This story is based on the 'Gunsmith Cats' manga by Kenichi Sonoda, with a few elements from the 'Riding Bean' OAV (1989). It is set after the last published manga in English as of March 2005.

Tell me what you thought of it, no matter what you have to say. I'm a big girl. :) I always welcome reader reactions, especially ones that go into detail. Please email me at MmeManga "at" aol dot com (address spelled out because this site strips all email addys and URLS) or leave your comments here.

NOTE: The complete version of this story is housed at my Livejournal, which is linked on my main page on this site. I have removed large sections of chapters Two, Eight and Thirty from the postings here because of the current site rules, although this story existed on the site long before those rules went into effect. I am sorry for any inconvenience to readers; this factor is unfortunately not under my control. The complete version will also be posted at Mediaminer. My former dedicated Gunsmith Cats site no longer exists.

DISCLAIMER: Characters of RALLY VINCENT, BEAN BANDIT, MAY HOPKINS, ROY COLEMAN, KEN TAKI copyright Kenichi Sonoda. All other characters, and story, copyright 2000--2005 by Madame Manga. Contact by email at MmeManga Do not sell or print for sale without the express written permission of the author. Do not archive. Permission is granted to circulate this text in electronic form, free of charge and with this disclaimer and the author's name attached. Do not plagiarize, alter, or appropriate this text in any way. This story is intended for personal entertainment purposes only. No infringement of any copyrights or other rights is intended.

ADULT CONTENT WARNING IN BOLD CAPS!

This story is not for kids or the easily offended. It contains explicit violence and extreme profanity. If you object to reading such things, do not read this story.

Chasing the Dragon
by Madame Manga
Chapter Nineteen

"You lost, pretty mama? Maybe I give you some directions."

Rally looked up from the city map she had spread over her steering wheel and smiled coldly. "No."

"This ain't yo' neighborhood, mama," remarked the young man leaning on the hood of her Cobra. "You sure you ain't lost?" His friend, who stood directly in front of the car, smiled at another young man who approached from the right, emerging from the darkness of run-down apartment buildings into the glow of the streetlight she sat under.

They were converging from every point of the compass. Should she deal with it now or wait until there were half a dozen of them or more? Rally would have dearly loved to wait—her mood was evil enough for that—but deciding that discretion would serve her purposes better, she started the engine.

"Hey, mama. I be talkin' to you!"

"Off the car," replied Rally, giving a warning tap to the gas pedal.

"This piece o' shit?" He produced a knife, flipped it into a stabbing hold and drew a long scratch across the hood. "Gon' need some fucking bodywork, bitch. Who done bash this piece o' shit to hell?"

"Thank you so much," said Rally. "I really appreciate your mentioning that." Bean had been responsible for the damage to the Cobra, of course, and he hadn't even offered to pay for the repairs. She set the parking brake, unlocked her door and got out, leaving the engine running. "I mean that most sincerely."

"Crazy yaller bitch," said the young man in front of the car. "She gon' crazy."

"Fuu-uuck," happily said the man with the knife. "Crazy 'ho."

The third one reached the passenger side of the Cobra and stood with his hands in his pockets, grinning. "We got us a fine piece of ass here. Pretty yaller 'ho."

"For your information," said Rally with a sigh, "I'm Anglo/Pakistani, and I am no one's piece of ass." She drew, keeping the CZ75's muzzle slightly elevated, but flicking off the safety. "I have to admit that it will be a lot more fun if you don't run away."

"Fuck!" yelled the man with the knife, retreating a step. The man at the passenger side grabbed for a snub-nosed revolver at the back of his waistband. KRAK! Rally jumped, planting her right foot on her driver's seat to aim over the car and shot the revolver out of the man's hand. KRAK! The knife went flying next, and both men howled, wringing stung fingers.

"Are you going to run yet?" Rally inquired. All three took off with amazing alacrity, leaving their weapons where they had fallen. "Darn." She did feel a little better, however, and ostentatiously blew the smoke out of the CZ75's barrel before brandishing it at the darkness again. "Go ahead, punk—make my day!" No one answered the challenge. "Oh, well." Rally got back into the Cobra and pulled away from the curb.

She was indeed lost, however, and soon entered a dead-end street that came to an abrupt halt against a freeway soundwall. "Where the hell am I?" Getting out the map again, she steered with one hand and traced her path with another. Not many street signs remained legible under the spray-painted tags that ornamented nearly every vertical surface, so navigation was almost impossible.

The elusive freeway passed over her head. "There is such a thing as an on-ramp? They exist in some form wherever freeways are found? Or did I dream that in another life?" With no other recourse, she kept driving in as straight a line as she could. Another freeway, or possibly the same one, passed over her head again. "Geez."

She had picked up a tail. A 1977 Firebird of indeterminate color, the front passenger window duct-taped together. It had followed a hundred feet back for eight or nine blocks now, taking two turns with her. "Gosh, the inhabitants are so welcoming! I really feel at home!"

Rally slowed for a stop sign, the buildings now close-packed row houses, the streets heavily parked with vehicles similar to the one following her. The Firebird approached and pulled up to her left side, the passenger folding down the patchwork window.

"Hey! Hey, conchita! Nice car!" Rally gave the speaker, another young man, as hostile a look as she could, which considering her mood tonight was pretty darn hostile. "Lady! You lost or something?"

"Want to make something out of it?" she yelled back through the window. Truly, she hoped they did. Four young men in the car, all sporting bandannas and tattoos. Rally's hand crept towards the CZ75.

"Lady, this ain't a nice neighborhood! Take a left at the next light and you'll see the signs for 101, 'K?"

The Firebird pulled away, leaving Rally shocked and rather ashamed of herself. What was she doing? Looking for random trouble as if she were a gangbanger herself? Longing to hurt someone in order to alleviate her own heartache? She turned left at the next light and saw the signs for 101, got on the freeway and went back to the Federal Building.


"Where the hell'd you run off to?" Smith looked annoyed and red-faced. "I wanted to talk to you! I've been standing around with my thumb up my ass for hours! It ever occur to you that we've got a job to do?"

"I know."

Wojohowicz examined her with a touch of sternness. "Where have you been, Vincent? Coleman went to look for you and said you weren't at your hotel—did you know you left your door open? He locked everything up for you."

"Oh. OK." So Roy knew Bean was gone.

"Someone named Ken Watanabe has arrived at SFO, by the way," continued Wojohowicz. "Coleman's gone to pick him up. We understand he's an associate of yours?"

"Oh? OK." Ken must have heard about the situation from Roy; Rally hadn't even thought of contacting him. Watanabe was the alias Ken used around Roy, since Ken Takizawa was still known to the Chicago police as a Mob explosives expert. "He's May's boyfriend. Her baby's father."

