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archetTitle: Angels Ain’t Easy
Author: Archet
Pairing: OMC Jody McKinnon/Matt Hawkes
Fandom: High Mountain Rangers
Summary: a story of falling in love, figuring things out and just holding on.
Disclaimer: I did not create the High Mountain Ranger character/s, only this fic and the Original Male Character, Jody McKinnon, and any other original characters in supporting roles. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: this fic is set in 1989, approximately a year and a half after the events of the final episode of High Mountain Rangers. There will be no acknowledgment of the events of the spin-off show Jesse Hawkes.
Note: this fic takes place a little over four months after Bad Luck, Bad Guys and High Mountain Rangers and is a sequel to that fic, so reading that first is recommended.
Additional: this fic will depict same sex physical and romantic relationships, and dominate/submissive themes. If this ain’t your thing, venture no further.
Summary this chapter: details are finally beginning to come to light as Jody joins forces with Jonathan to locate Matt.
***Additional Notes/ramblings at end of chapter***
~*~
Chapter 24: Getting the Band Together
Loosening his grip just enough to allow a modicum of oxygen to flow into Silva’s throat, Jody clenched his jaw, reminding himself of the two teens standing in the kitchen, looking on. Taking a deep breath, with effort, he loosened his hold even further. Shifting his weight he looked into Jonathan’s eyes which practically blazed out from his reddened face.
“Where is Matt?” Jody asked again, spitting the words out.
Abruptly, Jonathan coughed, and sucked in a choppy, stuttering breath. “Fucking lunatic,” he managed to get out, voice a rough scrape.
Lip curling up, Jody favored the man with a grim smile. “You have no idea.”
Taking a moment of enjoyment at the dismay in Jonathan’s grey eyes, Jody stared him down.
“Answer the fucking question, Silva.”
Swallowing, his throat working against the palm of Jody’s hand, Jonathan shook his head. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. How would I know where Matt is?”
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jody made to lean back in, get back in Jonathan’s face when the cool touch of metal pressed against the back of his neck stilled him.
In his periphery he sensed movement from the kitchen, and without moving he called out, “Stay where you are boys.”
The chilly metal eased away from his skin, and turning his head, Jody came face to face with the business end of a 10mm Bren Ten, and its wielder. The pale watchdog. Alex.
“Stand down, big man,” Alex warned, voice smooth and collected.
“Alex, take it easy,” Jonathan grated out past the hand on his jugular, his gaze fixed on Alex over Jody’s shoulder.
Eyes narrowing, Alex took a careful step back. The Bren Ten didn’t so much as wobble. He was much as Jody remembered him, tall and thin with white blonde hair and unwelcoming blue eyes.
“I’m supposed to take it easy?” Alex asked, a sliver of incredulousness creeping into his even tone, and though his head tilted toward Jonathan, his eyes remained fixed on Jody.
Impressed by Alex’s even hand, Jody noted, “If you were gonna use that thing, you’d have done it by now.”
Squaring up his stance, Alex favored him with a wry smile. “Maybe, maybe not, McKinnon. But I’d suggest you not test the theory.”
Careful to telegraph his intentions, Jody pulled his hand back. Flexing fingers that had been wrapped about Jonathan’s throat, he rolled his shoulders. He turned toward Alex and regarded him with an assessing, but not aggressive, perusal.
“Put it away. There are two kids in the kitchen that doesn’t need to be part of this.”
Brow arching, Alex tipped his head to one side, looking past Jody’s shoulder and across the living room and into the kitchen. After a moment’s consideration, he let out a slow breath, pursed his lips, and lowered his weapon. His gaze slid back to Jonathan, who had straightened, but still rested against the wall, rubbing his throat with one hand.
“What is this about Matt?” Jonathan asked, the words a rough rasp from his abused throat. He glared at Jody. “I just left him a couple hours ago, he was fine.”
Retreating one careful step back toward the front door, Alex folded his arms in front of him, crossing them at the wrists. He’d taken his finger off the pistol’s trigger, but Jody noted he was careful to keep the weapon at the ready. Standing alert, Alex’s gaze flicked around the room, before coming to fix firmly on Jonathan.
Jody speculated briefly at the dynamic between the two, and then wondered how he could use it to work to his advantage. Alex was clearly protective of Silva, though whether out of some sense of personal obligation, or something more transactional, remained to be seen. Either way, it might prove an interesting bit of leverage, if it came to that.
Facing Silva, he said, “Matt was supposed to go by the station after meeting with you, then come back home. He never made it to either.”
Pushing off the wall, Jonathan sucked in another breath as he straightened his crumpled sweater.
“Wait,” he said. “You practically choked me out over Matt not running straight back home to you?” Before Jody could reply, Jonathan waved one hand between them, agitated. “For fuck’s sake, McKinnon. Maybe he went by the grocery store. Maybe he decided to stop and rent a movie, or grab a pizza. Do you keep him on that tight of a fucking leash?”
Lip curling, Jody snapped, “What your mouth, Silva.”
The snarl in Jody’s words brought a new tension to Alex’s stance. Uncrossing his arms, he held his pistol loosely down by his side. Jody clocked the motion but didn’t given any outward sign of acknowledgement, instead, he stared Silva down.
“Matt’s not on anyone’s leash, and if you think that, then you never really knew him at all.”
Silva, eyes widening, made to speak but Alex cut in. “All right, children,” Alex said smoothly. “Let’s control ourselves, shall we?”
Taking a moment to steady his mounting temper, Jody growled. “Something is wrong.”
Silva, staring at him for a long moment, visibly relaxed, and then replied with none of the dismissiveness from moments before. “You’re sure?” he asked.
Jaw clenching, Jody nodded. “I’m sure. I can feel it.”
Dark brows drawing together, Jonathan held Jody’s gaze for a beat. “Okay,” he said slowly. Then to Alex, he asked with some impatience, “And what are you doing here? I told you to go back to the compound and wait until I paged you.”
Apparently deciding a truce had been achieved, Alex smoothly slid his pistol under the black duster jacket he wore, holstering the weapon. He favored Jonathan with a pointed look.
