Hello it's me again. Again thank you to all who have replied. Feedback is the 'crack' of my fanfic addiction.
Onyxsundrops: Thank you for bringing the dancing banana i always wanted one of those.
Willow Friendly: Thanks, I was hoping that bit would funny. I thought at some point it might be too cheesy, I almost didn't leave it in, but gave in to my inner corn-ball. I'm a sucker for the classic comedy pie in the face kind of thing. As for your mental health...I can't have kitten breakdowns on my concience so I'm updating. So for the well being of kitten minds and libidos everywhere...
UPDATE:
I was still recovering from the effects of having a powerful orgasm when my brain registered an annoying noise coming from the direction of my desk. Apparently the phone had been ringing for some time. Tara was still on her knees with her head resting on my thigh and her arms embracing my waist. I groaned as the ringing continued. “ I think I should get that. It could be important.” I said while stroking her head.
She sighed and rose slowly to her feet, stealing a quick kiss from my lips before sitting on the couch. I walked half naked across the room to answer the phone. “ Hello…” I said harshly and highly annoyed.
It was Buffy calling me from the docks. “ Hey Boss. Listen I think something big is going on around here. Everybody is looking alert and they’re all unusually tight lipped. I don’t know if any of what’s going on is related to our case, but something is definitely up.”
I frowned. “ On Mickey’s end or Carmine’s?” I asked.
“ Definitely Mickey’s end I tried all my charms on Lefty and he wouldn’t give up a peep. When I mentioned the Maclay name I think I saw him blink, but that could’ve just been his eye tic acting up. I hate to say it, but I think you’re the only one who can get the inside scoop.”
I hesitated before stating the obvious. “ You mean Danny.”
“ I know you don’t like talking to him just to get dirt. He was my friend too and I don’t like it either, but I’m telling you no one else is talking. Plus they’re all looking jittery and we don’t even know if it’s got anything to do with us. It wouldn’t be smart to snoop around if what we’re ‘snooping’ is none of our business, you know what I’m saying?”
I chewed on the information for a few seconds, pondering my options. “ Yeah. You’re right. You happen to know where he’s hanging around lately?”
“ Last I heard he was spending the better part of his time down at Lucky’s.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and gulped down hard “ That dive? Jeez I hate this. All right, I gotta do what I gotta do. I’ll go over right away; maybe I won’t catch him too watered down at this hour. Do me a favor and go down to Mr. Bogarty’s pawn shop I couldn’t get him on the horn this morning and ask him if Pop ever went to see him about some jewels. We can all meet down here at the office after five to compare notes.”
“ Will do Boss lady and hey you take care of yourself. Remember to eat and go to the bathroom and just do all that human stuff that you forget to do when you get wrapped up, o.k?”
Buffy’s concern brought a brief smile to my face. “ Yeah, yeah. You be careful too.”
I hung up and looked towards the couch. I had purposefully avoided looking in that particular direction while speaking to Buffy cause I knew exactly what could happen if I looked. I was again floored by Tara Maclay’s beauty and my concentration flew out the window and the window wasn’t even open.
She was sitting cross-legged still in her underwear and garter stockings. I thought >she’s gonna kill me< >but what a way to go< added my fevered mind. I cleared my throat and started to pick up my discarded clothing, gathering all of my will power to not pounce on the vision sitting before me. “ Uhm…I’m afraid we have to go now doll face.” I said in an almost pitiful voice.
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s o.k really. I’m sorry I distracted you.”
I pulled up my underwear and pants. “ Are you really sorry?” I asked.
She was buttoning up her blouse. “ No, not really. Just thought it would be the right thing to say.” She said flashing me a wicked smile.
“ You’re the Devil in a blue dress, you know that?” I said shaking my head.
She walked over to me looking suddenly vulnerable, hardly meeting my gaze. “ I don’t want to be a Devil. I don’t want to make trouble for you, I just…I just…want to be…” She stopped, looking distressed and out of words.
“ You just want to be what?” I asked gently caressing her cheek.
“ Yours.” She whispered, before meeting my lips for a kiss.
+++
The ride to Lucky’s was a quiet one. Tara was looking out the window seemingly lost in her own thoughts. I had some of my own thinking to do. “ Yours.” She had said and it had made my heart stop beating. I didn’t, I couldn’t respond to that. I was overwhelmed by a million emotions that I had never felt before. All I could do was offer a smile and another kiss before leaving the office.
In the car my thoughts drifted from the present to the past as we got closer to the seedy bar. > Danny what the hell happened to you?<
Daniel Osbourne and I grew up on the same side of the street. In high school he was part of the gang and for a brief while when I hadn’t completely come to terms with myself we had dated and shared a few kisses. He was a swell guy, quiet, funny and could play the trumpet like nobody’s business. It earned him the nickname ‘ wolf man’ cause when he blew on that horn it was like he was howling at the moon. I figured it was worth a shot, but it didn’t last. I figured things out pretty quickly; unfortunately it was too late. He had fallen in love, I hadn’t, I couldn’t and he took the whole thing pretty hard. We were still friends, but he started keeping new company. It’s a funny thing in my neighborhood half the guys are cops and the other half are hoods. That’s just the way it is. I’m somewhere in the middle myself, seeing how I never exactly play by the book. Now I know Danny is working for Mickey Malone a big mob boss and personal sworn enemy of mine. I’m not judging him because of the line of work he chose. Some of my other friends aren’t exactly choirboys. I’m not even angry that it’s Mickey that he’s working for. I just think he could do better. He just gave up somewhere along the line and I had never pegged him for a ‘quitter’.
A warm hand on my knee and a concerned voice interrupted my thoughts.
“ Are you o.k? ” She asked.
I turned and squeezed her hand. “ Sure thing.”
I must have not sounded very convincing cause she offered, “ You look worried or something. You can tell me about it if you want. I mean you don’t have to, but if you want…”
I patted her cheek. “ I’m all right, just thinking about an old friend.”
She kissed my hand. “ The friend we’re going to see? It seems like he upsets you.”
I took back my hand to shift gears. “ Listen this place where we’re going it’s not pretty. I don’t feel safe leaving you out here in the car, but it might not be so great inside either. I’ll escort you to a table where I can keep an eye on you while I speak to my friend, he doesn’t like strangers much.”
She didn’t miss a beat. “ Changing the subject? All right. Oh and I’m not worried I know that wherever we go I’ll be safe if I’m with you.”
I was touched by what she said. I only wished I had her certainty, this was unknown territory and I had all sorts of doubts running around in my head, like a marathon.