"Though I have to admit there isn't much we could have accomplished in the office anyway," grumbled Smith, beckoning Rally and Wojohowicz into his office and pointing at chairs. "We've been trying to get some more on that lead you gave us about your partner being in a Triad brothel."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I sent Gonzales and Bui out on the scent. Bui grew up speaking Vietnamese and some Cantonese—he's posing as a john and he'll see what he can see. Gonzales is backing him up."

"Didn't Bean beat them up too?" said Rally distractedly. "I thought they were out on disability."

"They were, on Saturday. When they heard what they'd missed last night, they practically tore my head off." Smith grinned. "So I detailed 'em out on the tip when they insisted, and they'll do good. Good reliable agents."

"Have they reported back yet?" said Wojohowicz, checking her watch, which she wore over her pulse. "Weren't they supposed to radio by seven? It's 7:38 now."

"Must be on a hot tip. I'll give them until eight. If Miss Rally can waste four fucking hours God knows where, doing God knows what, I can let the guys who actually do the work around here take a little time and care with the job." Smith emphatically sat down.

"Has anyone else turned up something?" asked Rally, her cheeks reddening. "Something I could work on?"

"Nope," said Smith. "It's a little odd. If your informant could find out Miss May was on offer, you'd think a few more tidbits would have leaked by now."

"Could the Dragons have got wind of the search? Maybe they've clamped down on information."

"Maybe. I haven't come to any conclusions yet. But you could have been here to help! Where were you?" snarled Smith. Rally had the feeling that Wesson's misconduct had hit Smith hard; he kept looking around for the fourth element of the conversation and grimacing when he saw the empty chair. What was going to happen to Wesson for concealing the ballistics report? No one volunteered a thing, and Rally did not feel in the least like asking. Roy and Ken walked into Smith's office.

"Agent Smith, meet Ken Watanabe," said Roy. Hands were shaken all round and Rally gave Ken a quick hug. "He's volunteering his services, by the way."

"Your services? Thought you were Miss May's gentleman friend."

"Yes, I am," Ken replied, sitting down next to Wojohowicz. He looked drawn and worried. "From what Roy's told me about the situation with the Eight Dragon Triad, I might be able to help—obviously, I'm Asian, and I know a few things about explosives."

"A few things," repeated Smith. "Heh. Well, if you're an associate of these gals, I reckon you know what you're doing. Welcome to the team, Watanabe."

"Thank you, sir," said Ken. Roy sat down next to Rally, and Smith made an elaborate show of drawing attention to her.

"OK, Miss Rally," he barked. "Am I ever going to get an answer?" Everyone looked at her.

"Yes, I was gone too long. I was…driving. Out by the ocean…mostly." She had discovered while spending so many days in proximity to the ocean that something about it called to her. Huge, changeable, pitiless, magnificent, perilous. A force of nature. An endlessness where anything could happen, and a blankness into which one could project any quality…good, bad, or impersonally neutral.

That was what a force of nature was—neutral. It didn't accommodate anyone or anything or love or hatred; only its natural laws. The unbreakable rules on which its existence relied…

Roy's eyes were filled with sympathy. "He's not worth it, Rally."

She glanced up and met his gaze for a few moments. "I know."

"What?" said Ken, looking confused.

"I'll tell you about it later, Ken." Rally stared out the window as Smith began to talk.

It wasn't Bean's language, once the initial shock had worn off. He spoke the vernacular of the gutter; she knew that already. In her line of work, she heard ordinary four-letter words every day. It wasn't his exaggerated braggadocio—applied to her, it sickened and infuriated her, but it was nothing particularly original. It was just like a man of such coarse sensibilities to boast about his sexual prowess or about taking her virginity...except that Bean had never been given to lecherous remarks in general.

Until she had tempted him past the bounds of caution exactly one week before. A small reproving voice nagged her about that. Such a self-controlled man, even at his most violent. Could she in some way be responsible for all his visible loss of constraint since that night?

It wasn't even the fact he had said it in front of five male colleagues of hers or that he had insulted Roy's motives. Rally knew the whole idea of Roy wanting to bed her was ludicrous. He was about thirty years older than she was and had been married at least that long! Roy's reaction had been a little out of proportion to the slur, frankly. That kind of talk simply didn't matter.

What did matter was that Bean had gone out of his way to tell Roy he didn't love her. He didn't love her—had she ever really believed he did? Only when he denied it so bluntly did Rally feel a loss where perhaps nothing had existed in the first place.

Ironically, if that were the case, if Bean's attraction to her was nothing but sex, in a sense sleeping with him again would have been perfectly safe. Rally had convinced herself by now that her own fascination with him had been purely physical—she firmly applied the past tense—and if neither of them would have been doing more than scratching an itch, she thought that there had been no real hazard attached.

Other than discovering she had given herself to a man who could kiss and tell in public! How could he have done that? Why would a man like Bean lose his temper and his reserve and his emotional armor as if he had been truly hurt…?

Some grey, frozen part of her mind began to come to life again. Something like this had happened once before—Bean asserting in the foulest words he knew that all they had ever given each other was their bodies; shooting off his mouth in all directions as if he'd blown a head gasket. She knew why he had done that once, because he had told her. He had believed that she had robbed him. Taken something from him that she had no intention of giving back.

'It wasn't so much the dough, babe. It was knowin', like I thought I knew, that you didn't want me...' But no more than fifteen or twenty minutes after that tape had been made, he had walked into the Dragon headquarters for her sake. Risked his life. Tried to explain himself in the face of her fury, persisted until she forgave him, done her bidding and accepted her help! Kissed her! What did it mean?

"Earth to Rally Vincent," said Smith. "Beam her up, Scotty!"

"Uh…what?" Rally jumped. "Sorry."

"I was summarizing what we know about Dragon properties in the city! Christ on a crutch!"

"Pete, I'm sorry, I…"

"Sue, take Coleman and Mr. Takizawa to the conference room, OK?" said Smith, frowning at Rally. "We'll be along in a minute." Rally flushed again as Wojohowicz raised her brows and did as Smith asked. The three filed out of the room and left Smith and Rally alone. Gripping the arms of her chair, Rally lowered her head.

"OK, kid. Spit it out," said Smith. "What the fuck is the matter with you?"

"I…I…"

"This have something to do with the slagging match you and Bob were having when I walked in? I thought you'd be happy about the ballistics results! You worried about Miss May?"

"Yes…" Rally hung her head.

"And?"

"It…does have something to do with Wesson, yes."

"Yes?"

"Did he tell you about the tape he played for me?"

"Tape? No." Smith let out a breath; he sounded tired. "That wasn't the topic under discussion."

"Where is he now? Is he still on the investigation?"

"No, he's not," said Smith briefly. "I'm afraid I can't discuss FBI personnel matters." He let out another tired sigh. "Oh, hell…he's been transferred to other duties. Pending a possible suspension."

"Pete…I'm sorry."

