Chapter 4 was written shortly after I finished Chapter 3, and I was on a roll. It might get kinda...rushed at the end, but please, bear with me.
Disclaimer: Totally Spies. Not mine.
A week passed. Sam, Clover, and Alex had turned up nothing. There were no clues, no evidence, nothing that they could use to exonerate Lindsey, but at the same time, they didn't any evidence that further incriminated her. All that they had was their files, Jerry's tracking bug, and that digital voice altering device, all of them with Lindsey's fingerprints on them.
The girls were at their villa in Beverly Hills, trying to think of some plan of action that they could utilize to help their friend. Alex was in a pair of shorts and a tank top, curled up on the couch with Lindsey's t-shirt in her arms. Clover was lounging in the recliner in a pair of blue jeans and a baby tee, and Sam was in her pajamas still. They were sitting in silence, all three of them trying to think of anything that they could, any end that they'd left loose, any lead that they hadn't tracked down, but nothing.
"I wonder how she's doing." Alex said lazily as she sighed. Sam got up off of her beanbag chair and sat next to Alex on the couch, placing a hand on her knee and giving it a pat.
"I'm sure she's doing just fine, Alex."
Jerry sat in his office, looking over the rest of the paperwork on Lindsey's case. He had to make sure that everything was in place for the arraignment that was to take place in one week's time. So far his spies had turned up nothing, just as he assumed they would. There was no evidence whatsoever to exonerate Lindsey, but the only evidence he had on her could have been in her apartment for a number of reasons.
"Stop it." Jerry said to himself. He needed to quit thinking about whether or not he was convicting the wrong person. The evidence he had was strong enough to convince any jury. But there was still that speck of doubt that had managed to creep into his mind. Whether or not she was guilty, Jerry had lost one of his best agents. Lindsey would never be loyal to him again.
There was a slight hum as the massive wall monitor flickered on.
"Yes?" Jerry answered, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Jerry. I'm disappointed. Did you really think I wouldn't find the bug?"
A shiver went down Jerry's spine as he heard that eerie, menacingly distorted voice. His head shot up, glaring at the silhouette. His mind was racing. For an entire week, they had possession of his spies' files, and Jerry himself had imprisoned the wrong person.
"You look surprised. Tell me that you didn't honestly think that your finest agent would turn on you..."
The silhouetted figure laughed menacingly. Jerry's eyes were wide with horror.
"I come to you with one last request. Give me the agent's file. I want it, unaltered, uncensored."
Jerry stood, slamming a fist down on his desk.
"I WILL NOT! WOOHP does NOT negotiate with TERRORISTS!" Jerry shouted. The figure chortled.
"What an impressive line. Too bad that I've heard it before. And this time, Jerry, don't bug it."
The screen went black. Jerry stood, horrified.
Back at the villa, Sam was in her room, changing clothes. She Pulled on a pair of jean capris that hugged the contours of her legs, and then topped it off with a tank top and an over shirt that she buttoned up about half way.
Flaunting, but not advertising...she thought as she looked herself over in the mirror. Sam nodded and gave herself a weak smile in the mirror. Then she flashed a huge smile. She sighed, running a hand through her long, fiery red hair. Sam just didn't feel right. She wasn't quite depressed, at least not compared to Alex, but she wasn't happy, either. It felt like there was a vital part of herself missing. Sighing one last time, Sam pulled her hair up into a ponytail and fell back onto her bed. She stared at her ceiling, her mind still trying to draw a conclusion to this issue with Lindsey.
"Sam, you can do better than this." she told herself, but when she said it, she heard Lindsey's voice instead of her own. Then her mind went back to that day in class when they had begun to talk politics. Lindsey was so intelligent, and definitely well-read. Her words flowed so nicely...Sam shook her head. She had to remain focused. Just as her thoughts finally fell back on the problem at hand, the telephone began to ring. She exhaled loudly and rolled onto her stomach, towards her nightstand. She reached out and took the phone off of the deck, hitting the talk button. As she held the phone to her ear, all she heard was the dial tone. She pressed the end button and looked at the phone curiously. She set it down on the nightstand and laid back down. The phone rang again, and she picked it up and hit talk, this time staying quiet. She heard Alex answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey...get down here."
