Sidewinder ~ (Closed for LordOfAnarchy & Erin)

[LordOfAnarchy]

It was another hot, steamy forecast. Rain had not fallen in nearly a month, and the oppressive heat became more and more unbearable as time passed by. Time! It was something that there seemed to be too much of in these desolate parts. There was barren drift land, and no vegetation, except for the occasional tumbleweed that happened to roll by when the warm Gulf winds decided to blow. It was an area long abandoned by any modern civilization. There was no inherent value in the land on the southern side of the border of Texas. The only people who sought out this area were the drug smugglers and the commoners looking for a point to cross into the States.

This is where Jesse called home. It was a run down shack, a couple of clapboards nailed together with a slanted tin roof secured atop. There was another similar building nearby, slightly smaller, which doubled as the outhouse, since there was no running water available. What scarce water was available was that from the drying up creek which eventually fed into the Rio Grande. The creek doubled as Jesse’s bath and source for hydration, and that was only when he ran out of beer money.

Money! That was another thing that was in scarce supply right now also. The lack of any suitable work, and his heavy habits put a severe drain on his finances. Those were the same finances he kept hidden under his mattress, along with his two revolvers. Ever since Jesse broke out of jail, he’d been hiding out in this little place that he stumbled across. It was abandoned, so he just assumed ownership of it. It was literally in the middle of nowhere, so no one ever seemed to bother him there.

Jesse Holloway had been in these parts for nearly five years now, hiding from the law with relative ease. His sentencing was a joke; a crooked judge, an equally crooked lawyer, and Jesse ended up having to serve forty-five years for a crime he didn’t commit. However, his current status as a fugitive, escaped convict only magnified his problems. But that didn’t matter any to Jesse, right now he was a free man and he intended on staying that way. Besides, the crooked cohorts wouldn’t want to waste time tracking him down, for fear they would be implicated in the false conviction.

Over the years, with his proximity to the border, Jesse was able to find gaping holes in the border patrol, finding great ease passing back and forth between Texas, and his newly acquired home. He would travel into Texas to get money, then take the money into Mexico to get his supplies, at highly discounted prices. However, since getting gainful employment was nearly impossible, Jesse found it necessary to resort to some not so legal means of acquiring it. That’s where his trusty revolvers came in handy.

A few burglaries, scattered here and there seemed to provide him the necessary funds to survive over time. He knew there were risks, but given his circumstances he had nothing to lose. Today, was another one of those days where Jesse found the need to cross into Texas and find some unsuspecting soul or souls and to lighten their pockets for his gain. Crossing beyond the border, Jesse hotwired a klunker, an old ’67 Pontiac, and fired it up, heading for some new territories where his MO wouldn’t be noticed.

He traveled the lonely back roads which were primarily dirt and gravel till he came upon Highway 37. It was a stretch of road connecting San Jose to Corpus Christi. Despite being a highway, the number of cars passing by in any particular hour could be counted on one hand. It was a desert! No one drove through here, unless they lived here, or they were going to vacation in Corpus Christi. Those that lived here drove the same kind of cars and trucks that he had acquired. Those that were vacationing had much nicer vehicles. They were easy prey in Jesse’s eyes. The ranches that dotted the highway were few and far between, so Jesse had obviously picked an ideal location to set up shop.

He pulled off the side of the road, onto the sandy dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust which enveloped the faded green exterior. Waiting for the dust to settle, he looked in the mirror, noting how the sun had dried his features, and added a few more harsh lines and wrinkles to his face. The coarse hairs along his face were stubbly and mean looking, a good day’s shave was a thing long forgotten. The only thing that remained vibrant in his image was his steel blue eyes. A deep, sincere gaze seemed to always catch his and other’s attention when he stared.

Once the dust settled on the old car, making it look older and more worn than it really was, Jesse exited and popped the hood of the car open. He raised it, and took the radiator cap off. He moved to the rear, opened the trunk and retrieved the jack. Within a matter of minutes, Jesse had the rear quarter lifted off the ground, and the tire removed, lying on its side. The hot sun had him sweating profusely, despite the relative quickness with which he completed the task. He removed the red bandana from his forehead and wiped the salty droplets from his brow before folding it and retying it back in place.

