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Feb-24-2009 15:17

"Sweetheart, come back here! You're too close to the street," I called.

My three-year-old smiled her father's smile at me. " 'kay, Momma."

I felt my heart swell as I smiled and ruffled her long, dark blond hair. She inherited that from her daddy, too. "Decadence, baby, I've got to go to work now. You be good for Ms. Martinez, okay?"

"Yes, Momma." Deca turned and smiled at our neighbor, Ms. Martinez, before turning back to me. "Is it a bad case, Momma?"

I laughed. It's amazing how fast kids pick up on their surroundings. "No, hon, just paperwork." I gave her one last hug and kiss, then slid into my car. I watched her wave good-bye in my review until I could see her no more.

"Geez, they grow up so fast," I muttered as my cell phone trilled. "Yeah?" I answered.

"There's not much time left," a woman shrieked.

My assistant, Nancy. "Nancy, what are you talking about?"

"Someone slipped a letter under the door. It had your name on it but I opened it anyway; if it was a secret they would've mailed it, right? 'There's not much time left; soon you won't see her,' it says. Oh, Sara, they're going to kill me!" Nancy cried.

"Oh, cut it, Nancy. Why would they kill you? They'd get more of a response if they were threatening..."

"Decadence," we said together.

Feb-28-2009 05:05

So Bane had dumped me on the street and run. I had thought there might be something good in him that would make him want to help us but I guess I was wrong. Oh well, us girls could probably do a better job without him. I watched the truck drive away and turned to walk up the path to Sara's house. I got to the bottom step and stopped in my tracks.

The front door was swinging wide open and I could see the hall rug was rumpled like something had been dragged along it. I stepped up one step and I could see blood drops on the threshold of the doorway!

"This doesn't look good" I thought to myself. Cautiously I stepped sideways off the footpath and moved around the side of the house. I made my way up to the dining room window and peered in. "Damn" I swore under my breath. A mean looking man was sitting there drinking coffee and he didn't look like the type of man Sara would socialize with. I decided to check the rest of the house. Peering into windows I couldn't seem to see anyone else. It appeared that one fellow was there on his own.

Suddenly I had a brainwave. Sara kept some weapons in the basement. They were kept up out of reach of Decadence. Sneaking around the back I found the basement window close to the ground and was lucky enough to find it open. As quietly as I could I wriggled through and dropped into the basement. I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust then dropped into a crouch when I heard movement near the stairs. Squinting in the dark I finally recognized Sara. She was tied up and there was blood coming from the back of her head. Amazingly she was conscious.

"Quick" she whispered as I untied her. I helped her up and as quietly as we could we retrieved the hidden weapons. I told her about the one guy in the dining room and we started to make a plan........

Feb-28-2009 10:56

I couldn't believe it when Lolita dropped in. I thought the beast who'd attacked me had called for backup, but then it occurred to me that he wouldn't call a woman for help.

"Quick," I whispered. She quickly untied me and I told her what I'd been doing. I'd been crying; so many memories down here. I was sure I looked awful; at some point I'd realized I was bleeding. I smelled the blood and felt a little woozy.

Lolita gave me a smile. "I'm afraid they separated me and Decadence at some point."

I nodded. "Makes sense. How many guys are up there?"

"Just one. He was drinking coffee in the kitchen." Lolita shivered, though I couldn't tell if it was from fright or the cold, damp air.

"Damn! Not my imported French coffee! Riley bought me that the day we found out I was pregnant. I only have coffee on special occassions, and that stuff just doen't go bad." I felt near tears again. I normally didn't cry; I must have lost a lot of blood.

"All right," I whispered. "I think Riley's service revolvers are in the box under the box labeled "Wedding". I can't look though. Would you do it?" The look on my face must have made Lolita realize how hard this was for me.

"Yes." She nodded, then started rooting through boxes.

"I think I've got pepper spray and maybe a couple smoke bombs, too. I put them over here..." I trailed off as I began going through a different stack of boxes.

"Got 'em!" Lolita called, holding up a .38, a .44, and a .45. "There's ammo here, too. We're set."

"Great. I've got some rope, which could be handy, six smoke bombs, and a can of mace. A couple pocket knives, too."

Lolita smiled. "Sweet. I'll go back out the window and get him from upstairs; you creep back up the stairs, and we'll have a little surprise party."

"If you can, don't kill him. He might be able to help us." I rolled my shoulders. "Let's roll."

