Song of the Day: I Won't Let Go- Rascal Flatts
Sorry these chapters are taking so long! It's been a busy time lately what with EMS, family, business affairs, trying to get a job...*sigh* Also Norman's tweets the other day had me thoroughly depressed and not in a Boondock Saints kind of mood :( (Here's hoping he's being a little liar!)
But here we go!
BDSBDSBDSBDSBDSBDSBDSBDS
"Good mornin'! Good mornin', we talked the whole night through, good mornin', good mornin' to you!" I was singing out loud to myself as I cracked some eggs into a bowl for breakfast. The bacon was already sizzling on the stove and the coffee was percolating and filling the kitchen with it's lovely, uplifting aroma. In accordance with the song, I attempted some tapping and twirly dance moves but my sense of rhythmic movement was notoriously bad and I'm sure I looked more like a marionette in a hurricane than anything else. But it was just me so who cared?
It was my day off, which I only realized this morning and remembered Murphy was suppose to bring my car to the pub tonight...oh well, he knows where I live.
When my eggs were scrambled well done with leaves of spinach thrown in, salted and peppered and hot sauced to my liking, I "danced" into the living room and plopped unceremoniously onto my couch and clicked the power button on my remote. I leaned onto the arm of the couch as I stuffed a forkful of eggs in my mouth and savored the taste.
The morning news was on so I halfway paid attention, while the other half was captured by my bookmarked copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. I was just getting into the story and biting my nails as Atticus bravely faced the angry mob in front of the jail when a knock on my door shook me from the comfortable familiarity of the story.
"Yeah?" I called, very American of me.
"Aby? It's Murphy." Murphy's thick brogue reached my ears and my face automatically contracted into a huge smile.
"Come on in, Murphy, door's open!" I called back, marking my page and setting the book down on the coffee table. I stood and made my way to the kitchen with my now empty plate as Murphy stepped through the door with his winning smile and bright eyes.
"G'mornin'," he said cheerfully, "Brought your keys back."
He tossed them to me and I hung them on the key rack by the fridge before returning to the living room where he'd made himself right at home, leaned back in my couch flipping through my book.
"You like this?" he asked skeptically.
"It's my favorite book ever," I replied indignantly, "A brilliant work of literature. Don't you like it?"
"Never read it," he admitted, laying the tattered novel back on the table before leaning back again and grinning up at me. "I got a surprise for you."
I squinted at him, unsure.
"What might that be?" I asked carefully, wondering what I was getting into.
"Come on, it's in your car," he stood quickly and tugged me along by my hand. I giggled but followed without resistance, who could possibly resist the way his eyes were twinkling with excitement like that?
We walked out onto the empty, silent streets, this town took a long time to wake up...perfect for me. Murphy made me stand back from the car as he opened the back door and pulled out a box, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he handed the box to me. It was an odd feeling box, like whatever was inside was off balanced , so I flipped the lid open with curiosity.
"Oooohhh!" I practically squealed when the contents proved to be a wide-eyed kitten. Calico patches covered her little body and she gazed at me with big blue-green eyes, her little pink mouth opened in a defiant little hiss. But when I reached in and took her from the box, the hissing stopped and turned to little, powerful purrs as I nuzzled my nose in her belly fur. "Murphy, she's precious!"
"Our farm cat had kittens," he stated simply, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Picked you out the feistiest."
"I like 'em feisty," I laughed as the kitten's paw reached out to bat at my bangs. Murphy gave me a funny look, his head cocking slightly to the side.
"Do ya now?" he asked quietly.
I almost blushed, but somehow managed to keep my cool.
"C'mon, let's introduce this little thing to her new home," I said happily, turning and skipping to my door leaving Murphy to follow.
BDSBDSBDSBDSBDSBDSBDS
Murphy reclined on my couch, watching as I introduced the kitten to its food bowl, water bowl and litter box as well as the little basket of toys next to the TV stand. She was scared at first but soon enough her kitty curiosity took over and she began to nose around the place and I sat next to Murphy as she explored under the couch.
"Got a name for her?" Murphy asked me as h placed his arm on the back of the couch behind my neck, I felt the brush of his skin on mine and I shivered involuntarily and smiled slightly.
"I was thinking Jeanette," I replied, risking scooting a little closer to him while trying to make it look like I was just switching my leg positions.
"Pretty," Murphy replied with a nod as his eyes followed the calico colored streak that shot out from under the couch and disappeared into my bedroom.
