Title: Paying Old Debts
Author: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fastlane or anything in conjunction with Fastlane nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Replies to Reviews are at the bottom of this chapter
*******************************
Chapter 5
*******************************************
The first sensation that Van registered was pain. The kind of pain that made you swear to never do again whatever you did to be in this much pain. But as his mind recalled what had occurred to prompt his pain, dread washed over him as the truth became clear: He wasn't dead.
For all the times he had cheated death this seemed to be the grim reaper's revenge. Life when all he wanted was the escape of death. It seemed that fate was as much of an SOB as Cade Roberts.
Before he could fully conquer the pain searing through his every cell, raised voices made their way into his brain.
"You must leave. Visiting hours resume in the morning," an irritated female voice demanded.
"And I'm telling you, I'm not leaving," came back an unrelenting voice...a voice Van knew: Deaq's.
"This hospital runs on rules..." the woman countered but Deaq cut her off.
"Yeah, and I got my own rule about not leaving my partner when he needs me."
"I can call security," the woman challenged.
"Do that but I hope they bring enough firepower to start Armageddon," Deaq sallied back. Then Van heard the whish of a door opening and closing. A moment later, he heard a worried sigh fill the room.
For the first time, Van decided to make the effort to crawl to full consciousness and steeled himself to face the consequences that awaited him. When he managed to open his eyes he began to blink hard, trying to get things to come into focus. The first thing he saw clearly was Deaq standing facing the door, his shoulders slumped in worry. Van wanted to call out Deaq's name but he couldn't find the strength to even form that one word.
As if sensing his friend's consciousness, Deaq spun around and a smile broke onto his face as his eyes met Van's. Crossing to the bedside he looked down to
Van's pale face, "Welcome back to the real world, partner."
Van began to try to sit up but immediately Deaq's hand fell to his shoulder and held Van fast to the bed. "Stay still, Van," Deaq cautioned but it was hardly necessary as agony swept across Van, making him lie limply back against the mattress, his eyes clamped shut against the pain. "You're gonna be alright, man."
'He thinks that's the good news,' ran through Van's head a moment before he reopened his eyes and met Deaq's worried gaze. He needed to know how things stood. "Deaq.." he began but it only came out a weak croak.
"Hold up," Deaq cut in and he brought a cup with a straw over to Van. Slipping his one hand behind Van's neck, Deaq eased Van forward enough to take a drink of the water he held. Sensing Van had had his fill, Deaq eased Van again to the bed and set the cup on the table.
Now Van swallowed hard and asked the question that burned within him, "How'd Billie take the news about me flipping?" his words breathless and weak but Deaq could clearly hear Van's desperation for the truth.
But Deaq side stepped his partner's question. "You did not flip, Van. You saved my life!"
"Deaq?" Van pressed for the answer he sought.
Deaq looked away for a moment then met Van's eyes steadily. "I didn't tell her about it." At Van's surprised and opposing look, Deaq continued, "This is between you and me, Van. She ain't got a say in it." And Deaq vividly remembered how hard Billie had pressed him for the full story about what went down at the club but Deaq had refused to give it up. Some things stayed between partners...forever.
Van tried again to sit up but again Deaq pressed him back, "Deaq, I blew our case!" Van objected, his breathing labored, "I compromised our cover .." he drew in another pained breath, " ....and the whole Candy Store operation!"
"Easy, Van," Deaq soothed gently, "You didn't compromise a thing. Like you said, Roberts already knew about you and me being cops and about the Candy Store. As far as this case, our objective was to take down Martel..." here Deaq's words faded but Van knew what his partner was leaving unsaid.
"Colin Martel's missing," Van stated more than questioned but Deaq nodded his head anyway. Van shut his eyes tightly. Some things never changed. Dealings with Roberts always came down to a body count. The trick was to not let you or yours be among the number.
"Cade Roberts is going down, Van. That I promise you." Deaq's hard words brought Van's eyes snapping open and searing into his partner.
"Drop it, Deaq," Van said with a cold finality Deaq had never heard before from his partner.
Stunned by Van's request, Deaq incredulously repeated, "Drop it?! Van, the man tried to kill you!"
"Well, he didn't. I'm OK," Van assured but Deaq's protest was hard on the heels of his words.
"OK?!" Deaq exclaimed with disbelief before he pointed to the heart monitor to the left of Van's bed, "See that machine, Van, that's here 'cause they were afraid your heart would stop!" He tapped the pole that held the IV bag, "This here's giving you morphine so you're not writhing in pain. And let's not forget the internal bleeding you had, the two days you've been unconscious and the blood transfusion they gave you to replace all that blood you lost in the seat of the Ferrari."
Van's eyes had never wavered from his partner's during Deaq's whole tirade. Silence held in the room a moment before Van conversationally questioned, "So, is Billie gonna have to reupholster the Ferrari?"
"Damn you, Van!" Deaq exploded, his ragged emotions finally at their end. "You almost died! Don't treat this like some joke!"
Van's eyes turned cold at those words and he countered lowly, "Nothing's funny with Roberts. That's why I'm walking away. Why "we" are walking away."
Deaq couldn't grasp what was going through Van's head. "Walking away?! He's gonna come after you when he learns you survived?!"
"He won't come after me," Van denied, his voice quiet and listless even as the light in his eyes seemed to fade.
Trying to get through to his partner, Deaq quietly but firmly stated, "Van, he tried to kill you and failed."
But Van shook his head and a sad smile tipped up his lips, "If Cade cared whether I lived or died he woulda finished the job in the club."
"You can pin him with attempted murder on a cop, Van?!" Deaq argued.
Van's eyes steadily met Deaq's and he softly declared with finality, "But I won't." A pause. "And Cade knows that."
Stunned, Deaq tried to form words, tried to decipher Van's motives for a moment. When he finally opened his mouth it wasn't his voice that broke the silence but Billie's.
"What hold does Roberts have over you, Van?" Billie gently questioned, and both men's eyes swung to the doorway as she entered and crossed over to Van's bedside. Looking down at her pale officer, Billie's eyes softened and she smiled, "You don't know how good it is to hear you talking, Van."
A forced smirk flitted across Van's face but Billie's initial question creased his brow with worry.
Sensing that Van would not answer her question without strong pressure, Billie sat beside Van on the bed and studied him. She easily detected the pain in his features and the pallor of his skin. Now was not the time for a full inquisition. Then, for one of the few times when dealing with Van or Deaq, she let her voice turn tender, "How about you get some more rest. We'll talk later."
Van's eyes searched hers and he knew that this was only a small reprieve. Billie would press him for the full story relentlessly once some of her worry for him diminished. Deciding that he'd take whatever opportunity he could to delay that conversation, he nodded. "Yeah, alright, I'll rest."
Deaq scowled at Van's easy capitulation, not only did it prove to Deaq how very hurt Van was but it also spoke volumes on how resistant Van was to talking things through. 'So much for hoping to finally get a good, worry free night's sleep tonight' he told himself, already feeling his worry for Van spike in a new direction.
Billie's smile did not fade as she stood up and walked for the door. Turning to Van, Deaq said, "I'm sticking around, Van, but I gotta talk to Billie. I'll be back in a few."
But Van replied, his pain and exhaustion increasingly evident in his voice and the look on his face, "Go home, Deaq. I'm O.K."
"Don't start with that "I'm Ok" thing again," Deaq warned. "And I said I'll be hanging around so get some sleep, man." And before Van could offer up further protests, Deaq walked out of the room.
Coming out of Van's room, Deaq came face to face with Billie.
"He's not talking so you better," she demanded, the tenderness that she had leveled at Van turning into steely resolve. "Roberts has a hold on him and I think you know what it is."
"Billie we've been over this..." Deaq began but Billie cut him off ruthlessly.