"So am I. He was a good agent. A little too zealous, maybe, but a good agent. All my people are the best, understand? Maybe I pushed a little too hard to get this investigation concluded before I retire." Smith passed a hand over his face. "Fuck it. What was this tape he played?"

"It was the conversation Bean had with Roy when he stopped my car on the decoy operation. I guess the recorder in my car picked it up, and Wesson apparently wanted me to hear it because of—"

To her surprise, Smith let out a snorting laugh. "No shit? Coleman won't be too happy about that!"

"Roy? No, he didn't want to tell me about the things Bean said—he got really upset when I asked—"

"What Bean said?" Smith looked mildly incredulous. "Oh, that! Heh heh…"

Rally flushed with indignation. "I heard you making editorial comments in the background, Pete! Don't you think—"

Smith began laughing in earnest. "Hahaha! Look at those pink cheeks! Christ, girl, you think any of us took that as a reflection on you? The man had reason, for God's sake! Get over it!"

"Huh?"

"I think you'd better give that thing another listen!" Smith wiped a tear of hilarity from the corner of one eye. "Is that all that's bothering you, Miss Rally? Man, I thought it was something serious! Hahaha!" Rally sat flabbergasted, her eyes wide. What was he talking about? "So where's the bastard now? He get clear before Bob tried to scandalize you, or is his ventilated corpse sprawled in a back alley somewhere?" He slapped his thigh. "Heh heh…"

"W-where is Bean?"

"Yeah, where is he?" He gave her a knowing glance from steel-blue eyes. "You know what I mean, so don't make me say it out loud! Bob came to the same conclusion independently, and he wanted to get you to turn Bean over to the FBI, I suppose. I am not going to have him arrested now, so answer the question!"

"Uh…I don't know. Honestly, Pete, I don't. I went to look for him and he wasn't there."

"Blew town, hey? Well, to look at your face, that was the right thing to do. Had no idea you were such a shrinking violet. And in your line of work! A few four-letter words give you the vapors? Shee-it."

More than a few four-letter words! What had Roy said to Bean to bring out a tirade like that? With a sudden, almost sickening change of perspective, Rally realized that everything Bean had said might have another interpretation if she knew the context.

'But I ain't in love with her, AM I?' The response to a provocation? It had seemed so damning. On the face of it, it was damning. His own words said he was a reptile with no honor or consideration or regard for anyone. Wesson had played her that tape, looking more and more like Brown all the time…the master manipulator had a disciple.

Rally began to hyperventilate. A chunk of information out of context. Dumped suddenly into her lap like a heavy suitcase lurking in the trunk of a car. And she had reacted just as the manipulator wanted her to react. If Bean hadn't already left the hotel room, what might she have said to him? Apparently he wouldn't have seen any need to apologize, if Smith was right that he had reason for what he had said.

Rally squeezed her eyes shut in pain. She had barely known what she was doing, and she had been angry enough to— If she had pulled a gun on him, what would he have done? I'd let you shoot me first.

"Thank you, God," she said aloud. "Thank you for not letting me kill him…"

"Women," snorted Smith. His phone rang and he picked it up. "Hold that thought. Smith." He listened for a moment, his brows tightening in a frown. "What?" His square face went grey and he half rose from his chair. "Fucking shit. Are you sure? Jesus H. Christ and the horse he rode in on…how?" Rally felt her heart jump and begin to pound.

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Get hold of yourself, you asshole. What about his partner?…Fuck. Read it to me." He listened for a few moments more. "He can suck my dick until he chokes. That man is a piece of work. Yes, the Bureau is going to take care of it. You think we let you goddamn municipal employees deal with our people? There will be agents on the scene in double-time. You call me right back if there's more shit on the pile. Goodbye."

Smith put the phone down and sat back with a thump. "They found Gonzales."

"Pete?" whispered Rally.

He cupped his face in one thick hand. "Dead."

"Oh, my God. I'm so—"

Smith picked up his phone again. "Smith. Get me the SAC. Emergency. Yes, at home. WOJOHOWICZ!" he yelled, putting the phone down again. "Get in here!" The agent's footfalls ran down the hallway and she, Roy, and Ken re-entered the office.

"What is it?" Wojohowicz asked.

"Ronnie's dead. The bastards caught him sniffing around."

"Holy shit!" said Wojohowicz. "426?"

"426. It has his signature. Literally."

"Signature?" said Roy.

"Gonzales was floating in the bay. Right past Pier 41. Scared the crap out of some tourists who spotted him. The fire department just hauled him out. Saw his FBI ID nailed to his chest and called me. He's got the Chinese characters for four hundred twenty-six carved on his forehead. Among other things."

"Jesus…" breathed Wojohowicz. Rally reached out a hand at random, and Wojohowicz grabbed it and squeezed.

Roy crossed himself and muttered a prayer, Ken looked grave.

"He couldn't describe it too well over the phone," said Smith. "Gagging a little much. But I gather Gonzales was electrocuted. Gradually."

Rally could barely speak, her throat tight as her clenched fists and her voice a croak. "What about Bui?"

"There was a note on the body, under the ID. They have Bui, they'll kill him too if we don't back off, et cetera, et cetera. Those stupid fucks. This is the fucking United States of America. Lin Shaoqi has gone off his fucking rocker."

"Yes, he has," said Wojohowicz, exchanging a glance with her boss. Both of them curled their lips back from their teeth and the female agent let go of Rally's hand. "How the hell does he think he's going to get away with this? We've arrested two-thirds of the Northern California soldiers already! What reserves can he call on now?"

"I don't care. Those bastards have killed an FBI agent," said Smith. "One of my people. They are going to fucking pay." The phone rang. "Smith. …Yes, sir. Ronnie Gonzales has been assassinated by the Dragons and they claim to have Ed Bui. 426, yes. Thank you, sir, I appreciate that." He listened for a few moments. "Yes, sir, I know. No, we don't have a clue. But—yes, sir."

When he put the phone down, his face was still grey. "We don't know where they are. We don't know what they are going to do. We don't even know how many of them are left, or what their assets are, and they have one of ours as well as two civilians. We are fucked."

"But you're not going to—" Rally began.

"I have my orders," said Smith. He glanced up at Wojohowicz. "I have been told to back down and give the Dragons room to breathe. Goddammit."

"What?" spat Wojohowicz.

"Safety of the hostages is paramount, I am told. If the pressure goes off the whole situation will defuse, says the SAC. No more Waco standoffs for this Bureau!" Suddenly he grabbed an inscribed plaque off his desk and sent it rocketing into the wall. "Like hell! We've chopped the snake into bits, and they want to give it time to rejoin! All this work gone to SHIT!" He put his face into his hands. Wojohowicz slumped into a chair, her mouth contorting.

"What?" repeated Rally in disbelief, leaping to her feet. "You have to back off? NOW!"

"Yes, we do," said Wojohowicz when Smith didn't answer. "We are FBI agents, and we follow orders. Fuck it all to hell."

