Eros Gets the Job Done

They both nodded. The clerk glanced at the door and whispered, "I tripped the alarm."

"Good, the police will be here soon," Rob said, mainly to comfort her. Actually, they were probably in more danger if the police showed up before the man got what he wanted. This could become a hostage situation. "Is there a back exit?"

"Yes, but it's not in here. It's at the end of the hall."

"Well, I'm sure he'll just clean out the register and leave. The police will be along to let us out soon." Rob looked around. There was no furniture in here, other than the shelves. But there were several large boxes piled against one wall. He went over to them and picked one up. They were full, and solid. He took two of them down and told the ladies to have a seat. He and Olivia sat down on those still against the wall.

There was a muffled thud against the wall. "He's in the office," the clerk whispered.

"We just have to be quiet, as he asked, and we'll be fine." Rob assured the clerk when she began to cry again.

But a few moments later, there was another loud crash, and they heard a siren, followed by tires screeching. The gunman cursed, and ran down the hall.

The four hostages all sat stiffly, listening, hearts pounding. Rob put his arm around Olivia and pulled her close. She didn't pull away.

The gunman yelled something, then pounded past again, heading back up front. They heard him shouting. "Don't come any closer! Anyone comes any closer, I kill a hostage! Got that?"

Rob gave Olivia a squeeze and then stood. He explained what he was going to do, and the women were eager to help.

The aisles were narrow, just wide enough for the boxes to fit. The two women went to the far end of the last aisle, and Rob stacked the boxes three high in front of them, boxing them in. Then he sent Olivia to the end of the next aisle. He set down one box, then stacked two in front of it. He used the shelves to climb up an over, then lifted the third box to the top of the stack. The gunman would be able to get to them, but he'd have to work at it. They were at least some protection from stray bullets, if it came to that, and would at least slow him down a little if he came for them.

Rob sat down next to Olivia and pulled her close. She cuddled against him, grateful to have him here. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know. But it'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." His arms tightened around her, and she smelled his still familiar scent. It felt so right to be in his arms again, even in this bizarre circumstance.

Eros was having fun! Okay, so he felt bad about scaring them, especially the two innocents, but this was still the best Valentine's Day he'd had in a while. Outside the store, flashing blue and red lights filled the street. The phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he asked.

"This is Detective Roger Wentz. Who am I speaking to?"

"My name is Eric." Eros spoke with a tremor in his voice. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Please, Eric, stay calm. No reason to get upset. We're here to help you."

Eros snorted. "Yeah? You going to come help me load the safe into my car?"

The detective chuckled, as if they were old buddies sharing a joke. "No, son, can't do that. But I can help you get out of this in one piece, and without harming any hostages,"

"I'll kill them if you come any closer!" Eros screamed into the phone, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"No, no, we won't, I promise. No worries. We're just keeping bystanders from bothering you. So, the safe, that's what you want?"

"Yeah, the safe. I already cleaned out the register."

"Safe's are tough, Eric. You got experience cracking safes?"

"None of your business," Eros said crossly, even as he grinned.

"Well, I'm just trying help you figure this thing out. See, we can't just wait while you work on it and then let you walk away. You know that. So, let's negotiate."

"Negotiate? How?" Eros made his voice sound suspicious.

"As a sign of good faith, you release some hostages. How many do you have in there?"

"Four. Three women and a man."

"So, release the three women. You'll still have a hostage, and I'll know you're a reasonable man."

Eros pretended to think. "No, not all of them. No way."

"It'll be a lot easier to keep control with less hostages," the detective cajoled.

"They're under control!" Eros shouted.

"Okay, okay. How about two of the women? Can you do that for me? Show of good faith?"

Eros hesitated again, then said, "All right. Two of the women. You keep everyone way back from the doors, you hear?"

"I hear you, Eric. Are you sending them out now?"

"In a minute. Call me back when you see them approaching the door. I've got to untie them," he lied, to gain time.

"Okay, Eric, I'll do that. Now stay calm, and take it easy with them, okay? The fairer sex, they get scared real easy. We don't want any accidents."

Eric hung up without another word, then headed for the storeroom. He unlocked the door, then stared around the space in shock. The hostages were nowhere in sight. He stepped farther into the room, and spotted the wall of boxes at the back of the third aisle.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he growled. He heard the faint gasps from the last row.