"Yeah, and now I want the full story." Then Billie grabbed Deaq by the arm and guided him down the hallway and out a side door onto a patio. Stepping up to be toe to toe with Deaq she ordered, "Start talking."
"I told you what I know." Deaq met Billie's eyes unflinchingly, determined to protect Van at all costs, even from Billie's good intentions.
But Billie knew Deaq well enough to know when he was holding out on her. "Let's recap what you told me. Roberts knew Van when he was a kid. And Roberts pegged you and Van as cops. So Roberts takes Van into his office, threatens to have you killed if you and Van don't leave pronto and then Roberts shoves an ice pick into Van's back. Am I missing anything?"
Deaq shook his head, "No, you got things straight."
"Do I?" she challenged with a tone that could cut glass. "Why didn't Roberts kill you both? Why didn't he rat you out to Martel? Why'd he take Van on the field trip and threaten you?"
"I don't know, Billie! Ask Roberts not me!" Deaq shouted back.
For a moment or two Billie silently looked at Deaq before she nodded her head. She was beginning to understand and she surmised without condemnation, "Roberts used you against Van, didn't he? What did Van have to do to save your life?"
Panic tore through Deaq at Billie's words. He needed to deflect Billie's line of questioning before she knew the truth. "He got me outta the club, that's how he saved my life. We walked away." His own words caught him hard. Walking away from Roberts was what Van wanted to do now...it was still Van's final solution.
"Deaq, I'm not out to hurt Van. Whatever went down we'll weather the storm, together..all three of us. But what I'm looking for are ways to keep Van safe and I can't do that effectively if I don't know what happened at the club."
But Deaq turned his back on Billie and took a few steps away. "Van's my partner, Billie. I'm gonna stand by him no matter what." Then he turned to face her, "It's his story to tell or not tell, not mine."
"Deaq this isn't about loyalties, it's about Van's life."
"I know that, Billie. But it still makes it his decision to let you in or not....to let me in or not. I don't know what his past is with Roberts and as you can tell, Van's not talking." An exhausted laugh broke from Deaq, "If you told me there'ld be a day I "wanted" Van Ray to talk, I wouldna believed you. Usually can't shut the man up and now ..." he broke off and his eyes darkened in worry.
Billie finished his thought, "he's shutting us out."
Deaq sighed, "I'm not trying to hold out on you, Billie but I'm not gonna betray Van's confidence. He wants to tell you, that's on him."
For a moment Billie intensely studied Deaq before she put her hands up in defeat. "Alright. I don't like it but I respect your loyalty. I'll just have to work on the information I do know.... for now."
"We any closer to getting Roberts in at least for questioning?" Deaq changed gears.
Anger set into Billie's features at the question, "No. The Feds are completely blocking any requests I make to bring in Roberts. But if they haven't been able to make a case against Roberts, we're going to have to think outside the box to bring him down."
Deaq smiled but no humor reached his eyes, "That ain't gonna be a problem. We live outside the box."
Billie offered a small smile. "Why don't you go home and get some rest. I can stay here with Van."
"No, I'm good. You spotted me for a few hours today and I slept. I'm Ok for the night."
"You think Roberts will make a move against Van?"
Deaq remembered Van's words, the conviction in them. "Actually, after talking to Van, I don't think he will. If he wanted Van dead, all he had to do was move the ice pick an inch higher. Man like Roberts doesn't make those kind of mistakes."
"No he doesn't." Billie agreed, hatred brimming in her eyes as she remembered the cool way Roberts had looked, the casual tone he had used when he surmised that Van was still alive. "Bastard didn't really care if Van lived or died."
"Why does that piss me off even more?!" Deaq angrily questioned.
"Hurting Van was personal to Roberts. It wasn't about protecting his interest or finishing a contract job...it was about pleasure."
"You got a strong vibe off of Roberts after one meet, huh?"
"He didn't even bother trying to conceal his pleasure at hurting Van."
"We may disagree about some things, Billie, but I know we agree on this: Cade Roberts is ending up in either a cage or a casket."
"True that," Billie slanged back but her eyes held not a hint of warmth as she thought of Cade Roberts.
Having stopped at the nurses station and alerted them to Van's return to consciousness, Deaq patiently waited until the doctor left before he reentered the room only to find Van fast asleep. But that sight eased some of Deaq's tension. The doctor was pleased with Van's progress and having Van wake up and talk was a blessing to Deaq. Van's silence the previous day had become unbearable and many a time Deaq had wanted to walk away but he couldn't. He had sworn not to leave Van and though he knew that didn't mean he had to be there every second, he feared that something would happen in his absence. That Van would need him and he wouldn't be there.
Even now that Van was doing better, those protective instincts hadn't diminished. He had known Van for a year and for all they had been through, good and bad, Deaq had never been shut out by Van. Not like now. Even the most personal things, things Deaq cringed to hear, Van talked about. In fact the only thing Van hardly ever talked about was his dad. Suddenly a correlation sprang to Deaq's mind. It wasn't much of a stretch to guess Van knew Roberts through Ray Ray.
Sinking back into the chair that had been his home for two days, Deaq softly mumbled as he watched his partner sleep, "I'm beginning to understand why you hate being Raymond Ray's son."
The minute he awake the next day, Van was ushered from one test to another, from one doctor, to one another but in truth, he didn't mind. It ensured him that neither Billie nor Deaq could press him about Roberts. And when he finally was deposited back into his room, having received good reports from all the tests, it was late afternoon.
To his relief, his room was empty of his constant visitor. Deaq had finally lost patience in waiting around for him to be returned to his room and he apparently hadn't even called in Billie to take his place at Van's side.
The nurse had barely stepped out of the room before Van pulled out his IV. It was time to get outta Dodge...before Deaq came back or Billie showed up and began the inquisition in earnest. No, he was leaving now and he was going to go...hell, he didn't know where he would go but it sure wasn't gonna be someplace he could be found.
Pushing back the covers, Van attempted to sit up but his body mercilessly spiked pain through his every cell. Falling back onto the bed with a moan, Van closed his eyes and tried to breath through the agony. It felt like Roberts pick was again lodged into his back.
"Pros play hurt," he wheezed, opened his eyes and this time slowly and carefully rolled to his side and, using his hand, pushed himself up into a sitting position. The world spun for a moment before it came into focus. Gathering his strength, he eased one foot and then the other onto the floor then levered himself off the bed and stood on weak legs but the point was he was standing, never mind the pain that it generated from his back.
Taking a deep breath he began the short but arduous trek to the closet and pulled out the shopping bag of clothing he had bribed the candy stripper to buy him. Crossing again to the bed, he sat down, pulled out the jeans and shirt and began the slow painful process of getting dressed, praying that he could make good on his escape.
Deaq scowled as he walked down the hallway back to Van's room. Billie's news had been all bad. She had been, not too politely, warned off the case by the Feds, had been denied warrants by every judge she knew and to top things off, the Feds wanted to talk to Van.
But as he came within a few feet of Van's room, Deaq plastered on his 'everything's fine in my world' look and strolled into the room. He sighed at the sight of the empty room. How many tests could they run on a man?! Heading for his customary chair he came up short as he looked at the unmade bed. His hand shot out and picked up the hospital gown that lay discarded on the bed and then he saw the shopping bag. "Jail break," he cursed, and still clutching the gown headed to the nurses station.
"Van Ray went AWOL. Who saw him last?" he demanded of the two nurses who manned the station.
"AWOL? What are you talking about?" the younger of the two nurses questioned.
But the other nurse didn't need a translation. "But I just put him back in his room not more than five minutes ago!"
With that knowledge, Deaq dropped the gown on the counter and ran for the elevator. Van could not have gotten far, injured as he was. The doors were closing as Deaq slid into the elevator and joined the only other occupant: Van.