“I was. But as I passed back through town I spotted Dack Peretti lurking around your diner. Antonio is probably around too. You must’ve got lucky and just slipped past them after your little heart to heart with Hawkes.”
Jonathan swore under his breath. “Shit. I thought we’d lost those two assholes back in Vegas. You’re certain?”
Alex tilted his head and pinned Jonathan with a bland look. “No, I’m just making it up to fuck with you. Yes. I’m certain.”
Jonathan gusted out a breath. “Fine, fine I believe you. No need to get pissy.”
Jody frowned. “Who the fuck are Dack Peretti and Antonio?”
To Jody’s consternation his question went unaddressed as Alex narrowed his gaze at Jonathan. “Trust me, you’ll know when I’m pissy. This isn’t it.” He paused, letting his point sink in, and then continued. “It was Dack. He was on that tacky gold Crown Vic of his. And you know where Dack is, Antonio isn’t far behind.”
Jonathan nodded thoughtfully. “But no sign of Wheeler?”
Alex’s expression pinched. “No, but Jon, you know if those two are around…” He let his words trail off.
Reaching for his rapidly fading patience, Jody lowered his chin, and taking in the two men, growled, “Someone needs to start making some fucking sense or it’s about to get real loud in here.”
Sighing, Jonathan gave his sweater once last tug, and faced Jody. “Look, it’s way too complicated to explain every single thing this fucking minute. But if those two guys are snooping around town, I’m positive they have something to do with Matt being MIA. That’s too big of a coincident.”
“Wow,” Jody deadpanned. “Everything makes so much more sense now.”
Jonathan’s expression tightened, and he stared at Jody for a long beat before looking away, shaking his head. Standing a step away Alex snickered under his breath. Jody curled fingers into his palms and reached for the methodical, unrelenting core of composure that had been trained into him in the Marines. Smashing his fist into the side of Jonathan’s head repeatedly wasn’t going to bring him any closer to Matt, however satisfying it might feel.
“Okay, so these two tailed you into town, and now they may have Matt. Where would these fucks have taken him, if they have him? If we have to conduct a search we’re gonna need a bigger team than just you, me and boy wonder here,” Jody said, gesturing to Alex.
The corner of Alex’s mouth tipped up, an almost smile that Jody ignored.
Jonathan said, “I don’t think we need to search anything. I know exactly where they’d take him. Do you know the big compound up on Bloods Point?”
“You mean the castle?” Jody asked, somehow unsurprised that the mess of a situation was leading him back around to the subject of Bloods Point.
For an instant Jonathan frowned, confusion coloring his gaze. “It’s not a castle.”
On the other side of the kitchen table Cody groaned audibly, and Jamie let go with a quickly stifled, nervous chuckle.
Jody felt dangerously close to tearing his hair out.
“What the fuck ever,” he ground out. “Why are you so sure?”
Jonathan’s mouth pressing into a flat line, he exchanged a pointed look with Alex, and then swung back to Jody, holding his gaze.
“Because the compound is neutral ground, and that’s where I’d take him if I were them,” Jonathan said.
Clenching his fists, Jody reminded himself that he needed Silva upright and functional, at least momentarily.
“Look, I get it, you don’t trust me, but I’m telling you the truth. I’ll explain everything on the way, okay?” Jonathan offered impatiently, eyeing Jody warily.
Not seeing any other way, Jody nodded curtly.
“Okay,” Jonathan said, then gesturing to where Cody and Jamie stood hovering by the kitchen table, added, “You need to get those kids outta here, and make sure they know to keep their traps shut. We don’t need any more complications.”
Ignoring Jonathan’s attempt at giving him orders, Jody asked, “What about calling in Matt’s rangers? Or Sheriff McBride? I’ve dealt with him, he’s solid as they come.”
Without knowing exactly what he was about to head into, he was all for having a little extra muscle.
Running a hand through his hair, Jonathan sighed. “If we had the time to round them up, explain everything, sure, but that takes time and we need to get moving. We don’t have time to mess around with local law. Have the kids call them in if you want but decide on something and let’s go. We’ve fucked around too much as it is.”
Turning on his heel lest he reach for Silva’s throat again, Jody stalked across the living room and into the kitchen. Experiencing a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Jody suspected that it was going to be easier said than done to dislodge Cody from the situation. The kid’s eyes were troubled, but alongside that stood a steady watchfulness that Jody recognized. Matt often got that same assessing look when weighing something Jody had done or said. It was a little surreal seeing the familiar look on the younger Hawkes’ face.
“They know where Matt is?” Cody wanted to know, and while the he stood composed, one hand gripping the back of one of the kitchen chairs, Jody detected the urgency in his voice.
“Maybe,” Jody said, hating at how vague it sounded. When Cody began to turn away in annoyance, Jody raised a hand.
“Listen, we’re running on supposition right now, but Silva is right. We need to move quickly, and to do that I need multiple things to happen efficiently, all at once. I need to get you guys someplace safe, along with your little homework assignment,” Jody said more quietly, glancing pointedly at the tabletop where the ink pens lay.
The copies of the codes had disappeared. Jody raised a warning brow when Jamie sucked in a quick breath. The youth abruptly snapped his mouth shut, exchanging a sidelong look with Cody, who gave a tilted nod and patted his jeans pocket. Jody spotted the corner of a folder paper there, and understood that Cody had pocketed the codes. The jade hawk had disappeared as well, concealed underneath the bucket crown of Jamie’s cowboy hat. Jody admired the boys and their quick thinking and hoped he would remember to say as much later, when this was all over.
Behind him, Jody detected the strained tones of Silva and Alex in the midst of a hushed argument, but he ignored it. He focused on Cody as the kid got a handle on himself. After a quick glance over Jody’s shoulder, Cody stood tall.
“But up on Bloods Point is where they were,” Cody said in a tight whisper. “How do you know they’re not in on it? Just trying to get you too?”
Jody acknowledged Cody’s point, and offered another. “I don’t think so. If that were true Silva wouldn’t be so quick to want you two out of the mix with the information you know. Either way, I’m about to find out.”
