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
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Chapter 6
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"No," Van resolutely answered. "He let me walk away this time and I'm walking."
Billie steadily met Van's eyes and quietly said, "That's what Roberts said you'd do...walk away."
At her words, Van stiffened in alarm. "You went to see Roberts?!" Seeing no denial in her eyes, Van pushed himself from the couch with a wince of pain and walked over to the glass window and looked out at the Candy Store. Things were unraveling all over again. With anguish he questioned lowly, "Why? Why couldn't you let things alone?"
Disbelief reflected on Billie's face as she watched the tense set of Van's back. "The man tried to kill you, Van! Did you think I was just going to let that go?!"
"You should have," Van angrily replied.
Billie surged to her feet and stalked over to Van. Gently but firmly she gripped Van's arms and swung him around to face her. "Van, you're a part of my team!"
Harshly, Van cut in, throwing some of Billie's own words back at her, "You could have another pretty boy to take my place by the end of the day."
Stunned at that tactic by Van, Billie's anger faded away. Her words had been a lie when she had originally said them and now they were even more blatantly untrue. "I lied," she confessed. "You and Deaq, you are the best." Then she took a step closer to Van and her voice turned soft, "But it goes deeper than that and you know it. You, me and Deaq, we're family. And I'm not going to stand by and let anyone hurt my family."
Van grew even more desperate to make her understand. "You don't get it. You're playing right into Roberts' hands. Now he knows that you give a damn about me.. he'll use that against you..you've made yourself vulnerable."
Now Deaq entered the fray, "He's got you twisted into thinking caring about someone's a liability. But he's dead wrong. You're not taking him on alone anymore, Van. We work together and the man will go down."
But Van shook his head, "No! You're trippin' if you think Roberts is going down for attempted murder!"
Billie had watched the partners in silence but now she spoke again. "Alright, then we work on some other angle." This earned her Van and Deaq's attention.
"What angle?" Van questioned warily.
"Club 9. There's got to be something illegal going on there that we can exploit. We keep the pressure on like I did last night and his operation will start to unravel. And we'll get the opening we need to take Roberts out."
"What pressure, Billie?" Deaq questioned.
A smirk pulled onto Billie's face as she relayed her actions the previous night.
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LAST NIGHT
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Pulling a squad car onto the curb and effectively blocking the entrance to Club 9, Billie, wearing her old patrolmen uniform, got out of the car and smiled at the long line of people waiting to enter the Club when it opened in ten minutes. "Sorry people but Club 9 is not open for business until further notice." Curses and groans met her words but the crowd began to disperse.
Instantly the bouncer she had decked the night she visited Roberts stood in front of her, invading her personal space. "You can't do that! You need a judge order to shut us down!"
But Billie smiled back, "I know but they don't know that," and she nodded to the disappearing crowd.
Turning to the patrons, the bouncer called out, "We're not closed! We're opening in a few minutes!" but his words were ignored and soon the once lined sidewalk was empty.
Casually Billie walked over to the squad car and sat on the hood of the car. "Tell your boss I want to talk to him."
Furiously the bouncer turned to her, "You don't know the kinda of trouble you're bringing down on yourself, little girl."
"I like trouble. Now go fetch your master, doggie."
As she waited, Billie saw numerous cars slow down as if they were going to pull into the parking lot for the club but continued pass as they saw the cop car parked at the door, it's lights flashing. She gave some of the car's passengers a cute wave goodbye.
When the doors of the club opened, Cade Roberts came strolling out wearing his trade mark smile. "Lieutenant, renting the whole club out for the night costs twenty thousand, hope you got that in your wallet."
But Billie smirked and shook her head, "No, I don't. Guess you're taking a loss tonight. And I think you're going to be missing your latest alcohol shipment, seems the truck was over the load limit."
Cade's smile became more forced, "You seem to think I'm soft since I left Van and your other boy walk out of my club alive. Let me assure you, I'm not. I take my business very seriously and I don't have losses."
