Hope To Escape (26 page)

"Oh, it's not? When would be a better time for you? You haven't made any time for me yet in all the years I've been in your employ. So, I think I'll just take the time. Right now."

"Damn it, Martin." While Angoli became occupied in Martin's quarrel, Max and Ess began to slide along the car, further away from their foe. "You useless, worthless, waste of oxygen. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm taking my opportunity, that's what I'm doing." Martin's agitation and fixated anger emanated through his features and his tense stance. "For years you've overlooked me. I've tried to be what you've wanted me to be, but it's never been good enough. You never let me prove myself, and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. It's time to get rid of you and your unrealistic expectations. I'm your nephew, your next of kin for god's sake. You know I'll inherit everything when you're gone." Martin's eyes turned wild. "And I think I'll take it right goddam now, thank you very much." He shoved the gun forward to emphasize his desire, but did not pull the trigger right away.

Angoli jumped on Martin's momentary hesitation. "You think you'll inherit everything? Haven't you just heard? I have a son. If you kill me, Max gets everything, you brainless twit." The man was clever. All the newly admitted knowledge regarding Max's paternity took Martin's retaliation and rendered it useless. Angoli intended to diffuse his nephew by ridiculing the considerable flaws in his rash scheme.

Manda, Roden and Max found all the new information
a
bit overwhelming. Not only was Max Angoli's illegitimate son, but Martin turned out to be his disregarded nephew. With so much to take in there wasn't a lot of action on their part to resolve the ever-shifting danger. John only moved to crawl away from the scene, not wanting to have anything to do with the situation when the security vehicles arrived; and the pilots were simply dumbfounded and lost in regards to the whole unfolding drama.

Angoli, with his cutting words and his distainful sneer, didn't anticipate the true extent of Martin's anger. The younger man shook with fury, and the surprise on his face upon absorbing the news of his impending loss of inheritance turned into a fresh and doubly sour determination. Inheritance or no, he intended to get rid of the source of his bane and hatred. Of course, if he got rid of Max, as well, he would still be the inheritor. The enraged man's aim swung back and forth as he shifted the gun between Angoli and Max, trying to justify the idea of homicide, and determine his possibility of success.

Roden came to his senses and was quick enough to observe Martin's intent. Already positioned closer to Martin than anyone else, he leapt towards the angry young man just as he pulled the trigger. The action was enough to stray Martin's aim.

Roden tackled Martin to the ground and wrestled the gun away from him with Manda's help. Max ran towards Angoli who screamed out in pain. Martin's aim had been thrown off, but the bullet had met one of its intended targets.

Angoli reached out for Max in the hope of receiving aide from his newly admitted son. Max felt no pity for the injured man, though. His intentions were not to help him, but to detain him as the security vehicles finally arrived.

A man approached them, gun in one hand, badge in the other. Several more individuals, similarly dressed and acting in the same cautious manner, followed him, moving in on the scene. Some TSA agents began positioning themselves behind government vehicles in the background. "FBI", the man in the lead shouted.

"FBI?" Max and Manda both replied in unison.

* * *

While Martin was being placed under arrest, paramedics treated Angoli's bullet wound. The injury wasn't life threatening, having hit low on his thigh; but if Roden had not jumped on Martin when he did, the incident would have turned into a murder scene. Although he was rushed to a nearby hospital, Angoli too was taken into custody; and the lead FBI agent listened on
as
several other agents scrambled to get down the initial story of the last two days' events from Roden, Manda, Max and Ess. Between the four of them, the agents recorded quite a drama.

"We've been trying to get Marcus Angoli for a long time," the lead agent wound up the onsite case by saying, " but he's always managed to evade us. Now we truly have something legitimate to incriminate him for. Kidnapping is a federal crime."

Max paled at this statement, guilt ridden by his own act earlier in the weekend; but Ess had already labeled him as a hero rather than
a
kidnapper, and Manda just smiled and said nothing. Apparently, they forgave him his initial digression. It was, after all, done the spirit of the gratitude and adoration he had always felt towards Ess.

"Of course, with this charge, we should be able to get further warrants, and will likely find more on which to indict him." The agent continued, mostly directing his words towards Ess. "You don't have to worry any longer ma'am. I'm sure Angoli will be going away for a long time."

With the ordeal at an end and the long crime scene investigation finally over, Max, Ess, Roden and Manda were free to go. The dawn started to appear on the horizon, reminding them of how little rest they'd had recently. "I feel like I've barely had any sleep in the last forty eight hours," Manda stated as they headed towards the parking lot of the private hanger. Roden held back from stating that she had at least napped in the car and had use of a cot, while he literally had been awake for much of the last two days (the hammock couldn't count for a very comfortable rest, in his opinion). He knew enough not to bring it up, however. It was a battle not worth inciting.

"So, how are we getting home?" Ess asked.

"Hmm. Cab I guess." Max suggested. "My car is still at the preserve. I'll have to go and get it later."

Roden cleared his throat and said, "Ah, do you mind if the cab takes us back to Angoli's estate? I'd really like to get my car."