Feb-28-2009 11:09

Lolita went back to the window and slithered out. Poking her head back in, she said, "Count to fifteen to give me time to get around front. I'll give two short whistles, then one long, and you'll go up." She smiled. "Good luck, kiddo."

"You, too, babe." I returned the smile and she disappeared.

I started counting down in my head. I reached one just as two short whistles floated through the still-open window. Then one long, shrill sound and I crept up the stairs. I took hold of the doorknob; it turned easily in my hand. That was bad planning. The first thing you learn when kidnapping is ALWAYS lock the door in case the captive gets free of their bonds. And always secure the windows...

Something was wrong here; or maybe I just had an overactive imagination. It almost seemed as if Beast wanted me to escape. I cautiously opened the door. Lolita stood to my left, waiting for me. She nodded, and I nodded in return. Together we slinked to the kitchen doorway, each armed with a pistol. Beast was sleeping. I smiled.

Pulling the rope from the pockey on my duster, I held it up and mouthed, "To the chair."

Lolita nodded her understanding. We split; she went along the left side of the table and I went right. We reached Beast who was still asleep. I moved to tie him to the chair, but then I caught the scent of blood; and it wasn't me own. Beast's throat was slit, blood pooled on the floor.

Lolita and I looked at each other, eyes wide.

"Oh, shit."

Mar-3-2009 14:20

Sara Lou instantly dived and rolled through the kitchen, back to the basement door and crouching behind it she shouted to me "Are you ok?"

I had dived under the dining table and I was peering through the chair legs trying to see where the murderer was. I had banged my head again on the way down and I was still recovering from being thrown about in the back of that truck. My vision was blurry. My head hurt. I heard Sara shout at me but the words sounded like they were underwater. If I just close my eyes for a second, my head might clear................I close my eyes and welcome the relief. Oh beautiful darkness...........I'm unconscious again!

Mar-4-2009 14:11

"Oh, goody," I murmured. I couldn't just leave Lolita there. Whomever had murdered Beast was probably waiting for me. If I had to guess, I would say someone came to collect the goods (me), and decided to get rid of the watchman. Less money to give out, right?

I looked and listened. The house was quiet and, I thought, empty. I ran, crouched, over to the table. I took hold of Lolita and drug her out from under the table. I know, don't move unconcious people, but would you rather me leave her there to be slaughtered?

I thought quickly. I wouldn't take her to the basement; the slaughterer could have snuck down there. I certainly couldn't go out the front door. Someone could be waiting there. Where to go? Somewhere hidden, but close to town... Where, where, where?

I smiled. Deca's tree house. I half-drug, half-carried Lolita through the kitchen and out the back door. I struggled across the lawn, tripped over three baby dolls and a weed-eater, and finally made it to the base of the big oak Riley and I had built a tree house in for our future child when we'd found out I was pregnant.

I shook my head and looked up. Now, how was I going to get Lolita up THERE? I sighed. It had been a great idea. I looked down at her slumped form leaning against the tree. I began mentally scanning the area, trying to think of where I could drag an unconcious woman unnoticed. I sighed again; I was drawing a blank. I suppose I COULD go call my mom... NO! I shivered. Sara's Personal Work Rule #1: NEVER BRING YOUR MOTHER INTO A CASE. Ever. That I'd come close to breaking my own rule was a sign of how desperate I was getting. I looked at Lolita again. I moved to pick her up, but she started to stir...

Mar-5-2009 13:33

I regained consciousness to the smell of earth and grass. "Oh no. They've buried me alive!" was my first thought. Then the light returned to my eyes and I knew that I wasn't underground. I cracked open one eye to find Sara standing over me. I was on the ground under the treehouse in the back yard. "Wha....." Ohhhh it hurt to talk. "What's going on?" I managed in a whisper.

Sara told me that I had only been out for a couple of minutes and she had managed to get me out of the house but now she didn't know what to do. "My mother" I groaned as I tried to push myself up.

"Look here" Sara berated me, "I know you hurt, but really.....asking for your mummy at your age?"

Still trying to get up I shook my head and groaned. "No" I mumbled and managed to lift my arm and point at my mother's house right next door. There was a connecting gate between the two yards. A lot easier to make it over there than trying to climb that tree.

Sara helped me up and stumbling we managed to make it to the back door of my mother's house. Shoving me in through the laundry door I grabbed hold of the washtub and the first thing I did was run my head under the cold water. "Ah bliss!" I thought as the cooling water soothed the swelling on my head. Suddenly I heard Sara scream...............