Both men were startled to be facing one another. Moments prior, Van had been so relieved that he had been able to duck into the elevator before Deaq spotted him but then the darn doors wouldn't close right away. Apparently luck was against him.
"What do you think you're doing, Van?!" Deaq railed while the doors closed and the elevator began it's descent. Instinctively Deaq stepped forward intending to lend his support to his bone white faced partner who leaned heavily against the elevator walls. But Van held up his hand, warding off Deaq's touch.
"I got this," Van insisted, refusing Deaq's assistance.
"You got this?!" Deaq repeated incredulously. "Van you look like Casper the friendly ghost...except whiter. You are going back to that bed." Deaq insisted with a tone that brooked no arguments, stepped over to the control panel, reaching for the third floor button where Van's room was located.
Van stepped forward to block Deaq's action but his body was not up for that kind of quick motion. Suddenly he felt like the elevator was doing rolls and his legs began to drop him to the floor.
Unprepared for Van to start to crumble to the ground, Deaq barely reacted in time to keep Van off the floor. Catching Van in his grasp, Deaq unintentionally touched the wound on Van's back, eliciting a cry of pain from Van and further sapping the man's strength.
Desperately trying to stay on his feet, Van clutched onto Deaq's coat lapels to anchor himself and urged with pain filled breathes, "Stop helping me, Deaq."
"Sorry, Van," Deaq apologized. "I'll get you back to your room," and he began again to reach for the third floor button but Van caught his wrist and their eye met.
"I'm leaving Deaq," Van stated resolutely as he released his grip on Deaq and stood up straight with his own regained strength.
Deaq dropped his supportive hold on Van but quietly demanded, "Leaving what, Van? The hospital? The Candy Store Operation? LA?"
Van was unprepared for Deaq's perceptiveness and he didn't school his reaction as he would have wanted.
Deaq read him like a book and before Van could respond he quietly answered for him, "All you know is you're leaving. You don't even know where to go."
Unable to gather the strength for a denial, Van pleaded for understanding, "I can't stay here, Deaq."
Seeing the need in Van's eyes, Deaq swore as his resolve crumbled. "Billie will kill us both for this."
A smile pulled onto Van's face, "Tell her you never saw me leave."
"Saw you leave?!" Deaq echoed, "You're confused about this furlough, player. You're leaving with me, not without me."
"Deaq, I gotta go it alone," Van protested as the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to the ground level.
But Deaq gave him a smile back, "That's too bad, Van, cause we're doing like the Olsen twins. You can't see one without the other." Stepping from the elevator, he turned to face Van questioningly.
Indecision warred with Van but he knew in truth he had two options now that Deaq had caught him: go back to the bed or go along with Deaq. It was like choosing the lesser of two evils. The elevator's doors started to close and he had yet to make a move. At the last second he shot his hand out between the doors, the doors retracted and he stepped from the elevator.
"Don't suppose I could drive?" he hazarded.
But Deaq shook his head, "Not a chance, man." And then they began to walk for the door but at a much slower pace than either man usually adopted.
"Don't do that," Van lowly demanded, as he looked to Deaq as they crossed toward the door.
"Do what?" Deaq countered, keeping even with Van's slow painful walk.
"Hover," Van clarified.
Deaq shrugged, "You want to get a close up look at this floor like you almost did in the elevator, that's on you." He paused and then added in contemplation "Course, if you go down, I'll look like a fool and that ain't happening."
Quiet filled the '65 Mustang and Deaq was reminded of the ride he had shared with Van coming from Club 9.
"You alright over there, partner?" his tone concerned but the next words came out more harshly than he intended. "You're not bleeding all over the interior or anything," and he shot a quick glance to Van who was leaning heavily back on the seat, looking out the side window.
Without pulling his gaze from the view outside the car, Van conversationally replied, "So I take it you're pissed?"
Instead of answering, Deaq fired off another question, "Why didn't you tell me Roberts hurt you?!" Seeing the tightness in Van's jaw line, Deaq knew an explanation would not be forthcoming. He determinedly pressed harder, "You asked me to drop you off home, if I had done that you woulda died, Van!?!" This still did not draw Van's attention from the window. Dividing his look between the road and his partner, Deaq surmised quietly, "'Course maybe that's what you wanted...to check out."
But Van did not offer up a denial as Deaq had hoped. Instead he softly stated as if it was an explanation. "You don't know Cade Roberts."
"True that...but I thought I knew you."
Van met Deaq's eyes for the first time since they got in the Mustang. "Well, you don't," he countered softly before he resumed his fascination with the outside world.
Deaq pulled into the Candy Store, still turning a deaf ear to Van's objections to this destination. Cutting the engine, Deaq turned to Van and plastered on a goading smile. "Here we are, home sweet home." Then he climbed from the Mustang, but unlike the last time, he did not walk away but made his way over to Van's door.
He had just opened the door when Billie's incredulous voice echoed through the Candy Store, "What is Van doing out of the hospital?!". Her eyes bore into Deaq as she left her office and crossed over to the car.
"He went AWOL," Deaq explained.
"And you decided to be his driver?!" she fired back.
"Hey, why are you yelling at me?! Van's the fool who bounced from the hospital!"
Billie took a step closer to Deaq as her voice raised, "You let him do it."
"Just stop!" Van interrupted from his position in the car. "This is too reminiscent of my childhood." Undoing the seat belt, he began to maneuver from the car. He looked up as Deaq offered him a hand. After a moment he took his partner's hand and was helped from the Mustang.
Once Deaq was certain Van could remain standing on his own, Deaq dropped his grip on Van. Van stood before Billie and met his boss's assessing look unflinchingly.
"You ready to tell us about Roberts?" Billie softly asked.
A fleeting smirk crossed Van's face but his eyes told the truth. "Nope." Then he sighed, "But I owe you that much."
"Yeah, you do." Billie wrapped her arm carefully around Van and led him to the couch and helped him settle into the cushions before she claimed the chair facing him. Deaq sank into the couch beside Van but turned to face his partner.
A silence fell onto the threesome. Van leaned back against the cushions and looked down at his hands for a moment before he met Billie's open stare. He knew that he couldn't speak about the past until he confessed his present sins. "I told Cade Roberts that we were gonna use counterfeit chips to trip up Martel. I told him about Martel's brother ratting."
To Van's relief, Billie's reaction was neither one of disgust or outrage. Deaq, however, gave a groan of disagreement. He had given all that effort to protect Van and the man blows it by being Mr. Confession.
Turning to Deaq, Van tapped Deaq's leg, "I know you had my back on this Deaq but I gotta pay for my own decisions."
"You did it to save me," Deaq defended then turned hard eyes to Billie. "He did it to save me. I'ld be in a body bag if he hadn't told Roberts what he wanted to hear."
"I know," Billie steadily replied as she nodded her head. Meeting Van's worried eyes she reassured firmly, "This stays between us. Understand."
"Billie I flipped?!" Van protested.
But Billie firmed refuted, "No, you saved your partner's life. 'Sides Roberts already knew enough of the score to guess the outcome even if you had stood silent." It was a moment before Van accepted her decision. "Now let's concentrate on bringing Roberts down." She held Van's eyes, and he knew the burden of that task depended on his willingness to open up.
Suddenly Van felt like he was going to be sick as his eyes flickered between Billie and Deaq. He talked about almost everything but he had never talked about Cade Roberts...ever.
Sensing Van's unease, Deaq encouraged, "Whatever you tell us stays here."
Hampered by his injury, Van could not leap from the couch and pace as he usually did when he was nervous or amped up. Instead he was chained to the couch, pinned by the look of two people who thought they knew him best. It killed him to destroy their illusion of him.
