Episode Six
Assassination Plot
May yawned as she turned the pages to the latest edition of seventeen magazine. She stopped to look at a picture then kept turning. Rally pulled out merchandise from the display case and polished each piece while Akira swept the cement floor with a broom.
It was another slow day at Gunsmith Cats; only two customers stopped the entire morning. Rally spent most of the time doing small jobs that needed to be done while Akira cleaned the place to shine. However, May sat reading magazines most of the day and once, she got up to make a pot of coffee.
The door cracked open and the customer bell rang. The three of them suddenly turned their heads toward the door."
"Oh, it's just you," Rally said, disappointed.
"Thanks, Rally, thanks." Becky walked into the store.
"What's up, Beck?" May asked.
"I've come to a stalemate on the case. I don't know where to look next." Becky sighed. "There just isn't anymore information on Michael De Luca and his gang."
"What about the police investigation?" May asked.
"We've probably got more information than they do," Akira said.
May shot a dirty look at Akira. "I didn't ask you!"
"Cut it out, May!" Rally hissed.
Becky walked behind the counter and took a seat on one of the busted, desk chairs. "To tell the truth, Akira's right. Anyway, so what's going on?"
"Not much." May sighed again and dropped her magazine. "We've only had two customers all morning."
"Bummer."
Rally walked out from behind the counter and stood in the middle of the store. "You're telling me. Maybe I should make this inventory week."
The door flew open and a pair of arms wrapped around Rally to hug her. Rally spun around ready to hit whatever was behind her, but stopped once she saw whom it was.
"Rally! You're okay!"
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Rally said, trying not to growl.
"I came to see if you're okay! I called and stopped by your house and I couldn't find you anywhere!" Harry exclaimed, dressed in a Captain Kirk uniform.
"Harry, I think we need to talk..."
"I bought tickets for that Science Fiction Convention today! It starts in an hour! We could go together! I've got a Princess Leia costume for you!"
Rally sighed. "Harry, look at me."
"Yes?"
"We need to talk."
Harry stood without moving. His breathing grew heavier and heavier as moments passed by. "I've heard those words before." His breathing reached the point of hyperventilation. "You're breaking up with me!" Tears started to pour.
"Harry, I..."
"You're just like the rest of them!" Harry turned around and started to run out of the store. As he did, he was met by an entering customer. The two crashed.
Harry stood up and helped the customer up. He looked at the customer he knocked over to find her dressed in Mrs. Robinson from Lost in Space.
"I'm looking for the Science Fiction Convention."
May jumped off her stool. "The Science Fiction Convention? Why I do believe Harry was going there, weren't you?"
"Well, yes." Harry fiddled with his glasses.
May wrapped her arm around Harry. "Well, Harry, why don't you take this young woman to the Science Convention with you?"
The tall, skinny, nerdy woman smiled and Harry smiled too. The two walked out together, talking about their costumes and Science Fiction."
"That's the best thing you've done all week, May," Rally said. "To be quite honest, I'm surprised."
"Don't be! That's now eight marks for Matchmaker May,"
"And also the number of break-ups in the future," Akira said.
Rally burst with laughter.
"Shut up! Nobody asked you! You probably couldn't even get a date if you paid them off! Especially since you're hiding your hideous mutant face under that mask!"
"May!" Rally and Becky exclaimed.
"Oh, I could get a date if I wanted."
May half-laughed. "With who?"
"You! I know it, May! You can't resist me!"
"Dream on! You're not even half the man that Kenny is..." May stomped off to the back room.
"You ticked her off," Becky said.
"Yeah, I know."
Rally winked her eye and aimed her gun at the target. She fired and hit her paper enemy through the heart. She smiled as she pulled off her glasses. "Nice." She set the gun she used on the table and grabbed another one.
"What is the reason for shooting all these guns?" Becky leaned over and asked May. "Besides the sick fun and pleasure she gets out of it."
"Rally tests all the new guns that come in by shooting them. She wants to make sure her merchandise is in top condition."
"I suppose so."
Rally grabbed another gun and planted her feet. She took a deep breath and focused on her target. She closed one of her eyes and set aim. She stared at her point of aim and took her time to make this shot.
