Chris and Rita drove to the location they were given by their mysterious caller. Something was wrong, they could feel it, but they were unable to give a name to their apprehension. As they looked over the events which led up to this moment, they were left with questions, many more questions.
Rita looked over at Chris as he drove. She sighed and asked. "Do you think this is a set up?"
"I don't know." Chris glanced at her and shook his head. "I really don't. It could be. We've pissed off a lot of people in our day! If it is, I hope they don't play cat and mouse with us and string us along before they try. If someone came after us, and Alicia was with us. God-I don't even want to think about it."
A tremulous sigh escaped from Rita's lips. "You know, whoever this person is, they knew exactly how to get us here." Rita stopped but said suddenly, explosively. "I won't let anybody make my daughter an orphan! I can't let that happen. Have we lost our edge, Sam?"
"NO!" Chris replied back forcefully. "We have more to lose now, but it makes us better, stronger, smarter. We always survive, Sam. You were right, we can't let them control our lives."
"You're right," Rita smiled but quickly sobered. "Well, it looks like we're going to find out what's going on right now." Rita pointed toward a parked car and the person standing beside it.
Chris pulled up and he and Rita got out and moved toward the man. Both were looking around, looking for any sign of danger. They studied the messenger with interest. He was not what they had expected. A short man, almost as short as Rita, and dressed in a cheap 'off the rack' suit. He sported thick glasses and had a receding hairline. He looked nervous, and way in over his head.
"Are you Chris and Rita Lorenzo?" He asked apprehensively.
"Yes," Rita replied in her most business like tone. "What's this all about? Why are we here?"
"You said you have information about a murder. If you do you should go to the..." Chris added.
"No," the man cut him off, "you don't know these people. They own the police! They own everybody..."
"Wait," Rita put up her hands, "just wait. Tell us who you are first, okay."
The man nodded and calmed himself. "My name is Harold, Harold Latamer. I'm a CPA at an investment firm. I'd rather not give you the name, but I found some information; I overheard a conversation! Someone ordered a murder! I heard it. It happened two weeks ago!"
"Tell us exactly what happened," Chris said in a calm voice.
"I will, but first I need protection for my family. I have a wife and two kids! I think they're already on to me! Please, you have to help me!"
"We'll protect you and your family, but you have to tell us what happened," Rita repeated patiently.
"Thank you," Latamer closed his eyes, "I have some of the information in my car, I'll get it. I also have some on the tape I sent you."
Latamer started to move away. Rita watched him closely and Chris scanned the perimeter looking for danger. He saw a flash in the distance but it didn't register as anything. 'Damn,' Chris thought to himself, 'there's too many places to hide here!'
Rita watched as Latamer moved toward his car and opened the door. She glanced away for an instant and in the corner of her eye she saw a red flash. She turned back and saw a red dot moving slowly up Latamer's shirt front, she yelled. "Get, down! Get down now."
Chris spun toward Rita and Latamer, his gun already in his hand. He heard the crack of a rifle shot and was trying to get to the confused and stunned Harold. He saw Harold pitch back as the bullet entered his chest. Rita moved toward their car and started to return fire. She was not able to see a target, but unloaded her magazine towards where she thought the shot came from. She ejected the spent magazine and reloaded.
Chris knew he wouldn't make it, and he dove for cover himself at the sound of a machine gun burst. The windows of Harold's car exploded. Rita screamed. "Chris! Get down! Chris..."
He ran back to Rita and yelled. "We've been set up! It's an ambush. We need help—" Rita tried desperately to open the car door and reach the car phone. She was almost there.
"We're going to be having company, Sam!" Chris yelled. Chris pointed at the two trucks moving toward them, blocking their escape route.
"I got the phone!" Rita dialed 911. "Yes, this is Rita Lorenzo; I'm a private investigator. My husband and I are being attacked by multiple gunmen. We have one person down from a gunshot! WE need help now! We're at the industrial park on Old Oak Road, across from building 200."
Chris and Rita were very low on ammunition. Unlike when they were cops, they did not have a shotgun in their car. They could only hope the backup would arrive before things got more unpleasant. Chris saw six men run from one of the trucks and move toward them.
"I can't believe this! We're too far from the city to get any help from FLPD. Let's hope the locals are good. We don't have much time left," Rita stated bluntly.
"Rita, one of us has to..." Rita cut Chris off before he finished his sentence.
"Don't even say it, Lorenzo! I'm not leaving you. I can't let anything happen to you, I couldn't go through it again."
"I know," Chris nodded, "me either. You have any ideas?"
"Yeah, maybe they'll give themselves up or," Rita grinned, "I could attract their attention while you sneak up on them."
