J. Gonzalez - They

It was almost seven p.m. in Los Angeles; they’d had to wait for over three hours in Pittsburgh and by the time they’d taken off it was four p.m. The flight had been unremarkable and they managed to take seats near each other. They’d spent the five-hour flight in silence, reading magazines and newspapers, pausing only occasionally to talk about things unrelated as to why they’d really been in Pennsylvania. Once they reached Mike’s car in the parking structure they let their guards down as Mike unlocked the door and they slipped inside.

Vince sighed in relief as he set his bag down on the floor by his feet. “God, I’m glad that’s over with. I kept expecting somebody to pop out behind a car with a gun.”

“I gotta admit, I was kinda nervous, too,” Frank said. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Mike started the car. “We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do next. Any ideas?”

“Not yet,” Frank said. “But we definitely need to stay on this.”

“We do,” Mike said, letting the car warm up. “I’ve got to get home and see how things are there. Carol’s probably worrying to death. I think we should use tonight to tie up whatever loose ends we may have and then reconvene late tomorrow morning at Vince’s.” He looked back at Vince. “That sounds okay to you?”

“Fine.” Vince’s mind was racing; maybe he could see Tracy tonight and have her out of the house before Mike and Frank came over.

“We’ll meet tomorrow morning at Vince’s to talk more strategy,” Mike said. “Say ten-thirty?”

Frank and Vince nodded that ten-thirty was fine with them.

“Where are you going to go?” Vince asked Frank as Mike backed out of the parking space.

“After Mike drops us off at your house, I’ll get myself a motel room,” Frank said. “I gotta call my agent and see how Brandy and the kids are doing.”

“Whatever we do, we lay low,” Mike said as he steered the car down the parking garage toward the tollgates. “I’ll try to get some information on the shootout in Lititz and give you all an update tomorrow morning. If I hear of anything vital, I’ll call you.”

“Think you can hold off calling your girlfriend for another day or so?” Frank’s question was directed at Vince but he didn’t look at him. He was looking out the window at the passing scenery of South-Central Los Angeles as Mike drove down Century Boulevard toward the 405 Freeway.

“Oh, I think so,” Vince said, playing casual. “I’m so damn horny though, I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”

“If you behave tonight and all goes well tomorrow, maybe you can see her tomorrow night,” Mike said. “How’s that sound? I’d like to meet her.”

“Yeah, me too,” Frank said. He turned to Vince, his features impassive.

Vince shrugged. “Sure.”

They made the rest of the drive to Orange County lost in their own thoughts.

VINCE WASTED NO time. The minute he walked in his front door he headed to the phone in the living room and dialed Tracy’s phone number at home.

Tracy picked up on the third ring. “Hello.”

“Tracy, it’s me. Vince.”

“Vince!”

Hearing her voice again melted his heart. Knowing that she was so close now, merely blocks away, added to his growing need to see her. “I’m home,” he said. “And I don’t know how much longer I’ll be home. We’re supposed to get together again tomorrow. Can you come over?”

“I’m leaving in five minutes,” Tracy said.

She arrived thirty minutes later.

When he opened the front door she rushed into his arms. They held each other close; Vince kissed her and when Tracy kissed him back he felt tingles run up and down his spine. He closed the door and took her hand. “God, I missed you,” he said.

“Not now,” she said, melting in his arms and kissing him again.

Somehow, they made it to the bedroom.

AFTERWARD, VINCE TOLD Tracy everything.

He’d already told her what happened in Lititz while he was holed up in the Marriot at Harrisburg last night. Understandably, she’d been shocked. Now he filled in the details, as well as what Mike and Frank found out last night and his own discoveries and feelings as he read newspaper accounts and learned the identity of the men involved. “Soldiers of Christ,” he said, leaning against the pillow. “Ever heard of ’em?”

“No,” Tracy said, her mouth set in scowl. “Should I?”

Vince shook his head. “I guess not. I surely never heard of them until today.”

Tracy was reflective. “So you really think that… because these guys were part of a cult called the Soldiers of Christ that they were trying to kill you?”

“I don’t know,” Vince said, sighing. “I know it sounds stupid, but… everything that’s happened has just been so… chaotic and… just imbued with secrecy. Like why did my mother have all this information buried in a box in her backyard? Why was she afraid to talk about it? Why did she pull stakes twenty-five years ago and take me, change our names, tried to bury our past? Was she hiding from something? Running away from something, or somebody? I don’t know.” He looked at her. “And Frank. He just suddenly pops into my life, telling me I’m in danger and he knows all this stuff that’s happened. He knows my mom was murdered, he knows about Laura’s death, he’s been spying on my friends—”

“That’s the scary part,” Tracy said, looking concerned. “The fact that this guy actually poked around in your life. My life!”

“Exactly! I mean, he seems to be a pretty nice guy and all, and considering the circumstances of what he and Mike have told me and what I’ve found out, I don’t blame them. In fact, I feel good that you came up clean.”

“What do you mean?” Tracy frowned.

Oops . Vince tried to dismiss the blunder with a shrug. “Nothing. Just that Frank said that you and Brian and some of my other friends came up with clean records. You aren’t part of the all-sinister Children of the Night.” He chuckled, trying to make everything a big joke.

Tracy looked serious. “What if he’d told you that I was a member?”

Vince’s laughter dried up. “You’re kidding, right?”

Tracy shook her head. Her features had taken on a grim, stony-faced appearance. “No, I’m not. Suppose Frank had told you that I’m a member of The Children of the Night.” She cocked her head. “What would you have done?”

All the spit seemed to dry up in Vince’s mouth. His stomach turned into a ball of lead. “Um… I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?”

“I…” Vince was at a loss for words. Tracy waited for him to answer. Her persona had taken on a tone of deadly seriousness; she was no longer the flirtatious, laughing, sexy woman he’d met and fallen in love with. Now she resembled a dangerous, sly, secretive woman who was holding a winning hand.

“You don’t know what you’d do… isn’t that right?”

Vince nodded. “I guess not.” He searched her face for some tell tale sign of the Tracy that he knew.

Finally, she smiled. “Scared you, didn’t I?”

Vince relaxed, feeling as if a sudden weight had just been taken off his shoulders. “Jesus, Tracy, you scared the hell out of me!”

Tracy laughed. “I got you good, didn’t I? You didn’t know what to think!”

Slightly embarrassed by having scared the crap out of him, and slightly imbued with playfulness, Tracy didn’t resist as Vince wrestled her onto her back. She squealed. “Hey, wait a minute, I was only kidding!”

“Only kidding?” Vince tickled her sides. Tracy howled with laughter. “Only kidding? How’s this for kidding, huh?”