“The Things We Do For Love”

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What is a love story without a happy ending?

It’s just all the trials and tribulations in between that make it seem like it’s all too much effort with nothing but pain and misery punctuated by a few moments of utter delight.

I’m sure a story where everything works like clockwork might have been easier, but the thought of having some meaty characters standing between them and ultimate happiness was more interesting.

The idea of Emile, or the Turk, being an affable person, was modelled on Sidney Greenstreet, a rather interesting actor in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, and I’d just seen his performance in The Maltese Falcon.

When I first started the story, I wanted Michelle to have a secret, but at the time, it wasn’t for her to be a prostitute, simply a fashion model who fell in with the wrong crowd and got into trouble with drugs and the high life.

But that wasn’t interesting enough.  By that time, I was dabbling in the thriller genre, and realised I couldn’t write a Mills and Boon-type book, so it veered into thriller territory.

Who doesn’t like a guy who wants to rescue a fallen angel?

Why not make the fallen angel an avenging angel?  Her friends help her escape, and then she decided to help her friends escape to the freedom she fleetingly had, and now, determined, would have again.

But, the idea of freedom and the actual getting of it are two entirely different concepts.  400 pages worth of angst, setbacks, love found, and love lost, the love found again.  Henry might be a little too naïve, but he had to be to provide the extreme contrast in backgrounds and notions of what life is like.

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Words written 3,914, for a total of 111,685

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

What is a love story without a happy ending?

It’s just all the trials and tribulations in between that make it seem like it’s all too much effort with nothing but pain and misery punctuated by a few moments of utter delight.

I’m sure a story where everything works like clockwork might have been easier, but the thought of having some meaty characters standing between them and ultimate happiness was more interesting.

The idea of Emile, or the Turk, being an affable person, was modelled on Sidney Greenstreet, a rather interesting actor in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, and I’d just seen his performance in The Maltese Falcon.

When I first started the story, I wanted Michelle to have a secret, but at the time, it wasn’t for her to be a prostitute, simply a fashion model who fell in with the wrong crowd and got into trouble with drugs and the high life.

But that wasn’t interesting enough.  By that time, I was dabbling in the thriller genre, and realised I couldn’t write a Mills and Boon-type book, so it veered into thriller territory.

Who doesn’t like a guy who wants to rescue a fallen angel?

Why not make the fallen angel an avenging angel?  Her friends help her escape, and then she decided to help her friends escape to the freedom she fleetingly had, and now, determined, would have again.

But, the idea of freedom and the actual getting of it are two entirely different concepts.  400 pages worth of angst, setbacks, love found, and love lost, the love found again.  Henry might be a little too naïve, but he had to be to provide the extreme contrast in backgrounds and notions of what life is like.

…

Words written 3,914, for a total of 111,685

“The Things We Do For Love”

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Henry wakes to the realization that, one, he is in hospital with no memory of how he got there two, his brother Harry is nearby, three that he had no idea if his rescue mission succeeded or failed. And lastly, what happened to Radly.

The reality, he had been used as a human punching back, Michelle had disappeared, along with the Turk, and Harry made the conscious decision not to tell his little brother what had transpired while he was in the hospital.  Good news though, Diana and Radly were in the same hospital, and were alive.

Harry has pieced together the night’s events, and ever relating it, he wonders how any of them are still alive.

His father comes to visit, and it’s apparent he doesn’t know the real reason Henry is there.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  Henry has bought a house in his now favourite village by the sea, easily accessible by train, for now, and plants to go there when discharged.

Michelle has not returned, and he has told himself that she might never.  It’s that old saying, better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

Then it’s off to Morganville.

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Words written 4,637, for a total of 107,771

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Henry wakes to the realization that, one, he is in hospital with no memory of how he got there two, his brother Harry is nearby, three that he had no idea if his rescue mission succeeded or failed. And lastly, what happened to Radly.

The reality, he had been used as a human punching back, Michelle had disappeared, along with the Turk, and Harry made the conscious decision not to tell his little brother what had transpired while he was in the hospital.  Good news though, Diana and Radly were in the same hospital, and were alive.