"You can say that again! I'm supposed to just sit back and let them force May to…" Rally broke off, her mind racing. "Pete. Am I still under FBI orders?"

"Huh?" Smith looked up, his eyes a little wild.

"That ballistics report proves I didn't shoot Huang, and we know Brown didn't die in the fire. That was the main reason I had to sign that paper, right?"

"What?"

"The paper I signed, that basically deputized me to the FBI. I had to sign it because I was in big trouble for some things that we now know didn't happen. Right?"

Smith's face changed and he reached into his desk. "This paper."

"That one, yes. Am I still constrained by FBI orders, Agent Smith?"

Rally watched as Smith seized the signed paper in both hands and ripped it top to bottom, crumpling the halves. She smiled, and he returned the smile with all his teeth showing, as did Wojohowicz.

"It's all yours, sweetheart," said Smith.


"Come on, Hopkins. I've got a customer for you!" Pai Li bustled into the lounge of the Pink Pearl with a few items of lingerie over her arm.

"Wonderful," said May dejectedly. She patted the sleeping Tiffany's head, easing the little girl off her lap, and pulled a sofa throw over her.

"You can leave her here for now, honey. She looks out for the count. Hey, put a grin on that kisser! We give our money's worth at this place!"

"Yeah." May lowered her head, then brought it up again, a beaming smile on her lips. It didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes were hard and bright.

"There you go!" said Pai Li, shaking out the lingerie. "I knew you hadn't lost your professional attitude! OK, now this is a special customer. I reserved you this late into the evening because I knew something unusual would come up…and you are the best I know at the unusual stuff!"

"Oh, you betcha," said May with a little sigh. "How weird are we talking here? Doggy-style, complete with barking?"

"Hee hee! Oh, I knew a guy who—well, at any rate, he wants a pregnant girl, he said! Go figure!"

"Oboy," said May, looking down at her abdomen.

"You are the only pregnant one in the whole house…frankly, in the whole Bay Area." Pai Li shrugged. "He said he's been trying all over town! So he's in luck, or we are. He offered a lot of money if we could come up with a bun in the oven! A thousand bucks for one hour! Not to mention, he said he liked blondes and he liked them small! How's that for a nice fit? Gee, if you play your cards right, you could have a high-rolling regular for a while!"

"I'm absolutely thrilled," said May, getting up. "How should I dress?"

"Put these on! See—a lace camisole and panties in your size. That'll show your tummy better than that dress. Let's hurry—he seemed impatient! I put him straight into a room."

"Do I get any of this big fee?" May slipped her clothes off and began to put the panties on.

"Hmm…well, of course you don't have a contract." Pai Li looked quizzical. "I don't know, but I'll ask Madame Lum when she gets back. I suppose you can keep the tip if he gives you one…and I bet he will!"

"Really? What's he like? Some rich old bastard?"

"No, actually he's not old at all!" Pai Li ran a brush through May's hair as she tied the camisole's ribbons. "Hey, that coral color looks great on you! Thought it would! Here's a negligee to put over it. OK, what's he like? He's Asian, fairly well dressed…maybe thirty? Nothing nasty! Just has some specialized tastes."

"I guess he does. How ugly is he? Prepare me so I don't make a face."

"Um…well, he's not exactly ugly, though I'd have to admit he's not my idea of handsome. I think he must be part Russian or something, actually. Kind of a…strong face."

"Oh boy, that sounds ominous. Weighs five hundred pounds or something? Quadruple chins?"

"Oh, no!" Pai Li shook her head vigorously. "Muscles! Big tall guy, with a nice set of shoulders! Must be an enforcer for one Triad or another. I think you'll like him!"

"If I don't, he'll never know the difference," replied May, following Pai Li down the hallway.

"That's what I want to hear, sweetie! I put him in the Red suite. All the supplies and sex toys are in the nightstands, OK? You can do it without a condom if he insists, but tell him it's twenty-five percent extra."

"Got it," said May.

Pai Li opened the door and ushered her inside. "Sir? Here she is! I know you'll like her, because I picked her especially for you! Isn't she a cutie? And five months along!"

The black-haired, leather trench-coated man standing by the window turned around, looked May up and down and smiled. "Yeah. Perfect." He tipped Pai Li, who backed out the door and closed it, raising her brows at May.

Who stood transfixed, staring. "Bean?"

"Uh-huh." He looked down at his dress shirt and black slacks and fingered his necktie with a smile. His hair had been trimmed and plastered back with gel, but was not much shorter than it had been. Nevertheless, he was not immediately recognizable other than by the jaw. The long, unbelted leather coat lent his lean frame considerable bulk and apparent weight, and his distinctive scar had been camouflaged with a large pair of amber-tinted aviator-framed glasses. "Do I look dumb in this getup or what? I'm here to bust you out, kid."

"B-Bean?" May put her hands to her mouth, her eyes welling up.

"You OK? How they been treating you?"

"BEAN!" May yelled, running to him and embracing him. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"Whoa there, kid!" Bean grinned and put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to disengage her arms from their vigorous clutch around his waist. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Yes, Manichetti told me! Oh, Bean! What happened!"

"Vincent says the machines all went flat for a while. I dunno. I don't remember much of it." He shrugged. "At any rate, here I am. Thought I'd check the Triad cathouses, 'cause I got some info—"

"Rally? How is Rally?"

"Just fine last I saw her. You're the one in trouble, squirt. So let's get you outta here! Tell me the layout of this joint." Bean reached inside his coat. "Brought you a present." He handed her a McDonald's bag holding a flash-bang, a pair of confetti bombs and a frag grenade.

"Oooh!" May's eyes lit up as she gathered the explosives into her arms. "But…I can't go."

"Huh? Why not?"

"They have Tiffany Brown."

"Yeah?" Bean's face darkened. "They ain't hurt her?"

"She's OK for now. I don't know what 426's plans for her are. But he said if I tried to escape they'd take it out on her! Madame Lum will put her to work!"

"What?"

"She will give her to the customers who…who like little girls. Bean, if I don't stay with her—it could be a lot worse than that. 426 will come calling…"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much for the present! I'm sure it will come in handy!" May wrapped the grenades tightly in the bag. "But I can't go. I'm sorry!"

"So let's get the kid too." He cracked his knuckles.

"But there's security and lots of people in here! They'll spot you and it'll be all over for both of us! Rally said Madame Lum saw you at the pier—if she gets back, she'll give the alarm!"

"You think I give a crap about a bunch of Dragons?" Bean grinned with a flash of sharp teeth.

"Of course not, but—"

"So what's the problem?"

"B-Bean, Madame Lum said…" May put her hands on her round belly. "She'll take me to their doctor…and make me abort my baby." Her voice cracked. Bean's eyes went wide. "They'll kill Junior! I know she wasn't joking, Bean. She's done things like—"

He hissed a fierce breath through his grimace. "Listen up, squirt. If you don't split, they'll do whatever they damn well please anyhow. I ain't leaving you here under a threat like that! You got your firecrackers, I got a blade or two. Bring 'em on!"