"Yeah, I had a cat named Jeanette a long time ago back home," I stated simply, clicking the TV on. I leaned forward to set the remote on the coffee table and that's when Murphy's hand shot out and grabbed me firmly, yet gently, by my right wrist. I jumped in surprise and turned my head to give him a questioning look and found his face right next to mine, he smiled and leaned back, pulling me along with him.
"I missed ya, Aby," he said softly, staring at me intently. He looked like he was warring with himself for a second before he pulled me firmly against him, his left hand came to my face to steady it as his mouth attached to mine in a lazy, easy kiss. I felt my breath catch a little and then return as I gave into his left arm which had slipped down to my shoulder and was now pushing me down onto his chest.
"I missed you too, Murph," I whispered back when our kiss broke, I was halfway on top of him, my left leg resting on top of his lap, my left arm laid against his chest as my hand held his shoulder to steady myself. He obviously wasn't happy about that arrangement because he made a growling sound and scooted closer to me, tapping my right leg in a silent order to climb onto him completely...which I gladly did.
We sat like that for a while, just...enjoying each other's presence as we kissed and felt our way around one another. But then Murphy's eyes suddenly opened wide and he sat up, reaching behind me to grab the remote control, turning up the volume with a panicked look on his face. Curious, I turned my head and twisted my upper body to see the screen.
"Another body was discovered two days ago in Boston, Massachusetts. The past two years have been some of the bloodiest Boston has ever seen and many are saying it's due to the infamous vigilantes that residents and people around the entire United States have dubbed "The Saints". "
Murphy's eyes were firmly locked on the screen, and I thought his face may have gone a shade or two paler. I got off of him, giving him a curious look as I did, but curled up into his side and rested my head on his shoulder as I watched the news story with him. I felt the tenseness in his arm as I gripped my hands around his bicep.
"The video we are about to show are horrific and grisly and we discourage viewers to watch if they do not wish to see it."
The screen flickered and a photo showed on it. A large man's body, covered in a blanket to hide it from prying eyes, lay on his back on the edge of the train tracks while police buzzed around doing their thing. An interviewer snagged one of the men walking by and I felt Murphy tense a little bit more. The man was short and had spiky, graying hair and the name on the screen read Officer Duffy, Boston PD.
"Can you tell us a little bit about what's going on here, sir?" the interviewer asked. "People are saying this is the work of The Saints, can you confirm this?"
"We can firmly say that this was indeed their handiwork," Duffy replied grimly, he motioned for the camera to follow and leaned down next to the body, pointing at the bloodstains on the sheet where the man's head was covered. "He was executed in their usual way, two guns, two shooters, back of the head. We recovered the usual pennies from over his eyes."
He held up a bag containing the two copper circles.
"How do you think they escaped from prison?" the reporter questioned.
"If we knew that, we'd have caught them by now," Duffy replied simply, "It's believed they bribed a guard or several because some people are foolish enough to think we're safer on these streets when they're free."
"Do you think that they are doing the right thing?"
"Killing is never the right thing," Duffy replied firmly, "Murder is murder. Sorry, my partner's calling me."
Duffy left the screen and the reporter turned to face the camera again.
"The Saints were being held in the Hoag Maximum Security Prison until about five days ago when they were discovered missing from their cells. Their escape has raised an interesting mix of reactions, with the majority of people supporting them and wishing them the best. Back to you."
The screen flooded once again with the face of the local news anchor in Mullingar and I glanced at Murphy. His eyebrows were scrunched and he absentmindedly chewed his bottom lip fiercely.
"The victim has been identified as Joseph Martinez, a prisoner who was released from the same prison the Saints were held in after a large amount of controversy. Martinez was a known drug dealer and had a record of indecent exposure to minors, but the court felt there was not enough evidence to hold him and e was released. People's reactions on the street at the finding of this body were astounding."
The new setting was the streets of Boston, random people stating their opinions about whether or not they felt the Saints were right or wrong...the majority supported them. I grew tired of their jabbering and stood to go get a couple of beers from the kitchen. When I came back, Murphy was leaned back against the back of the couch with his eyes tightly closed.
"I think they're right," I murmured darkly as I set the beers on the coffee table and sat next to him again. His eyes popped open and flicked over at me with interest.
"You do?" he asked slowly.
"Yeah, I do," I stated firmly, ready to defend my position if he thought I was some kind of freak. "The mob, drug dealers, gangs...they have WAY too much power and nobody is doing ANYTHING to stop them! Our...the U.S. justice system is a piece of shit now days and I feel what they do is...necessary."
Murphy was looking at me in absolute shock, his eyes held something close to hesitance as he sat up and rested his elbows on his knees, turning his head to study me closely.
"Sorry," I said softly, "But...these days you can't just sit back and let everyone else handle the problems of the world. Someone has to act."
