One Way Ride

Epilogue: Eight months later

“Hey baby, dinner’s ready”, Alex said. She looked over at Tobin, who was working at the coffee table in the living room. Tobin looked up, smiled, shut her laptop, and walked over to the kitchen table.

After Ashlyn and Christen had driven away, the pilot of the plane had called for help, and Jill had arrived to pick up Tobin and Alex. The next two weeks had been filled with cleaning up the messes and filing reports. Tobin had been in hot water, but when the facts of the case had started to come to light, Jill had realized that Abby’s theory of the Queens being surfers had been correct all along, and that Tobin had really been the only agent who had ever even gotten close to apprehending the suspects, so she told Tobin that she would support her for the rest of the investigation. Tobin, along with Lauren and Shannon, had stayed hard on the case, but Ashlyn and Christen had vanished like ghosts.

“Looks delicious. Thank you, beautiful”, Tobin said, as they sat down to eat. After they had been rescued, Tobin and Alex had spent the first month together, never leaving each others side, save for Tobin going to work. Alex had taken a leave from the lunch shack and had been surfing as much as possible when Tobin was at work. On Tobin’s days off, Tobin and Alex had gone surfing together. They had been spending their nights eating in and cuddling on the couch, Tobin holding Alex and telling her that she was never going to let her go. A few months ago, after realizing they were spending every possible moment together, Tobin and Alex decided to move in together. They had found a nice two-bedroom apartment in Venice Beach. It was a bit far from the FBI office in downtown Los Angeles, but Alex had really wanted to stay by the beach, so Tobin had acquiesced. Plus, her newfound attitude was moving towards working to live, not living to work, and not structuring everything in her life around work. Alex had gone back to working part-time at the lunch shack, but she still spent most of her time surfing or just hanging out at the beach. Tobin was still working full-time, but with increasing frequency she had been thinking about leaving the FBI. It was a high-burn profession, and through the Queens case Tobin had learned that there was more to life than just making a name for herself in the Bureau. She had been considering finding another profession, but there was one more thing she needed to do before she could move on.

“So, how’s work going? Alex asked as they started in on the chicken spinach lasagna that Alex had made.

“It’s okay”, Tobin said as she looked up at her girlfriend. “I mean, you know I’ve been thinking about moving on, finding something else.”

“So, why don’t you?” Alex asked. “You can work with me at the lunch shack”, she said and then giggled.

Tobin smiled at her. “Sounds nice, actually”, she said, thinking about how a life without asshole bosses and bad guys sounded very appealing. Then she put down her fork and grabbed Alex’s hand. “But, beautiful, you know…there’s just one more thing I have to do.”

Alex stared at Tobin with her big, beautiful eyes. “Do you really have to, baby?”

“I do”, Tobin said. “Look, Lex – I promise, I’ll be safe. I won’t be the one in the field. That’s provided I’m even right, and that she’s even there, and that we can even find her.”

“But I just don’t get why we can’t just be done with that whole thing”, Alex said. “I mean, we’ve talked so much in the last eight months about leaving that all behind us. And you said the trail has gone cold anyway. I mean, Press is dead, right?”

"Yeah. Press is dead", Tobin said. Christen’s body had been found in a roadside ditch four months ago in Baja. She had been stabbed twenty-seven times. Possible drug running deal gone bad, but they never found out for sure. “But Ashlyn is still out there”, Tobin said. “Look, baby – I know we have spoken about leaving this all behind us, and if it had ended up just being between me and Ashlyn, then I may have been agreeable to that. But she kidnapped you. She threatened you. And I can’t let that slide.”

“Please, Tobin”, Alex said. “I know she kidnapped and threatened me, but that’s in the past. Hey - it’s me that she took, not you, and I’m willing to let it go.”

“I know, but I can’t”, Tobin said. “Baby – I promise you, I’ll be careful. I’ll work with the local authorities, and they can be on the front lines for this. And I promise you, if Ashlyn isn’t there, then I will walk away. But please – just let me go follow this one last hunch, and if she’s not there, then I will walk away for good.” Alex smiled slightly but didn’t say anything, so Tobin got up out of her seat. She straddled Alex and then planted a kiss on her lips. “Look, baby – she threatened you. She needs to go down. Please, just give me this one last chance to get – to help get - her.”

Alex stared at Tobin for a moment and then said, “Okay, baby. But please, please, please, Tobin – please be careful. I’m going to miss you while you’re gone, and I don’t want to have to keep missing you because you don't come back.” Tobin smiled reassuringly at Alex and then pulled her in for a long kiss.

 
********
 

The rain pelted the car as Tobin parked in the lot at Bells Beach, Australia. She got out of her car and looked around. There were just a few other cars in the parking lot. The wind whipped by her, turning the rain into stinging pellets. Tobin pulled up her hoodie and then took a look at the ocean as she started walking towards the beach. Waves as tall as an eight story building crashed just a hundred yards offshore. Tobin had never seen such a violent frenzy of water. She kept walking and ran into a few people on their way back up from the beach to the parking lot.

