Chapter Twelve
Tracking
New Orleans
Same Time
Wednesday Afternoon
T he Major was NOT amused. The men were driving around, and Maura wasn’t one hundred percent sure they weren’t made. On top of that, they were burning daylight, and that was annoying.
Maybe it was the hormones, but it was taking forever to get to the second dead man’s home.
For now, they had to hope it was sooner, rather than later.
It was already later into the afternoon, and they had to get back to base and hope that they had coordinates to make a night assault on the one Marine who was still alive.
They needed a witness to this bullshit, so they could see what the hell was going on.
“I’m getting annoyed,” Jagger admitted. “More so than usual. Do you think they’re fucking with us?” he asked, glancing down at his watch.
That was a good question.
As for getting pissy…
She understood that.
So.
Was.
She.
“Do you think they made us?” she asked, knowing they were following in the most obvious, obnoxious vehicle known to mankind.
This blacked-out Hummer with chrome all over it screamed ‘man with small dick’ or ‘mercenary’ .
Thankfully, only half of that was right.
At her question, Jagger paused. Honestly, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure at this point. For all he knew, these two idiots were leading them to a trap after picking up their tail.
Never trust a mercenary—especially one who worked for The BlackStone Group .
“How far is the address from here?” he asked.
Maura tapped her vest, turning on their copilot in the crazy, MATE.
“Hey, MATE, calculate how far Thomas Lewiston’s address is from our location.”
Thankfully, it didn’t take her long.
“Major, the man’s home is three blocks West from your current location.”
Just as she was about to say something, Maura watched the two men park, and she drove right past them so as not to pique any suspicion.
As she did, Jagger was turned in his seat, watching them.
“I’m betting they are going to creep through yards and go there. They’re heading West.”
That seemed like the most obvious thing, and that meant that Maura knew what she needed to do.
Cut.
Them.
Off.
“We have to beat them there,” she said, heading West herself.
If they were lucky, they could get into the house before them.
‘We’re on our way, Major,” Zayn said over the com. “You’ll have backup in a few.”
That was good to know.
“MATE, what house am I looking for?” she asked, as she hauled ass the three blocks so they could get into position too.
The bottom line was that it was easier to ambush them INSIDE . These were two soldiers, and they wouldn’t go down easy.
They had served in Afghanistan, likely, since that was how they got hooked up with the man. They didn’t know how well they fought in a hand-to-hand fight.
Out in the open.
“Rogue,” she said, getting the man’s attention over the com.
“Yes, Major?” he asked.
Maura didn’t like going into situations where she wasn’t aware of the possible outcomes. There was just too little known about these two men.
She and Jagger could hold their own, but why risk it.
“Run the two men’s faces. See if The BlackStone Group valued them enough and got them wiped. If not, I want their IDs. One is British, and one is American.”
He could do that.
“On it,” he said.
Maura parked the Hummer on the nearest street, and she put her earbud in, just in case they had to move quickly.
Jagger did the same.
Together, they got out, and tried not to be too noticeable.
That was easier said than done since she was sporting a Kevlar vest.
Luckily, they had the little black box on them, and they were able to continually keep blocking video footage.
The bottom line was that the time of day was saving their bacon. Thankfully, most people were at work.
As they got closer to the house, MATE spoke to her in her ear.
“It’s the white one with the blue shutters,” she said. “Someone took down the police tape, but that’s the address in the absconded police reports that Merry got her hands on.”
There was no shock that the neighbors likely pulled the tape down.
NONE.
No one wanted to live next to a crime scene. Having to see that every day would likely freak some people out. Not them since they mostly made crime scenes.
“Thank you, MATE,” she whispered, as Jagger boosted his wife over the fence.
Because she wasn’t too pregnant, she landed on the other side, on her feet.
A few more months, and she wasn’t doing that. She’d like to keep their baby INSIDE of her—not dangling from the umbilical bungee cord.
It didn’t take long before Jagger was right behind her and landed not far away.
Together, they approached the house, and peeking inside the kitchen window, they could see the smudges on the walls, counters, and appliances.
Yeah, this was it.
A crime scene team had definitely been here.
“Major, we’re just pulling up,” Zayn said. “I had to drive because Jinx was a little too giddy behind the wheel. She can’t obey laws.”
She kept her voice low.
