Showgirls and Cowgirls

Chapter 9 – Over the Edge

Roxanne listened very carefully to every word Spike said as they slowly walked together on the road to Heaven's Gate. Once she nodded and said she got it, she mentally repeated it to herself every step of the way. All while trying to look as inconspicuous as possible with the man beside her. And their way of doing that was by going so over the top, Randy and his men wouldn't look twice. Both Roxanne and Spike agreed that the goons might be looking for something clever and hidden. Therefore, they would not hide. Instead they would put their act out in the open. Hiding in plain sight. They had both decided to pretend to be newlyweds from Venus sightseeing on Mars. And given the way of life on Venus, it made sense that they were wearing cloaks concealing most of their faces.

But that didn't mean Roxanne was exactly eager to participate in this charade. Not just because of her past experiences, but mostly because of how truly ridiculous it was. When they were getting close to the place, she rolled her eyes at herself when Spike told her to put a little more sass in her walk. Her satisfaction only returned when she told Spike to look at her all starry-eyed and lovestruck. She thought she heard him mutter, "Crazy woman." Well, at least she wasn't exactly alone in what she thought of this.

Still, not only did Roxanne have to hide herself from the men she knew would be there. With every step she had to try harder and harder to hide her ever-growing anxiety from Spike and from herself. She felt nausea in the pit of her stomach and wanted to stop where she walked. Yet, somehow she kept going. Maybe her legs had found a mind of their own. Or maybe she found herself hearing Spike's words again. "You have to be like water. Fluid yet calm." Well then, she would be. She would be for both of them.

Eventually, they came to the sight Roxanne didn't know if she was supposed to anticipate or dread. Heaven's Gate stood just across the wide road. And around the club stood some familiar men. Ones Roxanne didn't have any trouble recognizing in the growing sunlight. And standing there talking with a couple of them, was Randy. Just the sight of him made Roxanne want to flee for her life. But before she could do so or even plant her feet in the ground to keep herself from doing so, she was pulled into a hug, by Spike.

She was about to ask him what he was doing, when she remembered all this had been part of the plan. She had to make it look like she loved him, as much as the thought made her want to shove him away from her. Well, if that meant having to endure this brief yet hopelessly long contact, then she'd do it. But then, suddenly, as she settled into his embrace, Roxanne found she was almost beginning to like being held by Spike, of all people. She remembered she actually hadn't been hugged like this in a long, long time. It felt good, in a way. But before it could go on any longer, she felt Spike gently yet firmly pressing her shoulders, telling her to back away a little bit.

But he didn't stop holding her. Instead, after removing the scarves concealing the lower half of their faces, he looked at what Roxanne knew was her mouth, and then up at her, the tips of his mouth awkwardly curving up. Roxanne immediately let out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He'd brought it up more than once before when they were planning, but she'd hoped earlier that he'd forgotten about it. Guess not.

"Do we have to?" she asked, trying not to sound whiny and desperate. "I know it's good for the picture but, really?"

"I'll be nice," Spike said, probably thinking of her previous time with a man. "I've done this plenty of times."

He definitely looked like the kind of guy who did. But that didn't comfort Roxanne at all. "Yeah, but, that doesn't mean –"

She got suddenly cut off when, as if out of nowhere, Spike settled his lips on hers. Roxanne instantly wanted to pull away, but she then thought better of it and let Spike have his way, for now. She shut her eyes and didn't fight him. And he did as he said he would. He kept the kiss still, not going any further or making her more uncomfortable. And as she stayed there with him, in the back of her mind Roxanne thought this was gross and wanted to slap him, but she was also trying to figure out whether or not she actually liked this. This was her first time being kissed, after all.

But it didn't last long enough for her to really think about it. Spike moved away from her and then proceeded to hide their faces with the scarves again. Roxanne didn't even really have time to put her fingertips to her lips. Spike took her shoulder and then walked her toward Heaven's Gate beside him. For a moment, her gaze wandered in the direction of the men who stood not too far away, but one she walked with gave her arm a light squeeze.

"Don't look," he said softly. Roxanne obeyed. At first, she looked at the ground. Then she reminded herself once again of who she was supposed to be. Hoping her eyes looked bright, she let out a chuckle as though Spike had said something cute or funny and wrapped her own arm around his shoulder. In this way she stayed, hoping they looked convincing enough, until they were right in front of the front entrance of her former home.

Roxanne didn't know whether to feel safe or uneasy. She knew a part of her mission involved going inside, but she wondered if the bouncers would even let her pass through. She may have once been one of the club's best employees, but they probably knew by now that she was a wanted woman. Who was to say they wouldn't turn her in to Randy and his men? No, Roxanne shook her head. She knew these guys too long for them to do that. Still, she couldn't shake the warning signal going off in her head.

Her train of thought was then halted when she heard Spike. "Just for the record," he said, "we are never doing that again."

"Never doing what again?" Roxanne asked, turning toward him in an attempt to keep the charade going.

