Title: Paying Old Debts
Author: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fastlane or anything in conjunction with Fastlane nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Replies to reviews at bottom
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Chapter 12
"I upheld my side of the deal," Van gruffly greeted Cade as he walked into Club 9 carrying the case of drug laced liquor bottles he had "confiscated". "Badge is gone, I'm outta the candy store and, as one of your terms, I'm returning the drugs I "looted". Indelicately, Van sat the case onto the nearest table.
An assessing look met his declaration, "If you're playing me, Van, you'll be shark bait."
To this Van bitterly replied, "I got no play to make..you saw to that personally."
A smug smile flipped up Cade's lips, "Yeah, yeah I did." Then he reached out and ruffled Van's hair, "Come on, kid. There's work to be done."
Van bore the touch without reaction but inside he reeled from the contact. Did the bastard actually think he'd play Beaver to his Ward? If he did, that delusion would be ash by tonight. Van fought the smile that wanted to emerge on his face. Paying this debt was gonna feel so good, he thought as he began to follow Cade into the office.
At the door, Cade turned to one of his men, "Handle the crate with care." To which the man nodded even as he picked up the case of liquor bottles and headed for the door. Van watched the man's departure for a moment, before he entered the office as Cade had done moments prior.
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"Ringa ding ding, there's our wandering thing," Deaq sing songed as he caught sight of the crate in the arms of one of Roberts over muscled employees. Billie gave no reply but watched as the crate was put into a trunk of a Mercedes.
Billie started the mini van that was parked a block away from Club 9, "Now all we have to do is let him lead us to Roberts' special stash."
"I can't believe Roberts is ballsy enough to skim from the mafia!" Deaq commented with disbelief.
"Let's just hope he takes the bait and pockets the crate Van gave back," Billie replied. She waited until the Mercedes had made it two blocks down the street then she pulled the van into traffic.
Deaq's eyes did not stray from the Mercedes. "Man like Roberts, he takes what he can get...all he can get. He won't miss this golden opportunity for more loot."
Blending in with traffic yet keeping a steady eye on the Mercedes, Billie seemed born to do a tail. "We need to know where Roberts keeps the stuff he skims from the mafia...if we screw this up, if we lose this guy, Van's not gonna have an out."
"I know," Deaq's voice dropped with worry and resignation. "The Feds taking down Roberts warehouse, that ain't gonna keep Roberts from the street for longer than it takes him to dial his lawyer. Can't believe the Feds can't see that!"
"You're forgetting, they wanted Roberts' boss's warehouse shut down. There's going to be hell to pay when they find we duped them," Billie spared a look to Deaq.
"It'll be worth it long as Van's free of Roberts when the smoke clears."
"Deaq, I'm..." Billie began but it was Deaq who supplied the word she hated to utter.
"Scared for Van?" For an instant their eyes met and they knew the same fear ran through them both. "Me, too."
There seemed nothing more for them to say. It felt like everything was on line this time. If things went sideways, if one thing didn't happen the way they predicted, Van would pay the consequences...forever.
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Undercover work was not for the faint hearted. He had known that going into it. Hell, his life wasn't for the faint hearted. But Cade always pushed the boundaries and now was no exception. "Hit 'em again," Cade ordered and without outward hesistation, Van punched the middle aged restaurant owner in the stomach and across the cheek, sending the man to the floor, bleeding.
Cade bent down to the hurting man, "I want my money, Patrick. Now. I don't want any more excuses."
The man panted out " I have some of it."
Casually Cade motioned forward with his hand and Van obeyed his unspoken command and kicked Patrick solidly in the stomach.
Tsking, Cade watched the man writhe in pain. "Maybe we'll only torture *half* of your daughter. She'll be home from school at 3, right?"
At that the man's panicked eyes met Cade, "No, please! I'll pay you..take whatever you want ...take my restaurant!"
Van watched in disgust as Cade toyed with the man and let his eyes look about the restaurant as if he was considering the trade. "Seems like you get high end customers...:"
"Yeah, Yeah we do. You would make your money back quickly."
But to this Cade raised his eyebrow, "Really." Viciously he grabbed onto Patrick's hair, "If this is such a cash cow..where's my money, Patrick!"
"Invested...invested back into the restaurant!" Patrick stuttered back, pain evident in his voice.
"Well, you're gonna uninvest it...today." Decisively Cade released his grip on Patrick and stood up. Turning to Van he questioned, "So, what kind of fire coverage is required on a building of this size? Enough to allow Patrick to recoup his investment?"
"You know, I bet he'll rake in enough to pay off his whole debt to you," Van said, forcing a smile onto his face but hating each word he spoke.
Cade smiled genuinely, feeling like he had gotten back the boy he had began to shape all those years ago. "I think Van's right, Patrick." Cade focused on Patrick, who was staring up at the two men who were calmly deciding his fate, "We're going to cut out your broker on this deal."
Van pulled a lighter from his pocket, "Hope you kept your fire insurance current." With a flick of his thumb, a flame ignited in the lighter. "You wanna live, keep low and crawl for the door." And then Van crossed over to bar, leaned over the counter and pulled out a bottle of tequila. Taking a generous swig from the bottle, Van shot a ruthless smile to Cade before tossing the bottle carelessly behind the bar, followed closely by his lit lighter.
The sound of the shattering bottle was overshadowed by the crack and flash of the flame that shot up from the floor. Van stumbled back as the heat of the flame slammed into him like a vicious wave. Before he could move further away, the flame spread to the other liquor bottles and an explosion tore through the bar counter, knocking Van to his feet.
Stunned and hurting, Van lay upon the ground and had the fleeting thought that maybe wasn't gonna live long enough to see Cade's expression when the day played itself out. But Ray Ray's words came to him, 'the best part of screwing someone is them knowing you screwed them.' He suddenly agreed with his father, checking out now wasn't an option, not when he was so close to paying Cade back for the hell he had made of his life. He opened his eyes and almost recoiled as his first sight was of Cade.
"Come on Van. Time to go." Cade said as he wrapped his arm around Van's waist and pulled the younger man to his feet. Stumbling under the weight of the other man, Cade made for the exit.
"The owner..." Van questioned, trying to turn around to see if the man was still laying on the floor.
But a chuckle answered his question. "Guy was out of the restaurant before the bottle ever hit the ground. Gutless bastard," Cade answered with good humor.
Cade maneuvered Van out the door and to the Corvette. To Van's surprise, Cade opened the passenger door and eased him into the seat before closing the door and crossing to the driver's side. Moments later Cade was driving away like it was a Sunday in the country.
Van reached a hand up to his aching head and wasn't so much surprised as frustrated to find blood seeping from a cut.
"Played that a little close, didn't ya, Van?" Cade reprimanded lightly.
