Angel Wings Ranch

Louisa stood in front of the white board while she looked at the photos and she crossed her arms under her breasts. She titled his head to one side as she frowned while Romeo walked to her and he titled his head the other way.

"Still not seeing anything?" Romeo asked, handing her one of the bottles of beer he had in his right hand.

"No," she said as she took a drink and she pointed the beer bottle at the white board. "How do they do it? I mean on tv. They looked at photos then, bang, they figure it out."

"Writers," he teased and she light nudged him. "Look, think of it like one of those image puzzles. You know. Those fuzzy pictures you have to stare at for hours then you see something."

"I hated those things. All I ever got was a headache."

"Me, too."

"Now, Norman… He could see shit every time."

He saw the look in her eyes as Louisa sighed and Romeo lightly slid his right arm around her shoulders.

"I can't say I know anything about being a twin, but I do know it sucks. Not having him here, I mean."

"You're right. It sucks."

"Let's go get something to eat. Never know. Maybe walking away from it will help you see whatever it is you're supposed to see."

Nodding, Louisa took another sip of beer as they walked away, but they didn't see Norman standing in front of the white board. He looked at the photographs as he frowned while tilting his head to one side and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Boston

The soft ping filled the air as the light turned on and the doors to the elevator opened. Margaret led the way as they walked in the room and she turned to look at Connor and Murphy. She smiled at their lighter color hair and she agreed with Louisa about Murphy looking cute wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

"Hey, this is the place we stayed at th'last time we were in Boston," Connor said while he walked to the bookcase and he moved the book back. He watched the bookcase sliding into the wall as the lights came on and he walked into the armory. Murphy had followed him as they looked at the guns and Connor picked up a cord of rope with a grappling hook on the end.

"Put that down," Murphy grumbled and Connor smiled.

"I was just lookin'."

Margaret and Jessie walked in the room while Murphy looked at the small gun and he lightly moved his fingers over the gun. His mind replayed helping Louisa try on the small rigging which hides the gun under someone's sleeve and he placed the gun back on the shelf.

"So, what do we do now?" Connor asked while walking to Margaret.

"We unpack then, in the morning, Jessie and I are going to the precinct to talk with the detectives in charge of the New Saints' case," Margaret said.

"An' we go t'their base?" Murphy asked.

"Yes, but only if you promise to be careful."

"We'll be good as gold," Connor said with a grin and Murphy walked to his brother, placed his right elbow on Connor's left shoulder then he nodded.

"Where is the New Saints' base?" Jessie asked.

"Believe it or not, but it's McGinty's," Margaret said.

"Isn't McGinty's closed?" Murphy asked.

"It was until the mayor decided to turn it into a city landmark."

"Then how can they use it as a base?" Connor asked.

"I have no idea."

"Jus' wish Doc was here t'see it turned into a landmark."

Doc had died two years after they had confronted Detective Mike Baker a.k.a. the Butcher and Margaret had made sure Connor, Louisa, Romeo and Murphy were allowed to attend the funeral.

"Aye, he would have been over th'moon," Murphy said.

"Let's go get unpacked," Margaret said as they left the armory and she pushed the button. The bookcase slid shut while they picked up the overnight bags and they headed for the bedrooms.

Later that night, Margaret slept with her head on the center of her husband's chest and her fingers rested against his right side. Her fingers suddenly dug into the soft skin as she moaned and Connor's eyes opened. She moaned louder and moved against him as he slid his arms around her and he made soft hushing sounds.

Blood.

Blood spread out from under Connor while he was lying on the floor and his eyes looked up at nothing.

"No. Please, God, no!" she whispered while she held onto his left hand and she felt the coolness of his skin.

She had no idea why she was back in the McGinty's storage room where she had seen Detective Mike Baker, also known as the Butcher, shoot Connor, Murphy and Agent Paul Smecker and the fear building inside her caused her heart to pound.

"Connor, please, open your eyes!" she pleaded while she shook him and tears dripped from her eyes. She leaned down to kiss his cold lips, but his eyes kept looking at nothing and she stroked his hair.

