Author's Note: Uh...really big update this time because I couldn't bear to break it into smaller chunks. We're nearly done now - with this vignette. What have I not answered? What questions are unresolved? You know you want to press that feedback button and influence the future.
Locked Away – Chapter Twenty-One
Ted diligently carried out his mission, which landed Jack Reese on Charlie's doorstep that evening.
No one expect him to just show up. A call maybe? A scheduled clandestine meeting perhaps? But not just ring the bell. In point of fact he didn't...ring the bell; he knocked – twice. Then he just opened the door that Crews always left unlocked and walked in.
The house was dark and quiet, but he heard laughing coming from the patio. It was his daughter's laugh – a sound he hadn't heard in years. A muted male voice, followed by her raucous laugh came to him through a layer of glass. He couldn't tell what was being said, but she was pleased with whoever was doing the talking. It made Jack think for a moment, then worry – a lot. He sure the hell hoped it wasn't Crews making his daughter that happy, but after her profession the other day and her current location…he was pretty sure it was.
It was a hot night so they'd gone swimming. The patio was lit in blue and greens and the light filtered through the undulating pool water casting inconsistent rays of light through the black night sky. Jack Reese stood at the French doors behind a layer of glass as Charlie Crews in yellow swim trunks hauled his daughter through the water to the corner of the pool and her white teeth grinned in a broad smile as the red haired man covered her smaller body with his. As Crews kissed her, Dani's tanned hands appeared on his back pulling him even closer. They only broke when they slipped below the surface and both threatened to drown. Even then she came up laughing and smiling. He didn't want to go out there. She'd stop smiling instantly, so he stood in the dark and watched.
Ted cleared his throat.
"Wondered when you'd stop skulking back there," Jack commented without turning.
"I…uh…you," he stammered.
Jack smiled at the other man's discomfort.
Ted was clearly frightened, but he held his ground and regained his composure and his voice. "You should let them know you're here," Ted said sounding stronger than he felt.
"I know," Reese said. There was sadness in his voice.
Ted shifted uncomfortably, but held his position. If Reese wasn't going to make his presence known, Ted would. About the time he summoned the courage to step forward, Jack Reese turned the knob on the door. He stopped halfway out the door and threw back over his shoulder; "you're a good friend to him, Early."
It shocked Ted. Not that Reese knew his name, but that he'd noticed his friendship with Charlie beyond his ability to hurt Crews with it. It puzzled him. Perhaps Reese was not what they all thought; then again…maybe he was just that… or worse.
Ted retired to the garage, but he didn't sleep – he worried. Ted always worried.
Jack didn't give them the chance to notice him. He barked Dani's name loudly, like he had when he'd yelled at her all those years ago…through middle school, high school, college and later when she'd struggled in those early days with the department.
Crews reacted first. He stood straight up in the water, piercing blue eyes scanning for the voice that they both knew. He fixed on Reese a moment before the older man stepped into the greenish flickering light. Dani dipped her head back, smoothing her hair back with the pool water and tried to convey ease she did not feel as she climbed the pool steps and grabbed a towel. Crews was only a step behind her and his hand rested easily on her hip as she handed him a towel too.
An entire conversation occurred in an unspoken language of glances and nods occurred before she stepped into the conversation they'd all long awaited. A reckoning was coming; it was due. Then as a surprised Jack Reese watched, his daughter reached for the hand of the man he'd put in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He shouldn't have been surprised. She said she loved him. He'd watched Crews kiss her. It wasn't a first kiss; they were and probably had been lovers long enough to become familiar with each other.
But there was none of the coltish awkwardness of a first date, they weren't shy or new at this, they moved with the comfort of a married couple. Then it hit him. Dani was comfortable with Crews because she trusted him. This wasn't some impulsive move to piss him off. It wasn't because her partner had untold millions. It was because for the first time since he'd laid eyes on her as a squalling baby almost thirty years ago, she was content. She'd found her mate and her place in life and her future relied on the tall pale man whose eyes and hand held hers.