"Hey, babe." A pair of hands rested on Rally's hips.
Rally jumped and fired at the same time, just hitting the top left corner of the paper target. She turned around still holding her gun and found Devin Park with his hands up in the air.
"Easy there, killer!" Her grabbed the gun away from the startled Rally. He set the gun down. "Roy said you were dangerous, but I didn't think that dangerous."
"What are you doing here?" Rally asked. She looked over at her friends. "And why didn't anyone tell me you were coming up behind me?"
May and Becky shrugged.
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Devin smirked. He wrapped his right arm around Rally's shoulder. "You're just so cute when you're startled."
"Yeah, cute..." Rally mumbled, not liking Devin's arm around her.
Akira walked up with his broom when he saw that Rally, Devin, May, and Becky were gathered together in a group. Devin pulled out his gun and pointed it at Akira. "Who are you?"
"Put the gun down! It's okay!" Rally said.
Devin kept his gun up. "I asked you a question, sock head!"
"Devin! It's okay!" Rally pushed Devin's arm down. "His name is Akira Shinagawa. He's just working here."
"Well, who's he?" Akira asked.
"Uh, this is Devin Park..."
Devin pulled Rally closer to him. "I'm her boyfriend."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Rally spat.
Becky and May screamed and giggled. "Boyfriend!" May then smiled. "So when were you gonna tell me about this, Rally, you sly girl?"
"But I..."
"Oh!" Becky exclaimed. "It's so fabulous! You two have so much in common! You both like guns, you both work to protect the law..."
"And we love cars," Devin said. "Roy told me. I figured you'd like to see my new Corvette. It's green, you know."
"Corvette?" Rally asked.
"Yeah, a new 1995 Corvette."
"Oh," Rally said, turned off by a newer, and in her opinion, junky car.
Devin looked down the shooting gallery to see paper targets. "Oh, I see you're practicing your marksmanship." Devin smirked and rested his right arm at his waist again, touching his belt with his fingers.
"You're doing the belt thing again," May commented.
"May! Stop!" Rally hissed under her breath.
Devin dropped his hand. "Well, anyway..." He pulled out his gun. "I had the best shot in my entire class at the Academy." He took a shot and hit the target in the middle of the throat. He smirked once he saw the shot.
"Is that good, Rally?" Becky asked.
"Fairly good..."
"It was a great shot!" Devin interrupted Rally. "Many couldn't make that shot."
Akira half-laughed as he swept the floor.
Devin's head jerked toward Akira. "You think you can do better, sock head?" Devin asked, irritated.
"I didn't say that, now did I?" Akira kept sweeping.
"Why don't you get over here and try, big mouth?"
Akira stopped sweeping and rested the broom against the wall. He walked over to the gun table. "You've got 9mm, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Devin asked.
Akira picked up one of the guns off the table. He walked over and stood in the shooting lane. He took a moment to aim then fired his gun. He then walked away, set the gun back down, and grabbed the broom.
"He missed completely!" May said. "There's still only one hole." May laughed. "Serves the jerk right."
Rally pushed a button and the paper target slid forward towards them. She grabbed a hold of the target then gasped.
"What?" Everyone asked.
"Devin, give me one of your bullets."
Devin dug into his pocket and pulled out a bullet as Rally requested. Rally held it up to the hole in the paper. The hole was bigger than the bullet could have made.
"He didn't miss," Rally uttered, completely astonished.
"What do you mean, he didn't miss?" May asked.
Devin's bullets were smaller than Akira's bullets. Akira's bullet went through Devin's making the hole bigger."
"But who the heck has that kind of accuracy?" May asked.
"Apparently, Akira does," Becky said.
"Anyway," Devin said, changing the subject. "I have go to Richard Harris speech tomorrow and I was..."
"Richard Harris?" May asked.
"The newly elected Mayor of Chicago."
"Oh, right!"
"Anyway, I was thinking that you could come with me, Rally. Then we could go out afterwards."
"Well, actually, I'm busy with inventory tomorrow with the store..."
"No, you're not!" May exclaimed. "Becky and I will take care of it!"
