High Noon Paso Doble
Or, A Bad Moon Rises
The torrid love affair between Stanley Richmond and Mimi Clark progressed as all such love affairs do - quickly. By the eve of Stanley's departure for New Bern, they knew they loved each other. Neither had ever expected to find the real deal - Stanley had always known his work would be an obstacle to meeting anyone and Mimi had begun to wonder if such a thing even existed - but neither questioned it. They just threw themselves into it with full force, trusting what they had with each other amidst the chaos that pervaded their lives.
They had made a decision to continue their work, and to help each other balance all of the secrets. They came to another decision together, and the night before Stanley left, they sat Bonnie down in the living room.
Bonnie was at first sullen as she anticipated a lecture, or worse, some kind of mushy announcement, but she grew solemn as the story of her family was recounted to her. At first, she seemed too stunned to say anything when Stanley finished, but she soon gave voice to many questions, which he answered truthfully.
"But why do you have to go? Why are you going now?" she asked Stanley.
He considered his baby sister carefully before answering. "I need to go, to keep up my part in our town. And it's the right thing to do. I never thought I could leave before, but now that you know, and now that I have Mimi here, I know I can leave the farm in good hands. I know you'll make me proud."
Bonnie felt a strange solidarity with Mimi the next day as they both watched Stanley drive away, tears in their eyes. Armed with her new knowledge of Mimi's identity, she could have imagined that Mimi's display of emotion was part of the act, but something told her it was more, part of the Mimi she was finally getting to know. Over the next few weeks, she learned more about her brother's new love, as Mimi told her stories about her life on the job, and taught her a few things out at the privacy of the ranch. Not only did Mimi show her some of the skills she'd picked up over her years of stealth operations and fending off enemies, she gave her advice about life, love, sex, and goal setting. Bonnie began to open up about her own thoughts. About how she'd always felt a strange longing to know more about her past, that a part of herself was missing. About the feelings of hope she'd begun to notice, as though she were on the verge of something, in the midst of the dark times that had begun after the bombs. For the first time, Bonnie felt that rare and extraordinary connection of true friendship that few of us are lucky enough to experience.
So it was that when Stanley returned from New Bern, he found himself in the midst of a closely knit little family, united by their cause and with no secrets between them. It was a freedom and a security he'd never known before. It was a grounded feeling Mimi had never felt. It was a sense of belonging Bonnie had been missing. So it was, that in the middle of trials and tribulations, a time when fire was raining down on Jericho, the Richmond family found themselves facing happiness.
As with all such happiness, it was not to last. The ASA came to stop the war between the towns, and with them blew in the winds of change. No one in town could read better the current in these winds than Mimi, and they made her very uneasy.
"They're here for a reason," she said one night as the family, sitting around their living room, feverishly discussed the sudden ASA presence in Jericho. "The West would never come to rebuild a backwater place like this right away, unless they wanted something. They've got to be here for the bomb."
"If they know it's here, why don't they just come out here and get it? For that matter, why wouldn't they just send someone like you? One of your counterparts? Why the company, and the army?" asked Stanley.
"That's not how they work, always," she mused. "One of my...counterparts will be along soon, I expect. But first they'll send in the facade, lull the town into a false sense of security while they figure out what move to make next. So they must not know exactly where it is yet...or they're after more than one thing..."
"So what should we do? Think we should move it?" he asked doubtfully. He'd considered it plenty of times, but move it to where? He'd always decided it was best to hide it at home, where he knew the lay of the land. If protecting it came down to a fight, he wanted home court advantage.
"No, it's too late for that," she said. "I need to do some recon. I'm going to get a job."
"With J&R?" asked Bonnie.
Mimi nodded, resolutely. "That's the best plan, for now. And for now, we've all got to stay alert. Keep an eye on everything going on."
Stanley and Bonnie agreed and pledged their resolution to be vigilant.
It was easy enough for Mimi to infiltrate J&R. Trish Merrick, still vaguely threatened by the presence of the farmer's girlfriend and distracted by dreams of her own upcoming wedding, was more than happy to recommend Mimi (if only to get away from the other woman as fast as possible). She got a job on the ground floor, and in no time, had the offices bugged and had copied information out into the notebook she carried everywhere.
"Wouldn't it be better to copy the files onto a drive?" asked Bonnie one evening as Mimi listened to a high tech recording device that was connected to her watch and transcribed the information into her notebook.
Mimi shook her head. "It's better not to leave an electronic trail. I've got all the secrets I've ever uncovered written down in here and no one's ever going to be able to hack it, copy it, or send it a virus. Even if someone gets their hands on it, they'd have to decipher the code, but the chances anyone'll get it are pretty low. They'd have to get through me first." The women exchanged a grin.
Bonnie smiled as her almost sister-in-law continued to concentrate on her work. She had her own news to break, and she was a little worried about how they would react. She decided to just say it casually. "I'm going to go to Cheyenne."
Mimi looked up at her, her eyes dead serious, pulling the headphones out of her ears. Stanley, who had been leafing through a textbook on the couch, looked over at her too. "You're going?"
"I'm going to get a job. They need people. I'm going to see what's out there." She looked between them, but they were both silent. She continued with the speech she'd practiced. "I know you're going to say it's dangerous, I know you're going to want me to stay. But this is something I need to do, I can feel it, somehow. You've taught me, now you have to trust me. I can do this."
