Carly, if you had moved to Canada like I told you to, you'd be finished exams.
*huggles* Great to see you back here! Congrats on finishing school!
LILLY! Great to see you back here as well.
As for the Middle East, we'll see how things go, lol. Remember what Horatio said when they headed that way in the Humercraft? "I'm a pale red-headed Irish man. I'M A TARGET!"
Oh haunted places in the UK sounds like a great idea! Especially like Heather said, with Halloween coming around. Definitely see some potential for craziness and pranks. And Wubba.
Anni, I definitely think you're right. There is a lot more to Gavin than what we're seeing. Little glimpses are all we're getting for the moment.
Thanks for the fab reviews everyone!
**********************
Miami Lab, midnight
Gavin: I'm not sure breaking into the lab is the best idea.
Lori: You want to get this done the right way or the wrong way?
Gavin: Lori, I'm pretty sure this is the wrong way.
Lori: Oh stop being such a wimp. *turns on computer*
Gavin: *looks around* We could always do this in the morning.
Lori: The morning is for losers. Time is money. Money is time. Time means money. Money makes the world go round. T-
Gavin: Lori?
Lori: Yeah.
Gavin: I get it.
Lori: *typing* Okay, so I've scanned the picture and now we wait for the technology to do its thang.
Gavin: *sits*
Lori: *typing*
Gavin: *looks around* Aren't there cameras in this building?
Lori: Uh yeah but no one ever checks them.
Gavin: How do you know?
Lori: HA. Finished.
Gavin: *looks at screen*
Lori: That's what she would look like now.
Gavin: *nods*
Lori: You okay?
Gavin: ...
Lori: Helloooo. *waves hand*
Gavin: *blinks*
Lori: Are you alright?
Gavin: Let's hit it. *leaves*
Lori: Whoa, what? *runs*
Outside
Gavin: *gets into car*
Lori: *jumps into car* Uh, where are we going?
Gavin: Afraid to get a little dirty?
Lori: No, I'm all for it but you're supposed to be the sane one.
Gavin: *slams on gas pedal*
Lori: AH! *hangs onto dashboard* I knew I liked you for a reason.
Gavin: *laughs*
Lori: Okay you're either taking this very well or very badly. And where are we going?
Gavin: I know a few places. These guys move around a bit but they always have ways of communicating.
Lori: Like how?
Gavin: Radio towers.
Lori: They have radio towers?
Gavin: Each location submits a signal through the closest radio tower using a hacking system created by the dead guy in the hotel a while back. It gives out a localized ping in morse code which is sent to a specific frequency.
Lori: And you know that frequency.
Gavin: *grabs cellphone*
Lori: So you can tell where she is by finding out their locations?
Gavin: We find them first, then we get to the next step.
Lori: ...Which is...
Gavin: Finding a way through the traps.
Lori: Traps.
Gavin: Yeah.
Lori: What traps?
Gavin: Why do you think I didn't want to leave you alone in the forest?
Lori: So they're protecting their hideouts with booby traps.
Gavin: Somethin' like that.
Cellphone beeps
Gavin: Ha! Got it.
Lori: One of their locals?
Gavin: A petroleum storage facility in the Glades.
Lori: They have those?
Everglades, twenty minutes later
Gavin: *steps out of car*
Lori: Okay big scary abanonded buildings give me the heebee jeebees.
Gavin: *pulls out gun*
Lori: Uh, why can't I have a gun?
Gavin: *walks forward*
Lori: *runs over* Alrighty cowboy, stop for a second.
Gavin: *looks at Lori*
Lori: Maybe we should have called Horatio or something. Or hey, what about Calleigh? Even Eric!
Gavin: Since when do you opt for help?
Lori: I just think we need to slow down. It's probably the last time I'll ever say this, but going in there and risking our lives for someone we don't even know is alive might make things worse. Now I know before I wanted to get to the bottom of this, but I wanted to do it properly...Even if it did mean breaking into the lab. Wow I am a walking hypocrite today.
Gavin: I understand your concern but I'm not just walking in there.
Lori: *nods*
Gavin: *smiles* I have a gun.
Lori: NO! Look, can we just talk about this first? I mean, an hour ago, you were just Gavin and now you have this kid and she's been kidnapped and I totally was too ambitious about it. And look at you! You've turned into ME. You know what I liked about you? You put things into perspective. You're smart, slightly heroic and not arrogant about it.