"What?" Becky questioned. "I don't work here!"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!" May said. "You two should go out!"
"But, I really need..." Rally started to say.
"It's settled!" Devin said. "I'll pick you up at eleven tomorrow morning!"
Rally groaned as she dropped her head.
"I gotta go, babe." Devin ran off. "It's time to get back to the station for paperwork and all that stuff."
Rally screamed once Devin left the shooting gallery.
"What is wrong with you!" May exclaimed. "He really likes you!"
"Ha!" Rally balked. "People like that only care about one thing! He probably just wants free guns or something!"
"Oh, I'm sure that's what he's after!" May rolled her eyes. "However, I can't vouch for anything else he might want." May gave Rally a slap on the bottom and winked at her. "You better watch out, hon."
"Stop being a pervert!" Rally hissed.
"What? That's just the way guys are! You know it's true!" May laughed. "Is there a dirty side to Rally we've never seen before?"
"Cut it out, May!"
"Ahem," Akira said while look at the girls. They turned around and remembered that Akira was still in the room with them. Rally blushed deep red and stormed off out of the shooting gallery. May and Becky followed quickly behind.
Akira shook his head. "Girls!"
Rally came down the stairs in her navy blue blazer and skirt set. She looked like a lawyer going into a courtroom with her outfit. She carried the blue shoes that had a small heel to them as she walked down the stairs.
"Why didn't you wear the dress I laid out for you?" May asked. "You'll catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar."
"But I'm not catching flies, am I?"
"Right, you've already caught one."
Rally rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen. She walked over to the sink and turned on the water. A white door from the kitchen opened and Akira came out of his bedroom. "Hey, Rally."
Rally turned around and looked at Akira. "Spare bedroom working for you okay? May insisted we put you down here rather than upstairs. I know it gets a little cold in there sometimes though."
"No, it's fine. Thank you." He came out of the room wearing his mask and black trench coat.
"What are you doing today?" Rally asked as she filled a glass of water for herself.
"I'm going shopping. You people have no food around here."
"We do too!" Rally spat. "There's frozen pizza in the freezer!"
"Real food, Rally. Real food."
Rally shut the water off and started drinking her glass of water. She set the glass down when she was finished and sighed.
"Something wrong?"
"I really don't want to go today."
"On your date with your boyfriend?"
"He's not really my boyfriend. Everyone just keeps pushing it to be like that."
"Why did you just throw a fit yesterday or refuse to go with him?"
"Well, I figure I could try to pump him for information about the case. His arrogance tends to get the best out of him."
"True," Akira uttered.
"I don't know what to do though."
"What do you mean?"
Rally sighed. "I'm just not used to this kind of stuff. I don't really like all this dating. I mean, it's just that..." Rally stopped and half-laughed. "Well, I shouldn't load you down with all my problems..."
"No, it's okay."
"What do you think about all this?" Rally asked.
"Well, you should do whatever makes you happy. Within reason, of course."
"Of course."
Rally shook her head. "I'm just being crazy. If you think about it, Becky's right. We've got everything in common."
"Everything?"
"Well..."
A car horn honked. Rally looked out the window to see a green 1995 corvette parked out on the street. "Well, that's my ride." She slipped on her shoes and exited out the kitchen door.
Akira looked down at the kitchen table and took a seat. He pondered for a moment as he looked at his hands.
"What do you think you're doing?" May hissed as she stood in the doorway.
"What?" Akira looked over at her.
May stormed into the kitchen. "Don't you for even one second think that I don't know what you're doing!" She walked over to the counter and turned on the coffee pot.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're trying to split Devin and Rally up!" May opened the cupboard and grabbed the coffee can.
"It doesn't sound like they're really together anyway."
"They are so!"
"She doesn't even really like him! I didn't ask her to tell me anything! She started talking to me about it!"
"She likes him! She just doesn't realize it yet! They have everything in common! She'll learn to like him! Okay!"
"Just because you have everything in common doesn't make you compatible. You should know that, May."
May turned around and glared at Akira. "Do you want to know what I know?"
"What?"
May stepped towards the table and got into Akira's face. "Rally Vincent is way too good for you, Akira," May slowly said, making sure every word cut.
