He had made his way to the spare bedroom slowly. He had known the chore would be unpleasant, and while Billy never ran from anything unpleasant, recent experience had taught him that women could make things very unpleasant. Her voice hit him as he entered the room.

Jade:  Where is he?

Billy:  Baby, he asked me t'keep an eye on ya and I promise, I will.

Jade:  Never mind me.  Where.  Did.  He.  Go?

I stood behind Billy, leaning on the doorframe, regarding the back of
his dark head as I might have a strange lichen.

Deb:  He never said, Jade.

Jade:  Not the first time he's pulled this.  Damn fool'll probably get
himself killed.

She was trying for lightness, but her eyes, when she looked up at us,
gave the lie to her statement.  She was terrified that she might be right.
She stated at her hands, restlessly rubbing the back of one with the palm
of the other until Billy stopped the movement, laying his hand over hers 
and then patting her with rough affection.

Billy:  Boy's tough as nails.  He'll turn up.

Jade:  I'm still not completely sure what happened.  I've replayed it in
my mind so many times but it's never any clearer.  We had stopped at a motel
for the night and in the morning I decided to grab something for breakfast,
bring it back to him...he'd been driving almost nonstop.  I was assaulted
by three people...two guys in black masks and a woman...cruel sounding
British bitch...

Deb:  Was there anything about any of them that you recognized, or were
they total strangers?

Jade:  I didn't know any of them, but the woman...she recognized me...
looked straight at me and said something like 'so, you are the one...' and 
then she told her bullyboys to beat the crap out of me, to send Ryan a
message...

She rubbed her temples hard, as though trying to force the memories out,
and then went back to staring at her hands.  She never looked up.

Billy:  Might be some old friends from across the pond.  Told me once they
didn't take too kindly to that Boston stunt, made 'em look bad.  They get
a lot of support from that area...

Jade looked up finally, eyes sharp in her tired face.

Jade:  What else did he tell you?  To protect me?  Christ...

Billy sat back, stretched his legs, raised a big hand to the back of his
neck and gave himself a long scratch.

Billy:  Didn't tell me any more than that, baby.  Ryan plays it close to the
vest, you know that.

Jade:  I know it.  Doesn't mean I agree with it.

Deb:  Not like he'll change, either, if he's anything like this one.

Jade:  That's just it...I don't want him to change.  I just want him to...
to slow down some...is that too much to fucking ask?  Where would he go?
Where the hell would he go without me?

Billy:  Places to go...people to...kill, maybe.

I swung at Billy, missed deliberately.

Deb:  Haven't we had enough of that lately.

Jade's mask of bravery crumpled, and we saw the frightened woman under-
neath it as she began to cry.  This was my cue, and I took it.

Deb:  Billy, let me in there, please.

I moved in beside Jade, drew the weeping woman to my shoulder, and
rocked her slightly.  Bill laid a big paw on her arm, patted her.

Deb:  No, it's not.  But it might be the one thing he can't give you.

Jade:  I know he won't slow down or change, I know...he can't.  Not really.
All men are the same...no matter what...

She sighed into my shoulder, like a child, arms wound tightly around my
waist.  I mouthed words at Billy, gestured at the bathroom with my head.

Deb:  Billy, Darvon.

Jade released her death grip on me, sat back and rubbed at her eyes.

Jade:  Did he say where he was going?

Billy answered from the bathroom.

Billy:  Nope.  Just asked me t'keep an eye on ya.  Like I don't have enough
with this one.

Deb:  You can just bite me, Strannix.  Jade, try and go back to sleep, 
you'll heal better that way.

Jade:  I can't.  I have to find him.

Billy returned to the room, a cup of water in one hand and two Darvon
loosely fisted in the other.

Billy:  Can't letcha do that, baby.  He's got a ten hour head start on ya
anyway.  Here, you take these.

Jade:  No.  Enough drugs.  I'd rather be alert and hurting than run the
risk of missing Ryan if he calls.

The huge hand, holding the hated Darvon, was extended.  The deep voice 
was inexorable.

Billy:  Take.  These.  Now.

Jade, in a stunning mood swing, was suddenly defiant.

Jade:  I'd tell you to make me, but you might enjoy it.

Deb:  Please, Jade...the minute we know anything, we'll tell you.

Jade looked from Billy to me and back again, doubtful.

Jade.  All right, but you'd better...

Billy:  If I hear, you'll know.  Soon as I hear.  Eat.

Jade took the tablets and swallowed them, followed with a long sip of
water.  She lay back down, eyes still jumping from one of us to the other.

Billy:  'S better, thanks.  Now I won't hafta put up 'th Ma frettin' her
ass off over there.  Trust me, girl, when I know, you'll know.

Jade did something that took them both by surprise and kissed his
chin, the nearest thing to her, then she settled back into the pillows.
Bill scrambled her hair, grinned swiftly, then turned to leave the room.

Billy:  Asses t'kick, you know how it is.

Deb:  Go to sleep, Jade.  We'll see you're undisturbed.

Billy had already clattered into the basement and as I made the kitchen
I heard the door slam.  I stood, undecided, for a minute or two, then
reached for my keys.  I had stuff to do at the Corner, and there was no
sense in putting it off.  Elmore was busy with a broom when I let myself in,
and he looked up.  He grinned, something I saw less of since just after
we'd opened, but there was a far away look in his eye.

