False Prophet Part Two

False prophet
Story one of the (possible) web series Beretta Stone
Part Two

Thursday started out as normal for Lily. She got dressed, ate breakfast, tried not to start a fight with her father and, as usual, the latter failed. Frankly, she couldn't bite her tongue anymore. Especially when he kept prodding her.

"So, how do you like Tom?" Nick Henson asked over his bowl of cheerios. He had a thick build and a strong jaw. His Scandinavian blonde hair and blue eyes made it obvious where she got her own features.

Lily arched an eyebrow at him. "He can box."

Her father nodded. "He seemed nice. Good head on his shoulders, military background...yes, he seemed very nice."

She resisted the urge to face plant the table. "Dad, stop. This is ridiculous."

Mr. Henson looked genuinely confused. Lily snorted. "And don't try the business man poker face with me. That hasn't worked since I was ten years old. Why are you doing this?"

"Lily..."

"No, dad, seriously. Why do you think I need a man in my life? It can't be because of the company. I run 50% of it and do a better job than the three people you hired to run it before me did combined. Plus, I highly doubt that Tom knows anything about running a multi-billion dollar company." Lily kept her fathers gaze as she continued, feeling her temper rising. "I also heard rumors that you turned down every female applicant when trying to hire a boxing instructor. Don't answer whether or not you did because I can tell when you're lying and I don't want to be disappointed in what I hear from you. If this is all seriously just to try to get me to have some beau so you don't have to explain to your friends why I chose to wear a suit rather than a dress for that photo shoot then you can just-- "

"Lily!" Anita Henson walked in just at that moment. "Enough!"

Lily chewed on her lip but kept quiet. Her father was head of the business but her mother was head of the household. Lily could once remember being asked 'who wore the pants' in her family when she was very young by an interviewer. Even then she had known the meaning of the expression and, to interviewer's surprise, she had immediately pointed to her mother. Anita Henson was from a prominent Spanish family whose roots went back to the times of royalty and she ruled over the house with a fair but firm hand. Her hair was as black as her husbands was light and her eyes as dark as his bright. While Lily got those features from her father though, the sharp angles of her face came from her mother.

Lily's father cleared his throat. "It sounds as though you've already made up your mind about me."

Anita turned her dark gaze on her husband. "Nick, she has every right to be angry with you. The fact that you tried to trick her is laughable at best and now you wish to mope about it. Enough from you as well." She stood up straight and looked at them both. "I'm tired of these morning arguments that have become a ritual between you two. Grow up. Both of you.

"Lily, you have an appointment with your grandmother today. I suggest you keep it."

Yes, Lily's morning went as usual. However, there would hopefully be less arguments in her future and she could be thankful for that.

***

Rett crawled into Slayer's sedan without bothering a greeting.

"Hello, to you too, Miss Grumpy Pants," Slayer muttered as he started the car and drove away from the dilapidated building Rett called home.

Rhett pulled out a cigarette. Slayer pulled it out of her mouth and ignored her protests. "Oh, no. Not in my car."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever."

A pause.

"You swore."

"Hmm?"

She turned to him. "I've known you for two years and you've never sworn before. You did in that email yesterday. Kinda ruins your Teal'c image for me."

Slayer laughed. "Teal'c, huh? Well, I'm sure even he would've sworn if he'd have been as shocked as I was that we got a call from a member of the Henson family. We aren't exactly famous. I wonder how she found us."

Rett snorted. "I'm not any where near famous. You, however, are a fairly prominent lawyer--"

"Public Defender," he corrected her.

"There's a difference?"

"Of course there is. We're the good guys."

Rett rolled her eyes. "Whatever. People have heard of you. That's probably how she found out."

Slayer shrugged. "Either that or our ad in the newspaper is actually panning out."

"You're still paying for that?"

"Yeah...I figured it'd work eventually."

"If you say so."

Slayer pulled to a stop in front of the bus stop. "It'll be this bus. Chances are good you'll have to stay on it for awhile. Just blend in the shadows, do your thing. If it all pans out well, give the client and her granddaughter our card, if not--"

"Call the cops and run for the hills, I know."

Slayer rolled his eyes, "I was going to say call me but okay. Remind me why I started this Private Eye thing with you?"

Rett smirked, "You were took in by my stunning personality."

"Yep. That's definitely it."

Rett double checked her sleeves for the knives hidden inside. "I'll call you when it's over."

"Careful of yourself, Stone."

"I always am."

It was fifteen minutes before the bus showed up.

It was an hour and a half before Lily Henson got on.

At the end of the day Rett decided it was worth the wait...but probably not with the muscle stiffness.  

***

Lily filed onto the bus behind her grandma. She was surprised to see someone else on the bus other than the people from the home. Normally the driver would let people know that he would be shuttling the elderly to the movie theater for the afternoon and people would find other means of transportation. However, a figure dressed in black huddled in the back and appeared to be sleeping. Lily shrugged and sat down next to her grandma who appeared to be looking around nervously.

"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath several times. "He said he'd be here."

"Who said they'd be here, Grandma?" Lily asked but Mary Henson just patted her hand. "I must be confused, dear, I thought someone was going to come and see us today."

"Who?"

"It's not important...who is the person in the back?"

Lily tried to get a better look but all she could see were combat boots with skinny jeans tucked into the ankles sticking slightly into the aisle and the top of a black hoody leaned up against the window. "I don't know, probably a run away teen."

"I hope they are okay. Maybe you should ask them."

"They look asleep, grandma. Maybe later." At that moment Lily's attention was elsewhere, however, as the bus stopped and allowed two more passengers to get on. They, like the sleeper in the back, didn't look like they were from that side of town. They were both men and they both looked straight at her before sitting down.

Lily's hair on the back of her neck stood up.

Something was very wrong.

***

Rett pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Slayer's number.

"Derrick Slayer, Public Defender. How can I help you?"

"It's me."

"Done so soon?"

Rett stole a peek over the seat as she answered. "Not quite."

"What's wrong?" Concern laced Slayer's voice.

"This guy has a couple of accomplices. Original plan I had isn't going to work. Can you call the cops in about ten minutes and send them this way?"

"Yeah, anybody we know?"

"If these guys have priors I don't know about them. I'll send you a picture in a minute."

"Okay."

Rett hung up and turned on her camera app. Careful to avoid anyone's notice she took a quick picture of the two men who had gotten on the bus and sent it to Slayer. Except someone did notice her taking pictures of something. A certain heiress who was looking from Rett to the two men as though trying to connect the dots.