Turning to Cade, Van couldn't find the words to reply. Cade-the-bastard he could deal with, Cade-the father-wanna-be, he was always the one Van couldn't handle. It proved that no matter how bad a person was, there lingered in them, sometimes way down deep, something redeemable, no matter how small. And Cade had that, way down, almost too small to name but it was there. And that was what Van saw in every perp he came across...and wished he did not. That little grain of goodness did not make up for the evil but it always gave Van pause in dealing out justice. A pause that had, more than once, almost cost him his life. A pause he could not suffer with Cade, not if he wanted to live, if he wanted Billie and Deaq to live.
When Van's reply was silence, Cade continued, "You always had style and guts, Van. I knew that the first time I saw you."
"Why? Cause I didn't drop to me knees and beg you to let my father's debt go?" Van replied, his eyes glinted with bitterness as he looked to Cade
Cade spared him a quick glance and in that look Van knew Cade had kept more from him...again. "That day at your house, that wasn't the first time I saw you Van. When I agreed to do business with your father I checked out his family. Your mother posed no threat but you, you were the wild card."
Van's eyes telegraphed his shock, "You spied on me?! On my mom?!"
Laughter was Cade's answer at first. "For an undercover cop you're awful sensitive Van."
At that cut, Van turned his focus to the outside world but his jaw clenched.
Watching Van in fascination for a moment, Cade finally finished the story he had begun. "I saw you take on a gang at the beach. There were seven guys, all bigger than you but you went in swinging...they beat the crap out of you but you just wouldn't stay down. You wouldn't quit." Admiration hued Cade's words and Van felt ashamed that he felt some kind of appreciation for it.
Quietly he supplied, "But I did quit."
"Yeah," and Cade's voice held anger, "after they slammed a surf board into your head."
Van winced at the memory. That time he had ended up in the emergency room. "And from that clip from fight club, you decided to take me under your wing?" Van looked to Cade and the other man's eyes held his as they sat stopped at a red light. "Ray Ray's arrest played right into your hands."
But Cade smirked at that, like it was a joke he alone knew.
The truth slammed into Van like a freight train. "You dropped the dime on Ray Ray, you put him away so you could blackmail me into being your little student," his voice filled with disbelief and anger.
Cade spared a smile to Van before he put the car back into motion. "I wanted the counterfeit bills from your dad...but I wanted someone worthy to mentor more. By that time, I had come to realize Boyd was never going to be the man I needed him to be."
In that instant, Van's resolve to stay the good little student bled away. "You never gave Boyd the chance to be a man! And why the hell didn't you just pick a ho to have a son to! Someone who'ld have your blood, that could carry on your family line!"
No anger marked Cade's outward appearance or his tone of voice. "Roberts isn't my real name, and bloodlines can let you down. No, choosing a kid already showing what he was made of was always my plan. Set enough in his ways to determine the man he could be but moldable enough to turn into the man I wanted him to be."
Not for the first time, Van felt sick. It had been so easy to lay the blame for this whole Roberts fiasco in his father's lap but now that delusion was gone. It had been about him from almost the start...and even Ray Ray had to pay a price...four years in lockdown. He choked out, "Why'd you have to do this? Why'd you have to make everyone pay for what you wanted? Why didn't you just ask me straight out if I wanted to learn your trade...Ray Ray woulda let you have me."
But Cade shook his head and turned a small knowing smile on Van. "Couldn't, Van. Ray Ray would have given you to me but you would have fought me every step. It had to be your decision or I would never have broken you."
Van's head shot up and he eyes were huge with disbelief and shock, "You think you broke me?"
"The first second you walked into my house and said you'd work off your father's debt, you were broken Van. And there was no going back...ever. You didn't know that then but you know it now. Even when you wore that badge, you knew I still had some of your soul that you couldn't reclaim. I call that broken, don't you?"
Rage and sorrow ripped through Van but he could not offer up any denials. Cade was right, a piece of him was missing, a piece he could not get back, a piece that, in truth, was too soiled for him to want back. And the sad thing was, there was more pieces in his soul that Van wanted to cut out...every part that had been touched by Cade Roberts. Not for the first time, Van wished he could commit murder. He ached to pull his gun and put a bullet in his personal 'reaper'.
Gruffly Van bit out, "You woulda got farther playing the father card 'stead of the bastard card, Cade. All this got you was my hatred."
"I'm not too worried. Ray Ray has your hatred," Cade's eyes flickered to Van, "but he also has your love. You're complicated but compassionate, Van. You never let things stay black and white, you always cross over into the grey."
"There's no grey between us, Cade."
"No? How about that look you gave me when I helped you out of the restaurant today? How about the small sense of joy you feel when I tell you I respect you, that I'm proud of you?"
"Damn you!" Van shouted, hating that Cade could read all his traitorous emotions. "You can't make any of this right!"
"I got what I wanted Van. You back working for me. I don't give a damn how you "feel" about me."
"Liar." Cade's eyes flew to Van's in shock as the word hung between them. "You're so starved for the love of a son you're blinded to everything else. What happened to never show need, fear, loyalty or love!? You recruited a cop! What would your boss say if he knew this whole thing was about your need for a son!"
"You're not my weakness, Van. I proved that to you when we met in Club 9, when I shoved that ice pick into your back."
"But I didn't die...and that's when it all started to unravel for you. You figured if I died, then it wasn't meant to be but when I pulled through...it was like a green light. And you haven't relinquished your hold on me since then or the fantasy that I'll play the dutiful son for you."
"You will play it Van, or .."
"What? More blackmail? You'll hurt my friends! You're hooked, Cade. You want this so badly that you'll put up with anything I do to keep the dream alive."
Cade's response was a harsh low statement that Van did not doubt the truth of. "You're wrong, Van. You step out of line, you edge back toward your old life, I will drop you into the ocean and I won't look back, ever."
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Billie put the mini van into park and she and Deaq watched as the crate was carried into a warehouse downtown.
Deaq turned to Billie. "Guess it's time to drop the dime on Roberts." And a huge smile lit up his face.
"You want to do the honors, don't you?" Billie questioned to which Deaq gave a vigorous nod of his head. "Fine but stress to the Feds that *both* warehouses get hit at 4:30. Both and not a minute before 4:30."
"Relax, Billie. I heard Van real well. Roberts will be at *this*" and he pointed to the warehouse they sat before "warehouse at 4:30 and we want the Feds to arrest him *here* surrounded by his personal swag."
"Fine, call it in," Billie allowed but added a moment later, "And tell the Feds to *not* shoot Van if he's with Roberts." She checked her watch. 3pm. If things were going as planned, Van would be inspecting the other warehouse with Cade right that minute. But worry coursed through her, if they misjudged Cade's routine..if he didn't show at this other warehouse by 4:30 today..if Cade somehow slipped through the Feds's hands...She broke off those thoughts and reverently prayed, 'Please let us pull this off. Please keep Van safe.'
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Van trailed behind Cade through the warehouse at 19 Waterstreet Avenue, numb to his surroundings. He did not marvel at the amount of drugs or swag that filled the warehouse space or scowl at the precise records that were maintained on the inventory. The IRS would applaud Roberts bookkeeping...if they could overlook the tax evasion issue. Nor did he try to take in the faces of the workers to determine if he knew them from when he worked for Roberts before.
