Chris had spent the drive over debating if his current course of action was the right one. They needed to find Henderson and put an end to this before more people got hurt so the fact that he was having to make this detour only pissed him off. Pulling into the underground garage, he got out of the jeep and headed to the elevator that would take him to Ezra's floor. They all knew where he lived but he didn't think any of them had actually been inside. Before now, he hadn't really given it much thought. Now, if he was right, that fact that no one had been to his place made so much more sense.
Stepping off the elevator onto Ezra's floor he really didn't think Henderson would be here, but he also didn't want to risk being wrong. Stopping in front of the door, he glanced down the hall. Stairs to the left, elevator to the right. The paranoia and need for multiple egress points was ingrained so deeply in all of them it was almost disturbing. Listening for a moment at the door, he slipped Ezra's keys out of his pocket. He was glad he had grabbed them on his way out of the ER. It had been a while since he had picked a lock. There were always people on his teams that were much better at it than he was so he usually left it to them. And, when they weren't around, kicking the door in was always an option although he was pretty sure Ezra wouldn't appreciate not having a door when he got out of the hospital. Pulling his gun out of its holster, he slipped the key into the lock and turned. Pushing the door open, he found himself facing the barrel of a gun. In retrospect, he knew he probably should have expected it.
Seventeen Hours Earlier
Ezra looked down at the file again before pushing open the passenger side door. Glancing over at the address on the house to verify the numbers, he looked across the hood of the truck at Vin. "What a charming abode. Not suspicious at all."
Vin shook his head as he surveyed the property. The bumper stickers on the beat up car, the general run down look of the property, the no trespassing signs on the fence. There was definitely a type and this fit perfectly. "Why don't you do all the talking. Convince him to stop threatening his neighbors. That way we can both go home early for a change." They had all figured out quickly that Ezra could usually talk anyone into anything if he was properly motivated.
Tossing the file back onto the passenger seat, Ezra shut the door. "Fine. Shall we see why this miscreant seems to think that his neighbors deserve to be 'blown to smithereens'." He walked towards the gate looking at the man's yard. "I'm actually a little surprised he spelled the word 'smithereens' correctly." Running his eyes across the house, he looked for signs of the man. He should be home, he hadn't kept a job more than a couple months at a time and was currently unemployed. Raising his hand, he rapped his knuckles against the door and took a step back.
Vin could hear movement on the inside as the man opened the door and peered through the screened storm door. He let out a sigh as the man slammed the door in their face. "Go left." He knew the instruction wasn't necessary as he saw Ezra skirt around the side of the house in the opposite direction Vin was already heading. Vin picked up speed as he heard a door in the back slam shut.
He rounded the corner of the house in time to see the man jump the chain link fence at the back of the property. Pursuing, he easily cleared the fence as he pushed himself over the top. He knew Ezra was a couple paces behind him. Keeping his eyes on their target, he realized the man had a gun tucked into his belt. Looking ahead, he quickly studied the rough path in front of them. They were in the foothills that he knew led to the canyon that ran for miles on the west side of town. Muttering a string of expletives, he sped up in an attempt to close the distance between himself and their target. He saw the man slip the gun out of his belt and aim it in their direction. The shots went far right. Vin could have predicted the miss. There weren't many people that could hit a target at a full run. He glanced back to make sure Ezra was still following, pleasantly surprised that he wasn't more than a couple paces behind him.
"This is why I prefer undercover work. There's much less running." Ezra slowed slightly as more shots rang out. There was zero chance this guy could hit them on purpose but a stray bullet could do just as much damage as one aimed directly at them. Seeing a side path that bordered the steep incline into the canyon ahead, he veered onto it, keeping his eyes on their target. He knew Vin had seen him take the path so hopefully, he knew what his intention was.
Vin put on another burst of speed coming up right behind their target. He saw the man glance over at Ezra who was now almost parallel with him. Seeing the man slow to take aim at Ezra, Vin launched himself at him, knocking him to the ground. Recovering quickly, he rolled into a crouch in time to see Ezra kick the man's gun away. Rising, he reached over and helped Ezra pull the man to his feet. "Why'd you run?" The question was barked out in a tone that was polar opposite from his normal tenor.
Stumbling back, the man wrenched free from his pursuers. "It's what I was paid to do."
Vin's stomach dropped as the words came out of the man's mouth. Before he could do anything else, a single shot echoed. He watched as the man in front of them stumbled backwards. He saw blood starting to flow out of the hole in the center of the man's head as he fell backwards and tumbled down the hillside.