Famous Most Wanted

The following evening was much like their first evening in the cottage. Taylor had an early night, while Johnny stayed down and watched tele. It was late and he'd fallen asleep on the sofa. The light from the TV danced in flashes across Johnny's peaceful form and the volume was down low, a murmur in the background.

But they weren't alone.
Taylor had always been a light sleeper, so when a car door slammed in the distance, she woke with a start. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. She couldn't be sure if she'd heard that in her dreams or not. No one knew where they were and furthermore, no one knew how to get there.

'Johnny!' Taylor hissed. She really didn't want to get out of bed to discover he was only making himself a sandwich. 'Johnny!' she hissed again. Still she got no answer. With a huff, Taylor collapsed back into her pillow. She turned over to go back to sleep, but heard the sound of gravel crunching under foot. Taylor sat up again with a frown. What was Johnny doing outside? She listened closely. An odd scraping sound. Her eyes widened. She knew that sound. It was someone trying to discreetly crack the door open with a crowbar.

She hurried out of bed and opened her drawer. She seized her gun and flicked the safety off. She crept to her door, mouth dry, and pulled it open. She looked quickly down the hall. Johnny's door was open meaning he was downstairs with the intruder.

The front door shut softly and Taylor gulped as a cold panic chased down her spine. They'd found him. She didn't know how, but they'd found him and they were going to kill him. Taylor silently crept halfway down the stairs, hidden by the banisters. From this angle, she could look directly down on Johnny asleep on the sofa. His mouth was open and one arm was hanging off the side.

A lamp flicked on somewhere behind him in the kitchen so Taylor saw the shadow of the intruder shroud over an unsuspecting Johnny. It would be so simple to kill him in his sleep. He wouldn't even know. Bile rose in Taylor's throat as the shadow produced a gun. She had to stop this. She wasn't going to let Johnny die. Not tonight. Not ever. Not on her watch.

'Freeze!' Taylor screamed as she leapt down the rest of the stairs. Her gun was raised high and the look in her eyes was savage. The man behind the sofa looked startled. Johnny jumped awake and sat up. He frowned at Taylor and the gun in her hands and froze as he felt the cold barrel of a gun push against the side of his skull. His eyes darted to it and then desperately back at Taylor. Her eyes flicked down to Johnny's, which she soon regretted. He looked terrified, more terrified than she ever wanted him to be.

'Texas . . ?' he murmured uncomfortably.

'Quite Johnny,' Taylor dismissed. 'Drop your weapon!' Taylor addressed the man now. 'Drop it or I'll shoot.' The man laughed.

'Then you'll have yourself one dead rock star, sweetheart. You shoot and I'll shoot. That's a promise.' Taylor frowned and hoped she didn't look nervous. She'd never shot anyone before. She didn't like the idea of shooting to kill, but she was well prepared to do it if it meant saving Johnny.

'Let him go,' Taylor said, gun still raised at the man.

'Let him go?' he repeated. 'I'm not crazy, love. If I mess this up I'm dead.'

'You don't have to do this,' Taylor reasoned. 'If it's protection you need, we can give it to you.'

'Yeah, cause you did so well with this guy,' he commented sarcastically. 'Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need protection. I need to do my job.'

'You can walk away now,' Taylor encouraged.

'Honestly? I don't get the hype.' He said, looking down at Johnny but speaking as if he wasn't there. 'I'm not huge on your music mate, it's nothing personal.' The man grabbed a handful of Johnny's wavy black hair and yanked him to his feet.

'Freeze!' Taylor shouted again. 'I said freeze! I swear I will fucking shoot you!' The man turned around, amused, still holding Johnny's hair, still pushing a gun to his temple.

'So fucking shoot me then,' he smiled. Taylor hesitated. The man laughed. 'Have you even fired a gun before?' Johnny looked worried as he glanced at Taylor. She knew that look in his eyes. He was doubting her for the first time. Angrily, Taylor fired a random shot into the kitchen. Johnny flinched at the sound but the man didn't. Rage burned in Taylor's eyes.

'Next time I'll point my gun at you,' she told him dangerously. 'If you so much grazed him, I will fucking kill you. Lead or not, I will not hesitate to put a bullet in you. Do you understand?'

