The rose24: Well if you like the thrill of hanging off cliffs you're goig to like the next update, well at least I hope you do. So...hold on to your knickers honey I'm giving out tickets to the roller coaster ride finale.
Tempest: A slave? As in doing any kind of bidding kind of slave? Oooooh...I think I like that mental picture.
Taralicious: I love your nick. And thank you for a great compliment, ifyou're hearing voices while you read I'm doing something right, I think or maybe you're off your meds and I should worry about getting back on mine.
Just kidding, thanks!
Fuzz: Hey, keep your hair on your head, it's alright. I have been hit with a wave of inspiration and I have an update all ready. Praise the pencil pushing Gods and Goddesses, I finnally figured out a way to untangle the mess I made.
Thank you fuzz for being one the most faithful readers and persistent posters, I loe ya kid.
Sabina: Thank you for caring and remembering. We're getting by one day at time. And no spoilers for the end sorry!
Redjassy: Thank you for reading darling and I really didn't mind the kissing and bowing before me either.
UPDATE:
+++
The detective finished her tale and still didn’t feel any better about the situation or her self. She felt like a world-class chump. She figured that that’s how Dempsey must have felt when he kissed the mat for the first time in his life and lost the title. It was a long fall down from the top of the world and that’s how she had felt ,‘at the top of the world’ when she had held Tara Maclay in her arms. Now all she felt was empty.
Red raised her glass and downed her drink, trying to make the lump in throat die a watery death.
Mack watched the P.I and shook his head “Look here, this be the last drink I serve ya lass. One more and ye’ll be hitting the floor. And since when are ya the kind to sit and wait around to be “clipped” by anyone?”
“Since I just don’t give a horse’s ass…” Mack’s face turned red and he interrupted the P.I in mid-sentence “Now hold yer horse’s arses and heads too while yer at it. I’ve known ya since you were just a wee tyke holding on to yer father’s hand. I used to give ya piggy back rides when you wore out yer uncle and I’ll have none of that attitude…”
A light seemed to go on in the redhead’s brain “Mack…that’s…”
“ I didn’t say I was finished. Now no more of this self-pity. If you’re in trouble get out of town while things cool down or find a way to fight. Don’t you be like yer uncle, he got himself a nice bullet shaped hole in the gut over some girly-girl too. Now ya pick yerself up from that stool, stop thinkin’ from in between yer legs like ol’ uncle Johnny and take of business like ya always do.”
Red smiled as recognition and an idea finally filtered through the murky waters in her mind. She squared her shoulders “ skirt troubles…” checked her piece for bullets “ ol’ Uncle Johnny…” straightened her tie “ you’re so on the money Mack” she said, leaning over the bar and planting a kiss on the bartenders cheek, plus a light smack and a pinch for good measure before storming out of the smoky bar.
+++
After finishing her tale Mack had inadvertently made a comment that could very well lead the redheaded detective to the missing pieces of the puzzle that she had so desperately tried to put together over the past two weeks.
She searched box after box and finally found the one she was looking for, she retrieved the postcards and headed for her father’s former bedroom she, looked through his desk and found the letters neatly stacked, she read trough them carefully noting the dates, until she found ‘the one’. She was excited now. She rushed to the kitchen and searched for lemons, at last she found one almost hidden in the last corner on the vegetable tray.
She laid out the post cards carefully and sprinkled them with lemon juice; she smudged it in a little more with a piece of cloth and waited. ‘ Oh yeah!’ she thought as the numbers started to appear on the formerly and seemingly blank paper. Now except for a few events almost everything made sense. Red sat in the living room staring at the letter and the postcards, remembering words from her father shortly before her uncle’s death and Frankie’s own accident. She recalled what she had just learned from the girl they had taken from the asylum and slowly but surely she started to see how the past and the present were now connected.
+++
Flashback:
“ Hey Red look, mail from Johnny.” Frankie said excitedly waving around an envelope.
Willow smiled. “ Great! What’s that crazy Uncle of mine up to now?”
Frankie read quickly through the letter. “ He’s in love…again.” The older detective said with a roll of the eyes.
Willow chuckled. “ Who is it this time? A gipsy in Spain or an archeologist in Cairo?”
“ A southern belle…” Frankie said in fake drawl, fanning his face with his hand and both he and his daughter burst out laughing. “ Hey kid want to make the usual bet?”
Willow smiled. “ Sure, betcha 1O that it lasts three weeks tops.”
Frankie snorted. “ You’re a chump, I give it two. Do me a favor and add these post cards to his collection. I gotta go over to Carmine’s for a meeting, you know these guys are punctual.”
Willow nodded and took the two postcards from New Orleans, she took delight in getting these every so often from her ‘wondering’ relative. He always wrote funny messages on the back that were really addressed to himself, he used to say they were like his diary. That’s why he sent Frankie and Red letters and the cards were for pasting on his wall or closet door. Willow glanced at the messages and added the cards to her Uncle’s ever growing collection of places he’d visited on the wall.