'..when he worked for Roberts before..' the thought betrayed him. No matter how he twisted it, deep down he knew he was working for Roberts, for real, right here and now. He was Cade's property just like the swag that littered the floor of this building. He was inventoried and a price tag was attached to his soul. Sure, he was trying to claw his way out but the hole he was in seemed like the Grand Canyon.
When Cade entered an office, Van followed along and claimed a chair in the room, dispassionately watching Cade briefly look over the books before he signed off on the forms the manager held. To the naïve it seemed like a finely tuned *legal* machine. Checks and balances in place, forms completed in duplicate, employees eager to please the supervisor. You could almost forget that lives had been taken to fill this warehouse with it's goods, and that souls would be destroyed by the drugs that now sat neatly cataloged on shelves ready for sale.
'And I helped create this machine, I made sure it ran along smoothly and I never once tried to shut it down. Not even when I put on that badge.' Van's jaw clenched at the truth of his thoughts. No, he had been too terrified of Cade to even think of taking him on. He had walked away from this life and he never looked back...until now. Redemption suddenly felt beyond his grasp again, now that the scope of his sins was slapping him in the face. Today Roberts would pay bitterly for his sins. But with a sense of dread, Van also began to believe that he too would finally bear the punishment for his cowardice.
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For the millionth time, Deaq checked his watch then resighted his intense gaze onto the warehouse. It was 4:25 and still there was no sign of Roberts. Maybe he had made the Feds parked outside the other warehouse, maybe he had learned of Van's pending betrayal, maybe he was right now pulling Van from the trunk of his car and dumping him out in the desert or maybe he had voted on the ocean as Van's final resting place.
He jumped when Billie spoke, "You're fidgeting around like Van, Deaq." There was no reprimand in her voice but instead she tried to lighten the dark mood that permeated the minivan.
Fixing his gaze on his boss, Deaq sighed, "I know, I just can't take this waiting! We should be watching Van not this warehouse!"
"Roberts would be looking out for that. He's not about to trust Van just because Van says he's flipped," her voice gentle, though Deaq's thoughts were not contrary to her own.
Deaq turned again to watch the warehouse but like Van on so many stakeouts, he found he couldn't let silence stand. "When I got that call about Dre," he quietly began, not pulling his look from the warehouse, "it was like a part of me died with him. Almost too big a part ya know."
Billie watched Deaq but did not know what to say. As it turned out, Deaq didn't give her a chance to offer empty words about understanding how he felt.
"The only thing that kept me going was the drive to take out his killer. But when I stood there with Dre's killer in my sights, itching to pull the trigger...it was Van who yanked me back from that brink, who kept yelling 'don't do it'. I was about to step down when Cassidy pulled the trigger."
Deaq swung his look to Billie. "Van was there for me then and he's been there for me every day since. No matter how piss poorly I've treated him, he's never turned his back on me. Not once. Where the hell have I been when he's needed me? I'll tell you where, MIA.
"Deaq, you're not seeing things clearly," Billie began but Deaq cut her off.
Bitterly Deaq disagreed, "Yeah? Where was I when Roberts tried to kill him in Club 9 or when he got the crap beat outta him, or now when he could be getting a lick shot to the skull?"
"We're playing this the way Van told us to."
"Well this plan sucks! He's taking all the risks! If this goes sideways..." Deaq broke off unable to finish his thoughts aloud and turned his look to the other warehouses that surrounded the block. After a moment he again met Billie's eyes, "I lost Dre but I'm not losing Van, Billie. I lost one brother but I'm not losing another."
Billie opened her mouth to reply but the appearance of Cade Roberts' car silenced her. Relief and tension sang through Billie and Deaq as they watched Van climb from the Corvette. Van was alive and unharmed and apparently Cade was trusting him full on but now this put Van right in the middle of a bust that was sure to be anything but low-key.
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Cade had said 'one more stop' when they left the other warehouse but Van had not truly believed that Cade would trust him with his heavily guarded secret. Not again.
As Cade pulled the Corvette to a stop in front of a warehouse, Van saw that Roberts' private pilfering was paying off... large. This warehouse was three times the size of the small shack like building Cade had shown Van eleven years ago.. hours after he had ruthlessly killed Boyd.
"Looks like you stopped thinking small," Van sallied as he exited the car.
Cade smiled as if Van had given him a compliment. "I learned there was enough to go around...so I took a bigger cut. Come on," he beckoned and he entered the warehouse.
Van obediently followed Cade, forcing himself to not scan for any signs of the Feds as he let the door close behind him. The scope of Cade's operation took his breath away. It almost rivaled the "legit" warehouse in volume. He turned to Cade and hated the grin that lit up the other man's face.
"You want a slice of this, Van? This is the life your father always wanted for you."
The truth of the statement made Van look away from Cade.
Cade put a hand onto Van's shoulder and when Van still did not face him, he gently grasped Van's chin and forced the man to meet his eyes. "A father wants a better life for his son than he has."
"You're not my father, Cade," Van evenly said, and stepped away from Cade and began to inspect the warehouse on his own.
Soon Cade matched Van's stride. "You'll come around."
"Don't hold your breath on that one."
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It was time. Deaq rechecked his gun for the third time in the last five minutes, gave Billie a worried look and then they both exited the minivan following hard on the heels of the Feds that were already flocking to the warehouse.
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There was no warning. One moment Van was walking down an aisle flanked by Cade and the next, everything went to hell. Simultaneously, the warehouse lights went out, casting the warehouse's inner depths into shadow that the sunlight from the windows above could not pierce, glass shattered, smoke bombs littered the ground their fumes already billowing into the air and "FBI: Get on the floor now!" echoed through the building.
Instantly, Van dropped to a crouch and reached for the gun in his waist band. A gun pressed against his temple stopped his motions. Fury blazed in Cade Roberts eyes as he crouched down level with Van, cocking the gun he brutally pressed into the cop's forehead. "You set this up?!"
Without hesitation, Van replied, "Damn straight I did."
Ruthlessly, Cade grabbed a handful of Van's hair and pulled the man closer. "I would have given you everything!"
"Give! You only know how to take Cade! It's time you paid off your own debts,"
Van snarled.
Suddenly the sound of gunfire erupted all around them. Van took the momentary distraction and made a grab for Cade's gun. Dislodging the barrel from his temple and forcing it to point to the ceiling, Van was not prepared for agony to erupt into his thigh. He had forgotten about Cade's other hand, the one that moments prior had been trying to rip his hair from his scalp..And even more unforgivable, he had stupidly forgotten about Cade's favorite weapon, his damn ice pick!
In his pain, Van's grip on the gun loosed just enough for Cade to wrestle it from his grasp. Before he could worry about getting a lick shot, the gun barrel slammed against his temple and the world went black.