Sharing a worried look with Deaq, Billie refocused on Van. "I can see this is personal for you, Van, and we would back off but we care too damn much about you."
This earned her Van's startled attention and seeing the truth in her eyes, he nodded and began quietly to speak. "I worked for Cade Roberts," he confessed, deciding not to sugar coat anything. When condemnation did not seep into Deaq or Billie's look, he continued. "When I was sixteen Ray Ray took on a job for Roberts and asked for some front money. And Ray Ray would tell you it was gonna be the best paper he ever made," a smirk pulled up Van's lips before it faded away to a tight line, "but he never got the job done. He got pinched two days after he brokered the deal with Roberts."
Here Van's look dropped to his hands and he missed the shared look between his boss and partner. They were beginning to see where this was leading and it made their stomachs clench.
"Roberts came to me looking for his front money or the bills. I had neither. Ray Ray had used every cent of the front money to roll an upgrade for his operation and all those new counterfeiting machines were in some evidence room downtown." Van forced himself to meet Billie's eyes. "Roberts told me I had a week to gather the front money ....or he'd kill my parents."
Deaq surged from the couch with a curse and began to pace. But Billie's eyes turned black with anger. "How much was the front money?"
"Fifty large."
This caused Billie to close her eyes in anguish and hang her head and elicited an outcry from Deaq, "Fifty thousand dollars?! You were sixteen?! How the hell did he expect you to get that?!"
Van's eyes met Deaq's. "He didn't. He gave me another "option.""
Here Billie supplied "To work off your debts with him."
Van nodded in agreement and ran his hand through his hair before he leaned forward, his head down. "I couldn't run...even if my mother and I took off...my father was easy prey in jail. And I couldn't pay."
"Roberts left you no out. You had to try and work off your debt...Ray Ray's debt," Deaq said quietly, feeling strongly for Van's untenable situation.
Van again answered with a nod.
"But Fifty Thousand is a lot to work off.." Billie began trying not to pressure Van but needing to know the whole picture.
"How'd I ever work it off?" Van interpreted Billie's unasked question. "I didn't. Teddy McNar found out how Roberts had me creased...and he paid off the debt."
At the mention of Ray Ray's usual partner, Deaq questioned, "McNar wasn't in the deal with Ray Ray and Roberts?"
"No. When my father mentioned Cade Roberts, McNar, for the first time in their partnership, walked. He wasn't foolish enough to do business with Roberts or the mob."
The picture was almost clear for Billie but still some things didn't mesh. "So Roberts got his money, then why's he'd try to kill you in his club."
"Roberts didn't want my debt to get paid. Ever. See, a mob guy had pulled Cade off the street when he was a kid and mentored him. And Cade had wanted to return the favor by mentoring someone else."
"You," Billie surmised.
"Me and Boyd Keyes, a kid he pulled out of a street gang," but Van's voice had dropped when he spoke of Boyd and Billie knew there was a story to tell there. A story she didn't need to know...at least not now.
"So he's pissed 'cause you bounced 'stead of playing Karate Kid to his Mr. Miyagi?" Deaq questioned, sensing there was more to Roberts' animosity than what Van was implying.
Van's jaw tightened, "We didn't part on good terms. McNar handed him the money but he didn't accept it, said I had to work off the debt myself. So McNar went to Roberts' boss, a member of the mob that I never even heard of, and cut a deal. He'd make some paper for them in exchange for my release from Roberts employ."
Deaq snorted. "Oh, yeah, that went over well with Roberts."
"But Cade had no choice and I walked and never looked back."
"Till you stepped into Club 9 three days ago," Billie said, bringing the tale full circle. "Seems he's still holding a grudge."
"Yeah," Deaq agreed with anger in his voice.
Van remained silent.
"Well, now I'm the one holding the grudge," Billie growled. "With your statement we can bring him down, Van."
"No," Van resolutely answered. "He let me walk away this time and I'm walking."
***************************************************
TBC
Whew! I know that was long but I hope it didn't bore you? I get a little carried away writing conversations but these character had a lot to work through to get the plot where I needed it to be. Besides, I was afraid you'd all lynch me if I didn't reveal Roberts and Van's past in this chapter!?! Love to hear what you think of this update!!!!!
************************
Replies to Reviews
*****************************
DKM: I think you should take a chance and post at least the first chapter in your Witchblade story. Let your readers have their say. I was relieved that you liked the last chapter because I wasn't sure if I had Billie down or not. And yeah, I think I woulda shot Roberts if I had been in her shoes too. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions about Van and Roberts's past...but I hope it left you also wondering what Van wasn't saying. Thanks so much for reading this story and I hope you drop me a review after this chapter so I know how I'm doing with the story.
Blabbering: I'm glad you like my little replies down here. I just really appreciate every person who takes the time to read and review this story..any of my stories, that the very least I can do is thank them. And I absolutely love getting to know people and it's a real treat hearing what they really think of the story and getting some advice when the story's missing something. So thank you so much for reviewing! You've made my day by that generous gesture!! Well, this chapter had Van galore...hope you liked?! So glad you liked my portrayal of Billie in the last chapter. I really need help writing her in character so if you see me going off line, please tow me in! Love to hear what you thought of this chapter?
Fanfastln: So glad you liked last chapter! It was a hard one for me to write! I hope this chapter progressed the plot...I just kept writing and just couldn't break this long chapter up because I needed to know I gave you something to sink your teeth into. (I did, didn't I?) Loved to hear what you thought of this chapter!
Leann: Hope I gave you enough info, at least for now, about Roberts and Van's past. I just kept writing and writing and writing and I knew I couldn't hold out that info from you for another chapter so that's why this chapter's sooooo long. Hope it wasn't boring?! Thank you so much for your compliments! I really fed on them!
ZoZe: You can repeat yourself as much as you want when you say such wonderful things!! So is your curiosity somewhat satisfied or have I only mudded the water? The next chapter will be more action so I hope you were ok with this "talky" chapter. I'm a sucker for conversations.
Silent Typewriter: No! Not rotten tomatoes!! I'm updating! I'm updating!! Sorry Billie didn't see much action this chapter..in fact, no one saw any action this chapter but things will heat up next chapters ...especially for Van. Love to hear what you think of this chapter!
Hazelnut: I'm so pleased that you find my writing interesting. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm boring my readers to tears because I get a little obsessed with writing conversations as I did in this chapter. And I'm so amazed by your English!! It's my native language and I sometimes stink at expressing myself?!?! I'm hoping you liked the progress of the plot this chapter????
Lynne: Glad I didn't disappoint you last chapter! And I agree about Billie seeming to have a short fuse...that was always fun to watch in the episodes because she tried to remain so cold and in control. I just thought, after losing his brother, Deaq would probably take Van's near death situation very seriously. Glad you liked my take on that. Loved to hear your comments on this chapter!
Mfkngst: Thanks for your review! And I'm really cruel but I just came up with that ice pick in the back idea and I couldn't convince myself to write a less violent attack. Glad you liked my cruelty. As for the Van/Billie romance, sorry but that's just not going to happen in this particular story. But if you write it, I'll read it! They'd be a cool couple!
Sirith: I'm blushing over your compliments!! Thanks!!! And I know ALL about that depression. I LOVED Fastlane..(but I think you already figured that out and I bet you could even guess my favorite character?!? I'm so easy to read.) While the show was airing I wrote a fic and wanted to post it to ffnet but they didn't have the category and even my plea to add the category didn't get a response. Then low and behold, the category appeared months after the show had been cancelled. I don't know who finally gave the OK for the category but I'm grateful!! Great shows should always remain alive at least in fanfiction!!!! I would really like to know your comments on this chapter!
Thanks to everyone who read this chapter!!!!!