+++
Lucky’s was a run down gin joint near the docks; it was as dark and grimy on the outside as it was on the inside. As soon as we set foot in the inside my senses were assaulted by offending sights and smells. So were Tara’s from the wince I saw on her face from the corner of my eye. As I was taking her to a table near the door and with a view to the bar a drunk bumped into us, nearly making Tara fall. I steadied her with my hands and gave the guy a nasty stare. He was oblivious to it.
He looked Tara up and down through blurry eyes. “ Hey sweetheart looking for some company?” he slurred.
I grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and stared him down. “ Look chum, apologize to the lady and beat it before I beat you, get it?”
He didn’t get it. He was about to protest when a finger tapped him on the shoulder from behind. “ Get lost Charlie.”
The drunk smiled and hiccupped nervously “ Sure thing wolf. I didn’t mean no harm. I didn’t know they was with you, honest. Sorry ladies I’ll be on my way.” He said and quickly scurried out the door.
I motioned Tara to sit and I nodded to the new arrival. “ I didn’t need rescuing Danny.” I said very annoyed.
He shrugged his shoulders. “ Hey I wasn’t rescuing you. I was rescuing that poor fella from one of your infamous left hooks.”
I had to smile at that. I gave Tara a reassuring look and led Danny to the bar stools.
“ How you doing Danny?” I asked with genuine concern.
He poured himself a drink from a half empty bottle and downed a double in one gulp. “ I’ve been better, but then again I’ve also been worse.”
He was about to pour himself another and I stopped his hand on the bottle. “ Come on Danny you don’t need that.”
He pulled his hand away and looked at me harshly. “ You don’t know what I need. Did you come down here to lecture me? What are you my Mother or my priest?”
I shook my head. “ Neither Danny…I’m just saying…”
“ Nothing, don’t say nothin’. Just do me a favor and ask me what you came here to ask. You are here just cause you want to grill me about something, right?”
“ All right. Have you heard the name Donald Maclay lately?”
He took another drink and avoided looking at me. “ Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“ There seems to be a lot going on around here at the warehouses, what’s that about?”
He looked up and looked around the bar. “ I don’t know exactly. I’m a lowly runner in this game, but I’ve heard things. Mickey’s expecting something big, I know Sal the accountant and he said that the big guy took out a big chunk from the safe to assure his part in some mystery investment or something. Also I’ve seen some new faces down at the club looking pretty chummy with the boss man.”
“ What did they look like?”
“ I only got a real good look at one of them. He was medium height, blonde hair slicked back and a dapper looking suit.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. “ Thank you Danny. I want you to know I didn’t want to use you as a stool pigeon. I’d like to think that we’re still friends and if you ever want out of this life you can count on my help.”
He laughed with irony “ There’s only one way out of ‘ this life’ Red you know that.”
I was getting angry now. “ Hey, that’s a whole lot of crock and you know it! You make your own choices and you got options Danny, you’re better than this.” I said slamming down the empty shot glass.
He held his head in his hands and looked at me with a sour expression. “ Am I ? What options, huh? Playing the horn for two bits in some basement dive won’t put food the table Red. It wasn’t good enough for my family, it wasn’t good enough for you and certainly wasn’t good enough for Veruca or maybe it was me who wasn’t good enough or isn’t good enough for anything else except ‘this life’.”
I gripped him by the shoulders “ That’s even more of a crock. Your family? I heard that your mom’s heart broken about you and your sister is engaged to that nice Rory kid and will be moving out soon, besides there’s other ways to put food on the table. You know with me it was never about you, you know that. As for that Veruca dame, you were too good for her not the other way around Danny. Stop making excuses. I know you’ve been hurt but you gotta move on. This is no place for you.”
His eyes were watery now and I had to look away. I caught Tara staring at me intently and I stared back for a moment.
“ I wish I could believe that Red. I wish everything could be like it was when we were kids.”
I looked back at him and then Tara again. “ Well it can’t be. Let the past die and get on with your life and get off the pity stool.”
He looked in Tara’s direction. “ Is she part of the case you’re working on?”
“ Yeah.”
Now he was the one who put his hand on my arm. “ You got ‘ that gleam’ in your eyes Red. Be careful.”
I tried acting nonchalant. “ What gleam?”
He smiled. “ ‘ That gleam’ that you never got with me. She looks classy. Remember what your pop used to say? I wish I would’ve listened to him, cause Veruca didn’t only whistle, the dame sung and danced when she was driving me to my grave.”
I raised my eyebrows defiantly. “ Tara isn’t Veruca.”
He raised his hands in a defensive position “ Hey, I’m just saying be careful. Those uptown gals like crossing the tracks to see how the other half lives, they get in some action and then they cross right over again before they break a nail.”
“ This is not like that.” I said without really being sure of it myself.
“ Fine don’t listen to the guy who’s been through it before. Look if this is important to you I’ll keep my ears to the ground. I’ll let you know if I learn anything new. I would suggest that you keep a low profile from now on, Mickey would love an excuse to mess with you.”
He was going to take another drink and seemed to change his mind. He pushed the glass away and hesitated before saying, “ Hey and Red…thanks for the ‘word slapping’ I think I needed it. I’m gonna think about taking you up on your offer.”
I smiled and extended my arm for a handshake “ You do that Danny.”
He shook my hand, I walked over to Tara and we exited the bar. I left hoping to hear from Danny soon and not precisely about the case.
+++
Tara tried talking to me in the car about Danny and our exchange at the bar. I let her know that it wasn’t the best time for that story. We went to the hotel to pick up her things and drove back to the office. I wanted to see if there was anything new to go on.
Anya was filing her nails and listening to a jazz tune on the radio. “ Oh hello Boss. You got a message from Buffy she said Mr. Bogarty does know something but that he’ll only speak to you.” She looked at Tara suspiciously and lowered her voice to a conspiratory tone.
“ He also said that you should come alone.”
I nodded and looked over to Tara who was looking down at her shoes. I suppose feeling quite uncomfortable. “ Thank you Anya. Buzz me if anything new comes up. I’ll wait for Giles to check in before going over to the pawnshop. Oh and Anya…”
“ Knock if I’m going to enter. Gotcha.” She said winking and popping her bubble gum.
That woman really annoyed me sometimes. Tara blushed and followed me inside.
We had remained mostly quiet during the afternoon. None of what was happening made any damn sense. Now Mickey Malone of all people was some how mixed up in the whole deal. That just made everything more complicated and dangerous.
