Rating: Teen
Warnings: Mild Violence
Spoilers: N/A
Author's Note: N/A


Chapter Two: Inertia


Definition from the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: A property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force in an equal but opposite reaction.


As the motorcycles came up the street, Dom felt his protective instincts kick in. He dove to where he had dropped the Mossberg, knowing that he would need it. He rolled over the front ledge of the walk way, dropping to the sidewalk as the hail of metal missed him by inches. Getting to his feet, Dom looked up to see the two men turned back to their bikes, picking up speed as they left the scene.

Then he heard Mia scream, fear leeching into her voice.

Dom turned around to see Mia kneeling over Brian's prone body as it lay on the path to the front door. Her hands were trying to stem the flow of blood pouring from the wound in Brian's midriff. His breathing hitched as his mind shot back to the scene earlier in the day except instead of the blonde curls, he saw Vince's short, dark strands. Dom could smell the blood, tasting it in his suddenly dry mouth.

"Oh god, Brian!" Mia sobbed, wiping at her face to get rid of the tears. One of Mia's hands was splayed on his chest; rocking him a bit to wake him up but there was no response. "Brian, please wake up. You can't leave me like this." The shaking came a little harder as Mia's cries increased in volume.

Anger rose in Dom like an avenging god as he saw the pain on Mia's face. The words he had said to her just seconds ago didn't register in his mind, only that his sister was in pain and it was all Tran's fault. This time, Tran has fucked with him and his family one too many. He had tried to fuck him over twice before with Letty and Jesse and Dom had allowed him to walk away.

This time, there was going to be no warning.

This time, Tran was going to pay.

Dom jumped to his feet and ran to the Charger, thanking the fates that Mia had not blocked the driveway with Brian's Supra. The engine roared to life and the car peeled out of the driveway, swinging north on the street.

As the houses whizzed by, Dom checked the chamber of the shotgun, noticing that he had only five shots to work with. In his mind, Dom mapped out where Tran and his cousin possibly be heading and began plotting an alternate route. No doubt, they would try to head back to their turf, where Dom's influences were little. There was also the risk of one of Spilner's colleagues catching up with him, Dom thought darkly.

He sped through the streets, dodging cars and walking pedestrians, intent on ending the threat from Tran and his tag along cousin. A flash of red and Dom saw the two motorcyclists whizzing past. Blood pounding along with the whistling of the blower, Dom brought the Charger on their asses, forcing them to go north on Glendale Boulevard, away from their home. Almost immediately, both of them turned and shot at him, bullets spewing through the air. With skill, Dom dodged the hail without losing ground. Around them, other cars and bikes swerved to get out of their way, braking to a stop right in the middle of the street. Pedestrians screamed and duck out of sight as Tran and Nguyen continued to shoot at Dom.

At the next intersection, Dom saw his chance. As Lance leaned to the right to make the turn, he was forced to bring his foot down to the ground as he was going too fast to swing the bike around. Dom grinned darkly as he drifted the Charger around, the back of the car coming around to smack hard into Lance. The biker was thrown off of his bike to land directly onto the path of an incoming SUV. At that speed, there was no time for the vehicle to swerve.

Dom's view of Lance saw the man's body going under the spinning tires, the SUV bucking up a couple of times before coming to a stop right after. As Dom roared on after Tran, he looked in the mirror to see a crowd gathering around the motionless body of Nguyen.

One down, one more to go.

Angered at the loss of his cousin, Johnny slowed down his motorcycle again, allowing the Charger to catch up. Dom realized his folly when Johnny aimed his Cobray at Dom straight on. Without a single thought, Dom hit the NOS button, feeding the fuel injection with a shot of nitrous oxide. The car burst forward as the bullets erupted from the Cobray. The sound of metal being struck alerted Dom that he hadn't escaped unscathed.

Shooting the NOS too soon had brought Dom ahead of Tran who was now chasing him, his gun held by his side, waiting for another shot. Dom led Tran around Silver Lake, using every tactic and skill he knew to keep ahead of Johnny. He left Glendale Boulevard, heading for Micheltorena Street. If he could get there, being in the front would give him an advantage. He hit Angus Street from Lakewood Avenue North, praying to God that there weren't any kids in the streets. He drifted the Charger around, the body angling around as he hit the bend in Angus. Coming out of the turn, he stomped on the gas again, shifting gears as the Charger picked up speed. Johnny stayed on his tail throughout the bends and curves, unable to get a clear shot of Dom.

