Cody took a deep breath before knocking on the door. He thought back to the last time he did this and smiled. He braced himself for the door to open. It didn't. "I know you're home." Cody sighed, knocking a little harder. Still no answer.
Playing hard to get, he thought. Cody walked around the house to the patio in the back. There was a sliding door that looked like it led to the living room. Cody looked through the door to see if anyone was home. No lights were on except the light over the stove. He was starting to get flustered. He really didn't want to add breaking and entering on his list of wrong doing this past couple of months.
"What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked from behind.
Cody jumped and turned towards the voice. "Scare the hell out of me why don't ya." Cody laughed, trying to regain his composure. "I was worried about you."
"How did you even know I was here?"
"Well, it wasn't easy for one." Cody complained, pulling the plastic chair out to sit down.
"Why did you come looking for me?"
"I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by for a visit." Cody smiled, "I can see you don't buy that. I have to think of better lies." He watched Melissa limp up to the patio. Cody got up and helped her into the other chair.
"Did he send you?" she asked.
"No. I told you I would stick to our arrangement." Cody said. "I'm a man of my word."
Melissa laughed as she watched Cody cross his heart. "There's a package on my desk for you. Patio door's open. Second door on the right." Melissa replied.
Cody walked into the house and made his way into her office. He saw the package on the desk. He thought back to the day they found John. Monica ran to the bathroom to get towels to help stop the bleeding. Cody already took his sweatshirt off and was pressing it against the wound. As best as he could John explained to Cody what happened. Melissa shot him and was working with the hitter. Just as Donovan and Tom ran into the room, John pulled Cody close and whispered "Don't believe everything." before going into shock. A few minutes later the paramedics transported John to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, Tom finished explaining to Cody what Melissa and John had planned. They made it look like Melissa decided to go with the hitter and collect the bounties on Jake and Donovan, to set up the hitter. They didn't expect the hitter to catch onto their plan.
He remembered walking into Melissa's hospital room at her request. She smiled weakly at him when he walked into the room. Cody was surprised with a nurse from the hospital called and told him that Melissa wanted to see him. He thought Donovan would be the first person she would want to see. He knew something was up when Tom stepped into the room.
"You wanted to see me?" Cody asked looking from Melissa to Tom.
Tom walked up Cody and put his arm around his shoulder. "Cody, your government needs your help." he said.
"Yea and what does he need?" Cody asked carefully. He didn't feel like ending up a missing person.
"Donovan is going to be asking you for your help in the next couple of days." Tom started to explain, "Help him, in anyway you can, but do it slowly." Cody just looked at Tom, not understanding a word he said.
"Tom, let me explain it to him." Melissa said. "In a couple days Donovan will most likely ask you to try and find me."
"Why?" Cody asked, "What's going on?"
"She's taking the coward's way out." Tom commented.
"Tom, get the hell out." Melissa hissed, "I'm going to disappear. Start over."
"She's afraid to face Donovan." Tom added ignoring the protests from Melissa, "When he finds out she's gone, he's going to want answers. We just want you slow down his search. After all, how easy will be to find someone when you don't even have their last name?"
Melissa can see the conflict in Cody's face. She understood why he would want to stay loyal to Frank. "And if I refuse?" Cody asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I can introduce you to Hoffa." Tom smirked watching Cody eyes bulge.
"Tom, be serious." Melissa huffed. "If you say no, that's your decision. Tom's right. I don't want to face Frank. Too much has happened. It would be best for Frank if I just go away quietly."
"He doesn't give up." Cody warned.
"I know, but how long can you look in the files for a person. Frank wouldn't know you're involved. I can promise that. Just name your price." Melissa asked.
And did Cody name his price. Tom was even impressed. He stared at the package. Cody picked it up and read the name on the file. Frank Donovan. Everything he wanted to know about his boss was in his hands. He was joking when he told Melissa and Tom his price. They had no problem agreeing to his terms. Taking another deep breath Cody walked over to the fireplace and tossed the file in and lit it. He wanted the info, but not this way.
