Chapter Three: Reunion
Megan peered out the window as she sat there in the limousine, it had been a while since she had ridden in one, she could thing of a few times in particular that made her smile—that seemed to ease her tension as she watched the traffic role by her window. After they left the airport they had spent what seemed like forever in traffic. The only orders that the man, Trent had given them were to ride to the hotel where they were taken and await their new orders.
Her mind swarmed with what that could mean, but she was also very interested in meeting the three new people who sat across from her. She gathered that one of them was Dena, of whom she had heard so much about. The other two, she had heard them mention their names upon getting in the limo, but they quickly fell asleep. They all propped each other up, like they were tent poles.
Justin was still very much awake, sitting at the far end of the long bench seat on her side of the limo. As she looked out the window she could feel him staring at her, his eyes locked on the side of her body. She spoke out; not even bothering to turn and verify that he was looking at her. "You're staring at me again—like you did on the plane." Megan pointed out. "There's something making you nervous, isn't there?" she proposed. She slid closer to Justin, "Please tell me Justin."
He glanced back out his side of the window, then back at Megan. He was slow at adjusting himself and getting comfortable. He reached out and plucked her hand off the black leather seat of the limo. She willingly, but cautiously let him take her hand. He held her small hand in both of his carefully. "I know we're not going out—that date a few days ago was just for fun and nothing more." Justin paused and Megan swallowed so hard he could feel it in her hand. "But you have to believe me when I say that I missed you a lot—I missed a lot of opportunities with you, and I want to get every chance to make them up to you." Justin said.
Megan shook her head, "I'm not all that sure what you're trying to say?" Asked Megan. "I mean I'm getting some of it—"
"It's hard for me to—" Justin started but then Dena stirred in her sleep and he paused looking at her until she settled back into place. "It's hard for me to say how I feel—but I know what it is, and I know it's true." Justin said holding his hand up to his heart with only his fingers on his chest.
She moved a few inches, and then broke her hand free from Justin's, then she put her hand on his shoulder, "We're partners—good friends—I want you to come on out and say what you mean—there's nothing we need to hold back from each other." Megan.
"You have to understand that I think this could make us feel all awkward—and the reason I'm telling you is because there's no guarantee I'll come out of this one alive." Justin said.
"Same for me," Megan said shuddering as she came to grips with reality.
Justin took her other hand, slowly he hefted it into the air, and the car hit a bump and then stopped sending them a little closer together. "Don't say that, never say that." He said.
Tears, filled with makeup, trembled at the bottom of her eye, and she too, was actually trembling now. "I'm so scared, I never expected it to come down to this Justin, I never knew that there was this much danger involved. I'm not ready!" Megan's voice was shaky.
He hugged her, and then with his defenses crumbling as he tried to comfort her, he uncontrollably blurted out, "Just remember that you're not alone in this—and never will be."
The limo's tires screeched across the pavement as the driver slammed on brakes and the horn blared behind them as a taxi swerved to dodge their limo. Justin tightened his grip around Megan, out of natural concern for her. The door to the limo flew open behind and a loud voice rang out, "Ladies, and gentlemen—Scott is in the Hizzouse!" Justin quickly repelled Megan back onto her seat and aimed his gun back over his shoulder.
He spun around keeping the gun trained there, "Well, looks like piles of shit do get this big." Justin said looking at the blonde man standing in the doorway of the car.
"Looks like somebody is still a little bitch—the safety's on that gun." Scott said.
Justin dropped the gun on the seat and stuck his hand out to shake Scott's hand. "Hey man, put 'er there." Said Justin.
"Long time no see J-Man." Scott said.
Justin nodded, "Yeah tell me about it, dude." He said.
Megan was drying her tears as she sat there, still trying to grasp what Justin had said before they were so rudely interrupted.
"I'd love to stay and chat, dude, but I should probably walk Megan up to her room—if this place where we stopped is our hotel." Justin said.
Scott nodded, "Hell yeah, it's a Double Tree too, the little bellhop mother fucker's already got your bags on that cart and shit." Scott said. Scott calmed down some, "So, this little cutie is Megan, nice to meet a babe of major sweetocity like you." Scott said bending down looking in the car at her.
