text:
"Last Exit to Brooklyn"
Author: carmen_085
Disclaimer: All Third Watch characters are property of NBC. All original characters belong to me
Summary: After a terrible tragedy changes his life, Bosco goes undercover to find redemption and justice in the most unlikely of places
Author's Note: An extra long chapter for all my friends weathering this hurricane! I hope those of you without power are safe and those with are enjoying this extra long update !
Chapter Nineteen
"The worst things in life come free to us
Cos we're just under the upper hand
And go mad for a couple grams
And she don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland
Or sells love to another man"
The Evergreen Diner was certainly nothing to write home about. Runny eggs, burnt toast, and a waitress with an attitude did little to whet Bosco's appetite. Running a fork through the eggs he shot a glance at Liz from the corner of his eye. She was staring into a glass of orange juice completely mute. Gnawing on a piece of toast, Bosco sighed. This was awkward.
In all fairness Liz had never alluded toward a relationship. They were partners. She was there for him when he needed her. They held hands and kissed in public because that was part of the scam. They were never anything but partners. Except they weren't; not for him anyway. There wasn't another person in this world that he trusted as much as her. She was there for him in every way a person could be there for you. Regardless of the meaning behind it, the hand holding, and hugging, and all the physical contact made him feel better. It made him feel like he wasn't alone. The night she picked him up from Ryker's he was ready to die, and today he actually had some hope that his life could be good again. She did that. So how could he not feel something for her? She gave him his life back.
Liz shot a look at Bosco as his eyes remained transfixed out the window. He was upset. She could feel it as a cloud of tension hung over their table. Truth be told, Liz had been attracted to Bosco the night she picked him up from Ryker's. He had been so defeated, so hopeless but somewhere deep inside of him the will to survive remained strong. That determination, especially in the face of such heartbreak, had locked her from the moment she laid eyes on him. Beyond that, his willingness to let her inside had fostered a sense of extreme closeness. When they left Brooklyn last night the possibility of something more than partners had crossed her mind, although she quickly dismissed it. Bosco had just started to get himself together. She didn't want to complicate anything for him. If he wanted something more, she would leave him to initiate that on his own terms.
This morning had been a surprise in more ways than one. She did not expect Chris to show up. They had dated for less than a year before she got the call for undercover. It had been nice until she had to leave for Brooklyn. A cop in the 39 Chinatown, Chris had been forever trying to get into narcotics. Each time he was passed up for someone with more experience he worked harder, made more collars, worked extra shifts. Anything he could do, he did it. Still, there were cops better connected than he who always managed to move ahead. During that time, Liz was working vice in Brooklyn, nothing too spectacular; hookers and pimps all night long. They were on equal ground so to speak. Then Liz got the call she had been waiting for; a deep cover operation in Brooklyn. She was so excited and although Chris did his best to be happy for her it was more than clear that he was jealous. Liz didn't expect them to last through an operation like that but she had half hoped he would have been more supportive. The night before she left for Brooklyn he sent her a text message. 'I can't wait for you. Good Luck' That was it. So when she left her life that day she assumed it was the last she would see of Chris. When he showed up at her door this morning, she was more than a little surprised. He seemed happy to see her and genuine about getting back together. While she was gone he had apparently found a spot on an Anti-Crime unit in Harlem and seemed more than pleased with himself. The jealously of before was gone as he now had his own ace in the hole to stack up against her. They talked for a while and it was nice, but it wasn't the same. Bosco was on her mind and then he was at her door.
The minute she saw his face she knew why he was there. She had just agreed to give Chris another chance. After all, she didn't even know if Bosco thought of her that way. Sure they were close, but was it just because he needed her? Need and want are two different things. With his old life back, would they still share the same level of emotional intimacy? She had no answers to these questions and instead of torturing herself she gave in and did the easy thing. One look in Bosco's eye made her stomach flip and her heart sink with regret. It was too late to go back now. The walls were back up and she doubted a second chance would come any time soon.
"Bosco! What is up?" Bosco's face broke out into a smile when he saw Davis and Sully walk into the diner. Standing up he hugged Davis and acknowledged Sully with a nod; their not so joyful reunion had taken place a few days ago. Liz pushed the plate away as she stood up. Offering a polite smile, she waited for Bosco to introduce her to his tall friend. Sitting back down he ignored her standing there. Sighing, she shot him a dirty look before taking a step forward.
"Hi! I'm Liz, Bosco's partner." Davis paused for a moment. He had never heard anyone use that title other than Faith. Smiling, his shock was melted away by her honest smile. She was a cute girl, not at all what he would have expected.
"Liz. I'm Ty, Ty Davis." Sully didn't miss the chill that passed between Bosco and Liz. Whatever it was it was probably Bosco's fault. Pulling her into a hug, he made sure to shoot Bosco a disapproving look. Rolling his eyes, Bosco moved over so that Davis could sit down next to him.
"So I take it you had time to think things over." Sully eyed Bosco carefully silently wondering why he called this impromptu meeting.
Bosco nodded, before replying slowly, "Yeah. I…uh…I want to do it. If someone," he paused for a moment shaking his head ruefully, "someone in our house did this. I want to know."
Davis shook his head, "It's not a question of if, man. We know who did, we just can't prove it."
Bosco nibbled on his fingernail as he stared out the window. Brian Jackson had worked at the precinct for about three years. He didn't really know him, neither did Faith. Jackson and his partner Scott Geidel didn't associate with many people at the 55; mostly kept to themselves. That was why he couldn't figure this out. What did they have against Faith? As far as he knew, she had never even spoken to them outside of work.
Shaking his head, Bosco narrowed his eyes at Sully. "I don't get it, Sully. What did they have against Faith? We hardly even spoke to them."
Sully sat back in his chair sighing loudly. "Really, I don't know, Bosco. The best that I have come up with is that maybe Faith saw something…something she wasn't supposed to see." Bosco was doubtful. How could Faith have seen something and not him? They were together all the time. About to open his mouth and offer a rebuke he was quickly silenced. Faith was riding alone while he was out on suspension. She was alone for three days out there. A new wave of guilt crawled up the back of his throat causing the muscles to tighten. If he hadn't lost control at that factory, he would have been there with her. Or more accurately he would have been there for her. Just one more way he had screwed up.
Liz watched as a guilty shadow shrouded her partner's face in darkness. He was blaming himself for something, something he hadn't remembered until just now. Underneath the table she kicked his foot. Hesitantly his eyes met hers and although they were in a bit of a snit, he still couldn't hide his feelings from her. Shaking her head slightly she mouthed the word 'Don't'. Bosco couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching up into a smile. She knew him so well. The private exchange had gone completely unnoticed by Sully and Davis as Bosco brought himself back to reality.
"I want to talk to this girl." Sully stopped talking as he eyed Bosco cautiously.
"Bosco, we tried that. She won't say anything. Davis even chased her down the street." Sully was doubtful that Lysette Jones would be up for round two.
"I don't care. I want to talk to her." Sully shook his head.
"And then what? She tells you what she told Todd and then what are you going to do? You still don't have any proof! The word of a hooker against the word of a cop, how do you think that'll work out?"
Bosco shook his head as he looked away. Sully was right. "Well what about Jackson? Do you have anything on him?"
Davis let out a wry laugh. "There have been some incidents but nothing that would tie him to Faith. He's onto us now, though."
"Yeah, he knows we've figured him out but really he doesn't care. We have no proof and he knows that too." Sully gestured toward the stack of papers sitting on the table. "It's all circumstantial."
"What about a new cop. Someone to get inside, maybe gain his trust." The three men looked at her in shock. In theory it was a good idea, a great idea. But would that really work?
Davis shook his head, "No, him and Geidel are pretty tight. I don't see him letting anyone get close."
"That's fine. I can hang back for a while, check him out, and when the opportunity comes…"
"It might never come with this guy. He's smart, he covers all the bases." Sully was doubtful this would work although he had to admit that the concept had piqued his interest.
Liz opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Bosco, "She's good Sully; better than you think. If she got the biggest drug operative in Brooklyn to trust her, she can get Brian Jackson."
Liz felt her cheeks flush. She didn't expect Bosco to be so complimentary given the sudden rift between them. Quickly she recovered, "Are there any openings now? Because if I just suddenly show up for now reason at all, I think that'll make him suspicious you know."
It sounded like a good plan. Sully reasoned that it was at least worth a try. Trouble was, there weren't any openings at the 55. Bosco and Faith had been replaced with a couple of guys from midnights. Shoulders slumping, Sully couldn't think of anything.
"Hey what about that K-9 position?" Davis offered coming up with their only option.
Sully shook his head, gesturing toward Liz, "She's can't do that. You need special training for that and…"
Before Sully could continue Liz broke out into a fit of laughter. "I don't believe this."
Bosco smirked at the irony of it all before cluing his friends in. "Before she went undercover she worked on a two man K-9 Team in Brooklyn. She's even got a dog."
Ever the pessimist Sully, shot Bosco a disbelieving look. "You mean that fat fur ball I saw laying on your couch over in Brooklyn? Bosco…"
"Hey…hey…come on now. Atlas has only been retired for a couple of years, I'm sure with a little refresher he would be ready to go." Liz was a little irritated that a man of Sully's size and shape was calling her dog fat. Atlas was out of practice; there was no doubt about that but with the right amount of training she thought he would be ready to go again. The only thing that worried her was would the dog want to do it again? After Dave died, Atlas lost all interest in police work. Had it been enough time for the memory of his beloved handler lying cold and dead on the pavement to fade away? She didn't know the answers but she hoped that this would work out for everyone, especially Bosco.
Bosco watched his partner think it over. Was the dog ready to come back? Could he, just like Bosco shake off the ghosts of his past and continue on? She might not be sure but he was. The night that he had been arrested by the prick Collins, Atlas was more than ready to back him up. No hesitation, no uncertainty, the dog had been there all the way.
"And what are you going to do?" Sully knew that Bosco couldn't sit back and do nothing.
What could he do? As far as anyone at the 55 knew he had been banished from the NYPD. Forced to resign rather than being fired in light of his actions at the hospital that night. In reality it was an intricate cover story that fit like a glove. It had served them well in Brooklyn, but it was actually becoming quite detrimental for their present situation. "Well I can't really show up at the house, now can I Sully?" Bosco wracked his brain. He didn't want to make it seem like he had no purpose in all of this. Worse than that he didn't want to make it seem like his partner was doing all the leg work for him.
Seeing the frustrated look on Bosco's face Liz quickly came to the rescue, "There's going to be a lot of surveillance and tracking people down that's going to need to be done to build a case like this. If you think we're going to just wait around until Jackson decides to confess you're wrong. Guys like that don't have a change of heart, their conscious doesn't eat away at them. You need to build a corner and then back them into it. He won't fall apart unless we box him and…"
She stopped talking as Sully and Davis stared at her. Maybe this girl did know what she was talking about. Bosco smirked at their surprise. Liz was very sharp and her time undercover had only served to hone a perceptive nature that made her a natural investigator. She knew how to build a case and how to back a suspect into a corner. They needed her for this.
Davis smiled and shook his head, "Wow, Bosco wasn't kidding."
Liz smirked at him; this is what she was good at. "All I'm saying is that you don't go to war with someone like that unless you're prepared."
Davis nodded, up until then he thought that Sully had been going about things the right way. He was, but Liz opened his eyes to a whole new level of organization that actually made him feel like they had a chance. Maybe they could do this.
"Have you said anything to the boss?" Bosco eyed Sully hoping that he hadn't sent this up the line yet. Aside from the fact that Swersky would call IAB, Bosco couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal he felt toward the man. Rubbing his wrists absent-mindedly he remembered the feeling of handcuffs digging into his soft flesh.
Sully shook his head, "No. I haven't said anything." Scratching his chin, he chose his words carefully. "Look, Bosco…I don't know how far up this thing goes. So…"
"You think the boss is involved?" Prior to then Bosco hadn't even considered it.
Sully shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is they looked into the accident and knew something was up, but somehow the only thing anyone wants to believe is what's coming out of Brian Jackson's mouth. It's strange, that's all I'm saying."
Bosco let the words settle. It was strange but yet again Sully had no proof, only suspicion. "If the boss isn't in on it, how are you going to make sure she gets the position?" Davis posed an obvious question.
"Our boss is down for it," Liz replied casually. "He'll get us what we need." With that it was decided. This was the plan, for better or worse they were going to see this thing all the way through.
On the way out of the diner, Bosco let Liz and Davis walk ahead as he stopped Sully. "Look, Sully you don't have to be involved in this. It's my problem and I don't want you to get jammed up over it."
They didn't know where this would lead and Bosco wanted to make sure he didn't drag anyone down with him. Liz was his partner and she had already made it clear that she was going to stick it out. They had already stepped in an even bigger pile of shit out in Brooklyn so compared to that, the ramifications of this didn't concern her nearly as much. Sully and Davis both had something to lose. Sully was near retirement and if this went the wrong way they could take his pension. Davis was new on the job and he didn't need a stain like this following him around for the next twenty years. They were going to accuse a cop of murder, one of their own. The cardinal sin in policing was to rat out a brother. So he needed to be sure they knew what they were doing and that everyone was in it for the right reasons.
"Forget it Bosco. It's too late. I can't turn back now. I'm in this as much as you are."
Bosco wasn't going to argue with him. "And Davis?"
"I tried to discourage him in the beginning, but he wouldn't listen. He's his own man; he makes his own decisions. I can't do anything to change his mind."
