Mending fences – Chapter 16: "Lurking"

Five years ago con't…..

'F*ck!' Captain Fletcher screamed. 'F*ckkkkkkkkk!"

'Shit!' Rick muttered to himself as he looked at the names.

It was the bodies of their informant Marcus Jacobson and one of a high ranking lieutenant in the Murray-Jarrett criminal organisation Nathan Reese. Nathan had witnessed one of his organisation most brutal crimes and now he had wanted out. Rick remembered that crime - the murders of Jimmy Webb, a foot soldier for Murray-Jarrett and his entire family. His crime?

Missing money, he couldn't account for but Jimmy swore that he didn't take. Rick remembers that crime scene. Jimmy was found hogtied to a chair in the living room. He was burnt alive. Aaron's predecessor Valerie Villafana did the autopsy and it was discovered that not only was Jimmy burnt alive, he was set on fire and then extinguished over and over.

This was done no less than six times. He was tortured to death. Valerie also did the autopsies on the rest of Jimmy's family who were all found bound and gagged with single gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. It was also discovered that Jimmy's wife, his sister and teenaged daughter was raped before they were murdered.

There were multiple DNA types in each one of them suggesting that they were all gang raped. The DNA collected was not in the FBI's database. Jimmy's father was beaten to death with an iron pipe that was left at the scene of the murders…the victim's brain matter was still on it. After Valerie gave her report for the autopsies, she handed in her resignation letter at the same time.

She has been with the department for 10 years and did hundreds of autopsies but this was the case that did her in. It was too much for her and she was done. Two weeks later after the murders, it was discovered that Jimmy was telling the truth all along. The missing $325,000 was taken by Murray's son Kenny to pay off a gambling debt which he owed.

It was then Nathan Reese decided that he needed to get out. The department's informant Marcus wasn't making any headway in gathering information. His staying out of jail depended on the valuable Intel that he was providing to the police. So he took a gamble and sneaked into a restricted area. He was copying some files unto a flash-drive when he was caught by Nathan.

It was became clear to Nathan what Marcus was doing and that he was an informant for the police but he didn't turn Marcus in. Instead Marcus would be his way out of the organisation. He agreed to help Marcus get all the evidence that the police needed to bring down the Murray and Jarrett and in exchange, Nathan and his family would get immunity from prosecution.

There was heavy debate in the department about Nathan's proposal causing division among the officers. Some argued that Nathan could be genuine about him wanting to get out as they too have seen the autopsy pictures of Jimmy and his family. They said it would make anyone with the slightest bit of conscience want to get out.

Other officers argued that Nathan and people like him is part of the problem. They said that he can't want to be part of a large brutal criminal organisation like Murray-Jarrett, enjoy the spoils and when they have had enough be able to walk away clean when they choose to without any consequences for their actions.

It was only Rick and a handful of other officers who actually thought about a third possibility…that Nathan was full of shit...that he wasn't trying to get out and it was a set up to try and flush out any other informants which might have been on the inside. Rick didn't trust Nathan and he made his opinion known to Captain Fletcher.

The captain took the cautious route and asked Nathan, through Marcus to prove himself worthy of taking the risk and that exactly what he did. Two weeks after Marcus's cover was blown Nathan gave them Intel on a drugs trans-shipping den for his bosses located in the heart of downtown New York. What was worst is that it was in operation just a couple of blocks from the NYPD.

When the information was sent to their New York counterparts, it was the location for a business selling medical equipment to hospitals and senior citizens home….the drugs were being smuggled in the seats of wheelchairs, wheelchair cushions and walking canes for the elderly.

When asked how the operation works, Nathan indicated that they would encourage hospitals and nursing homes to trade in their old wheelchairs, wheelchair cushions and walking canes for new ones at a competitive price at their business. They would also offer free disposal of these items. When they collect these items from the hospitals and nursing homes they would transport them in dump trucks to waste disposal sites.

