Who Wants to Steele You?
Part Seven
Written by Ulrike Gubelt, 1998, 1999, and 2000


"Steele! We found them!" Jarvis said as he stormed outside the police station.

Remington followed him to the car. "Where are they?" he wanted to know.

"Right here in Ventura. Anthony Roselli bought a house here this summer. To our advantage in his own name." Jarvis laughed. "He's not very clever, now is he? Well, nevertheless we checked the house and found Laura's car."

Both men got into the car and with two other police cars they drove off to Roselli's house.

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

"God, my child. She can't do that! I'll do anything but please, don't take her away from me", she cried.

Tony, who had tied Laura to the bed once again, sat down beside her and caressed her cheek. First Laura didn't noticed it, but when he started to talk she did and tried as much as possible to avoid his touch.

"Laura, don't be upset! We'll have our own children!" Laura blinked furiously at him and in a quick move she bite his finger. He sprang off the bed and screamed, holding his hand in pain.

"You little bitch!" He watched her angrily. "You never will be in love with me, will you? Felicia was right. You just told me that so I wouldn't harm you... but you'll never be in love with me!"

Laura laughed bitterly. "Never!"

Tony seemed to think for a moment and then he smiled. And it was a dangerous smile, Laura noticed and felt shivers going down her spine. "So... I think I'll have to convince you in another way than being patient and nice..."

He went to her, the crazy smile still on his lips. "What do you...?" Laura stopped as she saw that he had opened his belt. "No, Tony!" Laura screamed.

Tony took a handkerchief out of his pocket and put it into Laura's mouth. Laura tried to free herself but she wasn't able to. When she felt his touch on her cheeks she decided to stop thinking. Her body froze. To switch off her brain was all she could do! She just hoped it would go fast enough. She felt him unbuttoning her blouse and then he ripped it down. She expected him to touch her bra next but instead she heard him sigh and rose from the bed.

Carefully she opened one eye. "Damn!" Tony said, standing at the window. Laura saw the lights of police cars. A little hope rose inside of her. But when Tony turned and smiled she knew he didn't want to give up.

"He hasn't won yet, darling!" He loosened her handcuffs from the bed and pulled her over his shoulders to carry her downstairs. Laura could hear the voices outside the house and hoped that they would be fast enough... but they weren't! Tony left the house unseen through the door that connected the kitchen with the garden.

"It's always good to have a plan B!" Tony declared when he carried Laura through the garden. He went through a little gate and they were on a little street again. Laura recognized a van next to them. It was a police car. Laura's hope raised again, but Tony who seemed to notice her thoughts smiled and said "That's our car! Clever, eh? So nobody will stop us on our way!"

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

Remington and Jarvis broke into the house. Two officers stormed in after them.

"Steele, you go upstairs, I'm checking downstairs!" Jarvis ordered. Steele nodded and ran upstairs, a gun in his hand. Carefully he opened every door. Then he came to the bedroom door. He just stood shocked when he saw the rumpled bed, Laura's blouse and the belt.

Tears welled in his eyes. He swallowed hard and slowly entered the room. He saw blood on the sheets and screamed "Noooo!" <This bastard! Laura is pregnant and he--->

He sat down on the bed and dropped the gun." Steele, what...?" Jarvis asked running into the room. He stopped when he saw the mess. "Good God!" was all he could manage to say.

"This must not be what it seems to be, Steele." Harry smiled sadly, rose and walked through the room. "They can't be far away. This seems like an overhasty escape. We'll find them, Steele. We'll put street barricades everywhere around Ventura."

Harry heard that Jarvis was talking but he didn't listen. He was in his thoughts. Suddenly he recognized a glittering thing on the floor, knelt down and picked it up. It was a chain.

"Felicia?" He asked loud. <What's this? Her revenge?>

"Steele? What are you doing?"

He showed him the chain. "I found this. I know this chain! We have to look for a Felicia Desmond, too, Jarvis. And maybe a few other names I can give you."

"Okay we will! Mmh, Steele, don't give up hope, we'll find them, okay?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but the question is... dead or alive... or alive but dead!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Laura, who was handcouffed to the wall in the back of the van, noticed that Tony stopped the car. The next moment he opened the back door and climbed in.


"Laura, I'm taking the handkerchief out of your mouth now. And you promise not to scream, okay? Otherwise we won't go to Felicia and your child... and you want to see her, right?"

Laura nodded. Her mouth hurt and she needed a moment to recover when Tony took the handkerchief out of her mouth. Laura was torn between screaming loud or doing like he said. But she didn't know where they were and probably there would be no help around and all she would achieve was making him furious again. And this time there would probably be no police to stop him.

"You're a good girl!" Tony said.

