Part 5. The Dark Rain
As Decker's hand closed around the handle of his 9mm Beretta, Chris Larabee's eyes narrowed in disgust. He could see what was about to go down and it would be in violation of one of the most important codes of nature, as far as he was concerned. You just didn't shoot a man in the back.
But he wasn't alone in watching Tanner's back. As the wounded Texan stumbled and put a hand to the wall to brace himself Keg, too, saw Decker reach for his concealed weapon and watched him raise it up towards Vin's back – and he wasn't about to let his old friend be shot like that, whether it meant shooting a fellow brother dead or not, a man just didn't do that.
In an instant, Larabee's own gun was drawn. He wasn't close enough to reach Decker physically to put a stop to his attack, so if he wanted to save the Texan's life his gun was the only way. Why he felt such an instant bond of brotherhood with a man he had met only minutes before, from the moment he had seen him in the club in fact, he would never know. Some things, he had come to realise in life, simply had no obvious reason. The trick was whether to accept them, or question them until you questioned their very place in your life... And so he pulled his Colt and in that moment, consciously put one strangers life above another. His trigger squeezed with the serious intent that he put behind every shot he fired, just as Decker squeezed his own trigger, aiming square at Vin's back.
At the very moment that the silver muzzle of Chris's gun flashed in the light, Keg launched to action and his move was far swifter than Buck would ever have anticipated. The biker slammed into him with his full weight and dealt him a ferocious blow to the jaw that sent him staggering to the ground in a daze. His own ATF issued weapon was then in the biker's hand and firing towards Decker in a heartbeat.
But there wasn't much that escaped Nathan Jackson and he wasn't about to let the newly armed biker kill Chris without trying to stop him, for that is who he assumed the biker was aiming for. The black handle of his knife was in his hand in a flash and he felt it's smooth release from his fingers before watching it gleam through the air towards Keg's exposed neck.
Keg's arm was still feeling the reverberation of the shot he'd fired, satisfied to see Decker jolt back under the impact of his bullet when he saw Vin turn from the wall to face him in surprise. It was the shocked expression on Vin's face that told him that something was terribly wrong even before he registered the stabbing pain of Nathan's knife brutally embedded in his throat. He wanted to smile at his friend, to show him that he had him covered, but couldn't get his mouth to work. His eyes wandered to Nathan's and took in the fact that the man no longer held a knife in his hand, that his stance looked like he'd just thrown it, before returning to Vin's pained expression. He managed to lift a hand to indeed feel the length of the cold handle sticking from his neck.
Vin pushed himself from the wall to step towards Keg, knowing there was nothing he could do for him but not
wanting him to die alone, but was stopped by a shouted command.
"Don't move another step!" Buck had reclaimed his discharged weapon and aimed it straight towards the last biker still posing a threat.
The Texan stopped, his eyes frustrated as he watched the pain fade from Keg's face. The mortally wounded
man let his arm fall away from the knife at his throat before pitching forward to the ground with a final grunt.
"Put your hands where I can see them!"
Vin moved his hands away from his sides but no higher just as Keg rolled to his side and lay still. He didn't need to go to him to know he was dead and he felt his jaw grind together in loss and frustration. His anger was swift and his eyes sought retribution as they lowered to the sight of Decker, now writhing in pain on the ground and not far behind Keg by the looks of it. He knew what Keg had done for him - he and the blonde agent now kicking a gun from Decker's convulsing fingers. They had both fired on Decker and stopped the son of a bitch from shooting him in the back. Even as he had that thought, he heard the leader's calmly admonishing words spoken to the pain-wracked Decker.
"You don't shoot a man in the back."
Vin's turbulent blue eyes took in first Flea, then the too still Keg, before he looked down to Decker once more. How the hell had it come to this?
Buck stepped closer to the remaining biker, determined to make sure there was no more trouble, his hands already getting his handcuffs ready from the inner pocket of his jacket. He was surprised that Chris did not seem concerned by his presence and that he had not already secured him.
"You hit?" Nathan called to Chris in concern. He knew he'd acted as fast as he could when Buck had gone down, but he also knew the red haired biker had managed to get a shot off and he wasn't yet sure where the bullet had gone.