They are then packed with the drugs in their orifices, collected at the dumps and transported for 'so called' refurbishment at another one of their businesses where the drugs are extracted. The refurbished wheelchairs and other items are then donated to charities, churches and local clinics.

When Marcus explained the operation to Captain Fletcher and the others how it was explained to him, they were speechless. This is just one of their many operations that Nathan is willing to reveal if he and his family are protected. Rick was alittle bit more trusting after that but not completely. When the place was busted, the NYPD arrest over 7 people in that operation.

Despite their best efforts, none of the people arrested talked. Instead they opted for prison. Many of the officers argued that they did it out of loyalty while others claimed that they were afraid of the consequences. So for 2 months Nathan has been supplying Marcus with valuable information and documents into the running of Murray-Jarrett.

They pressed Nathan for the Intel on Jimmy and his family murders but he delayed...saying that he wanted to see the immunity in writing first before he spilled the beans. However, in the meantime, he still supplied them with information on the other operation of the organisation. So far, they have been able to shut down four of their operations and the Captain was on a high from all the praise that he was getting from his bosses.

However, the problem is that only the little people were being held and none of them were willing to turn state's witness against people as dangerous as Murray and Jarrett. Since Murray and Jarrett was at the actual murders of Jimmy and his family that was the info that they needed to shut their operation down for good. So they had to wait.

Then all of a sudden Nathan stopped giving Marcus any information. He just stopped. When Marcus asked him what was wrong Nathan simply told him that there was nothing more to give. Marcus reported that back to them one week ago and now their burnt bodies are found in Snake Alley.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Abe have been lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling since he came from Mr Williamson office. The responsibility that was now being thrust upon him is huge and he's not going to take things lightly. Although he barely knew Sasha he knows that he likes her. He couldn't talk to her about how he's feeling. He needed someone to talk to…someone who is well versed in children rearing.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rick was just about to go downstairs to check on the kids when Michonne stirred slightly on the bed. He stopped and looked at her and seeing that she didn't wake, he kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The children were all preoccupied with their own thing when Rick went downstairs. Carl and Andre were playing videos games, Sophia and Judith were looking at you-tube hairstyle videos and she was letting Judith practice what she was seeing on her. Logan was in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. Rick walked up to help him.

"No daddy!" Logan said pushing Rick away.

Rick put up his hands in surrender and backed off.

"Can you make one for me too? Please?"

Logan smiled brightly nodding his head. He went into the fridge and took out two bread slices and put it in a plate on the kitchen counter. Rick sat opposite his mini chef and watched him work his magic. He looked at his youngest, a smile slowly creeping on his face. Logan had his mother's big brown oval shaped eyes and every time he looks into them, he sees Michonne.

He is the only one of their five children who has the same colour eyes as Michonne. Carl and Andre's eyes are blue like his and Sophia and Judith's eyes are grey like Rick's father. Rick watched as Logan put on the cheese, sausage, cucumber, tomato and pickles on each half slice.

"Do you want ketchup daddy?"

"No son."

Logan put the other half of the slice on each sandwich and pushed one across towards Rick. Rick then got up and going to the fridge, he opened it to see the selection of beverages available. He took out a bottled water for himself.

"Do you want milk or orange juice?"

"Can I have water instead?" Logan asked.

Rick reached in and took out another bottled water. He sat next to his son, giving him one as he pulled his sandwich back over. There he sat enjoying some quiet time with his youngest while looking out in the living room at the rest of his children. He is happy. The children were safe, his wife was safe…his family were safe.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Michonne stirred to the sound of a cell phone ringing. With eyes closed, she fumbled around on the bed until she found it on the fourth ring. It was Rick's cell phone. With one eye open, she pressed her thumb fingerprint ID to unlock the phone and answered it.

"Hello." She said through a yawn.

"Hey Michonne…It's me."

"Hey Abe. What's up?"

"Is Rick around?"

"I think he's downstairs. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Just need to run some things by him…that's all."

"Ok. Hold on a minute."