'No worries, love. Boss wants him alive. Wants to take care of this inconvenience himself, personally, like.' The man smirked. No doubt the “boss” would make it a public viewing. A dozen different scenarios of how the boss would kill Johnny flashed through her mind and she shuddered. Her eyes briefly locked with Johnny's again.

'And what about me?' she asked. She knew it was a dangerous and stupid question to ask. It was one that could be simply answered with him emptying his gun into her. But if she could get his gun pointing somewhere other than Johnny for just a moment . . .

'What about you?' he said, playing with her.

'I've seen you now. I've witnessed this whole thing.'

'Well, I can answer that one like this.' As Taylor thought, he drew his gun on her. He flung Johnny to the floor, which he hit with a thud, and Taylor ducked as the intruder fired at her. Not wanting to fire her own gun, in case she hit Johnny by accident, she instead lunged herself at the man and they fell to the floor. He dropped his gun and it skidded to the coffee table. Johnny watched in shock as Taylor tried to wrestle the man away from his gun, but the guy was a beast, and far too strong.

Johnny's eyes darted about frantically for a weapon. Then he spotted the radiator. He shuffled over to it and tugged on the pipe fiercely. It creaked rusticity in protest. He glanced at the fight. The guy pushed Taylor off of him and she fell backwards. Johnny tugged again on the pipe with as much force as he had in him and the pipe snapped away from the radiator. The man reclaimed his gun and stood, pointing it at Taylor's face. He looked furious. Without a seconds delay, Johnny swung the pipe into the back of the man's head and staggered from the force of it. The man's eyes glazed over and he swayed a moment before dropping to the floor like a sack of bricks.

They were silent, the only sound humming lightly from the TV, as they watched the man's motionless body. Then they looked at one another. Johnny stepped around the body and held out a hand for Taylor. He looked shaken. Taylor took his hand and he pulled her to her feet, grasping her by the shoulders. He checked her over and found nothing but a small cut across her cheek. He reeled her in and hugged her tightly. She hugged back just as tight, locking her hands together behind his back.
When they released each other, they noticed Johnny was still holding the pipe. A smile cracked Taylor's mouth.

'Johnny Carolina . .' she said. 'In the kitchen . . . with the lead pipe.' They stared at each other a moment until a smile split Johnny's face too and they burst into hysterical laughter. Johnny dropped the pipe as Taylor picked her gun back up, still both laughing.

'Why . . are we . . laughing . . so much?' Johnny said, holding his sides.

'I think we're in . . shock,' answered Taylor as she continued to giggle. And then just like that, the laughter died. Johnny ran a hand through his hair. He was shaking.

'Texas, I'm scared,' he told her. 'What do we do? What the fuck do we do? What if there's more? What if-' He turned away and paced the kitchen floor frantically, muttering to himself.

'We're going to take care of him first.' Taylor hurried upstairs, leaving Johnny alone with the body, much to his displeasure. When she reappeared, she had a pair of handcuffs. Johnny noticed them but was too shaken up to make any kind of comment.

'Help me drag him to the radiator,' Taylor grunted as she began to pull the man's jacket. Johnny did as told and hurried over to help her. He propped him against the radiator while Taylor cuffed his hands behind his back, through one of the more secure pipes. They stood back and waited for the man wake up. He didn't.

'Now what?' Johnny asked, looking back to Taylor for instructions. This was the first time Johnny had stepped back and allowed Taylor to take full control of the situation.

'You sit down and relax,' she told him putting a hand in her pocket and pulling out the mobile. 'I'm going to call Norris. We can't stay here.'

'It'll take 'em hours to get out here,' Johnny groaned, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. 'What if more come?' Taylor flicked off the lamp and walked to the TV, turning it off too.

'We're less conspicuous in the dark. Can't draw attention to ourselves.' Johnny nodded and Taylor walked to the kitchen as she dialled Chief Inspector Norris' emergency number. Johnny stared numbly into the darkness. He barely registered Taylor's conversation.

'Yes sir, sorry it's late . . yes it is. Our location has been breached and we require immediate evacuation . . . Yes. We apprehended the intruder but we need to get out of here . . . yes sir, we'll sit tight.' Taylor hung up.

'Are they coming?' Johnny asked weakly.

'Of course they are. They'll be here as soon as possible.'

'Which will take how long?' he sighed, pressing his steepled fingers to his forehead.