"Oh, Bean! You are so right!" May reached to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for coming to rescue us!"

"Sure thing." He put a hand on her shoulder again. "Let's go for it, then. Where's the kid?"

"In the lounge—no, wait!"

"Huh?"

"Give it a few minutes." May looked up at the light fixtures. "We had better not leave the room yet."

"Oh. Yeah, I paid a lot for ya, didn't I?" He chuckled and pulled up a chair. "I'll hang out for a little while."

"Um…you know, Bean, someone is probably watching us."

"Watching us?"

"Have you ever been in an expensive place before? A ritzy whorehouse, as opposed to—?"

"I guess so. Well, not in the rooms." He cocked a brow at the furniture.

"Just for deliveries? You know, these rooms are nearly always under surveillance with video cameras."

"Uh-oh." Bean glanced around and up at the light fixtures as May had.

"The microphone wouldn't be over here by the window. It's probably in the headboard and won't pick us up unless we're right on the mattress. But the camera would cover most of the room."

"You think someone's monitoring it?"

"Almost certainly, since I'm on probation. Pai Li's watching, if I don't miss my guess—that's the woman who brought me here. She'll be checking for quality control purposes! She's going to wonder what's going on if we don't…" May smiled as Bean's eyes grew wide again. "So we'd better put on a little show for her, hmm?"

"W-what?"

"Geez, don't look so panicked!" May put both hands against his chest and pushed him backwards towards the bed. "I can make it look like a lot more's going on than IS!"

"But…but…"

"I swear, you are BLUSHING!" said May in laughing disbelief. "I didn't think you were that shy! Not after what Rally—"

"Rally?" Bean grew bright red.

"Oh, she told me ALL about it, Bean!" teased May. "Every detail! Come on, take it off!" She yanked off his leather coat and threw it over the headboard of the bed. "There, that will screw up the mic! Flat on your back, now!"

Bean resisted her push. "She told you?"

"What did you expect, huh? Girls gossip!" May expertly unknotted Bean's necktie. "Man, I didn't think you even knew how to tie one of these!"

"Hey! You didn't think like Coleman did? That I—"

"Raped her?" May looked up from unbuttoning his shirt. "Actually, yes."

"Shit…"

"Don't look like that! Only at first! Then she told me how it was." Her tongue protruded slightly as she grinned. "That eased my mind! Oh, my God!" She had exposed Bean's stitched neck wound. "That looks like the Frankenstein monster! Did they have to sew your head back on or something? Where are the bolts?"

"Just a damn cut," said Bean, rolling his eyes.

"I'd hate to see what you called a bad wound! Yuckie! Well, as I was saying…Rally spilled the beans! Hahaha!"

"Oh, man… Hey!" Bean batted May's hand away from the fly of his pants.

"How did you ever get so demure?" May seized Bean's fly again and zipped it open. "Let's take a look!" She reached inside and grabbed. "Oh, my!"

"Knock that off!" Bean jerked back and zipped up.

"Woof!" said May, grinning even wider and measuring the air with her splayed hand. "How much bigger does it get when it's hard?"

"None of yer beeswax—hey!" May gave Bean a firm shove and toppled him onto the bed. She leaped over him and emphatically sat down on his hips as he tried to roll away. "You nuts or something, kid?" he choked. "Get off me!"

"You sure about that, Bean…?" May cooed in his ear. "You did pay a grand for me, you know…" She licked his earlobe, rotated her pelvis and snickered at his horrified gasp.

"Uh-uh!" He grabbed her under the arms and lifted her in the air, dumping her on the side of the bed. "I ain't doing anything of the kind! You can tell 'em I walked out!"

"Just testing!" May rolled next to him, laughing, and yanked him down by the throat. "Sorry if I frightened you! I don't want to do it for real either, though I have to say the thought had crossed my mind once or twice!" She giggled and gave him a peck on the end of the nose.

"Jeezus," muttered Bean. "How do I get myself into these things?"

"Just let me pretend I'm sucking you off, OK? I won't touch you at all!"

"How the hell you going to manage that?"

"Watch!" May jumped between Bean's raised knees as he lay on the bed and put her forehead on his stomach. "I'll hide everything with my hair. Pai Li will be none the wiser!" She mimed unzipping him again and pretended to clutch something in both hands, bobbing her head up and down and grinning at his incredulous expression. "See? From above, it looks like you're getting deep-throated!"

"Wonderful."

"Of course, it would help if you looked like you were ENJOYING it or something!"

"Aw, cripes…" Bean put a hand over his eyes.

"So, tell me," said May after a few moments of silence. "How did you like it the night you and Rally got together? Oh, and tell me about the time in Buttonkettle when she started taking her clothes off! Not the most romantic setting, but—"

"TELL you? Not in a thousand years, kid!"

"Come on, give!" May cackled. "I already got her side of the story—I want it all! How did she like that big ol' thing of yours?"

Bean maintained a stunned silence.

"I can tell you the answer to that one! She said she was really surprised at how gentle you were! At least with her! And she was really touched that you cared so much about what she thought of you! How about that?"

"Huh?"

"She told me…she keeps thinking about you…" sang May, rocking back and forth on her knees. "She said you were fan-TAS-tic…"

"That's it. I am outta here." Bean pushed May aside and got up.

"Oh, come on! Can't you even fake an orgasm?" Bean made a strangled sound, buttoning up his shirt. "Geez, they are going to think I have totally lost my touch!"

"Tough!"

"Cowabunga!" yelled May, jumping off the bed and onto Bean's shoulders. "Watch it, Bandit! I'm going to pull some more hair out if you don't COOPERATE here!" She grabbed two handfuls and yanked.

"Hey! Ouch!"

"On your BACK! And STAY there!"

"NO! Knock it off!" He spun around.

"If you don't, I'll tell Rally you tore my clothes off, ignored my tearful protestations and ravaged me with that spectacular prong until I screamed for mer—"

"STOP IT! DON'T SAY THAT! SHUT UP!"

"Wow, touched a nerve!" May slid off Bean's back. "What's the matter?" He didn't answer. "Look, I'm sorry I told Roy I thought you'd, um, gotten mad and raped her. But you've got to realize, it was a total surprise for both of us and—" May took another look at his face. "God, Bean. What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. You are shaking all over! Something to do with me? It would seem like child molesting? I'm twenty, you know—"

"No. Nothin'!"

"Or with the idea that you might commit a…" May's eyes popped. "Bean. I know you aren't the rapist type, OK? I bet you don't even like a woman to pretend she's resisting! Not like I haven't met plenty of that kind! Will you relax?"

"How the hell do you know what type I am, kid?" Bean grabbed his coat from the head of the bed. "Come on, dammit!" He slammed the door open and left, May at his heels.


