"I," Rembrandt Brown said, "am...too old...for this!"
Richard Hall made it to the door for the building. He snapped around and looked back.
"Rembrandt, shut up and run!" Richard snapped.
He backed back, allowing Rembrandt to run in. He slammed the door The last image he saw was a swarm of spiderwasps charging for the door.
He turned away from the door. For a moment, he saw his girlfriend Melissa Clark next to their sliding companion (and her ex) Randy Heim. He flinched. He looked away at Quinn Mallory, one of their other sliding companion.
"How long does the Motorola have?" Richard asked.
Then he heard grinding. He turned, putting his ear to the door. Suddenly, a long stinger shot through the door. It barely missed Richard's face. He glanced at Quinn.
"How long!" he snapped.
Richard fell out of the vortex...and right into a fountain. It splashed onto his head. He heard laughter, causing him to look up.
Rebecca Pryce had not fallen in the fountain. She, along with everyone else, was outside of it. She smirked at him.
"Problem?" she asked.
Richard looked up the vortex. It closed. He just knew it was out to get him. He got out of the fountain. Then he grabbed Rebecca in a hug. She shrieked.
"No problem now," Richard said, smirking at her.
He looked around. Everywhere he looked, he saw a suit. Men in business suits talking on the phone. Women in suits talking into earpieces. All of them had briefcases and appeared oblivious to the people around them. All...save one.
She was on a cell phone, but her eyes were on them. She wore a cream business suit. With her curly blond hair and briefcase, she made Richard think of the movie 'Legally Blonde.' All she was missing was a dog.
"Well," the blonde said, her eyes on Rebecca, "it looks like you survived the Kromaggs after all."
WHAT IF YOU COULD LEAVE YOUR WORLD? WHAT IF YOU COULD SLIDE TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION? PLACES WHERE YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON AND IT'S THE SAME YEAR, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS DIFFERENT?
A WORLD WHERE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IS IN FULL SWING?
OR
A WORLD WHERE EVOLUTION TOOK A DIFFERENT TURN AND EVERYONE HAS POWERS?
OR
A WORLD WHERE YOU ARE A SECRET AGENT?
FIVE YEARS AGO, MY FRIENDS AND I FOUND THE GATEWAY. NOW...ALL WE WANT IS TO GO HOME.
SLIDERS: ALTERNATE SPIN-SEASON 6
EPISODE 4: LAST CON STANDING
Rebecca Pryce's eyes narrowed on the . The last time she saw this woman, she was a servant of the Cromagnon Kromaggs. They were from the same world. They were both cons.
"Carly," Rebecca said coldly.
"Rebecca," Carly said, smirking. "Bet you thought you wouldn't see me again."
Rebecca glared.
"Who are you?"
Rebecca looked over at Rembrandt Brown.
"She's Carly Reynolds," Rebecca said. "She's from my world." She looked back at Carly. "I'm surprised you're not back there."
"What's left?" Carly asked. "Thanks to your cons, the Kromaggs ravaged our world."
"My cons?"
"Who wanted to explore sliding? Who used Arturo's money to do it? Who brought the Kromaggs down on us?"
"Gee, Carly! Bitter?"
"I was. Got a better score here."
That's when Rebecca heard it. Police sirens. A few feet away, police cars dashed to the sidewalk. Policemen jumped out, the guns training on the group.
"Who called 911?" one of the policemen asked.
Carly waved her cell phone. "That was me." She pointed at Richard. "Look at him! He was in the fountain illegally. Him...and his bum friends!"
"Bum?" Richard muttered.
All the policemen aimed guns at Richard.
"Hands up!" the policeman who spoke earlier yelled.
Richard threw his hands up.
"You bitch!"
Richard turned to see Rebecca punch Carly in the jaw. Then she lunged at her. The policemen ran to separate the women.
Richard made a break for it.
"Okay, you're free to go."
Rebecca stood up. She headed for the cell door, her mind wondering who had posted bail. Goodness knows Carly wasn't about to drop charges.
Rebecca entered the lobby. She frowned. Quinn turned around from his pacing. Randy sat in a chair. He looked up, but his eyes showed nothing. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to Quinn.