"I like the first one, but don't even think about the second one! No way in hell!" Chris laughed to relieve the tension and Rita joined him. They gazed at each other for a second, but looked away, and refocused their attention on gunmen, fast approaching.
Rita saw Chris glance quickly from their car, to Harold's, and back again. "Sam! do you have an idea?"
"Yeah," Chris nodded, "we have to get into one of the warehouses. We can't stay here. Maybe we can use Harold's car to create a diversion."
Rita studied the gunmen and she saw what Chris had noticed. The gunmen were following behind their car, using it as a shield; they were standing close together, too close.
"Good idea, Chris! It might just work."
"Yeah, open the gas tank and stick this rag in it. I'm going to get Harold's body."
Chris moved off toward Harold and Rita placed the oily rag in his gas tank. She shook her head in disbelief. 'I don't believe we're doing this. It can't work! It has to work!' She corrected herself. Rita turned to look at Chris.
Chris reached Harold's body and was startled to find him still alive. "My god, he's alive!" Chris attempted to stop the bleeding, wishing he'd done so sooner. 'Some help we were', Chris thought to himself: 'We'll protect you!' Chris carried Harold back to their car and Rita followed.
"He's alive Rita, he's alive!" Rita's eyes opened wide and she gasped.
Rita bent over Harold and examined the wound. "He's lucky, the briefcase must have slowed the bullet, but he won't last much longer. We have to do this now or never."
"OK, get in our car and start the engine. Forget about hiding, we're getting out of here! I'll get Harold's car ready."
Chris placed Harold in the back seat of their car while Rita got behind the wheel. This done, Chris moved rapidly toward Harold's car. He lit the rag and got behind the wheel. He took off toward the gunmen. He forced down the accelerator and jumped out of the car. The sight of the burning car was sufficiently stunning that it momentarily paralyzed the gunmen. Chris took advantage of this, taking cover behind several oil drums, he began firing at the gunmen, hitting one. Chris heard Rita coming up behind him, and he ran toward the waiting car, firing as he did so. Chris jumped in, and Rita took off at top speed.
The gunmen were in a uproar, but Rita paid them little head as she rammed her way through the trucks. She flinched involuntary as Harold's car exploded behind them. Two of the windows had been shattered from the explosion, and Chris had a cut on his face, but beyond that they were unhurt. Rita heard the familiar wail of police sirens and rejoiced. They'd made it!
"Looks like the Cavalry has arrived," Chris pointed toward the oncoming patrol cars.
"Yeah, little late, don't you think." Rita drove toward the police cars, but was forced to stop as they surrounded them. Chris and Rita's happiness was short lived; the officers had their guns drawn and were pointing them at Chris and Rita. Deep down they knew that the officers were only following standard operating procedures but it still hurt. Over the public address system they heard.
"Driver with your right hand drop your keys out the window and open the door! Keep your hands up! Passenger open the door with your left hand. Place your hands on the top of your heads." Chris and Rita did as they were told. They looked at each other from across the car. Several officers walked up, guns still drawn.
"You're both under arrest," A lieutenant stated as Rita and Chris were being handcuffed and frisked. He raised an eyebrow as their guns were produced. Two of the officers found Harold and sent for the ambulance. The lieutenant went on reciting the words Chris and Rita had spoken to more suspects than they cared to remember. "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford an attorney one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights as I've just explained them?" Chris and Rita nodded. "Do you have anything to say?"
"My name is Christopher Lorenzo and this is my wife and partner Rita Lorenzo. We're private investigators, and we were called to a meeting by this man, Harold Latimer." Chris pointed toward Harold. "We were attacked by those gunmen. That's when Harold was..."
The lieutenant listened, but replied sarcastically. "Well, isn't that a nice story."
"It's the truth." Rita stated half heartedly, realizing it was no use arguing. If Rita had been in the lieutenant's position she wasn't so sure she'd believe the story herself. The worst blow came as they were separated and taken away in different cars.
Rita looked over at the car Chris was in and sighed as she saw him. Wishing she were with him. Chris never allowed the situation to get the better of him. He'd always fought; no matter what the odds were.
Chris' temper was building, but he realized that this was not time to go off half cocked. They had to keep their heads. Chris turned and looked over at the car Rita was in. He could tell she was upset, but was trying to be strong, as she always did.
Chris and Rita were driven off to the the local police station. They wondered what would become of them and their little girl. The law was on their side, they were licensed PI's and licensed to carry and use a firearm. They were ten year veterans of PBPD, and had a number of awards for valor and arrest rate. The question they couldn't answer was why did Harold Latimer contact them. What was he scared of? Who was behind the whole thing?