MASK: Legacy Saga 2: Death Becomes Her

Chapter 4

Author's Note: Welcome to another chapter of our story, loyal fans! I'm happy to see that Chapter 3 generated quite a bit of a response from everyone out there, and I'm happy that you all enjoy seeing a different side of VENOM's infamous vixen, Vanessa. I hope you feel as good about this chapter, which is a partial continuation.

Once again, thank you to everyone who reviews our stories…it means a lot to us. This chapter's special welcome goes to new reviewer WFD, who proved to me that anonymous reviewers are people too. grin I'm teasing, WFD…we just had a really strange anonymous review in November that I had to delete. But as always, we appreciate everyone who reviews intelligently, so please do so anytime!

Thanks again!

Brad turned the corner into his kitchen just in time to see Vanessa Warfield walk through his now unlocked and open front door. He folded his arms across his chest and smirked at her, leaning against the counter calmly as he tried to hide his surprise.

"Thanks for reminding me that those locks need changed."

Vanessa shrugged at him as if it was of no importance. "If it will make you feel better, though I picked it anyway."

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Brad asked casually, figuring they might as well get to the point quickly. It would be just his luck someone would decide to come over to visit in that same instant.

"Home alone?" Vanessa asked, eyeing her surroundings cautiously.

"Annie's not here if that's what you mean."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Probably with Scott."

"Trakker's son?!?" Vanessa spat the question almost as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Come on, Vanessa, you aren't that out of touch," Brad replied as his smirk deepened. "Maybe you aren't aware of how serious they really are, but you're perfectly well aware that they've been a couple for quite a while now."

"You got to be kidding me! You think the girl would have of learned a thing or two about how co-workers don't exactly make suitable play things. Especially after what happen between us. I expected you to teach her better then that!"

Brad choked slightly at her words, "A play thing…. since when did you start referring to our relationship on the S & M level? Is that a step up?" He asked snidely. When Vanessa didn't reply, he continued somewhat hotly, "And as I recall it, you were the one who came on to me first. Not to mention that we were NEVER co-workers…we could have been, but you chose the wrong side. So the way I see it, YOU have no right to lecture me on how I raised MY daughter. I say MY daughter because you choose to leave her on my doorstep and abandoned her, and Annie's not you, so if she manages to find a suitable well respectable guy co-worker or not then so be it. All that matters is that she's happy, and she's expecting a marriage proposal any day now."

Vanessa turned, making a show of closing Brad's front door so that he didn't see the mix of surprise, disgust, anger, concern, and worry cross her face. When she turned back to him, her face was its usual mask. "Do you know where she's at, then?"

"No."

"Don't you ever ask?!"

Brad knew Vanessa well enough to pick up on the semi-hidden agitation in Vanessa's voice. Something had her worried, and judging by her line of questioning, it had something to do with Annie. He felt his own protective father gene kicking in as he replied, "Actually I did, and I got a generic answer about dinner and a romantic night on the town, along with the second lecture about not digging too deep into Annie's personal life. So I didn't."

"That's your problem. You've been letting her run rampant for so many years that she's out of control." Vanessa continued to vent her displaced anger before Brad could interrupt. "First you let her run wild in Venice, then you let her slip into that nightclub under your very nose, and then if that wasn't enough, you let her into the PNA."

"First of all," Brad retorted sharply, " 'LET' is a rather strong word. You know as well as I do that Annie has just as much of a stubborn streak as you and I combined, and once she gets something into her head, there's no stopping her or changing her mind. Second of all, I could have no more stopped her from joining the PNA as I could have stopped you from going back to VENOM."

"Well, you should have tried harder, because now someone's got a price on her head, and they want payment in blood."

"WHAT?!?" Brad's face turned ashen as he stared, shocked and thunderstruck by Vanessa's calm, matter of fact revelation to him. "WHAT did you just say?!"

"I think you heard me, Brad," Vanessa replied. "Someone wants your daughter dead. Though I have to say I'm rather surprised you haven't heard this by now. It's pretty old news, and I know for a fact that she got the message."

