Part 9. Reep the Bad Seed

Chris returned the easy smile Orin Travis gave him as he and Benning entered his office.

"That was quick," Orin commented as he urged the men to sit, taking his own seat behind his large, dark wooden desk.

"There isn't much time to waste, this situation is escalating by the minute," Benning replied.

"Since the very second that boy set foot in town, I would say."

Chris flicked a glance at Will, not sure what Orin was thinking. He felt a surge of defensiveness. "He prevented one of my men from a severe beating last night... not to mention saved all of our asses when the shooting started."

Travis put up a hand to ward off Chris's protest. "I'm well aware of that fact, but it would have made it a hell of a lot easier, not to mention lawful, if he had of checked in with us first when he arrived. He's not authorised to be undercover, he shouldn't be anywhere near them. Hell he isn't even supposed to be in this city until next week."

Again Chris looked at Benning, deferring to him. The man had far greater skills at diplomacy than he did, but before Will could speak, there was a beep of the phone.

"Sir, Douglas Murphy has arrived."

Travis pressed a button on the keypad. "Please show him in, Martha." He looked at Chris and Will. "I asked Doug to join us, his knowledge would be of great benefit here and I'd like his input on this."

Chris nodded, he had no problem with Murphy. They waited a moment until Douglas entered the office. With quick greetings they retook their seats.

"I've already filled Doug in on the situation," Travis informed them.

They looked to Murphy, wanting to know what he thought. The large man shook his head slightly. "He doesn't do things by halves, that's for certain."

Chris grinned a little at that. "Would expect no less from a man on my team." He looked at Orin, challenging him to deny their unofficial request. As far as Chris was concerned, Tanner was already part of his team.

Travis shook his head. "I'm not saying that this isn't the way to go, I just want you men to understand the whole picture. There are repercussions all 'round should this get out and this isn't something I can do without putting it through my own superior. I want these bastards shut down too, but I wont lose my career this early in the piece, unless I know beyond all doubt that it's going to make a real difference." He looked at Will directly. 'You understand what you are asking me to do here?'

Will nodded. "I understand, Orin. But this boy's dug himself in harder than anyone has ever managed to do – harder than he can handle on his own. Back in Texas, he lost the support of his team when his Captain pulled him out. He had no choice but to go this alone, not if he didn't want to ruin everything he had worked for over the years."

Murphy took up the cause. "I know Lomely, he seems to be a good man, but he should have realised that Tanner couldn't cut his ties with the club just like that and move states. If he hadn't of made contact with them, they would have been straight after him for answers. A member can't just pick up and leave any time he feels like it. The whole thing had to have been a huge problem for the kid. Up until now, he's handled himself extraordinarily well, given the calibre of men he's been dealing with. Any way he plays it now, it'll be hard for him to get out."

"And we'd lose the best shot we've got at cracking this operation," Benning added. He was as committed as Chris. Both were men of action, not advocates of bureaucracy.

"The government sent him in to start this," Chris said. "They knew he was risking his life when he went in. A man's gotta finish what he starts, don't seem right to just pull the pin when someone's put so much on the line like this."

Orin turned his face from the intent eyes all upon him and looked out the window a moment, taking in the words of the three high-ranking men sitting around him. He believed in justice more than anything else. In a world of corruption and greed, justice and humanity were the only things that stood between evil men getting their way. He had not met Tanner, but he knew how committed he was, it was written all over every file that had his name associated with it and he had obviously impressed these men before him – and that was something to take very seriously. He looked back to the men gathered around him, there was still another matter to take care of.

"I'm willing to backdate the transfer and to make it permanent, if Tanner agrees, but not if we can't prove beyond a doubt that he had nothing to do with that woman."

"He couldn't have done anything even if he had wanted to. He was in no shape to do anything like that when he left and the doctor attending can attest to that," Chris put forward, not looking at Benning in the face of that lie. They had no way of ensuring that the leach of a doctor would attest to anything.

Travis looked at Benning who nodded.

"The doctor confirmed that he would not have recovered sufficiently from the shot he gave him earlier," Wilson added.

Travis shook his head. He would not be budged on this. "You get me proof of that, he's yours. I'll backdate the transfer so that he was acting under our authority, but not unless I have some admissable evidence here." He put up a hand at Chris's scowl. "It's the only way it's going to happen. And then I'll approve his permanent transfer to the ATF and your team if he agrees to it."

