Remington Steele Fan Fiction
Steele Shaken, Not Stirred PGLaura's birthday has rolled around one again. Will this one be one to remember, or forget?
This FanFic takes several liberties, you should be able to spot them easily.
Laura was behind her desk talking on the phone to Frances. "Yes, I know, don't remind me." Laura placed a hand on her forehead. "Yes, but you know don't you? You went through it before I did." Laura was teasing her sister now. "Ha ha, OK, yes I will. Take care Frances. Thanks for calling. You too, bye." Laura placed the phone in its cradle and smiled a big smile. Today was Laura's 29th, and last, birthday. Frances had called to rub it in. Laura had done the same thing to her, oh well, all in good fun she mused. She glanced at the clock. 2:00, time to go. She was leaving early today. She had one birthday item on her Birthday to-do list; do something she enjoyed. The community center near her loft was holding a month long guest artist lecture series. Laura was pleased to find out that Marcus Taylor, the world famous meditation guru was holding a 2-hour class. She took one of the last available spots open for the class. As much as she found her ballet exercises soothing, she recently discovered meditation, and it truly calmed her. Nothing was better than meditating then having a hot bubble bath and hot tea to calm her down after another day with him.
Calm, cool collected Laura needed outside influences to calm her down more and more lately. It was mostly her fault she reasoned. No, it was partly Wilson's fault also. She was fine before he showed up unexpectedly a while back. She was over him, she never questioned that. It was how it ended that hollowed out her heart. No discussion, no note, nothing. Just gone. Yes she was reckless when she embarrassed him in Acapulco. But obviously his work was infinitely more important than his year and a half with her. However she had been deeply in love with him. It was his orderly lifestyle that had intrigued her initially. They had shared the same organized thought process, but that was where the similarities ended. She was the spontaneous one. She hadn't always been that way though. Half way through college she succumbed to the pleas of the girls of 4 East to kick back. Oh how she loved it. She was quickly addicted. The men she dated after that were simply vehicles for that endeavor. Have a good time was her motto, they felt the same. Who wanted a serious commitment anyway? Ending an evening with a gentleman caller with the phrase ‘same time next week?’ was enough commitment for both of them. That all changed after Wilson left. Order was, well, the order of the day. And for the most part everything was fine. She was busy with the agency and her work. But lately she was becoming more and more like the Acapulco Laura. Her ‘boss’, for lack of a better term, knew how to compound her private battle. She wanted him, oh how she wanted him, but there was too much at stake this time. It was her hard work and imagination that had built her rather successful business. She loved her work and she loved being busy. When she was, her mind wouldn't stop working and to that end her thoughts and actions followed a logical path, again keeping Acapulco Laura at bay.
Damn that Wilson! He marked her slow undoing. She smirked to herself; she had quite a time at that winery though. Half naked, running around. Had it been any other woman she thought, her Mr. Steele would have been more receptive. But it was her. He was shocked. Pleasantly so more than likely she imagined. But it was Wilson who voiced his disapproval, not Mr. Steele. Oddly she felt she needed to explain herself to Mr. Steele. But she knew he knew what was going on. Words or deeds, what was more important to him? She needed words though, but after the fact, his actions assured her it was OK, what she did. She found herself relieved. And aroused.
So even though Wilson brought back those horrible, empty feelings of abandonment, she found her thoughts going towards Mr. Steele. If she could let go once again she could enjoy him, very easily. But she couldn't risk it all for that, not just yet. But then she leaned towards that route in the Costello’s winery didn't she. No, she didn't exactly regret it. It definitely was spontaneous, but she thought perhaps he expected it. Sooner or later anyway. She was compelled to do it, he was somewhat irresistible. It was by far the most passionate kiss they had shared up until that point. She had initiated it and had forgot that they were in more or less a holy place. She hadn't really planned to end it either. But then what? Well, for the most part he hadn't pressured her into anything more, or at the very least even mentioned it. He had been more attentive lately however. One night after a productive stakeout, they had returned to the office to do some quick paper work. It was late and she was a bit tired. She had gotten up from the couch to go into her office to put away and grab some new files. She told him to go ahead and go home. Fred had been with them all night so he might as well take him home so he, too, could go home. Remington followed her into her office, asking if she would be OK going home alone this late. She assured him she would, but he continued to stand there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, just watching her. It took her a few seconds to register that he was still there, just standing. She looked over at him and swiftly but deftly he was inches away. She looked at his lips and yearned for them. She was slowly, very slowly backing away from him. Not because she didn't want him, but the closer they were and the longer they refrained from touching intensified their need for each other. He stayed just inches away from her, essentially backing her towards the other door. When she could go no farther he slowly leaned down, touching her with his lips first, then he wrapped his arms around her. Laura's arms made their way up his back to eventually wind up playing in his hair. Remington attacked her neck and Laura began to moan. He made his way back up via her jaw line, to her lips. Eventually he ended the kiss, still pinning her up against the door.