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Casualties were high...on the side of Cade's employees. The good guys had come through mostly unscathed but there was one major set back. When the Feds checked their catch, Cade Roberts was not in their nets.
"Van? Where's Van?!" Billie demanded of the thin, red haired agent in charge of the bust.
"Van?" the man asked with a distracted look of confusion.
"Officer Van Ray!" Deaq yelled, his reign on his emotion at their end after finding Van was not in the warehouse. "You know, the guy you blackmailed into snitching for you!"
The agent gave an uncaring shrug, "Hell if I know. Maybe he decided to bail out his "father figure" at the last minute."
Deaq's punch sent the agent slamming into a crate and then tumbling to the floor. Approaching the downed man with rage glistening in his eyes, Deaq was not going to give way until he had knocked every tooth from the other man's mouth.
"Stop!" Billie ordered, stepping in front of Deaq and gripping his shirt to get his attention. "We need to find Van, now!"
At Van's name, Deaq's rage was swept away by gut wrenching fear. "Roberts will kill him, Billie."
"But he hasn't yet. We've still got time."
"Time! We got no time! We had time but we blew it on this damn revenge plot!"
Shaking her head, Billie denied, "Cade will want to punish Van. He won't make his death quick."
"You trying to cheer me up?!" Deaq exclaimed, yanking from her grasp and stalking down the aisle of the warehouse.
Billie snagged onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Cade will take Van to one of two places."
"The desert or the ocean."
"Right."
"But we don't know which one or even where either location is at. Van never gave specifics. Sharks and a white cross...that ain't enough to go on, Billie."
Billie fought down a sigh of desperation. "It's all we got. So pick it, Ocean or Desert."
For a moment Deaq said nothing but when he finally answered his tone was unflinchingly sure, "Ocean."
"Why?"
"Cause with the ocean, Cade can watch." Deaq bitterly surmised. Billie did not dispute his logic but her jaw tightened at it.
Breaking into a run, they exited the warehouse. Billie began to make for the minivan but Deaq grabbed her arm and steered her to the Corvette. "We need something with some speed." By the time Billie had claimed the passenger seat and closed the door, Deaq had hotwired the car and put it into motion.
"This is bad, Billie," Deaq lowly said, his eyes never leaving the road he was eating up at over 100 mph. "Real bad."
"I know," Billie choked out, trying hard to not let her mind conjure up images of Van's possible fate.
When Deaq spoke again, Billie winched at the torment in his tone, "If ...if Van doesn't make it...don't get in my way. I'ld hate to have to go through you to get to Roberts ...but I'ld do it."
"If things go that way, I'll take Roberts out if you don't."
Deaq spared a look to Billie and saw the same resolve in her eyes that burned within him. If Van did not survive to take down his reaper, they would take him down for him. Brutally and with finality.
TBC
One more chapter to go!
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Replies to Reviews:
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Bjp: Me? Have class?! That's something I've never been attributed with before! Thanks! Glad you liked seeing another part of Van. With the series we only got glimpsing of the many facets he had so this has been great fun *creating* his past and his reactions to different situations. Writing sure bets reality! Love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and the upcoming finale.
DKM: There is no way I can tell you how much I appreciated your support of my writing and belief that I could get published!! Now getting published, that would be a dream come true. Well, now back to the story. I was so relieved that you liked where I took Van and consequently the story last chapter! I really felt like I was going out on a limb when I had Van contemplating suicide. But I just always felt that the guilt of McNar's death weighed heavily on him and he never truly gave himself a chance to deal with it and then to add the whole Cade guilt ...it seemed too much for even a hero to bear. And so you saw the events of this chapter coming huh? Well, I was going to do this intricate plot but even I was getting confused with it so I simplified it. Hopefully I didn't make it too simple! Glad you're back to writing and I totally understand that writer's block syndrome that pulls you down into a black hole. To think, we write to feel better and yet, when it doesn't flow, it makes us feel worse then before we started a story? These hobbies can be murder! So how's this chapter? Any guessing on the events of next chapter?
Fan4fastln: I love the idea of redemption. (Doesn't everyone!) If felt right to have Van seeking for that after his experiences with Cade. And I'm so pleased you liked last chapter best because it was the one I thought people might not like or think I was out of character with Van's actions. And since I love sap, I try not to miss my opportunity to put in a nice fluffy scene between Deaq, Van and Billie. It was what I loved about the show...the way they could care about each other and not hide it. And sadly, Cade did not get what he deserves this chapter but I always like to save the best for last.
Cat: Thanks for dropping me a review! And I'm glad each chapter's drawing you in more to the story. Sometimes I worry that I got off track! Hope you tune in for the conclusion and of course send me a review!
Alma Rates: I appreciate your support and encouragement to post faster!! (I know, I didn't listen about the posting faster thing but that doesn't mean it didn't make me "want" to post faster!) Thank you for your wonder compliments on my writing!! When I think about not posting another word, a wonderful review like yours keeps me taking the risk of posting yet again. Drop me a review!
Leann: I'ld like to think you would like chapter 11 even if you didn't read it 7am on a Sunday...but that's just my ego talking. I'm glad you appreciated all the torture I put Van through ..I know he didn't appreciate it one bit. But then, he has little say in the matter! This chapter Van had a good dose of angst and a smidge of pain. Did I do good?
Electricgurl: Hope you didn't get caught by your teacher reading my story! I know it's really hard not to slip on the internet at work and check out the stories I'm reading now but my luck, my boss would sneak up behind me. Glad you liked Van's breakdown in the warehouse where McNar died. I just thought there was more to tell on that topic for Van. I know you're off watching your newly rediscover eps of Fastlane but I hope you take a break and read and review this chapter!
Mady Bay: I like that "chocked full of angst"! That's what I've been going after! Writing angst always makes me feel better. And as you read in this chapter Van did go after the bad guy but sometimes that's not so easily done as Van is finding out the hard way. Loved to hear from you again!
Born to Fire: Thanks for the review! And yes, Van should have run away...in chapter 1. But alas, I've kept him in my clutches and have tortured him every chance I could. Poor beautiful man! Hope you like the rest of the story!
Sirith: I had you on the edge of your seat?!?! I love that!!! And I think Fastlane fics are sadly lacking in number and length!!! I'm stunned that my in the longest one you're read...but I do tend to get very wordy. You can shut me up but you can't get me to stop typing!?!? And yes, I continue to torture poor sweet Van and sadly I love every moment of it! For all his tenderness, Van's got a real strong spirit and I always loved to watch him under pressure. And boy have I put him under pressure. Drop me a review!
Fairy-mills: Thanks for the review and the compliment!! Sadly, I did not update fast but at least I updated! Hope to hear from you again!
Crazyk: Thank you for appreciating my writing/plot efforts and your welcome. I love to please! Hope you like this chapter and the finale chapter!
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Thank you to every single person who has taken the time to read this chapter and a HUGE thank you to everyone who does me the honor of telling me their thoughts on this chapter.
