(LAYLA – Smokestacks)
"Toni, I swear I am going to spike your end of shift coco with Laxatives if you play that song one more time" Daisy grumbled as she wiped down the end of the bar as she finished cleaning the beer trays. A deep rumble reverberated through the older African-American man's chest and she rolled her eyes at him. The same stupid song, at the same time, at the end of every night they worked together.
"Sing it with me" he teased as he swayed his plus sized frame in time to the music.
"I hate Country Music" she reminded him, removing her black shirt so she was wearing only her black faded jeans, and a dark grey tank top. There was something a little weird about a guy who looked like he should be the head of a dynastic family on Luke Cage dancing to country music. The Mermaid Inn certainly looked like it belonged in Hell's Kitchen. Maybe that's why she was fond of the place, it was a dive but as assistant manager, it was hers.
Tomorrow night she was going to open up that stupid ancient jukebox and take out that CD…
"Yeah… but this isn't just Country Music… It's Garth Brooks" he countered waggling his eyes brows as tapped his foot in time to the drum beat. "Come on, Daze… You are much too young… to feel this damn old…." He sang with the lyrics.
"I definitely prefer you when you are hanging out on your stool, trying to look menacing… because this…" she said gesturing to his soulful crooning in time to the song. "is slightly terrifying."
"You are being a real sourpuss tonight" Toni sighed as he pulled out the stool in front of her and sat down. Usually she was at least a good sport, but she'd been in a foul mood ever since she'd come back from her venture out earlier. "It's that movie stars kid isn't it? You're a little sweet on him" he observed to which she rolled her eyes as she finished filling the bottle of Southern Comfort to return it to the optics behind her.
"Sweet on him?" she asked, arching a dark eyebrow as Toni scrubbed a large hand down his stubbed face, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Generally you do tend to border on antisocial" he offered as he watched her closed her eyes and rake a finger through her shoulder length dark hair.
"Really? I'd never have guessed" she said exhaling a deep breath before turning her green eyes back to him.
"Usually I do appreciate that acerbic wit of yours, for a girl who looks like you, that sharp wit of yours certainly makes my job a little easier" he joked. The last drunken idiot he'd removed had declared that for someone who looked hot and sweet like Shannyn Sossamon, that she was a real bitch. Citing that he was a wealthy 09er and his wife's therapist could help her through those anger issues and he'd be willing to pay for it if she gave him that lap-dance he'd been asking her for.
Yep, fellas got mixed up with them and The Rusty Knot on a regular basis.
"Antonio… it's late. I'm tired, and I have three cases of beers to restock, can you stop trying to chew my ass?" Daisy grumbled as she reached for the bottles of flavored shots to put behind the shot glass station and cast a glance at her phone.
Fine, he was right. She had been a little worried after hearing that Logan Echolls had gone missing.
Her boyfriend was a security guard at The Neptune Grand hotel, and he'd promised to message her when or if he returned, although he had his hands full trying to keep the press out tonight after the death of Aaron Echolls.
Was he hiding from the press on his boat? That blonde kid Weiner-something? had said was that Logan needed the keys to his boat but then she'd gotten there and none of them had been able to tell her where he was. She mightn't be sweet on the kid, but like her after her grandmother passed a few years back, he was on his own. She knew what it was like to be adrift and being by yourself at that age. He'd had it pretty rough from what she'd been able to pry from him during his weaker drunken moments… Bartenders. Cheaper than therapy… Sal had tried to use that for his social media campaign to drum up more business a few months back. She still had the t-shirt someplace around her bedroom. Some people had prayers in the shape of Prozac, others found it in the bottom of a glass. Personally, Daisy ignored all of it, she preferred pounding the streets and working out in the Half Moon Dojo when life frustrated her.
Wouldn't stop Antonio from trying to agony aunt a confession for nothing out of her. Echolls reminded her a little of herself, it wasn't that complicated a situation.
She did her best to ignore Toni's dark eyes following her as she moved around the bar tidying up. "My Grams had this annoying little Velcro dog Marvin? Used to stalk you around the house, every time I turned around, there it was, those little brown eyes staring at me…" Daisy muttered as she opened the boxes of beer and began filling the fridges. He was hanging around to give her a ride home at the end of their shift.
"Stalked?" Toni asked defensively.
"Yep… and the only way to get him to stop was to bop him on the nose with a newspaper" she laughed before she threw the dishtowel in her hand at his face.