“We’re about to enter the house. Watch for us. The two men are approaching from the East,” she said. “Get Eve into position in case we need backup. They don’t leave the house until we talk to them.”
They were going to have a little chitchat for some intel.
“Copy,” he said.
To get them inside, Jagger popped the kitchen lock, and together, they made access to the home.
Like the last one, there was DEFINITELY a murder there.
Once inside the threshold, it smelled like a blood-fest in there. That told them everything they needed to know about what went down.
Someone was consistent.
The Marine who had lived here had also been tortured big-time.
OOF.
Moving into the living room, they found the two best spots where they could tuck away until their unsuspecting guests showed up.
The whole time, Jagger was not far from his wife, and there was a reason.
It was safe to say that he was hovering.
No.
Big.
Shock.
Eve must have been in place because they both heard her over the com.
“We have them coming down the side of the house,” she warned. “Zayn and Jinx are going to get into place in the backyard to block their escape if they try to run. You have the front door.”
That worked for them.
“Copy,” Maura said, hearing the door open in the kitchen where they just came inside.
Now, they just needed to make sure they didn’t slip out the front.
As they stayed where they were, they saw the two men walk into the living room, and begin digging around in books, files, and the desk.
They were desperately seeking something.
Missing money would do that to people.
“Willy, we’d better find something,” the American said. “I am NOT calling Von and telling him we didn’t find that key.”
The British man reassured him.
“Don’t worry, Trent. We’ll find it. They searched the Doctor’s house, so that means it’s with him, or he hid it away. We looked everywhere else. Let’s just cross it off our list, and get the job done. We’ll get it for Von. Just be calm, Mate.”
As soon as the British guy spoke, their vests responded in their ear. MATE, their MATE, wasn’t happy.
“I don’t like him using my name. Can you kill them for me? I require a sacrifice.”
Maura had to fight not to laugh.
Why?
Over the ear bud, Zayn nearly lost his damn mind when she said that.
“I told you! They are going to kill us. AI is going to sacrifice all of us! She just said it. I don’t want my brain to be their dinner!”
MATE responded.
“That’s a small snack, Pretty boy.”
Jesus.
H.
Christ.
They were trying to work here, and now Jagger had to try not to laugh.
He’d tell them behave, but he and Maura weren’t that far from the two mercenaries.
They were so close that the big man walked right past them tucked away.
The men kept talking.
“Von needs that money. The BlackStone Group has to balance the books. Fifty million is a lot, and Von wants to make an example of the dead man. You don’t steal from him. If we find it, he’ll calm his ego down, and we’ll all be okay.”
The American shrugged.
“Well, if the team didn’t fuck it up and let that limey bastard steal it, we wouldn’t be playing this game. I liked our friends. I didn’t want to kill my brothers. Well, except the pilot. He caused all this. There’s always a goodie two-shoes in the mix.”
Maura glanced over at Jagger, and he lifted a brow. It seemed they were getting some good intel. MATE was recording everything they were saying, so they could go over it later.
Now, if they’d just tell them where to find Von, then maybe they could start taking out the trash.
As they were standing prone, MATE spoke in their ears again. This time, to warn them.
“They are approaching,” MATE warned. “They are going to discover Maura’s position in three, two, one,” she stated.
Well, her husband had a problem with that.
Instead of letting her be found, he outed himself to draw their attention.
That’s when Jagger stepped out of the shadows, and took down the one guy.
He hit him hard, fast, and leveled him before the American guy even knew what was happening.
That was one down.
When Maura stepped out, the British dude paused, caught off-guard.
“Hey, my guy. We need to talk,” she said, flipping out a knife, ready for hand-to-hand.
Unfortunately, she didn’t get to have any fun.
The coward took off.
Only, they were ready for him.
When he went to escape, he ran smack dab into Zayn coming through the door. The big guy clotheslined him to the throat, and he fell to the floor.
With.
A.
Thud.
Beside him stood the two Snakes. As the guy went flat to his back, Jinx, stood on him, her boot on his neck.
“I hate when they run,” Jinx said.
Eve picked up the guys arm and dropped it.
“He’s out cold. You leveled him.”
Zayn shrugged.
“I’m just doing what I’m paid to do—make sure the pregnant lunatics don’t get hurt.”
The second he said it, Jinx and Eve foot swept him, and he landed on top of the mercenary on the floor.