"Honey…I got you a present…" whispered Manichetti, touching Tiffany's hair as she slept on the sofa in the lounge of the Pink Pearl. "Honey?"

"Manny?" the little girl yawned. "Are you gonna take me home now? Where's Mama?"

"Your mama is OK, honey. Don't worry. Look, I got you a Barbie." Manichetti held up a box, smiling. "The one you wanted. How's Baby Bear?"

"Baby Bear was asleep too," said Tiffany, holding up the teddy. "Wake up, Baby!"

"Don't take too long, dude," said a large Filipino man in the doorway. "426 wants you there in half an hour." He watched a lissome blonde Russian girl stroll down the hallway in a loose dressing gown. "Um…I guess you can drive yourself back, right?" He followed the girl.

"Honey, you remember those pretty blue stones I gave ya? You still have 'em?"

"Uh-huh," said the child, knuckling her eyes.

"Can I have them back, baby? Just for Manny, huh? Look, I brought you something else." He produced a cheap seed-pearl necklace worked to look like a chain of flowers.

"Oh, pretty!" Tiffany seized the necklace and held it up to the light.

"I know you liked the blue stones, honey, but Manny kinda needs 'em. Please?"

"OK," said Tiffany with a shrug. "Is it 'cause they're worth money?"

"You got it, smart girl. Manny's all out of money!"

"I'm really smart," said Tiffany, digging the earrings out of Baby Bear's pockets. "I like pearls better anyway!"

Manichetti took the sapphires and thrust them into his shirt pocket. "Thank you, honey." He dropped a kiss on her hair. "I'm tryin' to figure how I can get you and your mama together again, OK? I got to use my noodle."

"OK." Tiffany put the necklace on and dug her chin into her chest to admire it. Someone took a step on the carpet just outside the doorway and the little girl looked up. "Hi, May!"

"Ssshh!" said May with a finger on her lips. "Manichetti? What are you doing here?"

"Miss May?" Manichetti got to his feet. "I'm sorry. I wish I could get you out of this place, but I ain't even got a—"

"Don't worry!" said May, winking. "We've got a cunning plan! Tiffany, come with me!" She caught the girl's hand and hauled her along, Manichetti dashing after them.

"Wait!"

"Hey, don't make so much noise!" scolded May. "I'm taking her to the parking garage. You want to come with us, fine, but—"

"They'll nab you!" Manichetti pleaded in a whisper, lumbering after the two girls. "I'm not armed! I can't—"

"Oh, I don't need your help! I've got MUSCLE!"

"Huh?"

A large figure in a long coat stepped around a corner in front of them. "Got her? Let's go."

"Look, it's the driver man!" chirped Tiffany. "Hi, driver man!"

"Hey, kid," said Bean, then looked at Manichetti.

"Wha-what the hell are YOU doin' here!" chattered Manichetti, backing up against the wall. "You're dead! Holy Mother of God!" He crossed himself.

"Ah, shut yer face," growled Bean. "I ain't a ghost." He nipped Manichetti's nose between finger and thumb and pinched. "See?"

"Christ in heaven!" yelled Manichetti, falling to his knees in an attitude of prayer. "Don't kill me! Please!"

"The guy I'm hankering to kill is Sly Brown," said Bean. "Though if he's split to frickin' Switzerland I guess I could just break your fat neck instead!" He cracked his knuckles. "Let's see how loud ya pop!"

"Hey!" Tiffany pounded Bean's thigh with her fists. "Don't hurt Manny!"

Manichetti sobbed in fear, prostrating himself at Bean's feet. "No! For the love of God, have mercy! I'm on your side, man! Don't kill me!"

"Yeah, right. There's only one guy on my side, and you're lookin' at him!" Bean grabbed the back of Manichetti's collar and hauled him upright, drawing a switchblade. "Stand up, shitbag. I want ya to see it coming!"

"He's using naughty words," said Tiffany. "You're a bad man!"

"Bean, come on!" urged May. "You can sort it out with Brown's flunkies later, OK? Geez!"

"Yeah," said Bean with a cold glare, letting Manichetti go. "Which way?"

"There's the door to the stairwell," said May. "We'd better not use the elevator."

"He coming with us?" Bean and May considered Manichetti, who picked Tiffany up and hugged her, his face trembling.

"I better not," he said. "I'll beat it once she's clear of the Dragons."

"Get her down to the garage," said Bean. "I'll cover the rear." He opened the stairwell door and pointed. Manichetti started down with Tiffany in his arms.

"Ooohh! There you are, you little bitch!" yelled Pai Li, barrelling around the corner with the large Filipino man in her wake. "What the hell are you doing? You're going to get me in trouble!"

"Sorry, gotta go," said May, and ducked into the stairwell. Bean turned and cracked his knuckles. The Filipino charged at him, drawing a gun; Bean seized it with one hand and slammed the man headfirst against the wall with his own momentum. He threw the gun down the stairwell with a clatter and met the next charge with the knife.

The Filipino dropped with his throat slashed and Pai Li shrieked when his blood spattered her face and dress.

"Aaahh! Hopkins, you're never going to work in this industry again! I'm going to tell Madame—"

"Music to my ears," called May. "Tell the old water buffalo she can sit on it and SPIN!"

"Ooohh!" cried Pai Li. "Waaah! I'm gonna get fired again!" Bean scooped an arm around Pai Li's waist as she tried to run.

"Keep yer mouth shut, if you want to live," he said, holding his bloody knife in front of her eyes. Pai Li nodded, shaking in fear, and he flicked his finger hard against the base of her skull. She went limp, and he lowered her unconscious body to the carpet, wiped the knife on the dead man's pants and followed May.

In the Pink Pearl's parking garage, Bean selected a small Porsche Boxter and hotwired it for May while she buckled Tiffany into the passenger seat. Manichetti bit his nails and nervously watched the entrances.

"I'll take her straight to the Federal Building," said May, buckling her own seatbelt. "Bean, you are a hero." She reached up and kissed his cheek, and Manichetti put his face to Tiffany's for a moment.

"You're gonna see your mama real soon, honey."

"Yep," replied May, setting her grenades out on the dashboard and shoving the frag bomb between her legs. "Or my name's not May Hopkins! Don't worry about us, Bean."

"I ain't," he said, chuckling, and slammed the driver's door of the Boxter. His own dark-blue Corvette stood nearby, and when May had driven out, he began to walk over to it, then glanced at Manichetti as he tried to edge to his own car.

"OK, you son of a bitch. Time to sort it out!" Bean stalked forward.

"No! Please!" Manichetti retreated and cowered next to the stairwell as Bean loomed over him. "I'll do anything!"

"There ain't nothing I need you to do, shitbag! Now's the time to say yer prayers!"

"I'll—I'll give you info! I'll tell ya everything, Bandit! Please! Anything you want to know—!"