Billie slid off the car hood and stood toe to toe with Roberts. "Funny, I heard you just lost your business partner, Colin Martel. You want to tell me where you "lost" him?"
"Some people can't handle the pressure of this business. Guess he bailed when he realized he was in over his head," an unspoken warning in his eyes.
"Lucky for you I don't bail that easily," Billie countered. "I'm not walking away."
Cade shook his head with inner humor, "You think you can touch me, that this little stunt makes me lose one moment's sleep?" Then he stepped even closer to her and whispered in her ear, "And if you think Van's going to press charges against me, you don't know the kid like I do." Stepping back he gave her a smile, "Come in for a drink anytime, lieutenant. After all, that's the only time you're going to see me behind a two way mirror." And then he turned his back on her and walked into the club.
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PRESENT
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"That got you nothing!!" Van shouted. "If you're "very" lucky Cade will let that go if you step off!"
Now Billie's voice rose in anger, "I don't want him to let it go! And I'm not backing off."
Frustration raged in Van. "You just don't get it! Roberts takes pleasure in killing people! And he doesn't give a damn if you're wearing a badge! He'll take you to the desert or the ocean to die and if you're really lucky he'll kill ya first 'stead of letting the thirst or the sharks do it for him."
"So that was Martel's fate?" Deaq interjected.
Van gave a nod of his head but did not tear his look from his boss's gaze. "Roberts has mob ties, Billie. A man like that doesn't go down. Not because a cop gives some statement or makes a stand."
"The Feds are after him," Billie supplied as if that was a solution.
But Van gave a laugh that held not a hint of humor and leaned back wearily against the glass wall. "They've been after him since he was twenty one. Maybe they can arrest him when he's ninety and gives a death bed confession."
Knowing that the Feds had been after Roberts without success for so long disheartened Deaq and Billie.
"So we just let your reaper run free?" Deaq demanded with frustration, earning him a surprised look from Van.
Deaq had once described the reaper as the 'jack that beat you, that snatched a part of your soul that you can't get back.' That description fit Cade Roberts to a T. "I walked away with some of my soul in tact, Deaq. I gotta be satisfied with that," Van solemnly replied.
Billie was pricked with the thought of her own personal reaper, Gavin. When she had been pulled from cover and Gavin had slipped through her fingers, she wanted to take him out so bad it had hurt. But instead, she had backed off and let herself cool down. Because Gavin had taught her one extremely important lesson: Emotions always mudded the water. No the old adage was right, revenge truly was a dish best served cold.
She almost sighed as she began to see Van's point of view for the first time. Maybe Van was right, maybe now was not the time for action. But walking away wasn't going to be as easy as Van thought it would be. "Even if I agree to back off, the Feds want to talk to you Van and I know what they're going to ask of you."
Van eyes darkened with resolve "Well, the answer's 'no', I'm not going undercover for them, I'm not testifying against Roberts," Van firmly returned.
"They tend to use any leverage they can...if they know you worked for Roberts..." she let the rest of her sentence unsaid.
But Van knew that the Feds could threaten him with jail time if he didn't cooperate with them. He prayed it didn't really come down to that. "I know," he softly said.
Billie's features tightened, "I'm not going to let them blackmail, Van."
Van laughed a true laugh. "You're always out to save the world, Billie."
A smile broke onto her face, "This week I'll be satisfied with saving you. Now how about you sack out here and I'll have Deaq get some pain meds for you."
"Promise me you'll leave Roberts alone," Van pressed, grabbing her arm before she could walk away.
"For now, but I'm not promising to back off forever, Van." At his look of protest she added, "But I won't make another move without telling you."
Knowing he had to be satisfied with that, Van released her arm and she walked back to her office. Van looked to Deaq, "You gonna promise too?"
"Yeah, same promise as Billie," and then he walked over to a box in the corner, pulled out a blanket and threw it to Van. "Sack out, partner. And I'll have some nice drugs for you when you wake up." With that, Deaq walked away.
