by Jillian

Chapter Eighty-one

“Where are you?” Bob practically shouted into his cell phone as he left yet another voicemail message on Tanya's phone. After disconnecting the line, he directed his attention toward Sergeant Parker sitting next to him in their unmarked car and asked, “What time is it?”

The sergeant looked at his watch and replied, “A few minutes til eight.”

Staring out the front window Bob muttered, “Where are you, little sister?” The words had barely left his lips when his cell phone range. He flipped it open before it had completed one time through the ringtone and said, “Tanya, where the hell are you?”

She replied, “I'm in my car on my way to the club. I should be there in a couple of minutes.”

“You're late,” Bob commented.

“Like I said, I'm almost there.”

Forcing himself to calm his tone he said, “Meet me around the corner from the club so I can get you ready to go in.”

Tanya responded, “I'll be there as soon as I find a parking space.”

Bob flipped his phone closed and turned his attention back to the sarge and said, “I'll be back after I get her ready to go in.”

“See ya in a few,” the Sarge replied.

Bob climbed out of the car and crossed the street, going around the corner of the building where he'd planned to meet up with his sister. He had stood there in the shadows trying to be invisible for a moment until Tanya came walking by.

Sticking his head out of the shadows he hissed, “Over here.”

Startled, Tanya nearly jumped upon hearing the unexpected voice. Quickly regaining her composure, she replied, “Don't do that to me!”

“Sorry, I was just trying to avoid being seen,” he replied. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small quarter sized device and hands it to her, saying, “This will let us know your location at all times, so even if we were to lose visual contact we can find you easily.”

Taking the device from her brother, Tanya said, “I'm not sure I like the idea of you losing visual contact.”

Softening from his usual 'professional' demeanor, Bob commented, “I understand, but if we stay too close we may spook him before we have a chance to get him. Hide that somewhere on your person, like maybe in your bra or something.”

“It doesn't look like it would be very comfortable stuffed in there,” she commented.

He looked at her kind of funny and asked, “Isn't that just padding in there?”

She became indignant and said, “Not that it's any of your business, but no, it's not just padding. That's all me and they're kind of sensitive.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled before clearing his throat and saying more 'officially', “Just hide it in your clothes somewhere.”

“I'll figure something out,” she replied before reaching inside the top of her dress and hiding the device in the side of her bra. Once that task was done she looked at her brother and asked, “Are we ready to do this?”

“Yeah, everyone is in place,” Bob responded. “I’ll be right over there,” he said as he pointed toward the unmarked car parked across the street from the alley they were in. “We’ll stick as close as we can without being noticed.”

Handing her a photo of their suspect he continued, “Our best bet is if you can get this guy to leave the club with you. We'll be able to grab him more easily that way than if we were trying to do it inside with so many civilians in such close proximity.”

Tanya looked intently at the photo as if committing it to memory. “Bring him outside,” she said, confirming her instructions. “I'll see what I can do.” After handing the photo back to her brother she ran her hands down her dress to smooth it out and asked, “Do I look all right?”

Bob rolled his eyes and said, “Geez, you've been a woman for what, a week? And you've already started with those trick questions?”

“Bobby, I've always been a woman,” she replied indignantly. “You just didn't know it before.”

Holding up his hands in a sign of surrender he said, “Okay, okay. How about we get things going?”

“Okay,” she responded. “I'm guessing we don't want to both leave this alley at the same time.”

“That would be correct. You go on in and I'll give it a minute or so before I head back to my post,” he said. As he watched her walk away and turn toward the entrance he quietly said, “Good luck.”

Chapter Eighty-two

As Charlie prepared to head out for the evening, he asked himself, “What am I doing? No way should I be doing this.” Despite his acknowledgment, he continued getting ready to go out.

Before he left his apartment, he picked up a bag he'd placed by the door and looked inside to confirm that he had everything he anticipated needing for the evening. Once certain, he exited and climbed into his car.

As he drove toward 'Slipper' the anticipation which had been building up in him since the previous night grew to the point that it was nearly visible in his every action. By the time he reached his destination, he was actually shaking.

“Get yourself under control,” he murmured as he parked the car. Before getting out of it he sat there for a minute taking slow, deep breaths to try to calm himself. Once he had managed to calm himself he climbed out of the car and started toward the club entrance.