Cheryl W.
Author: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fastlane or anything in conjunction with Fastlane nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Replies to reviews at bottom
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Chapter 12
"I upheld my side of the deal," Van gruffly greeted Cade as he walked into Club 9 carrying the case of drug laced liquor bottles he had "confiscated". "Badge is gone, I'm outta the candy store and, as one of your terms, I'm returning the drugs I "looted". Indelicately, Van sat the case onto the nearest table.
An assessing look met his declaration, "If you're playing me, Van, you'll be shark bait."
To this Van bitterly replied, "I got no play to make..you saw to that personally."
A smug smile flipped up Cade's lips, "Yeah, yeah I did." Then he reached out and ruffled Van's hair, "Come on, kid. There's work to be done."
Van bore the touch without reaction but inside he reeled from the contact. Did the bastard actually think he'd play Beaver to his Ward? If he did, that delusion would be ash by tonight. Van fought the smile that wanted to emerge on his face. Paying this debt was gonna feel so good, he thought as he began to follow Cade into the office.
At the door, Cade turned to one of his men, "Handle the crate with care." To which the man nodded even as he picked up the case of liquor bottles and headed for the door. Van watched the man's departure for a moment, before he entered the office as Cade had done moments prior.
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"Ringa ding ding, there's our wandering thing," Deaq sing songed as he caught sight of the crate in the arms of one of Roberts over muscled employees. Billie gave no reply but watched as the crate was put into a trunk of a Mercedes.
Billie started the mini van that was parked a block away from Club 9, "Now all we have to do is let him lead us to Roberts' special stash."
"I can't believe Roberts is ballsy enough to skim from the mafia!" Deaq commented with disbelief.
"Let's just hope he takes the bait and pockets the crate Van gave back," Billie replied. She waited until the Mercedes had made it two blocks down the street then she pulled the van into traffic.
Deaq's eyes did not stray from the Mercedes. "Man like Roberts, he takes what he can get...all he can get. He won't miss this golden opportunity for more loot."
Blending in with traffic yet keeping a steady eye on the Mercedes, Billie seemed born to do a tail. "We need to know where Roberts keeps the stuff he skims from the mafia...if we screw this up, if we lose this guy, Van's not gonna have an out."
"I know," Deaq's voice dropped with worry and resignation. "The Feds taking down Roberts warehouse, that ain't gonna keep Roberts from the street for longer than it takes him to dial his lawyer. Can't believe the Feds can't see that!"
"You're forgetting, they wanted Roberts' boss's warehouse shut down. There's going to be hell to pay when they find we duped them," Billie spared a look to Deaq.
"It'll be worth it long as Van's free of Roberts when the smoke clears."
"Deaq, I'm..." Billie began but it was Deaq who supplied the word she hated to utter.
"Scared for Van?" For an instant their eyes met and they knew the same fear ran through them both. "Me, too."
There seemed nothing more for them to say. It felt like everything was on line this time. If things went sideways, if one thing didn't happen the way they predicted, Van would pay the consequences...forever.
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Undercover work was not for the faint hearted. He had known that going into it. Hell, his life wasn't for the faint hearted. But Cade always pushed the boundaries and now was no exception. "Hit 'em again," Cade ordered and without outward hesistation, Van punched the middle aged restaurant owner in the stomach and across the cheek, sending the man to the floor, bleeding.
Cade bent down to the hurting man, "I want my money, Patrick. Now. I don't want any more excuses."
The man panted out " I have some of it."
Casually Cade motioned forward with his hand and Van obeyed his unspoken command and kicked Patrick solidly in the stomach.
Tsking, Cade watched the man writhe in pain. "Maybe we'll only torture *half* of your daughter. She'll be home from school at 3, right?"
At that the man's panicked eyes met Cade, "No, please! I'll pay you..take whatever you want ...take my restaurant!"
Van watched in disgust as Cade toyed with the man and let his eyes look about the restaurant as if he was considering the trade. "Seems like you get high end customers...:"
"Yeah, Yeah we do. You would make your money back quickly."
But to this Cade raised his eyebrow, "Really." Viciously he grabbed onto Patrick's hair, "If this is such a cash cow..where's my money, Patrick!"
"Invested...invested back into the restaurant!" Patrick stuttered back, pain evident in his voice.
"Well, you're gonna uninvest it...today." Decisively Cade released his grip on Patrick and stood up. Turning to Van he questioned, "So, what kind of fire coverage is required on a building of this size? Enough to allow Patrick to recoup his investment?"
"You know, I bet he'll rake in enough to pay off his whole debt to you," Van said, forcing a smile onto his face but hating each word he spoke.
Cade smiled genuinely, feeling like he had gotten back the boy he had began to shape all those years ago. "I think Van's right, Patrick." Cade focused on Patrick, who was staring up at the two men who were calmly deciding his fate, "We're going to cut out your broker on this deal."
Van pulled a lighter from his pocket, "Hope you kept your fire insurance current." With a flick of his thumb, a flame ignited in the lighter. "You wanna live, keep low and crawl for the door." And then Van crossed over to bar, leaned over the counter and pulled out a bottle of tequila. Taking a generous swig from the bottle, Van shot a ruthless smile to Cade before tossing the bottle carelessly behind the bar, followed closely by his lit lighter.
The sound of the shattering bottle was overshadowed by the crack and flash of the flame that shot up from the floor. Van stumbled back as the heat of the flame slammed into him like a vicious wave. Before he could move further away, the flame spread to the other liquor bottles and an explosion tore through the bar counter, knocking Van to his feet.
Stunned and hurting, Van lay upon the ground and had the fleeting thought that maybe wasn't gonna live long enough to see Cade's expression when the day played itself out. But Ray Ray's words came to him, 'the best part of screwing someone is them knowing you screwed them.' He suddenly agreed with his father, checking out now wasn't an option, not when he was so close to paying Cade back for the hell he had made of his life. He opened his eyes and almost recoiled as his first sight was of Cade.
"Come on Van. Time to go." Cade said as he wrapped his arm around Van's waist and pulled the younger man to his feet. Stumbling under the weight of the other man, Cade made for the exit.
"The owner..." Van questioned, trying to turn around to see if the man was still laying on the floor.
But a chuckle answered his question. "Guy was out of the restaurant before the bottle ever hit the ground. Gutless bastard," Cade answered with good humor.
Cade maneuvered Van out the door and to the Corvette. To Van's surprise, Cade opened the passenger door and eased him into the seat before closing the door and crossing to the driver's side. Moments later Cade was driving away like it was a Sunday in the country.
Van reached a hand up to his aching head and wasn't so much surprised as frustrated to find blood seeping from a cut.
"Played that a little close, didn't ya, Van?" Cade reprimanded lightly.