“HEY!” he said. “That wasn’t nice!”
They both ignored him.
“I hate when I don’t get to punch him like Jagger does,” Maura admitted, ignoring the big man on the floor. “Chicken shit,” she muttered.
Jagger just sighed.
“I know I keep saying this,” he began, “but this pregnancy is likely what kills me,” he added.
His wife laughed.
He did say that a lot.
When Zayn got off of the one Mercenary, who was going to be feeling that body slam for his very short future, they grabbed them both.
“Get them into chairs,” Maura said. “We have to figure out what the bloody fuck is going on here. They know something about what’s going down, so we’ll extract what we can.”
They dropped them into chairs, and checked out the competition.
It wasn’t much.
“We have that picture,” Jinx said, getting it out of Zayn’s bag. Two of the names on there match,” she said. “One is Trent, and one is Willy,” she said, showing them. “They likely served with the platoon.”
And were on BlackStone ’s payroll.
“Well, good to know,” Jagger said. “They are sorry excuses for soldiers,” he added.
Yes.
They.
Were.
They killed their brothers-in-arms, and that made them nothing more than cowards. They were more than happy to take out this trash.
This crime scene would be getting more bodies.
Oops.
Hopefully, Elizabeth handled Thomas Bernard because this wouldn’t look like a drive-by anytime soon.
“Wake them up,” Maura said, not worried if they saw her. They wouldn’t be reporting in.
That was for damn sure.
Jinx and Eve did just that, slapping the shit out of both of them until they woke up.
When they did, Maura got down to business.
“Hey, princesses. Welcome to the party,” she said. “We’re Marines, and well, you’re in some shit.”
Both men didn’t look thrilled.
Well, at least they could read a room.
Because she doubted their IQ, she started with the easy questions—the one they already knew the answer to.
“What’s your name?” she asked, sitting not far away from them.
Immediately, both men closed their mouths.
Well, that was a first. They’d been running them plenty at their two stops.
She tried to rationalize with them.
“Listen, we know you guys are looking for the crypto key to score fifty million for your boss, Von Donore. We know that BlackStone is up to some dirty business here in NOLA. What we don’t know is who else is involved and where can we find your boss. We’d like to talk to him. I’d share if I were you. It’s the difference between dying fast, or painfully.”
That didn’t make them want to share information, even though they already had most of the information.
When they didn’t talk, Maura shrugged.
“Okay, Jinx and Zayn, make them talk,” she said, getting comfortable as they got to work. The only reason she didn’t have Eve help was the woman had given birth three days ago.
And Dakota kept reminding her of that over and over again on the com.
Someone was ready to lose his nut. It was one thing to make her creep in the shadows, but get physical?
Maura got it.
The two Marines worked the British guy over since he looked the most worried.
Zayn bent him forward, and Jinx pulled out a knife. She began cutting around his ears, his hair, and then started pulling.
She was scalping him.
“Nice one,” Zayn said. “You honor my ancestors, and they approve of that.”
She snorted.
“Maybe I’m honoring Rogue’s ancestors,” she said. “He is half Native,” she stated.
“And half out of his mind for marrying a Snake.”
They two women just laughed.
Oh, they knew they were crazy.
This torture was proof.
Willy wasn’t faring well, to be honest. The screams alone, and the way he was fighting told the tale.
Being scalped alive had to suck.
When Jinx had half of his scalp pulled from his head, he started singing like a goddamn canary.
“Von wants the money!” he began, as the tears came. “He tracked it from Afghanistan to the pilot,” he whimpered. “The pilot stole it, and then it went missing! We’ve been looking for three years. Do you know how hard it is to find a crypto key in Afghanistan?” he asked.
The other man, the Marine, was horrified. Someone was definitely a pussy.
“Shup up,” Trent said. “What Von can do to us is far worse than what they could do to us,” he warned.
Only, the man wasn’t doing that.
Not.
At.
All.
Willy wanted to live.
Oh, he wasn’t, but he wanted to.
“He thinks the pilot stole it so BlackStone couldn’t get their hands on it. He was being a goodie two-shoes and stopping BlackStone from buying Taliban help. He had him killed. Before he did, he put the key somewhere, and we’re looking for it.”
Jagger was curious.
“Who was the pilot?” he asked.
The man went there.
“Hemmingway!” he shouted.