Bosco swallowed hard. It was settled then. Sully had given him the name and mug shot of the prostitute as he stuffed the information in his back pocket. Nodding at Sully he waved good bye to Davis as he walked toward the subway. Liz didn't miss the hesitant look in his eye as he passed her. Quickly bidding farewell to the other two men, she followed Bosco toward the underground stairs.
"Bosco! We need to talk." He slowed his gait but didn't acknowledge her. Pulling up next to him Liz walked down the cement stairs struggling to find a place to start.
"We just talked for two hours." He knew what they needed to talk about although that didn't stop him from playing dumb. Liz rolled her eyes as she scanned her MetroCard and followed him through the turnstile.
"We need to talk about this morning." She followed him down the platform and away from a crowd of people that had gathered on the other side of the turnstiles.
"What about this morning?" It was weak but playing stupid was the best defense he had right now. There was no one else in this world that had the potential to hurt him as much as she did. The thought was frightening and after this morning, he decided the best option would be to build a wall around those feelings and hope that they eventually faded away.
If he wasn't going to cooperate she was just going to start talking. "Look, I didn't know Chris was going to be there. Really, I didn't know Chris was going to be around at all. We ended on bad terms and I figured we were done. He wants to try again and I don't know, I guess it's worth a shot. I just…"
She didn't sound so sure and on the inside he was pleased. An involuntary memory of them lying in bed next to each other flashed behind his eyes, as his body was filled with familiar warmth. He wanted that so bad, to feel that way all the time. He couldn't tell her that, though, what if she didn't feel the same? He had just started putting the shattered pieces of himself back together. Something like that could fracture his already weak emotional psyche beyond repair. He wasn't willing to take that risk, at least not yet.
Turning toward her, he grabbed her by the shoulders so that they were squarely facing each other. "Liz, I don't care about your personal life. I just…" The sound of the train rumbling through the tunnel made him hard to hear. "I just need you to be there for me. What we're doing here, it's serious and I need to know that no matter what you're going to be there. Can you promise me that?" The train burst into the station causing the platform to vibrate. They stood there, staring at each other as a rush of wind caused Liz's hair to blow around her shoulders. Bosco looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness and desperation. He needed her in more ways than she knew but right now all he could focus on was making Brian Jackson pay. They were silent for a moment, the lights of the train causing a flashing around them as a blur of faces whizzed by.
"Of course I'll be there for you. I'm you're partner, I'll always be there for you." Bosco had to look away. It hadn't been much more than a year ago when he had said those exact words to Faith. 'I'm your partner. I was there for you, I'll always be there for you.' Keeping the emotions at bay, Bosco let go of her as the doors of the train swung open and a sea of people flooded their moment of privacy.
Offering her a weak smile he shrug his shoulders. "That's all I need." It wasn't even close to what he needed and every part of him screamed it. Never one to shy away from confrontation or the truth, Liz wanted to lay it all out there. Right here and right now. Forget about the stained white tiles, the sound of water dripping through the ceiling, or the smell of trash that came up from the tracks. Forget that they were in a crowd of strangers and facing a long road that could end up with them both labeled as traitors and exiled from the only thing they knew. Forget all of it. The only thing that held her back was the fragility of an existence that he had just started to rebuild. She couldn't shatter that for her own selfish needs. It wasn't fair. She didn't know if he needed her because it was the only thing he knew or because he felt the same connection she did. So she let it go. Maybe one day, just not today.
The moment was over. Glancing toward the train Bosco gestured, "You getting on?"
Liz snapped out of it to realize that she was on the wrong side of the platform. Shaking her head, she replied, "No. I need to go to the other side."
"Ok, then. I'll call you. We'll work something out." With that he stepped onto the train and the doors shut. It was a quick exit that he was thankful for. The longer he stood there with her the more he wanted to breakdown. She had that effect on him. The train jumped forward as the driver released the brakes. Holding onto the pole, Bosco glanced over his shoulder. The train moved forward but he still saw her standing there. Watching until they disappeared into the tunnel, Bosco pinched his eyes shut. This was going to be harder than he ever could have imagined.
It had been two days since he left Liz standing on the platform at 125th street. She called him yesterday and said that she was taking Atlas out to the academy to see if he could still cut it. Bosco kept his fingers crossed that the dog would pass the necessary testing and they could go through with this. He had met up with Callahan the night before. As promised, their boss would do anything he could to make this happen. If Atlas could do it, he would make sure Liz got the K-9 job at the 55. Before starting he just wanted to meet up them both to make sure their stories were tight. Even though Bosco had caused him a lot of trouble, Callahan had proven himself to be more than helpful. He was better than Bosco could have asked for, especially under the circumstances.
Tonight, he and Liz were going to go to Hunt's Point to try and find the hooker. It was a long shot, Bosco knew, but they needed to start somewhere. Sitting back on the couch he looked at the box in front of him on the coffee table. He needed to accept this. The fantasy in Brooklyn was over and he had just crash landed back to reality. No matter how much it hurt he needed to face the fact that Faith was gone. Looking back at the box, he had decided to look at one thing in it everyday until it was empty. Reaching in he pulled out the first thing he felt. The glossy finish of a picture clued him in as he pulled the small square out of the box. Blinking he turned it over. A sharp pain radiated through his chest as he stared ahead. It was a picture, but not just any picture. It was a picture of him and Faith sitting on the hood of 55 David. They were parked under the FDR at the fringe of the precinct on a hot summer night. Closing his eyes, Bosco was thrust head first into a bittersweet memory.
"Oh man…we've been running hard all shift."
Pushing the hair out of her face, Faith leaned out the passenger side window. It was hot, really hot and the A/C in the car had been broken for the last two days. They had been running from call to call all afternoon, and now, as dusk settled over Manhattan, they finally found themselves in a lull.
"What do you say we get something to eat, park under the highway for a while?" Casting a glance, she hoped that he knew where she was headed with this.
"Officer Yokas are you suggesting that we duck calls?" Bosco's face broke out into a smile. He had been thinking the same thing for hours and had been wracking his brain trying to figure out a way to convince her to go along with it. Turns out she didn't need much convincing at all.
"I didn't say that…I'm mean we've had what six calls in the last three hours? Have you seen Sully at any of them? Let him take a turn…"
"Whoah…Whoah…Do you really think you need to persuade ME to duck calls?" Bosco shot her an incredulous look that caused Faith to break out into a fit of giggles.
Thirty minutes later they were parked under the FDR. Above them cars made a swooshing sound against the cement of the overpass. The sounds of the neighborhood echoed in her ears as Faith realized that their peace would most likely be short lived. On hot nights people didn't want to stay inside so they flooded the streets and laughed, and argued, and fought, and eventually shot each other. It wouldn't be long before a call of shots fired came over the radio. For now, though, they would enjoy a rare moment of peace.
The sound of a siren echoed in her ears as Faith snapped her eyes open. Pulling up next to them 55-Charlie, came to an abrupt halt. Sully was pissed.
"Having a nice break, Bosco?" Rolling his eyes, Bosco threw the apple he was eating on the ground as he wiped his hands on the front of his pants. Leaning back against the car he made sure to project a sense of indifference.
"Uh..Yeah. I sure am."
Sully didn't know why he was so mad. It was the status quo for Bosco to lay down on calls. "It would have been nice if you had backed us up on that accident. We had to do eight reports!"
Bosco faked concern as he rolled his eyes at Sully. "We all get a break, Sully."
Stomping back to the car, the older man threw over his shoulder, "Yeah except mine never lasts two hours!"
Bosco laughed at Sully's gross exaggeration. Even Faith couldn't help but to crack a smile. A couple of weeks ago Davis had bought his first camera phone and he was all too eager to use it. Pulling the toy out of his pocket, he aimed it at Bosco and Faith. Naturally Faith smiled, as Bosco was quick to plaster a smirk across his face. Snapping the picture, Davis put the phone back into his pocket.
"I think I'm going to call that one '55-David in their natural habitat'." Faith and Davis broke out into a laugh as Bosco tried hard to keep a straight face. Getting back into the car, Davis winked at them. "See you guys later." 55-Charlie sped away with an irritated Sully at the wheel as Bosco and Faith were once again left in their moment of peace.
As the memory faded Bosco realized that he had completely forgotten about that night until just now. He couldn't believe that Faith had a copy of that photograph. Shaking his head he set the glossy paper down on the coffee table as he closed the box. That was enough for now.
Liz had briefly spoken to Bosco about tonight but otherwise had not heard from him since they parted ways in the subway. She missed him. It came as sort of a surprise although it shouldn't have. They had been together constantly for the last few months; she had gotten used to having him around. It didn't help matters that Chris had been hanging around more than usual. What she had with him was nice and she didn't want to ruin for a big maybe.
"You look good." Her daydreams were interrupted as she flashed Chris a smirk through the mirror.
"Shut up." She was dressed like a hooker. Coming up behind her he put his arms around her waist.
"No I mean it. Why don't you ever dress like this for me?" The playful glint in his eye made her smile as she shook her head.
"I have to finish getting ready." Pushing back, Chris rolled his eyes.
"What's with this new partner of yours? Bosco? I thought you didn't want a partner." Liz didn't miss the jealousy in his voice. He was right, though, she didn't want a partner. After Dave, she was more content to work by herself than get involved with a steady source of aggravation. Bosco was different, though, whatever aggravation he brought she didn't mind.
Shrugging her shoulders she tried to appear casual. The last thing she wanted to do was start something with him right now. "Nothing. We worked well together undercover now we're working on some other assignments." She had no plans of telling Chris what they were really doing. It wasn't his business. In addition to that she had only been back a couple of days and still couldn't get a good read on him. His intentions had shifted dramatically from what they had been in the past and she couldn't help but to have a certain sense of suspicion.
Snorting, he rolled his eyes. "Whatever." She could pursue this right now and they could fight or she could let it slide. Narrowing her eyes at him through the mirror she watched as he walked toward the door grabbing his coat. "I'll see you later. Have fun with your partner." Shaking her head she knew that he was jealous, she also knew that he could get over it or move along. She wasn't about to compromise anything for him. He had been more than happy to drop her before Brooklyn and just because she was back didn't mean that all was forgotten. Her life had changed, like it did every time she went under, only this time is really changed. While she didn't know where she stood with Bosco, she did know that Chris was on thin ice. She was going to give him a chance, not two.
It was hot outside as Liz teetered on three-inch heels. Sitting in his mustang, Bosco waited for Liz with a certain sense of nervousness. He needed to find this girl; he really needed to find her. Bending over, Liz crawled inside the car. She had imagined Bosco would have such a car. Glancing over her general appearance he let out a laugh.
"You're a pretty convincing hooker." Liz rolled her eyes and acted offended as she quickly changed the subject.
"A mustang, huh?" Peeling his eyes off her scantily clad body, he refocused himself on the glowing lights of the dashboard. His car…he loved this car. Now, he was indifferent to it. The car was part of past life that he barely recognized. He would have just as well taken the train or walked to meet her but it was more socially acceptable to drive a car when trolling for hookers.
"Yeah." His response was short as his attention was clearly somewhere else. Letting it go, Liz settled into the leather seat. Winding the window down she let the warm air blow her hair as they cruised south toward Hunt's Point. After some discussion, it had been decided that she would look for the girl on the street while Bosco drove the track. They were least likely to raise suspicion that way and Liz thought it might work better. She also thought that they would have better luck since she was woman. Usually these girls are intimidated by two men whereas they a woman sometimes has better luck.
Bosco pulled the car over a couple of blocks north of the avenue. They sat there in silence for a minute. Glancing over at him, Liz could see the nervousness in his features. He wanted…no he needed this to work out. It was a critical first step what would be a long, hard, and emotional journey. Even though their connection had cooled off slightly, she was still saddened by the battle he was constantly fighting.
Reaching across the console, she took his hand in her own. The gesture surprised Bosco. He was immediately filled with a sensation of warmth although he was careful not to let himself enjoy it too much. She had a boyfriend; she wanted to be with him. She was his partner but he didn't have unlimited emotional access to her like in Brooklyn. This wasn't undercover; it was reality. Hesitantly he met her eyes, "We're going to get her."
Somehow, someway she always knew exactly what to say. A sad smile crossed his features as he let go of her hand. Getting out of the car, she slammed the door. He watched her walk toward the track before pulling out.
When Liz looked at the picture of Lysette she immediately recognized her as the girl from Todd's apartment. Jason's girlfriend that was none too pleased about having to leave. Liz knew that Bosco had also looked at her picture and wondered if he had made the connection. It didn't really matter either way. She doubted that the woman would recognize her dressed like this and even if she did Liz would use that to her benefit. Give her a couple of seconds and she could spin a story about her and Todd cutting her man off, maybe even throwing his ass in the clink. It was a card she didn't want to play but would to get what she needed. In addition to the picture, Liz also obtained her sheet. It was pretty typical; the only thing standing out was the lack of arrests. Either this girl was really good or really new. Going over the some other choice facts, Liz organized the information in her head. Street name Lola, two priors for possession and one for prostitution, and most interestingly a tattoo of a dragon on the side of her neck. Discernable characteristics were good. Adjusting the blonde wig on her head, Liz walked around the corner. Immediately she was immersed in a scene of scantily clad girls, suspicious looking men, and red taillights. Walking down the sidewalk she scanned faces for the right one. Over her shoulder she saw Bosco turn the corner and come back around the track. Cruising slowly behind her he was ready to jump out if Liz gave him the signal.