Gavin: *sigh* You're right.
Lori: Thank you.
Gavin: But-
Lori: Why is there always a but?
Gavin: I need to do this. One look at her face and I knew I had to.
Lori: Ugh that is so adorable.
Gavin: You can stay here if you want.
Lori: No way. Who's going to save your ass when you run out of bullets?
Gavin: *laughs*
Inside petroleum storage facility
Gavin: *looks around corner*
Lori: *pulls knife out of shoe*
Gavin: *looks back* Seriously?
Lori: *shrugs*
Speaking is heard
Gavin: *ducks behind wall*
Lori: You recognize anyone's voices?
Gavin: A guy I worked with. Tito.
Lori: What the hell kind of name is Tito?
Gavin: He was the guy that came back for you after I left.
Lori: Oh numbnuts, I remember him. So this Tito guy knows where the bodies are burried.
Gavin: *lowers gun*
Lori: Oh you know what I mean.
Gavin: *looks out from wall* He's gone upstairs.
Lori: Okay I'll cover you.
Gavin: With a knife?
Lori: Hey don't knock it 'till you've tried it.
Upstairs
Lori: OH I hear a little kid. No way we've hit it right on the money the first time around. That only happens in terribly-written soap-opera sounding crime dramas. You know, the ones with palm trees and boobs.
Gavin: *kicks door open*
Lori: AH!
Gavin: *lifts gun*
Tito: *turns around* ...What are you doing here?
Gavin: I want her back.
Tito: *sigh* Well you're about five months too late. The boss wasted her.
Gavin: *cocks gun*
Tito: *lifts hands* Whoa whoa whoa, hey man have I ever lied to you? You and me, we was like brothers.
Lori: We
were like brothers.
Were.
Tito: *looks at Lori*
Lori: I'm sorry but it's not that hard to use English in the proper fashion. Just because you're a thug doesn't mean you have to sound uneducated.
Tito: Did you marry this broad?
Gavin: No.
Tito: Good.
Lori: Hey.
Tito: Look man, the kid isn't here. And besides, you know how the deal works. You do our hits and we give the kid back, simple as your phone number. You bailed on the job so the boss iced the kid.
Gavin: Then you wouldn't mind if I took a look around.
Tito: Actually I do mind. We've got some operations runnin' up here. And if the boss found out I let you in here, he'll have my head.
Gavin: You could go right now.
Tito: *laughs* You wouldn't shoot your ol' pal-
BAM
Tito: *flinches* ...Or maybe you would.
Gavin: You ruined my career, you ruined my family and you ruined my life. I have absolutely no problem puttin' one between your eyes.
Tito: So do it already.
Gavin: What I want and what's right is two very different things. No one needs to get hurt here and I'm asking you very nicely. Please return her.
Tito: And if I don't?
Gavin: You'll have a hundred cops swarming this place by breakfast. I'm sure the 'boss' would be the least of your problems.
Tito: Actually now that you mention it, I might have seen her around.
Gavin: Where.
Tito: In the next room. She's supposed to be heading to Cuba tomorrow morning. I hear they offer a pretty good price for American girls.
Lori: That's it, let me kick his ass.
Gavin: Okay, here's what goin' to happen. You're goin' to open the door and let her out. Then you're goin' to step into the room.
Tito: You'll never make it out of here.
Gavin: I guess that remains to be seen. Open it.
Tito: *grabs keys from pocket*
Lori: Can I
please break one of his fingers?
Gavin: No.
Lori: Damn.
Tito: *opens door*
Gavin: *walks toward room*
Lori: Don't you even think about running.
Tito: *wide-eyed*
Gavin: *looks inside room*
Little girl sitting on makeshift bed, drinking glass of water
Gavin: *lowers gun, holsters it*
Jessie: *looks up at Gavin*
Gavin: *kneels*
Jessie: *places cup on floor, wipes mouth*
Gavin: Hi.
Jessie: *waves shyly*
Gavin: Do you know who I am?
Jessie: *nods* Daddy.
Gavin: *smiles*
Jessie: *reaches up* I wanna go home now.
Gavin: *laughs* Well then, let's get you home. *picks up Jessie*
Jessie: *hugs Gavin*
Gavin: *turns around*
Lori: Here, give me the gun.
Gavin: I thought you were going to ask for the kid.
Lori: Pfft, I'd feel more comfortable with a bomb.
Gavin: *hands over gun*
Lori: Alright Tito my man, get in the room.