"How?" Rebecca asked.
"Let's just say...Remmy isn't the only one to work an ATM," Quinn said.
Rebecca smirked. "Sneaky."
Randy shot up. "You're okay. Good. Now let's see if we can find Carly."
Rebecca frowned. "Gee, Randy. Don't cry me a river."
Randy stared at her. His forehead wrinkled up a bit. His brown eyes looked at her like he was a kid looking at a virus through a microscope. Finally, his forehead cleared.
"I won't," Randy said, starting to turn.
"You prick!" Rebecca snapped.
Randy paused. He turned to face her, his eyes cold as ice.
"It was just two people giving into needs. Urges," Randy said. "Two lost souls connecting for moments. That's all it was. As a conwoman, I would think you would get that."
Rebecca felt her jaw drop. Who would have thought five years the geek who couldn't even con would be dissing her? Five years ago, she was the most dangerous con. Now...she was acting...oh, god,...like she was Melissa.
She set her jaw. No, she was not Melissa. Randy loved Melissa. He didn't love her.
"How about we let the others continue to look for her?" Quinn suggested, making sure to get in between the two. "Randy and I really need to start theorizing how we are going to get the others--"
"They won't find her," Rebecca said. Then she stormed past Quinn.
As she made it to the doors of the police station, Rebecca felt her eyes water She ignored it. She focused on where would Carly be on this world.
"I don't know."
Richard looked up from his newspaper. He sat in the clothing store, waiting. Now Melissa stood before him. She had on a purple business jacket with white blouse and purple shirt. She smiled as she posed with her briefcase.
"How do I look?" Melissa asked.
Richard put down the newspaper. "You look like you fit in...now."
Melissa touched her short black hair. "Are you sure? Cuz this--"
"You did what you had to do," Richard said, standing up. He reached for her and hugged her. "You tried to save Jared from those crazy doubles of Randy and you."
Melissa looked down. "Yea. Randy and me."
Richard frowned. He did not like the tone of how she said that. The last few worlds seem to have Melissa and Randy connected. Even Rebecca had said it was only a matter of time.
Richard shook the doubts away. He wasn't going to let Rebecca wreck anything. He tilted Melissa's chin up and leaned in to kiss her.
"I just don't believe you!"
Richard paused and turned. His eyes widened.
There was a guy a few feet away. He was dressed in a dark blue suit. His dark hair was kinda shaggy. Richard paid him little attention. It was the girl who shocked him.
Laura Carmichael. Unlike the tailored suit people here, she stood out in her blue jeans and flower child shirt. Given his history with her, this couldn't be a good sign.
"Isn't that--" Melissa started.
"Yes," Richard said.
"Laura!" the guy snapped.
"Don't you Laura me!" Laura snapped back. "How could you...you...conform?"
"I don't come from a wealthy family like some people," the guy shot back.
Laura stepped back as if he slapped her. Then she stiffened back her back. Her eyes glared.
"Go to hell," she hissed.
The guy realized his folly. He started to approach her. Laura put a hand up.
"No, Glenn," Laura said.
"Laura, you know this is the only way your brother is going--" Glenn pleaded.
"Who cares what Peter thinks?"
"You do. You have since your parents--"
Glenn stopped. Laura's face had darkened. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around herself. She turned away.
"I have to provide for you," Glenn said, stepping closer. "To do that...I have to get a job. It's the only way--"
"Is there a problem, Mr. Ryland?"
Richard looked past the couple. A petite woman in a dark suit stared at the two through horn-rimmed glasses. Two security guards backed her up.
Glenn managed a smile. "Uh...no, Ma'am. She was...just leaving."
The woman looked Laura over. She tilted her head.
"Oh, I know she is," the woman said.
Laura frowned. "Oh...I'm sorry. I thought I had rights."
The woman gave her a blank stare. "When you actually have a job, dear...then you can talk about rights. Until then...your dress code is not welcome here."
Laura glared at her. "I'll show you dress--"
"Excuse me!" Melissa cut in. "Do you happen to have this style in...oh...red?"
