CHAPTER 18: CRACK THAT WHIP

"A LL SET?"

Tina's low voice called out in the darkness, her tall form leaning casually against the short red brick wall of the steps leading into the apartment building. Mariel could just make out the lines of the detective's body, the streetlights casting shadows across her face. Her presence was a tangible thing, something Mariel could feel without seeing. Or it might have been that the young scientist was simply hyperaware of the woman who radiated waves of quiet strength and beauty in every direction around her. Even in the dark. With a smile, Mariel shook her head.

"Yeah, I just had to grab my pen and notebook. Can't leave home without it."

Mariel smiled and patted against the leather jacket she wore, the inside pocket holding her possessions. She had remembered these items just as they had got out of the door and had insisted that it was a must to have something to write on if they were out gathering information. Tina had just smirked and shook her head, letting the young researcher run back up into the apartment. Walking towards the street, Tina let her eyes glance down at Mariel before speaking with a smile.

"Remember to keep it under wraps. We're supposed to be two people out on the town having fun."

Mariel followed next to Tina down the darkened sidewalk, zipping up her jacket against the chill. Looking up at the detective's determined face, she had to smile.

"Right. Fun. I've heard of that."

Tina glanced down and smiled at Mariel, letting her hand briefly guide the shorter woman across the street as the scientist looked up at her puzzled.

"Hey...where's your car? Aren't we going to take that?"

The detective shook her head, her eyes scanning the street as they walked to the corner to catch a cab. With a quick lock of her eyes on Mariel's, Tina spoke.

"I moved it. With our little run-in today, I think it's better to keep a low profile. Just in case."

Mariel walked next to the statuesque detective, her shorter strides coming quickly to keep up with Tina's. With a nod, she went quiet as they approached the corner at Halsted. The chill in the air cooled the leather she was wearing, her bare midriff exposed against inside of the jacket. The zipper was like one cold line running up her body and she shook involuntarily. The detective caught the movement with her eyes as she let her gaze fall down on the scientist next to her.

"You're cold."

Mariel looked up and smiled a little, shrugging her shoulder as they stopped on the corner of the busy street.

"Not too bad."

Tina just raised an eyebrow and moved behind the shorter scientist, her tall body coming in close until she was leaning up against Mariel's back. Letting her hands rest on the scientist's shoulders, she rubbed them just a bit as she kept her eye out for a cab.

Mariel simply let herself absorb the welcome warmth of the detective, a bit surprised at the contact but not complaining either. This close, the scientist could smell leather, stronger than that she wore, and also the slightest hint of something like nutmeg or cinnamon. Something. Whatever it was, it was purely Tina and it made Mariel's pulse race for reasons unknown.

"Here we go."

Tina's low voice rumbled down as one hand raised up and hailed a yellow cab and the other drifted down between the scientist's shoulder blades, guiding her towards the street with casual ease. The detective opened the door of the cab and let her eyes glance around them as Mariel got in. After a slight pause, she ducked down and climbed into the warm car, sitting next to the young doctor in the back.

The heat from the front of the car blasted back through the few holes in the plexiglass separating driver and passengers. There was the faintest hint of music coming from the speakers, a latin beat pulsing lowly. The driver was a woman, her black hair cut in a bob. Letting her brown eyes find Tina's in the rearview mirror, she spoke with a Cuban accent.

"Where to, my friends?"

Tina leaned forward, moving the nightstick at her hip to a more comfortable position as she spoke through the slot between the front and back.

"5301 LaSalle."

The driver nodded and smiled as she took off, her voice drifting back to her passengers.

"Ah, yes...the Horner Art Gallery. Lovely place."

Tina just jerked her chin in response before she settled back into the seat, turning her head to regard Mariel. With a serious voice, she spoke softly.

"Mariel, we should probably talk about tonight."

Mariel pressed her shoulder against the back of the seat as she turned and faced the detective. As they drove under the lights along the city streets, Tina's face was alternately covered in dark shadows and golden light. Nodding, she let her hand rest on her own leather covered leg, the thin skin absorbing the heat of her palm easily. Quietly, she listened as the detective continued.

"I need to see a friend at the Whip Room. She can tell me if there's been any talk among the leathers."

Mariel nodded, her eyes finding Tina's as she spoke softly.

"This is the women's only place right?"

The detective nodded and glanced out the window as they made their way along Belmont, the driver navigating the yellow cab safely through the traffic. Looking back over at Mariel, Tina continued.

"Yeah. These folks are fine. We shouldn't have any problems there but...have you been to one of these places before?"