Brad's expression switched from shock to unadulterated rage in a matter of seconds. "Wait a minute, Vanessa…are you telling me she KNEW?! Annie KNEW about this…"

"Apparently your little girl doesn't tell you as much as you'd like to think." Vanessa turned and headed for the door, before Brad started asking more inevitable questions. "If I were you, Brad, I'd find out where the hell she is. FAST."

"Vanessa, WAIT!"

She turned back to him from the now open doorway. "I owed you this, Brad, so don't bother asking for anything more. Your time would be better spent elsewhere."

With that last remark, she turned and left, shutting the door without another glance backward.

"Scott, could you please do me a favor?"

"What's that, dear?"

"Could you please use some of that millionaire playboy charm to stop the girl at the table behind us from drilling her eyes into the back of my head? It's making me rather nervous and more than a little irritated."

Scott chuckled at Annie as he picked up his wine glass and took a casual sip, leaning back in his chair slightly to get a better look around one of Carson City's finest and most expensive restaurants. "Annie, people have been staring at us all night. You can't tell me it's taken you this long to notice." As an almost unconscious gesture, he then straightened his tie and smoothed the jacket of his tuxedo, almost as though he expected someone to be watching at that very moment.

"I've been well aware of all the curious looks and semi-stares, but this goes beyond that." Annie picked up her own glass and took a sip, hoping the alcohol might calm her nerves slightly. "If she doesn't stop staring at me, I'm either going to spontaneously combust, or turn around and lay her out, and I'm sure you'd rather I didn't make a scene."

Scott chuckled again and flashed her an amused, yet somewhat sympathetic grin. "If it makes you feel any better, her date has been turning around to shoot me looks over your head every few minutes. I can guarantee you that they want to know what beautiful girl suddenly climbed up out of nowhere to snag the city's richest and most eligible bachelor."

"Come on, Scott, be serious."

"I AM being serious, Annie…on all counts."

That caused a blush to rise in Annie's cheeks that she couldn't completely attribute to the small glass of wine she'd been sipping all night. Nervously, she pushed aside a stray red curl that had escaped the twist at the top of her head, and smoothed down the long green evening gown that Jackie had absolutely INSISTED she buy the minute she heard about the romantic dinner Scott was planning. She said it brought out the sparkle in her eyes, and Jackie was also the one who had fixed her hair into its now twisted state. She also curled it into the ringlets Annie even now pushed away from her face in an attempt to regain what little composure she had left.

"You're even more beautiful when you're embarrassed," Scott teased, "the red matches the sheen of your hair."

"Will you please STOP?" Annie muttered into her glass, unable to bring herself to look at him.

Scott laughed softly, then took one of her hands in his as he continued to wax romantic on her. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't deny that you look absolutely gorgeous tonight. And since you are your father's best kept secret, none of these people know that you are the daughter of one of the decade's biggest rock stars. The curiosity is just eating them alive, and none of them would be staring so hard if they knew."

"Hurry up and make the general announcement then, before I have a nervous breakdown."

Scott tried not to choke on his last sip of wine as he swallowed hard and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Actually, I thought maybe we would slip out of the public eye for a while, since we're both finished."

"I'll take that plan," Annie smiled gratefully at him as they stood up to leave.

They threaded their way to the exit arm in arm, stopping only so that Scott could exchange some final polite pleasantries with the maitre'd.

"Mr. Trakker, I trust that your dinner experience was satisfactory?" the host asked primly.

"Absolutely delicious," came Scott's short reply.

"And you, Miss…" the maitre'd paused momentarily, then fished, "…I don't believe I caught your name."

"Turner," Annie answered quietly, "Annie Turner."

Scott coughed politely in order to hide a laugh at the stunned look on the waiter's face as he struggled to make the connection. "Certainly no relation to Mr. Brad Turner…?"

"Certainly so," Annie flashed the trademark smile. "He's my father."

