Paula"s voice joined the fray. "He"s on the move, Rainey. He"s coming to you. Come out and let him deal with this and then you can go back in."
"I don"t understand," Rainey said, frustrated.
Phyllis Rowan came through the large doors from the other room. The sound amplified and then m.u.f.fled again, as the doors closed behind her. She spotted Rainey and made her way over to her. She slapped Rainey on the shoulder and laughed loudly. Phyllis leaned in close, but still had to shout.
"d.a.m.n girl, that"s a handful you got there. I didn"t know you were bringing her with you tonight."
It suddenly dawned on Rainey who was in the other room. She shot around Phyllis, yanked open one of the wooden doors, and stormed into the dance hall.
She heard Sheila say in her ear, "Okay guys, I have eyes on Agent Bell. She"s moving across the room toward the northwest corner. I think she sees the problem."
Rainey neared Dara Thomas" private table. A blonde, with her back turned to Rainey looked extremely familiar. She was going to read Katie the riot act for this stunt. Rainey reached out and grabbed the blonde"s shoulder, whirling her around. She was shocked when the recognition hit her. Gillian Knox wore a surprised look, immediately replaced by consternation.
"Agent Bell, I wish someone had warned me that alcohol and these two don"t mix."
Rainey looked at the table in front of Knox. Katie and her equally beautiful sister, Helena, were holding court, with all eyes on them.
Knox continued to defend her actions. "I tried to keep them at the hotel. They just walked out. Short of handcuffing them, I wasn"t sure what to do, so we just followed them here." She pointed at the female cop in plain clothes and the two uniformed officers behind the table.
Danny was in Rainey"s ear again, "Let me handle this Rainey. Remember he"s watching you."
"I am well aware of that," Rainey said.
Knox looked puzzled. "You knew she was here? I just now called it in."
Rainey pointed at her ear. Knox got it and quit talking, just about the time Rainey quit listening and stepped up to the table. Katie was drunk and loud.
She was saying, "Rainey said this would be the safest place in Durham tonight, so here we are."
"Yes, here you are," Rainey shouted over the music.
Helena saw Rainey first. She sprang from her chair and hurried around the table. She hugged Rainey, while saying, "Our hero has arrived. Rainey, we were looking for you and Katie said you would be here."
Rainey made no move to hug Helena back. She stared at Katie, who was trying to stand up, unsuccessfully, until the female deputy steadied her. Katie slurred when she said, loudly, "Well, h.e.l.lo. Don"t I know you?"
"Maybe not well enough," Rainey shouted back.
Katie waved her arm to get people"s attention, calling out, "Look, everybody, Agent Bell is here, never fear."
Rainey undraped Helena from her neck and started around the table. Katie took a few steps backward, falling up against the deputy. She smiled up at the officer, saying, "Ooo, Agent Bell looks mad."
"Agent Bell is mad," Rainey said, grabbing Katie by the elbow. "Come on, you"re going with me."
Katie s.n.a.t.c.hed her arm back. "I don"t have to go anywhere with you."
By this time, everyone else at the table was on their feet. Other people were watching. Rainey tried a different tack. "Katie, I would very much like to talk to you in private."
Helena was suddenly at Rainey"s side. "From what Katie"s been telling me, she"d very much like to get you in private, too."
Katie slurred, "Not when she"s like this, all mad and bossy."
Chelsea Thomas spoke next. Rainey recognized her from seeing her at Katie"s school. "Rainey, I"m sorry. Katie invited us to her father"s party and when she found out we were coming here, she insisted on accompanying us."
Rainey responded, "It"s not your fault, I understand how unreasonable she can be." She aimed that last part at Katie, who now was leaning on the female cop.
The look on the cop"s face was priceless. If Rainey hadn"t been so mad, she would have laughed. Gillian wore the same expression. They had both been Katietized, unable to redirect the little blonde from her desires. Rainey knew the feeling well.
"I came here to have a drink and dance. That"s what I intend to do. You go off and hunt your man, Rainey Bell. I"m going to have a good time."
"Why don"t we all just sit back down? We"re drawing a crowd," a dark haired woman said. She extended her hand to Rainey. "Agent Bell, it"s an honor to meet you. I"m Dara Thomas, Chelsea"s sister."
Rainey shook Dara"s hand, while the deputy helped Katie back into her chair. "It"s nice to meet you," Rainey managed to say, still watching Katie out of the corner of her eye. "Please, call me Rainey."
"All right, Rainey," Dara turned to the others retaking the seats at the table, "this is Rhonda and Barb, friends of mine, and this is Chelsea"s boyfriend, Jared."
