First Date
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
"When the world says "Give up,"
Hope whispers "Try one more time."
AN: Thank you so much!! for the reviews. You're thoughts and encouragements are awesome. We are growing close now. I know this chapter is short but wasn't really thinking I could even get one out tonight for you. So here ya go.....sometimes quickies are good ;)
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Chapter 19
He jogged along the hard packed sand. His feet were getting wet but he was making better time than trying to move fast in the soft deep sand to his right. The moon had covered the clouds once again leaving nothing but the sound of the surf lapping at his feet and just enough God given light to help him see a few feet in front of him. He had heard nothing, seen nothing but he knew there was no way they were keeping the pace that he was and he would eventually catch up with them. So he simply jogged and planned in his mind how they would pay for what they did to him. Especially Kanda.
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One step at a time. It was slow going but Johnny didn't want to fall knowing that there was no way he could catch Jenny and keep them both from getting hurt. Pushing his own pain aside as she clamped onto him like another appendage he focused on the next step. The rocks were merciless and nothing short of lethal if you went down hard on them. He could hear Kanda's breath behind him knowing she was keeping close. He dared not turn to look for it could throw off his balance sending them down.
Kanda knew this was hard on Johnny. She could hear his coughing but also his encouraging words to Jenny as she clung to him for dear life. The cast made her move like a clumsy fool and as she lifted her foot she felt a piece of the gauze get caught. Taking a deep breath to relax she pulled hard which managed to break it loose but it also threw her off balance sending her heading face first into the jagged edges.
He heard her gasp and cry out and quickly worked at finding secure footing enought to turn and check on her. "Are you okay?"
She gathered herself up and continued on, "Yea, I'm fine. Keep going." She would deal with the burning cuts on her hands and knee later. Right now there was an urgency that she could no longer ignore. He was close. Close enough to make her heart live in her throat.
The rocks would end on more beach then most likely just more rocks, this could be never ending and she knew that Johnny was about spent. His untreated injuries were not going to allow him to ignore them much longer. She knew he had risked his life to get them out and refused to think that after all this she could still lose him.
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Dressed in all black, flack suits, guns, and battering rams the S.W.A.T. personnel stood at the ready at each door. The lights were out with no sign of anyone being home. Carter picked up his HT and relayed the order. Within seconds the house was swarmed with police officers as they moved from room to room in search of three particular people. He followed them into the living room and waited with baited breath as they completed their search. The commander of the team approached him. "No one is here sir. But it looks like someone was here recently."
"What did you find?" Carter was almost afraid to ask. This case was going downhill fast. This place was pot of gold at the end of a long rainbow. If they weren't here then he would have to start all over. Time he knew they didn't have.
The officer walked him to the back bedroom. "The blood is still fresh," he said pointing to the carpet.
Carter knelt down, along with his assistant. "What do ya think?"
The other man shook his head, "Two victims."
With a look of surprise, "Two?"
The man pointed to the first spot on the carpet, over by the bedside table. "Victim one, splatter pattern. He was hit most likely. No major blood loss," he pointed again. "No pooling." Standing up he moved to the other spot. "That one moves away from this one, no connection."
Carter nodded, "Yes." He pointed to the second stain. "This one isn't big though."
"But this one trails," the younger man said. Standing up he pointed to the droplets of blood that lead from the room. They followed them down the hall, and into the kitchen.
"Detective, we found something in the basement and in the garage sir."
Carter followed the men to the garage to the blood in the car and by the hood, "Someone tried to get away." He turned as they handed him a bag with torn bloody clothes from the basement.
"Come on Gage's; tell me where you went to."
"Sir, over here."
The trail led outside to the beach, "Great, they could be anywhere by now."
An officer came running up the stairs, "I don't think just anywhere sir." He pointed to the beach. "They wouldn't have gone that way which only leaves north."
Carter nodded, "Let's go".