Chris's head lifted at Nathan's words and he shook his head as he turned to see Buck approaching the remaining biker with his weapon drawn and ready. He noted the swelling, red skin at Buck's jaw and looked down to see the knife sticking from Keg's throat, piecing it all together before looking again to Vin as he answered Nathan. "No."
"The son of a bitch grabbed my gun," Buck informed him.
"He was about to shoot you," Nathan confirmed, moving toward Keg and knowing he wouldn't find him alive.
Chris glanced at Ezra, making sure his men were all accounted for, before turning to finally give his attention to the drenched Texan standing beside him. He read shock in the now pale face and heard his quiet, drawled voice.
"No, he wasn't."
The ATF Captain frowned and gazed at Keg, before turning back to the body at his own feet, not understanding.
Vin saw the look on Chris's face and elaborated. "He wasn't aimin' at you... he was aimin' at him," he nodded toward Decker. Still seeing Chris's frown he continued, "he was protectin' me."
Chris turned back once more to look at the dead red-haired biker and back again to Decker, realising what the Texan was saying. Nathan was wrong, the biker he'd killed with his knife had been aiming to protect his friend. So even amongst the pack there were alliances...
"He's dead," Nathan called out unnecessarily, kneeling over Keg as he checked for a pulse, catching Vin's eye for a moment as the younger man looked over.
Vin looked over at Keg for a long moment before turning back toward Decker, watching the man's hands shake uncontrollably with pain and severed nerves as he stepped closer. He registered the two bullet holes in his chest, both close to his heart. Those bullets had saved his life, of that he had no doubt. Decker had been about to shoot him in the back - and he'd failed because he'd drawn the fire of two very different men. One that represented the side of law and one that represented the worst element the city had to offer, but both none the less following the same unspoken code.
For Decker's part, he could do no more than stare at the watery sky in wordless outrage. One moment he'd had the Texan in his sights and in the next he'd been unable to do more than writhe in pain as he lay dying. He was riding fast on the heels of Flea who was only minutes ahead of him and yet he could still make out Turner stepping toward him in his fading vision.
Vin ignored Buck's demands that he submit to custody and moved closer to Decker, bending his good leg to the ground. What Decker knew was too important to ignore and something told him that the agent standing close beside him was not about to let him be fired upon. He kept his left leg straight as he painfully lowered himself until he could hear Decker's soft gasps over the light pattering of rain. Slowly and deliberately he leant forward to stare into his raging, glazed eyes. The large man was taking shallow, sharp breaths, any one now could be his last. He managed to meet Vin's eyes and shot back pure hatred, knowing that death was only seconds away from claiming him. It took him several attempts to gasp out his dying words, blood bubbling on his already greying lips and his words expelled on short gasps of air.
"M – mo – ther - 'king – dead - m-man…"
Tanner's eyes were chillingly cold as he stared back, not offering any measure of comfort by way of word or
expression. He heard the agents talking around him and voiced a single question softly to the rapidly expiring man, not wanting anyone else to hear it but needing to know.
"Who wanted me dead back in Texas?"
Through the gasping sounds came a mocking laugh. "F-fuck – you."
He wasn't going to get his answer. After a moment a half smile tilted Vin's mouth, his eyes not finding the humour of his lips. Decker was never going to tell him, he'd take the knowledge to his worm-filled grave. The agent's voice was raw and soft as he made a promise, his eyes showing the utter conviction of his words.
"I'll find a way to make sure everyone ya ever met thinks ya betrayed the club tonight an' turned us in ta the cops. Everyone'll know yer a traitor..."
Decker's eyes widened slightly. He had nothing to fear, he was dying anyway, but to know that his name could be blackened forever and there was nothing he could do about it was more than he could stand. It was the ultimate revenge. He managed to raise his head, fighting desperately against the death that pulled at him. He didn't want to die, could not believe he actually was. Blood spat from his mouth as his fingers miraculously found Vin's arm, but his grip was useless. Undecipherable sounds came from his lips and he tried twice more before Vin was able to understand what he was being told.
"They'll kill you anyway."
Decker tried to speak again, perhaps to taunt him once more, more likely to condemn him to hell, but no sound came to his fading lips. On a final grunt, he fell back and his sightless eyes sent a futile protest to the stars.
