Caged

Chapter 36

Bo Buchanan squinted at the morning light coming in through Llanview General's hallway windows. Watch said 8:30 a.m. and the place was hopping, Llanview residents either working as nurses, doctors, staff, or visiting sick loved ones or coming in for tests. Place was busy and his shoes fell heavily. Probably all that bad food. He rubbed his belly, chuckling at Nora's calling him Buddha. His mind instantly went back to business.

Tea Marisa Delgado-Manning, mother, wife, criminal defense lawyer… shooter in Llanview's most recent high profile case.

Hot property. She hit the newsstands this morning: Lady Lawyer Guns Down Todd Manning.

The Star newspaper didn't mince words. Not laughing at its owner-editor's new life as a gun violence victim in a chemically-induced coma with two 9mm bullets having torn through his chest two days before. Everyone was talking, everyone asking...

Tea, Tea, what in God's name happened?

The scene at the Manning estate had been that of a goddamn madhouse. Cops had smashed through the door, yelling commands, weapons drawn. When they aimed their guns at RJ who was all over Todd trying to keep him from bleeding out, he lost his mind about them assuming a black man was the perp.

"I'm trying to save this asshole's fuckin' life, you racist motherfuckers! GET THE PARAMEDICS IN HERE GOD FUCKIN" DAMNIT!"

The shock of the whole thing shook her into silence. She stood in that kitchen in Gannon's arms, her face a white mask of disbelief while paramedics feverishly tried to stabilize Manning enough to even transport him to the hospital. He was a real mess, coughing up blood, choking, bleeding out the two holes in front and the two in the back, his lungs not knowing what to do with the sudden bloom of blood. Worst part was that in short work he started having a seizure, at which point Tea's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out, fainting into RJ's arms and getting the place in that much more of an uproar.

Fact was, nobody imagined the shooter to be Tea herself. When reality dawned on the officers, they trained their weapons on the lady lawyer. By the time the paramedics got Manning into the ambulance, blood was all over the floor, RJ was ready to bring the city down in a new civil rights riot, and Tea was in police custody.

Tea, what happened?

She couldn't answer the question, tears rolling down that porcelain face, RJ being her fuming yelling defender. "If she shot him, there was a goddamn good reason! What?! You're arresting her?! Don't answer questions, baby girl! Don't you answer a goddamn question!"

Manning was lucky… Bo sighed. Lucky? Yes. RJ's arrival on premises gave Manning a fighting chance to live, nearly dying thanks to Tea shooting heavy duty ammo at close-range. Yeah, Gannon acted fast. Slammed his hands on gaping bullet holes, probably threatened Manning into breathing through the choking blood coming up into his mouth. They didn't exactly have a cooperative relationship - Bo could only imagine what RJ must have been yelling. When Bo got to the house, RJ was still covered in blood spray from Todd coughing out his insides all over him.

What were you doing there, Gannon?

I was watching the house - she wanted to be alone, I wasn't gonna let her. Not after the night we had at my club. Speaking of which, you gonna do anything about those Serrano bastards?! Or what, you guys don't give a shit about a black man's business?!

Stick to the point. Why did you go inside the Manning house?

I heard the gunshots! I ran inside!

Kinda risky, no?

I lead a risky life! I ain't gonna wait for cops outside my best friend's house. I go IN.

Manning's your best friend?

TEA DELGADO is.

You don't say. Does Manning know about that?

Bo stood outside the intensive care unit. Family only, fifteen minute intervals. Gannon was wildly defensive of Tea. He'd been upset, rattled, desperate to know Tea was okay. Hard to say, really. Traumatized, yes, panicked, yes, broken hearted. She managed though to pull herself together enough to start defending herself. Delgado was lawyer first, human being second. She said she wasn't going to answer questions until she knew Todd's outcome. With a shaky voice, she said, "Life or death. I need to know. Once I know, I'll be able to think." Tears started rolling, a trembling hand up to her mouth, "I just can't think right now."

He pushed open the doors to see the most dire of Llanview patients all getting tended to by Llanview's best. It was a noisy place. Who could sleep? And shouldn't they be sleeping to get better?

