Seven Days Prior Chapter 6: Day 6, a picket fences fanfic

Day 6

"So this is Chili," Skeeter said, as he and Jimmy rode down to the harbor, "It's somewhere I never thought I'd ever come."

"Neither did I. We're not going to the island Skeeter."

"Isn't it crawling with the local authorities anyway?"

"Yeah. I want to talk to the people who Kenny rented the boat from, and find out where it is, if he ever came back."

"Hmm, my head," Max groaned, as she rolled on her side.

"Morning, Cahli," Kenny grumbled from the other side of the bed.

"Tobias."

Kenny rolled on his side, and looked at her bleary eyed, "You up for bingo today? Maybe some shuffleboard?"

"Can't I just sleep all day?"

"Come on, Cahli. We have one day until we have to go to another continent, and it's our honeymoon."

"You're way too into this fake marriage thing."

Kenny smiled at her grumpy expression, and kissed her on her forehead, "One day, and then who knows what?"

Max couldn't help but smile back at him, "What do you want to do?"

A million scenarios that didn't involve leaving the bed raced through his mind, but he somehow thought that Max wouldn't go for it, "I think we better be prepared. Probably pack up what we need to take with us, just in case we have to get away quickly, and then . . . I heard there are some hot tubs up on the deck."

"They found the boat anchored in Punta Arenas," the harbor master said, "It's up the coast some ways."

"What is in Punta Arenas?" Jimmy asked.

"It's a big cruise ship port. There is a lot to see and do. Some penguin tours."

"How would someone go about booking a cruise out of there? Where can I get a list of all the ships that sailed out yesterday?"

"The tourism office is back," he replied, with a jerk of his thumb, "Who are you looking for?"

"A friend," Jimmy said, as he slid a photograph out of his pocket, "Is this the man who chartered the boat?"

"That be him. You know him? You weren't the only person to come looking for him."

"Did he?" Jimmy asked, extracting a picture of Morell.

"Yeah. I lost two of my charter boats because as these assholes."

"Thanks for your help. How would we get to Punta Arenas?"

"It's a three-hour drive up the coast."

"Thanks."

"Uh Jimmy?" Skeeter asked, as they made their way to the building, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure," Jimmy replied, "I'm thinking that Kenny and Max made it to Punta Arenas, then needed a way to get out of the country. Whether it be by sea, land or air."

Max smiled, as Kenny handed her a beer. Stretching out on the deck chair, she relished in the brief time that they had to relax.

"Thanks," she said, as he sat in the chair next to her, "This could be perfect if . . ."

"Yeah, if. When we the last time either of us took a vacation?"

"I don't remember."

Kenny let his gaze travel down her bikini clad body, and groaned internally at how his body was reacting to it. This is Max, he thought, Max. You two are running from the mob, police, and anyone else who will chase you. Don't start thinking of her that way. She is your fake wife. Not real.

"Kenny?"

"Yeah?"

She sat up slightly, "Uh, is something wrong? Besides the obvious? You're kind of staring at me."

"Well you're a beautiful woman, Cahli," he said, trying to sound casual, "And that bikini doesn't leave much to the imagination."

Max bit her tongue to keep from smiling, "And you are a sweet husband to say that."

"I think you're the only person to ever call me sweet."

"I wish every guy I dated was half the man that you are. Whatever happens in the next few days . . . I don't even know what to say. Thank you."

"We're going to be okay," Kenny promised, as he scooted onto her chair, and took her hands in his, "Everyone who was chasing us, well you know."

"They'll send more."

"We're going to stay one step ahead of them. Maybe two," he said quietly, as he brushed her hair back off of her face, "We made it this far."

She nodded, "I wouldn't have if it wasn't for you."

Kenny tilted his head in, so that their foreheads touched, "Glad I could be of service."

Max swallowed at his closeness, "Do you want to go back to the room?"

"Only one ship sailed out from there yesterday. The Rembrandt, and it is bound for Arica."

"When will it get there?" Skeeter asked.

"Tomorrow. It docks at," she trailed off, "At six A.M."

"How soon can we get there?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, we have a small plane that is taking a tour there. It leaves at three this afternoon. It should get you there by eight tonight, then you can meet your friends."

"Is there any way to see who booked a last minute cruise?" Skeeter asked, "We just want to make sure that we have the right boat."