Cheryl W.
Author: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fastlane or anything in conjunction with Fastlane nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Replies to Reviews are at the bottom of this chapter
*******************************
Chapter 5
*******************************************
The first sensation that Van registered was pain. The kind of pain that made you swear to never do again whatever you did to be in this much pain. But as his mind recalled what had occurred to prompt his pain, dread washed over him as the truth became clear: He wasn't dead.
For all the times he had cheated death this seemed to be the grim reaper's revenge. Life when all he wanted was the escape of death. It seemed that fate was as much of an SOB as Cade Roberts.
Before he could fully conquer the pain searing through his every cell, raised voices made their way into his brain.
"You must leave. Visiting hours resume in the morning," an irritated female voice demanded.
"And I'm telling you, I'm not leaving," came back an unrelenting voice...a voice Van knew: Deaq's.
"This hospital runs on rules..." the woman countered but Deaq cut her off.
"Yeah, and I got my own rule about not leaving my partner when he needs me."
"I can call security," the woman challenged.
"Do that but I hope they bring enough firepower to start Armageddon," Deaq sallied back. Then Van heard the whish of a door opening and closing. A moment later, he heard a worried sigh fill the room.
For the first time, Van decided to make the effort to crawl to full consciousness and steeled himself to face the consequences that awaited him. When he managed to open his eyes he began to blink hard, trying to get things to come into focus. The first thing he saw clearly was Deaq standing facing the door, his shoulders slumped in worry. Van wanted to call out Deaq's name but he couldn't find the strength to even form that one word.
As if sensing his friend's consciousness, Deaq spun around and a smile broke onto his face as his eyes met Van's. Crossing to the bedside he looked down to
Van's pale face, "Welcome back to the real world, partner."
Van began to try to sit up but immediately Deaq's hand fell to his shoulder and held Van fast to the bed. "Stay still, Van," Deaq cautioned but it was hardly necessary as agony swept across Van, making him lie limply back against the mattress, his eyes clamped shut against the pain. "You're gonna be alright, man."
'He thinks that's the good news,' ran through Van's head a moment before he reopened his eyes and met Deaq's worried gaze. He needed to know how things stood. "Deaq.." he began but it only came out a weak croak.
"Hold up," Deaq cut in and he brought a cup with a straw over to Van. Slipping his one hand behind Van's neck, Deaq eased Van forward enough to take a drink of the water he held. Sensing Van had had his fill, Deaq eased Van again to the bed and set the cup on the table.
Now Van swallowed hard and asked the question that burned within him, "How'd Billie take the news about me flipping?" his words breathless and weak but Deaq could clearly hear Van's desperation for the truth.
But Deaq side stepped his partner's question. "You did not flip, Van. You saved my life!"
"Deaq?" Van pressed for the answer he sought.
Deaq looked away for a moment then met Van's eyes steadily. "I didn't tell her about it." At Van's surprised and opposing look, Deaq continued, "This is between you and me, Van. She ain't got a say in it." And Deaq vividly remembered how hard Billie had pressed him for the full story about what went down at the club but Deaq had refused to give it up. Some things stayed between partners...forever.
Van tried again to sit up but again Deaq pressed him back, "Deaq, I blew our case!" Van objected, his breathing labored, "I compromised our cover .." he drew in another pained breath, " ....and the whole Candy Store operation!"
"Easy, Van," Deaq soothed gently, "You didn't compromise a thing. Like you said, Roberts already knew about you and me being cops and about the Candy Store. As far as this case, our objective was to take down Martel..." here Deaq's words faded but Van knew what his partner was leaving unsaid.
"Colin Martel's missing," Van stated more than questioned but Deaq nodded his head anyway. Van shut his eyes tightly. Some things never changed. Dealings with Roberts always came down to a body count. The trick was to not let you or yours be among the number.
"Cade Roberts is going down, Van. That I promise you." Deaq's hard words brought Van's eyes snapping open and searing into his partner.
"Drop it, Deaq," Van said with a cold finality Deaq had never heard before from his partner.
Stunned by Van's request, Deaq incredulously repeated, "Drop it?! Van, the man tried to kill you!"
"Well, he didn't. I'm OK," Van assured but Deaq's protest was hard on the heels of his words.
"OK?!" Deaq exclaimed with disbelief before he pointed to the heart monitor to the left of Van's bed, "See that machine, Van, that's here 'cause they were afraid your heart would stop!" He tapped the pole that held the IV bag, "This here's giving you morphine so you're not writhing in pain. And let's not forget the internal bleeding you had, the two days you've been unconscious and the blood transfusion they gave you to replace all that blood you lost in the seat of the Ferrari."
Van's eyes had never wavered from his partner's during Deaq's whole tirade. Silence held in the room a moment before Van conversationally questioned, "So, is Billie gonna have to reupholster the Ferrari?"
"Damn you, Van!" Deaq exploded, his ragged emotions finally at their end. "You almost died! Don't treat this like some joke!"
Van's eyes turned cold at those words and he countered lowly, "Nothing's funny with Roberts. That's why I'm walking away. Why "we" are walking away."
Deaq couldn't grasp what was going through Van's head. "Walking away?! He's gonna come after you when he learns you survived?!"
"He won't come after me," Van denied, his voice quiet and listless even as the light in his eyes seemed to fade.
Trying to get through to his partner, Deaq quietly but firmly stated, "Van, he tried to kill you and failed."
But Van shook his head and a sad smile tipped up his lips, "If Cade cared whether I lived or died he woulda finished the job in the club."
"You can pin him with attempted murder on a cop, Van?!" Deaq argued.
Van's eyes steadily met Deaq's and he softly declared with finality, "But I won't." A pause. "And Cade knows that."
Stunned, Deaq tried to form words, tried to decipher Van's motives for a moment. When he finally opened his mouth it wasn't his voice that broke the silence but Billie's.
"What hold does Roberts have over you, Van?" Billie gently questioned, and both men's eyes swung to the doorway as she entered and crossed over to Van's bedside. Looking down at her pale officer, Billie's eyes softened and she smiled, "You don't know how good it is to hear you talking, Van."
A forced smirk flitted across Van's face but Billie's initial question creased his brow with worry.
Sensing that Van would not answer her question without strong pressure, Billie sat beside Van on the bed and studied him. She easily detected the pain in his features and the pallor of his skin. Now was not the time for a full inquisition. Then, for one of the few times when dealing with Van or Deaq, she let her voice turn tender, "How about you get some more rest. We'll talk later."
Van's eyes searched hers and he knew that this was only a small reprieve. Billie would press him for the full story relentlessly once some of her worry for him diminished. Deciding that he'd take whatever opportunity he could to delay that conversation, he nodded. "Yeah, alright, I'll rest."
Deaq scowled at Van's easy capitulation, not only did it prove to Deaq how very hurt Van was but it also spoke volumes on how resistant Van was to talking things through. 'So much for hoping to finally get a good, worry free night's sleep tonight' he told himself, already feeling his worry for Van spike in a new direction.
Billie's smile did not fade as she stood up and walked for the door. Turning to Van, Deaq said, "I'm sticking around, Van, but I gotta talk to Billie. I'll be back in a few."
But Van replied, his pain and exhaustion increasingly evident in his voice and the look on his face, "Go home, Deaq. I'm O.K."
"Don't start with that "I'm Ok" thing again," Deaq warned. "And I said I'll be hanging around so get some sleep, man." And before Van could offer up further protests, Deaq walked out of the room.
Coming out of Van's room, Deaq came face to face with Billie.
"He's not talking so you better," she demanded, the tenderness that she had leveled at Van turning into steely resolve. "Roberts has a hold on him and I think you know what it is."
"Billie we've been over this..." Deaq began but Billie cut him off ruthlessly.