In the brief moment of silence that so often accompanies death, Vin didn't move an inch. Finally, it was a red drop that fell onto his hand that caught his eye, causing him to blink and look down. Another quickly followed and was chased away by the growing rain that now collided with his skin in a steady patter. Blood. His blood; falling from his face and dripping useless to the ground. He closed his eyes against the sight, against the terrible memories that rode on frantic wings to plague him once more and tilted his head to the night sky, to the very source of the rain that seemed to dog his every step. It continued to drip from his face and hair, sending rivulets of red to trickle down his cold skin. For a moment he managed to block his mind, concentrating on the feel of the weighted drops touching him, before his memories won out, as they always did.
He'd never stopped to analyse it, but he associated rain with violence, had done since he was five years old, and yet in some way, he was strangely comforted by it. It was something tangible, something he knew and understood. He knew what atrocities it could mask and he was no longer surprised by what it revealed to him. In a lifetime of being alone, he had come to rely on no one but himself. Even as a marine, he had quickly discovered he worked better alone, for he trusted no one. And yet the rain had never left him, not for long. Not even a hot shower on a cold night could warm his soul for long before the rain was there, pelting down from above, bringing memories and moments freshly renewed in his mind. It was neither his enemy, nor his friend, but it was something constant in his life, marking nights of such utter darkness that no water could ever wash from his skin.
And tonight was no different. His mind showed him in detail the blood that now ran beneath the bodies of the dead men surrounding him, trickling through cracks in the rough concrete to gather in the puddles of depressed ground. Still, he knew, it was better to see their blood, than his mothers. It was justice, he told himself. He was two men closer to justice… yet he took no satisfaction in their deaths, nor any comfort in that reasoning.
Buck, Ezra and Nathan were all watching the last remaining, wounded biker kneeling on the ground. His silence seemed somehow reverent and as it continued over long seconds, they looked to Chris for instruction.
Chris too was studying Vin's silent profile, not alone in wondering what thoughts were causing such pain to mar the younger man's face as it tilted back toward the light, his shirtless chest exposed to the rain and showing patterns of blood running down to the waist of his low black jeans. It wasn't obvious, to any of the others, but from where he stood he clearly recognised the torment that he saw there, hardening his unshaven jaw and causing his eyes to close too tight. It was as if his face lifted to the night in search of guidance and for a moment he had the unbidden thought that only a wolf could pose as solitary a figure in the moonlight.
"Call it in," he said slowly over his shoulder to his men, his voice remaining low as if he didn't want to scare a wild creature away. He silently bent and retrieved Vin's disregarded jacket and stepped forward to place it on his shoulders. It was wet, but would at least offer some respite from the chilling breeze that had now come in. He'd noticed the younger man shivering slightly, although he seemed oblivious to it himself.
As the weight of the leather settled on his shoulders Vin snapped from his reverie and looked up, pausing a moment before slowly putting his arms through the lining as he studied Chris's face. Neither was prepared for the shock of the bullet, which cracked through the air and sent Chris staggering forward into Vin, the ATF leader's eyes wide in shock as he fell and lost his grip on his gun.
"Everyone drop your guns and back off!"
"Good Lord, what now..." Ezra uttered to himself, dropping his phone back to his side and turning to the new voice.
All eyes swung to the shadows once more. It took a moment to find the white shirt of the young guard in the dim light, aiming wildly at all of them in turn.
Vin's eyes narrowed at the sight of the eager young associate member that had called him "Hangman" when he'd entered the club with Keg such a short while ago. He'd forgotten about him and his friend in everything that had happened. The young fool would get himself killed, all to try and create a name for himself with the club. He wondered again how the situation had gotten so out of hand.
He spotted the weapon that the cop had kicked away from Decker and subtly drew it closer before gripping it in his cold hand. A questioning glance at the injured cop told him he was alright - and that he knew he had the gun. There was only one reason that he wouldn't ask for it back, somehow he knew, but how, was the question. He couldn't worry about it at that second though.
"Just a graze," Chris answered his silent question with little patience, already determining the bullet had torn through his arm and moved on. He held one hand over the wound and struggled to get back up, grabbing his gun as he did.