Elmore:  Hey, Ma.

Deb:  Hey, Elmore.

Elmore:  Whatcha doin' here so early?

Deb:  Jade's asleep and Billy's in the basement.  Nothin' doin' at home.

Elmore sighed deeply and leaned on the pushbroom.

Elmore: Y's'pose...

Deb:  Soon, Elmore.  I'm sure it'll have to be soon.

I hugged him and he returned the hug.  I knew he wished I was younger,
and more petite when he did it, but I was company, and I knew how he felt.

Elmore:  Hope so.

I didn't know what I could say to reassure him, so I patted his shoulder 
and left him to his chores.  I found my way to the office, and the evil
paperwork that I battled with for at least part of every day.  Several
hours passed in this way.  Elmore occasionally stopped to come in and ask
how things looked, but mostly he let me handle the bookwork while he
fussed with the more physical side of the business.

I left when Elmore did, wandering home by a more circuitous route and
getting there a good half hour later than he did.  Elmore had already made
himself a sandwich and gone off to his room.  I went looking for Billy.
He wasn't in the basement anymore, nor was he grabbing a catnap in our room.
But Jade was waking up.  I stopped in the door to her room.

Deb:  So...how are you feeling?

Jade sat up slowly, painfully.  Where her t-shirt rode up I could see
a bruise that had blossomed on her upper thigh.  If the rest of her body
looked like that bruise, I could well understand Ryan's murderous rage.  I
had seen Billy completely lose his cool for much the same reason.

Jade:  I've been better.  I take it Ryan's not called.

Deb:  Might be a little soon for that.  It's only four o'clock.  You need
some more...

Jade:  No.  No more.  I have to get up and start moving sometime.  In fact,
I'd like to get up now.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and I saw the extent of
the bruising on the young woman's legs.  I resisted the urge to insist
that Jade lie back down.  The younger woman knew her capacities better, and
she had made an excellent point.  She had to get up eventually.

Deb:  Feel up to a little walking around, then?  I need to hit Wally-world.
Thought we could get Ryan some socks and underwear, jeans, like that.  He's
looking pretty grungy.

Jade:  I have no money.  Ryan wouldn't like to be indebted.

Deb:  I've done it for Ryan before.  He knows...and we can get you some 
stuff as well.

Jade considered this for a moment.  Then she grinned at me.

Jade:  I'll take a shower.  I can't turn down new clothes...I'm so tired
of these.

Deb:  Well, I'll go tell the Devil where we're going and then we can find
the 24-hour Wally-world and take our time.

Jade disappeared in the bathroom and I got sidetracked in the kitchen
by a shouted request for a sandwich.

Deb:  What kind?

Billy:  Damn big one!

Deb:  Makes things so much easier...

I outdid myself in the construction of a classic Dagwood...meatloaf,
turkey, ham, bologna, roast beef, cheese, vegies, chicken salad, mustard,
ketchup, mayonnaise...turned my stomach to look at it.

Jade:  Cleaning out the fridge?

Deb:  No, feeding time at the zoo.

I had an idea.  I tossed Jade the keys to the Expedition, asked her to 
unlock it and open the garage door while I schlepped Billy his ungodly
sandwich.  I found him in the hot-tub, watching a football game on the
TV from our room, which he must have humped out to the patio.  He was
blowing out clouds of foul cigar smoke and having himself a high old time.

Deb:  Jade and I are gonna take off for a while, do some shopping.  Okay?

Billy:  Stop an' get me some of this.

He gestured, without taking his eyes off the slaughter on the tube, to
the beercan he held in his hand.

Deb:  Okay.  Billy, they don't have any money...

Billy:  What, so you're broke?  Take care of it.

Deb:  Thank you, baby.

I knelt behind him and briefly rubbed his shoulders.  He dropped his
shaggy head back, resting it on me briefly and turning it to nuzzle my 
cheek.

Billy:  When was the last time I said you couldn't spend money?

Deb:  Can't remember.

Billy:  Damn right.  And no damn Lone Star, either.  Get beer.

Deb:  Yessir.

I dipped my hands in the water, rubbed his chest and his throat and his
chin.  He grunted softly.

Deb:  I love you, Billy.  Don't say anything.  Just remember it.

I rose smoothly, placed my hands back on his shoulders...and shoved
downwards until he was completely submerged.  As soon as the last of the
dark hair was floating, I released him, broke and ran for the garage.  I
heard a tremendous splashing behind me, then wet feet slapping down on the
patio.  I slammed the service door behind me, laughing insanely as I
squeezed between the Expedition and the Suburban and hauled ass into the
truck.  Billy had already wrenched the service door open and was gaining on
me, but I got the door shut and the lock switch pressed before he could do
more than plaster his wet face against the window.  I dropped the lever
into reverse and began backing slowly out of the garage, grinning hugely
at him.  Beside me, Jade looked horrified.

Jade:  What'd you do?

Deb:  Dunked him.

He was shaking a finger at me.  I waved back as the truck retreated
down the drive.  Dripping, he stood in the garage...then he grinned.  And
I knew there would be revenge, just as I knew I would gladly suffer it at
those hands.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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