Six months later:
“Hey Pop what’s new?” red asked entering the house after a long day of working.
“ Hey kid. Just reading a letter from your Uncle, he’s still with that southern gal. Can you believe it? I think this time it’s for real. I haven’t gotten a letter from him that doesn’t mention her since that day we made the bet.”
Willow smirked. “ Funny. I didn’t think ‘debutante’ ladies were his type.”
“ Must run in the family.” Frankie muttered under his breath, remembering Willow’s mother. It was water under the bridge, but her memory still made his scars burn just a little.
Willow pretended she hadn’t heard her father and quickly changed the subject.
A year later:
“ Red, I think Johnny is in some kind of trouble he’s not telling me about. I’m thinking maybe I should go down there and see…” Frankie told his daughter and partner with evident concern.
“ What makes you think that pop?”
“ I’ve called him a couple of times this week and he seems…I don’t know, like jumpy or something. And I just got this letter and it’s not like the one’s he usually sends, he’s talking about us when we were kids and the games we used to play…it’s just strange, plus look at these postcards, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas and L.A? He hasn’t been in all these places that I know of and they’re blank in the back. He always writes some sort of dumb message to himself.” Frankie shook his head. “ I also got stopped on the street today by Mr.Bogarty he says, he’s got something for me from Johnny over at his shop. Now why would that be? I’m going over later today to find out. I don’t know kid. My gut is telling me something is off.”
Willow scratched her chin in thought. “ All that is odd. If you want to take off for a couple of days I’ll hold down the fort.”
“Thanks kid. I got that Miller case to close, it should take about another week then I’ll see about traveling.”
Just before the week was over Jonathan Rosenberg was found dead of a single bullet wound to the stomach. The police found no significant clues and arrested no suspects in the case. Frankie Red led his own investigation and believed he was getting close to solving the case. He didn’t share his suspicions or the facts that he had gathered with his daughter fearing for her safety. With the help of Mr. Bogarty and a mystery source he was close to bringing his brother’s killer to justice, but destiny interfered in his path, three months after his bother’s passing, Frankie Red met his own demise in a tragic car accident.
This had been a hard period in Willow’s life. She had been deeply hurt by the close proximity of time in which both her Uncle and her Father had died. The redhead had been close to both men, they had raised her and they were they only family she had ever known. Her mother had not even bothered to show up at the funeral, she had sent an expensive looking wreath and a check instead. Red had gotten through the grief with help from her friends, who supported her unconditionally. It was in that time that she had learned to steel herself emotionally; she had thrown herself into her work and shut her self off from making any emotional commitments. The walls that she had built were strong and yet they had crumbled at one woman’s feet and Red was now reliving the pain of the past coming back to haunt her and going through the pain of living with a brand new, open wound in her heart.
+++
Red sat very still and closed her eyes; she could almost imagine how everything had happened.
+++
Flashback:
Mr. Bogarty’s pawnshop:
Frankie: “ Hey Mr. B, so what’s happening?”
Bogarty: “ I got a message for you from Johnny. He didn’t think that your phone line was safe or your mailbox either. He also wanted me to check something out for him with my contact in the State Department.”
Frankie: “ Jeez…what’s he gotten himself into now?”
Bogarty: “ I don’t know the whole story, but I do know he’s way over his head. He asked me to find information about a certain jewel and the story behind it is amazing. Besides that he dropped me a couple names to check out and whatever is going on you better tell him to drop it. Get this, the names he gave me came back positive for ‘mole’ status.”
Frankie: “ Spies?”
Bogarty: “ Not just any spies, Kraut spies, big in the Gestapo ranks.”
Frankie: “ Why in hell?”
Bogarty: “ I don’t know, he didn’t say much more than I needed to know, but you better find out before he gets himself killed.”
Frankie: “ What’s the message?”
Bogarty: “ He sent this letter with some names and this key. He said to think back to the days of the tree house and that you would figure out what to do next. He also said that you should expect a call from a girl named Faith that she would finish clueing you in.”
Frankie did receive that call and suddenly everything was clear like crystal. Unfortunately it was too late. There was nothing that could be done for Sarah Maclay or Johnny Rosengberg and soon after Frankie ‘Red’ would follow them to the land of no return.
+++
Willow figured that the strange reference to the childhood games was significant. She recalled several of her father’s tales and one in particular that the two brothers were always reminiscing about. They loved playing games like ‘spies’ or ‘detectives’ and many of their allowances had been spent on buying tools of the trade like magnifying glasses or invisible ink. Johnny was suspicious of the phone line so he sent seemingly blank postcards to his bother in hopes that he would figure it out, the places depicted were also significant, they marked important locations and the numbers with the key, they were the most important part of it all.
Faith had filled in the blanks. Upon her return from Europe she had found her Aunt in a weakened health condition and the desperate woman had reached out to her for help. She had told her about her Father in law’s abuses and her suspicions of foul play regarding both her business affairs and her failing health. Faith had eagerly tried to help her aunt she hired an out of town detective to help them investigate the stern and sometimes mysterious grandfather.
