'I'm not sure about his.' Tony said as they approached the doors of Santa Monica High. It was his first day at night school.
Rita had her arm linked through his as they walked. She gave him a squeeze. 'You'll do fine.'
'Remember I failed at this last time.'
'So you'll get it right this time. Just use the same persistence you used to get me.' Rita dug her keys out of his pocket. 'I'll be back to pick you up after my shift.' She started walking back to her car.
'Rita.' He called to her. Tony was standing in front of the doors being silhouetted by the light from the building.
She went back over to him. 'You'll be fine.' She said again.
He bent his head and kissed her. 'I need you.' He whispered against her lips.
Rita reached up running her fingers through his hair as she pulled his mouth closer to hers. Lips met and tongues entangled in sweet passion. She held onto his broad shoulders as she pressed herself against him and he responded by encircling her waist and holding her tight.
After an eternity they separated and he leant his forehead against hers.
'I need to go to work now.' She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went to her car.
This time he smiled, watching her go before entering the school. He was doing this for her.
+++++
Tony had been dating Rita for about five months now and things were going well. She's all but forgotten that little incident where they'd met. School was going well too. He was getting better grades than in high school, even better grades than what he expected to get. Rita told him constantly how proud she was of him.
It was strange. At first he'd never expected her to be such a girly girlfriend being a cop and all and having to put up with all the other male officers and their BS. But she was girly. She liked wearing dressed on her days off and since they'd been dating he'd been noticing more and more lace in her lingerie.
He also hadn't been working as hard so that he could spend time with her and had often called in 'sick' just so they could go out.
He listened to the radio as he worked out at the gym. The music gave him a rhythm to work with as he ran on the treadmill.
Rita was at work and he was still studying and working at night. The gym was always a good place to relax for him. She'd contacted the police academy and found out that he only needed to have a pass in senior English to get into the academy.
A regular at the gym and a frequent visitor to the club walked in. She was a model and tall, dark and gorgeous didn't quite describe her. She walked past him with a smile on her face and flicked him on the butt with her towel. He was going to flick her back when something interesting came over the radio.
The news program had just started and the newsroom was talking to an onsite reporter. He slowed the treadmill to a walk so that he could hear the report easier.
'I'm outside Santa Monica bank taking shelter behind a line of police cars. As reported earlier, three men entered the bank about an hour and a half ago brandishing sawn off shot guns and demanding cash. The bank had recently updated their security systems so the police were immediately notified.' The reporter prattled on.
'Has there been any change to the situation?' The newsroom asked.
'Yes, about 20 minutes ago a young female officer was specifically picked out by the robbers to give them bullet proof vests in exchange for ten of the approximate 50 hostages still inside the bank including customers and staff. The officer went in with the vests and hasn't been seen since. The police are now concerned for her safety.'
'Thank you Rob. Well keep you updated with...' Tony jumped off the treadmill and grabbed his things.
'What's the matter?' The model asked.
He didn't answer. He just dashed out of the building.
+++++
Tony arrived on the scene and was met with a swelling crowd, flashing lights and ambulance and police and an short, fat officer in his face telling him to stand back. After repeatedly trying to get past the officer with no success, he finally cracked and pinned the guy up against a barricade to protect the crowd.
'Who's the officer that's in there?' Tony demanded.
'None of your business. Put me down or I'll arrest you.'
'Tell me or I'll hit you.' So not one of his better threats but since he was wearing jogging shorts, shoes and not much more he seemed to pose more of a threat than he first expected.
'Rita Collingwood. Why do you want to know?'
Tony dropped than man who stumbled back against the barricade. Of course she'd be picked out of a crowd of police officers to deliver the goods. She was a petite little thing and one of the only female officers in her unit. And as Tony looked around he couldn't see any other female officers.
He tried once again to push past the barricade only to find the short, fat one had recovered and was still blocking his way.