"Well I'm not supposed to," she trailed off, "What are the names?"

"We're not sure," Skeeter said.

The woman frowned, "Oh?"

"Could you just give us a list of everyone who booked a cruise yesterday," Jimmy said, as he flashed his badge, "We are American police, and these people are suspects."

She typed some information into the computer, and nodded thoughtfully, "There were five last minute bookings. A Juan and Maria Ramirez, Carl and Natalie Linbrook, Samson and Julia Hook, Tobias and Cahli Vangas, and Francisco and Theresa Cabrera."

"Thank you. Could we get the tickets to Arica now?" Jimmy asked, praying that one of the couples was Kenny and Max.

Kenny kept one arm wrapped around Max's shoulders, as they walked stealthily toward their room. Rounding the corner, he froze as he saw the television screen in the sports bar.

"Cahli," he whispered, "Look."

She glanced up, and wondered what caused him to come to a dead halt, "Shit."

Kenny looked at their images staring back at them from the screen, and could make out the word suspects, mob, and murder, before turning back to Max, "We better get back to the room, and stay there."

"Think maybe we could find this on the T.V. back there?"

"We better," he said, as they made the way back to their room in silence.

Max flipped on the television, and sunk down onto the mattress, "Now what?"

"Well your hair is a lot shorter in that picture," Kenny said nodding.

"So is yours. When were those taken? When we both joined the department? That was what? Five years ago?"

Kenny fingered her hair, "Well this color is distinctive. There were some wigs in those shops."

"What about you? You want to grow a beard, or shave your head?"

"We're not going to panic. We don't dock until tomorrow. Until then, we're gonna lie low."

"They're not saying anything we don't know already."

Kenny pulled her into his arms, and felt his heart break at her trembling, "We probably know more. We know where Tom's safety deposit box is. We just have to get there, Cahli."

Max looked up at him, "Why do I feel like I'm never going to be Max again? Even if we find what we need to clear you, and get the real killers locked up. We know how the mob works, and they're not going to let us walk away. I'd also say that our careers are most likely ruined."

"So what do you want to do? Just run away?"

"Tom wanted to do that. Let everyone think we were dead. I couldn't."

"What about now?"

"Could you?"

"If it's a choice between that or being killed, then yeah. We have some cash, id, and once we put these bastards away . . . We don't have to worry about it yet."

Max looked up at him seriously, "If you could pick one place to go where this is all over, where would it be?"

"Someplace warm, a place that we can have a house and plenty of open space. Maybe grow our own vegetables or something, and just be happy, safe. What about you?"

She leaned her head on his shoulder, as the news story changed, "I'm kind of opposed to the island thing, but maybe Italy or France. What about buying a vineyard, and making our own wine?"

Kenny stroked her hair, "We could have a good life together once this is done."

"Isn't this the complication we wanted to avoid?"

"I thought I lost you. I don't ever want to lose you."

Max lifted her head, "Kenny."

"We're not them anymore, remember?"

"I'm going to be sick," Skeeter groaned, as he and Jimmy stumbled through the Arica airport terminal, "Why do people even make planes that small?"

"For trips like that," Jimmy countered, as he looked at his watch, "The ship docks in 10 hours."

"We can't do anything until then."

"Yeah we can. We're going to find out as much information as we can about the Ramierezes, Linbrooks, Vangas', Hooks and Cabreras. Then we're going to make sure the Arica police are there to pick them up, so we can get to the bottom of this. They owe us an explanation."

Max swallowed, and wanted nothing more then to lose herself in the moment with Kenny. After all, she thought, this may be the last time I have sex before I'm killed. And it's Kenny, or Tobias if we're forgetting about our lives from now on.

"What's that?" she asked, as another image came back on the screen, "Is that you? And Franco Millani?"

"Max. It's not real," Kenny insisted, as she pulled out of his arms, "Those are the same pictures that Jimmy had. They're doctored! I don't know any mobsters. You know that!"

"I know that," she agreed, "It was just a shock to see it. I trust you."

"You're the only person I trust anymore," Kenny said, "Who do you think doctored those photos? Tom?"

Max shook her head, "No. He could hardly work a camera. What about Morell? He had all the lab equipment back at his office?"

