Present Day - Tim's POV
The call from Isaac came unexpected. When Tim saw the number appearing on his screen, he didn't doubt to answer it. The hurried voice of the man on the other side of the phone made Tim trying to calm Isaac down first because he couldn't follow shit that Isaac was saying. It took him several minutes and pulling his pick-up over before Tim was able to understand what the man was rambling about.
And that's when his face paled and his knuckles turned white from gripping his steering wheel too hard.
Apparently, Bobbie Lee made one shot... Against all odds, not to kill Johnson but to set him free. The man himself sounded surprised he didn't got a hole in his head from her.
That was the good news ; Bobbie Lee Swagger didn't kill the traitor.
The bad news...was very bad. Amy had her locked up and Isaac couldn't see the building from where he was. And Tim remembered the bodies that the Marshall's found many years ago. You simply didn't want to cross paths with Amy Kenzo. If you were on her bad side, you didn't survive a visit to the Black Aliases and ended up tortured and dead.
He was never able to find direct evidence against Amy so every time he arrested her, Tim needed to let her go again. Remembering the smirk on her face every single fucking time she walked out of the Marshall's office. And now Amy had Bobbie Lee.
Tim had hung up the phone, starting the car again and speeding away with screeching tires towards the Black Aliases. And from his pick up he called Raylan...no doubt his partner heard the frantic tone in Tim's voice and he thanked Raylan for remaining calm.
Not a few minutes later, Raylan knew the whole story and assured Tim that he'd be on his way with the rest of the office. At that moment, Tim had hope again.
Hope he'd see Bobbie Lee alive once more and not dumped in some gutter in the woods.
The drive took too long for him and by the time he parked the car and took everything out of the back, he had to remember his time with the Rangers and everything that he ever learned. It came down to one thing : 'Remain calm. Remember your breathing but whatever the hell you do...remain calm."
After a few breaths in and out, Tim grabbed his backpack and started walking. His compass in hand towards the South where Isaac had told him he'd wait on him.
Tim could see the compound of the Black Aliases when he climbed a hill, wondering where Bobbie Lee was being held captive. He could see from afar that there was commotion downhill. People running around and talking to each other. He contemplated to stop and look through the scope of his long gun but remembered the importance of time at the moment.
And even if he remained calm ... Bobbie Lee was never out of his thoughts.
When Tim finally laid eyes on Isaac hidden behind some bushes, he quickly joins the man and eyes him suspiciously.
"You look...you don't look as someone who just escaped death," he said before pulling out his long gun and assembling it.
Not getting or even expecting an answer of Isaac, Tim just lies down and scans the area beneath them. There wasn't a sign of Bobbie Lee but after twenty minutes of searching, Gutterson found Amy. And he gritted his teeth seeing the woman carrying a big knife and a bag with no doubt other weapons in stuffed in there.
She was accompanied by three men and Tim elbowed Isaac in the ribs, getting the man's attention who was sitting silent next to Gutterson. Glaring through his own scope.
"They're going to Bobbie," he murmured, his heartbeat fast and Tim heard Isaac agree.
He looks up then, locking eyes with the man.
"Can I count on you?"
"What?"
Isaac sounded offended, his eyes big and his lips in a sneer.
"Can I fucking count on you or not? Bobbie saved your no - good life back there. You owe her in more then one way by now."
Johnson seemed to think about it but eventually nodded as an answer. And it was all that Tim needed.
Gutterson glanced on his watch and calculated the time that it would take for Raylan and the others to get here. At least another hour and it wasn't an hour of time they had on their side. He needed to come up with something and grinned. Turning his head to Isaac again.
"Do you remember the little village in Afghanistan? The one with the dogs and women and children? What we did there?"
Isaac frowned, not looking away from his scope.
"We were outnumbered right?"
"Yeah."
And finally the man grinned, locking eyes with Gutterson.
"You're a genius," he said, already getting up and scanning the area around them. "We let them think we're with many. Which sides do you take?"
"Still in shape enough, old man," Gutterson asked while dusting off his jeans. "You'll need to be able to switch positions fast."
Isaac nodded.
"Fit enough," was all he said before he disappeared into the trees towards the South.
Gutterson smirked before picking up his long gun and moving to the right. He needed a spot where he'd be able to move fast. Preferable with another great shooting point close by. It was a long shot but Tim hoped they could pull it off. Making the Black Aliases think they'd be outnumbered by firing different shots from different locations.
A long shot...but one they had to try.
He only hoped that Isaac would cooperate, that the man knew he was in Bobbie's debt by now.
When he found a bush and some loose dirt, Tim settled himself there. His mind calm. His fingers not trembling, which had been a while...They usually stopped trembling after a shot of Whiskey. Or four...maybe five.
But while he lied down, ready to look through his scope to find his first target...A scream echoed through the compound beneath them.
His blood ran cold when he recognized the agonizing scream of Bobbie Lee Swagger.
