Twilight's Encore

by Jacquie Biggar

  He’d just set his hands on the table in preparation of pushing up from his seat to grab the nearby broom handle he saved for these occasions when the message on the screen went from, please wait a moment, to now connecting.

  Instant anxiety placed a chokehold on his throat. His mother’s face filled the screen in 3-D, and Kyle was guiltily grateful his sister had been the one to sacrifice her youth to supporting her after the split rather than him. Their mother, a perfectionist and reserved with her affections, had fallen apart after her husband’s infidelity.

  Kyle sat back, vainly trying to act nonchalant in front of his mom’s eagle eyes. “Hi, Mom, how’s it hanging?” She hated when he used colloquialisms like that, which is why he did it of course.

  As expected, her pencil-lined brows drew together in a sign of disapproval. “Kyle. Why aren’t you off saving the world? That’s your usual excuse for never calling home, isn’t it?”

  Yep, same old mom. “That’s true, Mom. It takes a lot of work to become a superhero, you know.”

  “Oh, Kyle,” a mother’s sigh of ‘aren’t you ever going to grow up?’ ripened her haughty voice, before her eyes softened with concern. “How are you, son?”

  His leg jiggled nervously and he had a hard time meeting her gaze. “I’m good, I’m in Italy, what could be wrong?” An uncomfortable silence filled the room, almost stifling the country twang from upstairs. Kyle cleared his throat. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”

  She fiddled with the string of iridescent pearls around her neck. “So far as I know everything is going according to what her father wants. I don’t know why she couldn’t get married here. Her fiancé, Jeff, promised her any venue she desired, but you know your sister, she loves that old theatre.”

  Yeah, Kyle did too. There was a special feel to the building, like a favorite, slightly threadbare shirt you just can’t quite part with. He and Katy had spent a good portion of their younger years running up and down those red-carpeted aisles between shows. He remembered the excitement of the projection room; the pride shining from his dad’s green eyes as he watched his son learn the business. Good memories were tied up in the old girl. He was glad it was getting restored for the wedding.

  “That’s actually what I was calling about, Mom. Have you heard from Katy recently?” Kyle leaned closer to the screen. For some reason his body tensed, as though preparing for a blow but not sure where it was going to land. His heart picked up speed and his hands turned sweaty.

  Fiona frowned in concentration, tapping a manicured finger against her jawline. “No, and now that I think about it, she was supposed to call me yesterday about the flowers.” She shook her head and clicked her tongue, “I warned her going back there was a bad idea. She has a good life here with Jeff and the hospital. Why go and muddy that up with the past? What’s over is over, we’ve all moved on.”

  Kyle ignored his mother’s dissention and cut to the part that interested him. “So she’s gone back home to make sure everything is Katy perfect?”

  She frowned at his words, though her forehead stayed suspiciously smooth. “I believe that’s what I just said, yes. There was no need. We could have handled everything just fine from here.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. She’s probably just caught up with the renovations and forgot. Give her a day or two, I’m sure she’ll get back to you.” He made a show of looking at his watch. “Listen, Mom, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. I have to come home in time to get fitted for my monkey suit.”

  “Kyle, I hardly think a twenty-five hundred dollar outfit qualifies as a monkey suit.” Fiona straightened her own custom-fitted jacket, and then sent him a laser-eyed glance. “You make sure you tell me if your sister is in trouble. See you soon.” And with those cryptic words she clicked off their connection.