"Oh, jeez," Manda rolled her eyes, but looked amused. Then out of nowhere, she grabbed Roden by his jacket and pulled him into a kiss. Roden tensed up in astonishment. After the initial surprise, though, he just shrugged and kissed her back.

Max and Ess exchanged glances. Ess silently inquired on how this had come about, but Max could only shake his head in wonder. A lot had happened recently, and while this was completely unexpected, it certainly wasn't the biggest surprise to either of them.

Manda's bold move did bolster Max's own courage. "So, Ess. If you don't hate me for creating a bunch of art after you, which resulted in bringing you to the attention of a madman, not to mention the fact that I kidnapped you - for your own good, may I remind you, but maybe I should have left that whole part out - anyway, would I be remiss in asking you if you'd like to go out on a date sometime? You know, just dinner, a movie . . . nothing dramatic."

"Well, I can't believe you actually finally asked…" Ess smiled, and there it came, that infuriating blush. "A very undramatic date sounds rather appealing. I can't possibly say no to my hero."

She took him by the hand, and they continued walking away, leaving Manda and Roden behind to continue their own display of newfound affection.

EPILOGUE

"Hmmm, interesting."

"What?" Ess looked up to see the inquisitive amusement on her companion's face.

"Well," Max observed, "I've accompanied you to this grocery store several times now, and I have to say, I've noticed that you seem to make a sort of ritual out of your shopping errand . . . Until now."

"Oh?" Ess found herself curious. "So, you are still watching me so closely? Should I be worried?"

Max laughed. Three months ago, he would have felt ashamed at such questions, but his guilt faded as he got to know Ess more intimately. Besides, she teased him so often about his rather besotted manner, that he had become fairly desensitized to her jests.

"Just an anthropological observation," he casually defended. "Typically you
enter
the store, and grab a basket, rather than a cart. I've deduced that that is because you have to carry your load home, and the basket keeps you from overdoing it." Ess's smirk confirmed it. "Then you browse through the entire produce isle, but only ever select apples and carrots. After that you run through the meat, and then – this is my favorite part – you actually turn your head away as you pass the junk food isles so that you won't be tempted."

"And what's wrong with that?" Ess feigned offence.

"Absolutely nothing. Just an observation. However, you do seem to have deviated from your normal pattern."

"And how's that?"

Max grinned. "You skipped the ice cream."

Ess laughed, but turned red with embarrassment. Oh crap, he noticed her ice cream fetish. "Well, I figured it was time to cut back."

"Cut back? What for?"

"Well, I don't exactly have the metabolism of an eighteen year old any more. It's time I started watching my weight."

"No way." Max looked genuinely bewildered. "You look great. You don't really think that enjoying ice cream is going to turn you into a blob, do you? Especially when you have multi-grain bread and baby carrots to counteract it." He pulled the bread out of the basket to emphasize his argument, but Ess grabbed it back, trying not to smile at his scoff. "Besides," Max continued, "I'm thinking this pistachio ice cream might be worth trying."

"Pistachio? That's for amateurs. Wouldn't you rather try this?" Ess pulled a carton of ice cream from the freezer, and read the description: "Chocolate covered toffee and peanut butter cookie dough wrapped in a caramel swirl and enveloped in coffee flavored ice cream."

Max raised an eyebrow at that. "You're right. I am an amateur, because that sounds way too complex for my inexperienced palate." He smiled at Ess's feigned frustration. "How about we get both, the pistachio and the ooey gooey peanut
butter
toffee thing?"

"It's called 'Ultimate Coffee Break'." Ess corrected. "Fine, but if I can't fit into my pants by the beginning of spring, I'm blaming your influence."

They headed to the checkout counter. "Oh, please. You'll look fine. In fact, I can totally picture you in a bikini on the beaches of Santorini."

"Santorini?" Ess handed her debit card to Mr. Baksheesh, and waited for him to begin filling the grocery bags. Max had already learned the hard way the first time he went shopping with Ess, that you do not help Mr. Baksheesh with the bags. "I've always wanted to go to Greece."

"I know. I got that impression from your three coffee table books on ancient Greece, the Peloponnesians and the Greek Isles. Not to mention the travel book and the old text books that are in your book case; and you always order the gyro or the spanakopita at the cafe down the street."

"I am completely transparent to you, aren't I?'

"Not at all." Max assured. "You are simply fascinating to me." He smiled at the blush on her face. "In fact, I'd love to observe your reaction to the Greek lifestyle."

"And I would love for you to observe my reaction to the Greek lifestyle, too." Ess replied, grabbing one of the bags, as Max reached for the other two.

"Well, then, after the trial is over, what do you say we go find out?"

"You can't be serious." Ess gave him
a
doubtful grin.

"As a matter of fact, I can." Max countered. "It just so happens that eighty thousand dollars hit my account a little while back. We have the means, the vacation time, all we need is the desire to go."

"Oh, I have the desire." Ess affirmed heading for the door.

Max couldn't have been happier to hear that. "Great." He followed her out. "Let's start planning."

Just before the doors of the grocery store closed behind them, they heard, "Thank you, come again."

* * * *