel took it all in while trying to be casual. When she felt the detective's hand on her shoulder, she turned as Tina leaned down to speak in her ear, the music forcing them closer to be heard.
"Keep your eye out for a guy on a leash."
Before Tina moved away, Mariel reached up and put her hand on the investigator's shoulder, pulling her back down while she stood on her toes a bit. As clearly as she could over the loud music, she spoke near the detective's ear.
"Tina, half the guys in here are on leashes."
The detective pulled back and looked around before she turned to Mariel and smiled down at her, leaning close once again.
"Good point."
Mariel smiled as she looked around them again, trying to think of a way to find this elusive Atoli guy who supposedly could help them maybe get into someplace where they might be able to find out some information that would crack this case. Well, that thought didn't make things seem easier, now did it? Spotting a taller guy with black curly hair and glasses with a collar around his neck, the scientist decided to take action. The bigger guy was standing next to them, his long-haired mistress casually holding the chain that attached to his collar in her hand. She was chatting with a group of other women similarly accoutered with submissive men and women. Leaning over, she tapped the guy on his arm.
"Hey there. What's your name."
The guy looked nervously at his mistress before he smiled at her and spoke softly.
"It's Bear."
Tina kept her gaze half on her younger scientist companion and half on the crowd around them. Mariel smiled at the man and leaned closer, her words loud enough for only him to hear.
"Nice to meet you, Bear, my name's Mariel. I was wondering if you happened to know a guy named Atoli?"
The mistress holding Bear's chain casually looked over at the two of them and dismissed the blond as a threat. Of course, her sub would be punished later for talking to someone without her permission, but she was engaged in a very interesting conversation with her friends about the merits of nipple clamps and therefore, could not be bothered right now to deal with him. Bear caught the look he received from his mistress and knew he was in for it later so he just shrugged his shoulders and went for broke.
"Oh yeah...you mean 'Atoli, King of Subs'? I know him."
The scientist smiled and turned her head, giving Tina a wink and a head nod before turning back to the man.
"Do you know if he's here tonight?"
Bear glanced up at Tina's silent, but nevertheless very noticeable form, eyeing him and his intentions. He had never seen either of these women in the Pestle before but damn if they weren't both very, very pleasant to look at. Maybe the tall one was looking for another sub, he wondered with idle curiosity. Smiling over at Tina before he turned his gaze down at the smaller blond woman, he leaned over and spoke conspiratorially.
"She in the market for a third for you all tonight? I don't like to brag, but I've done some wrestling in my day. That Atoli guy has no stamina I hear."
Mariel smile politely at the guy before she felt the detective's hand come to rest on her lower back, hooking a thumb in the band of her leather pants. Tina wasn't interfering, she was just making her presence known to both Mariel and Bear. With a head shake, the scientist looked up at the collared guy with a smile.
"No, she likes what I do. We just needed to talk to him about...the best kind of leash to buy."
Here, Mariel winged it, as she paused and pointed behind her towards Tina, who had a smirk on her face as she stood back and listened while the young doctor continued.
"You see, Bear, she was looking for a nice new collar and leash thing for me and I said 'you know, I bet that Atoli would know a thing or two about them'. And she really, really wants me in that tonight. Who am I to deny her?"
Bear chuckled in understanding, knowing a bottom's work was never done. Pointing back to one of the side rooms off the bar, he shrugged.
"Well, he's usually back there. His mistresses just leave him tied up for most of the night while they sit around and make him perform. Whatever, you know?"
Mariel nodded, affecting a look of deep understanding and experience.
"Yeah, I hear you Bear, whatever works, I say."
Bear smiled as Mariel patted him on the arm in thanks before turning back towards Tina, looking up into amused blue eyes. The researcher let a smile cross her lips and quirked an eyebrow before Tina started to lead them to the room they had been directed towards near the bar.
"Hey, if she changes her mind, tell her I'm available."
Bear had leaned over and whispered into Mariel's ear, nodding towards the leathered detective. The scientist just shook her head once and smiled, her voice pleasant.
"Will do."
He smiled and turned back to his mistress, who was now very much interested in what he was doing. Uh oh.
***
Tina moved them away towards the room before she put her arm around the shorter woman's shoulders. She had to smile to herself, Mariel certainly had a way with words and worked that situation very well if she did say so herself. With a tiny squeeze of pride on the scientist's shoulders, she leaned down, her mouth finding Mariel's ear.
"Good job."
Mariel just smiled up at the detective and shrugged, moving her body closer to Tina's as they pressed their way back through a crowded hallway. She felt the investigator's hand slide down and slip under her leather coat, finding her bare lower back as she was guided to a smaller side room. Just before they entered, Tina leaned down once again.
"Ok...in here, let me do the talking. Watch your step too. Don't speak unless spoken to and definitely do whatever I say. These women take their roles seriously and if they suspect that I don't have you in check, they'll get very suspicious. Ok?"
Mariel smiled and nodded, lowering her eyes as she moved closer to the detective, raising up her right arm a bit and offering her cuffs. Tina smiled briefly down at the young doctor and took the cuff chain firmly in hand, her face now projecting one of serious authority as she moved forward, pulling Mariel behind her by the wrist.
When they entered the room, they saw a series of low black leather couches along three walls with a number of leather-clad women sitting and drinking. Unlike Tina, they were all dressed in various types of leather corsets and body suits. Some were shiny patent leather outfits while others were fashioned with hooks and chains of all sorts. Many wore thigh-high leather boots and either had small riding crops or other discipline equipment. Standing in front of them on display was a man hooked up to what Mariel could only figure out to be some sort of harness or something. Whatever it was, the scientist couldn't imagine it being very comfortable.
The investigator stopped her short, indicating that she should stay where she was near one of the leather couches. Mariel watched as Tina strolled into the room and let her eyes casually take in the dark-haired mustached man with his hands pulled above his head, a collar and leash around his neck dangling down in front of him, and nothing more than a pair of black leather shorts. The detective turned her eyes toward one of the seated women and reached out her hand, raising an eyebrow.
"May I?"
The leather-clad woman nodded as the rest of them eyed the very stern looking detective. She handed over her riding crop, looking up at Tina and letting a sensuous smile curve across her lips before she purred.
"Be our guest."
The detective nodded her appreciation as she took the sturdy crop, testing the two strips of leather at the end against the palm of her hand. Well satisfied with the slapping sound, Tina walked over to the man and walked around him in a dangerous prowl, letting the tip of the crop trail over his body.
Mariel simply held her breath as she watched her partner. It appeared that Tina knew a thing or two about this scene. There was something rather intense about the way the investigator moved, almost like one would hunt down prey. She watched as Tina smiled at the twitching man, who unfortunately could not say anything due in large part to the fact that a thin strip of black rubber tied around his head was also occupying his mouth.
With a glance over at the women who were watching her intently, Tina smiled as she lightly snapped the riding crop against the back of the man's thigh, the women chuckling a bit as he half-heartedly struggled, not particularly wanting loose at all. It was clear this man liked public punishment and the women seated around the room didn't mind letting another dom take a turn. Tina put her hand on the man's shoulder and spun him, the harness turning from its point on the club's ceiling. Now, his back was to the rest of the occupants in the room and he was facing one very determined cop. Oh yeah.
Smiling, she reached up and roughly grabbed the rubber in his mouth, daring him to say anything when she pulled it free. Licking his lips, he smiled a roguish grin at her and lifted his chin. Tina looked him over, he wasn't half-bad if you went for that sort of look. He had short black hair and along with his black moustache, he also had a bit of a goatee on his chin. He wasn't particularly muscular, but he was average.
"You're Atoli."
She let her voice lower in a rumble, all the while letting the others think she was toying with him, the riding crop running up and down his bare leg. With a slight head bow and eyebrow raise, he cockily replied with a rather lascivious grin.
"The one and only, King of Subs."
Tina would have laughed if this wasn't such a necessary part of the operation. She stepped to the side of him, looking over at the women.
"Ladies, I do believe you have a SAM on your hands here."
They all laughed as she let the riding crop slap against his leather covered buttcheeks. Cheering, they gave the detective a thumbs up and went back to their conversations and drinks. Tina let her eyes find Mariel's, assuring her with a look while making sure she was ok. The scientist smiled and nodded, letting the investigator do her thing. Mariel was beginning to learn that there were many ways to get information from people. Well, whatever it took, she supposed.
Tina stepped back in front of Atoli and smiled as she reached up and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. He was still smiling a bit as he raised an eyebrow at her when she brought the riding crop up to his lips, the unspoken threat to wipe the smile off his face was not lost on him.
"Heh heh...now, uh, Mistress Cop-lady...no need for that. I'll behave."
Tina came in close, her voice low enough for only him to hear as her blue eyes bored into his brown ones.