Finally, as Dom passed Dahlia Street, he knew that the hilly nature of the street would bring the chase to an end. He slowed down long enough to allow Tran to catch up, knowing he would have to time it perfectly. Hitting the intersection at Effie Street, the Charger went airborne, coming down hard fifteen feet away. Dom spun the Charger around sideways, blocking the street. Looking up, he saw Johnny take the hill a little faster, causing him to stay in the air longer but not long enough to pass the Charger. Unable to stop his descent, Johnny knew he was going to hit the Charger. Tran tried to point the Cobray at Dom but it was futile. The bike landed a second before the crash.

The front wheel of the bike slammed into the side panel, flipping the rider up and over the Charger. Tran hit the pavement hard, his helmet skidding across the black top before his body rolled to a stop thirty feet from the Charger.

Dom turned the Charger around and brought it to a stop next to Tran. He got out of the car, shotgun in his hand. Kneeling next to the man, Dom stared into Johnny's eyes. "You fucked too much with my family, Tran. This time it's going to cost you. You tried to kill Jesse, you almost killed my sister, and now you've injured the man she loves." Dom pointed the shotgun at Tran's chest. With a squeeze of the trigger, the slug left the barrel and slammed into Tran's chest, blood and bits of bone erupting outward.

Dom wiped at his face, face grim. Turning around, he got back into the Charger and sped off.


Over the sound of her own screams, Mia's mind raced with the knowledge she had learned in class. The liver, the intestines, kidneys, and other organs were located in the abdomen. The kidneys alone had a liter of blood being pumped through the renal arteries and veins which branched from the aorta every minute. If a bullet had severed the renal arteries or the inferior vena cava, there was nothing that she could do. Brian would bleed out within five minutes as she watched. Had one of them been nicked?

A memory struck Mia then.

The phone! Brian had slid his phone back into his jeans after calling his supervisor to put an APB on Jesse's Jetta. Mia's hand left the wound, bloody fingers digging into Brian's front pocket. She drew out the clamshell cellular, thanking Brian for not leaving it in the Jetta look other men did. Flipping it open, Mia quickly called 911.

"Los Angeles County Emergency Services. Operator 2984. What's the nature and location of your emergency?"

Mia pulled herself together, knowing that Brian's life was depending on what she did the next five minutes. "My boyfriend's been shot. We're at 722 East Kensington Road. I need an ambulance quick. He's bleeding out."

She heard the dispatcher repeat her information to the EMS over the sounds of her fingers hitting the keyboard. "The paramedics and police are on their way. Is the shooter still there?"

"They were on motorcycles. They shot up the house. I don't think they're coming back."

"Are you with the victim?"

Where exactly did the fucking dispatcher think she would be? "Yes, I'm right here next to him."

"Is he conscious?"

Mia noticed the dark spot on the side of Brian's head. "No. I think he hit his head when he fell. He hasn't moved."

"Where is the gunshot wound located?"

"Abdomen, slightly to the right. I think he's been shot more than once. I can't tell with all the blood. There's so much." Her voice caught.

"I need you to place your hand firmly on the wound. Try not to move him much in case the bullets are still in him."

"Oh god, I think he's bleeding from the back too." Mia noticed that the puddle was spreading out from underneath Brian. She did as the dispatcher instructed, placing the heel of her palm on the wound and pressing and down firmly. The pain must have woken Brian up as he jerked and began trying to move. "No, Brian. Don't move!"

"Has he regained consciousness?"

"Fuck." Brian gasped as the dispatcher tried to get Mia's attention, his arms flopping around. "This day is getting better and better."

"He's awake." Mia reported to the dispatcher. She shifted the phone so the phone was held in place by her shoulder and head. Using both of her hands, Mia kept Brian from moving any further. "Don't move; you've been shot. The ambulance is on their way."

Suddenly, Brian reached up, his long fingers wrapping around the hem of her shirt and dragging her down to him. The phone tumbled free to the ground with a clatter. In a whisper, Brian wheezed out instructions as his body tried to fade out again. "Get to Jesse. Tell him what I told you. Protect Jesse. Vince can't help. Not yet. Trust me." Brian's eyes locked with hers, determination blazing through the pain. "Promise me." He gasped his back arching.

