"Don't touch the gun," warned Loubar. He'd seen Jack flinch
slightly for the hostler at his hip. "Get your hands up."
"Who the hell are you?" asked Jack, raising his hands.
"Tyler F/X's worst enemy," said Loubar. "And now yours, too.
Victor Loubar. Remember that."
Kim recognized Loubar. Angie had told her about him. "Oh God,"
she said, quietly.
"So," said Loubar, to Jack. "I guess you're a cop, right?"
He turned to Kim. "And you're Kimberly Mason. 5498 Ruxton Ave.,
apartment 206, phone number 555-2498."
"How the hell do you know that?"
Loubar smiled. "I make it my business to know mine enemy ... and
mine enemy's friends as well," he said, laughing.
"What do you want?" said Angie, loudly.
"Angela, darling, don't talk to me that way," said Loubar. He pretended
to mellow. "Please, I though we were friends."
Angie felt like spitting in his face. She kept her mouth closed.
Finally Loubar answered. "What I want," he said, "is you,
Angie."
A look of terror crossed Angie's face. Her mind flashed back to when
he had raped her, impersonating Rollie. Loubar knew what she was
thinking. "Oh, not that, dear darling," he said. "This time,
I need your expertise."
"Rollie Tyler's coming back here, you know," said Jack, cutting in.
Jack was bluffing, and Loubar knew it. He knew even more than Jack
that Rollie was very occupied right at that moment in the hospital
with Mira. He tried to imagine Rollie, trying to outsmart his duplicate
and get the upper hand in the dangerous situation Loubar knew he must be
facing. His little F/X-y mind would be whirring away, watching the
double, waiting for a chance to overpower him and get the gun. But
Loubar had faith in the man posing as him -- they'd worked together on
a couple of crimes before. And Loubar also had faith in the duplicate
Angie. Both of them would keep Rollie busy for a long while.
At least, as long as Loubar needed.
"No he's not," said Loubar.
Jack knew Loubar knew he was bluffing. He said nothing.
"So," said Loubar again, breaking the silence. "Angie, you and I
must be leaving."
"Leaving to where?" said Angie.
"We'll see. Now, what to do with you two," he said, meaning Jack
and Kim. "Hmm..." He pretended to consider his options.
"Rope? Tie you up? Should I ditch you someplace scary ...
it's such a jungle out there. Or," he said, aiming the gun at
Jack's head, "maybe just a good ol' fashioned bullet in the brain?"
He raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. "I don't feel like killing,"
he said, lowering his gun. "Consider yourselves lucky. Angela,
you must have some rope around here? Please, do me a favour and get
some ... please."
Angie hesitated.
"Now!" yelled Loubar, shaking the gun at her.
Angie moved across the room slowly, and retrieved a coil of rope from a
shelf.
"On your knees," said Loubar, to Jack and Kim. He moved closer.
"Hands behind your backs. Angie, you're a strong girl -- tie them
up for me."
Angie knelt down behind Jack. She thought of grabbing Jack's gun
out of his holster, but the way Loubar had positioned himself, with Jack
between them, she'd barely have had time to bring the gun up by the time
he'd fired. And even though she seemed to be valuable, she was quite
sure he didn't value the lives of Jack and Kim as much as hers. She
tied Jack and Kim up, though made sure the knots were loose enough that,
given time, they could get free.
"Good enough," said Loubar, when she was finished. "I know you didn't
tie too tightly," he said, grinning. "But it doesn't matter.
We'll be long gone by the time they get free."
"Where are you taking her!?" shouted Kim as Loubar put his hand on Angie's
back and pushed her toward the doorway.
Loubar swung open the door to the outside, and motioned for Angie to get
out. He ignored Kim's shouts, which were soon joined by Jack's.
"Ladies first," he said to Angie, guiding her firmly outside. "We'll
be taking your truck." He stepped forward, and then, as an afterthought,
turned around and called loudly over his shoulder, "Little boy Blue dog
-- lights off!"