Run Lola Run

Participants:

adam_icon.gif lola_icon.gif

Scene Title Run Lola Run
Synopsis Adam confronts Lola about her work with Linderman, and she runs for her life.
Date September 25, 2009

Fort Greene


Yesterday, Lola got a box and a note. The box? Expensive chocolates. The note?

I'm sorry.

Breakup chocolates, of course. I'm sorry it didn't work out - here's a head start on your moping. At least, that's how Lola interpretes it. Don't get her wrong, of course she'll eat the chocolates.

In fact, that's what she's doing now. Sitting in her Fort Greene apartment, which is almost empty - indeed, the entire living room is bare save for a phone plugged in - Lola has a large book, almost like a textbook, open in front of her, with a dictionary just beside it. The box of chocolates is open there, on taht rickty kitchen table, as she reads. "In-cred-you-less," she sounds out a word she's unfamiliar with, going to the dictionary to look it up. She's wearing her hair down and bone-straight, a tank top and some jeans with the cuffs rolled up. Her feet are bare.

It's a bit later at night when Adam shows up to the apartment. The apartment he bought for her in fact. He's just finished an interesting meeting in which he found out some interesting facts about Lola. Some incriminating, some not, but ultimately, not anything he can let go for the moment. He knocks on the door, he's alone now. But in the end, he uses his key and after a moment, perhaps even after Lola has stood up, the door swings open, revealing Adam.

Lola has no idea what's happening. She has no idea she's been sold out. And indeed, she is standing when Adam walks in. She's openly surprised as she sees him in her doorway. "What're ya doin here?" She asks, eyebrows raised. She really has no clue about what might be happening.

A bit about the apartment. In the kitchen is the little table with two chairs. Bedroom has a rickety, squeaky twin bed available. That's about all the furniture she has, save for an old chest of drawers as well, in the bedroom.

Adam smiles, it's a dangerous smile. It's not cordial, it's not genuine, but it says…something. He steps into the apartment and closes the door behind him. "Well, I do own it." he says as he steps in, "But mostly, I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk to you about something, I had a confession to make, yeah?" he pauses as he locks the door behind him and makes his way towards the kitchen where he sits down in a seat. His fingertips drums on the table.

Lola can sense something is wrong, but she can't quite put her finger on it. "I ain' done nothin," she explains, the second he comes in. "Ain robbed nobody, nothin," she promises, leaning over him to close the books and ferry them to the counter, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she moves. "Watcha need, love?" She, of course, still thinks that he's trying to be rid of her, after that note.

Adam leans back a moment and says, "I've been married before, yeah?" lots of times, to lots of women. He's also occasionally been almost married before, but that's not the point her. He glances towards Lola for a moment as he studies her and says, "Her name was Theresa. She was quite the firecracker…vivacious, outspoken, a bit crass…but exciting." one part of his face lifts into a sad smile, "A little bit like you. On occasion, you remind me of her." he pauses as he considers the past, quiet for a moment, not adding to the story, "Turned out, she never loved me though. You see, I was a rich and influential man. She had planned it out. Get me caught in my web, get married to me.." he leans forward, "Then she and her lover murdered me. Shot me right here." points slightly over his heart, "Threw me off a cliff." he shrugs, "Of course, eventually I got better and when I got back…I killed them both." he watches Lola, "I put my hands over her throat and choked the life out of her." he glances up a moment in nostalgia, "Since then, I've always been rather sensitive to women looking to betray me. Rather…over sensitive, I suppose."

Lola listens, going a bit cold as he talks about it. He knows. He has to know. But she can't just run off - he's got men out front, she's sure. She can't just dissapear, she'll have to - oh god - talk her way out. She's screwed and even she knows it. At the very elast, her confusion and nervousness at the talk of murder show on her face quite openly. "I ain' never asked ta marry ya, sugar, an I think ya know quite well I ain' after yer money. But….I don' understand why yer tellin' me this."

Adam mms, "No, I know. No marriage in our future, yeah? You've been a little elusive on that front." he considers her a bit, "Now, I'll admit…we both know why you started to interest me was because of Daniel. I wanted to steal you away from him. But, I came to like you, quite a bit…but always with this voice in my head that…" he smiles a bit wanely, "I should remember Theresa." he crosses one leg over the other, "And sometimes, that came out I suppose. And we would fight. But you see.." he leans forward, "It'd be one thing if we were sitting here, talking about whether you'd leave Daniel for me. It'd be one thing if this were just a matter of who's job you liked better." his lips purse a moment, "I'd be quite another if, hypothetically, you were spying on me for Linderman, you know?"