The detective had had a rough time finding information on the man given that he was a foreigner, but he was determined to put a stop to any foul play that could be afoot. The detective had taken an instant liking to the gentle and beautiful Sarah Maclay and he was damned if he was going let any one hurt her. Sarah had also taken a liking to him and soon they had fallen in love. That was in part one of the reasons that Sarah had to not inform her daughter Tara of everything that was happening. The older Maclay needed to be certain that her husband and her father in law were in deed involved in a dirty plot against her and she also needed to be free from her failing marriage before explaining to Tara about her feelings for Johnny. Her daughter and her family were the most important thing in the world and she needed to do everything in her power to keep them safe.
They made one mistake, they underestimated the grandfather’s capacity for evil.
As soon as he sensed that Sarah was on to him he sped up his plans. Sarah’s health quickly deteriorated. Johnny worked overtime and finally found what he was looking for, he now had proof that the grandfather was a seriously bad man that needed to be put away for a long time. He brought the proof to Sarah and she knew that she had to act quickly but the news were not all good, the results from the lab had shown that it was too late for her.
Johnny had cried for the first time in his life and he had made a promise to his only love that he would somehow bring that wretched, old man to justice and he would make sure that Tara got was rightfully hers. Johnny knew that the grandfather had found out about him and had been following him for weeks. It was a matter of time before the old man made a move against him. The detective moved as fast he could, Sarah made the necessary arrangements and Johnny carried out her wishes the best way he could. He played it safe and tricky, fully aware that he was being watched. Faith knew of some of the arrangements made just in case.
Whatever happened they weren’t going to get away with stealing Sarah’s life and Tara’s rightful legacy. It would have turned out perfectly, but fate had other plans. Sarah’s death came more quickly than expected. Johnny had carried out only part of the plan before getting shot. It was now up to Faith and Frankie, but Frankie had met the maker before ever speaking to Faith and clearing things up. As for Faith, she had laid low after Frankie’s death but Donnie had managed to find her. They argued and he had pushed off a second story balcony the girl had hit her head and had fallen into a coma. The only other person who had any knowledge of the events was Mr. George Bogarty pawnshop owner and friend of the Rosenberg family, but he had been sworn into secrecy Frankie. Frankie wanted to keep his daughter out of harms way and had made the old man promise to keep quiet and not reveal anything to the young detective, unless it was absolutely necessary.
Sarah, Johnny, Frankie and even Mr. Bogarty had taken a secret to their graves a secret that the Maclays were willing to kill for and now Willow had it nearly all figured out. The key to it was literally in her hands.
Willow walked out of her apartment building with a small smile sketched across her lips.
She breathed in the cool night air and said to herself “ Looks like it’s going to be a good night after all.” As soon as the phrase left her lips she felt a loud thumping sound and a sharp pain that ran through her body starting from her skull. “ Or maybe not…” she groggily muttered before losing consciousness.
+++
When Red awoke her head ached like crazy and it her lids felt heavy as bricks. She struggled to open her eyes and as soon as she did the pain multiplied. It certainly didn’t help that someone seemed to be slapping her hard across the cheek and yelling into her face.
“ Wake up! Come on now, torture is no fun if you’re not awake to feel it.” A loud female voice stated.
Red blinked and fought to stay conscious. Somewhere in the murky waters of her mind the woman’s voice rang out like a familiar echo. “ Alright quit the slapping I’m awake already.” The detective managed to croak out.
The blonde woman laughed and clapped her hands with a look of utter glee upon her face.
“ Oh goody…now we play.”
Red tried moving but failed. She became aware that she was tied tightly to a chair. “Just great.” The detective wearily thought as she struggled against her bonds.
The blonde woman shook her head. “ Tsk-tsk, now none of that. Those ropes are nice and snug and they’re staying on until I say so.”
Red squinted her eyes. “ Hey wait a minute…I know that voice, you’re the robed weirdo that jumped outside the University.”
“ Very good detective. Since you’re such a good detective and you are so clever maybe now you could tell me where ‘ The eye of the Raven’ is, tell me now pretty please?” The blonde said in a sing-song voice that made her sound crazier than the first time.
“ I thought you wanted me to stay away from it.” Red curtly answered the obviously disturbed woman.
“ Oh no, that was just a little game I played. You see…I know you, I know your type, the strong, silent, rebel looking for a cause types. The more you get told ‘no’ and ‘don’t’ the more you say ‘yes’ and ‘do’ I just wanted to peak your interest further, sort of speed things along.”
Now Willow’s head really did hurt. “ Then why the conking me in the head just now?”
The blonde shrugged her shoulders and played with her curly locks. “ I’m bored and time is running out. Plus my associate doesn’t like these games and he ordered me to cut to the chase today, so here we are.”
“ Yes here ve are.” Said a male voice with a foreign accent.
+++
Red looked at the new comer with a weary expression. She knew what was coming and wasn’t particularly looking forward to it.
“Vell, answer the ladies question, if you please.” He said with a toothy grin.