"You could have tried treats!" Toni protested in disgust as he tossed the sodden rag back at her playfully.
"The last thing your cholesterol needs is more treats" Daisy scolded, looking pointedly at the older man's expanding waistline. Usually he flirted with the waitresses over at the diner around the corner from them and Mira always left him a box of the leftover pastries before she collected her husband and they went home.
"See what I mean? With people skills like those, it's no wonder this place is so quiet" Toni huffed.
"Would you rather they were beating down the door at all hours?" she retorted, a hand on her slim hip.
"Maybe… at least there would some excitement around here other than playing darts roulette with Gus over what songs to put on next" he countered referring to an on-going game between him and regular patron who selected jukebox songs based on his next score at the darts board.
"This aint Coyote Ugly, people come here for two reasons, to gamble or to medicate the lows with god-old fashioned liquor… doesn't get more Country and Western than that" Daisy quipped as she shrugged back into her shirt. He was about to reply when several very insistent bangs pounded on the door, frowning the two of them made eye-contact. This place wasn't usually a target for the street crimes that plagued Neptune, PCHers tended to leave this place alone on account of Sal's friendship with Frank Hernandez, a mid-level street king pin and the other clientele who used the place to play cards and negotiate shady business deals.
"We're closed! Read the sign!" Toni called as he approached the door.
"Please! We need help!" a girls voice pleaded and there were several muffled voices. "Please" she begged again.
"So call the Sheriff's department… the Galaxy resort hotel is only a few streets from here, their security team would be glad to help you…" Toni instructed.
"We don't have time to try someplace else, just open the damned door!" males voice snapped.
"Daisy! If you're in there… I need you to open up" Logan called in a pained voice.
"Was that… Boilermaker?" Toni asked but she was already rushing out from behind the bar, dragging the clump of heavy keys from the counter with her as she moved past him to the door. She looked over her shoulder to see that Toni was ready, standing with his hand reaching over the bar for his own version of Lucille… because of course a guy who looked like Zombie Chow would be a huge Walking Dead fan. Nodding she opened the door through the heavy metal chair and peered outside.
"What the Hell happened to you?" she demanded, shutting the door and yanking back the chair to allow the small group inside as she looked at the battered Logan Echolls. She'd always been worried about him ending up in a state like this. "Did Carlos catch up to you?" she asked as she pointed them towards the large booth to their left and nodded at Toni to get the first aid kit they kept in the manager's office as she turned to shut the door, the Weevil kid from earlier glanced behind to check the coast was clear before he stepped inside and stood behind her as she shut the door and the other two helped Logan over to the table.
"Shouldn't you guys have taken him to the hospital?" Toni questioned as he handed the short brunette girl the first aid box.
"No! No Hospital" Weevil discouraged and Daisy took in his new appearance, he was garbed in some sort of yuppy green workout outfit, his leather jacket and black jeans were gone. He looked a bit like an edgy care bear standing guard at the door. He needed to get in touch with his Boys…
"Daisy…" Toni warned, his dark gaze hardening as he looked firmly at the group.
They were kids… shouldn't they have some sort of curfew?
"It's fine.." she said, putting a hand up to quieten him as she pulled a bottle of alcohol from behind the bar. "You" she said clicking her fingers at the blonde to get his attention. "Catch me up…"
"I can't believe you left her…" Logan glared despondently at the best friend who had just betrayed him. It was then that Daisy realized the petite blonde girl from earlier wasn't amongst them.
"I don't know what this is… Daze, but we should be calling the Sheriff" Toni advised her.
"You can't! Please… Sheriff Lamb will arrest him… and then they'll…" Mac pleaded as she rubbed at the tears on her face.
This night was so Fucked… They'd left Veronica behind… and for all they knew she could be dead…
They'd been shot at, and almost crashed their boat which they'd had to abandon on the south side of the boardwalk, her computer was beyond useless, and the Kane's probably knew who she was by now. They could be sending the FBI to her house and she'd never know because Weevil had tossed both her and Dick's cell phone over side of the boat before they'd fled to the first safe place that they could think of.
"No one's calling anybody.." Daisy assured her and Toni gave her an incredulous What-the-Hell? Look. She turned her face back to Dick and raised her eyebrows expectantly.
"Some bad dudes had Logan's dad killed, they snatched him and if you call Sheriff Lamb you might as well be handing him over" Dick sighed.
