Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and, hopefully, enjoy, and many thanks as well to those who take the time to review. And to those who I can't thank 'in person', like the ever faithful Nans, Smithy and now and Kahva, your loyalty is very appreciated!
"Why are you here, Frank?" Maggie asked breathlessly, not taking her eyes from the silhouette in the kitchen doorway.
The man chuckled dryly. "Really? You have to ask me that?" He took a step towards her. "You've been sloppy, Maggie. What, you didn't think anyone would notice?" She started to bend down to pick up her purse. "Leave that there," he said quickly, firmly. "Where you're going, you won't be needing that."
She straightened back up. "Where are we going?"
"You don't think I'd do it here, do ya? In a cop's house? With his daughter about to come home anytime? You wouldn't want me to have to eliminate her too, would ya?"
She shook her head. "Leave her alone. I'll go anywhere you want me to go."
"That's my girl," he said coldly as he crossed closer to her. "See, if you're a good girl, I'll leave your cop and his daughter alone. But if you make this harder than it has to be, well, it wouldn't take too much to finish him off, and she's just a little thing, she won't put up much of a fight, I wouldn't think."
"Leave them alone," Maggie said raggedly but defiantly, stiffening when he got closer.
"That's more like it," he said, staying just out of arm's reach. "Now what's say you get your keys back out and we leave the way you just came in, nice and natural, as if nothing's wrong. Let's put the lights on, shall we, so the house looks all nice and lived in." She flinched as he reached past her towards the switches, turning on both the porch and interior lights. "That's better."
Realizing she still had the house key in her hand, Maggie turned towards the door and turned the knob. She pulled the door open, shivering slightly; she wasn't sure if it was because of the cold night air or her present situation. She stepped out onto the landing and waited for him to join her and close the door behind him. She looked up and down the street but there was no one around, and all the cars were dark and empty.
"Be a good house guest now, Maggie, and lock the door. We wouldn't want anyone… untoward… showing up and finding the door unlocked, now would we?"
He stood behind her as she turned and locked the door, her hands shaking. He took the opportunity to glance up and down the street himself. Though he had kept the hand with the gun lowered the entire time, Maggie was well aware of its presence and his ability to use it; she wasn't going to take any chances – there was just too much at stake.
"Shall we?" he said with feigned courtesy, gesturing at the staircase, and she started down slowly. When they reached the sidewalk, she hesitated. He nodded down the block. "My car is the blue sedan, second from the bottom."
Catching her breath slightly, she started down the street, acutely aware that he was just two steps behind her the entire way.
# # # # #
"Big day today and big day tomorrow, hunh?" said Dan, standing at the head of the bed. He and Mike were alone, the others having left a few minutes earlier, a couple of whom, he knew, were waiting for him in the corridor.
Mike smiled warmly, his eyes half closed. "Yeah," he sighed happily. "I can't believe I get to go home so soon but the doctors seem to think I'm ready. And far be it from me to argue."
"Well, I'm really glad you're doing so well, and so is everybody else, especially Maggie." He patted Mike's arm. "Goodnight, Mike," he said warmly, and started to leave.
"Daniel," Mike said quickly, reaching out to snag his hand, "I haven't thanked you yet…" He paused, as if searching for the right words. "I want to thank you for, well, for letting Maggie know about this and, ah, well, for, well, just for everything …"
Dan started to chuckle. "It's okay, Mike, I understand. And you're welcome. Believe me, it was the very least I could've done. I mean, I didn't… you know…" It was his turn to grope for words, and Mike knew exactly what he was trying to say. He squeezed the younger man's hand.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Mike said gently, letting them both off the hook. With an affectionate smile, Dan nodded and headed for the door.
# # # # #
Maggie approached the passenger side of the blue sedan. "It's unlocked," he said from behind her and she opened the door and slid inside. She reached for the inside handle to pull the door shut but he blocked the door. "You can't think I'm gonna let you just sit in the passenger seat, do ya? I mean, in a city like 'Frisco with all these red lights and stop signs. You just hopping out whenever you want to?" He chuckled dryly. "Here," he tossed a car key onto her lap, "move over, you're gonna drive."
