Chapter Seven -- Witchblade Karma

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4, 5 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 20:47:55 10/22/04 Fri
Author: moondreamer
Subject: Chapter Seven
In reply to: moondreamer 's message, "The Ghost in the Machine - PG 13" on 08:45:09 10/07/04 Thu

Jake sat in his car outside the crowded downtown bar and drummed his fingers lightly against the steering wheel. Time to find out if the kernel of a relationship planted the other night would hold up in the cold light of day.

It was always intense, starting a new gig. Jake could feel the adrenaline beginning to build just like it always used to. You never knew how an undercover assignment was going to go and that was part of the thrill. You were always dancing on the edge of discovery, living on your wits and thriving on the excitement.

But he wouldn�t let himself feel that excitement anymore. That would mean he could still feel things other than pain, and that would be a betrayal of Carla and what he had done to her. He had to stay dead inside; he had to pay the price for his mistakes. He couldn�t bear not to.

With a muttered exclamation he got out of the car and then slammed the door before walking toward the entrance. He fought his way through the initial crowd at the door and grabbed himself a beer before heading to the back where the pool tables were.

There was quite a crowd around the tables. Mostly blue collar looking kind of guys out relaxing after a day of working hard. He raised his eyebrows at the amount of cash being exchanged at the end of each game before his attention was drawn to the woman running the table at the far end.

It was surprising to find her there, but she seemed to fit in nicely. She was smiling and joking, more relaxed than he had ever seen her at the station. After putting his name down for a game, Jake watched as she cleared the table and cleaned the clocks of two more saps, flirting lightly as she relieved them of their cash, promising them everything and nothing.

He would have thought Sara Pezzini would be hanging out a cop bar, among her own kind. He had always found that more comfortable. You never had to struggle to explain anything to someone else on the job. It had only been since Carla�s death that had avoided them. But his research on her showed that not to be the case. In her off hours she lived a life that just added to her rep and managed to place her under suspicion of more than one kind.

Between the downtown loft apartment, motorcycle and her propensity for hanging with musicians; usually of the multi-pierced, tattooed type, she didn�t fit in with the other cops and their family lives. She played as hard as she worked, and that was saying something.

It was odd, here she was a second generation officer of the force and she was almost as much of an outsider as Jake felt. He guessed in a way it made sense when he thought about it.

The married guys had to stay away as their wives drew their circle tight against her, always afraid of an attractive woman that their husbands could really relate to and the threat she represented. And the officers who were single were always looking to hit it and then let everyone know. Not exactly a comfortable situation on the job.

�Who�s next? Jake? Jake?�

He was up. Jake sauntered forward and watched her face stiffen when she realized who he was.

�I come here to get away from the job, Jake. What are you doing here?� Her voice was as unwelcoming as her stance.

�Just looking for a game.� He raised his cue and smiled cheerily at her.

She looked around but apparently decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and began to rack the balls.

�How are you feeling?� He asked after watching her sink her first couple of shots. She jumped and her stick missed the ball she was aiming at.

�Damn, it!� She cursed, obviously hoping to get this game over quickly and send him packing.

�Not bad, considering. I�uh�never really did thank you for going with me to the hospital, Jake. That was really sweet of you.�

Jake could tell by the look on her face that the other guys had been teasing her about his �crush�, and it made her uncomfortable.

�No problem, Sara. I was happy to help. Hell of a thing you did, taking down Vespucci. Who would have ever thought he�d been hanging with Tommy Gallo?�

Jake mentally crossed his fingers and was rewarding by the solid thunk as he connected with the ball and sent it to his chosen pocket. He needed the pause to give her time to bite.

�Nothing Gallo does could surprise me.� Sara�s voice was harsh.

�Yeah, I guess not. Still, it�s pretty interesting about him and the Rialto Theater isn�t it? Pretty neat idea he has about turning it into a nightclub. Imagine Gallo running a legit business.� Darn it, he missed that one.

Sara pushed her way past him and leaned over the table to make her shot. The back of her stick hit him in the chest and she threw him a dirty look over her shoulder.

�What are you talking about, Jake? Gallo can�t get a liquor license with his record.�

Jake shrugged his shoulders and moved his pelvis a little further away from the end of her stick.

�Just something I heard. He�s supposed to be out at the Rialto tomorrow to check the place out. The news came from a pretty good source. It could be something to keep an eye on. Oh, man!� Jake groaned as Sara finished clearing the table.

�Pay up rookie.� Sara dropped her stiffness and grinned widely at Jake�s dismay.

Jake dug in his pockets. �Well, what time do you want to go out there, check it out?�

Sara took the cash he offered and turned to get her coat. �Look, you�re a nice guy Jake, but I already have a partner.�

�Come on, Sara. I give you some good scratch like this. You�ve got to at least throw me a bone!� Jake gave her his most pleading look.

�Sorry, sport. Hey, good game.� That was the extent of Sara�s goodbye as she headed for the exit.

Jake watched as several heads turned to follow her progress. The bait had been dangled, the hook had been set. Now all he had to do is see what he could reel in.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Chapter Eight -- moondreamer, 19:56:01 10/28/04 Thu