Linda Kay Silva - Delta Stevens 3 - Weathering the Storm (27 page)

Children like Helen, who had simply gotten in the way of a lunatic bent on destroying Connie, children like the ones who were snatched every day in this country. It was clear to Delta that if children were increasingly becoming victims in this warped society, then the rules needed to change. And if no one else would change them, Delta Stevens would.

Pulling into Harry’s parking lot, Delta wasn’t at all surprised to find it crowded. Recently, Harry had mounted shrapnel from a Patriot missile from what was then called “The Gulf War,” and a lot of new faces showed up to look at his find.

The thought of traveling across town to see something that had devasted people’s homes and possibly killed innocent people made Delta shake her head sadly. She didn’t want to think about such sadness tonight. No, tonight, she wanted to be with Megan. She wanted to hear what Megan was feeling and really listen to her needs. Tonight, Megan was going to get 100 percent of Delta Stevens.

Delta grabbed the receiver and stuck it in her jacket pocket before locking the truck and heading toward the bar. It was a cool night and she was glad she hadn’t thrown her favorite jacket away when Sandy asked her to.

Opening the door, Delta squinted through the darkness and toward the area of the bar where she and Megan usually sat. Instead of finding Megan sitting by herself, Delta was unpleasantly surprised to find Tony sitting with her and leaning far too close to her.

“Damn him,” Delta growled, stepping away from the door. She knew Tony well enough to know he was probably wearing his “aren’t I handsome” face complete with his disgustingly grotesque Mr. Macho Charm. For a moment, Delta wanted to go over and rip that stupid smile off his face and cram it down his throat. She wanted to grab him by the hair and—

Then Delta remembered. Tony didn’t know that Megan was her lover. He didn’t know that she wasn’t the slight bit interested in him or any other man in the bar. He didn’t really know squat.

Upon further inspection, Delta noticed the look of utter contempt on Megan’s face as she tried to move away from him. Like so many men Delta had met, he was completely ignorant of any messages Megan might have been sending. Because of his inability to read anything other than the lump in his pants, Tony had failed to notice the fact that Megan was not laughing, she was not smiling, she was not flirting, and she appeared utterly bored. Still, Tony was undaunted, and Delta had seen enough.

Strolling over to the table, she held her finger to her lips when Megan caught sight of her.

“Hey, Carducci,” Delta offered, patting him jovially on the back.

Tony barely looked up. “Uh, hi, Delta.”

“Fancy meeting you here on our night off. Is this your girlfriend?” Delta tried not to grin at Megan, who managed to keep a poker face. Delta would remember that if they ever played cards against each other.

Leaning closer to Delta, Tony whispered over his shoulder, “Beat it, Delta. Your cramping my style.”

Moving closer to him, Delta whispered back, “Don’t worry. You don’t have any.”

Straightening up, Tony cleared his throat while giving Delta obvious facial signs that she was getting in his way. “I forgot my manners,” he said, turning his most charming smile on for Megan. “It’s rude of me not to introduce my partner. This is Delta. And Delta, this gorgeous creature is Prudence.”

It took every ounce of energy Delta had to keep from busting a gut on that one.

Reaching her hand out, Delta took Megan’s warmly in hers and fought back the guffaw begging to be released. “Prudence? What a lovely name.”

Megan held Delta’s hand a moment too long and batted her eyelashes. “Why, thank you. Delta is an interesting name, as well.”

Sitting across from Megan, Delta held her sapphire eyes in hers. They were both enjoying Tony’s discomfort a bit too much. “It’s the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. My grandparents were Greek fishermen.”

Megan scooted closer and continued gazing at Delta. Unsure of what to do, Tony put his arm around the back of Megan’s chair.

“So, you’re Greek?” Megan purred, not taking her eyes off Delta.

Delta grinned, more at Tony’s uneasiness than at Megan’s question.

“Well, Delta, I’m sure you have things to do, so we won’t keep you,” Tony said, casting his eyes at the door.

Taking Delta’s hand in hers, Megan squeezed it. “I think I’d like to keep her.”

