Disclaimer: I don't own them, more's the pity. However, I can do what I
want to make them to serve my purpose.
The characters of E.J. "Nola" Santiago, D.L "Xochi" Rodriguez, Nia Santiago, Juan Santiago, Enrique Santiago, Roberto Santiago, Marco Santiago, Guillermo Santiago, Miguel Santiago, Ana Santiago, Monalisa, The Twins, Dave, Bob, Dina, Ruben, Max, The Boys, Larry, Sadie, and the nameless, faceless other worker bees in the story are products of my fertile imagination.
Many thanks to Tikatu for the insights, character loan, assists, hours of clowning around and the beta business. Rubber Duckys Rule!!
Preconceived Notions
* Indicates thinking*
Prologue - It Was A Dark and Stormy Night
One hour ago.
The two figures ran toward two separate cars, started them up, pulled out of the garage, and set off in two separate directions. The same thought ran through both of their minds. *We've got to reach the drop off point in time*. Car 1 turned left and headed toward Ocean Beach, Car 2 right, toward the Marina. As each car left the garage from two different exits, they were both followed. Halfway to their destinations, both cars turned around and headed back downtown to the original rendezvous.
They had both already noticed they were being followed. *Oh well, no good for it now. It should be getting dark soon. I'll just have to lose them in the city. *
45 minutes ago - Car 1
Dave, in Car 1, made a sharp right turn from Franklin onto Francisco, a left on VanNess running a red light and a right on Northpoint. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he noted that his pursuer was still with him.
'He's good, but not good enough', thought Dave.
Turning right onto Columbus, he mentally reviewed several scenarios for shaking his pursuer. Finally deciding what to do, Dave turned right onto Taylor and proceeded up toward Nob Hill. It began to rain.
Cresting the hill at California, Dave made his move by simply turning left and swerving around two cable cars, three limos, two tour buses and cutting off a taxi by running the red and pulling onto the entrance dais of the Mark Hopkins hotel. Lining up with other cars, he scrunched down into the seat, pulled out his cell and called Bob in Car 2.
The rain was picking up.
45 minutes ago - Car 2
It was beginning to rain.
Bob, in Car 2, made a sharp left from Fulton and entered Golden Gate Park at 36th Avenue. Passing the duck pond, he used the turnaround and headed back down JFK Drive. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he noted that his pursuer was still with him.
*He's good, but not good enough. I bike through here everyday *, mused Bob.
Proceeding at a rapid clip, he mentally reviewed several scenarios for shaking his pursuer. Finally decided what to do, Bob turned right into the area at 8th Avenue that holds the museums. * Let's see, let's see. Ah.*
Turning right, then left, he began to work through the construction maze that was everyone's nightmare since it concerned both the underground parking garage and the new transit stations. Aware he was still being followed, Bob realized where he was, what time it was and smiled. *Wait for it, wait for it.*
As he knew it would, a large forklift and a digger both began to pull out of the street, and the construction crewman was just about to flag cars down to stop and wait for the equipment to lumber over to the side and park, when Bob sped up and swerved around everything, made a left at the end of the road, and a right back onto JFK.
Emerging out onto Oak, his cell began to ring. The rain was picking up and now the wind seemed to be getting into the picture. He turned off Oak onto Market Street.
20 minutes ago.
Dave and Bob had formulated a plan. Dave parked the car in the Sutter Stockton Garage and caught the bus to Market. Crossing the street, he walked down Fourth, went into the Marriott hotel and spoke to the Concierge. He came out and chatted up the doorman in front of the hotel.
15 minutes ago.
Bob pulled up and Dave got into the car. They proceeded along Fourth to the South of Market area.
"I think if we go past the train station and over the small bridge, we can still lose anyone that's following us. We're into commute time now. People are going home from work," stated Dave.
I hope so. It's too dark to see if we're still being followed. Let's hurry up and get this over with," sighed Bob.
They continued on down Fourth and made a left at the junction of Third Street. Neither Bob nor Dave was aware of a third car that had been trailing Bob since he left the Marriott.
7 minutes ago.
Approaching the Piers, both men began to look for Pier 35. They'd had to slow down due to the traffic congestion as well as the rain increasing and the wind picking up.
"Man, this winter weather. This is beginning to look like a bad storm."
Dave looked at the dashboard clock. "Look at the time. We'll never make it. This traffic is horrible and these drivers.Omigawd!!! Bob!!!! Look out!!!"
Bob, who had been eyeballing the car in front of him, who seemed to be driving rather erratically, glanced over to where Dave was pointing. He also glanced in the rearview mirror and in a split second realized they were surrounded on three sides and slowly but surely being herded toward one of the open docks.
"This is way out of control. We need some serious assistance, but no one can get through because of the traffic. Dina!"
"What can I do for you boys?" asked a deep-throated Jamaican accented female voice. Speaking to the on board computer communications systems, they informed her of their problem, where they were and what had gone on before.
Now.
"The Big Cheeses along with the twins are on the way there, try to hang on, I'll keep talking to you. Shit! Was that a gunshot?"
"Yes, Dina, it was. Dave, you know we're on the straightaway and there's no ."
A loud popping noise and glass breaking made Dave look over just in time to see Bob slump over the steering wheel. The car was now being herded toward the edge of the docks.
Frantically, Dave tried to pry Bob's hands from the wheel and turn the car. He failed to notice the car behind them had dropped back, but realized that this simple rendezvous had turned deadly when he was rammed from the back and pushed into some large oil drums.
The car caught on fire, the airbags deployed and Dave was trapped in the vehicle when it exploded into the night, setting the dock, a couple of dockside structures and Pier 35 ablaze.
