Chapter 26- Joey's Problem, Pia, and the Job
Reese and Brandi stepped onto the boardwalk on the waterfront in front of a small carnival. "I thought we were visiting Pia, Joey's girlfriend," Brandi said as Joey came to them.
"We are, but I need to talk to Joey. He called me to meet him here," Reese said as they joined him.
"Who's the kid?" Joey asked, eyeing Brandi suspiciously.
"She's my brother-in-law's. I promised to baby-sit while he and my sister went out on a date," Reese said, the lie sounding too quick to Brandi.
"Oh. Nice to meet you, kid. We're gonna meet in five hours. It's a new job," Joey said his voice coming out rapid-fire like bullets.
"You're gonna risk it all again? You know Straub's going off the rails," Reese said matter-of-factly.
"Uh, yeah, that's why I gotta have his back. He needs the money," Joey said
"Well, Straub might. But you don't," Reese said.
"Yeah, I do," Joey disagreed.
"That's right, your obligation. What is that? You leave somebody behind? Who was it, Joey?" Reese pressed.
"A friend. Took my place on patrol. Got killed," Joey said cryptically as he turned, but not before Brandi saw tears in his eyes.
"Why'd he take your place?" Brandi asked.
"Ya see, kid, LT puts me on honor guard for this visiting politician. So I'm scrubbing my boots, and Frank- that's his name- Frank goes out. His wife had just had a baby, this little girl called Amy. Heh, man he was so happy. He said nothing could hurt him. IED rips him to pieces in the seat I should have been sitting in," Joey explained.
"So that's your debt," Reese said in an understanding tone.
"Yeah. He used to show me her picture, you know? He was gonna lay the world at her feet, man. He was gonna give her money for college. Everything. And he would have done that too. He would have done it," Joey said resolutely.
"And that's what you're gonna do. You tell anyone else?" Brandi asked.
"No, kid. Not even my girlfriend," Joey said.
"So you're still fighting the war. She's still waiting," Reese said.
"When this is done, I'm with her completely," Joey said.
"Be with her now. Don't do the job. It's not worth being killed over. Your friend wouldn't want it that way," Brandi said, touching Joey's arm.
"My friend got killed. I gotta take care of his kid," Joey said, walking away.
"I guess we'd better go meet Pia, Brandi. Don't look so sad. You tried to convince him," Reese said, giving her a hug.
"I know. but I guess it's sad that we can't help someone who is under that kind of guilt. Maybe Pia can convince him," Brandi said glumly.
They went to the restaurant where Pia worked and it wasn't long until Pia was serving Reese a cup of coffee and Brandi a glass of Dr. Pepper. "It's Pia, right?" Reese asked.
"Yeah," Pia said with a smile as she put Reese's cup down.
"You're even prettier than Joey said," Reese said.
"You're a friend of Joey's?" Pia asked.
"Army. Just in New York for a few days, visiting my niece," Reese said, indicating Brandi.
"He's crazy about you, you know that?" Brandi asked.
"It's funny how his friends know more about what he's feeling than I do," Pia said.
"Ah, you know Joey, he's a bit of a closed book," Reese said.
"You're telling me. I'm starting to wonder if he's ever gonna let me in. Waited six years for him to come home and it's like he's still over there. Sorry. Shouldn't go crying all over the customers, heh," Pia apologized with an embarrassed laugh.
"No, no, no. It's all right. "Look, you're a beautiful woman. If Joey doesn't come to his senses, there's plenty more fish in the sea," Reese said.
"No, I'm stuck with him. Loved him since I was so high. It's the way it is," Pia said, walking away.
"Are you and Brandi there, Mr. Reese? Get anywhere with your friend Joey?" Dad asked over the feed.
"No, Dad. We can't cure someone of guilt. Soon as Uncle John finds out what the next job is, go ahead and call the cops. They can pull the whole gang in," Brandi said sadly.
"You both did what you could," Dad said.
"Yep," Reese said, finishing his coffee.
Brandi sat next to Finch a couple of hours later, a glum and pensive look on her beautiful face and twisting a lock of her dark brown hair around her fingers. "Brandi?" Finch asked. gently disentangling her fingers from her hair.
"I don't know, Daddy. Something doesn't quite gel with how this ended with Joey Durban. I mean, he deserves to go to jail, but I can understand why he's taking care of Amy. O'Bryan did when my father died on 9/11," Brandi said, her voice catching slightly.
"Sweetheart, Joey is right to care about Amy, but it's wrong to break the law for her. Peter felt the same about you as Frank felt about Amy, but your father would never have asked anyone, myself included, to steal or kill for you. Your father would have been the first to agree with me that that isn't love, Brandi. Joey could have found another way to help Amy and her mother. I did when I adopted you," Finch said, kissing Brandi's hand gently.
"I know, Dad. I just feel sorry for Amy, I guess. I know what it feels like to not have a father and what it's like to still remember him sometimes. Amy won't ever know her father. I just hope her mother tells her about her father and doesn't do what Mom did by not telling me. Everyone knew my father but me and Mom wouldn't even let them tell me what he was like," Brandi said as Latimer's phone rang.
"They have the target, Sir. Long-term evidence lockup under Centre Street. Uh, they have the cage number... precise orders to recover the item," Latimer said.
"That was brief. Can we hear the team now, Dad?" Brandi asked, swiping viciously at the stray tears on her face. Brandi and Finch would talk about this later, but right now she was thinking of the robbery. Finch flipped a few switches.
"Security's tight, four semi-retired cops. Bad news, it's right on Centre Street, it's crawling with cops and feds," Straub said, putting a clip in his gun. The click of the magazine was clearly heard over Reese's earwig.
"What are we stealing?" Joey asked.
"One item only, easily concealed. So even you boy scouts won't make me leave it behind," Straub said.
"So what is it? Bonds? Jewelry?" Joey asked.
"Don't know. Don't care. But it's worth 400 grand," Straub said.
"Whew!" Joey whistled softly.
"What about exit strategy?" The man talking to Latimer at his bar asked, reminding Finch that he and Brandi were listening to two different conversations at one time.
"Uh, that's in hand, Sir," Latimer said.
"The boss says no loose ends. Understood?" The voice asked.
"Understood. The team was cracking up anyway. It's time to refresh," Latimer said, a feeling of dread growing in Finch's stomach. From the look on his daughter's face she understood what Latimer and the voice meant too.
"Oh no. They are going to kill the team. And most people that are a boss are for the mafia. But which one? Zambrano? Yogorov? The Morettis?" Brandi asked, the color drained out of her face.
"I don't know, Sweetheart. Shh! Straub's talking again," Finch said, rubbing his daughter's face gently with his fingers.
"Latimer gave us clean weapons. And I want cell phones, pagers in here. Come on," Straub said, a splash of water punctuating his words. "Yeah, even your sneaky little earwig. Hey, it's not a problem, is it?" Straub asked. before they lost the connection.
"Great. Dad, we have to warn Uncle John. Come on. The Centre Street lockup is not far from here," Brandi said, pulling her face out of Finch's hands and putting on her jacket.
"No. Stay here. I'll do it," Finch said firmly
"No way you're leaving me here to worry all by myself," Brandi said.
"No. These are killers. I am not putting my daughter in danger again," Finch said, gripping her hands tightly.
"Dad, I don't think they are gonna try that. If you've noticed Joey hasn't killed anyone yet in the robberies. He and Straub will just tell us to get down," Brandi said.
"All right. You can come. I just hope I don't live to regret this," Finch said, kissing Brandi's forehead gently.
"Yeah, yeah. I just hope we aren't too late," Brandi said as they went out to Finch's car.