***************
For the first time in years, Van was trapped in the nightmare that always left him terrified to go to sleep... ever again. Had the nightmare simply been a fabrication of his mind he knew he could beat it but it was no ice cream induced drama. No, what played out in his mind now with sickening realty were memories of the time when he was just a kid working for Roberts.
***********************
Suddenly he was that sixteen year old kid again and he could feel the ice pick resting against his back, could hear Roberts' voice whispering in his ear so reminiscent of that night in Club 9. But long ago the outcome had threatened to do more than claim his life it had almost claimed his soul.
The memory was so sharp to Van it felt like he was reliving it.
Roberts' words were low, menacing as he stood directly behind Van, "One of you thought a nineteen year old's life was more important than my reputation." And Van felt the fear ripple through him even as he saw how the fifteen year old Boyd who stood beside him trembled. "I put that kid out in the desert as a warning to anyone who thinks they can steal from me. But one of you set him free...making a mockery of my reputation."
Both boys remained silent, one because he knew he was caught and the other because he knew any words of denial would only draw Roberts' attention to him.
The ice pick slid up Van's back and he shuddered. "I can't let this go unpunished, you know that," came Roberts's words, almost as an apology.
Swallowing hard, Van spoke for the first time, "I know."
Cade put a hand on Van's shoulder, "You knew the risks, the consequences. You think that 19 year old punk's life is worth your own, Van?"
"He didn't steal from you, Cade. He got robbed. He didn't deserve to die 'cause he got taken," Van had quietly replied.
Cade's hand slid from Van's shoulder, "You don't understand how important a reputation is, how important my reputation is. If I look soft for one instant, I'll go down. If I let your actions go unpunished, I'll look soft." Again regret seemed to resonate through Cade's words. With surprise and confusion, Van felt the ice pick leave his back and he sensed that Cade had moved to stand behind Boyd.
Before Van could began to guess Cade's next move, Boyd cried out in pain...a pain that days prior the grown up Van had experienced, the pain of Cade's ice pick tearing through skin and organs.
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"No!!!" Van yelled and he sat up, sweat soaking his hair and pain coursing through him. Hoping he had not yelled aloud, he waited a moment, fearing that Billie or Deaq would come rushing in. To his relief, neither of them appeared at his side. He jumped as his cell phone rang.
There could be a lot of people calling him, people he even wanted to talk to...but somehow he knew who was on the other side of the call. His chance to walk away had somehow been snatched from his grasp. Trying to steady his breathing, he answered the phone, "Van, here."
Cade Roberts' voice snaked into his ear, "I did you a favor, you understand that." Van cringed at the words, the same words Cade had said when he had killed Boyd to pay for Van's betrayal. "I let you save your partner when his life rested in my hands. I let you walk away."
"I know," Van agreed, wishing again that he had died, that Cade Roberts had not found yet another way to own his soul.
"But then your boss lady took things personally. Still I was going to let her walk.... until I got a call today."
Van's heart pounded in his chest and he prompted like he knew Roberts wanted him to, "What call?"
"Glad you asked! See that shipment of alcohol your lieutenant waylaid...it held more than alcohol. And I know that was just dumb luck that she tagged that shipment but here's where things get unforgivable. The shipment's final destination wasn't my club, that was just a stop over, no it's final destination was my boss's warehouse. Now, I'm a forgiving man...the man I work for, he's not."
Van's very soul turned cold and he could barely choke out the words, "I'll do whatever you want me to, just keep Billie and Deaq outta this."
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TBC
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Replies to Reviews:
DKM: I'm glad you have decided to post your WB story. I'll have to check it out. I wasn't too faithful on watching the show, but it always intrigued me. Your review for last chapter made me laugh and smile! It was such a relief to hear you liked it that it took away a lot of my nervousness to read the other reviews! And yes, I did load last chapter with some good info...I just knew I had to lay out some of the cards or everyone would stop playing. As for Van working for Roberts, I just always felt Van paid a higher price for Ray Ray's lifestyle than Ray Ray so I came up with this whole debt thing. And I think this chapter cleared up some more details about Van's time with Roberts. Love to hear from you about this chapter!
