Chapter 2

Larry said he would find Sam, which meant until he made an appearance, Sam would have to keep an eye out for him and be ready for whatever he intended to do. He called Jesse and let him know, and the two agreed to meet at Carlito's that morning before Jesse went to work. Sam was tempted to call Maddie and warn her, but with Fi keeping an eye on Mike's mom, Larry wouldn't dare get near her. No matter how psycho Larry got in regards to killing people, at least there was usually a method to his madness, something he would gain from it. Larry had better ways to get to Mike than through hurting his Mom.

Sam was early, so he ordered some coffee and sat with the paper half shielding him from the morning sun as he sat at their customary table waiting for Jesse. He used the sports section as a screen to peer over and watch the early bird tourists walking, and some getting in a morning run, past the cantina. He should have been out with Elsa running the beach, but after yesterday's encounter, she was already on her way to the airport to get out of town. She made her arrangements to be in New York for a few days, he had all her contact information and coached her on how to conduct herself to prevent from being attacked or nabbed, and he sent Elsa on her way with a tender kiss. She was taking this whole thing better than he would have thought. She was a good partner.

"Morning, Sam," Jesse greeted him as he approached the table.

"Glad you could make it, Jesse. I know your real job is taking a lot of your time these days." Sam motioned for him to sit and folded his paper. "I waited for you before ordering."

"Thanks. It's kind of nice to have a little time for a casual breakfast. I'm usually running out the door, stopping at the coffee shop on the way for a double espresso and a danish, and off I go to work."

Sam chuckled. "Exciting life, huh?"

Jesse shrugged and replied, "Eh, it is what it is, man. So what's up with Larry?"

After placing their orders, Sam relayed in more detail what happened to Elsa the day before. "I don't know what Larry's up to, but I didn't want her around. She's on her way out of town as... as we speak." Sam's eyes focused on a dark suited figure heading down the sidewalk toward them, his shark-like grin leading the way. "Dammit, Larry's coming. Be ready for anything."

"You know it, Sammy." Jesse checked his sidearm, which he kept hidden beneath his gray suit jacket. "Locked and loaded. Personally, I think we should just put down the dog right now..."

"Not in broad daylight with all these people around," Sam hissed. "Besides, I don't believe in killing a man like that, not without good reason."

Larry stopped in front of the table and clapped his hands together in sheer happiness as he surveyed the two. "There you are, Sam. And you brought Jesse along. It's like a freakin' reunion here. I love it! Only Michael and Fiona, the two lovebirds, are missing."

"Fi's busy, and Mike," Jesse answered gruffly and trailed off.

"Ah well, I guess I'll take what I can get for now. I was on my way to the hotel, but you guys made my job easier. This is good. Now we can get down to business that much faster."

"Business? We don't do business with you," Jesse said with a threat in his eyes.

Larry grinned and took a seat without being invited. "Aw, Jesse, you really need to work on that anger management issue. I've done nothing to you, and..." He shook his head. "Never mind. I'm not here about you, Mr. GQ." He turned his head and addressed Sam. "Like I told your lovely girlfriend, Sam, I need to see Michael."

"We don't know where he is," Sam replied and took a sip of his cooling coffee. "He's working for the Agency now, and you know how possessive they are." He narrowed his eyes as he spoke, locking his gaze on Larry, who knew how the CIA worked. He'd been one of them once.

Larry nodded and said, "Well, then I'll have to go to my backup plan. I need your help." Larry's eyes pierced Sam's for a moment before zeroing in on Jesse. "Yours too, Jesse."

Sam crossed his arms and sat back in the chair. "Really. And why would we want to help you?"

"When you hear what I have to tell you, I think you'll jump at the chance." He paused and looked each of them in the eye before revealing his mission in a cool tone. "Fiona and her new boy toy Carlos are in deep trouble. There's an assassin looking for her."

"Really." Sam folded his arms and stared at Larry. "If it's true, Fi's pretty good at taking care of herself." He knew Larry liked to use people who had a place in someone's heart as leverage, and most likely this situation was no different.