Stopping to lean against the building, Liz hoped that she didn't look too suspicious. White plunging tank top, scant black shorts, and heels that seemed to shoot for the moon were slightly too refined for the locals. In Brooklyn, many of the girls had been around her age so she fit in better, here the girls were just that; little girls. Some of them didn't look much older than twelve and instead of strutting their stuff in the usual hooker fare, they wore whatever, however. Some of them were dirty, others were in tattered, ripped clothes. Pushing off the building she needed to forget it, she had a job to do here. Strolling up to a group of older girls she tried to appear nervous and in need of a fix.
"Hey, you guys know where I can get some blow?" Make them think you're just like them and they'll be more likely to help.
The girls looked her over, before one casually replied, "Guy on the next block is usually holding. Ten bucks for a blast…" she trailed off a smirk coming to her face, "Sometimes he trades, you know, if you don't got any cash. It's not bad when you need to get started." Liz estimated that the girl was probably fifteen or sixteen; so young to be lost in a world like this. Resisting the urge to give her a swift talking to right on the spot, Liz nodded her head and smiled.
"Thanks." The girl gave her a slight smile before turning back to the group. An unspoken sisterhood existed among women of the street and with a half convincing get up and casual attitude Liz had gained an inch on them. Give someone an inch and they'll take a mile. Turning back she indifferently added, "Hey you haven't seen Lola tonight, have you?" The girl thought it over before gesturing toward the other side of the street.
"I seen her over by JB's earlier." Looking up, Liz's eyes landed on a flashing neon sign. 'JB's Corner Store'. A run down bodega that was ground zero for hooker invasion. Walking into the street Liz saw Bosco coming up the track as she made eye contact with him. Stopping the car, she leaned inside the passenger window.
"Hey baby you lookin' for a party?"
Bosco laughed a real, genuine laugh before rolling his eyes. "Yeah."
Liz leaned further in to the car, careful not to be overhead by any one of the women circling around. "I think she's over by JB's," nodding toward the ghetto market Bosco shifted his gaze. Scanning the faces he didn't immediately pick her out but that didn't mean much.
"Check it out. I'll go back around, if it's her wait for me." Nodding Liz pulled out of the window but not before adding her own special touch to the encounter.
"Fuck you, asshole. I'm not givin' out free-bees here!" Bosco cracked a smile as he drove away. Behind her, Liz heard a couple a women chime in their approval. No matter what the situation, she always found a way to blend right in.
Crossing the street, Liz smiled at a couple of horny drivers before focusing back on the task at hand. A group of girls were standing around the corner near JB's although none of them were the one she was looking for. Disappointed she began brainstorming just a car pulled up and a light skinned black girl got out. Leaning through the window she collected her payment before the driver took off. Her long hair cascaded around her neck making it impossible to see a tattoo. Liz stepped back against the building hoping that she would step out into the streetlight. Pushing her hair back, Liz was able to catch a glimpse of her neck and a black dragon. It was her. This was it. Walking over to her, Liz reviewed a story that she had concocted earlier. On one of the arrest reports, a girl named Kristen was rounded up with her. Maybe they were friends, or at the least acquaintances.
"Lola?" The woman turned, eyes landing on Liz with a sense of fear. Squinted her eyes in the dim light; she tried to form some kind of memory. Liz was relieved when a look of confusion took over her face. At least she didn't remember her as a cop. "Hey, I'm one of Kristen's friends."
"Kristen?" Oh shit, maybe that wasn't the right way to go.
"Yeah, remember last month you and Jason were there." Oh now she was reaching.
She thought it over before turning away. "I don't know you." Shit. Liz followed her as she saw Bosco coming up on the right. Tucking her hair behind her ear she hoped that he didn't miss the sign or more obviously the way she was chasing a whore down the street. Speeding up a little, Bosco pulled the car into an alley blocking the sidewalk as Liz closed in. Jumping out of the car Bosco was ready to chase if she ran.
Turning the other way, Lysette was surprised to find Liz right behind her. All possible exits blocked she stomped her heel. "What the hell is this?"
"Get in." Bosco opened the door as Liz provided the order.
"Fuck you. I'm not getting in there." Just as mouthy as she remembered, Liz was losing her patience. Any more dramatics and a crowd would start to form.
Flashing his badge the girl was clearly deflated as her fears were confirmed. "Cops? God damn it."
"Now get in, we don't have all day!" Liz pushed the girl into the backseat among a chorus of protests. Crawling back into the car, Bosco and Liz slammed the doors. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"If y'all gonna arrest me the you might as well just do it. I been down there before I'll be down there again."
Pulling the heavy earrings out of her ears, Liz pulled off the wig letting her own hair fall down. "Relax. No one's getting collared."
"Then what the hell is this?" Neither Bosco nor Liz answered her as they left Hunts Point headed toward Manhattan. Bosco didn't know where he was driving, but Liz had told him not to stop. The longer they drove around, the longer this bitch had to stay with them. She might be desperate but she probably wouldn't jump out of a moving car. Eventually the girl calmed down and the car was quiet.
"Lysette," Liz turned to face her and for the first time a flicker of remembrance flashed across her face.
"You're that cop, from Todd's place." It didn't really matter if she identified her now. They were obviously cops, Bosco showed her his badge for Christ's sake . "I knew you were a cop. Ratty ass wig and all." Bosco smirked as Liz tried to control herself. She thought her outfit as pretty good.
"Lysette, we need to talk to you. It's important. You saw something and we…" Before she could finish an exasperation sigh arose from the backseat.
"Not this bullshit again. I done told them other two I didn't know anything. I never should have said anything to that asshole in Vice."
"But you did," Liz was trying to be as calm and even as possible although she knew what was on the line. "You did, and we need you to tell us. Please…"
"I ain't sayin nothing. As soon as you start talkin' cops be dragging you into court and all kind of bullshit. Whoever this Yokas is, she just goin' to have take care of this mess herself."
The mention of Faith's name made both Bosco and Liz stop cold. She knew, she really knew. A switch flipped inside Bosco as she slammed on the brakes. Pulling the car over, he jumped out slamming the seat forward. Reaching into the backseat, he grabbed whatever he could dragging the girl out of his backseat.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Pulling her up onto the sidewalk Bosco checked her into a brick wall.
"Listen to me, bitch. She's dead, alright! FUCKING DEAD! So she can't take care of anything. I need to tell me what the hell that cop said to you, NOW!" Liz came up behind them.
"Bosco, stop!" This really wasn't the best way to go about doing things, but she knew that all of Bosco's buttons had just been pushed. The look on Lysette's face was a mixture of fear and confusion. Pushing back off the wall, Bosco paced back and forth as the girl was too afraid to move.
"Look, Lysette, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." What the hell? Liz did a double take to make sure she was hearing things right. Taking a deep breath, Bosco closed his eyes. "Faith Yokas was my partner for thirteen years. She was my best friend and someone killed her. Another cop, someone I know. I'm going to make them pay if it's the last thing I ever do but I need your help. You don't have to testify, you don't have to come, but I need you to talk to me." He paused a wry smile coming to his face. "You can also tell me to piss off but this is going to be a lot harder without you. So I'm begging you, please, please help me."
Liz could not believe what had just happened. Apparently neither could Lysette. Straightening up, she adjusted her skirt. Regarding Bosco with a cautious curiosity, she finally spoke, "Nobody's ever apologized to me and really meant it."
Bosco shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have anything left to give. If she didn't take that, he was out of luck.
"What you want to know?" At that moment the heavens opened and Liz could have sworn that the light of God was shining in the south Bronx. Bosco had come through with a last second hail mary that she never could have anticipated.
"Are you hungry? Have you eaten today?" Liz knew that most of the girls went for days without a meal, saving all their extra cash to chase the dragon. Shaking her head, Lysette appeared ashamed as a monumental shift in attitude took place. "Let's go." Without a word they got back into the car.
Twenty minutes later they were sitting in a booth at Chaing Mai's on Grand Concourse deep in the middle of a Bronx wasteland punctuated by addicts, unsupervised children, and abject poverty. It was one of the worst neighborhoods in New York and apparently Lysette living just around the block. A product of her environment, Liz didn't miss the way she gauged their reaction to the area. Unfortunately she was disappointed as this only reminded them of a home that no longer existed.
"How long have you been out there?" Liz tried to show some genuine interest to break the ice.
"About five years. I didn't really have a home growing up. I never knew my dad and my mom was on the rock. We lived over on 161st until I was about twelve then we lost our house and I had to go live with my aunt. We fought all the time, so I left. Lived on the street for two years until this guy rolled up on me one day. Said I was so pretty and he wanted to date me." Liz was surprised at how willing she was to share information although she didn't stop her. Bosco's truth filled plea had fostered a level of immediate trust between them. "It was nice for a while." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands. "One day he brought some friends over and said if I wanted to stay there with him I would have to do what they wanted." She paused. "Couple days after that I as out on the track, been there ever since."
It was a sad story and one that was all too common. "You guys don't want to know about all that, though."
Reaching into his pocket Bosco produced a photo of Brian Jackson. Setting it out on the table he gauged her reaction. "Have you ever seen him?"
Taking the photo she slowly shook her head, "No." He waited a second before he produced another picture of Scott Geidel. Immediately the recognition was apparent. "Yes. This is the guy."
Bosco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Tell me what happened."
Lysette took a deep breath as she set the picture aside. Looking out the window she slowly began, "I was on the track, this guy pulled up. He asked me how old I was. He looked like a cop so I wasn't really to hot for it but I hadn't scored yet and I really needed a blast to get out of the gate, you know." Heroin. Liz figured she was on something, maybe crack but she just looked too clean for heroin. "So I get in the car, and he drives off the track into an alley. I do my thing but in the middle of it he gets all weird, you know?"
Bosco nodded, eager for her to continue. "I ask him what's wrong and he said he's had a rough couple of weeks. I keep going, then he starts telling me about him and his partner…they were crooked, ripping people off and whatever. Your partner, she saw them do something, so they killed her; to protect themselves. As I finished him off he said 'You didn't deserve it Yokas'. I was freaked, I didn't know what to do."
Bosco stopped her, "You're sure he said 'You didn't deserve it, Yokas.'"
She made eye contact with him, "I'm sure. He said it twice."
Bosco sat back in the booth and exhaled loudly. Their food came and they ate in silence. When they were done, Liz pushed her plate away and exhaled loudly. "We'll keep you out of this as much as possible, Lysette." The girl cast a nervous glace at Liz as she finished eating the fried rice.
Leaning in to the center of the table, Bosco lowered his voice. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that, but you did. Thank you."
Liz didn't miss the slight embarrassment on her face. It had been a long time since a man was level with her. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Confusion overtook her features, "What?"
"Have you ever thought about getting into a program?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah. They always get ignorant with me and then I got to walk out."
Pulling out her phone, Liz scanned the list. "I know a woman. She's really good and she runs her own program."
Lysette shook her head doubtful, "I don't know."
Scribbling her number down on the napkin Liz passed it across the table. "At least check it out. She used to be a prostitute so…" Bosco didn't miss the flicker in her eye as she eyed the napkin carefully.
"Yeah…" Liz didn't push it any further as Lysette stuffed the napkin in her bra and got up.
"Can I go?"
Bosco nodded. As she turned to leave Lysette stopped abruptly, "Why didn't you lie to me?"
Bosco turned and eyed her carefully. Shrugging his shoulders he didn't really have any sort of dazzling explanation. "Because...it wasn't the right thing to do." She stood there for a moment staring at him like he had just landed form outer space. A cop and a man who actually treated her with some respect. She couldn't believe it. Without another word she walked out of the restaurant the bell on the door jangling behind her.
When she was gone Liz let out a whoosh of air. "Jesus! That was close."
Bosco nodded lost in thought. He had a good idea of what he was going to do next.
The next night Bosco was crouching in the space between two buildings waiting for a certain person to emerge from the subway. Glancing at his watch, he wiped the sweat form the back of his neck. It was early August and the heat was oppressive even at night. Leaning against the bricks, Bosco waited. Coming up the stairs he saw a flash of dark hair as a familiar figure neared his hiding place. In one swift movement he came up out of the crouch and grabbed the man by the back of his shirt. Off balance and not expecting an attack, he stumbled as Bosco shoved him into the dark crevice.
Of the two it didn't take a genius to figure out that Scott Geidel was the weak link. Armed with the information of last night, Bosco was going to start chipping away. Liz didn't know about his little side trip and he didn't care. As soon as those words had come out of her Lysette's mouth he knew exactly what he was going to do.
Pinning Geidel on the ground Bosco brought his face so close that he was whispering in the man's ear. "You mother fuckers thought you got rid of me, huh?"
The sheer terror that Geidel felt at that moment was unparalleled. Bosco. He knew this day was going to come. Sooner or later Bosco would come around and make this thing right, he told Brian those exact words! Now it was happening and Bosco would not stop until they paid.
Pulling a picture of Lysette out, he held it up to Geidel's face. "You know her?" Sputtering, his eyes widened as Bosco wedged his knee against the man's throat. Putting the picture away he leaned in again with a deadly whisper, "Well guess what I do, and if you think you're going to get away with this…" He trailed off. He didn't want to give him too much but he wanted to scare him enough to shake something loose. Getting up he sneered at the man quivering on the ground. Walking backwards toward the street, he paused before disappearing around the corner. "Watch your step, man. I'm back."
Above Lyrics are Ed Sheeran's "The A Team"
I love reviews and I haven't got many lately. I hope everyone is still happy with the direction of the story. If you're reading, please take a minute to let me know what you think! It makes me write faster!


