So Night Follows Day Pt. 06

"I managed a meeting with a representative of the Elders this evening. I told them about Whyte and Chen and the recording and how he set me up and probably has more planned. Turns out, they've heard of the prick and are willing to give me the benefit of the doubt until they hear it."

"Does that mean Rita's safe?" I asked.

"Not at all," Helen replied, putting out her cigarette and lighting another. "By now, the hit's Word On The Street. My cease-fire is with The Elders, but by the time the 'No Retaliation' order makes it down the chain to the local level, some underboss might've already decided to 'show initiative.' There could be a local contract on me already that would take time to rescind; one that the Elders could wash their hands of, because 'these things happen.' Rita still needs to go home."

"Let me get her." I said. "The Ultimados know me, and Whyte doesn't. I can bring her here or take her to the consulate or your jet, whichever. Maybe a passenger flight would be safer. Sounds like everyone's still playing by your 'No bystanders' rule." I thought a second. "And I just remembered I left my car at work. Troy would let me borrow his."

"No, he wouldn't." She replied with a puff. "I see your logic, Susan, but it's too risky. Troy would never go for it. I get the feeling that we're right that he doesn't know you, or he'd have included you that last taunting session; but we can't ignore the possibility that he's got an ace-in-the-hole planned for you. Your loss would devastate all of us, Susan. Troy would work the numbers in his head and say no."

I leaned my left elbow on the table and held my left hand up in the air, turning so she could see the back of it.

"Troy is my boyfriend, and I love him with all my heart, just like you and Julie. But there's no ring on this finger. The woman who bears that ring is presently being reassured that all this stuff going on doesn't mean her Partner-In-Everything-Forever is going to die; to say nothing of the fact that this is the third time this year that she's had the same fear for Their Mutual First Girlfriend. Troy probably has her deep in trance, and is going down on her, assuring her with each stroke of his tongue that Her Man will always be there to give her the love and pleasure she's feeling right now. I'm tempted to go back home and join in comforting her, except that they need Just Us Time right now."

"And you want to keep her that way?" Helen asked, gesturing with the cigarette now. "Just because you're relatively new around here does not make you at all expendable, Susan. To ANY of us! They'd never forgive me, I'd never forgive me. At best, they wouldn't be able to live in that house anymore, because they'd see you everywhere; and assuming it wouldn't be the one thing that could possibly be big enough to tear them apart, their first-born girl would absolutely be named Susan. Julie's scared for Troy right now, yes. However, I know that OUR names have been whispered through her tears in the bedroom they've probably locked themselves in right now. Her moans, too; because if I know how those two work, you're right that he's presently eating her pussy."

She got an email, checked it, and replied. I waited. I knew I was bugging her at work. She finished and looked back to me.

"Susan, the core tenet of our friendship is 'Don't Die.' Even though the risk is low, I can't do anything that might cause that."

I leaned forward and matched her gaze. Troy's told me that there's only been one event that could properly be called a "duel" with The Thing We Do, and it only happened back in the hospital. I didn't try it, though.

"I'll tell you what I told Ramirez when he didn't want to take me to Morgan's motel room, Helen: What would willful inaction do to you at a time like this?"

"Make us all happy that you're safe, Susan. That's what it would do." She started to make a dismissive wave before realizing that I don't work for her, and stopped midway through, her face twisting into a look of sorrow for what she'd been about to do.

I took the hint. I got up and started walking out. I'd grab a plate from the barbecue and head home.

"Susan?" Helen called before I rounded the corner. I stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?"

"You're going to try to do something anyway, aren't you?"

"Yeah." I admitted.

"And if I just let you walk out of here, you'll probably do the dumb thing someone does in every movie with a 'safehouse' and try to slip out or something, won't you?"

"We can't ignore the possibility." I responded.

"Or it'll be like on TV, when the hero tells the kid 'Don't follow me, kid,' and you just KNOW that kid's going to hide in the trunk or get on his bike and ride after him, won't it?"

"Non-zero chance, there."

"Because you're here to help, Susan, aren't you?" She smiled. "You're always here to help."

"It's what I do."

"So, I'd just be a responsible adult if I told you to take one of our cars, Troy was right about the LeBaron being nicely inconspicuous, and to take Mander and Velasquez with you."

"Shouldn't Velasquez put on some clothes or grab a weapon first?"

"Primo Tenente Marisol Velasquez is an Ultimado, Susan. She IS a weapon."

I turned and looked at Helen.

"You've been saving that, haven't you?"

She smiled at me.

"Yeah." Then she called down the hall, towards the front door. "Oi, Mander!" Despite the blaring of the Stones' 19th Nervous Breakdown coming from outside, he heard and entered. She turned back to me. "Ortega should have the keys. If you see Velasquez out there, send her in, please, and I'll brief her, too."

I smiled and went to help.