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Kanda was beautiful as she stood on the beach, her feet in the water as the waves splashed at her ankles. Her radiant smile second to none, including the full moon that shone brightly behind her. She was waving to him, beckoning him to come closer, to join him. He smiled and reached out for her but then the distance got a little farther. So he moved closer knowing she was right there but again the space widened until she was farther and farther from him.
It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to touch her she was beyond him. His feet didn't move either, then panic flooded him as he saw Johnny behind he and her smile faded into sadness. Something was wrong. Johnny's shirt was torn, his hands were bleeding and there was the unmistakable pain in his brown eyes.
"Roy?" Johnny called to him.
"Johnny, I'm right here," he yelled back.
Then Kanda called to him, this time begging him to come. Her voice full of terror. She pleaded with him to save them. He answered her but she couldn't hear him as the waves crashed over the rocks. They were now on rocks and getting farther from him. He stepped out, forcing his feet to move, knowing he had to reach them or they would be gone forever. One more step. At little closer then without warning, he stepped out and over the cliff.
Roy woke up in a cold sweat as he gasped for air, his fingers gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles as if his very life depended on him holding on. He sat for just a moment to catch his breath but the clamp that was around his stomach didn't release. He had to get back to the ranch since it was the only thing he knew left to do. Something had happened and he had to find Carter. With one last look into the darkness beyond the ledge and the memory of his time here with Kanda he silently prayed that they could return one day soon, together. He cranked the car and backed up into the main road.
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Again Kanda stumbled, "Damn."
Johnny looked back.
"I'm okay," she called to him not wanting to stop. Every fiber of her being screamed at her that Adler was close now. There was no stopping now, for any reason.
"We're almost there, take your time," he yelled back as the surf was now further up the rocks, not near them yet but close enough to tell him that morning was getting closer as the tide came in.
"Johnny," she called again. "He's coming."
Even over the waves splashing on the rocks and the roar in the distance he could hear the fear in her voice. No he could feel her fear in his gut. His heart jumped in his throat, Oh God. This couldn't be happening. What was it going to take to get them away from that maniac?
About ten more steps and he stumbled right into the soft sand. He rolled to his side, his face scrunched in pain, "Okay, Jenny you can let go now." He spoke through gritted teeth but didn't want her to get scared. This had been a horrible twelve hours for a little girl to live through.
The little one stood up and watched as Kanda next stepped onto safe ground. She was right at his side, "Johnny?"
"I'm…okay," he grumbled as he pushed her hands away.
She looked around, "Johnny, oh my God, I know where we are!"
He looked up more unbelieving than surprise, "How?"
"This is my spot; this is where I brought Roy the other night after we had dinner." She pointed up with excitement, "There's a path over there that leads to a parking lot." She couldn't contain her excitement.
Following her finger he could make out the faint signs of a trail leading up but then what? To an empty road? They were just as much in danger up there as down here.
She ran and knelt down beside him, "Don't give up on me now TeeTonka. I feel like it's going to be okay now. But we have to go."
"Okay," he shot her a crooked smile. How can you argue with that much enthusiasm? "Can I have just a second to catch my breath?"
"Sure," she said then took Jenny by the hand and walked towards the path that would lead them up.
"This is your place?" Jenny asked.
"Well my little Aponi, I call this my special place because I think it's so beautiful."
Jenny just smiled, "It's pretty. My daddy would like it here."
Kanda just smiled back, "You know, I think you are exactly right."
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He cursed the entire way over the rocks as they cut his hands and knees but nothing was going to slow him down. It was a primal force that was driving him, one he could no longer explain to anyone, not even to himself. But he knew one thing. They would pay for the trouble they caused him.
"Arrgg," he yelled as he fell once again on the jagged rocks feeling the rip through his pants leg and deep cut into his calf. As he stood up he realized the gun was gone. Where did it go? He was frantic as he felt into the pockets of water between the rocks. He needed more light, he couldn't see. Damn, where was that gun?
Then his fingers locked onto it. Picking it up he shook out the water. It was an old gun but reliable. Good. Looking up he knew he was almost on the other side to the rock base. He could almost make out the figure of a man.
Yes.
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