LOVE ON THE RUN - Sample Chapters

Chapter 1

"Someone want to tell me why we're chasing this broad? Our perp is a guy. I just think it would be nice to chase him. Or am I being unduly old-fashioned with the whole investigative thing?" 

Kerry bit her lip. Carter wasn't much on brains, but he did exasperated like a fish did water. His scant build meant his physical presence wasn't any more imposing than his mental presence. The pale skin and lackluster eyes, the inability to control his own vocal cords when excited, all attested to runt-of-the-litter genes he'd inherited from people who'd been swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool for far too long. Hand it to him, he was as determined to claw his way out of mediocrity as their perp was to claw his way into infamy. After all was said and done, Carter wasn't without a certain sex appeal. Chief among his positives were handsome facial features that would stand up to time and lean, sinewy muscles. 

She shifted her attention to the giant flat-screen wall monitor, on which was pictured the live helicopter chase footage. The control room she had set up at the NYPD precinct, while she was on loan to them, wasn't all that big, so in an uncharacteristic effort to play nice with the locals, she decided to keep her voice low so as not to embarrass Carter. Moreover, as, being the person in charge, all ears had a habit of being on her even when her mouth wasn't flapping particularly for their benefit. "Our perp's a man, alright. And so is that lady you're ogling." 

"No way," Carter blurted, staring at the monitor and pointing. "Look, lady, I'm a red blooded American male. That means I can spot real pussy from the fake stuff at a hundred yards-well, at any distance, really. The picture can be smudged worse than this. It's a psychic thing that I wouldn't have to explain to you if you were a red-blooded American male." 

It was Sam's turn to stifle a smile; Sam was technically Carter's superior, but he'd long ago given up fighting her. Carter was admittedly the more intellectually challenged of the two, explaining why he hadn't yet caved. Sam's bald head and paunch made him look like a black Buddha in his early years-well, prior to enlightenment. Although Sam himself was closer to retirement age.  

"I'm telling you, your she is a he," Kerry said to Carter. 

"And I'm telling you... I mean, maybe if she wasn't such a dish. But my dish radar is even better than my female radar. Take you, for instance," he said, gesturing by running his hand up and down her. "You're a dish and a half. That there, on screen," he said pointing, "is a dish and three-quarters. No offense." 

"None taken," she said smiling. "How much you want to bet on it?" 

"My next paycheck. How's that for confidence?" 

"Ouch. I don't want to hurt you that much, not on a first date. I'll settle for half your paycheck." 

"Ma'am," Milo, one of the FBI agents said, coming up to her. "We're not going to be able to continue to follow her where she's going. The chopper is risking getting entangled in all those low-hanging city wires as it is." 

"Not a problem." 

"Not a problem, she says," Carter mumbled, crossing his arms defensively. "So now you don't just have superior pussy sense, you can see through walls too." 

"The fire escape he just ran up to the third story of that brownstone..." Kerry explained, "It leads to a theatrical supply outlet. He's looking for his next disguise. So the next time you see him he'll be... well, something other than a hound-dog-attracting female, anyway. Since he's probably figuring he was a little too successful at getting and holding your attention, Carter." 

Once again Sam smiled warily and lowered his eyes. 

"You want to defend me here?" Carter said, directing his attention at Sam.