Okay here's the latest. This segments a little long/jumpy but I hope it reads clearly. Thanks so much Bookworm/lipamo for the ongoing feedback, much appreciated. Also in case anyone reading this was unaware, R.I.P to the very talented James Rebhorn who played Frank so brilliantly on Homeland. Such a loss, I'm still shocked/saddened by it. :(
After driving for about twenty minutes Quinn parked the car near the entrance to the children's park and playground where Brody had told him to meet him. Not seeing him immediately though he pulled out his phone, texted him.
"I'm here, where the fuck are you?"
"Walk past the petting zoo until you get to the jungle gym."
"On what? The fucking yellow brick road?"
Rolling his eyes Brody shoved the phone back in his pocket, knowing Quinn had enough instructions to track him down.
"Nick look! LOOK!", Farrah yelled as Brody looked up from his newspaper, saw her and J.J climbing on top of the monkey bars and racing to see who could get to the other end of them the fastest.
"Hey! That's too high up! Be careful!"
"We are!" J.J yelled back.
"Guys I'm serious! Get down from there."
"But Nick!", Farrah whined, getting a look that got her pouting. Taking hold of one of the rungs she lowered herself back underneath the bars as J.J did the same, then they got off the contraption all together. Took off running towards the tire swings.
Relieved, Brody resumed reading his paper only to have it snatched out of his hands.
"Hey! What the-"
"You ask me to meet you someplace I expect your full attention. Besides, you were reading the goddamn comics.", Quinn scoffed, folding the paper and shoving it in his briefcase.
"What's so fucking urgent?", he asked, before seeing the reason across the way playing tag with Farrah.
"I spoke to Anita this morning. She called, asked if she could drop J.J off for the morning while she did some apartment hunting."
"Apartment...what?"
"Her and I had a long talk about the talk I had with J.J last night. How frightened he still was. That I agreed to help the two of them out. She took me up on it. Said she was thinking about settling here for awhile."
"I see."
"She said they've been staying with friends of her's since they left Philly but they've been moving around a lot. She said if she was twenty years younger it wouldn't bother her so much, but after two months of it she wants a setup that's more permanent. That it's better for J.J."
"Makes sense."
"She said that everyone at the mosque was welcoming. And she likes that J.J's found a friend. She told me he kept asking her when he'd get to hang out with Farrah again."
"Well the kid's got good taste.", Quinn said, still watching from a safe distance as he chased her across the soccer field.
"I just wanted to let you know it sounds like she's gonna stick around. In spite of the conversation the two of you had."
"You're shitting me, right?", he scoffed.
"I think she thinks you got the message and you'll steer clear of things."
"Well she's got that right. Are we fucking finished here?"
"Quinn, I..." Seeing the pained look on his face, Brody was about to protest but figured maybe asking him here was asking too much.
"Yeah. We are. I just thought you'd want to know. I know I would've if I were in your shoes."
"In my shoes...Brody we still don't know anything."
"I know. I know we don't, I just-"
"No. You don't just...you don't know anything about this from here on out. You understand?", Quinn hissed, sitting down on the bench as Brody frowned incredulously.
"No. I don't! What are you talking about?"
"From now on, this is a closed subject. You can't tell anyone what you and I suspect."
"About J.J? But Anita's all but confirmed..."
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. She doesn't want me involved with him and I don't want to get involved. I told you already, I'm not playing Daddy to this kid."
"Alright, fine. I get that."
"Do you? Because I don't want this subject leaving this goddamn bench. That means not a word to Farrah, to your colleagues at the mosque, to Carrie."
"Wait, hold on! Carrie can be discreet!"
"Not a fucking word, Brody.", Quinn snarled, giving him a look Brody knew better than argue with. Even in a public park.
"Alright. I understand. It's your decision and I respect that. The subject's closed, okay? I swear."
"Thank you."
"But what about the other subject. The slip of paper I gave you last night?"
"That's being dealt with."
"Did the name help?"
"Yes, it did. Thank you, again."
"You're welcome."
Knowing he probably shouldn't ask, but feeling curious, Brody was about to ask how it was being dealt with before Quinn answered for him.
"We're narrowing the list. Whoever the fucker is he has a record. We can use that."
"How?"
"Never mind. Just know that if the bastard sets foot anywhere near D.C he's finished."
Seeing Farrah had beaten J.J back to the tire swing, that she was within distance of seeing him, before she could wave or make a move towards him Quinn stood up.
"I'll keep you posted about it. So long as you-"
"Keep quiet about things. I will.", Brody assured only to get a text from Anita asking what part of the park they were in.
"Listen, Quinn, if you're gonna leave I suggest you-"
"I got it. I...I'm going.", Quinn said, stealing one more glance towards the tire swings before going back to his car.
...
Once arriving at Langley, he went up to Danny's office only to see him and Virgil seated on the couch, browsing something on a laptop, while Max was on his but sitting comfortably in the arm chair behind Danny's desk.
Annoyed at the sight, Quinn walked up, set to swat Max upside the head.
"Hey!"
"Hey what? You're in the goddamn director's office. You don't sit behind his desk!"
"It's okay, Quinn. I let him."
Met with a dumbfounded look Danny explained.
"Virgil and I were busting his balls earlier and I felt bad. So I let him sit in my chair. For one day what's it gonna hurt?"
"The whole fucking country if the power goes to his head.", Quinn scoffed.
"It's fine, Quinn. What, you want to take turns?", Danny teased, getting a glare.
"Hey if anyone's up next it's me. I think I earned myself a reward. Pulled up more matches than either of you."
Moving to kneel next to the couch Quinn squinted at the screen where Virgil was pointing.
"What are we looking at?"