Lola is sure she's going to die. This is how it all ends. Her mother always warned her to behave, that she'd eventually cross the wrong person. What sucks is that, in this case, she wasn't trying to cross him at all. Dammit! "Is this what ya'll folks mean by 'I'm sorry,' sugar?" She asks, her back against hte counter, fingers sliding along the tops. She knows the exits in the place, planned a few getaways if she had to, so she doesn't have to look. "I ain' gonna pretend like he ain' asked it of me. He did."

Adam chuckles, "You know the irony, Lola?" he questions, "I was apologizing for the fight. I felt like I had been too hard on you, that I had been too paranoid." he smiles a bit, "Some people have accused me of being paranoid. I'm told there's this quaint saying from the 90's that just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." he pauses, "Oh…now you're not going to pretend?" he seems relieved, "How grand."

Lola wrinkles her nose. "Now wait just a second here, sugar, I ain' never pretended. If ya think I'd been out fer ya fer Mistah Daniel's sake, ya think I'da told ya who I done worked for when we first met? Ya just admitted ya startin' flirtin' with me fer Mistah Daniel's sake. An I ain…I ain' like what yer sayin' I am."

He's quiet for a few moments. He holds her gaze then glances towards the window, the most obvious way out, then he glances back towards a soft spot in the wall that can lead to the next apartment if it's hit hard enough. He knows this apartment too, and apparently he's already thought of it. She's caged in. "Well, Lola. Tell me how I'm not like I'm saying." he says. He uncrosses his legs and leans forward on the table, "Tell me how this isn't like I'm saying at all." he taps his ear lightly, "I'm listening."

Lola wants to get out of here. She doesn't want to die. She doesn't want the last thing she sees to be his hands around her throat. "They asked me ta do things. Ta…sleep with you an get ya ta trust me like that an ta get ya ta talk 'bout yer work - which ya don' anyway - an I told 'em I weren' gonna do that. I ain' that kind a girl. You know as well as I do, you wanted me just because a Mistah Daniel but ya never asked once if I'd screwed ya. Ya just walked in here like I done somethin' bad."

Adam nods a bit, "Fair enough." he says in response, but here's the question I'd have, Lola." he says. "You agreed not to sleep with me and all, yeah?" he considers her quietly, his look is firm, it might even be a bit scary, "But my question is, Lola. Did you agree not to spy on me at all?"

Lola grips the counter harder as his eyes are upon her in that way. She doesn't want to be here, not at all! "I'll tell ya what I told them: that I didn' want this position, I werne' gonna do like they was sayin', an they'd better find a different place ta me soon. I told 'em that no matter what you an Mistah Daniel had done ta each other, it ain' right ta lie to a person like that, an cheat like that. S'as bad as cheatin' on 'em in bed, if not worse."

Adam nods a bit as he considers her words. He's quiet for a few moments before he says, "Not like they were saying at all, but not like it was going to happen at all." he lets out a breath for a moment and purses his lips a bit. "I'm glad you didn't want to sleep with me for information." his head tilts towards one side a moment. But he doesn't say more. He seems to be quiet contemplation.

"I keep tellin' folks I ain' a grifter, I'mma thief. Gimme somethin' ta steal, an I'll steal it but that's it, that's just what I do." She watches him in silence for a moment. "Ya got no reason ta thank me, I keep tellin' folks I ain' that kinda girl, they just don' believe me. Maybe now as they will, they can see that I ain' really that kinda girl, like I been sayin," she takes a few leisurely steps, not toward him, but toward the mouth of the kitchen.

"Sit down." he intones as she begins to move away from the conversation. He looks up at her with an intense look, "We aren't finished. You will know when we're finished." because you'll probably be dead, goes unsaid. He watches her for a few moments, "So tell me about this plan to spy on me." he says, "Who was involved?" he questions.

Lola slumps down in a seat rather quickly. "I don' know. Some lady I'd never met afore. An some other folks…I really don' know. Aincha been listenin, sugar? I said I weren' gonna do that. They asked me ta sleep with ya, ta get all nice an cozy an I said no. I told 'em to find somethin' else fer me ta do as far as work's concerned," and it's all true, too. She's looking in his eyes - pleading, even scared.

Adam leans forward for a moment, his hands folded a bit on the table as he murmers, "I believe part of your story, Lola." he says, "I believe you wouldn't sleep for me with information. But.." he says, "I think you're leaving parts of the story out. You're trying to retain some semblance of trustworthiness on both sides." he looks at her quietly, "I told you one day you would have to choose between Daniel and I one day. That day is today. Tell me the whole story, or tell me none of it. I'm not accepting any middle ground today."