Cody didn’t immediately reply, and his mouth pressed down into a flat line that told Jody he wasn’t happy in the least.
“I’m coming with you,” Cody announced, pulling up his chin.
Shaking his head, Jody said, “Absolutely not, kid.”
“Screw that,” Cody blurted. “I’m going.”
Taking a breath, Jody was grateful as Jamie stepped in, placing a hand on Cody’s shoulder.
“Come on, Code. Just listen for a minute.”
Jaw tense, Cody stared Jody down, but kept his objections to himself for the moment.
Placing both hands on the kitchen table, Jody looked into Cody’s eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes to find Matt. I’ll tear this whole goddamned mountain down if I have to, but first I gotta get the intel these two may have. And I can’t focus on doing what I need to do, if I’m worrying about you two. Besides, I need you to be my backup.”
That got both boys’ attention, and Jody waded into the sudden silence.
“How far is it to your place, Jamie?” he asked.
Startled at the question, Jamie blinked, and replied, “Not far, ten minutes maybe. We borrowed my uncle’s dirt bikes, so it won’t take us long to get there.”
Jody nodded. “All right. Get to Jamie’s. Call the station or Sheriff McBride if you can’t raise any of the rangers. Tell’em that Matt may be in trouble. A possible kidnapping but unclear at this time. Let them know that I am armed, and I’m going up to the place on Bloods Point with these two to check it out,” Jody said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Jonathan and Alex.
After a beat of tense silence, Jody asked, “You got it?”
Jamie answered first. “Yeah, we got it. We get to my place, then call in the cavalry,” he paused, then asked, “But what do we do with our homework?”
Jody leaned in, regarding both boys seriously. “Give it to one of the rangers, or McBride. Tell them everything.”
Both boys straightened, absorbing Jody’s orders. Jamie nodded, a bob of his dark-haired head. Cody stood frozen, eyes narrowed, holding Jody’s gaze for a long moment before following suit, accepting Jody’s instruction with a sharp jerk of his head.
“Fine,” he ground out.
Taking a quick breath, Jody said seriously, “Look, I’m counting on you two.”
Cody straightened. “We’ll go, but you’d better be right about this,” he said, sounding on the edge anger.
Smiling a little at the steel in the kid’s tone, Jody said, “Good man. Okay, you two better get going.”
Moving around the table, both boys walked across the living room. Cody paused to wait as Jamie grabbed his bow from the couch, but left his cowboy hat where it was. Alex watched them go with a raised brow while Jonathan stood next to the stone fireplace, eyes distant and unfocused. Whatever the two had been arguing about had either been resolved, or tabled until another time. With a last look over his shoulder at Jody, Cody followed Jamie, and the two filed out of the cabin, the screen door thumping shut behind them.
The urgency inside him sharpening to a spear point, Jody rounded on Silva. Outside he heard the muted growl as the boys started up their dirt bikes. He sent a prayer after them that Cody really would stick to his word and head to Jamie’s, then pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand.
“All right, they’re going to call in the rangers or the sheriff when they get to Jamie’s house,” he said.
Pulled from his thoughts, Silva straightened. “Fine. Let’s go. We’ll take our car,” he said, words clipped.
Standing by the door, Alex brushed nonexistent dust from the sleeves of his duster and said in a bored tone, “Well, that’s fifteen minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”
Seemingly accustomed to the younger man’s dry commentary, Jonathan impatiently waved him out the door.
As the two exited the cabin, Jody called after them, “I’ll be out in a second,” and turning on his heel, moved at a quick clip back through the kitchen, and then down the hallway and into the bedroom.
Jody didn’t pause to look at the disheveled bed, the quilt hanging crookedly off one corner, the pillows strewn across one end. Moving to the nightstand, he bent and pulled out the bottom drawer. Tucked into the back of the drawer was his zippered gun case. Tossing the case on the bed, he searched around the room, locating a pair of his jeans on the floor by the bed.
Shucking off his joggers, Jody snatched up the jeans and pulled them on, then stuffed his feet into a pair of his boots. After rapidly lacing them up tight, he stood and picked up the gun case. Quickly unzipping the case he pulled out his Beretta M9 along with the clip nestled inside. This M9 was a replacement of the one he’d lost on the mountain, the day he’d met Matt. He was flooded suddenly with an onslaught of memories of that day.
“I’m Matt Hawkes with the High Mountain Rangers.”
“It’s my responsibility to see you safely down the mountain. Now, if you won’t come with me voluntarily, I’ll have to take you into custody.”
The little shit.
Shoving the memories back, Jody checked the pistol’s slide, and taking up the clip, pushed it home, flicking on the pistol’s safety. Tucking the weapon into the back waistband of his jeans, he plucked the hem of his t-shirt out to conceal it. Reaching back into the drawer, he drew out another item, a black leather strap. Attached to the strap was a metal buckle and a plain leather sheath. Tucked inside lay Matt’s knife, the razor sharp blade held securely and safely inside the sheath.
It was the knife Matt typically wore in the field, and the one he’d sent flying over the snow to imbed in a man’s back they day he’d saved Jody’s life.
Setting one foot against the edge of the mattress, Jody shucked up his pants leg and strapped the knife to his bare calf. Having secured the weapon, he smoothed his jeans back down over the sheath. Then, feeling somewhat more prepared, he turned and left the bedroom, not bothering to grab his keys on the way out, but wishing vehemently that Matt kept more arms at home in the cabin.
Pulling the front door shut behind him, he jogged down the front steps and headed to Jonathan and Alex, who stood waiting next to a dark green Land Rover. The Rover had seen better days, having a dented hood and fender, and substantial paint loss in a large scrape that stretched from the driver’s side door all the way down the side of the body. The driver’s side window was cracked as well, a spider web fissure in the glass.
Arching an eyebrow at his perusal of the Rover’s damage, Alex glanced at the vehicle with a shrug.
“Don’t look at me, I wasn’t driving.”
Jody growled, “Who said I gave a fuck?”
“Touchy,” Alex noted lightly, head tilted, a thin smile on his lips.
Moving around to the passenger side, Jonathan pulled open the door. “Just get in the car, Alex.”