"Yeah, and now I want the full story." Then Billie grabbed Deaq by the arm and guided him down the hallway and out a side door onto a patio. Stepping up to be toe to toe with Deaq she ordered, "Start talking."
"I told you what I know." Deaq met Billie's eyes unflinchingly, determined to protect Van at all costs, even from Billie's good intentions.
But Billie knew Deaq well enough to know when he was holding out on her. "Let's recap what you told me. Roberts knew Van when he was a kid. And Roberts pegged you and Van as cops. So Roberts takes Van into his office, threatens to have you killed if you and Van don't leave pronto and then Roberts shoves an ice pick into Van's back. Am I missing anything?"
Deaq shook his head, "No, you got things straight."
"Do I?" she challenged with a tone that could cut glass. "Why didn't Roberts kill you both? Why didn't he rat you out to Martel? Why'd he take Van on the field trip and threaten you?"
"I don't know, Billie! Ask Roberts not me!" Deaq shouted back.
For a moment or two Billie silently looked at Deaq before she nodded her head. She was beginning to understand and she surmised without condemnation, "Roberts used you against Van, didn't he? What did Van have to do to save your life?"
Panic tore through Deaq at Billie's words. He needed to deflect Billie's line of questioning before she knew the truth. "He got me outta the club, that's how he saved my life. We walked away." His own words caught him hard. Walking away from Roberts was what Van wanted to do now...it was still Van's final solution.
"Deaq, I'm not out to hurt Van. Whatever went down we'll weather the storm, together..all three of us. But what I'm looking for are ways to keep Van safe and I can't do that effectively if I don't know what happened at the club."
But Deaq turned his back on Billie and took a few steps away. "Van's my partner, Billie. I'm gonna stand by him no matter what." Then he turned to face her, "It's his story to tell or not tell, not mine."
"Deaq this isn't about loyalties, it's about Van's life."
"I know that, Billie. But it still makes it his decision to let you in or not....to let me in or not. I don't know what his past is with Roberts and as you can tell, Van's not talking." An exhausted laugh broke from Deaq, "If you told me there'ld be a day I "wanted" Van Ray to talk, I wouldna believed you. Usually can't shut the man up and now ..." he broke off and his eyes darkened in worry.
Billie finished his thought, "he's shutting us out."
Deaq sighed, "I'm not trying to hold out on you, Billie but I'm not gonna betray Van's confidence. He wants to tell you, that's on him."
For a moment Billie intensely studied Deaq before she put her hands up in defeat. "Alright. I don't like it but I respect your loyalty. I'll just have to work on the information I do know.... for now."
"We any closer to getting Roberts in at least for questioning?" Deaq changed gears.
Anger set into Billie's features at the question, "No. The Feds are completely blocking any requests I make to bring in Roberts. But if they haven't been able to make a case against Roberts, we're going to have to think outside the box to bring him down."
Deaq smiled but no humor reached his eyes, "That ain't gonna be a problem. We live outside the box."
Billie offered a small smile. "Why don't you go home and get some rest. I can stay here with Van."
"No, I'm good. You spotted me for a few hours today and I slept. I'm Ok for the night."
"You think Roberts will make a move against Van?"
Deaq remembered Van's words, the conviction in them. "Actually, after talking to Van, I don't think he will. If he wanted Van dead, all he had to do was move the ice pick an inch higher. Man like Roberts doesn't make those kind of mistakes."
"No he doesn't." Billie agreed, hatred brimming in her eyes as she remembered the cool way Roberts had looked, the casual tone he had used when he surmised that Van was still alive. "Bastard didn't really care if Van lived or died."
"Why does that piss me off even more?!" Deaq angrily questioned.
"Hurting Van was personal to Roberts. It wasn't about protecting his interest or finishing a contract job...it was about pleasure."
"You got a strong vibe off of Roberts after one meet, huh?"
"He didn't even bother trying to conceal his pleasure at hurting Van."
"We may disagree about some things, Billie, but I know we agree on this: Cade Roberts is ending up in either a cage or a casket."
"True that," Billie slanged back but her eyes held not a hint of warmth as she thought of Cade Roberts.
Having stopped at the nurses station and alerted them to Van's return to consciousness, Deaq patiently waited until the doctor left before he reentered the room only to find Van fast asleep. But that sight eased some of Deaq's tension. The doctor was pleased with Van's progress and having Van wake up and talk was a blessing to Deaq. Van's silence the previous day had become unbearable and many a time Deaq had wanted to walk away but he couldn't. He had sworn not to leave Van and though he knew that didn't mean he had to be there every second, he feared that something would happen in his absence. That Van would need him and he wouldn't be there.
Even now that Van was doing better, those protective instincts hadn't diminished. He had known Van for a year and for all they had been through, good and bad, Deaq had never been shut out by Van. Not like now. Even the most personal things, things Deaq cringed to hear, Van talked about. In fact the only thing Van hardly ever talked about was his dad. Suddenly a correlation sprang to Deaq's mind. It wasn't much of a stretch to guess Van knew Roberts through Ray Ray.
Sinking back into the chair that had been his home for two days, Deaq softly mumbled as he watched his partner sleep, "I'm beginning to understand why you hate being Raymond Ray's son."
The minute he awake the next day, Van was ushered from one test to another, from one doctor, to one another but in truth, he didn't mind. It ensured him that neither Billie nor Deaq could press him about Roberts. And when he finally was deposited back into his room, having received good reports from all the tests, it was late afternoon.
To his relief, his room was empty of his constant visitor. Deaq had finally lost patience in waiting around for him to be returned to his room and he apparently hadn't even called in Billie to take his place at Van's side.
The nurse had barely stepped out of the room before Van pulled out his IV. It was time to get outta Dodge...before Deaq came back or Billie showed up and began the inquisition in earnest. No, he was leaving now and he was going to go...hell, he didn't know where he would go but it sure wasn't gonna be someplace he could be found.
Pushing back the covers, Van attempted to sit up but his body mercilessly spiked pain through his every cell. Falling back onto the bed with a moan, Van closed his eyes and tried to breath through the agony. It felt like Roberts pick was again lodged into his back.
"Pros play hurt," he wheezed, opened his eyes and this time slowly and carefully rolled to his side and, using his hand, pushed himself up into a sitting position. The world spun for a moment before it came into focus. Gathering his strength, he eased one foot and then the other onto the floor then levered himself off the bed and stood on weak legs but the point was he was standing, never mind the pain that it generated from his back.
Taking a deep breath he began the short but arduous trek to the closet and pulled out the shopping bag of clothing he had bribed the candy stripper to buy him. Crossing again to the bed, he sat down, pulled out the jeans and shirt and began the slow painful process of getting dressed, praying that he could make good on his escape.
Deaq scowled as he walked down the hallway back to Van's room. Billie's news had been all bad. She had been, not too politely, warned off the case by the Feds, had been denied warrants by every judge she knew and to top things off, the Feds wanted to talk to Van.
But as he came within a few feet of Van's room, Deaq plastered on his 'everything's fine in my world' look and strolled into the room. He sighed at the sight of the empty room. How many tests could they run on a man?! Heading for his customary chair he came up short as he looked at the unmade bed. His hand shot out and picked up the hospital gown that lay discarded on the bed and then he saw the shopping bag. "Jail break," he cursed, and still clutching the gown headed to the nurses station.
"Van Ray went AWOL. Who saw him last?" he demanded of the two nurses who manned the station.
"AWOL? What are you talking about?" the younger of the two nurses questioned.
But the other nurse didn't need a translation. "But I just put him back in his room not more than five minutes ago!"
With that knowledge, Deaq dropped the gown on the counter and ran for the elevator. Van could not have gotten far, injured as he was. The doors were closing as Deaq slid into the elevator and joined the only other occupant: Van.