text:
"Hi Day! Hi Ivy! Hi Xavier! Your sister's not weird," Sammy said with a laugh. True, this girl, Day, as she had been introduced as, had her quirks but weird meant that drooled down her shirt and had spiders coming out of her hair. Or... something. But yeah, Sammy knew this guy from his classes. Though he couldn't recall which one (maybe History? Maths?), his name was pretty cool, so Sammy remembered it. Plus, this Day girl had just said it. So that made it doubly easy to remember. "This is Rylie!"
"Hi," she said with a nod. "I think you're in my Science class, Xavier. And English too, with Sammy as well, I think."
"Awesome. Small school, yeah?" Sammy nodded with Rylie. He wasn't sure what else to talk about. There was the weather, but that was kind of lame. Maybe some kind of sports? Politics? Then, as if the little guy could hear what Sammy was thinking, beeped restlessly in his pocket. Thanks, little dude. You always know what to do.
"Hah, the little guy needs some love," Sammy pulled out his virtual pet and checked the stats. Dang, he was hungry and his fun was down too. Sammy quickly changed that. "He's so cool, don't you think?" Rylie shook her head in disappointment, as if Sammy was some little kid who thought that this was like a real dog or baby or something.
art blog ★ reblog blog ★ avatar by me
i can draw your character → commission info