"Murphy!" Louisa shouted as she looked at her and Louisa was kneeling next to Murphy. Murphy was lying next to his twin and a large pool of blood was under him. Louisa was trying to stop the bleeding as blood seeped through her fingers and the hate in her eyes while she glared at her burned. "You…! You killed them!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You promised me they'd be safe!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You promised!"

"It wasn't…!"

"Romeo!" Jessie called out and she turned to see Romeo lying on the floor with blood pooling under him. Jessie glared at her as she backed up and a cold chill moved through her. "You killed him!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Yes, it was," Morgan said and she looked at him. He loomed over her as his dark, soulless eyes locked with hers and he had his hands behind his back.

"No, it wasn't!"

"Why deny it? Your parents. Jonathan. Connor. Murphy. Romeo. Everyone you love dies and it is always your fault."

"No!" Margaret shouted as she sat up and Connor sat up, turning the light on. Murphy and Jessie appeared in the doorway while Connor held his wife and Margaret sobbed against his shoulder. He shook his head as they walked away and Connor kissed the side of her head. He had reached for the box of tissues as the box sat next to his left side and he gently rocked her. He hated it when she was this upset and he wanted to reach inside her head and beat whoever, whatever, it was who scared her to a bloody pulp.

"I'm here," he repeated while rocking her and she held on tighter to him.

"It's not my fault.:

"What's not yer fault?"

"I didn't kill them. I didn't."

"Maggie…"

"Connor. Murphy. Romeo. No. You can't be dead."

"We're not dead," he said as he took her right hand and he placed the palm of her right hand against his chest. She felt the gentle rise and fall of his breathing and the warmth his skin when she slowly opened her eyes and she lifted her head to look at him. His shiny blue looked right at her and she saw the worry behind them. He gave her one of his reassuring grins as she reached up and she gently moved her fingers along his jawline. "Hullo."

"Hello."

"Mind tellin' me what that was all about?"

"No."

"I told Lou the best way t'get rid of a nightmare is t'bring it out into th'light," Connor said while he brushed the hair out of her eyes then he lightly kissed the tip of her nose. Sighing, Margaret told him about her nightmare and she waited for him to push her away. All she saw the anger in his eyes as he snorted a breath of air and she could just feel the rapid beating of his heart. "Christ."

"Lord's name," she whispered and he softly laughed.

"I swear… I swear, when this is all over, I am gonna punch that son of a bitch in the balls."

"No."

"Maggie…"

"I'm fine."

He nodded when he thought of something and he arched his eyebrows up.

"Want me t'make you some warm milk?" he asked. Connor found warm milk helped her calm down after a nightmare, but she didn't know he placed some whiskey in the milk to help her go back to sleep.

"Yes. Please," she said as she watched him get out of bed and he slid his boxers on. Connor walked out of the room when he saw Murphy walking down the hallway and Murphy had a white coffee mug in his hands. He was grateful that Murphy knew what he was thinking and Murphy stopped when he came to stand in front of him.

"Thought she would want this," he said as he handed Connor the white coffee mug and Connor smiled.

"Thanks," Connor said. Murphy saw the pain in his twin's eyes as Connor took the white coffee mug from him and he looked at the milk.

"How is she doin'?"

"She keeps sayin' she's fine, but she's not."

"Maybe we should just tell her uncle t'fuck off an' go home."

"Aye, we should, but she won't stop until she finds out what's goin' on."

"An' you hate it."

"Of course, I fuckin' hate it. She's my wife an' she's fallin' apart."

"Then let's go home."

Connor knew Murphy was right as he sighed then he leaned back against the wall.

"You know, if it was open, I'd suggest we go t'McGinty's an' get drunk," Murphy said, tossing his arms up.

"I miss doin' that," Connor said with a nod.

"Me, too."

"We could still do it. There's gotta be a bar open somewhere."

Connor looked at Murphy as they locked eyes and he placed the coffee mug on the small table behind him.

"Connor?" Margaret called out while she walked out of the bedroom a few seconds later when she saw the white coffee mug and she walked to the small table. She picked up the coffee mug as she frowned and she looked down the hallway.