"Jarvis, what?"
But the man had hung up the phone.
"Alex, who was that?" Sam asked. Alex was quiet.
"Jarvis. He works in the WOOHP legal department." Alex answered. "We should probably get down there."
Sam and Alex hung up the phones and as Sam hurried down the stairs, Alex filled Clover in. Clover was ready in a second, keys in hand. Sam and Clover were already at the door, but Alex was still standing by the couch, hugging Lindsey's t-shirt. Clover turned.
"Alex, what's wrong? Come on." Clover urged as she opened the door.
"Those are Lindsey's car keys...She hates it when people drive her car..." Alex answered. Clover didn't remember Lindsey's car ever being at their house, but sure enough, as she looked out in the driveway, she saw Lindsey's jet black Mustang GT parked precariously behind Clover's Miata. Clover sighed.
"Alex, I'm sure that it won't be that big of a deal." she huffed. "And who parked it, anyways? Even if I wanted to, I couldn't back out. Someone needs to learn how to drive."
"I parked it..." Alex said quietly as she lowered her arms a little. Her brown eyes were wide and rimmed with tears. Clover mentally kicked herself.
"I mean...uh..."
"What she means, Alex, is good job at parking it." Sam said before Clover could worsen the situation for herself. "We're going to have to take her car, though."
Alex nodded and walked to the door. She walked out to the Mustang and opened the door, sliding into the rear passenger seat. Sam and Clover followed her, but Clover stopped as she opened the door.
"Hey, I have no clue how to drive stick..." Clover said as she pointed. Sam cracked a small smile at the irony of the statement and walked over to Clover, taking the keys from her hand.
"I guess you ride shotgun, then." Sam said as she sat in the driver's seat. The car was lower to the ground than she had expected, and there were a few buttons on the console that Sam had never seen in a car before. She put the key in the ignition and turned, jumping as she listened to the engine started up. It sound like a tiger was growling into a loudspeaker. Clover had a devilish grin on her face.
"When we get her out of jail, Lindsey it totally teaching me to drive a stick shift..." she said as she listened to the purr of the engine. Sam put the car in reverse and slowly backed out. As she pulled into the street, she pressed down gently on the accelerator and the car violently jumped forward, gaining a massive amount of speed.
"SAM, WOAH!" Clover yelled as she held onto her seat. Sam tapped the break, slowing the car.
"Wow, this car sure has good acceleration..."
"Yeah. I kinda had trouble with that at first." Alex said as she sat in the back, Lindsey's shirt in her lap. She was peering around Clover's seat and looking at the rode as Sam drove. Off to WOOHP they were, probably straight to Jerry's office to hear news about when the arraignment would be. In a way, Alex was excited. She would get to see Lindsey, but only through the small monitor on Jerry's desk. Something was better than nothing, though.
Jerry walked quickly down the hallway, his footfalls echoing through the sanitized corridor of the WOOHP Prisoner Holding Facility. He turned onto the isolation wing and approached Lindsey's cell. She was still in her same position, standing in the middle of the room, staring up at the camera that was mounted up in the corner. Her straight jacket had brown stains where blood had dried, and dried blood was also caked on Lindsay's face from where the guards had found it necessary to use excessive force. Jerry coughed lightly, grabbing Lindsey's attention. She slowly turned her head and looked into his eyes. Jerry's stomach tied into knots as he looked into her sunken eyes.
"You..." Lindsey muttered. The word had a venom to it that put a bitter taste in Jerry's mouth. Jerry stood in front of the cell door, and he placed a hand on the lock, his thumb finding the fingerprint scanner. There was a click as one of the door's bolts slid out of position. Jerry produced a keycard and he swiped it through the wall scanner. There was another click as another bolt slid aside. And finally, Jerry pulled the key out of his pocket and set it into the lock. Before he turned it, he lifted his eyes to Lindsey nervously. She just stood there, that same vacant expression on her face, her eyes soulless. He turned the key and listened as the third and final bolt slid out. Jerry pushed the door open and stepped into the small cell.
