Chapter 14 – I Am Not Alone
Three coins flew in an arc and landed in the open space at the top of the hill.
Joss expertly shot at all three coins, sending them first in one direction, then in another.
Reese vaulted across the stone steps to her side. "Joss, what's happening?"
The Auto Shop teacher smiled. "It's Szymanski. He saw me do this at a tournament once – I beat him. He knows we're here, John. Listen."
Sure enough, the voice on the bullhorn quickly issued a coded combination of several letters and numbers. Reese realized that the police were executing a series of maneuvers that would encircle their attackers, cutting them off from approaching the chapel.
"Sit tight," Szymanski called thru the bullhorn. "We're coming."
Elias and Bear had crossed the steps as well and the four humans and two dogs all gazed at each other, unable to believe that their ordeal was almost over.
Finch let out a long breath. "We might actually survive this," he whispered shakily.
Suddenly, a voice lanced across the plaza below them.
"Cafeteria Lady! Cafeteria Lady!" the voice dripping with evil and contempt, sing-songed.
Joss turned to the man she now knew that she loved with all her heart.
"Go, John," she said. "Finish this."
XXX
Patrick Simmons was the stuff of nightmares.
Covered in blood from the shattered glass, his clothes ripped and torn, light from the full moon emphasized the bones of his skull like face, his normally dead eyes blazing with fury.
As Reese crossed the stone plaza, he saw that the Teacher's Union President's nostrils were caked with a dark substance.
Cacao. Simmons had snorted it, and Reese knew that it made him even more dangerous.
"A trick with a grenade launcher and some help from your little friends. That's the only reason you beat us," Simmons sneered. He pointed at Reese's gun. "Without that, without them," his chin jutted at the gathering on the steps, "You're just some guy who serves shit on a shingle to a bunch of hormonal brats."
The Teacher's Union President's weapon clattered on the stone plaza. "Well, now it's just you and me. You're alone. What are you gonna do now, Cafeteria Lady?"
Reese's smile was deadly as he dropped his weapon. "Serve your narrow ass on a platter, fool."
Simmons flushed angrily and Reese knew he'd hit a sore point. "I do not have a narrow ass!"
"You're right. Judging by what's on your face, you've got a candy ass, Patrick." Gripping the hem of his skirt, Reese ripped the side seam apart, giving his long, muscular legs room to maneuver. "And I'm going to kick not just that ass, but every inch of you into a sticky, gooey mess."
They circled each other.
Antonia leaned over to Bear. "Are they going to fight or just snipe at each other?"
"It's traditional male behavior, Antonia. I have exhibited it myself, many times," the Security Head stoutly replied.
She sighed. "Guess all men are alike, no matter what species they are."
"So you and Ms. Carter," Simmons whistled. "And here I thought she was a good girl, but all along she was giving you tune ups, huh, Reese? Got you all overheated, popped your clutch? Instead of 'burning rubber', you were burning 'rubbers' between those thighs, right?"
The Teacher's Union President jabbed at Reese, but Reese was just barely able move out of the man's way.
Simmons's lips twisted in a grotesque semblance of a smile. "Or did she play you while she was seeing Beecher…took you out for test drives, got your motor running, but just when you thought she'd close the deal and drive you home, she'd pump the brakes, went into first gear…or even neutral?"
He jabbed again; Reese blocked the blow with his injured arm, but the force of it radiated through his entire body. Simmons was fast and the cacao had made him freakishly strong.
There was a flicker of admiration in Simmons' eyes, but then he smiled again. "You know, tonight I searched your girl from top to bottom, and I did just what my daddy taught me when I was learning how to drive – took my tiiimmme going around those steep curves."
Reese's jaw tightened and the Teacher's Union President's smile grew wider. "Yeah, I smelled her soft hair, felt that pretty skin. I even tasted her," Simmons taunted, running his tongue slowly over his upper lip.
Consumed with a murderous rage, Reese stepped forward, connecting with a blow of his own, but he missed a flash of silver as Simmons suddenly pulled out a knife concealed in his belt and slashed Reese's chest, the blood spreading like a wave across his white shirt.
Finch gasped, and the English teacher began raising his weapon, as if he was going to fire, but Joss touched his arm. "No. Don't."
