Chapter 1
Face checked his reflection as he straightened his tie. He'd been looking forward to this date with Rhonda all day, and he wanted to look his very best. He had made reservations at LaRue, and he'd been guaranteed by the owner that a bottle of champagne would be waiting for them, on ice.
He met Rhonda about a month ago, and the relationship was going very well. He could even say that he was beginning to really fall for her. He hadn't fallen for a woman so hard since Leslie Becktall. Maybe it was finally time that he settle down. Maybe Rhonda was it.
"We're on the run, Lieutenant, we're all each other has right now."
Hannibal's words continued to echo in his mind, long after Rena had left. He wished he could just run away and settle somewhere else, to just live his life again. Maybe Rhonda would be the woman to help him make such a decision.
Satisfied that his hair and tie were perfect, he put on his suit jacket and left his condo. He whistled as he rode the elevator down to the parking garage, and hummed as he jumped into the 'Vette and sped off toward Rhonda's apartment to pick her up.
Face arrived at Rhonda's brownstone apartment building ten minutes ahead of schedule. He got out and went up to the main door. He rang her bell, and she rang him up without a word into the speaker. He pulled open the door and headed up to her floor. As he raised his hand to knock, he heard the click of her lock, and she opened the door. She was dressed in a beautiful, shimmering navy blue dress, low cut.
"You look simply gorgeous, Rhonda. Are you ready to go?"
"Almost, Templeton. Could you come in and help me with my necklace?"
He smiled and followed her inside. Before Face knew what was happening, the door was slammed closed behind him, and he was slammed up against it by a large man, and held there by his neck.
"What the hell is going on!" he managed to squeak out as the man's large hand constricted his throat.
"I'm so sorry, Templeton. I didn't want to do it..." Rhonda started. She fell silent as two other men came out of the kitchen and stopped on either side of her. Face immediately recognized one of the men.
"You... you work for Johnny Turion."
"Worked," the man corrected. "Johnny is dead, no thanks to you and your friends."
"We saved a famous designer from being ruined. I'd say we did a bang-up job."
The man pulled a gun and pointed it at Face.
"You signed Johnny's death warrant. And you're going to pay."
"Please don't hurt him!" Rhonda shrieked as the second man held her back by her arms. "You promised me you wouldn't hurt him!"
Face used Rhonda's screaming as a distraction, and kicked the man holding him in between his legs. The big man dropped him, and Face whipped a gun out from the back of his jeans.
"Let her go."
The man holding Rhonda let her go, and Face grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to him. Turion's flunkie took a shot at Face, and got him in the arm. Face screamed in pain, but pulled Rhonda toward the door. He pulled it open with his good arm, and pulled her into the hallway.
Face and Rhonda ran down the stairs and outside. He pushed her into the Corvette, jumped in and drove off.
"Where are we going?"
"I have a friend that can help us. I can't take these guys on my own."
"You need a hospital! He shot you in the arm!"
"Oh, this? This is nothing. My friend can help. Can you trust me?"
Rhonda nodded as Face turned right and headed toward the location of Hannibal's latest film set. As he made his right, he noticed a black sedan turn right behind him. Suspecting he was being followed by Turion's ex-henchman, he made a series of left turns. Sure enough, the car followed him.
"Buckle your seat belt."
Rhonda did so as Face hit the gas and sped off to the right, in an attempt to lose the tail. He got back onto the main road and made a series of turns, deliberately weaving in and out of traffic. After twenty minutes of cat and mouse, Face finally lost the tail, and resumed his journey to Hannibal.
Hannibal was sitting at the table in his trailer, smoking a cigar. It was near 10 p.m., and he was exhausted. All he wanted to do was smoke a cigar and crawl into bed. Tomorrow was an early call, and he needed to be rested.
As he puffed contentedly on his cigar, he heard the screech of tires outside, and voices, one of which sounded familiar. He stood up just as someone started pounding on his door. He quickly went and opened it. There stood Face, leaning on the shoulders of a woman, bleeding from the shoulder.
"Face, what happened?"
TBC