A NEW YEAR'S HOSTAGE
By Slayne
Rating- PG for a few adult words
Disclaimer- Don't own nor profit from the Joes.
Notes- New Year's story with Beach Head and Cover Girl. Kind of 'ha-ha' and kind of 'awwww' so enjoy! This would have been posted sooner, but ff.net got kooky for a while. :-)
If you'd like to read more of mine or Scarlett_Hauser's stories that are not here on ff.net due to whatever reason including ratings content, then join our yahoo list. We're using one as a web page right now until we get unlazy and put up our own web pages. Lurkers welcome. It's simply an archive with little discussion expected. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/joeland/ Link is available on my author page and Scarlett_Hauser's as well.
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Cover Girl shifted the truck into park and grinned at the Staff Sergeant sitting in the passenger seat.
"Well...let's go play Santa!"
"Christmas is over, it's food for a shelter not Toys for Tots."
"Too bad! A glimpse of a Marine in those dress blues would sure get my New Year off to a good start!"
Beach Head made an impatient sound and hopped out of the truck. They met again at the rear as he slid the door open. "By the way...thanks for almost giving me a heart attack back at that intersection by nearly going through that red light. Figures you'd almost kill me on the biggest party night of the year."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Oh cripes...I stopped didn't I?
"Yeah...halfway into the intersection! Everyone had to back up and let you go through it so they could get on their way."
"I was in the biggest vehicle...I won by default!" They looked into the back of the truck at the boxes of canned food. Cover Girl frowned and then glanced at Beach Head. "Funny how you always go to pick up the truck every year...and when we get here, there always seems to be more food then what we collected."
Beach Head glanced back at her and then shrugged. "You couldn't even see a bright red light telling you to stop...how the hell do you know how much we had when we started?"
"It's just...you're probably one of the few Joes who understands how these kids feel...not having enough to eat."
"This discussion isn't happening, Courtney...you're imagining things."
She picked up a box full of canned vegetables and leaned against the bumper. "If you want it to remain anonymous, that's fine..I'm just saying that it's...a nice thing to do, Beach."
He sighed and looked sideways at her. "Are you hitting on me?"
She let out a sigh of disgust and pushed off the bumper to head inside the shelter. Beach Head watched her go, smiling faintly at her back.
They unloaded the truck with some help from the shelter's staff, finally finishing in early evening. Cover Girl watched Beach Head set down the last box. He traded paperwork and signatures with the head of the staff and then walked towards her. A small girl about 9 years old followed him with a naked barbie in her hands.
"You've picked up a fan." Cover Girl laughed, pointing to the girl as the Ranger approached her. Beach Head glanced back and down and then grimaced, muttering.
"Great..."
The girl glanced at Cover Girl and then up at Beach Head. "Want to see my Barbie? I gave her a haircut!"
She held up the doll, which had a safety scissors hack job on the hair, leaving Barbie with an uneven crew cut.
"Ha! It looks like you now, Cover Girl!"
"Oh, that was clever, Beach..." She smiled down at the girl. "Barbie looks beautiful, sweetie!"
"Do you want to kiss her?" The girl held the doll up towards Beach Head, who managed to look horrified. Cover Girl laughed delightedly.
"Yeah Beach...kiss Barbie! Show her some lovin'!"
"It's not Barbie anymore! I named her Cover Girl now...like you!" The girl protested.
"Then I definitely do NOT want to kiss her." Beach Head stated, holding up a hand as if he could ward off the small child with the force.
"Are you in the Army?" The girl asked him. He glared down at her.
"Yeah...now go find mommy, kid."
She looked at Cover Girl. "Are you in the Army too?"
A boy of about the same age walked up beside the girl and sneered at her. "She can't be in the Army! She's a girl!"
At that, Courtney glared and Beach Head laughed. "That don't work son...I've already tried it!"
"Of course girls can be in the Army!" Courtney said...trying to be tactful and nice about it. It was just a kid after all.
"See!" The girl cried at the boy. She held the bald Barbie by the legs and bonked him over the head with it. "You're stupid!"
The boy shrieked and ran away, followed closely by the girl who bonked him repeatedly with the doll, yelling at him.