McGinty's

The dim light from the streetlamps showed them the way as Connor and Murphy walked down the sidewalk and they stopped in front of McGinty's. They weren't sure if they should have been pleased or upset that no one in the bars they had been to hadn't recognized them, but they admitted it was nice to be able to enjoy themselves.

"Will y'look at that," Murphy said while he pointed to the memorial sitting outside McGinty's and they slowly walked closer.

Small candle holders were sitting on the ground as the small light flickered in the breeze, flowers sat in vases or bundled in green paper, drawings of Connor and Murphy were taped to the wall, a large banner with their images painted it was in a holder near the front doors and black wreaths were hanging on the front doors

"I feel like I'm standin' in front of my grave," Connor whispered.

"Does that make us ghosts?"

Connor shrugged his shoulders as they walked away, but neither of them had noticed the light in the upstairs window or the shadow moving away from the window.

The soft ping filled the air as the elevator doors opened and Connor and Murphy walked in the room. They stopped when they saw Margaret and Jessie pointing a gun at them and they lifted their hands up in surrender.

"Where the hell have you two been?!" Margaret asked as she lowered the gun and Connor walked to her.

"We went out fer a drink," he said and she could smell whiskey on his breath.

"Aye, we went out," Murphy agreed and he leaned against his twin.

"Well, let's get you to bed," Jessie said while she slid her arm around Murphy's waist and he smiled at her.

"Oh, Lou is gonna be mad when I tell her you wanna go t'bed with me."

"Right," Jessie said with a nod as they walked down the hallway.

Connor looked at his wife as she stood in front of him and he blinked his eyes a few times.

"I'm sleepin' on th'couch, aye?" he asked. She walked by him as he sighed, walked to the couch and he lightly plopped down on the cushions.

In the morning, Margaret and Jessie walked up the stairs to the precinct as Margaret opened the door and she held the door open for Jessie. She decided not to wake Connor before they had left for the precinct, but she did feel guilty about still being angry at him as she watched him sleeping. She had given him a quick kiss on the top of his head and he had made the sweetest smile.

"Are you still angry at them?" Jessie asked as if she knew what she was thinking and Margaret shook her head. They headed for the security desk as they showed their identification to the officer behind the desk then they headed for the elevator after they were scanned. Margaret pushed the call button as the elevator doors opened. They went inside the elevator car as the doors closed and Margaret folded her hands in front of her.

A short time later, they walked in the squad room as they headed for the door to the captain's office and Margaret knocked on the door. The balding brown hair man nodded as he waved for them to enter as Jessie opened the door and they walked in the office. She closed the door while Margaret walked to the desk and she shook hands with Captain Douglas Collins.

"You must be Miss Stone," Douglas said with a nod.

"Yes, I am," Margaret said as she and Jessie sat down on the chairs in front of the desk and he folded his fingers together.

"How may I help you?"

"I hope you will share the information you have on the New Saints killings."

"Why do you need this information?"

"I believe their deaths are connected to numerous killings not only here, but in Britain."

"What sort of connection?"

"The connection is the people the New Saints have patterned themselves after."

"You mean the Saints?"

"Yes. Now, will you cooperate with me?"

"I will, but you have to understand something. The Saint are not exactly a pleasant topic around here. Not since what happened eleven years ago."

"I did hear about that incident, but I can't see what that has to do with the case at hand."

"We lost three good men because of them."

"From the information I have read, one of those good men was actually an assassin known as "the Butcher"," she said with a cold tone to her voice and Jessie noticed Douglas flinching.

"That was never proven."

"What happened to the other two men?" Jessie asked. Romeo had told her Margaret had Detectives Duffy and Dolly arrested, but Margaret never said what happened to them.

"No one knows," he said with a shrug and Jessie looked at Margaret. 'Now, if you will excuse me."

They watched him get up then leave the office as Margaret looked at the security cameras and she flexed her fingers. A few minutes later, Douglas returned and he handed the file folder to Margaret. She opened the file folder as she looked at the information, but there wasn't a photograph of a mural or painting and she frowned.

"This file is incomplete. Where is the photograph of a mural of the Saints?" Margaret asked.

