LL-a later chapter

A LATER  CHAPTER (But I'm not sure when...there's a bunch in between this and the main body of the story.  This part just came to me, and I wrote it.  Hope you enjoy this part of the story! Any commentary would be awesome!)



"Lacey!" Justyn screamed into the night. With tears coursing down her face, Justyn tried to follow the car that had been swallowed by the dark. Only Chad's firm hand on her arm prevented her from running down the street.

Turning to Chad, she pulled desperately at his arm. "Chad, we have to go after her! We have to find her now! That guy is a freak, we have to chase him. You know all the crazy things he's been doing lately. He's gonna hurt her.  We HAVE to go!" 

Chad's strong voice and firm grip cut through the knife-edge of Justyn's hysteria. He spoke to her as if she were a spooked animal, and he the Horse Whisperer. Chad knew that would be the only way he could ease his friend's fears.  And his own, which threatened to crash down around him at any moment. Unless, he reasoned, he could reach for calm, project it to Justyn, map out a plan, and get  to Lacey. Fast.

"Sweetie, I know.  We DO have to do all those things. You're right.  And we will.  Justyn, listen to me. Honey, you're wearing heels and an evening gown. You can't chase him through the streets of Portland in heels.  Even if you did know where he was going. AND, you have one hell of a shiner!" Chad reasoned with her. Even as he spoke, he was pulling out his cell and dialing. He kept his arm wrapped tightly around Justyn's shoulders, in case she decided to tear Portland apart with her bare hands to find her friend.  Chad figured she was pretty capable of it at this point. God knows, that's certainly what he wanted to do!  But after years in the PI business, he knew that the best way to help Lacey was to start with the police.  And he had a few connectioms.

"Jake, hey, its Chad," he said tightly when the phone was answered.  On the other end, Jake Martin could tell that something was very wrong. His friend's composure rarely slipped, but Jake heard that note of desperation in his voice.  Something must be really wrong, Jake thought.

"Jake, Lacey was just kidnapped.  Justyn and I are pretty sure that its that whack job who's been sending her all that crap lately. Can you get down here pronto?"

"Hey, man, I'm on it. I'll bring my crew." Jake's 'crew' was his stellar force of Portland State Troopers.  Chad knew that Jake would hand-pick the best guys on his force for a job like this one.  He was pretty sure that Detective Carter would be arrivintg hot on Jake's heels.  Clayton Carter was the bulldog who'd been working nearly around the clock trying to trace Lacey's hate mail.  Chad was profoundly glad that they would have Clay on their team, since he wasn't so sure he could be objective about the whole thing.

"How are you two doing? Justyn still with you, or did she go tearing off into the dark of Portland? Although, I have to say, that just might be the fastest way to track down Lacey," Jake said, trying to lighten the situation a bit. " Just turn Justyn loose, and that nutcase won't stand a chance.  That girl doesn't put up with people hurting her friends!"

Chad allowed himself a tight smile.  "You got a point there, buddy," he agreed.  "I tell ya, Justyn fought like a tiger against those goons.  She wasn't gonna turn loose....even if one of them did clock her."

"Shit, someone clocked Justyn?" Jake asked. His ire was already boiling when he heard about Lacey, and now Justyn getting hit? Someone's head was gonna roll for this. People didn't get away with this stuff on his watch.  Especially not to his friends.

"Yup, caught her a good one. She was wrestling with Goon number two, after Goon number one knocked Lacey out and tossed her in the car. Goon number one kept yelling at number two to get the hell in the car, but Justyn wouldn't let go. She was ripping and tearing and punching the crap out of him. Shit, she's probably got some great DNA under those pretty nails of hers. Anyway, the goon apparently decided that time was of the essence, so he decked her, sent her to the ground, and hopped in the car.  When I got there, Justyn was groggily trying to get up and all I could see were tail lights. She's got a hell of a shiner brewing, and a split lip, and I think she hit hard when she went down, cuz she's limping pretty bad," Chad related. His arm tightened around Justyn, shuddering to think what she had been through, and imagining what Lacey was going through.  Justyn reacted with body-racking shivers.

"Make sure you bring the medic, huh? Justyn's pretty beat up, and going into shock," Chad added.