“Anyone been out there?” Tobin asked the passersby.

“No one’s been out and no one’s going out”, one man said. “You gotta be fuckin’ crazy to even think about it. Death on a stick out there, mate!”

Tobin thanked the man and continued on her way towards the beach. She scanned the shoreline in front of her and spotted a lone figure on the sand. She squinted her eyes and shielded them from the rain, and her blood ran cold. The figure was female, tall and muscular. Blonde hair whipped behind her head in the howling wind. Ashlyn. Tobin hit the sand and walked up behind Ashlyn, and as she got close, she reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out Ashlyn’s Elizabeth mask. She threw it on the sand at Ashlyn’s feet and then walked up beside her. Ashlyn stared at the mask for a moment and then addressed Tobin.

“Special Agent Heath”, Ashlyn said as Tobin walked up beside her. “I knew I could count on you.”

“I’ve been to every city in Mexico looking for you”, Tobin began. “Came across a gutted carcass in Baja which turned out to be Press. Guess she picked a knife fight with the wrong people. I found a passport of yours in Sumatra. Missed you by about a week in Fiji. But I knew you wouldn’t miss this. The Fifty Year Storm.”

“Yep, take a look at it”, Ashlyn said in a reverent voice.

Tobin stared at the monstrous walls of water for a moment and then said, “It’s too bad, Ashlyn. You finally got your wish, and it’s totally closed out. Not a rideable wave in sight.”

“It’ll come. Just waiting for my set”, Ashlyn said. She stared at the water for another moment and then looked at Tobin. “Still surfing?”

“Everyday”, Tobin said, and Ashlyn smiled almost warmly at her. Tobin smiled back for a moment, and then her smile dropped. “C’mon, Ashlyn, it’s time to go.” She lightly grabbed Ashlyn’s arm and started to walk, but Ashlyn didn’t move. “C’mon, Ashlyn, the ride is over. People trusted you and they died. Let’s go.”

Ashlyn stared at the water for another moment and then turned to Tobin. She stared at Tobin for a moment and then smiled a small, sly smile. “Nah, I don’t think so”, she said. She turned her back on Tobin and walked towards her board. Tobin stared at Ashlyn for a moment and then charged her, tackling her to the ground. Ashlyn fought her off and got up, and the two women squared off against each other.

“You gotta go down!” Tobin yelled.

“Well, then you’re gonna have to take me down!” Ashlyn yelled back. Tobin charged again, and Ashlyn grabbed her arms, rolled backwards onto her own back and flipped Tobin into the air. Tobin landed on her back, and Ashlyn pounced on top of her. She rained down three solid punches, but Tobin was able to grab her hands, weasel her legs between her and Ashlyn and drive her heel into Ashlyn’s face. Ashlyn howled as a few teeth went loose, and then Tobin, keeping a hold of Ashlyn’s hands, flipped Ashlyn over onto her back, then threw down three solid elbow strikes to Ashlyn’s face. Ashlyn’s nose shattered and blood shot everywhere. Tobin went for a chokehold, but Ashlyn threw sand in Tobin’s eyes. Tobin cursed and let go of her hold, and Ashlyn grabbed Tobin by her hoodie and threw her off. Both women got up to their feet, but Ashlyn was up first and launched a powerful kick to Tobin’s chest, sending Tobin sprawling into the water. Tobin landed flat on her back, and Ashlyn jumped on top of her. Ashlyn’s knee landed straight into Tobin’s gut, and Ashlyn felt Tobin’s wind give way. Then she grabbed Tobin’s neck with both hands, looking to choke the life out of her. She felt Tobin writhe in her hands, Tobin's head under water, and Ashlyn was thinking 'just a few more seconds' when she felt something cold and hard go around her wrist. Instinctively she loosened the pressure of her hold and removed her hands from Tobin’s neck, and when she withdrew her hands from the water she became aware that the gleaming chrome of a handcuff now adorned one of her wrists. The other handcuff was attached to Tobin. She stood up in shock, and in doing so, hauled Tobin up out of the water with her. Ashlyn stared at her wrist, now attached to Tobin, and a steel band closed around her heart.

“Nooooooo!!!” she screamed.

“I told them you’d go quietly”, Tobin wheezed out, spitting up water, still trying to catch her breath. She looked at Ashlyn and then flicked her eyes to the parking lot, where three cars of Bells Beach’s finest were pulling up.

“Nooooooooooooo!!!” Ashlyn screamed again. She glared at Tobin and then said, “You gotta let me go. You know there’s no way I can handle the cage.”

“I don’t care!” Tobin yelled. “You threatened Alex, asshole!”

“I was never going to do anything to her. You gotta know that! I was just bluffing.”

