Coming Under Fire

At eight o'clock, I crawl out of my bed and get dressed in jeans, a black hoodie and my Doc Martens. I pull my hair back in a bun and pull my gun out of my dresser drawer. I find one bullet rolling around in my underwear drawer so I load it into the gun and stuff it into my back waistband of my jeans. Then I go out into the kitchen where my stun gun is charging on the counter. I unplug it and put it in my sweatshirt pocket, then grab my keys, cell phone and flashlight.
I exit my apartment quietly, keeping alert for any strange vehicles. I lock myself into my car and pull out of the lot, circling the block twice, looking for a tail. Not spotting one, I head into town.
I stop at McDonalds and get myself a chicken sandwich, fries and a chocolate shake and eat in the car. It's nine thirty when I'm done eating. It takes five minutes to get to John's. I do a drive by and immediately spot the unmarked cop car parked two houses down from John's. I drive by without slowing down. No one follows me. I drive the side streets all around John's house, divising my plan.
At ten fifteen, I park on the cross street of John's street. John's house is four houses down, which means I'll have to sneak through three back yards to get to his.
I sit in my car in the darkness. There is a streetlight burning about half a block up from me, but no stealth parks under a streetlight.
Only one car has driven by in the last hour. Lawrence is early to bed if you're not in a gang or the mob. Lately the motorcycle gangs have been making the streets at night hell in the city. Here in the suburbs, its relatively safe.
I do another drive by of John's place. The cop is still in place. I find my place back on the cross street and park. It takes two full minutes for me to work up the nerve to get out of my car, but I finally do, leaving my car unlocked in case I need to make a fast getaway. I stand next to my car, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness before setting out through the brush into the first backyard. Luckily there are no fences in this neighborhood. I carefully make my way into the second yard, noticing there are lights on in one of the front rooms of this house. I move even farther into the shadows and cross quickly. The third yard is a breeze and before I know it, I've crossed John's property line.
The house looks dark and deserted. No cars in the driveway. I move to the side yard and peek around the side of the house for any sign of the cop on the street.
I move to turn around and hear leaves crunch behind me. My heart stops and I reach into my jeans for my gun. Before I can even get it out, I'm spun around and a hand is clamped over my mouth.
"Don't shoot, Annie. It's me." I almost fall down with relief.
"John! What are you doing here?"
"I live here. The better question would be what the hell are you doing sneaking around my yard in the dark?" He whispers.
"Looking for you."
"You found me." We both stop when we hear the cop cars engine catch. John grabs my arm and we flatten ourselves against the side of the house. The cars siren lets out a whoop and we watch it take off down the street past the house. I let out a deep breath and gasp as John grabs my arm and starts dragging me around to the back of the house.
He pulls me up to the back porch and I wait as he unlocks the back door. The back door leads to the laundry room. John shuts the door behind me and pulls sonething off the dryer. I figure out its a towel and watch as he rolls it up and sets it on the foor in front of the door. Then he flips on the light. We both squint in the sudden brightness.
We take each other in for a minute. He looks tired. The tiny creases in the corners of his eyes have deepened and his hair is unruly. His usual 5 o'clock shadow is now in beard territory. His jeans are smeared with blood.
"You look like hell." I say.
"Yeah, I need new clothes."
"Is the blood-"
"Dom's." He finishes.
"John... What the hell?"
"Its not what everyone is making it out to be."
"The cops think you murdered a bunch of people."
"I know. Why do you think I've been hiding out?"
"Why have you been hiding out? John, if you go to the police and tell them what happened-"
"I can't, Izzy. Its not that simple anymore." And with that he turns the light off and opens the door into the rest of the house and disapears.
I take off after him, bumping into a kitchen chair as I follow him into his bedroom.

"Where have you been?"

"My neighbors house across the street." I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Your neighbors are letting you stay with them?"

"They actually don't know. They're on vacation in Florida and gave me the keys so I could take care of their cat. I won't be there long. I just have to take a shower."

"Where are Erin and Lily?" I ask.
"I sent them away."
"To Rhode Island?" He glances at me.
"I'm not as dumb as you think I am."
"I never said you were dumb." He's throwing random clothing into a duffel bag as he talks.
"Why didnt you call me?"

