Summer Dreams 2
In the recesses of her brain, a warning went off as her body was ripped from her nightmare. She was standing with her eyes open and searching before her brain kicked in. Late afternoon lazily slid through the room and she suddenly remembered everything. Her knees gave out and she staggered to the bed. Sitting on the end of it, everything that had she had been denying slammed home. Bringing with it every memory and pain, she had endured. Around and around the carousel went, filled with horrific images and screams of pain.
"Kate?"
She jumped at the sound of her name by an unfamiliar tone. " Who-"
That's when she recalled the last twenty-four hours. Tuesday night she had run from Detroit to San Francisco and no one had followed her. Here in town, she was staying with her uncle and she was safe.
"Just a second!" She shouted and quickly pulled on clean clothes.
Tying back her hair she opened the bedroom door and found there was company. Her uncle had changed too. That must have been what awakened her, his presence in the apartment. Her uncle smiled and waved to a black man in a nice looking leather coat.
"Sonny, meet Kate." Frank shrugged on his own coat and adjusted his watch. "We were heading out for dinner, what to join?"
Kate regarded the man for a moment there was no reason to not go with them. " Sure."
Her uncle knew a place that was near the water, so they drove in Sonny's car and walked the rest of the rest of the way. The area was old in a nice way, there were restaurants that glittered beside the water as the sky fell to the coming night.
As they sat down around a table Frank broke into a dark grin and leaned close. "Have I ever told you the story of Jumping Jack?"
Kate shook her head, " No, who's that?"
"Well," Frank glanced at his partner; " It was long ago when we were still rookies."
"That was centuries ago!" She exclaimed and all three of them laughed
As they waited for their drinks and food Frank filled the time with stories. "It was just like old times with us searching for this guy. He called himself Jumping Jack, a real character if there ever was one. A total scumbag and at the time our best source on the street. A real shame when you think about it."
She smiled at the expression his partner wore. "You don't agree?"
"Well J.J. wasn't prom king material but he wasn't THAT bad. At least he was reliable, unlike some of the others we have bumped into." Sonny took off on another story about their early adventures together.
As the sky darkened around them, Kate felt herself pulling away and slipping into night mode. Her smiles and laughing stayed genuine but her attention was divided. She watched the people around her as they talked and ate. Her eyes skipped over most of them until she reached the back corner. A man in a dark blue windbreaker with pale hair and jittery hands kept looking around. It was possible he was just another crack head, but there was something off about the look in his eyes. The classic shine was missing from them and she knew he was up to something.
The moment their food arrived, she was at a loss to stop her-self from being distracted by it. Hunger tightened her gut and ran up her limbs. Food had never tasted this good in Detroit. It was only as her uncle and partner were trying to decide over dessert that she remembered the blonde guy. Looking up from the debate, she found he was gone. Clearly, she had been over reacting and just being jumpy. This was different town and not all the same rules applied here.
Frank tossed down the plastic page, " What do you say we skip dessert and go see the sights?"
"Great idea." Kate said and he smiled, " Care to join us Sonny?"
"Wish I could, but I have some much need basket ball to watch." He stood up and paid his share of the meal. " See you tomorrow Frank, it was nice meeting you Kate."
"You too, have a good night." She watched as he left and sighed happily. " You know Frank I owe you an apology."
He glanced at her as they stood up, "What do you mean?"
"When I arrived this morning I thought you were going to be just another drunk." She said gently and he looked at her. " I know now that I was wrong."
He shook his head, " Not wrong, for these last few weeks I have been under the bottle. It was the only way to deal with the stuff I was facing." His tone was soft. " But now that I am back at work and have to deal with scum bags, I am feeling much better."
She gave him a crooked smile. " You like your job?"
"I am a cop, that's the bottom line." He said as they walked out into the night air. "Why do you look at me like that?"
Kate smiled and shook her head, letting her hair down she put her hands in her pockets. She took a deep breath. " I didn't know what to expect and I judged you too soon. Most of the people I know are shit and it's a surprise to meet someone who isn't."
He laughed. "Thanks now try telling that to the women of this city."
She grinned, "What you can't get a date?"
"I know, you'd think that they would be throwing themselves at me." He stopped and looked at her. "Be honest now, do I really look that bad?"
Kate gazed at her uncle and laughed before she could stop herself. He frowned and she laughed harder. Leaning against a nearby car, she caught her breath as her ribs began to burn.
"I guess that answers it." He said glumly.
"Oh Frank it's not you. I have a memory of dad that is very similar to what you just said. He was covered in mud and looked like the Swamp Thing. He turned to me and said, 'Now Kate, be honest, do you think this mud bath will do wonders for me?' I said no and we ended up having in a mud fight."
Frank smiled, " Carl always did have a sense of humor."
"But no, you don't look bad at all. Maybe the women around here just don't know what to do with a good guy."
"I suppose." He tapped his chin and shrugged as he continued to walk down the block. " Not that it matters, so what do you want to see first?"