With a quick look at Jonathan, Alex pulled open his own door. “Don’t mind him, he’s a little tense today,” he said to Jody as he slid in smoothly behind the wheel.
Jaw clenched, Jody climbed in the back passenger seat of the Rover, not bothering to fasten his seat belt, his gaze boring into the side of Silva’s face. Alex started up the engine, shifted into gear and with a quick turn of the wheel guided the Rover down the drive. They bumped along in silence until reaching the paved road, and turning left, Alex juiced the gas and they shot off, leaving a spray of gravel behind.
After a few seconds, tires humming on the asphalt, Jonathan swiveled in his seat to face Jody.
“Look, you’re probably not gonna believe me, and normally I wouldn’t give a shit, but this is Matt we’re talking about. No matter what you think of me, or anything else I’ve done, I’ll do anything to keep him safe. I gave him up to keep him safe.”
Jody tilted his head back, regarding Silva steadily. “Yeah, and look how well that turned out.”
Flush rising over his face, Jonathan slapped his seatback with one hand. “Fuck you, McKinnon. You have no idea what I’ve had to do.”
Jody laughed sharply. “And you have no idea how much I don’t give a goddamn. All I care about is Matthew.”
Eyes darkening, Jonathan fired back. “So do I.”
Abruptly the Rover slid to a stop, tires squealing on the pavement. Bracing himself against the driver’s seat, Jody cursed. He looked out the front windshield but saw no reason for the aggressive braking.
“What the hell, Alex?” Jonathan snapped, having to throw out a hand against the dash to keep from ending up face first against the windshield.
Glancing at the interior rearview mirror, Jody met Alex’s gaze in the reflection. Alex blinked once, and the fury in his eyes shaded his blue eyes a darker hue. It was the most naked emotion Jody had seen the younger man emit so far.
“You complete morons,” Alex bit out, and he turned his head to address Jonathan, robbing Jody of his reflection in the glass. “Bitch, bitch, bitching over who has the most right to your boy scout’s ass. How is this constructive to our situation? So help me, Jon, if you don’t get your shit together I’ll walk out on you, right here and now.”
Temper flaring, Jody was tempted to invite Alex to do just that, but then he got a look at Jonathan. All the color had drained from Jonathan’s face as he sat slack jawed in his seat. He stared at Alex as if he’d never seen the man before.
“Alex,” Jonathan tried, but Alex cut him off.
“I mean it, Jon,” Alex said, his voice pitched quieter.
The two men stared at one another, and as Jody looked on, something seemed to break open between them. Jonathan sighed, and looking down, nodded his head. Whatever test of wills was in flux between them, Alex seemed to have won this round.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Jonathan offered.
Glancing back to the mirror, Jody watched as Alex faced forward, blinked once, and where before he’d seemed furious, he now appeared calm, almost bored.
“Tell the man what he needs to know, Jon,” Alex said voice even, unblemished by emotion.
Pressing down on the gas, Alex started them back along the twisting, looping road leading up them mountainside toward the high ridge of Bloods Point. Turning back to Jody, appearing shaken on a level that seemed genuine, Jonathan began again.
“Look, McKinnon. I just ask you to hear me out, okay?”
Jody inclined his head, prompting the man to continue.
Taking a quick breath, Jonathan seemed to have difficulty finding his words. Jody ached to reach out and thump the man’s head against the seatback. Then, having come through whatever internal struggle he was having, Jonathan spoke.
“I’m FBI. Special Agent Jonathan Salvatore. I’ve been undercover the past two years, inserted within the Carlucci crime family. You’ve heard of them?”
Brows drawn together, Jody shoved aside his astonishment, bending his focus on receiving the information. He nodded. Anyone born in the past two decades had heard of the Carlucci family. The name appeared often on the nightly news, and always in connection to money laundering, drugs and fencing operations. Operating predominately on the west coast, in more recent years it was rumored that their reach had extended as far east as Phoenix, and possibly New York City.
“I’d started out in forensic accounting, had gotten some field experience, liked it, and was looking for something more challenging.” Jonathan paused long enough to laugh shortly. “My director thought I’d be a good fit to go under, thought that we could come at things from a different angle. You see, we’d tried to infiltrate the Carlucci’s ring through their muscle. Inserting agents, getting them hired on as bouncers, bodyguards, the like. But we never got anywhere. We got made every fucking time, agents ending up dead, or just disappearing altogether.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jonathan shook his head. “We thought that with my background, I could slip in more successfully. Unfortunately, it quickly became obvious, we had a mole. A traitor within the agency.”
Jody felt cold all over. He’d dealt with a similar situation during his time in service. He’d nearly had his ticket punched due to misinformation. In his case it was a liaison attached to his unit that had turned, had tried to have his whole squad wiped out. Luckily, Jody had caught on and they’d neutralized the threat. Somewhere, boxed up in a locked room, his report documenting the whole debacle was on file, along with the names of the dead.
“That’s when my director changed my objective.”
Feeling something dark drawing up inside, Jody said, “Let me guess. You were tasked with finding the mole.”
Jonathan nodded. Mouth twisting in disgust; he all but spat his words. “I was, and I did. The bastard’s name is Rick Wheeler.”
*****Additional Notes*****
Good heavens! I had sat down to work on this chapter a few different times, and things seemed to roll along pretty well...until I read back over it and realized I'd somehow written multiple things totally out of order. Took a while to straightened it out...at least I think I straightened it out! Ha! Here we get a bit more of Jonathan's backstory, a bit more of his motivations and what his deal is. Jody is willing to use Jonathan however he has to at the moment to get Matt back, but I wonder how he'll feel later about the man, not to mention Matt himself? Hmm....next up we'll get back to Matt and Wheeler. Let's hope for once he curbs that smart mouth of his, but I think we all know the likelihood of that! And just a bit of trivia, Alex's gun is the same that Sonny Crockett used (or at least one of them) in Miami Vice, just because I had a crush on Don Johnson/Sonny Crockett for years! Thanks for reading!