"Shut up," said Bean, shoving him against the wall. Manichetti fell in a heap and covered his head with both hands. "Talk's cheap!"

"Money? You want money? I'll give ya—"

"Money? Like that god-blasted five hundred grand? Ten times that wouldn't settle the score now! Will ya get on your frickin' feet?" He kicked Manichetti in the back.

"Ow! Ten times? I can tell you where there's a hundred times that!"

"Huh?" said Bean, halting the next kick. "Fifty million?"

"More! Right in Frisco! I swear to God!"

Bean's expression, which had been startled, closed down to a scowl. "You're shittin' me."

"No shittin'!" gasped Manichetti. "The Dragons got all their loot together in one place. All their smack, all their cash and jewels and gold and a lot of negotiable securities! More like fifty-five, sixty mil! I know it's here 'cause I gave 'em a lot of it! They're gonna ship it all out've the country once this thing is settled with the FBI! I'll tell ya where it is!"

"Yeah?"

"I got all of Brown's dough together! Cashed out all the accounts he had in the States and took all the gold coins and paper he had stashed! I even grabbed that half mil Brown showed ya at the pier. The Dragons have it now!"

"Yeah? Why'd you give it to 'em?"

"For the kid!" pleaded Manichetti, holding out his hands in supplication.

"What?" said Bean.

"I went to 426, see? I said, I swear Brown's dead and here's where I put his loot! Forty million, plus! Take it all and don't kill her! He took it!"

"Forty mil for one kid?" Bean looked both incredulous and impressed, aiming a thumb in the direction May had gone. "Sly Brown's kid?"

"Yeah, for her." Manichetti slowly rose, hugging the wall. "All of it."

"I'm supposed to believe that?"

"I'd've given anything, man!" cried Manichetti. "What's the use of all the money in the damn world if you ain't got your—I mean, she's worth it to me! Worth my goddamn miserable LIFE, even! You…you ever love somebody?" Bean narrowed his eyes. "Aw, c'mon, you know what I mean, Bandit! You walked right into the Dragon's HQ for Rally Vincent—she told me all about it! You musta got a bad case for…uh…no offense—?" He began to duck and cover again at Bean's expression.

"Where's this pile of loot you claim they got? Any proof?"

"How can I prove it? You got to go look, that's all. There's not a lot of guards on it, 'cause they're short-handed and they don't want to draw attention!" Manichetti took out a pen, scribbling on a business card. "That's the slip number. San Francisco Yacht Club! Tens of millions, dude. Make ya for life!"

"Huh," said Bean, taking the card. "And if you're lyin' like a dog?"

"It's no lie. God's my witness! Hey—here's somethin' on account!" Manichetti reached into his jacket and Bean grabbed his arm. "No! I ain't got a gun, see? This! Take 'em!" He thrust the sapphire earrings into Bean's hand.

"What the hell?" said Bean, looking at the blue glint in his palm.

"They're real valuable! Brown paid a hundred large for 'em! You can get fifty at least—they're not hot or anything! See, just to show ya my sincerity!"

"I saw these before somewhere." Bean creased his brow and rolled the earrings over with a flex of his hand.

"Right! He bought 'em for Rally Vincent! Spent a goddamn hour just lookin' at every pair of cut stones and another hour pickin' out the setting! He was laughing about how she'd change her tune when she saw those rocks—he didn't learn that kinda lesson real well, you notice that? And then she goes and throws 'em back in his face first chance she gets, like I coulda told him and saved him the trouble! Pissed him off real bad, I'll tell ya—I saw him smack his tootsies around for a hell of a lot less, like they picked the wrong dress to wear!"

"Eh."

"Guess she never even tried 'em on, huh?" said Manichetti, smiling weakly. "That gal's a straight arrow and no mistake—"

"Oh, she tried 'em on," said Bean with a smirk, tucking the sapphires and the address into a coat pocket. "OK, dude. So where'd you dump the stiff?"

Manichetti went white. "Huh?"

"Brown paid a hundred for 'em? And you got these fancy rocks rattlin' around with yer loose change just 'cause yer boss decided he didn't want 'em any more? Guess he must really be dead after all." Bean winked. "More power to ya, dude. I'm going to check out your info here, and if it ain't what you say, you better be in Outer Mongolia before I come looking for ya." He jumped into his Corvette and slammed the door, rumbling out of the garage. Manichetti looked after him, still shaking, and wiped his sweaty face.

"God," he whispered. "Think I'd've preferred a ghost…"


"Agent Smith? There's someone asking for you in the lobby." A secretary put her head into Smith's office as Rally and Ken prepared to leave. "A couple of little girls…and one of them is wearing only underwear."

"Huh?" said Smith, putting down his phone.

"Underwear?" said Ken.

"She's blonde, she looks about twelve, and there's a smaller girl with her. Holding a teddy bear."

Rally's eyes started out of the sockets. "Ken! Come with me!" They dashed down the hallway to the lobby, Roy and Smith and Wojohowicz following close behind.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed. Agents's heads popped out of offices and cubicles. "MAAAAAY!"

"RAAALLLYYY!" screamed May. "KEENNNNYY!" They all collided in the middle of the lobby, hugging and crying. Tiffany looked at them wide-eyed, clutching her teddy bear.

"You're really loud," she said reprovingly. Ken seized May and whirled her around, nearly hitting Roy.

"Wow!" said Smith. "How'd they escape?"

Rally jumped up and down several times, whooping and waving her arms. "Oh, May! You are a genius! How'd you do it?" She grabbed her away from Ken and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ken grabbed her back and kissed her on the mouth; she enthusiastically responded and threw her arms around his neck.

Roy went to Tiffany and picked her up while Smith seized the receptionist's phone and began to shout into it. Agents began to pack the lobby, smiling or looking confused. "I should have known!" Rally gloated. "Gunsmith Cats rule! Yeeehaaww!"

Wojohowicz patted Tiffany's head. "Your mama is waiting for you, Tiffany. I'll call her guard to bring her over right away."

"Mama?" said Tiffany. Wojohowicz beckoned to Roy, and he handed Tiffany to her.

"I'll bring her to the break room. I think someone could use a cup of hot cocoa…" She left the crowded lobby with the little girl. May finally pulled her tongue out of Ken's mouth and looked at Rally, her eyes sparkling with happy tears.

"Oh, Ral! You even brought my Kenny for me!"

"Uh, well, that was Roy…" Rally admitted. "But I'm so glad you're back! You have to tell me all about it, you amazing girl!"

"I didn't do it on my own." May grinned from ear to ear. "It was Bean."

Rally's vision went dizzy for a moment. "Wh…what?"

"Bean rescued us. He is wonderful. I love him totally!" She squeezed Ken. "I mean, I love you best, Ken. But right now, Bean Bandit is my knight in shining armor. You are going to have to thank him properly, Rally! You know what I mean!" May whooped with laughter and kissed Ken again.