I took off my jacket and stared out the window for a while trying to clear my mind.
Tara cleared her throat and spoke in a small voice. “ Are you mad at me, did I do something wrong?”
I lowered the shades and turned to meet her sad gaze. “ No.” I loosened the knot in my tie. “ I just…I’m trying to think how all the pieces come together. It’s driving me nuts that I can’t see a connection.”
She rose from her chair and walked slowly towards me stopping a few inches from my body. “ I wish I could be more help.” She ran her hands through my hair, pulling back some stray strands from my face behind my ears. “ Is there anything I can do to help you now?” she asked in a soft and teasing tone.
I felt my mouth go dry and I was just about to respond when a loud shrill made her jump back. It was the phone again. “ Hold that thought.” I told her before answering.
“ Hello Giles. Yeah? I see. Well that’s not much to go on. O.k, here at five o’clock.”
I looked wistfully at Tara > work before play< I told myself. “ I have to go the day’s almost gone and we don’t have much to show for it. You can stay here with Anya.”
She gave me a pleading look. “ Don’t worry she’s a good egg, just a bit odd. Give her a chance. I’ll tell her to order you something to eat. You look tired too, that couch can make a pretty good bed if you want to nap a little or something.” I put on my jacket and she stepped up close to me again. She straightened my tie out and kissed my lips briefly.
“ Be careful.” She said holding on to my waist.
“ I will kid. I will.”
+++
I walked into ‘Mr. Bogarty’s pawn shop’ hopeful about finding some answers.
I was intrigued by his request to talk to me alone. He knew the rest of the gang and knew that they could be trusted unconditionally. Mr. Bogarty was a man that I grew up knowing through my father. He was an expert on jewels and antiques and he could get the skinny on any fence in town. He had helped my father out a couple of times on some ‘stolen goods’ cases.
He came out quickly from behind the counter as soon as he spotted me and rushed to put the ‘ closed’ sign on the door. “ I don’t want anyone interrupting us now.” He said looking nervously outside. “ Come sit down.”
I took off my hat and sat down quietly waiting for him to take the lead.
He wiped his forehead and adjusted his glasses. “ Oh dear, I was afraid this day might come. I tried warning your father.” He fidgeted in his chair. “I think I need a drink of something cold. Do you want anything child?” he asked and before I could even answer he was heading to the back room to fetch something.
I was getting antsy with all the stalling and accepted the drink when he came back. He took a long swig and then finally started talking. “ What you’re looking for it’s not ‘jewels’ it’s a ‘ jewel’ in singular. Your father came to me about it shortly before his accident. He sought me out not only for my knowledge on gems and our friendship, but because as you know I’m also a mythology and history enthusiast. This gem is very special, it’s called…”
He hesitated, took another drink and looked nervously around the room as if he were afraid that someone would listen in. “ The Eye of the Raven.” He said in a hushed tone.
I was about to interrupt to ask him some questions when he put his hand up and silenced me with a gesture. “ Please let me tell you the whole story and then you may ask anything that you want to. It’s quite an extraordinary tale. But there’s something you must also learn first, the gem is not the only thing that you need to look for.” He paused and ducked down behind the counter. I heard shuffling and a click of a lock. He stood exclaiming “ Ah-ha! I got it.! Here you’ll need this.” He said extending his hand and offering me a small silver key.
Again I was going to make with the questions when he simply squeezed the key into my hand and shook his head. “ Nah-uh remember no talking. This is a long story and we don’t have much time. Where was I? Oh yes…’ The Raven’ a lot of people are interested in its
‘Eye’ “ He said raising his glass half way and continuing, “ now listen to me you must trust no one. You have hidden enemies and they want…” He never finished the sentence a loud bang pierced the air and his glass shattered. I dove down instinctively and pulled out my piece I could hear screeching tires outside. I raised my head and put my back to the wall, I pushed back the shades with the tip of my revolver and there was no one outside except scared onlookers. I turned my attention back into the shop and Bogarty was still sitting at his chair clutching at his chest. I ran over to him and held him in my arms. I gently lifted one of his hands, it was bad, the blood was flowing too quickly from the wound. I knew he was a gonner. So did he. He held my hand tight as I lowered him to the ground. He wheezed and coughed. “ The ‘ Eye’ Don’t let them get the ‘ Eye’…”
He was in pain. “ Hey take it easy pops, don’t try anymore talking.” I said gently.
He grabbed the lapels of my jacket with as much strength as he could muster and gulped out in a labored breath, “ You…don’t…under-…it…could be the-end.” It was the last thing he ever said.
I got up with his blood all over my hands. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to punch somebody. What the Hell was going on? I exited the shop just as two flatfoots had finally managed to get their asses to the scene. Fortunately I knew one of them and that meant I wouldn’t have to waste too much time with explanations and red tape.
I asked around to see if there were any witnesses. What a surprise, there weren’t any.
When this sort of thing happens nobody ever sees a damn thing. I talked to my buddy in blue and he agreed to let me know if anything turned up. I thought I had spotted a familiar face in the street when I had looked through the cracks in the shades. I would check that out later.
I got in the car and slammed the door nearly off its frame. I had to sit there in silence for a while just calming down. I stared at the key that Mr. Bogarty had given me like it had all the answers. Now it wasn’t ‘jewels’ it was a ‘jewel’ leaving a trail of stiffs behind it and I was beginning to suspect that one of them could’ve been my father.
+++
The minute I walked through the door my friends jumped up from their sitting places and bombarded me with questions, everyone talking at once.
“ Oh my God boss…the blood…what happened?” Anya yelped.
“ Are ya hurt?” Xander asked turning me over and checking for injuries.
“ Good Lord!” Giles exclaimed wiping his glasses furiously and keeping a safe distance.
Buffy panicked “ What happened? Sit down. Should I bring you water? Does someone covered in blood need water?”
I had to whistle loudly like I was hailing a cab “ Hey!” I put out my arms. “ Everybody just stop. Anya the blood is not mine it’s Mr. Bogarty’s. Xander I’m not hurt anywhere unless you count the ringing in my ears from your girl’s screeching. Giles the good Lord be with you too and Buffy no I don’t want any water, thank you very much.”
“ Oh o.k” Everyone said in unison and sat back down looking at me expectantly.
Tara came out from the office upon hearing the ruckus and paled when she saw me.
She gasped and brought her hands to cover her mouth. I saw her sway a little on her feet and rushed over to catch her when she nearly fainted. “ Hey kid easy there. I got you.”
“ You’re hurt” She said nearly in tears.