Author: Archet
Pairing: OMC Jody McKinnon/Matt Hawkes
Fandom: High Mountain Rangers
Summary: a story of falling in love, figuring things out and just holding on.
Disclaimer: I did not create the High Mountain Ranger character/s, only this fic and the Original Male Character, Jody McKinnon, and any other original characters in supporting roles. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: this fic is set in 1989, approximately a year and a half after the events of the final episode of High Mountain Rangers. There will be no acknowledgment of the events of the spin-off show Jesse Hawkes.
Note: this fic takes place a little over four months after Bad Luck, Bad Guys and High Mountain Rangers and is a sequel to that fic, so reading that first is recommended.
Additional: this fic will depict same sex physical and romantic relationships, and dominate/submissive themes. If this ain’t your thing, venture no further.
Summary this chapter: details are finally beginning to come to light as Jody joins forces with Jonathan to locate Matt.
***Additional Notes/ramblings at end of chapter***
~*~
Chapter 24: Getting the Band Together
Loosening his grip just enough to allow a modicum of oxygen to flow into Silva’s throat, Jody clenched his jaw, reminding himself of the two teens standing in the kitchen, looking on. Taking a deep breath, with effort, he loosened his hold even further. Shifting his weight he looked into Jonathan’s eyes which practically blazed out from his reddened face.
“Where is Matt?” Jody asked again, spitting the words out.
Abruptly, Jonathan coughed, and sucked in a choppy, stuttering breath. “Fucking lunatic,” he managed to get out, voice a rough scrape.
Lip curling up, Jody favored the man with a grim smile. “You have no idea.”
Taking a moment of enjoyment at the dismay in Jonathan’s grey eyes, Jody stared him down.
“Answer the fucking question, Silva.”
Swallowing, his throat working against the palm of Jody’s hand, Jonathan shook his head. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. How would I know where Matt is?”
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jody made to lean back in, get back in Jonathan’s face when the cool touch of metal pressed against the back of his neck stilled him.
In his periphery he sensed movement from the kitchen, and without moving he called out, “Stay where you are boys.”
The chilly metal eased away from his skin, and turning his head, Jody came face to face with the business end of a 10mm Bren Ten, and its wielder. The pale watchdog. Alex.
“Stand down, big man,” Alex warned, voice smooth and collected.
“Alex, take it easy,” Jonathan grated out past the hand on his jugular, his gaze fixed on Alex over Jody’s shoulder.
Eyes narrowing, Alex took a careful step back. The Bren Ten didn’t so much as wobble. He was much as Jody remembered him, tall and thin with white blonde hair and unwelcoming blue eyes.
“I’m supposed to take it easy?” Alex asked, a sliver of incredulousness creeping into his even tone, and though his head tilted toward Jonathan, his eyes remained fixed on Jody.
Impressed by Alex’s even hand, Jody noted, “If you were gonna use that thing, you’d have done it by now.”
Squaring up his stance, Alex favored him with a wry smile. “Maybe, maybe not, McKinnon. But I’d suggest you not test the theory.”
Careful to telegraph his intentions, Jody pulled his hand back. Flexing fingers that had been wrapped about Jonathan’s throat, he rolled his shoulders. He turned toward Alex and regarded him with an assessing, but not aggressive, perusal.
“Put it away. There are two kids in the kitchen that doesn’t need to be part of this.”
Brow arching, Alex tipped his head to one side, looking past Jody’s shoulder and across the living room and into the kitchen. After a moment’s consideration, he let out a slow breath, pursed his lips, and lowered his weapon. His gaze slid back to Jonathan, who had straightened, but still rested against the wall, rubbing his throat with one hand.
“What is this about Matt?” Jonathan asked, the words a rough rasp from his abused throat. He glared at Jody. “I just left him a couple hours ago, he was fine.”
Retreating one careful step back toward the front door, Alex folded his arms in front of him, crossing them at the wrists. He’d taken his finger off the pistol’s trigger, but Jody noted he was careful to keep the weapon at the ready. Standing alert, Alex’s gaze flicked around the room, before coming to fix firmly on Jonathan.
Jody speculated briefly at the dynamic between the two, and then wondered how he could use it to work to his advantage. Alex was clearly protective of Silva, though whether out of some sense of personal obligation, or something more transactional, remained to be seen. Either way, it might prove an interesting bit of leverage, if it came to that.
Facing Silva, he said, “Matt was supposed to go by the station after meeting with you, then come back home. He never made it to either.”
Pushing off the wall, Jonathan sucked in another breath as he straightened his crumpled sweater.
“Wait,” he said. “You practically choked me out over Matt not running straight back home to you?” Before Jody could reply, Jonathan waved one hand between them, agitated. “For fuck’s sake, McKinnon. Maybe he went by the grocery store. Maybe he decided to stop and rent a movie, or grab a pizza. Do you keep him on that tight of a fucking leash?”
Lip curling, Jody snapped, “What your mouth, Silva.”
The snarl in Jody’s words brought a new tension to Alex’s stance. Uncrossing his arms, he held his pistol loosely down by his side. Jody clocked the motion but didn’t given any outward sign of acknowledgement, instead, he stared Silva down.
“Matt’s not on anyone’s leash, and if you think that, then you never really knew him at all.”
Silva, eyes widening, made to speak but Alex cut in. “All right, children,” Alex said smoothly. “Let’s control ourselves, shall we?”
Taking a moment to steady his mounting temper, Jody growled. “Something is wrong.”
Silva, staring at him for a long moment, visibly relaxed, and then replied with none of the dismissiveness from moments before. “You’re sure?” he asked.
Jaw clenching, Jody nodded. “I’m sure. I can feel it.”
Dark brows drawing together, Jonathan held Jody’s gaze for a beat. “Okay,” he said slowly. Then to Alex, he asked with some impatience, “And what are you doing here? I told you to go back to the compound and wait until I paged you.”
Apparently deciding a truce had been achieved, Alex smoothly slid his pistol under the black duster jacket he wore, holstering the weapon. He favored Jonathan with a pointed look.
“I was. But as I passed back through town I spotted Dack Peretti lurking around your diner. Antonio is probably around too. You must’ve got lucky and just slipped past them after your little heart to heart with Hawkes.”