  Kyle slowly leaned back and let out a bark of laughter, frowning when the neighbor stomped on the floor in protest. There was no pulling the wool over his momma’s eyes. Guess his next move was to apply for early leave. He’d better go to Tidal Falls himself and make sure all was as it should be. Again his gut gave that little warning twist.

  ~~~*~~~

  A hand reeking of newsprint and coffee covered Katy’s nose and mouth and stopped her frightened scream.

  Her ankle turned painfully as she was dragged backward into the dimness of the alley. Her heart pounded through her veins and in her ears until it was all she could hear. There was barely room above the human gag to draw breath and her vision began to darken around the edges. Her captor, sensing her impending blackout, eased the pressure enough to let in a draft of much-needed cool air past her muffled sounds of distress.

  Fear threatened to overwhelm her but she needed to keep her wits if she wanted to get out of this unharmed. The body, flush against her back, felt compact and strong. The man’s forearm tightened as he leaned in and snarled close to her ear.

  “Keep quiet, or I’ll shut you up. Understand?” His breath stunk of garlic and cigarettes as he forced her head back against his shoulder, keeping her off-balance and at his mercy.

  Katy whimpered, more scared than she’d ever been in her life. She was officially too stupid to live. Her panicked gaze flickered sideways and verified what she’d already guessed; it was the stranger from the restaurant. What did he want? Where was Jack? Hard on the heels of those thoughts came the vision of Ty striding to his pick-up. God, please let him be long gone from here.

  “You thought you was a smart one, didn’t ya?” He snickered and rubbed his bristly chin against her forehead, causing hives to break out all over her skin. “Thought you could sneak up on ol’ Ramsey, did you now?”

  “What do you want?” Katy mumbled the words around the sausage-like appendages holding her hostage.

  “Shh,” he hissed, forcing her back around the edge of the dumpster as two teens went laughing by on the sidewalk out front with not a worry in the world. “We don’t want the sheriff showing up to mess with our fun, now do we?”

  He kept his eyes focused on the movement going by on the street even as the deadweight that was his arm settled across the tops of Katy’s heaving breasts, pinning her against his muscular torso.

  “Let me go, please. I promise I won’t say a word to anyone,” Katy begged, hoping her assailant would listen. Why, oh, why hadn’t she stayed within the safe confines of the restaurant and let Jack do his job? The one he was trained for, and she most definitely was not.

  “You don’t mean that, darlin’, you and I are going to have a mighty fine time just as soon as things quiet down a wee bit. Though adrenaline works wonders on Petey here,” he grinned as he ground his crotch against her bum.

  God, help me. Please.

  As if in answer to her silent plea, the screen on the café banged back on its hinges and Grace came trundling out the door lugging an armload of cardboard boxes with the dishwasher kid close behind carrying a couple of hefty garbage bags.

  There was a moment of complete silence, and then all hell broke loose. Grace let out a war whoop and came flying off the back stair like a crazed banshee, while the teen dropped the bags and grabbed a nearby corn broom. He raised it over his curly head like a batter about to nail a homer and followed right behind Grace.

  The noise caught the attention of people on the street. They pointed and ran towards them shouting for the sheriff. Realizing his chance for a clean escape was rapidly narrowing her captor loosened his hold and with a rough shove between the shoulder blades, sent Katy hurtling in Grace’s direction. The last thing she heard before she fainted was his taunting voice.

  “Watch your back, bitch. I’m coming for you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Katy slowly regained consciousness. Her eyelids fluttering at the voice coming from above her head, harsh and strained with intense emotion.

  “Stand back. Everyone just give her a little room.” His gruff tone warned people away.

  After a brief start she settled into the safety of Ty’s gentle ar
ms.

  “What the hell happened?”

  She almost smiled at the vexed anger she just knew would be flashing like lightning from the depths of his eyes. He’d always told her if patience were a virtue, he’d missed out on his fair share. It felt nice laying here, cradled in his arms. That is until the scene in the alley came racing back, and almost threw her into an all-new panic attack.

  A feather light peck on the tip of her nose accompanied by his softly intimate words calmed her down. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty. A prince’s kiss awakens the damsel in distress, remember?”

  Oh, she remembered. Katy had loved the fairytale as a child, and later as a teen. She’d dragged Ty to see the movie when it was re-mastered and he’d claimed it as their story, with her mother cast as the evil queen who had never approved of their dating.

  Her eyes slowly opened onto his worried gaze. The irises were almost cobalt with a ring of blue fire around them. “Hi,” she whispered, loath to break the spell.

  “You scared the shit out of me. Next time you want to take a nap, wait until you get home, okay?” Relief flashed across his face and his sexy dimple made an appearance. He glanced up, and that’s when she realized they were surrounded by curious onlookers.