“ I’m not. It’s not my blood. Calm down o.k?” I said putting her down in a chair. “ Anya do me a favor and get her some tea or something.”
Anya crossed her arms. “ Sure. Blondie gets tea and we get yelled at for worrying.”
I glared at her “ Anya….”
She uncrossed her arms. “ O.k, alright tea coming right up, plus doughnuts all around on you.”
Once I explained what had happened to minus a few details everyone was more settled down and I asked Tara to please wait outside in the reception area while I discussed a few things with my partners. She seemed to understand and didn’t hesitate to grant my request.
Giles was the first to start. “ I ran Mr. Maclay’s prints. He’s no boy scout, but there’s nothing mayor coloring his records. He has a few write ups for assault and drunken public disorder, disturbing the peace, stuff like that. That’s about it.”
Buffy repeated the information that she had given me over the phone so everyone would be on the same page.
Xander offered up a new tid-bit that could help us along. “ Well he’s a busy man I’ll tell ya that much. First he visited every jewelry store in town. In the early afternoon he met with…you’ll never guess who, ‘ jimmy the moose’ I couldn’t get a make on what they were talking about but they were looking worked up about something. Moose left and Maclay took off in the opposite direction, he stopped off at a house on River Drive and picked up a nice looking brunette. I think I recognized her Boss. I’m pretty sure it was one of ‘ Miss Kitty’s’ girls. He slung her on his arm for the rest of the day and I’ll bet you a double malted that he’ll be picking her up tonight too. Anyhow after picking up the ‘lady’ he met with a foreign looking guy they also talked for a good while and had a late lunch. If this guy is broke he sure ain’t showing it. He took a cab everywhere and always picked up the tab.
After speaking with the unidentified Joe he dropped off the girl and retired to his room. I spoke to the guy at the front desk. He’s got dinner reservations 8 o’clock for four at Marino’s and a table at ‘ The Copa’ at 10 o’clock.” He smiled and sat back in his chair. “That is it.”
I rubbed my hands together. “ Thank you Xander that was a job well done. We’ve got a couple of hours then. I’ll talk with Miss Kitty see if she’ll help us out. Buffy you and Anya are having dinner tonight at Marino’s on me. Buffy you make sure you get the booth that’s directly behind Mr.Maclay and company. Xander you scope out ‘ The Copa’ and Giles I need you to look out for Tara for a few hours. I also have a feeling I shouldn’t be leaving my house unattended to these days. Could you please go over there and keep your eyes peeled and make sure to go in the back way.” I instructed.
Giles nodded.“ Of course, I also think I can find out more about the gem that Mr.Bogarty mentioned I have some scholar friends that are very interested in history and mythology. They may know something about this’ Eye of the Raven’.”
I had another thought. “ Thanks Giles. I think there’s also something else you could do. I think maybe if you’ve got some friends down south you could try digging a little deeper. Financial trouble or no financial trouble ‘Little Donnie’ still comes from ‘old money’ and ‘old money’ families tend to cover up their dirty laundry.”
Anya who had been quietly taking notes was now raising her hand to intervene. I thought,
Ø This silence was too good to last.<
“ Speaking of rich or formerly rich southerners…boss do you really think it’s a good idea to be sharing a bed with you know who? I mean pardon me, but I’m confused as all Hell.
What is it exactly that we’re doing? Who’s our client? What’s really the case? And who are we gonna send the bill to when were done doing whatever it is we are doing?”
These were all very good questions. I really wished I could’ve given Anya and myself all the answers.
+++
Later that evening after I had washed, changed and seen Tara off I headed for was known as ‘ The Kitten Club’ it was a private brothel run near the city’s outer limits.
‘Miss Kitty’ ran it. She was a rambunctious, tough old broad who had been in the business for a long time. It’s a business that’s publicly frowned upon, but privately enjoyed at night by those who condemn it in the daylight. Personally I have no problems with it, I’ll even admit to ‘visiting’ the establishment on matters other than business on a few occasions when I was younger.
I knew the guy at the door and he let me right in. I waited in the hall enduring ‘funny’ looks from some of the ‘joes’ lounging around. I was about to say something curt to a guy who was giving me a particularly ‘dirty’ look when ‘ Miss Kitty’ showed up in all her glimmering splendor. I tell ya you could use one of her dresses as a searchlight during a black out.
She smiled and twirled her feather boa. “ Well, well, well look at what the cat dragged in.” she said smirking and giving me the once over.
I got up to greet her when I was interrupted.
The guy that was giving me a look got up in a tizzy and stood between us. “ Hey I was here first.” He said
‘ Miss Kitty’ raised her eyebrows. “ Keep your pants on honey… or on second thought don’t, it would be bad for business. Don’t be so impatient my girls are worth the wait.” She said winking and patting his cheek. She left him standing there stewing in his own juices while she led me by the arm through the main door.
Once inside her playful manner resurfaced. “ Long time no see. Come here.” She said pulling in me in for a hug. I returned it and she sneaked in a pinch to my butt only to distract me from the hand that was reaching for the crotch of my pants.
“ Hey!” I said surprised and jumping back.
“ Hey yourself. So is that a wet cherry in your pants or are you just happy to see me?” She asked coquettishly.
I think I actually blushed before gruffly answering, “ Come on ‘ Miss Kitty’ behave your self. I’m here on official business.”
She mock pouted. “ No cherries for me then? Darn it. Alright honey come up to my office then.”
She continued teasing me in there too. “ Don’t sit on that chair honey. Come on and sit on my lap. Make and old broad happy, why don’t cha’?” She said patting her legs and wagging her eyebrows.
“ Official business, remember?” I said as seriously as I could. It was hard to be serious around a feisty kitty.
“Oh poo! You’re no fun anymore Red, O.k just the facts then. What can I do ya for Red? Just between you and me I’d do ya for free.” She wiggled her hips on the chair and winked at me.
I had to shake my head and chuckle. “ You never give up do you?”
“ No. But I do give it up plenty.” She said grinning.
“ Enough funny business. I’ll just say what I need or you’ll have me here all night…nah-ah, no comment on that one please.” She looked disappointed that I had cut off her reply.
I continued. “ There’s this guy ‘ Donald Maclay’ Xander thinks he saw him around town with one of your girls, brunette, ring a bell?”
She lit a cigarette and puffed out a couple of rings. “ Yeah, sure thing. I know the guy, slick as a weasel and real smug. I didn’t like him, but I sure liked the green he flashed. He said he needed a classy looking girl to swing on his arm. He’s the sort of fellow who likes to impress by showing off his doll. What’s up with him that has you so somber looking?”