Mumbled obscenities at the little man he walked away but had not given up yet. All the cops were just standing there. There was one guy on the phone telling whoever was in the bank to release the hostages. Even Tony knew that was a long shot. In his line of work he'd gotten to know a few low lifers who'd shared their stories with him. Apparently the police negotiators around this neck of the woods were far from the best in the business…hence they'd given in and given bullet proof vests to the guys holding the guns, not the ones being fired at.
Two younger officers were standing near one section of barricade chatting to each other out of sheer boredom. Small weedy little guys that had probably just graduated from the academy themselves.
Tony tried to blend in as a spectator as he slowly made his way towards them, then spotted something a little more interesting. He ducked into a shop and came out with a few firecrackers. He went up to a teenage boy.
Tony took his wallet out. 'I'll give you 10 bucks to set these off for me.'
The boy just looked at him. 'I'll get my ass kicked. Have you seen the amount of cops around here?' He paused for a second. 'Make it twenty.'
Tony rolled his eyes and handed over the cash, and the fireworks. The boy pulled a lighter from his pocket. Obviously not a completely innocent teen, Tony thought.
'Wait about thirty seconds then light em up ok?'
'Yeah sure, whatever.' The boy flicked his lighter.
Tony made his way back over to the 'hole' in the barricade.
At about 15 seconds he heard loud bangs from behind him. Money well spent, he thought to himself.
Either way, the crowd and police officers were distracted for long enough for Tony to jump over the barricade. He sprinted towards the front doors of the bank.
Cops from further up the barricade had jumped the fence to get to him but lagged off when he reached the doors.
Tony burst into the front doors apparently surprising everyone inside, including the robbers.
One just stood there giving him an odd look before pointing a gun at him. 'Hands up.'
'Sorry, I had to bank a cheque.' He said quickly as he put his hands in the air.
One of the other gunmen came over to him and patted him down looking for a weapon but only finding his wallet, keys and a packet of gum.
'Tony Palermo.' He said looking through the wallet, taking the money out and dumping the rest on the floor. 'You a cop?'
Tony shook his head and looked around the room. He saw Rita huddling in a corner looking rather frightened and a bit bemused. He pointed to her. 'No, but if you hurt her I'll kick your ass.'
The gunman shoved the barrel against Tony's diaphragm making him cough. 'Touch guy eh?'
'Something like that.' He replied before pushing the gun away from his stomach and punching the guy in the face before retrieving the gun and pointing at the other two men who were pointing their guns at him.
The other man was slowly getting to his feet. Tony gave him a slight push with his foot and he fell back to the ground, probably still dizzy from getting hit. Tony stepped backwards and rested a heavy foot on the guy's throat until he could hear him start to struggle for breath. 'Friend of yours?' He asked the other two assailants. 'You'd have shot me by now if he wasn't.'
'Drop the gun or we'll kill you.' One of them said.
'Yeah.' The other said.
Tony frowned. Not the brightest criminal in the system, he thought. 'Drop your guns or I'll kill your friend.'
'You are a cop.' The first one said.
'No. I'm not. But you're holding my girlfriend hostage and I'll be leaving with her with me, with you dead or alive. Your choice. You have five seconds.' He started to count each time pressing harder down on the man's throat with his foot.
When he got to three they gave up and put their guns on the floor.
'Now step back.' He ordered them. They hesitated. 'Step back or I will.' He motioned to their friend underfoot.
They stepped away from their guns.
Rita got up from her corner, collected the guns and brought them over to Tony. 'What are you doing?' She asked.
'Apparently kicking ass. Hold this for me would you?' He handed her back one of the guns and used the other to smash the front window of the bank before throwing it outside.
The man he'd been standing on sat up slowly, clutching his head in one hand and his throat in the other.
Rita pointed the gun at him. 'Don't move.'
'I agree. Don't move.' Tony said and opened the front doors to the bank. 'Everybody out, slowly.' He ordered to the hostages.
One by one the hostages picked themselves up off the floor and crept out the door before bolting across to the barricades.