subset: commoncrawl


text:
With his successful broadcasting career, its no wonder why E! Online recently
named 26-year-old Ryan Seacrest as one of the 20 Young Guns Under 30 Who Hold Hollywoods Future in Their Hands.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Ryans professional career in broadcasting began at the age of 16 when he applied for an internship at one of Atlantas top radio stations, WSTR/Star 94. In 1995, Seacrest relocated to Los Angeles to further his radio career where he is currently the host of the #1-rated weekday afternoon talk show, Ryan Seacrest For the Ride Home on Los Angeles radio station, Star 98.7 FM.


text:
Art 1 - General Conditions
The company GUIDATOURS provides on this website tourist services for individual visitors and mostly guided visits, evening packages and hotel bookings.
For group reservations on the website groupes.guidatours.com please check the general conditions for groups http://groupes.guidatours.com/conditions.php?language=en
GUIDATOURS is a private company with a capital investment of 100 000 euros. Its registered office is located at 10, avenue du Général de Gaulle, 78000 Versailles.
- Licensed Travel Agent (N°IM078100047 )- APE 7911Z
- Financial Guarantor: ATRADIUS 159 rue Anatole France 92300 Levallois Perret
- Travel Agent's Public and Professional Liability Insurance per Article 6 of Decree n° 94490 dated 15 June 1994, held with HISCOX.
Art 2 - Application
The following terms are GUIDATOURS company's general terms of sale to be applied to all services mentioned on our website www.guidatours.com .
Ordering implies acceptance of all General Terms of Sale by the customer who agrees to pay for all confirmed bookings and orders made on line.
Art 3 - Responsibilities
Prices include all services mentioned in each tour description. The organisers reserve the right to cancel or modify any service without previous notice, if the customers' comfort or safety requires it, and in case of strike, demonstration or in case of force majeure. The customer is responsible for the use of this website, and agrees not using it for a prohibited purpose. The Customer has to check that all information given to GUIDATOURS while ordering is correct. GUIDATOURS cannot be held responsible for problems due to wrong information given by the customer.
Art 4 - Validation
While clicking on "Submit" at the end of the process of order on page "CYBERPLUS PAYMENT", the customer states to fully accept the general conditions of sale and without reserve.
Art 5 - Payments
Prices are indicated in euros including all taxes. GUIDATOURS reserves the right to change prices any time but will apply those that are valid on the day of the order. Accepted form of payment is VISA or MASTERCARD credit cards through secured payment system. Full payments are required immediately once booking is completed. Any order or booking will be confirmed only after payment. GUIDATOURS will send confirmation or vouchers within 48 hours. This confirmation has to be printed, as a proof of purchase, and will be presented to the service provider. Before any booking, the customer has to check he can print his confirmation : no bank document will be accepted as a proof of payment.
Art 6 - Cancellation, amendment and cancellation fees
No refund will be granted for tours interrupted at client's own will. All cancellations should be sent by e-mail or fax to GUIDATOURS at least 1 week before the service is expected to begin. The following fees will be applied for cancellations: - more than 7 days before the service begins: total amount will be refunded - between 7 days and 48 hours before the service begins: 50% of the total amount will be refunded - less than 48 hours before the service begins: no refund will be granted Any booking change, amendment should be sent by e-mail or fax to GUIDATOURS at least 3 days before, no fee will be applied (except for the WERSAILLES WEEK END). Amendments on VERSAILLES WEEK-END and hotel bookings have to be made at least 7 days before, otherwise fees will be applied as mentioned above.
Art 7 - Availability
GUIDATOURS endeavours to keep products and services on this website available 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, however discontinuance may happen. GUIDATOURS reserves the right to suspend the access to this website especially for up-date, maintenance and technical reasons. GUIDATOURS cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by these interruptions to the customer or third person.
Art 8 - Privacy policy
According to the French law of Jan 6, 1978 (Informatique et libertés) the customer may access, modify or cancel any personal information concerning him, by simple request sending an e-mail to email@example.com or a letter to GUIDATOURS, 10 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 78000 Versailles - France.