"And why exactly are you wet?" Toni asked, giving the Hispanic bald kid a once over.
This one looked like trouble. Gang tattoos…
"That's why you needed the boat…." Daisy murmured filling in the blanks, then glanced at the corporate logo. Kane Industries. She glanced back at Antonio, his younger brother Clarence was head of security services for Kane Software.
"I don't like this…" Toni told her as Daisy handed the bottle out to Mac, she was about to pour some of the clear liquid onto the small medical cloth in her hand to clean Logan's wounds but he snatched it out of her hand and took a long swig to steady his nerves.
His brain was on fire trying to catch up.
They'd left Veronica behind… she was still on that boat… She'd come to save him… and she'd gotten captured or worse…
"We have to go back…" he declared resolutely and tried to stand before wincing as the entire left side of his body erupted in pain, shock and adrenaline had saved him from feeling the most of it initially but now it felt like he'd been slammed by a two ton wrecking ball.
"You need medical attention…" Dick glowered at him as he ran a mental checklist of hot chicks he'd banged with doctors for parents. Logan had been almost fighting with him the whole way, Weevil had had to almost knock him unconscious until they made it back to shore.
"God dammit Dick… I have to…" Logan growled trying to slide off the table but Mac pushed him backwards.
"They are still looking for us, you won't be any use to Veronica if you get yourself killed" she reasoned with him firmly as she yanked the bottle out of his hand and began to clean the lacerations on his chest. She had no idea what had caused these, but she noticed several thick white scars on his side, this wasn't the first time Logan had taken a beating like this… these scars were old, years old…
So the stories of Abusive Monster Aaron Echolls in that Lifetime Movie sold by his sister Trina must have been true…
"Dude, I'm sorry…" Dick apologized sincerely. He hadn't truly wanted to leave the teen detective behind… he wasn't even sure if the Coast guard had made it to the location after they'd left. His watch indicated they should have been in the area around 17 minutes ago, but he'd been in such a hurry to escape and evade those two Russian goons from earlier he'd had no choice but to charge The Maverick into waters where the smaller boat couldn't follow.
"What are we supposed to do now? We can't just leave her there… we should call the Sheriff" Weevil insisted. He would have called him already but his phone was currently in his jacket pocket in that waterproof ziplock bag he'd shoved it in laying on the ground floor along with his bike keys with the Jetski. He honestly didn't give a damn what happened to Echolls, he'd been ready to leave him behind when fate had intervened, even Timing favored the rich 09er prick. But if he'd had a choice between Echolls and Veronica… he'd never have left her behind.
"He's Keith Mars, not Liam Neeson" Logan snapped.
"You heard Mac, if we call Lamb we might as well be handing Logan back over to those assholes" Dick protested.
"HEY! ENOUGH WITH THE TEEN SQUABBLES… Pissing contests later… right now there's someone bleeding all over my bar" Daisy ordered, throwing the clump of keys onto the faux leather chair beside Mac.
"Yeah… that wasn't exactly on my nights agenda either, sweetheart" Weevil replied sarcastically glancing around the bar for a phone, most bars used to have payphones, and a place like this, might still be outdated enough to have one.
"Toni! Play nice!" she snapped, reaching a restraining hand around his forearm to stop him. "Okay… so boat.. then bad guys? I'm guessing that's where Tiny Temper from earlier is?"
"Yeah…" Mac nodded.
"And the press absolutely everywhere is looking for you…" Daisy noted to Logan, his honey brown eyes doing their best not to tear up.
"And Sheriff Lamb, Border Patrol… and probably Interpol" Dick added.
"Don't forget Cyber Homeland Security and probably the FBI…" Mac murmured. They were so screwed…
"Oh yeah… and the Russian Mob funded by one of the richest men after Bill Gates" Weevil snorted for good measure.
"Daisy… are we harbouring terrorists?" Toni demanded.
"You wanted excitement.." Daisy quipped as she pressed a hand to the back of her neck to ease the building tension headache.
"I was meaning some Hen parties or a late night happy hour… not some kind of cat-and-mouse game with a mobsters and dead celebrities!" he said as he glanced around the room, almost desperately before he turned and walked away from her. Slumping onto a chair beside the bar, with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. "Sweet baby Jesus…."
Daisy glanced at the small group, thinking they looked like the leaderless Hunger Games edition of CW cast, taking in a deep breath, her head felt like it was going to burst.
Great one Daisy… now what?