As he entered the club, the excitement he'd tried so hard to control again bubbled up to the surface. Even before he'd made it through the door he began scanning the bar for potential 'companions'.

He approached the bar and said to the bartender, “I'll have a beer, thanks.”

The bartender reached into the cooler for a glass and asked, “Tap or bottle?”

“Bottle,” he responded. “Just whatever kind you grab first.”

“You got it,” the bartender said as he again reached into the cooler and first replaced the glass, then pulled out a bottle which he handed to Charlie saying, “Here ya go.”

Charlie took the bottle and said, “Thanks.” Taking a sip, he resumed looking around the room for someone with whom he could satisfy his desires.

Chapter Eighty-three

Bob took a drink from the thermos lid cup and said, “I see you still suck at making coffee.”

Parker looked at him and smirked as he replied, “Next time you can make your own then.”

“I never said I could do any better,” Bob admitted.

“I've tasted your coffee,” Parker retorted. “Trust me, you can't.”

“You know,” Bob teased, “I could run you for insubordination.”

Parker smirked, “No you can't.”

Bob gave his associate a hard stare for a moment hoping to make the Sarge question whether he was right or not. After a minute, he gave up on his halfhearted attempt at intimidation. Trying to redirect things back to the business at hand, Bob asked, “How's the tracking signal?”

Parker looked at the receiver before replying, “Good strong signal. The techno-geeks said the location should be accurate to within ten yards and it says she's inside the building.”

Bob smiled and commented, “Thanks for saying she. I know you have some problems with all this. Hell, so do I but it's important for us to respect the life choices of someone who is risking their own life to help us out here.”

Parker dismissively responded, “Just don't make a big deal about it, okay?”

Again smiling, Bob said, “You got it, Sarge.”

Chapter Eighty-four

Tanya had been in the club for nearly an hour as she looked around the bar yet again from the vantage point of her table located on a raised platform that overlooked the dance floor and bar area. She was trying to find the man whose picture she had memorized while attempting to not be too obvious about her search.

She scanned the club yet again and nearly missed seeing her quarry, but just managed to catch a glimpse of him standing at the bar nursing a drink. Her first instinct was to head straight for him, but thought better of that idea and decided to just keep an eye on his movements for a moment before approaching him.

As she watched him she couldn’t help indulging the contradictory thoughts that raced around her head. On the one hand she had to admit that she understood why so many girls had been willing to go with him. After all, he wasn’t exactly repulsive looking. However, she found that thanks to the information she had been given prior to the evening it took every ounce of will power she could muster to not run as far away from him as she possibly could. In the end, she pushed her personal feelings, both good and bad, aside and returned to the next step in her mission.

It didn’t take long to determine that he hadn’t ‘hooked up’ with anyone yet, so she made her way over to his location at the end of the bar. She stepped up to the bar and waited for the bartender’s attention while stealing glances at her target. Whether he noticed her looking at him was unimportant, as he was quite obviously interested in her.

As the bartender turned her attention to the end of the bar, Tanya spoke up, “I’d like a glass of white wine please.”

Charlie jumped into the conversation saying, “Put that on my tab.” He then held his hand out and introduced himself, “I’m Charlie.”

Tanya took his offered hand and responded, “Tanya.”

He flashed her his best smile and said, “Pleasure to meet you, Tanya.”

Fighting her nearly uncontrollable desire to throw up, she forced herself to smile back before asking, “Are you here with someone?”

“No, I’m on my own…for now at least,” he said as his eyes flashed a predatory look in Tanya’s direction. After a brief pause, he asked, “What about you? Are you spoken for this evening?”

Doing her best to make him think she was interested she replied, “All by my lonesome. Join me?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” he grinned as he took a sip of his drink. Looking around for a moment he spots a table and says, “There’s one. Come on.”

While Charlie led Tanya toward the table he intended to commandeer, she thought, ‘That was easier than I expected.’

When they reached the table he pulled out a chair for her and said in a laughable English accent, “Milady.”

She took the offered seat and watched as he took his place opposite. After a brief couple of seconds during which they each settled in to their places, Tanya started, “So Charlie, what do you have in mind now?”

“Well,” he started, “I thought we’d have a few drinks, dance a bit and see where that takes us.” The bartender returned with the previously ordered drink, placing it in front of Tanya.

Picking up the glass in a ‘toast’ gesture, she commented, “You seem to have a good handle on things.” Looking him in the eye, she smiled as she took a sip of her drink.

