Windy's Motel

Windy hurriedly packed as she talked to herself. "This is never going to end."  She stuffed what was left of her clothes after the fire into an oversized bag. "I can feel it!"

Gib jumped onto the dresser and bumped his head into Windy's. "Time to go, big guy."

She slung her two laptops over shoulder then her oversized bag on the same shoulder. She stretched her left arm to Gib. He pounced onto her digging his claws into her jacket.

As Windy opened the door, a large man blocked the door. "Officer Santos! Why are you here?"

"Looking for your boyfriend."

"Fiance."

"No matter."

Windy tried to step around Santos but he did not move. "Is there a problem?"

"Where is he?" Santos towered over Windy attempting to intimidate her.

"Why not ask your buddy?"

Santos' demeanor darkened. "You are playing a dangerous game, Miss South."

"No more dangerous than you." Windy pressed on. "You are in deeper than any!"

Santos grabbed Windy but Gib took offence and fired back with his claws fully extended striking the officer on his neck and just under his right eye. The precision strikes stunned the officer giving Windy the opportunity she needed.

Windy pushed Santos to create space. Before he gained his balance she struck him with a front kick sending him onto his back. Gib followed the officer, jumping down and continuing the viscous attack to the officer's face and neck. The overly protective cat proved to be fearless as the assault continued.

Windy called out to her cat. "Gib! Come boy!" But it was in vain. She ran to her car knowing there would be little chance of escaping Officer Santos if she hesitated. "Gibbbbbbbb!" Still her cat would not obey.

Windy sped away from the motel without Gib. She held her smart phone to her mouth. "Call Jimmy."

The phone vibrated in his jacket pocket but Jimmy would not answer. Win, I don't know what's going on here but I have a funny feeling deep down that things are not what they seem.

Windy listened to Jimmy's phone go to the generic voicemail. "Babe, Santos is in deep with the Fortunes and Captain Cranzell!" She paused. "I am not sure about Officer Kilterage."

Kilterage's Patrol Car

"Mr. Carrick?" Kilterage pulled Jimmy's attention from his thoughts of Windy. "You seem way out there."

"Huh? Oh, just thinking about what's about to go down." Jimmy looked at the scenery passing by. "Where are headed, Kilterage?"

Kilterage tilted her head. "To see my friend."

"How do I get across the inlet?"

"How did this all begin? You and the Fortunes?" Kilterage pressed Jimmy.

"That would take longer than we have tonight."

Kilterage pressed again. "How about you and Joey?"

"Kilterage, he is not worth talking about." Jimmy had little appetite to discuss Joey.

"Not worth talking about?" She seemed surprised.

"You've read the court transcripts and the police files. There isn't much left to talk about."

"How about when Joey and Johnny went missing?" Kilterage tried to force Jimmy's hand into an unknown week earlier in the month.

"Officially?" Jimmy looked to Kilterage for an indication.

"Unofficially, Mr. Carrick."

"Johnny was being a pain in the ass one day, flapping his lips about how Joey was looking for me. I didn't even know he was out of the pen."

"When did you come face to face with him?"

"You know Kilterage, this is sounding more like official questioning. Are you looking to charge me with something?"

"That would be above my pay grade, Mr. Carrick." Kilterage tried to explain. "Humor me, Mr. Carrick."

Jimmy frowned.

"You have it in for Joey, don't you?"

Jimmy laughed. "This a joke, Kilterage?"

"Why write that story that led to Joey going to prison?"

"I thought the people of Van City should know that what he was doing was hurting everyone in the city."

"There was more than just Joey." She quickly replied. "But you didn't write anything about them."

"Joey controlled everything. Ordered broken legs. Who to kill. Where the drugs were to be sold."

"So you played cop?"

"It's not called investigative journalism for knowing what restaurants he likes."

"Did it make you feel important?"

Jimmy hated the questions from Officer Kilterage. "Where are these questions leading to Kilterage?"

Kilterage went silent as she stopped her patrol car in the parking lot of the boat launch. Jimmy watched people pulling their boats out of the water then looked back at Kilterage.

"Your friend..." Jimmy didn't finish the question. "Oh. Right."

Kilterage pulled her sidearm and had it pointed at Jimmy.

"You too, Kilterage?" Jimmy scoffed. "You played it cool for the past couple of months."

"I met Joey after his release." Kilterage admitted. "I fell hard for the bad boy."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Bad? That's an understatement. You understand he has racketeering is one of his better qualities?"

"Just shut up!" Kilterage screamed at Jimmy. "He told me you wanted to wipe the entire family out."

"If I wanted to wipeout the Fortunes they'd be in the ground already. Joey and Johnny wouldn't have been spared." Jimmy continued his reasoning. "I could have eliminated Robert Junior at a restaurant on the way out of the city. And as for Senior ~ his security guards are idiots!"

"You were responsible for putting Joey and Johnny in the hospital?!"

"Self defense."

"Self defense? Right!" Kilterage's sarcasm ran thick.

"It was!" Jimmy looked at Kilterage. "You seem to be taking this personally."

"You're a bastard!"