Well, that crossed another name off the back of that picture, now didn’t it?
Eve had the photo.
“Well, that takes care of five people. The two dead Marines who were tortured and homes we just visited, these two assholes, and the one brave pilot—the only one I have any respect for,” Eve stated.
Jagger was curious.
“How many are left on the list?”
“Seven,” she said, after counting them.
Well, they were moving through them now.
As Willy was bleeding, and half his scalp was hanging in front of his face, Maura wanted more.
“Okay, so what did you non-reputable traitors do next?” Maura asked, trying not to get out her gun and shoot them both for being pieces of shit.
Willy kept singing.
“We found the pilot’s family in the UK. We killed them when they didn’t have the key. We came here to his brother’s home to see if he has it. Only, the doctor brother escaped, and we are trying to track him. He and some guy took off into the woods.”
Well, good for them.
That only proved that these mercenaries were dumb as fuck. They’d let people escape, and didn’t see themselves being captured.
Yeah, Von had to be really angry about this.
Good.
Angry people made mistakes. He’d peek his head out of the hole at some point, and they’d have them.
“What’s the doctor’s name?” Jagger asked.
He’d heard them talking about searching the man’s home, so they were likely still there if the pilot’s brother was on the lam.
That sounded like he had the crypto key, and likely took it with him to keep it safe.
After all, he never accessed the money.
At his question, the man didn’t get to answer. The Marine beside him was up, pulled a knife, sliced his partner’s throat, and then lunged for Maura.
He moved so fast, they hadn’t been expecting it.
Trent took her backward on the chair, and was about to shank her when Jagger went shit wild on him.
He grabbed him and rolled, and then beat the ever-living shit out of the man.
Again.
And they just watched, helping the uninjured Maura off of the floor.
Jagger went insane.
It was clear he was lost in the rage. He pummeled his face until his nose was pulverized, and he was breathing in blood.
Then, and only then, he got off of him, breathing heavily.
That’s when he turned to make sure his wife was safe.
“Woah, boy. Uh, excessive?” Zayn asked. “You made his face a meat puzzle.”
Jagger wasn’t playing.
He literally growled.
“He touched my pregnant wife. Let’s go poke Stella with a knife, and see how you react.”
Zayn raised his hands in surrender. Clearly, he was NOT in the mood to joke.
“Calm down, little guy,” he said, as Jinx elbowed him to shut him up.
Sometimes, Zayn didn’t have any common sense. A pissed off Jagger was NEVER a good thing. There were only a few things that made him irrational.
The pretty brunette was it, and so were his kids.
Jagger was a man on the edge.
Clearly.
Know who wasn’t fazed?
The pretty brunette.
“Thanks, Babe,” Maura said. “You didn’t have to kill and go insane on him. We can’t question him now.”
He stared at her.
“What?” she asked.
“You could have been shanked,” he said. “You didn’t even try to defend yourself.”
She actually laughed.
Oh, she knew how to soothe the savage Captain.
“J, you’re so far up my ass that I don’t have to defend myself. You stepped out before I was seen when they came into our space, and you were close to me when he lunged. I figured you had it. I know my partner. I’m not getting between you and your hormonal pregnancy rage.”
Jinx snorted.
“I mean, she’s right,” she said, when Jagger was staring at her. “You’re all over her. If Rogue was here, he’d be the same. I’d not have to make a move either. Granted, Zayn isn’t protecting me,” she stated, knowing what it would do.
Their coms all came to life.
They’d been suspiciously silent when Jagger was showing the man how to rearrange his own face.
“Oh, he isn’t?” Rogue said over the com. “Sure, Elizabeth, take the little baby and get on a flight out of here,” he said. “I’m sure you can assimilate her into your family without anyone being any the wiser.”
They all heard her laughter.
Only, now, Zayn wasn’t amused.
Not.
At.
All.
“Playboy, I’ll kick your ass. I know where you live. I’m going to go to your house and tell Grace you’re being mean to me.”
Rogue laughed.
Because he needed it, Maura soothed her savage Marine.
“Babe, I know what my man can do. I wouldn’t have been shanked. I had my knife. You know I’m good with it. I just didn’t want him incapacitated. He’s not wearing body armor. I was.”
Maura had a point.
He calmed down.
“We tie up the assholes next time,” he said. “I don’t want to have a stroke before Rebecca is born.”
