MASK: Legacy Saga 2: Death Becomes Her: Chapter 2
Author's Notes: Well, Loyal Fans, another chapter is FINALLY here, just in time to begin the new year. Lisa and I are just starting Saga 3, so we figured it would be less evil to make you wait between these chapters, rather than having to wait for a whole new story. And since no one has rioted yet, that must be somewhat acceptable. I'd expect nothing less from our group of stalwart fans. A special welcome to newest reviewer Broadcast2000…and once again, a big thank you and shout out to all our reviewers. You guys and girls have no idea how much you motivate us. And now…the rest of the story… (with all due respect to Paul Harvey)…
Buddy Hawkes didn't realize how nervy he was until the sound of motorcycle engines made him jump and nearly hit the ceiling in his office. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, especially since that was the sound he'd been waiting to hear for the past hour, ever since he had called up to the Ranger Station to see if Annie had left yet. She almost always made a pit stop at Boulderhill whether she was on duty or not, so he felt a little more relaxed knowing that she was still keeping to her normal habits. Let's just hope no one else has picked up on those habits yet, he thought to himself as he went out to the service station entrance. He got another jolt of surprise when he saw two more bikes parked, one on each side, by the gas pump outside the station. Annie herself was manning the pumps as she talked and joked with the riders. Something made him stop and observe the situation outside rather than interrupting the moment, so he waited in the doorway, listening.
Annie replaced the hoses on the pumps as both of them clicked off at once. "All righty boys, your horses are watered. Now, if you want some of the best food to fill yourselves up, you just follow this highway straight into town and make a left at the first light. You'll see a restaurant and pizza parlor called Dusty's. Go in and ask for him by name and tell him Annie sent you, and he'll treat you a-okay."
"Thanks for the fill and the info, lady, yer all right," said the 'boy' Annie didn't quite recognize.
"Thank you, gentlemen, for the escort."
"Yer welcome, Ranger," Tramp replied as both of them started their bikes. "Enjoy yer time off, but ya better be careful, cause I don' wanna hear it if ya don't."
They drove off waving before Annie could reply. She turned around to find Buddy standing in the service station doorway. "How long have you been standing there?" she accused.
"Long enough to see you giving away free gas. No wonder my cash drawer never balances."
"I think it's your bookkeeping that's the problem," Annie snorted in reply. "I've helped you balance the books, remember? Besides, you know I'm good for that."
"Friends of yours?" Buddy asked casually as they walked back inside to Boulderhill proper.
"Friends of a friend. They were headed this way and thought they'd keep me company."
"The same friend who tipped you off to a certain illegal weapons deal?"
Annie's jaw dropped in shock, even though it really shouldn't have. "How did you know about that?!?"
She followed him into his office as he shoved a copy of the newspaper in her direction, much as Butch had earlier. "You're the only one up there who'd have access to information like that. Rumor has it that some people who run in certain circles aren't very happy about it either."
"The ATF will get over it I'm sure," Annie quipped lightly, "and I'm bleeding on the inside for anyone else, truly I am," she added sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant, Annie."
"I know what you meant, Buddy."
"Did you?" His face hardened as he arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm not sure you caught the full meaning of what I just said. People are VERY unhappy about this and a few other outstanding issues, enough to see other people hurt."
"Ironically enough, I received a message to that same effect not too terribly long ago," Annie relayed calmly, "just before I stopped here actually."
She knows already! How the hell could she have found out so damn fast when I just heard it myself? Not to mention the fact that she looks pretty smug for someone who was just informed that his or her life is in danger. Hmm, time to try and shake her up a bit…
"You plan on telling your father and Scott about this, then?" Buddy asked harshly.
"As a matter of fact, I don't. They are the LAST people I want to know about this." Her expression turned rock hard as she admitted to him, "Truth be told, I might not have told you either, except for the fact that I know you would have found out anyway. Which apparently, you did."
"I think that Brad and Scott have a right to know about this, Red," he pleaded with her, "so if you aren't going to tell them, then I'm going to…"
"NO, you ARE NOT." The vehemence in Annie's tone floored him, and for a moment he thought he was talking to Vanessa. "If I tell them about this, I am NOT going to get a moment's peace. Both of them are going to be all over me, smothering me in over protectiveness. I'd like to be able to ENJOY my vacation without tripping over the two of them every minute. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself, but if it makes you feel better, I'll be extra careful, I'll check my bike for car bombs, I'll look both ways before crossing the street, and I won't talk to strangers."