He'd purposely directed his look to the gun he'd seen the Texan grab from the ground and saw the slight narrowing of the man's eyes in response. They each understood the other's position now.
"I said everyone drop your guns now!" the kid shouted, panicking more with every second that his commands were ignored.
Vin shifted his eyes from the young guard over to Keg and had a moment's relief that whatever else had happened, at least Keg hadn't lived to see what he was about to do. In Keg's mind, he would be the lowest rat that could skulk through the dirty world they lived in.
"Now look son, any second now this place is going to be flooded with cops -"
"Actually, it already kind of is..." Nathan interrupted logically.
Buck shook Nathan a look that clearly asked if he was nuts before going on. "And you don't wanna make this any worse than it is, ok?" Buck reasoned, not dropping his weapon even a fraction from the skittish young man.
"You fire that thing and we'll be forced to take you down. Don't make us shoot you," Nathan warned this time.
The kid's hand shook, alternating his aim between the remaining men as he looked to Vin. "Just let him go!" He ordered, gesturing impatiently. "Come on! Let's get out of here."
"He's not going anywhere, and neither are you," Chris said calmly. "You can't kill all of us, son." His aim remained true despite his wound.
The four ATF agents were watching the young guard as the sound of a distant siren served to escalate his growing panic. He aimed again at Buck.
"Put it down, kid." Vin said in as low a voice as possible. "We'll walk out of this one, the club'll make sure of it."
The kid just looked at him in shock. "I'm not letting these pricks take me in! I'm putting my ass on the line for you here. Let's just get the fuck out of here!"
"Just let this one go. We'll be looked after," he assured him again.
"I'm not going to jail."
"You won't have to. Just put your gun down an' let this be over with."
But the young guard didn't understand how a Joker - a man he respected and revered and aspired to be a brother to, could just give in so meekly. His head shook as he tried to understand Vin's actions. "I can get us out of this," he said again, saying his words slowly in order to make Vin understand. He was, after all, bleeding from the head...
Vin could see the kid wavering despite the gun he still held aimed at Buck. He thought he could persuade him to give in, but as he went to speak again Buck cut in.
"This ain't the time to be a hero kid. Just drop the weapon before you get yourself in more trouble." Buck didn't fear a bullet from the kid's gun, not while Larabee was covering his back. Still, he didn't really want to take a chance with the gun so close to his head and he didn't really want to see the kid have to go down for his stupidity.
Vin watched the anger surface on the young man's face and cursed the moustached cop for his stupidity just as a high-pitch laugh reached them from the lower car park.
"Listen to your friend, son, you fire that gun it'll get a whole lot worse. You put it down now, you'll walk out of this - both of you."
Vin looked sideways at Chris, his respect for the man rising. He'd read the anger that Buck's words had caused just as he had, but then another squealing laugh, closer this time, was the guard's undoing. He straightened his aim at Buck just as the first woman came up the ramp and walked right into their stand-off. Before the woman had time to make a noise, she was held tight in the guards grip and a gun was pointed at her head. He shouted to Vin as he took a step backward, dragging the woman, "Ta hell with that - come on let's go!"
The woman's friends were right behind her, but the young man screamed at them. "Get the fuck out of here – NOW! GO!"
He had his much needed ticket out of there, he didn't need anyone else complicating things.
Buck watched the women hesitate and added his own command. " Go!"
But he'd underestimated the women. There was no way they were leaving their friend in the hands of a madman.
"Let her go you son of a bitch!" one shouted at the young guard.
Buck would have rolled his eyes in frustration if the situation weren't so serious.
"We're police officer's ma'am, just move back now and let us take care of your friend. You're making the situation much worse than it already is."
The other woman turned to him. "Sure you are!" She turned back to the guard, taking a step toward him and her struggling friend. "Let her go!"
The guard was panicking. The cops weren't taking him seriously, the women weren't taking him seriously, and his own 'brother' didn't believe he had the guts to pull this off. To hell with them all...
Chris had the best shot at the guard, but his aim was continually hampered by the woman held in the tight grip of the kid's arm. He knew he couldn't aim to hurt him - he had to take him down with a single shot, before he got out a shot of his own and killed the woman.