Scott nearly choked as the waiter's mouth moved in several 'O's' of surprise, much like a fish out of water. Annie rescued him neatly by saying, "You'll have to excuse us, my date seems to have a bit of a frog in his throat. Thank you for a very wonderful dinner."

"Oh it's been my pleasure, Miss Turner, and I do hope you and Mr. Trakker will stop again. Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you."

As soon as they left the restaurant and turned the corner of the building, Scott burst into a short fit of laughter. "Oh Annie, that was just TOO priceless!"

"I did find that oddly refreshing," Annie commented with a lopsided smile as she slipped her arm into Scott's and continued walking. "Though I suppose that now that the secret is out, it won't be long before we have our own personal paparazzi following us around for the inside scoop."

"It will take a little while for the rumor mill to get going fully, I think we're safe…for tonight at least."

"That's good, because I was just finally starting to relax and enjoy myself."

Scott pulled Annie closer as he smiled warmly at her. "Good. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get rid of that tough 'High Mountain Ranger' persona you throw off so much."

Annie snuggled closer to him as they rounded another corner. "Ranger Annie is on vacation, remember? I think right now I'm content to be Brad Turner's daughter and the girlfriend of the city's most eligible bachelor."

Scott snickered lightly as they walked a few paces in silence, simply enjoying each other's warmth and company. Annie cast an unconscious glance upward at the night sky, only to find nearly every star shining brightly and sparkling down on them from its clear depths. She stopped and stared in wonder as she breathed, "Look at those stars, Scott…I don't think this night could get anymore perfect. Well, not unless we were looking up at them from the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada's…"

"Weeellllll…" Scott drawled somewhat comically, "there's a park not too far of a walk from here that has a pretty good view. It won't compare to the tallest peak of the Sierra's, but it'll do. I used to go there a lot and moon over you while you were gone." His voice dropped to a husky, seductive whisper. "I think it would be nice to go there and moon over you while you're here."

Annie pushed another stray curl away from her face nervously, but he could see the reply shining in her eyes as they wordlessly made their way toward the park.

Scott put an arm around Annie as they walked side-by-side. He felt a little nervous as the park became closer into view. Ok Scott keep calm. You've been practicing for hours and so far everything is perfect. He slid his hand into his right coat pocket. His head lifted up slightly shock, Shit it's not there!

Annie looked at him puzzled as she noticed Scott was patting his entire body down, "What's wrong?"

"I…I," He hurried to come up with a quick excuse with out blowing the big surprise, "I left my wallet at the restaurant."

"Well then lets back track and pick it up."

"NO...I mean no point in both of us going just go ahead. I'll meet you at the front gate." Before Annie could reply Scott took off in the opposite direction.

She crossed her arms and continued to head towards the park, "What's got him? One minute he's charming me the next he's just plain freak'n out."

Scott ran as fast as he could to his car, "I can't believe I forgot to put it in my pocket." Once he reached his car Scott opened all the little compartments until he came across a little velvet black box. "Thank god it's here." He added with a sigh. "This whole evening would have been for nothing with out the single most important item." He opened the box to reveal a diamond engagement ring, then slipped the box into his jacket pocket. Scott took a final deep breath to shake his nervousness and calmly walked back in the direction of the park.

Annie tapped her foot impatiently, "What is taking him so long? The restaurant wasn't that far." She glanced around in every direction feeling the paranoia return. Get a hold of yourself Turner nobody really watching, except for two cars parked a block away and a few spectators on the street. They probably think it's odd that somebody in a nice gown would be waiting all by themselves. Not that I can't handle anything that comes at me…but I'm an open target for any sort of low life. I'd at least feel better if I had a weapon, but it isn't exactly considered polite to have a long knife strapped to your leg, under an evening gown, in the most expensive restaurant in town… even WITH a concealed weapons permit. Her internal thought process stopped for a moment before she decided, That's it I can't take it anymore. Scott how can you leave a girl alone in a place like this. Annie grabbed her gown and lifted it up enough, so she could rush across the street.