  Embarrassed, Katy struggled to lift up out of Ty’s arms, but he wasn’t letting go. “Thank you, but I’m fine now,” she said with stilted dignity.

  “Relax, Doc. As you should know, when you’ve had a shock you need to rest for a bit.” Ty full out smiled, obviously reassured that she was awake now and uninjured. “Besides, I kinda like hanging out in alleys.”

  “Are you okay, honey?” Grace leaned in to get a better look. “I swear, what’s this town coming to? A person isn’t even safe to walk outside anymore.”

  Katy had heard of Grace’s run-in with some very bad men last spring and felt horrible for upsetting her again. “This was my own fault, Grace. I should have stayed inside with Rebecca, instead of playing amateur detective.” She lifted a shaking hand, and Grace’s pudgy fingers clamped on. “Thanks for being there. Without you and your helper, I don’t know what would have happened.” A violent aftershock ran through her body, and Ty hugged her closer.

  “Where is my brother anyway?” he asked, and heads swiveled, searching for the missing sheriff.

  Rebecca pushed through the growing crowd and fell to her knees beside them. She gaped at the bruises already forming on Katy’s cheek and neck. Tears threatened but she impatiently brushed them away with trembling fingers. “That figures,” she said with forced gaiety, “only back for a couple of days and you already have half the town at your feet.”

  Katy forced a smile through her still tender lips, and this time when she tried, Ty let her sit up, though he kept a protective arm wrapped around her back for support.

  “You know me, Becky, I need to be the life of the party.” She leaned over and gave her friend a swift hug. “Don’t cry I’m fine.” Then she whispered, “Help me get out of here, okay?”

  Rebecca gave her a grave look before glancing over her shoulder at Ty. “You should get her to a doctor for a check-up. Make sure that asshole didn’t hurt my girl.”

  Katy grimaced. That wasn’t exactly what she meant. “Don’t worry about it, Ty. I can get myself to the clinic. If I thought I needed to, which I don’t.” She ignored her aches and pains and scrambled to her feet. “See, all’s good.”

  She turned as Ty rose to tower behind her. “You’re supposed to be at work anyway, right? I don’t want to hold you up.” He stiffened and she realized how her words could be construed. “Ty, that’s not…”

  The pop, pop of firearms discharging echoed into the alley. Ty grabbed her, pushing her down and under his body. “Take cover,” he yelled, his voice rumbling through her thumping chest.

  She wrapped her arms around his back and tugged, begging him to make a smaller target of himself. He ignored her, keeping most of his weight off her slighter form while acting as human body armor. His eyes pierced the shadows in search of the source of the shots. Then he turned the intensity of his gaze onto her and Katy’s breath caught in her throat.

  Their history together and all they had meant to each other played like a kaleidoscope within those burning blue depths. What happened to them? Why didn’t she fight harder to stay with him? Why didn’t he fight to keep her? So many questions. Would they ever get a chance to answer them?

  She sucked in a harsh breath and her breasts brushed against his chest. They both froze. Katy broke eye contact first, turning her head to stare at the dumpster she’d been pinned against not very long ago. That’s all this is, adrenaline. They’d had their chance years ago. It’s too late for regrets now.

  “I think it’s over.” Ty’s words on the heels of her thoughts brought tears to the surface. Then she realized he meant the standoff.

  “Yeah, I think so too,” she said, and if her voice was somewhat wobbly, Katy hoped it would be attributed to the gunman. “Do you suppose it was the man who grabbed me?”

  “I’m not sure.” He lifted up in one smooth motion and a rush of cool air chilled her lonely body. Ty eyed the small crowd, before reaching down to pull her to her feet. “Stay here. And this time I mean it. I’m just going to check on Jack.”

  His mouth was grim as he looked down into her upturned face. “This is what I was talking about, or do you think you brought some L.A. excitement back with you?” Then he dropped a quick kiss on her mouth, and was gone.

  Katy stared stupidly after him for a moment before giving her head a shake and hurrying over to help Grace who had fallen to her knees at the sound of the gunfire and now had trouble getting up.

  “Grace, are you injured?” she placed her arm around the older woman’s waist and helped her to her feet with the young teen’s help.

  “Of course not. It’d take more than some idiot playing Gunsmoke to keep this old girl down.” She brushed trembling fingers down her apron front before grasping Katy’s forearm. “It’s you I’m worried about. Did that lunatic hurt you?”

  “No, thanks to both of you, he never got the chance. I feel like an idiot.”

  Grace looked at her in astonishment. “For what, child? Caring about your friends? There’s nothing to be ashamed about in that, is there, Teddy?”

  The young man blushed, his gaze dropping to the scuffed toes of his high-tops. “No, ma’am, and it’s Ted… ma’am,” he mumbled.

  “Well, that’s what I said, didn’t I?” Grace grumbled. “C’mon, we better get back inside. We have customers waiting on their food.”

  The crowd had begun an exodus back to the street. Katy joined Rebecca following behind Grace. She heard her name called and lifted onto her toes to see past the people in front of them. Mitch waved wildly from the front of the group.

  “Hurry, it’s Doc Johnson. He’s been hit.”