After an eternity of staring at her, Mimi finally nodded. "It will be dangerous." Bonnie nodded, waiting for her to continue. "So you'd better let me teach you some more moves. And tell you about things to look out for. Oh, I'm going to make you a list." Mimi nodded emphatically, but her eyes were getting shiny. "And I'm sure I'll still be worried sick about you, so you'd better make sure you come back here."
Bonnie let out a small giggle. Coming from Mimi, she knew what all of that meant. She looked nervously to her brother. He appeared to be wrestling with something. He spoke eventually, slowly, as if he had to make certain of each word. "I thought I could raise you, protect you, keep all of this from touching you. But I was wrong. You need to make your mark on the world, just like we did and still do. You can feel it like I can, something just tells you that you need to do this. I know how that is. So I'm proud of you. And I bet I won't be good at saying goodbye, watching you go, so you'll have to cut me some slack."
She nodded, solemnly, but she couldn't stay solemn for long. Her brother was giving her a teasing look, and they both broke out in laughter, because it was easier, she suspected, than expressing the other things they were feeling.
"And we have some news too, though nothing as earth shattering as yours," said Mimi, reaching for Stanley's hand. She glanced at him.
"We're getting married!" he said.
Bonnie raised her eyebrows in surprise, even though she'd seen it coming for a while, and with a laugh, she bounded across the floor to envelope them both in a hug. The three of them laughed and giggled and didn't break apart for several moments.
Bonnie prepared hastily over the next few days, trying to quell any fears that came up with the same resolution she'd had when she first made the decision. She was ready to do this, excited even, to be finally contributing something, after so many years of not knowing, not understanding her purpose in this world. Now, she was armed with the truth, with the lessons and advice, and most importantly, the love of her family. She was going to make them proud, and to find out just what she could do, and that was enough to keep her going, every time she'd pause while sitting in her parents' old bedroom, tracing her hands over her grandmother's quilt, or standing on the edge of the field where she'd played as a child, watching the birds scattering at her approach and disappearing into the brightness of the afternoon.
For their part, Stanley and Mimi were trying to put on brave faces too. She'd catch them sometimes, looking at her when they thought she wasn't looking, a strange mixture of emotions on their faces, and she'd end up assuring them, even though it was she was who going out into the great unknown. Usually they would try to recover in the moment too. Stanley would mention gruffly that he had to check on the cows, or Mimi would shake it off and offer to teach her another choke hold. Sometimes Bonnie would assure them that it would be fine, that in no time she'd be back, with adventure stories of her own, and ready to help plan the wedding. Most times, however, she'd pretend she didn't notice their momentary lapses in certainty.
One night soon before Bonnie's departure, she sat on the porch and stared out at the sunset that was sweeping across the land. She'd seen such a sight many times before, but tonight she couldn't keep her eyes from it. It seemed to stretch forever, encompassing the whole world, for sure. She felt she could stare at it forever, now that she was about to leave this place. Stanley leaned against the porch railing beside her, and she suddenly felt she could look at him forever too.
"Did you ever wish you could've gone back and done something different?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Never."
"You never felt like there could have been something else out there? Something besides a life of danger, hard work, and raising a kid?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he grinned.
She smiled back at him. "Me neither."
He looked at her in silence for a few moments, but she could see all he was thinking on his face. "I always knew you'd make me proud," he said huskily. "Just make sure you do what makes you happy too, okay?"
She nodded, and she felt herself being overcome. It didn't really matter; he was losing his brave face too. She reached out her arms, as she had so often, since she was a little girl, and he pulled her close to him. They pulled apart after a long moment, and he was blinking, looking everywhere but at her. "Now, I've got to go check on that compound in the barn. It's supposed to oscillate at five hundred degrees Kelvin," he mumbled.
Bonnie couldn't help but smile after him as he retreated. She stared at the sunset again, hugging her arms around her. The back door opened, and Mimi came out on the porch, pulling on a sweater and sitting on the swing. Bonnie silently went over and sat beside her.
"He's going to be fine," said Mimi, looking over at the barn.
"Oh, I'm not worried," smiled Bonnie. "I think, between the two of you, you'll manage."
"But it won't be the same, without you, you know," said Mimi.
Bonnie nodded. "I'll be back, though."
Mimi let out a small laugh, but she was beginning to get emotional too. "I know. You know what to do. I know you'll handle yourself just fine."
"I've been taught well," said Bonnie, nudging her.
Mimi was looking out now, a solemn look on her face. "You know, I've never had a real friend before, Bonnie. Girls are usually scared of me."
"Weird," said Bonnie, turning to smile at her soon-to-be sister. "I've never had a friend like you either."
"Thanks," Mimi whispered. She put an arm around Bonnie, Bonnie leaned her head against her shoulder, and they watched the sunset.
Over in a dark room, in another part of town, someone else was sitting at a desk, not looking out at the sunset but down at a file folder in his hands.
"Well, well, well," said a low voice. "I knew I'd find you again."
"Sir," said a man in the doorway.
"What? Biff, I told you not to bother me!" said the seated man in aggravation.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the man named Biff, falling over himself to apologize.
"It's alright, Biff, I'm in a good mood tonight." The seated man did seem in a good mood. His lips curled into a smile Biff had never seen on his boss before.
"You don't mean..." began Biff. "You haven't found...her?"