Mariel shook her head. The researcher had never been to a gay bar let alone a leather bar. In the past, her usual outings had been at the occasional jazz place or brewery. Since most of her friends from college had been straight, there was never really an opportunity to check out the very few gay bars in Madison and West Lafayette. Hell, she didn't even know if any existed in those places. Madison, maybe. And forget it about a leather place. Right now, she was in the presence of more leather sitting in the back seat next to Tina than she had been in all her life. She didn't really know what to expect. Layla's words came back to her, 'follow where she leads, go where she takes you.' She watched Tina nodded back at her and heard the detective's voice soften.

"Ok. Just relax when we get there. Let me do the talking, you keep your eyes open. When they see the two of us come in, they'll expect that we're together and that's what I want them to think."

Mariel nodded, her green eyes hidden in the darkness of the car. Glancing through the back window, her gaze returned to Tina and spoke quietly.

"Alright. Anything else?"

Tina paused, shifting in her seat just a bit to look directly at the scientist. Even in the shadows of the cab, the detective could see Mariel was focused on her, her brows slightly together in a serious expression, soft eyes catching the streetlights and glowing with an intensity all their own. She was beautiful and Tina could not help but think that even in the middle of this assignment, she found herself reacting to Mariel. The casual touch they shared before getting into the cab had been so sweet in its simplicity. This next part was as much for the sake of their undercover work as it was for Tina's own interest. With a low voice, she spoke.

"Will you be comfortable with me touching you in public?"

Mariel swallowed, sensing somehow that the few touches they had indulged in before were not what the detective was referring to. And knowing that she was moving in that direction without her control. And feeling very comfortable with it, in a nervous, excited, scared, happy, intense kind of way. With a nod, the scientist agreed, her voice sounding soft in the dark car.

"Yes...I, uh..yeah, that shouldn't be a problem."

Tina smiled slightly at the scientist's words, shaking her head as her voice rumbled.

"Good. We've got to make this convincing. Especially when we go to the Mortar and Pestle. That crowd is rougher and I want to make sure we get in and out with the minimum of interference"

With another nod, Mariel quietly deferred to the detective she assumed had seen and done it all. She was also preparing herself to play her part in all of this and that meant letting Tina take over. With a soft voice, she spoke.

"Tina, you just let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it."

The detective took in what Mariel said and nodded a bit. She was glad for the dark of the car's interior, feeling the slight rush of warmth to her face at the scientist's words. With a breath, Tina looked back over at Mariel and spoke again.

"Mariel, whatever happens, I promise that I'll take care of any trouble and keep us both safe. You can trust me on that."

Mariel was quiet for a bit before she looked up into Tina's eyes, the blue reflecting the gold from the streetlights and showing a depth and clarity that the scientist could feel, the security that came with them feeling right. With a nod, she spoke sincerely, her eyes conveying what she now felt.

"I do trust you. I'll follow wherever we need to go, do whatever we need to do. I promise that."

Tina searched the scientist's face, knowing that this young woman spoke from a place deep inside. Yes, the case was important to her, but right now, with where they were going and what they might face, something deeper was needed. A fundamental trust, a leap of faith. They both had to believe in it for more than just their physical safety. The detective had been burned so many times in the past, had lost trust in so many that putting herself in that position again with this relative stranger was like jumping off a cliff so high she couldn't see down it. Could she believe in this one young woman enough to overcome the past?

After looking back into Mariel's honest eyes, Tina returned the sentiment quietly and completely with a nod of her head. It had been that easy and that hard all at once. And as she fell down dizzying heights, Tina knew that wherever she landed with this young doctor was far better than standing alone.

* * *

The cab turned down LaSalle, curving along past buildings and stretches of dark sidewalk. Most of the places along this way were higher priced buildings and some stand alone mansions set back off the street, red brown blocks of stone forming elaborately large and complex frames. Curving archways, smooth stone columns glowed in the moonlight, immaculate lawns slowly passing by through the windows. The Chicago Historical Society building stood like a ghost with its grand, unreachable charm and law offices followed in a row of smaller but impressively built structures.

Slowing down in front of a gated entrance, the driver turned the cab down a long black driveway, the bare trees lining it on either side stood starkly naked, the leaves having dropped quickly after the first real chill. The Horner Art Gallery was a huge four-story brown stone building, the windows all dark save for a few dim lights on in the top floor. The reflecting pool in front was empty for the approaching winter, the koi long since removed. The car's headlights flashed along back to a dim parking lot full of cars, surprising in that the gallery appeared closed. Pulling up along the back entrance driveway, the driver appeared to know exactly where she was going. Despite its rather grand surroundings, the Whip Room was situated far below the gallery, tucked away in a private area beyond the prying eyes of the general public. The Horner and the Whip Room had a rather pleasant relationship, the founders of both places happy with the arrangements. Stopping at a doorway that lead down, the cab driver put the cab in park and turned around, smiling at the two occupants as she slid open the partition through the plastic.