"Why did you do that?" Melissa asked.
Cody turned and looked at her. "It's been two months since you disappeared. Donovan is still looking for you." Cody explained, "I guess he needs to know why. I don't know. We thought it was going to be another round when Tom refused to tell him your last name or where you went earlier today."
"Today was John's Memorial service. How did you find me by the way?" Melissa asked. She was dying to know the answer.
"You were right, Donovan was going to have me search for every Melissa in the government database. I started thinking and typed in Melissa Woods. Bam! I found you." Cody laughed, "Who would've guessed you used your real name for the assignment."
"Pretty clever, huh?" Melissa boasted, "Thought it wouldn't hurt. It was nice to be called by my real name."
"For wanting to disappear, you never left Chicago." Cody laughed.
"What, around two million people, give or take live here. What's the chance Frank and I will run into each other?" Melissa reasoned. "And since you found me, what's the price I have to pay for your silence?"
Cody laughed. What fun he could have, he thought. He was about to name his price when his phone rang. "Cody." he answered. "Donovan. I'm about a half hour away visiting, a, ah old friend."
Cody was enjoying watching Melissa squirm. She wasn't sure if Cody would tell Donovan. "Yea, okay, I'll be back in an hour or so. Oh, Donovan, that search you have me doing on Melissa, I think I might have a new lead, not sure yet. I'll show ya when I get back."
Melissa stared as Cody closed his phone. "I can't believe you did that."
"What? I do have something that might lead to you, but then again, it might not." he smiled.
"Cody, you have my undying gratitude," she laughed.
"That's not what I want." he stated.
"What do you want?" she asked not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"Well, I remember a certain night dinner was served, and it was very good by the way." he commented
"Thank you, I think." Melissa laughed.
"What I want is dinner. Mom lives a couple states away and a growing boy like me needs some good home cooked meals. I'll need to be well fed so I can have a head start when Donovan finds out about this." Cody laughed.
"Cody," Melissa laughed waving him into the kitchen, "this looks like to be the start of a good friendship."
"Oh, please, no movie clichés or I'll be sick." Cody said sticking his finger in this mouth.
Playing hard to get, he thought. Cody walked around the house to the patio in the back. There was a sliding door that looked like it led to the living room. Cody looked through the door to see if anyone was home. No lights were on except the light over the stove. He was starting to get flustered. He really didn't want to add breaking and entering on his list of wrong doing this past couple of months.
"What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked from behind.
Cody jumped and turned towards the voice. "Scare the hell out of me why don't ya." Cody laughed, trying to regain his composure. "I was worried about you."
"How did you even know I was here?"
"Well, it wasn't easy for one." Cody complained, pulling the plastic chair out to sit down.
"Why did you come looking for me?"
"I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by for a visit." Cody smiled, "I can see you don't buy that. I have to think of better lies." He watched Melissa limp up to the patio. Cody got up and helped her into the other chair.
"Did he send you?" she asked.
"No. I told you I would stick to our arrangement." Cody said. "I'm a man of my word."
Melissa laughed as she watched Cody cross his heart. "There's a package on my desk for you. Patio door's open. Second door on the right." Melissa replied.
Cody walked into the house and made his way into her office. He saw the package on the desk. He thought back to the day they found John. Monica ran to the bathroom to get towels to help stop the bleeding. Cody already took his sweatshirt off and was pressing it against the wound. As best as he could John explained to Cody what happened. Melissa shot him and was working with the hitter. Just as Donovan and Tom ran into the room, John pulled Cody close and whispered "Don't believe everything." before going into shock. A few minutes later the paramedics transported John to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, Tom finished explaining to Cody what Melissa and John had planned. They made it look like Melissa decided to go with the hitter and collect the bounties on Jake and Donovan, to set up the hitter. They didn't expect the hitter to catch onto their plan.
He remembered walking into Melissa's hospital room at her request. She smiled weakly at him when he walked into the room. Cody was surprised with a nurse from the hospital called and told him that Melissa wanted to see him. He thought Donovan would be the first person she would want to see. He knew something was up when Tom stepped into the room.
