Switchblade

Chapter 79: What's Going On?

The two sat in Killian's car while he drove Tati to get her car.

The entire ride Tati engaged in conversation but in the back of her mind she still wondered about Killian's trip later.
It was 9:30pm which meant he had two hours before he had to go where he was going and Tati stared at the clock like she was anxious. She wondered why she felt so nervous about it. She was sure he'd done something hectic since she'd known him but why now was she uneasy?

Killian parked the car behind Tati's once they arrived.

She reached for the door handle in thought.
"Hey." Killian called.
Tati looked at him.
He just stared at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothin'."
"Are you sure?"
"You have Kolson's number, don't you?" he asked.
"I do."
He nodded. "If anything ever happens. Call him."
"Huh?"
"If you are ever in danger. Or something happens to you and you need help. Call him. You're allowed to. He'll answer every call because I'm gonna tell him to."
"Okay." She nodded. "Why are you telling me this? Can't I just call you?"
He looked at her a little longer.

Tati waited for an answer.

"Yea, you can call me." he permitted.
"Okay." She smiled.

She was about to get out until her face was grabbed gently and pulled back towards him. Their lips met and Killian pushed it as deep as he could, barely leaving space to breathe. Like usual, Tati enjoyed the soft caress of his lips and how gently his hand held her face.
The two separated and looked at one another.
"Bye, baby." he stated. And gave one more soft peck.
"Bye..." Tati replied softly.
She reached for the door handle then got out of the car.

Killian watched his door close and her walk to her car.
The vehicle started and she drove off.

He sat there.

Then dialed a number and held his phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Kolson answered.
"Do me a favor."
"Alright?"
"Tati has your number. I know she does. If she ever calls you, answer it. Every time. Whatever she needs, give it to her."
Kolson's brows furrowed. "Right."
"I mean it."
"I know. But I won't have to. You'll do it yourself."
Killian took a deep breath. "Well, if the time comes that I can't-..."
"Don't talk like that. You're going to. Whatever she wants you'll give to her. Out of your own hands."
Killian didn't respond.
"But if...something comes up...yea. I'll do it."
Killian nodded to himself. "Thank you."

"You got somewhere to be tonight, don't you?"
"Yea." He put the car in drive then drove off to head back home.
"Want backup?"
"No. Not a part of my plan."
"Your plan sounds dangerous."
"Maybe. But they never fail. Extreme times call for extreme measures. They're gonna throw Doc in a intense cell if I don't hurry up. No more time to beat around the bush. I got everything I need. I'm just speeding up the process with rougher evidence."
"Right. Well..."
"Whatever happens is what happens."
Kolson didn't respond.
"You hear me?" Killian asked.
"Aren't you a little young for this?"
"What does it matter? I'd only be doing the same thing for the rest of my life anyway. If anything...I'm cutting down the repetition."
"That's not true."
"How isn't it?"
"Didn't find a girl you liked until this year. First time ever in a lifetime of repetition. What else are you missin' out on by fucking around like this?"
Killian just drove with the phone against his ear.

"You're getting soft on me." He scoffed.
"Maybe." Kolson replied.
Killian took a left turn.

~•~

Tati made it home and saw her mom sitting in the living room.

"It's about time you made it back home." Denise snickered. "Where'd you go?"
"Just this birthday thing for an old friend. Then we all got brunch and time just slipped away from me." Tati lied on the spot.
"Oh okay. Well that sounds fun."
Tati stood there in thought.

"Tati?" her mom called.
"Ma'am?" Tati looked at her.
"You okay? Did something happen?"
"No. I'm fine. A little tired. It's been a busy day."
"Oh okay."
Tati's phone began to ring.

She looked and read the contact.
"Hey." she answered.
"Hey, babe, whatcha doin'?" Loren asked.
"Nothing I just got home." Tati headed off to her bedroom.

"Home from where?"
"The store." Tati lied again and honestly she was growing tired of her fibs.
"Oh."
"Yea."
"You okay?"
"Yea, why?"
"I don't know you sound weird."
"I'm fine. I just have some stuff on my mind."
"Like?"
"Like...what my next job will be."
"Oh! That golf club by my house is hiring. Pretty good pay and you aren't living completely off tips."
"Yea..."

She sat on her bed.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Loren asked again.
"Nothing." said Tati.
"Something!"
"Okay but don't think too hard about what I'm about to tell you."
"Okay, go ahead." Loren encouraged.
"I feel like someone I know is about to do something dangerous and I don't know what to do about it or if I even can do something about it." Tati explained.
"Someone you know? Do I know them?" Loren asked.
"No."
"What the hell? I know everyone you know."
"Not this person." Tati argued.
"Okay? Well what are they about to do?"
"I don't know."
"You just know it'll be dangerous?" Loren restated.
"Yea."
"Then stop them! If you can at least. Get someone who you know can stop them to do it."
Tati thought about it.

She put the phone on speaker to scroll through her contacts. She pressed Kolson's and went to messages.
"Kolson." she sent.
She already saw the loading bubbles and hadn't expected him to text back so quickly.
"Yea?" he replied.
"Where is Killian going? And what's he planning?"
She watched the loading bubbles pop up again and waited patiently for an answer.
"You knew when you asked me that, that I wouldn't be able to tell you."
She sighed.
"Fine." She texted back.

"Loren, I'm gonna call you back." she stated.
"Okay."
They hung up.

~•~

Killian sat in his car on the way to his...appointment.
The car ride was silent.

His fingers tapped against his steering wheel as he drove with his wrist laxed above the wheel. He looked at the time. 11:27pm. He'd gotten everything he needed, out of the way.

He was only a minute away from the building or at least that was what his gps told him.

He'd been on the road for twenty minutes. It was farther than he anticipated.

He picked up speed to arrive faster after being tired of being behind the wheel.

He arrived and pulled into the abandoned parking lot full of gravel.
He saw another car there. An suv. Which made him assume there would be more than just him inside. He got out and stared at the black vehicle he was parked next to.
He looked up at the sky and only saw one star.

"If I'm being honest, I thought it would've been sooner than this." he joked to himself before taking out his cigarette carton from his suit jacket. He opened the box and saw he only had one left.
He took it and lit the end then inhaled.
He looked at the door and removed his cigarette to exhale his smoke.

He headed for the door.