Ch 2 – The Bar
The Heartlight was packed….music blasting, people laughing, drinking, dancing, talking….and their hostess, as always, ran a tight ship with smiling sailors.
"Jackie, table 7's still missing their refills…..can't have that crew running empty….Sam go refill the popcorn in the back booths…Pat…I think we need another case of Jacob's Brew up front…."
"She has eyes everywhere…." Pat turned to Jackie.
"And ears…now get to work!" Lulu leaned in.
As Lu's eyes met the opening door, five familiar faces greeted her.
"Well Hail the Conquering Heroes!" Lulu cheered, giving each one a giant bear hug. "So where were we…." They all glared at her…"Right never mind….lemme guess…Beer, Bourbon, Scotch, Club soda, and…" She stared Jess down…the others she knew like clockwork….they might switch it around once in a while, but their starters were almost always the same….Jess sometimes ran the gambit….Most times, he'd start with a lighter beer or ale….sometimes water or 'hon-tea'…something she had come up with back in their college years, and he was damn near addicted to…or sometimes he'd join Clint in a club soda, adding a couple squeezed lemons or slices of cherry for flavor…..but when a case had been seriously rough….
"Jack…." Jess responded curtly, turning to find a table before she had a chance to respond. The team slowly followed behind, smirking semi-apologetically at Lu before passing….
"Things were that...exciting…huh…." she turned with concern to Sheryll, who was bringing up the rear. She just nodded back and followed up the group…
Lulu knew better than to ask about the case. Listening ears, whether journalistic or criminal, were always a possibility. And besides, the team came to Heartlight to return from their mission….not to relive it. As she got their drinks ready, she thought out the happier news she would share to clear their heads…stupid harmless criminals and their felonious flops….maybe not this round…wasn't really a kitty picture crowd…..extremely light political humor, making fun of either side, could sometimes fly. And of course happenings with the staff could always bring a smile or two.
As she walked up, the faces she saw…she knew they had looked death in the eye, and barely skated by….again.
"Well…if this isn't a puppy picture crowd, I don't know what is…" She poked, turning on the charm as she turned round the beverages to their appointed owners…There came a few mild smiles for her efforts, but little other response. "Listen….you know how this works….What's out there, is out there…and thanks to you all, a good part of the bad part is once again gone….We're in here….out there doesn't come here…ok, the occasional bar brawl, but Hana can usually take them out easy!"
Hana gasped, nearly snarfing her drink. That broke the others, who started to quietly smile and titter to themselves.
"There, that's better…You're a tough crowd tonight…but no one's tougher than my Hana….I'll be back in a bit…." And with that she spun around and went back to barking orders to her staff.
Jess listened to the conversations opening up from his team, quietly watching Lu as she flew in 6 directions at once…seemingly red with passion about something one minute, then turning some drunken would-be Romeo pink with embarrassment the next…Things were never boring with her around…
"Jess…." Clint broke him from his daydream….
"Yeah, Tali just loves that show….watches it all the time…."
They all looked at each other in disbelief…"You seriously let that girl watch Walking Drones…?" Kenny chirped in….
"Occasionally….why…uhm….Excuse me a minute….." He slipped out of the booth to the men's room. When he was out of sight, the others hid their faces to stifle a laugh…who was he kidding….
Then night wore on. The team stayed later than usual, which was no issue for Lu, flying from table to table, leaving each with a laugh, seeming to have endless energy.
When the last patron walked out, the last glass cleaned, the last candle blown and the last staff member good-byed, she settled in to the back booth, pitcher of water and a glass on one side, containers of B vitamins and other pills on the other, to look over the receipts and place the next order.
About an hour into her silent night, she heard a thump at the back door…..Damn, did Jackie forget to lock it again….even unlocked it could be stubborn, and some would pound from the outside thinking it locked when it wasn't….but she had reminded them time and time again when they left after closing time to LOOK at the swivel ….STARE at it…make sure it was locked before leaving and closing the door….
Obviously it still wasn't working….and now, she had a bigger problem.
The bar had a gun, but she hated it…besides, what if this was just some stupid kid looking to score some of her alcohol….she might turn, fire, and never outlive the regret…Her pitcher was near empty….the glass could do some serious damage if need be….that should be enough…
She walked back toward the kitchen, braced herself…then pounded the door open and faced her assailant.
"WHOA! Thanks…I've already had enough to drink tonight…." Another woman shouted, looking to block Lu's Statue of Liberty stance…
"Hana….what the hell?"
"Forgot my purse…" she returned, pointing for permission at the door behind the owner….
Lu lowered the vessel, shook her head in hand, and laughed with relief as she let her pass…
"You can find criminals under any rock, and in any crevasse….but you can't remember your Purse at a Bar?"
"Everyone has their flaws…." Hana shrugged.
As her hand touched the inner door, the sound of crashing mahogany could be heard from the other side….
That was no kid looking for booze, Lulu thought. Why didn't I grab the gun!?