text:
Nice 1BR APT in Palermo Soho: Borges and Santa Rosa
Size50 m²
Floor No.(with elevator)
- Internet/WiFi
- Kitchen
- Air conditioning
- Washer/dryer
- Elevator in building
- Balcony/terrace
- Towels
Accommodation summary
|Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|< 50%
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
The area is well connected to several bus lines.
The apartment offers a large living room with a comfortable sofa bed, table and chairs, color TV. It has a fully equipped kitchen, a bedroom with double bed and closet, a bathroom and a nice balcony with open view.
Palermo is in constant evolution. This Antique Buenos Aires neighborhood, has been rediscovered in the late 90´s, and since then has been progressively transformed into the design capital, and the most popular place to hang around and dine out.
Along its most popular districts, Palermo Soho, Palermo Botanico and Palermo Hollywood, each corner shows a particular mix of old houses from early XX and the latest trends, as we can see in its cafes, shops and graffiti street art.
House rulesCheck-in is free of charge between 9 am to 9 pm, for later or earlier check in you have an extra fee of 25 USD.
|Weekly rate for up to 3 guests
|Monthly rate for up to 3 guests
|Maximum nights
|6 months
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews for this host's other properties
The host cancelled the booking, this review is automated.
Le brouillard à Amsterdam a considérablement compliqué mon voyage en imposant l'annulation de plusieurs vols Joaquin a toujours su rester à mon écoute pour essayer de trouver une solution aux difficultés rencontrées. Merci à lui..
We went to Buenos Aires for 2 months and were looking for an apartment near Palermo but not in the middle of the party area. So Las Cañitas was a great choice - not that noisy like Palermo Soho and Palermo Holywood but with lots of nice pubs and restaurants just a few blocks away and several bus lines to the centre of the city. The apartment is well equiped and very cozy indeed. The nice little balcony to the street side of the house was our favourite choice to have breakfast or a glass of wine in the evening. Joaquin as well as his colleague Juan are very friendly and helped us a lot to coordinate our stay and gave a lot of useful tips about where restaurants, supermarkets, banks and all these things to find. As it can happen in other apartments in Buenos Aires and almost every place in Latinamerica the gas supply was broken for the last three days there so we had no warm water and the cooker didn't work too. But during warm days you might be glad to take a cold shower anyways and go out for having dinner in one of the excellent restaurants nearby. We enjoyed our stay a lot and will come back for sure!
I deconseil.
apartment very well. set apart that there is an above ground pool in the photos, which were not an the reality.
Big Problem: I'd reserve long al advance this apartment for 7 days, and learns m 2 days before the arrival I have to leave one night earlier, because my booking overlaps with someone of another.
m is the last day allowed to have to compensate the apartment until a 18H, which had been written on the contract, and then finally wakes us has 9H for household and literally put out a 13:30. result, one day lost.
Je deconseil.
appartement tres bien. mise a part qu il y a une piscine hors sol sur les photos, qui n etait pas la en realite.
Gros Probleme : j avais reserve longtemps a l avance cet appartement pour 7 jours , et on m apprend 2 jours avant l arrivee que je dois partir une nuit plus tot, car ma reservation chevauche celle de quelqu un d autre.
on m avait permis de disposer pour compenser de l appartement jusqu a 18H le dernier jour, ce qui avait ete ecrit sur le contrat, et puis finalement on nous a reveille a 9H pour le menage et litteralement mis dehors a 13h30. resultat, 1 journee de perdu.
Great and very close relationship, all were facilities
Trato estupendo y muy cercano, todo fueron facilidades
Actually the host of this department is a charm and Sebastian person, polite and always attentive to ateneder doubts and queries.
The beautiful, comfortable and in a very safe, just great all area department. Thank you very much.
Realmente el anfitrión de este departamento es Sebastian un encanto e persona, atento educado y siempre está para ateneder las dudas y consultas.
El departamento precioso, cómodo y en una zona muy segura, sencillamente genial todo. Muchas gracias.
Nice apartment, very close to the main avenue of the city, surrounded by great restaurants, host very attentive to our needs at all times, I recommend it.
Estupendo apartamento, muy cerca de la avenida principal de la ciudad, rodeado de muy buenos restaurantes, anfitrion muy atento a nuestras necesidades en todo momento, se los recomiendo.
The studio is located close to public transport (bus, metro ..) and not far from the lively area of Palermo.
There are shops at the foot of the building and restaurants not far away.
The studio is modern, bright and relatively quiet. There is no noise in the neighborhood, only a little way down the street.
The welcome was friendly.
Le studio se trouve près des transport en commun (bus, métro..) et pas très loin de la zone animée de Palermo.
Il y a des commerces au pied de l'immeuble et des restaurants pas très loin.
Le studio est moderne, clair et relativement calme. Il n'y a pas de bruit du voisinage, seulement un peu de passage dans la rue.
L'accueil a été sympathique.
Great host always available for help and advice.
Location is perfect and safe close to several good restaurants and bars (Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho).
Short taxi ride to city centre.
The apartment is very bright and well equipped.
Highly recommended.
I had a great time and the apartment is in VERY good shape. very clean and it has all you need. Thanks
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


text:
We have updated our Privacy Policy and encourage you to read it by clicking here.
Mark Fontecchio summarized a recent presentation by Gartner Inc. Research Vice President Carl Claunch at the Gartner Data Center Conference in Las Vegas, where he shared his top 10 disruptive technologies that may impact data center operations and their management in the future.
Here's the list and excerpts the Claunch made regarding each one. I'll share my thoughts along the way.
Unified communicationsClaunch said unified communications come from five markets: voicemail, public branch exchanges (PBXs), email and calendaring, conferencing, and instant messaging. "All of these groups that were disparate will be prepared to converge," he said. "You need to figure out a way to cooperatively manage these converged communications."
Compliance around these communications devices is going to place a new burden on IT. Retailers may be storing digital video from a surveillance camera. E-discovery laws may require information from a former employee's IM account. Credit card numbers may be captured in digital voice mail archives. Data centers will need plans for what to store, how to organize it, and how to secure it.
The Web as platformThe Web as platform goes beyond Software as a Service (SaaS), Claunch said. Users might be able to outsource an entire business process, such as managing accounts payable via a Web-based application.
The challenge of web-based services for data centers is you don't necessarily have the burden of maintaining the application, but you still own its performance and availability. Depending on the service, you may also own ensuring the information involved remains secure and compliant.
IT operations process automationGartner estimates that operational error causes about 40% of all outages. The decrease in technology costs has increased management responsibilities without a requisite increase in labor.
"When you have these two trends, they intersect at points, and it's time to shift what was human labor to automation," he said. "As we move to a real-time infrastructure, we need to find a way of automating all of these tasks."
The make-up of the data center is continuing to increase in complexity. More labor to assist with the workload is unlikely. Automation is the only hope for maintaining control over systems.
Server fabrics: A step beyond bladesClaunch envisions a day when you have a blade chassis filled with fabric-based, or component, servers. "It allows you to get even more efficient in how you stock resources," he said. "You buy the total number of processors and memory you need and then change them as the workloads change."
Metadata managementClaunch tied this to service-oriented architecture, or SOA, and how applications are now built from different services and tied together in one point. The key to connecting them is having the underlying data for each application.
"One of the major projects to develop is to look through the data layer you have and make sure you've got it in position so that in the future you can combine sets of data."
CMDBsAccording to Gartner, through 2009 the implementation of a configuration and change management strategy will reduce downtime by as much as 35%.
"Knowing what is actually happening is important to making sure it is working right," he said. "If you try to respond to a problem based on outdated information, you make mistakes."
In my mind, component servers, metadata management and CMDBs are, in some respects, intertwined. As business demands more from IT and IT continues to mature in its understanding of its role as a business service provider, all aspects of IT will need seek out new ways of efficiently providing services that are based on business need. Data Center managers will need accurate, centralized information to guide decision-making that can look beyond traditional system architecture to relationships based on delivery of specific business services.
Mashups and composite applicationsClaunch said the ability to combine sources from different applications to give a single-page snapshot of all the information you need to know is powerful. But you have to monitor the various systems from where that source information comes.
"Mashups are a pretty useful tool, but [they do] have implications because you're looking at a source of content that doesn't come from just one server anymore," he said.
Sharing data between applications opens up new issues with access rights and security that will need to be carefully weighed and regularly monitored.
Virtualization: beyond consolidationClaunch said that virtualization is like a "Swiss army knife." It has so many capabilities that it's a disservice to view server virtualization as a tool only for consolidation.
"If we think of IT operations, it's this dense spider web of interdependence," he said. "So anytime we have to make a change, we have to think of the consequences. Virtualization helps us decouple from that."
Plenty of benefits to virtualization, except the difficulties controlling assets and managing change in a physical environment are compounded exponentially in a virtual environment. Automation that can help rein in the obstacles created by virtualization's dynamic nature will be crucial.
Social networking toolsTools like wikis break down the hierarchical view of how information is distributed, Claunch said. They tranforrm information distribution into a peer-to-peer and participatory method.
"These social technologies have some promise," he said. "You should look at these and find out which ones are valuable and pioneer them."
Maintaining the balance between creative freedom and corporate liability is the issue here. How do you monitor and maintain control over all of this new content that, once published, is hard to retract?
Green ITClaunch said green IT comes down to one major issue: power and heat. By making data centers more efficient, you expend less power and reduce carbon footprint and are more likely to be considered "green," which has become the cool thing to be.
"Having a greener, more efficient environment is part of the corporate responsibility model," Claunch said.
If you can reduce resource use without effecting availability or performance, this is wise stewardship of corporate resources. The benefits that the environment receives will be a far more long-lasting benefit.
Contributed by Mark Tordoff
Mark Tordoff was a part of the marketing team at Ecora Software for over three and a half years. Much of his focus has been on researching and interpreting regulatory compliance laws like Sarbanes-Oxley, Gramm Leach Bliley, and more recently the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. In addition, he focuses on IT frameworks like ITIL, ISO 27001 and BS 25999. In 2008, Mark had surgery for brain tumors in March and October, has completed a six week radiation and chemo treatment and is now undergoing chemo treatment one week every month. MRIs in February and May both indicate no recurrent tumor activity. Mark is currently receiving disability benefits, as his position was part of a corporate downsizing in December 2008.


text:
why did the chicken cross the road?
because it wants to get to the other side...:-)
semalam aku pergi trim rambut...tapi bahagian depan saja...one small step outside of my comfort zone..
macam ni la rupa aku sekarang...
not too bad ...eh...
you know, giving up the comfort zone is not an easy feat. it involves changes in our routine even our usual train of thoughts sometimes. it would probably help if you were drunk or high or loaded with adrenalin which will hopefully change into courage...:-D
furthermore, you don't know whether you will like it and your brain, keeps saying..hey...you're leaving your comfort zone...you honestly expect to be comfortable? I hate it when my brain is being rational.
ultimately, you will ask yourself...will i be able to go back into my comfort zone if it doesn't work out? admitting defeat?
what if i took the drastic step of chopping off my hair...really short...emma watson short...and even before i was out of the saloon, i couldn't wait for it to grow back. what then? bury myself in a hole for the next two years?
so...i choose to do it little by little. .. maybe i will just stop here...and pick up again later... maybe, I'll stay as I am...happily in my own comfort bubble.
Call me a chicken...i can handle it. but this chicken will only cross the road when its ready to get to the other side... :-)
Anyway, this is my life...and it's my journey...so...you can either walk with me, or...get out of my way...


