"I cannot believe they didn't check here. What are the chances - Fuck we got horseshoes" Frankie whispered relieved and crawled out from behind the disgusting blanket. Marty crawled out slower and stayed on her hands and knees in the dirt, breathing heavily, not say a word.
"Marty!" Frankie whispered as loud as she could. "Let's go!" Marty still didn't move, her head hung down between her shoulder blades and her breathing was shallow.
"Marty? She walked back and knelt in front of her. "Marty, what's happening? Talk to me" Frankie was worried; these things didn't happen to Marty.
"My…breathing…" It was labored and wheezy.
"Okay I'm gonna get you outta here." Frankie helped Marty up and they hobbled up the stairs, cautiously opening the door to the main hall, making sure they were alone. The corner of the ragged carpet runner was turned up and caught Marty's foot. She tripped, sending them both flying forward, knocking over the small table holding a ceramic floral lamp, which hit the floor with a loud crash and shattered into a million pieces.
Lonnie's head snapped back to the house, and he grabbed the radio. "This is Lieutenant Jamison requesting back up at 2103 Floyd. Anyone near Floyd and Magnolia come back."
"I'm about a quarter mile form Floyd" Parker rang through "On my way." He doubled back to Pervis and cut through Peach Tree Lane. "Guess neither of us are going to see the game tonight" he said to himself, then sighed lightly.
Lonnie ran out of his car and drew his gun while he jumped up the stairs to the door. Parker pulled up behind the corvette and bolted up to the other side. Lonnie nodded to Parker, and kicked in the door pointing his gun out in front of him with Parker covering from behind.
"Don't move! Put your hands where I can see them - do it now!"
Frankie lifted a bloody hand cut with broken glass while her other one was on Marty's back; she was face down on the runner. Frankie's dark brown hair hung over her face like Cousin It. The bottom of the thick waves dipped in blood like small paint brushes.
"She needs an ambulance…her breathing…" Frankie's one hand was still up when Parker came over to assess Marty's condition. Rolling her over he took her pulse and listened to her chest. She was breathing but was struggling. Parker saw she was scared and put his hand over hers, letting Marty know she was going to be all right.
"This is Sargent Williams I need an ambulance at 2103 Floyd Street. Female, breathing difficulties, possible reaction…"Parker detailed the situation to dispatch while Frankie held Marty's hand.
From behind Frankie felt huge hands snake under her arms and pull her to her feet. She fought them instinctively as Lonnie seized both arms behind her back. Blood from the cuts ran down her palms and dripped on the floor as she fought his grip.
"Quit fighting me or I'll charge you with resisting arrest as well!" He roared at her with his deep southern drawl. He was in no mood for this. His usual stone face calm was cracking as he blamed this ridiculousness for missing a well-deserved night out with the boys. Frankie swung her head behind her at the sound of his voice. 'Can't be the same cop.' She tried to look at his face through the corner of her eye but couldn't tell.
'That voice…' He was not giving her any leeway to turn and face him and he pushed her back forward so she would face front. She needed to see his face to know for sure if it was him.
"Hey!" Frankie began to squirm against his grip.
"Be still now Ma'am" He ordered, more composed now. His grip was hard but not hurtful on her biceps, she didn't mind how his hands felt on her. 'What?' She scoffed at her thinking shaking her head, and Lonnie smirked to himself at her feistiness. 'It is that cop from earlier' Now Frankie was sure of it.
The paramedics gave Marty oxygen and evaluated her condition. Parker told them her breathing had improved from when they first arrived, there was no swelling, blue lips or change to her appearance. He helped lift her on the stretcher for the ride to the hospital, and followed them out.
Lonnie pulled Frankie to the squad car handcuffed and put her in the back seat. "They'll be over to look at your hands" He told her "But Marty…" He was careful not to slam the door in frustration. He bent down to look at her through the window, but the rain made it difficult to see and she was facing forward. She watched the ambulance pull out and two paramedics talking to Parker, then making their way over to the squad car.
She could see the two men talking. 'I really hope you're okay Marty' she worried. "Stupid assignment" Frankie said out loud to herself angerly. The two cops were still talking. "Can we just get on with it gentlemen." There was no chance of seeing Marty tonight where she was going. "Wonder what southern small town jails like" She wondered out loud "I'll find out soon enough I guess"
The paramedics pulled out some glass fragments from her hands and wrapped them tightly in bandages and gauze. It stung like a million tiny bee stings. Frankie hoped they would uncuff her for that treatment, but they awkwardly preformed it with the cuffs on. When she asked why they were doing that they told her the Lieutenant gave them orders not to remove them. "Yeah, I'm such a threat handcuffed in the back of a cop car - with cops all around me" she scoffed sarcastically. "Who the hell is this guy anyway? – Ridiculous…" The paramedics eyeballed each other with a 'time to go' look before leaving the car at the comments.