Jonathan swore under his breath. “Shit. I thought we’d lost those two assholes back in Vegas. You’re certain?”
Alex tilted his head and pinned Jonathan with a bland look. “No, I’m just making it up to fuck with you. Yes. I’m certain.”
Jonathan gusted out a breath. “Fine, fine I believe you. No need to get pissy.”
Jody frowned. “Who the fuck are Dack Peretti and Antonio?”
To Jody’s consternation his question went unaddressed as Alex narrowed his gaze at Jonathan. “Trust me, you’ll know when I’m pissy. This isn’t it.” He paused, letting his point sink in, and then continued. “It was Dack. He was on that tacky gold Crown Vic of his. And you know where Dack is, Antonio isn’t far behind.”
Jonathan nodded thoughtfully. “But no sign of Wheeler?”
Alex’s expression pinched. “No, but Jon, you know if those two are around…” He let his words trail off.
Reaching for his rapidly fading patience, Jody lowered his chin, and taking in the two men, growled, “Someone needs to start making some fucking sense or it’s about to get real loud in here.”
Sighing, Jonathan gave his sweater once last tug, and faced Jody. “Look, it’s way too complicated to explain every single thing this fucking minute. But if those two guys are snooping around town, I’m positive they have something to do with Matt being MIA. That’s too big of a coincident.”
“Wow,” Jody deadpanned. “Everything makes so much more sense now.”
Jonathan’s expression tightened, and he stared at Jody for a long beat before looking away, shaking his head. Standing a step away Alex snickered under his breath. Jody curled fingers into his palms and reached for the methodical, unrelenting core of composure that had been trained into him in the Marines. Smashing his fist into the side of Jonathan’s head repeatedly wasn’t going to bring him any closer to Matt, however satisfying it might feel.
“Okay, so these two tailed you into town, and now they may have Matt. Where would these fucks have taken him, if they have him? If we have to conduct a search we’re gonna need a bigger team than just you, me and boy wonder here,” Jody said, gesturing to Alex.
The corner of Alex’s mouth tipped up, an almost smile that Jody ignored.
Jonathan said, “I don’t think we need to search anything. I know exactly where they’d take him. Do you know the big compound up on Bloods Point?”
“You mean the castle?” Jody asked, somehow unsurprised that the mess of a situation was leading him back around to the subject of Bloods Point.
For an instant Jonathan frowned, confusion coloring his gaze. “It’s not a castle.”
On the other side of the kitchen table Cody groaned audibly, and Jamie let go with a quickly stifled, nervous chuckle.
Jody felt dangerously close to tearing his hair out.
“What the fuck ever,” he ground out. “Why are you so sure?”
Jonathan’s mouth pressing into a flat line, he exchanged a pointed look with Alex, and then swung back to Jody, holding his gaze.
“Because the compound is neutral ground, and that’s where I’d take him if I were them,” Jonathan said.
Clenching his fists, Jody reminded himself that he needed Silva upright and functional, at least momentarily.
“Look, I get it, you don’t trust me, but I’m telling you the truth. I’ll explain everything on the way, okay?” Jonathan offered impatiently, eyeing Jody warily.
Not seeing any other way, Jody nodded curtly.
“Okay,” Jonathan said, then gesturing to where Cody and Jamie stood hovering by the kitchen table, added, “You need to get those kids outta here, and make sure they know to keep their traps shut. We don’t need any more complications.”
Ignoring Jonathan’s attempt at giving him orders, Jody asked, “What about calling in Matt’s rangers? Or Sheriff McBride? I’ve dealt with him, he’s solid as they come.”
Without knowing exactly what he was about to head into, he was all for having a little extra muscle.
Running a hand through his hair, Jonathan sighed. “If we had the time to round them up, explain everything, sure, but that takes time and we need to get moving. We don’t have time to mess around with local law. Have the kids call them in if you want but decide on something and let’s go. We’ve fucked around too much as it is.”
Turning on his heel lest he reach for Silva’s throat again, Jody stalked across the living room and into the kitchen. Experiencing a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Jody suspected that it was going to be easier said than done to dislodge Cody from the situation. The kid’s eyes were troubled, but alongside that stood a steady watchfulness that Jody recognized. Matt often got that same assessing look when weighing something Jody had done or said. It was a little surreal seeing the familiar look on the younger Hawkes’ face.
“They know where Matt is?” Cody wanted to know, and while the he stood composed, one hand gripping the back of one of the kitchen chairs, Jody detected the urgency in his voice.
“Maybe,” Jody said, hating at how vague it sounded. When Cody began to turn away in annoyance, Jody raised a hand.
“Listen, we’re running on supposition right now, but Silva is right. We need to move quickly, and to do that I need multiple things to happen efficiently, all at once. I need to get you guys someplace safe, along with your little homework assignment,” Jody said more quietly, glancing pointedly at the tabletop where the ink pens lay.
The copies of the codes had disappeared. Jody raised a warning brow when Jamie sucked in a quick breath. The youth abruptly snapped his mouth shut, exchanging a sidelong look with Cody, who gave a tilted nod and patted his jeans pocket. Jody spotted the corner of a folder paper there, and understood that Cody had pocketed the codes. The jade hawk had disappeared as well, concealed underneath the bucket crown of Jamie’s cowboy hat. Jody admired the boys and their quick thinking and hoped he would remember to say as much later, when this was all over.
Behind him, Jody detected the strained tones of Silva and Alex in the midst of a hushed argument, but he ignored it. He focused on Cody as the kid got a handle on himself. After a quick glance over Jody’s shoulder, Cody stood tall.
“But up on Bloods Point is where they were,” Cody said in a tight whisper. “How do you know they’re not in on it? Just trying to get you too?”
Jody acknowledged Cody’s point, and offered another. “I don’t think so. If that were true Silva wouldn’t be so quick to want you two out of the mix with the information you know. Either way, I’m about to find out.”
Cody didn’t immediately reply, and his mouth pressed down into a flat line that told Jody he wasn’t happy in the least.
“I’m coming with you,” Cody announced, pulling up his chin.
