CHAPTER 22: WATCHING THE DETECTIVE

O NCE OUTSIDE THE Mortar and Pestle, the cold air felt incredible against Mariel's face, the brisk night sending a slight shiver down her back. Tina led her away from the entrance and the people waiting to get inside the club. Taking a deep breath of air that wasn't hot or smoky or smelled of sweaty bodies, she closed her eyes as a smile made its way across her face.

"Feel better?"

Tina's low voice asked next to her before she opened her eyes, looking up at the detective who ran a hand through her long dark hair . Letting her eyes find blue, she shook her head.

"Oh yeah. It's nice to breathe again. It was so crowded in there."

Tina nodded as she looked around them, grateful herself not to be surrounded by people. She had almost taken out a few bodies near the door who would not move for anything, until of course, she was able to persuade them without words or her elbow. The detective had perfected what she liked to call The Look, a cold hard stare with just the right amount of menace and attitude to convince whoever received it to do what she wanted. Or else.

"Hang on."

And with that, Mariel watched as Tina strolled back towards the bar's entrance, stopping at a group of leather men. The scientist observed the detective from where she was standing, the tall woman in profile, easily the most visually captivating person in the crowd. Taking a deep breath, Mariel regarded the investigator who was now engaged in a brief conversation with the men. And then it happened. It was odd, really, because she could actually feel something click into place inside of her. Standing there, on the sidewalk next to some nightclub in a city she barely knew watching a woman as mysterious as she was familiar, Mariel heard the sound of her world making sense again. It was like someone out there actually understood her, actually got her and what she was about. She had never felt that with anyone, not even Peter. It was as terrifying as it was exciting.

The detective turned, her striking form gracefully making its way back to Mariel. Seeing the look on the young doctor's face, Tina stopped in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder, her brows coming together in concern.

"What's wrong?"

'What's wrong, she asks.' A thousand different responses flashed through Mariel's head, none of them sounding remotely sane. How do you tell someone that your body and mind have decided that they're the One, that they're what you've been looking for your entire life? As easily as Mariel found it to talk most of the time, she found herself without words for this. The case, with all its intrigue and mystery, she could handle. The leather scene? No biggie. But one tall, dark and beautiful detective who had somehow taken hold of something inside of her so deep and so strong....that, Mariel concluded, that was entirely and completely out of her limited league of experience. She couldn't form the words for this. Not now and not here.

"Uh, nothing. I was just thinking about the case. You know, how we're going to proceed with this. That sort of thing."

Tina's eyes narrowed at the weak smile the scientist gave her before speaking skeptically.

"Uh huh."

The detective paused, seeing that Mariel wasn't going to elaborate before she continued, nodding her head back towards the bar.

"Well, according to those guys, the Cage is over on George street. We could cab it or walk the six blocks."

Mariel's gaze turned downward, looking at the sidewalk momentarily. Nodding a little to herself, she looked back up at the detective and smiled softly.

"Let's walk."

Tina examined the scientist's features, knowing something had transpired in the few minutes she had been away. She wasn't going to push it because she figured if Mariel wanted to talk about it, she would. Tina knew the case wasn't what was on the young doctor's mind. She knew that things were moving in a direction that neither one of them expected. Given that she doubted Mariel had ever been involved with a woman, it wasn't surprising that Mariel was simply trying to wrap her head around things. Regardless, coming to the conclusion that there is an undeniable attraction between you and someone else takes a bit of getting used to. The detective herself was as surprised as Mariel seemed to be. Tina nodded with her head toward the direction they would take and smiled down gently, her voice soft.

"C'mon, it'll be nice to get some fresh air."

Mariel smiled and they turned, making their way down the sidewalk running along the businesses that occupied the area around Belmont and Broadway. They walked along in silence for some way, each of them deep in their own thoughts, comfortable with the quiet between them. Friday at midnight was busy in the area, so they encountered various Chicagoans walking on their way to destinations unknown. The streets were slightly busy as well, the lights illuminating their pathway at intermittent times. The wind occasionally howled around them, the buildings blocking most of the biting cold.