"Stray bullets," Rob said. "We were worried about stray bullets."

"Oh," Eros said, and grinned. "Okay. Well, I've agreed to release two hostages. The clerk and the older lady. Where are you?"

"They're both in the last aisle," Rob said. He was glad they would be released, but..."Why don't you send out all the women? You'll still have me."

Olivia shot him a horrified look, while Eros said. "Shut up! I make the decisions! Just the two. Is the other one with you?"

"Yes," Rob answered, sounding deflated.

"Good. Just sit tight."

Eros moved into the last aisle and climbed up to pull down the top box. "Don't try anything funny, he yelled to Rob.

"I won't."

Eros got the first box down. It was very heavy, and he wondered how Rob had managed to get them stacked like that. When he pulled the second away, he could see the two women, huddled together on the floor. They regarded him with terror.

"Get up." Out in the store, the phone rang. "Hurry up."

The women struggled up, and he motioned for them to move out of the aisle. Then he said loudly, "Hey, mister. I need you to climb out of there. Leave the woman."

"No!" Rob yelled, his tone hard and firm. "I'm not leaving her."

"Just for a minute. I need you to walk the women to the door and relock it after they go out. Then you can come back in here with her. You can even keep you little barricade in place."

He heard Rob and Olivia whispering to each other, and then Rob said, "Okay, I'm coming out."

A moment later, they were out in the hall. Eros stopped them beside the ringing phone, then picked it up.

"Okay, we're ready. The male hostage is going to walk the women to the door and lock it behind them. I'll have a gun on him. If anyone approaches the door, I'll shoot him. Got it?"

"Got it, Eric, that's fine. We're not going to do anything."

"All right, here they come." Eros hung up, and motioned for them to proceed "No funny stuff," he told Rob.

Rob shook his head, and followed the women. A minute later the bells jingled. Eros didn't need to watch. He knew Rob wouldn't leave. He'd never leave Olivia alone with a crazed gunman. The door closed, and Rob came back. Eros escorted him back to the storeroom and locked him in, then went to answer the phone.

"So, I did what you asked. What you going to do for me?" Eros asked, glad of all the TV he'd watched over the years. It had seemed fun but useless at the time, but now he knew how to sound like a jacked up, nervous robber.

"I appreciate it, Eric, I really do. Both women are fine. That shows me that you don't really want to hurt anyone."

"I don't, but I will if I have to," Eric growled.

"I know. I understand that, I do, Eric. So, now we need to figure out how to end this thing."

"I'm not going to jail," Eros told him firmly. "And I want to talk to my mother. Why can't I dial out?"

"Well, gosh, I don't know. Maybe you have to hit nine or something. But I can get your mom on the phone for you. What's her name and number?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling you that. I'll try it now. Bye."

Eros giggled silently to himself, then checked on the pair in the storeroom.

"I've lived in New York for ten years, and I've never even been pick-pocketed," Olivia was saying.

"Me either." Rob was sitting with his arm around her, her head resting on his shoulder as they spoke quietly,

"Mom will freak when she hears about this," Olivia said around a small laugh.

Rob smiled. "Mine too."

"I came in to get her a card."

"A Valentine's Day card? I thought you didn't believe in Valentine's Day?"

"I don't. I mean, it's stupid, you know? It's just an excuse to sell cards and flowers and drum up business for restaurants. But since Dad died last year, I suddenly thought she might get a kick out of it if I showed up with one, out of the blue."

"That's a nice thought," Rob said. "You're still the same sweet girl inside."

Olivia looked up at him with a frown. "No, Rob, I'm really not."

He smiled at her, and she shook her head before placing it back on his shoulder. "I've changed a lot."

Eros left, smiling. The phone was ringing again. He took a deep breath, then picked it up. "You bastards!" he screamed. "Let me make my call!"

"Calm down, Eric, please, just calm down. What's the problem?"

"You know what the problem is! I can't make a call! You've got the line blocked!"

"No, Eric, I don't, I promise. I don't know why you can't make a call. But let me check on it, okay? Just stay calm, and I'll get back to you."

Eros hung up, satisfied, then went back to his work in progress.

"So, why won't you go out with me?" Rob asked.

"Why should I? It didn't work the last time, what makes you think it would work now?"

"Because I still love you."

