Chapter 16 – Together Once Again

Walking down West 22nd Street towards 7th, she looked around, making sure she wasn't being followed. Just as she turned onto 7th avenue, a black SUV pulled up in front of the garage door of the agency. The passenger window rolled down and a woman with dark hair and dark glasses watched as Deborah disappeared around the corner.

She took her phone and pressed a number. “I've located her sir.” she spoke into the phone. “That's affirmative.” she said. “Yes sir.” she said before ending the call. She motioned the driver to move on and said “We need to keep her in sight, but stay back. If she thinks she's being followed, she'll bolt.”
“Okay.” the driver said as he pulled out. “I'll stay back.”

The SUV turned the corner and came to a stop. The passenger lifted her glasses and put a pair of binoculars to her green eyes. She scanned the street back and forth, stopping and back tracking before she found what she was looking for. She refocused the binoculars and caught Deborah's profile as she waited at a red light. The corner of her mouth raised with a slight smile. She zoomed in as the setting sun hit Deborah's face, then her head turned and her long ponytail tossed to her left and landed on her shoulder.  She zoomed in on her left hand and saw a circular object. “Bingo.” she said out loud.

“She has it?” the driver asked.
“Yes.” she replied as she took her phone. “Sir, we are in luck. The second subject has been located.”
The man on the other end said “We need to see where she leads us.”
“We may have to extract her sir.” she replied.
“Claire.” the man replied. “I know what the stakes are. We must be certain that she and the second subject are not involved before I can give any extraction order. It that clear?”
“Clear sir. Over an out.” she said, ending the call abruptly.

The driver moved the SUV slowly along 7th avenue, staying almost a block back. “I have a rifle.” he said. “We can just take her out, end of story.”
“That won't be necessary.” she told him. “Just follow her and if I need you input, I'll ask for it.”
“Yes Ma'am.” he said.

Keeping Debora in her sights, she said “Shit.”
“What?” the driver asked.
“She's spotted us.” she said.
“What do you want me to do?” the driver asked.
“Just hold it here.” she replied.

At the corner of 7th and 25th, Deborah looked back down 7th and saw the SUV pulled over to the side of the street. “Fuck.” she said. She lifted Carlos up and said to him quietly. “Sweetie, we're being followed. I'm going to have to make a run for it, so it's going to get a little rough.”
“Don't worry about me.” he told her.
She lowered her arm and started walking down 25th, picking up her pace as she went. She looked back and saw the SUV turn the corner from 7th. Her walking accelerated into a jog as she headed down 25th and crossed Avenue of the Americas on a red light. A cab screeched to a halt, the driver shouting at her and making gestures with his hand. She looked over her left shoulder and saw the flashing blue and red lights on the front of the SUV as it crossed through traffic. She burst into a sprint, dodging people walking toward her. Her arms swayed with her powerful stride and Carlos could only see a blur of sidewalk and lights. The sun had gone down and it was now dusk. Her only chance was to make it to Madison Square Park where she could loos them. She ran across Broadway, then 5th avenue and into the park, where she turned and headed for the monument at the north end. When she got there, she crouched down behind te stone monument and looked back at 25th. The SUV that had been following her turned onto 5th avenue. The lights were off as it moved slowly, tuning onto E 26th.

She watched as it drove past her and continued past the park. “I think we've lost them.” she told Carlos. “I have to get all the way back to my place. That's like forty blocks.”
“Take a cab.” he said.
“I have no cash.” she told him. She looked at the corner of 5th and 26th and had an idea. “I have an idea.” she told him, as she started walking toward the corner. She scanned the area, making sure the SUV was gone. She stood back from the street until she saw an NYPD cruiser and flagged it down. Waiting for the car to stop, she flipped Carlos over so his head was pointing down.

The officer in the passenger seat rolled down his window and shone his flashlight in her face. “Easy boys.” she said. “Can a fellow officer get a lift?”
“Do you have some ID?” the officer asked.
“No, I came out for a run and I forget it. I don't really have anywhere I can carry it anyway.” she replied.
“What's your precinct?” the driver asked.
“I'm detective Debroah Ryder from midtown north. My badge number is 8736254.” she told him.
“What's that thing?” the passenger asked, shining his flashlight on her right hand.
“This?” she replied, squeezing the tube with her hand. “It's a rubber squeeze thing I use when I run. It helps my carpal tunnel.”
Carlos felt the pressure of her hand clamping around the gel as she squeezed it.

“She's okay.” the driver said. “She's in the system.”
“Get in.” the passenger said. “Sorry for all the questions.”
“No problem guys. Can't be too careful.” she said.
“So where are you headed?” the driver asked.
“You can drop me at the corner of Amsterdam and 62nd.” she said.
“Woah.” the driver said. “You ran forty blocks?”
“Yeah, I got carried away. It was nice and I just kept running.” she said.
 