The woman looked at Melissa, all smiles.
"Why, yes!" she exclaimed. "I do believe it's going to be all the rage this season. Let me show you..."
The woman led Melissa away. Glenn gave Laura a look before he vanished. The security guards grabbed Laura by the arms and took her to the store entrance.
Richard said nothing. He followed.
Rebecca stood outside the building. In the entrance people came and went, their briefcase close to their side. It was a hub of influence. She knew it so naturally if Carly was anywhere in this world, it would be here. At one time, SHE could say the same.
She frowned. At one time? Had she changed so much in the many months she's been with Randy's group?
Two worlds back, she shot a double of Randy's in the forehead. She wanted to prove a point: that she was the same Rebecca Pryce, the con in it for the big score. The con who got the score in spades. Leopards didn't change their spots...not even for men.
What was she thinking? Thinking Randy could hold up to her? Why was she acting like a goody two shoes?
Maybe it was time to stay looking out for number one again. And to be number one, she had to be the baddest one in town. Rebecca took a step.
"Uh...no."
Rebecca's eyes widened. She knew that voice. She span around.
Robert Bufford stood in front of her. Like everyone else on this world, he wore a business suit with a briefcase. He pushed his glasses back onto his nose.
"I can't let you do this," Bufford said, reaching into his inner coat pocket. "And sadly for you...you don't have Arturo to protect you anymore."
Bufford pulled out his hand and swung it at her. Rebecca felt a jolt. Then...nothing.
Jared frowned at Rembrandt. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Rembrandt looked away from the computer screen.
"Melissa tells me when her group slid place to place, they would research at the library," Rembrandt explained. "Definitely beats my group looking for the nearest newspaper." He looked back at the screen. "The only Carly Reynolds mentioned is a single mother with...whoa...three jobs. Pretty well respected."
"Is that a good thing?" Jared asked.
"For her...yea," Rembrandt said. "For us...no. Makes it harder to find the real one."
"And she's a con? Wow."
"Yea," Rembrandt said, "she could be anybody. And I don't know her well enough to know who she could be."
Jared leaned on a table next to Rembrandt.
"But Rebecca does," Jared said. "It's a shame she's not here helping."
"Hey!" Rembrandt said, frowning. "What am I? Chopped liver?" He looked up and down Jared. "Was my idea not good?"
Jared looked at the dark blue business suit he had on. He pulled at his tie.
"Yea...genius," Jared said. "It itches."
"Okay, Bike Lad," Rembrandt said, turning toward the computer screen. "This world looks like it's a world full of workaholics...people who all want to be someone. So...wouldn't Carly be where the action is?"
"Yeah," Jared agreed. "But where would that be?"
Jared watched Rembrandt. His face lit up with a big grin. He looked at Jared.
"Found it," Rembrandt announced.
Quinn looked at Randy. Randy stared back at him on the couch. They had checked into the Dominion a short while ago. All he got from Randy was the cold shoulder.
"So," Quinn began, "since we met up on the dark sliders world, your timer is nothing like the other timers you had. It doesn't store coordinates. It still does countdown. Unlike the others, it does cloak us from anyone coming after us. And eventually someone just might."
Randy looked at the ceiling. "Wow. Recap."
"So I think if we pool our knowledge," Quinn continued, fighting the anger growing inside him, "we can figure out a way to hit Earth Prime."
"Maybe you can," Randy said. "Me? There's just one thing on my mind."
"Don't you mean two?" Quinn said smart-alecky.
Randy glared at Quinn.
"Yeah," Quinn continued, "we all know about your revenge against Professor Brown. We also know about your feelings for Melissa."
Randy flinched. "Like I said on the last few worlds, Melissa is--"
"--A friend?" Quinn finished. "Bull. I can't even remember how many times I called Wade a friend. Then...when her life was in danger, I got really, really upset."
"Is this before or after Ms. Beckett sashayed into the picture?"
"Don't you find holding Richard at knifepoint overdramatic?"
"I did what needed to be done."