"Don't ever call me lady again. The name's Tina and I need some information from you, got it?"
Atoli grasped the metal cuffs at his wrists, testing the chains that bound him as he nodded quickly.
"Yeah..sure..whatever. Heh..you know, anything you want. Anything at all."
A smile crossed Tina's lips as she reached around and let the riding crop snap against him again, making a grand show for the audience of mistresses that sat watching. Atoli jerked a bit and smiled at the detective, liking the way she handled that crop. Very much.
"I need to get into the Cage. Tell me how."
Tina's low voice was menacing against his ear as she paced around him, letting the leather she held in her hand occasionally flick against his skin in small snaps, marking it with gentle red. Atoli turned his head, watching her over his shoulder before she came back around in front of him. With a head shake, his voice was serious.
"Uh, Tina, is it? I don't think that's possible. They've got tight security. You've got to be on a list or something."
Tina stopped short, looking at him with fierce blue eyes before she reached out and grabbed his face again, coming in close.
"Is that the only way in?"
Atoli let his eyes look to the sides of him before he nodded his head, requesting that she come closer. With just a whisper for the detective to hear, he explained what he knew.
"Look, you didn't hear it from me, but there's a backdoor and the guy running it, Mark, takes bribes. Uh..."
He paused as he looked at her, not quite sure how to put this gently but given where they were and what had already transpired, he doubted subtlety was this woman's style. Why, if he wasn't already owned by seven other Mistresses, he'd be willing to take another.
"Sexual bribes. From men only."
The detective nodded, narrowing her eyes to assure herself that he wasn't just pulling her leg. As cocky as he was, he also looked sincere when he spoke of this. She knew this was the best she was going to get, so they'd have to work with that. Letting a smile cross her lips, she took the riding crop and ran it up his chest over the dark hair covering it in places.
"Oh, I'll give him an offer he can't refuse."
Atoli raised an insolent eyebrow and smirked, his mouth getting him into more trouble with women all the time.
"Hey, what about me? Don't I get an offer I can't refuse?"
With a chuckle, Tina patted the side of his face in a rather patronizing manner as she smiled. Reaching down, she pulled the rubber strip back up and placed it in his mouth, effectively ending his conversation. Leaning in close, she smirked back at him.
"What you get, Atoli dear, is my gratitude. Enjoy."
And with that, she reached around and pulled down just the edge of his leather shorts, exposing one very white buttock as she stepped to the side. Smiling her thanks to the mistresses seated around the room, the detective delivered one rather stinging snap of the riding crop to Atoli's bare skin, leaving him a red marked calling card with her name on it. The room smiled at the little muffled yelp of pleasure that escaped from his gag. With a satisfied smile, Tina gave back the crop and brushed her hands. Well, that was easy enough.
Sauntering over to Mariel, whose face held a look of amusement mixed with something else, Tina reached out and grabbed the cuff bracelet and pulled the shorter blond woman to her, wrapping her arms around Mariel's neck in a quick hug as she spoke for only the scientist to hear.
"Got what we need. You good to go?"
Mariel pulled back and let her hands slide up to the detective's waist, knowing that many sets of eyes were on them. Giving the muscular body under her hands a gentle squeeze, the scientist smiled as she molded her body against the tall woman in a show of submission and whispered.
"Oh, I'm very good to go with you."
Tina smiled as she put one arm around Mariel's shoulder, drawing her even closer as they started to make their way out of the Mortar and Pestle. Despite their supposed guise, Tina was very much enjoying the feel of this woman's warm body up against her and the liberty of putting her hands wherever she wanted. Mariel, she knew, was comfortable with that and in fact, wasn't finding it easy to keep her hands off the detective either. Both of them seemed to be responding to not only the undercover field work demands, but also to a sense of growing attraction. There really wasn't much either of them could do about it, not that she or the scientist appeared to be fighting it. It just felt too damn good and too damn right.
"Feel better?"
Tina's low voice asked next to her before she opened her eyes, looking up at the detective who ran a hand through her long dark hair . Letting her eyes find blue, she shook her head.
"Oh yeah. It's nice to breathe again. It was so crowded in there."
Tina nodded as she looked around them, grateful herself not to be surrounded by people. She had almost taken out a few bodies near the door who would not move for anything, until of course, she was able to persuade them without words or her elbow. The detective had perfected what she liked to call The Look, a cold hard stare with just the right amount of menace and attitude to convince whoever received it to do what she wanted. Or else.
"Hang on."
And with that, Mariel watched as Tina strolled back towards the bar's entrance, stopping at a group of leather men. The scientist observed the detective from where she was standing, the tall woman in profile, easily the most visually captivating person in the crowd. Taking a deep breath, Mariel regarded the investigator who was now engaged in a brief conversation with the men. And then it happened. It was odd, really, because she could actually feel something click into place inside of her. Standing there, on the sidewalk next to some nightclub in a city she barely knew watching a woman as mysterious as she was familiar, Mariel heard the sound of her world making sense again. It was like someone out there actually understood her, actually got her and what she was about. She had never felt that with anyone, not even Peter. It was as terrifying as it was exciting.
The detective turned, her striking form gracefully making its way back to Mariel. Seeing the look on the young doctor's face, Tina stopped in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder, her brows coming together in concern.
"What's wrong?"
'What's wrong, she asks.' A thousand different responses flashed through Mariel's head, none of them sounding remotely sane. How do you tell someone that your body and mind have decided that they're the One, that they're what you've been looking for your entire life? As easily as Mariel found it to talk most of the time, she found herself without words for this. The case, with all its intrigue and mystery, she could handle. The leather scene? No biggie. But one tall, dark and beautiful detective who had somehow taken hold of something inside of her so deep and so strong....that, Mariel concluded, that was entirely and completely out of her limited league of experience. She couldn't form the words for this. Not now and not here.
"Uh, nothing. I was just thinking about the case. You know, how we're going to proceed with this. That sort of thing."
Tina's eyes narrowed at the weak smile the scientist gave her before speaking skeptically.
"Uh huh."
The detective paused, seeing that Mariel wasn't going to elaborate before she continued, nodding her head back towards the bar.
"Well, according to those guys, the Cage is over on George street. We could cab it or walk the six blocks."
Mariel's gaze turned downward, looking at the sidewalk momentarily. Nodding a little to herself, she looked back up at the detective and smiled softly.
"Let's walk."
Tina examined the scientist's features, knowing something had transpired in the few minutes she had been away. She wasn't going to push it because she figured if Mariel wanted to talk about it, she would. Tina knew the case wasn't what was on the young doctor's mind. She knew that things were moving in a direction that neither one of them expected. Given that she doubted Mariel had ever been involved with a woman, it wasn't surprising that Mariel was simply trying to wrap her head around things. Regardless, coming to the conclusion that there is an undeniable attraction between you and someone else takes a bit of getting used to. The detective herself was as surprised as Mariel seemed to be. Tina nodded with her head toward the direction they would take and smiled down gently, her voice soft.
"C'mon, it'll be nice to get some fresh air."
Mariel smiled and they turned, making their way down the sidewalk running along the businesses that occupied the area around Belmont and Broadway. They walked along in silence for some way, each of them deep in their own thoughts, comfortable with the quiet between them. Friday at midnight was busy in the area, so they encountered various Chicagoans walking on their way to destinations unknown. The streets were slightly busy as well, the lights illuminating their pathway at intermittent times. The wind occasionally howled around them, the buildings blocking most of the biting cold.
Tina let her eyes fall on the blond walking next to her, taking in her contemplative expression. She could see that Mariel's brows were together as the scientist was deep in thought, her eyes focused on the cement in front of her feet. There was something so...compelling about the way Mariel simply was. No pretense, no uncomfortable moments, no stress. It made it so easy. And when Mariel turned her face up towards the detective in a look of gentle concentration and query, Tina knew there was no turning back for her now. The scientist's voice was soft as she spoke, her breath visible in the night air.
"Tina, what are we going to do once we get inside? Do you think the person running this thing will even be there?"
The private investigator's eyes found Mariel's and she shrugged, hitching her black leather motorcycle jacket up to resettle on her lean muscular body.
"It's possible. It sounds like the Cage is a tightly-knit, secure place which is exactly something an operation like this would need. I doubt this is where the actual kids are kept, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a cover for the business."
Mariel nodded, putting her hands deeper in her pockets and bringing the jacket tighter around her body. Looking ahead, she thought again before she turned her head back to glance up at the detective, the taller woman's features shadowed.
"Won't we be pegged as outsiders the minute we get in?"
Tina's eyes narrowed in assessment, her gaze forward as they walked along, thinking about what the scientist had said. Glancing down at Mariel, she nodded.
"Maybe, but that's the chance we've got to take. We just need to get in, have a look around, and find some...cooperative individual to tell us what we want to know."