Olivia huffed in frustration. "No you don't, Rob. Maybe you love the memory of me, and that's very sweet. Maybe you're in love with the idea of me. But I'm not the same girl. I'm a grown woman."

"So I noticed. And may I say it looks terrific on you?"

"Rob," she groaned, pulling away to face him.

"Well, it does. You're more beautiful now than you were back then."

"Okay," she said, shaking her head. "I appreciate the compliment, Rob. But this isn't going to happen."

"Why?"

Olivia pulled her knees up to her chest, crossed her arms around them, and lowered her forehead. "It's just not. I'm not interested in a relationship, with you or anyone else."

Rob was silent for a moment. "Did someone else hurt you too?" he finally asked in a soft voice.

Olivia shook her head. The truth was, she'd never really gotten serious enough about anyone since Rob to get her heart broken again. His use of the word 'too' said that he knew he'd hurt her. The pain wanted to come out, so she forced the wall back up.

"I'm just focused on my career, Rob. That's what's important to me now."

"There's more to life than work."

She shrugged as best she could, and didn't answer.

Eros almost shot her again, but held himself in check. He'd let Rob work on her for a while. He popped back out for another go around with the cops.

An hour later, Eros was screaming into the phone again. He demanded that the police move the barricades further back, and that they get his mom there, but he wouldn't tell the detective his last name or his mother's name or number.

"She lives in Jersey. You figure it out!" He slammed the phone down, and hurried to the storeroom. Time to shake things up.

There was silence when he entered. "How you two doing back there?" he called.

"We're fine." Rob answered for both of them.

"Good. These cops are dicking me around, we could be here a while. You just sit tight and don't give me any trouble, you'll be okay. You try any hero stuff, and I might decide to sample the woman's assets. Know what I mean? She's real pretty."

He heard Olivia whimper. "You touch her, and I'll kill you." Rob's voice was pure ice.

Eros chuckled, making it as nasty as possible. "Well, just don't try any funny stuff, buddy." He slammed the door, and checked on the police. They'd moved the barricades back a few feet, and the phone was ringing.

Eros strung them along another hour. "You've had time to call every Betty in Jersey by now! he screamed. "What is taking so long?"

"Easy now, Eric. So, you're mother's name is Betty?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Eros said, and nearly laughed out loud. He clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Tell me her last name, and I'll have her here in no time, Eric."

Eric let the silence linger, then said, "I'm hungry."

"Okay, we can get you some food. Tell you what. You tell me your mother's name, and I'll get some food to you."

"From DiVallo's," Eric said.

"Now, Eric, you have to understand, we've had to clear out DiVallo's. They're closed until we resolve this thing."

"I want a DiVallo's meatball sub! I don't get it, you get nothing from me!"

Eros grinned, imagining Detective Wentz holding the phone away from his ear. Or maybe he was wearing headphones. Ouch!

"Okay, Eric, I'll do my best. How about the hostages, you want food for them too?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever you want to send. And three cokes. And some tira misu."

The detective paused, then asked slowly, "Tira misu?"

"Yeah, it's dessert, you jackwipe." Eric slammed the phone down before he laughed out loud. He covered his mouth so Rob and Olivia wouldn't hear him.

He checked on them. They were sitting quietly, not talking, but she was back beside him, his arm around her. He left them alone.

They brought the food. He had them set it by the door, and sent Rob to retrieve it.

The phone rang a minute later. Eros finished locking the door behind Rob, and hurried to answer it.

"Hey, thanks for the food, man," he said around a big bite.

"My pleasure, Eric. So, now you owe me your mother's last name."

Eros swallowed, then said, "Well....okay. It's Smith."

There was a silence, then the detective said, "Now, Eric, this is not a time for jokes."

"I'm not joking," Eros said, making his tone sound irritated. "Her last name is Smith."

"Okay. Is that your last name too, then?"

Eros grinned. "Not necessarily."

"I see." The detective waited.

"She's remarried," Eros finally admitted. "But you can find her if you try hard enough. Keep me posted."

The click of the phone was very satisfying. Betty Smith in Jersey. That should keep them busy for a little while.

He finished the sandwich. He didn't actually need to eat human food, but he sure enjoyed it. He took a long swig of coke, then headed for the storeroom.

"How are you lovebirds doing in your little nest?" he asked.

