CHAPTER 14
I felt like a general addressing the troops before the battle. My crack team (team of crackpots was more like it) stood around me as I passed out the photos of the bail jumping scum that we were going to bring in tonight (see, I was being positive again)
The plan was that I would go in and suss out the situation, see how many of my skips that I could spot while the others got into position outside the building.
I checked that I had my gun, pepper spray and cuffs before strutting my stuff right through the front door …
I tried to fit in with the other girls milling around the chip bowl and studiously avoid the keg. There was no way on this sweet earth that I was ever drinking alcohol ever again. I still had a pounding headache and I might just puke yet.
I managed to spot a few of the skips in the hall and on the stairs. But in the lounge room I really hit pay dirt. There was a group of 10 maybe 11 guys. Only problem was that they all turned to look when I walked into the room
Now, I was flattered that they even looked it gave me and my thirty year old boobs a bit of an ego boost. I was however up shit creek because they recognised me
'Dude, that's her! That's Stephanie Plum'
'No way!'
'Shit, the Bombshell bounty hunter here at our party'
'she's hot!
Wow, not usually the response from wayward FTA's. One guy was actually on his knees bowing at little old me!
I started to think this was a very bad idea.
'I knew she'd come!'
'how cool is this!'
'Man, where are your manners. Offer Ms Plum a drink' the one I recognised as Chris Shaw from his file elbowed another one, who I thought might be Bennie Goodman. Bennie whipped the mouth of the bottle he was drinking before passing it to me.
I took it out of shock.
"Guys get in here! The bombshell Bounty Hunter 's here to take us in" someone yelled.
Seconds later, there before me all lined up in a nice straight row were my 15 FTA's.
They should all be this easy.
I caught a glimpse of Tank through the window. I think he was shaking his head.
The girls burst into the room moments later guns and attitudes at the ready. I think they were disappointed when they found me sitting on a sofa, beer in hand and 15 young men lined up before me with their arms stretched out in front of them ready to be cuffed.
The Guys, on the other hand didn't look so sure of themselves when Tank and boys walked in.
'Bombshell how'd this happen?'
'I have no idea.' I answered honestly. 'I walked in, they gave me a beer and lined up just like that' I said pointing
'Huh'
'yeah!" I agreed, it was very huh
'That happen often?'
I gave him a pissy look and the infamous burg eyeroll. " You know it doesn't'
The one I think was Bennie took a half step forward, ' We think you're awesome'
'well thanks' its not everyday that you find out that you're worshipped by a a bunch of college guys.
'you're the coolest. We've got all your stuff.'
'Huh?'
'You know, like stuff in the papers and on the news, we even started a website'
'Dude shut up!'
'No. You keep talking' Tank did his intimidation think
'Um, yeah we're big fans of your work'
'Don't tell me that's why you did this?'
'Um yeah.'
A guy almost the size of Tank spoke up next. He was real enthusiastic " after last week, with the pics of you in the fountain like how else were we gonna meet such a hotass babe like you!' I didn't know whether to be flattered or scared.
I decided on pissed off.
'So you got yourselves arrested then missed your court dates. On purpose.' It wasn't really a question
"Um yeah'
I looked around the room then and realised that the party quests seemed to have disappeared, and that my so called friends were all laughing their arses off.
Fan-fucking-tastic
Tank, and the boys went to work securing the Omega Alpha morons wrists behind their backs with riot cuffs, you know the plastic things that look like you should be tying up an open packet not a persons hands.
Another one of Ranger's guys, the one they called Beetle (I have know idea why) was checking names and faces against the files. He nodded at me, which I took to mean that we got them all.
Bennie looked to be all talked out, and most of the others were only now just realising that this was real. I picked Chris out of the line up
'You. Tell me about this website'
'Now!' Tank added helpfully. He was very good like that.
'it's not much really, Steve had only been working on it a few weeks'
So that explained Steve Elton, he was their Randy.
'Connie, can you call the cops, we're going to need some more transportation'
'No problem hotstuff'
I shot her a deathglare and a middle finger before swinging my wrath back on Chris. 'You. Show me.'
Tank and I went upstairs with Chris to, what I can only assume was Steve's bedroom.
It looked more like a shrine.
(Only a small one)
To me.
There were clippings from the newspapers, pictures obviously lifted from footage, most likely from the TV news. What was more worrying were the pictures taken of me crossing the street, me shopping with Lula, at the laundromat. Most from only the last couple of days but still scary as shit, because I had no idea that this little creep was following me around town.
Chris started up the computer and brought up the website. It was a sub page off the official fraternity page. There wasn't much to it, just the same stuff that was on the wall.
Oh, and video of the chase through Macy's. Somehow these guys had gotten their hands on the video surveillance tapes
Just great!
When we came back downstairs, Tank carrying the computer, the party had moved outside.
When the cops pulled up there were 15 handcuffed college boys kneeling in a line on the front lawn of the fraternity house; a Bowling dynamo, an ex-hooker badass, 6 well trained muscle men, a very tired house wife, a recent divorcee and me.
