Sadly, they will never be mine, though I guess I can live with writing about them.
Chapter 25: Sometimes the System Goes on the Blink, the Whole Thing Turns out Wrong and You Might not Make it Back...
Lassiter checked the rearview mirror out of habit, blinking and swearing at what he saw there, "What in the world is she doing?!" he exclaimed, pressing down the accelerator despite the wet conditions as he saw the Chevy gaining fast, and causing his passenger to grab onto the door handle for dear life. Gus, who had moved to the front seat before Lassiter had taken off like a bat out of hell on the shoulder of that road, made sure the lanky man was well aware of his displeasure at the circumstances.
"What are you trying to do, Lassiter, get us killed?!" The startled pharmaceutical salesman exclaimed irately, before glancing at the car that was rapidly growing in the Fusion's side view mirror. "Man, that can't be good," he admitted, exchanging a look with the head detective before bracing himself for any potential of flying almost 20 miles over the speed limit on slick pavement. Seriously Shawn, only you could manage to get sucked into such a bizarre turn of events without even knowing what the reason was in the first place. And it was looking more and more like the entire debacle wasn't even his best friend's fault. It was bound to happen eventually, Gus reasoned silently not quite able to wrap his head around the whole idea of Shawn actually being blameless.
Though, if he were completely honest with himself, Gus really just hoped that everyone involved could make it out of the ordeal relatively unscathed and without any more drama. Getting dragged out of his conference early because of debilitating fear for Shawn and tracking down his injured best friend on the largest mountain range around might have been extremely harrowing, but neither of those events was overly surprising. This was Shawn, after all, and a vast majority of the cases his best friend had wormed his way onto over the past 6 years were almost identical. Maybe I didn't get dragged out of a conference, per say, Gus thought as the head detective took a corner on two wheels, squealing the car's tires, And maybe the scene didn't usually take place out in the wilderness, but the man has managed to pull me out of more work functions than I really want to admit. Sometimes it's a wonder that I still have the job at all with some of the stunts he's pulled. A long, involuntary chuckle escaped him, causing Lassiter to shoot him a look as he demanded, "What in the name of Sweet Justice is so funny, Guster?!"
"I don't know what that was, but it definitely wasn't what I'd call funny," Gus shot back, unable to explain even to himself what exactly had caused him to laugh. Guess I'd at least better try to explain it, the pharmaceutical salesman reasoned as he got a good look at the head detective's profile, The man looks like he's ready to open the car door and push me onto the side of the road if I don't. Exhaling slowly, he tried again, "I don't know why I laughed, Lassiter...I was thinking about all the situations Shawn has managed to stumble into, and it looks like he's found a whole lot of trouble this time without doing anything to deserve it-"
"Oh, I'm sure he deserves it," the lanky man cut in, his tone lacking conviction despite the words he uttered, "There's no doubt in my mind that the man child did something to piss those two guys off..." Gus knew the head detective would never admit it, maybe not even to himself, but over the years Shawn had earned a certain amount of respect from Lassiter. Maybe it was because he knew that Shawn would do whatever it took to protect Juliet, or maybe it was the competitive edge Gus's best friend brought out in the older man, always challenging him to be a better detective. Though the pharmaceutical salesman would probably never be able to pinpoint the precise reason, he was certain that despite all of Lassiter's hot air, the man wouldn't let anything happen to Shawn if he could prevent it.
Unaware of the younger man's thought process, Lassiter stewed over the comment Guster had made after chuckling like he'd lost his mind for a split second. After all, it was one thing to admit to himself that it was looking more and more like the situation wasn't of Spencer's doing, but it would be a cold day in hell before he'd utter the words aloud, and even longer before the head detective would tell anyone he might be worried about the annoying man. Though Lassiter would have been in for quite a shock if he had any inkling of just how much his comment to the other man had revealed about both statements.