Larry grinned again. "I know you don't believe me, guys, but it's true." He slipped a photograph from a pocket inside his suit and slid it across the table to rest between Sam and Jesse. It showed a tall man with red, curly hair and an angry expression on his face glaring at something off camera. "His name is Seamus McFerrin. He's an Irish national who worked with O'Neal and he's finally decided to come to the States and branch out operations. He's gunning for Fiona."

"Anybody who's after Fi has pretty much done the smart thing and left her alone," Jesse said. His brows furrowed in distrust.

"O'Neal wasn't that smart," Sam quipped.

"Yeah, well maybe this guy didn't get the memo," Larry retorted and leaned forward, his elbows perched on the table and his hands folded. "I need your help finding him before he gets to Fiona and Carlos."

"How does Carlos fit into this," Sam asked. "And why do you care about Fi? I would think you'd be glad that someone is coming to kill her." His eyes met Larry's, and the hatred he felt for the man exploded as a thought came to him. "You want that task for yourself, don't you? You can't stand for someone else to do it! You sonofa..."

"Hey, woah, woah, woah!" Larry held up his hands and begged Sam to settle down. "True, I'm not Fiona Glenanne's biggest fan, but I have bigger things to deal with now. My real business is with McFerrin. If you stop him from taking out Fiona, I can get him off your hands and deal with the reasons I want him."

"And those reasons are?" Jesse prompted.

"Nothing you need to know. Let's just say I'm freelancing again, and McFerrin is causing a wrinkle in certain peoples' business. I've been hired to manage that issue."

"Then manage without us." Sam shook his head. "I'm sure the people who hired you wouldn't be too happy knowing you're getting others involved."

"I don't think they care. They just want McFerrin, preferably in a body bag."

"And you want us to find him and flush him out for you." Jesse frowned. "Why?"

"Well, I need someone to act as bait. That would be Fiona. But I know how much you guys like her, so I figured you could keep watch over her and when McFerrin comes out of his hidey hole, you bag him and I plug him. Doesn't that sound like a great example of teamwork?" He chuckled.

Sam sighed and leaned his forearms on the table. He didn't like the idea of working with Larry. In fact, he hated it. But the old adage about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer worked here. Sam couldn't let Larry run amok all over Miami putting Fi's life in danger. If sticking by her kept the monster at bay, he would do it.

Larry's icy eyes surveyed Sam and Jesse until a smug expression crossed his face. "Tell you what? Why don't you two talk about it. But don't take too long, because my intel says McFerrin is coming into Miami today, or he may already be here." He stood and looked down at Sam. "Trust me, he'll find her and take her out without any hesitation."

"Give us a few minutes," Sam said.

"Fine. I'll be right over there." Larry pointed to the bar.

Larry was only a few yards out of ear shot when Jesse muttered, "I hate this idea, Sam. I really hate it!"

"Yeah, well, it's not my idea of a brilliant plan, either. But if we want to keep Fi alive, this is our best bet." Sam let out a breath and leaned closer. "Look, if you don't want to get involved, I can figure out how to do this myself."

"No, no ,no. No way, Sam. I'm not letting you get into a pit with that viper and have no backup." Jesse sat back and let his anger cool. "It's just that you might have to do the intel search on your own."

"Sure, I can do that. Easy peasy, maybe in a couple days I can find out where this McFerrin guy is staying and follow him around to see what he's up to." He glanced at Larry, watching him use his snake-like charm on the waitress, grinning and saying things that made her laugh. "We'll get this job done and hopefully Larry will leave town before Fi decides to take another stab at him. Not that I would be disappointed if she did. We just don't need a replay of last time."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Jesse snuck a glance at his watch. "We better get Larry over here, tell him we're in, and then maybe he'll disappear in a puff of smoke or something."

Larry was ecstatic when Sam and Jesse announced that they would help him find McFerrin. He gave them a number to call when they were ready for Larry to finish him off, and he assured them he would be there. The two watched Larry saunter down the street, their appetites gone.

With a sigh, Jesse rose from his seat. "Guess I better get moving or I'll be late for my appointment. See you later, Sam. And take care."

Sam took Jesse's hand and shook it. "I'll keep in touch and let you know what I find." He stood, scooped up the check, and glanced at it. "I'll get this. Think maybe I can charge Larry for this as a business expense?"