They all made oohhhhhhhh sounds.
“We know the name,” Zayn said, dancing in a circle. “And that it’s a girl.”
Jagger rolled his eyes.
“You’re a child.”
Zayn winked at the Major.
Crisis.
Adverted.
Now that Jagger was calmer, they still had some work to do. They might have missed the crypto key here, even though she doubted it.
“Let’s root around. Luckily for us, we didn’t shoot them,” Jinx said. “ShotSpotter didn’t get activated. We have some time.”
She was right.
They doubted the cops were coming back here—well, until one of the neighbors complained of a smell.
AGAIN.
All four of them rooted around Thomas Lewiston’s home, and they found plenty of stuff.
Just none of it that would give them any information on where to find Von Donore, who the doctor was, or the crypto key. It looked like they were right.
It wasn’t here.
Too bad the men were dead, and they couldn’t get more out of them.
Only, shit happened, especially when Jagger was worried about the well-being of his wife.
When her vest chimed, Maura touched her ear. Home base was alerting her, and she hoped it was for something good.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Major, I’ve located two possible hidey-holes that belong to the one living Marine. They are hunting cabins in the swamp. Someone liked gators,” Merry said. “I’m trying to narrow them down.”
Before she could answer, Rogue was on the com too.
“I ran their faces, like you asked. They weren’t in the system. It looks like Von Donore had all of his little buddies wiped. It’s a good thing we have the platoon list from Elizabeth.”
Yes.
It.
Was.
They were going to need to rely on that, and the picture until they put faces to everyone.
“We’ll be coming in. I need you to start running everyone on that list,” she said. “Anyone in that platoon in Afghanistan needs a deep search, Rogue and Merry. Have Dakota help if he isn’t tied up with the baby. These two gave us general information, and we need specifics—before Von Donore knows we’re onto him.”
Oh, they could do that.
“We’re starting to do it now,” she said. “Oh, and by the way, Calyx has something.”
Great.
She’d take anything she could at this point.
They were burning daylight.
Now, she had to hope that whoever the doctor was, that he stayed tucked away long enough if he had that crypto key.
They didn’t want to lose it to Von, and The BlackStone Group . Oh, the government could live without fifty million, but with that kind of money, The BlackStone Group could do some major damage.
Somewhere in the world.
“Hey, girl. Whatcha got for me?” Maura asked, curiously.
Calyx was ready for her.
“We did some digging, and we have intel on Charlie Hancock, the other soldier on the run.”
She waited.
“Apparently, he doesn’t live here,” she said. “ BUT his one ex-girlfriend does. We found a birth certificate, and she has a baby with him. Want to bet that he’s hiding or staying with his baby momma?” she asked. “To lay low? I know if all my Marine buddies were dying, I’d want to go somewhere safe.”
Jagger was disgusted.
“Yeah, I’d totally go to my baby momma’s and risk her and my child’s lives,” he said sarcastically. “These are the shittiest Marines we’ve met, and we’ve met quite a few winners,” he said, looking at Zayn.
“ HEY ! I resemble that remark,” he joked, making Jagger laugh.
Maura ignored them both, and happened to agree with what he was saying.
“Only, they aren’t exactly honorable,” she said. “So why not be scummy all the way?”
She had a point.
Jagger looked at his watch.
“Were coming back in for a bit. We can’t make an assault on the hunting cabin in the daylight. As for the locations, Merry, please say that they aren’t in the alligator infested water,” he said.
She did what he asked, especially after his last outburst that they all heard. Hearing someone beat a man to death was never a pretty sound.
It was wet and gross.
Someone was already on the edge, and they knew why.
His baby momma, and wife, had sex with Von Donore. While he might say he was okay with it, they all knew Jagger, and well.
HE.
WAS.
NOT.
He’d piss on her to mark his territory on a good day. On a bad one…
It was no holds barred.
“It’s not in the alligator infested water, Jagger,” she said.
He was pleasantly surprised.
For about a second.
“Really?” he asked, suspiciously.
They all laughed.
Well, fuck.
“The one I’m picking it to be is totally in the middle of a swamp, and your baby momma is going to go swimming while baby is on board. What did you think was going to happen? This is New Orleans , Captain. You’ve been to this rodeo many times before.”
He sighed.
Jesus.
H.
Christ.
