Chapter 1
JASON GRANGER sighed miserably, it had been a very long day and it was only getting longer. "Sir," he tried again patiently, "you asked us to fix your brakes and we did. If the engine failed that's not our fault." If it hadn't been an extremely slow month for the garage, Jason would have told the customer what he could do with his engine, and it wasn't anything pretty. Why does my garage always attract the nutcases, he thought savagely as he moved around the counter to face the man before him square on. "Now," he tried more tolerantly, "we are more than happy to look at your engine for you, but it's going to cost." Jason watched wearily as the customer's unsmiling face grew a nasty shade of puce at the word cost.
"Now see here!" the customer blustered loudly causing Julio, a fellow car repairman, to look up from the car he was fixing. "I paid for a service, one, your garage and staff," he gave a pointed look at Julio, "didn't deliver. Now son, I demand to speak to the man in charge here!"
Waving Julio to get on with fixing the convertible he was bending over, Jason turned back to the difficult customer. He was dressed in a cowboy hat and boots, and Jason got the distinct impression that he usually bullied others to get what he wanted. Well bully for you, Jason thought as he feigned patience once more. "I've already told you I am the manager sir, and I would care if you didn't take that tone with me or my staff."
Backing off slightly at the barely concealed aggression in Jason's voice, the man seemed to rethink his approach. Removing his Stetson he flashed Jason what he assumed was meant to be a look of embarrassment. Oh here we go, Jason thought suspiciously as he folded his arms, ignoring the grease marks he made on his clean white t-shirt. "My apologies to you and your staff. It was my fault really, my wife told me to go to the Henson's, but I told her no, I said 'Miriam, those good boys at Granger's would take care of us'. It's just a pity I'll have to go and tell her that I was wrong." The customer's voice was laced with regret as he gave a 'what can you do' shrug and turned to face the exit.
Rubbing his face in irritation Jason thought, great I could really do without this right now. A fair assessment since they lived in a small town and the Henson's were his main rivals, not that you could call the shoddy work they did competition. "You are right sir," he agreed, making the angry customer smile smugly in believing he was about to back down. Fat chance, he thought stubbornly. Even though it'd been a slow month, there was no reason to back down, yet. "I know Mr Henson and his son personally and I am more than willing to tell them to pick your car up immediately!" Jason grabbed the telephone receiver for full dramatic effect. "They will probably give a better quote on the engine than I would." He smiled guiltily at the customer as he slowly began to punch the number in. "But you came to me for quality service and that is what you got. You asked for working brakes and your brakes are now impeccable are they not?" Jason asked holding the receiver out towards the now wavering customer.
"Well sure..." The man agreed reluctantly.
"So let us now repair your engine so she runs smoothly," Jason replied effortlessly and with passion as if he was doing the customer a humongous favour. "Then when you get home you can tell your wife that she was wrong. That yes, Henson and son are cheaper, but that Granger's guarantees quality. We can also get her back to you in two days, what do you say?" Jason knew he was playing the man a bit strong, but something told him if he had understated it, it would have gone right over the man's head. And, let's face it, Jason really needed the money.
"Ok, two days and impeccable quality," the man demanded, thumping his fist on the appointment book in front of Jason for emphasis.
"May I call you a cab sir?" Jason asked rhetorically, and grinned for the first time that day as he held out the receiver and dialled the local cab firm. Perhaps I can close up shop now, Jason thought with relief.
*break*
WITH THE man finally gone, Julio grabbed two beers from the small fridge out back, and gave Jason one as he joined him on the filthy patio furniture he'd salvaged from a yard sale two years ago. "You were amazing amigo," Julio said enthusiastically around the mouth of his beer bottle.
Instead of answering, Jason saluted Julio before taking a pull from his own beer. Julio was a good lad, but importantly a hard worker. "It's getting late," he said finally, "You'd better finish that beer and head home before your mother threatens to call the cops again." Jason smiled momentarily remembering the way Julio's mother had accused him of using her son for slave labour. Jason had known Julio's mother, Adriana, from high school so he was used to her outbursts.
"I'm glad you find it funny," Julio replied breaking into Jason's thoughts, "If she knew you'd given me a beer she'd kill you and then come after me," he mocked only semi-seriously.
"Right squirt, I forget you're only...seventeen. Don't you have other delinquents you should be hanging out with instead of working all summer at a mechanic's?" Jason replied seriously. It was something he asked Julio every year just to make sure he wasn't keeping the boy from something better.
"Of course not amigo," Julio snorted in response. When Julio was twelve he used to sit on his heels opposite the garage and everyday he would watch Jason work, bubbling with barely concealed curiosity. When Jason realised he wasn't going to go away, he'd gone and sat down next to Julio and asked where his parents were. Julio had been a smartass back then as well, Jason remembered ruefully. As soon as Jason had realised Julio was Adriana's son, he'd cracked and put the kid to work. It was about the time his younger brother Colby had died in Afghanistan. Julio had reminded him so much of Colby he couldn't turn the kid away and to be perfectly frank he enjoyed the company.