He flexed his biceps, glancing down at their size, reminding him of how prison had helped him grow stronger. He glanced at the black tattoo on his left bicep, reminding him of his time in prison. It was a long curvaceous, fire breathing snake, there to remind him of the fire he held inside. Over each bulging bicep, he had an additional blue bandana secured and tied tightly in place. His black t-shirt, with torn off sleeves offered little reprieve from the blistering sun. His faded, severely worn blue jeans covered the gray snakeskin boots on his feet.

He returned to the car, fetched his guns, tucked them behind his back and sat back, waiting for his unsuspecting catch to drive by.

 

[Erin_]

Maria turned the air conditioning down on the driver's side climate controls, shivering through the thin silk of the designer top she wore, her well manicured finger hovering over the button that would activate the heated seats of the Mercedes.

Beside her, Rusty snored on obliviously. Shifting lanes, Maria took a moment to glance at her husband, not even trying to hide the disdain she felt. God, it was amazing what two years could do. There had been a time where she had been totally in love with Rusty, enthralled by his every word, caught up by his touch.

She laughed bitterly, and he stirred, but did not wake up.

Three years had brought a lot of changes. It wasn't that he was lazy, or that he beat her. They both worked hard, and made good livings. He passed his bar exam the month before the wedding, and she found out on their wedding day that she had passed her own. No..money certainly wasn't a problem for them.

Secretaries were.

Maria looked again towards her husband of two years. She still remembered the name of the first one...Candy. What the hell kind of name was Candy for a secretary anyway?

They had only been married for a few months when Maria found out about it. There had been the typical tears, the typical heartbreak, the typical promises. Never again...it didn't mean anything...it was just sex...

And she had forgiven. Then the others had come up, and she had grown more and more desensitized to the pain, grown more detached and cold. And then of course, it had become her fault. "You're so damn distant all the time, it's like being married to a store mannequin....no wonder I have to go to other women."

Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white, but Maria didn't notice.

Rusty had been the one who had insisted on this trip. He swore it would do them both good, give them the chance to reconnect. He had mapped out the entire route, even some of the stops he wanted to make, insisting that they drive rather than fly.

The first few days had even been fun. He had been more like the man she remembered, less like the sleazy jackass she thought him to be now.

But then she had come out of the small diner to find him using a payphone, when they both had cell phones on them.

Their eyes had met, and she knew right then that it was over. He knew it too, but he was trying to deny it. He tried to start the same arguments...trying to provoke some of the same tears, even managing to whip up a few of his own. But nothing reached her.

"I'll drop you at the nearest motel, and go on to Corpus Christi myself." That was all she had said, not another word.

That had been an hour and a half ago, and she still hadn't found a single hotel or motel.

 

[LordOfAnarchy]

The old rust bucket was baking in the hot sun. Jesse had been out here for nearly an hour and the only thing passing his way, other than the vultures circling overhead was the red sports car that had passed him, quicker than he could blink his eye.

“Damn bastards,” he cursed, noting that this long straight stretch of roadway may not have been such a good choice, since most of the cars traveling along this road would be most likely moving way too fast to even consider stopping to assist a stranger on the side of the road. He kicked the tire that lay on the loose dirt, knocking up a small cloud of dirt that enveloped his boots and his denim clad calves before settling back into the ground. By the time that car had probably even noticed him, he was already a mile past him. Jesse envied the luxuries of the rich, the very same luxuries he once enjoyed before getting railroaded into the false conviction. His new lifestyle was vastly different to the one he had originally come from. Yet he swore he’d never go back.

Jesse knew that with money came a lot of responsibilities, a lot of responsibilities he was glad he no longer had. The only person Jesse had to concern himself with was Jesse. No working late to make an extra buck to feed the wife, to make a house payment, to pay for cars or insurance. Nope! The only thing Jesse needed money for was booze, some occasional food, and on rarer occasions a Mexican hoochie to relieve his mounting pressures. No cares, no worries. Yes! This was his new chosen lifestyle.