Mariel chuckled nervously as they made their way across another intersection before she spoke.
"Between the two of us, I think we should be able to persuade that someone to talk."
Tina chuckled as her blue eyes caught Mariel's. They had reached Sheffield and were walking slowly down the street, the traffic a bit lighter in this area and the sidewalks a bit darker.
"I'm probably going to have to knock some sense into a few people. You good with that?"
The scientist reached out her hand and circled Tina's upper arm, her fingers grasping thick leather. Giving it a squeeze, she left her hand there while they walked, speaking as she raised an eyebrow up at the detective.
"Right behind you, Tina. You forget about my killer knee already?"
Tina's expression went to mock indignation as she pointed to herself with her thumb, a teasing look crossing her eyes.
"Me? Never! I remember everything about you, I'll have you know."
Mariel pulled against Tina's arm as both eyebrows shot up. With a playful tone of voice, she returned the banter.
"Oh really? What's the name of the pony my parent's bought me when I was seven?"
Tina stopped them, raising one thin, dark perfect eyebrow up at the young doctor. Letting her voice lower, she smiled down at Mariel.
"Mariel, you never told me about your pet pony."
The scientist cocked her head and raised her chin a bit as she looked up at Tina, an innocent smile crossing her lips.
"I didn't? Hmm...must have told some other tall, dark, and Top-like detective."
"Riight."
Tina answered, drawing out the word in a unconvinced voice and shaking her head. Smiling, she unconsciously reached her hand out and let her fingers lightly brush against Mariel's cheek and neck. Both of their smiles faded at the gesture, no longer undercover work and no longer just for show. In that instant, Mariel caught an unguarded look in the detective's eyes, even in the dim light from the street activity around them. It was soft and non-threatening just like the woman underneath the leather and the outward mask of menace for other people's eyes. For Mariel, it was a glimpse into the depths of who Tina was, in just that look. And she really, really liked what she saw.
At that instant, a passing car honked its horn loudly, the occupants shouting out the window and disturbing the moment. Tina let her hand drop as she turned and made sure the car kept going, her body in full alert. The young doctor took a breath to steady herself and put her hand on Tina's back as the detective turned towards her again. In a soft voice, she spoke as she looked up at the investigator.
"Tina? Let's go get this case solved, ok? Because I'd really love a chance to see your Chicago sometime...when we're not out working and fighting the bad guys."
Tina let a gentle smile cross her lips. Looking down at Mariel's warm green eyes, she gave a little nod of her head and lowered her voice.
"I think that can be arranged."
They looked at each other for a bit longer before Tina glanced around, eyeing where they were. The intersection of George and Sheffield was just up ahead, a little alley-way between the blocks was to their right. Looking down the darkened rough alley, she nodded.
"Ok..let's go down this way. We've got to find the back entrance to this place and deal with the doorman there. You ready?"
Mariel looked down the barely lit alley to their right, the few parked cars and dumpsters were dark and foreboding. The wind picked up and swept through the open space, bringing a chill across the cold cement. She put her hand in the pocket to her jacket and felt around, the weight in the inside compartment comforting her a bit. With a nod, she glanced up at Tina.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do it."
Tina smiled down at the scientist before looking around them, making sure no one was observing or following them. Reaching out, she put her hand on Mariel's shoulder and squeezed before she started to lead them into the darkness of the alley and their destination, The Cage. Tina could almost feel things starting to pick up, the danger starting to grow. She had the sense that they were about to confront some unknown entity and she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pretty. With a determined stride, Tina Amphipoli went to face the answers to a mystery she and Mariel had chosen to unravel. And they went together.
***
Caitlyn watched the detective and her companion fade into the alley from her perch on the little Yamaha 550 she had ridden over and parked in the darkness of Sheffield Street. She had been trailing Tina and Mariel ever since they left the Whip Room, always taking side streets and keeping the couple in sight. Starting up her bike, she slowly drove down the street, turning onto George and letting her eyes scan the dark houses and buildings along the way. The area was mostly residential, though a few businesses and a school or two occupied each side. Caitlyn drove until she noticed a series of cars parked along the street in front of an unobtrusive building. Slowly easing her way past, she turned her head and took in a darkened entrance, red glowing neon barely visible inside the window above a big black door. Two men stood outside, one smoking, the other keeping an eye on the door.
Turning into the dark parking lot of an abandoned restaurant half a block down the street, Caitlyn turned the motor to her cycle off and put the kickstand down. Reaching up, she undid the chin strap to her helmet and took it off, shaking her pale blond hair out into the night air. She was wearing her thick leather riding jacket and black riding gloves. Naturally, she had no license to drive her bike, but it didn't stop her. It never had.
Swinging her leg over, she climbed off and stood, looking around her. The area was deserted and as black as the night, whatever lighting the parking lot once had was either burned out or gone. Securing her helmet to her bike, she walked forward until she was at the edge of the building, able to look around the corner and down the street to where she had located the bar. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned the area and thought about the best way to get closer.
"Well, what a rotten hole that place is. The dullards at the door shouldn't be a problem."
She murmured to herself into the night air. She had dreamed about this night for months. Ever since they had told her that the one family member she had left, her aunt Lissa, had disappeared here, Caitlyn had been waiting to find out what happened to her. The police had done nothing, they knew nothing. They said they couldn't help if there was no evidence of foul play, and there wasn't. But Caitlyn knew something was wrong.
She'd been sent to live with her aunt in Chicago after her parents had died. Lissa was her mom's younger sister and they had always gotten along. She never treated the teenager like she was a kid. When Lissa didn't return one night, Caitlyn had worried herself sick. The next night, she had called the police. The next, she had tracked down some of her aunt's friends at The Whip Room and ever since that time, they had come up with nothing. It was like Lissa vanished into thin air. That was two months ago and Caitlyn wasn't giving up. Meeting Tina Amphipoli and her friend, Mariel, had been the break she was looking for and the reason she was standing here peering around a building in the middle of the night. If anyone could help her find her aunt, Tina could.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
A menacing voice near her ear caused Caitlyn to jump as a bare arm went around her neck and another arm twisted hers behind her back in a steel grip. Struggling, the girl tried to kick free, using all the moves Losa had taught her but to no avail. The person holding her was taller and stronger and more determined to keep Caitlyn prisoner. Caitlyn tasted cloth as a gag was wrapped roughly around her head and put in her mouth.
"Looks like I found myself a little snooper, hmm? Such a young girl out by herself so late at night...pity."
And with that Cirra Callistone laughed, twisting Caitlyn's arm harder behind her back as she pulled her forward towards the street. With a quick nod of her head, she signaled to the men at the Cage door and spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet against the girl's ear.
"Marakesh is very nice this time of year, precious one. Wanna go?"
It was strange to imagine that a club like The Cage could exist in relative seclusion in this neighborhood but when an old abandoned two-story apartment building had been bought with cash a year ago by some unknown corporation, no one bothered to question it. Workers immediately gutted the place and redid the inside, reinforcing it with thick walls and enough other renovations that even at the height of the night when the music was the loudest inside, neighbors only heard a very faint beat outside. Security was tight so there were never any street fights or bar fights for that matter. As unsavory as some of the people going into the club were perceived by the residents on the street, there was never anything to complain about and they had learned that it was best not to make waves anyway.
Tina held up her hand and they stopped, her head cocking to the side as she listened, narrowing her eyes in the darkness. They had gone about two blocks without seeing anything resembling a back entrance to this place and the detective was beginning to suspect they had either missed it or were on the wrong side of George. But the faint thumping sound ahead and to their left insisted that they were very close. Seeing a dark garage ahead, Tina led them towards it, pressing their bodies against the rickety wooden surface. Peering her head around, she caught sight of a tiny lighted doorway on the other side of a row of parked cars. The two level building next to them had black painted windows and one could mistake it from the back for any other business that might be along the street. The investigator turned back around, leaning down to whisper into Mariel's ear.
"This is it. There's a doorway in front of those cars. I can't see anyone there right now, but we're going to have to get closer. Follow me."
The scientist nodded, her face serious and alert. Reaching out, she put her hand on the back of Tina's leather jacket to keep close in the darkness as the detective started forward and around the garage. They quietly moved along the wall facing the club until they were behind the first parked car in a row of five. Squatting down at the back bumper, Tina used her head to nod towards the next and they moved forward until they were at the car parked directly in front of the back entrance. The detective peered around and squinted, the entranceway was a dark narrow series of steps that led down, one dim light above it showing the only way in. From this vantage point, Tina could see that there was a man leaning back on a chair at the end of the steps next to the door, his booted foot up against one of the entryway walls. He was dressed all in black leather and wore a hat, much like one the police would wear but in black leather. Smoking, he was relaxed, a set of keys dangling from his beltloop. Tina turned back to Mariel and whispered again, her hand resting on the scientist's knee as she talked.