Willow rolled her eyes and stared at the man with a defiant gaze. “ I don’t know and even if I did I wouldn’t tell you. Who the hell are you people anyhow?”
The man ignored Willow’s stare and seemed amused by the detective’s cool demeanor. In his mind he knew that he had the upper hand and that she would break eventually. He was actually looking forward to seeing how much the feisty redheaded American could resist under pressure. He had brought some new ‘toys’ that he was just dying to try out and this was looking like the perfect opportunity to do so. He had to stop himself from giggling like a gleeful little boy before answering the detective in an almost bored tone. “ Now, now detective do not play dumb wit me. You surely know who I am by now. Nonetheless, allow me to introduce myself properly. Just because I’m going to torture and kill you doesn’t mean I have no manners. I am Captain Otto Strauss and zis is Fraulein Glory Klausbarben. Now, vere is the stone?”
He detective was unfazed by the German’s words. She knew this was all part of the game. She needed to buy herself some time. Bad guys loved to yap about their evil schemes, she had to get them talking while she figured a way out of the jam she was in. “ You know you’re right. I do know who you are, what I can’t figure is why you want this jewel so damn much. It’s one stone with a cockamamie story behind it. Don’t you Krauts have enough by now from all the looting and pillaging you’ve done all over Europe?” Red asked not bothering to conceal the contempt she felt for her present captors.
Captain Strauss smiled lazily again, with a gleam in his eyes. The redhead would’ve preferred that he slapped her like she had anticipated, since that particular gleam seemed to hold a promise of a high price to pay for her comment. “ I’ll humor you just this once and answer your question detective, but after…well after, you will answer to me.” He said evenly and in spite of all her bravery a cold shiver ran up the detective’s spine.
+++
Willow Rosenberg kept her face impassive even though she was well aware of the danger that she was in. She knew that the more fear she showed these two people the more they would enjoy their little games at her expense. She had to keep her wits about her or it would surely mean a world of unwanted pain.
The German straightened his rigid stance even more as if he were about to salute a superior officer and went on to disclose with no small amount of pleasure the intensions behind his actions. “ This stone happens to very special detective. The story behind it is not…how did you put it? Cockamamie? You see mein Fuhrer is quite interested in history and mythology and he firmly believes that behind every legend there is truth. Can you imagine the power that the Reich could have if mein Fuhrer was to gain possession of the ‘Eye of the Raven’? It is said that whoever has it may have the power to see and know everything that happens anywhere in the world.”
Red let out a guffaw of disbelief that earned her a dirty look both from the Captain and Fraulein Klausbarben. “ Please…I think your dear Fuhrer is out his fucking head. A couple of bricks shorts of a full load if you ask me.”
This time the slap did come hard and fast from the blonde female officer who yelled into the redhead’s face, “ Shut up! Do not insult our Fuhrer!” She said taking a handful of the detective’s locks and pulling them back with force.” Who do you think you are? I’m going to make you pay for your words American bitch.”
“ That’s enough Glory we’ll have time to play soon enough.” The German said tugging on the blonde’s arm coaxing her to release the detective. “ Now Miss Rosenberg…you recently made a trip and I’ve had news that you were quite busy. What did little Miss Faith tell you?”
Red was fuming now; she hated having her hair pulled. She tugged on her ropes trying to break free or at least loosen her bonds, while thinking of the ways she could kick the blonde’s bony ass once she got loose. “ She’s not awake. Your doctors nearly killed her. So this has all been a big waste of your time and mine.”
The German eyed her carefully. “ You’re lying.” He said decisively.
“ Yes she’s lying, may I have her now please?” The blonde asked wiggling in anticipation.
“ Why don’t you let me have a crack at her first.” Donald Maclay said from the warehouse entrance, grinning like cat.
When the detective saw the man standing at doorway looking smug, a cool calm settled over her body just because she knew in her gut that somehow she was going to get out of the tight spot that she was in and she was going to her five minutes alone with Donald Maclay. The redhead let out a light laugh. “ Is this your secret weapon Otto? Now I’m really not telling any of you a damn thing.”
Donald Maclay grinned even wider. “ Well if you don’t care about your pain or your life, maybe you’ll care about hers, bring her in Mickey.” He said, as a pudgy, greasy looking man forcefully dragged in a gagged and blindfolded blonde woman.
+++
The End Part 1:
Both the Germans and the two thugs smiled glibly at the redhead’s reaction. Her eyes nearly bulged out her head, her heart skipped several beats and her mouth went dry, strangling the string of profanities she about to blurt out, the words died in her closed up throat. She struggled desperately against her bonds as Donnie manhandled his sister and roughly pushed her to the ground.
“ You son of a bitch…” she managed to mutter under her breath without taking her eyes off the blonde woman lying on the floor. She wanted to tell the blonde not to worry, hold her in her arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right but she couldn’t be certain that could be true and she couldn’t get the words out either. This could just be another trap. Everything was happening too fast and she need to clear her head and think. For once in her life the detective couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and every time she thought she did the light turned out to be a train coming straight for her.