Akira looked down at the table. "You're right, she is. But I'm not looking at her in that way, now am I? I'm tying to be her friend. She started talking...I started listening...unlike someone around here."
"Yeah, well, you better just not be looking at her." May turned around and went back to the coffee pot.
Rally stood in the masses of the crowd as the newly elected Mayor of Chicago, Richard Harris, gave a speech. The site of the speech caused memories to flood back in as she remembered she was shot at on the very same stage. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the speech. She looked at the corner of the stage to see Devin and the other Police officers talking. Her eyes settled on Richard Harris, and she tried to pay attention to the speech.
"As Mayor, I believe it's time we roll up our sleeves and clean up these streets! It's time to get the filth out of our city! No more drugs! No more gangs! No more violence! I say, no more! No more!"
The crowd starting chanting the Mayor's slogan, "No More!" Rally rubbed her face with her hand. "I wish I would have brought some ibuprofen," Rally thought.
Suddenly, a gunshot went off. Everyone in the crowd ducked. Rally looked up as she was being pushed down by other people. She saw Richard Harris, being hit the right side of his chest at an angle. Knowing a lot about guns, she looked at the angle the shot must have came from. She saw a dark figure on top of the building to the left of her. "Bingo!" She ran out of the crowd towards the building. She ran towards the left side of the building and started climbing up the construction ladders. She managed to get to the top of the building rather fast, but she cut her arm on a piece of sharp metal. "Ouch!" She hissed. She found the figure packed up and ready to go. He was a tall man with red hair and a brown trench coat. He carried a metal briefcase and smoked a cigarette as he walked across the top of the building. Rally stayed put on the construction set up and waited until the man exited the building. He jumped into a 1995 Ferrari F- 355-GTS Coupe, tossed his cigarette butt out the window, and drove off. Rally stared at the license plate. "247-MIC," She said to herself.
Rally climbed down and walked back to the stage where the assassination took place. She thought long and hard as she walked.
"Where were you?"
Rally looked up. "Devin...I...uh...had to go to the restroom."
"Oh," Devin said. "I thought maybe you were one of those people who got hurt from the stampeding crowd." He looked at Rally's arm. "Hey, your arm's cut."
Rally looked down at her left arm. "Oh, it is," She said. "I must have cut it when I was climbing," She thought to herself.
"Looks bad," Devin said.
"It does," Rally said. "Hope I don't need stitches. Perhaps, I should go to the hospital and get that taken care of."
"Well, that hospital is about five blocks away. You can make it before sun down," Devin said.
"Couldn't you just drive me?"
"No, I got stuff to do. You'll be fine! Now go on, babe. I'll call you sometime this week. We'll have dinner." Devin walked off.
Rally turned around and started walking. "Men! I'll have to take the stupid train home!" She spat as she held her bleeding arm.
Rally sat at the kitchen table cleaning her new cut while talking on the phone. "Yeah, Becky, license plate 247-MIC. Thanks. Bye." Rally hung up the phone. "This case keeps getting stranger and stranger by the minute."
"Yeah," Akira said. He looked at the cut again. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the doctor? Because I can just go fire up the car..."
"I'll be okay. It's not as bad as it looks. I just gotta watch out for infection. Besides, you probably just wanna drive my Cobra, don't you?"
"Yes, Rally, you have discovered the depth of my shallowness."
Rally smirked. "In fact, you're so shallow that if you were a puddle and I stood in you, I wouldn't get my feet wet."
"Ouch!"
"Remember, all in good fun!" Rally wrapped cloth around her arm.
"Right, all in good fun."
"But anyway, I'll be okay. I'm just not sure what to think about this recent turn of events. I wonder if it had anything to do with our case."
"I bet it did," Akira sighed. "I bet it was the big event that the Mafia was planning for a while now."
"Michael De Luca must have known about it! That's why they killed him and blew up the apartment building!"
"That's what I'm thinking. We'll, just have to see if Becky's license plate report adds to the case or anything," Akira said. "And I bet it will."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Rally stared at the wooden table for a few moments.
"Hey, Rally? You awake?"
Rally shook her head. "Uh, yeah...I just got a lot on my mind now."