Turning to Cade, Van couldn't find the words to reply. Cade-the-bastard he could deal with, Cade-the father-wanna-be, he was always the one Van couldn't handle. It proved that no matter how bad a person was, there lingered in them, sometimes way down deep, something redeemable, no matter how small. And Cade had that, way down, almost too small to name but it was there. And that was what Van saw in every perp he came across...and wished he did not. That little grain of goodness did not make up for the evil but it always gave Van pause in dealing out justice. A pause that had, more than once, almost cost him his life. A pause he could not suffer with Cade, not if he wanted to live, if he wanted Billie and Deaq to live.
When Van's reply was silence, Cade continued, "You always had style and guts, Van. I knew that the first time I saw you."
"Why? Cause I didn't drop to me knees and beg you to let my father's debt go?" Van replied, his eyes glinted with bitterness as he looked to Cade
Cade spared him a quick glance and in that look Van knew Cade had kept more from him...again. "That day at your house, that wasn't the first time I saw you Van. When I agreed to do business with your father I checked out his family. Your mother posed no threat but you, you were the wild card."
Van's eyes telegraphed his shock, "You spied on me?! On my mom?!"
Laughter was Cade's answer at first. "For an undercover cop you're awful sensitive Van."
At that cut, Van turned his focus to the outside world but his jaw clenched.
Watching Van in fascination for a moment, Cade finally finished the story he had begun. "I saw you take on a gang at the beach. There were seven guys, all bigger than you but you went in swinging...they beat the crap out of you but you just wouldn't stay down. You wouldn't quit." Admiration hued Cade's words and Van felt ashamed that he felt some kind of appreciation for it.
Quietly he supplied, "But I did quit."
"Yeah," and Cade's voice held anger, "after they slammed a surf board into your head."
Van winced at the memory. That time he had ended up in the emergency room. "And from that clip from fight club, you decided to take me under your wing?" Van looked to Cade and the other man's eyes held his as they sat stopped at a red light. "Ray Ray's arrest played right into your hands."
But Cade smirked at that, like it was a joke he alone knew.
The truth slammed into Van like a freight train. "You dropped the dime on Ray Ray, you put him away so you could blackmail me into being your little student," his voice filled with disbelief and anger.
Cade spared a smile to Van before he put the car back into motion. "I wanted the counterfeit bills from your dad...but I wanted someone worthy to mentor more. By that time, I had come to realize Boyd was never going to be the man I needed him to be."
In that instant, Van's resolve to stay the good little student bled away. "You never gave Boyd the chance to be a man! And why the hell didn't you just pick a ho to have a son to! Someone who'ld have your blood, that could carry on your family line!"
No anger marked Cade's outward appearance or his tone of voice. "Roberts isn't my real name, and bloodlines can let you down. No, choosing a kid already showing what he was made of was always my plan. Set enough in his ways to determine the man he could be but moldable enough to turn into the man I wanted him to be."
Not for the first time, Van felt sick. It had been so easy to lay the blame for this whole Roberts fiasco in his father's lap but now that delusion was gone. It had been about him from almost the start...and even Ray Ray had to pay a price...four years in lockdown. He choked out, "Why'd you have to do this? Why'd you have to make everyone pay for what you wanted? Why didn't you just ask me straight out if I wanted to learn your trade...Ray Ray woulda let you have me."
But Cade shook his head and turned a small knowing smile on Van. "Couldn't, Van. Ray Ray would have given you to me but you would have fought me every step. It had to be your decision or I would never have broken you."
Van's head shot up and he eyes were huge with disbelief and shock, "You think you broke me?"
"The first second you walked into my house and said you'd work off your father's debt, you were broken Van. And there was no going back...ever. You didn't know that then but you know it now. Even when you wore that badge, you knew I still had some of your soul that you couldn't reclaim. I call that broken, don't you?"
Rage and sorrow ripped through Van but he could not offer up any denials. Cade was right, a piece of him was missing, a piece he could not get back, a piece that, in truth, was too soiled for him to want back. And the sad thing was, there was more pieces in his soul that Van wanted to cut out...every part that had been touched by Cade Roberts. Not for the first time, Van wished he could commit murder. He ached to pull his gun and put a bullet in his personal 'reaper'.
Gruffly Van bit out, "You woulda got farther playing the father card 'stead of the bastard card, Cade. All this got you was my hatred."
"I'm not too worried. Ray Ray has your hatred," Cade's eyes flickered to Van, "but he also has your love. You're complicated but compassionate, Van. You never let things stay black and white, you always cross over into the grey."
"There's no grey between us, Cade."
"No? How about that look you gave me when I helped you out of the restaurant today? How about the small sense of joy you feel when I tell you I respect you, that I'm proud of you?"
"Damn you!" Van shouted, hating that Cade could read all his traitorous emotions. "You can't make any of this right!"
"I got what I wanted Van. You back working for me. I don't give a damn how you "feel" about me."
"Liar." Cade's eyes flew to Van's in shock as the word hung between them. "You're so starved for the love of a son you're blinded to everything else. What happened to never show need, fear, loyalty or love!? You recruited a cop! What would your boss say if he knew this whole thing was about your need for a son!"
"You're not my weakness, Van. I proved that to you when we met in Club 9, when I shoved that ice pick into your back."
"But I didn't die...and that's when it all started to unravel for you. You figured if I died, then it wasn't meant to be but when I pulled through...it was like a green light. And you haven't relinquished your hold on me since then or the fantasy that I'll play the dutiful son for you."
"You will play it Van, or .."
"What? More blackmail? You'll hurt my friends! You're hooked, Cade. You want this so badly that you'll put up with anything I do to keep the dream alive."
Cade's response was a harsh low statement that Van did not doubt the truth of. "You're wrong, Van. You step out of line, you edge back toward your old life, I will drop you into the ocean and I won't look back, ever."
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Billie put the mini van into park and she and Deaq watched as the crate was carried into a warehouse downtown.
Deaq turned to Billie. "Guess it's time to drop the dime on Roberts." And a huge smile lit up his face.
"You want to do the honors, don't you?" Billie questioned to which Deaq gave a vigorous nod of his head. "Fine but stress to the Feds that *both* warehouses get hit at 4:30. Both and not a minute before 4:30."
"Relax, Billie. I heard Van real well. Roberts will be at *this*" and he pointed to the warehouse they sat before "warehouse at 4:30 and we want the Feds to arrest him *here* surrounded by his personal swag."
"Fine, call it in," Billie allowed but added a moment later, "And tell the Feds to *not* shoot Van if he's with Roberts." She checked her watch. 3pm. If things were going as planned, Van would be inspecting the other warehouse with Cade right that minute. But worry coursed through her, if they misjudged Cade's routine..if he didn't show at this other warehouse by 4:30 today..if Cade somehow slipped through the Feds's hands...She broke off those thoughts and reverently prayed, 'Please let us pull this off. Please keep Van safe.'
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Van trailed behind Cade through the warehouse at 19 Waterstreet Avenue, numb to his surroundings. He did not marvel at the amount of drugs or swag that filled the warehouse space or scowl at the precise records that were maintained on the inventory. The IRS would applaud Roberts bookkeeping...if they could overlook the tax evasion issue. Nor did he try to take in the faces of the workers to determine if he knew them from when he worked for Roberts before.
