Part Two

Seth and Tommy walked to the back of the courtroom, and knelt, putting their heads on the floor, and their hands laced behind their heads. In seconds the back door was thrown open and boots clunked towards them.

When the first cop laid his hands on Tommy she shrieked. "God don't kill me! I haven't seen you," she shouted, closing her eyes tight, "We haven't seen you! God, please!" As she continued her antics, Seth began to think that maybe she should have looked into acting as a career instead of crime.

"Miss," an authoritative voice replied, shouting, trying to get her under control. "Miss! I'm a police officer. I'm not going to kill you. You can open your eyes."

Slowly, Tommy cracked her lids, just enough to see the badge. "Oh my God! I thought we were dead. They went out the back, I heard something about an alley and Mexico, my God you have to get them," she rambled on until the cop managed to get a word in.

"Miss, we got them already. You'll be all right. Don't worry."

"Oh thank, God," she said as she surveyed the scene. Police walking back and forth from victim to victim trying to rouse them. She could only pray that she and Seth would get them out before someone woke up. Their disguises were good, but she didn't want to chance someone recognizing them.

"And we're gonna get you out of here. Do you mind if I ask why you didn't try to run when all of this started?"

"My sister," she said indicating Seth, who had sat up next to her, "tried to get me to go, but I was so scared I just froze." The cop eyeballed Seth silently for a few seconds.

Tommy was just tensing up to spring, when the cop responded, "Well, I imagine it would be rather frightening for you little ladies," he ran a finger down Seth's face, and Tommy had to turn away to avoid laughing. "Just let us get the judge down off the door and we'll get you out of here." He stood then and started for the door where several other officers were already untying the judge from the door.

"It's not funny, Tommy," Seth hissed under his breath. "If he asks me for my phone number, I'll hand him his nuts on a platter."

"Very feminine, Seth, just keep it in your pants for a little while longer, and we'll be out of here."

"Owww, Goddammit!" Bland yelled in agony as they lowered him to the ground.

"Shit," Tommy said just loud enough for Seth to hear, "he's awake. That's all we need. If he recognizes us, we're fucked."

"He isn't even going to see us, baby. We'll be fine," Seth tried to comfort.

"Ok," one of the cops yelled, "let's get these doors open, get the paramedics in here. Where are your keys, judge?"

"That bitch that shot me got them. I don't have them."

"Did she take them with her?"

"Shit," Tommy said, under her breath, "I still have the keys."

"Well, get rid of them," he hissed in response. Tommy slowly slipped her hand in her bra and pulled the keys out. She set them on the ground and prepared to slide them. She drew a deep breath, and coughed several times, masking the sound of the metal sliding across the wooden floor.

"How the hell do I know?" the judge shouted in response to the cop's question, "Christ, get me some morphine!"

"Excuse me," Tommy dared to ask quietly. The cop walked over and leaned down to hear her. "How much longer? I – I don't feel too good."

"Well, we need keys to open the door. If we find them then it won't be long, but if we have to break down the door…" he trailed off, leaving the possibilities open.

"Keys?" Tommy asked, quietly, so the judge wouldn't hear her. "You mean like those, there?" she asked pointing.

The cop didn't respond merely picked up the keys and tried them in the lock, which clicked, obligingly, open. Two paramedics burst in, with a gurney to take the judge away on. Loading him onto it, they placed an oxygen mask over his face.

Another two paramedics burst through the door, and headed to the back of the courtroom to tend to the kneecapped guard. Tommy stood slowly, and Seth followed suit. They made their way to the door. So close to freedom, Seth was nearly intoxicated by the scent.

"Ok, ladies, you can go, now," the cop said, ushering them out. "You've had a hell of a day."

"Yes, sir," Tommy replied, passing the judge's gurney. "Been one of those days that will keep you guessing."

The phrase caught in the judge's ears, as he looked up to see who had said it. Her hair was different, but the eyes were the same. That was the crazy bitch that shot him. He tried to say it, but no one could make out his words through the mask. He reached up to remove it but the paramedics kept telling him to calm down.

Tommy saw the recognition in the judge's eyes and she pushed Seth through the lobby. Hurrying now, trying to get out of law's reach before the judge finally managed to convince them to remove the oxygen mask. There were the doors. The doors out. The doors to freedom.

She pushed Seth out the door first, and she chanced one last look back. The overfriendly cop ran out of the courtroom, looking around frantically as if he were searching for someone. She covered her face quickly, wishing for the first time in her life that her hair wasn't red. "Stop!" he shouted as he started towards her. Ducking out the door, Tommy spotted Seth.

"Seth," she yelled. He was already halfway down the steps, nearly to the car. He turned. "Don't stop! Run! Get to the car!" she screamed as she broke into a sprint behind him. He dove into the front seat after opening the back door for her to get in. She could hear Ritchie revving the engine as she approached.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" the cop yelled from behind her.

Fuck you, she thought to herself. Six feet from the car, she heard the shot. At first the stabbing sensation in her back puzzled her. She knew that she had heard a shot, so where was the pain from the --…the thought barely finished crossing her mind when her midsection erupted. The flames of anguish began in her back and quickly moved through her abdominal cavity. Unable to cope, she dropped onto her face.

"Tommy!" she heard Seth scream, as another shot hit one of the windows of the car. "Get up, baby!"