Quinn gestured at the timer on the table. "Then...we need to get home. How about you get that done? Or are you nothing, but trouble and no intelligence at all?"
"Heaven forbid I outshine the great Quinntar!!"
Quinn glared at him.
"How--" Quinn started.
"Outpost World, remember."
"You sarcastic son of a--"
The door opened. Quinn looked over at it. Melissa walked in, her hands full of shopping bags. She was dressed in a pink business suit with a skirt to her knees.
"Do you know how hard it was to get here without Richard?" Melissa asked, heading for the couch. She dropped the bags next to Quinn. "Apparently, having shopping bags is code for 'I have many jobs...please hit on me.'" She rolled her eyes. "Sexist world." She looked at Quinn and Randy. "Okay...what?"
"Nothing," Quinn said.
Melissa sat on the arm of the couch. "Any progress?"
"No," Quinn said.
"I'm sure with the two of you toget--"
Melissa paused. Quinn saw her forehead wrinkle up. Then she laughed.
"You two were fighting, were you?" Melissa asked.
Quinn looked down, feeling his face warm. Randy stood up.
"You know how it is," Randy said, heading for his room. "Different agenda."
Before Melissa could reply, Randy opened his bedroom door and slammed it behind him. She stared after him for a moment. Then she looked at Quinn. Quinn just shook his head.
"You got to do something," Quinn said.
"Me?" Melissa uttered.
"He picks fights with everyone," Quinn said. "I think he won't listen to anyone, but you."
"Me? Why--"
"Did you not see him on the world with your psycho doubles?" Quinn demanded. "I guess not. You were in jail. He and Richard got into a fight over who got to save you. He put a knife to Richard's throat. The world before that, it was his knowledge of his double that allowed me to find you before the slide."
"Oh," Melissa said, eyes widening.
"He might be only focused on killing Brown," Quinn said, "but he's also focused...on keeping you safe and alive. And I don't think it's just because you're his friend."
"Laura, hey!"
Richard stood outside the building, at a safe distance. Laura hugged the dark cropped-haired man. Just like her, he was dressed in a flower child shirt. Laura pulled back from him and smiled.
"Ethan, hey!" Laura exclaimed. "How's the building?"
Ethan. Then Richard knew how he knew the guy. The last time he had encountered Laura's double, there was an Ethan double. He was gay and loved Randy. A smirk crossed Richard's face. Small world.
"Funds are still holding out," Ethan replied. "But you know my parents."
Laura tilted her head. "Don't I? Can't let their only boy starve."
"Of course," Ethan said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "How about we see if Lloyd or Patrick are winning at Resident Evil? Is Glenn coming?"
Laura's face darkened. "No. Work. Sorry."
The two of them entered the building. Richard turned and headed away. He found it funny to be following her. Even in this new body. He felt a responsibility to her. He did kill her after all.
Melissa did not even knock. She walked into the room. Randy was shirtless, upside down with his hands keeping him up. She shut the door.
"Hmmm...new move," Melissa commented. "You train now?"
Randy flipped upright. He looked over at her.
"You know Eve," Randy said. "Every world she goes to, she tries to absorb everything about it. I can see why now."
Melissa frowned. Just the idea of him praising Eve for something made her sick.
Randy smirked. "Eve really isn't as bad as you think she is."
Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. "And Rebecca?"
The smirk died on Randy's face. He reached for his shirt on his bed.
"Do you really want to talk about that?" Randy asked.
"No," Melissa said. "Let's talk about you putting a knife to my boyfriend's throat?"
Randy flinched. "He would have gotten hurt trying to save you."
"Richard's been in worse spots. You know that."
"Maybe. I took on our doubles. They were good," Randy looked at her. "But we were always that."
Melissa's back stiffened. "That...was a long time ago."
"You can't escape fate."
Melissa pointed a finger at him. "Don't you start."
Randy sat on his bed. He looked down. When he looked up again, his brown eyes were full of sadness.
"When the Foundation had you," Randy said, "the rest of us slid to a world ruled by the Ancient Greeks. I met a seer named Cassandra. She predicted an enemy of mine would kill me. I started having dreams of me staring down the barrel of a gun. She was right. Daniel Carter...killed me."