"Here we go, my friends. The Horner. Five bucks please."

Tina reached in her pocket, pulling out a ten and letting it slip through the slot.

"Keep it. Thanks."

The driver smiled and jerked her head towards the darkened entrance, her face genial and knowing.

"Tell them Luna sent you, ok?"

Mariel smiled as she watched Tina's return reaction, the slight raise of her dark eyebrow indicating she appreciated the gesture. The driver glanced over at Mariel and smiled before turning back around, ready to leave them for the night. The detective opened her door and climbed out, her tall form standing regally in the darkened parking lot as she held the door for Mariel, reaching her hand out and helping the scientist from the car. Tina directed them around the back of the cab as it took off, letting her arm again drape casually over Mariel's shoulder as they walked down the stone steps that lead to the Whip Room. Leaning down, Tina let her lips rest against the scientist's ear, her voice coming in a low tone.

"Ok. Let's make this look good."

Mariel shivered just a bit as she unzipped her jacket and let her eyes look up and meet the detective's. With a smile and an eyebrow raise, she spoke quietly.

"Whatever you say, boss."

They were chuckling when they opened the door, the soft music reaching their ears first before their eyes took in the darkened room. It wasn't like a regular bar. There were low soft leather couches up against the walls, candles providing the main lighting. Plush carpet covered the floors and a few small black tables were surrounded by comfortable chairs. Throughout the entire front room, there were women lounging and chatting, most all of them in leather, but some in other clothes. They were sipping various drinks as they laughed, their eyes briefly looking up to see the newcomers before they went back to their conversations. A woman seated at a small podium near the door looked over at Mariel and Tina and smiled before speaking.

"Hey. How's it going?"

Tina pulled Mariel just a bit closer to her, one hand wrapping securely around the scientist's leathered shoulder and moving them over to the podium before she let her gaze fall on the woman. She affected a nonchalance before she gave a lift of her chin in response.

"Not bad. Luna sent us."

The woman at the door stood and smiled, nodding her head as she came around to stand next to them, her gaze taking them both in with an admiring eye. With a chuckle, she put her hands on her hip while she spoke.

"Well, everyone she sends along to us comes very highly recommended so no worry here. The bar's in the back, there are private rooms off to the side, and a public area for your use should you want it. The only rule we have is that whatever happens in here is safe, sane, and consensual. Sound agreeable to you?"

Tina nodded, letting gaze drift over the crowd, taking in the women paired off or clustered around and talking. Without even looking, the detective reached for the back collar of Mariel's leather jacket and skillfully pulled it off and down between her shoulders, her firm grip sliding off the leather with ease. No better time than the present to show off her companion and establish for the crowd exactly what the situation was between them.

Mariel blinked slightly but caught herself as she felt the warm air of the room cover her now bare skin. Standing next to the detective in just her leather bra and pants, she felt exposed and on display as curious eyes turned their way, taking in the rather commanding dark-haired, blue-eyed woman and her blond friend. Without missing a beat, she nestled close against Tina as the investigator casually carried her jacket in one hand and put the other hand on the small of Mariel's back, her fingers spreading against the bare expanse of skin and pressing her forward as they walked back towards the bar.

Walking from the main front room through a darkened hallway with doors leading off to the sides, they entered another part of the building. Here, the space was much larger with the same kinds of couches and tables set around, candles and wall-mounted lighting illuminated the room in a reddish glow. Along one wall, a mirror reflected back the images of the room's occupants while across from it along the other wall ran a large bar made of black metal and silver railing. Tall, black stools with leather backs stood lined against the bar, as a few people mingled there, sitting on the stools drinking their drinks as the music played a bit louder in here, speakers set off in the corners of the ceiling.

Tina led the scientist over to an unoccupied seat and nodded with her head, indicating that Mariel should sit there. Leaning in against the bar, her forearms rested casually and confidently on the dark surface as she let her eyes glance once over at the researcher, making sure she was settled before catching the eye of the bartender. The redhaired tall woman tending the bar ambled over and cocked her head, smiling slighty as she spoke in a southern accent.

"What can I get y'all?"

Tina brought her hand up to her chin and rubbed her jaw as she let her eyes scan the bottles in neat rows behind the bartender. With a low voice, she raised an eyebrow at the southern redhead and spoke.

"A shot of Wild Turkey and a water."

A woman with black hair and dark skin dressed all in black was seated at the bar to Tina's right. Lifting her glass, she smiled slightly over at the detective.

"Good choice."

Tina just nodded while looking over at her with casual eyes, taking in a short-haired blond woman further down the bar who leaned forward, her head bobbing as she spoke with conviction.

"That's fucking piss water, my friend, let me tell you."