"Go, Seth. Go, now!" she had no more gotten the words out when she felt his strong hands on her midsection, lifting her and dragging her into the back seat.

"Go, Ritchie!" Seth shouted into the front seat. She heard the tires squeal as Ritchie peeled out.

"How bad is she?" Ritchie asked from the front seat.

"You just worry about driving. I'll worry about her," Seth said, his voice thick.

No way is he crying, Tommy thought to herself, as she twisted in pain. Opening her eyes, she saw that he was on the verge of tears but none had fallen yet. "Fuck," she yelled. "I can't believe this. I'm shot. I'm fucking shot and now I'm going to die in the back of this piece of shit car," she yelled kicking the door.

"You're not going to die, Tommy," Seth said, his voice a little stronger. He reached into his shirt and pulled the pillowcase out. Smacking Tommy in the head with one of the oranges, in the process.

"Ow," she said weakly, raising a hand to her head.

"Sorry," he replied.

"Don't bullshit me, Seth. I hate bullshit. I'm gut shot, and I'm bleeding like a son of a bitch. I don't even feel anything below my chest, so don't bullshit me. I'm dying."

"She needs a doctor," Ritchie added from the front seat.

"We don't have time for a doctor, Ritchie. You've got to ditch these fucking cops," Tommy argued from the back seat.

"I think I've lost them for now."

"Stop on a busy street and jack another car, Ritchie," Seth told him. "They'll have a description of this one."

"Good idea, Seth," Tommy conceded. "But leave me in this one when you switch."

"No fucking way," Seth replied. "You just busted my ass out of jail, no way am I gonna leave you for the fucking cops to find."

"I'm just gonna slow you down, Seth. Leave me, dammit."

"Shut up. That one Ritchie, the one that guy is getting into." Without looking up, Tommy felt the car stop.

"Even if we do get out of here, Seth. I'm not gonna make it far, and don't you think that's going to attract a little attention. Driving around the countryside with a dead body in the back seat?"

"I'd keep you in the trunk, 'til we could ditch you, Tommy," he replied, trying to be funny, but she could see him smiling that smile of his that was about 25% smile and about 75% grimace.

"And then what? You don't think anyone would recognize my body? Then you'd have a trail, and they'd know where you were headed. Just leave me, Seth."

"Shut up," he replied, looking over the seat to see if Ritchie was going to fuck this up. Reaching down Tommy's fingers found the small arsenal that she and Ritchie, knowing they would need all the firepower they could get, had stocked before this little endeavor. She grabbed the butt of a small handgun, and held it tight. Outside she heard a gunshot, as Ritchie no doubt blew the head off of the car's owner.

"Seth, grab the guns and I'll clear out this back seat," Ritchie shouted from beyond her sight.

Seth leaned over her to grab an armful of guns. His body heat warmed Tommy's already cooling body, as she inhaled a lungful of his scent. Damn, she would miss that. His arms full, he started out of the car. "Seth," Tommy began.

"Yeah, Tommy?" he said.

"Kiss me?" she replied her voice thick with blood. He recognized the pleading in her eyes, and even though he hated to admit it, he knew that this could be the last thing she ever asked him for.

"Ritchie," he shouted handing the guns over, Ritchie disappeared from view again. Seth narrowed his eyes at her as he leaned close. She reached up and brushed the wig off of his head, taking in the vision of him. He pressed his lips to hers, and Tommy relished in the electric volts racing up and down her spine at the thrill of his last touch.

The sound of approaching sirens caused him to break away, "Let's go," Seth said, softly.

"Don't bother," Tommy said, raising her handgun to Seth's firm abs. Recognizing the feel of a .38 pressed to his belly, he backed up, trying to figure this out.

"Tommy?"

"Go, Seth," she said in as strong a voice as she could manage. "Go or I'll shoot you myself."

"You won't shoot me," he said confidently.

"The hell I won't, Seth," she said, pulling back the hammer, preparing to fire. "Those aren't rescue sirens coming this way. Those are cops. Now do you want another fifty years added onto your sentence? And with me and Ritchie in jail, too? Who the hell is going to bust us out? Get the hell out of here."

"You won't shoot me, Tommy, and I'm not leaving without you," he said inching towards her.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, "Don't make me do this, Seth. Please, don't make me do this."

"Just put the gun down and you won't have to."

"Seth," she whispered, "please, just go. Don't make me do it." He reached one hand out for the gun. Seeing his movement, Tommy moved the muzzle of the gun from his face to under her chin.

"No!" Seth screamed, lunging for the gun, but it was too late. The gunshot rang out crisp in the city street.

Ritchie stood half-in and half-out of the new car, looking back, "What the hell was that?"

Not quite registering Ritchie's question, Seth surveyed the brain matter splattered all over the window. He looked up, as the sound of the sirens got closer. Get the hell out of here! Tommy's words rang through his clouded mind and snapped him into action.

He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his t-shirt, and with a shaky hand he reached up and took the still-smoking .38 from Tommy's hand. He stood, with all intentions of throwing the damn thing as far as he could, but something made him hold fast to it.

Then and there he decided that this was the gun that was going to keep him alive until he and Ritchie got to El Rey. Seth didn't know it at the time, but that .38…the very same one that had taken Tommy from him was going to, in about two days, save him and a young girl from a bar full of hungry vampires.