In the far corner was the largest of the glass-walled rooms. There was a person on that bed connected to so many machines and tubes you couldn't see exactly who it was. But the fact that it was Todd Manning was unmistakable thanks to the visible tattoos, thanks to the over-attendance by staff. Bo cocked his head as he walked, eyeing the last indicator...

Jedediah Chant sat on a chair with a laptop and a pretty hefty book to his side on a stool. He had earbuds on and was bobbing his head to a beat nobody else could here. Dressed down, ratty torn jeans, worn leather boots, a black hoodie. A pink beanie. Hair long enough to be tied in a ponytail. Pink? And what about that 15 minute policy? Bo chuckled at Jedediah's managing to talk his way into violating all the hospital rules. Of course he did. Mannings do what they want.

Todd looked to be bad off, Bo noted. Reminded him of that one incident in Statesville. He lay completely unconscious, hooked up to a ventilator, chest wrapped up tight. He wasn't covered too much, though, legs sprawled down the bed, midsection covered loosely with a sheet. His heavily inked and scarred arms lay at his side, one hand gripping a part of a sheet. Must have come awake at some point to be holding onto the linen so tightly.

Why did you shoot him, Tea?

Why, indeed. A lady in scrubs came up to Bo who stood at the station just observing the situation. "Can I help you, Commissioner?"

"Yeah, how's he doing?"

She smiled pitifully, "Hanging in there. Came through surgery okay, but didn't do well when we tried to wean him off the ventilator yesterday. Vitals were unstable, touch and go. He's better today. Stabilized overnight. Looks like he's showing signs of breathing on his own, too."

Bo looked across the floor at Jed, actually surprised at his being here. Viki had mentioned just the other day that he'd been somewhat estranged from Todd. It was good he was here. A quick tally said Jed was probably the only one who even COULD be here. Viki was wrapped up with Tea and the kids; Blair and Starr were out of town. Flying in, supposedly.

"When do you think he'll come around?"

"Any time now. We've been slowly reducing his sedation all morning. Need to get him off that vent."

"Good. Look, we need to talk to him about what happened. You'll call us?"

"Yes, yes, absolutely, but I'm not recommending any interviews for the time being, awake or not."

Something in her tone struck Bo and he dropped his eyes to her tag: Grace Jalloh, M.D. Nice. Bo chastised himself and thanks his stars he hadn't called her nurse. This fine African-American was probably the lead ICU doctor. He added, "Got it, Doc," smiling, embarrassed at his neanderthal assumption. Nora would rip him a new one. "His son…isn't there a 15 minute limit?"

The doctor nodded, "He insisted on staying. Sometimes we accommodate that, plus the room is big enough." She turned to look at him. "He stays out of the way when he has to, so we're good with it."

He then asked, "Is he going to recover? I mean… is he..."

Growing thoughtful, Dr. Jalloh said, "Well, the biggest problem he's facing right now is infection. Barring that, he should be out within a week." She paused. "But...he's developed a fever so we're all on pins and needles." She got a serious look, "Things can change fast. Don't get complacent."

"Of course, yeah. Well, thank you...doctor. I'm going in, okay?"

"Yes, yes… please. Just keep it low and short."

Bo was glad Jed was here - might have some insight into the current Delgado-Manning dynamic. Lots of pressure on the Mannings in these last months. He knew they weren't exactly in harmony, kind of separated. But...shooting kind of separated? Hard to believe. Impossible to imagine. But her being the shooter was the only possible scenario.

Evidence showed no third-party intruders, Tea's freshly-fired gun lay on the scene. The recovered bullets matched the ones from the gun. She tested positive for gun residue on her hands but she'd used the gun at RJ's place so that didn't mean anything. There was no sign of forced entry, the only thing amiss being a smashed drinking glass that contained milk of all things. And yes, cookies on the counter. Milk and cookies. She did test positive for alcohol but nothing excessive. Her demeanor sealed it: horrified, tearful, not afraid of intruders whatsoever. She was the shooter.

But why was a mystery to all but Tea and Todd.