A grim laugh escaped Jesse as he replied, "If you're feeling brave, but I doubt it. I'm tellin' ya, I just wanna finish this as soon as possible and get him out of here."

"You and me both, pal. If Fi gets wind of this, or Mike, I'm afraid this isn't going to be pretty."

Jesse left Sam to pay the bill, and after he dropped a tip on the table, Sam shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced up and down the street. He had no idea where to begin to locate McFerrin, but he had friends who could help. He decided to go back to the hotel and make a few calls. Hopefully someone would have a lead for him.


With just a few calls, Sam found a buddy who gave him access to the passenger lists for all the flights leaving Ireland and heading to Miami over the course of several days. On the previous day's list, he found McFerrin. He didn't even bother to use an alias, and his passport photo matched the information Larry had given him. Now it was just a matter of locating the man's lodgings and Sam would have his home base. It took a couple of hours, but he tracked McFerrin to a cheaper hotel on the strip. Yes, it was just too easy, and Sam had to wonder if he was being set up. After calling Jesse and leaving a cryptic message with his secretary, Sam took a walk up the street to the hotel and parked himself at the open air bar next door. Fortunately, it was an establishment that let him run a tab, although these days he didn't get as wild as he did in the past. He needed a clear head for this assignment.

It was late in the afternoon and Sam was still on his first beer when his phone rang. He checked the screen with a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, afraid it might be Larry, but it was Jesse. He let out a relived breath and answered it. "Hey, Jesse. You got my message?"

"Yeah. You found McFerrin already?"

"Yeah, it was too neat, Jess."

"Where are you right now?" He sounded as nervous and uneasy as Sam felt.

"I'm next door to the Breaker, watching the exit for our guy," Sam replied. "Why? What's up?"

"I don't like this, you working alone. Things wrapped up here a little early, so I'm on my way. You hang tight and don't do anything until I get there, okay?"

Chuckling, Sam replied, "Just look for me in the alcove behind the palm plants. I'll be one beer ahead of you."

"Alright, I'll see you in ten minutes."

In the time it took for Jesse to arrive, Sam spotted a tall, thin, red-haired man entering the hotel. He was carrying a shopping bag and striding toward the door with a sense of purpose. He appeared tense or wary of his surroundings, which didn't surprise Sam. It was the look of fear that intrigued him. Sam was tempted to get up and follow McFerrin, but he assured Jesse he would stay put until his arrival. The second he saw Jesse, Sam jumped out of his chair and said, "I saw our guy go into the hotel about five minutes ago. He was carrying a big bag from one of those swanky men's boutiques at the mall, so either he's up in his room trying on some new threads, or he scooted out the back, scared as a jackrabbit."

"Scared, huh? Well, let's see if we can pay Mr. McFerrin a visit," Jesse said. "I know Larry wanted us to find him and give away his location so he could take care of things, but this is just rubbing me the wrong way." His eyebrows knit together as he said, "I don't think this is right, and I'd hate for some innocent guy to get killed."

"I know what you mean. The whole thing smells wrong, but I'd rather investigate it and get to the bottom of what's really going on." Sam opened the glass door and let Jesse enter first.

"You know what room he's in?"

Nodding, Sam replied, "He's in three-thirteen."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll be at the pool or something, and we can check out his room."

Sam and Jesse entered the elevator across from the front desk, catching the attention of the woman behind it. She eyed them but made no move. Sam half expected her to pick up the phone and warn McFerrin, but when he gave her a charming smile she smiled back and returned her attention to the computer. He and Jesse got into the elevator that deposited them on the third floor, and they walked the hall toward their target's room.

Sam began to feel the tingle of being on edge, looking for danger, expecting it. If this McFerrin was as dangerous as Larry said, he and Jesse could have quite the fight on their hands.

"You're sure this is our guy," Jesse muttered under his breath. His hand touched the sidearm he kept hidden under a suit jacket.

"Yeah. I'm just not sure that this guy is everything Larry talked him up to be. My buddy at the State Department couldn't find anything on McFerrin that was more threatening than a traffic altercation in Dublin last fall." Sam's stomach tightened, and he wished Mike was there.

"We'll find out soon enough," Jesse whispered and nodded as he stopped in front of a white door with the numbers 313 glinting under the warm lighting in the hall. He pressed his ear to the door and listened.

