D.H. laughed and a thick cloud of smoke hid him momentarily from Keats' sight. He appeared to be amused, as though he liked his prey to fight in order to make the game more interesting. Keats could promise him a fight.

"What do you say we get out of here…have a nice little chat man to woman." D.H. drawled in a husky tone. Keats laughed gently.

"Now what kind of fool do you think I am? Anything you have to say to me, you say it right here, darling'." Keats imitated his southern accent in a charming sort of way.

"You mean I'm safe here with all of your little cop friends?" D.H. asked condescendingly. Keats nodded, flipping her hair out of her eyes.

"No one knows what you look like except me. So talk." She replied.

"What the hell are you doing here, Wolfe? Checking up on us?" Cooper stood, his arms crossed over his chest menacingly. Ryan glanced at Natalia, as though disbelieving that Cooper could actually pick a fight.

"Official police business, Cooper." Ryan gritted his teeth. Natalia rolled her eyes and made a few notes in a yellow legal pad. Cooper was, to say the least, dissatisfied with this response.

"Don't come near my date, Wolfe." Cooper said. Somehow it sounded more like a plea than a warning. Cooper stole a few glimpses across the bar and was abruptly confronted by the sight of Keats talking to another man. Cooper stared, knowing that if he came back it would be awkward. Cooper was not one for awkward conversation.

"Who's K.J. talking to over there?" Natalia asked curiously. She could feel an altercation brewing and she wanted a front-row seat. Ryan finally let himself look at Keats and despite the apparent innocence of it all, something was amiss. It wasn't a sensation he could readily explain, but he knew it was kinda like what Keats had when she got her infamous hunches. It was a gut instinct.

"Natalia, be prepared to call for backup if necessary. Cooper, stay with Natalia and sit tight. This guy's probably bad news." He began making his way across the dance floor, but stopped when Cooper blocked his path.

"I can handle it, Wolfe. She's my responsibility." Cooper said, his usual boyish gleam replaced by another look that had depth and sincerity. Ryan nearly wanted to shout that she was his responsibility, but he bit off the words before they could escape.

"Cooper, this isn't about rescuing a girl, it's about backing up an agent." Ryan managed to say calmly. Cooper knew he had to step down, and resented Ryan's seniority over him. He had to turn the evening over to Ryan because his hands were tied. Cooper found it difficult not to harbor a grudge against his colleague.

"You mean like make a deal? I didn't take you for a shrewd businessman, Red. It kinda turns me on." D.H. took another puff and Keats coughed purposefully, trying to rid her lungs of the smoke.

"Good for you, Haney. And yes, I think we can come to some sort of mutual agreement." Keats tried to read the expression on his face but D.H. had maintained that same charismatic smile throughout the entire exchange.

"You mean my original plan of sparing your life in return for the vindication of my partners is…non-negotiable?" D.H. clicked his tongue as though scolding her for being so terribly simplistic. Keats could sense his entire 'Good Ole Southern Boy' routine was just a façade. She could feel the rage permeating from under his skin.

"There happen to be several cops here. More than you think. You're practically surrounded. All I have to do is give the word…" Keats prayed that her bluff sounded believable. If he didn't believe her, he certainly showed no signs of it.

"Hmm…what are you going to parlay for? I have nothing you want except me. I ain't going to the pen peacefully. You can bet your ass I won't." D.H. stated.

"If you turn yourself in, you'll get a reduced sentence. Otherwise, my men could just nail you right now and you might as well pick up a few nursing home pamphlets, 'cause that's how old you'll be when you get out." Keats took a sip of her ginger ale, letting her words sink in.

From the corner of her eye, Keats spotted Ryan and silently cursed her fate. She was seconds away from getting Haney to turn himself in and Ryan was all ready to ruin her progress.

"Baby, where have you been? I missed you." Ryan let his lips fall on her creamy shoulder. Keats tensed up, but Ryan pretended he didn't notice.

"Thanks for taking care of my girl while I went to the bathroom." Ryan forged ahead with the deception, clearly comfortable with pretending that Keats was his lover. Keats turned away and rolled her eyes.

D.H. grinned and blew a cloud of smoke in their faces.

"Just who's fooling who here, huh?" He said, the ever-present smile suddenly fading. In its place was something far more ominous.

The music seemed to grow louder with the lethal silence that settled in. Haney's hand disappeared inside his jacket and before Ryan could grab his own weapon, Haney shoved it in Keats' abdomen, making sure only the three of them could see it.

"Watch it, boy. I've been patient and merciful from the very beginning, but both are fast running out. Tell your pigs to back the hell off before I blow her to kingdom come. You hear me?" D.H. used his free hand to take another deep drag from his cigarette.

Ryan dialed Boa Vista's number, giving D.H. a harsh look.

"Ryan, what's going on?" Cooper shouted. Natalia stood by his side, wrinkling her forehead in anxiety. Ryan gauged Haney's face, wondering if he could get away with giving Cooper a code phrase.

"She's fine, Cooper," Ryan paused, giving the impression that Cooper was talking on the other end, "Yes, her arm is fine. She's not bleeding." Ryan hung up the phone and hoped that Cooper wasn't as dim-witted as he seemed.

"They're in trouble. Stay here and call Horatio. I'm gonna try and get a clear shot of that son-of-a-bitch from the balcony." Natalia yelled, trying to be heard over the music. Cooper's head was in a whirl, but he obeyed and notified his boss that an emergency was going down at Club Ace.

"So what now?" Ryan asked. D.H. shrugged, apparently more confident holding a gun in his hand.

"I walk outta here with my collateral," He wrapped an arm around Keats' waist, "and you let me. Simple as that."

Ryan's jaw hardened, his fingers curling tightly. He'd failed Keats once, but he vowed never to do it again.