"I guess this is good night then."
She was speechless; a second later he was out of her office on his way home, no doubt pleased with himself. She smiled to herself, tasting him still, finished her work and went home. That was three days ago, and the sexual tension had been rising between them ever since.
It was his suggestion that hey celebrate her birthday. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the occasion but why not. She wasn't about to pass up a creation from Chez Steele. He had offered to cook her dinner at her place. That way she could go to her class, come home and shower and not have to fight rush hour(s) traffic to his place. A casual atmosphere he insisted. Dinner, maybe some dancing, conversation, old classic on TV or perhaps something else. She knew what he meant. She might just be game. Just thinking about it made her glad she was going for a mental workout. She quickly changed into her work out clothes and exited into the lobby.
"Goodnight Mildred."
"Goodnight Miss Holt and happy birthday!"
"Thanks Mildred and thanks for the gift."
"I hope it works for you. The boss called and said he had everything he needed and he'll see you in a couple hours."
"Thanks Mildred. See you Monday." Remington had left hours earlier to close a few loose ends he said. He still had shopping to do for everything he needed that night. He figured if he started on dinner about the time Laura started her errands before her class, he would end up finishing it all when she was stepping out of the shower. He had been at her place for about 20 minutes starting what he hoped would be Laura's best birthday yet.
Laura stepped on the elevator going over in her head the details she needed before her class. Quick stop at the post office and a quick stop at the bank should time it nicely to give her about 15 minutes to arrive at the community center and get ready for Marcus’ class. She stepped out the elevator, got into the Rabbit, started it up and sped away towards her neighborhood with a big smile on her face. Yes she thought to herself, this is shaping up to be an excellent birthday.
PART2 Laura parked in the bank parking lot next door to the post office. She figured it would be OK to park there even though she was going right next door to the post office first. Laura stood in line and eventually got to the counter to purchase her stamps, she exited the building and went directly to the bank. The line was considerably longer but she still had a little over 30 minutes to go. She began filling out her withdrawal slip she grabbed from the table while waiting. Finally she was only one person from the teller.
The gentleman in front of her was shifting restlessly from foot to foot. Laura glanced over his shoulder and saw the bank teller's nervous hands shaking as she placed large amounts of big bills in a canvas bag that didn't look like bank property. Before Laura could comprehend what was happening, the man grabbed the stuffed bag and turned quickly, running smack into Laura, knocking them both down and sending the money flying.
The bank guard startled, grabbed for his gun and trained it on his quarry. "You just stay down there mister." he leveled the weapon. The man, lying next to Laura on his stomach, her on her back, quickly grabbed Laura and yanked her up to her feet. Wrapping his arm around her neck in a relaxed choke hold. He had produced a 9 mm handgun and had it pointed at Laura's temple.
"Drop it pops." he tightened his grip around her neck, and pierced the older guards eyes with his cold stare. "Everybody down! Get down! Now!" there was a loud rustle as the customers and employees got face down on the ground. Laura could hear a woman's soft cries. "If you don't put it down pops, Ill use mine." he emphasized his words by putting more pressure into Laura's temple. She grimaced. The two men stared at each other for a few seconds, which to Laura felt like hours.
"OK, OK pal. Don't hurt her. Here look, my gun, take it." He slowly laid it on the floor. "See? It's OK." he stood back up slowly. He hated this part of the job. 10 years ago he was a top detective and point man on the SWAT team in San Diego. He had hit mandatory retirement age and had moved to LA to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren. He could live off his pension but he became bored. So he went into private security, sounded like a good idea at the time. It took a few months to find an armed security position, only to find out that a gun was essentially useless. His company regulations were strict. California law empowered him to use deadly force, his employer basically took it away. Section Four of the Employee Facing an Armed Suspect Scenario stated: ‘If an employee of Regis Security is involved in an armed stand off situation, with or without hostages, when there are civilians in harms way, must relinquish his/her weapon if so demanded by actor disregarding public safety.’ Thanks a lot.