Assassination Plot
May yawned as she turned the pages to the latest edition of seventeen magazine. She stopped to look at a picture then kept turning. Rally pulled out merchandise from the display case and polished each piece while Akira swept the cement floor with a broom.
It was another slow day at Gunsmith Cats; only two customers stopped the entire morning. Rally spent most of the time doing small jobs that needed to be done while Akira cleaned the place to shine. However, May sat reading magazines most of the day and once, she got up to make a pot of coffee.
The door cracked open and the customer bell rang. The three of them suddenly turned their heads toward the door."
"Oh, it's just you," Rally said, disappointed.
"Thanks, Rally, thanks." Becky walked into the store.
"What's up, Beck?" May asked.
"I've come to a stalemate on the case. I don't know where to look next." Becky sighed. "There just isn't anymore information on Michael De Luca and his gang."
"What about the police investigation?" May asked.
"We've probably got more information than they do," Akira said.
May shot a dirty look at Akira. "I didn't ask you!"
"Cut it out, May!" Rally hissed.
Becky walked behind the counter and took a seat on one of the busted, desk chairs. "To tell the truth, Akira's right. Anyway, so what's going on?"
"Not much." May sighed again and dropped her magazine. "We've only had two customers all morning."
"Bummer."
Rally walked out from behind the counter and stood in the middle of the store. "You're telling me. Maybe I should make this inventory week."
The door flew open and a pair of arms wrapped around Rally to hug her. Rally spun around ready to hit whatever was behind her, but stopped once she saw whom it was.
"Rally! You're okay!"
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Rally said, trying not to growl.
"I came to see if you're okay! I called and stopped by your house and I couldn't find you anywhere!" Harry exclaimed, dressed in a Captain Kirk uniform.
"Harry, I think we need to talk..."
"I bought tickets for that Science Fiction Convention today! It starts in an hour! We could go together! I've got a Princess Leia costume for you!"
Rally sighed. "Harry, look at me."
"Yes?"
"We need to talk."
Harry stood without moving. His breathing grew heavier and heavier as moments passed by. "I've heard those words before." His breathing reached the point of hyperventilation. "You're breaking up with me!" Tears started to pour.
"Harry, I..."
"You're just like the rest of them!" Harry turned around and started to run out of the store. As he did, he was met by an entering customer. The two crashed.
Harry stood up and helped the customer up. He looked at the customer he knocked over to find her dressed in Mrs. Robinson from Lost in Space.
"I'm looking for the Science Fiction Convention."
May jumped off her stool. "The Science Fiction Convention? Why I do believe Harry was going there, weren't you?"
"Well, yes." Harry fiddled with his glasses.
May wrapped her arm around Harry. "Well, Harry, why don't you take this young woman to the Science Convention with you?"
The tall, skinny, nerdy woman smiled and Harry smiled too. The two walked out together, talking about their costumes and Science Fiction."
"That's the best thing you've done all week, May," Rally said. "To be quite honest, I'm surprised."
"Don't be! That's now eight marks for Matchmaker May,"
"And also the number of break-ups in the future," Akira said.
Rally burst with laughter.
"Shut up! Nobody asked you! You probably couldn't even get a date if you paid them off! Especially since you're hiding your hideous mutant face under that mask!"
"May!" Rally and Becky exclaimed.
"Oh, I could get a date if I wanted."
May half-laughed. "With who?"
"You! I know it, May! You can't resist me!"
"Dream on! You're not even half the man that Kenny is..." May stomped off to the back room.
"You ticked her off," Becky said.
"Yeah, I know."
Rally winked her eye and aimed her gun at the target. She fired and hit her paper enemy through the heart. She smiled as she pulled off her glasses. "Nice." She set the gun she used on the table and grabbed another one.
"What is the reason for shooting all these guns?" Becky leaned over and asked May. "Besides the sick fun and pleasure she gets out of it."
"Rally tests all the new guns that come in by shooting them. She wants to make sure her merchandise is in top condition."
"I suppose so."
Rally grabbed another gun and planted her feet. She took a deep breath and focused on her target. She closed one of her eyes and set aim. She stared at her point of aim and took her time to make this shot.
