Betty and Archie returned from their babymoon feeling refreshed and ready to tackle anything that came at them only to find Jughead sitting on their front step looking all kinds of anxious.
"Did Mom or JB throw you out of the house?" Betty motioned her head towards her childhood home where he'd recently been taking up residence in Polly's old bedroom.
"No," he chuckled, "I wanted to make sure I caught you both as soon as you got home. I have something important I need to talk to you about."
"Sounds intriguing," Betty keyed herself into their home as Archie came up behind them loaded with luggage. Jughead took one of the bags from Archie to help out.
"Apparently there has been an interesting development at the Whyte Wyrm," Jughead took a seat at the kitchen counter as Betty retrieved a glass of water for him.
"I don't even want to know," Betty slid the water across the counter towards him, "What happens at the Whyte Wyrm stays at the Whyte Wyrm, right?"
"Yes, your secrets are safe with me and about fifty other guys you stripped in front of," Jughead responded sarcastically. "Wait, does Archie know about your performance?"
"Probably not, and we're going to keep it that way," Betty glared at him as Archie looked on in bewilderment.
"Oh, is this when she did her little musical striptease?" Archie suddenly recalled.
"Jug!" Betty tossed a towel at him. There was no way Archie would have known about her little foray into the dark side unless Jughead had filled him in. He'd run after an upset Veronica.
"What? It was awesome. I had to tell my best friend," Jughead replied, "Got anything to eat?"
"No, the cupboards are bare where you are concerned," she continued to scowl at him.
"Fine, but this news is pertinent," Jughead took a drink from his glass, "I know Cheryl told you that Louis was seen in Riverdale. There have also been some inquiries for a contract for hire."
"Okay," Archie went back to his bewilderment look to which Betty was now joining him. They had no idea what could connect the two pieces of news.
"The sort of contract for hire that's highly illegal," Jughead added.
"Spit it out, Jughead," Betty demanded, "I don't want to go into labor still trying to figure out your little riddle."
Archie hid a chuckle behind a well-timed cough.
"Gun for hire," Jughead stated, "Preppy guy trying to blend in and is looking for a pretty young blonde."
"Oh my god!" Betty looked to Archie in a panic.
"He didn't find any takers," Jughead stated, "I'm thinking we're missing an opportunity here."
"What? You want to get a couple thousand dollars to take me out?" Betty responded sarcastically.
"I was thinking the opposite," Jughead replied, "We put out the word that I'm available, we get him to hire me while I'm wearing a wire, and voila we have one preppy guy behind bars for conspiracy to commit murder."
"Sounds too risky," Archie shook his head.
"He's going to find someone," Jughead stated, "The Serpents aren't the only ruffians in town. The Ghoulies are a thousand times worse, but I'm guessing the one thing keeping Louis from going into those establishments is they are seriously disturbing. The Whyte Wyrm, while a bit grungy, looks like a palace compared to their hang outs."
"Have you run this by FP and Sheriff Keller?" Betty asked.
"No, we are not considering this," Archie inserted himself into the discussion, anger evident in his voice, "We're talking about putting a price on your head."
"And we're trying to cut Louis's head off before he comes to take mine," Betty countered.
"No," Archie hollered, "This isn't happening. There must be a different option. Anything that doesn't involve you ending up dead."
He stormed out of the house, slamming the door as he went. Betty and Jughead could almost feel the house vibrate with his rage. Betty and Jughead stared at each other for a few moments before Jughead went to the garage where Archie's heavy bag was set up.
Archie was already gloved up and hitting the bag so hard it looked like he might punch through it.
"Get the hell out before I use your face as a speed bag," Archie growled when Jughead made his presence known, "How the hell could you suggest something so asinine?"
"Like it or not, Louis is going to find someone. If it's not in Riverdale, it's going to be someone outside of it. Isn't it better if it's someone you trust?" Jughead replied.
"And can I?" Archie asked as he continued his assault on the bag.
"Can you what?" Jughead asked.
"Trust you?" Archie continued to swing, his punches growing wild as his anger continued to build, "It wasn't too long ago you wanted both our heads for some misplaced sense of betrayal."
"Come on, Arch," Jughead stood behind the bag to steady it as it was swinging wildly, "You know where I was coming from. I did the same thing to you. I knew you had feelings for Betty when I dated her in high school, and I also know what an amazing person she is, lip lock with you aside. Of course, it stung when you showed up in Riverdale with your arms around her and your baby in her belly, but I'm also not blind. I see how happy the two of you are. I'd be an ass if I stood in the way of that."
"This entire situation scares me, Jug," Archie let up on his pounding, "He's basically stalking her. Now he's trying to hire people to kill her. What else is he capable of?"