Just as Kate stood up to, follow a warning went off and she moved before she thought. Shoving her uncle to the ground just as bullets sprayed the area, he had just been standing. Kate rolled off him to a near by car and peered over the hood. It was the blonde guy from the restaurant; he was carrying a mean looking Uzi in his hands.
"Are you okay?" Frank asked as he crouched down next to her. He had his gun out and was watching the street. " We need better cover."
"I know." She snapped and quickly scanned the street. "There, the green Alitma, can you make it?"
"Me? What about you?" He asked. " No you go first."
Kate glanced at him, " Frank I know you are the cop, but trust me on this one."
Meanwhile on the street the guy laughed high and crazy. "I know you're there Kate. I saw you."
Frank frowned at him; "I wonder who he is." His hand reached for the cell phone on his belt and he flipped it open.
"Frank don't call for back up, we don't need it."
"Kate, he has an Uzi pointed at us for crying out loud. We need help."
She grabbed his arm, " Please Frank trust me on this one."
He stared at her for before frowning, "You know something?"
"You might call it that." She glanced at the gunman, " Now go to the car get it open, we'll need it. Now go I need room."
After a moment of hesitation, he ran for the car. A spray of gunfire followed him and he barely missed being shot. Once he was safe behind the car Kate stood up and whistled. The man looked over and fired at her. She dropped back to the ground and rolled under the car. Pulling off her coat, she ignored the burning pain from her old injuries. From where she lay, she could see his feet and the garden-variety sneakers he wore. Her left hand pulled out the lighter in her jeans pocket as her right took out a slim gray stick. Lighting the tip she came out onto the street and sent it rolling toward the gunman. He was watching the glowing stick and not her.
Gaining her feet, she ran like hell to the car. Frank had the door unlocked and she threw herself into it. Slamming the car into reverse, she tore out of the spot and down the street, steering one handed as she went backward on a one-way street. Luckily, the street was empty at the early hour of night. Throwing the car into drive she spun the wheel and applied the brake. The green car swerved around in a 180-degree turn and tore off down another street.
Seconds passed before she glanced back and saw the explosion. The white flames bled orange and released smoke into the night's sky. Sound reached her ears and she knew a few buildings would be damaged.
"Shit Kate, what the hell did you do?" Frank shouted to her as she slowed down to cruising speed.
"Please calm down." She pulled over and looked at him. " You honestly thought I would do something else?"
"I sure as hell didn't expect you to blow up a city block!" Frank shouted. "What about those restaurants and the people?"
Kate shook her head," It was an incendiary device. The guy is now a pile of ashes but the buildings will just have some burn marks on them."
In the recesses of her brain, a warning went off as her body was ripped from her nightmare. She was standing with her eyes open and searching before her brain kicked in. Late afternoon lazily slid through the room and she suddenly remembered everything. Her knees gave out and she staggered to the bed. Sitting on the end of it, everything that had she had been denying slammed home. Bringing with it every memory and pain, she had endured. Around and around the carousel went, filled with horrific images and screams of pain.
"Kate?"
She jumped at the sound of her name by an unfamiliar tone. " Who-"
That's when she recalled the last twenty-four hours. Tuesday night she had run from Detroit to San Francisco and no one had followed her. Here in town, she was staying with her uncle and she was safe.
"Just a second!" She shouted and quickly pulled on clean clothes.
Tying back her hair she opened the bedroom door and found there was company. Her uncle had changed too. That must have been what awakened her, his presence in the apartment. Her uncle smiled and waved to a black man in a nice looking leather coat.
"Sonny, meet Kate." Frank shrugged on his own coat and adjusted his watch. "We were heading out for dinner, what to join?"
Kate regarded the man for a moment there was no reason to not go with them. " Sure."
Her uncle knew a place that was near the water, so they drove in Sonny's car and walked the rest of the rest of the way. The area was old in a nice way, there were restaurants that glittered beside the water as the sky fell to the coming night.
As they sat down around a table Frank broke into a dark grin and leaned close. "Have I ever told you the story of Jumping Jack?"
Kate shook her head, " No, who's that?"
"Well," Frank glanced at his partner; " It was long ago when we were still rookies."
"That was centuries ago!" She exclaimed and all three of them laughed
As they waited for their drinks and food Frank filled the time with stories. "It was just like old times with us searching for this guy. He called himself Jumping Jack, a real character if there ever was one. A total scumbag and at the time our best source on the street. A real shame when you think about it."
She smiled at the expression his partner wore. "You don't agree?"
"Well J.J. wasn't prom king material but he wasn't THAT bad. At least he was reliable, unlike some of the others we have bumped into." Sonny took off on another story about their early adventures together.
As the sky darkened around them, Kate felt herself pulling away and slipping into night mode. Her smiles and laughing stayed genuine but her attention was divided. She watched the people around her as they talked and ate. Her eyes skipped over most of them until she reached the back corner. A man in a dark blue windbreaker with pale hair and jittery hands kept looking around. It was possible he was just another crack head, but there was something off about the look in his eyes. The classic shine was missing from them and she knew he was up to something.
