Chapter four.
Sam and Fiona sat at the dining room table again. It was three in the morning, Madeline had been in bed for hours, Jesse was either asleep or checking out his latest theory. Trying to find out who had taken the case containing the bible and at least part of the cipher. Fiona had relieved Michael of the mysterious wallet half an hour earlier. Sneaking into his room while he slept, she had found it buried in his dirty washing pile. He was definitely slipping if he thought that was a good hiding place. Now they sat looking at a stack of business cards.
"This is going to take some time." Fiona picked up a couple of the cards. "This is from that guy with the daughter in the cult from two years ago." She waved it in one hand. "He is a plumber by the way. And this one" She held in her other hand. "Is from the guy Seymour put us in touch with over that special ammunition Michael wanted." She threw them both onto the table.
"Lets sort them out, find the ones that Mike might think can help with this problem." Sam suggested. "Lets stick to ones that can supply intel or manpower."
The pile was still to big to come up with a name. But some of the names there were downright scary. From criminals they had dealt with, to assets who were still talking to Michael from his spy days.
Fiona looked at her watch and then messed up all cards before slipping them back into the wallet. That had not been as much help as she had hoped. Very frustrating.
"If he won't tell us what he is doing you are going to have to check out his cell phone." She told him.
She got up to return the wallet to it's hiding spot. It was just before dawn. If she had looked a little closer she would of noticed Michael's smirking face hidden by the bed covers. The cell phone he used for that particular person was with the business card and neither was in his dirty washing pile.
Seven O clock in the morning and she was the only one up. Madeline had felt Fiona climb into the bed they had shared since Michael's kidnapping as the sun was beginning to peep through the curtains. She could hear Sam's snores coming from Nate's old room. She hummed to herself as she filled up the coffee machine. Even though she knew it was only because it was too dangerous for them all to be at their own homes she still loved having a full house. With coffee on the way she collected the newspaper from the doorstep, went to her favourite chair in the sun room and switched on the TV, the volume low so as not to disturb her sleeping guests. Just before she sat down she gathered up her morning tablets putting them into a small cup and placed them on the table beside her chair along with a glass of water. She went to sit down.
She stared at the scene being broadcast into her home, an unlit cigarette in her mouth, one hand on the arm of her chair the other holding the paper. She fell back into the chair and dropping the newspaper onto the floor.
"MICHAEL!" She shrieked.
Three heads shot up off their pillows:
Fiona heard the panicked cry and came out of the bed a pistol in each hand, dressed in tiny shorts and a tank top she was first on the scene. Arms out in front of her covering every aspect of the room eyes wide.
Sam also shot from his bed, he was not quite as fast but he left his room pump action shotgun cocked and ready for business.
Michael sat up in his bed cursing as he caught his fingers in the bed sheet. He could hear his usual cell vibrating on the bed side dresser. He was torn as what to do. His mother's shout tore at his heart telling him to rush out to save her. His head told him to answer the phone, Sam and Fi would be dealing with any threat to his mother far better than he could.
His head won out, the was no shots being fired so he guessed his mother was just over reacting to something as usual. He hit the answer key.
"Michael meet me in an hour at that favourite cafe of yours. No Sam Axe and no Fiona Glenanne. We don't want a repeat of this mornings top news story do we?" It was vaughn's suave over friendly voice. He hung up, throwing the phone across the room and he bolted out the door.
Madeline was crying, Michael could count on the fingers of one hand how many times he had seen his mother cry. Even when being punched by her husband she had not cried if either of her sons were in the room.
"Ma." He knelt down beside her. "Ma what is it?" He had not looked at the TV until she pointed at it.
The was a sound of sirens coming from the set, a woman's voice told the watching audience how at six thirty am an explosion had rocked the Homestead community, bringing devastation to the local medical centre. It was feared the two doctors who ran the centre were both dead. The bodies of a man and a woman had been found in the office. It was believed that improperly stored oxygen tanks had caused the dreadful accident. The police were unlikely to be looking for any suspects, it was expected to be ruled as negligence.
Michael began to swear in several different languages. He was on his feet, pacing back and forth.