"I am no angel, Kilterage."

"You almost killed my Joey!"

"Joey has several women, Kilterage. He never cared about any of them."

"Shut the hell up!" Kilterage waved her sidearm at Jimmy. "He loves me!"

"He uses people."

"He takes me out to dinner."

"All an illusion, Kilterage."

"I'm gonna take you out for Joey."

"Not worth it, Kilterage. Senior will do it for you. Just get me to the mansion. Keep your hands clean. I have no weapons." Jimmy shrugged. "After tonight I'm dead. You and Joey can do whatever you and Joey do."

"If I kill you, he will know I love him."

"If you kill me, Win will hunt you down. You know it!" Jimmy questioned her resolve. "You will never get Joey if you are in prison. If I make it to the mansion, Win will never suspect you."

Kilterage took Jimmy's advice and holstered her sidearm.

"I never would have guessed, Kilterage." Jimmy shook his head. "I just don't believe it."

Kilterage had no backup plan. "How do I get you to the mansion? I have no connections."

"Why not commandeer a boat like cops take cars?" Jimmy looked towards the busy boat ramp.

"Like that won't draw attention!" Kilterage huffed.

Windy's Pursuit

Windy opened her laptop as she continued to drive. Distracted driving at its limit. She opened her tracking program and used the voice activation. "Track Jimmy." She waited for the cellphone tracker to calculate his location. "Come'on. Come'on!"

"Stanley park? Why Stanley Park?" Windy concentrated on the road again. Heading across the city is difficult at any time much less at seven in the evening.

Fortune Mansion

Robert Senior's phone rang and he eagerly ripped it from its base. "Yes?!"

"The bridges are shut down. Every car in the lines were searched. "Carrick was not among them."

"Thank you, Captain." Senior ended the call. "Santos." He quickly punched the keypad. "Santos, where are you?"

Santos sat in his patrol car trying to stop the bleeding. He cracked his neck before telling Senior. "At the motel. Carrick bolted."

"You'd better find him." Robert Senior wanted to make sure the bad cop understood what was on the line. "If Carrick is able to get here before nine...disappear."

Santos ended the call. "Fuck me! I'm dead." He looked into the vanity mirror and the deep scratches Gib left behind. "Fucking cat!"

Boat Launch

Adia arrived with her Haida band members in the three vehicles. The band members exited their SUVs. The group drew Jimmy's attention.

"Hey Kilterage, I may have a way across the inlet." Jimmy pointed to Adia's friends.

"Who are they?"

Jimmy looked Kilterage in the eyes. "People I can trust." He got out of the patrol car and walked to the Haida band members.

Jimmy explained his plight. "I understand Adia needs to get home. She saved my life! I can not ask her to delay her journey home."

"Jimmy?!" Adia called out from her cocoon like state, wrapped in elk and bear skins. "Bring him here."

"How are you feeling?" Jimmy offered his wry smile.

"I will survive." She offered a soft smile. "I sense you need help."

"Yeah. I need to get to the Fortune mansion in less than two hours..."

Adia interupted Jimmy. "Eagle Creek!"

The leader arrived at the window.

"Eagle Creek, take Jimmy across the inlet."

"We must get you to Daajing Giids.(the village)" Eagle Creek reminded Adia of her own safety. "The police will be searching for you."

"I understand Eagle Creek. But we can not turn our backs to the ones who share our fight." Adia's soft spoken words were understood.

When a launch from the Haida's ship arrived at the boat launch the leader informed Jimmy. "It is time."

Jimmy nodded to Adia. Not knowing if he would ever see her again, he simply offered a smile of gratitude before following Eagle Creek to the launch.

Kilterage watched as the launch with Jimmy aboard pulled away from the dock. Just as she was about to leave Windy raced into the parking lot in search of Jimmy.

The officer got out of her cruiser to waved Windy down. "Windy!"

Windy quickly exited her car to meet Officer Kilterage. "Where's Jimmy?"

Kilterage pointed at the launch heading away from them at full speed. "Mr. Carrick talked with an indigenous person in that SUVover there."

"Adia!" Windy rushed to the SUV. The members of her band blocked her way. "I would like to speak with Adia. I am a friend."

"Adia is weak."

In a faint voice, Adia invited Windy to talk. "Let her speak."

"The officer said Jimmy spoke with you." Windy searched for her own answers.

"He is on his way to the Fortune mansion." Adia looked into her eyes. "He will not return."

Windy turned, running back to Kilterage. "I need to get across the inlet!"

"I can't lose Jimmy!"

"Come on!" Kilterage pulled Windy towards the boat launch. She waved a small power boat waiting its turn to exit the waters. Then pointed to where she was standing. The operator approached.

Kilterage made her plea for help. "The bridges are closed and the ferries have been docked until the morning. Will you take us to North Vancouver?"

The boat owner asked a valid question. "What's in it for me?"

Windy pulled a wad of bills from her front pocket. "Everything I have!"

He thumbed through the bills. "Three hundred dollars? Must be important."

Kilterage pressed the man for he answer. "Do we have a deal?"

He smiled. "Jump on."