Chapter 9: Choices
Dom kept on driving, he drove with an anger burning through his blood. He flashed through red lights dodging between cars and trucks, he didn't know where to drive to. He pulled over at the side of the road and slammed his fists against the dashboard. He wasn't angry that Brian had talked to Jesse, he was angry with himself. Thoughts flooded his mind, he couldn't figure out why he was angry at himself until he realised that he wanted Brian back as much as the others. "No Dom, remember what he did, remember who he is," he told himself. Now the anger towards Brian returned, he was angry that Brian made him feel this way and that Brian was making him choose, choose between what his brain was telling him and what his heart was telling him.
He reached down between the seats and pulled out his phone, he glanced upwards, he had parked across from the police station. He punched in the numbers written across the signboard outside.
"Hello, LA police department, how can I help," said a squeaky woman's voice.
"I'd like to speak to officer Brian O'Connor," Dom tensed as he said the word officer.
"Okay, please hold I'll just see if he's here," the line when quiet. Dom fiddled with the steering wheel. "Yes, officer Brian O'Connor speaking," Brian's voice flowed out of the phone. Dom didn't reply, "Hello?" Brian said again.
"I'm outside, opposite the station in the orange Toyota, I'm sure you remember the one. Be out here in 5 minutes." Dom told him firmly.
"Dom, that you?" no answer, but Brian knew it was, "Look man I'm working, I can't just walk out." The line went dead. Brian put the phone down and walked over to the window, he peered through he blinds, and sure enough he saw the orange Toyota parked opposite the station. "No," he thought to himself. He sat back down at the desk he was sitting at and carried on doing his paperwork.
Dom drummed his fingers on the dashboard, he checked his rear view mirror again, no sign of Brian. He looked at his watch, "1 minute Brian," he said to himself.
Brian looked around his boss entered the room he walked towards Brian's desk and dumped another load of paperwork on his desk and then went back to his office. Brian glanced at his watch, "Bout another 30 seconds," he thought to himself, "Ah fuck it!" he mumbled aloud. He got up from his desk and sprinted towards the door.
Dom sat in the car, he was growing increasingly impatient, maybe he had got Brian wrong. He started up the car. He glimpsed towards his rear-view mirror for one last check, he shook his head, Brian wasn't coming. Just as he looked away he saw the front door open and Brian came out, he jogged across the road and opened the passenger door and sat in. Neither said anything.
They drove for a solid 10 minutes in silence, they were heading further and further out of the city until Dom pulled in at an abandoned warehouse. It was pitch black, the only light came from Dom's headlights. The place was deserted, Brian began to feel uneasy, "what if this is a trap?" he thought to himself. He began to feel a bit stupid for getting into the car with Dom alone.
They stopped behind the building, Dom switched off the engine. "Get out," he ordered to Brian. Both got out of the car, Dom walked over towards the building and Brian followed. Dom turned to Brian and without warning swung his fist into the side of his face. Brian tried to react but was too slow, and although he managed to slide a punch into Dom's face it wasn't enough to stop him, Dom raised his knee up and slammed it into Brian's stomach. Brian moaned in pain and fell to his knees, he grasped his stomach tightly.
"That's for going to see Jesse when I told you not to!" Dom shouted at Brian who was at his feet. Blood trickled from Brian's mouth, Dom stuck out his hand and Brian flinched. "I'm not gonna hit you again," Dom said to him, "I didn't come here to fight." Brian gave a sarcastic short laugh. "I'm here to tell you that if you want to come back you gotta give up your job, you have to choose between your job and us." Dom said with no emotion.
"So if I give up my job I can come back?" asked Brian, pressing his shirt to his lip trying to stop the bleeding.
"I dunno yet, but I know if you're still a cop I can't have you near my family." Dom answered. Dom walked back towards his car and got in and started the engine. Brian walked towards the passenger side and tried to open the door but it was locked. He banged on the window, "Dom open the door," he peered in and Dom looked at him and just smiled. He hit the accelerator and drove away leaving Brian in a cloud of dust. Brian laughed to himself, Dom had begun to forgiven him and for the first time in over a month had looked at him without hate in his eyes. "He does realise I'm gonna want my car back," Brian said aloud to himself and carried on smiling.