Harry has pieced together the night’s events, and ever relating it, he wonders how any of them are still alive.

His father comes to visit, and it’s apparent he doesn’t know the real reason Henry is there.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  Henry has bought a house in his now favourite village by the sea, easily accessible by train, for now, and plants to go there when discharged.

Michelle has not returned, and he has told himself that she might never.  It’s that old saying, better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

Then it’s off to Morganville.

…

Words written 4,637, for a total of 107,771

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Henry and Diana are sent to a hospital where Henry’s father was on call, both appalled when he discovers the identity of one of the victims, and ready to operate on his son.

Banner curses his late arrival as the Turk got away, and so, apparently, did Michelle.

She returns briefly to see Henry and talk to Harry.  She asks if he is willing to help make those who caused Henry pain, and he readily agrees.

Henry survives but will be in an induced coma for a while.

Harry gets the call, and with some of his friends, they are off to capture those who caused Henry’s injuries, principally Felix and the Turk.  The mission is run by Michelle, whose slowly evolving plan has reached maturity.

First Felix, at one of the parlours.  He has one weakness, and it is his downfall.

Then the Turk, who thinks he is invisible, but there was one person who knows all of his secrets, his one weakness.

Both end up in a room, securely bound, awaiting their fate.

It’s going to be a long slow death.

Banner runs into one of his old felons, who just happens to be the Turk’s neighbour, and who is able to fill Banner in on some details, like who may have perpetrated the kidnapping.

He headed to Harry’s place and all but accuses him, but with no tangible evidence, all Banner has is suspicions.  He leaves empty-handed.

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Words written 4,808, for a total of 103,134

“The Things We Do For Love”

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Henry and Diana are sent to a hospital where Henry’s father was on call, both appalled when he discovers the identity of one of the victims, and ready to operate on his son.

Banner curses his late arrival as the Turk got away, and so, apparently, did Michelle.

She returns briefly to see Henry and talk to Harry.  She asks if he is willing to help make those who caused Henry pain, and he readily agrees.

Henry survives but will be in an induced coma for a while.

Harry gets the call, and with some of his friends, they are off to capture those who caused Henry’s injuries, principally Felix and the Turk.  The mission is run by Michelle, whose slowly evolving plan has reached maturity.

First Felix, at one of the parlours.  He has one weakness, and it is his downfall.

Then the Turk, who thinks he is invisible, but there was one person who knows all of his secrets, his one weakness.

Both end up in a room, securely bound, awaiting their fate.

It’s going to be a long slow death.

Banner runs into one of his old felons, who just happens to be the Turk’s neighbour, and who is able to fill Banner in on some details, like who may have perpetrated the kidnapping.

He headed to Harry’s place and all but accuses him, but with no tangible evidence, all Banner has is suspicions.  He leaves empty-handed.

…

Words written 4,808, for a total of 103,134

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

The waiting game begins.

Henry moves into the hotel to begin the wait for the call from Michelle.

Radly turns up, having decided to join the rescue mission, and they while away the time playing chess.

Then, the call comes, and decisive action is prompted by the news of Angie’s death.

They are given the location, and it’s time to move.

They are being followed.  The Turks men had Henry’s location and were on surveillance, waiting to see what he would do.

Seems the Turk never believed Michelle’s promises, and vice versa.

Radly leads them on a merry-goose chase, and then manipulates them into having an accident which ends their surveillance.  Unfortunately, it also ends the protection provided by Banner, his men being caught up in the traffic disaster.

Henry’s finally at the door, only to find a woman he least expects.  Michelle is also there.

They go to leave, and the Turk is standing in the doorway.

The reunion doesn’t last long.  Michelle is dragged away, unconscious and Henry’s brief but futile resistance is met with extreme violence.  He is taken away too but downstairs all is in darkness and there’s hesitation on the Turk’s part.