As he ran over the events of the last few days, it was all the details that kept running through Lassiter's head as he drew closer to the hospital. First there was the gunshot in the distance when they'd been up on the mountain searching for his partner, not knowing whether or not she had fired the shot or was possibly the intended target. Then the sickening realization when that paramedic had walked up to the group and announced that Spencer was gone, like the pain in the ass had just decided to go for a leisurely stroll after he'd come down the mountain looking like death warmed over, causing Lassiter to take one look at O'Hara only to see that flash of guilt cross her face. And then his thoughts finally came to rest on the trio in the Fusion as they happened upon McNab's car on the shoulder of the road, where they managed to kill two birds with one stone by not only finding the missing rookie, but also both of the Spencers all in one shot, and as he reached for the radio, the irony of the situation wasn't lost on the head detective.
And now we're flying like a bat out of hell toward Cottage Hospital, driving at speeds that will surely kill us all if an accident occurs...
Buzz tried once again with his foot to reach the cell phone that had slid out of his hands when Mr. Spencer's exclamation had filled the car moments before. The chief isn't going to be pleased that we got cut off, he admitted silently as he eyed the small electronic that was taunting him from the floorboard. Especially if she was able to hear any of what went on just before I dropped the phone, even if it wasn't the uncharacteristic outburst from Detective O'Hara. Giving up on retrieving his cell for the moment, the tall officer focused on not getting thrown around too much by the ever increasing erratic driving style as the junior detective took a corner on two wheels. As concerned as Buzz was with Shawn's wellbeing, there was a small part of him that was worried about the likelihood of his 1995 Chevrolet Caprice making through the impromptu race in one piece. Yes, it was old and not the most flashy car on the planet, but the maroon sedan was extremely reliable, and a milestone in his life as well, because it was the first big purchase the officer had ever made.
Guilt washed over him as he realized a part of him, no matter how small, was even thinking about a material possession when his friend's father was literally falling apart in the back seat, Buzz re-centered his focus on getting to his cell phone in order to be able to fill Chief Vick in as soon as possible. Several frustrating attempts later, the tall officer was no closer to his goal, and no closer to having any clue what exactly was happening in the suddenly silent backseat. Hair on the back of his neck standing straight up, Buzz turned, despite the danger that would be involved in the more and more likely event of a collision, the need to know far outweighing the risk. Not that shifting positions would allow him to actually see what was happening behind his seat, but it made him feel better when it seemed like he was doing something.
"Mr. Spencer," the tall officer said kindly, placing a hand on the older man's arm as he leaned over his unconscious son. Not really expecting a reaction, Buzz wasn't surprised when the elder Spencer's muscles tensing was the only response he received. Leaving the liaison alone with his thoughts for the moment, Buzz turned forward in his seat as he eyed Juliet. "Detective O'Hara?" he asked gently, completely unsure of what her reaction might be after the outburst from earlier.
"What, Buzz?" she responded wearily, not taking her attention from the road as she silently calculated just how much farther they had to go before eventually reaching the hospital. I swear we've been on this road forever, did they move the building in the last 2 hours?! Shaking her head to dispel the negative thought, Juliet reminded herself that Buzz had been talking the entire time she was bringing herself down with thoughts like that. Before she could ask the tall officer to repeat whatever his concern had been, the junior detective was distracted by the vibrating of her cell phone from her coat pocket. Fishing it out with her right hand, Juliet flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear, missing her pink Blackberry immensely as she wondered when the hell it was going to get repaired. "Hello?!" she practically yelled into the microphone.
"Detective O'Hara, what on Earth is going on?!" The chief's voice came through the tiny speaker, worry and frustration crystal clear in her tone.
"I'm not really sure, Chief," she answered with a sigh, before giving Chief Vick the little bit of information she did have. "All I know is, about six minutes ago, just before your call with Buzz was cut off, Henry started swearing from the back seat. When I tried to figure out what was going on, his only answer to me was to drive faster..." Juliet paused while she gave the other woman a moment to process everything, "We're within five minutes of the hospital now, I can keep you updated once I know something more."