"You have that look." Julio broke the silence that Jason hadn't realised he'd lapsed into.
"What look?" Jason asked, confusion in his hazel eyes.
"Your Murtaugh, 'I'm too old for this shit' look," Julio replied quoting his favourite movie 'Lethal Weapon'.
"Ah that look," Jason nodded knowingly, and after a moment's pause, He said, "I am you know."
"Are what?" Julio replied quizzically.
"Too old for this shit," he grinned wolfishly. "Now scram kiddo before your ma comes at me with another frying pan."
Julio drained his beer before grabbing his rucksack and hurrying home. Good kid, Jason thought sadly as more memories of his younger brother Colby came flooding back. More specifically how the last time he'd seen him he'd told Colby he was dead to him. Great, he thought, the good old days. This was turning into the night from hell. Getting up Jason completed his routine night checks before turning the garage's main lights off and headed upstairs to the dingy flat above.
*break*
IT WAS two am when Jason started suddenly in his sleep. He'd fallen asleep in his work overalls, but more importantly he noticed that he was drenched in sweat. For a moment he just lay there, letting the images from his nightmares roll over him in waves. It was only after he sat up that he realised his cell phone was vibrating violently on his night stand. "H...Hel...lo?" he spoke into the phone, his voice thick with sleep and confusion.
"Jason Granger?" A deep male voice spoke in his ear, Jason detected a note of worry and urgency in his tone.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he replied, "That's me."
"This is Special Agent Don Eppes of the FBI. I'm calling on behalf of your brother Colby Granger he-"
"I'm sorry what?" Jason cut in before the man could continue. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" he asked suddenly awake and with a hint of aggression in his voice.
"Joke?" the man replied mystified, "No sir, there is nothing to joke about. Your brother was involved in an incident earlier this evening..." The man trailed off, he was clearly struggling with what he was trying to say.
Jason pinched himself hard just in case he was in some new perverse nightmare. But when the pain flooded his arm, as he hoped it would, he knew that he was awake and there was a chance he would see his brother's idiotic grin again. That was only one of the many things Jason missed. The little things that made his brother...Colby. Suddenly, Jason was seized with a longing that was so unbearable it left him emotionally spent. He lost himself in these thoughts for a moment whilst the officer on the other end of the phone struggled to find the right words. All of a sudden, Jason realised what the man was trying to say. "Incident?" he asked the man, desperation flooding his voice. Was the man trying to tell Jason that his brother had really been alive these past years only to take him away again? It was as if Jason was watching his brother slip away from him all over again and the helplessness of the situation cut him deeper than any knife.
"He was shot in the back at close range," the man replied, suddenly finding the right words. Probably due to the desperation in my voice, Jason mused. "He's at the hospital, they are about to take him into surgery now. He's a fighter, the doctors are confident that he should make it through the surgery, but there are no guarantees he will make it through the night..." The guy trailed off as the pain in his voice washed over Jason.
"You knew my brother well?" Jason asked bewildered.
"I'd trust him with my life," the agent responded without hesitation and the misery in the officer's voice rolled over him in waves. After an age of silence he said, "Hello?"
"Sorry," Jason replied when he realised he sat frozen to the bed. He really wanted to believe what the voice on the phone was telling him, but the realist inside him said there'd been some kind of mistake and stomped on any hope he'd had until that moment. "My brother's dead," Jason blurted out bluntly and silently cursed himself at the tremble in his voice.
"What?" replied the officer on the other end, "sorry, but what?"
"Colby, Colby Granger is dead and has been for five years," Jason replied, his voice thick with emotion, but steadier now he'd gotten the words out. Angry at the hope that everything he'd thought was true was in fact a lie. That somehow there'd been a terrible mistake. That his brother was alive, although barely, if the man was to be believed.
"No, there must have been a mistake," the officer replied, almost as if he'd read Jason's mind, "Colby Granger is here, in LA, he joined my team five years ago. He's been working for the FBI since."
"LA," Jason replied idiotically. "Tell me where and I'll be there as soon as possible."He needs me, he had almost added, and I need him. "Don't let him die sir," Jason said more forcefully than he'd intended.
"Not on my watch," the agent replied, however, the uncertainty in his voice betrayed him.
After Jason had gotten all the details from Don Eppes of the FBI, he had hung up. FBI, he thought, LA. It was too much to think about so instead, Jason worked on instinct. Moving busily about the small flat he gathered what merger possessions he would need over the next few days. Next, he threw a few clothes in his duffel bag with everything else and gave the flat one last glance before climbing into the driver's seat of his '73 Dodge Charger. Hang on Col I'm coming, was the last thing he thought before he put his car in gear and tore out of the garage parking lot.
*Five Hours Earlier*
COLBY WATCHED the rain stream down the windshield of his black Ford as Liz spoke enthusiastically about some gossip she had read in one of the many magazines that were now littering the passenger floor of his car. "What?" Liz asked mid sentence as he reached over, pushed some loose hair behind her ear, and then cradled her face with his hand.