The seated man nodded.
"That's great news, sir!" enthused Biff. "Should we go over there now and pay her a visit?"
"Calm down, Biff," said his boss. "We're not going to do anything of the sort. Not yet."
"But you've been waiting for so long -"
"And I can wait a little longer, Biff!" The man in the chair banged his fist on the desk. He leaned back in his seat. "I am a very patient man."
"Of course you are, sir," said Biff quickly.
"It's all about the timing, Biff. We've got to do this just right. I know her. We can't just go knock on her door. We've got to wait for her to come out and play."
"And then?" asked Biff.
The man smiled again. "And then I've got some catching up to do." He looked down at the papers spread on his desk and chuckled to himself.
The next day began like many others in the Richmond household, though the three family members lingered a little bit longer at the breakfast table, took a little longer to get ready to go in to town or out to the barn, and said goodbye just a little more slowly than usual, perhaps because they knew they wouldn't have many more mornings together.
The morning turned to afternoon, and still, the day seemed to be like any other, except for a few storm clouds on the horizon, which Bonnie pointed out to Stanley as they crossed the street in town, having been picking up a few more supplies for Bonnie's travels.
"We'll have to take in the animals. Check on the barn, secure the place," Stanley started to say, but Bonnie grabbed his arm.
"Look!" she exclaimed, a worried look on her face. The siblings stared across the street. Dale was being lead away in handcuffs, a defeated look on his face. Several menacing Ravenwood men flanked him on either side.
"I guess Dale egged the wrong car," suggested Stanley, but both he and Bonnie were wondering when Ravenwood had started cracking down on practical jokes and pranks.
"Something's wrong. And Mimi's been suspicious of them all along," said Stanley.
"Should I get her?" asked Bonnie.
"No, I'll check it out. As a concerned citizen," said Stanley, a determined look on his face. "Are you going to be -"
"I can look after the barn," said Bonnie significantly. The brother and sister looked at each other in silence for a moment, before Stanley patted her arm. "Good. I'll meet you back there. Soon."
Bonnie nodded. "Hurry!"
With a businesslike nod, each Richmond took off in a different direction, in pursuit of their individual missions.
Meanwhile, Mimi was having an ordinary afternoon in the office, pretending to be concerned with the intricacies of double-entry accounting. She sat at her desk, the file open in her hands. A shadow fell across the paper. She looked up quickly.
"Clark. We meet again." He stood over her, a sinister look on his face, a Ravenwood logo emblazoned on his chest.
Mimi was swiftly on her feet and on the other side of the desk. She peered at him, and knew him in a split second. "Goetz. It is a small world."
He raised his eyebrows. "Surprised to see me?"
She raised hers. "It's been a long time since Amarillo."
He chuckled, throwing his head back. "Yeah. It was a long time for me. Five weeks in hospital, and three reconstructive surgeries." He looked at her with a calculating expression. "And you probably thought you'd gotten rid of me for good."
She laughed herself. "I knew you'd be back some day. Creatures like you never die easy. You and cockroaches."
He gave a mock bow with his head. "Well, thank you, but I'll have to return the compliment."
She folded her arms, questioning. "Someone else might've thought you were dead, with that trick you pulled," he continued. "But I could see through it, impressive as it was."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged.
"I knew you were alive and kicking," he said, "When something disappeared from my possession, a week after the fire."
She said nothing, but continued to stare back at him.
"I was still in hospital, and I didn't even get a chance to start working on your code. But you know, mad as I was, to lose something I went through hell and beyond to get my hands on, I was still glad."
"Oh?" she asked.
"It meant you were still out there." She smiled as if in acknowledgement of his affections. "Meant I could pay you back."
"You really want to make that gamble again?" she asked.
They faced off in tense silence for a moment, before each suddenly lunged. They ended up stepping around, switching places, so that they were on opposite sides of the table. "Come on Clark, you really want to be like that?" panted Goetz.
"What, you prefer to catch up first?" asked Mimi.
Goetz gave an odd shrug. "Well, you said it, it has been a long time." He stepped sideways again, and so did she.
"So?" asked Mimi. "What's new?"
"Well, I got a puppy," he said, stepping out of her reach.
"How sweet," she said, edging towards him.
"But you got a family, didn't you Clark?" They both stopped and stood still. Mimi was momentarily frozen. "You did, didn't you?" he continued. "A cute little family."
"Keep them out of this," she said, stepping back as he advanced this time.
"Oh, I didn't come here to see them. My reunion's with you." He grinned.
Mimi struck a defensive stance. "Right. You know, I don't understand why you'd come back for more, but if you insist."
He shook his head, chuckling. "I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment."
Mimi sprung then, pinning him against the desk in one quick movement. He struggled, his face against the wood, choking out, "But Clark, I'd be careful if I had as much to lose as you do."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, pushing her knee against his back.
"In case you wanted to play, I sent a bunch of my men out to watch your little family. They're outside your little love nest right now."
Mimi hesitated for a second, and Goetz moved, throwing her arms off of him, spinning, and reversing their positions, shoving Mimi against the table and holding her arms behind her back. "You know what I want," he said.
She struggled. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he sneered. "And I know you. So I don't think it's here."
She stayed silent, and stayed still against the table as he spoke.