"I trust you, Brian. I promise I'll protect Jesse. You just have to hold on." Mia heard the dispatcher trying to get her attention and lifted the phone back to her ear. "I'm still here."

"Good. Ask him if there are any other places he's been hurt that you haven't found."

"Dispatcher wants to know if you're hurt anywhere."

"Stomach. Head. Everywhere." Brian answered weakly, giving in to Mia's demands and laid back down. He shivered. "It's cold." His voice drifted off, his words mumblings together in an incoherent mess. His arms jerked now and then.

"He says it's cold." Mia parroted, knowing that was a bad sign. She thanked god when she heard the sirens. "I think I hear the sirens."

"That'd be the police. The ambulance should be right on their tail."

A second later, a black and white took a hard right onto East Kensington, its lights flashing as it sped up the street. It screeched to a stop right in front of the Supra, the two officers getting out. "The police are here." Mia whispered to Brian, knowing the dispatcher could hear her.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" One of the officers asked as he quickly walked up to her, his dark eyes searching the area for any sign of the shooters. More sirens came as the ambulance entered the street.

"I'm fine. Please, just help my boyfriend." Mia told him. She could still feel the warmth of Brian's blood under her hands. The paramedics ran up the pathway, dropping next to her. The officer grabbed her and drew her away despite her protests.

"I'm sorry but you need to let them do their job." The officer calmly told her, leading her to the edge of the street. "Martinez, check around the house to make sure there are no more dangers." His partner nodded as he quickly went to go check that the scene was safe now that the shooters were gone. Behind them, the paramedics took in Brian's wounds. They checked Brian to see if there was any damage to his spine. One paramedic immobilized Brian's neck with a neck brace while the other began to insert an IV into Brian's arm.

"Ma'am, what's your boyfriend's name?" The first officer asked gently, trying to get her attention.

"Brian Earl Spilner. Is he going to be alright," Her eyes flicked to his chest were she could his name tag. "Officer Lopez?"

"The paramedics are working on stabilizing him now. I can't really tell you his chances of survival since I'm not a medical doctor but you can know that he'll get the best of care." The cop removed a pad and a pen from his pocket. "Can you tell me what happened, miss?"

"We had just arrived and my brother Dom was here. Brian and Dom started to argue then they started fighting. I got between them. I was telling Dom that it was over. That's when they came and shot up the house." Mia's voice caught on a sob, hearing the sounds of the gunfire in her ears. "They shot up the house. Bullets were everywhere." She started to shiver, the adrenaline finally wearing off.

"Did you see their faces? Anything that may point to their identity?"

"They had helmets but I know it was Johnny Tran. Their bikes look similar enough."

"Do you know the reason behind the shooting?"

"One of my brother's friends had raced Tran the day before at Race Wars. You can ask anyone there. Dom and Tran fought a bit before the security stepped in." Mia looked up as a SUV pulled up, two men getting out.

One had a balding head, a full beard and mustache, and what looked to be tinted glasses. The other was taller and looked to be a bit younger than the balding man. Lopez obviously recognized the new men on the scene as he balked for a moment before turning to Mia. "Excuse me for a moment, miss." The cop left to intercept the new arrivals.

Ignoring the talking cops, Mia went to where the paramedics were strapping Brian to a gurney. "Where are you taking him?"

"Good Samaritan as it's the closest hospital with a trauma unit." One of the paramedics replied. He nodded at his partner and they jointly pulled the gurney up, its joints locking into place. Mia walked with them, noticing that Brian was still with them if barely. She reached out, grabbing his hand in hers. The fingers were cold and clammy. Mia squeezed them, drawing his attention to her. "I'll wait for you." Giving one last squeeze, she let go to allow the paramedics to load Brian into the waiting ambulance. The doors closed and the sirens that were silent came to life, the ambulance speeding down Kensington, heading for the hospital. Her fingers itched for the keys she had left in the Supra.

"Ms. Toretto?" Mia turned from where she was staring after where the red and white emergency vehicle drove to see the two men from the SUV standing behind her.

"Yes?"