"Kick it over here." Slowly the guard flicked his foot and the gun slid about 10 feet. The man bent down to retrieve it still keeping his hold on Laura. He picked it up and stuck it in his waistband. "OK, everybody over here." he began waiving his gun towards the far side of the bank. "Now!" Slowly the people on the floor began to crawl over towards the direction he pointed. "Pops get them over."
"OK, OK. Come on everybody. Do what he says. C’mon." He began to herd them away from the bank doors. "That's it, all right."
"Everybody out of there!" the gunman turned back towards the tellers. The 7 people came out from behind the counter and joined the others. Laura could see how rattled her captor had become, she could feel his body temperature elevate and his hands were moist on her neck. "Get the money." He released Laura and she began to gather the bundles of money and stuffed them back in the bag and handed it back to him. "Get over there with everyone else." He pointed with the gun for emphasis. Laura complied, she thought she could hear the faint wail of sirens, they grew with intensity in a matter of seconds. "Shit!" The gunman ran to the door to see police cruisers approaching a block away. "Pops throw me your keys!" The seasoned cop didn't move, until he found himself looking down the barrel of the gun. He unhooked the keys from his belt and tossed them. The gunman quickly locked the front doors and pulled the blinds all the way down. "Any more exits?"
"Just two fire exits." the guard pointed them out. They were both emergency exit doors, if anyone opened them, the alarm would sound. Good enough for now.
"Pops close those blinds over there." The gunman walked over to the front doors again and cracked the blinds to look outside. Two police cars had pulled up blocking the street off at each end. "Who set off the alarm?" he walked back towards his captors. They were all silent. Finally Laura spoke.
"Does it really matter? Listen, nobody's been hurt. Why don't you give it up?"
"You're crazy, lady." he glanced back through the blinds. He was really getting nervous now, so much so that he thought about switching over to the guard's gun. His wasn't real. A BB pistol he bought earlier in the week. Still he felt uncomfortable with a real weapon in this particular situation. He wasn't a bad guy and he certainly didn't think himself violent. He had just run into some money problems and this was his harebrained scheme. The act of a desperate man.
"Listen," Laura began "it hasn't gone too far yet. Yes you'll be charged with attempted robbery but if you fire that gun it's aggravated robbery or worse," she paused,"No one has to get hurt." Laura was using a sympathetic voice, trying hard not to sound condescending.
"Just be quiet and let me think." A phone rang and it startled him.
"It's probably the police, you should answer it." He covered the distance between him and the phone in 2 strides.
"Yes?"
"This is Lt. Gaudal of the LAPD. Whom am I speaking with?"
"I'm not ready to talk to you yet."
"I understand. Can you at least let us know if anyone's been hurt?"
"Not yet." he kept his gun aimed generally at his hostages.
"How many are there?"
"Listen I'm not ready."
"OK, just pick up the phone when you are. It'll ring me. We tapped into the lines which means you can't make any calls."
He hung up, "Great."
"If you don't have a plan, there is no way you're going to get away."
"Let me think!"
"Let me help you." Laura was as calm as anyone could be in this situation. Although he had her at gunpoint, she wasn't exactly afraid. A little frightened perhaps but in her line of work this was hardly an isolated incident. "Talk to them, let them know what's happening in here." she took a step towards him but remained a safe distance. "If you keep talking to them, they'll understand you don't want to hurt anybody." He thought about what she was saying. This had gotten way out of hand. He was in too deep.
"Yeah, maybe you've got a point." he picked up the phone and waited for an answer.
"Goudal."
"I'm ready."
"OK, good. What do you want to tell me? What can I call you?"
"Jerry. My name's Jerry."
"OK Jerry. You can call me Tom if you like. Is everybody still all right in there?"
"They're all fine I haven't hurt anybody."
"Do you want to Jerry? Do you think you might want to do that?"
"No I just wanted the money."
"Jerry, do you have a weapon?"
"Yes."
"If you didn't want to hurt any one, why do you have a weapon?"