'About 4 hours, maybe a little less seeing there'll be no traffic on the roads at this hour.' Johnny nodded but said no more. Taylor hovered over him, unsure what to say. She sat down beside Johnny and put her gun and the mobile on the coffee table. She folded her hands in her lap and watched Johnny cautiously.

'You know I would've done it right?' she asked suddenly, a little desperately. Johnny looked up at her. He said nothing. Taylor licked her lips and edged closer to him. 'I promise you, Johnny. I was never going to let him take you. I would have shot him. You know that right? I would never let him hurt you, yeah?' Still Johnny said nothing. His silence hurt like a physical blow. She edged closer still and their knees touched. She placed a hand over his. He looked at it before looking back up at Taylor.

'You trust me . . right, Johnny? Please say you trust me. I'd never let anyone hurt you . . . do you trust me?' Johnny ran his hand over Taylor's.

'With my life,' he whispered. Taylor's eyes darted over Johnny's face. She could stand it no longer. She lunged forward and pushed her lips against Johnny's. He captured her at the waist and sat her down on top of him, her legs either side of his hips. Taylor held his face as she kissed him and Johnny ran his hands up her back. Electricity shot through Taylor. It was just as amazing as she'd anticipated. He was incredible in every way and she knew she'd die before she'd let anyone try to hurt him again. Taylor leant over him as she kissed him passionately. It was two months of lustful build-up all coming out at once. She wanted to be closer to him. She needed it. But she couldn't. Nothing would be enough, unless she was in his skin with him.

Her lips tingled as she parted them. Johnny slipped his tongue in and deepened the kiss.
Fuck professionalism, Taylor thought. She'd much rather sit there and kiss Johnny Carolina like there was no tomorrow. Their breathing was ragged and when they slowed to a stop, Taylor sighed and pressed her forehead to Johnny's.

'What happens now?' he asked in a whisper. Taylor opened her eyes and leant back to observe Johnny. His arms were still around her waist, locked at the base of her back. She bit her lip nervously.

'I don't know,' she answered honestly. Johnny shook his head.

'I'm not ready to leave. Not yet.' His words sounded strained.

'You're no longer safe here.'

'But this is our place,' he argued weakly. 'This is our safe haven. Our secret place. This is ours!'

'I know,' breathed Taylor sadly. 'I know.'

'Say you'll stay with me,' he said.

'What?'

'When they ship me off somewhere else, stay with me.'

'We don't know what they're going to do yet. This might be the end. They might question this guy and discover where his boss is hiding. You may even be able to go home after a few days,' Taylor tried to sound enthusiastic about that but failed miserably. 'Hey, while we have time,' she began, untangling herself from Johnny's lap, 'why don't you write in the guest book?' Johnny looked regretfully sad.

'But that just means it's all over,' he mumbled.

'Well, it is over, Johnny.' Taylor indicated to the darkened cottage and looked around. 'It's all over. But now's the time to reflect on how good it was.'

'It's true. You really don't know what you have till it's gone. And we had something good and now it's gone.'

Taylor nodded sadly and fished the guest book out the drawer with a pen. She sat back down next to him and handed him the book.

'You write it. It'll mean more coming from you,' Taylor told him. Johnny nodded, opened the book at where other residents left off, and thought about what to write.
Taylor sat with him while he scribbled a message in his well-known handwriting that was a size bigger than most people's.

When the guest book was signed, they left it, shut, on the table, next to the completed puzzle. They then took it in turns to go up and pack their bags. Johnny was left alone with the intruder for longer while Taylor also got herself dressed.
When she was all packed and done, she dropped back on the sofa beside Johnny. He heaved a sigh. Everywhere was silent. Johnny glanced over the back of the sofa at the man, still slumped against the radiator. He leant back forward and put his head in his hands.

'Did I kill him?' He croaked.

'No. I checked. That's not to say he isn't concussed though.'

'Will I get in trouble?'

'Of course not. It was self-defence. I can vouch for that.'

'But-' Johnny began.
'Johnny, he was going to shoot me in the face,' Taylor sighed. 'You wont get in trouble for stopping him.' Johnny nodded and was quiet a moment.

'Were you scared?' He glanced up at her.

'Yeah, I guess,' Taylor shrugged. 'To be honest, I was more concerned about failing you than dying.'

'You take your job too seriously,' muttered Johnny.

'It had nothing to do with my job,' admitted Taylor. 'I just didn't want to fail you.' Johnny watched her a moment before smiling gently. He turned his body towards her and touched his hand to her face.