Melissa nodded. She remembered Daniel shooting Randy on Earth Prime. She thought he was gone forever.
"Brown threw me over a cliff," Randy continued. "To be lucky to escape death once...wow. But twice...that's pushing it. How can I not be changed from that?"
Melissa walked over to the bed. She touched his shoulder.
"So...you're changed," Melissa said. "I get that. But...don't shut yourself off. You have friends."
Randy looked at her. "But I can't escape fate. I ran into Cassandra again. She says...I'm going to die. I can't escape it...forever."
"Who does?" Melissa challenged. "It happens...make everything in-between life and death count."
Randy studied Melissa's face. He touched her cheek. She looked down for a moment. She looked at him again to find his eyes alive.
"How can I make everything count," Randy asked, "when I lost the most important thing to me?"
Melissa did not know what to say. Randy leaned in closer. Melissa opened her mouth.
"Rebecca--" Melissa started.
"--isn't you," Randy said.
Then he kissed her.
Rebecca grunted. She opened her eyes. She leaned up to see where she was. Judging from the boxes, she looked like she was in a storage room.
"Yes, she's still out."
Rebecca looked over at the door. It was open a crack. She stepped over to it. Bufford was outside, his back to the door.
"What do you mean get rid of her?" Bufford demanded. He paused. "I like it here, too. And after tomorrow, we will have all the money we need."
Rebecca's eyes widened. Money?
"You just remember it's fifty/fifty," Bufford said. "I'm the one who's going to be in jail while you are doing the transaction, 'Dominique.'"
Rebecca's eyes narrowed. That bitch was using her alias.
Oh, no she didn't.
The door flew open. Melissa turned, startled. It was only Richard. She relaxed on their bed. He frowned at her.
"Okay...why the jump?" Richard asked.
Melissa stared at Richard. My mind was all over the place. Randy's kiss...was nothing. Or was it?
"Nothing," Melissa said, managing a smile. "You just surprised me. How did things go with Laura?"
"Good," Richard said, walking over to the bed to sit, "So far. Her life doesn't seem in danger...for a change."
"That can always change," Melissa said.
"Don't I know it?" Richard muttered, his head downcast.
Melissa said nothing. She reached over and held his hand. She knew the history. On their Earth, he had run Laura down in a drunken hit-and-run. the only witness had been Bufford. He blackmailed Richard into trying to steal Randy's machine. The rest...was history. He had come a long way from the she knew, but he was still haunted by Laura.
"So...the Eggheads make any headway?" Richard asked.
"Does not killing each other count?" Melissa replied.
"That bad?"
"It's like Professor Brown versus Randy times a thousand." Melissa said, looking down. "Quinn wanted me to go and smooth things out."
"Did you?"
"Time will tell."
Richard smirked. Then he frowned up.
"He's gotten pretty dangerous, you know," he said.
Melissa ribbed Richard. "So I hear! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hey!" Richard exclaimed. "I have a rep to maintain."
They laughed. Then Richard kissed Melissa. She pulled back. Richard frowned.
"What?" Richard asked.
"I'm sorry," Melissa said. "It's--"
The door flew open. Melissa looked up. It was Rebecca.
"Richard!" Rebecca exclaimed. "There you are! I need your help!"
The next day, Richard frowned at Rebecca.
"We should have told the others," Richard said, tying the trenchcoat around him. "They could have been able to help."
Rebecca smirked at him as they approached the building.
"Unlikely," Rebecca said, pushing the glasses farther back on her nose. "They don't know Carly like we do."
"We?"
"Well, you were sleeping with both of us, right?"
Richard blushed. "Long time ago."
"And yet you manage to pull the wool over our eyes when you didn't even remember who you were," Rebecca said. "You're a con at heart. Just like me."
Rebecca stood in the door to the building. People in business suits and briefcases were coming and going. They looked oblivious to them.
"So...how will you know where to find her?" Richard asked.
"I...just do," Rebecca said. "Beating up Bufford helped. Now...give me ten minutes."