"I'm going up there and take him out. Once that's done, you come on up. Keep an eye out back here, ok?"
Mariel nodded, patting the detective on the arm before she watched Tina's tall form casually stand and saunter towards the door. The seated man immediately righted his chair and stood, surprised by the sudden appearance of someone walking between the cars. Seeing the leather and the fact that it was a woman, he relaxed a bit, moving forward to the top of the stairs as Tina came to meet him.
"Sorry sweetheart, this is boy's night."
Tina cocked her head, a smile coming to her face as she unzipped her jacket, affecting a nonchalance.
"Oh really? And there isn't any way I can persuade you to let me in?"
The guy laughed, his medium-sized bulky form shifting in the leather that encased him. Reaching out, he put his hand on the wall and leaned across the doorway, body language indicating that no one was getting past him. With a shake of his head, he spoke, his eyes looking up and down her with haughty disinterest.
"Honey, you've got nothing I want, believe me. Why don't you run along and find the rest of your little cunts. I hear all you fish like to swim together anyway."
Tina raised an eyebrow, immediately deciding she would have great pleasure taking this one out. It wasn't that she didn't like gay men, she did, really. Some of her best friends were gay men. But, you know, there was no excuse for crass remarks and attitude. With a sultry voice, she moved forward.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you it was rude to insult a woman?"
And with that, she skillfully drew the nightstick from her waist in one fluid motion and brought it up along side of the man's head, knocking his stupid little hat off and knocking him unconscious in one smooth move. Damn, that was easy. His body slumped in the steps, a mass of leather and bulk. Sighing, Tina returned the stick to her belt as Mariel made her way forward, joining the detective at her side and looking down at him. The scientist turned her head up to look at the detective and Tina shrugged.
"He had a dirty mouth."
Mariel looked back down at him and shrugged herself as they moved to pick him up by the boots, dragging his limp body along the dirty gravel parking area. Mariel reached down and took the keys from his belt, smiling up at Tina as she swung them from her fingers. With ease, Tina hauled his body up and threw him over the side of a dumpster, his body squishing in the garbage inside of it. Wiping her hands, she turned to Mariel who held out the man's hat and took it, rolling her eyes as she flung it in the dumpster and closed the lid. Well, that was the end of that.
"Come on."
Tina smiled and spoke, leading the way back towards the entrance. One down and who knew how many more to go. Luckily, Tina was just hitting her stride.
***
Cirra sat back at her usual booth, her arm around the back of the leather curved seats they were occupying. It was all coming together beautifully. Cirra smiled as she looked out over towards the balcony of her club, the dancing below just starting to pick up. She just got a call from one of her boys at the Mortar and Pestle that her prey was spotted there less than an hour ago. And now she had a nice little young visitor to entertain her while she waited.
Rolling her head to the side, she let the hand perched on the back of the booth reach forward and grab Caitlyn's hair, yanking her head back. Still gagged and now hands bound as well, the young girl tried to speak out, squirming in the seat. Cirra's voice was harsh as she brought her face close to the girl's.
"Oh, save it! You're not going anywhere and no one's going to rescue you. You're on my turf now, little girl."
Caitlyn looked back at the crazy woman, her brown eyes menacingly psychotic and blond hair impossibly dyed near-white. She couldn't believe she let herself get caught so easily. And by this woman? It was all rot. If she ever got loose, she was going to knock this weirdo upside the head and then she was going to...
The girl's thoughts were interrupted by a rough yank of her head to the side, almost knocking her over on the booth bench. Cirra reached back over and hooked her arm around the girl's neck and brought her close, her hand removing the gag as she held Caitlyn securely.
"Now, you're going to tell me exactly what you were doing sneaking around my place, you little bitch."
Caitlyn struggled a bit but to no avail before she let her grey eyes lock up into Cirra's right next to her. With a defiant voice, she spoke.
"You can go to hell, whoever you are. You won't get away with this."
Cirra laughed one of those high-pitched schizophrenic laughs that indicate that the person making the sound has a limited grasp on reality. It was at that point Caitlyn was ever so grateful that Tina and Mariel were somewhere near here. The way this woman was behaving, she wouldn't be surprised if she left here in a body bag. And, the young girl realized, if this was who was responsible for her aunt's disappearance, things were not looking good. Cirra suddenly stopped laughing and her face contorted into one of rage. Hello, crazy person.
"I own you, you stupid little fucking bitch! You either talk or die!"
And with that, Cirra reached down and brought Caitlyn's bound hands up to the table holding them in a vise grip as her other arm squeezed the girl's neck. Reaching on the table, she took hold of a thin black lighter, its sleek design fitting in the palm of her hand. Flicking it open, the blow-torch of flame appeared as Cirra brought it closer to Caitlyn's hand. With a sickeningly sweet voice, the blond woman spoke.
"I'm going to carve my name on your skin with fire. Won't that be pretty?"
Caitlyn at that point decided that she was dealing with a non-rational person and thought it best to cooperate, more or less. She had no intention of telling this woman about the detective and her partner outside. That would only put them in danger. The longer she stalled the blond, the better chances they had. Making her young voice appear scared, Caitlyn spoke.
"I..I was looking for someone. She came here a couple of months ago and disappeared."
The flame in Cirra's hand continued to burn its blue-orange glow, inches away from the young girl's skin. With a cock of her head, Cirra squeezed tighter against Caitlyn's neck, turning her head to look at the girl as she spoke.
"Oh really? Hmm...what did she look like?"
Caitlyn swallowed at the pressure, her grey eyes beginning to water. The people that passed by Cirra's booth appeared not to notice or care that she was being held against her will and practically tortured. This was insane! Clearing her throat, she attempted to speak, her anger rising as she recalled her beloved aunt.
"She..she was tall as you and as old..she had longer brown wavy hair and glasses..she..she was my aunt and the only family I had left!"
Cirra let the flame extinguish before she put her hand to her own chin, affecting a look of bored thought.
"Well, to be honest, there have been so many, I lose track of them all. Hmm..oh wait a minute. Wasn't she a writer or something?"
Caitlyn's eyes went wide. Her aunt Lissa was one of Chicago's up and coming young writers. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. Yelling out desperately, Caitlyn tried to squirm free.
"Where is she?! Dammit, tell me!"
Cirra just laughed, her head tipped back as she arm clenched Caitlyn's neck tighter and her other hand clamped down on the girl's bound wrists. Still chuckling, Cirra moved closer, leaning her head against Caitlyn's and speaking softly in her ear.
"Your auntie is safe and sound in Buenos Aires. Of course, she's probably on her back as we speak, serving a nice pleasant young drug lord. Or she's dead. Who knows with these things?"
Cirra chuckled again as she raised up Caitlyn's gag before the young girl had a chance to cry out in anger and horror at learning the truth. Cirra released the girl who slumped over in the booth, sobs racking her young thin body. Regarding her as if she were looking at a specimen under a microscope, Cirra's dark brows came together in a look of mild surprise. Funny how people get so worked up about their family members. Why, that kind of pain was almost enough to drive someone crazy, wasn't it?
***
Once Tina unlocked the back door and they quickly went inside, they found themselves at the end of a long dark empty hallway, a set of doors separating the rest of the club from this area. There was an office door of some sort to the side of them and it appeared that the restrooms were in the hallway just after the doors in front of them. The detective checked the doorknob of the office and it opened, a small empty room with a chair and lightbulb was all it contained. Nodding to Mariel, Tina spoke quietly.
"Let's see if we can find one of those cooperative folks. We need to find out as much as we can before someone gets suspicious."
Mariel nodded as they moved forward, cautiously opening the doors and slipping through them. They were in a dimly lit red hallway, the entranceway to the club itself appeared to be around the right corner, the music louder in this area. Off to their side, there were two doors marked "Butch" and "Femme" and Tina pointed with her thumb, jerking it towards the "Femme" room. Mariel followed behind the detective as they entered the restroom, two stalls and a set of urinals occupied the dimly lit room. It was empty for now and smelled horrible. Just as they entered, they heard a round of voices coming down the hall towards them. Tina reached out and grabbed the scientist's wrist cuff and pulled her into one of the stalls, their bodies pressed together in the small space. Facing each other, Tina held up her hand and put a finger to her lips. Mariel smiled and nodded back. The voices came closer outside the hallway.
"And so, he was like, 'Girlfriend, your ass is just too fine.' and I was like, 'Roger, you just want a piece of it.' Naturally, he did."
The bathroom filled with the voices of men laughing as they crowded into the space. There were three of them, the detective could tell from the sound. Hearing the sound of two of them beginning to relieve themselves of the tequila sunrises they had been drinking all night, Tina and Mariel cocked their heads and listened.
"So, you let him stick in you or what?"
One man laughed, the sound of water running in the sink accompanied the activity at the urinals.