He’d hoped that this wasn’t going to be a clusterfuck, but he could tell that was definitely not his luck.
Maura was smiling next to him.
She was going swimming.
With his baby on board.
Yeah, he hated this job.
* * * Hunters * * *
New Orleans
Thomas Bernard’s
Home
Same Time
Wolf drove him around for a good hour, making turns, taking back roads, and thoroughly confusing the man as to the direction he’d come from.
Just.
In.
Case.
The last thing the boss lady wanted was the man finding his way back to Area Fifty-Two and The Hunters.
Even as he drove him, the man was in the back seat, on the floor, begging for him to set him free.
Well, that was the plan.
“You’re almost home, Cher,” he said.
Tommy fought for his life. He didn’t believe the man was taking him home, but instead, to his death.
“Please let me out. I’m a cop.”
That made him laugh.
Oh, this was a funny one.
Then, as a cop, he should know better than to fuck with Elizabeth Blackhawk.
“And I’m a mercenary for the US government. I’m glad we both know our job roles. You made a mess, Cher. You poked the bear. Don’t you know that Elizabeth can make your life easy or hell?”
Oh, he knew.
She’d made it a total hell.
That was for sure.
Well, her and her husband had made it hell, and he’d never forget it.
“I just want to go home,” he said.
Wolf shook his head.
“You are going home. I’m not taking you to some cave to kill and skin you. Calm down. I’m in front of your house now,” he said.
That helped a little bit.
“Really?”
The man laughed.
“Really.”
As he came to a stop, he got out, opened the back door, and cut the man free.
“Here you go. Home sweet home,” he admitted.
The man got up from the floor, and pulled the hood from his head. When he saw he was home, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for not killing me.”
The man laughed.
“I wasn’t told to kill you,” he admitted. “Had I been, then you wouldn’t be here. I follow instructions. I was told to bring you home. This is home. I’ll warn you though,” he began.
Tommy stared at him.
Honestly, he didn’t care what he had to say. His heart hurt.
He felt betrayed.
Apparently, Gene really didn’t want anything to do with him. He’d held out hope through the whole mess that it was Elizabeth brainwashing him, or Ethan keeping him from being with him.
Clearly, that wasn’t the case.
“What?” he asked.
“Don’t fuck around with the Deputy Director. She walks the walk, and talks the talk. She will do what she says. We’ve been watching you, and she’s been very patient for your ex’s sake. She won’t be for much longer.”
He said nothing.
“The FBI put you into this position. Just do your job, and stay out of their hair. If you go back to Chartres, we’re going to have to hurt you.”
He got out.
“I hear you. I won’t go back to Chartres.”
And he wouldn’t.
There was no point.
His man…
He was done with him.
“Can I go in?” he asked, wanting to handle a few things.
Wolf nodded.
“Be smart, Captain,” he stated.
As the man went inside, Wolf left, and he fully suspected having to come back here at some point.
Call it a hunch.
Someone wasn’t going to learn a lesson easily.
As for the other man, Tommy was grateful to be home. Once safely in his house, he picked up the phone and made a call.
“Yes, Commissioner?” he said, when the man answered. “This is Captain Thomas Bernard. Thank you for taking my call. I’m calling to tender my resignation. Something personal came up, and I’m going to be leaving NOLA. Thank you for the job, and the chance to be here.”
He listened.
Despite the man being unhappy with his resignation, he still tried to get him to stay.
There was no point.
He’d never come back here again.
Why?
He was destroyed by this place. Deep down, he wished he never came here.
“It’s effective immediately,” he said, not giving them two weeks’ notice to replace them. He was expendable here, and he knew it.
After getting read the riot act by his boss—his ex-boss, Tommy hung up.
Inside, he felt cold, dead, and empty. Like the one last part of him that had any feelings was stomped to pieces and destroyed.
He was annihilated by love.
Going to his room, he picked up the picture of him and Gene, and he smashed it to bits on the edge of the dresser, letting out his rage. He tore the picture into pieces, and threw it into the garbage.
Still, he wasn’t satisfied.
It didn’t help ease the pain.
Then again, nothing likely would.
Then, he took out his gun, loaded it, and tucked it into his belt.
Packing a bag, he grabbed his things, and headed out to his car.
To take a trip.
Tommy had something he needed to handle.
Once and for all.
And he was going to prove that he was no one’s doormat.
Ever again.