"Christ! Let's get out of here before they get back." Beach Head muttered, trying to push Cover Girl towards the door.
"Aww, Beach...she liked you...don't you want to stick around and get to know Barbie better?" She let him push her out the door into the alley, laughing.
"Why? When I want to look at a Barbie doll... I have you. Come on, let's get going...I actually have plans tonight."
"You're such an assh-" Her words cut off as the door closed behind them and they faced a man holding a gun on another man. The man with the gun looked around at them in a panic.
"Who the hell are you?"
It was obviously a mugging and both of them tensed into 'soldier mode' immediately. Beach Head put one hand on the butt of his Beretta in a shoulder holster under his field jacket and held the other up.
"Whoa man...take it easy. I think you'd better lay that gun down...now!"
The man stepped back, trying to keep an eye on all three people at once, his gun waved back and forth between them. Cover Girl moved slowly trying to put herself between the mugger and his victim.
"Come on...you don't want to hurt anyone, right? Maybe you should just get out of here."
The man seemed undecided, and Cover Girl stepped in front of the victim and stopped. Unfortunately, the mugger had to walk past her to get out of the alley...and he obviously didn't want to do that.
She began to talk soothingly to him. "Ok...here we go...we'll just move..."
"Drop your gun!" Beach Head suddenly ordered the man. A look of pure fear and desperation filled the man's , and he suddenly lunged towards Cover Girl. Courtney pushed the victim back and tried to get him out of the way. He ran, but she was stopped short as the mugger grabbed her around the neck and suddenly clutched her back against him, holding the .45 to her head. Immediately Beach Head drew his 9 mm and leveled it at the man's head. They stood a mere 10 feet away from each other.
Courtney felt a cold dread flood her body. Oh Jesus..how had this happened? The victim ran off down the alley and out into the street. Courtney hoped he'd call the police. The man held her chin tightly, holding her head back against his shoulder. The other hand had the barrel of the .45 pressed painfully to her cheek.
"Back off, Rambo...or I'll blow her brains out."
Beach Head didn't move. His brown eyes held the man's gaze with a piercing intensity that didn't waver.
"You kill her, son...and I'll kill you."
"Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?" The man was incredulous.
"Yes, it is...and yes, I am." Wayne's voice was low and calm and deadly. The man began to step back a bit and Beach Head followed him, keeping his Beretta aimed straight between the man's eyes. Courtney had to step backwards with the man and she kept stepping on his toes. She felt horribly unbalanced and completely helpless and could only stare at Beach Head as he kept pace with them. The steel barrel of the man's gun scraped against her cheekbone. She tried to think of a few moves that would free her from the hold he had on her..but they were all risky. If he had a quick trigger finger, she might be dead anyway.
"I'm warning you! Stop and put your gun down or I'll kill her!"
"Kill her and I swear to god...I'll blow your brain out the other side of your skull."
The man looked a bit frightened now. "You're not supposed to..." The gun barrel shook slightly against Courtney's skin. "Just put the gun down...and I'll let her go!"
"No can do. You put your gun down and everyone gets out of this mess alive...you kill her and I promise you...there'll be two deaths."
Courtney watched the Staff Sergeant's eyes. He was carefully avoiding any eye contact at all with her. His full, intense attention was riveted on the man holding her hostage. She felt another flicker of fear as the man's hand shook and his breath quickened in agitation. She knew Beach Head was going by the book. This was how you handled a hostage situation. You never surrendered your gun. Better one dead soldier than two. You needed the hostage taker to know there would be a heavy price for not laying his weapon down.
The two men stared at each other from mere feet away. The man's gun shaking against Courtney's face, his breath loud, his eyes wide. Beach Head was a picture of unwavering intensity. His hands were steady and held the gun comfortably. The barrel never moved from the man's forehead.
"Put the gun down and let her go...and you'll live another day, son."
The man looked confused. "You're not supposed to do this...you're supposed to put your gun down...I..."
"I'm not putting my gun down. Let her go...or die."
The man swallowed and the gun pulled back slightly from Courtney's face. She held her breath as the moments ticked away. There were sirens coming closer. Then suddenly, the man was pushing her away, and Beach Head was taking a step towards him. She stumbled forward and spun around to see the man jump back from the Ranger and bring the gun up to jam it beneath his own chin.