“ I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’m still figuring some things out. I need to ask you a favor.” Before I could even continue she cut me off.
“ Whatever you need sweets. I still owe you and your dad a couple of big ones.” She said flashing me a sincere smile.
“ Thanks Kitty. I need to know more about this guy, anything at all. I want to know every step he takes and why he takes it.”
She put out her smoke and clasped her hands together. “ Don’t worry it’s done. He’s with Trixie and that girl can make any man do anything she wants to. I’ll talk with her and he’ll be singing like a canary in no time flat.”
I was grateful that she hadn’t asked too many questions. I’m sure I wouldn’t have had many answers to give her. I had always known that ‘ Miss Kitty’ had a heart of gold. She always put up tough and playful façade because she had to, but when the chips were down she showed her true colors and did anything it took to protect those that she cared about. I considered myself lucky to have her as a friend. I’m not a woman of many words so I nodded and gave her a simple “ Thank you.” Before walking out. Just as I was reaching for the door she stood and with her hands on her hips called out to me.
“ Hey Red don’t be such a stranger. Come up and see me sometime.”
I smiled and blew her a kiss. She caught it in the air and placed it over her heart.
+++
I drove around the block a couple of times before going up to my two story house. I entered with caution and found Giles standing alertly in the living room facing the door.
“ Hello Red, anything new?” He asked.
“ Nah, but I’m hoping that soon there will be. Anything new here?”
“ Well when you go upstairs you might want to check out the street from the west window. There’s a guy that’s been in the phone booth since we got here.”
I cranked my neck and hung up my hat and coat. “ That’s an awfully long phone call.”
Giles nodded. “ Yeah it is. Do you want me to go and lean on him, see what his deal is?”
“ Nah. That would only tip them off that we’re on to something. Let him freeze his tail out there. You go home and get some rest. We’ll see what we can get done tomorrow.”
Giles put on his coat and squeezed my shoulder on his way out. “ You be careful.”
Before exiting he called out to Tara. I had almost forgotten that she was there with all the hustle and bustle of the day. “ Goodbye Miss Maclay and thank you for dinner.”
When I closed the door my senses suddenly registered an unfamiliar and pleasant odor coming from my kitchen. Tara walked out wearing an apron and wiping her hands. She stopped in her tracks when she saw me and smiled. “ Oh hi. You’re home. I didn’t hear you come in. Is Mr. Giles gone? I just got the pie out the oven.”
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “ Pie?”
Tara blushed and stammered a little. “ I-I…uhm…saw that you hardly had anything in the cupboard so we…picked up some stuff and I made dinner. I hope you don’t mind me taking over your kitchen.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “ No, it’s o.k. I never go in there anyways. It’s just that…well you really shouldn’t have troubled yourself.”
“ It’s no trouble at all really. I wanted to. Here sit down and I’ll right back.” She said patting one of the dining table chairs.”
I sat down a little unbalanced by the situation. It had been a long time since I had sat down at the table for a real meal. Usually I brought home a sandwich or take out.
I’ve never been much of a cook, my old man used to take care of the meals on weekends and Sadie my nana used to make them on weekdays. Now Sadie only came around once a week to put the house in order, do the laundry and lecture me on how I didn’t take care of myself enough. I had to admit that the smells coming from the kitchen were great.
I became aware that I was actually pretty hungry. I had forgotten to grab a bite all day.
Tara made several trips to and fro the kitchen. I hadn’t seen that much food since Thanks Giving day at Buffy’s house. I sat there a bit amused and a bit stunned at the whole unexpected scenario. Finally after about four trips she sat down and joined me.
“ I hope you’ll like it. I didn’t know what your favorites were so I just made some of mine.”
She said looking at me expectantly.
“ It looks delicious and some of these are my favorites too.” I said trying to put her at ease and it was also true.
“ Really? Cause if you don’t like it I could whip you up something else.” She said quickly.
I nearly laughed. “ No, please. You already cooked like you were going to feed an army. This is fine, more than fine, perfect even. I love fried chicken and mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, corn bread…”
“ And pie.” She added.
“Can’t forget the pie. What kind?” I asked with a shimmer of hope.
“ Cherry. Is that o.k?”
I was real excited now. “ It’s my favorite.” I clapped my hands together in pure glee.
She smiled and that made me smile in turn. I forgot about the day’s tensions and enjoyed my meal in the company of a beautiful lady who looked, walked, talked and to top it all off, also cooked like an angel.
After dinner we engaged in small talk on the couch for a while. It was getting close to bedtime and I was growing increasingly nervous. Despite everything that had happened between us I didn’t want to make any assumptions and I didn’t want to make Tara uncomfortable.
I shifted in my place and cleared my throat. “ So…it’s getting pretty late, if you want to turn in there’s two spare bedrooms and…” I stopped in mid-sentence cause she looked upset. “ Hey are you alright?”
“ Oh, I ah…fine, I just thought that…never mind I shouldn’t have assumed that you would want…I mean, the spare bedroom is fine. Just tell me where to put my stuff.” She said in a breathless voice, abruptly getting up.
I grabbed her arm and stood toe to toe with her. She was doing that thing where she hid her yes from me again and again I searched for them until I found them. “ Hey now…I didn’t mean it like that. I do want you with me. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about it and I didn’t want to upset you. I guess that plan didn’t work out.”
She looked at me with a ‘kicked puppy dog’ expression and asked, “ You really mean it. You want me to stay with you?”
“ Yeah. I want you to stay with me. I want you period.” I said before kissing her and leading her by the hand upstairs to my bedroom.
+++
The questions Anya had posed played like broken record somewhere in the back of my mind. I once again ‘knew’ in my head that I shouldn’t be doing what I was doing with Tara Maclay, but my pounding heart and body, well they had other ideas that shut down my brain. The situation was unclear, but clearly dangerous. All I wanted to do whenever I was around her was to live the moment and damn the consequences.
I felt so alive in her arms, like I had never felt before. I kissed her roughly, dominating the kiss and holding her tight against my body. She surrendered without a shadow of a fight to my mouth and touch. Our tongues danced rhythmically with one another leaving us nearly out of breath. I caressed her back and entangled my hands in her silky, golden hair. She held on to me tightly, slightly shivering in my arms from the building emotions. I was feeling a little shaky at the knees myself when I pulled away from our heated kiss to undress her. I unwrapped her body slowly and firmly. I loved looking at her naked skin, it was so creamy and perfect it awakened my every sense. My pupils dilated as they drank in her curves. My nostrils flared breathing in her sweet aroma, from the jasmine of her perfume to the tangy smell of her arousal. My mouth watered and then dried, thirsty for her mouth. My hands ached to touch and my skin longed for everything that was her essence.