"Damn right I did. You know how hung he is!"
They all laughed again as they finished up, zipping zippers and washing hands and most assuredly primping in front of the mirror. Hearing them all move closer to the stall they occupied, Tina raised an eyebrow in question and put her hands on Mariel's shoulders, pushing her silently to her knees, using her head to signal the young doctor. Mariel looked up at the detective and nodded, her lips curving in a sly smile as she sank to her knees, her hands holding on to the investigator's belt. With a smile of her own, Tina let one of her hands drift over and gently smooth through the scientist's hair, her fingers gliding through silky blondness as they waited quietly. A deeper male voice spoke next to the stall Tina and Mariel occupied.
"Heh..looks like someone's in there getting a mouthful, huh?"
The other guys laughed as they made their way to the door, getting ready to go back out to the club. The one who had just spoken called out to them.
"Hey, I'll catch up with you. I need to take care of a little business. Todd just scored me some crank."
The other guys laughed, pushing their way through the bathroom door and out into the club. The man left in the restroom went over and locked the bathroom door, shuffling back over to the sink, calling out to whoever was in the stall.
"You guys go right ahead with what you're doing. I wouldn't mind listening to a little head while I'm in here."
He ran the water in the sink and from what Tina could tell, was preparing to deal with the drugs he referred to. Signaling to Mariel, Tina quietly unlatched the stall door and stepped outside, the scientist rising to her feet just as silently and holding back. The man was leaning over the counter near the sink, inhaling white powder in snortfuls. When he finished filling both sides of his nose, he closed his eyes and stood upright, drawing the drug further into his body with a rush of sensation.
When he opened his eyes, he looked into the mirror and saw Tina's tall form standing behind him before her arm snaked out as quick as a flash of lightening and brought the nightstick to his mouth, filling it with the black wood. Using her booted foot, she kicked out his knees behind him and he sank to the floor with a thud, wincing as his knees hit the hard cement surface. The detective's leathered arm reached around his neck and she squeezed, the pressure making him clamp down on the nightstick in his mouth. Leaning down, she smiled menacingly.
"I can cut off the flow of blood to your brain if I squeeze hard enough. You'd be dead in 30 seconds. Or you can talk."
He struggled just a bit, trying to comprehend what was going on and the fact that it was beginning to get hard to breathe. Mariel walked around in front of him and crouched down, her eyes finding his.
"Listen, it'll be easier if you just tell us a few things, ok?"
The man's eyes were wide with both fear and the drug as he shakily nodded his head. Tina kept her grip tight around his neck just so he knew she was there but loosened it enough so he could breathe as she pulled the nightstick from in front of his face. Putting her mouth near the back of his head and ear, she spoke in a clipped tone of voice.
"Who runs this place and where can I find him?"
Swallowing at the dryness in his mouth and the racing of his heart, the man cleared his throat, his eyes preferring to focus on the woman in front of him rather than the very big and menacing one behind him. With a halting voice, he answered.
"I don't know her name but she's upstairs."
Tina narrowed her eyes and her arm squeezed tighter, growling out her words to him.
"What's her name?"
The man's eyes were panicky as the air cut off from his lungs. Reaching out, he put his hands on the floor to steady himself as he coughed, his eyes looking pleadingly at Mariel.
"I don't know it, I swear to God. I've only come here a few times...I swear!"
Mariel looked at him and then let her eyes find Tina's. With a little cock of her head, she silently asked the detective to let up a bit on the guy. Clenching her teeth together, Tina reluctantly let the man take a breath of air. It would be so easy to just...the investigator's thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand on her arm, Mariel's soft green eyes settling her down. Turning her attention back to the man, the scientist spoke quietly to him.
"Does she run an operation here that sells kids?"
The man's eyes were wide. That was one of the biggest vows of secrecy everyone associated with this club took. No one was allowed to enter unless they were sponsored by someone and whatever rumors they heard about what went on in or around the Cage was never to be repeated. He didn't know if it were true, but he had heard from his friend, Todd, that the blond woman who sat upstairs would kill anyone who spoke to outsiders. He thought it was an exaggeration until one of Todd's friend was found hacked to pieces under a Chicago expressway. With a shaking voice, his eyes darted from the young woman in front of him to the woman he could barely see in the mirror behind him.
"She'd kill me if I said anything. I don't know nothing about selling kids."
Tina's knee drove into his back, making him cough and pitch forward a bit. Yanking his head back, the detective let her voice lower to its most dangerous register.
"And I'll kill you if you don't tell me. You've got a choice here."
Mariel looked at both of them, knowing this was necessary to find out what was going on. Reaching out, she let her hand touch against the man's arm. Speaking softly, she let her eyes flick up to Tina before coming to rest back on his.
"She means it. Tell us what you know and you can leave out the back now and never come back."
The man swallowed, weighing his options in his head. He had no loyalty to that crazy bitch upstairs, seeing her handiwork across the backs of some of the men he had bedded. He wasn't really into the leather scene that much, but his ex-boyfriend brought him here and the coke was easy to score. Fuck if he was going to come back here. With a nod, he spoke haltingly.
"Look, all I know is that some of the guys sometimes bring kids in here for a price and she takes care of the rest. I stay clear of that stuff, I just come here for the drugs and the guys."
Mariel nodded, her eyes looking up to find Tina's. The detective was coiled, her body easily holding this man without effort. It was amazing how powerful Tina Amphipoli was. The scientist knew she was strong, but seeing her in action tonight and yesterday with those kids by her car really made that clear. She waited until the investigator made her decision about this guy. Leaning down, Tina spoke in his ear, her voice an edgy promise.
"Be smart and get out of here. You say anything to anyone on your way out, I'll make sure it's your last words on this earth, got it?"
The man looked at Mariel and let his head turn to catch Tina's eyes. They were the most intense blue he had ever seen and he could tell that behind them lay a thin wall of restraint that kept her from simply killing him outright. He wasn't stupid. He nodded his head and the detective brought him to his feet, twisting his arm around behind his back. The scientist walked over and unlocked the bathroom door, peeking her head out and making sure the coast was clear. With a hand signal, she waved Tina and the guy out, the detective shoving him back down the hallway and out the back door, locking it again behind him. What they didn't see was the fact that the man pissed his leather pants as he ran as fast and as far away from the Cage as he could.
Turning to Mariel, the detective put her nightstick back on her waist before running a hand through her dark hair. Her heart was still pounding at the adrenalin pumping through her body. She had always felt a rush when it came to the more physical aspects of her job. She had broken more bones than she could remember and had unfortunately nearly killed two or three uncooperative scumbags in the cases she had worked over the years. If she were honest, she'd have to admit fighting thrilled her and spoke to a part of her buried deep inside that was hard to control in the heat of things.
Mariel gently reached out, her arm circling around the tall detective's waist, her hand moving under the big leather jacket covering her partner's muscled form. With soothing strokes, the scientist let her hand move against Tina's t-shirted back, finding the tension underneath as she pressed and stroked. Leaning up, she spoke quietly to the detective.
"You're beautiful when you're angry, Tina."
Tina's startled eyes looked down at the scientist as Mariel squeezed lightly against the detective's muscular side. Raising a dark golden eyebrow, Mariel smiled up at Tina and patted against the warmth under her hand as she spoke.
"Now let's go kick this chick's ass and hightail it outta here."
"Oh come on already! Get over here."
She yelled, watching him practically run to her and lower his eyes obediently.
"Mistress Cirra."
The blond reached out and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him over to the booth, her eyes flicking to the occupant laying sprawled in it.
"Watch her. If she moves, subdue her."
The guy looked over at Caitlyn's form and nodded, a smile coming to his youthful face as he spoke.
"You mean beat her."
Cirra looked up from the bustier she was adjusting on herself and eyed him, her brown gaze darkening as she narrowed her eyes.
"I mean subdue her."
She quietly and menacingly held his eyes before he nodded, lowering his own head and sliding into the booth next to the young girl. He personally had heard horror stories of Cirra's temper and had seen the end results enough to know that he was lucky not to have been knocked clear across the floor. He watched as she went over to her favorite perch above the dance floor, her eyes scanning the crowd below with studied interest, her body twitching with nervous energy. Wow, she was nuts.
Ten years, three months, five days, seven hours, thirty-eight minutes and fourteen seconds. That's how long she had been waiting for this opportunity, how long she had been planning it all. Cirra's mind raced from her memories of the past to the present moment and back again, double-checking all her arrangements, remembering the image burned so deep inside of her she often couldn't tell if it was real or something she made up. She was spiraling towards total dissociation, a rather fortuitous side effect of what happened to her long ago. It was easy, then, to remove her emotions from it all, to be totally focused on her goal. Emotions got in the way, ruined all the careful planning. Her psychotic mind decided that she would simply no longer have any of them. She would feel nothing and the pain would go away and she would have what she always wanted.