"My name's Sergeant Tanner and this is Sergeant Muse. We're from the LAPD. We need to speak with you regarding the incidents of today."

"I already told the other officer what happened. My boyfriend and I had just arrived then they came ten minutes alter to shoot us."

"I know this must be hard for you with what you've been through but I'm afraid we are going to need a more detailed account of the events leading up to the drive-by shooting." Sergeant Tanner informed Mia quietly in a soft deep voice. "The sooner we get your statement on record, the sooner you can go to the hospital to check on your boyfriend."

The way the sergeant had said the word caught Mia's attention. Did he know about Brian being an undercover officer? She sat down on the ledge of the yard. "What do you want to know?"

"You told Officer Lopez that your brother and your boyfriend were arguing before the shooting? Can you explain?"

"I guess all of these began over what happened yesterday at Race Wars. My brother has a couple of rivals and one of them goes by the name of Johnny Tran. Yesterday, one of our friends, Jesse Lindberg, raced Tran for pink slips. He lost. But instead of stopping and handing the car over, Jesse panicked and left. Tran got pissed and blamed Dom for something that happened at his house which I don't know about."

"What is the nature of the relationship between your brother and Johnny Tran?" Sergeant Muse asked, eyeing her with a look that Mia did not appreciate. His stare made her feel like she was some prize slab of meat.

"They both have street crews. Dom's the best and a while back, had the mistake of sleeping with Tran's sister when she was engaged with someone else. Ever since then, there's always been animosity between the two crews." Mia explained. "Dom and the rest of our family left to go search for Jesse before Tran and his cousin could find him. Brian arrived at the camp site at Race Wars a couple of hours later around midnight and saw that no one was there. I told him what happened and I went with him to go look for Jesse. Around daybreak, Brian called Dom and learned that they were in trouble."

"When he called your brother where were you?"

"I was outside of the car, checking one of Jesse's hideaways that he visits when he wants to be alone. When we got where Dom had said he was, Vince was on a semi and couldn't get off."

"Do you know how Vince was on the semi?" Tanner asked, his eyes staring at her intently. "Was there anything out of the ordinary?" In the street in front of them, another SUV pulled up. The people who got out were wearing CSI jackets, each of them carrying silver cases.

"We passed a flipped car when we got to where the semi was driving and other that had pulled off the road. We only barely noticed Vince as the semi was swerving around. We tried to get the trucker to pull over but he was refusing to do so. Brian got on the semi from the car and helped Vince get back into the Supra before the trucker pushed us off the road. Brian called 911-"

"Did Brian call the dispatcher in front of you?" A CSI technician walked up to them, holding a silver case and a professional Nikon camera around his neck. Sergeant Tanner held up a hand, the technician nodding. He turned around and began working the blood stain on the pathway. One of the other technicians began prowling the yard, looking for the bullets embedded in the dirt.

Mia shook her head at Muse's question. "No, he had me check the Supra to see if there was anything that could help stop the bleeding. When I came back, he was describing Vince's wounds to them while he pulled Vince's belt from his jeans and wrapped it around his arm. That's when Dom came in Leon's car and was shocked to see Vince in such a state. After the helicopter picked up Vince, I got in the car with Brian and we split up to find Jesse as time was running out. We were checking another one of Jesse's hideaways when Brian called a friend to look for Jesse who was able to find him pretty damn quick. No, I wasn't in the car." Mia anticipated Muse's question this time, glaring at him. "We went to where Brian's friend had left Jesse's Jetta and picked it up. We came here and suddenly Dom started fighting with Brian, calling him a cop and such."

Mia laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know what Dom was thinking but Brian got pissed and began fighting with him. They broke apart and I stepped in to keep them from ripping each other. That's when Tran and his goon came. I think someone tipped them off that they had seen Jesse's Jetta at our house. I mean, they suddenly came up the street so suddenly. That's when they shoot up the house and Brian got hit trying to protect me." Mia started crying again, everything hitting her at once.

Tanner reached into his pocket and drew out a handkerchief that he kept in his pockets the whole time. "Here you go. I'm sorry all of this happened."

"It was just a stupid car."