"Lindsey, you have been exonerated. We have new evidence proving that the device was, in fact, planted in your possession." Jerry said softly. Lindsey's expression didn't change. Jerry took a step towards her, and she took two back. He lifted his hands and held the key to the electronic shackle-cuffs that were still on her arms behind her back. Lindsey gave Jerry a suspicious look and turned around. Jerry removed the shackle-cuffs, which fell to the floor and hiss as the hydraulics released air. He then removed the handcuffs that were also in place. And after that, he unhooked the straightjacket. Lindsey's arms fell to her side and she turned back around, still wearing the jacket, the long sleeves trailing on the floor. She had a menacing look in her eyes.
The girls ran down the hall, Alex in the lead. They hadn't actually been down in the Prisoner Holding Facility. They had never had a reason. But Jarvis in Legal informed them upon arrival that Jerry was planning on releasing Lindsey, and that he hadn't taken any protection down into the isolation wing with him. Alex skidded across the floor as she bolted down the next hallway. There was a cell door wide open at the end of the hall. All three girls stopped cold as they saw Jerry fly out of the cell and slam into the barred door of the adjacent cell. Lindsey stepped out of her cell calmly and threw the straight jacket on Jerry.
"Now we're even, old man." she muttered. Jerry picked himself up and brushed himself off, letting the straightjacket fall to the ground. Lindsey had begun to walk down the hallway.
"Don't think that you're going unpunished for that!" Jerry shouted. "You're on suspension!"
Lindsey simply flipped him the bird as she kept walking. "Take your job and shove it, gramps. I quit." Lindsey replied. She looked at Alex, who was staring at her in disbelief. Lindsey walked up to her, her facial expression not changing. Alex threw her arms around Lindsey's neck, crying into her shoulder. Lindsey rubbed the girl's back and patter her shoulder.
"Hey," she whispered. "Can we go ahead and get out of here?"
Alex nodded in reply and followed as Lindsey walked down the hallway. Sam and Clover were speechless. Lindsey looked terrible. She had lost a good amount of weight, and her skin had turned a mild shade of gray, not to mention the blood all over her face and caked in her hair. The four girls made their way from the building and into the parking lot. Lindsey found her Mustang and turned to the other three girls.
"Who's got my keys?" she asked, holding out her hand. Sam stepped forward and placed the keys into Lindsey's hand. Lindsey's eyes narrowed, but then she cracked a small grin. She pressed the button the remote and the doors unlocked. Lindsey opened her door and sat heavily on the seat, practically throwing herself down. She adjusted her mirrors as the other three girls piled in, Alex next to her, Sam behind her, and Clover behind Alex. "Alrighty. Let's all buckle up for safety."
Lindsey put the key in and turned, smiling as the engine fired up. She sat there for a second, enjoying how the steering wheel vibrated in her hand as the car sat idle. Her smile widened as the slammed the car into first, accelerating quickly. A second later, she threw the gear into third, and then forth. As she hit the asphalt, Lindsey cranked it into fifth and stomped down on the gas. Sam and Alex were holding on for dear life, but Clover was in the back, practically jumping she was so excited. Lindsey hit an onramp and the car sped onto the interstate.
"I'm taking the long way. I hope you girls don't mind." Lindsey said as she continued to fly down the road. The interstate was unusually empty. Sam and Alex screamed as Lindsey suddenly slammed the gear into reverse, keeping her foot down. The car power slid to a stop, facing the direction from which they had just come. Lindsey was sitting there in the driver's seat, looking delightfully refreshed.
"And THIS is why I wanted to be a spy..." Lindsey smiled and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "Hey Clover," Lindsey said as she looked at the blonde through the rear view. "How far away from the villa would you say we are?"
"About twenty minutes." she answered. Lindsey smiled.
"Dinner at Luigi's says I make it in five."
"Cha, right...And who's paying?"
"If I make it even a second over five minutes, I'll pay for all four of us. Tonight. And if I make it in five minutes or less, you pay, Clover. What do you two think?"
Alex smiled queasily and Sam, who was petrified, gave a slight nod. Lindsey nodded, smiling oddly, and Clover pulled out her cell phone and went to the stop watch application.
"And...GO!"