Henry escapes and finds Radly ensconced with Diana, waiting for the inevitable in another apartment.  That becomes a messy last stand, Radly badly injured, as Diana and Henry escape, as far as the Turks man who sees them and deals with Henry first.

Banner arrives too late to prevent both Henry and Diana from paying a hefty price for their involvement.

…

Words written 3,980, for a total of 98,326

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

The waiting game begins.

Henry moves into the hotel to begin the wait for the call from Michelle.

Radly turns up, having decided to join the rescue mission, and they while away the time playing chess.

Then, the call comes, and decisive action is prompted by the news of Angie’s death.

They are given the location, and it’s time to move.

They are being followed.  The Turks men had Henry’s location and were on surveillance, waiting to see what he would do.

Seems the Turk never believed Michelle’s promises, and vice versa.

Radly leads them on a merry-goose chase, and then manipulates them into having an accident which ends their surveillance.  Unfortunately, it also ends the protection provided by Banner, his men being caught up in the traffic disaster.

Henry’s finally at the door, only to find a woman he least expects.  Michelle is also there.

They go to leave, and the Turk is standing in the doorway.

The reunion doesn’t last long.  Michelle is dragged away, unconscious and Henry’s brief but futile resistance is met with extreme violence.  He is taken away too but downstairs all is in darkness and there’s hesitation on the Turk’s part.

Henry escapes and finds Radly ensconced with Diana, waiting for the inevitable in another apartment.  That becomes a messy last stand, Radly badly injured, as Diana and Henry escape, as far as the Turks man who sees them and deals with Henry first.

Banner arrives too late to prevent both Henry and Diana from paying a hefty price for their involvement.

…

Words written 3,980, for a total of 98,326

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Suitably warned off, and after agreeing to wait for the word to come to rescue her, one Henry feels sceptical about, they return to Henry’s hotel room and toast their good luck and savour the air conditioning.

And start making other foolish plans, like rescuing Angie and Millie, her friends, as a means of hastening Michelle’s decision to leave with them.  Like any plan made without knowing all the facts, it is fraught with danger.

Radly tells Henry that his view of their world was stilted by his background, that not everyone wants to be saved, and that they just might like the life they have.  Henry, of course, doesn’t get it, nor realise what he thinks and how he acts has been shaped by the world he lives in.  It’s a shattering truth he still doesn’t consider possible.

Despite Radly’s reservations, that doesn’t stop them.  Knowing where Angie lives, they make the assumption that Angie would want to be rescued, and suitably fortified by cold beer, they depart.

Doing something, or anything is preferable to sitting around doing nothing.

It was a mission that was destined to fail, but not for the reasons Radly postulated.

When they get to her apartment the door is open.  Inside they are met with the unexpected and tragic consequences of a user that has just pushed the envelope a little too far.

They find Angie dead from an overdose.

For her, the knights in shining armour are too late.

…

Words written 4,769, for a total of 94,346

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Suitably warned off, and after agreeing to wait for the word to come to rescue her, one Henry feels sceptical about, they return to Henry’s hotel room and toast their good luck and savour the air conditioning.

And start making other foolish plans, like rescuing Angie and Millie, her friends, as a means of hastening Michelle’s decision to leave with them.  Like any plan made without knowing all the facts, it is fraught with danger.

Radly tells Henry that his view of their world was stilted by his background, that not everyone wants to be saved, and that they just might like the life they have.  Henry, of course, doesn’t get it, nor realise what he thinks and how he acts has been shaped by the world he lives in.  It’s a shattering truth he still doesn’t consider possible.

Despite Radly’s reservations, that doesn’t stop them.  Knowing where Angie lives, they make the assumption that Angie would want to be rescued, and suitably fortified by cold beer, they depart.

Doing something, or anything is preferable to sitting around doing nothing.

It was a mission that was destined to fail, but not for the reasons Radly postulated.

When they get to her apartment the door is open.  Inside they are met with the unexpected and tragic consequences of a user that has just pushed the envelope a little too far.

They find Angie dead from an overdose.

For her, the knights in shining armour are too late.

…

Words written 4,769, for a total of 94,346