Tara had fresh tear marks running down her face and nasty bruise coloring her left cheek. No matter how badly the two women had parted Willow still cared deeply about the blonde and it made her heart break all over again when she saw her lover hurt and helpless on the ground.
Tara was also struggling against her ropes and what she wanted most in the world was to be able to speak. She had heard Willow’s strangled protest and she wanted to be able to apologize and explain and throw herself at the detective’s feet hoping to gain her forgiveness. But now it seemed that it was too late for that. It was too late for anything and the blonde could only think in silence. “ Forgive me Willow, my love. I was so foolish. I should’ve told you everything from the start. I was afraid and now my cowardice is going to get us both killed. It should be only me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…I love you. Please God let me see her face just one more time.”
“ Well, Vat a pleasant surprise you’ve finally done something right Donald. Your Grandfather will be pleased.” The German officer stated clapping his hands together in a sign of approval.
Donnie gave his companion an amused look and he laughed wholeheartedly. The German spies gave him a curious look and he quirked an eyebrow, “ I don’t think so Otto, as matter of fact I don’t think you’ll be too pleased either.” He said as he and his accomplice pulled their guns from their suit jackets at the same time and pointed them at the krauts.
“ What is this?” Klausbarben and Strauss asked at the same time with a dumbfounded look on their faces.
Mickey waved his gun at them. “ You two stay back if you don’t want to get plugged full of led. Sit down on those two chairs over there so I can tie you up nice and snug.”
The officers were glaring at Donald, not moving an inch. “ What is the meaning of this Donald? I demand an explanation!” Strauss yelled, red faced, losing his cool demeanor.
Mickey closed in on them and forced them onto the chairs.
Donald clicked his lips together making a popping sound. “ You think you can boss me around? You’re in no position to demand anything you lousy kraut. I’ve got the gun and half a dozen guys outside guarding my back. What have you got huh? Two lousy lugers that Mickey just pulled from your pockets and an annoying accent? That’s not gonna cut it with me anymore. You and Grandpa think you’re so smart but I’ve put one over on all of you. After Mickey’s done tying you up I’m gonna get this detective bitch to sing like a canary, I’m gonna get the stone and Mickey and me are gonna trade it in for a big shipment of dope that’s going to make me a very rich man and I won’t have to answer to anyone ever again.”
Willow watched the exchange carefully while continuing to discreetly try to work her hands free behind her back from the rope. She could feel the material giving way little by little and the new developments raised her hopes. There was dissention in the ranks and that could work to her advantage, though she didn’t quite know how, just yet.
After Donald finished speaking the disgruntled blonde officer spoke up in a shrill voice. “Are you insane do know who you’re dealing with?”
“ There’s no place in the world that you can hide where we won’t find you.” Strauss added as more of a promise than a threat.
Donnie shrugged his shoulders. “ I doubt that. I hear the news, your side is losing kraut, it’s only a matter of time. Besides…who’s gonna rat me out? None of you are making it out of here alive.”
Tara’s tears flowed freely from behind her blindfold. “ Oh God, I knew it. Willow…Why did I bring this monster into your life? How could I be so gullible and believe him when he promised he wouldn’t hurt you if I did what he said? Willow…Oh Willow…”
Willow Rosenberg stayed silent during the whole exchange. All her senses were tuned in to her surroundings; all she needed was a break. Her ears picked up a soft scuffling noise from and upper railing hanging right above their heads. She stilled her movements and waited. There seemed to be somebody else within the warehouse. The question was which team did the unaccounted stranger play for?
+++
The mystery man soon made his presence well known. He stepped out form the shadows sporting a Luger pistol, pointing it down at Donald and Mickey from his vantage point on the second floor. “ I’m disappointed in you Donald. You’re just like your father, useless. Never send a boy to do a man’s job, heh Otto?” The German smiled and assented with his head before glaring a Donnie, fully enjoying the man’s shocked and frightened expression.
Donnie stared in disbelief. “G- Grandfather?” He asked shakily.
“ You’re not very smart Donald. When mein comrade informed me of your attitude and the goings on in this city I took a plane and I have been supervising your every move. Did you really think you could get away from me? Your father never could, what ever made you think that could be different for you?”
Donald shook from head to toe from frustration and in a moment of desperation he began to raise his gun.
“ Ah-ah-ah…Don’t even try it.” The elder man said pointing decisively at Donnie’s head. “ You two put your guns down like good little boys and slide towards the door. Good, good now step back. “ Tsk-tsk, where did I go wrong? First it’s your father. I send him to America to do one little job and what does he do? Fall in love, all he had to do was get her trust and the stone. He thought I had died, so he stays and makes a home with the enemy no less. I come back here to set him straight and all he can do is mope and drink. He couldn’t even give me proper grandchildren; one just like her Mother a deceitful woman and with unnatural tastes at that. And you a worthless, coddled boy playing at being a man all ready to betray your own flesh and blood just like your filthy mother and sister.