"Drop the gun!" Buck yelled again and the kid's finger twitched in response. It was a risk, yelling at him could either throw him off balance enough that he would make a mistake - or it could backfire, which it did. The kid's finger began to squeeze his trigger.
The sound of a gun exploding collided with the sound of the women screaming as they watched blood spray from the young guard's head, showering their friend who was released from the now limp arm to stagger to her knee's in shock. They rushed forward to help her as Buck, Nathan and Ezra all looked to Chris, shocked to see him turn toward the biker.
Vin gave the briefest of nods, acknowledging the thanks in Chris's eyes before Buck, seeing the gun in Vin's hand, almost exploded himself.
"Drop it! Now! Put the weapon down, put your hands up where we can see them and step forward into the light!"
Vin shifted his gaze to the agent commanding him and could not help the edge of a smile that curved his lip as he stepped forward.
"Drop the gun!" Buck shouted again.
Vin watched the weapon the agent had trained on him and ignored him directly, instead taking another step forward and deftly spinning the gun in his hand to present it to Chris handle first.
Reaching out silently to take the gun, Chris already knew that the man would not have used it on him, but Buck was doing his job, for his team still had no idea who this man was and there were witnesses standing around.
"Now raise your arms where we can see them!" Buck snapped again in response to the grin he'd seen on the
younger man's face.
"Buck," Chris said in warning, "I've got this, you see to the ladies. Move them down out of this rain for a start."
Buck narrowed his gaze at Chris, but did as asked, giving one final look at Vin before turning to the excited women, his badge clearly displayed for their view. "Hello ladies, no cause for alarm here, just your friendly ATF Department at work..."
Once more, silence descended as Buck led the women to shelter and Vin took in what he had just said. So these men were ATF...
For a second the remaining men didn't move, all waiting to ensure that the deadly gunplay was indeed over. Then Nathan was the first to stir to action, getting up and moving to check the young guard first, shaking his head as he realised what he was seeing. He looked up at Chris, then at Vin. "That was a hell of a shot," he said warily, still not sure who the hell the man was or why he would attack his own men. He was, however, beginning to realise that all was not as it seemed, although while he stood there dressed in the club's colours, he wasn't about to take any chances.
"You alright?" He asked Chris as he moved back to Ezra, keeping a wary eye on Vin.
Chris glanced again at the young guard who had just brought the death tally up to four. He was amazed at the skill and speed of the man that had taken him down. He turned to him then with a look of both awe and slight cunning.
If he had not wanted the Texan on his team before, he did now – and when he put his mind to it, Chris Larabee was an unstoppable force.
"Chris, you alright?" Nathan called again, reaching Ezra and aware that Chris had not answered him.
Ezra was sitting still, his hand clutched around his arm. He had been hurt worse, but had lost enough blood to render him weakened.
Chris looked over to Nathan and gave a slight smile. "Fine, Nathan." He looked down at the sleeve of his torn jacket, the blood already drying around the wound. "Just a graze."
"Everyone's 'just a graze'," Nathan muttered, giving Ezra his full attention.
"I beg to differ, there are some of us, I fear, with mortal wounds..."
"Don't you start," Nathan said, ripping Ezra's sleeve with little ceremony, "Where the hell were you when they
dragged my ass out here for a lynching?!"
"Right behind you, I assure you."
"'Right behind' my ass!"
"Precisely."
Nathan scowled as he computed the quick response but Ezra saw the glint of humour in his fellow agent's eye.
"Nathan?" Chris asked.
Nathan looked up, directing Ezra to keep hold of his arm. "It's not bad, he needs to get to a hospital though."
"All right, call it in," Chris said for the second time that night. "Get an ambulance down here."
Vin was using the distraction to move closer to Keg. He had to take a final look for himself to make sure there was no chance he was alive, but when he heard Chris say to call for an ambulance he turned back. He was surprised to see a calculating light in the older man's eyes when he faced him.
Chris noticed the way the younger man held his side, staggering slightly as he shifted his weight from his wounded knee. He was pressing the heel of his hand to the cut over his eye, trying to stop the bleeding that was hindering his vision.