She stood waiting for me. I paused to undress my own body. I knew that we would need skin to skin contact soon, she stared intently at my form just like I had stared at hers. We embraced next to the bed and kissed each other as deep as any abyss I’ve ever looked into. I caressed her back and her hair, holding her body as close to mine as I could. We swayed on our feet. It was almost like we were dancing to an invisible tune where the notes were played on the surface of our skin. We stayed like that for the longest time, just wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing and feeling the floor move beneath us. Her plush mouth opened to me like a fresh fountain and I swam in it. Our bodies were connected to a wet and hot current that enveloped us completely.
As our bodies demanded more we fell softly on the bed in a tangle of needy limbs. We caressed each other almost reverently with thorough and firm strokes everywhere. I was swelling and soaring from every touch. Her hands felt like fire on my skin and her curves under my fingers felt like searing waves. Our movements were a mirror reflection of each other’s desire. When I touched her breasts, she cupped mine. When she kissed my mouth hard, I bit her lips soft. When I teased her warm opening, she entered mine fully and together we rocked our bodies, together we took and released control. Our hands entered and exited together in a perfect, scaling rhythm. I could feel her wetness starting to drip, I was sure she could feel mine beginning to pour. I loved the feel of my fingers inside her; every movement was a new sensation. I could feel soft rippled skin, warm and wet, sticky and heavy, delicious like heaven, contracting and pulsing walls on my digits, could she feel me in the same intense way? Our bodies began to tense at the same time; I could feel my toes begin to curl. Tara’s face was flushed, her neck was thrown back and her breathing was strangled like mine. We were so close; a few more deep thrusts threw us both over the edge. Our hips rose off the mattress, our free hands pulling off the covers as a muted gasp left our throats and clung to the air around us for a while.
We made love many times that night, taking advantage of the time we had together. Morning always came too quickly for my taste; it always snuck up on me lately. When the dawn came I stared down at my lover and I got the crazy thought in my head that the sun was there, coming in through the window to rob me of my happiness. In a way I was right. The daytime meant facing the world outside and everything that wanted from the world was now inside, in my bed, cradled in my arms.
When I got out of the shower she was gone from the bed. The smell of fresh coffee told me of her whereabouts. I had mixed feelings about the whole situation. The dinner the night before, making love and now breakfast, it all felt like something I hadn’t had for very long time, if ever, a home. I knew I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in those kinds of feelings, because what was happening it wouldn’t last and it wasn’t real. I had to find out more about what was going on and then I would have a long talk with Tara Maclay. This was not a smart way to be living, it was however a good way to be looking for death.
+++
I didn’t speak much that morning. She seemed to understand my need for silence and didn’t press me for answers, I was grateful for it.
The gang assembled in my office. Tara waited outside again. Anya and Buffy looked chipper as always while Xander and Giles looked tired.
Xander yawned and stretched little before speaking. “ That Donnie is one peppy fellow, he kept me out all night. Our first information was right he is dealing with Mickey. First he met with ‘ Moose’ and they talked for a while, ‘ Moosie’ didn’t seem too happy though, it looked like they were arguing. Then later Mickey himself showed up and they spent the rest of the night, chatting drinking and dancing. Mickey slipped him an envelope well after midnight, outside the club and slapped him on the cheek, the ‘warning’ kind of slap, before sending him on his way in one of the ‘company’ cars.”
I pursed my lips. “ If ‘Moose’ was arguing it was on Mickey’s behalf. That’s how he works he plays the ‘bad mobster’ and ‘worse mobster’ game with the people he wants to intimidate. Something tells me Donnie doesn’t have a clue as to whom it is that he’s dealing with. He’s going to end up biting off more than he can chew.”
“ Well from what Anya and I picked up yesterday Mickey’s not the only one who’s getting upset with this guy. He showed up about twenty minutes late a tall man, with blonde hair trimmed short, glasses and a foreign accent, something between English and German. He was waiting for him at the table. When Mr. Maclay showed up with the girl Xander described on his arm, the guy flipped his lid, very politely, but still flipped.”
+++
Marino’s:
“ Mr.Maclay you are tardy.”
“ Yeah, I’m sorry Mr. Klaus it won’t happen again. It really wasn’t my fault, my date Christina wasn’t ready when I picked her up. You know women.” Donald said in an amused voice looking sideways at his date.
Christina smiled graciously and covered for her client knowing it would please him. “ Yes. I must admit I had the hardest time today with my hair. I’m sorry if I’ve gone and caused any trouble.”
Klaus gave them both a stern look and ignored the girl’s shy admission. “ Mr. Maclay I was under the impression that we were here to discuss business and not to socialize.”
Donald smiled coolly.” Now Mr.Klaus it’s customary in this country to do a little of both. I thought perhaps you might also have a lady on your arm tonight.”
“ I do not. And you should not either. This business we have is important and confidential. If you do not take this seriously…let’s just say that I do and if we cannot discuss privately, perhaps we should not do business at all.” Klaus said in a serious tone.
Donald Maclay was thrown back by the other’s man’s words and let his nervousness show. “ Hey, wait a minute Mr.Klaus, let’s not be hasty. I’m sure Cristina wouldn’t mind waiting at the bar while we talk business.”
Ø Damn, now I’m not going to able to hear the skinny.< Trixie thought to herself, but never the less smiled sweetly and said, “ Sure. I understand boys will be boys. I’ll just be over there when you need me. O.k sugar?”
Both gentlemen stood as the girl walked away.
As soon as they sat Klaus glared at Maclay. “ Are you quite insane Mr. Maclay or just plain stupid?” he asked in a neutral voice.
Anyone could tell that Donald Maclay was not used to being spoken to in this manner “ I beg your pardon?” he asked indignantly.
“ You heard me. Why else would you think that bringing a stranger to our table would be a good idea?”
Donald was about to answer, but his vexed companion quickly cut off his reply.
“ Listen to me Maclay. You have no idea who I am and what I could do to you. You will do what I say, when I say it and how I want it done. There’s no room for discussion here. Now if you have any intelligence whatsoever you’ll nod your head and say ‘yes sir I understand sir.’” The foreigner’s tone was menacing and left no room for doubt that he was a dangerous man.