Both men were startled to be facing one another. Moments prior, Van had been so relieved that he had been able to duck into the elevator before Deaq spotted him but then the darn doors wouldn't close right away. Apparently luck was against him.
"What do you think you're doing, Van?!" Deaq railed while the doors closed and the elevator began it's descent. Instinctively Deaq stepped forward intending to lend his support to his bone white faced partner who leaned heavily against the elevator walls. But Van held up his hand, warding off Deaq's touch.
"I got this," Van insisted, refusing Deaq's assistance.
"You got this?!" Deaq repeated incredulously. "Van you look like Casper the friendly ghost...except whiter. You are going back to that bed." Deaq insisted with a tone that brooked no arguments, stepped over to the control panel, reaching for the third floor button where Van's room was located.
Van stepped forward to block Deaq's action but his body was not up for that kind of quick motion. Suddenly he felt like the elevator was doing rolls and his legs began to drop him to the floor.
Unprepared for Van to start to crumble to the ground, Deaq barely reacted in time to keep Van off the floor. Catching Van in his grasp, Deaq unintentionally touched the wound on Van's back, eliciting a cry of pain from Van and further sapping the man's strength.
Desperately trying to stay on his feet, Van clutched onto Deaq's coat lapels to anchor himself and urged with pain filled breathes, "Stop helping me, Deaq."
"Sorry, Van," Deaq apologized. "I'll get you back to your room," and he began again to reach for the third floor button but Van caught his wrist and their eye met.
"I'm leaving Deaq," Van stated resolutely as he released his grip on Deaq and stood up straight with his own regained strength.
Deaq dropped his supportive hold on Van but quietly demanded, "Leaving what, Van? The hospital? The Candy Store Operation? LA?"
Van was unprepared for Deaq's perceptiveness and he didn't school his reaction as he would have wanted.
Deaq read him like a book and before Van could respond he quietly answered for him, "All you know is you're leaving. You don't even know where to go."
Unable to gather the strength for a denial, Van pleaded for understanding, "I can't stay here, Deaq."
Seeing the need in Van's eyes, Deaq swore as his resolve crumbled. "Billie will kill us both for this."
A smile pulled onto Van's face, "Tell her you never saw me leave."
"Saw you leave?!" Deaq echoed, "You're confused about this furlough, player. You're leaving with me, not without me."
"Deaq, I gotta go it alone," Van protested as the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to the ground level.
But Deaq gave him a smile back, "That's too bad, Van, cause we're doing like the Olsen twins. You can't see one without the other." Stepping from the elevator, he turned to face Van questioningly.
Indecision warred with Van but he knew in truth he had two options now that Deaq had caught him: go back to the bed or go along with Deaq. It was like choosing the lesser of two evils. The elevator's doors started to close and he had yet to make a move. At the last second he shot his hand out between the doors, the doors retracted and he stepped from the elevator.
"Don't suppose I could drive?" he hazarded.
But Deaq shook his head, "Not a chance, man." And then they began to walk for the door but at a much slower pace than either man usually adopted.
"Don't do that," Van lowly demanded, as he looked to Deaq as they crossed toward the door.
"Do what?" Deaq countered, keeping even with Van's slow painful walk.
"Hover," Van clarified.
Deaq shrugged, "You want to get a close up look at this floor like you almost did in the elevator, that's on you." He paused and then added in contemplation "Course, if you go down, I'll look like a fool and that ain't happening."
Quiet filled the '65 Mustang and Deaq was reminded of the ride he had shared with Van coming from Club 9.
"You alright over there, partner?" his tone concerned but the next words came out more harshly than he intended. "You're not bleeding all over the interior or anything," and he shot a quick glance to Van who was leaning heavily back on the seat, looking out the side window.
Without pulling his gaze from the view outside the car, Van conversationally replied, "So I take it you're pissed?"
Instead of answering, Deaq fired off another question, "Why didn't you tell me Roberts hurt you?!" Seeing the tightness in Van's jaw line, Deaq knew an explanation would not be forthcoming. He determinedly pressed harder, "You asked me to drop you off home, if I had done that you woulda died, Van!?!" This still did not draw Van's attention from the window. Dividing his look between the road and his partner, Deaq surmised quietly, "'Course maybe that's what you wanted...to check out."
But Van did not offer up a denial as Deaq had hoped. Instead he softly stated as if it was an explanation. "You don't know Cade Roberts."
"True that...but I thought I knew you."
Van met Deaq's eyes for the first time since they got in the Mustang. "Well, you don't," he countered softly before he resumed his fascination with the outside world.
Deaq pulled into the Candy Store, still turning a deaf ear to Van's objections to this destination. Cutting the engine, Deaq turned to Van and plastered on a goading smile. "Here we are, home sweet home." Then he climbed from the Mustang, but unlike the last time, he did not walk away but made his way over to Van's door.
He had just opened the door when Billie's incredulous voice echoed through the Candy Store, "What is Van doing out of the hospital?!". Her eyes bore into Deaq as she left her office and crossed over to the car.
"He went AWOL," Deaq explained.
"And you decided to be his driver?!" she fired back.
"Hey, why are you yelling at me?! Van's the fool who bounced from the hospital!"
Billie took a step closer to Deaq as her voice raised, "You let him do it."
"Just stop!" Van interrupted from his position in the car. "This is too reminiscent of my childhood." Undoing the seat belt, he began to maneuver from the car. He looked up as Deaq offered him a hand. After a moment he took his partner's hand and was helped from the Mustang.
Once Deaq was certain Van could remain standing on his own, Deaq dropped his grip on Van. Van stood before Billie and met his boss's assessing look unflinchingly.
"You ready to tell us about Roberts?" Billie softly asked.
A fleeting smirk crossed Van's face but his eyes told the truth. "Nope." Then he sighed, "But I owe you that much."
"Yeah, you do." Billie wrapped her arm carefully around Van and led him to the couch and helped him settle into the cushions before she claimed the chair facing him. Deaq sank into the couch beside Van but turned to face his partner.
A silence fell onto the threesome. Van leaned back against the cushions and looked down at his hands for a moment before he met Billie's open stare. He knew that he couldn't speak about the past until he confessed his present sins. "I told Cade Roberts that we were gonna use counterfeit chips to trip up Martel. I told him about Martel's brother ratting."
To Van's relief, Billie's reaction was neither one of disgust or outrage. Deaq, however, gave a groan of disagreement. He had given all that effort to protect Van and the man blows it by being Mr. Confession.
Turning to Deaq, Van tapped Deaq's leg, "I know you had my back on this Deaq but I gotta pay for my own decisions."
"You did it to save me," Deaq defended then turned hard eyes to Billie. "He did it to save me. I'ld be in a body bag if he hadn't told Roberts what he wanted to hear."
"I know," Billie steadily replied as she nodded her head. Meeting Van's worried eyes she reassured firmly, "This stays between us. Understand."
"Billie I flipped?!" Van protested.
But Billie firmed refuted, "No, you saved your partner's life. 'Sides Roberts already knew enough of the score to guess the outcome even if you had stood silent." It was a moment before Van accepted her decision. "Now let's concentrate on bringing Roberts down." She held Van's eyes, and he knew the burden of that task depended on his willingness to open up.
Suddenly Van felt like he was going to be sick as his eyes flickered between Billie and Deaq. He talked about almost everything but he had never talked about Cade Roberts...ever.
Sensing Van's unease, Deaq encouraged, "Whatever you tell us stays here."
Hampered by his injury, Van could not leap from the couch and pace as he usually did when he was nervous or amped up. Instead he was chained to the couch, pinned by the look of two people who thought they knew him best. It killed him to destroy their illusion of him.