"Stop!!" He cried out. "I'll kill myself...I swear!"
Beach Head stopped, but re-leveled his M-9 at the man. "Now... a minute ago you didn't want to die...you don't want to die now either."
"I do! What's the point? I'm going to jail!"
"It's a new year tomorrow, pal...jail ain't all bad. It can give you a chance to straighten out your life."
"There's nothing good in the new year for me!"
Beach Head sighed, and Cover Girl thought he sounded a bit annoyed. "You alright Courtney?" He asked, without taking his eyes from the man.
"I'm fine, Beach...now."
"If you don't let me go...I'll kill myself!" The man suddenly cried out again. Beach Head sighed again, and then suddenly lowered his gun slightly and pulled the trigger. The man let out a scream as the shot rang out, and the gun fell from his hand as he fell to the ground. Courtney made a sound of surprise as well and rushed in past the Ranger to the fallen man. Beach Head reached down to pick up the dropped pistol. The man looked up at him in rage and screamed.
"You shot me!"
"I winged you. To remind you that you want to live."
"Oh my god! You shot me!"
"I told you... I winged you. Stop acting like you're dying."
"I AM dying!"
"I thought you wanted to kill yourself? Now you want to live? Make up your mind."
Courtney saw where a bullet had grazed the man's forearm. Even if the bullet had tore through the muscle, it would most likely have been a non- lethal shot...but you never knew.
"You told me you wouldn't hurt me if I let her go!"
"I told you I wouldn't kill you...and then you went and threatened to kill yourself..which would have made me a liar now, wouldn't it? I should be pissed off at you for that...quit your crying!"
Courtney looked up at Beach in pure astonishment. He finally met her eyes, now that the threat was past. He held her gaze for a long time, even as the local police began swarming over the place and taking the slightly wounded man into custody.
"He shot me! That bastard shot me! I need an ambulance!"
"You're fine..."
The man kept up his indignant screams all through the interrogation and while the medical technicians checked him over. Finally though, the police had him patched up and carted him away. Cover Girl and Beach Head were there for a long time, talking to the police and giving their stories. It was late when they were finally allowed to leave. They climbed into the truck tiredly. Courtney leaned back in the passenger seat and closed her eyes briefly, sighing deeply and trying to forget the feel of that gun barrel pressed to her head.
She realized that the vehicle hadn't started yet, and she glanced over to where Beach Head sat in the driver's seat. He sat silently and still, staring out the windshield.
"Wayne? Are you ok?"
He glanced at her. "Yeah..fine. Thanks for getting taken hostage and ruining my New Year's Eve, by the way. Why is it I always end up either drawing my gun or in a fight when I'm with you?"
She rolled her eyes to the sky and shook her head. "Oh you are SO welcome...because this is exactly the type of thing I find FUN!"
"You DO always manage to pull me into these things and throw a wrench into whatever plans I have..." he commented sullenly.
She stared at him in shock for a moment before anger took over. "Yes..because it's all a part of my master plan! To get a gun held to my head by a desperate man...JUST to ruin your day! Ha ha! It worked!"
He didn't react. He swallowed and stared out the windshield. The street lamps lit the inside of the cab dimly, but she couldn't see the expression on his face. They were silent for a long while. Then he swore softly and started the engine. He slammed the truck into drive, hesitated, and then eased it back into park and sat quietly again. Music from the radio split the silence softly. Courtney felt her anger drain away, replaced by concern. This wasn't like him at all.
"Wayne..you're starting to scare me."
He frowned and then turned on her in an instant, his eyes flashing furiously at her in the dash lights.
"Really? Are you as scared as I was watching a man hold a gun to your head and threaten to blow your brains out? Are you as scared as I was realizing that if he actually did it...I'd have to watch and then carry that image around with me the rest of my life? Are you that scared, Courtney?"
She felt her mouth run dry. "I was the one with the gun to my head...I WAS scared."
"Yes."
They were silent again.
"Thank you." She finally said quietly, turning on the seat to face him. He looked at her. She was stunned at the haunted look in his eyes. She hadn't thought anything could rattle him. "Thanks for taking control...and doing exactly what you should have done. Thanks for saving my life."