"Kissing." At his answer, Roxanne was about to ask him what he was talking about, since he was the one who thought it'd be a good idea. But before she could even open her mouth, Spike beat her to it. "Well, we made it past Part 1. Now it's time to go in and set off Part 2. You remember what to do right?"

Roxanne felt her own lips curve in that awkward way Spike's did before. "As long as you remember what you're supposed to do."

"Now you're giving me reminders?" Spike smirked briefly. "Alright. Let's do this. But if anything goes wrong you know where to meet me, okay?"

"Yeah, just go, hurry," Roxanne said, almost shooing him away. "We're losing time." Spike quickly moved away from her. And then, in a strange move, he inclined his head toward her, almost as if he were a gentleman bidding a lady farewell. Almost as though they were in a different time and place.

"See ya soon, space cowgirl," he said. And before Roxanne could even think to say anything in return, he turned and then left her. All alone. To fend for herself.

No. No he hadn't. That was what Roxanne kept telling herself as she forced herself to turn and then walk inside. Besides, she had faced danger alone plenty of times before. And yet, as she did walk in, Roxanne couldn't help but feel a little more vulnerable than usual now that Spike had left her side. She kept telling herself it was only for a brief time, and that she could be smart, brave, and strong, just as she'd always been. This she kept doing as a weapon to use against the tightening feeling in her gut. Until...until she'd found a better one.

Roxanne closed her eyes and then silently asked herself what she was. And it wasn't long before an answer came to her. A waterfall. That was what she was. Relaxed and fluid, yet strong enough to face any challenge. With this in mind, with something to grab hold of, she found it somewhat easier to walk further in by herself.

As she did go in, Roxanne came upon a scene she'd seen a dozen times, yet had never felt haunting until now. This would probably be the last time she ever set foot in Heaven's Gate, and she wanted to drink it in. Though it was still early in the morning, the place was half full with patrons and patronesses enjoying breakfast. Roxanne bit her lip at the sight, knowing how big of a problem it might be should anything go wrong. At least the stage itself was empty. The musicians wouldn't be out until evening, and the performers were probably hanging out outside the club or upstairs. Good. Less people to be in danger.

And it didn't take long for Roxanne to find the one person she was looking for. The one who'd come to matter to her more than anyone else here. Georgia was at her usual place, polishing the bar and making sure they had their usual amount of stock. Bracing herself for what she knew might happen, Roxanne strode over to the bar and took a seat. She looked toward the ground, trying to look as casual as possible, until Georgia reached her view.

"Can I help you ma'am?" she asked. Roxanne then reached out to gently take her wrist, unwrapped her scarf, and then slowly raised her head to face her former matron. As she expected, Georgia's eyes widened in disbelief at what she saw. And Roxanne knew she had to keep her calm, and fast.

"Rosemary – uh, Roxanne?" she barely managed to say. Roxanne quickly shushed her. But Georgia then asked, "What are you doing here?"

Reluctant, but not hesitant, Roxanne explained herself the way she had practiced again and again. "Georgia, I know you probably have mixed feelings about seeing me. I'm sure you know by now I'm a runaway outlaw. But that doesn't matter now. You've helped me so much this past year and I really appreciate it. But now I need you to help me one more time."

"Why?" Georgia asked, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice. "I thought that bounty hunter turned you in to the police. Or...did you escape?"

"No," Roxanne shook her head. "He calls himself Spike, and he helped me. He hid me away and treated my stab wound. He's a bit rough around the edges, but we're on good terms. I'm serious, I'm not making this up."

"I believe you," Georgia nodded. "I'm hearing every word you're saying. But, you don't know how happy I am to see you, and that you're alright!"

Roxanne couldn't help but smile briefly herself. The woman was so sweet and touching beneath her tough exterior. "Me too. But, I can't stay. You remember those hitmen from two weeks ago? And the guy who stabbed me?"

Georgia nodded again, her eyes narrowing slightly at the memory. "Yeah. I've actually told my men to keep an eye out for them in case they ever come back."

"Well, they've been back. They've been staking out the place for both me and Spike. For how long though, I don't know. But Spike is going to help me escape from here. He's already outside setting up a distraction for them right now." At least, that's what the plan was. Spike had said he specialized in homemade pipe bombs.

"And where do I fit in?" Georgia asked, suddenly seeming eager to get in on the plan herself. Roxanne's smile briefly returned.

"A part of the distraction," she explained. "When the first one happens and some of the men go to see it, we need your men to take care of the others."

"Oh I'll take care of them," Georgia nodded a third time. "Why do you think I've only hired a certain number of bouncers?"

Roxanne opened her mouth to speak, but someone else nearby did it for her. "And you're gonna need each and every one of them." Her heart froze mid-beat. She remembered that voice. Remembered it very well. She spun around in her seat to see Randy, who had raised his gun at her, and was causing a considerable wave of alarm to surround the other people in the club.