As they walked towards him, Charlie's longer stride made it easy for him to place himself in front of her, protecting her with his scarred body. His eyes were wary and he moved with a catlike grace. He was weaponless and yet Jack Reese knew Crews didn't need a gun or knife to kill him. Crews himself was a weapon, one honed against the concrete floors and walls of Pelican Bay. Rumor had it Crews once killed a guard with his bare hands using a single blow. Evidence had shown that the Russian, Nevikov, died from the same type of blow. Crews hadn't lost his edge. He may have been innocent when they bussed him up to Crescent City, but the man was a stone cold killer now.
Crews nodded. His contempt was thinly veiled, but held in check for the sake of his partner.
Dani was stunning in a pale lavender bikini and bare feet. "Dad," she greeted him neutrally.
"You asked to see me," he offered. "Here I am."
Dani told him to have a seat in the house and then led a mute Charlie Crews by the hand up a winding marble staircase to what Jack could only presume held their shared bedroom to change clothes. He paced and blew out a ragged breath. This was going to be far worse than he'd thought; more painful and yet pain was what he welcomed, what he deserved.
He was holding a highball glass of Crews' expensive smoky single malt scotch looking out the window at the city below when he sensed more than heard someone beside him. It was Crews. He had to keep himself from inhaling sharply and cursing, he couldn't prevent himself from jumping.
Crews lips formed a tight smile. "I promised her I wouldn't kill you," he said in a low tone," don't make me break my promise." There was no veil, just a threat.
He heard Dani approach and light suddenly filled the room.
He turned and she was there; his daughter, only different. She wore a simple tank top and jeans. Her feet remained bare and red painted nails adorned her small dark feet. Jack exhaled, "you look just like your mother."
It wasn't what she expected him to say. She frowned for a moment and then recovered quickly. "Mom's had a very hard time with your disappearing act."
"I called your mother before I came here tonight," Jack replied, but there was no edge to his voice. There was instead resignation.
Dani was still angry, and hurt and it showed in her response, "why now? It's been months."
"To tell her that I've arranged to surrender to the police tomorrow," he divulged. "To tell her I was sorry for what I've put this family through," he continued, "to tell her that a long time ago I thought I could live with something that ended up tearing me, us and our family to shreds and that it's finally over."
Dani bit her lip and Crew instantly moved to her side. She only bit her lip to keep from crying. He'd watched her in physical pain on more than one occasion so he knew how deeply Jack words were penetrating. She wouldn't cry; Dani never cried, but she was reeling from her father's disclosure. The little girl she once was wanted to; but the young woman she'd grown into couldn't.
"Do you have some questions you'd like me to answer?" Jack directed his comment at Crews who was now singularly focused on the young woman who held him at bay with just her eyes.
She shook her head as he stepped closer, "don't." Her voice wavered and she held up a trembling hand to ward him off, but Crews walked right through her warning and wrapped her in his arms. For a moment she bristled and halfheartedly pushed away from his strong embrace before she surrendered to his attempt to shield her from harm. "It doesn't hurt," she mumbled. She'd deny it to the world when he knew different.
"I know, honey," he murmured softly into her hair.
Jack watched them. His little girl with the only man she trusted. That used to be him; he'd sold that trust for money. He'd sold his integrity, his trust and his immortal soul for something as meaningless as money. He'd put an innocent man in prison. Prison turned that man into a killer and that killer now held his daughter's trust in the hollow of his hand. Everything was connected, just as Crews said.
Moments passed as Crews simply held her. The person most wronged by him, didn't ask him a thing, didn't even look at him. Crews only had eyes for her.
Finally, when Crews spoke it was to say, "I'd like you to leave my house."
"Sure," the elder Reese replied. "I'd like a word with you outside if you don't mind Crews."
This perplexed Charlie, but he nodded his assent. He didn't follow Jack immediately. Instead he led Dani upstairs, put her to bed and sat with her for a long time stroking her hair and talking softly to her.
"I know what you're doing," she told him with tears still in her voice.
He sat against the headboard and held her in his arms. "Is it working?" he chuckled.
"How can he be like this?" she complained.
"There is something liberating in being a condemned man," he told her plainly. "It would be easier if he was acting like the bastard we both knew him to be a year ago wouldn't it?"
"Yes," she sniffed. "He's just…"
"Your dad, I know," he said sadly. "He's going to be locked away tomorrow – probably for the rest of his life. Are you sure you don't want more from him? You might not ever see him again?"
She shook her head vigorously against his chest, not trusting her voice not to crack.