"You used to keep it on you. But you've found somewhere else to hide it now, haven't you?" He twisted her arm. "You've found something you never thought you'd have, and you thought things would be different." He laughed. "You found yourself a home. And that's where you hid it." He leaned over, to whisper in her ear. "And guess what, Clark? I know where you live."
Her head against the table, Mimi made a face he couldn't see. "Then what are we doing here, John?"
She spun around, but he held on, still pinning her against the table, their faces inches apart. "I couldn't resist having a little private catch up time first. Mimi."
Using her strong abdominals and superior training, Mimi pushed against Goetz and pulled herself into a standing position. "And so, in this great plan of yours, what happens after I kill you?"
He reached a hand to her hair and ran a strand of it between his thumb and forefinger. "You're not going to kill me."
"Oh no?" she asked, moving forward, forcing him to move back.
"Because whether you get the best of me or I get the best of you here, my men are sitting in your front yard. And I know you. You're going to pick that little family of yours over taking me out."
"Who says I can't do both?" she asked, her eyes flashing.
He grinned, holding up a wrist. He had a plain, black wrist watch, with a blinking red light in the centre. "See this? Not as sophisticated as yours, I'm sure, but all I have to do is press one button and my men won't be sitting anymore. Bye bye family."
He twitched, but before he could raise his other hand to press the button, she'd grabbed it, twisting it behind him. For a second, he grunted and it seemed like she had the upper hand, but Goetz turned his other arm sideways, smashing it against the table. He held up his wrist with a glint in his eyes and a smile stretching across his features. The light wasn't blinking anymore.
"Nice, Clark," he said. "But I think even your reflexes won't be enough to get you there in time."
Mimi's eyes widened.
"So going to cut our meeting short, Clark, or -"
Goetz let out a groan as Mimi kneed him in the stomach. Quick as lightning, she held her Rolex to his neck, and with an electrical jolt, he fell to the ground. Mimi paused for one second as she saw him flop on the office floor, and then turned to run out the door.
As Bonnie drove the truck up the lane and stepped out into the yard, she noticed that the skies overhead had grown even more foreboding. The heavy gray swirls looked so close to the ground, they could fall and crush the summer crops, blowing in the wind that had whipped out of nowhere. Bonnie shivered and quickly went about the chores, shutting the animals safely in the barn, securing the outbuildings, and pulling the rocking chair from the porch inside.
Once inside, she dropped into the rocking chair in the living room. Absently rocking, she thought back to what she had witnessed in town. Why was Dale being led away in handcuffs and where had Skylar disappeared to? Ever since they'd first earned a nickname, Bonnie hadn't seen either one without the other in town. What was Ravenwood playing at, and what would Mimi think of it all? And where was Mimi?
Bonnie leaned forward in the rocking chair. What time was it anyway? A glance at the clock on the wall told her that it was still a little earlier than the time Mimi normally came home. The storm brewing outside had made it darker, had made her think it was later. That was all. She would have to stop letting herself get nervous so easily, if she was going to do everything she'd planned in Cheyenne.
She glanced at the window and saw the raindrops, beginning slowly and then suddenly falling in a steady rhythm. She jumped as her eye caught something flapping outside the window. She let out a breath as she remembered the loose shutter Stanley had put on his to-do list. Almost laughing at her own jumpiness, she got up and went into the kitchen. She planned on distracting herself, but instead found herself pacing around the room, unable to focus on anything as mundane as setting the table. She felt as though her senses were on heightened alert, and she was noticing in sharp detail everything, from her mother's stenciled breadbox on the counter, to Stanley's model airplane, still hanging in the corner twenty-one years after its creation, to the Farmer's Almanac calendar on the wall, to Mimi's knitting...
She froze. Mimi's latest knitting project was still on the small wooden bench in the corner of the room, but the blue yarn lay in a tangled heap, the needles haphazardly balanced. Mimi would never have left them that way, even if she'd been in a hurry when she deposited her knitting for the night. And Stanley wouldn't move it. He would never chance making her that mad...
Bonnie felt a sudden tightness in the pit of her stomach. Her skin was tingling, and the hair on the back of her neck was standing up, she was sure. Her eyes scanned the kitchen quickly as she stepped towards the bench, moving slowly and carefully, and she hoped, quietly. At the bench, she stood still, her feet against the kitchen floor, barely breathing as she waited for something to happen.
She felt it then - the faint vibration in the floor, and she looked around, trying to ascertain the direction it had come from. She knew it; she was not alone in the house. Her hand closed over the knitting needle, and she considered the direction in which she would make her move. She could see clearly to the front door, but she'd have to cross the living room, and anyone could jump out at her from around the corner. She wouldn't even have warning if someone was overhead, on the stairs, waiting to pounce. The back door at the other side of the kitchen was an escape route too, but where would she go? She considered going for the shotgun Stanley kept in the hall closet, but that would mean going through the living room. The barn. It was full of the inventions Stanley and her parents had perfected over the years, and no one knew the hiding places - except her and Stanley and Mimi. The back door then, and the barn.
She took a cautious step, and then another, but by her third, she was running. She crossed the kitchen, flung open the door, and was startled when a man in a black golf shirt appeared on the porch in front of her.
Letting out a yelp, she jumped back, out of his grasp, slammed the door, and locked it. She spun around to find another Ravenwood man right behind her. He stepped forward, his arms outstretched, and Bonnie panicked. There was no other direction to run but forward, so she ran and faced him head on. Bonnie couldn't hear the terrible scream he made as he slid to the ground, clutching at the knitting needle she'd stabbed him with. She kept running.