"You really thought I was that dumb, Miss Roxie? That we were this dumb?" The cocky man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. And a half dozen other men stood up, their guns raised as well. While the club patrons were trying to make their way out as fast as they could, Roxanne could only stay glued to her seat as she began to relive this scenario. But this time, she reminded herself, she wasn't alone. And now, as another memory emerged, she was a cascade, waiting for them to fall into a pit carefully laid out for each and every one of them.

"And that's why we call it the 'fishing' method," Randy drawled on. "We draw 'em in with the bait, and yank them right out where we want 'em." He then lowered his gun and cocked it. But all the while, he kept his eyes fixed on Roxanne. "Now where is he?" he then asked as he raised the weapon again. "Where's this Spike? And what's he planning?"

Not daring to move yet not willing to back down either, Roxanne raised an eyebrow. And right as she did, she had to hide her smile at what she saw at the corner of her eye. "What makes you think I'm gonna tell you?" she said to Randy.

"How true," she then heard Georgia say. Gasps were then heard from all of Randy's men, as the older woman raised the last weapon they expected her to have: an MP-5 submachine gun, cocked and loaded, and aimed at them. "Now all of you drop your weapons," she then said, her tone laced with menace, "and get out of my building, or the first person who resists gets riddled with bullets!"

But before any of the men could even think to surrender, a sudden and fierce boom and explosion rocked the far side of the building. Every person inside reacted in one way or another, screaming, getting down on the floor, or trying to miss any debris. But Roxanne, knowing this would come, did none of these things. While she didn't think the explosion would be this big, she knew she couldn't allow a normal reaction. Instead, she grabbed hold of Georgia's arm, leaped from her seat, and dragged Georgia with her towards the back door. All the while hearing the sounds of Randy shouting and of fired bullets narrowly missing both her and the matron.

Quickly, the two made it outside and into a nearby alleyway, both knowing they couldn't stay there long but they had to catch their breath.

"Georgia, quick, give me your gun!" Roxanne said, trying to get the words out as fast yet as quiet as possible.

"Have you ever handled a gun like this?" Georgia then asked.

Roxanne, confused, could only offer a simple reply. "No, but –"

"Then no," Georgia shook her head. "You need my firepower, and I need to make sure you're gonna be okay. Now where are you planning on going?"

Knowing now wasn't the time to try and get her to change her mind – which she wouldn't have anyway – Roxanne said, "The hangar nearest here in that direction." She pointed to the left. "I have a Zipcraft there waiting for me, but we can't stay on street level. Spike said he'd meet me in the sewer if anything went wrong."

"You think he's there now?" Georgia asked, not asking how Roxanne had come to own her own flyer.

"He'll have to be. Let's go!" Without waiting another second Roxanne and Georgia took off. Before long, they found a sewer grate. Though it took some heavy lifting, Roxanne managed to get it up while Georgia began going down the ladder. Roxanne soon followed her, right as she started hearing shouts of men. Men looking for her. As fast as she could, she pulled the grate back over her head before descending down the rest of the ladder and joining Georgia.

The sewer was everything she'd imagined it'd be. Dark, dank, and musty. It wasn't that dark though. There were a few small lights here and there to light the way, yet not so much that they could be given away. All of this Roxanne took in as she waited for the pounding feet above her to stop, and waited as well for Spike to show up. He must have heard Randy from outside the club. Randy had a carrying sort of voice. Spike must have decided to go through with his part of the plan before coming to meet her somewhere here. At least, that was the theory Roxanne had in mind. In any case, every passing second she spent silently alone with Georgia did nothing to keep new theories from forming in her mind. Ones involving Spike being seriously hurt, or worse.

It wasn't too long before Roxanne heard new footsteps. She raised her own weapon while Georgia raised hers, ready to face whoever was coming. But Roxanne immediately lowered hers, along with her unsettling theories involving Spike, when she saw none other than her escape partner make his way toward her and Georgia. She breathed a big, yet quiet, sigh of relief.

She then couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Man, you really had me there for a moment!" Then again, she probably should've expected an entrance like this from him.

Spike gave a bit of a smile at her, but it didn't last long. "What's she doing here?" he asked, pointing the end of his weapon at Georgia, who looked ready to raise hers again.

"She was offering free firepower and I'm taking it!" Roxanne said. "That's all I'm gonna say. Can we get moving now?"

"And are you sure you can get us to the hangar from here?" Georgia asked, the suspicion still donned on her face.

"Yep," Spike replied, calm as he ever seemed to be. He then tapped his head. "Downloaded the map of the sewers into my hard drive. Come on."

He then proceeded to lead them forward, down into the underbelly of the town, when Georgia asked Roxanne, "What does he mean by 'downloaded it into his hard drive?'"

Allowing herself a bit of a smile, Roxanne waved her hand in a somewhat dismissive way. "He just says things like that."

Georgia seemed to accept this explanation, because she didn't say anything else. All three seemed to remain focused solely on the task at hand: getting each other of this sewer and then to the hangar. But first they all had to navigate this maze of tunnels and corridors. How Spike managed to memorize which one went where was beyond Roxanne. Still, she was willing to place her trust in his leadership, even if in the back of her mind she was hesitant to do so.

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