Little did he know or realize his world was about to change forever.

He returned to the front of the car and stuck his head beneath the hood, poorly acting as if he was trying to fix something in there. He had actually been admiring the engine design of the older vehicle, taking delight in the comparison to his own life. Simpler was easier. Simple engine design was easy to work on …. Simpler lifestyle meant easier living.

The caw of the birds overhead made him look up to spot their position, also letting them know he was not dead prey for them to feast upon. They returned to their circling, hold pattern, waiting for clearance to land.

As Jesse looked back down, he spotted a small silver dot in the distance, a small cloud of dust trailing behind it. “At last,” he murmured, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his forearm. He sidestepped onto the roadway to get a better view of the slowly growing dot. The dust cloud trailing behind seemed to indicate to Jesse, that they weren’t moving particularly fast. “Perfect,” he exclaimed with a dry breath.

He removed the bandana from his forehead, and cleaned himself up a bit. As the dot grew closer and larger, Jesse began to get anxious. A unique feeling always washed through him just before he was about to make his strike. A rush of adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he watched the silver sports car move closer and closer. Nice slow pace, meant that there was a greater opportunity they would stop to offer some kind of assistance, or so he hoped. He tucked the bandana in his back pocket, reminding himself of the two sidearms tucked inconspicuously in the hem of his jeans. He adjusted his shirt, pulling it down so that it clung more tightly to his chest, and came down over the belt loops of the denims.

He looked again, and it seemed that whoever was driving had spotted him, and was apparently slowing down even more. It seemed to take forever for the car to finally pull up …

 

[Erin_]

Rusty was starting to stir, and Maria sighed inwardly, praying that he stayed asleep. She had no interest in rehashing months worth of arguments over again. Damn it...why was there no hotel in the desert? It didn't have to be the fucking Four Seasons...she would have given just about anything for a Red Roof Inn, the Comfort Inn. Hell...the Bates Motel would do.

Rusty opened his eyes and Maria slumped back angrily in her seat.

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, "What time is it?"

She didn't answer, but she tapped the clock on the console.

"Very funny." He glanced around, unfolding the map and trying to figure out exactly where they were. "Half way to Corpus Christi."

She said nothing. Realizing suddenly that she couldn't go on with him...not like this. Not with him.

There was a flash of light up ahead, the glimmer of the sun reflecting off of a shiny surface, and Maria smiled, praying for a motel, a diner, hell, at this point she'd drop him at a fireworks stand if it meant being rid of him.

"Maria..." He cleared his throat. A sure sign that he was going into lawyer mode, ready to mince words with her, to argue his point.

"Shut up Rusty." She was focused ahead, on what the glint of metal had been, leaning back in disappointment when she saw it was just an old beat up car on the side of the road.

"Very constructive." His tone was so damned condescending. Had he always been like that with her?

Maria chuckled, "About as constructive as paying for Candy's implants."

She saw the man then, standing beside his car, and slowed the Lexus, pulling over behind the broken down car.

"Jesus Maria. What the hell are you doing?" Rusty tensed, looking at her.

She met his gaze steadily, coldly. "We can't just leave him stranded here. It's the middle of the fucking desert."

"He looks like a serial killer." Rusty hated it when she swore, which only made Maria do it more frequently.

"Good, maybe I'll have some work for him."

"Maria!" Rusty was shocked at her. He really was naive in a lot of ways.

"I said maybe."

The man was approaching the car now, and Maria rolled her window down. "Need some help?"

 

[LordOfAnarchy]

Jesse watched the Lexus pull in behind his stolen vehicle. ‘Money,’ he told himself, smiling at the implication of what the car owners could offer him. He tried in vain to peer inside the vehicle as it pulled in, the dust swirling about it, the sun gleaming off the windshield, and the silver exterior. Jesse was forced to raise his hand, shielding his eyes from the blinding light, making his way to the car.