"I-I don't know. I guess I didn't know how else to do it. I only pulled it after I took the money."
"OK. Jerry can you give the gun up? Can you do that for me?"
"I don't think that's an option at this point."
"What options do we have Jerry?"
"Ill have to get back to you on that." Jerry hung up the phone and sat on the corner of the desk. "Shit." Laura took another step closer.
"Jerry?"
"What!?"
"What is it you want?"
"Just the money. But now I need to get away."
"Do you really think they'll let you do that? Maybe you should think about surrendering?" Jerry looked into her eyes. She had such soft brown eyes and a kind, understanding face.
"It's too late for that. See," he walked her over to the front window, "look out there, all the police, SWAT, I even hear helicopters, news media no doubt. I have to get away."
"They may cut you a deal Jerry. Would it hurt to ask?"
"Sorry, but I can't." Would he make it out? If so, then what? Mexico? He wouldn't make it past the boarder and he knew it. Suddenly it came to him. "Pops, you got a vault in here?"
"Yeah in the back."
"OK everybody, let's go!" The group began to move slowly. "I said let's go! Pops get everybody back there. No funny business or you'll force me to hurt somebody." The guard began to follow his orders. Laura stepped into the group. He reached for her. "Uh-uh, you stay with me."
Outside the SWAT Lieutenant was briefing the Incident Command team. He was reviewing blueprints of the banks interior. He contacted his snipers, who all reported that none of them could see inside, let alone get a bead on the guy. He broke the situation down to IC, and they decided to continue with the dialogue they had going.
Jerry picked up the phone on the first ring. "I want a car fully fueled"
"OK Jerry but I need some time."
"You have 15 minutes."
"Ill see what I can do, but I need you to do something for me. A gesture of good faith."
"Maybe."
"Let some people go Jerry. Give us a token that shows we can take you at your word."
"Ill think about it." Jerry hung up. "Show time." He took Laura's arm and headed towards the vault. "Lock the door."
"What if they run out of air?"
"Damn." Jerry looked around and saw that before the giant vault door shut, a grate lowered from the ceiling creating a dual security system. He reached up but couldn't grab it. He looked at the nearest male captive. "Come here, lift her up." the man lifted Laura up around her waist. She reached up and grabbed the bottom of the grate and pulled it until the guy could reach it. He put Laura down and reached up to continued to lower it. Before it was half way down, Jerry ordered the man back inside the vault then had him finish closing it from the inside. The grate slid into a groove in the floor and locked in to place. "Let's go." he took Laura's arm again and headed back into the lobby.
"Jerry, what are you going to do with me?"
"Don't worry. You'll be OK, I'm not gonna hurt you, uh-"
"Laura."
Jerry picked the phone back up.
PART 3 Remington Steele was puttering around Laura's place getting things ready and had turned on the television set for company. He didn't feel uncomfortable in her kitchen but it definitely wasn't as conducive to preparing a meal as his was. She had a pseudo island that contained the kitchen in a section of the loft but the counter space was terrible, but he always made due. He had gotten dinner started and now was ‘setting the mood’ as it were. He had several small rose arrangements delivered and had them adorning strategic areas. The piano, the table, around the kitchen and rose petals scattered on her bed. He didn't actually think they'd make it that far, he learned not to expect that a long time ago, but he thought it was a nice romantic touch nonetheless. He then began arranging candles throughout the loft. Enough so that when they were lit, Edison could take the night off.
He had never had a problem planning a perfect evening with Laura, however he did have a problem making a perfect ending also. On the course they were on it had to happen sooner or later. Didn't it? He was placing some candles on the coffee table when he glanced at the TV. A newscaster relaying a breaking news broadcast had interrupted the program. Something about a bank robbery in progress. He noticed an exterior shot of a bank he had gone to several times with Laura. He sat on the coffee table and looked closer. Not too far from here he mused. He began thinking about how little respect he had for bank robbers. Not real thieves in his book. No imagination whatsoever. Now breaking into a bank under cover of darkness, or a museum, disarming or bypassing security systems, no need for weapons. Now that was how a true artist operated.
"OK, how's the car coming?"
"It's on it way Jerry. Now do you have something for me?"
"Yeah. I'm sending out two, but no one better come towards the door, or Ill shoot one in here. No funny stuff."
"You have my word Jerry. I don't want to see anyone hurt, including you Jerry."