As she ran into the living room, two black blurs came at her from either side. She slammed into them with a thud, and as she felt arms grabbing her, she pulled, strained, and clawed with all her might. She tore away from them, and quickly crossed the rest of the living room, despairing that they were right behind her and worrying that more would be on the other side of this door too.
As she tore open the front door, a figure did indeed rush into the house, grabbing her by the upper arms and looking into her face.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, are you okay?" Bonnie froze, staring back at Mimi. Mimi's eyes were huge, her expression one of sheer panic, but as Bonnie looked at her, Mimi's eyes flitted quickly to something behind her. Bonnie felt the vibrations - someone was coming, about to be right behind her. Mimi unceremoniously pushed Bonnie aside, and as Bonnie spun around, she saw Mimi land a kick against one of the men's faces, knocking him to the ground. She quickly pushed the other man, who tripped and toppled right over his cohort. Mimi finished them off by zapping each of them with her watch, and they fell down, unconscious, in a heap.
Breathing hard, she turned to Bonnie. "Are you okay?" she asked frantically, rushing over and grabbing onto Bonnie again, a hold that was at once fiercely protective and comforting.
Bonnie only had a chance to nod, as Mimi was suddenly glancing behind her. "He's coming," she muttered as she looked out the window, but Bonnie couldn't see her face with her head turned. She turned back to Bonnie, holding onto her now as if for dear life and looking into her eyes as if what she were about to say was of utmost importance.
"You go and hide, okay? Get upstairs, and take care of yourself."
Bonnie nodded again, gravely. There was a look on Mimi's face, as if she wanted to say more, but she hurriedly shoved Bonnie towards the stairs, shouting "Go!" though Bonnie couldn't see.
Bonnie retreated up the stairs hastily, waiting several seconds in the hallway before turning, crouching, and crawling back to the landing. She peered down through the bars of the railing. She couldn't see Mimi anymore, and she wished earnestly for once that she could hear, only so that she could tell whether there were other signs of life in the house.
Bonnie stayed absolutely still, even when the front door burst open, and a man stepped over the threshold. A man she recognized as the leader of Ravenwood.
Goetz had stepped over one of his men on the porch, but he was still smiling to himself as he glanced around the living room. "Nice digs, Clark," he called in a sing song voice. "But I think you're losing your touch. That guy on the porch is still alive. Has family life turned you soft?"
He stepped around the two other bodies on the floor, shaking his head. "Come on, Clark, you're going to leave me hanging? I could just tear the place apart looking for your book, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun."
He picked up a candle holder from a table and pretended to be interested in studying it. "Clark, I'm surprised, I have to say. Never knew you to lead a guy on and refuse to follow through. Does our history mean nothing to you?"
He put the candle holder back down, and he lost his playful demeanor. "Look, Clark, I'm sorry it had to come to your family, but that's why we're not supposed to form attachments anyway. Didn't they teach you that in basic training? So quit crying about it, pick yourself up, get back out here and finish what we -"
A flurry of dark hair, business attire, and designer heels slammed into him and knocked him down. Mimi had taken a leap as he crossed the threshold from the living room to the kitchen, connecting both her feet with his midsection. He lay on the ground, holding his side and groaning, and she landed, staggering once to the side. Before she could aim another kick at his head, he crawled quickly to the the other side of the floor.
"You're not getting near my family," she spat.
She lunged towards him, but he rolled sideways and leapt up. "I've got to say, this is a side to you I've never seen, Clark," he goaded. "It's kind of hot."
He dodged as Mimi aimed another kick at his side. Her foot only caught him slightly, and he staggered a few steps away. "Yeah? I wonder if it'll be hot when I kill you!" She advanced towards him, her hands up in fists.
He pretended to step backward, but in a split second, he surged forward, tackling her to the ground. Mimi twisted as Goetz held her arms. "It's my turn. It's only fair," he grunted.
Mimi pulled her legs up to connect with his torso, throwing him off of her. She was on her feet again before he was. "Since when are you interested in playing fair?" she threw back at him.
His face twisted into a grin. "Touché." He whipped out a hand gun.
Mimi's eyes widened, and she had a second to dive behind the couch as Goetz open fired across the living room. Bullets bounced off the walls, shattered one of the windows, and dented the refrigerator. When it was finally silent again, Goetz stepped forward. "Sorry, Clark, but I couldn't let you one up me this time with your watch. I made sure to be prepared this time. And it's not like I ever played fair before. Can't a blame a guy, when it comes to keeping up with you -"
His speech was cut short as the gun was knocked out of his hand. He glanced down. The gun had clattered to the ground, a few feet away, with a small, thin blade spinning on the floor beside it. He glanced back at Mimi, who was holding one of her shoes in her hand.
"My point exactly," he smirked.
Mimi smiled herself, flicking her other foot upwards, catching the shoe in her hand, the retractable blade flipping out of the heel. It was his turn to dive sideways as she sent the second blade, spinning and whistling through the air, towards him.
"Come on, Goetz, giving up so easily?" she sneered, jumping up on the couch.
"On you? Never," he grinned, dashing forward.