Dom kept on driving, he drove with an anger burning through his blood. He flashed through red lights dodging between cars and trucks, he didn't know where to drive to. He pulled over at the side of the road and slammed his fists against the dashboard. He wasn't angry that Brian had talked to Jesse, he was angry with himself. Thoughts flooded his mind, he couldn't figure out why he was angry at himself until he realised that he wanted Brian back as much as the others. "No Dom, remember what he did, remember who he is," he told himself. Now the anger towards Brian returned, he was angry that Brian made him feel this way and that Brian was making him choose, choose between what his brain was telling him and what his heart was telling him.
He reached down between the seats and pulled out his phone, he glanced upwards, he had parked across from the police station. He punched in the numbers written across the signboard outside.
"Hello, LA police department, how can I help," said a squeaky woman's voice.
"I'd like to speak to officer Brian O'Connor," Dom tensed as he said the word officer.
"Okay, please hold I'll just see if he's here," the line when quiet. Dom fiddled with the steering wheel. "Yes, officer Brian O'Connor speaking," Brian's voice flowed out of the phone. Dom didn't reply, "Hello?" Brian said again.
"I'm outside, opposite the station in the orange Toyota, I'm sure you remember the one. Be out here in 5 minutes." Dom told him firmly.
"Dom, that you?" no answer, but Brian knew it was, "Look man I'm working, I can't just walk out." The line went dead. Brian put the phone down and walked over to the window, he peered through he blinds, and sure enough he saw the orange Toyota parked opposite the station. "No," he thought to himself. He sat back down at the desk he was sitting at and carried on doing his paperwork.
Dom drummed his fingers on the dashboard, he checked his rear view mirror again, no sign of Brian. He looked at his watch, "1 minute Brian," he said to himself.
Brian looked around his boss entered the room he walked towards Brian's desk and dumped another load of paperwork on his desk and then went back to his office. Brian glanced at his watch, "Bout another 30 seconds," he thought to himself, "Ah fuck it!" he mumbled aloud. He got up from his desk and sprinted towards the door.
Dom sat in the car, he was growing increasingly impatient, maybe he had got Brian wrong. He started up the car. He glimpsed towards his rear-view mirror for one last check, he shook his head, Brian wasn't coming. Just as he looked away he saw the front door open and Brian came out, he jogged across the road and opened the passenger door and sat in. Neither said anything.
They drove for a solid 10 minutes in silence, they were heading further and further out of the city until Dom pulled in at an abandoned warehouse. It was pitch black, the only light came from Dom's headlights. The place was deserted, Brian began to feel uneasy, "what if this is a trap?" he thought to himself. He began to feel a bit stupid for getting into the car with Dom alone.
They stopped behind the building, Dom switched off the engine. "Get out," he ordered to Brian. Both got out of the car, Dom walked over towards the building and Brian followed. Dom turned to Brian and without warning swung his fist into the side of his face. Brian tried to react but was too slow, and although he managed to slide a punch into Dom's face it wasn't enough to stop him, Dom raised his knee up and slammed it into Brian's stomach. Brian moaned in pain and fell to his knees, he grasped his stomach tightly.
"That's for going to see Jesse when I told you not to!" Dom shouted at Brian who was at his feet. Blood trickled from Brian's mouth, Dom stuck out his hand and Brian flinched. "I'm not gonna hit you again," Dom said to him, "I didn't come here to fight." Brian gave a sarcastic short laugh. "I'm here to tell you that if you want to come back you gotta give up your job, you have to choose between your job and us." Dom said with no emotion.
"So if I give up my job I can come back?" asked Brian, pressing his shirt to his lip trying to stop the bleeding.
"I dunno yet, but I know if you're still a cop I can't have you near my family." Dom answered. Dom walked back towards his car and got in and started the engine. Brian walked towards the passenger side and tried to open the door but it was locked. He banged on the window, "Dom open the door," he peered in and Dom looked at him and just smiled. He hit the accelerator and drove away leaving Brian in a cloud of dust. Brian laughed to himself, Dom had begun to forgiven him and for the first time in over a month had looked at him without hate in his eyes. "He does realise I'm gonna want my car back," Brian said aloud to himself and carried on smiling.