It took Buddy a moment to recognize Annie's flippancy for what it was. She's in denial. Complete denial. She doesn't believe a word of this, or if she does, she's hiding it pretty well. No sense trying to argue with her then, but I can play my trump card. "All right Annie, I won't tell Scott and Brad about this, but I am going to tell Matt."
"You can't tell Matt! That would be just like telling Scott!"
"Annie, this could very well end up affecting the entire team, and I sure don't want Matt breathing down my neck when he manages to find out that I knew about the whole thing." He folded his arms and gave Annie his final ultimatum. "Take your choice, Red, you can tell Brad and Scott, or I can tell Matt. What's it gonna be?"
When she saw he wasn't going to back down, Annie sighed in capitulation. "Fine, tell Matt. But you better make damn sure that he knows that I don't want Scott to know. I don't want him or Dad worrying about me more than they already do."
"Fine, but I plan on covering my ass too," Buddy informed her, "if word of this gets to them from someone other than me, I'm going to make it perfectly clear it was YOU that didn't want them to know."
He saw just a touch of a crack in that flippant armor Annie was wearing to hide her disbelief. Buddy then placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, Red, I can sort of understand why you don't want to tell them. But they both love you, and I think this is something they have a right to know. Then again, it's your decision."
Something flashed in Annie's eyes, only to be replaced by that strong disassociation. "I've decided to start enjoying my vacation," she said, with a smile he could tell was partially forced. "So if you are finished, I'm going to see a man about a pizza. I'm starved."
Inwardly, Buddy sighed, knowing this was going to come back to haunt him. Outwardly, he just shrugged. "Just promise me you'll think about what I said."
"I promise…to think about it."
Buddy watch uneasily as she drove away on her bike towards town. If she weren't so stubborn like her father, she'd take this more seriously.
Matt Trakker sat at his desk in his study looking over several lists of possible weapon smuggling suspects and crossed checking them in his computer database. He looked up when he heard a light tap at the door, "Come in."
Buddy walked in and plopped down on a nearby chair, "You busy Matt?"
He smiled, "You already know the answer to that, but I could use a break."
"I need to talk to you about Annie." He added with a worried tone.
Matt raised a brow, "Is she in some sort of trouble or did you both get into a fight?"
"You read the headlines today, didn't ya?"
Matt pulled out the paper buried under the mountain of papers sitting on his desk, "Yeah Annie manage to bust a huge weapon shipment. Which is quite a catch, she'll probably get some sort of promotion out of it as well. If anything I suspect her to be delighted over her achievement."
"You got that right, but she's also in denial about the consequences that come afterwards."
"Go on," Matt turned his full-undivided attention towards Buddy.
"This morning I was checking with my sources, to gather more information about Contra World buying weapons off a dealer for ya, when the word out on the street changed to a certain High Mountain Ranger got a target on her forehead. The man who set up that weapon ring is might piss off he wants blood as a repayment."
"This isn't meager threat now is it?"
"The threat very genuine, and Annie in complete denial about the whole thing. I tried to explain to her these people have the money and resources to hire somebody to take her out, but she thinks it's all talk and no show."
"She'll have to lay low until this is resolved. Scott and Brad…"
"She doesn't want either of them to know and I promised her they wouldn't."
"Is she out of her mind?" Matt looked at Buddy slightly outraged, "This is her life we're talking about. She needs to be protected and watch 24/7, until this dies down."
Buddy sighs, "I know. She just wants to enjoy her vacation. At least she'll be with Scott, he'll keep an eye on her."
"Buddy keep trying to get more information about who put the hit out. Maybe we can blow their cover before they even get a chance to carry out the hit. I'll get in contact with the ATF and see if they'll offer any assistance."
"But is that going to be good enough for now, is that all we do?" Buddy stood there feeling hopeless.
Matt pondered for a few minutes, "I'll call in a few favors with the FBI and local police force have them stake out Annie and Scott's apartment. That way we can avoid any foul play. We'll take this threat very seriously whether Annie wants to or not. At the first signs of danger, I'm going to tell Brad and Scott with or with out her consent."
"I'll agree with you on that." As Buddy headed out the door, he halted, "Ummmm Matt have you heard from Roxanne?"
"She currently on assignment in Washington DC to help delete a computer virus invading the national security defense systems. I'm not sure when she'll be back, why do you ask?"
"Oh she just left some unfinished business in the garage. That just needed to get cleared up. It can wait, this is more important. I'll be back as soon as I find out more." Once Buddy left the room, Matt started dialing up this favors.