She leapt from her perch on the back of the couch, and he was ready for her. They collided in the air and collapsed on the ground, an entangled mass of arms and legs, rolling, thudding, knees connecting painfully to diaphragms, shoulders being crushed under elbows.
"No more tricks up your sleeve?" panted Goetz as he got the upper hand, smacking Mimi's head against the floor.
Mimi saw stars and feigned defeat for a moment, before bringing an elbow up to smash him in the nose. He let out a shout, and she slid out from under him and jumped to her feet.
He had a hand to his face, and blood was dripping through his fingers as he staggered to his feet too. She took a dizzy step, still feeling the effects of her head against hardwood. Bellowing like an angry rhinoceros, he lunged, grabbing her arms in his and barreling both of them into a window. The window shattered and Mimi slid to the floor amidst the broken glass. Goetz staggered backwards, having been cut himself, though Mimi had taken the full impact.
He spat on the floor, and watched as his opponent struggled to pull herself into a sitting position, wincing and breathing carefully. "Wanna tell me where it is now, Clark?" he whispered. "Or do I have to wait til you're dead and then toss the place?"
Mimi let out a primal shout of her own now and tackled Goetz from the ground, grabbing him round the knees and toppling him over. He struggled to get up, and she crawled forward, pushing her knees into his chest. "Still think you're going to win?" she breathed. "Think third times the charm or something?"
He yelped as her knee ground into him, but he let out a strange chuckle a moment later. "What are you laughing at?" she spat.
"You've still got more to lose," he said with a familiar grin. He was looking over her shoulder.
She was sure it was a trick, but she heard a creak in the floor behind them. She turned her head sideways, and saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Goetz laughed, and she leaned an elbow into his neck as she turned to look. With a jolt, she recognized the Ravenwood man she'd left unconscious on the porch. He was standing in front of the door, looking at them, but he was headed towards the stairs.
In one swift motion, Mimi zapped Goetz with her watch, sprang to her feet, and charged at the other man.
Bonnie had been waiting at the top of the stairs all of this time, silently hoping and praying that whatever was happening downstairs, out of her sight, things were going in Mimi's favour. She had been contemplating going to the closet in the hallway to get the shotgun, but had been frozen to her spot on the floor, waiting for a sign of life. She was shocked when the first movement she saw was the front door opening, another man in Ravenwood black stepping inside, a malevolent look on his features. He could see her, she knew, and she knew she should do something, but in the moment, she could only stare back at him. He looked over at the living room, and Bonnie despaired at the smile on his face as he turned back to her, taking a step forward. What had he seen that would make him smile? Was she the last line of defence, between their secret and those who would use it to destroy everything? She felt a jolt of dread, considering the possibility that she was the only one left, but also a firm resolve. She turned, and dashed down the hallway, throwing open the closet door.
The gun was in fine working order, and she'd used it before, many times, when hunting. She'd never thought of the horror of using it against a person, but this was not a time to think of that either. She thought of Stanley, who'd been her whole family for so long, and Mimi, one of her first real friends, as she ran back down the hall.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she expected to see the man ready to attack, but instead, her heart leapt. Mimi, bloody and curiously barefoot but still very much alive, was finishing off the intruder, flinging him to the floor. He stayed there, not moving, and Mimi looked up the stairs, catching Bonnie's eye. A small smile passed over her, as if to say, "I'm okay, you?"
Bonnie nodded, returning the smile, wishing she could exclaim how relieved she was. She didn't get the chance. She couldn't hear the approach, so she only had a split second to see Goetz come up behind her sister-to-be. Mimi evidently heard him, because she spun around, but she had no time to dodge out of the way as he leveled the gun at her.
Bonnie was frozen in horror as she watched her friend falling, crumpling to the ground. Mimi didn't move, except when Goetz nudged her side with his foot. She rolled, her arm flopping limply beside her, her face suddenly still, but she didn't move again. Goetz smiled, first down at his old enemy, and then up the stairs.
Bonnie gritted her teeth and pulled the trigger. Goetz jumped back, a stunned look on his face, and Bonnie shot again. The object of her wrath looked wildly around, and quickly slipped out the front door as Bonnie fired again.
She rushed to Mimi's side then, frantically tugging on her arms, shouting her name, trying to force her awake again. Mimi stirred, and Bonnie leaned in as Mimi opened her eyes. Her breathing was ragged, her face was pale, and she grabbed Bonnie's hand in hers, frantically trying to get across a message. "He's going to - the barn," she wheezed. "He's going - for my - book."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows, wanting to say so much, but knowing there was no time.
"The - barn," insisted Mimi. Bonnie nodded, a firm look of resolution stealing over her.
"Careful," whispered Mimi, and she gave Bonnie a faint smile. She slid out of consciousness, and Bonnie carefully laid her head against the floor before running outside.
The sky had gone black and the rain was pelting down with full force, but Bonnie barely noticed as tears began to stream down her face too. She had never felt such rage, such anguish, and such certainty all at once.
The lawn was slippery, the grass turning to mud in the storm. Bonnie ran with even footsteps, her eyes scanning the darkness.
Halfway across the yard, she could see his silhouette, coming from the barn. He held an object triumphantly in his hand. Bonnie felt even more incensed as she tightened her hold on the shot gun.
Goetz was gleeful as he left the barn. Clark had hidden it just where he knew she would've thought no one would expect her to hide anything - amidst pig slops. He had anticipated this day for so long, but he'd never expected it to be this easy. He was still in pain from their encounter, but he'd won, he'd left her for dead this time, and the satisfaction was just as he'd dreamt it would be.