Tina let her eyes fall on the blond walking next to her, taking in her contemplative expression. She could see that Mariel's brows were together as the scientist was deep in thought, her eyes focused on the cement in front of her feet. There was something so...compelling about the way Mariel simply was. No pretense, no uncomfortable moments, no stress. It made it so easy. And when Mariel turned her face up towards the detective in a look of gentle concentration and query, Tina knew there was no turning back for her now. The scientist's voice was soft as she spoke, her breath visible in the night air.

"Tina, what are we going to do once we get inside? Do you think the person running this thing will even be there?"

The private investigator's eyes found Mariel's and she shrugged, hitching her black leather motorcycle jacket up to resettle on her lean muscular body.

"It's possible. It sounds like the Cage is a tightly-knit, secure place which is exactly something an operation like this would need. I doubt this is where the actual kids are kept, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a cover for the business."

Mariel nodded, putting her hands deeper in her pockets and bringing the jacket tighter around her body. Looking ahead, she thought again before she turned her head back to glance up at the detective, the taller woman's features shadowed.

"Won't we be pegged as outsiders the minute we get in?"

Tina's eyes narrowed in assessment, her gaze forward as they walked along, thinking about what the scientist had said. Glancing down at Mariel, she nodded.

"Maybe, but that's the chance we've got to take. We just need to get in, have a look around, and find some...cooperative individual to tell us what we want to know."

Mariel chuckled nervously as they made their way across another intersection before she spoke.

"Between the two of us, I think we should be able to persuade that someone to talk."

Tina chuckled as her blue eyes caught Mariel's. They had reached Sheffield and were walking slowly down the street, the traffic a bit lighter in this area and the sidewalks a bit darker.

"I'm probably going to have to knock some sense into a few people. You good with that?"

The scientist reached out her hand and circled Tina's upper arm, her fingers grasping thick leather. Giving it a squeeze, she left her hand there while they walked, speaking as she raised an eyebrow up at the detective.

"Right behind you, Tina. You forget about my killer knee already?"

Tina's expression went to mock indignation as she pointed to herself with her thumb, a teasing look crossing her eyes.

"Me? Never! I remember everything about you, I'll have you know."

Mariel pulled against Tina's arm as both eyebrows shot up. With a playful tone of voice, she returned the banter.

"Oh really? What's the name of the pony my parent's bought me when I was seven?"

Tina stopped them, raising one thin, dark perfect eyebrow up at the young doctor. Letting her voice lower, she smiled down at Mariel.

"Mariel, you never told me about your pet pony."

The scientist cocked her head and raised her chin a bit as she looked up at Tina, an innocent smile crossing her lips.

"I didn't? Hmm...must have told some other tall, dark, and Top-like detective."

"Riight."

Tina answered, drawing out the word in a unconvinced voice and shaking her head. Smiling, she unconsciously reached her hand out and let her fingers lightly brush against Mariel's cheek and neck. Both of their smiles faded at the gesture, no longer undercover work and no longer just for show. In that instant, Mariel caught an unguarded look in the detective's eyes, even in the dim light from the street activity around them. It was soft and non-threatening just like the woman underneath the leather and the outward mask of menace for other people's eyes. For Mariel, it was a glimpse into the depths of who Tina was, in just that look. And she really, really liked what she saw.

At that instant, a passing car honked its horn loudly, the occupants shouting out the window and disturbing the moment. Tina let her hand drop as she turned and made sure the car kept going, her body in full alert. The young doctor took a breath to steady herself and put her hand on Tina's back as the detective turned towards her again. In a soft voice, she spoke as she looked up at the investigator.

"Tina? Let's go get this case solved, ok? Because I'd really love a chance to see your Chicago sometime...when we're not out working and fighting the bad guys."

Tina let a gentle smile cross her lips. Looking down at Mariel's warm green eyes, she gave a little nod of her head and lowered her voice.

"I think that can be arranged."

They looked at each other for a bit longer before Tina glanced around, eyeing where they were. The intersection of George and Sheffield was just up ahead, a little alley-way between the blocks was to their right. Looking down the darkened rough alley, she nodded.

