"Excuse me, Charlene," Face reached for the phone in his pocket and glanced at the number. "I need to get this quick. I'll be right back, darling."
"I'll be waiting," Charlene gazed at him with her large doe eyes as she ran her hand down his. "Hurry back, Templeton."
He smile his charmed smile. "Be right back." Once he was away a few steps, he flipped the phone open. "Hannibal, you know just how to ruin a guy's night, you know that?"
"Are you with Amy?"
"No, I'm with...never mind. I left Amy a few hours ago and told her I'd check in on her later. Why?" Face ducked around the corner of the restaurant. "What's going on?"
"I just had a little birdie call to inform me that our slimeball broke out. My money says he's going back. Murdock and I are taking off in the chopper as soon as I hang up, BA will follow in the van. We need to take care of him. How soon can you be at Amy's?"
Face did some fast thinking. Between getting out of here and the traffic, even knowing the shortcuts and having the Vette, it was still longer than he would have liked. "10 minutes. I'll call her right now. Meet at the old warehouse unless I here otherwise from you."
Face hung up with Hannibal and hit Amy's number. It rang and rang. "Come on, come on!" he muttered to himself. Face saw the waiter walk by and grabbed his arm. "Here. For that table over there," he nodded in Charlene's direction as he handed over plenty of bills. "Call her a cab and give my regrets." He practically ran out of the building while calling Amy's number again. "Come on, Amy. Pick up the phone!"
She finally did. "Do you have any idea what hour of the night it is, Face?"
"Amy. Listen. Grab the spare I left you."
"The gun? Face, what is going on?" Amy's heart raced. It had been a long, but quiet, few hours since he left. She was just starting to feel settled and like she might be able to relax a bit with the glass of wine she poured.
"I'm coming to get you. Ten minutes. Keep the pistol ready to use." Face was already in his car speeding out of the parking lot.
"Face! What is going on?" Amy grabbed the gun he left her and nervously started pacing the apartment. "What's wrong?"
"Amy, just stay on the phone with me. I'll be right there. It's just a precaution, but if you hear anything that isn't me,"
Amy was panicked as she interrupted him. "Face, what is going on?
Face sighed. He didn't want to tell her. "Martinez escaped. Amy, this is just a precaution. I'm on my way to pick you up and the rest of the guys will be here soon. We'll get you someplace safe then deal with him. Just stay on the phone with me until I get there so I know what's going on. Be ready."
She didn't say anything in response as she stood paralyzed by fear in her living room, only hearing Face's voice in her ear.
"Amy? Amy?" Face pushed the Vette to the limits as he flew down the highway.
Amy shook her head to bring her back to the present. "Yeah. I'm here. I'm ok." She fiddled with the weapon in her hand nervously. He had taught her to shoot long ago. After what Martinez put her through, she had no doubt she could shoot him if she had to. If he came to find her again.
"Ames, I'll be there in five minutes. It's alright. Just be ready." Face was calm and smooth, not daring to give away the sinking feeling. Now that they knew with whom they were dealing, he knew the violent levels to which Martinez could sink.
Amy paced the living room over the next few minutes, listening for any noise, any hint of a problem. She wished Face had stayed. She wished she was still back in Bad Rock with the rest of the team. She wished she was anywhere but there.
"I'm here, Ames." Face's voice and that knowledge calmed her just a bit. He was here, it was fine. "I'm coming up."
"I'm sorry your date was interrupted." Amy immediately felt stupid for saying something like that. She was nervous, though, and it just popped out of her mouth before she could stop it.
She heard him laugh. "No worries there. I'm headed up the stairs."
"Ames?" Face's voice came through the door with the gentle knock. "You ok?" He heard her footsteps coming closer. She needed him. She wasn't a con or a scam or another nameless date he'd try to bed later that night. Amy needed him. And he needed to get her out of there.
He heard the locks flip and she flung the door open. He saw the fear and anxiety on her face and had to resist the urge to kiss her right there in the doorway. He kissed the top of her head instead. "Come on, Princess. Let's go." Face was surprised when she slid an arm around him and seemed to cling tightly to him.
Amy didn't know how long it would last, this moment between them, but she soaked up every brief second. His cologne, his strong arm around her, his brief kiss in her hair. She didn't want it to end as they stepped out together, Face grasping one of her hands tightly and keeping her a step behind him.
The rounded the corner of the stairs on their way down and Martinez on his way up. Amy shuddered as she clung to Face's hand. Just the sight of him made her nauseous and filled her with rage. No way was he going to win tonight.
Martinez grinned. "Peck. Nice to see you rescuing a damsel in distress again. This time, however, I don't think you'll be carrying her out." He raised his weapon and took aim. "It's you and the others I want, anyway. She's just my bait. After I get rid of you, I'll have my fun with her while I wait for the others. Right, sweetheart?" He bore a stare into Amy's soul that made her blood run cold.
Amy stood behind Face, a gun pointed directly at him from Martinez. She knew he couldn't see what she was doing as she slowly slid the safety off. Martinez didn't know she had a weapon, she could take him by surprise for just a few seconds until Face could get the situation under control.
Face heard the click behind him and froze, knowing what it was. He slowly, almost indiscernibly, shook his head no. That was just for before he got there. He mentally kicked himself for not immediately taking it back. He had his own gun in his hand, now raised. It was a standoff. "It's me and the others you want, Martinez. You know that. We all know that. Let's just let her turn around and walk away then it will just be me and you."
"See, that poses a bit of a problem, Peck. You're right, it is you and the others I want, but your Miss Allen here and I grew rather fond of each other during our time together. I'm thinking I might want to have her around more than what I want you dead. She's got more spunk than I thought, but I bet you knew that already, didn't you?" What his menacing grin and gleaming eyes implied made Face contemplate killing him bare-handed.
The split second distraction was all that was needed as Martinez took the shot.
Two rapid fire shots rang through the stairwell. Amy stood, shaking and breathless, not quite believing what she saw. The discharged weapon was still in her hands. Martinez lay slumped on the stairway landing. Face met her eyes as he slid down the wall to the floor, stunned, as the growing crimson stain spread on his shirt.
"Face!" Amy dropped to the floor beside him. She frantically looked for something to cover the wound with, but finding nothing, pressed her hand firmly against his chest. "Face. It's, uh, it's going to be ok. Just stay still."
He smiled grimly at her. "Nice shot." He reached a hand up to her worried eyes. "It's ok, sweetheart. Accept death, remember?"
Jamestown. Those words came back to her yet again. But she wouldn't. She couldn't. Not him. She watched as he closed his eyes and whispered," Call Hannibal" before slumping unconscious.
Face.
Face.
Not Face.