76: To the Victor Goes the Spoils – Pt. 1

“UGH!” Victoria growled, frantically tearing through her closet for a dress to wear to tonight’s gala, a date auction to help raise money for the Injured Officers’ Fund for the Avondale police department. It was one of many ideas Mike had to give back to those the city ignored and treated as less than for injuries sustained while on the job. He’d witnessed it firsthand with his own line-of-duty shooting and wanted to do something to help. Mike landed on a bachelor auction thanks to Aria’s helpful suggestions and he’d reeled in Victoria for help. With any luck, they were hoping to make it a success. Maybe the red one, Derrick loves red. No wait, maybe that’s bad, he said it makes him hungry. Or was that a joke? “What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never had a problem picking an outfit before! It’s just Derrick!”

The doorbell rang as she tried on the third dress of the evening. “Come in,” she shouted. Derrick strolled in looking like sex on legs and she immediately locked herself inside her room. “Shit! He looks really good.” She growled in frustration looking down at her dress before rushing again to the closet.

“Victoria?”

“I’m upstairs. I’ll be down in a minute. I just have to find…something,” she quickly shimmied out of the gown and tossed it to the floor with the others that came before. “Red it is,” she sighed and hurriedly pulled on a long, sleeveless, red silk gown with jeweled embellishing.

“Victoria?” Derrick knocked once before trying the handle. It twisted a few times before he gave up. “Are you ok in there?”

“I’m fine! Just…one moment please.” Derrick sighed and waited for his date to make an appearance. She checked herself again in the mirror before releasing an anxious breath. When the door finally did open, Victoria found herself staring into the eyes of her damnation and she swallowed hard when he smiled that smile of his and slipped a hand around her waist.

“Damn. You look amazing.” 

“Y-y-you really think so?”

“Yes. I’m actually very grateful in this moment that you are hosting tonight and not auctioning a date because if any guy dared bid on you, I’d be swimming in a room full of blood.”

“Wow that’s…vivid.”

Derrick shrugged and leaned forward, placing an innocent kiss on her cheek before offering his arm. “You ready?”

“Lead the way!”

Pulling into the Stanley Marsh Art Gallery they’d rented for tonight’s festivities, Victoria smiled at the line beginning to form. “Wow, great turnout,” she commented as Derrick parked and led her toward the staff entrance. There was still an hour remaining before the start of the event but already the parking lot was packed with cars and anxious bidders rallying toward the front doors in anticipation of the night’s ceremonies.

A piercing cat call drew her attention to the back of the stage. Mike stood, leaning against the wall, smirking as the couple entered the gallery. “You look beautiful, Vik.”

“Thanks, Partner. You too. Need a little help?” she asked, noticing his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

“Nah, I got it,” he said as he tied and untied his necktie over and again.

“Why are you so fidgety, Mike? You look great! And tonight will be a total success,” she championed her partner as he began redoing his Windsor. 

“I think the blue looked better. I really shouldn’t have let you talk me into wearing purple.”

“Purple is regal and you look elegant. You should get plenty of bids.”

“Great…” He growled as the silk tie slipped between his fingers. Peeking through the curtain, he sighed nervously at the advancing crowd as more women made their way to the front of the room toward the stage. “I don’t see Aria. She’s not coming.”

“She’ll be here, Mikey. Don’t worry. If she’s anything like me, there’s no way she’s letting any of those women bid and win a date with her man.” Mike smirked at the frustrated glower on Victoria’s face as he finally let his hands fall to his sides in defeat.

“So, where’d Derrick run off to?”

“Looking for the barker. He said he had to make sure they got his introduction right; whatever that means.”

“How are things going between you two anyway? Purely neutral inquisitiveness,” he added suddenly, realizing Victoria’s death gaze had turned to him.

“Good,” she replied simply.

“She’s just being modest. Things couldn’t be better…well almost. I mean if I could stop her from putting on those pesky things she calls ‘clothes’ then things would be superb,” Derrick answered with his signature smirk as he rounded the corner to the backstage.

“And I keep telling him I have other things to do that require me to be out of the house. It’s not possible to stay nude all day long. And believe me, he’s tried.” Derrick leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, moaning against her mouth as he felt her tongue slip against his.

“Yep,” Mike sighed. “I asked for this.” He pulled away and looked at himself in the mirror before turning back toward his partner. “Alright, how do I look?”

“As handsome as ever,” Aria replied, appearing at the doorway from the gallery. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“No! You’re…wow,” he exclaimed, taking in her dress. “Gorgeous.”

“That’s another thing I don’t understand. If you had the option to lay in bed with me all day, why would you choose to do anything else?” Victoria rolled her eyes and grabbed the microphone from the stand as she heard the DJ begin the opening ceremony’s music.

“Mike?”

“I’ll be right there.”

She nodded and started for the curtain. “You’re a bad man, a very bad man,” Victoria whispered against Derrick’s ear before exiting toward the stage.

“Victoria, my dear, you have no idea.”

“Good evening Ladies and Gentleman and welcome to the first of what we hope will be many ‘Blue’ tie events supporting our local law enforcement,” Victoria said as she began introductions for the event. “Tonight, we are auctioning off dates with our men and women in blue to help fund the Avondale Injured Officers Program. We hope you enjoy and remember; tonight, is for a great cause!” Handing the microphone to the barker, she made her way down into the audience pool.