He said nothing, but nodded almost imperceptibly.
"And...thanks for shooting him in the arm and making him cry like a baby."
He looked slowly back up at her as if she were nuts.
"...even if that part wasn't by the book." She smiled a bit, her eyes sparkling a bit with the humor.
"Jesus Christ...you're crazier than I am..." He muttered.
She reached out and gripped his forearm, feeling the lightly haired, warm skin that was tight around muscle. "I mean it...thanks."
He looked at her for a long moment and then was suddenly turning on the seat and leaning forward, his arms reaching out to grab her and pull her to him. She was surprised but went willingly, letting him haul her into a tight embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as if she had reappeared after being dead a decade. She eased closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, suddenly needing the safety he seemed to represent.
"I meant every word I said to him...I'd have blown him away if he pulled that trigger."
She buried her face in his shoulder, feeling the tears that should have come earlier, threatening now. "I know...but I knew you wouldn't let him do that either."
"I almost put the goddamned gun down when he said he'd let you go. I almost turned my back on all that training and gave in."
"I almost wanted you to..."
She let a few silent tears soak into his shirt as they held each other. Finally, he shifted in the seat, sliding completely out from behind the steering wheel and pulling her onto his lap. He kept his arms tightly around her as he pulled back to look at her in the darkness of the vehicle.
"Are you ok?" He murmured.
"Yeah...shaken up...but I'm ok."
"Then I'm ok."
"Sorry..I guess we missed New Year's Eve."
"No..we didn't." He reached forward and turned the radio up. The DJ was counting down to midnight. Courtney looked at Wayne as he leaned back and pulled her closer.
"5...4...3...2...1! Happy New Year!" The voice on the radio shrieked.
Courtney was already leaning forward, when Wayne slid his hands into her hair and pulled her head to his. He kissed her lightly, then deeper, letting their tongues slide warmly together. Her hands massaged his nape and then her fingertips slid under his collar.
"Happy New Year, Wayne..." She murmured into his mouth.
"Happy New Year, Courtney..." He fused their mouths together again, breathless.
END
By Slayne
Rating- PG for a few adult words
Disclaimer- Don't own nor profit from the Joes.
Notes- New Year's story with Beach Head and Cover Girl. Kind of 'ha-ha' and kind of 'awwww' so enjoy! This would have been posted sooner, but ff.net got kooky for a while. :-)
If you'd like to read more of mine or Scarlett_Hauser's stories that are not here on ff.net due to whatever reason including ratings content, then join our yahoo list. We're using one as a web page right now until we get unlazy and put up our own web pages. Lurkers welcome. It's simply an archive with little discussion expected. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/joeland/ Link is available on my author page and Scarlett_Hauser's as well.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cover Girl shifted the truck into park and grinned at the Staff Sergeant sitting in the passenger seat.
"Well...let's go play Santa!"
"Christmas is over, it's food for a shelter not Toys for Tots."
"Too bad! A glimpse of a Marine in those dress blues would sure get my New Year off to a good start!"
Beach Head made an impatient sound and hopped out of the truck. They met again at the rear as he slid the door open. "By the way...thanks for almost giving me a heart attack back at that intersection by nearly going through that red light. Figures you'd almost kill me on the biggest party night of the year."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Oh cripes...I stopped didn't I?
"Yeah...halfway into the intersection! Everyone had to back up and let you go through it so they could get on their way."
"I was in the biggest vehicle...I won by default!" They looked into the back of the truck at the boxes of canned food. Cover Girl frowned and then glanced at Beach Head. "Funny how you always go to pick up the truck every year...and when we get here, there always seems to be more food then what we collected."
Beach Head glanced back at her and then shrugged. "You couldn't even see a bright red light telling you to stop...how the hell do you know how much we had when we started?"
"It's just...you're probably one of the few Joes who understands how these kids feel...not having enough to eat."
"This discussion isn't happening, Courtney...you're imagining things."
She picked up a box full of canned vegetables and leaned against the bumper. "If you want it to remain anonymous, that's fine..I'm just saying that it's...a nice thing to do, Beach."
He sighed and looked sideways at her. "Are you hitting on me?"