"We were not able to get one due to not being allowed to enter their headquarters," Douglas said.

"Are you talking about McGinty's?"

"You've heard of it?'

"I have."

"Then you understand why we can't go in there."

"And yet the New Saint were allowed to make a base there," Jessie said.

"Yes, they have. How? We don't know."

"Have you received any threats by the New Saints in retaliation to the deaths of their teammates?" Margaret asked.

"No, we haven't."

"According to my information, there have been some who believe there was police involvement."

Margaret handed him the file folder as he opened the file folder and he read the information. He sat back in the chair as he sighed and he folded his arms over his chest.

"They should have killed those guys after they took out "Papa Joe" Yakavetta at the courthouse," he grumbled and Jessie saw the anger on Margaret's face.

"What did you say?!" Margaret asked with a cold tone.

"Nothing," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Well, thank you for your cooperation," she said as they stood and he shook her hand. She walked to the door as she opened the door and they left the office. Jessie walked a little faster to keep up with her and Margaret growled, balling her hands into fists.

McGinty's

Connor and Murphy walked down the alleyway as they made their way to the delivery door and Murphy pulled up the strap to the overnight bag on his right shoulder. Both of them were wearing a black sweater, black jeans, black leather boots, black leather gloves, black sunglasses and their black Navy pea coats.

"Did she say anythin' about last night?" Murphy asked, glancing at his twin as they stopped at the door.

"No, but she did kiss me on the head before headin' out," Connor said with a small smile.

"She made you sleep on the couch?"

"No, that was my idea."

"Well, seeing how often you end up there, maybe we should get one of those couches with a bed in it," Murphy teased and Connor flipped him off.

"Hand me the bag," Connor said and Murphy handed him the overnight bag. Connor opened the overnight bag as he removed the lock picking kit and the gas masks and he handed the overnight bag to Murphy.

"I still think we should have brought the night vision goggles," Murphy said while he looked at the gas masks.

"Nah," Connor said with a shake of his head.

Kneeling down, Connor opened the lock picking kit as he used the lock picking tools to open the door then he placed the lock picking tools away. Murphy placed the lock picking kit back in the overnight bag as Connor placed the gas mask on then he handed the other gas mask to his brother. Murphy placed the gas mask on while Connor looked around then he slowly opened the door. He was startled when he heard a low hissing down coming from behind him and he turned, looking at Murphy.

"Don't do that!" Connor warned and Murphy hissed a laugh.

"Here," Murphy said as he handed Connor the flashlight he had removed from the overnight bag and they walked in the room. Both of them felt a cold chill move over them as a replay of what happened eleven years ago moved through their minds and Connor flicked the small button to power the flashlight. The dim light moved over the room as they looked around when they stopped at where they had found Smecker and they crossed themselves. Connor shined the light around when he saw boxes sitting near the wall and they walked to the boxes. d he saw cans of vegetables inside. "What was their part of the prayer?"

"That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command."

"So, why did they call themselves the New Saints? Why didn't they name themselves after something fast? Like the Sprinters or summat like that?"

"How th'fuck would I know?!"

"Thought you knew shit," Murphy teased and Connor lightly shoved him.

Connor shined the light when he found the door and they headed for the door. Connor held his left hand out as Murphy looked through the overnight bag when he found the lock picking kit and he handed the lock picking kit to his twin. Connor knelt down as he opened the lock picking kit then he frowned after he had touched the door handle and he found the door was unlocked.

"What th'hell?!" Connor whispered as he stood up and he handed Murphy the lock picking kit. Murphy placed the lock picking kit away when he removed the Berrettas he had packed and he handed one to Connor. Nodding, Connor slowly opened the door as he peeked around the door then they stepped out into the small hallway. Murphy quietly closed the door as they headed into the bar and Connor shined the light around the room. The dust particles moved through the dim light as they looked at the sleeping bags spread over the floor and the plastic containers sat against the walls. They walked over the sleeping bags while they looked around and the light shimmered on the painting on the far wall. "Well, at least we're not naked in this one."

'Aye," Murphy said when the lights suddenly came on and they spun around to see a young man standing near the bar and he was pointing a gun at them.