"At least we agree on something. They'll be out in 5 minutes." he hung up.
Gaudal turned to the IC commander. "He's sending out two in 5 minutes. When he goes into the car, you know what to do."
Remington was half listening, half reminiscing about this old days when his attention was brought back to the screen by an announcement from the news anchor. "An unnamed source with the police has just confirmed that the gunman will be releasing two of his hostages any minute as a gesture of good faith to the negotiators." Remington saw the bank doors open and saw a man exit arm in arm with a woman. Something about that woman was familiar. Although the news crew was far away, he watched intently as the camera zoomed in on the couple. His heart sank.
"Laura." Laura! What was going on? She was a hostage? But she was OK now. Remington jumped up from the coffee table, went into the kitchen and turned everything down and headed out the door. Taking a couple of alleyways and jumping a few fences would get him there in minutes.
Laura gave the guy credit that was for sure. Something about this gave her déjà vu however. She couldn't quite place it though. She and Jerry continued to cross the wide space to the barricades. About 20 yards away from it, 3 SWAT members converged on them, shielding them the rest of the way. They escorted them to a safe area behind the Emergency Services Unit truck and by a waiting ambulance. A plainclothes officer approached them.
"You two all right?" They nodded. "How many are still inside?"
"15. He moved them into the vault though."
"He has? Thank you. You to stay here and someone will be over to take your statements." The officer left to inform IC and SWAT command what they had found out. If the actor had put his hostages in one place and him in another they may be able to move in.
"OK Laura, you're coming with me."
"Why? You have what you came for. They don't suspect a thing. Just go."
"And wait for you to expose me? Not a chance. I'm not out of the woods yet. C’mon, now, slowly and quietly we are going to get out of here." He put his hand in the pocket the gun was in. Laura weighed her options as they began to move into the crowd. She could simply yell for help, but with his back against the wall out here, Jerry could very well get shot and her with him.
"OK Alpha team. You are a go for entry."
"Roger that." The point man for the Alpha team made his way across the roof, pried open the duct and lowered himself down. He was in a vent shaft that the blueprints showed crossing over the vault. Once he was in position he signaled command.
"That's received Alpha Leader. Orders are to wait for the Go code to proceed."
"Roger."
Lt. Gaudal was looking at his watch. "It's been 11 minutes. What's he waiting on?" He dialed the banks number.
Remington was jumping another alleyway fence when he ran headfirst into Laura and her captor. "Laura. Are you OK?" Jerry grabbed Laura back around her neck. "What's going on?"
"Stay back, Stay right there. You move and she gets hurt. He tightened his grip.
"OK mate, OK." Remington quickly scanned the area looking for a weapon. Jerry began to pull the gun out of his pocket but was fumbling using just one hand. Remington lunged, sending Laura, himself, and Jerry sprawling. The gun landed a few feet away. Remington kicked Jerry and scrambled for the gun, grabbed it and put it on Jerry. "Laura, what the bloody hell is going on?" Laura stood up.
"Jerry was trying to escape."
" What, he's the gunman?" She nodded. A lot of things weren't making sense to Remington, including why the gun felt so light. Granted it had been awhile but he remembered a 9 mm being heavier and colder.
Jerry casually pulled the revolver out of his pants. "Enough games Laura. Let's go." He moved towards Remington and took the gun threw it to the ground watching it smash into pieces.
"Coward."
"Perhaps but now I need you to turn around, lock your hands behind your head, kneel down and cross your legs. Remington stared his foe down and with his blood boiling didn't move. Jerry cocked the hammer back and Remington complied, knowing that gun was the real thing. Once in position Remington felt something hard against his skull before the lights went out.
"Damn. He's not answering." He clicked his radio, "Command to Ops."
"Ops."
"He's not answering the phone. What's the word from Alpha leader?"
"In position."
The Lt. felt his stomach turn, something didn't sit right. He had done plenty of negotiations to sense when something was wrong. "It's a Go."
"Roger." Minutes later the Alpha leader exited from the bank's front doors.
"Shit!" The Lt. approached the point man.
"No sign sir, the building is secure. He locked them in the vault. Security guard had an extra key, no one else in there. The guard exited next.
"Your hostage was your man Lt."
"Son of a bitch!" He keyed up his radio. "All teams start a perimeter search. The two hostages that came out, the man's our actor." He crossed back over to the Command truck. He could monitor all radio traffic from there.