"Hey, babe." A pair of hands rested on Rally's hips.
Rally jumped and fired at the same time, just hitting the top left corner of the paper target. She turned around still holding her gun and found Devin Park with his hands up in the air.
"Easy there, killer!" Her grabbed the gun away from the startled Rally. He set the gun down. "Roy said you were dangerous, but I didn't think that dangerous."
"What are you doing here?" Rally asked. She looked over at her friends. "And why didn't anyone tell me you were coming up behind me?"
May and Becky shrugged.
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Devin smirked. He wrapped his right arm around Rally's shoulder. "You're just so cute when you're startled."
"Yeah, cute..." Rally mumbled, not liking Devin's arm around her.
Akira walked up with his broom when he saw that Rally, Devin, May, and Becky were gathered together in a group. Devin pulled out his gun and pointed it at Akira. "Who are you?"
"Put the gun down! It's okay!" Rally said.
Devin kept his gun up. "I asked you a question, sock head!"
"Devin! It's okay!" Rally pushed Devin's arm down. "His name is Akira Shinagawa. He's just working here."
"Well, who's he?" Akira asked.
"Uh, this is Devin Park..."
Devin pulled Rally closer to him. "I'm her boyfriend."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Rally spat.
Becky and May screamed and giggled. "Boyfriend!" May then smiled. "So when were you gonna tell me about this, Rally, you sly girl?"
"But I..."
"Oh!" Becky exclaimed. "It's so fabulous! You two have so much in common! You both like guns, you both work to protect the law..."
"And we love cars," Devin said. "Roy told me. I figured you'd like to see my new Corvette. It's green, you know."
"Corvette?" Rally asked.
"Yeah, a new 1995 Corvette."
"Oh," Rally said, turned off by a newer, and in her opinion, junky car.
Devin looked down the shooting gallery to see paper targets. "Oh, I see you're practicing your marksmanship." Devin smirked and rested his right arm at his waist again, touching his belt with his fingers.
"You're doing the belt thing again," May commented.
"May! Stop!" Rally hissed under her breath.
Devin dropped his hand. "Well, anyway..." He pulled out his gun. "I had the best shot in my entire class at the Academy." He took a shot and hit the target in the middle of the throat. He smirked once he saw the shot.
"Is that good, Rally?" Becky asked.
"Fairly good..."
"It was a great shot!" Devin interrupted Rally. "Many couldn't make that shot."
Akira half-laughed as he swept the floor.
Devin's head jerked toward Akira. "You think you can do better, sock head?" Devin asked, irritated.
"I didn't say that, now did I?" Akira kept sweeping.
"Why don't you get over here and try, big mouth?"
Akira stopped sweeping and rested the broom against the wall. He walked over to the gun table. "You've got 9mm, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Devin asked.
Akira picked up one of the guns off the table. He walked over and stood in the shooting lane. He took a moment to aim then fired his gun. He then walked away, set the gun back down, and grabbed the broom.
"He missed completely!" May said. "There's still only one hole." May laughed. "Serves the jerk right."
Rally pushed a button and the paper target slid forward towards them. She grabbed a hold of the target then gasped.
"What?" Everyone asked.
"Devin, give me one of your bullets."
Devin dug into his pocket and pulled out a bullet as Rally requested. Rally held it up to the hole in the paper. The hole was bigger than the bullet could have made.
"He didn't miss," Rally uttered, completely astonished.
"What do you mean, he didn't miss?" May asked.
Devin's bullets were smaller than Akira's bullets. Akira's bullet went through Devin's making the hole bigger."
"But who the heck has that kind of accuracy?" May asked.
"Apparently, Akira does," Becky said.
"Anyway," Devin said, changing the subject. "I have go to Richard Harris speech tomorrow and I was..."
"Richard Harris?" May asked.
"The newly elected Mayor of Chicago."
"Oh, right!"
"Anyway, I was thinking that you could come with me, Rally. Then we could go out afterwards."
"Well, actually, I'm busy with inventory tomorrow with the store..."
"No, you're not!" May exclaimed. "Becky and I will take care of it!"
"What?" Becky questioned. "I don't work here!"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!" May said. "You two should go out!"
