CHAPTER 8 ~ OLD ACQUAINTANCES

There had been many places Indiana Jones would have liked to revisit in his life. Equally, there were many places Indy would never wish to return to and a few he would never even consider. His heart beat faster at the thought of the place he was going to now.
It wasn't particularly frightening, it certainly wasn't dangerous but nevertheless, Indy was terrified. Not the kind of fear from a dangerous encounter and not the kind of fear borne of the unknown, or supernatural. Far from it. Indy was going to see an old friend. Someone he hadn't seen in more years than should have been. He swallowed hard as the cab he, Marcus and Rene were in drew up outside a small bar in New York. The flight from England had been straightforward, without any fuss and they had promised Robert they would send for him if needed. Robert was more than a little disappointed at not being included in the next stage of the adventure, as he called it but Indy insisted he stay in London to 'keep an eye on Smith' and report to them any further interference from the Nazis. Robert grudgingly agreed.
It was cold in New York at this time of year but still Indy managed a wry smile. It wasn't raining.
Then his thoughts returned to the current situation and his stomach turned again. They paid the cab driver and walked into the bar. Rene led, then Marcus, with Indy dragging reluctantly at the rear.
The bar was smoky and a tinny radio played forgettable tunes loudly in one corner. There was the unintelligible babble of mixed conversations but Indy could instantly pick out the one voice he was dreading to hear.
The trio moved nearer to the bar. Standing in front of them was a slender, dark haired woman, talking to a group of unshaven men. She had her back to Indy.
The trio never spoke but almost as if by telepathy, the woman sensed their presence. She was silent for a moment and the group of untidy men looked past her at Indy and the others, almost sensing trouble.
Still with her back to Indy, Marcus and Rene, she spoke.
"Hello, Jones. I knew you'd be back."
Then she turned to face Indy.
"Hello Marion." He said, ducking instinctively from a long awaited punch. It never came. Marion laughed quietly.
"Your not that important anymore." She said, her words hurting Indy more than any punch could ever have done.
"I never promised....."
"Skip it." She said, cutting Indy's sentence short. "I'm not that interes....." Her own words trailed off as she noticed Belloq standing in the dim light.
"Well I'll be...." She started.
"Hello Marion." Rene said quietly. "Long time no see."
"How the hell..." Marion murmured, stunned by the sight of a virtual ghost.
"You are as beautiful as ever." Belloq said, looking her up and down.
"Let's cut the bullshit." Indy exclaimed, sounding a little more jealous than he would have liked.
"Marion, you have some notes we need." Then, seeing that she wanted some kind of explanation as to the very existence of Belloq, he added, "And there's no time for explanations. Rene's back and we're working together. I'll tell you about it later. Are you going to help? It's your dads notebooks. We need them."
Marion stared at Belloq, dumbstruck for a while, before looking at Indy, then Marcus.
"Always good with words."
Marcus smiled but said nothing. Marion turned to Indy.
"Small books? Brownish covers? Lots of drawings and maps?"
Indy nodded enthusiastically.
"Don't know anything about them." Marion said annoyingly.
Indy stared skyward then Marion laughed.
"Yes, I know where they are. What's so important? You've seen them before. Both of you."
"Where are they?" Indy, Marcus and Belloq all said at once.
Marion almost stepped back in surprise.
"Keen, aren't we?" She said.
"Just get the books." Indy scowled.
Marion shook her head and pulled a pile of papers and oddments from a shelf under the bar.
The three men almost dived on them as she placed the heap on the counter but she kept her hands firmly on top.
"Just a minute." She said.
Indy was sure he could anticipate her next words.
"Not partners again?" He sighed.
Marion shook her head much to the surprise of the three men.
"All I want is for you to leave me alone. Take the books or whatever and don't come back. Promise."
Indy looked regretfully at her, remembering how they had once been together. Times and people change, he realised.
"I'll leave you alone." He said quietly.