'..when he worked for Roberts before..' the thought betrayed him. No matter how he twisted it, deep down he knew he was working for Roberts, for real, right here and now. He was Cade's property just like the swag that littered the floor of this building. He was inventoried and a price tag was attached to his soul. Sure, he was trying to claw his way out but the hole he was in seemed like the Grand Canyon.
When Cade entered an office, Van followed along and claimed a chair in the room, dispassionately watching Cade briefly look over the books before he signed off on the forms the manager held. To the naïve it seemed like a finely tuned *legal* machine. Checks and balances in place, forms completed in duplicate, employees eager to please the supervisor. You could almost forget that lives had been taken to fill this warehouse with it's goods, and that souls would be destroyed by the drugs that now sat neatly cataloged on shelves ready for sale.
'And I helped create this machine, I made sure it ran along smoothly and I never once tried to shut it down. Not even when I put on that badge.' Van's jaw clenched at the truth of his thoughts. No, he had been too terrified of Cade to even think of taking him on. He had walked away from this life and he never looked back...until now. Redemption suddenly felt beyond his grasp again, now that the scope of his sins was slapping him in the face. Today Roberts would pay bitterly for his sins. But with a sense of dread, Van also began to believe that he too would finally bear the punishment for his cowardice.
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For the millionth time, Deaq checked his watch then resighted his intense gaze onto the warehouse. It was 4:25 and still there was no sign of Roberts. Maybe he had made the Feds parked outside the other warehouse, maybe he had learned of Van's pending betrayal, maybe he was right now pulling Van from the trunk of his car and dumping him out in the desert or maybe he had voted on the ocean as Van's final resting place.
He jumped when Billie spoke, "You're fidgeting around like Van, Deaq." There was no reprimand in her voice but instead she tried to lighten the dark mood that permeated the minivan.
Fixing his gaze on his boss, Deaq sighed, "I know, I just can't take this waiting! We should be watching Van not this warehouse!"
"Roberts would be looking out for that. He's not about to trust Van just because Van says he's flipped," her voice gentle, though Deaq's thoughts were not contrary to her own.
Deaq turned again to watch the warehouse but like Van on so many stakeouts, he found he couldn't let silence stand. "When I got that call about Dre," he quietly began, not pulling his look from the warehouse, "it was like a part of me died with him. Almost too big a part ya know."
Billie watched Deaq but did not know what to say. As it turned out, Deaq didn't give her a chance to offer empty words about understanding how he felt.
"The only thing that kept me going was the drive to take out his killer. But when I stood there with Dre's killer in my sights, itching to pull the trigger...it was Van who yanked me back from that brink, who kept yelling 'don't do it'. I was about to step down when Cassidy pulled the trigger."
Deaq swung his look to Billie. "Van was there for me then and he's been there for me every day since. No matter how piss poorly I've treated him, he's never turned his back on me. Not once. Where the hell have I been when he's needed me? I'll tell you where, MIA.
"Deaq, you're not seeing things clearly," Billie began but Deaq cut her off.
Bitterly Deaq disagreed, "Yeah? Where was I when Roberts tried to kill him in Club 9 or when he got the crap beat outta him, or now when he could be getting a lick shot to the skull?"
"We're playing this the way Van told us to."
"Well this plan sucks! He's taking all the risks! If this goes sideways..." Deaq broke off unable to finish his thoughts aloud and turned his look to the other warehouses that surrounded the block. After a moment he again met Billie's eyes, "I lost Dre but I'm not losing Van, Billie. I lost one brother but I'm not losing another."
Billie opened her mouth to reply but the appearance of Cade Roberts' car silenced her. Relief and tension sang through Billie and Deaq as they watched Van climb from the Corvette. Van was alive and unharmed and apparently Cade was trusting him full on but now this put Van right in the middle of a bust that was sure to be anything but low-key.
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Cade had said 'one more stop' when they left the other warehouse but Van had not truly believed that Cade would trust him with his heavily guarded secret. Not again.
As Cade pulled the Corvette to a stop in front of a warehouse, Van saw that Roberts' private pilfering was paying off... large. This warehouse was three times the size of the small shack like building Cade had shown Van eleven years ago.. hours after he had ruthlessly killed Boyd.
"Looks like you stopped thinking small," Van sallied as he exited the car.
Cade smiled as if Van had given him a compliment. "I learned there was enough to go around...so I took a bigger cut. Come on," he beckoned and he entered the warehouse.
Van obediently followed Cade, forcing himself to not scan for any signs of the Feds as he let the door close behind him. The scope of Cade's operation took his breath away. It almost rivaled the "legit" warehouse in volume. He turned to Cade and hated the grin that lit up the other man's face.
"You want a slice of this, Van? This is the life your father always wanted for you."
The truth of the statement made Van look away from Cade.
Cade put a hand onto Van's shoulder and when Van still did not face him, he gently grasped Van's chin and forced the man to meet his eyes. "A father wants a better life for his son than he has."
"You're not my father, Cade," Van evenly said, and stepped away from Cade and began to inspect the warehouse on his own.
Soon Cade matched Van's stride. "You'll come around."
"Don't hold your breath on that one."
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It was time. Deaq rechecked his gun for the third time in the last five minutes, gave Billie a worried look and then they both exited the minivan following hard on the heels of the Feds that were already flocking to the warehouse.
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There was no warning. One moment Van was walking down an aisle flanked by Cade and the next, everything went to hell. Simultaneously, the warehouse lights went out, casting the warehouse's inner depths into shadow that the sunlight from the windows above could not pierce, glass shattered, smoke bombs littered the ground their fumes already billowing into the air and "FBI: Get on the floor now!" echoed through the building.
Instantly, Van dropped to a crouch and reached for the gun in his waist band. A gun pressed against his temple stopped his motions. Fury blazed in Cade Roberts eyes as he crouched down level with Van, cocking the gun he brutally pressed into the cop's forehead. "You set this up?!"
Without hesitation, Van replied, "Damn straight I did."
Ruthlessly, Cade grabbed a handful of Van's hair and pulled the man closer. "I would have given you everything!"
"Give! You only know how to take Cade! It's time you paid off your own debts,"
Van snarled.
Suddenly the sound of gunfire erupted all around them. Van took the momentary distraction and made a grab for Cade's gun. Dislodging the barrel from his temple and forcing it to point to the ceiling, Van was not prepared for agony to erupt into his thigh. He had forgotten about Cade's other hand, the one that moments prior had been trying to rip his hair from his scalp..And even more unforgivable, he had stupidly forgotten about Cade's favorite weapon, his damn ice pick!
In his pain, Van's grip on the gun loosed just enough for Cade to wrestle it from his grasp. Before he could worry about getting a lick shot, the gun barrel slammed against his temple and the world went black.