Shaking his head, Jody said, “Absolutely not, kid.”
“Screw that,” Cody blurted. “I’m going.”
Taking a breath, Jody was grateful as Jamie stepped in, placing a hand on Cody’s shoulder.
“Come on, Code. Just listen for a minute.”
Jaw tense, Cody stared Jody down, but kept his objections to himself for the moment.
Placing both hands on the kitchen table, Jody looked into Cody’s eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes to find Matt. I’ll tear this whole goddamned mountain down if I have to, but first I gotta get the intel these two may have. And I can’t focus on doing what I need to do, if I’m worrying about you two. Besides, I need you to be my backup.”
That got both boys’ attention, and Jody waded into the sudden silence.
“How far is it to your place, Jamie?” he asked.
Startled at the question, Jamie blinked, and replied, “Not far, ten minutes maybe. We borrowed my uncle’s dirt bikes, so it won’t take us long to get there.”
Jody nodded. “All right. Get to Jamie’s. Call the station or Sheriff McBride if you can’t raise any of the rangers. Tell’em that Matt may be in trouble. A possible kidnapping but unclear at this time. Let them know that I am armed, and I’m going up to the place on Bloods Point with these two to check it out,” Jody said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Jonathan and Alex.
After a beat of tense silence, Jody asked, “You got it?”
Jamie answered first. “Yeah, we got it. We get to my place, then call in the cavalry,” he paused, then asked, “But what do we do with our homework?”
Jody leaned in, regarding both boys seriously. “Give it to one of the rangers, or McBride. Tell them everything.”
Both boys straightened, absorbing Jody’s orders. Jamie nodded, a bob of his dark-haired head. Cody stood frozen, eyes narrowed, holding Jody’s gaze for a long moment before following suit, accepting Jody’s instruction with a sharp jerk of his head.
“Fine,” he ground out.
Taking a quick breath, Jody said seriously, “Look, I’m counting on you two.”
Cody straightened. “We’ll go, but you’d better be right about this,” he said, sounding on the edge anger.
Smiling a little at the steel in the kid’s tone, Jody said, “Good man. Okay, you two better get going.”
Moving around the table, both boys walked across the living room. Cody paused to wait as Jamie grabbed his bow from the couch, but left his cowboy hat where it was. Alex watched them go with a raised brow while Jonathan stood next to the stone fireplace, eyes distant and unfocused. Whatever the two had been arguing about had either been resolved, or tabled until another time. With a last look over his shoulder at Jody, Cody followed Jamie, and the two filed out of the cabin, the screen door thumping shut behind them.
The urgency inside him sharpening to a spear point, Jody rounded on Silva. Outside he heard the muted growl as the boys started up their dirt bikes. He sent a prayer after them that Cody really would stick to his word and head to Jamie’s, then pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand.
“All right, they’re going to call in the rangers or the sheriff when they get to Jamie’s house,” he said.
Pulled from his thoughts, Silva straightened. “Fine. Let’s go. We’ll take our car,” he said, words clipped.
Standing by the door, Alex brushed nonexistent dust from the sleeves of his duster and said in a bored tone, “Well, that’s fifteen minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”
Seemingly accustomed to the younger man’s dry commentary, Jonathan impatiently waved him out the door.
As the two exited the cabin, Jody called after them, “I’ll be out in a second,” and turning on his heel, moved at a quick clip back through the kitchen, and then down the hallway and into the bedroom.
Jody didn’t pause to look at the disheveled bed, the quilt hanging crookedly off one corner, the pillows strewn across one end. Moving to the nightstand, he bent and pulled out the bottom drawer. Tucked into the back of the drawer was his zippered gun case. Tossing the case on the bed, he searched around the room, locating a pair of his jeans on the floor by the bed.
Shucking off his joggers, Jody snatched up the jeans and pulled them on, then stuffed his feet into a pair of his boots. After rapidly lacing them up tight, he stood and picked up the gun case. Quickly unzipping the case he pulled out his Beretta M9 along with the clip nestled inside. This M9 was a replacement of the one he’d lost on the mountain, the day he’d met Matt. He was flooded suddenly with an onslaught of memories of that day.
“I’m Matt Hawkes with the High Mountain Rangers.”
“It’s my responsibility to see you safely down the mountain. Now, if you won’t come with me voluntarily, I’ll have to take you into custody.”
The little shit.
Shoving the memories back, Jody checked the pistol’s slide, and taking up the clip, pushed it home, flicking on the pistol’s safety. Tucking the weapon into the back waistband of his jeans, he plucked the hem of his t-shirt out to conceal it. Reaching back into the drawer, he drew out another item, a black leather strap. Attached to the strap was a metal buckle and a plain leather sheath. Tucked inside lay Matt’s knife, the razor sharp blade held securely and safely inside the sheath.
It was the knife Matt typically wore in the field, and the one he’d sent flying over the snow to imbed in a man’s back they day he’d saved Jody’s life.
Setting one foot against the edge of the mattress, Jody shucked up his pants leg and strapped the knife to his bare calf. Having secured the weapon, he smoothed his jeans back down over the sheath. Then, feeling somewhat more prepared, he turned and left the bedroom, not bothering to grab his keys on the way out, but wishing vehemently that Matt kept more arms at home in the cabin.
Pulling the front door shut behind him, he jogged down the front steps and headed to Jonathan and Alex, who stood waiting next to a dark green Land Rover. The Rover had seen better days, having a dented hood and fender, and substantial paint loss in a large scrape that stretched from the driver’s side door all the way down the side of the body. The driver’s side window was cracked as well, a spider web fissure in the glass.
Arching an eyebrow at his perusal of the Rover’s damage, Alex glanced at the vehicle with a shrug.
“Don’t look at me, I wasn’t driving.”
Jody growled, “Who said I gave a fuck?”
“Touchy,” Alex noted lightly, head tilted, a thin smile on his lips.
Moving around to the passenger side, Jonathan pulled open the door. “Just get in the car, Alex.”
With a quick look at Jonathan, Alex pulled open his own door. “Don’t mind him, he’s a little tense today,” he said to Jody as he slid in smoothly behind the wheel.