"Crazy people do crazy things." Tanner motioned for the CSI technician that was waiting a few feet away. "This gentleman will need photos of you and your clothing. After that, if you wish to go to the hospital, I'll have one the uniforms escort you there."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

Mia got up and walked over to the CSI who had her hold out her arms and look directly at the camera. She didn't count the numerous photos the CSI took but Mia was sure that the multiple shots would capture all the blood stains on her. The technician then took a swab and collected several blood samples from the splotches on her skin as well as a DNA sample from her mouth. Next, her fingerprints were taken. After the CSI had everything he needed, he walked with her into her house, staying outside of her bedroom after handing her a large brown paper bag.

She changed, making sure that the clothing she wore the whole night went into the evidence bag the CSI had handed to her without touching anything else. The flats went to the bottom, followed by the jeans, underclothing, with the bloodied t-shirt on top. She slipped on sweatpants and shirt and handed the evidence bag to the CSI who thanked her and left. Mia grabbed another set of clothing and slipped into the shower.

Once there, everything hit her, rocking her to her core. Mia slipped to the floor, her hands covering her face as her tears mixed with the red water swirling down the drain.


One hour later saw Mia waiting in the emergency room, waiting for the nurses to finish settling Brian into the ICU. She had gone to Good Samaritan with the police escort Tanner had assigned to her. According to the RN on duty, Brian had been swiftly taken to the trauma unit where they had performed the surgery to close the bullet holes in his intestines and stomach.

One of the bullets had entered from the right side, striking the large intestines and the stomach before exiting from the left side. The second bullet was about four inches lower than the first and had gone through from the front side at an angle, tearing into his small intestines, exiting out his lower left back. A third bullet had gone through his right oblique muscles without hitting anything else. Due to the fact that the bullets had ruptured the stomach and intestines, Brian's peritoneal cavity had been flooded with the acids, bacteria, and other fluids that were contained in those organs. As such, the medical staff's primary concern was the threat of septicemia and blood clots but other than that, Brian was expected to fully recover within two months.

From the cop with her, Mia learned that Vince was being held at another hospital near where he had been shot on the highway. He too was still in surgery but it was drawing to a close. The only concern for the doctors over there was that they were wary of the damage done to his arm. They were hoping that enough blood flow had been restored to his fingers to stop gangrene from setting in. There was a chance of nerve damage to the levels of decreased oxygen in the limb so they wouldn't know the extent of damage done until Vince entered physical therapy.

She had then mentioned that she had to find Brian's friend to see Jesse who no doubt was going to wonder what was happening. It was then that the officer had told her that Detective Tanner had informed him that he was on his way to Good Samaritan with some information that Mia would want to hear.

Taking a seat in the surgery waiting room, Mia held her purse tightly in her hand, mindful of the looks she was getting from other people present as the officer was standing beside her. It was twenty minutes later when Detective Tanner walked through the double doors with another man with dark skin that Mia had yet to meet.

Something about the way the second man carried himself or maybe it was the bulge of a concealed weapon under his jacket that had Mia on edge. This wasn't a normal LAPD detective. She was proven right when Tanner introduced them.

"Ms. Toretto, this is Special Agent Darrell Bilkins from the FBI."

"What does the FBI have to do with what happened at my house?" Mia asked, straightening her back, meeting his stare straight on. She refused to be intimidated by the man before her.

"I'm afraid it has to do with everything that happened today."

Bilkins took the seat across from Mia, his dark eyes solemn. "You see, Ms. Toretto, I have been investigating a string of truck hijackings in the LA county over the past few months. Once we figured that the hijackers were local street racers, we brought the LAPD into it as they were more familiar with who was part of the street racing scene."

"Why would you be telling me this unless you think my brother did this?"

The FBI agent didn't deny it. "Your brother is the best, known as the King on the streets but we did not have any concrete proof that him and the rest of the family was behind it. There was also a chance that we may have the wrong man as there two other possible crews who had the skills and knowledge to pull the heists off. So we sent in an undercover officer to find any evidence linking him with the heists."

Mia stilled, letting the feelings of betrayal that she had felt when Brian told her who he really was wash over her, fueling the anger bubbling in her. "You sent in an undercover officer. What Dom said to Brian before -?"

"Yes, Brian was the undercover officer we had chosen." Tanner confirmed gently, taking his glasses off and rubbing them an eye cloth he removed from his pocket. "Unfortunately, we did not take into account the threat that the Trans posed until it was too late." The detective placed his glasses back on his nose.