"Where are we, Tony?" asked after clearing her throat.

"You'll see." Laura frowned. "But it will please you to hear that we're close to your daughter." Tony took out a few things out of a bag next to Laura.

"We're at the airport, aren't we?" Laura guessed, but Tony didn't respond. Instead he pulled out his jacket and threw it around her shoulders. "You should wear this. A lady in just a bra is a little bit suspicious."

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, we're going on a little vacation." He smiled at her.

"And Felicia and Danielle?"

"If you're a good girl and just do what I tell you, you'll see them very soon. Trust me!"

Laura nodded.

Now Laura could see what things Tony had taken out of the bag before. Bandages.

"This is just to be sure, you stay calm while we're next to the police." While starting to bandage Laura's head he went on "This is an old CIA method. I planned this with Shannon, actually. You remember her, don't you?" he smiled at her, knowing that Laura didn't like her.

"You bandage my face so nobody will recognize me, and I'm not able to scream for help?" Laura wanted to know.

"You got it!"

"But...this wouldn't work. I've no passport..."

Tony smiled again "Don't worry. That's why I got you this!" He showed her an diplomatic passport.

"I still have a few connections. You're Laura O'Brien, daughter of the Irish ambassador here in LA, who had a terrible accident and now wants to go home immediately. I'm your bodyguard. Trust me, it worked before!"

Laura just sighed. This was really a good idea. Bad luck for her, though.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Anything, Jarvis?" Steele asked nervously when the detective entered the police station in Ventura.

Jarvis shook his head. "We searched the whole area around Ventura..."

Harry could have screamed! He tried to stay calm, but failed. "Jarvis, you told me, it's no problem, we'll find them, we'll build up street barricades and we'll have them! And now... God, it took us three hours! They could be in LA. again or at the airport..."

"I know, Steele."

"You know? Why didn't you three hours ago?" he asked furiously. He shouldn't have trusted him or the police, he should've done it his way!

"I'm sorry, Steele, but---"

"But what? This is about Laura and Danielle's lives, Jarvis." Harry blinked angrily at the detective then sighed. "Okay, what are your next moves?"

"We've given Laura's photo to all police departments in California, including the department at the airports."

"So you think they'll try to leave the country by plane, too?" Jarvis nodded. "Then we'd better hurry, otherwise I'll have to look all around the world! I know Felicia... she's wonderful at disappearing without a trace."

"What do you mean?" Harry didn't respond. "Let's go back to LA and start working from there, alright?" Jarvis suggested. "Okay, let's go."

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

Tony escorted Laura, a gun pointed at her back, through the entrance hall of the Los Angeles airport. She wore his jacket now. Laura couldn't say one word. Tony had bandaged her so tight Laura's jaw bones hurt like hell. But there was no other way to see Danielle again.

And there she was. Felicia ran to them, carrying the baby on her arm.
"Tony, what---"

Danielle started crying when she saw Laura. First she thought Danielle was afraid of her, but when the baby reached out her hand for Laura she knew she had recognized her mother. Laura took her hand and started to calm her as best as she good without words. Tears flooded her eyes. She had feared she would never see her again.

When Felicia saw Laura comforting her she took Laura's hand and divided the connection between them. Laura and Felicia looked angrily at each other. Then Felicia asked Tony again.

"What are you doing here?" She seemed to be quite upset about their appearance, Laura noticed. Sure, it would be quite difficult for her to connect with Danielle as long as her mother was near. Laura was a handicap for her plan, and this thought pleased Laura immensely.

"Felicia, you remember our plan B, don't you?"

"So they found you?"

"Yes. You were just gone, when the police and Steele arrived."

Felicia sighed. "Damn!" She looked at Laura. "I hoped I never would see you again!"

<As long as you have my child I'll be near you!> Laura thought to herself.

"Felicia, we should board the plane." Tony reminded his companion.

"How are you doing it, Tony? Laura has no passport, and---"

"Don't worry, we'll see you again in the plane, okay?"

"It's not really important to me as long as I'm safe..." She turned and left them.

"Blonde poison!" Tony whispered, and that was the first time Laura agreed with him.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

When Mildred opened the office door of Remington's office the next morning she found her boss asleep on the couch, hundreds of papers covering his body and the floor. Mildred came close to him and she looked worriedly down at her boss. With a photo of his family in his arms, he must have fallen asleep. Mildred took the blanket from the arm chair and covered him, but he awoke.

"Mildred?"

"I'm sorry, boss. I didn't mean to disturb you!"

Harry sat up. "It's all right, Mildred. Not a good time to fall asleep anyway!" He looked at the photo and sighed as he put it on the table in front of him. Mildred sat next to him after she removed a few papers.