Michonne dragged herself off the bed and with her brain still foggy from sleep she walked as fast as she can out the corridor and down the steps. She glanced around and found Rick and Logan building a house with his Lego set on the dining table. She gave him the phone.

"It's Abe. He wants to talk to you."

"Is everything ok?" He asked as he took the phone from her.

Michonne barely nodded as she went back upstairs to finish her sleep.

"Abe?"

"Hey. Are you busy right now?"

"No…not really. Why?"

There was a slight pause that caused Rick some concern.

"Abe?"

"When Carl was born, where you scared?"

"I was terrified!" Rick glanced over at Carl with his other siblings. "We had him so young. I thought I was going to break him when the nurse told me that I could hold him as soon as he was born."

"What about the others? Sophia, Andre and the rest."

I was scared when each of my children were born. Remember…you are responsible for these tiny human beings and you will still be responsible even after they turn eighteen. The worrying will never stop. Once you are a parent, you are a parent for life."

"What about Michonne?'

"It's the same with her but she was most scared when they were in her womb. She worried constantly about their development all through the nine months. She was paranoid actually. I was worried for them too when she was carrying them. I was worried for her personal well-being also. It never stops."

There was a pause on the other side of the receiver.

"Why are you asking me all these questions Abe?"

"I will be a parent soon Rick."

"Wait! What?!"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Is it one of your exes? Is it Peggy?"

"No. Not Peggy…Sasha."

"You too just met. How could she be pregnant with your baby already? What did you do Abe?!"

"Pull brakes Rick. It's not like that."

"Then what?"

"Nicole left instructions with her attorney for Sasha and I to become the legal guardians for her son Caleb."

"Wow! That's major! She had serious trust in you."

"She does. I want to do it but…."

"You don't think you're ready." Rick said, finishing Abe's sentence.

"Yeah."

"Look. You got this! My kids see you as an uncle so that counts for something. Besides…no matter how many children you have, no-one is ever fully prepared for a child or to raise one. It's hard work but when you do it right, it's the most rewarding thing ever. Trust me on this and I know Sasha will help you. Michonne and I too would help. We have loads of experience in that department."

"Don't get me wrong Rick. I want kids…lots of kids and I thought that I would have been a father by now but it didn't happen. I was just resigning myself to the reality that it may never happen and now this comes along."

'Don't worry. After Caleb and you and Sasha officially hook up, you will have the pleasure of having your biological brood of your own."

"Who said anything about me and Sasha hooking up?"

"Trust me…you like Sasha and she likes you. You two will be hooking up…guaranteed."

"Hmmmmm. We will see."~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasha had just giving Caleb his evening bath and put him down for his nap. As she sat on the bed next to him, she couldn't help but smile. The thought of becoming a mother to Caleb had warmed her heart and she wouldn't have it any other way. Her only regret is that Nicole had to die in order for this reality to come through. She kissed him on his forehead and left the room.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasha was coming out of the laundry room when there was knock on her front door. She smile in anticipation that it was Abe coming to visit Caleb and by extension her. Nicole said that Abe was good looking but she wasn't specific on how good looking. When she opened the door, the smile disappeared from her face and was replaced with anger and irritation.

"What are you doing here Mr Oliver?"

"I came to take my grandson. He belongs with his family." Augustus said firmly.

"I am his family! You never cared about him! Nicole knew it!"

"You think you can keep Caleb away from us?!"

"Get off my property before I call the police!"

Sasha started closing the door but Augustus put his foot partially inside.

"Caleb still has a father. A father who will want to see his son."

"Well let him try! The only thing he will be seeing is in the inside of a jail cell for the rest of his stinking miserable life!"

Augustus grinned at her.

"This isn't over bitch!"

"Leave!" Sasha screamed at him. "NOW!"

Augustus slowly retreated his foot from the door and Sasha slammed it shut. He walked to his car and when he was seated inside his phone vibrated with a text from a familiar number.

"So?"

"I didn't get to see him."

"Why?"

"She is keeping him away from us."

A minute passed before the next message was sent.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of the meddling whore."~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*