It was the first time Rainey noticed the man beside Chelsea. Rhonda and Barb shook Rainey"s hand and then Jared stood up, extending his hand for her to shake. He was tall and had a military bearing, but seemed shy just the same.
He smiled and said, "Nice to finally meet you. I"ve heard a lot about you this evening."
Rainey looked at Katie and said, "I"ll bet you have."
Jared laughed. "Look, I"m just the designated driver. I had nothing to do with how we got here."
"I"m more interested in getting you out of here at the moment."
Jared sat back down, saying, "I understand. If you can pry them out of here, I will make sure they get home. We"re surrounded by cops. Nothing"s going to happen to them."
Rainey squatted down by Katie"s chair, so they were eye to eye. She put her hand on Katie"s knee and with all the sweetness she could muster at the moment, she said, "Katie, honey, it"s not safe for you to be here. Please, let Agent Knox take you and Helena back to the hotel."
Katie went from obstinate to mushy in seconds. She put her arms around Rainey"s neck and said, "I missed you."
Katie then proceeded to kiss Rainey in front of the gathered crowd. Rainey saw flashes going off and knew they were going to be on Facebook pages around the triangle in moments. She wrapped Katie in her arms and stood up, pulling Katie with her.
"Katie, come with me, please."
Rainey got no resistance this time. She tucked Katie under her arm and made her way toward the back door. She saw that Danny was now present and paralleling her movement out of the bar. Rainey looked back over her shoulder at Knox.
"You get the other one," Rainey said, indicating Helena, who was now draped on the befuddled female deputy.
Katie leaned into Rainey heavily, her arms tightly gripping Rainey"s waist. When they reached the back door, Danny was waiting. He opened the door for them and they stepped onto the deck. Curtis was there leaning on the railing. He smiled at Rainey.
"Got yourself a spitfire, did you?"
Rainey couldn"t help but laugh, looking down at the almost pa.s.sed out Katie. "Yes, I did," she said, leading Katie off the deck and into the parking lot.
Danny followed with the rest of Katie"s entourage. Rainey looked at him and said, "Give me a minute with her, okay?"
"Take your time, I think this mission is blown anyway."
Katie came around a little more, when Rainey leaned her up against the building so she could look at her.
"Rainey, please take me home with you. I don"t want to stay away anymore."
Rainey steadied the leaning Katie with both hands on her shoulders. "Honey, I can"t take you home, not yet. I need you to go back to the hotel with Agent Knox. I promise I"ll come get you as soon as I can."
Katie threw her arms around Rainey. "I don"t want to sleep alone. I need you."
She reached up and pulled Rainey"s lips to hers. Drunk out of her mind and oblivious to their surroundings, Katie kissed Rainey pa.s.sionately, which Rainey couldn"t help but return. Rainey heard the voice just before they were bathed in a blinding white light.
"There she is!" Cookie Kutter shouted. She rushed at Rainey, microphone in front of her mouth and a television camera on her heels. "Agent Bell, the rest of the lesbian community is on high alert and you"re in the alley making out with the former wife of Representative J. W. Wilson. Are you on duty or here socially? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Rainey didn"t have time to answer. She felt Katie slip out of her arms and didn"t react fast enough to stop what happened next. Katie stepped up to Cookie, balled up her fist, and popped Cookie in the jaw, sending the reporter backwards onto her b.u.t.t. Katie stood over her with the cameras running.
"That"s for all the c.r.a.p you put us through last summer... and this is for being named after a kitchen utensil."
Rainey grabbed Katie by the waist and lifted her into the air before Katie landed the kick she was about to administer to Cookie. Danny rushed forward, getting between the camera and Rainey, who was trying to wrestle the furious Katie into submission. Rainey ended up carrying Katie to the waiting patrol car, where Knox had finally wrangled Helena into the back seat. Rainey shoved Katie into the seat beside her sister. She buckled Katie in, most of the fight having now left the feisty blonde. Rainey looked at Knox in the front pa.s.senger seat.
"Warn her parents that she"s going to be on the news." She turned back to Katie, lifting her chin so she would make eye contact. "Honey, you go with these officers and be good. I"ll come get you as soon as I can... and Katie, if they have to, I"m telling them to handcuff you to the bed. Do not come out of that hotel room, again."
Katie had not heard a word. She was long gone and barely aware of where she was. She grinned at Rainey. "I love you, Rainey Bell."
"I love you, too."