The driver kept looking back at her in the rear view and even turned his head a few times to look at her. Deborah looked at him and said “Like what you see?”
“Oh...sorry. I don't mean anything by it.” he said, looking at in the rear view. “You just don't look like, you know, the average detective.”
“Thanks.” Deborah said, looking at his eyes. “I guess I'll take that as a complement.”
The officer in the passenger seat reached over the seat and extended his hand and said “I'm officer O'Brien, and this is officer Di Paolo.”
Deborah shook his hand and said “Nice to meet you boys.”
“I think what Nick here meant is that you're pretty hot for a detective.” he said.
“Well I'm very flattered gentlemen.” she said.
“I mean you look like a model or something.” he continued. “It's just weird you're a detective.”
Deborah had Carlos in her lap, and knew we was listening. So she decided to have a little fun, just for him.
“You know boys, it's funny you said that, because someone told me the exact same thing yesterday.” she told them.
“Oh yeah?” O'Brien said. “Your boyfriend or....”
She caressed Carlos' head with the tip of her finger and said “My lover.” Looking down at him, she saw his grinning face in the flash of the streetlights as they passed. “Yes, my lover. Right after I fucked his brains out.”

Di Paolo laughed and looked over at O'Brien, shaking his head. Deborah leaned over and rested her arm on the metal par between the open separator windows. “No matter what any girl tells you, size does matter. My guy fits me like a glove. I had him inside me all the way. And I mean all the way.”
O'Brien yelled “Watch out!” as a car narrowly missed them after Di Paolo ran a red light. Deborah sat back in the seat and folded her arms. She looked at the rear view mirror and saw him looking at her. She faked a kiss, then turned her head and looked out the window. As they crossed 49th street, Carlos could feel her legs shaking as she laughed to herself. He shook his head slightly, with a big smile on his face.

She thought about her apartment and knew there would be greeting party to meet her, so she said to Di Paolo “Nick, sweetheart, can you do me a favour and head over to 8th and 53rd? I need to go pick something up at the office.”
“Yeah sure.” he replied. “I hope you didn't take what we said the wrong way.”
“Don't worry boys.” she told them “I was just messing with you.”
He laughed and looked sideways at her for a second and said “You're good man. You had me.”
“You boys married?” she asked.
The looked at each other and laughed, then said in unison “No.”
“Well find the right woman, both of you.” she told them. “And treat them right. The right one only comes along once.”
“This is fine here.” she said. The cruiser pulled over and she got out and shut the door. She leaned down to the passenger window and said “You gentlemen have a good night. And thank you.”
“No problem.” O'Brien said. “Maybe we'll see you around sometime?”
“Maybe?” she answered as she stood up and patted the roof a few times.

She watched the car drive off, then backed up and stood in the shadows against the building facing her precinct. She heard Carlos say something, but couldn't make it out. She raised her hand an put his head near her ear. “What did you say?” she asked.
“Why are you here? What's going on?” he asked her.
“Wait a sec.” she whispered, spotting a black SUV driving down the street slowly. She watched as it drove past her, then a second SUV follow a few seconds later. Luckily, there was still traffic, and people out walking so they didn't spot her. “Is it her?” he asked.
“I don't know, but we are definitely in the shit now.” she told him.
“Go see Morris.” he told her.
“I trust nobody right now Carlos.” she told him. “The last thing we need to do is give up our position.”
“So what now?” he asked.
“I have to go over to Da Tomasso's” she said.
“What?” he asked. “Now? You're hungry?”
“No sweetie.” she said. “They're holding something for me that I need.”

She lowered her hand and looked left and right, then walked across the street, waiting for a few cars to pass as she crossed. She scanned both directions again before entering the restaurant. The young lady at the door greeted her and asked “Table for one tonight?”
“No, I need to speak to Vito. Is he here?” she asked.
“Sure, let me find him for you.” she replied and walked off. Deborah took Carlos and put him inside the waistband of her shorts and pulled her shirt over him. She took a few steps into the main restaurant and looked around, then heard her name. She turned and saw a large man approaching.
“Deborah, baby. What's happening?” he said as he embraced her and have her a big hug. He looked down at her mid section, feeling something under her shirt, then looked back up at her, he asked “You here to eat?”

She pulled him aside, leaned in and said “I need some of my stuff.”
he frowned at her and said “Yeah sure, no problem. It's still downstairs.”
“Thanks Vito.” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I knew I could count on you.”
“You okay.” he asked, looking at her a little sideways. “You in some kind of trouble?”
She patted his shoulder and said “Nothing I can't handle.”
“Okay.” he said. “I'll get Jimmy to take you downstairs.”
“Thanks.” she said.

