Hello... Well my followers, people who have alerted this story, I am sorry.
The fact is, I love to write, I love this story, because of that, I want it just right.
So yeah, thank you for alerting this, I promise to try and update at least once a week...
Chapter seven
Puzzle pieces don't always fit.
Erica kept looking to the pay phone, her eyes focusing on the details. Julianne had phoned saying that Gretchen had been spotted in this location. "Hey Ray!" She called while brushing her hand down her waist, "I think I got an idea," Her voice smooth when she knew she had the man's attention. Her eyes focused on him, for a second admiring the way he looked, but then saw his eyes looking annoyed, her small smile dropped.
"What Erica?" Ray kept still; Shea was walking around the Alleyway trying to find anything. Ray inhaled, it was strange, but for once he felt like a leader again.
Erica licked her bottom lip, "The phone booth," Her hand lightly pointed, "If she was spotted here, she might have been making a phone call, we can trace the calls on here, see if we get anything…"
Ray inhaled, "It's a phone booth, people use phone booths…" He felt like being here was a waste of time, his eyes going around noticed he couldn't see Shea anywhere. "Daniels!" He shouted, "Get your Ass where I can see you!" He barked feeling his hand go to his gun.
Shea popped his head from behind a dumpster, "Hey, Hey!" He held his hand up, "I know Gretchen was here," He now proceeded to lift up prison clothes. "She was here." He then broke into a smirk, "also, people have cell phones," He glanced to Erica, "So, big change, if Gretchen used the phone, it would have been a few hours ago, people rarely use them things…" he pointed out.
Ray grunted, the one thing he hated was being put on the spot, so he reached into his pocket taking his cell out, glanced to it then the phone. "Jules."
"Ray," Julianne sounded out of breath on the other end, for a second Ray turned his back on Erica and Shea.
He didn't like the tone of her voice, relaxing, "Everything okay there?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Julianne catching her breath, it didn't make Ray any more at ease, but he kept calm. "Elizabeth got locked out, so I had to run and let her in," Ray relaxed more, he knew that everything was okay.
"Right, Jules, I need you to run a trace for me," He kept his request friendly, he knew that Julianne didn't like being yelled at, or a voice that sounded demanding. So Ray knew how to speak, to put her at ease.
Listening carefully, Ray could make out the sounds of Julianne moving closer to her laptop, in the background Lloyd complaining, then a loud slap, he smirk thinking that maybe Elizabeth slapped him for complaining. "Right, where are you?" Julianne's voice was softer.
Ray glanced to the phone booth, he quickly gave her the details, now glancing to Erica with a smile, "Right, cool…" He closed his Cell phone placing it back into his pocket, "Julianne will phone when she's got the details." He kept looking from Shea to Erica, "For now, we can get some lunch…" He knew it was going to be a while with the three of them in Illinois.
Shea laughed, "You know what I find real amusing?" He asked openly, "that one, Charlie isn't here, two, we got a plane here, and three." He glanced over Ray, "you trust Lloyd back in New York."
Ray rolled his eyes, "Right now, we can't afford to keep going back and forth to New York, so until we find Gretchen Morgan, we're here." He then thought if the time comes for needing Lloyd's ability, he exhaled, "We'll just have to do without the point Dexter." He now glanced to a café, "Right now, I could kill a cheeseburger." He started to walk in the direction, glancing back now to Erica and Shea. He knew that for one, he was one of them, but he wasn't a prisoner, completely. He knew he wasn't going to run, Charlie trusted him to keep these Cons in check. So that was what he was going to do.
Gretchen straighten herself out, it wasn't the best outfit for her to wear, a simple white blouse and blue jeans. Her long black hair was down, every few seconds she'd glanced around the bus. She knew that she needed to blend, best thing possible. She didn't appear to be an escaped convict; she looked like a normal woman riding the bus. The Bus, Gretchen rolled her eyes, she really hated the bus, the people. Just for now, it was what she needed to deal with.
"Mommy," A little girl with brown hair caught Gretchen's attention, "Mommy, I want to go wee, wee!" Her voice so small, for a second Gretchen felt her eyes staring.
The mother, who Gretchen to notice to be wearing a jogging suit, her cell phone attached to her ear, what Gretchen could make out was gossip talk, "No Tiffany, you have to hold it until we get home." Her voice calming, it gave Gretchen a lump.
"But Mommy, I'm bursting…" The little girl crossing her legs, her eyes starting to well up.
Gretchen quickly glanced away, she didn't want to look, couldn't stand the feelings that she'd buried so deep, slowly bubbling to the surface, her eyes catching a road sign, quickly she pressed the bell to get off.
Walking to the exit, turning to look at the little girl crying, she really was bursting. Gretchen sighed getting off the bus now.
"I was joking!" Elizabeth kept watching Lloyd. He was studying over the sandwich carefully; his eyes kept glancing to Elizabeth. "There is no Mayo in there!" Now folding her arms she walked to her own desk.
Lloyd cleared his throat, for a second or two studying over the look on Elizabeth's face, "well, if you haven't taken notice, I don't have much food out of prison." He stopped for a dramatic pause, "So you joking about my food, is going to be taken very personally…"
"Are you sure you're not gay, because right now." Elizabeth raised her hand, "you're acting like a bloody fairy!"