"We're fine," Rob said, same as last time.

"Good, good. We all need to keep our strength up, in case this gets ugly."

Silence. Eros smiled, and left the room, popping back in silently to spy on them.

Olivia shuddered, and turned her face into Rob's chest. "He's all over the place, so angry, then almost laughing. I think he's scariest when he sounds normal, in contrast."

Rob kissed her hair, shocking himself a little. She was letting him hold her, but she'd invited no further intimacies. It had just happened, a natural action. He waited, but she didn't protest.

"He's on edge," he finally said. "People under stress act crazy."

"I know." She was silent for a moment, then said softly. "We could die here."

"We're not going to die," Rob told her firmly, holding her tighter.

"You don't know that," she insisted.

Rob remained silent, his eyes anguished. Eros felt a little pang of remorse.

"Rob?"

"Yes?"

"If we hadn't gone to separate colleges..."

Rob waited, but she didn't finish the sentence.

"Yes?"

"Well, do you think... would we have made it?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes."

She looked up at him. "You sound so sure."

"I am. I love you, Olivia. I've never stopped. I was just...misguided for a while. Hell, we started dating at sixteen. I was surrounded by all these pretty girls, and you were so far away. My friends egged me on, and...no, that's not fair. It wasn't their fault. It was mine." He stopped and met her eyes, so full of pain now. "I'm so sorry, Liv. I never meant to hurt you."

She sighed. "I know. I understand. We were very young, and we'd never dated anyone else, either of us. I wasn't really surprised, just...well, it doesn't matter. The point is, I understand, and I don't blame you."

Rob blinked back unexpected tears. "Give me another chance, Olivia. Give us a chance."

She looked at him, not answering for a long time. Eros heard the phone ringing and scowled at it, but he wasn't leaving now.

"I don't know, Rob," she finally said. "We live such different lives now. We're different people."

"No, we're just older, with more experiences to share, and more stories to tell. But we're plenty young enough to have a long, full life together. We belong together, Olivia, I've always known that."

She looked down, and her fingers plucked nervously at her skirt. "I'm afraid," she whispered. "If it doesn't work, I won't survive it again."

"Oh, honey," Rob said, pulling her tightly against him and kissing her hair. "I promise, it will work. I love you, and I think you still love me. You do, don't you?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Another long silence, and then she finally pulled back to look up at him. Tears blurred her eyes "Yes," she whispered.

Rob smiled, in joy and relief, and then he kissed her. Soft at first, and then when she relaxed into him, he deepened the kiss. After several minutes, they broke apart enough to catch their breath, and to look into each others eyes.

"Olivia, I can't promise I'll never hurt your feelings or make you mad. I probably will. I'm a guy, you know." She smiled. "But I can promise you that I will never leave you, and I will never stop loving you."

"You'd better not. This time I won't give up so easily."

"There won't be a this time, not for leaving. Only our time, together."

Olivia smiled again, then her eyes took on a mischievous glint. "I want six kids."

Rob stared at her, then burst out laughing. "You minx." He pulled her back in for another kiss.

This time, their hands got involved, roaming and relearning long remembered territory. When Rob tugged her blouse out of her skirt, Eros left, satisfied that no further arrows would be needed.

Now to end this thing. He thought for a while, then sighed. Well, he'd known all along this might have to be the way. He picked up the ringing phone.

"Hey, where's my mother? She here yet?"

"Eric, we're working on it, but there are a lot of Betty Smiths in Jersey. Also a lot of Elizabeths, with lots of spelling variations. It would help a lot if you'd give us her address or phone number."

"I already told you, she moved and I don't know them by heart. But tell you what, forget my mother, She probably wouldn't come anyway. She doesn't really like me much."

"I'm sure that's not true, Eric. If she knows you're in a bad spot..."

"No, I said forget her. What I want now is a car. A fast car."

"Eric, we can't just let you walk out of there."

"Sure you can. Call me back when you get me a car."

Eros materialized a flash bang grenade in his hand. He didn't get much chance to play with ordnance. He whistled as he headed for the rear door. The alley behind the building was narrow, but there were two large metal garbage bins directly behind the door. He went out, invisible, to see if the swat team was still in place. There were two swat members behind the garbage bins. The sharpshooter on the roof further down wouldn't be affected by the grenade, so Eros had to distract him.