Jaw clenched, Jody climbed in the back passenger seat of the Rover, not bothering to fasten his seat belt, his gaze boring into the side of Silva’s face. Alex started up the engine, shifted into gear and with a quick turn of the wheel guided the Rover down the drive. They bumped along in silence until reaching the paved road, and turning left, Alex juiced the gas and they shot off, leaving a spray of gravel behind.
After a few seconds, tires humming on the asphalt, Jonathan swiveled in his seat to face Jody.
“Look, you’re probably not gonna believe me, and normally I wouldn’t give a shit, but this is Matt we’re talking about. No matter what you think of me, or anything else I’ve done, I’ll do anything to keep him safe. I gave him up to keep him safe.”
Jody tilted his head back, regarding Silva steadily. “Yeah, and look how well that turned out.”
Flush rising over his face, Jonathan slapped his seatback with one hand. “Fuck you, McKinnon. You have no idea what I’ve had to do.”
Jody laughed sharply. “And you have no idea how much I don’t give a goddamn. All I care about is Matthew.”
Eyes darkening, Jonathan fired back. “So do I.”
Abruptly the Rover slid to a stop, tires squealing on the pavement. Bracing himself against the driver’s seat, Jody cursed. He looked out the front windshield but saw no reason for the aggressive braking.
“What the hell, Alex?” Jonathan snapped, having to throw out a hand against the dash to keep from ending up face first against the windshield.
Glancing at the interior rearview mirror, Jody met Alex’s gaze in the reflection. Alex blinked once, and the fury in his eyes shaded his blue eyes a darker hue. It was the most naked emotion Jody had seen the younger man emit so far.
“You complete morons,” Alex bit out, and he turned his head to address Jonathan, robbing Jody of his reflection in the glass. “Bitch, bitch, bitching over who has the most right to your boy scout’s ass. How is this constructive to our situation? So help me, Jon, if you don’t get your shit together I’ll walk out on you, right here and now.”
Temper flaring, Jody was tempted to invite Alex to do just that, but then he got a look at Jonathan. All the color had drained from Jonathan’s face as he sat slack jawed in his seat. He stared at Alex as if he’d never seen the man before.
“Alex,” Jonathan tried, but Alex cut him off.
“I mean it, Jon,” Alex said, his voice pitched quieter.
The two men stared at one another, and as Jody looked on, something seemed to break open between them. Jonathan sighed, and looking down, nodded his head. Whatever test of wills was in flux between them, Alex seemed to have won this round.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Jonathan offered.
Glancing back to the mirror, Jody watched as Alex faced forward, blinked once, and where before he’d seemed furious, he now appeared calm, almost bored.
“Tell the man what he needs to know, Jon,” Alex said voice even, unblemished by emotion.
Pressing down on the gas, Alex started them back along the twisting, looping road leading up them mountainside toward the high ridge of Bloods Point. Turning back to Jody, appearing shaken on a level that seemed genuine, Jonathan began again.
“Look, McKinnon. I just ask you to hear me out, okay?”
Jody inclined his head, prompting the man to continue.
Taking a quick breath, Jonathan seemed to have difficulty finding his words. Jody ached to reach out and thump the man’s head against the seatback. Then, having come through whatever internal struggle he was having, Jonathan spoke.
“I’m FBI. Special Agent Jonathan Salvatore. I’ve been undercover the past two years, inserted within the Carlucci crime family. You’ve heard of them?”
Brows drawn together, Jody shoved aside his astonishment, bending his focus on receiving the information. He nodded. Anyone born in the past two decades had heard of the Carlucci family. The name appeared often on the nightly news, and always in connection to money laundering, drugs and fencing operations. Operating predominately on the west coast, in more recent years it was rumored that their reach had extended as far east as Phoenix, and possibly New York City.
“I’d started out in forensic accounting, had gotten some field experience, liked it, and was looking for something more challenging.” Jonathan paused long enough to laugh shortly. “My director thought I’d be a good fit to go under, thought that we could come at things from a different angle. You see, we’d tried to infiltrate the Carlucci’s ring through their muscle. Inserting agents, getting them hired on as bouncers, bodyguards, the like. But we never got anywhere. We got made every fucking time, agents ending up dead, or just disappearing altogether.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jonathan shook his head. “We thought that with my background, I could slip in more successfully. Unfortunately, it quickly became obvious, we had a mole. A traitor within the agency.”
Jody felt cold all over. He’d dealt with a similar situation during his time in service. He’d nearly had his ticket punched due to misinformation. In his case it was a liaison attached to his unit that had turned, had tried to have his whole squad wiped out. Luckily, Jody had caught on and they’d neutralized the threat. Somewhere, boxed up in a locked room, his report documenting the whole debacle was on file, along with the names of the dead.
“That’s when my director changed my objective.”
Feeling something dark drawing up inside, Jody said, “Let me guess. You were tasked with finding the mole.”
Jonathan nodded. Mouth twisting in disgust; he all but spat his words. “I was, and I did. The bastard’s name is Rick Wheeler.”
*****Additional Notes*****
Good heavens! I had sat down to work on this chapter a few different times, and things seemed to roll along pretty well...until I read back over it and realized I'd somehow written multiple things totally out of order. Took a while to straightened it out...at least I think I straightened it out! Ha! Here we get a bit more of Jonathan's backstory, a bit more of his motivations and what his deal is. Jody is willing to use Jonathan however he has to at the moment to get Matt back, but I wonder how he'll feel later about the man, not to mention Matt himself? Hmm....next up we'll get back to Matt and Wheeler. Let's hope for once he curbs that smart mouth of his, but I think we all know the likelihood of that! And just a bit of trivia, Alex's gun is the same that Sonny Crockett used (or at least one of them) in Miami Vice, just because I had a crush on Don Johnson/Sonny Crockett for years! Thanks for reading!
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Date: 2024-04-03 08:39 pm (UTC)And I know it's a weird thing to say, but... I'm starting to feel sorry for Wheeler, with Hurricane Jody inbound.
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Date: 2024-04-04 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
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