Tony caught a glimpse of the police outside. The looks on their faces were priceless. They were about as confused as the men in front of Tony were mortified that their game was over.
When the last of the hostages had left and were safely behind the barricades Tony motioned to the three men. 'Ok, your turn. Hands on your heads and walk out of here slowly.'
The men glared at him as they slowly walked past Tony and Rita towards the door.
On the way past one of them tried to grab Rita and/or her gun. Tony flipped his gun around and used it as a stick, hitting the man in the head with it and knocking him unconscious.
'Got your cuffs?' He asked Rita.
'Um yeah.' She muttered, a tad shocked about what had happened over the past few minutes. She handcuffed the man's arms behind his back and left him lying on the floor.
Together they walked outside. As they got to the door she put her hand on Tony's chest. 'Just go slow.'
They met up with the remaining two bandits outside who were just standing there with their hands on their heads.
Rita took over. 'Get on the ground, NOW!'
The men dropped to their knees before slowly lowering themselves to the ground.
Then it was a stampede from the rest of the police to secure the area and to check inside the bank to make sure everything was in order. They took the shot guns from Tony and when everything was ok they took Rita's as well.
The ambulance officers were let inside with police escort to assist the man Tony knocked unconscious. The other two men were dragged away handcuffed to patrol cars.
Another police officer came up to Rita, whispered something to her before handing her more cuffs.
She came over to Tony, put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.
'What are you doing?!' He asked.
'I'm sorry.' She whispered. 'They want you handcuffed until they can take statements and find out what happened in there.' She finished putting the cuffs on him and turned him back around. 'You're an idiot you know. You could have gotten yourself killed.' Rita put her arms around his neck and pressed her body against him. 'A real idiot.' She pressed her lips to his.
'Well that sucked.' Tony said as their lips parted. 'I couldn't hug your or anything.'
Rita just grinned and led him away to a patrol car.
+++++
Tony sat in a cell for about three hours while they took statements from the many bewildered hostages as well as his own and Rita's.
The short, fat cop from the barricade came over and unlocked his cell. 'You're free to go.' He said.
The sergeant from his other altercation came over. 'We don't condone what you did, but thank you.' He held out his hand.
Tony shook it. 'No problem.'
He went to the desk, signed a release form and they gave him back his wallet, keys and water bottle.
It was then that Rita came bounding over and threw her arms around him. He pretended to ignore her and walked out of the firehouse.
She ran after him. 'Tony please! I had to. It's procedure.'
He walked down the steps with his back to her…and a big smile.
She caught up at the bottom of the steps and he picked her up and leaned her against the wall, looking deep into her eyes. 'I was worried about you.'
Rita grinned and run a finger down his cheek. 'My hero.'
He laughed and gently put her back down. 'So how are we going to celebrate?'
'Well, they gave me the rest of the day off and I thought that you might want to get your stuff and bring it all over to my place?' She grabbed him arm and held it tight as they walked to her car…his motorbike being still at the bank and all.
'You mean you want me to move in?'
Rita nodded.
'Wow, and I only had to save your life.'
She laughed and gave him a playful punch. 'I mean it.' She stopped walking and he turned to look at her. 'I love you Tony. You saved my life and the lives of about forty other people too. With that record it'll easy for you to get into the force…and I want to be with you when you do it.'
Tony put his arms around her waist. 'Sounds like a plan.'
+++++
Tony stood at attention on the parade ground of the police academy as the Chief of the district conducted the graduation ceremony.
'You have all worked very hard and Los Angeles is proud to welcome you all into the force.'
He looked out of the corner of his eye at Rita. She stood there grinning with pride in a rather flattering dress considering she was about six months pregnant.
They'd gotten married a couple of summers ago in a gorgeous ceremony on the beach, a few weeks after Rita had been made sergeant.
'And without any further ado I now declare you all members of the United States Police Department.'
The crowd started to clap as the graduates dispersed.