"But, I really need..." Rally started to say.
"It's settled!" Devin said. "I'll pick you up at eleven tomorrow morning!"
Rally groaned as she dropped her head.
"I gotta go, babe." Devin ran off. "It's time to get back to the station for paperwork and all that stuff."
Rally screamed once Devin left the shooting gallery.
"What is wrong with you!" May exclaimed. "He really likes you!"
"Ha!" Rally balked. "People like that only care about one thing! He probably just wants free guns or something!"
"Oh, I'm sure that's what he's after!" May rolled her eyes. "However, I can't vouch for anything else he might want." May gave Rally a slap on the bottom and winked at her. "You better watch out, hon."
"Stop being a pervert!" Rally hissed.
"What? That's just the way guys are! You know it's true!" May laughed. "Is there a dirty side to Rally we've never seen before?"
"Cut it out, May!"
"Ahem," Akira said while look at the girls. They turned around and remembered that Akira was still in the room with them. Rally blushed deep red and stormed off out of the shooting gallery. May and Becky followed quickly behind.
Akira shook his head. "Girls!"
Rally came down the stairs in her navy blue blazer and skirt set. She looked like a lawyer going into a courtroom with her outfit. She carried the blue shoes that had a small heel to them as she walked down the stairs.
"Why didn't you wear the dress I laid out for you?" May asked. "You'll catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar."
"But I'm not catching flies, am I?"
"Right, you've already caught one."
Rally rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen. She walked over to the sink and turned on the water. A white door from the kitchen opened and Akira came out of his bedroom. "Hey, Rally."
Rally turned around and looked at Akira. "Spare bedroom working for you okay? May insisted we put you down here rather than upstairs. I know it gets a little cold in there sometimes though."
"No, it's fine. Thank you." He came out of the room wearing his mask and black trench coat.
"What are you doing today?" Rally asked as she filled a glass of water for herself.
"I'm going shopping. You people have no food around here."
"We do too!" Rally spat. "There's frozen pizza in the freezer!"
"Real food, Rally. Real food."
Rally shut the water off and started drinking her glass of water. She set the glass down when she was finished and sighed.
"Something wrong?"
"I really don't want to go today."
"On your date with your boyfriend?"
"He's not really my boyfriend. Everyone just keeps pushing it to be like that."
"Why did you just throw a fit yesterday or refuse to go with him?"
"Well, I figure I could try to pump him for information about the case. His arrogance tends to get the best out of him."
"True," Akira uttered.
"I don't know what to do though."
"What do you mean?"
Rally sighed. "I'm just not used to this kind of stuff. I don't really like all this dating. I mean, it's just that..." Rally stopped and half-laughed. "Well, I shouldn't load you down with all my problems..."
"No, it's okay."
"What do you think about all this?" Rally asked.
"Well, you should do whatever makes you happy. Within reason, of course."
"Of course."
Rally shook her head. "I'm just being crazy. If you think about it, Becky's right. We've got everything in common."
"Everything?"
"Well..."
A car horn honked. Rally looked out the window to see a green 1995 corvette parked out on the street. "Well, that's my ride." She slipped on her shoes and exited out the kitchen door.
Akira looked down at the kitchen table and took a seat. He pondered for a moment as he looked at his hands.
"What do you think you're doing?" May hissed as she stood in the doorway.
"What?" Akira looked over at her.
May stormed into the kitchen. "Don't you for even one second think that I don't know what you're doing!" She walked over to the counter and turned on the coffee pot.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're trying to split Devin and Rally up!" May opened the cupboard and grabbed the coffee can.
"It doesn't sound like they're really together anyway."
"They are so!"
"She doesn't even really like him! I didn't ask her to tell me anything! She started talking to me about it!"
"She likes him! She just doesn't realize it yet! They have everything in common! She'll learn to like him! Okay!"
"Just because you have everything in common doesn't make you compatible. You should know that, May."
May turned around and glared at Akira. "Do you want to know what I know?"
"What?"
May stepped towards the table and got into Akira's face. "Rally Vincent is way too good for you, Akira," May slowly said, making sure every word cut.
