Rita woke before Tony. She was still in the afterglow of their lovemaking from the night before, and she wanted more this morning. Last night had been a night to remember. Rita got hot all over thinking about it.
Rita reached over to excite Tony when the alarm went off. Damn, maybe they could be late this morning. As if Tony could read her mind, he said, "Wow. You were something last night. Do you think we could be late this morning and go for round two?"
"Two? You don't count so well. Maybe round seven would be more like it," Rita said between kisses.
"Ok, my love. How about round seven?" Tony managed to get out.
"I want it more than you know, but it will have to wait," Rita responded and pulled herself away. She headed towards the shower.
"How about if I join you?" Tony asked, looking as gorgeous as he always did. It didn't matter morning, night or halfway in-between he always looked fantastic. Rita felt so alive when she was with him. Of course, on the job they had to play it cool. They were partners after all and fraternizing with your partner was strictly prohibited.
Tony was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow with nothing in the way of Rita seeing all of him. Hard, taught, and as handsome as a god. "What are you looking at?" Tony asked.
"You," Rita said softly. "I want to remember you as you are this very moment for the rest of my life."
"We will have a long life together, and you can look at me like that every day if you like," Tony said.
"Promise," Rita said, nearly whispering.
"I promise. Now can I join you?" Tony said, breathing harder.
"No, but you can watch if it will keep you excited all day. I will even put on a show for you." Rita said, laughing.
"I can't be like that all day. I'll go put on the coffee." Tony said.
"Ok, your loss," Rita said as she danced to the shower.
The sky was crystal clear as Rita drove to the station. Rita and Tony always drove in separate. They weren't ready to tell the bosses yet. One or the other would have to quit or get reassigned when they revealed that they were in love. They cherished being together and enjoyed being partners more than anything. Rita and Tony both said, soon, when they talked about telling the world but not yet.
At the station, nothing was new. No new cases and they had closed most of the older ones. Rita was upstairs talking to the captain about taking some vacation time when the commotion started. They heard the screech of tires, two gunshots, screams, and shouts with more tires squealing.
By the time Rita made it down to the street level half the force was out front. Rita pushed her way to the center of the crowd to see her confidential informant lying in the street, bleeding from two holes in his stomach. He saw Rita and reached for her. Rita tried not to get in the way of the EMT's working on Sal, her informant, but he wanted to tell her something.
"They took him. I'm sorry; they took him."
"Who took who?" Rita asked.
Rita had to get close to him to hear him say, "Bobby Gonzales has your Tony. You were supposed to come, not him. They wanted you but took him." Sal said.
The EMTs wanted to take him away. Rita stopped them. "Wait, please. I need to hear this," she yelled.
Rita asked Sal, "Where did they take him?"
"Bobby said you would know the place," Sal said.
"Yeah. I know where," Rita said.
Rita watched as the EMTs took Sal away. She was numb. She looked down and saw blood on her hands. Was that an omen? She wondered.
"Rita, what the hell is this all about?" the captain asked.
"Bobby Gonzales took Tony. I am sure in retaliation for my killing his brother Eduardo last year." Rita said. "They have him at the warehouse where I shot Eduardo over on Hudson. It is his way of sending an invitation."
"Why would he tell you?"
"Simple," Rita said. "He wants to kill me. Bobby knows that I will come for Tony. He knows I won't come alone, but it doesn't matter. He believes he can get to me before I get to him. Tony is insurance that I will come."
"Damn right, you're not going alone. I want SWAT to go with you."
"I've got no problem with SWAT going captain, but I am in charge, got it," Rita said. Her fists clenched.
"Yeah, sure."
It would take Rita fifteen minutes to get to the warehouse and SWAT only ten. They had instructions to close off the street and watch the building but not to enter until Rita got there.
Rita pulled up in twelve and drove slowly past the SWAT barricades. What was Bobby's end game? There was no way out except past SWAT, and they were damn sure not going to let him walk out. Rita kept watching the rooftops. She didn't expect Bobby to try to take her out with a sniper, but she didn't feel like risking her life on that hunch.