Vin turned and watched Nathan begin to dial his phone. "Wait," he called out, his voice raw and low, to which Nathan stopped and looked up.
Vin felt Chris studying him and shifted his eyes back to meet the questioning look. He could feel his side flaming with fire, and the beginning of slight tremors start to chase through his freezing body. He was chilled to the bone. He shook his head slightly, taking his hand away from his eye and studying the blood on his hand as if it could tell him the answers to all his problems. How did he begin to explain?
Chris didn't take his eyes from Vin as he held up his own hand to Nathan, signalling him to wait a moment. In
pain and in no mood for games, Ezra groaned in frustration and bowed his head.
"Who are you?" Nathan finally asked, finishing what he could do for Ezra and standing to join them.
Chris finally smiled, and for a moment Vin thought the transforming look had an almost cat-like quality to it. As far as Chris could see, there was no point in keeping it a secret any longer, there was no one left alive to tell of what had gone on that night. Still, he spoke only loud enough for his men to hear.
"Nathan Jackson, meet Special Operations Agent Vin Tanner of the NTF, on loan from Texas for three months and potential sharpshooter for out Team. Vin Tanner, meet Nathan Jackson, ATF," he said.
Amongst the shocked faces, Chris smiled at Vin. "I've got a job proposition for you when you're up to it. You'll only have to change one letter in your title."
Vin's face showed nothing, his hand again pressed to his eye, although he had registered the remark about the job offer as he returned Chris's steady gaze. He found he was not particularly surprised that the ATF agent knew exactly who he was, although perhaps he should have been.
"I'm not even meant ta be here yet," he said, his raspy voice showing no surprise. It was a question, how had he known? He stood as straight as he could through the pain in his side, continuing to favour his knee.
"I had a fair idea when you were talking with your friend before," Chris nodded down at Decker. "You confirmed it a moment ago. I heard there was a sharpshooter coming to town… figure I just saw him in action."
Nathan shook his head but the implications finally hit him and he grinned. Chris's instincts had been right, this man was on their side. "I'll be damned," he said, looking at Vin with reassessing eyes. "You're a hell of a shot," he told him again.
Vin showed no reaction to the praise, eyeing the hand that Chris extended out to him.
"Chris Larabee, ATF." The Captain nodded to the rest of the team. "And this is part of my team. Nathan Jackson you've just met and over there's Ezra Standish. Buck Wilmington's seeing to the women."
"An understatement I'm sure."
Ignoring Ezra, Chris paused a moment in thought, waiting for his gesture of greeting to be returned. "I've been looking for a final man to make it seven." His eyes told Vin he thought he was it and that the search was now over.
Vin looked down to Chris's outstretched hand, then to his own before Chris too, looked down and finally noticed the blood that coated Vin's fingers. There was too much there to have come from the cut above his eye alone. He frowned a moment before looking up sharply and seeing the pain for what it was. "You're hit?" he asked him, pushing his resisting hand away quickly and pulling his jacket aside to expose the firm flesh beneath before Vin could back away.
Nathan and Chris both saw the tear of a bullet that had grazed through the hard wall of Vin's side. It was bleeding freely and seemed all the more garish for the deep bruising surrounding it.
"Nathan," Chris called unnecessarily as he tried to steer Vin to the wall.
Vin turned his head to Nathan as he allowed himself to be led back to the wall, then once more looked back at the man he had met only a short while before, studying his calm green eyes. He didn't know what to make of the offer to join his team, was not sure if the man was even serious, but he somehow knew that this was only the beginning. Their paths were connected, somehow. And if the man's look had been anything to go by, his mind was already set on the matter.
"Perhaps now is a prudent time to call for an ambulance?" Ezra suggested in a dry voice.
Chris raised an eyebrow, daring Vin to defy Ezra's request for an ambulance once more, concerned at the fresh sheen of moisture that was beginning to bead on the younger man's skin.
"Go ahead an' call for your agent, but I can't go ta the hospital," Vin told him straight.
"Here, lemme look at that now," Nathan said, trying to move the arm Vin held to his side.
"Like hell you can't," Chris told him straight, looking again at the blood coating the pale skin of his stomach in the light as Nathan held the jacket back so he could get to the wound. He could also now read the outline of ink that traced the ribs above the blood marring the skin. The scrolling letters were not fresh, but they were clearly written; Semper Fi.