"You wanted to see me?" Cody asked looking from Melissa to Tom.
Tom walked up Cody and put his arm around his shoulder. "Cody, your government needs your help." he said.
"Yea and what does he need?" Cody asked carefully. He didn't feel like ending up a missing person.
"Donovan is going to be asking you for your help in the next couple of days." Tom started to explain, "Help him, in anyway you can, but do it slowly." Cody just looked at Tom, not understanding a word he said.
"Tom, let me explain it to him." Melissa said. "In a couple days Donovan will most likely ask you to try and find me."
"Why?" Cody asked, "What's going on?"
"She's taking the coward's way out." Tom commented.
"Tom, get the hell out." Melissa hissed, "I'm going to disappear. Start over."
"She's afraid to face Donovan." Tom added ignoring the protests from Melissa, "When he finds out she's gone, he's going to want answers. We just want you slow down his search. After all, how easy will be to find someone when you don't even have their last name?"
Melissa can see the conflict in Cody's face. She understood why he would want to stay loyal to Frank. "And if I refuse?" Cody asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I can introduce you to Hoffa." Tom smirked watching Cody eyes bulge.
"Tom, be serious." Melissa huffed. "If you say no, that's your decision. Tom's right. I don't want to face Frank. Too much has happened. It would be best for Frank if I just go away quietly."
"He doesn't give up." Cody warned.
"I know, but how long can you look in the files for a person. Frank wouldn't know you're involved. I can promise that. Just name your price." Melissa asked.
And did Cody name his price. Tom was even impressed. He stared at the package. Cody picked it up and read the name on the file. Frank Donovan. Everything he wanted to know about his boss was in his hands. He was joking when he told Melissa and Tom his price. They had no problem agreeing to his terms. Taking another deep breath Cody walked over to the fireplace and tossed the file in and lit it. He wanted the info, but not this way.
"Why did you do that?" Melissa asked.
Cody turned and looked at her. "It's been two months since you disappeared. Donovan is still looking for you." Cody explained, "I guess he needs to know why. I don't know. We thought it was going to be another round when Tom refused to tell him your last name or where you went earlier today."
"Today was John's Memorial service. How did you find me by the way?" Melissa asked. She was dying to know the answer.
"You were right, Donovan was going to have me search for every Melissa in the government database. I started thinking and typed in Melissa Woods. Bam! I found you." Cody laughed, "Who would've guessed you used your real name for the assignment."
"Pretty clever, huh?" Melissa boasted, "Thought it wouldn't hurt. It was nice to be called by my real name."
"For wanting to disappear, you never left Chicago." Cody laughed.
"What, around two million people, give or take live here. What's the chance Frank and I will run into each other?" Melissa reasoned. "And since you found me, what's the price I have to pay for your silence?"
Cody laughed. What fun he could have, he thought. He was about to name his price when his phone rang. "Cody." he answered. "Donovan. I'm about a half hour away visiting, a, ah old friend."
Cody was enjoying watching Melissa squirm. She wasn't sure if Cody would tell Donovan. "Yea, okay, I'll be back in an hour or so. Oh, Donovan, that search you have me doing on Melissa, I think I might have a new lead, not sure yet. I'll show ya when I get back."
Melissa stared as Cody closed his phone. "I can't believe you did that."
"What? I do have something that might lead to you, but then again, it might not." he smiled.
"Cody, you have my undying gratitude," she laughed.
"That's not what I want." he stated.
"What do you want?" she asked not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"Well, I remember a certain night dinner was served, and it was very good by the way." he commented
"Thank you, I think." Melissa laughed.
"What I want is dinner. Mom lives a couple states away and a growing boy like me needs some good home cooked meals. I'll need to be well fed so I can have a head start when Donovan finds out about this." Cody laughed.
"Cody," Melissa laughed waving him into the kitchen, "this looks like to be the start of a good friendship."
"Oh, please, no movie clichés or I'll be sick." Cody said sticking his finger in this mouth.