Just when all hope seemed lost, the cavalry arrived. After tracing the general location from Henry's cellphone, the rampant gunfire had done the rest, and Toronto's finest tactical unit was now filing into the room en masse, helmet and vest clad, yelling for the mafia to drop their weapons. It seemed like there was going to be another shoot out but then a handcuffed Henry was pushed past the cops and he told them to lay down arms.
The ETF (Emergency Task Force) team swarmed the mafia with extreme precision and quickly subdued all of them with more of those plastic restraints. One of the members knelt down to check the pulse of the woman he had accidentally shot and shook his head. Murdoch's gut clenched painfully and he felt light headed. Julia helped him to the ground and huddled up beside him, telling him everything was okay now.
Once most of the mafia had been led away, the captain of the squadron, a tall, wiry man with a shaven head, approached them and held out his hand.
"Samuel Lane."
Julia stood in order to shake and Murdoch forced himself to follow suit, though his legs were not entirely supporting his weight.
"How are you holding up detective? Mr. Murdoch?" Lane surveyed them with keen eyes, clearly noticing his wobbly legs. "That was a close call. Do either of you require immediate medical assistance?"
"No, I think we're okay," said Julia, with a look towards him. "Right, Will?"
He stared at the corpse that had yet to be removed. "Yes, I believe so."
"If you change you're mind, just let me know and I'll tell the ambulance to step on it. In the meantime, there's an officer out front ready to take your statements." Lane hooked a thumb behind him at another ETF member. "She'll take you to him when you're ready. If I were you though, I'd want to collect myself a bit first. Get it all clear in my mind. Makes the interview much smoother."
"We'll take that into consideration, Captain. And before I forget, thank you."
"Yes, thank you, sir, for saving our lives."
Lane nodded once and then swiftly left the room to attend to his other duties.
Julia noticed he was still eyeing the dead woman.
"The first one is always the hardest." She held his head in her hands, forcing him to look away and into her greeny-blue depths. "I'm sorry that you had to go through this. You'll feel better once you've gotten some rest."
He was afraid of seeing the woman's face every time he closed his eyes from now on but he simply nodded.
She leaned in and gave him a comforting kiss. "Well, we might as well get this over with. I'm beat."
After they gave their statements, not holding any details back - there was no reason to at this point, everything was going to come out into the open sooner or later - they were escorted home by Lane himself just as the sun was rising.
There would be a protective detail outside for the foreseeable future and Murdoch was all right with that. He hoped he'd never have to fire another gun so long as he lived.
A media maelstrom swept him to the bottom of the ocean for the next few days, so that he barely had time to breath. First when the news broke about the attempted assassination, and later, once the evidence had been retrieved from the women's washroom at Murdoch's Mysteries.
In between endless press conferences, he received endless phone calls from friends and family, and business associates he had never met before from various different places across the globe. His mom had wanted to see him in person badly but that was not possible as Susannah was scheduled for another treatment soon. Instead he Skyped with them for awhile, his sister trying to get his goat numerous times.
"Man, you'll do anything for attention, won't you? You're nothing but a big fat media whore, you know that brother? I'm ashamed to be related to you."
"Susie!"
George was similarly minded, shrugging their ordeal off like it was nothing, as if he had survived modern warfare situations on numerous occasions. Video games did not count.
When Murdoch and Julia and their private detail went to retrieve the data disc late that same morning, Anna had positively fawned over him, and Julia had been less than impressed.
"Why do you let her do that?" she muttered huffily. "It's hardly acceptable behaviour for the work place."
Murdoch eyed her slyly. "I believe you are exhibiting signs of jealousy, Miss Ogden."
"I am not," she said, glaring at him.
He took her hand and kissed it and she stopped grumbling as much.
Finally, about a week later, things had quieted down and were almost back to normal, that is, future William's normal – Julia's frequent sexual advances had become almost impossible to fend off. So much so that he was forced to concoct a ridiculous story just to keep her at bay.
"You did what?! You broke your penis!? Is that even possible?!"