"Look, he's clearly got some screws loose," Jughead stated, "All the more reason to get him busted on this. Betty won't be safe until he's locked up."
"What about his hooks?" Archie asked, "Lodge got him released both times he's been arrested for violating the restraining order."
"Do you really think Lodge is going to touch him with a ten-foot pole if he's arrested for putting out a hit on the former best friend of his daughter?" Jughead asked.
"You're giving Lodge far too much credit," Archie shook out his hands and then went after the bag again, "I'm the guy he set up for murder to keep away from his daughter."
"Let's focus on getting Louis out of Betty's life first," Jughead suggested, "We can tackle Lodge later."
"Do you really think you can do it?" Archie asked, "Get Louis to hire you?"
"Yeah," Jughead bobbed his head, "He doesn't know me. He doesn't know how I fit into Betty's life. Hell, I tell him I used to date Betty, he'd probably assume that I'd want her gone as much as he does."
Archie froze for a few moments as he contemplated the situation. He hated so much that Betty was in danger. Even with the bodyguard with her at all times, he knew Louis would find a way to get to her. He began bobbing his head, "Yeah, okay, do it."
"We're going to get this guy, Arch," Jughead laid a hand on Archie's shoulder.
"The sooner the better," Archie replied, "As torn up as I am about Betty being in danger, when our son arrives…I don't know what I'm capable of if he becomes a target."
"Let's not let it get that far," Jughead suggested.
Archie bobbed his head. There was a clearing of a throat. The pair turned to see Betty leaning against the door. Archie dropped his gloves and went to hold her.
"I'm going to be fine," she ran her fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck. Neither was quite certain who she was trying to reassure, Archie or herself.
Plans moved quickly. Tom and FP were quick to jump on board when Jughead pitched the idea to them. Pulling out the old leather jacket and slicking back his hair, he staked out the Whyte Wyrm night after night with the wire firmly in place. He'd covertly put himself out there to his fellow Serpents that he was looking for work, something quick as he was desperate for cash to pay a gambling debt and that it didn't matter what side of the law it was on. They seem surprised, but one by one it appeared they understood what was happening. They gave him the space he needed.
Jughead was clicking away at his keyboard one night, feeling the flow of inspiration for what felt like the first time in a long time when someone took a seat across from him and set a drink in his line of sight. Hitting save, he glanced over the screen to see a preppy looking blonde man sitting across from him.
"Are you lost?" Jughead pushed the drink away, "I'm flattered by the attention, but I don't swing that way. If you're looking for a good time, you're probably in the wrong town. Anyone who swings that way is already taken."
"I think you're misunderstanding my intentions," the man shoved the drink back towards Jughead.
Closing the laptop, Jughead got his first good look at Louis Radford. He was every bit the smarmy, preppy jerk that Jughead had expected, from the thousand dollar haircut, the designer duds, and fancy gold watch that probably cost more than all the possessions Jughead had ever owned combined.
"Still not interested," he shoved the drink back towards the seriously out of place man sitting across from him, "Don't take this wrong, but you're way out of your element here."
"I'm looking to hire some help for a job I'm doing," Louis stated, "I heard you're looking to make some quick cash. I think my job is right down your alley. The pay is negotiable."
"What's the work?" Jughead took a sip of the drink Louis had offered.
"It's a bit sticky," Louis began, "I'd have to have some assurances that you're not above getting your hands dirty."
"How dirty are we talking?" Jughead asked.
"How does fifty-thousand dollars sound for a no questions asked job?" Louis asked.
"Sounds tempting," Jughead took another drink from the glass, "I'll still need some details before I accept."
"There's someone living in Riverdale I'd like to see leave, permanently," Louis stated.
"As in leave the town or bury six feet under?" Jughead asked.
"I'd prefer the latter," Louis stated, "Simply leaving town doesn't have the permanency I'm hoping for."
"Who's the target?" Jughead pressed, his heart pounding harder than it ever had before, but he tried to sound at least somewhat disinterested or at least like this was par for the course for him.
"Know who this is?" Louis slid his phone across the table.
Jughead thought he was prepared for what he saw, but the face staring back at him wasn't Betty Cooper. "Archie Andrews?"
"Any problem with that?" Louis asked.
"What problems do you have with Andrews?" Jughead asked, "He's considered a pretty standup guy in this town."
"He's far from a standup guy," Louis snarled, "He took something that belongs to me."
"Doesn't sound like the guy I've heard about, but whatever," Jughead polished off his drink, "How soon do you want this done?"
"You've got forty-eight hours," Louis rose from the table, "Not a penny until then."
"Hold up," Jughead grabbed ahold of his arm, "What assurances do I have that you're going to pay me one cent after the job is done?"
"You have my word," Louis replied.
