The mandolins ignite the fever within them as they dance. The tuxedo-clad tango man clings to her as they move across the smoke filled room....
*Tonight we dance......*
*I leave my life in your hands.......*
He spins her, enticed by the seductive swing of her hair....
*We take the floor......*
*Nothing is forbidden anymore......*
His eyes captivate her like stars......
*.........Bailamos...........*
*Let the rhythm take you over, bailamos.......*
She whirls.... his lips graze her shoulder as the strap of her dress falls to the side......
*Te quiero, lo me diego, bailamos.......*
He dips her, cradling her in his arms.....
*Wanna live this night forever, bailamos...............*
But he doesn't pull her up.....she begins to slip towards the floor.
She grasps for him, but he slowly begins to vanish......
"Antonio........?"
She hits the floor with a resounding thud....alone....
Gabi awoke, shaking inside......her head heavy with dizziness.... She struggled to focus on the fuzzy blobs that surrounded her....and began to recognize the quirky decor of the loft, and the faces of Casey, Michael and Spence.
Casey: Oh, thank God...she's coming to!
Michael: (aside) I wonder what made her collapse, man? She must be running herself ragged over Ricardo!
Spence: You got that right. Poor girl thinks she's Xena!
Casey: Gabi? Are you alright? Talk to us, Gab. We found you out on the beach on our night patrol.... do you remember why you fainted?
Gabi tried to connect the jumble of images in her mind as the bright light of the jukebox scorched her eyes........and it all started to come back....
Tonight..... she reclaimed every feeling that had been dormant for so long....every feeling she had denied since their rescue from the silent ruins of love.....and kissed Antonio beneath the pier. She kissed him, without guilt, without contrition......and all of her soul.
But someone was after them......someone had shot them.......she remembered trying to save him....until the sedative's venom streamed through her.....
But now.....they were at the loft......and whoever had stalked them in the dark couldn't hurt them now.... they were safe!
Gabi: I'm OK..........help Antonio first.....
A chilling silence followed.
Michael: (raises an eyebrow) Um, Antonio isn't here, Gabi...we haven't seen him at all tonight.....
Gabi: (sits up).........What...............how?...H-he was right beside me when I got shot.........
Casey, Mike & Spence: Shot???!
Gabi: Under the pier.....it was... tranquilizers......he...he passed out in my arms and I...I panicked and I...practically dragged him to the lifeguard tower and, and I was trying to hide from whoever was after us........then I got shot too.....please tell me Antonio's here....please tell me they didn't take him..........
Casey: Gabi....I wish we could.....
Gabi: No...he can't be gone. I--I have to find him...
She shot up and started to woozily stumble away from the bed.
Spence: Whoa, whoa!(holding her up).....Guys, somebody definitely drugged her with something.....Gabi, take it easy. You've been through hell tonight, and bounding out of here like a nut isn't gonna help us find Antonio!
Michael: We should head back to where we found her. Maybe there's some sort of clue...something!
Casey: Gabi, you stay here. We're gonna go to the lifeguard tower and see what we can find.
Gabi: I'm coming with you!
Spence: No way, Gab. Even in the hospital, Ricardo would have my badge if I put you in danger! Either that or subject me to a CHiPs marathon. And besides, the maniac that did this might still be out there!
Gabi: Yout don't understand.......I lov---
Casey: Everything's gonna be fine, OK?
Casey's reassuring demeanor was like nails on a chalkboard at a moment like this. As they headed out the door, she was left only with the dread that gripped her heart and the scream in her head.
He's gone.......my God, what have I done?
She trembled with fear, and her breath began to escape her in shrill, tiny sobs.
Her eyes locked on a beautiful picture of him on the nightstand beside the bed. She remembered taking it....last year, when he had moved into Surf Central after the earthquake. He was sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes in shorts and a T-shirt, looking exhausted, and a tad bit sweaty from the Santa Anna rampage of the summer of '98. But happy. His shy, blushing grin sank beneath the refelction of her eyes that glistened with tears.....
She held the picture close to her....so close she could feel her heart slamming against the cold glass. She felt like she had learned more about love in the last hour than in her entire life............
Love wasn't a betrayal....denying it was. Love was a best friend who knew all your irritating little quirks and wanted to know more. It was a man who, even in the arms of death, gave her all the love in his heart.
Gabi: (tries to smile) Love....love is that first ray of morning sunlight that creeps over your eyes, Antonio. ....and that's what you were to me......it just took me so long to realize it.........
Tears trickled from her eyes. Not being able to share this epiphany with him hurt more than she could bear.