"Ok..let's go down this way. We've got to find the back entrance to this place and deal with the doorman there. You ready?"

Mariel looked down the barely lit alley to their right, the few parked cars and dumpsters were dark and foreboding. The wind picked up and swept through the open space, bringing a chill across the cold cement. She put her hand in the pocket to her jacket and felt around, the weight in the inside compartment comforting her a bit. With a nod, she glanced up at Tina.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do it."

Tina smiled down at the scientist before looking around them, making sure no one was observing or following them. Reaching out, she put her hand on Mariel's shoulder and squeezed before she started to lead them into the darkness of the alley and their destination, The Cage. Tina could almost feel things starting to pick up, the danger starting to grow. She had the sense that they were about to confront some unknown entity and she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pretty. With a determined stride, Tina Amphipoli went to face the answers to a mystery she and Mariel had chosen to unravel. And they went together.

* * *

Caitlyn watched the detective and her companion fade into the alley from her perch on the little Yamaha 550 she had ridden over and parked in the darkness of Sheffield Street. She had been trailing Tina and Mariel ever since they left the Whip Room, always taking side streets and keeping the couple in sight. Starting up her bike, she slowly drove down the street, turning onto George and letting her eyes scan the dark houses and buildings along the way. The area was mostly residential, though a few businesses and a school or two occupied each side. Caitlyn drove until she noticed a series of cars parked along the street in front of an unobtrusive building. Slowly easing her way past, she turned her head and took in a darkened entrance, red glowing neon barely visible inside the window above a big black door. Two men stood outside, one smoking, the other keeping an eye on the door.

Turning into the dark parking lot of an abandoned restaurant half a block down the street, Caitlyn turned the motor to her cycle off and put the kickstand down. Reaching up, she undid the chin strap to her helmet and took it off, shaking her pale blond hair out into the night air. She was wearing her thick leather riding jacket and black riding gloves. Naturally, she had no license to drive her bike, but it didn't stop her. It never had.

Swinging her leg over, she climbed off and stood, looking around her. The area was deserted and as black as the night, whatever lighting the parking lot once had was either burned out or gone. Securing her helmet to her bike, she walked forward until she was at the edge of the building, able to look around the corner and down the street to where she had located the bar. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned the area and thought about the best way to get closer.

"Well, what a rotten hole that place is. The dullards at the door shouldn't be a problem."

She murmured to herself into the night air. She had dreamed about this night for months. Ever since they had told her that the one family member she had left, her aunt Lissa, had disappeared here, Caitlyn had been waiting to find out what happened to her. The police had done nothing, they knew nothing. They said they couldn't help if there was no evidence of foul play, and there wasn't. But Caitlyn knew something was wrong.

She'd been sent to live with her aunt in Chicago after her parents had died. Lissa was her mom's younger sister and they had always gotten along. She never treated the teenager like she was a kid. When Lissa didn't return one night, Caitlyn had worried herself sick. The next night, she had called the police. The next, she had tracked down some of her aunt's friends at The Whip Room and ever since that time, they had come up with nothing. It was like Lissa vanished into thin air. That was two months ago and Caitlyn wasn't giving up. Meeting Tina Amphipoli and her friend, Mariel, had been the break she was looking for and the reason she was standing here peering around a building in the middle of the night. If anyone could help her find her aunt, Tina could.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

A menacing voice near her ear caused Caitlyn to jump as a bare arm went around her neck and another arm twisted hers behind her back in a steel grip. Struggling, the girl tried to kick free, using all the moves Losa had taught her but to no avail. The person holding her was taller and stronger and more determined to keep Caitlyn prisoner. Caitlyn tasted cloth as a gag was wrapped roughly around her head and put in her mouth.

"Looks like I found myself a little snooper, hmm? Such a young girl out by herself so late at night...pity."

And with that Cirra Callistone laughed, twisting Caitlyn's arm harder behind her back as she pulled her forward towards the street. With a quick nod of her head, she signaled to the men at the Cage door and spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet against the girl's ear.

"Marakesh is very nice this time of year, precious one. Wanna go?"

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 476