He cleared his throat, without getting Jed to notice. The music. Bo tapped his shoulder and Jedediah glanced up, nodded a hello, returned to his laptop. No interest in talking without prodding.

Bo tapped him again. "I want to talk to you."

Jed rolled his eyes, pursed his lips in impatience. Yanked the buds out, shutting the music off on his iPhone. Waited for the question.

"What are you workin' on?"

"Class project."

"You're back in school?"

"Yup, MBA." He shrugged. "No big."

Bo grabbed a stool from outside the room, rolled it next to Jed and sat heavily. Jed sighed and closed his laptop. Impatient but aware Bo wasn't letting him off any hook.

"Tell me about 'em, your dad and Tea. You surprised she shot him? Or was this something that seemed to be coming?"

Jed studied Todd, looked at the monitors, light eyes just like his father's. Said, "What kinda conversation you want? One sided or a real one - where you don't pull punches and you give as much as you want from me?" Turned to Bo who crossed his arms, taken aback at the hard look on Jed's face. He wasn't a kid anymore. He wasn't scared, he wasn't intimidated, he wasn't a weeping child sitting vigil. He was stone cold Manning without the wounded soul, without being a major player in a crime organization.

As far as Bo knew. Never occurred to him until right now. Was Jed MK, too? Which meant, again, this was no kid. Okay, straight talk. "I just want an open conversation. I'll give, too. How much do you know about your father? His life."

"A lot."

Seconds rolled by as they played chicken, assessing how much to give in this give-and-take. Jed wasn't going to incriminate Manning so it was up to Bo to give up first. "You know about his association with the Mambo Kings?"

"Yes."

"Like how high up he is in the organization."

"Yes."

"You know what he does for them?"

"Do you?"

"Can you enlighten me?"

Jed shook his head, "Nah. That's for you to find out."

Bo chuckled, "Not much of a conversation."

Shrug.

Bo sighed, leaning his head back against the wall, deciding to just talk. "I know that he's second in command. Our intel, not totally reliable but not too shabby, says he's the information man for MK. His responsibility is to get information to Pedro Moreno on competitors. Manning also makes deals with other gangs; he essentially…" Bo snorted, disbelief coloring the sound, "Manning is rumored to be the man behind the curtain, the white ball on a billiard only with surgical-level control… he knows where all the balls are at, and not just MK either. All gang organizations in our region, maybe even on a wider scale." Bo paused, looking at Todd on that bed. Looking at the MK markings that he now couldn't unsee.

"Rumor says, he doesn't just know where the balls are at, Jed, he PUTS 'em there. I have a feeling, and this is just a feeling 'cause I have no evidence, that without Manning running the show behind the scenes…the balance of power in the Northeastern U. S. of A. would go nuclear."

Jed didn't say much. His eyes dropping down, looking at nothing. He shrugged, his face impassive, said quietly, "He should be arrested."

"Can't be. He's got his real role so buried, so disguised, that he's virtually immune to prosecution. I had no idea when I started pursuing the Horenda killing, how hard it would be. We nearly got him," Bo smiled, almost bitterly, more to himself than Jed, "but damn if he didn't come up with a way out of it."

Jed didn't seem to know this. He turned, "Really?"

"Yes, I'll leave it at that. Your dad… is now in a formal state of immunity. Lucky man."

Silence. Bo gave a punctuating nod. Looked hard at Jed. "Why did Tea shoot him? Was he hurting her? Threatening her?"

Jed dug around his backpack for some gum. Stuck a stick in his mouth. Offered one from the pack, Bo shooing it away. He put the pack on the table next to him, stretching out his long legs in front of him. Chewed for some long moments, his eyes on Todd.

He looked at Bo, "My dad…he's complicated, but he loves Tea pretty simply…and she loves him." He sighed, conflicted. "Look, I don't want to get her trouble. I mean, don't use my words, okay? Like, I'm not testifying against anyone." Bo agreed. He really did just want an open convo.

Jed went on, "She's been really hurt about MK, for sure. Obviously. But…not just that. He's… he's got this heroin thing and that's been a big problem, too. He can't shake either MK or the dope. She wants him to leave most of the time, but..." Jed sighed. "He's caught up in too many things. He's like that giant...with all the little people…"

"Gulliver?"

