Four Leaf Clover – 24

Summary: Started from Trinity's challenge of J/N engaging in an affair behind the Evangeline's back (she's, thankfully, dead now). John and Natalie have bought a condo together, Natalie has graduated college, she and Rex are going to start an as-yet-unnamed PI business together. James Moretti from Atlantic City shows up in Llanview to start a turf battle within the organized crime world. He has ties to both John and Natalie. Natalie was about to tell John what happened with James when she was sixteen when he was called away on a case. Natalie was kidnapped from the LPD.

>>>>>

"What do you want, Balsam?" John growled into his cell phone as he and Bo stood surveying the carnage around them on the Pier and inside the warehouse. The cops had managed to grab one or two of the thugs before they lit out of the quick battle. They were being prepared for Bo and John to question them and CSU was here securing the scene for their work.

"Some guys took Natalie." Rex's words got John's attention. "I'm following them now."

John muttered an oath under his breath and moved away from the cops he had been conferring with. "You keep your eyes on them and stay out of sight. Where are you?"

"What's going on, John?" Bo asked when John disconnected.

"Some thugs came into the station and took Natalie. Balsam is following them out on Route 94."

"The strip club," Bo said.

"He's not hiding. First the station, then property we know belongs to him."

"He wants you to find him. Let me redeploy some men to go with you."

"Have them catch up." John rushed away.

Bo put the radio up to his mouth.

>>>>>

"Let go of me!" Natalie struggled to get free from the thug who was carrying her over his shoulder into the abandoned warehouse out on Route 94.

"Put her down, Bart."

Natalie straightened her clothes and looked around. She made a creeped out face as she looked over the sea of tables with the cheesy flickering pineapple bowl candles spread before her. "I know it was you, Jamie. You might as well stop with the spooky crap," she yelled out into the dark space.

"Ruining my fun as always, Kitty." The lights clicked on and James walked into view, his expensive shoes echoing around them.

"Rather dressed up for a kidnapping, aren't you? And what's the fifties night club theme? Did you really have to use red velvet?"

"There's that sense of humor I always got a kick out of." James walked until he was standing in her space. "There you were this spunky little girl with shocking red hair and an even more shocking mouth." He rubbed a hank of her hair between his fingers and then smoothed it down, trailing his hand down her chest over her breast. Natalie jerked away and glared at him.

"Does only McBain get to touch the merchandise? Didn't used to be that way, Kitty. Mmmm, remember?" He whispered the last to her.

"What the hell do you want?" Natalie hissed and backed up a step, knocking into one of the little round tables. The candles tilted precariously, but then righted itself.

"I told you what would happen if you ever told, Kitty." He put his hand around the front of her neck. "I told you I'd kill everyone you love. And there are so many more people on that list now, aren't there?"

"I haven't told anyone anything."

"But you will. Not all of it, of course. You won't tell Johnny Do-Good that you used to dance for me and my friends in the back room of the Pussycat. Or about that glorious night in the back of my father's limo when you finally succumbed to my charms."

"Charms? You threatened to kill my boyfriend Seth," Natalie snarled and moved.

"Details. Details. No. You'll just tell about the bad things I did. So, now I'm going to finish some unfinished business. And I'm going to get away with it like I always do. I have very good lawyers." He grabbed Natalie's arm and pulled her over to a chair where the two men who had taken Natalie tied her to a chair.

"Maybe when McBain gets here, before he dies you can dance for us like you used to, Kitty." James leaned in close to her face.

"Someone will be dead at the end of this, but I promise it won't be John." Natalie spit in his face.

James pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. He tossed the offending material away and put his hand around Natalie's neck and began to apply pressure.

"No, it won't just be John."

>>>>>

"Over here!" Rex called out in a loud whisper and waved John over. John kneeled down behind the car that Natalie was brought in.

"They got her tied up in there. He hasn't hurt her." Rex answered John's unasked question. "What's the plan?"

"I go in the front door and get her out." John emphasized his declaration with a shake of his head.

"That's your plan." Rex rolled his eyes. "There's three of them and two of us."

"One of us. You're staying out here and waiting for back-up to arrive."

"Why is it you never show up with back up? McBain, this is a stupid idea." Rex shook his head.

"Whatever. Here."

"You're giving me your gun?" Rex palmed the weapon and looked at in surprise, then back up at John's face.

"He's not going to let me in there armed and he wants me in there." John handed Rex his radio and walked out into the open.

>>>>

"Imagine a grown man carrying a grudge for this long because someone beat you up." Natalie's words came in gasps until James finally let go of her neck.

"Is that what McBain told you? That I'm angry about some girl?" James laughed and threw up his arms to dramatize his bitter amusement.

"Colleen," Natalie said.

James shrugged the detail away. "McBain always was an annoying do-gooder. Narced on me to my father. I had to go without my allowance for a month. Even had to spend the night in jail once because of that guy. Not that Johnny McBain was such a good boy himself. Oh, the stories I could tell you. Maybe I'll whisper them in your ear when I'm having you for the last time. And I'll make you watch, McBain." Jamesturned around to face John, being held by the two thugs.

"He's unarmed, boss. We checked." One of them said.

James waved them away with a flick of the wrist.

"You're going down, Moretti, once and for all." The thugs let John pull his arms out of his grasp.

"Johnny McBain once again coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress. Except this time you're the one who's outnumbered."

"Can't take me on yourself, Morretti? Need your thugs? Need to use a woman to gain the upper hand?"

"Oh, I can take you on myself, McBain. And I plan to." James took off his suit jacket, his rings flashing in the overhead lights.

"This is ridiculous!" Natalie exclaimed, struggling against the ropes. "The cops know where you are, Moretti. What in the hell are you trying to do?"

>>>>

"What the hell are you doing, McBain?" Rex asked as he peeked inside a partially boarded up window.

>>>>>

John got in the first shove, pushing James over a table. But soon it became an even match of fists and falls.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Natalie struggled with the ropes. She could swear she could feel them loosen as she pulled so she kept doing it, not caring that it was burning her wrists. She was startled to suddenly feel hands on her wrist. She could see the two thugs standing off to the sides of the stage watching the fight, she wondered fearfully if there was another one until she heard Rex's whisper from under the
table next to her.

"Be careful, Rex."

"Have you even noticed the smell?" He peeked out from under the tablecloth.

"Smell?" Natalie whispered to the tablecloth. She sniffed and then looked around. Fire! The fighting men has knocked over a number of candles, the flames of were using the tablecloths and furniture as
kindling. "Fire! Fire!"