Chapter eight,
He had been back for two day's, two day's and no contact with anyone, not that he expected any. He had sent text messages to both Sam and Fiona. Letting them know he was back, but also telling them to stay clear. He had gone to the bank and checked out the details of his new bank account and was surprised his new bosses had paid him for the time they held him. Six thousand dollars paid into his brand new account. Personally he would of preferred not to of gone through all he did and let them keep the money. The Master card he discovered had no limit. Then the was the cell phone he had been given, the was a GPS inside, he did as he was told and left it alone. He was pretty sure that they had other ways of watching him anyway.
Now though he was getting bored, it had been four years since he had spent so much time alone. That of course did not include stints in a secret prison or more recently weeks spent being patched up then tortured. Usually he would of worked out but, his hands wouldn't let him use the punch bag, and the rest of him was either to bruised or to worn out to do anything. As he sat in the loft after finishing sorting out and tidying away all his tools. He was surprised that he wanted to see his friends, he actually wanted to see his mother. He laughed at the fact he was missing her nagging.
Eventually he gave in to the need for company. He drove across town, deliberately taking a roundabout route trying to see if he was being followed. The didn't appear to be a tail, unless they were very good. Still not convinced he went past his Mother's house a couple of times. On the second pass he saw her putting some trash out.
He pulled up onto the drive and let himself in through the kitchen door. Madeline was sat in her favourite chair drinking a coffee watching tv. She looked up and saw him standing just inside the room. She looked him up and down checking for any new injuries, grateful not to see any.
"So you're back." She said. Getting slowly to her feet.
"I came to see how you are." He was looking around the room, looking for evidence that everything was indeed ok. Now he was here he didn't know what to say.
"Just peachy, have you seen Fiona? Or Sam? They were worried." She came over and gave him a hug. His arms hung down, they only came up on a reflex.
"No," He let go of her. "I'll see them sometime soon." He moved to the blinds looking through them. No sign of a tail, maybe he was wrong. His tone was flat and he seemed distracted.
"No one has seen Jesse since he dropped you off yesterday. Michael?" He was in truth beginning to freak her out. He had never been very demonstrative but this was almost creepy.
"What Ma? Oh no I don't know where Jesse is." He seemed to of finished looking around the lounge. "I should go now." He moved towards the door. "I'll give you a call, don't come over to the loft. It's to dangerous just now, Bye Ma." He was gone not waiting for a reply.
Madeline watched as he drove away, confused as to what had happened. Thoughtfully she lit up a cigarette. At least he was alive. Even though he is acting more paranoid than ever.
That had not been very successful, he thought. What was wrong with him, that he couldn't find anything to say to his mother. He wondered if he ought to go and see Fiona or Sam. But what would he say to either of them, sorry wouldn't cut it. They had gone all out to get him released and then he had kept them in the dark about what he had planned.
He needed to apologize to them all, but what was he expected to say?
Sorry guys I cut you out after all you did for me because my life is so messed up and dangerous.
Neither of them would take that as an excuse. Sam was an ex navy seal, he had served in some of the most dangerous places on the planet.
Fiona's life was almost as dangerous as his, she dealt with gun runners and those looking for weapons every day. She had an awesome reputation in her field. But if he was the cause of either of their deaths he would not be able to cope.
So he headed back to the loft, he had been alone before he could do it again.
.
Sam had looked at Mikey's text and it had been the closest he had ever come to wanting to strangle his friend. To say he was disappointed would have been an understatement. He made a decision there and then that he was not going to go running round to check he was all right. He was going to wait and see if Mike had it in him to stop treating his friends as assets.
For now he was trying to find Jesse, he wanted answers. How much had Jesse known and what was he up to now. He had heard that Jesse was planning to fly out to Los Angeles, unlike Michael, Jesse was not tied to Miami. Sam was going to head over to Maddie's and try and catch him collecting his stuff. While he was there he could check she was ok and see if Michael had been in touch.
.
Fiona meanwhile was stood looking at a burnt out building that had until early in the morning held a large consignment of assault rifles and boxes of clips for the guns. Her first instinct was to call Michael to help her. She had remembered getting that damn text message. Fi, am fine, stay away, M. She had thrown her cell across the room, and had then thought about going round to the loft and shooting him, nothing to serious, a flesh wound to remind him who his friends were. Instead she had agreed to Sam's crazy idea of making him come to them. Sam seemed to think Michael had grown used to company and having a team he could trust.
.
Jesse pulled up at Madeline's, he looked in through the window but couldn't see her. It was what he planned on. It was canasta night, she would be at a friends house until late. He let himself into the garage that had been his home for the last few months. He was actually sad to be going, but he could not stay knowing that Michael was not right with him being there.
"So you're back." Sam stood watching from the door way.
Jesse spun round, he had hoped to get out unseen. "It's ok, I'm leaving, leaving Miami."
"Ah huh, so you set up Mike and lied to us and plan to runaway. Who are you working for?"
"Does it matter" He finished putting his belongings into a duffle "Get outta my way Sam." He didn't want to explain it all again.
"Not a chance until I know what's been going on." He settled his feet, planting them into the ground, his hands curling into fists. Jesse smiled with the confidence of youth. Sam may have been a Navy seal but from what he had seen it was Michael who did the more physical jobs now.