Poor girl almost looks younger, now, frightened. "How?" She asks, shaking her head. "If I tell you all 'bout them, I ain' gonna last long. Prison'll be a godsend. But if I don' tell you what you wanna hear, you'll wrap them hands round my throat an squeeze till I can' say nothin' no more. I didn' ask fer this situation. Imma thief. I steal stuff. That's all."

Adam lifts a bit of his lips, "I believe you didn't ask for it." he says after a moment, "I believe they asked you to do this. But I don't believe you didn't say no. You're too confident, too carefree. You probably thought you'd run a little grift, sell it out, be done with it. But.." he shakes his head, "These things never end pretty." he leans in, "You want protection from prison? I'll protect you. But one way or another, you're going to watch your back. The question is…who do you think has a better chance of making you sorry. Daniel, or I?"

She gives him a Female Look. "Sugar, if I was as care free as all a that? We'da screwed a long time ago. As far as gettin' outta here, you could protect me more'n him. As far as what happens once I leave this room?" She looks away, shrugging. "I already told ya, I said no, I wanted a new assignment….I mean, weren' much point to it. Ya don' seem ta like me near as much anymore, an after the chocolates I figured that was that."

Adam tilts his head for a moment as he considers her quietly for a moment. "I liked you, I liked you a lot. I just didn't trust you. And it appears I was right not to." his lips purse a moment, "But what I'm hearing is a continual refusal to my terms. I would say you've made your decision." he slides his hand into his jacket quietly.

Liked. Past tense. That really does end that, then. "No no no!" She throws her hands up, sliding back. "Ya ain' gonna believe me when I tell ya the truth anyway, I been tellin' it to ya now an ya ain' believin' me. I told them no. As far as the plan goes, one guy bailed, we left this girl, this…Christina Riffraff or somethin like that, rather on her own. Mortimer Jack, he was the one what walked out, cause they wouldn' let him kill you. He wanted ta kill you cause you an I are…well, were datin'. This RiffRaff lady didn't take too kindly to that, cause they were all about not killin' you. That's all, I swear it is!"

Adam watches her quietly for a few moments with his hand in his jacket. He's quiet for a few moments and then slides it out again, empty. Apparently now he believes her. He folds his hands in front of himself as he sits there quietly. Rather than press her on any of the important details, "Why would Mortimer Jack care if you and I were dating?" he asks.

"Cause he wants to rail me. Bad. Not really sure what that's about, but that's how it is. He's got jealousy issues, which is on top a his…." she makes a few wild motions around her head, "…issues. Ain' the stablest sort. But he walked out right then an there, ain' seen him since." Also the truth.

Adam nods a bit, "I'd be careful of him." he says, "When you say he's crazy…you have no idea…his.." he motions to his shoulder, obviously indicating Mortimer's missing arm, "Grenade fight over his last attempted girlfriend." he shakes his head, "Not sure how he gets anything done as crazy as he gets over women." he watches Lola. "So what now, Lola?" he questions, "I'll leave it to you. You want to run away from me, try and disappear? If that's what you want, I'll let you go."

"Ya ain' well left me with much of a choice, have ya? I stay here, ya squeeze the livin' daylights outta me." Like he did his wife. His wife. So creepy. "An since ya know all 'bout all this, somebody from Mistah Daniel's side is talkin' to ya." If he didn't know about Mortiemr's obsession with her, it clearly isn't him. "Which means no matter where I go, I got both of ya'll breathin' down my neck."

Adam tilts his head, "I'm not going to kill you, Lola. There's a part of me that says I should. Spies are bad, they're inherently distrustful and full of betrayal. But when you betray someone you date…someone you confess to like…" he shakes his head, "But I'm not going to. You want to stay on my side, you can." his lips purse a moment, "I won't trust you, not for a long time. But…one could always earn trust back eventually. I can't tell you what a future on my side would mean. I can't tell you if we would ever be able to..go back to where things were. I'm not even sure I believe you owuld want to, since I'm not sure what your motives were in the first place." he watches her, "But you're safe from me. I'm leaving the decision up to you."

Lola shakes her head. "Sugar, yer sittin' here talkin' like I was the one that was chasin' your tail. That I was the one wooin' you an whatnot. Ya forget, the only reason I'm sittin' here is cause ya wanted ta spread my legs to the point where I didn' care about anybody but you. So don' pretend I'm the only guilty one here, I ain, an you sure as hell ain' no victim." Neither is she, but not the point. "An besides, ya kilt yer wife sugar. Way yer talkin' now I don' mean shit to ya. Easier ta kill a nobody than a wife."