Katie slumped over on her already pa.s.sed out sister. Rainey brushed the hair from Katie"s face. Knox turned around in her seat. Rainey was aware that they were not alone, but she leaned over and kissed Katie on the cheek.
Without looking away from Katie, she said, "Gillian, I"m trusting you with the most precious thing in my life."
Knox said, softly, "I know that, Rainey. You can depend on me."
"I meant what I said about the handcuffs. Lock her down. I don"t need to be worrying about where she"s run off to." Rainey never took her eyes off the sleeping Katie. "Keep her safe, for me. I know she"s trouble, but she"s my trouble."
"Consider it done," Knox replied, adding, "I haven"t forgotten you saved my life. I owe you one."
Rainey stood up and closed the car door. She watched until the brake lights disappeared. Danny stepped up beside her.
"Cookie decided not to press charges when I told her I would need to take the video into evidence before she could air it. I kept Katie out of jail, but not off the eleven o"clock news."
"That"s good," Rainey said. "Maybe Katie will be too embarra.s.sed to come out of the hotel room until this is over."
Danny chuckled. "I"ll say it again, that woman is a handful."
Rainey finally looked away from where the patrol car had driven off. She smiled at Danny. "Yeah, but I think I"ll keep her."
"G.o.d bless you, my child," Danny said, making the sign of the cross.
Rainey laughed. "He already did."
Rainey went back inside the bar. Danny resumed his position in the van. The excitement over Katie"s exit had died down and only a few heads turned when Rainey re-entered. She made her way back over to Dara Thomas" table. The women surrounding Dara cleared a path at Rainey"s approach. Dara looked up at Rainey with a knowing smile.
"She"s cute, but I bet she drives you crazy."
Rainey pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "You have no idea."
Dara"s blue eyes sparkled against her dark skin and hair. Her toned muscular arms indicated a woman who worked out, or worked hard for a living. When she grinned both cheeks dimpled. She wasn"t gorgeous, but cute, and apparently quite popular with the ladies.
A waitress came by and Rainey ordered a double shot of top shelf bourbon. Danny"s voice crackled in her ear.
"Don"t forget you"re driving."
"Shut up, I need it," Rainey said, quietly.
"I"m sorry, did you say something?" Dara asked.
Rainey covered her remark. "I need a drink."
Dara laughed. "I understand. Does she get like that often?"
"Obstinate, yes. Drunk, no. Actually that"s the first time I"ve ever seen her drunk. Under different circ.u.mstances, it might have been entertaining."
"I guess she"s under a lot of stress. Chelsea was telling me about all that"s going on. I"m sorry you"re both having to go through this."
Rainey wondered just how much Katie had told Chelsea. She and her boyfriend were no longer sitting at the table. Rainey looked out on the dance floor. She didn"t see them.
Rainey asked, "Where did Chelsea and Jared go?"
"They went on home. They never stay very long. Chelsea has Sunday school to teach in the morning. I"ll give it to her, she shows up here, but lesbians don"t really jive with her upbringing."
Rainey"s drink arrived. She tried to pay, but Dara waved off the waitress.
"Thank you," Rainey said, and took a sip of her drink. "I thought you and Chelsea were sisters. Did you not grow up in the same house?"
Dara leaned forward so she wouldn"t have to shout. "I am an only child, biologically. My mother was unable to have more children after I was born, so they fostered kids. Chelsea came to live with us when she was five-years-old. I was fourteen at the time. She had been bounced around from home to home, within the same dysfunctional extended family. She was shy and quiet, but my mom coaxed her personality out. Mom and Dad adopted her officially, after convincing her drug crazed mother to give up parental rights."
"Sounds like it worked out for the best," Rainey said, taking another drink.
While she listened to Dara, Rainey surveyed the room. There were very few men in the bar. Rainey looked up at the balcony where Sheila was still sitting.
Sheila saw her and her voice came on the earwig, "I see you, Rainey."
Rainey acknowledged her with a nod.
Dara continued her story. "My mother became a fundamentalist Christian, shortly after Chelsea moved in. Her newly found faith did not sit well with my coming out at sixteen. My father supported me, but my mother hit the roof. Chelsea was young. The only stable home she had known became a war zone, ultimately ending with my father and me moving out. Chelsea was left with my mother and raised in that doctrine. We lost touch for years, but she moved here two years ago and we reconnected. She"s trying to accept my lifestyle, but it"s hard to get through that many years of hate being spewed at you."
The buzzwords fundamentalist, hate, and faith, got Rainey"s attention. "When did you move to Durham?"
"Oh, I was born and raised here."