Living In Entropy (Chaos) – L.I.E. – 02.11 – Save Me


            Dana was looking over her new Subaru contract and she grimaced at it. She reread the section she was in, and she scrunched up her face again. She wasn’t sure who had put this tid bit into the contract, but she wasn’t liking it. She hated this contract thing period, but it was part of her being able to do what she loved, and that was play tennis.

            “Ok, what is this Kelly?” Kelly was her new agent, and she was a beautiful oriental woman, who was whip smart and funny in that flat to the point way. Dana had hired Kelly about a month after she’d fired Conrad, and she insisted on keeping Dana in the loop about every single detail. She hit nothing from Dana, and she was also very quick to inform her about anything new that might be down the horizon.

            “What section are you looking at Dana?” Kelly asked, leaning over Dana‘s shoulder and reading the section that Dana had pointed too. Kelly put her glasses on and read it; she made a little humming noise as she read. She took in the information and put a gentle hand on Dana‘s shoulder.

            “Ok, that means that any monies made from the Subaru ads, are not shared properties, as in saying if you divorce Tonya after you get married she can’t claim that this is her money also. I don’t know why that is there but it is. It is a good suggestion by the way. Have you thought about a prenuptial agreement?” Kelly asked having wanted to bring it up before, but now was the perfect time. Dana gave her a bland look and she stammered.

            “Umm, n-n-no. Why would I want to do that? I mean….” Dana gave Kelly a look, and Kelly sat down, she pulled out a legal pad and she looked Dana right in the eyes.

            “I think we need to do that I am looking out for your career, and part of that is this marriage, you need to make sure that you are protected also.” Dana swallowed, a bit put off by all of this, why couldn’t love be easy? She rested her forehead on the table in front of her, and she moaned every so softly to herself. Fuck.

*****

            “Ok.” Alex said, sitting down at the far table at the Planet it was two days after the last murder, and the trail was growing colder as they spoke. “So you are telling me that all the women in all the other cities were lesbians? That is the big tie in that you’ve not been letting the press into?” Alex asked Jo who was sitting on a chair, her legs propped up on another chair, she was wearing a long pair of shorts, and a brace covered her right knee. She was also wearing a sleeveless body clinging shirt and made her look very hot, and Alex couldn’t help but stare at her just a bit.

            “Oui that is what I am telling you. All lesbians, all lesbian bars, and all of them.” Jo said, she had been digging in paper work for the last two days, she watched as Alex went over the information in her head. None of the cities had anything in common, none of the women in the same cities had anything in common and it was a total enigma. Each of them was a dead end, but somewhere they were connected they just had to find out what it was.

            “What do the boys say?” Alex asked and Jo shrugged she heard all the buzzwords, but none of them were saying anything new. They were just shifting them around in the laziest of circles, like vultures waiting for the next dead prey. Jo hated that feeling of helplessness that washed over her when they couldn’t get a break on a case.
           
            “Lots of talk, no action. We don’t have a real lead. I want to work your snuff lead, but just us. This is a joint effort as you well know.” Jo said taking a sip from the bottle of water that was in front of her, she winced as she moved her knee.  She reminded herself to see Darci when she got home to heal up her latest busted knee cap.

            “Ok.” Alex said, feeling a bit warm suddenly as Jo studied her. She was at ease around Jo, but the FBI agent seemed to be able read her mind at the most inopportune times.

            “You need to tell me get this out or we are going to hit a roadblock.” Jo offered and Pez cleared her throat, licking her lips and not sure just what Jo was getting at. Pez ran her hand through her hair, trying not to meet Jo‘s eyes, but she failed. Pez met Jo‘s gaze and said in the most commanding voice she could muster.

            “My own personal demons, but no worries I have them under lock and key. I can do this I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again. Pez assured her, and her jaw was clenched.

            “Hello ladies.” Alice said extending a hand to Jo smiling at the new woman, Alice liked that there were new people gracing their circle especially Alex. She was going to be as welcoming as she could to her new contact that didn’t yet know she was a new contact.

            Alex was happy that Alice was there it took the heat off her now. She felt more comfortable now and Alice winked at Jo, still clasping her hand.

