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"I won't let you do anything stupid," Donovan growled, grasping Jake firmly by the arm, turning him around as Jake started back towards the SWAT units. "I have a stake in bringing Quito down, too."
"No one gets in my way when it concerns Quito," Jake hissed. "For Christ's sake, Donovan, he's holding my wife hostage. He has a gun on my daughter. You can't just expect me to do nothing!"
Frank gave Jake an incredulous look. "I admit, Jake, you're right there. But don't you forget that my children were in there along with Jessie."
"So what do I do, Frank, huh? He threatened me years ago, when I busted him. Damn it Frank, how the hell did he get out?! Why didn't we know about it?"
"I don't know. It's something we'll have to find out when this is over with. I'll stake my life on Real being behind the hit on Frankie's car that nearly killed Shay and our un..." he trailed his words and abruptly released Jake's arm.
It was Jake's turn to grab Frank by the arm and spin him around as he moved away from Jake. "Your wife and what?" He asked softly as the realization set in that he was not the only one suffering at the hands of Quito Real. What he felt, his boss was feeling and perhaps together they could get through this without anyone else's loved ones being hurt or endangered.
Frank stared at Jake for a long moment before answering. "Shay's pregnant. About four months along."
"Why hasn't she told us? Especially Frankie?"
Frank smiled thinly. "She didn't want you all treating her like a china doll because of what happened during her pregnancy with Ariel."
Jake frowned. "Well, that's just ridiculous."
"Is it? Uh-huh..." he commented as he and Jake walked back toward the others. "I seem to remember Uncew Jake was hovering over her constantly to the point of her threatening his life if he didn't leave her alone."
Jake laughed slightly and shook his head. "True enough. Well, remind me to give her hell when all this is over. Frankie's gonna kick her ass when she finds out."
Frank rolled his eyes. "A match I would have paid money to see at one point in their relationship. Your Firecracker and my Hellion. What a combination."
Jake nodded. "And we wouldn't have it any other way."
Frank looked at Jake for a moment. A year or two ago, the roles were reversed and his Shay was the one being held hostage. He knew very well where the younger man was at right now. "This is where it gets down and dirty Jake. Quito's got Frankie and Jessie, but he's shown good faith in letting LJ and Ariel go. Once before I told you that I needed YOU, Jake Shaw, on my team. Your potential has only increased over the years and you've settled down quite a bit since you married Frankie. You've lost that chip on your shoulder Jake. This makes what I'm about to tell you that much more important. Quito is back. He's fulfilling his promise to you when you arrested him. Twelve rounds in a fight. This is his last round, you understand me? He's got a Private Investigator and a young child in there - NOT your wife, NOT your child. You have got to put all that anger, rage, fear - everything - into a small little place in your mind and lock it away. If you cannot, if you don't, you won't be of any use to me or to the two ladies inside that house. Can you do that Jake? Can you lock it all away until this is over?"
Jake looked at Frank for a moment. His friend was still there… friend. Slowly he looked away and turned around. Too many thoughts whirled around inside his head to think clearly. Once upon a time you'd never have convinced Jake that he could actually become friends with this man. But he had. They were bordering on brothers at times. And all because each had married the other's friend. Shay… Frankie… two lights in the night sky that drew both he and Frank home at the end of the long, horrid days, gave them both a reason to live and breathe. Shay, who was pregnant a third time and lying in a hospital bed because of something beyond his control, beyond her husband's control. Frankie, who was being held hostage because of a twist of fate, his daughter for whom his world turned around on its axis. Could he put everything he felt for these three women into a little box and lock it away until the bitter end?
Frank watched Jake as he sorted things out. The reckless young man had matured in the years since he'd taken over control of the SOG. Jake had settled down into a younger version of himself. Frank had to smile - he'd had Jake pegged the moment he put him into the assignment with Quito Real. Jake had depthless and unfathomable talent, skill and potential as an agent. He'd grown up under Frank's grooming and guidance. No small part of that was attributed to Shay and Frankie's influences either.
Jake hung his head for a moment. He could feel Frank watching him, he could feel Alex and Cody watching them both from where they sat with the two Donovan kids. By now they'd finished the puzzle and put it together who was doing this. They were waiting for any sign of what was going to happen now. What WAS going to happen now? "We do this… Quito never leaves that house."
"What.."
Jake turned around, a solid wall behind his eyes. All the frustration, the fear, the feelings of anger against Quito was gone, replaced by his own version of 'The Iceman'. It was time to rock and roll. "We do this. No matter what happens, Quito doesn't live. I'm not asking much," he said as Frank started to object. "If we simply arrest him and put him away, he'll keep coming back again and again. Next time it'll be worse than simply putting one of them into the hospital. Next time he'll put one in the ground. I can't live with that possibility. Y'know, Frankie said something to me once, a few months ago while I was in Peoria.* She said, 'What is urgent takes priority over what is merely important, so that what is important will be attended to only when it becomes urgent, which may be too late.' I had no idea what the hell she meant until now. When we arrested Quito the first time, it was urgent. But it faded back to merely important until he got off and teamed up with Sonny. Then it fell back to being urgent again. After he was put in prison, it became merely important again. But it's urgent now. It's very urgent that Quito not ever have the chance to do this to us - or anyone else - again.
"So, Agent Shaw. What's the game plan?"
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