Chapter 69

Billie wandered the theater. She was holding Clark within her arms, slowly stepping up the isles. The abandoned theater was a macabre and eerie playground. The seats were not supposed to be empty, the stage was not supposed to be still. Wherever you walked you felt as through a thousand eyes were watching you. As she walked the theater she imagined a full audience frowning at her, wishing she'd get out of the way. When she stepped up on the stage she could feel the actors around her, wondering why she'd interrupted their limelight.

The weather outside was growing chilly, the darkened places of the theater growing even more cold. A chill tickled Billie causing her to shiver. This movement was enough to disturb Clark and he took the opportunity to hop from Billie's arms and to the floor. She could hear his nails lightly tapping on the stage as he scurried away. "Clark!"

She went after him as he darted into the darkness backstage. Walking into the blackness she felt nervous, already sure she had lost him as her eyes needed moments to adjust. The backstage area was cluttered and smelled like an old attic. There were wooden pieces, parts of long forgotten sets pushed here and there and everywhere, items of costume clothing scattered about, and various building supplies. She stepped carefully, thinking she were likely to stub her foot, trip, or step on a nail. She worried about the dangers that could happen to the cat in a place like that and called out for him again. "Clark!" she scolded.

The entire area was silent for a moment, Billie on edge. It felt like someone were watching, waiting to jump out and scare her. Luckily she saw no ghosts, but did hear a quiet purr and the scurry of paws. She was able to see Clark dart out from behind a chest and run into more shadows. She went after him, on a blind hunt. He was a fast little thing and seemed to have his destination planned out. Before she was even aware of where she was going Billie was in a small stairwell, advancing upward in the building.

"Clark, come on now. You'll get lost."

She tried to negotiate with the animal to no avail; he had no intentions of returning to her just then. There came a rattling some feet away and with horror Billie saw that the cat was ironically heading for the catwalk. She went as far as she could without walking directly on the runway. She could see Clark several feet ahead, slinking expertly at the high altitude. He was in his element; Billie couldn't have been further from her own. "Clark?" she uttered, this time with a dramatic loss of confidence. She hesitated, raising her foot to step down, and let out a breath.

She made small steps on the platform, glad that the walkway was pretty stable, and felt more confident to proceed further. "Oh, Clark…" she muttered, then suddenly she screamed. "AH!"

Someone was there. Something had come up behind her and touched her. Frantically she reached out and grabbed the railings like her life depended on it. What had grabbed her felt solid and fleshy. With her peripheral vision she saw a figure that she assumed was a living person standing there with her. It was no longer grabbing at her and she panted while the figure murmured "Whoa, whoa."

Billie's chest hurt like her heart had skipped a painful beat. The scare was so sudden she felt a little out of her own skin- shaking, agitated. When she met the figures eyes she was starring directly at Alvin Karpis and he was smirking.

"You scared me," she uttered though that knowledge was obvious. Billie tried to relax but still felt herself trembling.

"You oughta be careful," he told her in that tone he used- the one that was so casual and suggestive it became downright disturbing. Billie found herself even more on edge that it was Alvin there with her. She knew how John felt about him and in turn she herself was wary. However, Alvin had done nothing to her and she would treat him politely, if not guardedly.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doin' up here all by yourself?"

From anyone else the comment would be innocent and playful. From Alvin Karpis is sounded threatening. Billie met his eyes a moment, seeing the look on his face, the glimmer in his eyes, and allowed the comment to sink in. She tried to show no physical reaction.

"I, um…I was chasing my cat…" she looked out down the catwalk but did not see anything. For a brief second she felt as though she had been led into a trap, but then foolishly thought Clark would never do such a thing. Maybe he had been leading her away?

There was an awkward silence happening between Billie and Alvin. Billie contemplated walking away, excusing herself and fleeing the moment. The longer she thought of random things the longer the quiet built up around them. Finally he spoke.

"I never introduced myself. I'm Alvin. You can call me Al."

Internally Billie groaned. She realized that the voice he was trying to convey was an alluring, seductive tone. It was the kind of tone John spoke with- but John didn't have to try, he sounded like that naturally. Alvin Karpis was pathetically trying to be attractive.

Quietly she replied, "I'm Billie," and was overwhelmed with relief that he did not offer his hand to shake hers. She made no further move to speak and so Alvin did again.

"It isn't too safe for you to be up here all by yourself."

He was making her nervous, but at the same time Billie felt as if he were trying to deceive her or plant ideas in her head. It was insulting to think he could do so; that he didn't think she were smart enough to realize this. Billie played along easily.

"You're warning me. Is there something I should be afraid of?"

She was surprised but grateful that her voice did not tremble. Alvin took a slow, suggestive step toward her. Billie stood her ground, her body tensing, doing everything to show him she was not affected by his attempts.

"You never know, big ol' places like these…" he spoke quietly so perhaps Billie would have to lean in to fully hear (which she did not do). "You never know when someone might be hiding around a corner…sneaking around in the shadows…"

At this point Billie did not know if he were trying to seduce her or warn her. She evenly looked into his eyes, her own blue hues penetrating through the darkness.

"Like you?"

It was a challenge. She would not be wooed or tricked by him and she wanted him to know this. He was not offended. Their faces were a short distance a part and she could see the uneven stubble on his cheeks. She could smell peppermint like he had recently eaten candy or chewing gum. Wickedly the corners of Alvin's lips twisted upward, his beady eyes locked on hers. He was pleased.

There was a noise behind them and no sooner had it occurred did John's voice call out.

"What's going on here?"

He sounded angry and eager. Alvin twisted quickly, looking over his shoulder and stepping far away from Billie. She was beyond relieved but her face was pale and frightened. For a moment she was horrified to see the look on John's face, like he were vengeful and expecting to break up something intimate. John would never suspect Billie of such a thing, but it was Al he distrusted. When he saw them- Billie startled and scared, Alvin guilty but feigning innocence- John realized that he may have just saved his girl from something nasty.

Billie pushed past Alvin and went right to John, stepping behind him and wrapping her hands around his arm. "I was looking for Clark," she said breathlessly, glancing down the catwalk. "He ran up there."

Though John did not suspect Billie of foul play, the way she stepped behind him, using him as protection from Karpis, was all the evidence he needed to understand the situation. What had he done? John's blood boiled. He gave Karpis a look that could kill.

At if sensing the tension in the small area, Clark reappeared down the walkway with a small meow. Billie bent and stretched her arms out to the animal and it came. Once he was in her arms she squeezed him tightly, hiding slightly behind all Clark's fur. John was still staring at Karpis, intimidating him, wishing to frighten him. Billie just wanted the moment to be over. She did not want to see them fight, she wanted them far away from each other.

"Thank you for your help," she said as casually as she could in Alvin's direction. Billie was giving Alvin a favor- a small slip to get away from the situation easily. Alvin was clearly frightened of John (though he did his best not to show it), for he smirked after Billie spoke and slinked out of the catwalk, back into the stairway and beyond.

Already Billie felt better but John did not move for several moments until he was sure Alvin had left. Then he turned his gaze down at her worriedly, his face wrinkled but taught by stress.

"Are you okay? What'd he do to you?" His hands were on her cheeks, examining her face, her eyes, trying to reassure himself of her well-being.

"Nothing," she shook her head, so grateful to be looking into his eyes, finding incomparable comfort in their dark, familiar color.

"You promise?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I promise." She let a hand fall free of holding Clark to touch John's cheek, drawing his face to hers. She kissed him lightly several times. "I promise."

Her concern then was for John and how upset he was. She had not been hurt; she was fine. He would not calm down easily but she tried to help him do just that.