The auctioneer smoothly ran through the rules of the sales, what each consenting adult could or could not do was not up to him, but he made clear this was not that type of auction, capturing scattered laughs at his implication. The evening began with a few rookie cops and eager bidders progressively increasing their offers for one young man in particular; a patrol officer with three years under his belt, baby-faced and muscular. There were some whispers about what the ladies driving up his price were intending to do with his hands. A woman in the front gave a slight nod as the barker announced his last call and bidding continued for another minute before she settled it with a final price of $2,750. Not a bad start to the evening.

For the next forty-five minutes, one “lot” followed the next until it was Victoria’s partner’s turn at the rostrum. But just as Mike was making his approach to the stage for the second half of the event, a loud crash from the front of the building drew everyone’s attention. “What was that?” Victoria asked, turning toward the entranceway. Aria glanced in the same direction with a shrug.

“I don’t know but it sounded big.”

“Alright, alright,” Mike’s voice boomed from the microphone. Having made his way onstage, he attempted to soothe the growing concerns within the crowd. “Everyone, please remain calm. We have people checking on the disturbance and we will update you with word. In the meantime, please enjoy a refreshment from one of the buffet tables and take advantage of the OPEN BAR!” he shouted the last part prompting a loud whooping from the audience.

Returning the microphone to the stand, he rushed down to where Victoria stood near the doorway, investigating. “Anything?”

“No. It looks as though the doors just—blew up,” she replied, looking at the floor covered in wood splinters and glass.

“Vik…” Mike spoke just as she was about to kneel for a closer look. Her eyes moved up and met with a group of women dressed in military gear. 

“I’m sorry, this is a private event.” Ignoring Victoria, the women quickly dispersed through the facility, rounding up men and causing disorder.

The woman in front, a large, muscle-bound brunette covered in tattoos, glanced at Mike as he spoke. But instead of backing away, she nodded to the similarly styled brunette closest to her and the woman answered by grabbing him and binding his wrists. “Hell no! Not happening,” Victoria said, throwing a hand in their direction and throwing the women back and out the door.

But just as she readied another spell, the one in charge stormed forward. Connecting with a solid right, she knocked Victoria into a wall. Her body slumped to the floor. Her last stream of consciousness were the women entering the gallery and the terrified screams of the guests. 

“Victoria? Victoria, wake up! Wake up!” Groggily, Victoria slowly came around. She could hear Aria’s voice and feel her shaking her awake. “Victoria?”

“What?”

“An ambulance is on the way. Just hold tight. Are you ok?”

“Mike!” Blinking rapidly, her eyes opened to the sight of frightened partygoers, frantically running back and forth checking on injured attendees. “What happened?”

“These women came and took everyone!”

“What?”

“The men, they grabbed them all and took them! At first, everyone thought it was just a gag; part of the auction to drive up the bids but, when they started hurting people that’s when we knew it wasn’t a game.”

“How long ago did they leave?”

“Ten—fifteen minutes at most.” Victoria struggled to stand, and Aria placed a hand on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t do that. You might have a concussion.”

“I’ll be fine,” she mumbled as she regained her footing. “I have to find Mike, Derrick and the others.”

“Victoria, no. The police will be here soon. Let them handle it.”

“No. They won’t be equipped to handle these women. I have to find them.”

“What does that mean? Victoria, please. Those women were bad news,” Aria pleaded, watching Victoria start toward the exit.

“I know. And I promise I’ll do everything I can to bring our men home.” Victoria rushed from the building, driving quickly toward the one person whom she knew could help. Rowan’s home was quieter than usual, but she didn’t let that deter her as she walked the shortest route toward the study.

“Are we really gonna do this?” she asked, staring at a steadfast Marcel as he stood a force in front of Rowan’s door. “I guess so. Aperi ianuas!” (Open door)

Using Marcel’s head, Victoria stormed the doors and stepped inside the office. “Victoria, please, come in!” Rowan said without missing a beat.

“Thank you, don’t mind if I do. Claude ianuas,” Victoria replied after tossing Marcel out and locking the door behind him. (Close door)

“And to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“They took him,” she said, moving in front of Rowan’s desk.

“They took who?” he asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Derrick. A group of, I don’t know—militant women came and grabbed him.”

He paused and closed his eyes briefly before returning his gaze toward her. “So, they did.”

“Where is he?”

“Victoria, you’re a detective. Shouldn’t you be able to figure that out?”

“No, Rowan, that takes time and time is one thing I don’t have a lot of right now because they not only took Derrick, but every other man in a 5-mile radius including my partner. You can find them in seconds and I need your help.”

“What’s the magic word?” he asked, a smug grin curling his lip.

“Rowan!”

“Ahem?”

“Please,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

“Well, alright. But only because you asked so nicely…and dressed up to see me but, Victoria, as long as we’re both of the understanding my helping you comes with a price.”

“Of course, it does,” she sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. “Fine. What do you want?”

The smile on his face broadened and Victoria found herself instantly regretting the question. “I’m pretty sure you and I can come to terms. Derrick first.”

“Great. Do you have any idea who these women could be?”

“Well, from your rather—concise description, I’d say it sounds like the Amazons.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Amazons.”

“You mean they’re not just a Greek Myth?”

“Oh, Little Witch, after all you’ve encountered, how can you still remain so painfully unaware?” Rowan hopped up from his seat and started for the door. “Come along, if we’re hunting Amazons, we’re going to need supplies.”

“Great! We need to stop by my place too. I’m gonna need a change of clothes.”

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