Driver’s side! That seemed to be the right place to go. Finally out of the glaring light, Jesse looked at the black tinted windows, hiding the inhabitants from his view. It made him a bit nervous, ready to reach for his gun, just in case the people in the car preyed upon broken down victims along the road. When the whir of the motor began, lowering the window, Jesse immediately felt the cool, air-conditioned air billowing out of the vehicle.

That was another luxury he had managed to do without for so long. It only served to remind him of his past, and how much he hated his life. There were some things that were nice, and an air-conditioned car was one of them! But he had become accustomed to the heat, so he had learned to do without. There always seemed to be a constant battle between the simple life and the luxuries. It only served to infuriate him even more. His anger, merely at his own predicament, was quickly beginning to boil, with the sun’s help. Jesse was ready to just whip out his guns and hijack the car, leaving the helpless inhabitants to fend for themselves in the desert.

However, as the window continued to lower, Jesse found himself staring at the beautiful face of a lovely young woman, whose voice was so pure and innocent. Her long flowing hair cascaded down over her shoulders, tucked behind her back and into the leather seats. The sun seemed to capture her beauty, illuminating every appealing aspect of her face, including the pearly whites of her perfect teeth.

“Need some help?”

Her words were music to his ears. In more ways than one, he could sure use some help! He couldn’t ignore the sudden swell she had given his shaft, feeling the tension in his tight fitting denims. He crossed his arms and leaned on the door, almost planting his entire face within the cool comfort of the interior.

That’s when Jesse spotted him! ‘Damn,’ he silently cursed. Not just another passenger, but a male to boot. Jesse knew there were two types of men; hose that would fight, and those that would piss their pants. He hated meeting up with the fighters. It was too late to back out now. Jesse knew there wouldn’t be many others passing down this stretch, and also knew he’d be pressing his luck if he stayed out much longer.

He looked at the passenger fleetingly, sensing a bit of uneasiness on his part, then concentrated on the driver, who was definitely warmer, and more appealing to the eye. Jesse smiled a friendly smile. “Yes ma’am.” He did his best to hide his accent, filling it with a heavy dosage of broken Mexican. “My car here. Broke down. Radiator, I think. I pull over. Then tire go flat. My cousin … live up the road a bit … give me a ride?”

Maybe it was assumptive, but Jesse knew that she would not turn him down. He was already reaching for the back door, opening it up and climbing in, before she had even granted him permission to do so. Besides, even if she hadn’t, he was sure his pistols would’ve convinced her. “Thank you,” he added, settling in, assessing his situation.

He watched the man and woman look at each other though no words were spoken. Jesse waited patiently until the lovely senorita put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.

 

[Erin_]

The man looked rough and rugged. A far cry from the pampered metrosexuals that Maria was surrounded by of late. He was barely leaning in the window and she could smell him, the scent earthy and raw, stirring something primal in her. His voice was gravelly, low and raspy...like he didn't use it much. Shifting in her seat a little, she barely heard Rusty telling the man that they couldn't give him a ride.

She watched in the side mirror and then the rear view mirror as the man simply got into the backseat. Inhaling, Maria settled back a little in her seat, closing her eyes briefly.

Rusty turned around in his seat, the leather squeaking where it rubbed on the bare skin of his leg, below his cargo shorts. "Look buddy. I said no ride. We'll call someone for you, but get out of the car." Rusty glanced towards Maria, puzzled at her reticence, his expression darkening when he realized she had no intention of speaking. "Very nice. Why don't we just hand him our cash right now. Jesus Maria, you've lost your mind." Looking back to the man, he snarled, "Just get out of the car." Rusty's mind was whirring, stirred by the earthiness, the aura of savagery around the stranger, but in a different way than his wife. Rusty's golf clubs were in the trunk. He'd get out and beat the man senseless if he had to.

Maria put the car in gear.