"I am not gay!" Lloyd seeing Julianne on the phone, out of the corner of his eyes, he could see her watching the conversation. If he could call it that. "I like woman, I find women sexually attractive, and have no feelings for men." He paused, "I am not a homophobic either." He pointed in Elizabeth's face, "Before you accuse me of that also." His voice kept trying to stay calm, but Elizabeth seemed to know all the buttons to push, to make him frustrated.
Elizabeth pursed her lips for a second; her hands held together, like a form of prayer, her eyes kept focused on Lloyd, "no, I wouldn't assume you're homophobic." Her voice dropped. "But it's a sandwich, eat it, don't eat it. I don't give a…"
"Liz, I am on the phone, trying to get information about a damn payphone in Chicago!" Julianne's voice snapped. "Can you please, for one minute, let me listen?"
Lloyd's eyes quickly going to Julianne, he broke into a grin, "Julianne, I know you're on the phone, but." He inhaled, "You're showing assertiveness in great progression, I'm very proud…" He then turned to Elizabeth, "also, I rarely get to eat something that is sixty seven percent powder." He looked serious. "I take my food matters very personal."
"Oh," Elizabeth held her hand up, "I think I'm gonna puke puppies…" her fingers waved, "I'll leave you two to be cute." Her finger pointed, "I need coffee." Walking away leaving Julianne staring at Lloyd.
"Is she always like that?" Lloyd glanced to the coffee room, he kept thinking over in his head. Maybe the sisters were not so different after all.
Julianne sighed, "Can you hold for just a second…?" She placed the phone down pressing the hold button. "She's Lizzie," Julianne started, "I mean, she comes off hostile, but she's really nice." Her eyes going to the other room, "It's just how she is." Now inhaling, "but I really need to get this done Lloyd, so can I have a moment of peace and quite…" Her eyes going wide, "Now I sound like my mother…" picking the phone back up again. Pressing the answer button, "Hell, no," she now went into talking.
Elizabeth stood in front of the coffee machine, feeling the strong pull of Déjà vu. Slowly turning to see Lloyd, "Seriously, are you that dense?"
"No, but I'm smart enough to know, that you are a really good actress…" Lloyd's voice calming, "You," He waved a hand around her, he kept a safe distance, "May act the polar opposite of Julianne, but you two have a lot of connecting symptoms."
Elizabeth tilted her head to one side, "Look, if you're trying to say I'm…"
"I'm not going to call you crazy, loony," He kept stood still, he could see the change in Elizabeth's body language, her left foot moving back, her hands going over her chest in a protective manner. "How long have you been aware of your Bi polar disorder?"
A long silence filled the small space, Elizabeth kept her eyes fixed on Lloyd's, her body shifted it weight from her right foot to her left taking the step back, her back bumping into the coffee machine. "How dare you." Her voice small, but had a bitter sting to it. "You think you can come up to me," Her hands holding onto her biceps. "Ask me that for what?" Her head titled, "So you can give me some great insight to my life? Tell me what is wrong? Fix me like you're fixing Jules?" Elizabeth let her arms drop, walking to his side, "I'm not Bi polar asshole!" she pushed passed him leaving him looking shocked.
Erica started to relax on the bed, her eyes looking around the small motel room, it was getting late, her eyes going to Ray sitting on the other bed. "So how is this sleeping arrangement going to pan out?" her voice a soft seductive purr, her eyes deep green focused on Ray, her tooth lightly biting into her full bottom lip.
For a second he watched her, the way her body stretched almost cat like across the mattress. He kept reminding himself that she was a con, but the curve of her hip to her waist; he took a few moments to collect himself. "You get that bed, I get this…" He grunted.
Shea walking from the bathroom raised his hands, "Hey, what about me?" He looked pissed, "You expect me to just slum it on the floor?" His eyes went to Erica, then back to Ray. His hands were in his pockets, his face turning to stone.
Erica swiftly moved from the bed, now stood face to face with Shea, "If it makes you feel better, have the bed." Her voice sounded neutral.
Ray's face snapped, "Seriously Shea, I mean, if you want, we can always share a bed…" His voice deeply Sarcastic, but the fact he didn't like the idea of Erica sleeping rough.
"Seriously," Erica now turning her attention to Ray, "I've had rougher nights of sleep, under worse conditions than this." Her smile creeping over her lips, for that moment, she wanted everything to be calm. For a second silence, now her eyes going to Shea, "so, be my guest, sleep on the bed." She moved swiftly, "but don't think you're keeping the pillows." She snapped them up.
Ray laughed, "Yeah, had to see that coming," He now got off the bed, his eyes looking over Erica's face, for a moment feeling himself drawn to the details, how smooth her skin looks, her eyes deep, staring right up into his.
Erica felt his hands touching her, slowly pulling the Pillows away from her, "Take the God Damn bed," His voice sounded defeated, "You're my best runner, don't want you putting your back out." He gave a two second side smile, before letting it drop. "I'll take the floor."
Shea watching this from his bed, for a second wondered what could of happened if he wasn't here, but wasn't going to mention any of this out loud, "Well, we better get some sleep, tomorrow is more ground to cover…"
Erica slowly moving to the bed Ray had been sitting on, the fact was, they couldn't be hunting Gretchen down all night, they needed to gain their strength, plus she needed to find a way to get into this woman's head, find her, and get one month of her life back again.