"Tiki Moon" drabbles by Christopher

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 331

Tiki Moon #331

We kept our voices low.

"Who's here?" I asked.

"Stan North and another man, I don't know who he is. He's an ugly bastard, though."

"Are they armed?"

She nodded, "The ugly guy is. I'm not sure about North."

"Okay," I said, "my car is down in the street. Climb down the fire escape and head back to construction site 7. Deborah's there holding Morty and Nick at gunpoint. The cops should be there soon if they aren't already."

"Deborah!" she said a little too loud.

"Go," I said, "get down the fire escape."

"Be careful," she said.

"Always, baby."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 330

Tiki Moon #330

There was an office built into the corner of one of the ends of the warehouse. A light was burning inside it. I eased up and looked through the glass on the door. Scarlett was gagged and tied to a chair inside the office. There wasn't anyone else in there so I slowly opened the door. She saw me and her eyes widened.

I started to remove the gag, whispering, "Be very quiet."

As soon as the gag was down she kissed me and I untied her from the chair.

"Are you here alone?" I whispered.

"No," she whispered back...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 329

Tiki Moon #329

I peeled out of the construction site and drove a couple of blocks down the road. I found the warehouse and stopped the car right in the middle of the road, jumping out and heading for the back. I found a door but it was locked so I climbed up on a dumpster, grabbing the bottom rung of the fire escape's ladder. I pulled myself up and went up the fire escape a couple of floors. I got to the top and went in through a window. The warehouse was apparently three floors and I was on the top one...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 328

Tiki Moon #328

"There's a warehouse a few blocks down the road that houses some of our construction equipment," she said. "It's down this road," she said, pointing. "The building number is 117."

"That must be where Scarlett's being held," I said. "As soon as Detective Harrigan gets here send him down there. Will you be okay here with Morty?"

She looked at Morty and then back at me, "Yeah, we're just going to have a nice little chat here. And if he moves I'll blow what little brains he has right out of his skull."

I nodded and jumped in my car...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 327

Tiki Moon #327

I didn't have time for the touching reunion. I had to find Scarlett. I picked Nick's gun up off the ground and handed it to Deborah.

"Do you know how to use this?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I thought you were going to wait for Detective Harrigan," I said.

"I left a note with the bartender that has the directions on it. He'll give it to Harrigan."

I knew the walkie-talkie that Nick had couldn't have much of a range so Scarlett had to be close.

"Deborah, does your company have any other properties around here?"

"Yes," she said...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 326

Tiki Moon #326

I knew if I didn't stop soon I would probably kill him, which was okay with me but I needed him to be able to testify against Stan North.

I went in the office trailer, found some rope, came back out and hogtied Nick, who was still groaning.

Morty was still standing there with his hand over his mouth.

"It's not a ghost, Morty," I said. "I didn't kill her."

She walked closer to Morty as I retrieved my gun from the ground and put it in my sholder holster.

"But...but...," Morty stammered.

"I'm very much alive, Mort," Deborah said...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 325

Tiki Moon #325

"Who's there?" Morty called out.

"Who do you think, Mort?" Deborah said.

Morty gasped and brought his hand up to his mouth.

"It's a ghost!" he screamed.

Nick looked over at the figure and I made my move. I lunged at him, grabbing his arm and pushing it up in the air just as a shot rang out and flew skyward. We hit the ground and I started pummeling Nick's face with my fists. He was grunting and trying to break free. He apparently wasn't used to having a man straddling him for that purpose. He just laid there groaning...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 324

Tiki Moon #324

"You're just asking for it, Randolph," Nick said as he pointed the gun at me. "But, I have other plans for you."

"I have plans for you too, Nick," I said, "but they all end with you in a pine box."

He laughed as a car pulled into the construction site. I was praying to God it was Harrigan. It had gotten too dark to see what kind of car it was, and the headlights were shining in our eyes.

A figure got out of the car and walked in front of it, partially obscuring the beam of the headlights...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 323

Tiki Moon #323

"You know," I said, hoping this wasn't a bluff, "it won't be long before the cops come screaming in here and arrest you two. But at least you don't have to worry about dropping the soap in the showers. Hell, for a couple of guys like you that's probably considered foreplay."

Morty looked embarrassed but Nick just stood there looking at me steel-eyed. He pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and I knew my number was about to be up. Me and my big fat mouth. I just can't let it go without pissing someone off even more...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 322

Tiki Moon #322

"He's right, Jake," Nick said, still smiling. He pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a walkie-talkie.

"Go ahead and shoot, Jake. But if I don't get back to the person on the other end of this contraption within fifteen minutes Scarlett will be taking a permanent dirt nap."

I so wanted to pull the trigger but couldn't. I didn't think Nick was bluffing.

"You don't hold the cards here, Jake. Drop your gun. Now!" Nick screamed.

All my hopes for saving myself and Scarlett hit the ground along with my pistol.

"Very good," Nick said, grinning...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 321

Tiki Moon #321

I opened the door to the trailer.