"Don't you dare!" Rusty's shout startled her, and for the first time in hours Maria's dark eyes looked her husband full in the face. She was actually surprised at the rage that she saw there. He glared at her, wild-eyed, his nostrils flaring. "He's getting out Maria."

She actually considered obeying him...for about a half a second. Rolling her dark eyes dismissively, a gesture that she knew he hated, she stepped hard on the gas. The back tires spun on the loose earth, sending clouds of dust flying, the back end sliding sideways a bit before the tires finally found purchase, squealing against the pavement as the car shot out onto the road.

"Maria! What is the matter with you?" Rusty's fist cracked heavily on the dashboard, actually denting the posh interior of the car.

Maria only laughed, "Shut the fuck up Rusty. No one wants to hear you." Dark fathomless eyes glanced up at the rearview mirror. The man was watching her, their eyes met in the mirror and Maria smiled tentatively, a little shaken by his intense stare, but not unpleasantly. "I'm Maria."

"Jesse." He nodded his head, not taking his eyes off of her. "Pleased to meet you Maria." The words came a little stiffly.

Rusty snorted, muttering under his breath, but loud enough for them both to hear. "Oh good...now you'll be properly introduced when he kills us."

Maria laughed, she couldn't help it. Rusty was so ridiculously petty and snobbish. Reaching out, she patted his thigh, surprising him. She had not touched him voluntarily in months. For a moment he looked hopeful, but then she spoke, her tone as cutting as a diamond. "You're not shutting up asshole. No one wants to hear from you."

"Maria!"

"I mean it Rusty. Shut up. I'm through listening to your voice." She looked towards him, he was looking back at her, his mouth open wide in disbelief.

 

[LordOfAnarchy]

Jesse had walked into a firestorm. It was quite apparent that the son-of-a-bitch in the passenger seat didn’t want him in the car. He made no qualms about it, but Jesse wasn’t about to obey him anyway. He had his trusty pistols on standby if it came to that. But the one thing Jesse was sure of, was that he had the attention of the long, black, haired beauty in the front seat. He focused on the sparkling eyes as they seemed to smile at him.

Jesse knew at that instant that there was a unique connection between them. He knew at that instant, that this would not go as his usual robberies went. No! He knew that this one would be different. He wasn’t sure how, yet. He simply knew his life would not be the same after this robbery! That surge of adrenaline rushing through his body made his jeans strain in a way they hadn’t for quite some time.

Jesse listened intently to the banter going on between the two in the front seat, growing increasingly annoyed at how rude the guy was. Not only was Jesse annoyed about the way the guy in the front seat, Rusty, was openly degrading towards him; but he was also very angered at how rude he was to the very nice lady who had stopped to offer him a ride.

“Shut up. I’m through listening to your voice”

When Jesse heard those words ring out with sharp cynicism, his mouth naturally dropped open in disbelief. He couldn’t believe his luck. A million images and ideas were running through his head. This indeed was not going to be like his other robberies. This was going to be much different.

He listened to more continued arguing between the two as they headed down the road. As the two traded jabs, Jesse’s eyes were riveted to Maria’s, holding her gaze as she alternated between the road, Rusty, and her mirror. Jesse had had enough. It was now or never, and his fate would forever be altered.

He reached behind his back with his right hand and quickly produced the gun, pointing it directly at Rusty’s head. “Listen to her and shut the fuck up!” Jesse yelled, interrupting their public argument.

The car swerved, and Jesse reached with his left hand, over the seat, placing it on her left shoulder. “Relax, Maria. Everything will be just fine. Keep driving.” He made brief eye contact with her in an effort to let her know everything would be just fine.

Jesse focused his attentions back onto the ne’er-do-well, waving the gun, signaling for him to turn around. “Face the front, you sonovabitch. Guess you were right about me after all! But I ain’t gonna kill ya … unless ya give me reason to!”

After Rusty faced the front, Jesse looked into the mirror, searching for Maria’s eyes. In the most relaxing voice he could muster, he tried to ease Maria’s apparent shock! His hand gripped her shoulder just a bit more firmly, but not painfully so. “Up ahead, about a mile, there’ll be a dirt road on the right.” Jesse watched her head bob obediently. “Relax! We don’t want no accidents.”