She watched them walk over to the cop before heading back to the other emergency vehicle and driving out to the street. 'Wish I was going with them' she thought impatiently. 'I have to get outta here.'
Frankie was lost in her thoughts of escape when the driver's side door slammed, and she jolted at the noise. She was just about to open her mouth and give whoever a serious ear beating for making her wait so long when Lonnie turned around from the front seat.
They just stared at each other.
The dim interior light somehow gave to the moment as they both studied one another's face; their eyes ran all over each other, slowly taking in what was in front of them. Time stopped for a moment; there was no one but them.
'My God' They both thought at the same time, wondering what was happening but not in any hurry to make it stop.
Lonnie stared into her bright aqua eyes. They were the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his life, like ice, with rings of honey gold in the center that made them shine like the sun. They awoke something in him that was dead until now. He felt his face flush, and his palms were sweaty. 'Her eyes…' He just couldn't stop staring at her. It was like he knew them, but he'd never met this woman before in his life. He felt warm inside.
Frankie's breathing was slow and deep, coming out in short burst from her chapped parted lips. The way he was looking at her gave her goosebumps all over her body, and there was a rush of heat from her depths that flowed up to her tummy like a wave of butterflies. Just looking at this man made her body go limp and her heart beat so fast she thought she was going to pass out. His eyes were the color of a forest after the rain; a kind of deep olive green she had never seen before. They were hypnotizing.
His gaze was penetrating and intense, and Frankie felt him inside. 'Him…' From somewhere, she knew him. Time stood still, and they both felt it.
"Lieutenant? Um, excuse me Lieutenant…" Parker's head was just inside the open door. Neither Lonnie nor Frankie heard the door open, or heard Parker talking. They just looked adoringly across the seats at each other. When Parker saw how the two of them were gazing at each other he smiled. 'Well will you look at that' he mused. Clearing his throat, he spoke louder and closer to Lonnie's ear this time.
"Lieutenant!" Lonnie jumped in his seat and glared at Parker before pushing the door all the way open to get out.
"Parker, I hope you can give me a real good reason why you just killed my eardrum." He slammed the door shut behind him.
"Yes sir" Parker smiled at Lonnie unaffected by his angry stare "I can give you one real good reason – and she's right there." He pointed to Frankie in the back seat, who now sat quietly with her head down, unsure about anything that just happened and embarrassed at how she behaved. She shook her head and balled her fists up, but she could not stop thinking about how he was staring at her, and how easily he affected her. 'This can't happen again'. She told herself sternly. 'Never again'.
"What are you talkin' about Parker?" Lonnie knew exactly what Parker was talking about.
"Lonnie I called on you with my head in the car and you didn't hear a darn thing; just kept staring at that girl in the back. I had to get your attention somehow" He teased with a smirk, until he saw Lonnie's face, which had reverted back to stone cold.
"Parker take her back to headquarters and book her for Break and Enter and resisting arrest .Read her the rights" He snapped, walking to his corvette.
"What?" Parker said confused, but Lonnie was out of ear range. "Alright then."
"You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you…"
Parker didn't take it personally. He knew Lonnie was flustered that he had been caught somewhat vulnerable and human. Parker also knew that his heart had been broken for such a long time. To see that look on his friends face, that adoring look toward a woman; it made Parker happy for him. 'Oh, I can't wait to tell the guys at the station' He almost skipped back in the squad car with excitement. 'Thay are not going to believe this!' he thought to himself.
"You doing alright ma'am?" Parker looked back to see Frankie with her head down "Ma'am? You alright?"
"Yep, peachy keen" She mumbled sarcastically, still having no idea what that was earlier, and now she was going to be arrested on his own turf. She felt like a complete ass.
Parker just smiled "Okay then."
He turned the car around and drove down the driveway, saluting as he passed the corvette.
"What in the Sam hell was that!" Lonnie rubbed his eyes in frustration, then hit the steering wheel with his left palm. "Now I gotta go and see that girl again after that…and book her.." He felt embarrassed already. He was a Lieutenant – a professional, a high-ranking officer in the Sparta Police department. "And I act like that?" He was furious with himself. What had that girl done to him? He thought about her and sighed.
"Man get a hold of yourself" He took some deep breaths and promised not to think about the gorgeous woman with the beautiful eyes, and her parted lips and her…
"STOP! GODDAMIT JUST STOP!" He ran his hands hard through his brown hair and closed his eyes. "Get yourself together. You've got work to do."
Trying to talk himself straight so he could confidently walk into his place of employment without looking like a fool, Lonnie busied his mind with a case he was working on at the ports of the river as he pulled out of the driveway at 2103 Floyd Street.
He never noticed the two sets of eyes watching him leave from the top floor window. They smiled at his departure, and disappeared into the darkness.
