Ch. 5: Sayonara
Previously on Inspector Gadget: Body of Steel:
"Aren't you worried that Slater might follow through on his threat, though?"
"Listen, the chances of him getting out of going to jail is about a hundred to one right now. The police found the stolen money, illegal weapons, a large quantity of cocaine, and the van from the getaway which is sure to be swimming with their DNA had fake ID plates. Slater and his boys are going away and nothing short of a miracle worker of a lawyer will get them out."
"I'd like to share your confidence but the truth is that he's likely to have friends in high places. A guy like him doesn't do what he does without some sort of 'get-out-of-jail-free card.'"
"Then I'd better start praying that that doesn't happen and justice is served and I cannot believe how corny that just sounded."
Ashley laughed and I shot her a glare. But deep down I knew we were going to be great partners.
It was another great feeling.
Two days after Ashley and I had made the arrest, which made headlines and even the local six o'clock news, it was the weekend and Shelby had insisted that all three of us go out to celebrate. It was fine by me and Shelby planned it, booking us a table at our favorite Italian place, Vince's Italian Restaurant. Shelby had decided to keep the location a secret and nothing I did leading up to the event could get her to tell me what she had planned and where we eating out. Talk about frustrating. Eventually she told me when I stopped by her place to pick her up. Ashley was taking her own car to the location. When Shelby finally told me where we going I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face. It was where we went on our first date and we hadn't been there in ages. It didn't hurt any that it was also my favorite restaurant in the city.
We arrived just a minute ahead of Ashley and of course, we had a great time. A few of the other patrons at the place recognized me and Ashley from the papers or the news and offered their congratulations and thanks. A few of the younger men even hit on Ashley, though she turned down their offers of a drink or a night out. One of them even tried a pickup line on Shelby but shrank back with the death glare I gave him. The three of us still had a blast and Shelby and Ashley really got along, which was a bonus for me. Shelby even talked the pianist at the place and then me into getting me to play some music. Again, I was never really one to be the center of attention but Shelby's persistence won out and I ended up playing 'What Makes you Beautiful.' The applause I got when I was done told me we weren't the only ones who had a great time that night. The patrons asked for one more number from me and while we were waiting for our desert and played 'Tuppence a Bag.' I roped Shelby in next and we did one of our favorites, 'You've Got a Friend in Me.' After our dinner Ashley left for her apartment after thanking us for a wonderful evening and left Shelby and I to go back to my home for a movie.
"I'll admit it," I said as we walked through the front door. "It's been a while since I've had that much fun at a dinner. Thank you for planning it. You did a superb job."
"You're more than welcome, you and Ashley deserve it."
"What did you think of her?" I asked as I started going through the Blu-Ray collection.
"I thought she was really nice and a real spitfire. I'm glad she's your partner because I know she'll have your back when it counts," she answered as she sat down on the couch and released her hair from the bun she had had it in.
"I believe you're right, but how did you get that impression from her?"
"I just have an ability to read people rather well and a bit of women's intuition."
"Figures," I muttered under my breath. "By the way, don't ever coerce me into playing music like that in a full restaurant ever again."
"Why not? You said you had a fun time."
"Yes, but I don't think I've been that nervous since I asked you out on our first date. You know I'm not accustomed to playing with an audience."
"But you should once in a while, you're really, really, good! For goodness sake, you play three instruments!"
"Maybe you're right, but I'll do it again in my own time. Now, Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl?"
"That's a tough decision, David. Hmm… William Mosley is really cute but Johnny Depp is flippin' sexy. Why do you do this to me?"
"Is that why you won't watch any of the Narnia movies past Voyage of the Don Treader?" I asked, knowing her question was rhetorical. "Because the rest of those movies aren't that bad, though I do wish they had gotten to A Horse and His Boy. That one was almost as good as the first one," I added as an afterthought.
"Maybe," smiled Shelby as she twirled her hair around her finger.
"Anyway, should we flip a coin to decide?"
"No, just give me a minute."
"You know we can watch something else like Charades or Monkey Business. I know you like Cary Grant."
"That's tempting since I'm having trouble deciding but let's watch… Pirates of the Caribbean!" she declared.
"Alright, Pirates it is. I was about to start humming the Jeopardy theme, though," I grinned as I removed the case from the shelf and got hit in the back with a pillow. I turned and saw Shelby trying to look innocent but the laughter played in her eyes and it was obvious she was trying very hard not to smile.