Chapter Eighty-Five

“You’re kinda antsy tonight,” Parker commented as Bob shifted in his seat yet again.

“I am not!” Bob snapped.

Parker stared at him for a moment before his lips began to curl into a smile and a chuckle rumbled up from his belly. “You wanna rethink that?” he asked in between chuckles.

Frowning, Bob said, “You mean you’re not worried about someone we just sent in there as bait for a lunatic who’s killed who knows how many times?”

“He’s not gonna do anything in the bar, is he?”

“That’s just it,” Bob replied, “He’s been changing his M.O. lately. We don’t know what to expect since he’s upped the ante.”

The sergeant watched his friend and colleague without responding for a couple of minutes. Just before he was about to say something to break the silence, he heard Bob clear his throat.

“I wish we could’ve set her up with the audio wire,” Bob complained for the umpteenth time as he sat in the car waiting.

Looking at his friend, Parker replied, “No need, is there? I mean there isn’t really anything he could say that would incriminate him more than his actions, true?”

“Yeah, but…” Bob started before allowing his thought to go unfinished.

“Careful there, boss,” the Sarge teased. “You’re gonna make everybody think you care or something.”

Bob stared daggers at his partner, saying nothing for a few moments. When he did speak, all he said was, “Family.”

In a conciliatory tone Parker responded, “Fair enough.”

Chapter Eighty-six

Tanya excused herself from Charlie’s company to make a visit to the restroom, where she slipped into the first available stall closing the door behind her. Pulling her cell phone out of her purse, she typed a quick text message and sent it to her brother saying, ‘Contact made. All well, T’.

“There,” she said to herself as she returned the phone to her purse. Straightening her dress, she opened the stall door and continued, “What next?”

Stepping out of the stall, she went to the mirror and checked her hair and makeup. Opening her purse again, she pulled out her lipstick and did a quick touch up before returning it to her bag.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to another ‘girl’ who was also touching up her makeup when she asked Tanya, “Who’s that guy you’re with tonight? He looks like quite the catch.”

Tanya looked at the other occupant and replied, “He’s all right, but we did just meet. His name’s Charlie.”

Cattily her new friend commented, “Well, if you’re not that into him maybe you should step aside and let someone who is have a chance.”

“I don’t think so,” Tanya replied.

“Hmph,” her companion huffed as she turned to leave the restroom.

Once she was alone, Tanya said to no one in particular, “Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” When she was finally satisfied everything was as it should be, she exited the ladies room.

On her way back to their table, she mused, “Brother mine, I hope to high heaven you’ve got my back.”

As she approached from behind Charlie, she could see he was lustfully watching all the girls in the general vicinity of their table. For a brief moment, she thought about blowing up at him for drooling over other girls when they were supposedly together for the evening, but didn’t as she feared it might jeopardize the mission.

She slid back into her chair asking, “So what do you have planned for me now?”

Chapter Eighty-seven

Bob was startled by the text notification from his phone, saying, “Geez,” as he pulled it out of his pocket. He quickly read the message from Tanya and smiled as he put his phone away again.

“Important?” Parker asked.

“You could say that,” Bob replied. “She’s made contact.”

“Good,” Parker responded. “Maybe we can actually finish this thing tonight.”

“That’s the plan.” Bob raised the camera with telephoto lens to his eye and stared at the club entrance, hoping that the end to this case would come very soon. After a few minutes of staring through the lens he sighed and lowered the camera to his lap.

Parker broke the silence saying, “Ya know, staring at the door isn’t gonna make them come out any sooner.”

“And your point is?” He asked as he briefly looked toward Sergeant Parker. After a moment,

Chapter Eighty-eight

“So what do you think? Ready to get out of here?” Charlie asked as he finished off his beer.

Tanya took a sip of her drink, they giving him a sly smile replied, “What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” he started, “How about my place?”

Forcing herself to grin she responded, “Sounds like a plan.”

Charlie got up from the table and held his hand out to Tanya, who took hold and stood up herself. Well aware that there would be no way to hear each other amidst the throngs pulsating throughout the club, they continued to hold hands as they began winding their way through the crowd toward the entrance.

When they finally emerged into the relative quiet of the city night, Tanya breathed a sigh of relief saying, “The noise in there was rather intense.”

“It can get that way,” Charlie agreed. Pointing down the street he added, “I’m parked down here.”