She did as she was told, as awkward as it was to do gracefully, and settled behind the wheel. She reached under the left side of the seat.
"What are you doing?" he asked quickly, noticing the move.
She looked at him with barely concealed contempt. "I have to move the seat back. I'm taller than you." Under any other circumstance, that would have made her laugh. Now she just hoped she didn't make him mad.
She could see his glare in the dim streetlamp spill, then he smiled slightly. It sent a chill up her spine. "You're a gutsy broad, Maggie Jarris," he said with a slight trace of admiration in his voice, "I'll give ya that."
He was leaning back to reach for the passenger side door handle when he felt the lightest touch of smooth cold metal just behind his right ear. He froze. A deep authoritative voice ordered, "Put the gun on the seat and put both hands on top of your head, and if you so much as flinch, Mrs. Jarris will be wiping your brains off of her face."
# # # # #
Jeannie turned the car onto De Haro and started down the street towards her house. At the end of the block, she could see a group of people gathered around a car. Her headlights picked up the sight of the driver's door being opened and a woman getting out in a panic, falling into a man's arms.
"Maggie? Steve?"
She slammed the car to a stop in the middle of the street.
# # # # #
Maggie heard the door beside her open and a familiar voice speaking urgently into her ear. "Maggie, get out of the car, please. Now." It was not a request; it was a demand.
Still looking across the seat, she scrambled to get out, turned and half collapsed into Steve's arm. "I've got you," he said as he steadied her. She grabbed him, and managed to get her feet under her and caught her balance. "Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.
"Oh my god, oh my god," she said quickly, looking down, then she looked up into his eyes and smiled. "We got him, Steve, we really got him."
He grinned at her. "You got him, Maggie. You were great." Steve looked over the roof of the car. "Barry?"
FBI Agent Barry Parker stood up, looking over the car. "All's well over here, Steve," he grinned, standing over his now handcuffed prisoner, kneeling painfully on the concrete of the sidewalk.
"Maggie?! Steve?!" They both turned at the sound of Jeannie's distraught voice. "Oh my god, what's going on? Are you all right?" As she ran down the street towards them, two large dark sedans came around the corner and squealed to a stop, four dark-suited men getting out. They joined Parker on the sidewalk.
Maggie glanced guiltily at Steve then turned back to Jeannie. "We're fine, honey, don't worry. It was a…um…well, sort of a 'sting' operation." She finished with an almost apologetic half-smile, which was somewhat matched by Steve.
Jeannie paused for a second. "What?" she demanded, looking from one to the other.
"Look, Jeannie, let's not talk about this here. Let's go back to your house and Maggie and I'll tell you everything that's happened tonight, I promise."
"A sting?" Jeannie asked slowly and Steve knew, from long experience, that the famous Stone temper was on the rise. He quickly looked back over the top of the car. "Barry, is it okay if I take the ladies back to the house?"
"Sure," Parker answered, "as soon as we get this joker squared away, I'll be up there to talk to you both."
Gesturing back towards the house, Steve said gallantly, "Ladies…" Jeannie turned somewhat reluctantly and Maggie shot an appreciative glance, punctuated with a quick smile, in his direction as they started up the block. "Um, Jeannie, you might want to get Mike's car out of the middle of the street. I don't think he'd appreciate it sitting there with the engine running and the door open…" he said casually, trying not to chuckle.
She was just starting to turn to him with a biting retort when Parker's voice overrode them all. "What the hell?!" Everyone looked in his direction. He turned to Steve, his eyes wide, his arms out, dumbfounded.
Another agent, who was holding the hitman's gun, handed it to Parker, its cylinder open. Parker raised the .38 towards Steve and spun the cylinder. "It's empty!"