Jed laughed a little, "Yeah. So many ties, keeping him down. Thing is, he's so entrenched that he doesn't even see how much he really just likes it." His voice tightened. He sounded pissed off.

"Likes MK."

"Yeah…" Jed rolled his eyes, "My dad is the… strongest man I know. He's a real Superman. He calls his doctor that but what he doesn't know is that HE is the superman. He saved me, respected me. Made me believe in myself. Long time ago. Nothing gets him. He survives everything." He shook his head. Looking at his dad on that bed. As vulnerable as any man at death's door. Jed rubbed his face tiredly, sniffed. "But deep inside, he thinks he's nothing. Powerless. I know what that's like. How deep THAT can run. MK gives him power. And he… likes it. Least, that's what I think."

Bo studied Manning, not doubting a word Jed said. Sounded pretty accurate. "So was he upset that Tea wants him out, out of MK, out of the house...off the drugs?"

"That's the thing, despite all that, he didn't really take anything out on her. Oh sure, he's an asshole, don't get me wrong. He gets real snarly with her, but threaten her? No, I'm sure of it. No."

"What about Tea, do you think she finally had it? He's refusal to give these things up?"

Jed turned on Bo. "No, Tea doesn't hate him. I see it, I hear it… she fights herself all the time. No way would she just shoot him. I think she has PTSD, you know, post-traumatic shock? Not just from the club thing. From EVERYTHING. What I think happened? She got scared is what I think. Shot him in shock. I read that she was alone at first. That he went to the house later? Her nerves got the best of her."

"Like an accident."

He nodded, "Yeah, like an accident, something like that."

"How do you feel about her? You angry?"

He thought about it, looked at the monitors, looked at his dad. Got a sad look. "Like I said, he's complicated. Who hasn't wanted him dead? I certainly have, more times than I can say. Not that she shot him on purpose… just saying… even if she did? I get it. Deeply get it. He's put her through a lot and it's not letting up." Jed breathed in and sighed heavily, leaning forward and put his head in his hands. The weight of the world on his shoulders. Knowing far too much. "Shit," he said under his breath.

Bo patted him on the shoulder, "He'll get through this, kid. He's a tough tough man." Nodded, chuckled, "Superman. Kind of."

Todd started to move on the bed, pulling gently against the ventilator tubes, weakly fighting everything. Grabbing those sheets into fists. Jed jumped up. Expertly put the side railing down and got right to his father's side, getting a firm hand on Todd's arm. "Hey Pops…it's me Jed, I'm right here. Can you look at me? Can you stay cool? Can you chill the fuck OUT?"

Nice. Bo blinked at classic Manning sympathy but funny enough it worked. Todd seemed to settle and focus on Jed, visibly trembling. He reached for Jed, his hand landing heavily and sure on his son's head, cords, lines straining. He was… absolutely… awake.

A whole lot of people descended on that room, Todd seriously agitated and needing a lot of attention. Bo got shooed out of the room. Didn't know how long it would be, the doctor warning him that no interviews would be granted until he was safely out of the woods. So he headed back to his office at the LPD. Going to take a look at all the evidence again, maybe get Tea to talk. Though he doubted that.

Why, Tea Delgado, why did you shoot your husband?

The television channels were all boring. Tea sat on the couch in the family room, flipping, flipping, finding nothing. Viki had brought the kids home. They had dinner together. The night had long settled in. Kids needed to get to bed. Didn't take long for Reese to come running in, talking his toddler talk and hugging her. She smiled and hugged him tightly to her, closing her eyes. Wishing to turn back time. To that moment when she pulled the trigger.

Why?

The tears started to come again and she let go of Reese, "Go, go baby, go back to Lucia…" He ran out and she grabbed the blanket and sobbed into the warmth. She would die, she decided. If Todd died because of her, because she lost her mind and completely snapped, she would simply die. The moment played over and over in her head and nothing brought any clarity to her. She could feel that gun in her hand, she could see Todd putting his hands out to stop those bullets.