Tony went over to Rita and hugged her. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'
'Yes you could have.' She said.
+++++
Rita had her arm linked through his as they walked. She gave him a squeeze. 'You'll do fine.'
'Remember I failed at this last time.'
'So you'll get it right this time. Just use the same persistence you used to get me.' Rita dug her keys out of his pocket. 'I'll be back to pick you up after my shift.' She started walking back to her car.
'Rita.' He called to her. Tony was standing in front of the doors being silhouetted by the light from the building.
She went back over to him. 'You'll be fine.' She said again.
He bent his head and kissed her. 'I need you.' He whispered against her lips.
Rita reached up running her fingers through his hair as she pulled his mouth closer to hers. Lips met and tongues entangled in sweet passion. She held onto his broad shoulders as she pressed herself against him and he responded by encircling her waist and holding her tight.
After an eternity they separated and he leant his forehead against hers.
'I need to go to work now.' She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went to her car.
This time he smiled, watching her go before entering the school. He was doing this for her.
+++++
Tony had been dating Rita for about five months now and things were going well. She's all but forgotten that little incident where they'd met. School was going well too. He was getting better grades than in high school, even better grades than what he expected to get. Rita told him constantly how proud she was of him.
It was strange. At first he'd never expected her to be such a girly girlfriend being a cop and all and having to put up with all the other male officers and their BS. But she was girly. She liked wearing dressed on her days off and since they'd been dating he'd been noticing more and more lace in her lingerie.
He also hadn't been working as hard so that he could spend time with her and had often called in 'sick' just so they could go out.
He listened to the radio as he worked out at the gym. The music gave him a rhythm to work with as he ran on the treadmill.
Rita was at work and he was still studying and working at night. The gym was always a good place to relax for him. She'd contacted the police academy and found out that he only needed to have a pass in senior English to get into the academy.
A regular at the gym and a frequent visitor to the club walked in. She was a model and tall, dark and gorgeous didn't quite describe her. She walked past him with a smile on her face and flicked him on the butt with her towel. He was going to flick her back when something interesting came over the radio.
The news program had just started and the newsroom was talking to an onsite reporter. He slowed the treadmill to a walk so that he could hear the report easier.
'I'm outside Santa Monica bank taking shelter behind a line of police cars. As reported earlier, three men entered the bank about an hour and a half ago brandishing sawn off shot guns and demanding cash. The bank had recently updated their security systems so the police were immediately notified.' The reporter prattled on.
'Has there been any change to the situation?' The newsroom asked.
'Yes, about 20 minutes ago a young female officer was specifically picked out by the robbers to give them bullet proof vests in exchange for ten of the approximate 50 hostages still inside the bank including customers and staff. The officer went in with the vests and hasn't been seen since. The police are now concerned for her safety.'
'Thank you Rob. Well keep you updated with...' Tony jumped off the treadmill and grabbed his things.
'What's the matter?' The model asked.
He didn't answer. He just dashed out of the building.
+++++
Tony arrived on the scene and was met with a swelling crowd, flashing lights and ambulance and police and an short, fat officer in his face telling him to stand back. After repeatedly trying to get past the officer with no success, he finally cracked and pinned the guy up against a barricade to protect the crowd.
'Who's the officer that's in there?' Tony demanded.
'None of your business. Put me down or I'll arrest you.'
'Tell me or I'll hit you.' So not one of his better threats but since he was wearing jogging shorts, shoes and not much more he seemed to pose more of a threat than he first expected.
'Rita Collingwood. Why do you want to know?'
Tony dropped than man who stumbled back against the barricade. Of course she'd be picked out of a crowd of police officers to deliver the goods. She was a petite little thing and one of the only female officers in her unit. And as Tony looked around he couldn't see any other female officers.
He tried once again to push past the barricade only to find the short, fat one had recovered and was still blocking his way.