"1147 Command."
"Command."
"7th and Tealy, down the alley we have a man down."
"Copy that 1147."
The two officers got out of their patrol car and approached a prone Remington. "A guy that well dressed shouldn't be in an alley, passed out to boot." Remington began to moan and slowly move. With their guns drawn on Remington he said in a deliberate tone "Hold it buddy."
PART 4 "So you're saying that he has your associate as a hostage, Mr. Steele?"
"Yes" Remington replied, slightly wincing and holding an ice pack on his head. He had explained to the Lt. what he saw on TV and his run in with them in the alley"Bloody bastard knocked me out cold."
"OK Sergeant, keep the perimeter and add another 35 miles. Get theirdescriptions out on a B.O.L.O. Consider him armed and dangerous."
"Hold Up."
"Why? You have more to say?"
"No. Hold Up, Jean-Paul Belmondo," realizing he was getting some strange looks he thought better of finishing, "uh nevermind."
"You may want to have a doctor look at that goose egg Steele. I think you got hit harder than what you think."
Best to change the subject. "Is there anything I can do Lt.?"
"I'm afraid not Mr. Steele. I know you're frustrated, but we'll find them."
"Ok,ok." Remington was less than thrilled.
"When we hear something I'll call you personally" Remington stood up and discarded the ice pack then put his jacket back on. He slowly headed back to Laura's loft.
Remington was emotionally drained when he returned to Laura's place. He could hear the phone ringing and hurriedly opened the door. "Yes, Steele here."
"Oh boss, I saw the news. What's going on?" Mildred was extremely shaken.
"Laura's been kidnapped Mildred. Well taken hostage is more accurate."
"What can we do?"
"Right now we need to get some more information on our man. Can you meet me back at the office in say an hour?"
"I'll see you then."
"Mildred?"
"Yeah, chief?"
"I did see her. She's unhurt. I'll explain what happened when I see you. See you in an hour." Remington hung up. He looked around and made sure everything in the kitchen was off and was again out the door.
Remington arrived at the office to find Mildred already there making a pot of coffee. It took him a little longer to get here, he had gone home to shower and change. "Ah Mildred" he crossed over to her, "how are you,eh?" He put his arm around her.
"Not too good boss. What are we gonna do?"
"Well we don't have much to go on so far. I need you to dig harder and deeper than you ever have before. All I managed to get from the police was a picture and a name. Think you can do that, eh?"
"Let me at it, chief." Mildred settled down in front of her computer to work. Remington watched her zeal for a moment before retreating into his office. He had never really kidnapped someone, but he still tried to think like he had in order to get into the guy's mind. Where would he go, someplace familiar, someplace in the open? What would he do? Remington began to run hundreds of scenarios through his mind. He may have spent a great deal of his life on the wrong side of the law, but the only way he hurt people was through their pocketbooks. He put his head in his hands in frustration, "damn."
Jerry had Laura farther away from her neighborhood, following some decrepit train tracks that eventually ran within a mile of the freeway. They had crossed through a field to a place that was under the asphalt, secluded from view. "Here, this is good. We'll stay here for another hour or so. It'll be easier to move around at night. You doing OK?" He had long since tucked his gun away.
"Um fine." Laura's tone was cold.
"I'm sorry Laura. I lost my head. I'm not going to hurt you. Not unless you try something funny then I'll be forced too. Just take it easy until I can figure out what to do." He spoke softly and sincerely, but Laura knew he would use his gun if he had to.
"Jerry, just stop and think for a minute." Jerry sat down and began to pull money out of his pockets and stuffed down his pants and shirt. "Where can you go? You can't hide for long. They probably have figured out your name by now, and they definitely know who I am." Jerry stopped straightening the money and looked up.
"Why? You someone important?"
"No. But my boss is. The man in the alley? He's Remington Steele."
"The dick?" Laura nodded. "Shit." He stood up and again started to pace. He knelt down by Laura. "OK, how's this, if I let you go, can you keep your mouth shut?"
"You know I can't, Jerry." Damn morals. "If you give me the money, all of it, then I can help you. We can get you some leniency." He dropped his head.