Donnie clenched his fists in anger. How could everything be turning out so wrong? He turned to his companion for any signs of an idea of how to get out of the sticky situation, but instead he found Mickey’s steely gaze, laying the blame on him and promising a payback if they made it out of this alive. Donnie was just realizing that he was now royally screwed.
Tara’s hopes all dwindled away when she heard her Grandfather come in the room. Her body went limp as she heard all the harsh words he spewed in her direction and she sadly anticipated the events to come. ‘The end would not come quickly for either of them’ she thought as she lost consciousness.
Willow’s jaw was clenched so tight she though she might chip a tooth. She came to realize that not everything that Tara had told her had been a lie. She could now see, sitting and bound before these two men how the blonde could be intimidated to a point where she could be forced to do their bidding. “ Oh Tara I wish I would’ve met you before. I wish I could’ve known that you were out there suffering at the hands of these brutal and ignorant men…I’m sorry I wasn’t there. If we get out of this…no matter what it is that you feel or don’t feel for me…I promise I won’t let people like this hurt you ever again.” Willow thought this, but remained quiet, trying not to attract any attention to her self. She wanted to tell the infamous Grandfather to go and screw himself if couldn’t see how wonderful the blonde was and that he was the only one that was dirty and rotten to the core, but she had to restrain her self and focus. Finnally she felt the ropes on her hand give enough so that she could slide one hand free. Now she had to wait for just the right moment. Willow’s sense of urgency multiplied when she noticed that Tara had stopped moving. Maybe the two thugs had roughed her up worse than it looked and she was badly hurt. The redhead was growing desperate for a chance to do something, but she knew that rushing could be a fatal mistake and damn it she had to live! She had to save Tara and see if they had a future together.
+++
The elder man directed his gaze towards the detective and sneered as he descended the stairs. “ Now for you…No games detective you’ll tell me where the stone is or you’ll force me to shoot mein own granddaughter, yes?”
Willow needed the man to come closer. She had to bait him to get near. “ So what? You think I care about her any more than you do? Why should I? She’s been stabbing my back since the day we met.”
The man eyed her intently and came closer. “ You don’t fool me girl! I know your kind, trying to act like man, Ha! Your uncle put up a strong act too, but he cried like a baby the day Sarah died. I bet that soft spine runs in the family. Now Donnie you will tie up your companion and untie my comrades if you please. Oh little girl… I bet you’ll cry like baby too when you see just how talented Glory and Otto can be with their shiny tools.”
Donnie tied up Mickey avoiding his steely gaze and reticently moved towards the German officer to follow his Grandfather’s instructions.
Willow knew that this was her big break. Mickey and Glory well bound tight, Otto wasn’t out his binds quite yet, Donnie was distracted, she ha to get the grandfather closer before Strauss was completely free.
She remembered how Klausbarben and Strauss had reacted when she had insulted the Fuhrer, maybe the Grandfather would react the same. “ Hey old man…You Krauts can do whatever you want, I’ m not afraid of any methods concocted by people that under a sissy boy’s rule.”
The old man turned red. “ What did you call mein Fuhrer?”
Willow smiled. “ A sissy boy, Hey I know about these things, you know? Fairies and homos, it takes one to know one, right?”
The grandfather growled with a sense of disgust and stood before the redhead ready to strike her face with full force. His hand never connected. Willow intercepted his blow with one hand and with the other she went for the gun. Donnie stopped dead in his tracks and was at a loss of what to do. He didn’t want the detective to get away, but he sure as hell didn’t want to have to answer to his grandfather anymore. His hesitation bought Willow precious moments. As they struggled for control of the gun a shot was fired and rang out with an eco through out the whole warehouse. Donnie was startled out of his reverie by the loud bang and Mickey yelling for him to move it and cut him loose. Strauss and Klausbarben struggled in their chairs and rooted loudly for the old man. Willow finally overpowered the older gent, clocking him with a solid left hook leaving her in control of the gun. Donnie in the mean time had made his way to entrance and was picking up his own piece from the floor. Willow’s back was turned to him and her eyes were focused on the Grandfather spewing curses at her from his fallen position. Donnie raised his weapon and was undecided as to which he should shoot first. The main door opened with a flourish and Donnie decided ‘to hell with the stone and everybody’, he wanted them both dead he trained his sights on Willow first. Just at the right moment a tall dark haired man entered and lowered Donald’s pistol, he’s pulled the trigger none the less and the redhead couldn’t move quickly enough, but she’s gotten lucky and the shot has missed her by mere inches. More men came storming in and it was a medley of screams and noise. Willow searched the faces of the new comers with her gun raised, ready for action. None was needed it seemed like the Calvary had arrived. It was the Carmine gang, followed closely behind by her own team, including Daniel. Once she saw the familiar faces the detective relaxed her stance and rushed to the blonde still lying on the floor as she told her friends that she was o.k and instructed them to go and get a doctor for Tara. The detective checked the blonde’s heartbeat and breathed a sigh of relief. She scooped the prone woman up in her arms and released her from the ropes, gag and blindfold. The redhead smoothed back some errant hairs from the blonde’s face and gently stroked her head.