"Will do, on my way.  Be there in ten, buddy. Hang in there....she'll be ok." Jake's sure tone reached Chad.  Jake knew how Chad felt about both those girls.  And he was also aware that Chad had loved Lacey for years. While he could have easily been talking about either girl, Jake's words were directed at Lacey. 

Chad took comfort from that, knowing that in addition to his ace PIs, and a seriously-pissed-off Justyn Franklin, the stellar Portland Police would be on the case.  Besides, he HAD to believe that Lacey would be ok. As soon as he thought otherwise, he'd be no help to Lacey.  His heart belonged to her, and he couldn't imagine life without her. Chad knew he had to remain calm, and focused, and do his job like any other.  Because otherwise, he might just rip someone's head off for hurting his Lacey. 

Chad shrugged his jacket off as he hung up the phone. Feeling Justyn's shivers getting worse, he draped it over her shoulders. He couldn't help Lacey at the moment, but he sure could take care of the girl by his side. And making sure Justyn was ok, being strong for her, was keeping him from falling apart. For now, anyway.

Justyn's fingers tightened on the lapels of Chad's jacket as she drew it around her shivering body.  Her big blue eyes, awash with tears, searched Chad's own.

"Jake's coming, right? And Clay? Are you gonna call Mike and Kelli? We have to start doing stuff.  Right now.  I know that its the minutes and hours right at the beginning that are the most important.  Chad, what's our plan? Tell me, what do we need to do? What do I do? How do I help her?" 

Chad looked into her upturned face and saw, beneath the tears, the dirt, the pain, and the fear, simmering anger. "Core of steel, this one," he thought with pride.  He knew that it didn't matter how hurt she was, Justyn would not rest until Lacey was safe.  Chad knew, and could see it on her face, because it mirrored his own.  These three, they were The Three for a reason. And dammit, no one, but NO ONE messed with his Two.

Simply seeing Justyn ready to do battle with little regard for herself gave him strength. Chad knew they would fight for Lacey together. Seeing Justyn's determination made "angry" a stronger emotion than "fear". And he knew that "angry" would carry them through the tough times. "Fear" would slow them down, debillitate them, make grief tougher to deal with.  But "anger" would carry them over the worry, push for action, and make sure that no stone was left unturned.  Chad and Justyn needed their anger, needed it focused on the creep who had harrassed and kidnapped their Lacey.

"Red, we're doing what we can right now.  Jake's on his way, I'm sure Clay's racing down too," Chad said as he wrapped his arms around Justyn.  "We gotta try and stay calm, and focused, and we'll work out a plan.  We're gonna get Jake's guys, and my guys, and every connection we can think of.  We're gonna start pulling in favors all over the place. Its going be a long night, but we'll get through it together. We'll do anything and everything we can to bring Lacey home."

Chad's hands slowly moved up and down Justyn's arms while he spoke.  The act of comforting her calmed him, while his firm conviction soothed her.  They leaned into each other, drawing strength from each other, knowing that neither would rest until she was found.

As Jake's cop lights began to light up the night, Justyn squeezed Chad for all she was worth.  When she turned her face back up to his, the glint in her eye told him volumes.  Fear and pain had faded for the moment, and was now replaced by banked rage. 

"You're damn right we will," Justyn said fiercly.  "No stupid little two-bit punk is going to get away with this."

Chad's face lit with the first real smile in hours. His arms tightened around Justyn, and he dropped a kiss on her nose.

"Red, honey? There's a saying you may have heard, starts out 'Hell hath no fury....' I"m pretty sure you know the end of it."

Justyn grinned as well, regardless of her split lip. "Damn straight hell hath no fury. Whack Job has one of my best friends. Besides," she paused as she gingerly touched her face, "I owe him one.  Let's go get this bastard, huh?"

Justyn linked her hands with Chad's, stiffened her spine, and got ready for battle.  Chad squeezed Justyn's hand, squared his shoulders, and looked fierce without trying.  Jake, jumping out of his car, was met by the steel determination of the warrior and the protector. He knew these two would not rest.

"Cavalry's here," Chad said as he winked at Justyn.  "Let's go kick some ass!"