Sirith: I'll have to check out your fastlane fics but I make it a rule to never read other people's stories while I'm writing my own..I don't want to end up copying things or being influenced. So as soon as I'm done penning this story, I'm going to look up your stories! Thank you for your compliments! Hope you liked this chapter and I'ld love to hear your thoughts on it.
Bjp: Thanks so much for your compliment! And I'm glad you're not disappointed that this story is taking me some time to write and post but I am trying hard to update every week. I'm so pleased that you think I'm on the money with the conversations!!! As for missing an episode, nope, I didn't miss a one and I taped them so I've been feverously watching them now to make sure I keep everyone in character. (What torture?! What Van again and again and again?!) Drop me a line about your thoughts on this chapter!
Mady Bay: Glad you liked last chapter! It was a lot of fun coming up with a vicious past for Van. There just always seemed to be more motives for his dislike of his father and his father's "trade" so of course I had to exploit that! Hope you liked this chapter too!
Leann: Your review made me laugh!!!?!?! No, I am not on crack I'm just insanely insecure when I write stuff that digs deeply into a character's personality. I never know if I've gone to far off line. Relieved to hear you liked the info packed chapter! But as you have discovered, this chapter was not that long but I hope it still gave you some pleasure. Loved to hear what you thought of it!
Lynne: You and I so agree on Deaq's blindness to Ray Ray's true nature!!!! Deaq did enjoy Ray Ray's company at the expense of Van...never realizing that Ray Ray's charm could never make up for the pain he caused Van. I am so glad you feel that way too. It makes this story make more sense to you cause I'm running with that idea. And I'm so flattered that you liked my one liners...sometimes they just fall into place. Glad you like dialogue because I can get real wordy sometimes (just look at this long reply I'm making you suffer through?!?!) About Ray Ray repaying McNar...you brought up a good point...I'll have to think on that one. Love to hear what you thought of this chapter!
ZoZe: I feel a little guilty that my story tempted you into skipping your English homework but in reality, I'm very flattered! Like you asked, this chapter told you the story about Boyd Keyes but I hope it still has you guessing about other things? Finish your homework, then drop me a review!
Fan4fastln: Well, I've solved some more mysteries but I'm hoping there's still some suspense left in Van and Roberts past to keep you interested. And the cruel part of me hopes your tension is high after this chapter! Thanks so much for liking my dialog because I love writing it. As for writing Billie, I really didn't plan on making her a big part of the story until I had some reviewers request her presence and then, she just seemed to sneak right in like she was meant to be there. But I find her very hard to write because, let's be honest, when I watched the show I was all about Van. As for Ray Ray making an appearance...I've played around with the idea but haven't quite decided if he'll drop by or not. If he was any kind of decent dad he would have shown up when Van was in the hospital...but then again I didn't have Van's mother show up. (Feels like I'm writing a "Peanuts" episode where the parents are talked about but never make an appearance on screen.) thanks for your thoughts! Keep them coming!!
Silent Typewriter: Thank goodness I got spared the tomatoes!! And this update show ensure that no tomatoes come my way ...at least this week. I know you hoped this chapter would "get somewhere". Did it? Was what I put in this chapter worth while or do you feel cheated? I'm posting as I'm writing and it's really hard to tell if I'm giving you enough each chapter to keep the story progressing. Please let me know what you think?!
Hazelnut: Thanks so much for thinking my ideas are great. As for Van and Roberts meeting up again...tune in next chapter! And I promise to not quit on this story. I hate when I get all engrossed in a story and then the author never finishes it!?! I've made a personal pact with myself to not do that...even if it takes me quite some time I finish my stories! Love to hear what you thought of this chapter?
Till next time?!? Love to hear your thoughts!