Gabi: ........all you ever wanted was to love me, and I broke your heart......there's so much I want to tell you....so much I have to tell you.... and it might be too late!
She buried her face in her hands and broke down. She had never, ever imagined being faced with losing him like this ...and the thought of Antonio being hurt....or worse......filled her with terror.
Gabi: No....(wipes away her tears)....I have to be strong. I'm gonna find you.... wherever you are. I'm gonna bring you home..... I promise you, Antonio.......(smiles) even though you drive me crazy sometimes.......
She kissed the picture and held it tightly again, hoping that by some virtue of God or magic, her loving gestures would keep him safe through the night......and comfort her through the tormenting pain of regrets.
The monstrous fan spun shadows across the power plant as Antonio shifted between darkness and conciousness. He could swear he felt arms around him....an angel's embrace.
Gabi....
He slowly opened his eyes....his head swimming, the back of his neck throbbing in pain.
Am I dead?
No, this place was worse than hell.
He tried to lift a hand to his pounding head, and realized they were hancuffed to the cold platform he was outstretched on. His wrists were clapsed so tightly, his hands were numb with pins and needles.
He looked up and saw a small leaflet of paper dangling just above him, tied to the rusty fixtures overhead. He squinted his pained eyes to make out the words...
666666666666666666666666666666666
St. Joseph's Mission is honored to present..... OUR FIRST ANNUAL GOODWILL CRUISE August 3, 1998 Anno
Domini Sponsored by Titanic II Lines Thank you for your generous donation. Enjoy
your trip aboard the S.S. Neptune II, and may God be with you.
5555555555555555555555555555555 Antonio: Oh
my God.........
The footsteps that came closer and closer were like a dull sledgehammer to
his throbbing head......a shadow crept towards him from across the room....
"It was only supposed to be a three hour tour. A three.....hour......tour......."
The face that entered the light was ravgaged by red slashes of scars on one
side....and the evilest glare.
Phillip!!!
Michael, Casey and Spence walked slowly behind the lifeguard tower.
Michael: Something weird's goin' down, guys....I just have no clue what it is.
He steadied the flashlight and shined it across the ground It had stopped
raining, and the sand was clumped into a winding trail that slithered away from
the tower towards the boardwalk.....
Casey: Aw, no.....it definitely looks like someone was dragged away here.....
Gabi was right. If Antonio was with her...he's gone now........
Michael: This junk makes no sense at all, man! Why would somebody
kidnap a priest? What, so they could get their hands on his bake sale fortune??
Casey: And what could he have possibly done that somebody would have a
vendetta against him for? Use a double negative in one of his sermons?
Michael: Nah, he wouldn't never even do that, Case.
Spence: I know! Maybe Antonio's been brainwashed into Evil Mercenary
Antonio like John Black on Days!
Casey: You watch Days, Spence?
Spence: Who, me? Course not! Look, guys....there's definitiely been foul
play here. Now we've just gotta stay focused and think like Ricardo. God....I
don't know what he'd do if he found out about this case. He loves that
guy to death.......
*CRRSH.....54, this is headquarters. Do you
copy?*
Spence: Go ahead, Ruiz.
Ruiz: *Spencer, we've got an APB out on
Dr. Tyus Robinson. According to several testimonies at South Bay, he's
missing, over.*
Michael: What?? Tyus?
Spence: Ruiz, you'd better chalk up another APB. Ricardo's brother Antonio
Torres is missing too.
Ruiz: *One M.I.A. doctor and one M.I.A.
clergyman, copy that, Spence. Just another beat on the Beach.....ten-four,
over and out.......*
Casey: What are we gonna do
now?
Michael: I guess we've gotta break the news to Gabi about Antonio. Man,
I've never seen her as upset as she was tonight. It's almost as if...........nah.......
Spence: It's almost as if what?
Michael: I dunno man....it's like......she cares about that guy as more than
just a friend, you know?
Spence: Sort of like a Chandler and Monica thing?
Casey: Will you stop with the Must-See TV analogies already, Spence?
Come on, we'd better get back to Ricardo's place before we turn up
missing!......
The entered an empty loft.
Michael: Gabi? Gabi? Oh man........how could we be so stupid?? You don't
think the kidnapper got her, do you?
Casey: Uh....I think we can rule out coercion, buddy.....there's a note on the
table......
Guys,
I'm going to look for Antonio. I have this really bad feeling that
we don't have much time to find him.....and just sitting here is scaring the hell
out of me. Please understand.......I have to do what he would do for
me...
---Gabi Spence:
Great..........make that APB number three..............
*TO BE CONTINUED...........*