The two dropped down where they stood, Hana reaching for her ankle holster, Lulu readying her pitcher and darting her eyes around the kitchen for something else….anything else….The cooking staff had unfortunately followed her directions in locking away all the cutlery, so no luck there. The gun would be there, just on the other side of the door. It was down in a storage bin under the sink, not by the register where the thieves might automatically think to look…so they probably wouldn't have grabbed it….probably.
"I have a gun…."She whispered to Hana. "It's out There….but I can dive for it when we go through…"
"If!" Hana insisted, already dialing up her commander, hoping to get him and the team back on site. Thieves stopped by a top FBI squad…no way this wasn't making the papers.
She didn't have a chance to say anything into the phone as Jess picked up while Lulu was talking…
"We're on our way, keep the line open…" then the line went silent.
"What now?"
"We stay out of sight…I can't get an eye on how many are there without letting them know we're here…" Hana could feel Lu's stunned eyes on her. "Sorry I'm not as Annie Oakley as you thought….These hands are better on keyboards than triggers…"
Even in the tenseness of the situation, Lu couldn't help a silent guffaw. "I'm surprised you even know who Annie Oakley is…!"
"I watch the The Film Channel…they've got all that ancient stuff on there…"
A mild glare simmered in the mature woman's eyes…..the ancient stuff hmm…..
Before she could come up with more biting repartee, the door they were hiding behind blasted open, sending both of them flying. Hana quickly recovered, crouching on the far side of an oven, gun drawn. Lulu seemed to have more than the wind knocked out of her, but managed to roll herself behind the center island.
"FBI…FREEZE!" Hana shouted.
Lulu silently rolled her eyes…she knew at the moment, there wasn't much more the other woman could do, but in situations like this, did she really think the announcement was enough to stop the thieves mid crime?
"You heard the lady!" a powerful voice boomed from the front door. LaCroix and Sheryll marched through the front door with weapons out while Kenny and Clint serpentined their way through the back.
The three criminals looked at each other…
"YOU TOLD ME THIS WASN'T A COP BAR RAY!"
"SHUT UP JASON!"
The moment the voices….and the names….were in the air….Lu knew immediately who they were…
"Wilson?! Ramirez?! And let me guess…Lipton?! What the hell do you CHILDREN think you're doing?" She stumbled her way up from the floor, right in the middle of the would-be gun battle.
"Guns down everyone….only thing these idiots know how to fire are super-soakers….I would know!"
More than slightly confused, the team lowered, but did not release their ready grip on their weapons. Shakily, the would-be robbers did the same. Jess, Sheryll and Kenny disarmed them easily, finding the pistols to be nothing but painted toys.
"What the hell is going on here?" Jess demanded.
"Ray needed money for school….When Lulu…
"Ms. Morrow…" Lu corrected, again.
"Ms. Morrow fired him…and wouldn't write his recommendation letter, he was sunk…"
"You were underage and sneaking drinks after closing…I could have lost my liquor license! I warned you multiple times, but you kept deciding you know better, and kept trying to sneak it past me….You left me no choice!"
As Lu was talking, Sheryll and Kenny started to handcuff the assailants they'd just disarmed.
"Now hold on a moment…" Lu insisted, flustered, but determined to regain control of the situation. "Jess can I talk to you a minute…"
The two slid back to Lulu's 'office' in the back of the main bar while the rest of the group in the kitchen made their way into the room. Kenny was keeping a firm hold on his captive, not at all keen on leniency for those who hurt the people he cared for…
After a few moments of dynamic whispers, the two came forward from the back of the room.
"Ok, the three of you can consider yourselves on probation…" Jess announced to seven very confused faces.
"You're all rehired, On Conditions…." Lulu entered. The kids' eyes darted, with no more comprehension than before.
"The first money you earn, will be to pay back Lulu for the damage you did to the bar tonight…."
"After that, I will be holding on to it…ALL of it…into a savings account…that I will show you the deposits to on payday, to prove everything is above boards…ALL of that, will go to the school Ray chooses."
"Wait….My paycheck too?" Lipton whined.
"You said you were all here to get money for Ray's school…I'm giving you the opportunity…the LEGAL opportunity…to do just that…I have no interest in bringing you back otherwise…."
"There will be a report filed for tonight….but no arrests….UNLESS any of you try any more of your schemes with…Ms. Morrow…If I hear ANYTHING beyond glowing reviews of your performance, Crosby and I will be back Personally to take you in…is that understood!?"
Grumbles and nods emanated from the three wannabe felons in the room, none daring to look into the eyes of either of their reproachful judges.
"Does my mom need to know about this?" Ramirez pleaded.
"No…at least not right now…"Lulu relented. "But you better keep your nose clean and your grades up…or else!" He hung his head and nodded again.
After a few moments of grumbling quiet, Jess spoke up again. "Ok, the lot of you…back home…and No Where Else!"
A solemn procession worked its way out the door, while those who remained fell a bit more at ease.
"Crosby and I saw some sheets of plywood in the back…we can put that up in the frame till a new door can be ordered…" Clint put forth.
"Sheryll and I can handle the shattered glass and inner door." Hana proffered.
"Here let me…." Lulu gasped, as she attempted to reach down to a broken chair leg. Jess reached out for her and tenderly brought her down into a chair behind them…
"Should I call for a bus…." Hana inquired gently.