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
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Chapter 6
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"No," Van resolutely answered. "He let me walk away this time and I'm walking."
Billie steadily met Van's eyes and quietly said, "That's what Roberts said you'd do...walk away."
At her words, Van stiffened in alarm. "You went to see Roberts?!" Seeing no denial in her eyes, Van pushed himself from the couch with a wince of pain and walked over to the glass window and looked out at the Candy Store. Things were unraveling all over again. With anguish he questioned lowly, "Why? Why couldn't you let things alone?"
Disbelief reflected on Billie's face as she watched the tense set of Van's back. "The man tried to kill you, Van! Did you think I was just going to let that go?!"
"You should have," Van angrily replied.
Billie surged to her feet and stalked over to Van. Gently but firmly she gripped Van's arms and swung him around to face her. "Van, you're a part of my team!"
Harshly, Van cut in, throwing some of Billie's own words back at her, "You could have another pretty boy to take my place by the end of the day."
Stunned at that tactic by Van, Billie's anger faded away. Her words had been a lie when she had originally said them and now they were even more blatantly untrue. "I lied," she confessed. "You and Deaq, you are the best." Then she took a step closer to Van and her voice turned soft, "But it goes deeper than that and you know it. You, me and Deaq, we're family. And I'm not going to stand by and let anyone hurt my family."
Van grew even more desperate to make her understand. "You don't get it. You're playing right into Roberts' hands. Now he knows that you give a damn about me.. he'll use that against you..you've made yourself vulnerable."
Now Deaq entered the fray, "He's got you twisted into thinking caring about someone's a liability. But he's dead wrong. You're not taking him on alone anymore, Van. We work together and the man will go down."
But Van shook his head, "No! You're trippin' if you think Roberts is going down for attempted murder!"
Billie had watched the partners in silence but now she spoke again. "Alright, then we work on some other angle." This earned her Van and Deaq's attention.
"What angle?" Van questioned warily.
"Club 9. There's got to be something illegal going on there that we can exploit. We keep the pressure on like I did last night and his operation will start to unravel. And we'll get the opening we need to take Roberts out."
"What pressure, Billie?" Deaq questioned.
A smirk pulled onto Billie's face as she relayed her actions the previous night.
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LAST NIGHT
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Pulling a squad car onto the curb and effectively blocking the entrance to Club 9, Billie, wearing her old patrolmen uniform, got out of the car and smiled at the long line of people waiting to enter the Club when it opened in ten minutes. "Sorry people but Club 9 is not open for business until further notice." Curses and groans met her words but the crowd began to disperse.
Instantly the bouncer she had decked the night she visited Roberts stood in front of her, invading her personal space. "You can't do that! You need a judge order to shut us down!"
But Billie smiled back, "I know but they don't know that," and she nodded to the disappearing crowd.
Turning to the patrons, the bouncer called out, "We're not closed! We're opening in a few minutes!" but his words were ignored and soon the once lined sidewalk was empty.
Casually Billie walked over to the squad car and sat on the hood of the car. "Tell your boss I want to talk to him."
Furiously the bouncer turned to her, "You don't know the kinda of trouble you're bringing down on yourself, little girl."
"I like trouble. Now go fetch your master, doggie."
As she waited, Billie saw numerous cars slow down as if they were going to pull into the parking lot for the club but continued pass as they saw the cop car parked at the door, it's lights flashing. She gave some of the car's passengers a cute wave goodbye.
When the doors of the club opened, Cade Roberts came strolling out wearing his trade mark smile. "Lieutenant, renting the whole club out for the night costs twenty thousand, hope you got that in your wallet."
But Billie smirked and shook her head, "No, I don't. Guess you're taking a loss tonight. And I think you're going to be missing your latest alcohol shipment, seems the truck was over the load limit."
Cade's smile became more forced, "You seem to think I'm soft since I left Van and your other boy walk out of my club alive. Let me assure you, I'm not. I take my business very seriously and I don't have losses."