When they reached the turnoff, Jesse ordered her to turn down the dirt road. There was a vast expanse of nothingness within miles. Jesse had her continue down the dusty trail, a thick cloud enveloping the shiny vehicle, covering it in a sandy brown color. They drove for quite a while, as the sun began setting low on the horizon. Nightfall would come shortly. “Pull over here!” His voice, lost of its phony accent, was commanding and determined. They were finally near the border, but they needed to wait for darkness to settle in. Jesse wasn’t about to tell them his plans. He'd let them sit and fester, fretting over their predicament. He too needed time to formulate his plans of what he would do wih his captives.

 

[Erin_]

Was she imagining things, or was Jesse trying gently to tell her something?

He spoke so harshly that it frightened her, certainly the guns scared her. She could smell the metal of them in the close confines of the car when he pointed them towards Rusty.

But the way Jesse touched her...that was something altogether different.

He directed her to turn onto a dirt road and she did, gripping the steering wheel tightly, trying not to panic.

Any other time, Maria would have laughed at Rusty's face. He looked as though he had eaten something bad that didn't agree with him. He was sweating, his face was clammy. "Easy buddy..."

He began, trying to reason with Jesse, using his best lawyer voice. Maria cringed inwardly, losing control of the car briefly. It swerved and Jesse squeezed her shoulder, the touch far more gentle than his words to Rusty belied.

"Pull over here." Maria noted the change in his voice, his accent, looking back over her shoulder at him in surprise, though she did pull the car over.

Rusty whimpered in his seat, "Please don't kill us. We'll give you whatever you want."

"I'm not your buddy."

 

[LordOfAnarchy]

Jesse sat there, listening to the pathetic ramblings of Rusty as he continued to plead for his life, desperately seeking a way out of the situation. It didn’t matter what Rusty said, there was not going to be any negotiations. It was Jesse’s way, or no way at all. Finally, he had had enough. “I said, shut the fuck up! What are you some kind of lawyer or something? You don’t know when to shut your fucking mouth?”

He was definitely growing irritated. He never resorted to kidnapping, and he was not about to commit a murder, never having taken a life before! The guns were merely tools of the trade, used to put fear into people; the same fear Rusty was exhibiting at that very moment! There was something different about this though, and Jesse couldn’t put his finger on it. It was the way his eyes and Maria’s eyes connected via the mirror in the car. The way Maria and Rusty were arguing, Jesse figured there was some kind of animosity between them also! He needed time to think.

The first thing he needed to do, was to eliminate the risk of them conspiring against him. She could be playing him, and Jesse needed to separate the two, he needed to intervene if they were giving unseen silent signals to each other.

He waved the gun at Rusty again. “Take your shoes off,” he commanded. Rusty turned and looked at him questioningly, forcing Jesse to cock the trigger back. “Turn around and do exactly as I say!” He watched as Rusty nervously spun back and reached down to undo his sneakers. “Take the laces out!” Again, Rusty seemed confused, but didn’t dare look back, removing the laces from each shoe. “Throw the sneakers out the window!” If Rusty were to escape, he wouldn’t get far in bare feet! Rusty lowered the window, letting a blast of the hot outside air enter the car as the cool crisp interior filtered out. He tossed the sneakers as instructed. “Tie the laces together! Make sure they’re nice and tight.” Rusty began to get a nervous twitch in his hands as he began to realize what was about to happen. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he secured the two ends together, tugging on the ends to test his knot tying skills.

Jesse eased the trigger back into the closed position. “See? Things’ll go much easier if you just do as you’re told!”

He squeezed Maria’s shoulder again, lightly, just to get her attention. “Take the string and tie one end around his right wrist. Make sure it’s nice and tight.” His words were softer and less commanding, but still had that firmness to it. Jesse watched with his intense gaze, making sure that indeed the knot she tied was sufficiently tight. Jesse quickly realized he didn’t have to threaten Maria. She was willingly doing as instructed. He tried not to threaten her with the gun, but was prepared to do so if necessary.