"Ah, yes, Julia, uh, it most certainly is."
"How did you manage that?!"
"Uh, well, I uh...I had a terrible, terrible bicycling accident. I'm afraid I won't be uh...fully functional for quite some time."
"You've got to be kidding me! What happened?!"
"Uh, well...the paparazzi were chasing me again and I, um, I hit the uh...fountain in Queen's Park and went soaring off and landed very unnaturally. Yes, very unnaturally indeed."
And far beyond the sexual discord, there was a much greater issue. This wasn't where he was meant to be, or rather when. Though he loved seeing his family again, he longed to find a way back to 1898, to be immersed in a society that was just taking its first steps technology wise; to be home, where things made sense.
Previously he had been under the impression that he simply needed to weather the storm, Charles Dicken's style, and then he could go home. But clearly that was not the case for he was still here. Murdoch was once more at a lose so he did what he always did in such situations, he went to church and prayed for guidance.
While he was in there, a man took a seat directly behind him in the pews, even though they were mostly empty. Immediately Murdoch's interest was peaked and he started to turn around to confront him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Murdoch."
He heard the click of a concealed gun and his breathing quickened.
"You would murder me in a holy place?"
Even as he said this, he discreetly looked around for something to kill, or at least incapacitate the other man with. There was nothing but a few old hymn books.
"I'm not here to kill you."
"If not that, then what?"
"Consider this a friendly conversation between old rivals."
"Yes, very friendly."
"You bested us, Mr. Murdoch. We acknowledge this. But we do not seek retribution."
"Since when is The Black Hand so accommodating?"
"Since we learned to pick and chose our battles. Times have changed, and frankly, you're too high risk to go after again. We do not think it wise."
"So that's it? You will leave Julia and I alone?"
"For the time being. No one man or woman will ever take us down. We will exist in one form or another until the end of time. If we should happen to cross paths again, well, I cannot say what will happen to you or your beloved. You would be wise to steer clear of us from here on out."
Not knowing how to respond to that speech, he didn't, and when he turned around again, the man had vanished.
His visit to church had been illuminating, but not in the way that he had hoped. So he simply decided to continue cleaning up future William's messes. First he sold off the painting Sally had given him at auction for quite a hefty sum, and then came the behemoth engagement ring. Julia had been correct, it was a ridiculous specimen and he wondered why anyone would even make such a thing, let alone want to wear it day in and day out.
After he dispensed with it, he couldn't help but view the others on display. He spotted an antique one that strongly reminded him of rings from his time. The proprietor noticed his absorption and tried to tempt him into purchasing one. Politely he declined and left the store. This purchase was not his to make.
As he was walking across the parking lot to where his limo awaited him, he slipped on something and whacked the back of his skull hard on the asphalt. Murdoch's vision swam as he blacked out.
When he next came to, it was to find himself at his desk. His 1898 desk! When he took in his surroundings more fully, he jumped up and in a very uncharacteristic Murdoch move, whooped with glee. He was home! He was finally home!
After all of his struggles and hardships, the answer had simply been a good smack to the head. The irony made him chuckle for days later.
His pocket watch said it was after midnight. Assuming it was the same day that he had left, he had only been asleep for a few hours.
Incapable of waiting till morning, he grabbed his hat and made his way to Julia's house.
It took many pounding knocks before she answered. And thank God she did. For if she hadn't, it would surely have meant she was now situated somewhere else with her new husband.
"William!" she exclaimed. "You've given me quite the fright!" She calmed down a bit and looked concernedly at him. "And it appears as though you have suffered something most unpleasant as well." She placed a hand to his forearm. "What on earth is the matter?"
He took her hands, happy to note that no wedding ring yet accompanied the engagement one. "Julia, we have much to discuss."
Despite himself he couldn't help but beam at her.
Julia looked at him curiously. "Do come in, William," she said, returning the gesture.
Two hours later...
"Oh my, William! You are prodigiously talented with your tongue!"
You guys ready for the most fantabulous season opener ever? Just one day to go now!