Pure, clean, simple revenge.
"Here kitty kitty kitty...."
Cirra Callistone's soft lyrical voice called out in the din of the club, the music thumping all around her and voices rising up, some in the club, some in her own head. An anxious smile started to slowly cross her face, brown eyes sparkling with lunatic glee. Pretty kitty come to mama.
***
Walking casually into the loud and crowded men's bar from the back hallway, Tina pulled Mariel along by her wrist cuff, the detective's gaze steady and confident. The few guys who bothered to notice just gave them a bored look and went back to their activities. It wasn't like they were the only women in the club, there were a few, but most of those women were completely dominated by their masters, bound in all sorts of outrageous ways. It was clear, though, that Tina and Mariel were the only women who were there specifically together.
Roughly, the detective pulled the smaller woman to a high table near the bar, her face a challenge to any who might question them. Moving one of the tall bar chairs out, she sat down, hooking her motorcycle boots on the low rungs of the chair before spreading her knees. Pulling the scientist in to stand sideways between her legs, she reached out one of her hands and possessively curled it around the younger woman's hip in a show for the boys. The look on her face was enough to keep any of the men from saying anything, most of them smart enough not to mess with a big leather dyke.
Mariel lowered her eyes, letting her hand rest gently on top of Tina's thigh in front of her as she tried to look as submissive as possible. The detective glared at a few on-lookers who quickly turned away before she pulled Mariel to her closer, leaning in against the side of the scientist's head as she spoke loud enough for only her to hear.
"We've got to figure out a way to get upstairs. See those guys over there near the stairs? They're not letting anyone up."
Mariel unobtrusively let her eyes look out over the crowd, seeing a set of stairs that led up but nothing else. From their vantage point, they could only see the front of the club, the upper level obscured by a low ceiling in this part of the bar. The dance floor was also between them and the stairs to the right of the club's front entrance adding more distraction between them and their destination. It wasn't going to be easy.
Nodding, Mariel pressed further between the detective's legs as she turned her head, her mouth moving up to find Tina's ear hidden behind long dark hair. With a soft voice that carried easily in the lack of space between them, she spoke.
"Wouldn't there be more than one exit from up there? Most cities have pretty strict fire codes, don't they?"
Tina let her fingers squeeze against the scientist's hip, feeling both bare skin and leather. The sound of Mariel's voice in her ear and the incredible proximity of her body to the investigator's was certainly raising a few alarms in her as it was. She was still a bit amped by their previous encounters in the back of the club and this was most definitely not making her body calm down. And the way the young doctor smelled...her hair still held a hint of whatever that was she had noticed earlier in the day on the way to lunch. That smell, in and of itself, was intoxicating enough to simply pass out from and the detective was no slouch when it came to drinking she had to admit. Pulling back, Tina reached her other hand up and let her fingers curve along the scientist's jawline and down the side of her neck before she looked directly into Mariel's eyes.
"Do you know just how hard it is to concentrate on this case?"
Mariel smiled, her hand lightly trailing along the dark grey cloth that covered the detective's thigh. She had long ago given up on any pretense of reservation. As new as she might be to this whole dynamic, she was, fundamentally, a feeling person and right now, she was feeling everything, her own heart pounding in her chest. Still standing between the detective's legs, she turned to face Tina and reached her arms up, draping them around the investigator's neck, feeling strong hands gripping her hips in return. Coming in close, the young doctor leaned up on her tiptoes and let her forehead rest against the dark brow of the detective before she breathed out.
"Yes, I do."
They were an inch away from each other, everyone else forgotten in the din of the music and crowd before one rather insistent waiter came up and tapped Tina on the shoulder, his high-pitched voice breaking the moment.
"You ladies need a drink?"
Mariel felt the muscles in the body next to her shift, preparing to strike. With a smile, she eased back, her hands smoothing down along the leather covering Tina's broad shoulders. Letting her hands come to rest on the tops of the investigator's thighs, she raised her eyebrow and let her green gaze fall directly into the detective's. Reluctantly, Tina turned her gaze, giving the waiter one of her best Looks before she spoke gruffly, her hands never leaving where they were and her knees coming together to make sure the woman in front of her wasn't planning on going anywhere. As if.
"Two waters."
The man took one look at Tina's expression and moved quickly, having the good sense to know when he was interrupting something. Letting her hands move up along the scientist's bare sides under her jacket, Tina smiled slowly, her voice low.
"Now, where were we?"
At that instant, Mariel's eyes narrowed as she looked over the taller detective's shoulder towards the bar. On her tiptoes, she peered past Tina, taking in movement in the darkened club. Looking back at the investigator excitedly, she leaned in and moved her hands back around Tina's neck, her face burrowing in against the warm darkness of the detective's hair.
"I found it! The other set of steps is right near the bar, there's a door off to the side. I just saw someone come down from there."
Casually, Tina leaned her elbow back on the table behind her and pretended to stretch her neck, a bored expression on her face as her eyes took in the scene behind her. The bar was busy, which was good, easier to slip by unnoticed. The door itself was at the very end, unobtrusive and unguarded. There were lots of men crowded around the space surrounding the semi-lit bar, waiting for drinks or socializing. The one good thing about a leather crowd in this situation was that the black of their outfits made it that much easier not to be noticed in the darkness. Tina turned as the waiter came up with their little bottled waters and put them on the table, his voice pleasantly social.
"Four dollars, please."
Mariel's expression was one of horror as she blurted out, forgetting for a minute where they were and what they were doing.
"Four dollars? You've got to be kidding! Water used to be free, didn't it?"
The scientist felt hands move against her bare sides, lightly squeezing but enough to get her attention. Turning to Tina, her eyes caught the gently scolding look on the detective's face as Tina cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Smiling slyly, the detective rolled her head over to the waiter and drawled in an amused voice.
"She's uppity, what are you gonna do?"
The waiter laughed and shook his head, being that way himself, he knew exactly what this woman would probably do to her cute little blond friend. He smiled back as the detective reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out a five, handing it over to him with a nod before he moved off.
"Sorry."
Mariel's voice was remorseful as she grimaced, knowing she had spoken out of turn in this club. She felt Tina chuckle as the detective stood up and stretched, her tall body looming over her. Putting her arm around the young doctor's shoulder, Tina pulled her close and leaned down, speaking near Mariel's ear.
"You do realize I'll have to punish you later for that, don't you?"
The scientist pulled back to get a look at the gently teasing expression on Tina's face, perfect lips curved in a smile. Letting a smile of her own form, Mariel leaned up and spoke, her own arm slipping up and wrapping around the detective's waist.
"Is that a promise?"
Tina's eyes caught Mariel's and she held them for a second before she spoke, her voice low and serious.
"Do you want it to be?"
Mariel swallowed, knowing that the question Tina was asking had very little to do with actual 'punishment' and very much to do with what would happen once this case was resolved. Whatever doubt she might have had (and there was very little of that) faded when she looked into deep blue gazing back at her without any pressure or any expectations, just honest and unassuming regard. Tina was asking her if she felt the undeniable attraction between them and whether this was something she wanted. And, Mariel inwardly decided as she squeezed against the detective's solid, comforting body, this was something she wanted very much. With a soft nod, she let her heart slowly and cautiously come out of its long hibernation to show on her face and in her eyes.
Tina looked at her a moment longer, seeing that the young scientist was serious. It had been a long time since she had felt this way, since Mala years ago, and as strong as she appeared on the outside, her own heart was feeling very weak when it came to this one young small town woman who appeared out of nowhere in her life and had simply charmed her way inside the walls detective had built. She could fight the toughest thugs on the streets, go one on one with the most cunningly corrupt businessman or politician, but she simply had no defenses against Mariel Potidean. And right now, the last thing she wanted to do was fight against this....fighting for it was another matter altogether. With a nod of her own, Tina pulled Mariel closer to her and started to move them towards the bar, anxious to get things taken care of and get the scientist out of a place like this.
"Come on...let's check out those stairs."
Before they got very far, Mariel pulled them up short and reached back to the table they had just left, grabbing one of the waters and taking a long drink, almost draining the small bottle. Putting the almost empty container back on the table, she turned and looked at Tina who had an amused smile on her face and a raised brow. Mariel shrugged her shoulders and smiled, commenting in a light voice.
"What? I wanted to know what two dollar water tastes like."
They both chuckled, pushing their way through the crowd to the bar, unaware that a set of eyes were watching them. The figure turned and made his way towards the front of the club and the stairs there.
***
Cirra heard a sound just behind her, a hesitant cough and clearing of a throat. Drawing her eyes away from the scene below her she turned, looking down at the little man with a mixture of boredom and annoyance, her voice conveying that in a single word.
"What?"