At this, Tony practically jumped out of the booth. “What the hell? Man, come on, Delta, I saw her first!”

“Finders, keepers, Carducci? Aren’t you a little old for that?” Rising from the chair, Delta motioned for Tony to sit back down.

Pulling Delta aside, Tony mumbled his apologies to Megan before taking Delta on. “Remember when we had that talk about you being...”

“A lesbian?” Delta practically yelled the word.

“Keep your voice down! Man, you’re really blowing it for me.”

“You’re assuming you have a chance.”

“Well, I did, until you came along!”

Turning from Tony, Delta gave a tiny wave to Megan, who waved back. “Forget about it, Carducci, she’s way out of your league.”

“Oh, and I suppose she’s in yours?”

Smiling, Delta nodded. “I hope so. She’s my lover.”

Tony opened his mouth but silent air was the only thing that came out. “Lover, Carducci, as in partner, mate, spouse, girlfriend. You know.”

“You’re shitting me,” he muttered, staring at Megan as if she were a mannequin who had just sprung to life.

Delta shook her head. “Nope.”

Scooting across the booth, Megan joined them and held her hand out for Tony. “I’m Megan.”

Reaching into his pocket, Tony pulled out some dollars and slammed them on the table. “You don’t...she doesn’t...oh, fuck it,” he said, jamming his fists in his pockets. “What’s a guy got to do these days to see if a broad is just a damn broad?”

Delta clamped down on her jaw and stepped closer to him. “I’m sure you’d like to rephrase that, Carducci. We might have had a little fun at your expense, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like an ass-hole.”

“Del, it’s okay,” Megan interjected. Delta held her hand up. “No, hon, it isn’t. He didn’t need to insult you.”

“Insult her? Get off it, Delta, you pull a gag like that on me and expect me to play nicely?”

“Precisely.”

“Well forget it. You get all pissed off at me for just doing what guys do—”

“And what’s that, Carducci? Act like big dicks with tiny little heads?”

“Jesus! Cut the feminist crap, man. It was an honest mistake. This isn’t a gay bar, you know.”

Suddenly, Harry called out to them. “Hey, you two, take it outside.”

“What do you know about guys, anyway, Delta?” Stepping past the table, Tony headed for the door. “You’re always so damn busy putting us down, you wouldn’t know a decent guy if he ran over you.”

“You’re right!” Delta yelled, starting after him. “It’s been a few years since I met one! Aren’t they on the endangered species list? I’ll let you know if I find another one in this decade.”

Standing at the door, Tony whirled around. “Look, we can’t all be like your sainted Miles Brookman, but you’re going to miss out on a lot of good people if you keep that female superiority shit up!”

Delta felt the blood drain from her face. “Don’t you dare talk about Miles Brookman! You’re not fit to clean his gun!”

“Man, you’re crazy! I’m outta here.” Shoving the door open, Tony stomped out.

Megan rose. “Del, please let it go. He didn’t mean any harm. Besides, we’re the ones—”

But Delta had stopped listening. Storming through the bar, Delta brushed off any hands that tried to stop her. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the fear, and maybe it was her horrible experience at the hands of Dice, but Delta had lost it. She had gone over the edge and wanted to strike out at any man who invaded her space.

At this moment, Tony Carducci was that man.

“Look, Carducci,” she said, as she ran to catch up to him. “I don’t have to sleep with men to know what big pricks they can be.”

“Maybe not, but you haven’t even given me half the chance I deserve because I have one! Man, don’t you see? What you’re doing to me in the name of feminism is every bit as shitty as what straights do to you.”

“What in the hell would you know about bias, Carducci? You’re a white man. You have all power.”

Tony shook his head and picked up a rock to throw at a parking sign. He missed. “Man, Delta, what do you want from me? Perfection? I’m doing the best I can here just to understand that my partner is a lesbian. I’ve never known a lesbian before. How the hell was I supposed to know she was your...your...”

“Lover, Carducci. That beautiful woman in there is my lover. She’s not a broad, she’s not a dame, she’s a woman. And you were treating her like she was the main entree when I walked in. Women are people, Carducci, not meals, not delicacies, but people.”