"Joss –" the Coach protested, but the Auto Shop teacher shook her head. "John knows what he's doing."
For a moment her eyes met the Cafeteria Lady's and she gave the slightest nod.
Reese felt the friendship, the trust, the confidence, the belief of the group gathered on the hill.
Finch, Bear, Mr. Burton, Antonia.
Joss.
The Cafeteria Lady ripped off his shredded, sodden shirt and undershirt. He wrenched his skirt free from his waist and wrapped it around his injured arm, creating a makeshift shield, while his starched white briefs, torn by his sudden movement, drifted slowly to the ground.
Reese's long, lean body gleamed in the moonlight, sleek muscles rippling as he faced his adversary.
Simmons stepped back at the look in Reese's eyes.
They circled each other again, silently now, with only the sound of fists hitting flesh, a knife swooshing through the air and their grunts and groans, punctuating every attack and counter attack.
Finally Reese knocked the knife out of Simmons' hand.
With a roar of disbelief, the Teacher's Union President rushed the Cafeteria Lady. As the two men grappled, Reese could feel the strength from the cacao ebbing from Simmons' body.
"You're wrong," Reese said quietly to the other man.
"Wrong about what?" The Teacher's Union President rasped, taken off guard by the Cafeteria Lady's soft confident voice.
Reese pivoted and struck Simmons in the chest.
"I"
The next blow hit Simmons in the stomach, causing Simmons to stumble.
"Am"
As Simmons' legs spread apart to try to steady himself, Reese grabbed the Teacher's Union President's right arm.
"Not"
Simmons screamed as Reese broke his arm.
"Alone!"
With a savage uppercut, Reese sent the Teacher's Union President crashing to the ground, his head hitting the flagstones with a sickening crunch. Simmons lay there, feebly trying to, but unable, to get up.
"You're wrong," Reese said again. He turned to the gathering on the hill. "I am not alone."
XXX
Joss hurried down the stone steps. Her only thought was to get to a battered, bleeding and spent John, who had dropped to his knees next to a barely conscious Simmons.
Eyes locked on each other, neither one saw Alonzo Quinn emerging from the chapel, gun in hand.
"You took everything from me, now I will take her from all of you!" he screamed.
Everything was in slow motion: John leaping to his feet, Bear racing across the plaza, Antonia's howl of rage, Harold frozen in shock.
Quinn fired.
Joss felt a searing pain as she crashed to the ground. Dazed, she heard rather than saw John and Bear immobilize the crazed School Board Head.
Slowly she realized that Antonia's howl of rage had become a howl of mourning.
Elias.
Elias had shoved her aside; the bullet had grazed her arm, but hit the mobster in the chest.
He'd saved her life.
Joss crawled over to his side. Antonia was right. He only had a few minutes left.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, taking his hand. "I never meant for this to happen."
"Don't be. Men like me die alone, in the street or in prison. We don't say what we should say, what we need to say, to the ones we love." Elias smiled as he gazed at her. "From the moment I held you in my arms, I knew you were special. You were to be my legacy, Jocelyn; you and your children and your children's children would rule the city. My empire – our empire, would last forever."
He closed his eyes, as pain wracked his body, then he opened them again. "I was wrong. You are my legacy, Jocelyn, but it's in every good thing you've done, everyone you've helped. It's in those who care about you, those who," he nodded to Reese, "love you. That, not money, or power, will last forever."
He turned his head to the Mob Enforcer. "Antonia, you will execute my final instructions."
She nodded sadly. "I'll see to it."
"Thank you, my fierce and faithful friend."
With a soft whimper, Antonia laid her head on his arm and closed her eyes.
Eyes dimming, he turned to Joss again. "When you were a little girl, I was your hero. Thank you, for letting me be your hero one last time, Jocelyn."
Tears fell from Joss' eyes as she kissed his cheek. "Elias - Papa, I –"
"I know, sweetheart, I know. It was lovely to see you again, Jossy."
With a smile on his face, Carl Elias breathed his last breath.
Next, The Man in a Suit will be posted on Wednesday, December 17th. Just a few more chapters to go, and yes, there will be romance!