Rebecca entered the building. Richard watched her. He still wished they had told the others. He wondered what they would say.
"So...first time?"
Rembrandt looked over to his right. A man with shaggy dark hair sat next to him. He manage a smile.
"Actually...yeah," Rembrandt said. "What gave me away?"
"Plaid tie," the man said. "People used to more than one job know...no clip-ons. It's a turn-off to the corporate heads." He held out a hand. "I'm Glenn."
Rembrandt shook his hand. "Rembrandt." He gestured to his right. "This is Jared."
"Hey," Jared said.
Glenn nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"So how many jobs do you have?" Jared asked.
"One," Glenn said. "Hopefully this interview will go well. Only way me and my girlfriend will get the family approval."
"Just be yourself," Rembrandt said. "I'm sure you'll do fine."
Glenn looked sad. "That's the problem. This...isn't me. But...we do what we have to for love."
"Glenn Ryland."
Glenn stood up. He followed the petite woman. Rembrandt watched him, understanding all too well what he meant.
"So I'm the lookout?" Jared asked.
"Yea," Rembrandt said, standing up.
"Good," Jared said.
Carly Reynolds looked at her watch. As she thought, it was on time. Alarms sounded through the building. It caught the clerk by surprise.
"Hello?" Carly said.
"Oh!" the clerk said, continuing with the transaction. "Sorry! Just not used to that! There was--"
"I have a 1 o' clock."
"Sorry. I--oh."
The clerk stared at Carly. Carly frowned.
"Is something wrong?" Carly asked.
"Yes, there is," the clerk said. "According to this, Mrs. Brooks just made the business withdrawal five minutes ago."
Rembrandt looked up as the alarms went off. He guessed something major was going on. He quickly continued going through files.
Carly stormed into the lobby. Her eyes narrowed on the bohemian running around the lobby looking like a fool. It wasn't Bufford like planned. It was Richard Hall.
"Rebecca," Carly uttered, her eyes narrowing.
Rebecca made it out the back of the building, briefcase in hand. A smirk was on her face.
She still got it.
Melissa watched Quinn throw the briefcase down in front of Rebecca. She stared at it on the coffeetable. She crossed her legs, did the same with her arms, and smirked at him.
"What?" Rebecca asked.
"What?" Quinn said. He threw the briefcase open, revealing the money inside. "This is what! Are you crazy?"
"Carly had a heist. I took the booty," Rebecca said. "Problem?"
"You knew where to find her the whole time?"
"The whole time? No. Only after Bufford knocked me out."
"What?" Melissa uttered.
"Yeah," Richard said next to Melissa, causing her to stare at him. "Yes, I know. She told me last night."
Melissa glared at Rebecca. Rebecca rolled her eyes.
"I really don't see the problem," Rebecca said.
"Let me answer that one."
Melissa looked across from her. Rembrandt and Jared were there. Jared stood while Rembrandt sat. Rembrandt glared at Rebecca.
"Jared and me...we were in that building looking for dirt on Carly...and you had it all the time," Rembrandt said. "What if we had gotten into trouble?"
"Did you?"
"No."
"Well then."
"How could you be so callous?" Quinn demanded. "If anything, we should be trying not to be getting into trouble on these worlds."
"Ha!" Rebecca exclaimed. "This...isn't trouble. I believe everyone in here has done far worse. Missing with a world's ideals because they don't suit you."
Jared raised a hand.
"Jared, shut up!" Rebecca snapped, shooting up. She grabbed the briefcase. "I am so sick of playing goody two shoes with a bunch of hypocrites. I'm done."
Rebecca started to head for the door.
"So...taking the money with you? Why am I not surprised?"
Rebecca paused. Her whole body snapped around. She glared at Randy who leaned against a wall.
"You? Picking on me?" Rebecca challenged. "You really think that's a good move?"
"What's the worst you can do?" Randy asked.
"'Hell hath no fury...'"
"You really are getting bent out--"
"And you," Rebecca cut Randy off, "are so transparent. As if the only reason you slept with me wasn't to tick Melissa off. to get some feeling from her after your trances got her boyfriend killed."