"Okay," he said. She knew he'd never ask again. That was how Charlie worked. What was in the past, was gone – his wife, his former life, his friends, his hate, his pain, his anger. "I love you," he kissed her sweetly. "I gotta take out the trash," he grinned. "Be here when I get back?"
"Always," she smiled through her tear filled eyes. She was feeling the extremes of both betrayal and sacrifice simultaneously.
He leaned close and rumbled against her ear, a secret even the darkness of their bedroom. "If you cry, I won't tell anyone." There was tenderness and a gentle teasing tone to his very personal request for her to let go and let it out.
A choked sob escaped her before she pushed him away. He left her to cry alone, as she wanted. She didn't want him to see her lose control of her emotions, but she knew he'd never say a word about it. He'd never judge her, belittle or berate her and he'd never feel sorry for her; he accepted that she needed this just as later she'd need him.
Jack Reese waited for Charlie Crews in the darkness of the cool night on the paved drive in front of the darkened mansion where his daughter now made her home. The door opened and Crews emerged. It had been over an hour.
"She okay?"
"No," Crews answered coolly, "but she will be." Crews stood very still and regarded him. The moon was high in the sky and the world appeared black and white, but that's not what it was…it was shades of miserable and confusing gray. Sadly, Charlie realized, it always would be.
"Why'd you do it?" Crews asked.
"Pbftt," Reese huffed and non-answer. "Which of my many sins would you like me to begin with?"
Crews remained stubbornly mute. He was still angry and he wanted to hurt Jack, but he knew that wouldn't help things.
"Do you really think that any explanation will make any of this right?"
Again Crews said nothing.
Reese ranted. This was a confession he wanted to make. "Bank of LA sounded like a good idea. I had a wife, a little girl. Cops don't make a lot of money. Then things got stupid. Jimmy Dunn couldn't handle it and ate his pistol. Carl Ames started drinking too much, so much. My informant went berserk and killed that family. I got Rachel out of there, but it just kept getting worse. Then you went to prison and that killed me to watch happen, but it was you or my kid…my family. So I got you out when I could and…shit!" he barked. "You have no idea what this is like Crews."
"And now you've come home to pay for your sins," Charlie said blankly. "You can outrun that which you are fleeing - only until you realize it's yourself you are trying to avoid."
Reese stared at him. "That Zen shit isn't just an act is it?"
"No," Charlie said. There was coolness to his voice that made Reese know he was no longer detached and not angry. "But you have made Dani….you hurt her. No one hurts her, Jack," Crews menaced.
Reese stepped back as Crews stepped towards him. "Promise me something Crews," Jack demanded.
"Why the hell would I?" Crews wondered.
"Because what I'm going to ask you to do - you want to do," he replied to the tall red haired man. For a moment Charlie thought Jack Reese was going to ask him to kill him - to put a bullet in him and end it once and for all. He cocked his head to the side but gave no other response.
"You didn't know Dani as a little girl," Reese explained. "I did. I knew her before. When she was tea parties and dolls and… She was just a little girl."
Charlie was having a hard time envisioning Dani Reese with dolls and tea parties and was somewhat distracted by that image when her father made his request.
"Make sure my daughter has lots of children Crews," he said softly. "My little girl always loved children, wanted children. I think you can give that to her. I think she will let you."
Charlie was stunned. He gaped and simply nodded. His head bobbed up and down vigorously several times after he recovered enough to reply. Not only was Jack Reese not upset that he was bedding his daughter, he wanted them to have kids together. Convincing Dani Reese to do that could easily take him the rest of his life.
"Don't let her see me in prison, Crews," Jack turned to walk back to his waiting car.
"You won't last long without help," Crews offered.
"Maybe that's the kindest thing that can happen to me at this point," Jack foretold his own future.
A cop in prison has a hard time. You have to be a hard man, a straight razor to survive. Jack Reese may have once been a tough man, but he was an old man now. He would not last a month in general population.
"The tech they had on you," Jack referred to the tape of Charlie paying off the doctor and the guard, "it's gone. It's the only thing I could do for you, son. It's nowhere near enough, but…" As he climbed into his car and through the open window made one more demand of Crews, "take care of my daughter Crews."
"I will," Charlie vowed.