NIP 25

“You stubborn old son of a bitch.” The volume of Brad’s voice rises like a crescendo in a Beethoven composition. He grabs my hand and jerks me out of Detective Hughes’ office. I am running so fast it is as if I am flying. My feet are not touching the ground. Brad is tugging me quickly behind him. He elbows officers, desks, cabinets out of our way. We leap over chairs and weave through crowds to make our escape. We flee the premise leaving floating stacks of computer paper and confused faces in our wake.

We rush into the car and Brad peels out before we slam the doors shut.

“What was that?!? What is happening?!?!” I am screaming like Jennifer Love Hewitt in the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer.

“Stop talking Sari! Just shhh for one minute.” Brad calmly scolds with obvious restraint.

“Shhh…you are shushing me!” I have zero restraint. “Hughes was having us arrested. We are on the run! I will not shut up!”

“Damnit Sari!” The palm of Brad’s hands strike the steering wheel. “You are a reporter. You know for a FACT you cannot take information to air without police approval. You did it twice!”

“I had too!” My voice cracks.

“No you did not.” Brad calls me out. “You did it because you wanted to. Now Hughes has it out for us. Both of us. Because I let you do it.”

“Well...well…” I rack my brain for a viable excuse. I had to, I just had to. “I had to. This is personal not just some bump in the night murder investigation.”

“Fine. Then stop bitching at the consequences of your actions.” Brad runs his fingers through his hair with a sigh. My face heats up feeling very demeaned.

“What about you!” I blurt out with the impatience of a 5 year old.

“What about me?” He furrows his burrow in annoyance.

“Just shut up!” I yell with my whole body and thrust myself against the back of the seat. I refuse to look in Brad direction. Damn him. I stare out the window…pissed.

“You know what Sari…” Brad’s speech is articulate. I want to cut him off and say ‘Have some emotion buddy!’ “I am trying to help you. I want to help you. It’s just a whole lot more messy then either of us bargained for.”

I sit in silence digesting his words. God, he is right. I hate that. I feel so mad at him or at something. I have no fight left. I pout. A tear tracks my cheek.

“Hey.” Brad’s thumb catches my tear. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s not you. It’s my shit. I’m baffled.”

I gaze at him with puppy eyes. My shoulders are limp and I hunch over in defeat. “What now?”

Brad pulls over and parks the car in a hidden, dark, secluded alley. We sit still in the darkness.

“Don’t know.” Brad resignedly leans his elbow on the driver’s door and rubs out the tension in his forehead. “We need to lay low for a moment. Then we search the hell out of your Aunt’s house and find some answers.”

“Should we just stop?” I am so tired. I am so sad. We lose.

“Can’t now. Our heads are on the chopping block. We have to finish what we started.” He cocks his head with raised eyebrows and clicks his tongue.

“Yeah. I guess we do.” I hang my head and glance down at my hands in my lap.

“Let’s recharge our batteries for now. I cannot have a mopey partner.” Brad playfully punches my shoulder.

“Haha.” I giggle. Brad has such an ease about him. I already feel life pumping back in veins.

I lightly bite down on my lower lip. Brad’s arm is draped over his seat and I desperately want to be holed up there.

He seizes the spark in my eye. He firmly grips my neck and pulls me to him. Our eye contact never jeopardized. I cling to him. I breathlessly grab for him. I wrap my arms tightly around his body. I have him but I keep grabbing from him. I cannot get close enough.

He caresses me with every kiss…exploring my body with the palm of his masculine hands. He feels so right and together we feel so natural. Our eyes still locked…never straying. Our pupils are dilated and taking in every detail of our delicious encounter.

“I want you.” I whisper as I tenderly kiss his ear.

“Oh Sari. I have wanted you since the day met you.” Brad holds my cheek in his hand. I melt. My entire being experiences a sensation unknown to me. I am lost in his eyes and his touch. It feels so good. “I never knew how to…”

“Ahhh!” I nearly jump out of my skin. The glass crashes and scatters all over us. Brad instantly dives out of the car with fists blazing.

I freeze…staring at the glass in my lap. My eyes cautiously travel to the glass all over my arms. Am I cut? Oh my god, am I bleeding? Is Brad?

“What the fuck!” I hear Brad holler. I jolt at the echo of knuckles cracking cheekbones. Whose? Who is out there? Is Brad okay?

“You no good piece of shit!” A male voice roars. Something about that voice is oddly familiar to me. “Sari is a cop whore just like her mother! You all deserve what you get!”

Mark!?! I immediately snap out of my trance. Mark!?! Mark broke the back window?

“Mark!” With shock and horror I poke my head over the car. Brad and Mark are brutally twisted together…punching, kicking, cussing. They are covered in each other’s blood and sweat. Dear god. “Stop!!!”