"You know, you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that you're the one who threw the pillow. After all, the pillow is from that sofa and you're the only other one in here."
"Bugger," I heard her say and rolled my eyes.
I put the Blu-Ray into the player and had snuggled up with Shelby on the sofa to enjoy the rest of the evening. We had gotten through about half the movie and were at the part where Jack and his crew were sailing for Isle de los Muertos when a car alarm pierced the air and scared the living daylights out of both of us.
"Holy shi-! I think that's my car!" I exclaimed and leapt to a window. "Damn, it is!"
I grabbed a gun from a drawer in one of the table stands and ran outside.
"Police! Halt!"
The assailant ran and I followed but he was too fast for me to catch. I turned back but as I was passing my car I noticed that the door was ajar and it looked like there was a tablet in the passenger seat. I stuffed my pistol in the back of my jeans and got in to look at the tablet. It activated as soon as I picked it up and Slater's face graced the screen. I blanched at the sight.
"Hello, officer Harder, I assume you recognize me. How could you not, especially after you and that bitch arrested me and my crew. I told you I'd get out and make you pay. Well payday's today!"
I made a move to get out of the car but the doors closed and locked themselves before I even moved my foot. A prickle of fear ran down my spine.
"The person you undoubtedly caught in the act of trying to break into your car was actually a friend of mine who has already broken in and planted a timed explosive inside. The timer that has just appeared on the tablet tells you how much time you have left before you're blown upwards to meet St. Peter."
I looked at the tablet again and saw the timer. I had forty seconds to get out.
"David? What's wrong?"
Damn, Shelby had come out to see what was taking me so long.
"Shelby, get away from the car! Get back in the house and call 911!"
"What?"
"Get in the house and call 911! There's a bomb in the car!" I yelled as I pulled out my gun again and aimed at the window.
Shelby ran for the house while I pulled the trigger twice and the glass fell away. I struggled through the now broken glass as the timer continued to count down. Time seemed to go slower. I fell unceremoniously out of the car onto the powder glass and got back up with a slight ache in my arm. How much time was left? I glanced back at the tablet and immediately regretted it. The timer had reached one.
"Sayonara, officer."
I ran for the house a second too late. The bomb detonated and engulfed me in flames. The last thing I heard before falling into unconsciousness was Shelby screaming my name.
A phone rang and disturbed the tranquil night environment and jolted Taylor Ramirez awake. Groaning, she rolled over in her bed and fumbled for her cell phone. Eventually finding it, she hit the 'answer' button and put it on speaker.
"Ramirez," she said sleepily.
"Sorry to disturb you, doctor," came the reply from the other end. "I thought you'd like to know that one of the men you selected as a possible candidate for the Gadget Project has just been taken to the ICU ward of the Detroit Mediplex with severe injuries."
That woke Taylor faster than coffee ever could. "What happened and which officer is it?"
"It's officer David Harder, and he was caught in a bomb explosion about half an hour ago. He's in surgery right now according to one of our contacts in the hospital."
"I'm on my way, I'll expect a full report when I get there," said Taylor as she hurriedly threw on some clothes. "And I mean a full report. I want to know everything that happened. Dr. Powell and I will be there within the hour."
She disconnected the call, threw her hair into a ponytail, and called Jay.
It was time to go-go-gadget.
A/N: The Gadget project finally has its candidate! From here on out the plot will really pick up and we'll get to see more action. So post a review or I'll send Gadget after you.
Gadget: I'm not your puppet.
Me: I have an auto destruct for you right here.
Gadget: That's a jammy dodger.
Me: So it is. Have you been watching Doctor Who?
Gadget: Bow ties and fezzes are cool. And I'll miss Matt Smith.
Me: I will too but David Tennant is my personal favorite. I was so excited to see him back for the 50th Anniversary. Now go terrorize the viewers into leaving a review.
Gadget: I told you, I'm a law officer, not your puppet.
Me: You're impossible.
Gadget: Thank you. BAT CREDIT CARD!
Nostalgia Critic: A Bat credit card? They gave him a bat credit card? They had the BALLS to give one of the greatest superheroes of all time a BAT CREDIT CARD? NO! NO! DOES NOT COMPUTE! DOES NOT COMPUTE! IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T IT JUST DOESN'T!
Me: That was weird. At least he didn't have his gun.
Gadget: Darn.