text:
Putin criticises opposition leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in a first-person documentary aired on his 60th birthday that the current generation of opposition leaders needs to be cast aside.
The documentary, aired on Sunday, casts Mr Putin as a tireless and no-nonsense leader contemptuous of domestic and international criticism.
It also depicts a simple lifestyle of daily exercise, plain breakfasts and late-night work sessions.
Mr Putin says in the programme that he welcomes opposing views, but that they should come from people willing to take responsibility for running the country.
His dismissive remarks addressed at the opposition will reconsolidate anxiety over his perceived disregard for pluralism in Russia.
Celebrations took place across Russia to mark Mr Putin's birthday, although the Kremlin said the president himself opted for low-key celebrations with friends and family.


text:
Notable Subgenres: Chillout, Lounge
Notable Artists: Moby, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Nightmares on Wax, Boards of Canada
Notable Labels: Warp
Raves were famous for having "chillout" areas, where you could escape the hard-hitting beats of the various rooms and just relax. You needed music to accompany those spots, and while ambient was always good mood music, people still needed grooves. The slower paced tracks, still steeped in dance music, were perfect soundtracks for these spots, and became a slick genre all its own. It carried the same aesthetic that EDM did, but at a slower, calmer pace.


text:
Download your PDF guide to Ortigosa de Cameros
It's a real surprise when you enters these fantastic caves. I almost went last year but I didn't in the end, and it's something I regret. Luckily, I went the second time I visited. I had never seen so many stalactites and stalagmites.
256 times saved


text:
|Episode Description
|Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 - 9:00 PM
Host Geoffrey Baer journeys across America to visit 10 groundbreaking works of art and engineering. These architectural marvels include a state capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson, the original indoor shopping mall, the first airport of the Jet Age, and a futuristic concert hall. G
Pacific Time
|More on IDAHO (PT)
|No upcoming shows in database


text:
SilverStone's Fanless Nightjar 520W PSU keeps picking up awards
Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 11, 2014 - 05:23 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: SST-NJ520, SilverStone Tech, Nightjar, Fanless Power Supply, 80 Plus Platinum
Just over a month ago Lee took a look at Silverstone's Fanless Nightjar PSU, giving it a Gold Award. It has now arrived in [H]ard|OCP's torture chamber so you can see how well it works with a different system. At the lowest load level of 25% of max the efficiency was a mere 89.79% but at 50%, 75% and 100% loads it stayed well above 90% and the temperature difference was 9C between the lowest load and the highest, impressive for a fanless PSU. In the end not only was this the best fanless 500W PSU [H] has tested, it was the overall best 500W PSU they've seen, justifying the high asking price.
"What is more quiet than a computer power supply with a fan? You guessed it, a PSU with no fan. This unit has small footprint builds in mind featuring excellent Platinum efficiency, flexible flat cables, and of course no sound profile to speak of. Does the 520 watt rated SilverStone Nightjar hold up when we put it in the incubator?"
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- PSU deathmatch: Cooler Master V750 vs. Rosewill Capstone-750-M @ The Tech Report
- EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1200 W @ techPowerUp
- Super Flower Leadex Platinum 1000W Modular @ eTeknix
- Cooler Master V750 Semi-Modular Power Supply @ eTeknix
- Be Quiet! Power Zone 750 Watt Power Supply Review @HiTech Legion
- Cooler Master V750 Semi-Modular 750 W @ techPowerUp
- Seasonic SS-760XP2 760W Power Supply Review @ NikKTech
- Seasonic Platinum Series 660W Modular @ eTeknix
Introduction and Features
SilverStone was one of the first PC power supply manufacturers to design and market a fanless power supply for silent operation. While many of their competitor's fanless products have come and gone, SilverStone continues to build on their reputation and recently added the SST-NJ520 520W fanless power supply to the Nightjar Series, which currently includes three models: NJ520, ST50NF, and ST40NF. The Nightjar 520W PSU incorporates premium quality components and a state of the art design to deliver high efficiency (80 Plus Platinum certified), tight voltage regulation (±2%), and clean DC outputs. The new NJ520 fanless power supply comes with fully modular, flat ribbon-style cables that provide 4+4 pin ATX12V/EPS and 6+2 pin PCI-E connector support.
Here is what SilverStone has to say about their new fanless 520W PSU: "SilverStone's Nightjar NJ520 is a fanless power supply that offers a whole new experience of quietness and stability. Its premium components and engineering helped it achieve 80 Plus Platinum level of efficiency, reducing wasted heat and enabling reliable operation without a fan. This noiseless performance can be maintained with stringent electrical characteristics even in 40°C operating environments.
As a versatile power supply, the NJ520 has a powerful +12V output of 43A for high-end system usage and its flexible, flat modular cables make assembly easy for improved case airflow. For professionals looking to build PCs or workstations for specialized settings such as recording studios or sound-optimized laboratories, the Nightjar series PSUs with their consistent emphasis on quality, stability, and reliability, are sure to satisfy."
SilverStone Nightjar NJ520 Power Supply Key Features:
• Fanless thermal solution, 0 dBA acoustics
• High efficiency with 80 Plus Platinum certification
• 100% Modular cables
• Strict ±2% voltage regulation and low AC ripple & noise
• Class leading single +12V rail, up to 43A (516W)
• Four PCI-E 6+2 pin connectors
• Protections: OCP, OVP, OPP, OTP, UVP, and SCP
• Universal AC input and Active PFC
Please continue reading our SilverStone NJ520 fanless power supply review!
Another unfortunately named PSU from SilverStone; the fanless 500W ST50NF
Subject: Cases and Cooling | December 12, 2011 - 05:19 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Silverstone, Nightjar ST50NF, Fanless Power Supply
SilverStone have updated their NightJar series with a new model, the ST50NF, which is a 500W PSU that relies on passive cooling and so operates in complete silence. With a claimed 80 Plus Silver rating this PSU is perfect for mid-range systems and servers, which you either need to operate silently or to use in dirty environments where fans can bring in enough dirt to cause shorts. The design challenges that SilverStone faced when developing this PSU is obvious in its $200 price tag, which may discourage some. [H]ard|OCP takes a good look at the newest NightJar from SilverStone here.
"SilverStone is back on our test bench today with a fully silent and fanless 500 watt computer power supply that is making some very impressive "Silver" efficiency claims. Beyond that, terms like "noiseless," "dusty environments," and "mission-critical" are thrown around. Now to figure out what a "Nightjar" is."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- Enermax Platimax 1000W Super Overclock Edition Power Supply Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- NZXT Hale82 850W @ Kitguru
- NZXT HALE82 850W Power Supply Review @ Real World Labs
- Huntkey X7 900 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Be Quiet! Straight Power E9 580W @ kitguru
- XFX ProSeries 1000W @ Tweaktown
- Thermaltake Dr Power II PSU Tester Review @ Ninjalane
Introduction and Features
Kingwin just released their first fanless power supply, the Stryker Fanless 500W, which is rated for 500W and can be easily overclocked to 600W output with only a slight drop in efficiency. That makes the Stryker STR-500 one of the highest output fanless power supplies on the market today. And the Kingwin Stryker 500W Fanless power supply is certified 80 Plus Platinum with up to 92% efficiency. High efficiency is always good but it is critical for a fanless power supply to help minimize waste heat. Combine that with a good combination of fixed and modular cables and a 5-year warranty and we have a very interesting new product to review!
Kingwin has impressed us recently with several of their new power supplies, most notably the LZP-550W that we reviewed earlier this year, which won an Editor's Choice award. In addition to the new Stryker fanless PSU, Kingwin offers a complete lineup of PC power supplies ranging across seven categories along with PC chassis, external enclosures, docking stations, cooling systems, and accessories.
Continue reading the Kingwin Stryker 500W Fanless Power Supply Review!!
PC Perspective
Upcoming Events
Get notified when we go live!
PC Perspective Live! Google Calendar RSS


text:
capital will be used to enhance the capabilities of the companys Scyld ClusterWare cluster management software, whose unique architecture enables users to manage large pools of Linux servers as a single, virtual, consistent system, drastically reducing complexity and cost. The new investment will also be used to help grow its salesforce and professional services organization to meet rapidly increasing customer demand and to drive aggressive marketing efforts to expand its customer base in the enterprise, technical and scientific computing and commercial high performance markets.
vSpring Capitals team is extremely well-versed in our space. We value their knowledge and expertise highly and look forward to welcoming Ed Ekstrom to our Board, commented Enrico Pesatori, Chairman and C.E.O., Penguin Computing. By ramping up our investment in software development and professional services, we will accelerate our innovation in the design, integration and support of scalable Linux clustering systems that are highly efficient, simple, affordable and extremely flexible. In particular, the new funds will help to speed up the development and growth of our ground-breaking technology, Scyld ClusterWare, which is fast becoming the de facto standard for Linux clustering.
Penguin Computing Inc.