Rita got out of the car and scanned the rooftops again. Seeing the chopper overhead relieved those fears, but now what? SWAT had the building surrounded, and she could see some men setting up on other rooftops with a view of the area. It was a two-story square brick building with two large loading doors and an entry door. There was only one car next to the warehouse.
Rita put on her vest and started for the entry door. The head of SWAT walking next to her with two other members flanking them.
All four flattened themselves against the building near the entry door. One of the SWAT members tried the door, and it was unlocked. He opened it only a crack and checked for trip wires or other surprises. "It's clear," he announced quietly. The door swung out without a sound. The two swat members went in and crouched facing in opposite directions. Rita and the commander followed. They hadn't gone in about ten feet when they heard Bobby's voice.
"Good morning, Detective. I am glad you accepted my invitation. I did not expect you to come alone, but that is as far as your escort comes or I shoot your partner Tony here in the head and blow the place to hell. Your call."
"What guarantee do I have you won't kill Tony and me if I come alone?"
"None. In fact, I am going to kill you. Tony, here I have not decided on yet. Fifty-fifty odds right now."
She motioned for SWAT to stay and Rita moved slowly forward towards the rear of the building. The office door was where it was the last time Rita came here. Over on the far side is where Rita shot Eduardo. The memories are still fresh in her head. The door to the office hung open, looking almost inviting, but Rita knew what she would find inside. She gasped as she entered.
A bloody pulp was all that she could see of Tony's once beautiful face. His arms and legs bound to a chair with wire. Bobby Gonzales was standing next to Tony, grinning with his big gold tooth. His long, greasy hair pulled back in a ponytail. Bobby was holding a large black nine-millimeter Glock seventeen handgun pointed at Tony's head. The muzzle was pressing firmly against his temple. Tony appeared to be looking at Rita with his one open eye. The other was swollen shut. Rita hoped when they got out of this mess; Tony would be alright. She couldn't believe they would not get out. She couldn't believe that.
Rita had her weapon out and pointed at Bobby's head but knew she couldn't pull the trigger without endangering Tony's life. "Come on bitch, shoot me. You know your lover is dead before I hit the floor. I'll be dead, but your boy here will be dead also, but the best part is you will have to live with the fact you killed him. So go ahead shoot," Bobby screamed.
"What do you want?" Rita asked, with a calmness she didn't feel.
"You bitch. I want you to suffer and die. You were supposed to come to the meet with that little weasel Sal, but you had to send this piece of garbage."
"OK. You can have me but let him go."
Tony tried to twist to object, but Bobby hit Tony on the head and said to knock it off.
"I don't think that is going to happen. I have your boyfriend, and I aim to have you. I will enjoy hurting you before I kill you," Bobby said. "In fact, you will be begging me to end it before I get done with you. You filthy pig!" Spittle flew from Bobby's mouth.
Rita still had her weapon aimed at Bobby's head, but she didn't know what to do. She could see the hatred in his eyes.
Bobby interrupted Rita's thoughts. "I can see you have no answer for what to do. What you need to do is lower your gun and place it on the floor and then kick it over here slowly."
Rita lowered her gun to her side but didn't place it on the floor. She needed him to move. To take that gun away from Tony's head for just an instant then she could fire or attack.
As if Bobby was reading her mind he moved directly in front of Tony with his back to Rita, and said, "I am going to count to three, and then I am going to shoot your boyfriend in the head right through his teeth unless your gun hits the floor, one, two..."
Rita was panicking; she didn't know what to do. In the academy, they teach you all about different scenarios but nothing like this. There was no time to think or to act.
When Bobby said three, Rita was already raising her gun when Bobby spun and fired at Rita striking her in the shoulder. Rita shot twice hearing the smack of the bullets hitting flesh, but Bobby was still on his feet and raising his gun again. Rita triggered her Smith and Wesson M&P nine and emptied the clip into Bobby watching as his body danced when the bullets struck home.