"Yes, O'Hara, call me on my cell phone as soon as you find out anything, anything at all..." The chief ordered, ending the call. Juliet sighed, re-pocketing the phone before exchanging a glance with Buzz. "Sorry, you were saying?"
The tall officer blinked for a moment, "Well, I was just wondering how you were doing, Detective," he answered quietly. "So, Chief Vick wants you to keep her updated?"
"Mhm," the junior detective answered, distracted, as the hospital finally came into sight. Following her partner, she steered the Chevy toward the Emergency Department entrance, not taking her foot off the gas until Lassiter entered the parking lot directly in front of her, and then trying to slow down as smoothly as possible to avoid jarring her passengers. Veering off from the path her partner had cleared and into the lane that lead to the building's entrance, Juliet brought the vehicle to a stop just as the doors flew open, medical professionals rushing out and advancing on the car.
Man, nothin' but nothin' beats the tastes of home, Rye thought as he inhaled the final bite of his cheeseburger and polished off the last handful of French fries, But this food certainly hit the spot after the waste the last four days have been, not to mention the last three months. Of course thinking about the events that had led the man to be sitting alone in a diner eating food guaranteed to clog his arteries in two seconds flat only served to hammer home the point that Rye still had a job to do; a job that definitely wasn't going to get accomplished by sitting in this diner on his ass.
Finishing the final dregs of his ice cold coffee, he looked around for the waitress so he could settle his bill, after all he didn't want to be any more memorable than he'd already been by skipping out on the check. Ten minutes, and an extremely insulting tip, later Rye was pounding the pavement looking for another vehicle to steal. Maybe I should pick one this time that won't be missed for a while, he mused silently, completely fed up with having to continually change transportation. The problem was, the cocoa skinned man didn't have the faintest idea where to even start to find such a car in this swanky town. Rind would know, Rye thought bitterly, Which doesn't do me a fat lot of good at this moment...I'm still stuck out here, thousands of miles from home with no real end in sight. To make it even worse, I now have to track down the only man, and his old man no less, who's continually been able to best me at every turn...But all of that is about to change, he promised himself, especially now that I have seen the painting and I don't necessarily need either man to continue breathing, Rye punctuated the thought with a menacing smile.
Realizing that he had aimlessly wandered quite a distance from the diner and the car lot where he'd ditched the SUV, the man glanced around at his surroundings, surprised to find himself in a ritzy part of town. Nothin' here for me, he admitted silently as he tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible until he could find a side street to duck down and find a way back out of the neighborhood. Before some trigger happy white dude decides he needs to shoot me on sight to protect his property...
Seeing a sign on a street corner a few blocks up for a nearby hospital, Rye figured it would be as good a place as any to obtain some new wheels. He resolutely ignored the silent voice of his best friend insisting to him that if he really wanted to remain under the radar for a prolonged period of time, stealing a car from a hospital parking lot wasn't the way to go about it.
He made a right at the corner, immediately ducking behind a large hedge when the sound of an engine approaching reached his ears. Peering around the edge to ensure the coast was once again clear, he began to creep around to the sidewalk when nothing struck him as out of the ordinary. Rye hustled down the street, determined to gain as much ground as possible before anyone else happened along. A few blocks later, the man came across an empty car, idling in a deserted driveway. Never one to let an opportunity slip through his fingers, Rye crossed the distance to the gold Buick Regal, climbing in and peeling out of the driveway within a matter of seconds.
Alright, he thought checking his mirrors for any signs that the owner had noticed the absence of the sedan, Obtain new wheels, check. Now, Potter was adamant that I need to lay low until they could work out the details and get me any more intel that I might need. Rye reminded himself as he drove back to the motelbefore he admitted silently, All the pieces are slowly coming together, now all that is left is to wait for all the different factors to finally slide into place...
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