Tobin stared at Ashlyn, and then her anger got the better of her, and she socked Ashlyn in the face. Ashlyn yelped "Owww!!!" and went down to one knee, and Tobin kicked her in the stomach. “That’s for putting Alex's life in danger, asshole.”

“I swear, Tobin. I was never going to harm her.”

“Well, you sure had me fooled. And you scared the living shit out of her, not to mention all of the other people you’ve traumatized, holding them at gunpoint while you robbed their bank.” Ashlyn stared at her, and Tobin plowed on. “Well, I guess none of that matters now, does it? You’re going to prison forever, Ashlyn.”

Ashlyn looked at Tobin, a frightened expression on her face. Then she stood up and looked at Tobin, and her expression resolved to a Zen-like calm. “You got me. You got me, Tobin. I’m going to go away. And you’re gonna be a hero. Good for you.”

“It’s not for me, Ashlyn. It’s for Alex and everyone else you’ve terrorized.”

Ashlyn stared at Tobin and then nodded. “Yes, I have done wrong to people. And I need to pay for that.” Then she looked at the ocean. “But don’t put me in the cage.”

“Well, you’re not going free, I can fucking tell you that right now.”

“You don’t need to set me free”, Ashlyn said, looking back at Tobin. “Just send me out there”, she said, looking at the ocean again.

“What?” Tobin asked, not sure if she heard Ashlyn correctly.

“Just send me out there”, Ashlyn said again. “One ride. That’s all I want.” She stared at Tobin, and when Tobin didn’t answer Ashlyn said, “C’mon Tobin! You don’t think I’m gonna try to escape do you? I mean, eighty foot walls coming at us, cliffs on both sides of this beach…I’m not gonna paddle to New Zealand!”

“Why the fuck should I let you go out, huh?” Tobin spat. “I don’t owe you anything!”

“But you know the power, Tobin. The power of riding waves.” Ashlyn looked at the ocean and said, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. My whole life has been about this moment.” Then she looked at Tobin and said, “C’mon, dude. You know what’s gonna happen if I paddle out there. It’s gonna be a one way ride.” She paused for a moment and then said. “Either here, or in the cage – you’ll be rid of me, forever. This way, I won’t waste any taxpayer dollars.” Ashlyn held up her wrist that was attached to the handcuff and looked expectantly at Tobin.

Tobin stared at Ashlyn. On the one hand, she wanted Ashlyn to rot in prison, to suffer for what she had done. But on the other hand, Ashlyn had saved her life. If Tobin was honest with herself, Hope and her crew would have put Tobin in the hospital if Ashlyn hadn’t showed up. And Ashlyn and her had connected on surfing, something that now Tobin couldn’t imagine her life without. Plus, Ashlyn was right – there was no way she was coming back alive if she paddled out, and whether she died here or in prison, she wouldn’t be robbing any more banks or doing anyone any more harm ever again. Tobin stared at Ashlyn and then asked, “You truly weren’t going to harm Alex?” she asked.

“Truly”, Ashlyn said. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had. I just took her to get you to come with me. I could have called Press anytime and told her to let Alex go.”

Tobin stared at Ashlyn for a moment and then said, “Alright”. She unlocked the handcuff from Ashlyn’s wrist and then reared back and leveled Ashlyn with a roundhouse punch to the face. “That’s for putting Alex through that shit”, Tobin said as Ashlyn hit the sand.

“Alright, I deserve that”, Ashlyn said, wincing in pain.

Tobin stared at Ashlyn for a moment and then said, “Now, go take your ride.”

Ashlyn got up to her knees, still wincing. Then she looked up the beach to see the police heading towards her.

“I’d get moving if I was you”, Tobin said. Ashlyn looked at her for a moment and then nodded. She turned away from Tobin and then walked towards her board. She grabbed it, then looked at the giant walls of water for one more moment, and then charged into the water and paddled out. Tobin stared into the water as Ashlyn grew smaller and smaller, paddling into the massive swell.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” the police captain yelled at Tobin as he and his men stormed onto the sand. When Tobin didn’t answer, the captain yelled to his men, “Spread out! Ten meters apart. We’ll get her when she comes back in.”

Tobin watched as a giant wave just beyond Ashlyn started to crest. Ashlyn started paddling and then stood up right as the wave broke. She rode for about three seconds, and then the wave collapsed on top of her. She fell off her board and then plummeted down eight stories, hitting the bottom of the trough, and then eighty feet of water came crushing down on her. Tobin stared for a moment longer, looking for Ashlyn, but there was no sign.

“She’s not coming back”, Tobin said to the captain. Then she started walking towards the parking lot.

“What the fuck, Heath?! I’m gonna report you!” He yelled as she walked away.

Tobin walked for a few more feet and then turned around to face the captain. “Don’t bother. I’m not coming back, either”, she said. She fished out her FBI badge and threw it into the water, then turned around and headed back towards her car.