Plastering what she hoped was a convincing smile onto her face she said, “Lead on.”

He pulled her close and forcefully kissed her, then with his arm around her waist started walking toward the corner where they turned toward his car.

Chapter Eighty-nine

“Heads up. Somebody’s coming out,” said Parker, directing Bob’s attention toward the club entrance.

Bob raised the camera and started snapping pictures as he said, “That’s them.” He quickly put down the camera and picked up the radio mic saying, “All units, suspect on the move. Stay sharp.”

He resumed watching through the camera lens just as Tanya looked briefly at the undercover car before following the guy she’d left the club with up the street. Again keying the mic he instructed the officers on his detail, “Stay close without being seen. We need to be able to control the situation at a moment’s notice.”

When the couple rounded a corner and started down the side street, Bob told his partner, “Follow, but try to stay out of sight.”

“Yeah, I know how to do it,” Parker grumbled. “As memory serves, I taught you.”

Laughing Bob replied, “You did at that. Sorry, I’m just a little on edge.”

“I’ll let it slide this once,” Parker allowed as he pulled the car out of its parking space and slowly drove in the direction their quarry had gone. As they approached the street the two of them had turned onto he questioned, “Follow close?”

Bob, who was dividing his attention between the street and the display screen which indicated Tanya’s location, said, “No, go past and circle around. That should give them time to get on the road. We’ll track them to his destination, then swoop in. We don’t really have a lot of evidence just yet. Don’t want to spook the guy too soon.”

“Right,” the sarge replied. Then he asked, “Got a good signal on the tracker?”

“Yup,” Bob responded. He then keyed the mic on and ordered, “Stand by to move.”

At the next intersection they turned the opposite way and circled around the block, coming back around to where they’d started. When they got there, Parker looked over at Bob, who simply nodded indicating they should turn the other way this time.

As they turned in the direction the couple had gone Bob added, “Don’t let them get too far ahead, but try to stay far enough back to avoid getting noticed.”

Parker simply smirked as he looked at his partner, eventually saying, “You got it boss.”

They slowly cruised up behind the couple as they neared the suspect’s vehicle. When he saw that they were just getting into the car, Bob ordered, “Circle again. That should give them time to get on the move.”

Parker calmly drove them past the couple and turned when they arrived at the next intersection. Once he’d completed the turn he looked toward Bob, who appeared to be deep in thought worrying about his sister.

Chapter Ninety

Charlie opened the passenger door to his nicely restored Cadillac and said, “Milady?”

Tanya couldn’t help but giggle as she replied, “Thank you kind sir.”

As she stepped toward the car door she glanced at the street just long enough to see a car passing. Looking more closely, she caught sight of her brother. Momentarily locking eyes with Bob, she quickly turned back toward Charlie and forced a smile before she sat in the car and swung her legs in, struggling to hide her anxiety as she thought about Cynthia sitting in this very spot before he attacked her. Fortunately for her, he showed no signs of noticing her discomfort.

After closing the door, Charlie circled around the car to the driver’s side door. As he opened it he quietly said to himself, “Let the games begin.” He smiled at Tanya as he climbed in and started the engine.

Putting the car in gear, he looked at her and asked, “Ready?”

She forced a smile and responded, “Absolutely.”

He pulled out of the parking space and began their journey toward his selected location for Tanya’s demise. Once they had taken their place in the flow of traffic, he began periodically glancing at his companion as he visualized all of the things he planned to do to her. With each passing moment he allowed his thoughts to show in the form of a growing evil grin which he made no attempt whatsoever to disguise.

Of course, his grin didn’t go unnoticed by Tanya. Despite her anxiety, she did her best to remain calm so as not to tip off Charlie about what would soon be happening, just as he was attempting to disguise his ulterior motives. Instead, she tried to give the impression that she wasn’t paying all that much attention to the goings on around her.

She nonchalantly asked, “Where are we going, by the way?”

He again grinned evilly and replied, “I have a place not far from here.”

“Great,” she smiled at him before returning her attention to the sidewalk as she silently prayed that this would be over before the night was up. Realizing her omission, she then hoped as an addendum that she’d come out of the evening safe and sound.

As they continued to cruise down the road her anxiety continued to rise, nearing a fever pitch she was certain Charlie would notice. In an effort to disguise her nervousness, Tanya looked toward her companion and offered a stiff smile.

To be continued…