The blonde stirred and her eyes fluttered open and shut and then open again. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “ W-w-willow?” She asked in a small, raspy voice.
Willow stared down at her with a loving expression. “ Yeah kid, that’s my name.”
The blonde still couldn’t believe her eyes just moments ago they had been about to face torture and death and now she was in Willow’s arms. How could that be? “ Are we dead? I’m so s-s-sorry…” she said breaking down in tears.
The redhead held her damsel in distress closer. “ Hey, come on now…we’re not dead. And you don’t have to be sorry I understand, we’ll have time to work things out o.k…Now stop with the water works you’re soaking my best shirt kiddo.”
Tara laughed a little between the tears as she let Willow’s words in ‘We’ll have time to work things out’ There was hope for them after all. “ What happened here?” she asked as she looked around and saw the well-armed men standing around the warehouse with their guns trained on the Germans, her brother, his accomplice and her grandfather.
“ I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now I got a five minute appointment with your brother that I’m just dying to make good on.” The redhead said rubbing her knuckles.
+++
Tbc: Next: Part 2 of the Final Chapter and the Epilogue.
The redhead walked slowly towards the now very small and un-smug looking Donald Maclay. “ Well looky here, you don’t look so tough now that you don’t have a piece in your hand do you Donnie?” She circled him staring him down, while untying him and removing his gag . “ You know what I hate more than anything in the world?” She rolled up her sleeves and bit her lip, squinting her eyes, “I HATE bullies and that’s all you are. A two bit thug who takes candy from babies and beats on women.”
Donald squared his shoulders in defiance. “ So friggin what? You’re one to talk, you got all these big guys with big guns backing you up…”
“ Boys, everybody listen to me, this is between Maclay and me no body move a muscle.” The redhead stated loud and clear so everyone would understand.
Tara tried to step forward and was quickly intercepted by Daniel who whispered in her ear. “ She needs to do this. Let her be.”
“ I don’t want her to get hurt because of me or my family anymore.” Tara pressed stubbornly.
Daniel squeezed her arm in a reassuring manner. “ Honey, she’s not the one who’s gonna hurt. Trust me.” Tara still looked worried. “ Look…you have to understand this is part of she is. She’s gotta even the score a little, you get that right?”
Tara nodded reluctantly and chose to let Willow handle things her own way.
The Grandfather wanted to protest but had been gagged along with his fellow comrades.
He just couldn’t believe that an unnatural, American woman had beaten him. How was he ever going to live this down?
Donnie snickered. “ You think I’m afraid of you? Oh this is going to be good.” He said rolling up his own sleeves.
Willow agreed silently that it was going to be very good, but she wouldn’t utter one more word, she was done talking. Donnie made a big show out of his moves, he swung his arms in the air and shuffled his feel, grinning all the while taking jabs at the detective.
He never saw the first punch coming it connected straight with his nose.
“ Ow! You fucking Bitch! You broke my nose!” He squealed like girl. “
While he lamented his aching snout Willow elbowed him in the gut taking all the air out him and he still managed to whine though with some difficulty.
“ Fucking hell! You and that bitch sister of mine deserve each other…I wish you both would just die already.” He wheezed doubling over and reaching for a hidden pistol strapped to ankle.
Willow saw his move coming and threw herself at him twisting his arm into a simile of a pretzel. Donnie yelped in pain and dropped the gun. Willow grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket with one hand while pummeling his face with the other. “ You’re never gonna degrade or hurt her ever again. Never!” She punched his face repeatedly, he tried shielding himself from the blows but Willow was unrelenting.
Tara gasped and tried breaking free from Daniel’s hold. “ Willow please, stop!” She pleaded upon seeing her brother’s bloodied face.
Xander and Buffy also spoke up. “ Boss let him go.” “ Yeah, you’re gonna kill him.”
Willow was in a blind rage and barely heard the pleas spoken in the man’s defense. It was Carmine who dared to walk over to her and stop her fist in the air. She struggled for a bit and he held her a bit more forcefully while speaking to her in a calm tone. “ That’s enough cookie. His sister’s is pleading with you, don’t do something you’ll regret. You he’s gonna get his, you don’t have to dirty your hands with this trash no more.”
Willow looked over to Tara and when she saw how distressed the blonde really was her anger dissipated and she dropped Donnie on the ground with a grunt. She wiped her brow and shook her tired and aching hand. Carmine was right it was over and she had better things to do.
Daniel released Tara and she ran to embrace Willow. Willow hugged her back in silence.
Carmine in the mean time addressed Mickey with a very disapproving look.” Mickey-Mickey-Mickey, wotta mess you’ve made for yourself.”
Mickey wasn’t gagged and he chose that moment to speak. “ This is none of your business Carmine. It’s my mess and I’ll clean it up. Now untie me, you know the deal. My family won’t like that you’ve treated with disrespect.”