text:
Please upload two (2) pre-proctoring, unedited videos of your sleeve gastrectomy. Please remove all patient identifier information. Please put your name in the video file name, so that we can quickly identify your videos.
Thank you!
Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
11300 W. Olympic Blvd Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90064 USA
Tel: (310) 437-0544
Copyright © 2017 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons · Legal
· Managed by BSC Management, Inc
Login to SAGES


text:
Dear Valued Guests,
Banyan Tree invites you to indulge your senses with a rejuvenation of body, mind and soul. Guests can pamper themselves with relaxing spa treatments at our luxury spa in Phuket, sample flavourful cuisine or enjoy a host of recreational activities at our resort.
We are extremely excited to welcome you in our revitalized Sanctuary for the Senses.
As of November 1st, 2015, the resort opened a new era with some new layout following a 6 months extensive upgrade. Our legendary Banyan Tree Phuket now turned into an all-pool villa resort with the addition of large pools into our Banyan Pool Villas.
Water Court All-Day dining has been brought to the ground floor with the addition of a seafood section and private salas within the garden and facing the lagoon.
A perfect al fresco experience with the 'latino touch' brought by Alfonso De La Dehesa, new Executive Chef.
The Saffron Thai restaurant, crown jewel and signature restaurant of the brand has now been relocated with the addition of a new and indoor area. Chef Renu has developed some new local specialties which you can taste while enjoying the Phuket nights.
Alternative dining options are still available at Tamarind Japanese restaurant, Tré French-Vietnamese restaurant and Banyan Café by the golf.
If you do wish to ask any questions about the works during this time please contact your respective Banyan Tree sales member or our reservations team at firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com or call +66 76 372 400.
We want to assure you that we have taken into consideration all possible measures to ensure you will have a truly memorable stay and we all look forward to welcoming you to Banyan Tree Phuket.
Thank you in advance for considering Banyan Tree Phuket for your next stay.
Warm Regards,
Mr Sriram Kailasam, General Manager, Banyan Tree Phuket
毛里求斯巴拉克拉瓦悦椿度假村总经理 先生是普吉岛悦榕庄高级助理副总裁兼总经理,该度假村是悦榕集团的旗舰店。
他于 2012 年 3 月获任该重要职位,此前曾在曼谷悦榕庄担任总经理工作 7 年时间,在此之前,他曾在公司担任餐饮助理副总裁一职,主管集团内所有餐饮运营事务。 他于 2003 年加入悦榕集团,任职普吉岛悦榕庄主管。
毛里求斯巴拉克拉瓦悦椿度假村总经理 先生持有印度欧贝罗伊酒店管理学院研究生文凭。 这里也是他职业生涯的起点,在加入悦榕庄之前,他曾效力于数家跨国集团,如喜达屋集团、悉尼斯坦福酒店以及莱佛士酒店集团旗下位于柬埔寨的皇家酒店。
作为一名有着 20 多年豪华酒店业从业经验的资深酒店人, Kailasam 先生是位全面多能的专业人士,在开业筹备方面也有丰富经验,同时具备南美、北非、中东、中国及东南亚地区项目运营的大量经验。


text:
Pärnu, Russian Pyarnu, formerly (until 1918) Pernov, city, Estonia, at the mouth of the Pärnu River on Pärnu Bay of the Gulf of Riga. First mentioned in 1251 as a member of the Hanseatic League, Pärnu was successively controlled by the Teutonic Knights, the Poles, the Swedes, and the Russians. It is now significant as an Estonian port, holiday resort, and centre of light industry, including food, wood, and leather processing. Pop. (2008 est.) 44,016.
Keep Exploring Britannica
We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind.
- Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience.
- You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered.
- Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources.
- At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.)
Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions.
Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article.
Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed.
There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later.


text:
your browser is out of date
To get the best experience please upgrade to a new browser
Dani has a booty and loves to show it off. We got her on camera because she knows she is hot and now so do we. She has on an original outfit that she designed and it fits her very well. We like taking it off more though. Her ass was banging all around while it was oiled up. Serg got her all worked up with his huge member, and she wanted to fuck more then ever. She bounced that ass all over his cock. She was begging to have his load shot all over her ass. She got it so good she was talking about coming back for more.


text:
An excerpt of my short story "The World Drops Beneath You," published in the anthology Stories from Texas College Students (2016, Lamar University Press). Get the anthology on Amazon to read the story in its entirety, or read it on Medium.
The World Drops Beneath You
© 2016 Sonny Bohanan
The red lights of the television tower pulsed on and off in the distance, a constellation of dying stars lined up single file, like good soldiers, to wink out in unison. Jake stared at the glowing embers and drifted along the edge of sleep as his father drove through the early-morning dark. His mind snapped to attention when Pop turned up the radio for news of the war: Nixon had announced he was bringing home 25,000 troops over the next year. A momentary tingle of hope raised goose bumps on Jake's arms and the back of his neck, but he realized a heartbeat later that the decision wouldn't affect the draft notice folded in his back pocket.
Riding to and from work each day, Jake had silently rehearsed how to tell Pop that his lottery number had come up. But when the time came to say the words, his throat grew thick, and he choked on the bitterness he felt at having invited the war into his life by dropping out of school. Words were useless now. They couldn't stop the chaos that seeped nightly from the television like poison gas—riots and political assassinations erupting across the nation, the latest wave of troop replacements disappearing into a jungle no one had heard of until it arrived in their living rooms.
As Pop drove, the darkness slipped away imperceptibly, leaving traces in the corners and shadows of things, spies behind enemy lines. He turned the pickup in at the job site, and the headlights picked out three men drinking from Thermos cups at the concrete base of the tower. Pop and Jake usually arrived fifteen minutes early to drink coffee, but it was already five-thirty.
"Couldn't get Shorty out of bed?" Stony said as they stepped out of the truck.
"You can see the boy needs his beauty rest," Pop said.
Wally, the boss, tapped his watch with his shortened right index finger. "All right, let's get up there." The finger had been sliced off at the knuckle twenty years earlier. When Jake was a kid, Wally had made him laugh by inserting it into his nostril so it appeared to be planted three inches deep.
They cinched on their tool belts, and Pop turned to Jake. "I want you to go up top this morning and install the brackets for the co-ax cable." He opened a box to check that they were the right size, and handed it to Jake.
"Did you get the elevator running again?" Pop asked Wally.
"Yeah, but you've got to control it from the ground," Wally said. "The wiring's crossed, and I couldn't get the damn thing straightened out. We need the electrician out here."
It was July 20 and already hot at sunrise. The men were working on a Sunday because a series of spring tornadoes had damaged the crane and knocked out the electric power for more than a week, putting them behind. They had less than a month to finish the tower, which rose nearly 2,000 feet above the High Plains to transmit the signal for the ABC affiliate in Amarillo.
Jake started to sweat—he had never been all the way to the top. The men had finished installing the elevator two days ago, and no longer had to climb the ladder hand over hand for 180 stories. It took Pop and Wally, the most experienced of the crew, half an hour to climb it wearing their tools. The elevator's steel mesh cage ascended the tower in two or three minutes, but only two men could fit inside it.
"You want to ride on top?" Pop asked.
"I don't think so." Jake had seen Stony and Gilvin ride on the elevator roof several times. They were the youngest of the crew except for Jake, and were given the shit jobs.
"It's safe," Pop said.
Jake glanced inside the elevator at the loose wires sticking out of the control box and said nothing.
"Hell, he's scared," Stony said. "Me and Gilvin will do it." They climbed onto the roof, and Jake carried the box into the elevator cage underneath them. Wally stepped in beside Jake.
Pop stayed on the ground to run the controls. He lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth, and the one on Wally's belt squawked, "You got me?"
"We got you."
"Let's go." Pop punched a button and the elevator lurched, rising slowly at first, then faster through the center of the alternating red and white sections. Jake's stomach tightened as the world dropped beneath him. Seen from below, the guy-wires tethered to massive concrete footings were taut, inch-thick cables that cut a straight line from ground to tower. But from above, Jake could see that the cables in fact drooped in tremendous arcs, the tensile force that held the tower in place unequal to gravity's ghastly power. The sight gave Jake a sick feeling. The laws of physics, so straightforward on the ground, were warped and unreliable at this height. He reached behind him and secretly inserted his fingertips through the steel mesh, gripping it to steady himself.
The rush of the elevator cooled the sweat on his forehead. A thick morning haze permitted him to look directly at the sun, deliciously pink like a scoop of neon ice cream sizzling and melting along the bottom where it sat on the horizon. Wally spoke into the walkie-talkie and stepped out of the cage when the elevator stopped. He lowered himself into a sitting position on the beam, his legs dangling on either side.
Jake's stomach swam as he followed. He set the box on the small elevator platform and stuffed as many brackets as he could fit into his tool belt. He tightly gripped the steel next to him with his right hand before stepping cautiously off the platform onto the I-beam, which was about two feet wide. Showing Jake what to do, Wally marked the steel with chalk, drilled four holes, and quickly attached one of the brackets with metal screws. He finished in a couple of minutes and handed the drill to Jake.
"We need one every ten feet," he said. "Just work your way down. Go ahead and do one, and I'll watch you."
Jake attached the drill to his belt and stepped down the ladder to a spot he judged to be about ten feet. He was sweating profusely, soaking his T-shirt as he worked the tape measure.
"Take you all day to do one," Stony said, amused, from atop the elevator.
Jake avoided looking at the ground while he measured ten feet and marked the holes. He clamped his legs to the beam and held on with his left hand while drilling with his right, barely gaining the leverage he needed to pierce the steel. He took a socket wrench from his tool belt but fumbled it, made a swipe for it and missed, almost losing his balance. Wally cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Headache!" The wrench clanged twice against the steel as it fell, then, seconds later, a third time. The tiny dot on the ground that was Pop dove for cover under his pickup truck. . . .
Read the rest of "The World Drops Beneath You" in the anthology Stories from Texas College Students (2016, Lamar University Press). The book is available at Amazon.com. The full story is also available at Medium. © 2016 Sonny Bohanan
# # #
Sonny Bohanan is a writer and editor in Fort Worth, Texas. Read his writing portfolio or follow him on Twitter. He was an editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the American Literary Review.