"Nothing, well, it's just I love your passion." Colby smiled at her making her beam prettily in response, "And I can't wait to hear the rest, but I'd best go inside before the store closes."
"Ok," she replied as she turned her head, kissed his palm, and then his wrist before settling on his lips. "You best get some condoms whilst you're in there. You're getting lucky tonight, Mr Granger," she said sexily when she came up for air and for a moment all the blood rushed from his head.
"Yes ma'am," he replied, his voice husky with desire, "Won't be more than a minute, but if I'm not back in five, well...just wait longer." Unbuckling his seatbelt, Colby reluctantly left the warmth of Liz and the car to dash into the nearest store. It had only been a short trip from the car to the store, but as he stepped inside he was drenched from head to toe. Shaking some of the rain out of his short blond hair, Colby wiped his boots on the small welcome mat and surveyed the store.
Since it was late at night there were only one or two others inside. He smiled with pity at one woman who was arguing with her Goth daughter. Colby guessed she was about sixteen because like most teenagers he'd met, she argued that her mother just didn't understand her.
At the back of the store Colby found the condoms. It wasn't his first time so Colby acquired the ones he needed quickly before heading over to the ATM in the corner. The mother frowned disapprovingly at Colby's purchase as he passed. Colby just winked back as he pulled his American Express card from his wallet. Making the usual checks Colby inserted his credit card and made the withdrawal. He and Liz had just shared a romantic meal and he needed some change for later in the week.
Money in hand Colby headed for the counter so he could hurry back to the comfort of Liz and the car. "That'll be ten fifty two," the checkout girl sighed exasperated as the man in front of Colby struggled to find his wallet.
It was only after a moment that Colby noticed that the man in front was reaching for something in the back of his pants. Instinctively Colby reached under his coat feeling for his Glock only to remember too late that he'd left it in the glove compartment of his car. Liz had insisted that they leave their guns behind when they went to enter the restaurant. "But this is LA!" he had informed her sternly to which she laughed and told him that despite popular belief it was possible to get though a meal without the need for guns. He'd conceded of course. Yeah, you're able to get through a meal, but not through buying condoms, nice one LA, he thought bitterly now as he watched the man in front reveal his gun and point it at the checkout girl.
Behind Colby a woman screamed hysterically making the gunman turn around quickly and back towards the door which he proceeded to lock. "Nobody leaves until I get what I want!" The man shook the gun for dramatic effect. Clearly an amateur, Colby thought as he sized up the situation. He could easily over power the man, but the suspect would most likely get off a few shots first.
Instead Colby reached inside his coat pocket, slowly so as not to draw attention to himself, and pulled his cell phone out before shifting it behind his back and dialling 911. When he was confident dispatch had picked up his call, he hid it on the counter, and said loudly and audibly. "Hey man, these people are innocent why not let them go and give me the gun?"
"Stay back! All of you get over by the counter and shut up!"
Colby had known what the man would say before he'd replied, but he had to get as much information across as he could for the dispatcher before the man found his cell phone. "Look man, I'm Colby Granger," he said, placing a hand over his heart in what he hoped was in a non threatening manner. "Whatever you need I'll try and get it for you. But first you have to let the other four go. OK?"
"Well Colby," the suspect sneered, "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN WITH THE OTHERS!" The man waved the gun to show Colby he meant what he said.
"Ok," Colby raised his hands above his head to show the man he meant no harm before sitting down next to the others. "There are women and children here man; why not let them go eh?"
"What part of shut up don't you understand?" the man replied angrily as he ran his hands through his greasy hair before pointing it back at the checkout girl. "What's your name?" he asked coming closer and making her whimper harder. She was not the only one who had started crying. The mother he'd noticed earlier was sobbing and clutching her daughter whom was clutching her mother just as hard, all arguments apparently forgotten. The other man looked calm enough to Colby although, he seemed to be mumbling to himself. It was only after a minute that Colby realised he was praying.
"Cheryl," the checkout girl finally replied pulling Colby's attention back to the gunman.
"What's your name?" Colby asked gently attracting the gunman's attention back to him and raised his hands above his head once more.
"Sam," the suspect admitted reluctantly after a moment's hesitation.
"Sam?" Colby enquired in the hopes of a surname and sure enough, Sam responded this time without thought.
"Jackson. You seem overly nosey," Sam replied leaning close and shoving the gun under Colby's nose. If he hadn't been packed between the checkout girl and the mother he'd have wrestled the gun off him.
Instead Cheryl whimpered harder and she sobbed, "Oh my God," drawing the attention back onto herself.
"I want all the money on the premises or I'm going to get real nasty. Ok?" Sam told the hysterical Cheryl as he kept the gun pointed at Colby's forehead. Cheryl only nodded weakly at Sam. Suddenly the phone on the back wall rang, shocking everyone, but Colby. Ah, so the police are here, he thought, nice timing.