“Okay,” Jesse continued directing. “Now don’t try anything funny,” he said to Maria, waving the gun towards the door. “Do as I say and nobody gets hurt. Open the door, then step outside. Don’t try runnin’ or I’ll kill ya both.” Just as Maria was opening her door, Jesse, too opened his door, ready to chase her down if she decided to run. However, Maria merely stepped outside as instructed, waiting his next instruction. That’s when Jesse half-convinced himself that Maria was the least of his worries.

“Maybe you ought to be more like her,” Jesse sarcastically spat towards Rusty, waving him over to the driver’s position. Jesse had no problem banging the barrel of the gun against Rusty’s noggin as he shifted into Maria’s vacancy. “Both hands on the wheel.”

“Maria,” Jesse barked with more determination. “Loop that string around the wheel, then bring it across and loop it on the other side, then tie the rest off on his other hand. Do it … NOW!” He barked the command, watching as Maria nearly jumped out of her skin, quickly obeying his command. Rusty was now secured in the driver’s seat, both hands, tied to the steering wheel.

He loosely pointed the gun towards Maria, ignoring Rusty, now that he was safely secured. “Close his door, and get in here, in the back seat!

 

[Precious_of_LOA]

For a moment when she heard the crack of the revolver's handle against Rusty's skull, Maria thought that Jesse had shot him. She heard Rusty's whimper just after, and she felt her knees buckle in relief. However much she hated Rusty, she didn't wish him dead...literally.

Dark eyes were round with fear, but she didn't even think about running away. Where would she go? The desert was huge, and deadly, and she was wearing a tank top, a frothy little skirt and high heeled sandals. Not exactly desert storm gear.

Rusty whimpered when the butt of the gun cracked against his skull, a thin trickle of blood running from his temple. Then Jesse was standing outside in the beating sun with her, loosely pointing the gun at her, ignoring Rusty now that he was safely secured. “Close his door, and get in here, in the back seat!"

Maria shut the driver's side door, silencing Rusty's whimpers. The man seemed to be in a daze. For all of his bravery, he had crumpled like a hothouse flower when face to face with a real man.

Maria's dark eyes were drawn to Jesse again and she took a hesitating step back, shaking her head. "No."

He took a step closer to her, his gaze intent, hypnotic almost. "Get in." He didn't even wave the gun, he didn't have to. Maria had no where else to go.

She slid into the roomy backseat of the car, shivering a little in the chill of the air conditioning, reaching out, she grasped the door handle, meaning to pull the door shut, pausing when she saw that Jesse was still out there.

"Jesus Maria." Rusty's voice was a low gutteral snarl. "Why don't you just get on your knees and blow him?"

She was stunned by Rusty's words. He was never so vulgar, but she only tossed her head, "I got the impression he'd rather you do the honor." Had they really come so far that they couldn't even unite in a potentially life threatening situation? It seemed so.

"I want a divorce Rusty. And I don't want you to contest it. You're a selfish, slimy pig of a lawyer."

"A what?" She heard Jesse's voice from outside the car.

 

[LordOfAnarchy]

“No?” Jesse couldn’t believe that she was going to disobey him, or worse yet, challenge him! No! That just didn’t make sense. But despite it all, he knew he didn’t have to use his gun with Maria. Just his size, in comparison to hers, was enough to convince her that she ought to reconsider her ways and do as instructed. Besides, there was something in the way their eyes connected that belied her seeming indifference to him. It had been forever since Jesse was with a real woman, but there were some things about his earlier days that he would never forget.

He always seemed to have a way with the ladies, and he always seemed to be able to read their thoughts by merely gazing into their eyes. He would hold their eyes captive with his stare, and read the blueprint to their souls within minutes of meeting them. It was a unique art that Jesse had been gifted with, yet hadn’t had the opportunity to use since the disappearance of his wife; the same wife he had been convicted of murdering amidst her disappearance. There was no body ever found, no crime scene, and no motive; yet his attorney bungled the case, lost the verdict, and helped hand Jesse a forty-five year stint in the slammer.