He didn't notice the figure standing in the darkness until she fired a shot at him. It hit him, in the leg, and he hopped sideways, letting out a shout that was lost in the roar of the storm. It hurt like hell, but it was just a flesh wound. Nothing like what Clark could dish out, if she were still breathing. He tried to get his bearings in the darkness, and finally caught sight of the girl still aiming at him.
He laughed, even though his sides hurt at the motion. "A kid? She sends a kid out after her?"
Bonnie couldn't tell what he was saying, with the rain falling in sheets and the angry tears still clouding her eyes, but she fired another shot.
Mimi awoke again at the sound of the gunshots, and she dragged herself, painfully, towards the door, but she couldn't muster the strength to stand up. Leaning against the front door, feeling her blood pouring over her hands and her tears wetting her face, she could only listen as the gunshots continued and then stopped. She could only hear the rain on the roof, and she closed her eyes in despair as the darkness overcame her again.
I knew something was wrong, that terrible afternoon. I don't know how to explain it, but something about the dark clouds on the horizon, the tingling in the air, gave me a horrible feeling. Then there was the strange business of Dale's arrest. I wanted to discuss it with Jake, because I knew something much more than freedom to play practical jokes was under threat, but I knew we would have to wait until later, when we weren't under the watchful eyes of Ravenwood or J&R. Stanley said he wanted to question Dale a little more, something about being a concerned citizen, so I offered to check on the farm for him, and to fill in his fiancé and sister.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off as I drove out there in the rain, but I still wasn't prepared for the sight that met my eyes when I came around the side of the house and into the yard. I ran forward.
Bonnie was lying on the grass, curled on her side, the rain plastering her hair to her face. I was beside her in a flash, kneeling in the mud, holding her in my arms and brushing her hair back.
She was alive, but I could tell she didn't have long. Her breathing was shallow, there were tear tracks down her cheeks, and the ground beneath her was stained with blood.
I could feel myself tearing up as her eyes fluttered open, and she asked "Deputy Kohler?"
I nodded, holding her tightly as she turned her face to the heavens. The rain continued to fall.
"Stay with me?" she whispered, looking up at me with gleaming eyes.
I'd known Bonnie her whole life, being friends with her brother, and while we all always thought of her as a kind of a kid sister, I'd known for a while that Bonnie Richmond had a bit of a crush on me. I'd always laughed it off, to myself of course, I'd never want to embarrass her. She was such a sweet kid. In this moment, as the life drained away from her, I couldn't help trying to comfort the poor kid.
"I'll be right here," I said. "I promise."
She let out a painful sigh, and another, and I continued to whisper whatever words of comfort I could, rocking her gently, leaning over to shield her face from the rain.
Her breathing grew more laborious, then it got gentler, slower, and I could feel that she was slipping away from me. "Tell..." she breathed faintly. I leaned closer. "Stanley...Mimi..." She struggled to lift her arm, but found she had no strength left to sign. Her fingers slowly twisted into a shape, but a second later, her hand relaxed, and went limp.
Her eyes were closed, her face was still, and I felt moved to give her one last comfort. I smoothed her hair off of her face one last time, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Goodbye."
I knew she was gone then, and I looked up to the sky, with the wild desperation of anyone who holds life in their hands one minute and feels it slip away the next. The rain continued to pelt down on me, and on the beloved sister who would never laugh again, and all I could see as I looked up were the dark clouds raining down on us.
Not long after Bonnie's last breath, the rest of the town was plunged into chaos as everyone reacted to the horrible news and the knowledge that the murderer was still at large. Our friends sprang into action, rallying around Stanley and Mimi the best they could and seeking to deliver justice, though of course none of us knew how deep the conflict between Goetz and the little family ran. None of us would witness (and I would only read about it later), the scene that occurred in the small recovery room in the wee hours of the morning after Dr. Kenchy Dhuwalia performed the heroic operation that saved Mimi's life. There were only two present to witness.
Stanley perched on the edge of the hospital bed, one arm wrapped around Mimi, holding her to him.
"I never should have asked her to go out there. I never should have expected..." Mimi was crying.
"She did what she thought was right," said Stanley, and though there was sorrow etched deep into his features, he continued to rub her arm comfortingly.
"I should never have come here," she continued, sobbing into his chest. "I should have left you all alone. She could have just been a happy, normal kid, and you -"
"What? What would I do without you?" he asked. "I love you. Mimi. I love you."
"But Bonnie..."
"She loved you too. We both needed you in our family. And this doesn't change that. This is something that happened, to all of us." He nodded emphatically.
"But this is all wrong. I'm alive and she's gone. I'm so sorry," Mimi continued.
Stanley held her closer. "I'm sorry about it too. But you know she would do it again. I know she would. She wanted to protect our family, and our legacy, as much as you, or me."
"But what did she die for?" asked Mimi, her voice breaking in anguish. "He killed her, tore away a piece of us, and neither of us could stop him. He got my book. She died for nothing!"
"She didn't..." he said, his own voice breaking. "You - wait, he got your book?"
"Yes," she said. "And I'm stuck in the hospital this time, I'm not sure when I'll get to pay him back -"
"How did he get to your hiding spot?" he asked.