Melissa frowned. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was Richard. Randy meanwhile stood off the wall.
"He did not have to come," Randy said.
"He loved her," Rebecca said. "Of course he did. He fought for her. You can't say the same."
"You don't know what you--"
"Oh, I do!" Rebecca cut him off again. She smirked. "Avi World where she was into that Ben who was dying. He wanted her. Richard fought for her. And what were you doing? Oh, yeah! We were having sex in one of--"
"Shut up," Randy said.
"Have you tried to kiss her yet? Has she let--"
Randy lunged across the room. Rebecca swung the briefcase, getting him in the jaw. He fell backwards.
"I wish I could say it's been fun," Rebecca said, "but it hasn't." She reached for the door. She paused. "Oh." She looked at them. "If I see you all again, I'll make you pay."
Rebecca throw open the door. Policemen stood at the door, guns aimed.
"Hands up!" one of them barked.
"Don't think so."
Rebecca slammed the door quickly. She dashed for her room. Richard had time to throw Melissa to the floor before the room exploded into bullets. He stared at her.
"You okay?" Richard asked.
"Yeah," Melissa said.
"Good. I'll be bad."
Richard jumped up. He ran into Rebecca's room. There was no sign of her, the window curtains blowing in the wind.
"She would get the room with the fire escape," Richard said.
Rebecca made it to the last section of the fire escape. Her eyes burned now. She wished it was from the air. She knew the truth. How could she be so weak?
She jumped off the fire escape. She landed in the alley without incident, briefcase in her hand. She looked up at the window to her room.
"Good-bye, old life," Rebecca said.
"Hello."
Rebecca turned. Carly stood in front of her. She punched Rebecca out.
Rembrandt crossed his arms over his chest. He narrowed his eyes on the officer.
"What exactly is the problem, Sir?" Rembrandt asked. "Why are we in this lobby and not our room?"
"There was a theft today, Sir," the officer said. "We recalled several people being around...including a bohemian that our cameras showed was release into your custody."
"Have you seen how we're dressed?" Jared said, stepping in next to Rembrandt. "It was obviously an act of charity."
Rembrandt gestured to Jared. "What he said."
"So where is he? And the woman who opened the door? Perhaps she was behind it and..."
"If she was," Melissa said, sitting on the couch behind Rembrandt, "Dominique did not tell us about it."
The officer arched an eyebrow. "Dominique?"
"Yes," Rembrandt said. "Dominique Brooks."
"As for the bohemian," Jared said. "Don't they have a halfway house or something?"
"Is that all, Sir?" Quinn added from the couch.
"Fine!" the officer snapped. "You're free to go."
The officers left the Dominion lobby without another word. Rembrandt watched them leave. Then he turned to the couch to look at Quinn and Melissa.
"Oh my God," Rembrandt said. "It worked."
"Good call, Melissa," Jared added.
"Yeah," Quinn said. "That should lead them away from us and straight to Carly."
Rembrandt stared about the room. He frowned. "Where's Randy?"
Rebecca grunted. Her eyes flickered open. It took her a moment to realize that this was the second time in as many days she had been knocked out. She was hating the deja vu.
"Oh. You're awake."
Rebecca looked to her left. Carly sat on a bed. Next to her was the briefcase.
Rebecca looked about the room. It was another room in the Dominion. She also realized she was tied to a chair...or at least her hands were.
"Good."
Rebecca looked to her right. Bufford stopped leaning on the wall. Rebecca glared.
"I should have hit you harder when I escaped," Rebecca snapped.
"Hm," Bufford said. "Too bad for you."
"So," Carly said, standing up, "here we are. The last of the 'great' Arturo Foundation. No home. No Kromaggs. No profit...oh, wait."
"And me?" Rebecca asked.
"You?" Carly uttered. "I'm just going to kill." She tilted her head. "Hard to believe that at one point...you were the con to beat. Never did prove you and Dominique Brooks were one and the same. You gained a whole company." She pulled out a gun and aimed at Rebecca's face. "What a waste."
Rebecca could not help, but agree. She had crawled her way to the top on their world where conning was a way of life. Now she was a brokenhearted woman. It was pathetic. Her eyes started to water.