"I don't know you, so your word means squat to me," Jughead stared him down, "How about half now, half after I show proof the job is done?"
"Ten thousand now," Louis dropped a wad of cash in an envelope on the table, "You get the rest after you succeed." Louis ripped his arm out of Jughead's grip and tore out of the bar. "Meet you here the night after tomorrow."
Jughead turned towards his father who was sitting in the next booth over, completely out of sight.
"Yeah, Keller should have him snagged on the way out," FP rose from the booth and patted his son on the back, "Not bad, Boy. You actually had me thinking you were a contract killer."
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess," Jughead smirked.
"I'd better go see if Tom needs some help," FP patted his back again.
Jughead was just about to contact Betty and Archie when Sheriff Keller came in.
"Slimy perp slipped passed me," Tom announced, "We've got enough to issue a warrant for his arrest, but he's not in custody."
"How the hell did that happen?" Jughead snapped at the older man, "That was the entire point of this exercise, to get him in handcuffs and unable to breathe free air."
"I don't know what to tell you, Jug," Tom shrugged, "He must have smelled a setup."
"Do I have to kill Archie to draw him out again?" Jughead snapped at him.
"Maybe," Tom grumbled. It was quite obvious that no one was happy with how things went down.
Betty and Archie were having dinner when there was a knock at their door. It was FP and Sheriff Keller to deliver the bad news.
"He didn't take the bait?" Betty bit her lip nervously.
"He took the bait," the sheriff exhaled deeply, "He slipped out of the Whyte Wyrm before he could be apprehended. We've issued a warrant for his arrest and blasted it throughout the state."
"If he sticks a toe out in public, we'll have him," FP told them.
"Small comfort," Betty grumbled.
"Slight twist in the proceedings, it's not Betty that Louis is targeting," FP added, "It's you, Red."
"I'm not surprised," Archie admitted. He actually looked a bit relieved by the news. "It didn't make sense that he'd target Betty. If he's supposedly in love with her, he wouldn't want to harm her. He'd want to take out the thing keeping her from him."
"What do we do now?" Betty rubbed her belly.
"We know you've got security on Betty. We're going to put a car on Archie for a while too," Tom chimed in.
"Maybe I should cancel my classes at the gym," Archie frowned, "I don't want the kids to be put in harm's way."
"They'll be crushed," Betty frowned, "Junie and Dagwood look forward to their lessons."
"And I look forward to them too," Archie reached for her hand, "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to any of them because of me."
"Arch probably has the right idea," FP chimed in, "Keeping a low profile is probably the best idea."
"So what? We just stay inside with the windows closed and our heads down?" Betty asked, "What kind of life is that?"
"We're doing everything we can, Betty," Tom added, "The most important thing right now your safety and wellbeing."
"Is there anything else that can be done?" Betty asked.
"We've already called in every favor we can. We've got the FBI looking into this. They're diving into Louis's financials in the hopes of finding where he's staying. With this escalation in crimes, the case takes higher priority," Tom told her. "State Patrol is sending extra patrols out our way. Everything we can do, we're doing, but we're stuck until he comes out of his hiding spot."
"I hate this," tears began to well in Betty's eyes, "It's like I'm being punished for being naïve."
"This is not your fault," Archie shifted to kneel in front of her.
"It feels like it," Betty wiped at a rouge tear that escaped.
"I've been guilty of bad choices too," Archie reminded her, "Remember Grundy?"
Betty's face scrunched in distain. She hated when Archie brought up the mistake from high school that kept them apart and practically groomed him for her sexual escapades.
"Heck, even dating Ronnie looks like a mistake looking back on it," Archie stated, "I'm not saying Veronica herself was bad, but her father made my life hell. He set me up for murder. He put me in the worst juvenile detention facility where I was forced to fight for the viewing pleasure of the sick, rich bastards who paid to watch incarcerated offenders beat the crap out of each other."
Betty reached out to caress his face.
"The biggest mistake of all, turning you away sophomore year when you told me how you felt," he smiled.
"I love you," she leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against his.
"We'll show ourselves out," FP offered, "You'll be seeing an increase in security around your home."
"Ok," Archie rose to his feet to show FP and Sheriff Keller out.
"Take care of yourself, Red," FP patted his shoulder, "And for Gods sake, wear a hat to cover that hair. You stick out like a sore thumb."
"I'll remember that," Archie managed a chuckle as he closed the door.
Once they were alone, Archie went to Betty and extended his hand, "Go draw yourself a bath. I'll clean up dinner and meet you up there. We can relax for a bit before bed."
Betty bobbed her head as she wrapped her arms around his torso. He did his best to reassure her everything was going to be okay as he held her close. Even after a relaxing bath together, both fell into a fitful sleep.
TBC…