Billie slid off the car hood and stood toe to toe with Roberts. "Funny, I heard you just lost your business partner, Colin Martel. You want to tell me where you "lost" him?"
"Some people can't handle the pressure of this business. Guess he bailed when he realized he was in over his head," an unspoken warning in his eyes.
"Lucky for you I don't bail that easily," Billie countered. "I'm not walking away."
Cade shook his head with inner humor, "You think you can touch me, that this little stunt makes me lose one moment's sleep?" Then he stepped even closer to her and whispered in her ear, "And if you think Van's going to press charges against me, you don't know the kid like I do." Stepping back he gave her a smile, "Come in for a drink anytime, lieutenant. After all, that's the only time you're going to see me behind a two way mirror." And then he turned his back on her and walked into the club.
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PRESENT
******************
"That got you nothing!!" Van shouted. "If you're "very" lucky Cade will let that go if you step off!"
Now Billie's voice rose in anger, "I don't want him to let it go! And I'm not backing off."
Frustration raged in Van. "You just don't get it! Roberts takes pleasure in killing people! And he doesn't give a damn if you're wearing a badge! He'll take you to the desert or the ocean to die and if you're really lucky he'll kill ya first 'stead of letting the thirst or the sharks do it for him."
"So that was Martel's fate?" Deaq interjected.
Van gave a nod of his head but did not tear his look from his boss's gaze. "Roberts has mob ties, Billie. A man like that doesn't go down. Not because a cop gives some statement or makes a stand."
"The Feds are after him," Billie supplied as if that was a solution.
But Van gave a laugh that held not a hint of humor and leaned back wearily against the glass wall. "They've been after him since he was twenty one. Maybe they can arrest him when he's ninety and gives a death bed confession."
Knowing that the Feds had been after Roberts without success for so long disheartened Deaq and Billie.
"So we just let your reaper run free?" Deaq demanded with frustration, earning him a surprised look from Van.
Deaq had once described the reaper as the 'jack that beat you, that snatched a part of your soul that you can't get back.' That description fit Cade Roberts to a T. "I walked away with some of my soul in tact, Deaq. I gotta be satisfied with that," Van solemnly replied.
Billie was pricked with the thought of her own personal reaper, Gavin. When she had been pulled from cover and Gavin had slipped through her fingers, she wanted to take him out so bad it had hurt. But instead, she had backed off and let herself cool down. Because Gavin had taught her one extremely important lesson: Emotions always mudded the water. No the old adage was right, revenge truly was a dish best served cold.
She almost sighed as she began to see Van's point of view for the first time. Maybe Van was right, maybe now was not the time for action. But walking away wasn't going to be as easy as Van thought it would be. "Even if I agree to back off, the Feds want to talk to you Van and I know what they're going to ask of you."
Van eyes darkened with resolve "Well, the answer's 'no', I'm not going undercover for them, I'm not testifying against Roberts," Van firmly returned.
"They tend to use any leverage they can...if they know you worked for Roberts..." she let the rest of her sentence unsaid.
But Van knew that the Feds could threaten him with jail time if he didn't cooperate with them. He prayed it didn't really come down to that. "I know," he softly said.
Billie's features tightened, "I'm not going to let them blackmail, Van."
Van laughed a true laugh. "You're always out to save the world, Billie."
A smile broke onto her face, "This week I'll be satisfied with saving you. Now how about you sack out here and I'll have Deaq get some pain meds for you."
"Promise me you'll leave Roberts alone," Van pressed, grabbing her arm before she could walk away.
"For now, but I'm not promising to back off forever, Van." At his look of protest she added, "But I won't make another move without telling you."
Knowing he had to be satisfied with that, Van released her arm and she walked back to her office. Van looked to Deaq, "You gonna promise too?"
"Yeah, same promise as Billie," and then he walked over to a box in the corner, pulled out a blanket and threw it to Van. "Sack out, partner. And I'll have some nice drugs for you when you wake up." With that, Deaq walked away.