"You've been here all night?" Harry looked at her and nodded. "Yes, I couldn't go home. That house---everything in there reminds me of her. In every corner I can see her face and she says: "Don't give up! Look for us!" Mildred nodded." And so I came here to do so."

"Any results?"

"No... not yet. But I know why she was kidnapped."

"Why?"

"Because of me, Mildred!"

"Yeah, Tony was jealous and..."

"No, it's not just Tony. It's Felicia, too."

"Felicia? Isn't that---"

"Yes, my old girlfriend." He fumbled in his pocket and took out the chain to show her.

"I found this in the room where they kept Laura in Ventura last night. It's Felicia's."

"That blond poison!" Harry sighed and nodded. He took the photograph from the table again. Mildred watched her boss. He looked so tired and sad.

"You look so terrible, Mr. Steele!"

"Thank you, Mildred!" She touched his arm and continued, "I mean, why don't you go to my home or to Jenna and Murphy's and try to get some sleep?"

"No!" he screamed and stood. He turned to Mildred again and saw her looking worried and frightened at the same time.

He sat down again and said in a much more gentle tone, "I'm sorry Mildred, ...my nerves!"

"I know, Mr. Steele!"

"You know, Laura and Danielle mean the world to me. They're all that is worth living for. I can't go to sleep without knowing where they are and if they are okay. I swear if they harm Laura or Danny. I'll kill Tony and Felicia!"

"Felicia?" a male voice from the door asked. Mildred and Harry looked to the door and found Murphy over there.

"Murphy?" Harry asked " I thought you were in San Diego." Murphy went to them and took a seat in the arm chair.

"I was, but Jenna and I decided that it would be good if one of us stayed to help you."

"And Jenna and Paul?"

"They stayed with Abigail. Jenna is trying to calm her. She's so frightened. We all are frightened, Remington." Harry sighed again.

"Now tell me about your results. What has Felicia to do with Tony?"

"That's something I still don't know. I just know she's involved. Last night I tried to phone old friends of mine and asked if they were able to tell me where Felicia would go nowadays to hide from the police."

"And?" Mildred asked impatiently.

"Nothing. I'm out of those circles, they don't tell such things to outsiders! Someone told me that Felicia has new friends... dangerous friends, even a Mafia-boss, and that I shouldn't look for her in those circles. Too dangerous!"

"Laura with Mafia-bosses?" Murphy asked, frightened.

"That's worrying me too." Harry replied.

"Steele?" a voice from outside shouted. Harry rose and said "In here, Jarvis."

The detective appeared with a wide smile on his face. "Good news, Steele!"

"You found them?"

The detective's smile faded. "No... not yet. But I know where they went last night!"

"Where?" Murphy who joined Harry and Jarvis at the door. "Dublin."

"Dublin?" Steele asked.

"Yes, they took the late plane last night. The department at the airport called me an hour ago. The passport control recognized Desmond and Roselli."

Harry was excited "And you think that's good? Damn! They're in Europe. Hours ahead of us!"

"But I connected my Irish colleagues already. It's impossible for them to leave the country. And Ireland is not that big!" Harry laughed a bitter laugh.

"Oh, Jarvis, you're naive... Ireland might not be as big as the U.S. but it's still big enough to hide from the police. I know that..."

Mildred joined them. "What are your next plans, Jarvis?"

"Well, I think it doesn't make sense to go to Ireland myself. I think I'll stay here and wait for them to call." Harry looked at him angrily although he knew Jarvis was right because the Irish police wouldn't let him work in Ireland.

"You might do so, but I'm not going to waste another second. I'll go to Ireland immediately and look for them myself!" he turned to Mildred.

"Care to join me, Mildred?"

"Of course, boss. But the agency..."

Murphy touched her arm and said, "Don't worry, Jenna and I will take care of the agency!"

Harry took Murphy's hand. "Thank you, Murphy. I promise I will not return without them!"

Murphy nodded and watched Harry leaving the room. Mildred looked at the two men and promised "And I will take care of him!" And then she was out of the room, too.

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

Only one hour later Mildred and Harry were at the airport ready to check in.

"I don't know Mildred, if we'll ever find them, Ireland is a good place to hide. Very lonesome and people don't cooperate with police very often."

"You're going to give up before our search even started? Hey, that's not you, boss! Where's your positive thinking, hmm?"

"I don't know, maybe it's gone with Laura." Harry sighed. "But you're right. It's no good to become resigned before having done anything!" he smiled "Thank God I have you with me."

"You're welcome. I promised Murphy to take care of you, and I know that Laura would be glad to know that I'm taking care of you, too."

Harry smiled again. "Yeah, I know. So, come on, let's go!" They started their journey to Europe.

To be continued...
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