Tuesday's Gone: Chapter Two

Vic knew that Armadillo had to be stopped, one way or another. And he knew that if Jade

was involved, she could be killed. He knew there was no way he could live with that. He

spoke to Lem and Ronnie about it that afternoon and they agreed. He didn't call Shane

for more than one reason, and not just because he didn't want to ruin his day off. He

knew two things: one, Shane would be more determined, but more reckless, about getting

Armadillo if he knew Jade was in constant danger; and two: the closer Shane got to Jade,

the more of a liability she would become. Vic was trying to protect her, and telling Shane

would be like lighting dynamite. If Jade told him she'd decided not to take the position

on the team, then make a quiet exit, it wouldn't rock the boat as much. Yeah, he'd be hurt

and upset, but he'd get over it, eventually. But if Jade stayed, they'd both be in too much

danger. Vic knew he couldn't handle having to watch them both all the time, fearing

either one of his friends would get killed. No, it was better if Jade told him and broke it

off that way. So with a plan in mind he went to Acevedra.

"Look, Captain, this Cordova thing isn't working out."

"Not working out? Why not? Your team had some great busts the other night because

of her."

"I mean personally. There's just no way the team can work when we have a member so

tied down."

"In what way?"

"She'd got a kid. A three year old. It's not fair to the kid for Cordova to be at work so

much, doing this hard core stuff."

Acevedra frowned. "She didn't mention any of this to me. Besides, I don't see what it

has to do with anything. You have kids, so do I."

"Yeah, but for her it's different. She's a single mom, you know the drill. And anyway, I

don't think she and Shane are going to be able to work out their differences. It's like

being a kindergarten teacher, always having to separate them," Vic lied through his teeth

and suppressed a grin thinking back to the last time he'd seen Shane and Jade together.

"We've talked about moving Shane before."

"And I've told you before. I need Shane. I can work with him. Cordova was an

experiment that didn't work out. I told you before: I get the final cut. And my decision is

no."

"Because she's a woman," Acevedra answered.

"Chalk it up to any reason you want to. But she's out."

The Captain sighed. "You're getting increasingly hard to do business with."

Vic shrugged. "Give it time. I'll grow on you."

David Acevedra doubted that very much. "Fine, she'll go back to Southwest. We don't

have any more openings that I can put her in."

Vic nodded. "I'll tell her."

Jade got back to the barn. She knew Vic was really upset about this Armadillo thing.

Once in the Strike Team office, Vic sat her down alone.

Jade had never run from anything in her life. She was nonplused when Vic told her

what he was doing and why.

"I just don't see why this Armadillo guy should scare me off," she persisted.

"Look, I've made a lot of bad moves in my life. Getting you or your kid hurt or killed

isn't going to be one of them. Acevedra bought that it wasn't going to work out. Go back

to South; work in robbery or missing persons. Get your daughter back." He looked at her

with hard, serious eyes. "And stay the hell away from me and Shane. You'll only get

hurt, one way or another."

Jade knew what he was saying. She knew it was true. But that didn't make her feel any

better.

Vic handed Jade a large envelope. She glanced inside at a large amount of cash.

"What's this for?"

"To help you with your kid. You said your sister's after money, throw some her way.

Maybe she'll see the light."

Jade knew he was right, she knew Lisa would take the money. That's what it had always

been about.

"For God's sake Jade, take the easy way. Get off the street for awhile."

Jade could see how much Vic really cared when he said that. She got up and hugged

him. "Thank you."

"Now go tell that hot head you're leaving. And do the right thing."

Jade nodded. She knew how hard it would be to break it off with Shane. Again. Just

when they'd started..well, something. Jade chewed on her thumbnail as she drove to her

sister's place. She knew Lisa. Seeing that money would make her forget all about

"playing mom" to Carly. Jade didn't know how she was ever going to repay Vic. He was

giving her something much more important than a headlining spot on the Strike Team

would ever mean to her. *********************************************************

Danny was getting in from a bust; she and Julien had picked up a junkie who was also

wanted in a robbery. As she was doing her paperwork, Claudette came by.

"How's it going?" she asked.

Danny looked up. "Good. It's going good. We picked up that suspect you and Dutch

were looking for in that Collins robbery last week. Lucky break."

Claudette smiled. "Good work. Listen, Danny if you need to talk, or anything."

Danny fidgeted. "I'm okay." She smiled and nodded politely, then turned back to her

work. Claudette shrugged.

Vic was walking through about then, headed out again. Danny gave him a look. It was a

look that reflected her turmoil of feelings. A look she wished she hadn't given.

A look Claudette caught. *************************************************************** Shane was whistling while he painted the wood planks on his porch. His dog Bosco, a

Rottweiler pup that was already the size of a good-sized pig, lay close by watching. The

whole porch needed rebuilding, as it was sagging, but he figured a fresh coat of paint

couldn't hurt. He felt better than he had in weeks. Something about being with Jade again

had just felt so.right. What he had with her was amazing. He knew he'd have to deal

with this kid thing, but maybe he could handle it. Yeah, she was sure some kind of

woman.