***************
For the first time in years, Van was trapped in the nightmare that always left him terrified to go to sleep... ever again. Had the nightmare simply been a fabrication of his mind he knew he could beat it but it was no ice cream induced drama. No, what played out in his mind now with sickening realty were memories of the time when he was just a kid working for Roberts.
***********************
Suddenly he was that sixteen year old kid again and he could feel the ice pick resting against his back, could hear Roberts' voice whispering in his ear so reminiscent of that night in Club 9. But long ago the outcome had threatened to do more than claim his life it had almost claimed his soul.
The memory was so sharp to Van it felt like he was reliving it.
Roberts' words were low, menacing as he stood directly behind Van, "One of you thought a nineteen year old's life was more important than my reputation." And Van felt the fear ripple through him even as he saw how the fifteen year old Boyd who stood beside him trembled. "I put that kid out in the desert as a warning to anyone who thinks they can steal from me. But one of you set him free...making a mockery of my reputation."
Both boys remained silent, one because he knew he was caught and the other because he knew any words of denial would only draw Roberts' attention to him.
The ice pick slid up Van's back and he shuddered. "I can't let this go unpunished, you know that," came Roberts's words, almost as an apology.
Swallowing hard, Van spoke for the first time, "I know."
Cade put a hand on Van's shoulder, "You knew the risks, the consequences. You think that 19 year old punk's life is worth your own, Van?"
"He didn't steal from you, Cade. He got robbed. He didn't deserve to die 'cause he got taken," Van had quietly replied.
Cade's hand slid from Van's shoulder, "You don't understand how important a reputation is, how important my reputation is. If I look soft for one instant, I'll go down. If I let your actions go unpunished, I'll look soft." Again regret seemed to resonate through Cade's words. With surprise and confusion, Van felt the ice pick leave his back and he sensed that Cade had moved to stand behind Boyd.
Before Van could began to guess Cade's next move, Boyd cried out in pain...a pain that days prior the grown up Van had experienced, the pain of Cade's ice pick tearing through skin and organs.
*************************
"No!!!" Van yelled and he sat up, sweat soaking his hair and pain coursing through him. Hoping he had not yelled aloud, he waited a moment, fearing that Billie or Deaq would come rushing in. To his relief, neither of them appeared at his side. He jumped as his cell phone rang.
There could be a lot of people calling him, people he even wanted to talk to...but somehow he knew who was on the other side of the call. His chance to walk away had somehow been snatched from his grasp. Trying to steady his breathing, he answered the phone, "Van, here."
Cade Roberts' voice snaked into his ear, "I did you a favor, you understand that." Van cringed at the words, the same words Cade had said when he had killed Boyd to pay for Van's betrayal. "I let you save your partner when his life rested in my hands. I let you walk away."
"I know," Van agreed, wishing again that he had died, that Cade Roberts had not found yet another way to own his soul.
"But then your boss lady took things personally. Still I was going to let her walk.... until I got a call today."
Van's heart pounded in his chest and he prompted like he knew Roberts wanted him to, "What call?"
"Glad you asked! See that shipment of alcohol your lieutenant waylaid...it held more than alcohol. And I know that was just dumb luck that she tagged that shipment but here's where things get unforgivable. The shipment's final destination wasn't my club, that was just a stop over, no it's final destination was my boss's warehouse. Now, I'm a forgiving man...the man I work for, he's not."
Van's very soul turned cold and he could barely choke out the words, "I'll do whatever you want me to, just keep Billie and Deaq outta this."
***********
TBC
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Replies to Reviews:
DKM: I'm glad you have decided to post your WB story. I'll have to check it out. I wasn't too faithful on watching the show, but it always intrigued me. Your review for last chapter made me laugh and smile! It was such a relief to hear you liked it that it took away a lot of my nervousness to read the other reviews! And yes, I did load last chapter with some good info...I just knew I had to lay out some of the cards or everyone would stop playing. As for Van working for Roberts, I just always felt Van paid a higher price for Ray Ray's lifestyle than Ray Ray so I came up with this whole debt thing. And I think this chapter cleared up some more details about Van's time with Roberts. Love to hear from you about this chapter!