Sharing a worried look with Deaq, Billie refocused on Van. "I can see this is personal for you, Van, and we would back off but we care too damn much about you."
This earned her Van's startled attention and seeing the truth in her eyes, he nodded and began quietly to speak. "I worked for Cade Roberts," he confessed, deciding not to sugar coat anything. When condemnation did not seep into Deaq or Billie's look, he continued. "When I was sixteen Ray Ray took on a job for Roberts and asked for some front money. And Ray Ray would tell you it was gonna be the best paper he ever made," a smirk pulled up Van's lips before it faded away to a tight line, "but he never got the job done. He got pinched two days after he brokered the deal with Roberts."
Here Van's look dropped to his hands and he missed the shared look between his boss and partner. They were beginning to see where this was leading and it made their stomachs clench.
"Roberts came to me looking for his front money or the bills. I had neither. Ray Ray had used every cent of the front money to roll an upgrade for his operation and all those new counterfeiting machines were in some evidence room downtown." Van forced himself to meet Billie's eyes. "Roberts told me I had a week to gather the front money ....or he'd kill my parents."
Deaq surged from the couch with a curse and began to pace. But Billie's eyes turned black with anger. "How much was the front money?"
"Fifty large."
This caused Billie to close her eyes in anguish and hang her head and elicited an outcry from Deaq, "Fifty thousand dollars?! You were sixteen?! How the hell did he expect you to get that?!"
Van's eyes met Deaq's. "He didn't. He gave me another "option.""
Here Billie supplied "To work off your debts with him."
Van nodded in agreement and ran his hand through his hair before he leaned forward, his head down. "I couldn't run...even if my mother and I took off...my father was easy prey in jail. And I couldn't pay."
"Roberts left you no out. You had to try and work off your debt...Ray Ray's debt," Deaq said quietly, feeling strongly for Van's untenable situation.
Van again answered with a nod.
"But Fifty Thousand is a lot to work off.." Billie began trying not to pressure Van but needing to know the whole picture.
"How'd I ever work it off?" Van interpreted Billie's unasked question. "I didn't. Teddy McNar found out how Roberts had me creased...and he paid off the debt."
At the mention of Ray Ray's usual partner, Deaq questioned, "McNar wasn't in the deal with Ray Ray and Roberts?"
"No. When my father mentioned Cade Roberts, McNar, for the first time in their partnership, walked. He wasn't foolish enough to do business with Roberts or the mob."
The picture was almost clear for Billie but still some things didn't mesh. "So Roberts got his money, then why's he'd try to kill you in his club."
"Roberts didn't want my debt to get paid. Ever. See, a mob guy had pulled Cade off the street when he was a kid and mentored him. And Cade had wanted to return the favor by mentoring someone else."
"You," Billie surmised.
"Me and Boyd Keyes, a kid he pulled out of a street gang," but Van's voice had dropped when he spoke of Boyd and Billie knew there was a story to tell there. A story she didn't need to know...at least not now.
"So he's pissed 'cause you bounced 'stead of playing Karate Kid to his Mr. Miyagi?" Deaq questioned, sensing there was more to Roberts' animosity than what Van was implying.
Van's jaw tightened, "We didn't part on good terms. McNar handed him the money but he didn't accept it, said I had to work off the debt myself. So McNar went to Roberts' boss, a member of the mob that I never even heard of, and cut a deal. He'd make some paper for them in exchange for my release from Roberts employ."
Deaq snorted. "Oh, yeah, that went over well with Roberts."
"But Cade had no choice and I walked and never looked back."
"Till you stepped into Club 9 three days ago," Billie said, bringing the tale full circle. "Seems he's still holding a grudge."
"Yeah," Deaq agreed with anger in his voice.
Van remained silent.
"Well, now I'm the one holding the grudge," Billie growled. "With your statement we can bring him down, Van."
"No," Van resolutely answered. "He let me walk away this time and I'm walking."
***************************************************
TBC
Whew! I know that was long but I hope it didn't bore you? I get a little carried away writing conversations but these character had a lot to work through to get the plot where I needed it to be. Besides, I was afraid you'd all lynch me if I didn't reveal Roberts and Van's past in this chapter!?! Love to hear what you think of this update!!!!!
************************
Replies to Reviews
*****************************
DKM: I think you should take a chance and post at least the first chapter in your Witchblade story. Let your readers have their say. I was relieved that you liked the last chapter because I wasn't sure if I had Billie down or not. And yeah, I think I woulda shot Roberts if I had been in her shoes too. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions about Van and Roberts's past...but I hope it left you also wondering what Van wasn't saying. Thanks so much for reading this story and I hope you drop me a review after this chapter so I know how I'm doing with the story.
Blabbering: I'm glad you like my little replies down here. I just really appreciate every person who takes the time to read and review this story..any of my stories, that the very least I can do is thank them. And I absolutely love getting to know people and it's a real treat hearing what they really think of the story and getting some advice when the story's missing something. So thank you so much for reviewing! You've made my day by that generous gesture!! Well, this chapter had Van galore...hope you liked?! So glad you liked my portrayal of Billie in the last chapter. I really need help writing her in character so if you see me going off line, please tow me in! Love to hear what you thought of this chapter?
Fanfastln: So glad you liked last chapter! It was a hard one for me to write! I hope this chapter progressed the plot...I just kept writing and just couldn't break this long chapter up because I needed to know I gave you something to sink your teeth into. (I did, didn't I?) Loved to hear what you thought of this chapter!
Leann: Hope I gave you enough info, at least for now, about Roberts and Van's past. I just kept writing and writing and writing and I knew I couldn't hold out that info from you for another chapter so that's why this chapter's sooooo long. Hope it wasn't boring?! Thank you so much for your compliments! I really fed on them!
ZoZe: You can repeat yourself as much as you want when you say such wonderful things!! So is your curiosity somewhat satisfied or have I only mudded the water? The next chapter will be more action so I hope you were ok with this "talky" chapter. I'm a sucker for conversations.
Silent Typewriter: No! Not rotten tomatoes!! I'm updating! I'm updating!! Sorry Billie didn't see much action this chapter..in fact, no one saw any action this chapter but things will heat up next chapters ...especially for Van. Love to hear what you think of this chapter!
Hazelnut: I'm so pleased that you find my writing interesting. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm boring my readers to tears because I get a little obsessed with writing conversations as I did in this chapter. And I'm so amazed by your English!! It's my native language and I sometimes stink at expressing myself?!?! I'm hoping you liked the progress of the plot this chapter????
Lynne: Glad I didn't disappoint you last chapter! And I agree about Billie seeming to have a short fuse...that was always fun to watch in the episodes because she tried to remain so cold and in control. I just thought, after losing his brother, Deaq would probably take Van's near death situation very seriously. Glad you liked my take on that. Loved to hear your comments on this chapter!
Mfkngst: Thanks for your review! And I'm really cruel but I just came up with that ice pick in the back idea and I couldn't convince myself to write a less violent attack. Glad you liked my cruelty. As for the Van/Billie romance, sorry but that's just not going to happen in this particular story. But if you write it, I'll read it! They'd be a cool couple!
Sirith: I'm blushing over your compliments!! Thanks!!! And I know ALL about that depression. I LOVED Fastlane..(but I think you already figured that out and I bet you could even guess my favorite character?!? I'm so easy to read.) While the show was airing I wrote a fic and wanted to post it to ffnet but they didn't have the category and even my plea to add the category didn't get a response. Then low and behold, the category appeared months after the show had been cancelled. I don't know who finally gave the OK for the category but I'm grateful!! Great shows should always remain alive at least in fanfiction!!!! I would really like to know your comments on this chapter!
Thanks to everyone who read this chapter!!!!!
Cheryl W.