"Last warning Sam, get out of my way."
"Not going to happen kid."
Jesse shook his head and dropped his bag. His attention should have been on Sam. Jesse rocked back as a fist connected with his jaw. He was trying to recover when a well placed boot knocked him to the floor. Jesse rolled back up on to his feet fists up, ready to fight. Sam however, had done with a fist fight he now held his hand gun out cocked and ready to fire.
"Like I said not going to happen. Now take a seat."
.
Michael had finally given up on sitting around trying to read an old magazine and was trying rather painfully to do some sit ups. So he was quite glad when his cell rang, he looked at the caller id and his face fell a little. Mom. He read. Still he answered it.
"Yeah Ma?"
"Michael, I need you to come home right now." The same needy voice he was well used to.
"It's getting late." He pointed out.
"It's Sam and Jesse they're fighting."
"They'll sort it out." He really didn't want to referee a fight right now. He still hadn't figured out what he wanted to do about Jesse and he wasn't ready to deal with Sam either.
"Michael, please come over. They are your friends." She hung up the phone. If he couldn't argue he would have to come over.
Sighing, Michael did what he always did recently when she called, he got dressed and headed over to her house.
The place was quiet, maybe Sam had killed Jesse. He thought, but then instantly changed his mind Sam wouldn't do that. So why had Madeline rung saying they were fighting. He headed towards the garage and saw that the lights were all off. So it was over to the kitchen, peering inside he could make out Sam standing by the counter leaning on it talking to somebody. Then he Realised Sam was now staring directly at him.
"Great." Michael muttered, seeing no choice but to go inside.
Madeline was sat at the dining table, Jesse sat next to her. Sam hadn't moved from the counter. Michael looked at each of them in turn.
"Ma you said the was a fight?" He queried.
"The had been it's stopped now." She pointed out. "Sam and Jesse have sorted out their problems haven't you boys" The was a bit of a threat there in her voice. The boys nodded their agreement.
"So, I thought it would do you good to come over and chat as well." She had turned her gaze back to her son, daring him to answer her back.
"I don't think now is the time." Michael said.
"Well I do." Was her reply, getting up she gave them each a hard stare. "You boys play nice. I'm going to bed."
The three men were now left staring at each other. Sam turned to fully face Michael. "So how you been?" He asked.
"I'm fine Sam." Came Michael's standard reply. Michael however was now looking at Jesse. " If my Mom still wants you to stay I don't have a problem with it." He told him.
"Thanks," Jesse said looking slightly less nervous.
"So what's happening Mikey?"
"I have a new boss this one pays a bit better. A lot more stick though."
"Do as we say or will kill all your family and friends?"
"No. Do as we say or we make you watch while we torture your family and friends until you do what we asked you."
"Ah." Now Sam got it, Michael was back to protecting everybody from his evil bosses again.
"They told you what they want you to do yet?"
"No, but like I said they're paying me well."
"You're taking their money Mike?"
"No choice Sam." He spoke quietly.
"Ok I get it brother I just don't like it." Sam sighed. He noticed Michael was edging towards the door. "You staying while we talk things through?"
"No, I think I should get back home." As he finished the sentence a loud voice came from one of the bedrooms.
"Michael! You need to stay and talk."
He flung his head back, things would be so much easier if people just let him get on with doing things his way. Why had he ever thought he missed his mother.
"It's look like I'm staying." He grabbed a beer and sat down facing Jesse his expression frosty. "Where's Fi?" He asked.
"She went out to one of her warehouses some sort of emergency. That was this morning. Not heard a word since." Sam reported.
"You'd better give her a call." Michael said. "She probably won't take my call."
"If you sent her same message you sent me probably not. I thought spies were meant to be diplomatic?"
"I was never that sort of spy Sam. You going to make the call?"
Sam got out his cell and rang Fiona's number, it went straight to voice mail.
"It's Sam we're round at Maddies, me Jesse and Mike. Talking through stuff. Are you coming over?" Sam left a message. Fiona quite often would let calls go to message and answer the ones she wanted to.
They sat in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes waiting to see if Fiona would call back. When the was no call Michael got to his feet a second time. "Look I know what went on I'm fine with it. Whatever you two decide is ok with me." He was keeping his voice down so as not disturb his mother. "Now I'm going home."
"I'm going to go to bed now as well." Jesse said. They all left as quietly as they could not aware that Madeline was still awake. She sat up in her bed feeling pleased with herself. She now just had to get her son and Fiona back talking to each other and things would be more or less back to normal.
.
Fiona's day had started out bad with one of her warehouses being burnt down, it had then gone to worst. One of the small fishing boats she used for local gun deliveries had been sunk. The moorings cut, taken out to deep water then scuppered. The had been two dozen boxes of C4 on board. She had stood on shore turning the air blue with her curses. She set about increasing security around all her other properties. She reached again to call Michael but stopped herself. She would deal with this herself. It was getting dark when she finally made it home to her condo. She must have been very tired or she would of heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her and she would of definitely managed to put up some sort of fight. Instead she surccumed to being grabbed and a clothed forced over her mouth and nose.