“Right. And she’s a beautiful woman, Delta. Everyone in that place wanted a shot at her. Why should I be any different?”

Delta took two steps away from him. Then, she picked up a rock and threw it at the parking sign. She hit it. “You got me on that one. Why should you? Why not act like all the other assholes? She’s my lover, Carducci, and you were all over her like a cheap suit.”

“How was I suppose to know? Instruct me, oh Training Patrol Guru, how the hell I was supposed to know she was gay? By the way she sipped her drink? By the way she sat? I’m not a fucking mind reader, Delta!”

“No one’s asking you to be, Carducci! All I’m asking is for a little decency training. Not all women enjoy being pawed, Carducci. And just because a woman is good looking doesn’t mean she wants assholes groping her.”

Shaking his head, Tony started walking away. “You got a hot poker up your ass, and I sure as hell don’t have to stay around while you yank it out and try to shove it up mine. I’m sorry about what happened to you out in the desert, but it had nothing to do with me.”

Delta started her retort, but Tony continued. “Whatever your beef is, it isn’t with me.”

Before Tony could take another step, the receiver went off. Both Delta and Tony stopped yelling and stopped moving. “That’s our car!” Delta cried, grabbing the receiver from her pocket. “Tony, call it in! I’m going after them.”

“But—”

Delta waved him off. “There’s no time! Just go!” Sprinting in the direction of Harry’s parking lot, Delta was stopped by the sound of Megan’s voice.

“Delta!”

Caught between possibly busting the perps and saving her personal life, Delta turned around and waited. On one side stood Megan, their rocky relationship, and their life together. On the other, was her career, her sense of duty, and the lives of others.

It was not an easy choice. But she made it anyway.

“I’ll be right back, I promise!” Jumping into the cab of her truck, Delta squealed out of the parking lot in chase of a blinking green light. Glancing at the receiver, Delta realized it wasn’t far from where she was, and in less than a minute, she was only four cars behind a bright red Camaro with dealer plates.

“Bingo!” she said, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. Somewhere in her gut, she knew the thin man was behind the wheel of that car. It was the same electric energy that grabbed her instincts during the Zuckerman case. This was it.

Trying to follow as inconspicuously as possible, Delta let three more cars ahead of her. She had the receiver and that was all she needed to keep a safe distance. Driving on for two more minutes, Delta wiped her upper lip with the back of her hand.

“Where are those units?” she mumbled, looking at her watch. She had been following this guy for almost five minutes now and there were no black and whites in sight. Surely, someone was out there looking for a bright red Camaro with dealer plates?

When the Camaro took a series of turns, Delta knew he was simply trying to establish that he hadn’t been tailed. Ah, Delta grinned to herself, the beauty of high-tech police work.

The next time she stopped, Delta allowed a little more distance between the Camero and her truck. As she waited, a black and white rolled through the intersection, oblivious to her waving hands in the cab of the truck.

“Damn it! ” she cried, beating the steering wheel with her fists. “What’s the matter with those guys?”

Suddenly, the green light was no longer flashing and Delta watched and waited to see if it was going to blink again. After waiting what felt like hours, it was clear that the Camaro had arrived at its destination. In a moment, she slowly rounded the corner and saw the Camaro pull into a garage.

“Come on, guys, where are you?” When the garage door came to a close, Delta pulled over seven houses away, jammed her gun in the back of her pants, and quietly clicked the door closed. Looking up and down the street, Delta wondered where everyone was. Something was desperately wrong.

Opening the passenger side door, Delta pulled her ankle holster out from under the seat, pushed the nine-millimeter into it, and made her way across the shadowy front lawns that stretched like a darkened football field before her. In the sparse glow of the city night, Delta heard every cricket, every blade of grass crunch beneath her feet, and every dog within a mile barking to the twilight hours. By the time she reached the house where the Camaro was safely behind the garage door, a white, unmarked van pulled into the driveway. The van had no plates and bore no markings other than a dent in the right fender. From her vantage point behind the acacias, Delta watched as the garage door opened, allowing the van to pull in while three dark figures walked casually out.