"Hear anything," Sam asked. His eyes swept the hall in both directions in search of witnesses or McFerrin.

Jesse shook his head. "I think it's clear. Stand back."

Sam hugged the wall and Jesse knocked on the door. In a high-pitched voice, he announced, "Housekeeping!" They waited, but no one answered.

"Do it again," Sam hissed.

After determining that either the room was empty or McFerrin was unable to answer the door, Sam moved in to pick the lock while Jesse served as lookout. The door snapped open and Sam led the way inside. "Well, he's neat," Sam remarked as he entered the room.

Jesse closed the door behind them and surveyed the closet next to the door. Sam checked out the bathroom. A bag from the men's store was folded and stowed in a waste basket in the bathroom. Every piece of the man's toiletry kit lay on a shelf in precise order. Nothing dangerous if you didn't count the disposable razor. Even the used hand towel had been folded and hung on the rack as if it had never been touched. It was slightly damp when Sam touched it. Sam emerged from the bathroom and found Jesse studying the items on a dresser.

"Anything interesting?"

Jesse turned and replied, "Nothing. If he's an assassin, he's done a good job of hiding it." His eyes fixed on a briefcase tucked between the dresser and the wall. "Oh, here we go. Maybe there's something in here." He picked up the briefcase and set it on the bed. The case was unlocked, and Jesse opened it. Inside he found an iPad and lots of paperwork.

"Looks like... contracts," Sam said. He picked up a sheaf and sped through the text. "Nice cover. This guy's pretending to be a beer distributor, from the looks of this."

He and Jesse heard a distinct click and they stared at each other. Before either could make a move to hide, the door opened and McFerrin stood in the entryway gaping at them.

"What are you doing?" He whirled on his heel and ran into the corridor yelling at the top of his lungs. "Help! Someone! There are robbers in my room! Help!"

Sam dropped the papers, not caring that they spread across the duvet. He and Jesse tore out of the room and caught up to McFerrin, grabbed him, and covered his mouth to keep him from screaming. He fought against them, but with two against one and a zip tie, McFerrin was no match for Jesse and Sam. They dragged him back into the room, slammed the door, and pushed him onto the bed with such force, McFerrin fell back on it and stared up at them.

"Who are you? And why do you want to kill me?" McFerrin was dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt, looking more like tourist than an assassin.

Jesse replied, "Answer a couple of questions, and we'll let you go."

"Yer not the police, are ye? Where are yer badges?" McFerrin's head swiveled back and forth between Sam and Jesse.

"No, we're not the cops," Sam replied. "I'm Sam, this is Jesse, and you are…."

"John," McFerrin replied, his voice shaky. "What do ye want with me?"

"You know, we've already been through your stuff," Sam said with a smirk. "You might as well tell us the truth. Why are you trying to kill Fiona?"

"Fiona? Who is Fiona?" McFerrin struggled to sit up and he glared at Sam.

"You wouldn't happen to know a guy named Larry Sizemore, would you," Sam asked as he watched the blood drain from the man's face. With his fiery red hair he was pale and freckled, but at the moment Sam spoke that dreaded name, McFerrin turned white.

"You're the ones," he muttered. "The ones he sent to kill me." He jumped to his feet and tried to make a run for it, but Jesse grabbed his elbow and held him in place.

"No, we're not gonna kill you," Sam reassured him even as he eyed the man with suspicion. Either he was putting on a good show, or McFerrin was truly terrified of being a target.

"Look," McFerrin said as he lowered his voice and tried to hide his fear. "I have money. Can't we work out some sort of deal? I'm just a businessman, fer cryin' out loud! I had one accident with a psycho, and now my life is at stake? Please, fellas…."

"You're trying to tell us this is all over an accident?" Jesse stared at him, skepticism in his expression.

McFerrin shrugged. "All I know is I've been watchin' over my shoulder the last several months, feelin' like somebody's after me, but I don't know why. I'm just here on business."

"What kind of business," Sam barked. He saw the contracts, but he wanted to test the man.

"I sell beer," McFerrin answered with eyes full of terror. "'Tis all, gentlemen. I swear!"

Letting out a deep breath, Sam said, "Guys, I think we need to sit down and talk about this."