No, no, Delgado…

The tears soon stopped and she just listened to the sounds of the kids running upstairs. Bathtime. Fact is, she had snapped. The moment was very fogged. She was so upset, so horrified at watching Todd in that gang fight… but it was strange. Her memory was foggy. Did she see what she thought? Did he get such… a lift from that fight? She was not herself after the thing ended. Nearly getting killed had shaken her, seeing Sweet Joe get shot, and seeing that Serrano bastard turning towards her had wrecked her.

This she knew. She also knew that she pulled that trigger on her own husband. A momentary snap decision she could not take back. She had wanted to stop him.

Stop what, exactly?

A half hour later, Viki came in, holding a doll that Lucia wanted for bed. Sat next to Tea. Put her hand on her arm. "The children are ready for stories. I'll read to them, get them to sleep. I'll stay in the guest room. I won't go anywhere until you're ready for me to go."

"Thank you so much. You're such an angel." She paused. "How can you look at me, knowing what I did?"

Smiling gently, she held Tea's hand. "Because...I cannot throw stones when I live in a glass house. I don't dare. You are not a bad person, Tea. I know that. So… yes, I can look at you, help you. Take care of your children, yours and Todd's children. I am here." She stood up, bent and kissed the top of Tea's head. "Try to sleep."

Tea leaned back, turning away from Viki. Hearing her go up the stairs. Hearing the kids laugh at something she said when she hit their rooms. She grabbed the blanket against her, curled her feet under legs. The night of the shooting a bloody gray blur. She'd fainted when she saw Todd starting to seize. It was too much, all that blood, the horrible sounds he made. Tea covered her ears, the noise coming back.

When she came to, RJ had been sitting next to her, a cold towel on her head. Todd was gone, Bo standing nearby.

"We're taking you in, Tea. We have to."

RJ was so angry. She remembered grabbing his hand, telling him it was ok. "It's protocol. Not up to Bo." When she refused to answer questions, they put her in a cell. She cried all night. A prostitute ended up comforting her. "It's okay, honey, it's only a city jail. The county is much more comfortable. Prison, you wanna avoid." Surreal. Crying her eyes out on the lap of a broken down Chinese whore. She kept petting Tea's hair, "It's okay, doll, it's okay…"

Sniffing, she glanced around the room, leaning back on the couch. Across the room was a pack of dog stuff. She sat up. Where was Abram? She couldn't believe she forgot about him. Where did he go? Todd had him at the club. The dog had been lying at Todd's feet in RJ's office. Then he left, dog in hand.

Where was he?

Her cell rang and she practically flew off the couch, grabbing the phone off the table. Jed. "Yes?"

"He's awake, Moms. Breathing on his own. Took a while to get him there, but…he's doing great."

The relief was deep. "Thank god," she wept. "Thank you, amor..." She spoke a hundred words in Spanish, getting Jed to laugh quietly. Viki came running down the stairs, Tea putting her hand over the phone, like it was an old landline, "He's fine, he's awake, Jed said he's doing great."

Viki put her hands up to her mouth, closed her eyes, and sat down, laying a hand on Tea's lap. "Yeah, Moms, you ought to see him ordering people around right now. The doctors are kind of amazed. And annoyed."

"That's a good thing," she said softly. She didn't dare ask anything, especially relating to her. She wasn't strong enough. "You ok? You must be so tired."

"I'm fine. Feeling a lot better now that's he's gotten through the worst. I really think he's gonna be okay."

Tea rubbed her face, whispered, "I'm so sorry." Those damn tears started up again.

"No. Don't. Whatever happened, happened." Jed breathed hard out, "He's real worried for you."

"Stop… stop… I can't hear this right now." She bit her lip, then switched, had to switch because to think about him worried… no.. She said goodbye and sat in the quiet, Viki having returned upstairs.

What's he gonna say, Tea?

He'd absolve her, that's what he was going to do. He'd feel deserving of those bullets. He'd never press charges. The real question was, would he get his own justice on her? He wasn't one to let LPD mete out punishment. Where to now? Why DID she shoot him? Would she absolve herself?

