Some Peace

There was something about being caught in the middle of mundane acts that irked Jacob more than if he were caught any other time. At least if he were losing a tail, following up on a bit of information dropped in his lap, or even leaving the harbour, somehow any of those seemed more appropriate.

But no. The bag of groceries he'd gone into town to get lay scattered across the alley and he was dodging a man that thought he stood a chance because he had a knife on him and no one wanted to draw the kind of attention a gunshot would bring.

Jacob bobbed low, dodging the swipe of the blade and coming up so that his elbow connected hard with the man's nose. His attacker reared back and Jacob moved again. Just in time, too, as a gunshot went off, silencer quieting the shot so that it didn't sound as loudly as it might have otherwise without it. The bullet would have done more than just clip him if he'd been a step slower, but it stung enough to pull a grunt of pain from him as he stumbled before regaining his balance.

He had maybe a second to recover, grabbing the still-dazed man and swinging him around to block the second and third shot fired at him. The body, now just dead weight, was tossed to the alley and he dove around the corner of a building.

All he wanted was a little peace and quiet. He had tried to keep his head low since he had left DC, hoping that Bud would realize that the manpower and money he was sinking into finding him was more than Jacob had cost him by leaving. It wasn't like there was a great deal of precedent to work from. Most operatives in his line of work were either too jaded to care or never lived to make it to that point. He was the exception, and the fact that Liz had caused him to even think about breaking from Bud - much less doing it - said more about her than Jacob could ever put into words. He loved her. He was willing to give everything up for that.

That didn't mean he wouldn't fight like hell to stay alive and see her again.

The man behind him thought he was being stealthy, but Jacob popped up from his slight crouch, using the momentum of the turn to slam his fist into the man's jaw, snapping his head around sharply. He didn't hear the one behind him in time, though, and the blow landed where blood was already soaking through his t-shirt from where the bullet had clipped him.

Jacob felt the breath leave him, his back burning, and his arms were wrenched painfully back by one attacker as the one he had just hit returned the favour, his fist slamming into his middle and driving the remaining breath from his lungs, leaving Jacob coughing and sputtering. The grip behind him tightened and he forced himself to look up at the man that appeared to be deciding if a second blow was necessary or not.

"You're a hard man to track down, Mr Phelps," another voice said from out of his line of sight, the voice accented. "I think he's had quite enough, Mr Quinn. He'll need to be able to speak of course."

Blue eyes strained to see the speaker, and as he finally circled around into view Jacob saw that he must have been the shooter. He was unscrewing the silencer from the barrel of his gun, and, unlike his cohorts, he was dressed as if he might be going to a board meeting. "Bud must be offering a hell of a lot to have people like you crawling out of the woodworks."

The man in the suit blinked at him. "Oh no," he answered almost cheerfully. "We're not here on behalf of your... other issues. We're here to help you, Mr Phelps."

"Obviously," Jacob snorted, gaze shifting to their dead companion that he had used as a human shield when the bullets had begun to fly.

The smile never faded. "You do have quite a price on your head. I've seen the number. Your previous place of employment must feel quite threatened by you. Tell me, are you the keeper of all their secrets or something along those lines?"

"I'm not selling Bud out."

"Of course you're not. The man raised you. Even if he doesn't show loyalty to you, it's no wonder that yours doesn't waver. I can understand that, Mr Phelps, really I can, and it's because I can understand this sentiment that we have reached out to you. The people I represent can make all of your troubles with the Major go away. You can live whatever life you choose."

Jacob tilted his head a little, studying the man. "And what's in it for you?"

"Let him go, Mr Riley. He's not going anywhere, are you, Mr Phelps?"

The man behind him immediately released Jacob and he all but stumbled forward. The gash that the bullet had left in his back was burning, but he levelled a glare at the man in the suit. "What do you want?"

"You have information."

"I told you I'm not selling out Bud."

"The Major doesn't matter. There is an FBI agent that my sources say you're in contact with. I need the location of Elizabeth Keen."

Jacob stared for a moment. "You're with the Cabal."

The negotiator cringed. "Not a name we use for ourselves, I assure you. Now, everyone has their price, Mr Phelps, especially people in your position-"

His first reaction might have been to laugh outright, but instead he simply let his training take over. The pain pushed back, Jacob moved quicker than either of the Cabal lackeys meant to restrain him could follow. He slammed a boot into Quinn's knee before swinging around and landing a blow to Riley's jugular. As the man tried to pull air down his damaged throat, Jacob slammed him back against the wall. The man in the suit didn't have a chance to get his silencer back into place - he had obviously either underestimated Jacob or overestimated himself - but the shot went off anyway, echoing through the alley.

