Face the Music

Chapter 6

I walked back to the tourist part of town, where spring breakers were running around in skimpy clothes, left and right. Collins had told me that border patrol didn't have any useful information for us, but they promised to keep a close eye out. I didn't have much faith in them catching Loretto, anyway.

As I made my way to the motel, I found myself thinking of Ella, and growing more and more disappointed that I couldn't go out with her. I knew it wasn't right to develop any type of relationship, with her or anyone, while I was here, because I wouldn't be staying. Sand City was just another part of this job, not a place to settle down.

I told Collins I'd meet him at the motel to exchange information, but he was still an hour away. It seemed like as good a time as any to find Ella and cancel the date. I walked to Burger Joe's, deciding that it was the best place to start looking for her. I couldn't exactly show up at her house because she'd know that I'd followed her last night.

When I got to the restaurant it was past lunch time and I was hungry, so I sat down and ordered a burger from a waitress that wasn't Ella. She was nice, and cute in her own way, but she kept snapping her bubble gum and it was irritating the hell out of me. I asked her if Ella was working and she rolled her eyes, like she got that question a lot, and told me that she wasn't.

I sat and waited for my burger, watching the people walk by. Suddenly, a short, red-head sat down at the chair across from me.

"Hello," I said, keeping my face neutral. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tina." She said, then got right down to business. "I heard you asked Ella Stein out."

"Well, that's not until tomorrow night. If you need a hot date for tonight I'm free." I told her.

"Don't flatter yourself, smart ass," she said, trying to hide a smile. "I just thought you might like to know that the last guy that came in here and tried to get with Ella got the shit beat out of him, and he ended up lying in a puddle of his own vomit behind a dumpster."

"Coincidence?" I asked her.

She shook her head and I saw that she was concerned for my well-being.

"So who did it to him?"

Tina shrugged. "No one got caught and no one fessed up. The guy didn't even remember it. But everyone knows that Gabe has his sick little 'claim' on the poor girl, and he's got those two apes that follow him everywhere. They'd do anything he asked them to."

"Even if he asked them to beat the living hell out of his competition?"

She shrugged again. "I wouldn't put it past them. They're psychotic assholes. They're always hyped up on some drug, and they come from rich families so they're used to getting what they want. And right now, they want Ella. All three of them do, but Gabe most of all."

"Thanks for the warning." I told her.

She nodded, and got to her feet "All I'm saying is to watch your back. They might want to have a little chat with you." She eyed me up and down and took on a flirty tone. "But you're a big boy. You look like you can take care of yourself." She winked and I grinned at her. "Take care," she said, and flounced off.

My food came out of the kitchen just as my red headed guardian angel left my table, and I ate the burger in silence, trying to decide how badly I was going to hurt the three musketeers when they came for their little chat.

I wanted to cancel my date with Ella even less now that I knew what she was scared of. They must have been threatening her too because when I'd been asking her out she was constantly glancing at their table, her fear written clearly across her face.

When I was finished, I threw some money down on the table absentmindedly, and walked out of the restaurant. I looked up and down the beach and tried to decide where to look for Ella next. I still had close to 30 minutes before Collins was due back from the border.

I began walking on the beach, looking for pale shoulders and curly hair. 

"Oh hey, I'm glad I found you," I said to the back of her head. I was surprised and embarassed when the girl turned out not to be Ella. She looked at me like I was crazy, and I mumbled a quick apology before continuing up the beach.

Everywhere I looked I saw girl that could have been Ella. Thin, athletic, pretty. They were all over the place, but none of them were her. Deciding I'd never find her in the flood of people on the beach, I went back to wait outside Burger Joe's knowing she'd show up for work eventually. 

After only a few minutes of waiting I saw Ella approaching. She was wearing her Burger Joe's uniform and was obviously showing up for her shift. I walked to meet her and immediately noticed the anxious look on her face. She glanced around before stopping in front of me to talk.

"There you are," I said.

"We need to talk," she told me.

"Yes," I replied. "You first."

She took a shaky breath. "Okay. First of all, I'm really sorry about last night. It never should have happened." A guy heard her as he was walking by and he snorted and wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. Ella blushed at the innuendo and pulled me away from the flow of beach traffic, closer to the building. "I didn't mean for things to get out of hand," she continued.

I held up my hand to stop her. "I don't blame you at all, Ella. I should never have followed you." I saw the ghost of a smile cross her lips as she nodded slowly in agreement.

"But I still shouldn't have assumed . . . some things about you." I wanted to ask her questions about what she'd assumed, but I let her continue. "I came looking for you this morning actually. I just had to tell you that I can't go out tomorrow night."

"Unexpected plans come up?" I hadn't been expecting her to cancel our date. At least it meant that I didn't have to do it.

She shook her head, "I can't go out with you. At all. Or...ever."

"Is this about Gabe?" I saw a flash of guilt and resignation cross her face just as I heard a voice behind me.

"Is what about me?" The voice asked.

I turned and found myself face-to-face with Gabe. His two stupid circus monkeys stood behind him.

"Speak of the devil," I murmured. Gabe walked to Ella's side and draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her to his side. To my surprise, she didn't protest.

"Can I talk to you really quick?" I didn't wait for an answer. I just grabbed her wrist and pulled her a few steps from Gabe. She nodded at him, to let him know she wanted to talk to me.

I kept my voice low, and put my hands on her shoulders to hold her in place. I stooped so I could see her eyes, which were turned away from me.

"Ella." She looked up. "I don't know what these guys have on you, but I want you to know that I could take care of it for you, if you want that."

She shook her head. "They don't have--"

"Don't protect them," I said. "I'm not saying this because I'm looking for a relationship, either. I actually came here today to cancel our date, just like you." She looked puzzled but I didn't take the time to elaborate. I just said, "If you want to be with Gabe, that's fine, but just know that you don't have to be scared of--"

"Listen, Danny," she interupted. "Gabe and I are friends. I can't go on a date tonight for personal reasons. I shouldn't have said yes in the first place. I'm sorry."

She turned and walked back to Gabe and his pals. He gave me a smirk that said, 'Nice try, but I still got the girl.' I ignored the urge I had to punch his front teeth down his throat and asked,

"Any bonfires happening tonight?"

Gabe, who was very willing to show off his new "friend" said, "We'll be at one right out here," he gestured to the sand in front of Burger Joe's. "You should stop by." He only wanted me there so he could rub his relationship with Ella in my face.

I smiled and nodded, "Maybe I will. See you guys around." I gave Ella one last look, and she gave me a forced smile before I walked back to the motel to find Collins.