Donnie gulped and hastily nodded his head, whispering a coarse and heavy “ Yes sir.”
He knew that if he blew this deal with the German his grandfather would make him pay the price and that was something he didn’t quite care for. He would get show everybody who was the boss soon enough. When everything was over and done with he’d be the one making peoples head’s bow. For now and only for now he would play the part of the good ‘lackey’.
“ Good lad. I see you have some sense after all. What news do you have for me?”
“ None I’m afraid, but that will quickly change. I’m sure I’ll have some new information for you by the day after tomorrow at the latest.” Donnie said in one breath.
“ Then this meeting has been a waste of my time. Do not contact me again until you have something to report. I’m warning you Mr. Maclay my patience is wearing thin.” Klaus stood and left a worried looking Donnie to sulk alone at his table.
+++
“ That’s about it boss. This Klaus character left in a tizzy. The brunette came back to the table. She tried asking him about the guy and the conversation a couple of times, but Maclay clamped up. They had their dinner and headed to the club.” Buffy surmised.
“ Anya do have anything to add?” I asked.
“ Yes I do.” She said smiling brightly. I perked up my ears. “ The clam chowder was divine!” She exclaimed.
I groaned into my hands. “ I meant about the case Anya.”
“ Oh, that. No. What Buffy said sums it up.”
I scratched my head thoughtfully. “ So he’s got more than one dangerous looking character mad at him. That’s something to be happy about at least. It must be cause he has no more of a clue as to where this stone is than we do. It must be one hell of a rock to have so many people after it. Giles do you think you could talk to your scholar buddies and bump up the meeting?”
“ Sure I’ll give Trevor a call. I’m sure if ask him he’ll make time for you.” Giles left to call from the line in the reception desk.
I pulled out the key that Mr. Bogarty had given to me before meeting his untimely demise and stared at it for few seconds before giving Buffy her next instruction. “ Buffy, I need to know what this opens, please check out the locksmiths in town see if anyone can recognize some special marking that will let us know where it belongs. And be careful it’s something that you don’t want to lose.”
“ Sure, I’ll get on it right away.” She said leaving the office.
“ Xander did you catch any part of Mickey’s conversation with Maclay?” I asked hopefully.
“ Well you know I couldn’t get to close. It’s Mickey’s club after all and none of us are exactly welcome there. The only bit I caught was when ‘Moose’ raised his voice and told Maclay: ‘ Some body screwed up that job. It wasn’t what the boss wanted. If you had anything to do with it…’ That’s it. The band started up and I couldn’t hear the rest of it.”
I chewed on my lip. “ That’s not much to go on. Damn it! I feel like a headless chicken, we’re running around in the dark chasing wild leads and flapping in the air like idiots.”
Xander gave one of his easy smiles. “ Take it easy boss. We’ll figure it out, we always do. I’ll stay on Donnie’s trail, he’s sloppy, he’ll make a mistake to our favor soon enough.”
“ I sure hope so. I sure hope so.” I said gravely.
Giles entered with some good news. “ I spoke to Trevor. He’ll see you now if you want. He says he’s excited about what he found out about the ‘Eye of the Raven’ and that the sooner you speak the better.”
“ I picked up my jacket and didn’t think about it twice. “ Thanks ‘ G-man’ maybe I’ll finally know what it is that we’re looking for.”
+++
The scholar’s office was pretty much how I had imagined it, full of books, folders and papers everywhere. There was a musky and moldy smell that tickled my nose since I stepped inside. Dr Trevor E. Ran, fidgeted excitedly in his chair.
“ So tell me Ms.Rosenberg how did you come to know of the ‘Eye of the Raven’?” He asked just as soon as I sat down.
I was cautious in answering. “ Quite by accident and I’ve only heard the name, but know nothing about it. That’s why I’m here. Giles said you could maybe shed some light on the subject.”
He rubbed his glasses much like Giles did on occasion and spoke rapidly.“ Yes, yes indeed. When Giles contacted me I began to research some books and quite frankly came to a dead end at each turn. Then I realized I was looking in all the wrong places. I was researching the history of jewels, stones and even lost treasures, but nothing turned up. Something rang a bell in the name though, it kept nagging at me and then it hit me: Mythology! Nordic Mythology to be exact.”
I was as puzzled as ever. “ Come again?” I asked, probably with a dim look on my face.
“ ‘The eye of the Raven’ it was the word ‘raven’ that tipped me off. At first even though I was now on the right track I still couldn’t find much. I contacted some friends and got my hands on some very rare tomes, including some passages that are believed to be a missing part of an ancient manuscript called ‘ The Elder Edda’. This hasn’t been proven of course, but still, they were just what I needed to put the puzzle together. You see the raven is very important in Norse mythology. Let me start at the beginning so you can understand…”
He changed his tone to a scholarly one and I prepared my self for hearing the lesson attentively.
“ Odin was the was the sky-father, the All-father, supreme among gods and men. He has always been portrayed as a solemn figure that does not eat, always looking pensive and aware of his responsibility to postpone for as long as he can or could the day of doom when all gods would be defeated, Ragnarok, when heaven and earth would be destroyed. On his shoulders perch two ravens, which fly each day through out the world and bring him news of all that men do. The name of one is Thought (Hugin) and of the other Memory (Munin). He was always on the search of earning more knowledge and wisdom, he even went as far as to give up one of his eyes and suffer the pain of death to attain them.
You must understand that the Norse had a different conception of the gods. To them nothing was eternal. They were well aware that all things come to an end, even ‘immortal’ deities. The gods knew that the day would come when they would be destroyed; Asgard their home would fall in ruins. To them the power of good is shown not by triumphantly conquering evil, but by continuing to resist evil while facing certain defeat.
He shifted in his chair and took a swig of water, squinting his eyes and looking around the room as if to make sure no one else was in there with us before continuing.
“ Now up to this point the story is well known. Anyone with a basic Mythology book knows about Odin and his ravens. What I found in the other documents was completely new; it’s like a lost part of the story. Odin was for obvious reasons very fond of his ravens. They were the very source of much of his knowledge, what they saw, he saw, what they heard, he heard and so on. The writings suggests that one night when Odin visited the well of wisdom guarded by Mimir the wise he learned through a vision that Ragnarok was closer than any of them, gods or mortals had ever imagined.
He saw that the one he had sworn his loyalty to would betray him, Loki. Loki was a malicious god full of envy and rancor; he was always causing trouble on earth and in Asgard. No one knows just why Odin protected him for so long. Now like I said before, Odin was aware that the end was inevitable, but it was his job to postpone it as long he could just the same.