Nathan took in the words and the small glimpse they gave into the man's background as he probed around the bloodied area. It wasn't long before Vin flinched and pulled away, reaching haphazardly to the wall once more for support, his stomach tight with his pain and a low growl torn from his throat. His eyes bore into Chris's with the need to make him understand his position, the cut above his eye now forgotten and trickling blood openly down his face.
"I need ta get back an' explain all this," he waved an arm around the fallen men littering the ground. "I can't get caught in the clean-up here, otherwise there'll be the club's lawyers involved an' one hell of a mess ta work out. It's better if I jist disappear, fer everyone involved."
Chris looked at him levelly. "You aren't even supposed to be here, you said it yourself. You're not under anyone's authorisation to do what you're doing."
Vin said nothing, just returned Chris's level look until the older man shook his head slightly. "Why haven't you
reported in?"
Vin looked Chris in the eye. "I've spent years gettin' to the point I am now with this gang. If I hadn't checked in with 'em when I got here, they'd have asked why an' I would've blown all chances of goin' in with 'em again." Seeing Chris's still slightly raised brow he continued. "I tried to explain the need to do that to my Captain, but he didn't wannna hear it... I jist wanted to touch base with the club 'fore I got caught up in the new position. I didn't dream that anythin' like this would happen."
Chris studied his face, watching for the truth. "Were you even going to accept the transfer? Maybe you hadn't
intended to report back to work at all..."
"That ain't it." Vin said, denying it with a slight shake of his head, although his voice remained as calm as it had been since he'd first spoken.
"Or maybe you're playing for the wrong team."
The three men turned as Buck came back up the ramp to join them. He'd heard enough to hear Chris introduce Vin by his NTF title.
Vin got angry as he looked Buck in the eye, his look clearly showing that he was unimpressed with what he saw, but Buck was just as stubborn.
"I've told ya the truth, I've got nothin'a hide. I haven't reported in yet 'cause I'm not due fer another few days. I've been on this case too damn long jist ta blow it off 'caus've a bullshit transfer. I wasn't about to let all m'hard work go ta hell 'cause my captain didn't have the balls to see this through."
"And you do?" Chris pushed, making use of Vin's anger to get his answers.
Vin's eyes narrowed at Chris, correctly determining the man was goading him, although he said nothing. He didn't have to, his eyes said it all.
They stared at each other a moment before Vin waved an arm at Decker, Flea, Keg and the guard in an all encompassing gesture. "Do you know what it'll take to bring these bastards down? Do you have any idea what's involved? You can't do it from the outside. You can't understand the world they live in 'less ya live it fer yerself, day in, day out. It ain't somethin' you can go in half-assed an' do, it's a full time job." He paused for a moment and Chris thought he heard the weary man sigh. "These guys are fuckin' animals, an' I've been livin' with 'em fer near on a year straight. I'm prepared ta do that, if it means I'll take 'em down in the end. You wanna get these pricks, ya gotta be prepared to accept that."
Nobody noticed the expression on Ezra's face as he listened in the background. The long-haired man had meant every word, he could hear the passion in his voice. This was more than a job for the Texan, this was personal. He knew then, that the two of them had much in common; a shared interest, or hatred, to pursue.
Nathan's quiet voice filled the paused silence that followed Vin's outburst. "He saved that woman's life, Buck."
Nathan looked at Vin, "and he saved mine, too."
Vin returned Nathan's look of gratitude, glad for the support but saying nothing more after his temper had caused him to lash out at Buck. The blonde ATF agent had pushed just the right buttons to set him off, not something easily done.
Buck looked away from Nathan's assessing eyes but said nothing as Chris looked again to Vin. He'd thought it through and he needed to speak to Benning. He'd get in touch with him and ask him to get Travis and Murphy together before he made any rash decisions concerning the Texan. Truth was, this man was their best shot at infiltrating the club. To get where he was now took years - years they could not afford to do over. He sighed and turned to Nathan. His only concern now was making sure the man was not going to drop dead before them.
"How does it look, Nathan?"