            “Hey, you don’t call you just leave my house a mess, and never call me.” Alex said, and Alice smiled sheepishly. Alice was giving Alex a hard look and Alex laughed softly, loving the blush that was on Alice‘s cheeks, she grinned wickedly.

            “I am working on a new story, and you would be the who now?” She asked Jo still shaking her hand. She met Jo‘s stormy blue eyes and she watched Jo‘s eyes grow mischievous. She was most definitely not Alice‘s type, but Alice was dead set on changing just what her type was.

            “Jo Wheaton at your service ma’am.” Alice sat next to Jo going right into flirt mode. Alex moaned not because she had her sights set on Alice, but because Jo was after all, a married woman. At least in the mind of her girlfriend, they were married.

            “What service might you have to offer?” Alice asked, and Jo leaned closer to her, a lopsided grin gracing her face, Alice thought just how cute she was when she did that.

            “Oh boy.” Alex said trying not to laugh as Kit sat down with them Alex smiled at the basket she brought over, donuts. Alex shot her a glance, and Kit laughed and punched Alex lightly on the arm, with a very wide smile.  “Cute Kit.” Alex said, and she grabbed a donut, taking a bite out of it with a huge smile on her face. Kit had the wackiest sense of humor.

            “I do try to be.” Kit quipped and she watched as Alice stared intently into Jo‘s eyes.

            “What might you have in mind? I’m rather flexible in the services department.” Jo asked, she let her gaze drift over Alice and then Shane sat down, nudging Alice. Alice broke the gaze and she gave Shane a look that would have incinerated her if she’d had fire for a look. Shane, butt the fuck out you cannot have this one, you can have all the others, but not this particular sexy tom-boi.

            “Give it up you can’t measure up to her playboy centerfold girlfriend. Hotness doesn’t even come close to her heat Al. Legs for days, blonde on blonde and emerald eyes, not green Al, emerald.” Shane said and she smiled at Alex, who was laughing a bit harder, they were all a hoot. She hasn’t been in such a good mood in years, and she was loving it.

            “Girlfriend?” Alice said, sighing softly and leaning back in her chair, and Jo leaned in, whispering something in Alice’s ear and Alice’s eyes lit up as the FBI agent spoke to her, the light French accent drifting to her ears.

            “No hold barred any time you want Alice.  You name the time the place and the playmate and I will be there. There are things I can do to your body that have never been done before, and I’ll bring you to heights that will never again be achieved, you’ll be begging for a moment to breath.  You’ll have to dig out your license from your purse to remember your name.  I’ll make you so wet that you’ll have to change your sheets.  I’ll make you forget what day of the week it is  think about it.” Jo offered her voice so low that no one could hear what Jo was saying. Her lips grazed the outer rim of Alice ear and she felt the hot rush in her belly. She stammered, swallowing audible.

            “C-c-cool.” Alice said and they table looked at them, and Jo shrugged very nonchalantly. She saw the seething look that Shane was shooting her and Jo didn’t say a word, she could just image what was on Shane‘s mind right now. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know it was something rather, sexy and forbidden, and that she was astutely jealous.

            “What?” Jo asked her voice as innocent as a child’s. Kit handed Jo a donut, and the FBI didn’t get the subtle joke she simply bit into it and chewed.

            “Al, man what did she say to you man?” Shane asked and Alice shook her head, not repeating what the alluring tomboy had whispered into her ear. She rubbed her ear, as if it were on fire and Jo pretended that nothing had happened.

            “Private very private.” Alice took a long sip from the cup in front of her, and Jo tried hard not to laugh, she felt her cell phone vibrate and she excused herself as she answered it.

            “Oh, did anyone see Dana? She asked me if I can do her hair for the wedding, and I have to ask when. She’s not answering her cell did you see her Alice?” Shane asked, taking a sip from her cup and Alex put away the file. She gave Alice a look, wondering if they’d spoken, but she was venturing not by the look on Alice‘s face.

            “Dana the tennis chick right? Al that chick?” Alex asked and Alice cast her a dark look, and Pez shrugged.

            “Yeah that one.” Shane looked back and forth at Alice and Alex, then Kit put her hands up, as if saying to Shane, “Beats me”.

            “She’s coming this way.” Alex said looking up to see Jo shaking her head at the phone she looked agitated. Alex saw Alice face drop and she moved to sit next to Alex, and Alex looked at her confused.