It was wide, just barely, and Jacob stood straight and his gaze fell on the other man. "You know that I'm one of Bud's operatives, so you know I don't need a gun to kill you. You should have brought more men."

"We can help you, Mr Phelps," he said, his voice wavering.

"I left my life for her. You think I'm just going to turn on her after that? You don't know me. You don't have a clue what you've stepped into or the lengths I'm willing to go to protect her."

"You're not walking away from this, Mr Phelps. You'll help us or I'll-"

Jacob moved, anticipating the nervous man's shot and he cut sharp. His hand was on the barrel by the time the third went off and by that point the cops wouldn't be far behind. He wrenched it up and away from him, using the butt of the gun and slammed it into the man's face, bloodying his nose. The former operative took a step back, gun aimed even as the man threw his hands up as if he were surrendering. "We can protect you. We can make it all go away."

"You don't get it. There is nothing you could offer me to make me turn on her." The shot went off and he never knew what hit him. Jacob turned and two more shot ensured that the others were dead as well.

Sirens sounded in the distance and he sighed. He had hoped to get through that port without drawing attention. No such luck. Now he had to dispose of the gun and get out of there before he was caught up in the trouble the Cabal had brought to him.

By the time he had disposed of the gun and gotten out of the port, Jacob was starting to feel a little light headed. He peeled his shirt off in front of the mirror and turned to try to get a better view of the gash the bullet had left snaking around the back of his ribcage and along to his side. He carefully cleaned it up and tossed the shirt away. The wound probably needed stitches, but he would have to manage with what he had.

The Cabal was looking for new angles, and they had enough access to enough information to track him down. It was an uncomfortable thought and one that left him worried over Liz's safety. He hadn't heard from her in a couple of weeks. That wasn't abnormal, per se, but his run in that evening was setting the worry deep. What if they had gotten to someone else? There were countless ways to track a person, even if they were on the run with the Concierge of Crime.

His gaze drifted to a drawer and he was pulling it open before he had given himself permission to, the encrypted phone in his hands and her number dialled into it. It gave its funny little ring once, twice, and by the third he was certain she wasn't going to answer. It was stupid, anyway. He was worrying over nothing.

The phone clicked. "Tom?" came his ex-wife's sleepy voice across the line. Wherever she was it was later there.

"Hey, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. Everything okay?"

Jacob took a heavy seat, relief at the sound of her voice sweeping through him. "Yeah," he answered tiredly, the word escaping on a breath.

He could hear her shifting on the other end, as if she were sitting up. "You don't sound it. What's wrong?"

"I just needed to hear your voice," he confessed softly.

Silence greeted him from the other end, the sound of her breathing the only indication the call hadn't been dropped. "Tom... What happened?"

There were times when she was oblivious to things, but others when she had him pegged. It seemed that she had him on this one.

Jacob sighed. "I had a run in with the Cabal today."

"What?" Liz snapped immediately. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah, I'm good-"

"Don't you dare lie to me," she growled and he adjusted his grip on the phone, a fond smile perking his lips.

"I'm a little banged up, but I'll be alright," he assured her.

"What'd they want?"

"They made me an offer. They said they could make the price Bud put on my head go away."

The silence returned and Jacob could almost hear the question that she didn't want to ask.

"No, Liz," he said softly, "I didn't take the offer."

"I know you didn't," she huffed. "How'd you get away?"

"I killed them," Jacob answered honestly.

"And you're okay? Just bruised up? Did you go left when you should have gone right?"

The tease helped ease his nerves. Liz's reaction to the fact that he could and did take out his enemies differed depending on her mood. "Something like that." He pulled in a breath, leaning back, careful to avoid his injury. "Just watch yourself, okay? If they found me, they'll be going after other people that are a lot more likely to give under pressure."

"I'm careful," she assured him quietly and the assurance faded into quiet again until he heard her breath in. "Hey, Tom?"

"Still here," he answered.

"I miss you."

He swallowed hard. "I miss you too, Liz."

"You better," she chuckled. "Take care of yourself, okay? You're not allowed to die before I see you again."

"Watch out, Liz, or I'll think you're worried about me," he teased, feeling his eyes slip closed. He needed some sleep.

"I do worry about you."

"Goes both ways. I'll let you get back to sleep, but if there's anything else from them I'll let you know. Watch your back."

"You too."

That was her goodbye and the call ended. Jacob sat there for several moment, phone in hand, and Liz's voice echoing in his mind. In all the chaos that seemed to surround them at all times, her voice could still calm him. It left a warmth inside of him that he had never felt before her, and, at least for a few moments, there was some peace in the storm.

Notes: This hiatus is finally starting to kill me. They start filming, the spoilers start leaking out... but nothing on Jacob. Ugh. (Excuse my mini rant).