Agh! I'm so busy preparing my audition! I was only at school for a grand total of 2 hours today! (God bless CSAPs!) Mmm, lots of concerts this weekend- i got my first Pops concert. The Colorado Symphony plays Led Zepplin! I thought i would die of culture shock (and embarrasment- my bass teacher is officially a lunatic)! But it was really fun!
I present to you- Fluff!
Chapter 13
"Bobby!"Alex screamed, but he immediately put his hand over her mouth and said, "Shh, come on!"
He grabbed her hand and they bolted up the stone steps, taking them 2 at a time.
"Marjorie just found out," she panted. "It took me forever to find a way out."
"How did you escape? He asked. They ran out of the door and into the jungle in the opposite direction from which Bobby had come.
"Girl talk," she said, wiping the hair out of her face as they jogged through the jungle. "Where are we going?"
"To the boats. This is how you came in?" He quickly whapped some tree branches out of their way.
"I don't know. I was blindfolded until I got downstairs."
"Marjorie has always been old fashioned," he said. "Ah, here we are." They exited the brush and found themselves on a sandy beach where 2 boats were tied to a small dock.
They ran up to one of the boats, jumped in it, and sped off.
No sooner had they gotten about 100 yards away than 2 men came running out onto the beach, jumped into the remaining boat, and chased after them.
Bobby and Alex zoomed along the edge of the mainland with the 2 men hot on their trail "Go faster, Bobby!" Alex shouted. "I didn't come this far just to get caught again!"
"I'm working on it!" he shouted back. "Here." He pulled his gun out of his back pocket. "Shoot," he commanded.
Alex took the gun and began to fire at the boat behind them. Bobby took a quick turn, the men behind them followed in suit, and Alex was able to get a clear shot at the engine.
Smoke began billowing out and the boat slowed and faded in the distance as Bobby sped around a bend and into an empty cove…
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bobby and Alex both collapsed on their backs in the sand beneath a palm tree on the deserted beach. They were both exhausted. Bobby especially.
Almost immediately though, he realized that he had Alex and they were both temporarily safe. He rolled on top of her and grabbed her in a hug.
She immediately pushed him off of her. "Oh, no you don't, you pig," she spat, sitting up and pushing him away.
"Eames- I'm just glad your safe- it wasn't anything like-"
"Safe! This is all your fault I'm caught up in this mess! You can't just abandon me, get me kidnapped, and then just be glad I'm safe! Explain yourself! And make it good." She was panting again from the screaming.
"Eames- I've told too many people- I can't-"
"Here I am! You've dragged me into this mess! I want to know what's going on! Everyone else seems to know but me! Me! Your partner of 5 years! And you won't tell me!" Tears began to well in her eyes and he voice had become shaky. "You just left me! For a couple of sluts and a rock… And still you won't tell me…" She was on the verge of a total meltdown. Bobby could see the sun setting behind her, bathing them both in a smooth, orange glow.
"Alex… I'm sorry. Don't… you deserve to know. You're right." He moved closer to her and sat directly in front of her. She sniffed and wiped the water from her eyes. "When I was in the Army- I was 2 years in. I had just gotten back from Germany. I got called in for my next assignment. Only, it wasn't what I was expecting. I was introduced to a many named Gary Kittredge, the director of the Smithsonian- but I'm sure you know that by now.
"He told me all about the underworld of the Institution. Particularly, the criminal underworld that surrounded the millions upon millions of dollars of artifacts at the museums. I had been chosen as part of this 'team' of individuals who were charged with the protection, and in my case, recovery of any stolen property form the museum. I had been chosen not only because of my work in the Army CIU, but also because I read the magazines, which were communiqués of the underworld of the Institution. I knew more than I could possibly imagine. He then gave me the assignment of recovering some South American artifacts that had been stolen. He briefed me and sent me on my way.
"At the time, a man called Bernard Neal was the big crime boss of the time. His right-hand man was Simon Valdez. Neal was really smart. He's the one who first discovered and utilized the ruins on that island. He was killed during my assignment and that's when Valdez took over. Shortly after that he brought in Marjorie Toulenc, his mistress. As you can probably tell, she's pretty much taken over at this point. During my second assignment is when I came across her. Valdez had stolen some ancient Egyptian jewelry and was attempting to reenact some mummy's curse. When Marjorie figured out that Valdez had gone off the deep end and had no intention of giving her any of the spoils, she used me to get the jewelry from Valdez so she could in turn take it from me without Valdez knowing."
"She said you slept with her," Alex said.
Bobby sighed. "Yes- but like I said. She was using me. Once I figured it out I was able to recover the artifacts and give her and Valdez the slip. That was the last time I was called in. I thought they had given up on me because I fucked up so bad. That's when I joined the PD. I was bumped up to Major Case so quickly because of my previous involvement in major crimes. Then, I got that call from Gary a few days ago… and, here we are…"
"Marjorie mentioned a Julia. Tell me who she is."
"Julia was the same kind of trap Marjorie was… She… she reminded me of you in a way…" he mumbled.
"How so?"
Bobby looked up. "She was smart, simple, resourceful… She complimented me, she… she flirted with me." Bobby ducked his eyes at this point. "She just seemed to fit… just like you. I should have known it was too good. She knew too much, hit all the marks. Everything I had known about you after 5 years I knew about her after 5 hours. She took advantage of the fact that I missed you…"
"After only two days they were able to screw you up that bad?" Alex asked, but immediately regretted it. "Sorry, I just meant…"
"Yah- I missed you that much. And she figured it out before I did. She reported to Marjorie, who saw you as a chance to get at me… I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"It's ok," Alex whispered.
The sun had gone down completely now, and they sat on the beach hardly able to see or hear each other. The cool wind was whipping Alex's hair into her face.
"It should have been you," he said softly.
"I wish it had been," she replied more quietly than before.
A tear streaked down her cheek. Bobby reached out to cup her jaw and she closed her eyes. He gently kissed the tear away, tasting the salt on his lips.
"Marjorie said I was your biggest weakness," Alex said, opening her eyes.
"She was right." And with that he kissed her on the lips this time, savoring the bond between them.
