Jax
They had to ride back over 50 miles to reach the train station hook up.
From there, they had to take the train north for six hours. Back to Jimmy.
From there, he should be able to get his son back. After that, he'd worry about getting home.
Jax looked over ay Tig as they rode the winding roads toward the train.
The roads were clear, and never usually traveled by anyone. When they did encounter people on the roadway, they were usually walking, or on a scooter of some sort.
But there would be no one out at this time of night. It was smooth sailing for he and his brother.
Tig had been the last one to arrive back to Ireland this time. He had gone back to Seattle to help Clay and Gemma with some task that would hopefully clear her name.
Jax didn't know if he had gone back to Charming, but he desperately wanted to ask Tig if he had.
Had he seen Tara? Was she OK? Had she moved away? Gone back to Chicago? Had she met someone else? Jax caught himself on that final thought.
What would he do if she had? He could understand her decision, for sure. He had deserted her. It was like he had died all those months ago.
Tara was an amazing, smart, beautiful woman with her head on her shoulders and a fierce heart to love. What if she had met someone?
He supposed if the guy wasn't a total douche, he might be okay with it. That thought let Jax's mind wander to who he would consider NOT a total douche.
Unfortunately this line of thinking was beginning to piss him off, and on this final stretch of work, all Jax had was time to think.
Would she ever forgive him? Would he want her to? If this could happen to Able, what could happen to her?
At least he knew his son was still alive. He hadn't checked in with Tara in so long…she could be dead.
Jax could feel his heart suddenly ache. He reached up a fist to his chest to try to alleviate the pressure. He needed to call her, to hear her voice. To wish her a happy birthday.
No! Not yet. Soon. Soon he'd have his son, and he'd let Able call her. He knew the boy wouldn't be able to actually call, but he'd wait until she could hear his baby talk on the other end.
Besides, if he called and she didn't answer…he'd probably lose what little hope he had left.
And even more besides, if he got to the end this trek and Jimmy didn't have his son; he planned on killing the man, right there. And without a doubt, Jimmy's men would put him out of his misery.
Gemma
"Well it's about damn time." Gemma frustratingly said. She was standing up from the plastic chair in the FBI interrogation room.
"I turned myself in a week ago!"
"Well ma'am, we were just checking into the possibly of other witnesses to corroborate your story," the young male agent was holding a case file in front of him, trying to maintain his composure under the menacing gaze of Gemma Teller.
"I already told you idiots that it was just me and her in that house," she paused. "Well except for the two dead people."
Gamma pushed her chair under the table and went to grab her purse the man had just returned to her.
"Where's Stahl?" Gemma asked not making eye-contact right away.
The agent made sort of a coughing/ throat-clearing sound.
"Agent Stahl was killed in a car accident a month ago," he stated, sounding almost sad. "Drunk driver took her out while she was jogging."
Gemma turned to him then, obviously not the least bit broken up.
"Pity," she said. Then waited. "She had great hair."
With that Gemma went for the door of the room. Released without charges.
Jax
Jax was waiting for his bike to be loaded into the cargo bay of the train when his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but most days he was hard pressed to see a number he did recognize.
"Hello," he said into the receiver.
"Hey baby. You all right?" Gemma.
"In six and a half hours I should be," Jax responded with hope in his voice.
"Well good. I was afraid I'd have to come out there and kick some Irish ass." Gemma wasn't just threatening. He could picture her with a booked flight to Belfast just waiting to confirm.
"How are you calling me? Tig said you turned yourself in before he came back here," Jax wondered aloud.
"You know they couldn't charge me on some she said, she said bullshit, and no witnesses." Gemma retorted.
"Ah…" Jax realized what was being said, without being said. "So Stahl?"
"It was so tragic, Jax, poor woman was hit by a drunk driver. While jogging no less! Such a shame."
Jax could hear in his mother's voice just how little "pity" or "shame" she felt. In another lifetime, Jax might've felt bad for the woman, but in this instance she was the reason he was in this shit hole. He hoped the accident hurt like hell before she died.
"So what's your plan now? You going home?" Jax couldn't help the hopefulness that seeped into his question. If his mother was headed home, Tara would have someone there so much sooner.
"No baby. Im staying right here until I know my grandson in on his way home."
Jax physically deflated, but didn't say anything in response.
"You talk to her?" Gemma finally broke the silence when Jax didn't say anything to her plans. No need for names, they both knew who she was talking about.
"No," was all he could say. It was his mother's turn for silence.
"Well Jackson, you just focus on the task at hand. You get Able back, and then you come home. Whatever happens after that, we'll deal with."
Tig piped in at that moment, "We're all set to go man. I can't wait to get back to the desert sand."
"Mom I gotta go."
"You be safe baby, I'll see you soon."
"Bye Mom."
Jax closed his phone and jumped up into the cargo bay. If all goes to plan, he thought, I should be back in the states in less than 48 hours. Please God, he thought, Let everything go to plan.