Sirith: I'll have to check out your fastlane fics but I make it a rule to never read other people's stories while I'm writing my own..I don't want to end up copying things or being influenced. So as soon as I'm done penning this story, I'm going to look up your stories! Thank you for your compliments! Hope you liked this chapter and I'ld love to hear your thoughts on it.
Bjp: Thanks so much for your compliment! And I'm glad you're not disappointed that this story is taking me some time to write and post but I am trying hard to update every week. I'm so pleased that you think I'm on the money with the conversations!!! As for missing an episode, nope, I didn't miss a one and I taped them so I've been feverously watching them now to make sure I keep everyone in character. (What torture?! What Van again and again and again?!) Drop me a line about your thoughts on this chapter!
Mady Bay: Glad you liked last chapter! It was a lot of fun coming up with a vicious past for Van. There just always seemed to be more motives for his dislike of his father and his father's "trade" so of course I had to exploit that! Hope you liked this chapter too!
Leann: Your review made me laugh!!!?!?! No, I am not on crack I'm just insanely insecure when I write stuff that digs deeply into a character's personality. I never know if I've gone to far off line. Relieved to hear you liked the info packed chapter! But as you have discovered, this chapter was not that long but I hope it still gave you some pleasure. Loved to hear what you thought of it!
Lynne: You and I so agree on Deaq's blindness to Ray Ray's true nature!!!! Deaq did enjoy Ray Ray's company at the expense of Van...never realizing that Ray Ray's charm could never make up for the pain he caused Van. I am so glad you feel that way too. It makes this story make more sense to you cause I'm running with that idea. And I'm so flattered that you liked my one liners...sometimes they just fall into place. Glad you like dialogue because I can get real wordy sometimes (just look at this long reply I'm making you suffer through?!?!) About Ray Ray repaying McNar...you brought up a good point...I'll have to think on that one. Love to hear what you thought of this chapter!
ZoZe: I feel a little guilty that my story tempted you into skipping your English homework but in reality, I'm very flattered! Like you asked, this chapter told you the story about Boyd Keyes but I hope it still has you guessing about other things? Finish your homework, then drop me a review!
Fan4fastln: Well, I've solved some more mysteries but I'm hoping there's still some suspense left in Van and Roberts past to keep you interested. And the cruel part of me hopes your tension is high after this chapter! Thanks so much for liking my dialog because I love writing it. As for writing Billie, I really didn't plan on making her a big part of the story until I had some reviewers request her presence and then, she just seemed to sneak right in like she was meant to be there. But I find her very hard to write because, let's be honest, when I watched the show I was all about Van. As for Ray Ray making an appearance...I've played around with the idea but haven't quite decided if he'll drop by or not. If he was any kind of decent dad he would have shown up when Van was in the hospital...but then again I didn't have Van's mother show up. (Feels like I'm writing a "Peanuts" episode where the parents are talked about but never make an appearance on screen.) thanks for your thoughts! Keep them coming!!
Silent Typewriter: Thank goodness I got spared the tomatoes!! And this update show ensure that no tomatoes come my way ...at least this week. I know you hoped this chapter would "get somewhere". Did it? Was what I put in this chapter worth while or do you feel cheated? I'm posting as I'm writing and it's really hard to tell if I'm giving you enough each chapter to keep the story progressing. Please let me know what you think?!
Hazelnut: Thanks so much for thinking my ideas are great. As for Van and Roberts meeting up again...tune in next chapter! And I promise to not quit on this story. I hate when I get all engrossed in a story and then the author never finishes it!?! I've made a personal pact with myself to not do that...even if it takes me quite some time I finish my stories! Love to hear what you thought of this chapter?
Till next time?!? Love to hear your thoughts!
Cheryl W.