            “Follow my lead detective woman you owe me.” Alice said as Dana approached the table, she totally ignored Alice and sat next to Shane.

            “Hi, you called my cell phone earlier? I was busy with my lawyer, can you do my hair? Let’s say, around three in the afternoon?” Dana pleaded still pretending that Alice wasn’t there. Alice meanwhile, was putting an arm casually around Alex‘s shoulders, and Pez gave her a gentle elbow in her ribs and Alice grunted.

            “Yeah Dane, I can. At the country club or at your house?” Shane asked Dana was about to answer when she saw the look on Shane‘s face. Dana turned to see who was walking into the Planet.

            Bette walked into the Planet at just that moment all the girls were keeping their distance from Bette. She’d murdered the only glimmer of relationship hope there was in LA, and none of them were too eager to hear her excuses.

            In a surprise turn of events, Tina was three steps behind her Bette saw Tina and she moved to another table, as far away from the ‘girls’ table as possible. Tina scoffed, turning on her heels and heading towards her friends. They had all, of course, been Bette‘s friends first, but they were on her side now. She was, after all the scorned woman.

            “Christ, are they going to ever be civil to each other?” Alice asked in a pained voice, and Pez shrugged, not knowing who ‘they’ were. She assumed it was the tall dark woman and Tina, but she said nothing. The entanglements of this group were vivid she knew about Alice and Dana, and she managed to put together that Shane wouldn’t jump that friendship line with any of them. Kit was the new ‘lesbian’ on the block. Her relationship with Ivan always a hot topic, one that Bette hated to talk about, and one that Kit didn’t care what her sister had to say about it. Fissures.

            Jo was still on the phone, her eyes seemed to be flashing with some anger, but Alex didn’t get up, Jo would tell her soon enough. She paced the cobblestones on the patio, her voice not loud enough for Alex to pick up what she was saying.

            “I think you need to keep out of it?” Pez offered and Shane welcomed Tina, who sat down and grinned at Alice and Alex. Alice‘s arms now a permanent fixture on Alex‘s shoulder, and Dana kept her face turned totally away from Alice, as if the mere sight of Alice pained her.

            “The two Al‘s.” Alex looked at Alice this was why she’d sat next to her! To get Dana jealous, oh she was going to give Alice hell when she was done with her. She was trying to move her shoulders so that Alice‘s arm fell off, but Alice readjusted and Alex stewed inside. Jo came limping over to them quickly, her knee giving her hell today.

            “We have to roll partner right down the street, we have another one.” Jo said, grabbing the file and Alex got up quickly. Alice had wanted to ask Pez about the murders, but it seemed it would have to wait.

            “Ladies.” Alex said with flair jogging off to follow Jo to the newest crime scene. She caught up to Jo and the two women began to banter quickly as they headed away, Shane staring intently at both of their asses.

            “Fucking sexy who’d have thought I’d think cops were sexy?” Shane interjected and Tina laughed softly, and Dana grabbed Tina‘s hand, squeezing it as they giggled.

            “I’m going to go talk to Bette.” Alice said getting up and walking away with a sheepish look on her face. She just couldn’t be close to Dana, not without wanting to lean over and kiss her. On the other hand, there was the option of giving her a hard right across the jaw to knock some sense into that brain of hers.

            “Ok! What the fuck?” Shane asked, and she shot the question at Dana, who didn’t say a word. This was between her and Alice, and Shane didn’t need to know that they’d had sex. That they’d been fucking, and that Dana was having second thoughts about marrying Tonya.

*****

            Alex and Jo wired up, Marcus stood next to them, being the only black and white on the scene. He had secured the scene properly and was staying around, just in case he was needed. There were two other officers, both techies from the CS division. Alex reached behind her, and dropped the Motorola down her back and clipped the phone on her belt. She liked the phone wired down her back inside her shirt, no wires to avoid. She put the stalk mike into her ear, and the mike was at her full lips, she hated the feeling of it brushing against her cheek, but wireless mikes were expensive, and not everyone had one. Vice used them most often, on undercover stings.