Lindsey slammed the stick into first, punching down on the gas. She hit the clutch and switched to second, then third, barely even lifting her foot. As she started down the ramp, she maneuvered the car into forth, and then fifth as she flew down the street. They were on Hill Avenue, the longest stretch of straight road in Beverly Hills. The street led to the neighborhood where the three spies lived. Lindsey let out a slight giggle as she hit a button on the car's console, causing the vehicle to jump forward. The buildings were flying by, colors blended together, and within seconds, Lindsey was spinning the wheel, and the car skidded to a stop, inches behind Clover's Miata. Lindsey turned around in her seat and smiled at Clover, who was staring at her phone in amazement.
"Four minutes and fifty-nine seconds..." she whispered. Lindsey chuckled as she opened her car door. She went ahead and opened Sam's door when she got out. Sam stepped out of the car, her legs shaky. As she took a step, her knee gave out, and Lindsey caught her. Even though she looked frail, Lindsey still had her strength. She steadied Sam and held on to her arm just in case.
"You alright?" Lindsey asked. Sam was wide-eyed.
"Yeah. Wow, that was...a fast car ride..."
Lindsey smiled and let Sam's arm go. She walked around to Alex's door after closing both hers and Sam's. She saw Alex sitting there, her legs out of the car and her head down. Alex's arms were wrapped around her stomach.
"Alex, you okay?" Clover asked as she stepped out of the Mustang and closed the door behind her. Alex hiccupped and weakly nodded.
"My stomach's just upset...I'll be fine." she said as she stood. Her face was green and she looked like she was about to vomit everywhere. Lindsey and Clover each took an arm and walked Alex into the house. They sat her down on the couch. Lindsey went into the kitchen and got her a glass of water.
"I'm going upstairs and taking a shower, kay? Sam and Clover are gonna be here if you need anything." Lindsey said as she patted Alex's hand. She bound up the stairs and the other three girls heard the bathroom door close a minute later. They all sat, silent.
"So, yeah...That car totally ROCKS!" Clover shouted as she threw her fists into the air and plopped down on the couch next to Alex. Sam sat in the recliner and rubbed her forehead.
"It was definitely something different..." Sam said quietly. Alex burped a little and swallowed.
"I remember why I don't like roller coasters..." she mumbled. Clover, who was feeling as chipper as ever, grabbed the remote off of the table and turned the television on. She flipped through dozens of channels, not finding one she liked. By the time Lindsey was done with her shower, Clover still hadn't found anything to watch. She tossed the remote to Sam, who switched it to the Discovery Channel. Clover got up and headed upstairs and turned the corner, running straight into Lindsey, who was only in a towel.
"Whoa, my ba..." Clover stopped as she looked at Lindsey, who still had water dripping from her hair. Lindsey raised an eyebrow and smiled awkwardly.
"Hey, Clover. I was just heading to Alex's bedroom to grab my clothes..."
"You have clothes in Alex's room?"
Lindsey nodded. Clover grinned seductively and draped an arm over Lindsey's shoulders.
"I like how you know how to handle a car. You seem to really appreciate the passion behind it all." Clover said in her smoothest voice. She pinned Lindsey against the wall, one hand on her shoulder and the other against the wall on the opposite side. "Teach me."
"To drive stick?" Lindsey asked as she raised her eyebrows.
"No, to drive like THAT."
"Huh? You mean really fast?"
"N...Yeah. Sure. Will you?"
"Uh...sure. It's not that hard, actually." Lindsey answered. She stood there casually, her back against the wall, as Clover blocked every means of escape that she had.
"Thanks! You'll see, I'm a great student. I learn really fast." Clover half sung as she wrapped Lindsey into a hug. Lindsey held her towel up with one hand and half-returned the hug with her other. Clover let her go, and as she walked past Lindsey, towards her bedroom, she smacked Lindsey's butt, open palm, fingers splayed. Lindsey jumped and spun around. Clover winked at her.
"Nice ass." was all the blonde said before she disappeared behind her bedroom door. Lindsey ran a hand through her hair and scratched her head, confused at what had just happened. She walked to Alex's room, but before she went in, she took another look at Clover's door, smiling to herself. Then she shrugged her shoulders and went and got dressed.