"Danny asked us to look into some guy named Dominic for a friend of his.", Virgil explained as Quinn glanced at Danny, grateful he'd kept his name out of things.
"He's a real son of a bitch if we found the right one.", Virgil said.
"The right one? How many are listed?"
"Not that many after we narrowed down the search. We know the guy's from Philly, that he's loaded and doesn't have the most sparkling record."
"Hey, what about this match?", Max asked as Quinn walked over, but seeing what he'd pulled up on the screen rolled his eyes.
"According to this he's going by Dominique now.." he scoffed. "Will you get out of that fucking chair already?! You're making me nervous."
"Quinn, is it really that big a deal?", Danny asked.
"It's unsettling. What if some clueless White House aide walked in here, looked in that chair and thought Max could be briefed on matters of national security?"
"Max, get out of my chair.", he sighed.
Reluctantly Max stood up, still scrolling on his laptop as he walked to the opposite side of the room.
"What, did you find something or you just trying to prove you can multitask?", Virgil snarked as Max glared, set the laptop down in front of him.
"Look. He's our guy, right?"
"What makes you so sure, Max?", Danny asked.
"He fits all the criteria. Dominic Lawson. From Philly, he's got old money, and look at his record. Lots of red flags."
"Jesus Christ.", he exclaimed, looking at the list of offenses.
"Indecent exposure, public urination. Went ballistic on a cop."
"When?"
"About a decade ago. He must've been lawyered up though, only did a stint in the psych ward."
"Anything more recent he could be brought in on?", Quinn asked, trying to keep his composure even though seeing the bastard's face on the screen had him seeing red.
"Whoa, holy shit."
"What, Danny?"
"This guy was suspected in a carjacking a few weeks back but left town on 'business'. Missed his court date."
"Shit, he's practically gift wrapped to be hauled in.", Virgil said.
"Let's do it then.", Quinn cut in.
"I can tell a guy I know at Metro to keep tabs, bring him in if he heads this way. But that's about it. We're crossing onto FBI turf if we pursue this more than we already have."
"Basically all we're doing falls under FBI and local territory.", Virgil said. "Danny, who the fuck is this favor even for?", he asked curiously.
"As Director I don't have to answer to you on that.", Danny covered.
"Well fine.", Virgil huffed. "Are we through here?"
"If any more information on this guy comes up I want you to report back to me with it. But yeah, we're finished here."
After Max and Virgil gave them suspicious looks but left the office, Quinn shut the door behind them, turned to Danny.
"Thanks. For not bringing my name into this."
"You're welcome. Max and Virgil are great guys but I had a feeling you wouldn't want them entirely in the loop.", Danny said knowingly before chewing his lip, looking warily at Quinn.
"What's the problem?"
"Look, I know I agreed to help, but if word got out I authorized this kind of investigation, I'd be in Carrie level shit."
"I realize that. But trust me, this fucker is just as dangerous as any extremist terrorist bastard we would be authorized to look into. Just, a different kind of dangerous."
"I believe you. I know you wouldn't have asked if it wasn't critical, just...if anything needs to get resolved here make sure it happens soon okay?"
"Okay. Thanks, Galvez.", Quinn said before leaving the office. Heading down the hall to his he pulled out his phone, shot Brody a text.
...
"Got a face, a name, and a reason to haul him in. He sets foot in D.C and we'll have him."
Quickly reading the message, a relieved smile on his face Brody slid his phone in his pocket, apologized to Anita for the interruption.
"What is it, a message from her?", Anita asked, having just heard about Brody and his relationship with Farrah's foster mother. Being a romantic she hoped that the reason he was smiling was he heard from the woman he wanted to marry.
"No, I wish. It's actually from someone we both know.", Brody said as Anita's features hardened.
"You are still in touch with him? With John, I'm sorry...Peter Quinn?", she asked angrily.
"Anita it's good news. He's dug up enough dirt on Dominic to get him arrested if he even sets foot in D.C."
"How? How is that possible?"
"I don't know all the details, but he must've had some outstanding warrant that Metro could bring him in on. Either way he's not going to be a problem for you or J.J anymore. Quinn's made sure of it."
"You sure he didn't just do what he intended to? Track him down and shoot him with his rifle?, Anita asked bitterly, cringing at the thought.
"Listen, Anita. I received sniper training too when I was a Marine. I became a Sergeant because I became that good at shooting a damn gun. But it wasn't something I signed up for because I wanted to or because I felt like taking a life. I did it because it was my duty. With Quinn it's the same thing. He only came to you with that offer because he wanted to protect J.J. The only way he felt like he could. At least now though he's found a way to protect him without resorting to that."
"I...I understand.", she sighed.
"Do you? Look I'm not trying to be Quinn's champion here, defend all he's ever done. But what he's doing is for J.J's sake, you gotta admit his heart is in the right place."
"Forgive me, Nicholas but this man, his heart, broke my daughter's. I appreciate the lengths he is going to to protect J.J, but I won't allow him to do to him what he did to his mother. I understand he has a job to do, I respect that. But he needs to respect my wishes and keep his distance from my grandson. J.J does not need 'Peter Quinn' as his estranged father any more than he needed an abusive one."
Anita said firmly as Brody nodded in understanding. Unaware they had an audience behind a tree nearby.
"Ha! I find you!", Farrah cheered as J.J jumped from his hiding spot at the base of the tree, turned around. Seeing the look on his face though she frowned at him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine.", J.J shrugged, getting an arched brow.
"J.J..."
"What? I said I'm fine. C'mon, let's go back to the petting zoo."
"But..."
"I want to see the goats again! C'mon.", he said as Farrah chewed her lip, then jogged to catch up with him.