"Mike don't over react." Sam had lowered the shotgun. One hand had gone to his chin his eyes filled with worry.
Michael swung to face him, his expression furious, mouth curved into a deadly smile. Eyes like steel.
"Over react." He spat the words back at his friend. "Vaughn has just killed two innocents to make a point."
"How do you know it was Vaughn?" Fiona asked, her weapons had disappeared. Her hand on Madeline's shoulder.
"He rang me a minute after it came on the news that's how I know, and now I've got an hour to sort this mess out before I meet him alone at Carlito's."
He realised what he had said. The call had happened as his mother had screamed. They were listening. He opened the blinds enough to peer out onto the street sure enough there was a plain sedan car parked out front, he didn't have see the directional microphone to know they were using one.
"I thought I heard maddie scream -" Jesse burst through the kitchen door, sliding to a stop as Sam's shotgun came up aimed at his chest.
"You did." Sam told him. But his eyes were still on Michael. "Vaughn just sent Mike a message."
"What's happened?" Jesse looked around the room, Michael at the window, Sam across the room, shotgun now back pointing downwards, Fi and Madeline staring at the TV.
"It was Vaughn." Michael growled. "He's murdered David and Lauren to make a point." He closed the blinds as the car drove away.
"Jesus" Jesse ran a hand over his head. "What are you going to do.?"
Michael ignored the question. What was he going to do? What ever he had to do to end this.
"I need to get ready for my meeting." He was calm now at least outwardly.
"Mike you're not going to that meeting. Not alone." Sam was in front of his friend determination showing in his every pore.
Michael looked from Sam to Jesse. He had a vision of Simon's beaten face reciting the gospel at him. That was not going to be his future. Nor was the alternative, where he had just come from.
"Yes I am Sam, it's a public place the is probably more danger being here than at that meeting. He wants an explanation that's all." He pushed using the heels of his hands against Sam's shoulders. Moving the bigger man out of way. Sam knew the was no point arguing. He backed down.
Michael headed to his room to get ready. He had one final comment on the matter. "Ma I'm going to have to take your car." It was an automatic. No gears, a lot easier when you could barely hold a steering wheel.
Michael came out of his room dressed for going out. He had removed the tape splinting his fingers. No point giving Vaughn any more reason to think he was incapacitated. Madeline had retired to her room still in shock at seeing her friends killed.
"Lock this place down." He told them, "and run a sweep for bugs. In case anyone else is listening."
He hoped that would be enough to keep them busy and away from his meeting.
Vaughn was supremely confident. The foolish doctor had thought he could reason his way out of an interrogation. Ridiculous really, and he had supposedly spent time in all sorts of hotspots. Still he had found out that Michael Westen had been in enemy hands for at least five weeks. That he had been lied to by a washed out drunk and a reportedly psychotic gun runner for so long, had maybe pushed him to an extreme reaction. He had the two idealistic doctors heavily sedated and left in their medical centre, which he then had blown up. A message to bring Westen into line. A reminder of who he should fear more.
Michael walked into the meeting barely concealing his anger. Two of Vaughn's lackeys attempted to search him but he pushed passed. The street even at eight thirty am was too busy for a scene.
"You lied Michael." Vaughn spoke all reason and calm.
"You murdered two innocent civilians." Not so calm or reasonable.
"We want the bible, the cipher and the sooner you get it the more of your associates might live." Still calm but now threatening. Smile firmly in place, teeth bared.
"Are you sure you want to do it this way Vaughn?" Michael bared his own teeth a dazzling smile that didn't reach the eyes.
"Do your job Michael and nobody else has to suffer. Forty eight hours to get results and we will be watching you." He got to his feet. "We had such high hopes for you Michael, but we are out of patience." Was his final word.
Michael watched Vaughn walk away flanked by his bodyguards. Michael narrowed his eyes and reached into his pocket. He pressed one on the cell phone's speed dial.
"You got eyes on him."
He listened to the response.
"Good, glad you could get here so quick. I'm really grateful for this you know." He told the person on the other end.
Yeah you got here quick. Managed to set up a team as well, that's good going .I'm impressed. Hope you will be too.
Michael got up and headed back home a smile on his face.