"Umm—thank you." Megan said. The she thought to herself, What the hell is he saying? Justin climbed out of the limo slipping his gun back into the shoulder holster from which it came. He got down into the car and helped Megan out easily. He was about to wake the others up, but then Scott stopped him.
"Dude, just leave those chicks in there, this guy has another load to pick up for Trent so it's all good." Scott said.
Justin stepped back and closed the door. "So why are you here so early Scott?" Justin asked.
"Simple, I decided it would be a good vacation to bring the new girlfriend along and hang out in NY for a while. See some sights." Said Scott. "Marie and Jovany are here too." Scott said. "Along with that Danaisa chick."
Megan looked at Scott as Justin helped her inside, "Who's your girlfriend?" She inquired. The limo pulled off.
"Jay knows her, it's Alaina." Scott said. "I ran into her when I was at a club." He paused and then asked. "So, how's Federal Agent life treating you J?" he asked.
"Good so far—I haven't had very much trouble with it, you should have joined when Trent's people extended the offer."
Scott held his hand up and shook his head, "Nah, working on the side of law and justice is not for me," he said.
"Okay man, well I better walk Megan up to her room, I'll come back and we can chat later," Justin said.
Scott nodded, "Catch ya' on the flipside, dude," then he stuck his hand out, "Oh and nice meeting you."
Megan nodded, "Nice meeting you too."
"Wait up—" Scott said after thinking a while, "let me go up with you, cause the girls are sharing a room."
Alaina lay on her bed watching the TV intently, her long hair down around her shoulders as she was stretched out at the foot of the bed in her red shirt and black jeans. She could only go through the multitudes of channels repeatedly and could never decide on any one thing. It was torture; she had just passed MTV, which was showing scenes from Real World number twenty something. She had passed up the always-entertaining Weather Channel, and was even tempted to stop on C-SPAN. She sighed. "Nothing on." She whined.
She heard someone at stop in front of the door to the room and it perked her senses up. Slowly she rolled over to the edge of the bed and got to her feet, "Hello, who's there?" She asked moving towards the door tip-toeing.
There was no answer, but she could hear a card go into the door and the door lock spun. Alaina knew Scott was the only other one that had a key to the room She hoped it was him or some maid with horrible hearing. The door opened and Scott stood there looking right at her, "What's up babe?" Scott asked.
"Why didn't you answer me, you know that kind of thing makes me nervous." Alaina lifted her hands to her hips as she jeered.
Scott shook his head smiling, "Well—no harm, no foul." Scott said. "But I did bring you a surprise—" Scott stepped to the side, "It's Justin and Megan!" Scott said.
Justin smiled and waved, it was an apparently fake smile, he must have been stressed. "Hey Lane." He said.
Alaina came a little closer, "Hey, how are you doin'—I never expected you to be here!" She said hugging him.
"Umm—okay I guess, you?" Justin asked.
"Fine." Alaina answered.
Justin looked over towards Megan, "Megan, this is Alaina—you'll probably be in this room with her." He told her.
Megan was real quiet; she just nodded and kept moving into the room. Justin watched her go in. Her eyes were blank, like a calm baby blue ocean. He watched her move past Alaina and straight into the other side of the room into the bathroom.
Alaina moved in closer into Justin and Scott, "Is she always quiet like that?" Alaina asked.
Justin shook his head, "She's under a lot of pressure and she's not sure if she's ready to handle it." Justin said. "She might explain it to you if you ask her." Justin said.
"Are you tired, or something—" Alaina asked. "I mean are you going to your room.
Scott looked at him, then Justin said, "Naw, I'll just go out and take a walk around some, be back in like an hour—I have a lot to think about before tomorrow."
Kerrie looked over at Catie, she thumped at her red hair slowly as she watched her little sister bob her head to the music blaring over the headphones of her CD player, the limo ride was long—the city seemed endless around them as it passed, Kerrie looked at her little sister, whom she had reluctantly brought.
"Did you turn off the TV?" Kerrie asked.
Catie looked at Dena, "I'd like a drink please, coke ma'am."
"Would she like anything?" The Dena asked.
"Yes the TV is off," Catie said as she received her coke.
"I'd like a 7up, please?" Kerrie said.
Slowly Catie leaned out, "Did you know that stuff shrinks guys dicks—that's messed up." Catie said.