And where… where was Abram?

Rolon Lopez petted that damn dog, shook his head. The hell was Manning doing with a dog? The dog yawned and stretched out on the passenger seat of the car. Manning had left him. He'd been damn upset over the Serrano slaughter at Gannon's club. Shit hadn't gone down the way he'd expected. He'd really hoped those assholes were just gonna leave. They didn't. Ten men dead. Los Serranos were crippled but not out.

So yeah, right after that shit went down, Blanco shows up at Rolon's garage where there was an emergency meet with Pedro. Manning was real moody and real fuckin' dark, but firm on his ideas. Had that damn dog with him.

What are we gonna do, man, Rolon had asked. Voices all start up, everyone had one plan in mind. Kill Los Serranos. Wipe out the tribe, man. End them.

Except Blanco. Despite that darkness, he was fixed, set on reorganizing. Pedro was angry but willing to listen. Serranos want the games, Manning said, but we don't want those bastards in this part of the state. Dump the lower region on them. It's been problematic for us anyway. Give it to them. Let them blow it up. We'll come in when shit gets ugly or we'll hand it off to someone else.

Lots of loud raucous objections but Pedro was in for the moment, only slightly more than before, after Blanco showed Pedro hard figures. Showed that the lower region was a loser to start. Low-end gaming. Beneath them. The sheer size of the lower region would feed into Los Serranos' inflated egos. Rolon had the feeling that Manning was on a very short leash on this thing.

So yeah, operation Matar-todos-Los-Serranos was put on hold. Manning got up, walked to the edge of that garage, still fucked-up dark, you know? Pedro nodded at Rolon to get after him. "Find out what you can do…I don't like what I'm seeing."

Rolon sprinted across that greasy floor, calling out to his friend. The two stood in the garage's shadows, right outside that wide-open door. Manning said, Hey, hang on to the dog for me, okay? I gotta take care of something.

What you need, bro?

He got sad, man, that dark moodiness giving way to something else running even deeper. Said his lady was in a bad way. Looked hard at Rolon, That fight wasn't in Statesville but we sure acted like it was and she saw the whole damn thing. It was our world, you know, it was right and good and clean but… shit… it was ugly for her. Rough.

Then why are you fuckin' around with this? End Los Serranos. Give Pedro that information he wants. He's been real patient.

Manning looked at the moon, then at his dog. I am not a monster. WE are not monsters. Right? Let's try to fix this without more people dying.

No doubt, Rolon had said. Then Blanco looked at the dog and kinda laughed and then didn't. Said shit real low so no one would hear him and the pain in him was big, real fuckin' big, and he said, I'm either going home or I'm going to get high. You got something for me here?

Rolon didn't think of himself as anyone's sponsor but… damn...he was torn. That need was huge and Manning really needed to just mellow out but… he increasingly had no control over that fuckin' habit and he only just got out the damn rehab. Rolon grabbed his friend by the shoulders with both hands and said, Keep it together, my man. Go home to your lady. That shit ain't gonna help you. I'll watch your damn dog.

That monkey on his back showed in his eyes, man, and would always be his downfall. Blanco cussed him out and wandered off, leaving that poor dog hankering after his owner. What am I, chopped liver, you little fucker?

Rolon didn't even know the dog's name. He rubbed his big head. Spent the last two days tending to the dog. Food, water, rubs on the belly. When he found out what happened when his brother went home, getting shot up by his beautiful wife… he felt sick. He should have just given him the goddamn dope. Sent him to get laid by one of their girls. He'd still be healthy today.

Ese puertorriqueña. Bitch had balls bigger than any of them.

"You a pussy, dog. Look at you. Though...you sure did get a good hold of Baby Joker." Rolon chuckled, looked across the hospital parking lot. He got a phone call from Nene, one of their young MK soldiers who worked as an orderly. Crazy kid had his eyes on medical school. Stranger things, man, stranger things. So yeah, Nene said Blanco was awake and wanted to see Rolon. Still in ICU but doing okay. Come late, Nene said. Like midnight. Rolon sniffed. Got out of the car. It was late, near midnight. No idea how the hell he was going to get into ICU. But maybe if he turned the charm on...

