SCENE TWENTY-ONE

Doug Penhall

"COME ON, PLEASE." I shouted, pounding my fists against the door. "SOMEBODY'S GOTTA BE AWAKE." No one was answering the door. I figured Mark already took care of the security guards by killing them off or tranquilizing them. I wasn't sure how long Mark would be tranquilized and I wasn't bound to stay in here long enough to find out. "PLEASE SOMEBODY. I NEED-"

The handle turned and the door cracked open. I pushed it a little more only to see Fuller standing there with raised eyebrows.

"Penhall, what on earth are you doing in here?" He asked. I was about to explain the situation and all of the amusing details along the way (I.E. getting myself locked in with a fugitive). However even before I could open my mouth Fuller looked behind me to see Mark on the floor. "Good work, Penhall."

"There's always something going on up here, sir." I said while tapping the side of my head. "No rest for Penhall."

"You forgot the key, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get outside and stay with Hanson. We're waiting on a crew to show up and take care of the situation outside."

Situation? What situation? Oh no, Hanson! I rushed out of the closet, darted down the hallway and ran outside. Hanson was fine. He was sitting on the ground staring down at… a body. Sid's body. He heard me coming and turned to me with tears in his eyes.

"He pulled a gun on me," Hanson said, his voice quivering. "And he kept pushing and…"

"Hey, Ioki just pulled up." I reached out to help him up. "Let's go sit in the car and get out of the cold, okay?" Hanson held onto my hands and pulled himself up.

"Mark… where is he?" he asked.

"Um… we got locked in a closet and we wrestled around and uh, he's sleepin' it off."

"You have no idea how wrong that sounds." Tom said, even adding a soft laugh.

"Hey, I will have you know I am a very attractive guy." I adjusted my collar and ran my hand through my hair. "And if the ladies dig me, then so would the guys."

"Doug I have to be honest," Tom reached over and messed with my hair. "I've known you for a while and I have not once gotten the urge to wrestle with you in a closet and 'sleep it off'."

"Just give it time, with some people it takes longer."

"I somehow doubt that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I playfully demanded.

"Well Fuller's known you longer than I have and I haven't seen him begging for attention."

"He's just playin' hard-to-get."

"Don't flatter yourself, Penhall." Fuller said, his deep voice ringing between ours. He left the building and had been standing right behind me.

"Sir, I didn't realize you were standing there." I looked at Hanson who was smiling so widely he looked like he was going to burst. "So are you sayin' there's nothing between us?"

"Not a chance." Fuller chuckled. He pat my shoulder as he passed by and went towards his car.

"So it's done?" Hanson asked. "Mark's in cuffs?"

"Yeah, man, he's in cuffs." I looked over at him. I could tell he wanted his last words to Mark, and probably wouldn't be able to get them in until (and if) a trial took place. "Don't worry man, I socked 'em real good in the jaw for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Hanson looked at me with a smile and gestured towards Ioki's car sitting several feet away.

"Let's go," he said. "I could really go for a burger."

Burgers it was.