"Because I didn't want you involved."
"Well its a little late for that. My brother is in jail and my... boyfriend is on the run." He glances up at me.
"Stumbled over boyfriend." He says.
"Forgive me if I'm a little sketchy on the status of our relationship at the moment."
"Our relationship hasent changed."
"Thats not how I'm feeling." I say, looking out the bedroom window.
"Well, I don't have time to discuss it right now. The cop is back outside. We've gotta get out of here." I watch as he reaches under his mattress and pulls out his laptop.
"I'm surprised thats still there." I remark.
"The Lawrence p.d outsmarted once again." He says, putting in his bag and zipping it.
We move out of the bedroom back to the laundry room. He throws his bag over his shoulder and leads me outside. He locks the door and we start across the backyard, looking towards the front.
"Where is the dog?" I whisper.
"I had a friend come pick him up." My eyebrows raise.
"So you called Erin and some other guy, but not me. I see where I rate." He doesnt say anything until we get to my car.
"Listen, I'll call you when I can. Right now it doesnt feel secure." I don't say anything, but I cross my arms over my stomach.
"I'm sorry." He gently lifts my chin and kisses me.
"Be careful. Please don't get yourself killed." I say.
"You be careful too. I love you."
"Yeah." He gives me a look.
"What, you don't love me anymore?"
"I'm thinking about it."
"Ok. I'll see you soon." He opens my car door for me and I look back at him.
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"You'll see." He closes the door after I get in and disapeers down the street.
I blow out a sigh and pull away from the street and drive home. When I get there, I look up at my window and see the lights on. My first thought is John, but I know he couldnt have gotten here that fast on foot. Of course, I don't know if he has a vehicle. I scan the parking lot and don't see any strange cars, so I get out, lock my car, and pull my gun out of my jeans and hold it at my side as I go inside.
I quickly take the stairs to my floor and walk down the hall to my door. I can hear the tv on inside. I pull the safety back on my gun and slowly enter the apartment.
I find a man standing in my living room talking on his cell phone. My first instinct is he's mob. He's wearing expensive jeans, black boots and a navy blue fleece pullover. His black hair is brushed back and he's freshly shaven. Maybe mob accountant. He acknowleges me and my raised gun for the first time before speaking into the phone.
"Ok, I've gotta go. A situation has come up. I'll call you back when I'm done." He hangs up and pockets the phone.
"You must be Isabelle Parelli. I've heard so much about you."
"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my apartment?" I ask.
"I need to speak with you about your boyfriend, John Kristaldi."
"What about him?"
"He has something myself and my employers want." He says. He's holding his hands up, but his voice is casual and professional.
"How do I know you're not here to kidnap me or hurt me?"
"If I wanted to do that I wouldnt have alerted you to my presence. I would grabbed you in the parking lot." He's starting to piss me off.
"I could shoot you for breaking into my apartment."
"That seems dramatic."
"Not to me, and it wouldnt be to my brother, a homicide detective, or my other brother, Dominic Parelli." He smiles.
"My apologies, your brothers don't scare me, not even Dominic, much to his dissapointment."
"What does John have that you think is yours?" I ask.
"Technically, its not mine, it would belong to my employer."
"Fine. Who is your employer?" He smiles again.
"I can't tell you that."
"Who are you then?"
"My name is Robert Plumerri. How do you do?" I don't recognize the name, so he must not have went to school in Lawrence, being I would know anyone that went to school with me or my brothers.
"How about you put the gun down. It would be much easier for us to talk." He says now.
"I don't think so. You'll shoot me as soon as I put it away."
"You think so little of me. I don't shoot people. Ok, maybe I have in the past, but its been a while." I roll my eyes.
"Let me guess, you only carry a gun for protection?"
"Exactly."
"Well, I'm keeping my gun out. And if you arent out of my apartment in five seconds, I will shoot you, dead or not it doesnt matter to me." I say.
"Fine, I'll leave, but my employer won't be happy that you refused to cooperate with me." He says.
As he moves towards the door, we turn so I have my back to the living room and he's backing out the door.
"Until next time, Ms. Parelli." He says and then saunters down the hall. I go to the door and watch as he turns to go down stairs. I shut and lock my door, then move to the window and watch as he moves across the parking lot, talking on the phone again.
I grab my phone and anonymously call in a suspicious person in the parking lot. Then I move through my entire apartment with my gun drawn, making sure everything is secure. Then I turn off almost all the lights and stand by the window and watch as a cop car pulls into the lot and slowly drives through. He drives around the entire block before leaving the area.
I'm feeling thoroughly stressed after the night I've had, so I change into little cotton boxer shorts and an oversized tee shirt, pour myself a glass of wine and sit down at my computer.
Recently I downloaded a background search program. Its completely legal and I have to pay twenty bucks a month for it, which means it isnt nearly as comprehensive as John's illegal program that he has on his laptop.
I type in Robert Plumerri's name in the search bar and take a sip of wine while I wait for results.
I find out he went to high school in Boston and is listed on his taxes as working for a construction company as an accountant. So I was mostly right. It also says he's married to a perfectly nice woman named Margo and they have two small children.
Thats about all I find out. If I want an address or home phone number I have to pay an additional fee. I pass for now, maybe if I ever talk to John again I can have him look it up.
I close my laptop and finish my wine. I'm feeling a bit more relaxed, although not completely. Lets face it, I'm freaked.
I slip into bed and stare at my alarm clock. I think back on my evening. John is at his neighbors house. Or at least he was. Hard to say where he is now. And now there is the threat of Robert Plumerri. I'm going to Dom first thing in the morning. Hopefully he can shed some light on who Mr. Plumerri's employer is. It might be the key to clearing his and John's names.