"Wait," Bufford said. "Is...are you crying?"
"Looks like," Carly said.
"The ice queen melts. You're right, Carly. They have made her soft."
Rebecca looked down. She fought to keep the tears from falling. If she was going to die...
Her eyes widened. They narrowed. She wasn't some wimp. And she wasn't going out like this. She snapped her head in Bufford's direction. He had moved to gloat. Bad move for him.
"You think I'm soft?" Rebecca challenged. "Guess again."
Her legs came up. Then she drove it back down, stepping on Bufford's foot. He screamed, grabbing at his foot. Rebecca swung out, her hell knocking Bufford back across the floor.
"What in--" Carly started.
The door shot open. Rebecca looked over at it. It was Richard.
"Think fast!" Richard yelled. Then he ran at Carly, tackling her on the bed.
As they struggled, Rebecca pulled at her binds. Then she stood up and ran at a wall at full force.
Richard's arm tightened around Carly's neck.
"You little--" Richard started.
"Hm," Carly said. "You never said that in bed."
Then her knee came up. Richard felt pain between his legs. Carly shoved him to the left. Richard's back hit the floor with a thud. He yelped over all the pain he felt. A shadow was over him. He looked up to see Carly with the gun.
"Say good-night, Richie," Carly said.
"Hey."
Carly turned around. She got a fist in the face, courtesy of Rebecca. Carly flew to the floor, unconscious. Rebecca glared at her.
"Who's weak now, Bitch?" Rebecca asked. She looked down at Richard. "You--"
Richard saw movement to Rebecca's left. She sensed it, too because her arm swung backward. Bufford fell back to the floor, unconscious.
"Now," Rebecca said, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," Rebecca answered.
"Good."
Then Rebecca knocked him out.
Rebecca made it out of the hotel room. In one hand was the briefcase. In the other...was Carly's timer device. It looked like it had a couple of minutes before it was adias la vista. Good. She could head to a new world, preferably a hot one.
She pushed the elevator button. It opened. She gasped. Randy stared back at her. He took a look at her. Then he frowned.
"It's good to know my tracking skills are good," Randy commented.
"Yeah," Rebecca said, "but your relationship skills suck."
"Where's Richard?" Randy asked, stepping out of the elevator, its door closing.
"Out of it," Rebecca replied, stepping back.
"Oh. Double-crossing people again?"
"Well...it's in my nature," Rebecca replied. Her eyes narrowed on him. "So's revenge."
The elevator doors opened again. A figure moved behind Randy. Rebecca's eyes widened.
"Sounds like an idea."
Randy's eyes rolled into the back of his head. He fell to the floor unconscious. Rebecca reached for her gun...too late. She fell unconscious as well.
Richard watched Melissa hand over the briefcase to Ethan, Glenn, and Laura. Under normal circumstances, he would have gladly handled it to them. His mind was still wrapping around the concept of finding Randy in the hall, eyes rolled back in his head. There was no sign of Rebecca at all.
"It's not like her."
Richard looked at Randy. His arms were over his chest. His mind was lost in thought.
"You mean the briefcase, right?" Richard said. "Yeah. After all the drama and being last con standing, you would think that she would take the money with her. Works out though."
"Does it?" Randy asked. "She's out there...who knows where...wanting revenge."
"And who's fault is that? A little late to be worried."
Randy glared at Richard. Richard didn't care. It was the truth.
"Anyway...you don't remember anything?" Richard asked.
"Complete blank," Randy said. "There was me in the elevator. Then...nothing. It's like someone went into my mind and erased that part."
Randy's eyes widened. Then they narrowed.
"What?" Richard asked.
Randy looked at Richard, his face full of anger.
"It could only be one person," Randy said. "Brown."
Rebecca banged on the door. It was no use. No one was coming. It was enough to make her cr--
The door flew open. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light. Then she saw the figure.
"You!" Rebecca hissed.
She gasped as if grabbed by someone from behind. She shot through the air, hitting the back wall. She fell to the floor, darkness overtaking her.
THE-END
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