Scott continued up the street smiling, "Hope she doesn't chew me out for taking too long, but I think she'll forgive me when she sees the ring."

As Annie began to cross the road, one of the parked cars started up. At the same time Scott shouted to Annie as she noticed her coming towards him, "Annie I told you to wait at the park gate."

"If I wait any longer somebody gonna mug me. Are you out of your mind leaving me alone like that!"

Scott was about to give her a valid excuse, but his ears perked up at the sound of a speeding car heading down the road. A black SUV headed straight down the roads towards Annie with out any hesitation to slow down. Annie turned her head in the same direction Scott was looking and noticed the vehicle. She stood their paralyzed.

"ANNIE!" Scott yelled as he ran with all his might towards her. As the car came within inches of her, he pushed her out of the way with a powerful force.

She fell towards the ground unable to see anything, but she heard the most gruesome sound of a car hitting something. Annie turned her head right and saw the car speed away with out any hesitation. Her head turned again to stare in disbelief at the body of the man she loved laying motionless on the dark cold street. Her voice quivered with fear, "Scott…oh god Scott…SCOTT!"

People were rushing towards her shouting to call 911, but all Annie could hear was confusion. She shook with fear and felt helpless. He…he's dead. I killed him. That…that car was for me.

The cops were the first to arrived on the scene and manage to pull Annie away from Scott, while the other officers checked for a pulse. The officer wrapped a blanket around Annie and started to interrogate her, "Did you see who did it?"

"Is…Is he dead?"

One of the officer shouted as he exam him, "He's still breathing! Tell the ambulance to hurry up!"

Once the ambulance arrived Annie was force to stay back and watch from the distance as they attempted help him. The officer put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll give you a ride to the hospital ma'am."

"I want to ride with him." She insisted.

"Get in the car that's an order."

Annie felt a small surge of anger through her shock-induced haze. She so badly wanted to pull out her Ranger ID and start screaming at the top of her lungs for professional courtesy so that she could get someone to let her see Scott. But her frozen limbs wouldn't obey her, and she knew it would be pointless anyway. She had absolutely NO jurisdiction here in Carson City, and it might only serve to distract the officers from helping Scott.

At her hesitation, the officer flashed her a sympathetic smile, yet restated firmly, "If anything else were to happen to you tonight, I don't think that young man would forgive you. The best thing you can do is let me give you a ride to the hospital."

Annie stared at he officer and curiously wondered if he knew that the car was meant for her. Then again she was too shaken up to protest the officer's request. As she walked towards the police car, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse with shaking hands; no one ever really called the number unless it was an emergency or they really needed to get a hold of her. Before she could answer it the police officer snapped it out of her hand.

He shouted, "WHO IS THIS!"

"Who is this? Who the hell are you this is my daughter's cell phone!" Brad Turner shouted.

Annie could hear her father yelling and grabbed the phone from the officer's hand. She could barely talk and stop herself from crying, "Dad…Scott…. Scott been hurt and its all my fault. He's gonna die and it's all my fault."

"Annie, calm down!" Returned her father's firm, cool voice, toned down strongly from a moment ago for her benefit. "Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine, Dad, but Scott…" Her voice cracked and she felt the hot tears welling up in her eyes, "…the paramedics and the police won't let me near him…he could be dead by now!"

"…Is that an officer that just answered your phone?…"

"…Yes…"

"Good. Just stay where you are, do what they want you to do, and let me talk to him. As soon as I find out what's going on, I'll be right there. Stay calm, honey, okay?"

"Okay, Dad…"

She handed the phone back to the assisting officer just as he opened the door to the squad car and ushered her inside. She could hear a few snippets of the conversation through the closed door, but she couldn't focus her mind on that. All she could focus on was Scott's motionless body in the street and the thought that he could be dead from a hit meant for her. She barely registered the fact that the officer climbed into the driver's seat and started the car a short while later, heading in the direction of the hospital. All she could manage to concentrate on was repeating a short, yet, silent prayer in her head. Please God, don't let him die…please don't take him from me…