A younger and slimmer version of Vito walked up and stood facing Deborah. “Hey Deborah, how you doing?” he said shyly.
“Look at you.” she said. “All grown up. I can see you didn't get your good looks from your old man here.”
He just smiled and said “You need me to take you down?”
“Yeah.” she replied, still smiling.
“I'll come down in ten minutes or so.” Vito said.
“Thanks Vito.” she said as she walked past him, following Jimmy.
 
She followed him to the back of the restaurant into the white tiled kitchen. She took in the smell of their famous pastas and pizzas as she followed Jimmy past a few sinks then turned right. They arrived at a large steel door that Jimmy unlocked and opened. He proceeded through the door and walked down a dimly lit cement staircase. Deborah followed him down the stairs to the bottom, where he turned on some lights, revealing a series of numbered steel doors. “You're number four, right?” he asked.
“Right, number four.” she said.
He unlocked three bolts and twisted the large metal lever on the front of the door. “I'll let you be to do what you gotta do. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Sure sweetie.” she said. “Thanks.”

Once he was back up the stairs, she entered the small room and turned on the lights. There was a small table in the center, surrounded by black metal cabinets on all three walls. She opened the first cabinet and look out a black bag and put it down on the table and unzipped it. She lifted her shirt and removed Carlos, then held him up. “I'm sorry I had to put you in there sweetie, I can't risk someone seeing you.” she said. “I have to put you into this bag for a little while, okay?”
He looked at her and just nodded a little. “It's just till we get out of here, I promise.” she said as she lowered him into the bag.

Going back to the cabinet, she took out a few black plastic cases and put them down on the table. She opened them and took a Glock 21 pistol in her hand. She popped the clip out and looked to see it was full. She put the clip back in and pumped the chamber. The second box had another Glock in it. She took both guns and put them into the bag, being careful not to harm Carlos. She put in about ten or fifteen clips after that. Carlos couldn't really see what was happening, be he knew the sound of a clip and loading the chamber. “What the fuck has she gotten into?” he said to himself, hearing her put other things on the table.

Deborah took more cases out of lockers and proceeded to put all sorts of ammunition, electronic items and other pieces of hardware into a second bag. She opened the last closed locker and took out a black jacket, a shirt, a vest and some pants. She put the vest, shirt and pants into the bag and then opened a black box that had a bunch of cash and some credit cards with the name Cindy Sherwin on them. She also had several IDs with the same name and her photo. It was all put into the bag and zipped closed.

“How's your dad?” she heard Vito say.
She looked at the doorway and saw him standing there. “I haven't spoken to him for a while. I don't really know.”
“That's too bad. He's a good guy.” he told her.
“I know, but ever since Robbie died, he hasn't been the same.” she said, as she put on a shoulder harness for her glock. She reached into the bag, took out one of the pistols and put into the harness. 
“We went through a lot, me and your dad.” he said. “I hate to see you two not even talking.”
“I know Vito.” she told him. “I can't bring Robbie back. He blames himself, but he might even blame me, who knows?”
“What about your mom?” he asked.
“I don't know.” she said, shaking her head and pursing her lips a little. “We don't know where she is Vito. She took off after Robbie and we haven't heard from her since.”
“Your mom was a tough cookie Deborah.” he said. “I mean is. I didn't mean to talk about her in the past tense.”
“Forget it.” she said. “All my life, I grew up with a mother that was always off somewhere. Me and Robbie got raised by our grand parents. Who knows if she was CIA, or NSA, or whatever agency. All I know is whoever it was, stole her from us.”

Vito just stood there and watched as she put on her jacket. She turned her back to him and took Carlos out of the bag. She strapped him under her shoulder harness beside her right breast, then zipped up her jacket. She turned around and looked at Vito. “Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm okay.”
“What do you need with all the hardware?” he asked.
“I need to take care of something.” she said as she took a black helmet off the top of one of the cabinets. 
“I promised your dad I would watch out for you.” he said.
“I can take care of myself Vito. Don't worry about me.” she replied. “I have to get going.”

He watched as she took a bag and strapped it to her back. She second one she carried in one hand and the helmet in the other. She stepped out of the room and leaned in to Vito. He gave her a hug and said “I told Jimmy to bring your bike around back.”
“You're the best Vito.” she said with a smile. “Don't worry about me. I'll be back in a week or so.”
“Okay sweetie. Be careful.” he told her as he headed up the stairs. He shut off the lights and locked the door, then followed her up the stairs.