Akira looked down at the table. "You're right, she is. But I'm not looking at her in that way, now am I? I'm tying to be her friend. She started talking...I started listening...unlike someone around here."
"Yeah, well, you better just not be looking at her." May turned around and went back to the coffee pot.
Rally stood in the masses of the crowd as the newly elected Mayor of Chicago, Richard Harris, gave a speech. The site of the speech caused memories to flood back in as she remembered she was shot at on the very same stage. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the speech. She looked at the corner of the stage to see Devin and the other Police officers talking. Her eyes settled on Richard Harris, and she tried to pay attention to the speech.
"As Mayor, I believe it's time we roll up our sleeves and clean up these streets! It's time to get the filth out of our city! No more drugs! No more gangs! No more violence! I say, no more! No more!"
The crowd starting chanting the Mayor's slogan, "No More!" Rally rubbed her face with her hand. "I wish I would have brought some ibuprofen," Rally thought.
Suddenly, a gunshot went off. Everyone in the crowd ducked. Rally looked up as she was being pushed down by other people. She saw Richard Harris, being hit the right side of his chest at an angle. Knowing a lot about guns, she looked at the angle the shot must have came from. She saw a dark figure on top of the building to the left of her. "Bingo!" She ran out of the crowd towards the building. She ran towards the left side of the building and started climbing up the construction ladders. She managed to get to the top of the building rather fast, but she cut her arm on a piece of sharp metal. "Ouch!" She hissed. She found the figure packed up and ready to go. He was a tall man with red hair and a brown trench coat. He carried a metal briefcase and smoked a cigarette as he walked across the top of the building. Rally stayed put on the construction set up and waited until the man exited the building. He jumped into a 1995 Ferrari F- 355-GTS Coupe, tossed his cigarette butt out the window, and drove off. Rally stared at the license plate. "247-MIC," She said to herself.
Rally climbed down and walked back to the stage where the assassination took place. She thought long and hard as she walked.
"Where were you?"
Rally looked up. "Devin...I...uh...had to go to the restroom."
"Oh," Devin said. "I thought maybe you were one of those people who got hurt from the stampeding crowd." He looked at Rally's arm. "Hey, your arm's cut."
Rally looked down at her left arm. "Oh, it is," She said. "I must have cut it when I was climbing," She thought to herself.
"Looks bad," Devin said.
"It does," Rally said. "Hope I don't need stitches. Perhaps, I should go to the hospital and get that taken care of."
"Well, that hospital is about five blocks away. You can make it before sun down," Devin said.
"Couldn't you just drive me?"
"No, I got stuff to do. You'll be fine! Now go on, babe. I'll call you sometime this week. We'll have dinner." Devin walked off.
Rally turned around and started walking. "Men! I'll have to take the stupid train home!" She spat as she held her bleeding arm.
Rally sat at the kitchen table cleaning her new cut while talking on the phone. "Yeah, Becky, license plate 247-MIC. Thanks. Bye." Rally hung up the phone. "This case keeps getting stranger and stranger by the minute."
"Yeah," Akira said. He looked at the cut again. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the doctor? Because I can just go fire up the car..."
"I'll be okay. It's not as bad as it looks. I just gotta watch out for infection. Besides, you probably just wanna drive my Cobra, don't you?"
"Yes, Rally, you have discovered the depth of my shallowness."
Rally smirked. "In fact, you're so shallow that if you were a puddle and I stood in you, I wouldn't get my feet wet."
"Ouch!"
"Remember, all in good fun!" Rally wrapped cloth around her arm.
"Right, all in good fun."
"But anyway, I'll be okay. I'm just not sure what to think about this recent turn of events. I wonder if it had anything to do with our case."
"I bet it did," Akira sighed. "I bet it was the big event that the Mafia was planning for a while now."
"Michael De Luca must have known about it! That's why they killed him and blew up the apartment building!"
"That's what I'm thinking. We'll, just have to see if Becky's license plate report adds to the case or anything," Akira said. "And I bet it will."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Rally stared at the wooden table for a few moments.
"Hey, Rally? You awake?"
Rally shook her head. "Uh, yeah...I just got a lot on my mind now."