"Bean," said Roy, and sat down on one of the lobby chairs. Rally nearly fell beside him, and they looked at each other.

"Bean?" she repeated in a whisper. "God, Bean…?"


"My baby…my baby…" wept Sarah Brown, clutching her daughter. Chocolate smeared over her face, Tiffany wriggled and kicked and got out of her mother's grasp.

"Baby Bear's here too, Mama. Give her a hug!" Sarah only sobbed. "Why are you sad, Mama?"

"I'm not sad, honey. I'm so happy you're safe. I only wish Manny were here…"

"Manny helped rescue us too, Mama. He's OK. Look, he gave me a pretty!" She displayed her seed-pearl necklace.

"Okay," said Smith with a sigh. "Let's go over this again. Manichetti got into the brothel along with Bean?"

"No, no," May corrected, sitting on Ken's lap and speaking in between kisses. "Manichetti came to visit Tiffany, I guess. Bean came to get me out. He didn't like it when he saw one of Brown's people. I left them in the garage together…um…" She lowered her voice. "I don't know what Bean did to him after I was gone. He might not be, uh, in good shape any more."

"Oboy," said Smith. "OK, let's get the girls out of here…I mean, Mrs. Brown and her daughter. Take them to her hotel," he instructed an agent. "Double the guard, because 426 will be majorly pissed at this turn of events." Wojohowicz came into the conference room, her face pink.

"Pete! It's Manichetti!"

"You located him?" said Smith, getting up. "If it's bad news, maybe you'd better—"

"No, he's here!" said Wojohowicz. "Walked in and submitted to arrest! He's cuffed in the lobby!"

Smith, after a flabbergasted glance at Rally, laughed out loud. "He's got a gift for that, hasn't he? OK, let's get him in here!" Wojohowicz dashed off and Smith leaned over to Rally with a conspiratorial smile. "Let's see how the reunion goes. Might tell us a few things." Rally raised her brows and said nothing. May went back to kissing Ken.

Roy got up, and when Manichetti was ushered in, hands chained behind his back, Rally turned around and kept her eyes on Sarah Brown. She burst out into a fresh fit of weeping, and Manichetti let out a cry. Tiffany hung on his leg and Sarah threw her arms around his neck; apparently all was forgiven.

"Aah, unlock the cuffs," whispered Smith, obviously touched. "Let him hug her." When they were off, Manichetti knelt down in front of Sarah and took Tiffany into his arms as she giggled happily. It struck Rally, seeing him and the child together for the first time, that their eyes were almost exactly the same color.

"Manny!"

"Oh, baby…" he whispered through tears, and buried his face in Sarah's stomach as she bent over him and stroked his hair, crying. Rally grimaced and looked away. All this affection and waterworks was beginning to get on her nerves.

May and Smith seemed to be enjoying it, but she could hardly bear it any longer; the look of adoration on Ken's face as he cradled May was too much for her. Although he didn't resemble Bean other than in coloring, he reminded her far too closely of emotions she had once felt, and once projected onto Bean. As the cooing and crying went on, Rally got up and looked out through the conference room's glass windows. Roy rose and stood next to her.

"So…" he said.

"I don't think I can talk about it right now, Roy," said Rally, still staring into space. "I'm glad he helped May. I'm really glad she's all right, and that she got Tiffany out with her. I guess I have some idea why he did it, but I don't even want to think about it right now. OK?"

"Yeah, OK," said Roy.

"Call me when there's any information, or a contact from 426," said Rally to Smith. "I'm going to take everyone to the hotel for the night, but I'll do everything I can to help get Agent Bui back. I owe you."

"No, I owe you, kid," he said, shaking her hand. "Be seeing you." Rally nodded and headed out with Roy, May and Ken. On the way, Roy filled May in on everything that had happened since her kidnap, leaving out what he knew about Bean's residence in Rally's room; Rally drove in silence. Roy headed to his room to call his wife, and May yanked Ken into hers after retrieving her suitcase from Rally.

She stood alone in the hallway, listening to May's high-pitched giggles and the bouncing creak of the bed. They would probably keep at it all night and make love until the sun came up. Rally sighed and put her key in the door of her room.

There was the table at which they had eaten, there the chair he had sat in. The bloody ruins of a leather jacket in the bathtub. Napkins stained with barbeque sauce: the hard ends of rib bones in a foil container. And the rumpled bed, surrounded with empty transfusion bags and an IV stand.

Rally slowly picked up all the trash and medical supplies and bundled them in a wastebasket liner, then made the bed. She'd have to discard the bag elsewhere, but she wanted to remove every reminder from her sight. When the place was tidy, she took a shower and scrubbed the tub to wash away every trace of blood. With her pajamas on, she brushed her teeth and combed out her hair, then went into the bedroom and turned out the lights. She folded down the comforter and got into bed.

The pillow sank gently under the weight of her head, breathing out a human scent. Not a strong one, but very familiar. Bean. He had slept here for many hours, permeating the sheets with himself, and she was cradled in his unmistakable presence.

Rally bit her lips to hold back the tears. He'd paid back every particle of debt he owed her, both for stealing the money and for accepting her help when he'd left the hospital. They were even. Dead even. She wouldn't see him again on this job; he was surely on the way home even now. He didn't even know that Agent Bui was a captive, and Rally doubted he would care if he did know.

Not until she got back to Chicago would she set eyes on Bean Bandit once more. And in Chicago, everything would be different. Or the same again, the way it had always been between them—wary, even when they were on good terms. Distant. Professional. No matter what the explanation might be for Bean's tirade at Roy, it had slashed apart her illusions. If there had ever been a chance for them, it was lost. The Bean she had thought she knew, the one who could laugh with her while they drove, kiss her from sheer helpless passion, the one who might have loved her, would never show his face again. Rally buried her nose in the pillow and wrapped it in her arms. Two rooms away, May and Ken's lovemaking was still audible.

Perhaps the best way to get to sleep would be to pretend that her illusionary Bean was with her after all. One last time, before she would put away childish dreams, and grow up for good. Rally closed her eyes and curled up around the pillow, breathing in the smell of Bean's body. Almost, if she concentrated, she could imagine that he was in this bed with her. A few inches away, radiating warmth from his skin.

She pictured him lying with her, his eyes closed and his hair sprawling, face pillowed on his substantial arm, and knew very well that he could have had her for the asking that afternoon. He'd already planned to go after May, of course, and he hadn't told her so. Not wanting to raise her hopes in case he failed? Or not wanting to seem to ask for gratitude, his pride too inflexible to admit his desire to help? Probably both. Rally could only be glad that she had not actually slept with Bean again, in light of what she knew now, but for a moment she still longed so much for him that she forgot every grudge, every caution.

For that moment, she gave herself to him in imagination, and heard her quiet moan echo May's faint ecstatic sounds. "Oh, Bean," she whispered. "If only…"