'What makes you think you could ever fail me?' he whispered. They held each others eyes significantly before Johnny leant forward and softly kissed Taylor's lips. She found herself frozen this time. The first kiss was more a blur of passion. This time her head was with it and every nerve ending in her body exploded with delight.

'You're going to die, y'know?' said a husky voice. They froze and parted, staring at each other.

'He's going to kill you, both of you.' It was the man behind the sofa. Johnny leant forward and sighed. Taylor bit her lip worriedly.

'He's gonna make it long and painful. It's what he does best. But he'll kill you first, pretty lady, and you, rock star, he'll make you watch every agonising moment of it.' Taylor sucked in her breath and tensed as Johnny's hands balled into fists. The man chuckled darkly. 'I hope you're ready, rock star, ready to watch her die!' Johnny bounded to his feet, seizing the gun on the coffee table and savagely pointing it at the man.

'Shut the fuck up!' Johnny roared.

'No!' Taylor cried, rugby tackling Johnny to the floor. He dropped the gun and cracked his head on the chest of drawers, disturbing the lamp that sat on top. Taylor landed on top of him and they groaned in unison.

'Are you insane?' she questioned angrily. 'What are you playing at, using my gun?'

'Well, I wasn't actually gonna use it now, was I?' Johnny moaned, sitting up and holding the back of his head. Taylor sighed and scooted off of him.

'Let me look at your head,' she insisted. Johnny eyed her warily for a second before leaning forward. She carefully felt his head through his thick hair. Johnny sucked in his breath in pain as she touched the lump forming there.

'It's alright. There's no bleeding so it's nothing serious. You'll live,' she told him. He gave her a sceptical look.

'Will I?' he doubted. 'I'm starting to wonder more and more.' Taylor rolled her eyes.
There was a sound of a car engine in the distance . . no. Several. Taylor and Johnny's eyes met and they both hurried to their feet. Taylor located her gun and crept to the window. She peered out the curtains with Johnny right at her back.
She spotted several cars and a van stop outside the cottage. This may have seemed threatening had all the vehicles not had Police written clearly across them. Taylor sighed in relief and straightened up.

'We made it,' she told Johnny breathlessly. 'We're safe.' The door cracked open a moment later and the lights flicked on. They squinted as their eyes adjusted. Johnny still held his head.
Police officers in padded vests with guns marched in, acknowledged Taylor with a nod and continued to check the area was clear. Two stopped by the intruder, ready to take him away.
Vinny rushed through the door, a look of worry about his face. He looked around frantically before spotting Taylor.

'Taylor!' he called, hurrying to her. Suddenly Taylor felt the pressure of the situation take it's toll on her.

'Vinny!' she gushed, running forward to him. He engulfed her in a hug and she wrapped her arms around him tight, her face pushed into his neck. He held her back, one hand stroking her hair the way he knew comforted her.

'I was so scared,' Taylor trembled.

'Shhh, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe now,' Vinny soothed into her ear, shooting a glance at Johnny.

He watched Taylor cling to Vinny, Vinny the twat, and felt frustrated. If Taylor was so scared, he wondered, why couldn't she have turned to him? He wouldn't deny her a hug or a bit of comfort. Medics rushed in and ran to Johnny. They removed his hand from his head and inspected it. His eyes were still on Taylor, cradled in the arms of another man. And not even a decent man at that. Taylor stepped back from Vinny but he kept an arm around her. She looked up at Johnny and he lowered his eyes. She did the same. And suddenly, what had been a wonderful two months, became an awkward secret.

After Taylor and Johnny spoke to Chief Inspector Norris separately, Police men began to bundle Johnny into the back of the same police van that had brought him there. Taylor walked to the doors before the officers could shut them. Johnny saw her and his face lit up.

'C'mon Tex,' he nodded his head into the van for her to join him. Taylor shook her head and lowered her eyes again.

'I wont be joining you for this journey. I'm riding with Vinny . . I just wanted to check you're okay?' She left it as a question that he'd hopefully answer for her. Frustration filled his eyes and he looked away from Taylor.

'Yeah, detective,' he said coldly. 'I'm fine.' He refused to look back at Taylor. She swallowed the lump in her throat and sighed at Johnny's stubborn determination to not look at her. She turned and walked away, hearing the police van doors shut behind her.