The woman to Tina's right just turned and shook her head, taking a drink of said beverage before speaking.

"Man...that is just so wrong."

The bartender handed the detective her drinks before she leaned in against the bar. Her longer red hair caught the glow of the lights behind the bar as a short leather whip attached to her beltloop thudded against the counter behind the bar. Holding up a hand, she spoke to the two women.

"Listen, missey, y'all are both working me tonight so just chill."

Tina took her drink and left the three to continue their good-natured bickering and turned back towards Mariel at her left. At that instant, the detective's blue eyes narrowed, she set the drink back down on the bar and turned, standing up to her full height. Her expression was entirely not happy.

Standing next to Mariel was a woman with short blond hair dressed in a leather jacket, pants, and boots. She wore a grey bandana tied on her head and had a long strip of leather looped around her belt. A silver pair of handcuffs dangled on the other side of her hip. But the most distinguishing feature about this woman was the fact that she foolishly had one hand on the scientist's knee. Bad move.

Tina moved forward and caught the woman's eye when she placed her own hand on Mariel's bare shoulder. Letting her gaze drift menacingly down to the woman's hand on the researcher's knee, she glanced at Mariel's face before she spoke in a low growl to the woman.

"Problem here?"

Mariel simply kept quiet, a tad bit thankful that the detective had turned to take care of this situation. She had just been minding her own business when the woman had approached her, asking her to go off to one of the private rooms. She could have handled it but thought it best to leave it to her partner. She watched as the woman removed her hand from her knee and looked up at Tina's tall form before speaking.

"Sorry, I didn't know she belonged to you."

Tina came around to stand at the side of Mariel's chair, letting her hand rest down on the scientist's thigh. With a slight squeeze, the detective smiled darkly before she spoke, her blue eyes sparking.

"I'd say she belongs to herself..."

Tina paused as she turned to Mariel, letting her hand drift up along the scientist's bare arm before coming to rest on her back. Dipping her head to the side, she let her lips just briefly touch against Mariel's exposed shoulder before smiling into the skin, letting her teeth show as she lightly bit down before turning back to the woman. With a cock of her head and a rather dangerous smile, she continued.

"...but she's here with me. Got it?"

The woman just nodded, not wanting to mess with the imposing detective. Putting her hands up, she smiled as she backed away and went off into the front room, searching for less dangerous companions. Tina just watched her go before she let her eyes take in the room, making sure everyone understood that the blond woman seated at the bar was off-limits.

For Mariel's part, all she could concentrate on was the fact that her skin was still tingling where the detective had let her lips and teeth touch. Just a quick kiss against her shoulder and the scientist's whole body was jolted into awareness. She felt like she had been marked as the investigator's property in a way, the rest of the room clearly getting the message that she was Tina's. And that thought wasn't entirely unappealing. Just new. And strange. And good. She could feel the warmth of Tina's hand against the small of her back, the strong solid pressure of her hand against her skin. She swallowed when she felt the detective lean in close to her ear and speak in a low voice.

"You ok?"

Mariel's soft voice answered.

"I'm fine."

Tina pulled back and let her eyes search the scientist's face for signs of discomfort. Seeing the slight flush against Mariel's cheek, the detective smiled as she raised the hand from her back and let her fingertips touch against the color on the young scientist's face briefly before letting her hand rest on the back of the chair. She nodded before raising her hand to the bartender, signaling for her.

So this was undercover work, huh? Mariel mused as she shifted in her tall chair and glanced over at the detective, not bad work if you could find it. She was with the most gorgeous woman in a place that simply oozed sensuality. Mariel hadn't expected her own response to the detective's touch because it was entirely unprofessional if she did say so herself. Unprofessional and pretty damn instense. She simply smiled when Tina's eyes caught her own for a brief second, seeing a slight raise of an eyebrow and playful gleam in her blue eye. If Mariel didn't know better, she'd guess that Tina was enjoying herself just as much.

She watched as the bartender came over and leaned against the bar, hearing the detective's voice rumble as she spoke.

"Tell Losa that I have her chobos and I'd like to discuss them with her in private."

The bartender nodded at the cryptic message and went off. Mariel turned to Tina and let her voice softly question.

"Who's Losa?"

Tina let her eyes glance around the room before she finding the scientist's. Even in this light, Mariel looked radiant, her blond hair spilling across her bare shoulders. So much skin exposed for her eyes made it difficult for Tina to concentrate, almost wishing that they weren't on a mission. Feeling how soft Mariel's skin was against her hand was very distracting. And very good. Tina suspected that tonight would be full of distracting moments if she wasn't careful. Leaning in, she let her voice drop to a low register for Mariel's ears only.

"Losa is the head of the Chicago Leatherwomen."

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 497