            Jo had her’s clipped to her shirt and her FBI badge hung at her chest, as did Pez’s, the gold badge glimmering in the bright sunlight. They stood at the apartment building, and they headed up stairs. They had their guns drawn, Jo‘s in her right hand, and Alex‘s in her left; they entered the apartment cautiously.

            “Jo, this isn’t right.” Alex said as they stepped into the room, and Alex got an eerie feeling as she did. Jo limped in grunting as she snapped her foot forward, trying to loosen the knee. She turned the phone on as did Alex, they heard the click of being logged into the LAPD head quarters.

            “803 k?” Came the voice and Pez acknowledged that she is there. Her eyes checking out the room, making sure it was secure before putting her gun into her holster.

            “Agent Wheaton?” The voice asked and Jo acknowledged as she walked around the room, turning off the lights and closing the blinds, hitting the poly light and seeing two huge glowing spots on the bed. Alex met Jo‘s eyes and they both nodded. Alex‘s face dropped, this was worse than they’d feared, it wasn’t their strangler, and it was a copycat.

            “Yeah, it’s wrong. Do you think we have a copycat? I have this feeling…” Pez walked over to the body and pushed back the dead woman’s black hair, and she saw no red mark. Copycats didn’t always know what was at a crime scene they just read the papers and used that information. She grunted, kneeling at the end of the bed staring into the dead woman’s open eyes.

            “Crap. Whoever it is they are watching….” Pez said, and she went for the door, and they both went outside, one of the other techs, Kyle asked.

            “Pez, whatcha got.” Marcus looked at Jo and Jo shrugged, Pez was running this game. She was running on instinct, she knew that this guy was watching she could feel it. Like a person, blind folded who instinctively knew where the coffee table was in their own home.

            “Shhhh… He’s here.” Pez said, and she scanned the crowd, looking. Jo watched her, and she was just about to turn to Marcus when Pez saw a guy, mid twenties, in a blue windbreaker getting antsy. He knew that they hadn’t been in the apartment long enough, it had been too quick.

            “I got him, blue windbreaker white male, early twenties. Jo, call back up, Marcus you head him off if you can. He bolts and he’s mine. I will chase down his ass and beat anything I can out of his skinny white boy ass.” Pez stated her eyes still scanning the crowd, but she had him pegged in her peripheral vision.

            “Which one?” He asked he was a lean basketball-loving guy, almost 7 feet and Pez said.

            “The one about bolt, now!” He broke from the crowd just as Pez said that; Pez pushed through the yellow barrier and Jo called in the pursuit. Pez turned on her phone and the stalk mike jumped as she ran. Pez dodged people as she pressed the stalk mike into her ear and she ran hard, he was fast, but she was relentless. She almost wished that she couldn’t feel her legs, because they would be screaming at her in an hour about the pounding they were about to receive.

            “Pez, where are you?” Jo asked and Pez jumped over the hood of a car as the perp ran towards an alley. Her feet hit the ground hard as she started the dash towards the perp, she wasn’t going to let him get away.

            “Heading south, on….” She looked around, getting her bearings. “Freeman…” Alex blurted, not knowing the streets as well as she did in New York, fish out of water syndrome. She hated that feeling but she would think about it later, right now she had to catch him.

            “Going to cut him off at Bel-View.”  They heard Marcus say into his mike and Pez’s feet slammed the pavement, the heavy biker boots getting grip as she turned a corner at full speed. Down an alley, and the perp was quick but not as quick as she was. She was gaining ground, she turned another corner hitting into the wall as she did, her speed carrying her forward.

            He threw trashcans in her way, and she jumped over them. She prayed that she didn’t hit slime, or water and go crashing to the ground, abruptly ending the pursuit. Don’t think, just chase. Remember the time you chased down that guy, jumping from building to building, that was way before the Matrix, a soft voice said in her head. She grunted at the voice, knowing just whose voice it was. She pushed that out of her mind as well, seeing him jumping a half fence.

            “Be quick, feet be nimble…” Pez muttered and she heard the squealing of tires, as she was sure it was Jo. Pez hit another street, the traffic wasn’t as dense here and they darted around her as she ran around them, not caring about the danger. She just wanted to catch him. Killer.