The waiter lowered his eyes respectfully.
"She's here."
Cirra suddenly let out a little scream of delight before she reached over and roughly grabbed the waiter, her hands grasping his shoulders and her fingernails digging into his skin. Pulling him close, she spoke excitedly.
"Are you sure it's her?!"
The waiter winced, feeling Cirra's claws starting to break the skin on his bare shoulders. With his eyes raising slightly, he nodded.
"She's just like you described. Tall, long black hair, blue eyes....very beautiful."
The blond's face contorted in rage as she backhanded the waiter, her voice a harsh yell.
"She is not beautiful, you stupid fucking piece of shit! Do you hear me?!"
It was clear to the waiter as his head snapped to the side and his lip burst open that Cirra had finally started to crack. As long as he had known her, all the guys had taken bets to see when she would finally go over the edge. Up until this point, everything she did was calculating and cruel, yes, but she had maintained a certain distance and lack of involvement. Selling kids was like a hobby for her, her real career focused on some other thing no one really knew. The waiter realized that other thing was the woman downstairs.
Cirra pulled back, letting him go as she collected herself, a smile crazily coming across her face as she ran a hand through her hair and smoothed her hands over her leather pants, murmuring to herself.
"I've got to look my best for you, my sweet, don't I? Oh, I promise you that you'll enjoy our reunion."
She knew it was only a matter of time before Tina Amphipoli would find her. The kitty was coming, the kitty was coming!
Pushing past the waiter without a second thought, she walked over to the booth and leaned in, grabbing Caitlyn by the hair and yanking the startled girl out. Stumbling and trying to get to her feet, Caitlyn lurched as Cirra reached down to her boot and pulled out a shining blade of silver. With a laugh, she dragged the young girl over to the balcony and pushed her against the railing, standing slightly behind her. With a swift move, she reached around and let the blade rest against the wildly beating pulse of Caitlyn's neck.
And waited.
"We need to get in here without anyone seeing us."
Mariel nodded and looked around, thinking about the situation before she smiled, her eyebrow raising up just a bit before she leaned up, letting her words find Tina's ear.
"I have an idea."
The detective nodded and watched as Mariel casually strolled over to a man standing at the end of the bar nearest them. Tapping on his shoulder, the shorter blond woman smiled at him and moved her hands innocently behind her back, rocking a bit on her heels as he turned and looked down at her. Tina watched as Mariel leaned up and said something to the guy, his brows coming together as he looked at the guy squeezed in the space at the bar next to him. She saw the scientist shrug as the guy said something to her and looked back at the guy next to him. All hell broke loose promptly thereafter. Before the investigator knew it, Mariel was backing away quickly and the first punch was thrown. After that, it was a virtual free-for-all as all the men clustered around the bar and the bartenders were in a fray, yelling and fighting.
Tina took that as their cue to slip in the door, which she did, leading the way as Mariel quickly followed, pulling the heavy door shut behind them. They found themselves in the relative quiet and darkness of the stairs, a little red light shining at the top the only illumination. A few stairs into their climb, Tina turned and faced the scientist, smiling.
"What did you say to him?"
Mariel just shrugged as she followed the detective up, her voice sounding casual.
"I just told him that the guy next to him called him a bottom."
As they reached the door at the top of the stairs, Tina turned and asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"And how did you know he wasn't?"
The scientist smirked, putting her hands on her hips as she cocked her head. Even in the dim light of the stairwell, Tina could see the sparkle in green eyes before Mariel playfully reached out and let her hand find the detective's, giving it a gentle tug.
"Tina, I think I'd know a Top when I saw one."
Tina chuckled before her face got serious, looking down at the young doctor. Putting her hands on both of Mariel's shoulders, she spoke.
"We should have the element of surprise here. We're not going to take her down, we're just going to get a look and then get out of here."
The scientist nodded, feeling the sure strength of Tina's hands on her shoulders. Letting her eyes catch the detective's, she agreed.
"Right. I told Eph I'd report in later tonight so she's expecting to hear from me. Once we get an idea of who we're dealing with, we can all sit down and figure out how to take care of her."
Tina growled, her blue eyes growing dark as she stood straight, her hands clenching tight. Even here, Mariel could see the lines of tension starting to form on the detective's face as she ground out her words.
"I know how I'd like to take care of her, whoever she is."
A slight smile crossed Mariel's lips, understanding the sentiment and almost wishing they could take care of this monster in a manner fitting the crime for which she was most likely responsible. The young doctor's strong sense of justice, however, worked its way through as it always did and she, of course, would make sure this person was dealt with fairly. Still, the idea of watching the detective clean the floor with this woman was a rather pleasant thought. Letting her hand find Tina's, she tugged it again and murmured softly in gentle understanding.
"I know."
Tina took a deep breath and nodded, putting one hand on the door handle and the other idly entangling itself in the scientist's own before she gave a squeeze and let it go. Just as she was about to open the door, she spoke.
"Listen, Mariel. Let me take care of the big stuff. I don't know what's going to happen once I open this door so stick close and be ready."
Shifting a bit, Mariel looked up into blue eyes before she took a breath, nodding her head at the detective's words.
"I'm right with you, Tina...all the way."
And she was, completely and totally with Tina in this. What started off as her first case had now become something more for both of them. They had found a kindred spirit, albeit one neither would have suspected, in a very big world and that was something that didn't come around every day. With that knowledge, they opened to door to the second floor, the pulsating sound of Cirra's Cage greeting them.
And it was like slow motion, like the still frames of a movie being played across a three dimensional screen. The door opened and Tina walked forward, Mariel coming to stand slightly off to the side behind her. In the darkness of the club, people parted in front of them to both sides as the iridescent light of the dance floor beamed up to the balcony, a laser show of blues and greens, but mostly reds. And in that swirling sea of lights not twenty feet from them, a figure emerged standing, blond white hair wild and aglow, a strobe light flicking across Cirra Callistone's smiling face.
"Caitlyn!"
Mariel yelled out, which made the scene around them seemingly speed up to regular time as she spotted the young girl they had first met at the Whip Room earlier, her bound hands behind her back and a knife pressed against her throat. Tina quickly held out her arm, holding the young scientist from pressing forward towards her which was her natural inclination.
Cirra tipped her head back and laughed before she felt Caitlyn struggle, her face changing in a split second to one of anger, the dagger pressing in further against the girl's skin. Oh, how she had imagined this meeting. Ah, but the fun was just getting started. After all, she had waited this long, she was going to draw it out and milk every possible second of this. If it made Tina Amphipoli miserable even one iota, it was worth it. Suffer, bitch! Locking her brown eyes on the detective, she sneered.
"You want me? Come and get me!"
And with that, a blast of dance floor smoke rose from below, engulfing the balcony in whiteness, obscuring everything in a hazy cloud, the strobe lights making it blink on and off in brightness. Tina reached out and grabbed Mariel's arm, rushing forward through the smoke, fighting her way through bodies of people who suddenly appeared in her pathway. No one was directly confronting them, they were simply in the way. Mariel reached down and took Tina's hand, making sure she didn't lose the detective as they finally found their way to the top of the stairs. The blond woman was gone.
"Where'd she go!"
The scientist shouted above the music that had somehow gotten impossibly louder, the dancing below becoming more wild. Tina squinted in the smoke, looking down the steps as she waved some of the haze away from her. In the blink of an eye, she spotted blond hair at the club's entrance, red neon light illuminating a face that was vaguely familiar. The woman below looked directly at her before she blew a kiss to the detective and went out the door, dragging Caitlyn behind her.
"She's out! Come on!"
Tina shouted above the music as she turned toward Mariel, pointing towards the bar's front doorway. The young doctor nodded, letting go of Tina's hand as they ran down the stairs, dodging leather men in the way. Rushing to the bar's entrance, one of the doormen made a very stupid move by trying to get in front of Tina. With a right hand blow, she landed a solid punch on his jaw, felling him where he stood. Mariel skipped over the slumped man as Tina ran forward, flinging open the door into the cold night air. The two rushed on to the sidewalk and looked around, the street just as dark and foreboding as it had been earlier only it was eerily empty now. Nothing. Tina looked one way while Mariel looked another, trying to find a trace of where the elusive woman had gone.
"I don't see anything...where could she have gone?"
Mariel's voice was anxiously excited, her heart beating a mile a minute with worry. Seeing that blade against the poor girl's neck had nearly given her a heart attack. Tina moved close, her eyes still surveying, looking for any clues that might help them.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
The detective pulled open the door to the club, the doorman still wimpering on the floor, rubbing his broken jaw. The rest of the bar was either oblivious to what was going on or had wisely decided to stay out of the way. Reaching down, Tina hauled the guy up by his shoulders and roughly dragged him outside, his moaning louder when she unceremoniously dumped him on the sidewalk. Mariel stood off to the side, watching as Tina went to work. Bending down, Tina placed a knee against his windpipe and pressed, her body weight coming to rest on him. Panicked, his eyes went wide, the pain from his broken jaw now replaced by the pain of a knee to this throat. Tina leaned down, grabbed his damaged face and squeezed. Gritting her teeth, she spoke.