The Dena poured the 7up in a glass, "I think you talking about Mountain Dew." She said.
"It was Mountain Dew, Catie thinks she knows everything." Kerrie said
"Cause I do!" Catie called out sarcastically.
The Dena looked to her daughter, "I think my ex-husband had some of it—"
Catie piped up, "What do you mean by—"
"Shut the hell up!" Kerrie cut her off.
Catie popped the top on her drink, "Red is not your color huh, makes your hair stand out."
"What's the matter with that?" Kerrie asked.
"Nothing, its just not good to have it standing out like that." Catie said.
Kerrie folded her arms, "Well you can't wear red either." Kerrie said.
"You're just trying to be rude to me," Catie said.
Kerrie muttered, "Whatever," and turned away.
"We must almost be there, I think we are." Penny said piping up her first time.
Dena acted like she was ignoring her, "Beatrix, how much of the city does your daughter know?"
"Not that much." Beatrix said.
"Ohh, look I think that's the Empire State Building over there." Catie said.
Penny shouted out, "I'm not a little kid anymore."
"So how do you think they're going to get an uplink with Jodie from this far away?" Asked Dena.
Kerrie looked at her, "So you've already heard about that?"
"Yeah, I was told by someone." Dena said. "How is Jodie?"
"She's a nerd!" Catie said.
Kerrie elbowed Catie, "She's fine, you'll hear from her soon enough, I think she had the equipment to do the uplink."
"Good, we need her support." Dena said.
"Who's Jodie?" Beatrix asked.
"A friend," Kerrie and Catie chimed in unison.
"We'll be hearing from her a lot more then." Beatrix said as she reached down and got a drink for herself.
Alaina had hauled Megan down to the bar, she could tell that the poor girl was wheeling over something; she didn't know what, but she knew that she could help if they talked about down at the bar over a few drinks.
They reached the long bar and Megan climbed up on her stool first. The bar was long, and made with some kind of dark wood, there was a gold rail low on the bar, most likely to help someone climb up. As far as people went in the bar, it was empty—most people that came to hotels like this were not just on vacation. People who came here were the rich Japanese Businessman, the lawyer on an important case and other people who wouldn't have the time in the middle of the day to swarm around the bar. Across from the bar, in the rest of the restaurant the tables were all spotless, made of the same flawless wood as the bar they were at now.
The bartender was a skinny bald man with a neatly trimmed beard. Megan stayed quiet the whole time, Alaina looked over at her, "Would you like anything?" Asked Alaina.
"Margarita—on the rocks." Megan said softly.
"Got it," said the bartender.
Alaina turned back to the bar, "I'll take a Hurricane."
Megan looked at the TV that was right above the corner of the bar as she sat there. "I hate this show," Megan said.
"What? Family Feud?" The bartender asked.
Alaina looked up at it, "I never really paid it attention." She said turning to look up at it.
"Just try to ignore it." The bartender said as he walked to the other side of the bar.
"So what's the matter, you can tell me I've probably been through it." Alaina said.
The bartender swooped back in and set their drinks down, "There ya go."
"Thank you." Alaina said.
"Thanks," Megan said.
"So is it something you can tell me, or is it one of those things like Scott says, 'best not known'?" Alaina inquired.
Megan didn't say anything, and the bartender walked off to the back.
"Come on, we're alone in here." Alaina said—somehow the words sounded odd coming from her. "I want to help.
Megan let out a slow steady sigh, "It's partly about tomorrow, the way that everyone assures me that we'll all be okay—but something has to come out of it, I just know it…one of us won't come back."
"Don't think it will, just trust in the fact that good things happen," Alaina said almost metaphorically, but she punched her words out so fast they almost ran together.
A sigh from Megan showed that she didn't know what to say, to her Alaina sounded like a fortune cookie. And right then her attitude changed towards the whole thing, "Oh what do you know, you're so lucky—you probably have no idea what's going on—no idea." Megan said.
Alaina swished her drink around, "You're right, I don't know that much about the kind of work you do." She said slower, calmer now. Then she stood up, "But I should probably let you think all of this out," She walked out of the bar with her drink in hand, headed back to the room.
Megan just turned back to the bar and looked down at her Margarita, she stirred the drink softly with her straw and then heaved a long sigh. How can I shake this feeling?