As if reading his thoughts, he saw her Corvette turn the corner and pull up in front of

the house. He smiled and set down his paint.

He then saw that Jade wasn't alone. The little girl was with her. Shane went to the car.

Jade had the windows rolled down.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi yourself. This is Carly."

Shane looked at the three year old version of Jade buckled in to the passenger seat. She

was gorgeous. Her long brown hair was in pigtails and her eyes were just as green as her

mothers.

He gave a little wave to the girl, who blinked long eyelashes and clutched a stuffed

animal. She gave him a small smile in return.

"She's really beautiful Jade," he told her in all honesty.

"Shane, can we talk?"

"Sure. Lets go inside." He opened the door for her.

"No, I really have to go." She stepped out of the car and walked a few steps into the

yard, where she could keep an eye on her daughter in the car.

"What's up?" he asked, cleaning his hands on a rag from his back pocket. "Why aren't

you at work?"

"Look, I talked to Vic when I went back to the barn. This isn't going to work out. I

guess this thing with this Armadillo guy is more than I bargained for. I didn't count on

someone breaking into my place, going through my things.I mean, I've only worked

with you guys for two days and already some psycho is stalking me? No, that's really not

what I'm looking for. I have too much responsibility."

Shane couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not from Jade. She was much too strong

to let something like this get under her skin.

"I don't get it Jade."

"Look, it's not only that. Lisa, my sister, she called this morning. She wants to let me

have Carly back, on a trial basis. I can't be risking her life every time I go to work. And

that's what I'd be doing. I want to be around to raise my daughter." She stuck her hands

in the pockets of her jeans. She shrugged. "I hoped this was gonna work out, but now,

everything's changed. Carly is my priority. I already talked to my old Captain and they

have a spot open in Missing Persons. It's a good spot, a day job."

Shane was getting a feeling he didn't like. "So you're going back to South?"

She nodded.

The anger he was feeling was building up, but then, he glanced back at the little girl,

Carly, waiting in the car, looking expectantly at Jade. He realized how much she

depended on Jade. It was easy to tell that though she'd been living with her aunt, she

idolized the ground Jade walked on. It was just something in the girl's eyes. Those big

green eyes.

For that moment, Shane tried to think about someone else beside himself. He knew it

was for selfish reasons he wanted Jade to stay. And unfortunately, he'd given up those

reasons a long time ago. He'd given them to that baby. It didn't matter now if he never

knew for sure who her father was, or if it was possible that it was him. He knew that he

didn't want anything to happen to her mother.

After a long silence, he finally looked hard at Jade. "Yeah, yeah you're right." He

nodded. "I don't think this thing with the Strike Team would have worked. It makes it too

complicated."

Jade nodded in agreement, weather she really did agree or not. Damn, this was harder

than she'd thought. And now here was Shane getting all noble on her. It might have been

easier if he'd fought with her, like the old days.

"Listen, would you mind if maybe I came by some time? I mean, not right away, until

you and Carly have some time to spend together, but later on?"

Jade managed a smile. She nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. We're going to be moving. But

I'll call you, give you the new address. Okay?"

Shane nodded. He felt suddenly awkward, like this was not the woman he'd bedded not

even 12 hours ago. "Well, see ya around?"

"Yeah." Jade was feeling the same awkwardness. She hoped she wasn't making another

mistake.

"Be careful out there."

"I will."

And with that, Jade turned to go, but in a last minute gesture, Shane pulled her arm

around, just as he'd done this morning. He held her tight to him, for just a minute, then let

her go.

Jade let herself hold on to the warmth and strong security of his body for just a minute.

When she pulled away, she smiled. Than turned and walked to the car.

Shane watched Jade and Carly leave, and gave a wave to the little girl, who returned it

with her small hand. He watched them drive away.

It was hard letting her go again, but he knew too well that if she stayed, she just get

hurt. One way or another. He knew it was better this way. And maybe she would call.

And maybe, someday, he would go see them.

He looked down at Bosco, who was sitting, staring up at him expectantly.

"Well, I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day." He headed for the house and

Bosco trotted after him. Using the back door, they went inside where Shane headed to the

refrigerator. He grabbed a beer. He poured a little in the dog's bowl. Bosco lapped

happily.

"The hell with it, let's get drunk."
. Train roll on. on down the line. won't you please take me far. away Now feel the wind blow. outside my door. I'm leaving my woman at home.. Tuesday's gone with the wind. My baby's gone with the wind. I don't know. oh where I'm going. I just want to be. left alone. Well when this train ends. I'll try again.. leavin' my woman at home.. Tuesday's gone with the wind. Tuesday's gone with the wind. Tuesday's gone with the wind. My baby's gone with the wind. train roll on.
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynard Skynard