            “Pez, shoot the fucker!” Jo blared into the mike and they crossed another street, tires screaming as he ran full tilt across the street, Alex almost getting pummeled by a car as she ran after him, her gun drawn now as she saw him turning and looking at her. He lost his footing, and Alex put on a burst of speed. She had her gun out but she couldn’t get a site on him. He looked at her from his place on the ground.

            Scared kid, his eyes knew he was caught, desperate. Desperate men did desperate things, don’t do it. Give up, much easier and less paperwork. Be smart, not a dumb fuck.

            “Don’t do it kid.” Pez begged and she saw him getting back to his feet, and Pez yelled, hoping to scare him into submission.

            “Don’t move!” She held her gun in both hands as a Porsche doing a nose dive as she stood in the middle of the street, the bumper nudging her leg as it stopped and he got up, the car between her and him moved, and she lost sight of him, all she saw was the blue windbreaker flapping as she bolted again, Pez cursed.

            “Fuck me!” Pez yelled, and Jo said into the mike the accent gone, as her voice was louder, filled with anger.

            “Where?” Jo yanked the car around a corner, amazed at how far they’d run in such a short time. She missed the back end of a Subaru, pulling the hand brake of the ’93 black Mustang, her baby. She shifted into 2nd gear and the back end swung around, helping her make the turn. Jo had her lights on, but this was LA, they didn’t care if you were a cop or the pope, they didn’t move for anyone but themselves. She waited for Alex to answer her, and then her scared voice came back to her.

            “Oh shit, we are at the Planet.” Alex said thinking the day was just about to get worse.

******

            Cars blared their horns and a sweaty young man came leaping over the short barrier that held the public at bay from The Planet dwellers. He looked around frantically and he pulled a gun, waving it around haphazardly. He stumbled up to his legs and he grabbed at someone, missing as they scurried away. A table was upturned, and Tina tried to scramble away, Shane grabbed at her but the guy was closer to Tina.

            “Oh god!” Kit yelled, diving for cover, as did the rest of them, but he grabbed Tina, who was the slowest of the girls. Shane yelled ‘NO!’ As they all did, chaos was all around them. Kit restrained Shane, and they watched, helplessly as Tina was taken hostage.

            “Get over here!” He yelled and Tina began to cry quietly, and he grabbed her hair, and pulled it back, holding the gun to her temple. She felt the hard cold steel there, closing her eyes and praying for some sort of mercy. She thought of all the things that she hadn’t done, the world moved in perpetual slow motion.

            I haven’t talked to my mom in weeks, no months. They don’t even know that Bette and I aren’t together anymore. Dana, please go on with the wedding if something bad happens, I want that for you, I want you to be happy, you deserved that and so much more. I hope you do, even if it is with Tonya. Shane, oh baby girl, you have got to open up and let someone love you for you baby girl, please do that for me if I die today. Kit, you are so beautiful when you are with Ivan. Tina thought, and then she saw the face of hope, sweating, breathing hard, and brandishing a Glock in her left hand, pointing it deftly at the man who was holding her life in his hands.

            Pez rolled over the hood of a car and ran full throttle into the Planet; she skidded to a stop, seeing the perp holding Tina at gunpoint. Alexandria Pezinni had been in some tough spots in her life, but this was, by far, the toughest.

            “Are my days ever going to get easy?” Pez muttered, and she heard Jo into the mike. Jo‘s voice taking on a very professional taint to it her accent completely obliterated and her demeanor commanding in every way as she spoke. Alex could see why she was one of the youngest profilers in the business.

            “He’s in the Planet, this is FBI Agent Jo Wheaton, we have a hostage situation at The Planet in West Hollywood, I repeat, and we have a hostage situation at the Planet. Officer Pezinni is inside right now, we need to secure the perimeter.”


*****
Save Me
8.20.04
JG Marie

There are times
When I am weird
I freak myself out, laughing myself to sleep
I like to drive fast
The danger of it makes me want to scream
I’m alive

Is our love enough?
Does it make you draw breath?
Ripping my heart out
Leaving me on the pavement to bleed
Will you save me?

I walk the thin fine line
I want to run to the extreme
Jump off the cliff with me
I lay here on the pavement
Life bleeding away
Will you save me?

Anything to make me feel alive
Force me to draw breath
I lay here and bleed
Lay down my defenses
Somebody save me?