The moment their food arrived, she was at a loss to stop her-self from being distracted by it. Hunger tightened her gut and ran up her limbs. Food had never tasted this good in Detroit. It was only as her uncle and partner were trying to decide over dessert that she remembered the blonde guy. Looking up from the debate, she found he was gone. Clearly, she had been over reacting and just being jumpy. This was different town and not all the same rules applied here.
Frank tossed down the plastic page, " What do you say we skip dessert and go see the sights?"
"Great idea." Kate said and he smiled, " Care to join us Sonny?"
"Wish I could, but I have some much need basket ball to watch." He stood up and paid his share of the meal. " See you tomorrow Frank, it was nice meeting you Kate."
"You too, have a good night." She watched as he left and sighed happily. " You know Frank I owe you an apology."
He glanced at her as they stood up, "What do you mean?"
"When I arrived this morning I thought you were going to be just another drunk." She said gently and he looked at her. " I know now that I was wrong."
He shook his head, " Not wrong, for these last few weeks I have been under the bottle. It was the only way to deal with the stuff I was facing." His tone was soft. " But now that I am back at work and have to deal with scum bags, I am feeling much better."
She gave him a crooked smile. " You like your job?"
"I am a cop, that's the bottom line." He said as they walked out into the night air. "Why do you look at me like that?"
Kate smiled and shook her head, letting her hair down she put her hands in her pockets. She took a deep breath. " I didn't know what to expect and I judged you too soon. Most of the people I know are shit and it's a surprise to meet someone who isn't."
He laughed. "Thanks now try telling that to the women of this city."
She grinned, "What you can't get a date?"
"I know, you'd think that they would be throwing themselves at me." He stopped and looked at her. "Be honest now, do I really look that bad?"
Kate gazed at her uncle and laughed before she could stop herself. He frowned and she laughed harder. Leaning against a nearby car, she caught her breath as her ribs began to burn.
"I guess that answers it." He said glumly.
"Oh Frank it's not you. I have a memory of dad that is very similar to what you just said. He was covered in mud and looked like the Swamp Thing. He turned to me and said, 'Now Kate, be honest, do you think this mud bath will do wonders for me?' I said no and we ended up having in a mud fight."
Frank smiled, " Carl always did have a sense of humor."
"But no, you don't look bad at all. Maybe the women around here just don't know what to do with a good guy."
"I suppose." He tapped his chin and shrugged as he continued to walk down the block. " Not that it matters, so what do you want to see first?"
Just as Kate stood up to, follow a warning went off and she moved before she thought. Shoving her uncle to the ground just as bullets sprayed the area, he had just been standing. Kate rolled off him to a near by car and peered over the hood. It was the blonde guy from the restaurant; he was carrying a mean looking Uzi in his hands.
"Are you okay?" Frank asked as he crouched down next to her. He had his gun out and was watching the street. " We need better cover."
"I know." She snapped and quickly scanned the street. "There, the green Alitma, can you make it?"
"Me? What about you?" He asked. " No you go first."
Kate glanced at him, " Frank I know you are the cop, but trust me on this one."
Meanwhile on the street the guy laughed high and crazy. "I know you're there Kate. I saw you."
Frank frowned at him; "I wonder who he is." His hand reached for the cell phone on his belt and he flipped it open.
"Frank don't call for back up, we don't need it."
"Kate, he has an Uzi pointed at us for crying out loud. We need help."
She grabbed his arm, " Please Frank trust me on this one."
He stared at her for before frowning, "You know something?"
"You might call it that." She glanced at the gunman, " Now go to the car get it open, we'll need it. Now go I need room."
After a moment of hesitation, he ran for the car. A spray of gunfire followed him and he barely missed being shot. Once he was safe behind the car Kate stood up and whistled. The man looked over and fired at her. She dropped back to the ground and rolled under the car. Pulling off her coat, she ignored the burning pain from her old injuries. From where she lay, she could see his feet and the garden-variety sneakers he wore. Her left hand pulled out the lighter in her jeans pocket as her right took out a slim gray stick. Lighting the tip she came out onto the street and sent it rolling toward the gunman. He was watching the glowing stick and not her.
Gaining her feet, she ran like hell to the car. Frank had the door unlocked and she threw herself into it. Slamming the car into reverse, she tore out of the spot and down the street, steering one handed as she went backward on a one-way street. Luckily, the street was empty at the early hour of night. Throwing the car into drive she spun the wheel and applied the brake. The green car swerved around in a 180-degree turn and tore off down another street.
Seconds passed before she glanced back and saw the explosion. The white flames bled orange and released smoke into the night's sky. Sound reached her ears and she knew a few buildings would be damaged.
"Shit Kate, what the hell did you do?" Frank shouted to her as she slowed down to cruising speed.
"Please calm down." She pulled over and looked at him. " You honestly thought I would do something else?"
"I sure as hell didn't expect you to blow up a city block!" Frank shouted. "What about those restaurants and the people?"
Kate shook her head," It was an incendiary device. The guy is now a pile of ashes but the buildings will just have some burn marks on them."