Just as Rolon was about to dial Nene, a pretty young nurse, thank God, was just opening the ICU door. He smiled broadly at her, getting her to smile back at him. He'd dressed casual, dressed in a nice collared shirt, made sure to cover his tats as much as he could. He even put on good leather shoes. Head was shaved but you know, a little Axe cologne brought out his suburban side.

"Hey mamita, can I get in there? I know it's after hours but…my heart, man, I gotta see my friend. I just want to see him awake, you know?" After pouring it on pretty thick, after giving her his number, that silly woman let Rolon in. He walked confident, saw Blanco right away in the big room. Rolon laughed to himself. Of course he got the big corner room. A king, a man sent by God, would always get the big room.

His son was at his side, legs out, snoring away. Manning was awake though, saw Rolon immediately. He lifted his head a little, looked serious, had fevered eyes. He was all laid up, wrapped up, wires and tubes and shit. Rolon got to him, put a hand on that hot head of his, "What the hell, hermano? What did you do to that woman?"

Todd lowered the oxygen mask, looked his friend up and down. "You here to finish what she didn't?"

"You're gonna throw that at me the rest of my life, ain't you? I said I was sorry." Rolon sighed, a hand on Todd's arm. "Jesus, I should have just given you that dope. Going home, nearly the fuckin' death of you."

Todd swallowed, closed his eyes, shook his head, said softly, "Stupid. My fault, my fault. I did it all wrong. This isn't on her."

"What happened?"

"Doesn't matter." Todd then put that mask on again because breathing was still an issue. He breathed long enough to settle himself, the stress rising, anger bubbling, feeling like hot blood in his lungs. Rolon could see it. Dark and moody? This was a whole other thing.

He took the mask off, said raggedly, "Can you do something for me?"

Rolon nodded, "Yeah, hermano, anything, what?"

Todd licked his lips, pulled Rolon closer, continued to speak low, "Kill 'em, kill those Serrano motherfuckers. The generals, they all meet for breakfast tomorrow… on the east side… place called La Paloma Motel. Kill 'em all."

Rolon stood straight up. Serious now. "What about your plan? Lower region gaming… negotiating..."

"FUCK. THEM. They hurt my wife… THIS much. I thought she would be okay...but THIS is what happened. They hurt her...they hurt the Posse…messed shit up and I don't like messed up shit." He could barely keep himself still. "Kill 'em, Rolon. End them."

Rolon turned to look at Jed who wasn't snoring anymore. Those eyes said a lot. He'd heard that last order and was completely unmoved. If it had been anyone else, Rolon would have made a joke, blamed the meds, the injury. Rolon just breathed hard. Jed got up, said in a quiet but confident voice, "Room 214. They'll be there at 6 in the morning. Been doing that once a week for about six months."

Well, shit… apples sure don't fall far from trees.

"All the ones who count will be in that fucking room," Todd huffed. "Los Serranos will be done."

The mask went back up. Jed sat back down. Rolon could feel the gaze of both men on him, could feel their unwavering in this decision. Rolon studied Jed, seeing his father in him. Knowing he was a good kid, and would be there for Rose the rest of his life. He could still hear Leticia's begging Rolon to claim her daughter…Jedediah too young for such a responsibility... MK needed to protect that child...

Damn, Rolon had no idea. That kid had ice water in his veins just like his dad.

"Pues, Blanco… you were real hard against this. For a long time. You're burning up, you're on lots of drugs… you're sure you ain't gonna wake up tomorrow morning in significant regret? You can't take this back."

"I've thought about it every minute since I woke up. Up and down and sideways. I want this. I need this."

Rolon nodded, looking hard at El Diablo Blanco. Sniffed, his belly tight with adrenaline. "This don't make you a monster," he said. "This makes you…" He searched for words. Grinned. "This makes you a true MK blood brother, un Cubano por sangre. Revenge is honorable."

Todd looked hard at Rolon, eyes...unwavering.

"Consider it done, Blanco. Consider it DONE."

To be continued...