"I can't jail is not an option. Look Laura, I'm not really a bad guy, I'm just having a bad day." He was telling the truth. He had been a hard worker all his life. He explained to Laura that he had been a deacon at his church, mentor for inner city youth, volunteered at the Red Cross and even volunteered one Sunday a month at a no kill animal shelter. A few years ago he explained he had found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. "I had gone to the grocery store down the street one night around 10. I was on my way home, cutting through a back alley when I heard arguing. I ducked behind a dumpster and I saw a man pushing a woman to the ground. She was screaming, then the man pulled out a knife and began stabbing her. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I jumped from behind the dumpster and tackled him and the knife flew out of his hand. We fought and rolled around and I saw the knife was within my reach so I grabbed it and he backed off. Next I heard sirens approach." Jerry had a faraway look in his eyes. "The other guy ran off behind the building into a bunch of back yards. I made my way back over to the woman and she wasn't moving. I could see the flashing blue and red lights get closer. Suddenly a bright light hit me in the face. Unfortunately I was standing over a bleeding woman holding the knife that stabbed her."
Jerry didn't have a lot of money, so he had to rely on a public defender as his council. Suffice it to say his attorney wasn't entirely interested in proving he was innocent. Overworked and underpaid. After all he was the one holding the knife and his were the only decipherable prints on it. Not to mention the State was persuading the jury that he killed her because she was a known prostitute and it was drug related. The public defender was only concerned with getting him a shorter sentence. He got 3 years for involuntary manslaughter with 10 years probation.
Wrong place, wrong time.
When he got out, he found out how hard it was to put his life back together. He had lost everything. His social worker put him in a halfway house staffed with California licensed parole officers from the D.O.C. There he could live and find a job. He would pay $100 a month for a maximum of 6 months, when he would be forced to move out. The only job he could find was at a warehouse, taking inventory of all kinds of merchandise, for minimum wage. He had to be in the union to work there and his union dues were $35 a month. It was $9 a week for bus fare to and from. It added up quickly and not in his favor.
His six months was almost up and he had to move out soon. He had nowhere to go. No family, his parents passed when he was younger and he had no siblings. He needed money and quick. It was just a thought he was entertaining really. He never actually thought he'd rob a bank. Never, not even in his wildest dreams. But there he was, standing to deposit his pathetic paycheck and for some insane reason, he just did it. He had just written the ending on an already unfortunate life.
Laura was an active listener while Jerry explained to her why he did it. Laura couldn't understand why he actually did it but at least she understood his motivation for doing it. "Oh Jerry. Unfortunately you were a victim of a travesty of justice, I'm sorry. Maybe I can help clear you. I mean I know it's been a while since it happened, but I am very good at what I do." she smiled.
"Why do you want to help me Laura?"
"Jerry, in my line of work you learn to read people. Nonverbal communication is essential. But so are words and when the two go together, like they do with you, it's easy to see you are a good man in a bad situation. I mean you did create the problem but you were desperate. I don't condone what you did but I do understand why you did it."
"Nobody has understood me in a long time. I wish I could undo what I've done, but I can't. If it comes down to you jeopardizing my freedom though, make no mistake about it, I'll do what I have to do to escape."
"I won't do anything to bring harm to either one of us. I just want you to realize that this can end now, with no more running. Do you really want to live your life as a fugitive? Always on the run, always looking over your shoulder?"
"Ever been in jail, Laura?"
How ludicrous, "No I-"
"Then yes, I would rather live as a fugitive." Jerry said with finality looking out of the duct to see the sun slowly setting. "Rest a little, we have a long night ahead of us." He left Laura in the middle of the duct while he sat at the only opening, contemplating his next move.
PART 5 Remington wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that were playing upon him throughout the day. There wasn't a doubt he was attracted to Laura, but he never thought he would feel so possessive about her. He couldn't deny that initially his attraction to her was purley physical, but it had quickly become more than that. Was it the fact that she wouldn't jump right into bed with him? That had never happened before, ever. He played the game her way not thinking she could last a week. The week had turned into months and she was steadfast. As much as he enjoyed breaking down her defenses, he found that he was getting to know her as a person. He rarely, if ever, got to know the women he was with. He didn't much entertain the idea of being tied down. But he knew in his heart of hearts that he was slowly changing. To be honest he was rather pleased with the turn his life was taking. Something about Laura had captured his attention, and he had no intentions of letting her get away.
To be continued....