Rene was sensitive enough to realise that there were times to speak, and times to be silent. He said nothing.
Marion raised her hands from the pile and turned to serve a waiting customer. When she looked back moments later the pile of papers and books were gone. So was Indiana Jones.
She wiped a small tear, coughed, then went back to her crowd of untidy men. Almost instantly, there was aloud smack from outside the building and Indy was propelled backwards through the door to collide with some large, irate customers who immediately shoved him beck toward the door. As the door was in the process of opening again, it caught Indy full in the face, throwing him back once again. The irate men were about to throw him out once again, when Indy suddenly stood up straight yelling,
"Hang on! I can do it myself!"
He lunged at the opening door and slammed it back on the person entering. A yell went up from outside.
"What the hell...." Exclaimed Marion, ducking behind the bar but she was almost instantly lifted unceremoniously by the scruff of the neck by a large, balding Japanese man in a black Mac.
He turned her and sat her on the bar facing him.
"Where are the note books, Miss Ravenwood?" He said in a deep, slobbering voice, as his eyes looked at every part of her except her face.
Marion never answered as at that instant, a large, dirty side window burst inwards, demolished by the unconscious form of another of the black coated men. Indy climbed through the gap after him, dusting himself down with his fedora as Rene shouldered his way in through the main door, dragging another of the thugs behind him. Marcus followed, carrying a gun in one hand and the stack of papers in the other.
Marion turned back to her captor with a self satisfied grin only to hear a click and come face to face with the barrel of a luger.
"The books." The man repeated. He looked over Marions shoulder at Indy and said slightly louder, "Stalemate, Doctor Jones." Then, in a slightly sad tone added, "Sorry to see you have gone over to the other side, Mr. Ballard, or is it Belloq? No matter. You will be missed, though."
"Let the girl go." Rene said quietly "She is of no use to you."
Marion smiled at a vague feeling of Deja Vu.
The thug nodded toward Marcus who still held the gun and the papers.
"Put everything on the bar here, next to me and back off. I assure you I will kill Miss Ravenwood if you don't." As if to emphasise the point, the thug pushed the gun harder into the side of Marions head. Marcus lowered the gun and at a nod from Indy, walked to the bar and put the pile of papers and books next to Marion. The silence in the bar was almost tangible and the assortment of customers stared, hardly daring to move, wondering what would happen next. They didn't have long to wait. The thug glanced down at the papers and in that instant, Marion grabbed a full bottle of Bourbon from the shelf next to her and brought it with all the force she could summon into the thugs temple, smashing the bottle and covering herself and the man in liquor. The gasps of surprise turned once more to astonished silence as the thug shook his head lightly, raised a finger to lift a drip from his chin and put it on his outstretched tongue without even batting an eye.
"I prefer Saki." He muttered, pushing Marion backwards off the bar. She fell with a clatter among the tables and chairs behind her but didn't actually hurt herself any more than a slightly bruised ego.
Both Rene and Indy moved but the thug waved the gun again. They both moved back. A groan came from the man at Indy's feet as he moved feebly among the wreckage of the broken window. He was bleeding badly from a deep cut on the side of his neck.
"Get up!" The balding thug growled. "Help that other fool."
The dazed men staggered to their feet and moved over to the bar, picking up the papers.
"Thank you, gentlemen. You have been most helpful. Now, I won't be needing you any more." Then, to the astonishment and horror of everyone in the bar, the thug fired on his accomplices, killing them both. They slumped to the floor, pulling the pile of documents all over themselves as they fell.
"And now the real books Miss Ravenwood, if you value your friends lives...." He continued as he levelled the gun at Indy.
Then, to Indy's surprise, Marion slowly put her hand in the old cash box and drew out two battered old notebooks. She passed them to the man with the mumbled words, "Sorry, Jones."
Indy was about to speak but the thug interrupted him.
"Nice to be trusted by your friends, Doctor Jones. Now, goodbye."
He raised the gun to point at Indy's head and squeezed the trigger.