"Aby...excuse me for a minute?" Murphy stood up and headed for the door before I could even think, so I just nodded dumbly. I saw him pull a phone from his pocket just before the door shut behind him and I sighed heavily, wondering if he was calling Connor to come pick him up.
Jeanette came trotting back in and I got up to go grab a jingle ball and play with her while I waited for Murphy to come back in. I had just thrown the jingle ball into the kitchen, sending Jeanette sliding across the linoleum after it, when he came back in.
"Whoa there, Jeanette," he laughed lightly as the kitten skidded past his boots. "So, is it ok if Connor comes over?"
"Of course," I replied, feeling slightly relieved, "You both are always welcome here!"
He nodded and joined me on the floor, stretching his legs out in front of him and gazing blankly at a tuft of carpet off to his right. I wondered quietly why he was being so strange all of the sudden but I didn't push him and just made light conversation with him about getting Jeanette a collar and possibly painting my apartment sometime soon until we heard a knock on the door and Connor opened it with a grin.
"Hey, Connor!" I smiled and stood, stepping over Murphy to give him a hug.
"Hey, Abs!" Connor said cheerfully, just the opposite of gloomy looking Murphy on the floor. "How'd you like the kitten? I picked her out for you."
"Like hell you did," Murphy snapped from the floor. He stood and grabbed the beer off the table and took a swig. Connor rolled his eyes.
"Ok, so maybe Murph picked her out, but I was the one who came up with the idea to give you one."
I glanced back at Murphy and then lightly pushed Connor towards the kitchen, nodding quickly in a motion for him to follow me.
"Come get a beer out of the fridge, Connor," I stated, my eyes telling him I wanted to talk to him alone. He smiled and followed.
"What's up?" he asked when Murphy was out of view.
"Do you know what's wrong with Murphy?" I asked nervously, "He just...we were...the news came on and he just zoned out completely. I told him I agreed with what The Saints, the ones in Boston, were doing and he just...freaked out."
Connor smiled widely.
"Aye?" he asked, his eyes twinkled, "Well, let me grab a beer and I'll explain...with Murphy."
I nodded and went back to the living room, settling next to Murphy on the couch yet again, he gave me a funny look and I dropped my eyes to the carpet as Connor came back in and sat on my other side.
"So, tell us, lass," Connor's voice was suddenly void of any teasing friendliness it usually possessed and I looked at him in surprise. His blue eyes stared back at me coldly. "How good are ya at keeping secrets?"
What the hell? "I can definitely keep a secret."
"Could you keep it even if it might be dangerous to keep?" Murphy asked from my other side. I nodded slowly.
"Could ya leave everything behind at a moment's notice if one of us asked you to?" Connor asked from my other side, making me turn my head again.
"Connor...Murphy..." I was getting really scared and all sort of terrible things started running through my mind. Oh my gosh...they're in some sort of trouble. They're probably the ones who caused all that ruckus outside Mullingar last year with the stolen sheep herds. Little did I know it wouldn't be that simple...
"We gotta know, Aby," Murphy said firmly. "If we told you to, could you get out of town quickly?"
I considered this, and finally nodded. I didn't own much and moving would be simple.
"Last of all...do you trust us?" Connor asked seriously.
I hesitated, my eyes scanning Connor's face, taking in his eyes, expression...then turning to Murphy, I did the same, scanning for any reason I shouldn't give the answer I was about to. I finally looked straight forward and announced simply: "Yes."
I saw Murphy glance over me at Connor questioningly and Connor nodded once.
"Aby," Murphy's voice was like smoke in my ear, silent and dark. I turned my head slowly to meet his eyes and he looked...terrified. "I told you I'd tell you where Connor and I have been for the past two years, but I had to know it was the right time. Well...I think you have the right to know."
I bit my lip and waited while Murphy seemed to be thinking hard at how to put his next sentence together. Finally, his lips parted and he took a breath before he continued.
"We've been in America, yes...but mainly Boston," he stated grimly, his eyes looked up at me from under his dark lashes as his head hung slightly, "The reason it took us two years to get back here was...we were in prison. We escaped five days ago..."
My eyes widened and I turned to see if Connor was agreeing with this insane story Murphy was creating...he was nodding. I felt my throat contract and Connor's words made my stomach clench painfully.
"Murphy and I...we're The Saints, lass."
And that was the last thing I remember because my brain decided it was done trying to figure this out and it shut down, throwing me into darkness.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
The secret is out, things can only get better from here, right? Sorry this took so long!
Give me feedback, let me know what you want to see! Push that wee review button and gain some awesome points :)