Okay, here's the latest. Forgive me for the cliffhangy cutoff point. Thanks so much lipamo and indigo for the reviewage! More to follow soon. :)
After parking the rental car in the street, Carrie casually made her way towards the front doors. Attracting a look or two from passersby who noticed her starting to become obvious bump, and wondered what business a pregnant lady had in a sketchy dive bar.
Ignoring them she pushed the door open, walked inside past the pool tables and two men playing darts.
"Hey sweetheart, what in the hell are you-"
"Fuck off.", she snorted. Approaching the bar she caught a smile from a man on a stool who'd turned towards her.
"What are you drinking? I-"
Spotting her belly he bit his lip. "Jeez, sorry. I-"
"Look, instead of an awkward apology how about you just help me out."
"Sure, okay.", he shrugged.
"I'm looking for a man who frequents this place. Ex marine. Goes by Lauder."
"Lauder? You don't want to tangle with him, honey.", a man to her left piped up.
"Excuse me?"
"Lauder's bad news. Especially now that he's drinking again."
"I think that I can handle him. All I really need to know is if he's here!"
"Yeah. He comes around once in awhile."
"Has he been here today already?", Carrie asked, getting a smirk.
"Why are you so concerned? There are much better guys in this place you could be fixating on finding.", he said suggestively.
"Somehow I doubt that. Look, if he's been here already can someone just say so?", Carrie said, feeling frustrated and starting to wonder if this was a good choice. What she wouldn't give right now for a drink. Or three.
"Yeah, I'll tell you. I'll tell you anything you want to know." One of the men playing darts slurred, sauntering over to her as she rolled her eyes.
"Damn it! Can someone just-"
"Okay, back off of her you prick! She's with me!" A familiar, gravelly voice piped up. "I swear to Christ, Mathison. This shit is getting really old.", Nicki groaned, grabbing Carrie's arm forcefully. Pulling her away from the bar she pulled her into a kiss.
Met with a collective groan, muttering from the group of men they turned back to their darts and drinks, while Carrie jerked back, glared at her.
"Hey!"
"What? I got them to leave you be, didn't I?"
"Jesus fucking Christ, Nicki!"
"Nice to see you too, Blondie.", the redhead snorted, walking her over to a corner table. "Here, take a load off.", she said, pulling out a chair for her before sitting in the one across the way. Flagging down the bartender she ordered a beer for herself.
"And ice water for my lady friend here, please."
Met with a look from Carrie she frowned.
"What? You better not be in here drinking!"
"No! I'm not."
"So what brings you into this shithole? Better you why'd you sit with that pack of fucking shitheads."
"Hey!", a man at the bar yelled. Prompting Nicki to make a crude hand gesture, roll her eyes. Seeing the worry in Carrie's though she smiled.
"Don't sweat it, I've known these assholes for years. They don't take well to outsiders though, hence my intervening. I hope I didn't scandalize you too much."
"No, it's-"
"If it's any consolation, you're a pretty good kisser."
"Thanks.", Carrie smiled, wiping some hot pink lipstick off the corner of her mouth. "And it's fine, really. I've always had a thing for redhead's.", she smirked.
"Noted." Nicki grinned. "Really though, level with me. what the fuck brought you in here? You don't seem like the shitty dive bar type."
"No?", Carrie asked, arching a brow.
"Shit, really? What's the seediest hole you've been at?"
Mentioning the pool hall, she laughed at the shock on the redhead's face.
"You've got to be fucking with me. That place right off the highway!"
"We didn't stay there that long. We actually kind of got ourselves run out by Nazi's.", Carrie smirked.
"Jesus Christ. Tangling with fucking white supremacists? You've got some balls on you, Blondie. I'll give you that.", Nicki said admiringly before biting her lip.
"Still though, I doubt you're here just to goof off and get an adrenaline rush. What were you trying to get outta the guys?", she asked as Carrie leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice.
"Maybe you can help me. There's this ex marine who's a regular here. I need to talk to him about some bullshit that he's been up to. Face to face."
"What's he look like?"
"Dark hair, tall, scruffy. I know he's on crutches too."
"Well, I may not know the prick personally but I think he just walked in.", Nicki said, nodding to the front where Lauder had pulled up a stool at the end of the bar.
"He looks like a piece of work too. You want back up?"
"Thanks, but I think it'll be more effective if he just hears it from me."
"Well look I'm only on my first beer. You need any help just holler, okay?", she said as Carrie nodded, went to get off the stool. "Here, allow me."
After Nicki helped her to her feet, seeing some of the guys eyeing them, Carrie smirked, took hold of the redhead's face and kissed her, this time more heatedly.
"Thanks for your help.", she said softly, pulling back as Nicki nodded, grinned at her.
"Any fucking time, Blondie."
Sitting back down with her beer, Nicki kept her eyes glued to the opposite end of the bar. Fully prepared to jump in and go after this drunken asshole too if need be.
"Whatcha drinking?", Carrie asked coyly, sitting on the stool to Lauder's right while he drunkenly stared straight ahead.
"Figured I'd start out with whiskey today. You like whiskey?"
"Blech.", she grimaced. "Give me silver tequila any day."
"Heh. I like that.", Lauder grinned, still not checking his peripherals to her relief.
"This guy I'm seeing though loves bourbon."
"Does he?"
"Oh yeah. Tastes like gasoline to me but I know it's his favorite."
"Gasoline, ha. My thoughts too.", he chuckled. "You know one of my buddies, back when I served. He drank straight bourbon."
"Yeah? What was this buddy's name?"
"I...I don't like talking about him. Son of a bitch fucked too much shit up.", Lauder muttered.
"He did?"
"He betrayed our unit. Fucker betrayed our unit and got off."
"Huh. What did you do about it?"
"Could've killed him, I had a chance to."
"But if you'd killed him, you would have paid for it. You wanted to make him pay. For everything he did to you, right?"
"Wanted to?", Lauder laughed, setting his drink down. "I...I already fucking did."
Turning towards her, at the icy look on her face his grin instantly faded.
"Oh, I know.", Carrie said menacingly, her eyes flickering as she leaned closer to him.
"I know everything you've done, Private First Class Lauder Wakefield. At that lodge up at Bear Lake, on your fucking laptop. And so help me, I'm going to be the one to make you pay for it."