  ~~~*~~~

  Run, Run, fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the invisible man.

  Where could he go?

  Hurry, gotta hide.

  Ramsey slowed his pace, glancing nervously over his shoulder. No one yet. He edged up to the rusty wire fence, half expecting Cujo to jump out from the dimness between the rows of piled up scrap metal.

  Nothing, it was his lucky day.

  He snickered aloud. A close call this morning, followed by a near catch of his prize—the woman—then a bit of target practice, and now a nice jog through town. A good day so far.

  Ramsey sucked in a deep breath of oil and grease fumes and climbed the barrier, dropping to the other side on cat’s feet. He crouched there for a moment, and when nothing moved, scurried into the auto parts graveyard. Bellying into an old Cadillac Coupe Deville’s still luxurious backseat, Ramsey lay still and watched the dust motes float through the air. He was ninety-five percent certain he’d lost the cop a couple streets back, but better to play it safe for a while. Maybe catch an afternoon nap. Contemplate his next move.

  He might have trouble outdoing today’s little adventure. A smir
k twisted his unremarkable face. She’d just about shit her pants when he grabbed her. That frail heart had pounded so hard Ramsey thought he might have to give her some mouth to mouth. He shifted, then stilled when the leather creaked out a warning. Yeah, he’d like to give her a little resuscitation, all right. Soon. Soon it would be just the two of them.

  Then the fun could really begin.

  ~~~*~~~

  As Ty worked to stop the flow of blood from Doc Johnson’s thigh, the warm copper scent filled his mouth and nose until he thought he would drown from it. Faintly surprised how dark a red it was, he kept up the count in his head.

  One, two, three.

  Ease up.

  One, two, three.

  There was so much of the viscous, life-draining, plasma leaking out from between his fingers. He couldn’t stem the flow. He tried. He Goddamn tried, but it just wouldn’t stop.

  And then, suddenly it did.

  He couldn’t look into Doc’s graying face, so he just kept counting. One, two, three. One, two…

  “He’s gone, Ty.” Someone, Katy, leaned over and gently shut Doc’s eyes with shaking fingers. Funny that, Doc taking care of Doc. “You did everything you could. C’mon, Ty, let him go.”

  He had to force himself to release the bloody leg. A pool of liquid congealed around the body and roiled in his gut. Suddenly, he was violently angry. So angry his whole frame shuddered with the force of it.

  Katy tried to wrap her arms around his shoulders, but he shook her off, growling, “No. I’m not the one in need of comfort.”

  He rose to his feet in a controlled rush, stained hands raised in a plea. “How am I supposed to tell Doc’s wife he’s not coming home ever again? His kids, fuck, his grandkids.”

  Ty turned away, and then swung back, a giant ball of pain twisting his gut into a knot of desolation. “Christ, Katy, I just said hello to him a few minutes ago. How could this have happened?”