Adam arches a brow at Lola as he watches her for a few moments, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lola. It would appear you've made another decision. In that case, I would leave now before I change my mind."

Lola shakes her head. "I don' sleep at night, sugar." She stands quickly, moving to skitter past him. Really skitter - she's actually afraid to be in arm's reach of him. Physically and mentally afraid of him. She hurries out of the kithcen, grabbing things as she goes to pack. To go where? Isn't that a fabulous question.

At some point, she can feel his eyes on her while she's packing. He's in the room again. His lips purse a moment as he does so and then he says, "I don't think I want you to go." his hand lays on the doorframe lightly, "I would prefer if you chose to stay with me."

Lola had been planning to drop her things out the window and climb down the fire escape. But he's like a puma! He's just there! She hears him just as she's shoving a shirt into a bag (because Lola doesn't fold things) and she turns to look at him. She shakes her head a bit. "I don' wanna die, sugar."

"Do you really think you'd still be alive if I planned to kill you?" he tilts his head for a moment, "If the only reason you're running is because you think I'm going to kill you, then you shouldn't run. I'm asking you to stay because I want you to stay. Not because I want to do you in."

Backpack packed, she swings it over her shoulders. The rifle (in peices and also boxed) is slong over her like a satchel. She pulls the handgun out from a drawer, sticking it into the back of her pants. All that's left are a few knicknacks - including a statue of jesus healing someone that Adam might be very familiar with - and some linens. "An what happens if I do stay, sugar? Ya just said ya don' trust me. Besides, someone at Linderman's is obviously bein' a little haphazard wif my well-bein. If it ain' you, it'll be them, an they'll find me if I stay with you." She's running because she's terrified. Of everyone.

Adam considers the girl quietly. His lips purse a moment as he notices the statue. He shakes his head for a few moments, but then says, "I can protect you from them." he says, "I can protect you from a lot of things. All you have to do is stay with me. You're right, I don't trust you for now, but I didn't say that I would never trust you again. Unless that's not what you want."

"Yer makin' this awful complicated, sugar," she turns to face him, fully packed and ready to go. She's a very mobile girl, it seems. "It's as simple as the fact of I don' wanna die. That's really all I'm thinkin' bout. Not about trust, not 'bout…not 'bout anythin' but keepin' it so I can keep breathin'. An the best way to do that is to not be found."

Adam considers her for a few moments, "Not really. You can always be found. You ought to know that, no one disappears forever. Your best chance of staying breathing is to pick a side and stay with it. I'm asking you to pick me."

"I ain' pickin' anybody!" She exclaims, moving to try and slide past Adam through the thin doorway. "I'm pickin' nothin. I'm leavin' ya'll ta do what ya want to each other. None a this involves me! If I go someplace an hide real nice everyone'll forget 'bout me sooner or later…"

Adam grabs onto her as she tries to slide passed him and turns her towards him. He seems angry, but perhaps even worse for Lola, he seems hurt, "I really meant nothing to you at all, did I?" he shakes his head and lets her go, "Go. Run far, far, away. You want out? You better be out." he repeats himself, "You better be out."

Lola opens her mouth to fight back when he grabs her, but he lets her go soon enough. "Sugar, aincha listenin? This ain' about you. I like ya, I really do. But I don' wanna die. Call me a coward or whatever ya want. The fact that I don' wanna die don't mean I didn' like ya. It just means I don' wanna die, simple as that." She looks over him and shakes her head in a sudden realization. "Ya can' understand." And he can't. Because he can't die.

Adam looks at her for a few moments, "No, what you can't understand is that you won't be safe on your own. You think you can disappear. You think you still live in the world you used to. You /don't/. No one gets out and the only way you're not going to die is if I protect you."

Lola shakes her head once more. "I ain' important, sugar. They'll forget about me sooner or later. I'm smarter than ya'll think - I can hide pretty well. An I will hide, an they'll forget. Ya said it yerself, I'll be lookin' over my shoulder either way." That, and deep down, she's still afraid of what Adam might do to her. Two bodies to his name, thus far. Two to hers too but somehow, this feels different.

Adam purses his lips and then waves a hand, "Go." but his previous statements seem to be in tact, she better run far far away.

And run she does, stepping around him and hurrying out the door. She'll see him again, but for now her fight-or-flight has kicked in, full gear.

She leaves the half-eaten 'I'm sorry' chocolates on the table.


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