Carmine laughed and extended his arms to point out the greasy man. “ Listen to him. Disrespect? You made a dope deal behind your family’s back and planned to skip out town when you cashed in your earnings. Guido knows all about it and guess what? You’re finished. You were stupid to think you could do this without anybody finding out. I’ve had my on you for a while. You’re not the brightest bulb in the lamp store are you Mickey?”
“ Shut the fuck up! It would’ve worked if the damn Krauts and that redheaded bitch hadn’t gotten in the way.” Mickey said in a lame attempt to defend his intelligence.
Carmine shook his head. “ You just don’t get it do you? How do think we happened to know you were here? Even if no one had gotten in your way you were still getting screwed over. Donnie boy here had a side deal with an old buddy of his from Chicago, you should recognize the name he’s the one that set the deal up, Warren Mears, a little two bit operator who likes to climb places by stepping on other people’s heads. I spotted him hanging around docks and got some of my boys to ‘chat’ with him and the little coward sung like a pigeon before we even got a chance to slap him around a little. Donnie was going to turn on you as soon as the cash was at hand.”
Mickey looked livid. Before he hadn’t cared that the detective had beaten him to a pulp, but now he was sorry he hadn’t had the chance to do it first.
“ So cookie… I have to turn Mickey and Mr. Maclay over to the Chicago boys. They’re really anxious to have a little ‘talk’ with both of them. What do want us to do with the other three jokers in the deck?”
Willow and Tara were no longer embracing, but Tara was holding on tightly to the detective’s arm, almost like she was afraid that if she let her go she would vanish from her sight and never appear again. Willow knew that feeling well and squeezed the blonde’s hand reassuringly while answering Carmine. “ Lead Giles to a phone. We’ll let the feds handle them. I got a feeling that the we’ll be getting Christmas presents from the boys in suits this year.”
Carmine straightened out his hat and tie. “ Alright. You heard the Lady, Vinnie, Joey, Pete and Daniel let’s take out the garbage. Kids you’re on your own I don’t want to be around when the boys in blue show. Giles let’s go.”
Tara looked expectantly at Willow as the boys dragged off her nearly unconscious bother.
“ What’s going to happen to him?”
Willow looked solemn. “ You don’t want to know.”
“ I know he’s done a lot of bad things but he’s still my brother. Isn’t there anything that we can do for him?” the blonde asked teary eyed.
Willow caressed her cheek lightly. Tara was really something special if she could still find it in her heart to forgive her brother and even try to save him. “ I’m sorry Tara. It’s impossible to help him now. He pissed off too many powerful and dangerous people all at once. Even if I could convince Carmine to let him go, they would get to him tomorrow or the next day and it would be even worse. For what’s it’s worth…I really am sorry.”
Tara shook her head and accepted Willow’s words. The redhead was right her brother had dug his own grave. All she could do now was pray for his soul to find some peace in his last hours.
Xander and Buffy watched the exchange between their boss and the blonde and shared a look. Buffy spoke up. “ Hey boss, these guys aren’t going anywhere and the feds might take a while to get here, why don’t you and Tara get out here and get some rest, Xander and I will take care of things and Giles shouldn’t be long either.”
Willow nodded and accepted her friend’s offer. “ Thanks guys…for everything, you came through again.”
Xander smiled and bowed. “ Hey that’s what we’re here for. Now get out of here.”
The redheaded detective walked out hand in hand with the beautiful, blonde debutante.
It was well into the nighttime and a curtain of fog was rolling in from the edge of the docks. A light rain began to fall from sky and made the pavement shiny under the street lamps.
Suddenly the blonde stopped and looked at the detective sighing deeply she exclaimed, “Back there when I was on the ground…I thought I was never going to see you again. I have so many things that I want to say to you…” she shivered slightly and sucked air into her lungs, but before she could continue the redhead placed a finger on her lips and stopped any more forth coming words.
“I told you we can talk about it later. Right now I just want to kiss you. Is that o.k with you miss Maclay?”
Tara smiled “Oh yes…”she breathlessly replied.
Willow took the blonde’s face into her hands and they kissed long and deep under the rain.
When they broke apart Willow took her jacket and draped it over her lover’s shoulders. Walking hand in hand the redhead sported a crooked half-smile as she declared. “ I think this the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
The End.
Edited by: nika 
at: 11/17/04 8:49 pm
by 2DIAMONDS » Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:49 am 
My poor soul can't take much more of this waiting. I love this fic. It's one of my favorites. Please nika, update as soon as you can. 
Sleek 
at: 11/14/03 5:31 pm
nika 
Always worth the wait. I can't believe that 
got kidnappen. 
Who is that blonde and the guy with the accent anyway? 
's family? 
more. Update soon, please? 
. I'mm really very thankful for all your kind words, patience and support. This board is the best.
I TheRose,Sj,Samm777,Washi,Sabina,Bluewillowwitch,
at: 1/6/04 8:40 pm
Now both are so in trouble...
That Maclay man is so bad! Willow was so pissed off cause Tara the other day so I'm interesting to know how are they going to fix things...
I love this fic too much! But hey, I hope everything resolve in good way. 