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Casualties were high...on the side of Cade's employees. The good guys had come through mostly unscathed but there was one major set back. When the Feds checked their catch, Cade Roberts was not in their nets.
"Van? Where's Van?!" Billie demanded of the thin, red haired agent in charge of the bust.
"Van?" the man asked with a distracted look of confusion.
"Officer Van Ray!" Deaq yelled, his reign on his emotion at their end after finding Van was not in the warehouse. "You know, the guy you blackmailed into snitching for you!"
The agent gave an uncaring shrug, "Hell if I know. Maybe he decided to bail out his "father figure" at the last minute."
Deaq's punch sent the agent slamming into a crate and then tumbling to the floor. Approaching the downed man with rage glistening in his eyes, Deaq was not going to give way until he had knocked every tooth from the other man's mouth.
"Stop!" Billie ordered, stepping in front of Deaq and gripping his shirt to get his attention. "We need to find Van, now!"
At Van's name, Deaq's rage was swept away by gut wrenching fear. "Roberts will kill him, Billie."
"But he hasn't yet. We've still got time."
"Time! We got no time! We had time but we blew it on this damn revenge plot!"
Shaking her head, Billie denied, "Cade will want to punish Van. He won't make his death quick."
"You trying to cheer me up?!" Deaq exclaimed, yanking from her grasp and stalking down the aisle of the warehouse.
Billie snagged onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Cade will take Van to one of two places."
"The desert or the ocean."
"Right."
"But we don't know which one or even where either location is at. Van never gave specifics. Sharks and a white cross...that ain't enough to go on, Billie."
Billie fought down a sigh of desperation. "It's all we got. So pick it, Ocean or Desert."
For a moment Deaq said nothing but when he finally answered his tone was unflinchingly sure, "Ocean."
"Why?"
"Cause with the ocean, Cade can watch." Deaq bitterly surmised. Billie did not dispute his logic but her jaw tightened at it.
Breaking into a run, they exited the warehouse. Billie began to make for the minivan but Deaq grabbed her arm and steered her to the Corvette. "We need something with some speed." By the time Billie had claimed the passenger seat and closed the door, Deaq had hotwired the car and put it into motion.
"This is bad, Billie," Deaq lowly said, his eyes never leaving the road he was eating up at over 100 mph. "Real bad."
"I know," Billie choked out, trying hard to not let her mind conjure up images of Van's possible fate.
When Deaq spoke again, Billie winched at the torment in his tone, "If ...if Van doesn't make it...don't get in my way. I'ld hate to have to go through you to get to Roberts ...but I'ld do it."
"If things go that way, I'll take Roberts out if you don't."
Deaq spared a look to Billie and saw the same resolve in her eyes that burned within him. If Van did not survive to take down his reaper, they would take him down for him. Brutally and with finality.
TBC
One more chapter to go!
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Replies to Reviews:
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Bjp: Me? Have class?! That's something I've never been attributed with before! Thanks! Glad you liked seeing another part of Van. With the series we only got glimpsing of the many facets he had so this has been great fun *creating* his past and his reactions to different situations. Writing sure bets reality! Love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and the upcoming finale.
DKM: There is no way I can tell you how much I appreciated your support of my writing and belief that I could get published!! Now getting published, that would be a dream come true. Well, now back to the story. I was so relieved that you liked where I took Van and consequently the story last chapter! I really felt like I was going out on a limb when I had Van contemplating suicide. But I just always felt that the guilt of McNar's death weighed heavily on him and he never truly gave himself a chance to deal with it and then to add the whole Cade guilt ...it seemed too much for even a hero to bear. And so you saw the events of this chapter coming huh? Well, I was going to do this intricate plot but even I was getting confused with it so I simplified it. Hopefully I didn't make it too simple! Glad you're back to writing and I totally understand that writer's block syndrome that pulls you down into a black hole. To think, we write to feel better and yet, when it doesn't flow, it makes us feel worse then before we started a story? These hobbies can be murder! So how's this chapter? Any guessing on the events of next chapter?
Fan4fastln: I love the idea of redemption. (Doesn't everyone!) If felt right to have Van seeking for that after his experiences with Cade. And I'm so pleased you liked last chapter best because it was the one I thought people might not like or think I was out of character with Van's actions. And since I love sap, I try not to miss my opportunity to put in a nice fluffy scene between Deaq, Van and Billie. It was what I loved about the show...the way they could care about each other and not hide it. And sadly, Cade did not get what he deserves this chapter but I always like to save the best for last.
Cat: Thanks for dropping me a review! And I'm glad each chapter's drawing you in more to the story. Sometimes I worry that I got off track! Hope you tune in for the conclusion and of course send me a review!
Alma Rates: I appreciate your support and encouragement to post faster!! (I know, I didn't listen about the posting faster thing but that doesn't mean it didn't make me "want" to post faster!) Thank you for your wonder compliments on my writing!! When I think about not posting another word, a wonderful review like yours keeps me taking the risk of posting yet again. Drop me a review!
Leann: I'ld like to think you would like chapter 11 even if you didn't read it 7am on a Sunday...but that's just my ego talking. I'm glad you appreciated all the torture I put Van through ..I know he didn't appreciate it one bit. But then, he has little say in the matter! This chapter Van had a good dose of angst and a smidge of pain. Did I do good?
Electricgurl: Hope you didn't get caught by your teacher reading my story! I know it's really hard not to slip on the internet at work and check out the stories I'm reading now but my luck, my boss would sneak up behind me. Glad you liked Van's breakdown in the warehouse where McNar died. I just thought there was more to tell on that topic for Van. I know you're off watching your newly rediscover eps of Fastlane but I hope you take a break and read and review this chapter!
Mady Bay: I like that "chocked full of angst"! That's what I've been going after! Writing angst always makes me feel better. And as you read in this chapter Van did go after the bad guy but sometimes that's not so easily done as Van is finding out the hard way. Loved to hear from you again!
Born to Fire: Thanks for the review! And yes, Van should have run away...in chapter 1. But alas, I've kept him in my clutches and have tortured him every chance I could. Poor beautiful man! Hope you like the rest of the story!
Sirith: I had you on the edge of your seat?!?! I love that!!! And I think Fastlane fics are sadly lacking in number and length!!! I'm stunned that my in the longest one you're read...but I do tend to get very wordy. You can shut me up but you can't get me to stop typing!?!? And yes, I continue to torture poor sweet Van and sadly I love every moment of it! For all his tenderness, Van's got a real strong spirit and I always loved to watch him under pressure. And boy have I put him under pressure. Drop me a review!
Fairy-mills: Thanks for the review and the compliment!! Sadly, I did not update fast but at least I updated! Hope to hear from you again!
Crazyk: Thank you for appreciating my writing/plot efforts and your welcome. I love to please! Hope you like this chapter and the finale chapter!
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Thank you to every single person who has taken the time to read this chapter and a HUGE thank you to everyone who does me the honor of telling me their thoughts on this chapter.
Cheryl W.