Mumbled obscenities at the little man he walked away but had not given up yet. All the cops were just standing there. There was one guy on the phone telling whoever was in the bank to release the hostages. Even Tony knew that was a long shot. In his line of work he'd gotten to know a few low lifers who'd shared their stories with him. Apparently the police negotiators around this neck of the woods were far from the best in the business…hence they'd given in and given bullet proof vests to the guys holding the guns, not the ones being fired at.
Two younger officers were standing near one section of barricade chatting to each other out of sheer boredom. Small weedy little guys that had probably just graduated from the academy themselves.
Tony tried to blend in as a spectator as he slowly made his way towards them, then spotted something a little more interesting. He ducked into a shop and came out with a few firecrackers. He went up to a teenage boy.
Tony took his wallet out. 'I'll give you 10 bucks to set these off for me.'
The boy just looked at him. 'I'll get my ass kicked. Have you seen the amount of cops around here?' He paused for a second. 'Make it twenty.'
Tony rolled his eyes and handed over the cash, and the fireworks. The boy pulled a lighter from his pocket. Obviously not a completely innocent teen, Tony thought.
'Wait about thirty seconds then light em up ok?'
'Yeah sure, whatever.' The boy flicked his lighter.
Tony made his way back over to the 'hole' in the barricade.
At about 15 seconds he heard loud bangs from behind him. Money well spent, he thought to himself.
Either way, the crowd and police officers were distracted for long enough for Tony to jump over the barricade. He sprinted towards the front doors of the bank.
Cops from further up the barricade had jumped the fence to get to him but lagged off when he reached the doors.
Tony burst into the front doors apparently surprising everyone inside, including the robbers.
One just stood there giving him an odd look before pointing a gun at him. 'Hands up.'
'Sorry, I had to bank a cheque.' He said quickly as he put his hands in the air.
One of the other gunmen came over to him and patted him down looking for a weapon but only finding his wallet, keys and a packet of gum.
'Tony Palermo.' He said looking through the wallet, taking the money out and dumping the rest on the floor. 'You a cop?'
Tony shook his head and looked around the room. He saw Rita huddling in a corner looking rather frightened and a bit bemused. He pointed to her. 'No, but if you hurt her I'll kick your ass.'
The gunman shoved the barrel against Tony's diaphragm making him cough. 'Touch guy eh?'
'Something like that.' He replied before pushing the gun away from his stomach and punching the guy in the face before retrieving the gun and pointing at the other two men who were pointing their guns at him.
The other man was slowly getting to his feet. Tony gave him a slight push with his foot and he fell back to the ground, probably still dizzy from getting hit. Tony stepped backwards and rested a heavy foot on the guy's throat until he could hear him start to struggle for breath. 'Friend of yours?' He asked the other two assailants. 'You'd have shot me by now if he wasn't.'
'Drop the gun or we'll kill you.' One of them said.
'Yeah.' The other said.
Tony frowned. Not the brightest criminal in the system, he thought. 'Drop your guns or I'll kill your friend.'
'You are a cop.' The first one said.
'No. I'm not. But you're holding my girlfriend hostage and I'll be leaving with her with me, with you dead or alive. Your choice. You have five seconds.' He started to count each time pressing harder down on the man's throat with his foot.
When he got to three they gave up and put their guns on the floor.
'Now step back.' He ordered them. They hesitated. 'Step back or I will.' He motioned to their friend underfoot.
They stepped away from their guns.
Rita got up from her corner, collected the guns and brought them over to Tony. 'What are you doing?' She asked.
'Apparently kicking ass. Hold this for me would you?' He handed her back one of the guns and used the other to smash the front window of the bank before throwing it outside.
The man he'd been standing on sat up slowly, clutching his head in one hand and his throat in the other.
Rita pointed the gun at him. 'Don't move.'
'I agree. Don't move.' Tony said and opened the front doors to the bank. 'Everybody out, slowly.' He ordered to the hostages.
One by one the hostages picked themselves up off the floor and crept out the door before bolting across to the barricades.