It was no wonder that Jesse had a sour taste for lawyers. And when he heard Maria accuse her husband of being a slimy lawyer, Jesse nearly lost it!

“A what?” Jesse pushed his way into the backseat, shoving Maria to the passenger side of the car. He cocked his gun with an audible click and pressed the muzzle of the gun to the back of Rusty’s head. “Have you ever seen brain matter splattered all over a windshield?” Jesse was livid, and it was clearly obvious, he was darn close to pulling the trigger.

Rusty’s plea went unheard, but it was the shrill cry, “Nooooooooooo,” from Maria that stopped him moments short of squeezing his white knuckle tighter into his fist.

Jesse eased the trigger back into place, loosening his grip on the pistol. “You're lucky man! You owe your wife your life!” Jesse looked to Maria, suddenly feeling sorry for her, seeing her trembling so.

Jesse knew he almost lost it completely, but his frustration was getting the better of him. He truly hated lawyers. All of them were lumped into the same basket! His hatred grew over the years when he found out that the lawyer that had defended him had suddenly married a vivacious young lady that strongly resembled his wife. The names were different, and every attempt Jesse made to reopen his case was blocked by the judge that heard his initial case. Crooked lawyers and crooked judges; they were all the same!

In sheer frustration, Jesse slammed the side of the gun against Rusty’s skull, just after yelling, “Aww fuck; I need time to think!” Rusty slumped to the front, induced into a little nap to at least keep one of them quiet! Just then, an image popped into his head. It was not a pretty image. Jesse jolted upright, spinning to look Maria square in the eyes.

This was all a bad dream anymore. Jesse was just as confused and bewildered as his captors. He hadn’t planned on this. But he felt like his actions were forced upon him by some outside influence, making him do what he was doing.

Once more he pulled the hammer back on the gun, locking it into position. He aimed the gun at Maria. He pointed it so that she could see right into the barrel, so she could see the bullet come flying towards her if he so determined it was necessary! “You!” His voice was loud and demanding. “What’s your story? You some rich bitch wife, or you some lawyer also? Why you want a divorce? What’s going on between you two?”

Jesse worried that their bitter arguing was merely a ruse to create enough diversion for one of them to gain an advantage over him. Jesse knew that it worked, for that’s how he escaped from prison. A small fight erupted into a major brawl. Inmates and guards were scurrying everywhere when they came in to break it up. That’s when Jesse had slipped out totally unnoticed. Jesse wasn’t about to lose his upper hand. He needed answers, and he needed them quickly! He needed to know where things were headed, and he needed a clear level head to make sure he got there safe and sound!

 

[Precious_of_LOA]

Maria moved over when Jesse climbed into the backseat on the driver side, her skirt riding up, baring an expanse of soft, tanned skin. Her palor was off though, her face pale from fright, her eyes wide.

She hardly recognized her own voice when she cried out, thinking that Jesse was going to shoot Rusty. He didn't...though the sound of the gun against his skull nearly made her jump out of her skin.

“Aww fuck; I need time to think!”

Jesse's shout made her jump as well, and when he whirled towards her, looking her straight in the eyes, Maria's entire body trembled. He looked so wild, as if he was barely holding on, and any moment he might snap. She eased back away from him, the armrest of the passenger side rear door coming up against the small of her back.

It happened in slow motion, Jesse raised the gun and pulled the hammer back, never breaking gaze with her. “You!” His voice was loud and Maria jimped again. “What’s your story? You some rich bitch wife, or you some lawyer also? Why you want a divorce? What’s going on between you two?”

She shook her head, her dark eyes wide, "I...I'm a lawyer too. He's cheating on me. He has been for years." Her voice was soft, hardly more than a whisper. "Please...please don't kill us."

Those dark eyes grew shiny with tears that slowly overspilled her eyes, trickling down her ashen cheeks.