"I can make it so you'll wish your head wasn't attached to your body. Now, tell me who that blond woman is and where she went before things get messy."
Tina paused, her knee pushing further into his throat as her fingers found the broken bone in his jaw and she pressed against the fracture, a strangled cry coming from the doorman before she continued.
"Trust me, you don't want to see it when I get messy."
Mariel came closer, her eyes darting to the door and then back to the man. Gasping, he nodded his head as he tried to speak.
"Her name is Cirra..."
Tina drew her hand back and eased up just a fraction from his neck, her eyes blinking a bit. How many Cirra's in this world could there be? In a softer voice, she looked back at the guy and questioned.
"Cirra?....Cirra Callistone?"
The man looked at her and nodded as best he could, the pain unbearable. She had told him this might happen and he was willing to do her bidding, but damn, Cirra didn't tell him it was going to hurt like a motherfucker.
Mariel put her hand on Tina's shoulder and waited for the detective to look up, which she eventually did. The scientist's brows came together in concern and puzzlement.
"Do you know her, Tina?"
Blue eyes were completely unreadable as Tina nodded, her voice haltingly surprised in the chilled air.
"Yes....yes, I do."
Tina paused a brief moment before she narrowed her eyes down at the doorman, her knee digging into his windpipe. With the coldest voice Mariel had ever heard from the investigator, Tina leaned in until her face was a few inches from the man's and spoke, her fingers finding his broken jaw again.
"Where'd she go?"
With a squeal of pain, the man struggled, the pressure on this neck making it harder to think and breath with each passing second. And he didn't and couldn't even begin to deal with the pain in his face. With a strangled voice, his eyes looked into the darkest set of blue he had ever seen as he gave up the information he was told.
"Olympian Tool and...Dye...on...Cermak....east."
Tina took what he said in, giving his jaw a squeeze to insure that he wasn't lying. When he gasped and said nothing more with a wild look that those who know they are close to death get, she pulled her knee back and stood. Mariel watched as the detective's body seemed to get taller and bigger as she took in a breath, letting it out as she ran a hand through her dark bangs. Looking around, Tina collected herself and nodded, her voice distant.
"Come on...we need to hurry."
Mariel just nodded at her, half afraid of where Tina had gone, the warmth in blue eyes replaced by a determined, cold look. Glancing down at the doorman who was curled in a ball of pain on the sidewalk, she watched as Tina stepped over him without another thought and took off down George Street, her long strides starting to jog. Catching up, the scientist ran along side the investigator down the dark sidewalk, the quiet only broken by the sound of their footfalls on concrete.
***
She had no clue where they were going as they jogged along the city streets, covering the ground they had already walked on their way from the Mortar and Pestle. They were both in shape, breathing steadily as they paced themselves. Tina was as silent as the clouds covering the stars above them, her gaze focused in front of her. Mariel simply followed along, instinctively knowing it best to let the detective have her space. She recognized that Tina finding out that she somehow knew the woman who held Caitlyn captive and who sold kids into slavery was something that took a minute or ten to get used to and deal.
They jogged past the Mortar and Pestle, the leather club still hopping at two in the morning on a Friday night. At the corner of Belmont, Tina slowed down and stopped, both of their breathing slightly heavy from the exertion but far from winded. Mariel put her hands on her knees and bent over a bit, stretching and catching her breath before she looked up, her eyes falling on Tina's pacing form.
"Tina, are you alright?"
The detective stopped and nodded her head, her eyes narrowing a bit as she adjusted the nightstick at her side. It was almost like the person she knew had been replaced by someone else, the lack of emotion and that unreadable stoic face in place.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I parked the Buick down one of these side streets earlier while you were getting ready with Layla. I need to find it and get to this place on Cermak."
Mariel wasn't fooled by Tina's no nonsense Chicago gruffness, at least not anymore. Coming over to the tall woman whose eyes were scanning the intersection, she reached out her hand and took one of Tina's, her smaller fingers gently prying open the clenched fist the investigator had unconsciously made. Letting her own fingers relax into the strong hold, she moved around in front of Tina and spoke softly.
"Hi...remember me? Your partner? Don't shut me out please..."
Tina shook her head, already decided that she wasn't going to take Mariel with her. Not to some crazy business on the near South Side to face who knows what with a woman she barely remembered. Seeing Caitlyn's terrified face pretty much sealed that deal. It was getting far too dangerous and far too personal. Letting the young doctor's hand go, Tina looked down at the Mariel.
"You can't go, Mariel. Call Eph and have her meet you at the Bureau office. Debrief her and your part's over. They can take it from there."
Mariel was silent, her eyes searching Tina's unbelieving. Swallowing, she watched as Tina started to turn away, leaving her there on the corner.
"So that's it, huh?"
The scientist's voice called out and Tina stopped, looking over her shoulder at the young woman. Mariel's face was stone, trying to hide the hurt before she continued.
"We come all this way together and you just decide to go it alone."
Tina turned back towards her and held up a hand, her expression noncommital.
"Listen, I don't need anyone, ok? Now, I've got to go. Call Eph from that payphone and have her come get you. It should be safe to wait here."
Mariel watched as the detective turned and started down the street, her tall form silhouetted under the streetlights. And she could have just watched her keep going if she wanted to, but every single atom inside her was calling out not to let her walk away. Every single fiber of her being told her to follow Tina to the ends of the world if need be, but not to let her go, not now. Luckily, Mariel Potidean had learned a thing or two over the years about going with her feelings. Besides that, she was stubborn, dammit, and she was not going to give up so easily.
Running, she closed the half-block distance between her and the detective and moved around in front of her, reaching out and taking her hand again, needing to connect physically with this woman. Tina gave her a look and was just about to protest before Mariel held up her free hand.
"Tina, hear me out please. You know, this isn't about you not needing someone. This is about me wanting to be with you."
Tina shook her head, her voice low and pained.
"Mariel, I can't risk you getting hurt."
The scientist reached out and took Tina's other hand, her smaller ones entwining in the warmth. With a serious expression, Mariel let her eyes find Tina's before she spoke.
"If I lived a nice, safe, simple life, I would never know what it felt like to risk something important to me and have it pay off in the end. Tina, I knew the risks involved and I chose to take them eyes wide open. I don't ever want to regret not taking a chance. Please."
Tina breathed in and looked into green eyes that fairly glowed even in the darkness of the sidewalk. Mariel's cheeks were flushed slightly red from the chill and from their run. The ever-present wind blew back her blond hair, wisps of golden red falling all around her face. In that moment, she knew that she wasn't protecting Mariel from something the young woman didn't want, she was protecting herself from the risk. Plain and simple, Tina was afraid to risk it all again and feel the gut-wrenching pain that could come from it. 'I've never backed down from anything in my life and I don't intend to start', the scientist's words came back to her in that determined voice of hers. Well, Tina Amphipoli didn't back down either, dammit. With a nod, the detective agreed, murmuring softly.
"Alright."
The smile that slowly spread across Mariel's lips and quickly lit up her entire face was worth it all. With an excited little noise, the scientist let go of Tina's hands and reached her arms up around the detective's neck, bouncing up a bit and hugging her hard as she felt Tina's arms move around her lower back in reflex. For one glorious moment, Mariel held on tight and squeezed, feeling her body press against the detective's warmth and Tina's hands on her bare skin under her jacket.
Pulling back slowly, she looked up into blue eyes, realizing right then and there that she had never quite seen that color before and certainly not this up close and personal. A lopsided smile was on Tina's face before it faded, matching the scientist's own softening expression. And Mariel decided that she really, really wanted to know what it felt like to touch those lips. So she did.
With infinite slowness, Mariel leaned back up, pulling herself closer with her arms around Tina's neck before she moved in, letting her lips barely press against the detective's own. It was like the softest thing imaginable, the way Tina's lips gently kissed her back. Warm and slow, Tina let the scientist control the kiss, Mariel's hesitant pressure sending a shiver down her strong body, every nerve ending suddenly tuned into the young doctor. For Mariel's part, her entire body shot up in temperature in an instant as the sensations of their lips together moved through her. When she felt Tina respond to her kiss by letting her tongue touch briefly against Mariel's lips, a soft wet caress, she thought she might indeed die from pure bliss. In that one moment, they both felt as if everything that came before made sense, that somehow they had found each other again after all this time. Finally. There, on a sidewalk in the heart of Chicago, in the middle of the night, and in the middle of a life and death case, Mariel and Tina shared their first kiss.
And it was so..so sweet.