No Quit

Conclusion

Toni hurried out to the hall and looked through the peephole but could see nothing, and she turned back and shrugged helplessly. He stood and went to the door grabbing her roughly about the chest and then dragged her back to the door, leaning in for his own look. Nothing. The rap came again and the surprise made him shout.

"Shit!" He shoved the gun into her side and peeked again. "Whoever the asshole is that's out there playin' pranks... knock it off." He could still see nothing. Another sharp rap made him jerk back and he lost his cool, shoving Toni down onto the floor, tossing back the bolt and flinging the door open, gun waving menacingly.

Ted swung the fire extinguisher he'd grabbed from the firebox in the hallway and caught Jake's wrist, following through to his chest and sending both he and the gun flying back into the room. Quickly he hobbled through the door, inverted the extinguisher and blasted the stunned Jake full in the face.

He coughed and gagged as the foam filled his eyes, nose and mouth and he began screaming as the sting turned to a fierce burning. Ted stepped forward and jammed the nozzle against Jake's face and emptied the extinguisher before whacking him across the head with the empty canister. Toni began crying and she stood shakily and went to his arms, clinging and sobbing in great gasps.

"It's okay, Toni. It's okay. Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" Ted led her into the kitchen and settled her on a chair then got a glass of water and swept her hair back off her face as she drank.

She put the glass down and nodded and then began to cry again and Ted knelt down and held her close, muttering soothing sounds. The noise from the livingroom made him start and he stood up quickly holding a finger to his lips. Voices sounded his name and then in the kitchen doorway was his friendly, Hammond police detective.

"This time it's serious, Wagner. Hands behind your back and turn around.

"No! You don't understand!" Toni stood and wrapped her arms about Ted. "He saved me from that- that... in the other room."

"You mean that body."

Ted jerked and looked at Toni. "He's dead?"

"Well if he isn't we can hang him in the hall for fire safety, 'cause he's full of fire retardant foam." The detective eased Toni away while he fastened the handcuffs on Ted. "For a writer you've become a bit of a public nuisance."

"He saved my life!" Toni tried again, stepping in front of the detective. "That- he was going to kill me when he was- after he..." She slumped and began to cry again.

"Let her call somebody to come over, she's been traumatized for cryin' out loud." Ted pleaded.

"We're all going downtown... again. She can call from there." The detective led them out through the livingroom where a paramedic was gawking at the foam oozing out of Jake's mouth with each compression of his chest.

"He gonna make it?" The detective asked.

Maybe, if I ever get him emptied out."

The detective gave Ted a wary look. "A little over the top wasn't it?"

"If he makes it, ask him who sent him and for that matter who he is." Ted gave Jake a contemptuous glance.

"You know him?"

"It's Gabriel Tucker's big brother."

The detective halted short and stared from Ted to the mess on the floor then back, a new opinion suddenly forming about the loose cannon writer.

******************

The cover looks great."

"The cover is great, but it's the contents I'm asking your opinion on."