She was flustered. "I guess he searched the place and found it."
"But how did he know to look there?" he asked.
She shook her head, an expression of confusion on her features. "I don't know. He..."
"He only had a short time, you said. Before Bill got there, before Bonnie..."
"Yes."
"So how did he find the exact spot? That sliding shelf was built by my dad, and there are two dozen other more obvious hiding spots in the barn. I would think it would take him a while to find it, hidden as it is." Stanley shifted in his seat as he thought.
Mimi frowned. "It's almost as if he's been here before..."
She glanced at him as realization dawned on his face.
The scene that occurred in the field on the edge of town an hour later was witnessed by all of the rangers and a group of men from New Bern. Most remember it as being surreal, as Stanley walked up to Goetz and no one stopped him. The scene that occurred in another hospital room a few hours later was, once again, only witnessed by two.
Goetz lay in his hospital bed, hooked to an IV and several machines, watching the ceiling fan overhead. A shadow fell across the floor. He struggled to turn his head sideways, to glimpse the figure standing in the doorway, his arms folded.
Goetz smirked painfully. "You missed me."
"No I didn't," said Stanley, moving inside and shutting the door behind him. "I got you right where I wanted you."
Goetz raised his eyebrows. "So it's you, huh? You're the family man? I've got to say, I'm surprised. You're not Clark's type at all."
Stanley merely glowered at the man in the hospital bed.
"So, you're here to avenge her? I guess I should've seen it coming." He leaned his head against his pillow.
Stanley wordlessly stepped around the bed, picking up the pitcher of water from the tiny night side table, pouring himself a cup and taking a sip. He closed his eyes briefly as he drank.
Goetz watched in silence for a moment, trying not to lick his lips. "Think you could pour me a cup?"
Stanley raised his eyebrows. "You're asking me for a favour?"
Goetz laughed. "Sure, why not. I'm assuming you're going to kill me in a few minutes anyway, and it's not like I can get it myself. May as well be without a scratchy throat when you get me for your girlfriend's death."
Stanley nodded, as if this was only logical, poured a second cup, and held it up to the paralysed man's lips.
"So, this is sweet. Going to say anything more about Clark? Tell me she was the love of your life? Curse me for taking away everything?" Goetz looked steadily at his intruder.
"You did take away everything," said Stanley calmly. "More than you know."
Goetz looked as though he would make another taunting remark, but he remained silent as Stanley began to pace the tiny room again.
"Fourteen years ago, you came here for a different mission," Stanley said. "To steal an important discovery, and to dispose of the scientists who made that discovery. And the witnesses."
Goetz stared at him, his eyes suddenly wide.
"Only you screwed up. You stole the wrong formula, and you left a witness alive." Stanley stopped pacing to look him in the eye.
"The little girl..." Goetz whispered.
"And they left someone else behind. A son," finished Stanley.
Goetz gave a small, grave nod. "You."
Stanley nodded solemnly. "You killed my mother and father. And my baby sister. But guess what? You didn't get Mimi."
Goetz looked genuinely shocked. "Clark's alive?"
Stanley smiled. "She said to tell you third time's the charm. And I'll be taking this." He slipped a notebook out from under a pile of binders stacked on the chair by Goetz's bed.
Goetz shook his head in disbelief. "Give her my love, then."
Stanley said nothing, but walked towards the door.
"What, all that and you're not going to kill me?" shouted Goetz.
Stanley turned to look at him. "I already did," he said quietly, motioning over at the now empty cups of water. With one last nod goodbye, he stalked out of the room, tossing the empty vial of Jerichonium Number Twelve into a waste bin on his way out.
The well documented uproar in town reached a fever pitch when Beck found Goetz's body strung up at the edge of town in New Bern. He didn't question the cause of death - the victim had clearly been shot, and it looked like he'd put up a struggle. He even had a broken nose. It was clear that this was a political act, and Beck took swift action to bring order to the town.
Stanley and Mimi wouldn't get a quiet moment together until the day Mimi, finally able to walk from her room at the med centre, appeared at his side in the hideout. She said nothing at first, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"It was him," said Stanley. "My parents..."
Mimi's eyes widened. She held his hand in her own.
"He's gone now. It's over," said Stanley, staring straight ahead.
"Good," she whispered.
He leaned his head against hers for a moment, before whispering, "I got your book back."
Their eyes met and she smiled. They sat together in silence for a good many minutes before she spoke again.
"I hate what's happened to these innocent people, because of this mess."
"I know," said Stanley. "But the best way we can protect them is to make sure they never learn the truth. So we'll have to play our parts."
Mimi nodded. "It's just awful. That we can't do anything. Not even about Bonnie."
He was thoughtful for a moment. "We don't have to stay here. We can go take care of her."
Mimi considered it briefly herself. "We've faced off against real foes. What's an army major and some troops?"
He took her hand in his, and they stood, walking together towards the door, ready to take on their next task.
So it was that Stanley and Mimi found a way to continue with their work, and with their life, after the tragedy that tore their family apart. They stood on the hill the day they buried Bonnie, exchanged vows in front of the only people who really mattered to them, and renewed their promise, to those who had come before them and to each other, to continue their mission, for the good of the people the world over. Walking down the hill that evening, there was a sorrow between them that they knew they would carry always, but there was something else, a partnership, that they knew would keep them going through all the times ahead.