"Berman," I said, "get your ass out here now!"

I turned and walked back to the middle of the site. Nick came out the door with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Jake, thank you for coming," he said as he stepped toward me.

I pulled my gun, aiming it at Nick's head.

"Morty," I said, "if you care anything about this little fairy you better tell me where Scarlett is or I'm going to turn the top of his head into a convertible."

"I don't know where she is," Morty said...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 320

Tiki Moon #320

"That's the very reason we can't afford not to kill him. Don't worry, Mort. Once Randolph and Scarlett are out of the way we'll be in the clear."

"Yeah, until something else happens and then we have to murder more people," Morty said. The little twerp had obviously developed a conscience, as twisted as it was.

At least Scarlett was still alive. But that meant I couldn't rush in there with guns blazing. I'm sure Nick had someone holding her with orders to kill her if he didn't get back to them by a certain time.

I had no options...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 319

Tiki Moon #319

"So you're blaming me for this?" Morty asked.

"I'm stating a fact," Nick said. "I don't know what your problem is. You were perfectly willing to have your wife killed. What's the difference?"

"That was between Deborah and me. This is different. Scarlett's already survived one attempt on her life. Can't you leave her alone?"

"Mort...," Nick said.

"And," Morty interrupted, "This Jake Randolph. God only knows what his deal is. I mean, he's a private detective and yet he takes hit jobs on the side. And he's obviously in good with the L.A.P.D. Is it wise to kill him?"

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 318

Tiki Moon #318

I got to the construction site just before 10 pm. There were lights on in the office trailer that I had hid behind to eavesdrop on Morty's and Nick's meeting with Stan North. I didn't see North, but Morty's car was in front of the trailer.

I pulled up, got out of my car and ran up to the trailer door. I heard raised voices inside. I stood there listening.

"This isn't right!" Morty yelled.

"Mort," Nick said in a calm voice, "we don't have a choice. If you hadn't been fooled by Randolph we wouldn't be in this mess."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 317

Tiki Moon #317

I was trying to figure out how Nick discovered who I was. It had to have been at the construction company's office the night I killed Mr. Saint. A lot of the cops know me and he must have asked one of them who I was. From there it would've been easy enough to find out where I live. They probably went there to get me and found Scarlett instead and decided to use her to draw me to them.

I couldn't believe I took Scarlett to my apartment to keep her safe and that's what got her in trouble...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 316

Tiki Moon #316

"Now look," I said, "I don't have time to stand here arguing with you. Scarlett's life is on the line. When Detective Harrigan gets here in a few minutes you direct him to construction site number 7 in Pacific Palisades. I just hope Scarlett and I aren't both dead by the time he gets there."

I turned and started to the door and Deborah yelled out, "Be careful, Jake!"

I looked back and smiled weakly. It was all I could manage under the circumstances.

I jumped in my car and tore out for Pacific Palisades, hoping I wasn't too late...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 315

Tiki Moon #315

You could've heard a pin drop in the Tiki Moon as all eyes were on Deborah and me as we stood there staring at each other.

"Is this what you do, Jake? Use your agency as a recruitment tool for finding women to sleep with?"

"It's not like that, Deborah. And, if you'll recall on the ocean liner, you came on to me!"

Her eyes widened, "Oh, so it's my fault!"

"It's no one's fault!" I yelled back. "We're both adults, Deborah, and we had a wonderful experience. It was never supposed to be anything more than that. It wasn't."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 314

Tiki Moon #314

I slammed the receiver down and swore. Everyone in the place turned to look at me.

"What is it?" Deborah asked.

"They've got Scarlett."

Deborah looked surprised, "Why would they have her?"

"They must have gotten her from my apartment."

"Your apart....," Deborah said, stopping in mid-sentence. I saw the look of revelation in her eyes, why I had been so standoffish with her. She slapped me hard across the face. It stung like hell, but the emotional pain was even worse, but it was probably nothing compared to what Deborah was feeling at that very moment.

"You bastard!"

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 313

Tiki Moon #313

"Berman, I swear to almighty God if you harm one hair on her head I will slice your faggoty ass up like a jigsaw puzzle!"

He chuckled, "What happens to Scarlett is entirely up to you. Now, you will come to Pacific Palisades to a construction site..."

"I know where it's at, Berman. I was there the night you paid off Stan North."

There was silence on the other end. I think that shocked him.

"Very good," he said after gaining his composure, "then you shouldn't have any trouble getting here. And make it fast. The clock is ticking, Jake."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 312

Tiki Moon #312

He continued, "You are Jake Randolph, right? Not Jacob Randall? Not Groucho Marx? Jake Randolph, private detective?"

My mind was reeling, wondering how the hell he found out who I was. But I couldn't let it show.

"I told Morty I didn't want to have to come looking for the two of you or I was going to be pissed."

"Oh, you're not going to have to come looking for us. I'm going to tell you right where we are. And where Scarlett Wilcox is."

No, no!

I guessed it wouldn't have taken much to find out where I lived...