Tony caught a glimpse of the police outside. The looks on their faces were priceless. They were about as confused as the men in front of Tony were mortified that their game was over.
When the last of the hostages had left and were safely behind the barricades Tony motioned to the three men. 'Ok, your turn. Hands on your heads and walk out of here slowly.'
The men glared at him as they slowly walked past Tony and Rita towards the door.
On the way past one of them tried to grab Rita and/or her gun. Tony flipped his gun around and used it as a stick, hitting the man in the head with it and knocking him unconscious.
'Got your cuffs?' He asked Rita.
'Um yeah.' She muttered, a tad shocked about what had happened over the past few minutes. She handcuffed the man's arms behind his back and left him lying on the floor.
Together they walked outside. As they got to the door she put her hand on Tony's chest. 'Just go slow.'
They met up with the remaining two bandits outside who were just standing there with their hands on their heads.
Rita took over. 'Get on the ground, NOW!'
The men dropped to their knees before slowly lowering themselves to the ground.
Then it was a stampede from the rest of the police to secure the area and to check inside the bank to make sure everything was in order. They took the shot guns from Tony and when everything was ok they took Rita's as well.
The ambulance officers were let inside with police escort to assist the man Tony knocked unconscious. The other two men were dragged away handcuffed to patrol cars.
Another police officer came up to Rita, whispered something to her before handing her more cuffs.
She came over to Tony, put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.
'What are you doing?!' He asked.
'I'm sorry.' She whispered. 'They want you handcuffed until they can take statements and find out what happened in there.' She finished putting the cuffs on him and turned him back around. 'You're an idiot you know. You could have gotten yourself killed.' Rita put her arms around his neck and pressed her body against him. 'A real idiot.' She pressed her lips to his.
'Well that sucked.' Tony said as their lips parted. 'I couldn't hug your or anything.'
Rita just grinned and led him away to a patrol car.
+++++
Tony sat in a cell for about three hours while they took statements from the many bewildered hostages as well as his own and Rita's.
The short, fat cop from the barricade came over and unlocked his cell. 'You're free to go.' He said.
The sergeant from his other altercation came over. 'We don't condone what you did, but thank you.' He held out his hand.
Tony shook it. 'No problem.'
He went to the desk, signed a release form and they gave him back his wallet, keys and water bottle.
It was then that Rita came bounding over and threw her arms around him. He pretended to ignore her and walked out of the firehouse.
She ran after him. 'Tony please! I had to. It's procedure.'
He walked down the steps with his back to her…and a big smile.
She caught up at the bottom of the steps and he picked her up and leaned her against the wall, looking deep into her eyes. 'I was worried about you.'
Rita grinned and run a finger down his cheek. 'My hero.'
He laughed and gently put her back down. 'So how are we going to celebrate?'
'Well, they gave me the rest of the day off and I thought that you might want to get your stuff and bring it all over to my place?' She grabbed him arm and held it tight as they walked to her car…his motorbike being still at the bank and all.
'You mean you want me to move in?'
Rita nodded.
'Wow, and I only had to save your life.'
She laughed and gave him a playful punch. 'I mean it.' She stopped walking and he turned to look at her. 'I love you Tony. You saved my life and the lives of about forty other people too. With that record it'll easy for you to get into the force…and I want to be with you when you do it.'
Tony put his arms around her waist. 'Sounds like a plan.'
+++++
Tony stood at attention on the parade ground of the police academy as the Chief of the district conducted the graduation ceremony.
'You have all worked very hard and Los Angeles is proud to welcome you all into the force.'
He looked out of the corner of his eye at Rita. She stood there grinning with pride in a rather flattering dress considering she was about six months pregnant.
They'd gotten married a couple of summers ago in a gorgeous ceremony on the beach, a few weeks after Rita had been made sergeant.
'And without any further ado I now declare you all members of the United States Police Department.'
The crowd started to clap as the graduates dispersed.
Tony went over to Rita and hugged her. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'
'Yes you could have.' She said.
+++++