She let out a sigh of disgust and pushed off the bumper to head inside the shelter. Beach Head watched her go, smiling faintly at her back.
They unloaded the truck with some help from the shelter's staff, finally finishing in early evening. Cover Girl watched Beach Head set down the last box. He traded paperwork and signatures with the head of the staff and then walked towards her. A small girl about 9 years old followed him with a naked barbie in her hands.
"You've picked up a fan." Cover Girl laughed, pointing to the girl as the Ranger approached her. Beach Head glanced back and down and then grimaced, muttering.
"Great..."
The girl glanced at Cover Girl and then up at Beach Head. "Want to see my Barbie? I gave her a haircut!"
She held up the doll, which had a safety scissors hack job on the hair, leaving Barbie with an uneven crew cut.
"Ha! It looks like you now, Cover Girl!"
"Oh, that was clever, Beach..." She smiled down at the girl. "Barbie looks beautiful, sweetie!"
"Do you want to kiss her?" The girl held the doll up towards Beach Head, who managed to look horrified. Cover Girl laughed delightedly.
"Yeah Beach...kiss Barbie! Show her some lovin'!"
"It's not Barbie anymore! I named her Cover Girl now...like you!" The girl protested.
"Then I definitely do NOT want to kiss her." Beach Head stated, holding up a hand as if he could ward off the small child with the force.
"Are you in the Army?" The girl asked him. He glared down at her.
"Yeah...now go find mommy, kid."
She looked at Cover Girl. "Are you in the Army too?"
A boy of about the same age walked up beside the girl and sneered at her. "She can't be in the Army! She's a girl!"
At that, Courtney glared and Beach Head laughed. "That don't work son...I've already tried it!"
"Of course girls can be in the Army!" Courtney said...trying to be tactful and nice about it. It was just a kid after all.
"See!" The girl cried at the boy. She held the bald Barbie by the legs and bonked him over the head with it. "You're stupid!"
The boy shrieked and ran away, followed closely by the girl who bonked him repeatedly with the doll, yelling at him.
"Christ! Let's get out of here before they get back." Beach Head muttered, trying to push Cover Girl towards the door.
"Aww, Beach...she liked you...don't you want to stick around and get to know Barbie better?" She let him push her out the door into the alley, laughing.
"Why? When I want to look at a Barbie doll... I have you. Come on, let's get going...I actually have plans tonight."
"You're such an assh-" Her words cut off as the door closed behind them and they faced a man holding a gun on another man. The man with the gun looked around at them in a panic.
"Who the hell are you?"
It was obviously a mugging and both of them tensed into 'soldier mode' immediately. Beach Head put one hand on the butt of his Beretta in a shoulder holster under his field jacket and held the other up.
"Whoa man...take it easy. I think you'd better lay that gun down...now!"
The man stepped back, trying to keep an eye on all three people at once, his gun waved back and forth between them. Cover Girl moved slowly trying to put herself between the mugger and his victim.
"Come on...you don't want to hurt anyone, right? Maybe you should just get out of here."
The man seemed undecided, and Cover Girl stepped in front of the victim and stopped. Unfortunately, the mugger had to walk past her to get out of the alley...and he obviously didn't want to do that.
She began to talk soothingly to him. "Ok...here we go...we'll just move..."
"Drop your gun!" Beach Head suddenly ordered the man. A look of pure fear and desperation filled the man's , and he suddenly lunged towards Cover Girl. Courtney pushed the victim back and tried to get him out of the way. He ran, but she was stopped short as the mugger grabbed her around the neck and suddenly clutched her back against him, holding the .45 to her head. Immediately Beach Head drew his 9 mm and leveled it at the man's head. They stood a mere 10 feet away from each other.
Courtney felt a cold dread flood her body. Oh Jesus..how had this happened? The victim ran off down the alley and out into the street. Courtney hoped he'd call the police. The man held her chin tightly, holding her head back against his shoulder. The other hand had the barrel of the .45 pressed painfully to her cheek.
"Back off, Rambo...or I'll blow her brains out."
Beach Head didn't move. His brown eyes held the man's gaze with a piercing intensity that didn't waver.
"You kill her, son...and I'll kill you."
"Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?" The man was incredulous.
"Yes, it is...and yes, I am." Wayne's voice was low and calm and deadly. The man began to step back a bit and Beach Head followed him, keeping his Beretta aimed straight between the man's eyes. Courtney had to step backwards with the man and she kept stepping on his toes. She felt horribly unbalanced and completely helpless and could only stare at Beach Head as he kept pace with them. The steel barrel of the man's gun scraped against her cheekbone. She tried to think of a few moves that would free her from the hold he had on her..but they were all risky. If he had a quick trigger finger, she might be dead anyway.
"I'm warning you! Stop and put your gun down or I'll kill her!"
"Kill her and I swear to god...I'll blow your brain out the other side of your skull."
The man looked a bit frightened now. "You're not supposed to..." The gun barrel shook slightly against Courtney's skin. "Just put the gun down...and I'll let her go!"
"No can do. You put your gun down and everyone gets out of this mess alive...you kill her and I promise you...there'll be two deaths."
Courtney watched the Staff Sergeant's eyes. He was carefully avoiding any eye contact at all with her. His full, intense attention was riveted on the man holding her hostage. She felt another flicker of fear as the man's hand shook and his breath quickened in agitation. She knew Beach Head was going by the book. This was how you handled a hostage situation. You never surrendered your gun. Better one dead soldier than two. You needed the hostage taker to know there would be a heavy price for not laying his weapon down.
The two men stared at each other from mere feet away. The man's gun shaking against Courtney's face, his breath loud, his eyes wide. Beach Head was a picture of unwavering intensity. His hands were steady and held the gun comfortably. The barrel never moved from the man's forehead.
"Put the gun down and let her go...and you'll live another day, son."
The man looked confused. "You're not supposed to do this...you're supposed to put your gun down...I..."
"I'm not putting my gun down. Let her go...or die."
The man swallowed and the gun pulled back slightly from Courtney's face. She held her breath as the moments ticked away. There were sirens coming closer. Then suddenly, the man was pushing her away, and Beach Head was taking a step towards him. She stumbled forward and spun around to see the man jump back from the Ranger and bring the gun up to jam it beneath his own chin.
"Stop!!" He cried out. "I'll kill myself...I swear!"
Beach Head stopped, but re-leveled his M-9 at the man. "Now... a minute ago you didn't want to die...you don't want to die now either."
"I do! What's the point? I'm going to jail!"
"It's a new year tomorrow, pal...jail ain't all bad. It can give you a chance to straighten out your life."
"There's nothing good in the new year for me!"
Beach Head sighed, and Cover Girl thought he sounded a bit annoyed. "You alright Courtney?" He asked, without taking his eyes from the man.
"I'm fine, Beach...now."
"If you don't let me go...I'll kill myself!" The man suddenly cried out again. Beach Head sighed again, and then suddenly lowered his gun slightly and pulled the trigger. The man let out a scream as the shot rang out, and the gun fell from his hand as he fell to the ground. Courtney made a sound of surprise as well and rushed in past the Ranger to the fallen man. Beach Head reached down to pick up the dropped pistol. The man looked up at him in rage and screamed.
"You shot me!"
"I winged you. To remind you that you want to live."
"Oh my god! You shot me!"
"I told you... I winged you. Stop acting like you're dying."
"I AM dying!"
"I thought you wanted to kill yourself? Now you want to live? Make up your mind."
Courtney saw where a bullet had grazed the man's forearm. Even if the bullet had tore through the muscle, it would most likely have been a non- lethal shot...but you never knew.
"You told me you wouldn't hurt me if I let her go!"
"I told you I wouldn't kill you...and then you went and threatened to kill yourself..which would have made me a liar now, wouldn't it? I should be pissed off at you for that...quit your crying!"
Courtney looked up at Beach in pure astonishment. He finally met her eyes, now that the threat was past. He held her gaze for a long time, even as the local police began swarming over the place and taking the slightly wounded man into custody.
"He shot me! That bastard shot me! I need an ambulance!"
"You're fine..."