Nathan frowned. "Bullet's grazed through, but it went deep. He needs to get to a doctor." He looked around in
exasperation. "Hell you all need to get to a doctor!" He scanned the rest of Vin's frame. "And by the looks of you, you've got some other injuries need lookin' at too... someone's worked you over good not too long ago."
Vin was uncomfortable with the tone of concern in Nathan's words.
"Then you go to the hospital," Chris told Vin.
Vin stood straighter, enough was enough. "Trust me, those bastards got some'a the best doctor's there is. Just let me get outta here 'fore ya call it in, I'll be fine." He looked down at his side and took his hand away, trying to reinforce his words. "It's a lotta blood, but the wound ain't bad. I'll get it cleaned up an' it'll be good as new."
"If you don't bleed to death first," Nathan argued, not liking Vin's plan.
Chris looked a moment longer at Vin, realising the man was speaking just as he saw it - through hard experience.
He then turned to Nathan, wanting to know if that would be enough.
Nathan sighed. "He'll be alright, if he gets to a doctor, now. I don't like him riding himself there though, he's lost more blood than he thinks," he shook his head at the stubborn Texan.
"While I hate to appear churlish, might I remind you gentlemen of the progressin' pool of my own life's blood that I'm currently residin' in?"
Chris glanced at Ezra, noting the blood surrounding his agent on the ground and realising he had a point.
"Make the call." He looked back at Vin, demanding the truth.
Vin nodded. "It's not far from here, I'll be there in five minutes."
The NTF agent looked around at the bodies on the ground once more. He needed to make sure they understood the repercussions that could result from the night. "This is serious. Three members an' an associate dead in one night is borderin' on war." He looked Chris in the eye, making sure he understood. "You don't want that on yer turf, trust me." When Chris didn't reply he continued. "I'll go an' make sure this doesn't get out of hand. I'll tell 'em it was just a routine surveillance gone wrong when Flea an' Decker there showed up an' made a situation out of nothin'. I'll say it wasn't the cops' fault, 'fore they come out with guns blazin' an' shoot this city ta hell." His eyes showed the importance of his words. "These boys were from Texas, but it won't make no difference. All I can do is try an' prevent it from becomin' a bloodbath."
"The man has a point," Nathan put in, "and if we take him in, he'll have a lot more to explain to the Joker's than how he got away. They'll assign him a lawyer and once they get involved, this'll become a circus." As much as he didn't want to let the injured man ride away, he knew that if he didn't return to them, the situation would escalate even further.
Chris was still studying Vin's profile. Like Nathan, he didn't want to let an injured man walk away, but he understood what had to be done. His presence and help tonight might just make the difference in stopping any retaliatory action from the gang.
Taking his silence for acquiescence Vin turned to leave, stifling a groan as he turned, sensing that if he showed just how much pain he was really in, there was no chance in hell that the ATF Captain would let him go.
"Wait."
Chris shook his head slightly, knowing that the only way to deal with the man was on his terms, for now. He wanted some answers, but knew he was going to have to wait and so he gave no voice to his questions. Something told him to trust Vin, had been telling him to since the second they had met. He had to believe his instincts were correct, he relied on them every day of his life to keep both he and his men alive.
Instead, he dug into his pocket and found a pen, pulling out a small notebook and quickly writing his number down, holding it out to Vin. "You've left me one hell of a mess here Tanner. You call me later tonight, I don't hear from you by morning I'll haul your ass in off the street myself - and I mean that," he ordered. "I want to know everything you know about what's going on here and everything you can tell us about the operations of the club."
Vin hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking the paper, studying the number for a second before putting it in his pocket. His eyes held Chris's for another moment before he nodded once and turned, heading for his bike.
"And Vin…"
Again Vin turned at the sound of Chris's voice, waiting as he looked at the intense eyes once more. "Watch your back."
Vin flashed a slight grin in the light before he turned, "You too, Cowboy."
He missed the flash of the slight grin that crossed Larabee's face before it was replaced with a thoughtful
expression. He'd be waiting for that call, and God help the man if he failed to meet his end of the bargain.
As the Texan walked away their eyes followed his back in silence until Chris spoke without turning to Buck.
"Follow him. Make sure he gets where he's going."