The characters of E.J. "Nola" Santiago, D.L "Xochi" Rodriguez, Nia Santiago, Juan Santiago, Enrique Santiago, Roberto Santiago, Marco Santiago, Guillermo Santiago, Miguel Santiago, Ana Santiago, Monalisa, The Twins, Dave, Bob, Dina, Ruben, Max, The Boys, Larry, Sadie, and the nameless, faceless other worker bees in the story are products of my fertile imagination.
Many thanks to Tikatu for the insights, character loan, assists, hours of clowning around and the beta business. Rubber Duckys Rule!!
Preconceived Notions
* Indicates thinking*
Prologue - It Was A Dark and Stormy Night
One hour ago.
The two figures ran toward two separate cars, started them up, pulled out of the garage, and set off in two separate directions. The same thought ran through both of their minds. *We've got to reach the drop off point in time*. Car 1 turned left and headed toward Ocean Beach, Car 2 right, toward the Marina. As each car left the garage from two different exits, they were both followed. Halfway to their destinations, both cars turned around and headed back downtown to the original rendezvous.
They had both already noticed they were being followed. *Oh well, no good for it now. It should be getting dark soon. I'll just have to lose them in the city. *
45 minutes ago - Car 1
Dave, in Car 1, made a sharp right turn from Franklin onto Francisco, a left on VanNess running a red light and a right on Northpoint. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he noted that his pursuer was still with him.
'He's good, but not good enough', thought Dave.
Turning right onto Columbus, he mentally reviewed several scenarios for shaking his pursuer. Finally deciding what to do, Dave turned right onto Taylor and proceeded up toward Nob Hill. It began to rain.
Cresting the hill at California, Dave made his move by simply turning left and swerving around two cable cars, three limos, two tour buses and cutting off a taxi by running the red and pulling onto the entrance dais of the Mark Hopkins hotel. Lining up with other cars, he scrunched down into the seat, pulled out his cell and called Bob in Car 2.
The rain was picking up.
45 minutes ago - Car 2
It was beginning to rain.
Bob, in Car 2, made a sharp left from Fulton and entered Golden Gate Park at 36th Avenue. Passing the duck pond, he used the turnaround and headed back down JFK Drive. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he noted that his pursuer was still with him.
*He's good, but not good enough. I bike through here everyday *, mused Bob.
Proceeding at a rapid clip, he mentally reviewed several scenarios for shaking his pursuer. Finally decided what to do, Bob turned right into the area at 8th Avenue that holds the museums. * Let's see, let's see. Ah.*
Turning right, then left, he began to work through the construction maze that was everyone's nightmare since it concerned both the underground parking garage and the new transit stations. Aware he was still being followed, Bob realized where he was, what time it was and smiled. *Wait for it, wait for it.*
As he knew it would, a large forklift and a digger both began to pull out of the street, and the construction crewman was just about to flag cars down to stop and wait for the equipment to lumber over to the side and park, when Bob sped up and swerved around everything, made a left at the end of the road, and a right back onto JFK.
Emerging out onto Oak, his cell began to ring. The rain was picking up and now the wind seemed to be getting into the picture. He turned off Oak onto Market Street.
20 minutes ago.
Dave and Bob had formulated a plan. Dave parked the car in the Sutter Stockton Garage and caught the bus to Market. Crossing the street, he walked down Fourth, went into the Marriott hotel and spoke to the Concierge. He came out and chatted up the doorman in front of the hotel.
15 minutes ago.
Bob pulled up and Dave got into the car. They proceeded along Fourth to the South of Market area.
"I think if we go past the train station and over the small bridge, we can still lose anyone that's following us. We're into commute time now. People are going home from work," stated Dave.
I hope so. It's too dark to see if we're still being followed. Let's hurry up and get this over with," sighed Bob.
They continued on down Fourth and made a left at the junction of Third Street. Neither Bob nor Dave was aware of a third car that had been trailing Bob since he left the Marriott.
7 minutes ago.
Approaching the Piers, both men began to look for Pier 35. They'd had to slow down due to the traffic congestion as well as the rain increasing and the wind picking up.
"Man, this winter weather. This is beginning to look like a bad storm."
Dave looked at the dashboard clock. "Look at the time. We'll never make it. This traffic is horrible and these drivers.Omigawd!!! Bob!!!! Look out!!!"
Bob, who had been eyeballing the car in front of him, who seemed to be driving rather erratically, glanced over to where Dave was pointing. He also glanced in the rearview mirror and in a split second realized they were surrounded on three sides and slowly but surely being herded toward one of the open docks.
"This is way out of control. We need some serious assistance, but no one can get through because of the traffic. Dina!"
"What can I do for you boys?" asked a deep-throated Jamaican accented female voice. Speaking to the on board computer communications systems, they informed her of their problem, where they were and what had gone on before.
Now.
"The Big Cheeses along with the twins are on the way there, try to hang on, I'll keep talking to you. Shit! Was that a gunshot?"
"Yes, Dina, it was. Dave, you know we're on the straightaway and there's no ."
A loud popping noise and glass breaking made Dave look over just in time to see Bob slump over the steering wheel. The car was now being herded toward the edge of the docks.
Frantically, Dave tried to pry Bob's hands from the wheel and turn the car. He failed to notice the car behind them had dropped back, but realized that this simple rendezvous had turned deadly when he was rammed from the back and pushed into some large oil drums.
The car caught on fire, the airbags deployed and Dave was trapped in the vehicle when it exploded into the night, setting the dock, a couple of dockside structures and Pier 35 ablaze.