The man kept up his indignant screams all through the interrogation and while the medical technicians checked him over. Finally though, the police had him patched up and carted him away. Cover Girl and Beach Head were there for a long time, talking to the police and giving their stories. It was late when they were finally allowed to leave. They climbed into the truck tiredly. Courtney leaned back in the passenger seat and closed her eyes briefly, sighing deeply and trying to forget the feel of that gun barrel pressed to her head.
She realized that the vehicle hadn't started yet, and she glanced over to where Beach Head sat in the driver's seat. He sat silently and still, staring out the windshield.
"Wayne? Are you ok?"
He glanced at her. "Yeah..fine. Thanks for getting taken hostage and ruining my New Year's Eve, by the way. Why is it I always end up either drawing my gun or in a fight when I'm with you?"
She rolled her eyes to the sky and shook her head. "Oh you are SO welcome...because this is exactly the type of thing I find FUN!"
"You DO always manage to pull me into these things and throw a wrench into whatever plans I have..." he commented sullenly.
She stared at him in shock for a moment before anger took over. "Yes..because it's all a part of my master plan! To get a gun held to my head by a desperate man...JUST to ruin your day! Ha ha! It worked!"
He didn't react. He swallowed and stared out the windshield. The street lamps lit the inside of the cab dimly, but she couldn't see the expression on his face. They were silent for a long while. Then he swore softly and started the engine. He slammed the truck into drive, hesitated, and then eased it back into park and sat quietly again. Music from the radio split the silence softly. Courtney felt her anger drain away, replaced by concern. This wasn't like him at all.
"Wayne..you're starting to scare me."
He frowned and then turned on her in an instant, his eyes flashing furiously at her in the dash lights.
"Really? Are you as scared as I was watching a man hold a gun to your head and threaten to blow your brains out? Are you as scared as I was realizing that if he actually did it...I'd have to watch and then carry that image around with me the rest of my life? Are you that scared, Courtney?"
She felt her mouth run dry. "I was the one with the gun to my head...I WAS scared."
"Yes."
They were silent again.
"Thank you." She finally said quietly, turning on the seat to face him. He looked at her. She was stunned at the haunted look in his eyes. She hadn't thought anything could rattle him. "Thanks for taking control...and doing exactly what you should have done. Thanks for saving my life."
He said nothing, but nodded almost imperceptibly.
"And...thanks for shooting him in the arm and making him cry like a baby."
He looked slowly back up at her as if she were nuts.
"...even if that part wasn't by the book." She smiled a bit, her eyes sparkling a bit with the humor.
"Jesus Christ...you're crazier than I am..." He muttered.
She reached out and gripped his forearm, feeling the lightly haired, warm skin that was tight around muscle. "I mean it...thanks."
He looked at her for a long moment and then was suddenly turning on the seat and leaning forward, his arms reaching out to grab her and pull her to him. She was surprised but went willingly, letting him haul her into a tight embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as if she had reappeared after being dead a decade. She eased closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, suddenly needing the safety he seemed to represent.
"I meant every word I said to him...I'd have blown him away if he pulled that trigger."
She buried her face in his shoulder, feeling the tears that should have come earlier, threatening now. "I know...but I knew you wouldn't let him do that either."
"I almost put the goddamned gun down when he said he'd let you go. I almost turned my back on all that training and gave in."
"I almost wanted you to..."
She let a few silent tears soak into his shirt as they held each other. Finally, he shifted in the seat, sliding completely out from behind the steering wheel and pulling her onto his lap. He kept his arms tightly around her as he pulled back to look at her in the darkness of the vehicle.
"Are you ok?" He murmured.
"Yeah...shaken up...but I'm ok."
"Then I'm ok."
"Sorry..I guess we missed New Year's Eve."
"No..we didn't." He reached forward and turned the radio up. The DJ was counting down to midnight. Courtney looked at Wayne as he leaned back and pulled her closer.
"5...4...3...2...1! Happy New Year!" The voice on the radio shrieked.
Courtney was already leaning forward, when Wayne slid his hands into her hair and pulled her head to his. He kissed her lightly, then deeper, letting their tongues slide warmly together. Her hands massaged his nape and then her fingertips slid under his collar.
"Happy New Year, Wayne..." She murmured into his mouth.
"Happy New Year, Courtney..." He fused their mouths together again, breathless.
END