In his vision he saw that part of Loki’s plan was to weaken him by killing the wolves that crouched at his feet and protected him from harm and more importantly he would drink the blood of the ravens and eat their eyes to absorb their power for himself, then he and not Odin would have the power to see into the hearts and minds of men. Odin thought long and hard about what he should do. He couldn’t kill Loki because of his oath, but he could put a stop to his plans. He gave the wolves to men so they would from then on guard the humans and their homes, it was a better fate than death and this way he could still call on them if the need arose. As for his ravens, he made a choice and killed them himself, but not in a cruel way, through a spell he put them to sleep, took a feather from each and from each an eye. He traveled to Urda’s well, the home of the three fates. The three were Urda (the past), Verdandi (the present) and Skuld (the future). He stole a lock of hair from each one and then completed his task by taking two pebbles of gold from the river maidens. He cast ancient words upon the ingredients, from the hairs of the three Norns and the pebbles a gold chain was made, from the two feathers a round onyx stone as black as midnight was borne and in the middle from the two eyes a red sapphire, shining like the sun was perfectly set. He called the magnificent jewel ‘ The eye of the Raven’ and hung it around his neck. It contained all the knowledge of the Ravens and more, he could now also see the past, the present and the future at will, without having to seek out Mimir or the Norns.
It’s ironic that all this power only helped to bring Odin’s rein to an end. The gods are basically humans with power, they posses all our best and worst qualities. He did advert Loki’s plan, but soon after when the other gods heard of his power they became jealous and some frightened. They began to fight amongst each other and the halls of Asgard shook to the core. Odin knew that the stone and necklace could not fall into the wrong hands, because then it would truly be the end anyone who wore the stone had infinite knowledge and that meant infinite power. He knew he could not keep it, he still had allies, but his enemies were fierce, they would go for the kill and then the stone. He had always felt a special kinship to his Valkyries and to the Viking warriors who bravely fought for a place in Valhalla.
He gave the stone to two who had been betrothed with his blessing Gwinn and Beowulf. They accepted the responsibility of hiding the necklace on earth and guarding its secret power. From this point the story gets hazy, there are lost fragments and it’s difficult to translate. From what I can figure a war was fought on Asgard and Odin was defeated. It seems that Gwinn and Beowulf did successfully hide the stone from the other gods and even some mortals who sought it out, but Gwinn lost her life, it’s not clear how and Beowulf went on to have the other adventures that he’s famous for in the Myths. The only other fragment that speaks of the stone says that the responsibility of the power of the eye is passed on from generation to generation. That is it in a nut –shell.” He finished with a satisfied smirk.
“ If the nut you just cracked for is for a giant.” I said stifling a yawn. “ I mean, that’s an awfully long story Doc and kinda hard to believe. Gods? Fates? Spells? What’s all that got to do with the ‘real world’ here and now?” I asked feeling a headache coming on.
His face turned into a sour scowl like I had made him suck on a lemon. “ Well some things are true whether you believe them or not. Many scholars believe that it’s possible that the stories that we take to be Myths are actually historical narrations, albeit some embellished by the creative license of the writer, but that they do in fact hold the truth of ancient secrets. Troy was believed to a Myth until recently when its actual ruins were discovered.
And anyhow even if you don’t believe how the jewel was forged at least now you know what it looks like that’s more than you had to go on before you stepped foot in this office.”
He sure had me there. I held my hands up in rendition and said as much. “ Hey. You got me there Doctor Ran. You’re right on that last part. I’m sorry if I offended you. I’m just a meat and potatoes kind gal. I believe in what I can touch, see, taste and smell; this is just something I’m not used to. I do thank you for your time and the effort you made to check this out. Any time you need a favor all you have to do is call.
His face softened and he nodded condescendingly. “ Yes. I understand, myths and the occult isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. I would like to ask a favor of you detective…if you do find this stone…I mean it would be most extraordinary to see if it’s anything like it was described…I-I…”
The man was about ready to pee in his pants so I gave him a break. “ Sure Doc. Say no more if and stress ‘if’ I find this stone I’ll call you so you can a take a look.” The man practically blinded me with his smile. “Oh and one other thing…how much would you say a stone like that is worth?” I asked as an after thought.
He lost his smile and looked pensive, giving me the eye while he answered. “ Well that I suppose depends on your beliefs. If you think it’s nothing more than a necklace with a fancy stone that happens to be very old, ancient even, then you could contact a collector and put a price tag on it, a very, very hefty one I would presume and if you give any credit to the myth at all then it’s invaluable and whoever posses it could become a god.”
I shook his hand and walked out scratching my head. if that > Gods? Geez ain’t another kick in the head.< I thought, making my way to the car wondering what lead to chase next.
Just as I was walking to reach the parking lot I felt a pair of strong hands tugging me into an alley space right in between the University buildings. “ What the hell?” I went for my piece and my hand was stopped in mid motion, I was struggling to get one of my hands free so I could elbow whoever was behind me in the gut, when two other figures appeared as if out of nowhere. There were three of them now, I couldn’t see the one holding me from behind, I saw the other two dressed in dark robes from head to toe. One of them hit me the ribs while the other assisted his companion in keeping me in a lock from behind. “ You son of a b…” I grunted before the figure delivered a backhanded blow to my face. “ who ever you are. You’re gonna pay for that.” I said spitting out blood.
The robed bastard approached me and pulled my hair making my face tilt upwards. I couldn’t make out anything from under his clothing. His face was completely shadowed.
“ Silence!” I was surprised the voice was female, but deep.
I tried to retort “ Drop…ugh!” she hit me in the gut yet again. I couldn’t help but think >I’m gonna feel this in the morning, like I’m not feeling it now?< I added with a note of sarcasm to myself.
“ The eye of the Raven you must forget about it or die. This is your first, last and only warning.” She said. The others released me from behind and I collapsed on the floor. I went for my gun as fast as I could and stood with no small amount of pain, but just like they had arrived they were gone.
+++
Edited by: nika 
at: 11/17/04 8:12 pm
by TromDeGrey » Sat May 24, 2003 3:46 pm 
Well...what is that supposed to mean?
Great update...can't wait for the next part!
(soon?)
nika,
Now what is up with this? The game started before she was born? Just please tell me that 
and 
end up happily ever after? 
.
.
I know.
I want an update soon! 
. Just the image of Tara trying to suppress her laughter while Willow is standing there with her pants down around her ankles looking serious cracks me up beyond belief 
I wanna be a woman in trouble! 