"All this time, he was lying to us, to me? From the moment I first met him?" At the store, Mia added in her mind.

"He was doing his job, following our instructions. Unfortunately, there were," Bilkins leaned back in his chair. "Personal complications that we did not foresee."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Mia narrowed her eyes at the law enforcement officers before her. "What about Jesse? What about the friend that Brian called when I was searching the hideaway? Those weren't friends, were they? They were cops like you."

"You're right. Brian called me at the office to request that we put an APB out on your friend and bring him to the precinct under protective custody. He's still there with a guard. As for Vince, Brian called the dispatcher to have a med-evac for him. That saved his life. Any longer and your friend would have bleed out to death on the valley floor." Tanner's phone rang, the man excusing himself while he walked off a bit to talk to whoever was on the other end.

Bilkins laced his hands together. "We had to remind Officer O'Conner that this was an undercover operation and that personal feelings should not get his way of completing the mission."

"Oh, believe me, he fulfilled them well." She snapped as Tanner ended the conversation and walked to them, his face grave.

"That was Sergeant Muse. It seems that Johnny Tran and his cousin Lance Nguyen have been located." Tanner's phone bounced in his hand as he paused for a moment. "It seems that your brother chased them through the streets of Echo Park up to Silver Lake. Lance is currently in the surgery room at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center with multiple broken bones as well as a punctured lung. As for Tran, he was found dead by officers on Micheltorena, gunshot wound to the chest. They're talking to witnesses at the moment."

"Did you know where your brother went after fleeing your house?" Bilkins asked.

"No. He just left. I was too busy worrying over Brian." Mia shook it off. Standing up, she slipped her purse over her shoulder. Bilkins stood up as well. "I need to see Jesse. I can't deal with this right now. Do you know where he is?"

"If you would like, we can-"

Mia held up a hand. "No. I think I've seen enough officers for today. He didn't have anything to do whatever my brother did. If you're not going to hold him in connection to the heists, you can't hold him as the threat that Tran posed to Jesse is now gone since he's dead."

Tanner nodded reluctantly, exchanging glances with Bilkins. "He's being held at the Rampart Community Police Station. I'll call the officer there and have him released into your custody. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call us."

Mia took the offered business cards. "Thank you for the information. Excuse me, detective, agent Bilkins."

"Ms. Toretto." Mia turned around to face Tanner. "I know you may not want to hear from us but I will call you once we learn of Brian's condition." Nodding once, Mia continued to walk out of the emergency room, her head held high.

Sergeant Tanner tracked her movement until he could no longer see her anymore. As a man, Tanner could see why O'Conner had fallen in love with his mark's sister. She was everything Tanner would have wanted in a woman for his son; beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, and loyal. It was unfortunate; however, that Brian had fallen in love with the woman while undercover. Sighing, Tanner knew that he would have to be the one to tell Brian that his cover had been blown and that now everyone would be suffering from consequences of their decisions. Instinctively, he knew that whatever was going to happen was going to change everything.

Brian had been a fine officer, easy-going with his colleagues; stubborn when presented a case others had trouble solving. From the moment he had entered the police academy, the higher-ups had their eye on the young man, watching as he began to ascend through the ranks, his skills growing. Brian was someone who could have gone high in the police department. It was the reason why Tanner had chosen Brian for the mission. It was too bad that he hadn't foreseen that Brian's nature would come out and connect with the Toretto gang.

Now, Tanner could only hope that he hadn't lost a fine officer in the muck that was sure to be thrown around; a police officer shot while on undercover duty, potentially two public murders on the streets, and a federal investigation that had gone belly up.

"You can be damn sure that our superiors will not be happy with the results of this investigation. The media will be all over this like hellhounds around a dying man." Bilkins remarked as the two made their way to their car as Tanner called the officer manning the desk at the precinct.

Tanner paused as he went to open the door to the unmarked car, his mind suddenly latching on to what Bilkins had said. "The media has never been the friend of the department or a friend of the Bureau. I need to get back to the office. I'm sure the Watch Commander will want a preliminary report on the investigation for the press conference that will probably happen tonight." Tanner replied, a plan sitting at the back of his head. "He would want to make himself look good in the face of the public."