Tito: I won't say nothing, I swear.
Lori: It's 'anything' and yeah you will so get in before I put a nice shoe-shaped mark on your ass.
Tito: *walks into room*
Lori: *shuts door, locks it* Let's get out of here before his high-pitched screams sound off the alarm.
Gavin: Good idea.
Alarms go off
Lori: Oh gee, perfect timing. Let's go. *runs*
Gavin: *runs*
Long hallway
Lori: *shoots gun*
Badguy: *fires weapon*
CLUNK BAM BAM
Lori: *hides behind wall* Why do they always have bigger guns?
Gavin: *cover's Jessie's head* I don't really think that's the issue.
Lori: Are you sayin' I'm a bad shot?
Gavin: Oh please, we are not having a fight right now.
Lori: No, seriously. You're saying I suck at hitting targets.
Bullets whiz by
Gavin: I didn't say that!
Lori: You were thinkin' it!
Gavin: Can we please wrap this up?
Lori: No. I want to know what's so bad about my aim.
Gavin: You really want to know?
Lori: Yeah.
Gavin: Really?
Lori: Yeah!
Gavin: You aren't shooting the weapon!
Lori: Oh. *turns around, fires gun*
Guy falls
Lori: *stands, runs*
Gavin: *stands, runs*
Outside, car
Lori: Can I keep the gun? It's really nice.
Gavin: No. *places Jessie inside car*
Lori: *gets into car*
Gavin: *turns key*
Lori: It's a nice gun.
Gavin: No.
Lori: How come you aren't excited to see your kid?
Gavin: I'll be excited later, right now I'm trying to get us out of here before there isn't a car left to drive.
Miami, Gavin's house
Jessie: *runs in*
Lori: *walks in* Whew, I didn't know cars could go that much over the speed limit without rolling.
Jessie: *flops on couch, turns on tv*
Lori: ...The kid knows what she likes.
Gavin: *rubs face*
Lori: You okay?
Gavin: Yeah, I'm fine. Just...A little...Um...
Lori: Nervous?
Gavin: How could you tell?
Lori: Look at her! She's basically a cat.
Gavin: Cat?
Lori: They take care of themselves.
Gavin: She's four.
Lori: And a half. She seems very mature about this whole thing. Now go bond.
Gavin: Uh...How?
Lori: I don't know, she's your kid.
Gavin: *scratches head*
Lori: You are NOT making me talk to her.
Gavin: She's not a monster.
Lori: So you talk to her.
Gavin: What am I supposed to say?
Lori: I don't know, find that deep-rooted fatherly...Thing you had in that room with her and go from there.
Gavin: I'm 27, I'm not much of a father.
Lori: Age makes no difference.
Gavin: I was going for the whole "I don't have much experience" thing.
Lori: Well you had her for two years.
Gavin: No. I had her for two
weeks. She was already two when she was dropped on my doorstep.
Lori: TWO WEEKS!
Gavin: Shh.
Lori: Well you must have done
something to keep her alive that long.
Gavin: Yeah a little something called daycare.
Lori: You're a horrible, horrible person.
Gavin: What was I supposed to do?
Lori: Be a father.
Gavin: There's that word again.
Lori: *sigh* She obviously remembers you, you had to have had some impact on her.
Gavin: I gave her a stuffed animal once to keep her from crying.
Lori: Good.
Gavin: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Lori: And you think I do? You're older than me!
Gavin: *places hands on hips*
Lori: Just do something.
Gavin: *walks over to couch, sits*
Lori: *runs over*
Gavin: ...So, what are you watching?
Jessie: Sesame Street.
Gavin: ...Is it good?
Jessie: *nods*
Gavin: Good. Okay, well nice talking to you.
Lori: *frowns*
Gavin: *rolls eyes*
Lori: So Jessie, those bad men who had you didn't hurt you, right?
Jessie: *shakes head* They gave me toys.
Lori: What kind of toys?
Jessie: Bears and horsies.
Lori: Are you happy to be home?
Jessie: *nods* They wouldn't lemme see Daddy. *leans head on Gavin*
Gavin: *looks at Lori*
Lori: *whispers* Oh stop panicking.
Gavin: *whispers* Shut up.
TBC.......................
More from the RT clan in the next chapter! Don't worry, it won't focus
too much on Lori/Gavin. It's just a starting point to go back to. I think for now, we can focus on the RT gang.