"No…not yet…." Jess waved off, sending her back to the task at hand while he tended the injured party.
"I saw the medications…how long have you…."
"Since middle school…" she sulked, trying to put forth her ever fierce demeanor.
"Since…you mean all through….Why didn't you…"
"I didn't want ANYONE to know…I knew you'd all start treating me different…I'd be back in that same bubble I escaped from with my parents!"
Jess was silent for a moment…"Angelyne….?"
Lu hung her head…"I knew I should have insisted on keeping a single…But she was persistent…and unwavering…I knew she'd find out sooner or later…when she did, I Swore her to secrecy…."
"That's why you didn't join the corps with her….."
"They'd never take me, and my secret would be out…Bullets were never my thing anyway. I know there are a hundred other ways to serve….but they all require…"
"A medical exam…"
"Yup…which I'd never pass…"
"And the law degree…"
"Psst…that was just to keep me in school…and away from home…as long as my grades were good, my parents couldn't complain….couldn't try to marry me off to some rich bastard so I'd be in a comfortable home and convalesce…that's the life they wanted for me….not the life I wanted…And thanks in good part to your future brother in law….it was possible…"
The two glanced over to Clint who was balancing a board in place of the shattered door while Kenny hammered the metal brackets they had found to hold it in place.
"And when you graduated…."
"…Childhood was over and I had to learn how to make it on my own….Thankfully I had virtually interned at The Flip Side…Janie taught me everything there is to know about the bar business."
"Your parents loved that I'm sure…"
"They didn't have a choice…I didn't use my trust fund….I used my own money I had stashed away…out of their reach…They couldn't control me if I didn't use their money…"
Jess pursed his lips….all the years they'd known each other, Lu had never ceased to amaze him. Her solid intelligence only matched by her sharp wit, and at times an even sharper tongue ….No wonder she and Angelyne had been the tightest of sorority sisters….and more….When Tali was born, No one but Lu would do for Ang as her Godmother…..And when Ang was gone…..
"You could have told me…" he insisted.
"You have enough on your plate without worrying about me….I can handle myself…I have for years without anyone knowing…"
"Is this why you shunned anyone Ang…"
"You just shut your mouth about that….I said you have enough on your plate….so do I!" she snapped, sending four heads rolling toward them. Lu just turned away, Jess gave them a glance and they got back to business.
"I've always said, Tali, you, Clint, Nelson, Marilou…..not to mention this rag tag fugitive-hunting fleet of yours…are all the family I need…we've got enough going on right here…I don't need any other excitement in my life…." Another wave of pain charged through her…She reached for one of her bottles. "I don't think I could handle any more…"
"When this is all finished, I'm taking you home….I'll stay the night to make sure…"
"Jess," Lu stammered a smile. "Really…What would Tali say…."
"That I'm taking care of her aunt after she was attacked at her bar…" Jess replied dismissively. "Now you just settle yourself here. We'll get the place back in some form of shape tonight….then tomorrow we can work out what remains to be done."
Lu opened her mouth in protest, but she didn't have the strength…She nodded in defeat and Jess went off to assist the others.
When they got back to her condo, Jess escorted her closely through the door into her bedroom, where she finally summoned the strength to shove him back…
"Nah-ah…this ain't the DZ's house…no lingerie show for the boys tonight….You keep those private eyes of yours out here..."
Jess tried to protest, but found his arguments met with white plywood in his face.
Figuring it best to leave her alone a while, he decided to set up for the night…For all the time they'd known each other, he had hardly spent any time in her apartment….not at all in the past year. The rooms were nicely, but simply appointed…a few photos here and there…everything reflected her taste, but not an ounce that gave a hint to her family background….that in itself was sooo much Lulu…
He wandered around the through living room…draping a throw blanket over the long side of the sectional, piling pillows into the crook for his head. The window was to the back of the far side, so the sunlight in the morning wouldn't bother him. He set an alarm on his phone for the following, morning, then pulled up the home number, knowing Marilou would be waiting on his call. He wished they had allowed him to give her the cell phone so he wouldn't wake the whole house with the land, but on some things, Nelson was adamantly old school.
"Yes, everything's fine….I'm just going to stay here to make sure she's ok….Yes, I'll tell her to call you in the morning….Give Tali a kiss for me….I'll be home tomorrow…."
As he closed the line, he looked up to see Lulu with a pile of pillows and blankets in her overstretched arms….
"What do you think you're doing….."
"You call That making a bed? You think I'd leave you to your own devices That far?"
"You're supposed to be resting!"
"You need to as well…sleeping…" she insisted, dropping the package on the end of the sofa. "Not camping!"
He watched her as she walked away, back to her bedroom, with feigned indignity.
"And Jess…" she paused for a moment in the doorway, her fierce demeanor not a note lessened…
"Yes…?" he responded, wondering what lecture was coming now….
She turned back. "Thank you…." She resigned, a shy grateful smile turning her lips. Then she turned back and closed the door.
"You're welcome. " He whispered to the plywood.