"Okay, going with that theory . . . Why?"

"Well considering we, I, blew him up, we'll have to wait."

"I can't find anything on Cahli and Tobias Vangas," Skeeter said, "Do we know for sure that they are American?"

"No. The Ramirezes and Cabreras are from Chili, and the Hooks are American and the Linbrooks are English. Vangas? It could be anything."

"Cahli sounds Spanish. I'll start there."

"We need to do some stuff before we get into port," Kenny said, as he glanced at the clock.

"Like getting me a wig? What about hitting the computer again, and trying to find out anything else the we can about this."

"Why don't we make flight reservations to Zurich for tomorrow? And possibly some place else, just to throw people off track, if they are looking for us?"

"Then get off this boat as soon as we can."

"You want to split up?"

"Not really, but it'll get everything done faster," Max said, as she twisted her hair back in a bun, and pulled on Kenny's Chicago Cubs hat, "I'll run to the boutiques, and then meet you at the computers. Maybe I can find you a wig too."

"How about a beard? I heard they have costumers on board for some big party that they're throwing. Did I say you could borrow my hat?"

"I'll do my best, and I thought it might hide my distinctive hair color."

Kenny smiled at her, and snagged a bandana out of the duffle bag, "I guess this will do for me. Half an hour?"

"Nothing," Skeeter said, pushing back from the terminal, "As far as anyone knows, there is no one name Tobias and Cahli Vangas. Not a married couple, siblings, nothing. It's like they appeared out of thin air."

"That is an awfully big coincidence," Jimmy said, as they made their way out of the closing internet café, "It has to be them."

Skeeter nodded, "If we sick the police on them they're going to be thrown in jail down here, Jimmy. You know the mob is still looking for them, they have to be."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I say we wait for them to get off of the boat, and sort this out. It would be a lot easier and quieter then going through all of this red tape. Do you really want to waste time dealing with the Chilean police?"

Jimmy gritted his teeth, "There are over 3,000 people on this ship."

"And who knows Kenny and Max better than you do?"

"Hello Tobias," a voice said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Did you miss me?"

Kenny smiled before turning around, "Could that be my Cahli? Whoa. Look at you."

Max smiled back at him, and turned around to show him the full view of her new look, "Well?"

Kenny took in the long dark wig, glasses, lip ring, "Did your breasts get bigger too?"

"Leave it to you to notice that," Max scoffed, "I bought, or rented, a few more wigs, and you some facial hair. This costume party is big here."

"I wouldn't have recognized you."

"What did you find out?" Max asked, as she tossed him back his hat.

"The news that we saw gave us a lot of what I read here, except for the theory that you were Tom's mole in the department."

"Great. Now I'm not just dead, but a criminal too."

"Join the club."

"Anything else?"

"I booked us a flight tomorrow. It leaves at eleven. Who knows? Maybe we'll have our answers by tomorrow."

Max smiled, as Kenny stood, "I hope so."

"So what did you get me?"

"Okay," Jimmy agreed, "We'll do it that way. They can't help us if they're locked up. I want to be down on that pier before that ship even pulls in."

"Sounds like a plan," Skeeter said with a yawn, "It gets here in six hours. How about we get some sleep first?"

Max giggled, as she looked at Kenny in the blond wig and beard, "Oh my God."

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, as he pulled her over toward the mirror, "We look ridiculous, but I like the bigger breasts."

"Well I have to say that we do look completely different than we did a few hours ago."

"Cahli," Kenny said carefully, not wanting to put any pressure on her.

"Tobias," Max replied, "That's who we are."

"Not the two deputy partners anymore."

"What are we then?"

Kenny pulled her in closer, "We can be whoever we want to be."

Max stood up on her toes, and pressed her lips to his softly, "You have no idea how much I want to do this, Tobias."

"But?"

"We still have a lot of road to travel, and," Max paused, thinking how she never wanted him to let go of her, "I don't want to hate each for the rest of it."

"Understandable," Kenny replied, not releasing, "I'm not going to force you."

Max wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close, "You're the best person that I have ever known."

Kenny relished the feel of Max in arms, "You're an amazing woman. There isn't anyone I would rather be running from the mob from."

Max let out a genuine laugh, and pulled back from him a bit, "We better get to bed. It's going to be an early day."