Chris knew it was a fair demand, but he hated the delay. He took a deep breath. Although he knew

beyond doubt that Tanner was innocent he had to respect that his gut instinct would not be enough for a man who had never even met him. Especially a man in Travis's position. Finally, he nodded once in agreement and made to leave.

"I'll be in touch soon with what you need."

Travis nodded and Benning looked up. "I'm going to stay here for a bit, we'll be ready to move on this at your word."

Chris held his look, it was up to him. Again he nodded and Murphy, too, rose to leave with him.

"Two of us will be better than one."

Chris met his eyes, seeing the offer of help and inclined his head in acceptance, appreciating the offer. He headed for the door.

"Chris," Travis stopped him. "The club haven't spoken out in his defence."

Chris's brow puckered as he looked at Benning. They had discussed the same point earlier at the hospital.

"Usually they would make some sort of statement by now," Murphy put in, turning from beside him. "Unless..."

"... They're letting him take the fall," Benning finished.

Chris's frown deepened. "I thought probates usually copped that deal?"

"They do," Murphy said and they remained silent for a moment, the implication settling on them.

Was the club setting Tanner up? And if so, what had he done? Did they blame him for what happened to the men out at the nightclub? Or did it run deeper than that.

Chris nodded to Travis. "I'll be in touch," he said again.

Outside the office Chris grabbed his phone from his pocket, thinking on the tail end of the conversation as he and Murphy headed for the elevator. There were things that needed to be done if he was going to get to the bottom of it all. He called his own office and asked for Buck.

"Chris, what's going on?"

"I'll fill you in when I get in to the office. I need you to get down to the hospital to Tanner's room - organise with the rest of the team to keep a watch on him. I don't want him out of our sight from the moment you get down there."

"You think he did it then?"

Chris frowned. "No, I don't. It's for his protection. There might be trouble from the club, or from the arresting officer's wanting to keep him quiet. Someone did a real number on him last night."

He had no idea of the scowl Buck wore at that, but it was projected through his silence. In Buck's mind, the Texan could be playing them all for fools and the one thought that played in his mind was the fact that the victim was just fourteen years old… if Tanner touched her then the son of a bitch had gotten all he deserved, a lot less in fact.

"You get that, Buck?" Chris asked, not hearing a response.

"Yeah, I got it. You spoken to him yet?"

"No. He was still out of it when we left but I'll be heading back in a while. What about the girl, any word from her?"

"Not yet. Josiah and Nathan have gone down to the hospital to check out the situation."

Chris nodded absently. "And the other bikers' arrested at the scene?"

Buck shrugged. "They've made a few busts for possession, some unlicensed firearms, nothing major."

"And what's their take on the situation with the girl? Have they said anything more about how she ended up there with him?"

"So far they all say they never saw her there. Looks like it's gonna be up to the lab results… and her statement once she wakes up. None of them seem in a hurry to back him up on this."

Chris entered the lift with Murphy and the doors closed. "That's what I thought. There's something not right about the way they're handling this... Any news from Ezra?"

"He had a visit from Vlahov. Says he's pretty sure the man wants to cut his ties with the Jokers."

Chris's brow rose at that. "He told Ezra that?"

"According to Ezra, he seemed sincere when he told him he didn't fully realise what he was buying into with them, that he hates organised crime… unless he's organising it himself, that is."

That was an interesting development. Vlahov would be a very powerful ally to have.

"I'll check in with him when I get back to the hospital. When's he due out?"

"Later today, they say his arm'll be fine with a little work. He keeps complainin' like he is though, I reckon they might just give him the boot a little earlier than that."

"Alright, I'll meet with you later. Let me know if Tanner wakes up, we need to sort out this mess with the girl. Clearing him is our priority right now."

Again Buck was scowling.

"Buck?" It was Chris's turn to frown. Buck had something he wanted to say, he knew his old friend too well.

"Aren't there agents down there already? Do you really need me to babysit this guy?"

There it was. Chris stopped in his tracks as he left the elevator, Murphy stopping with him, sensing his flash of anger.

"Spit it out, Buck." He'd just questioned his direct order and he wanted to know why, before he tore Buck to pieces.

If Buck had been anyone else, his ear would have already been on fire. He hadn't predicted a problem with his request, but Buck's heart was obviously ruling his brain, as it so often did.

Buck gave a wry laugh, "I have to explain it? The guy probably raped a girl, Chris, who wouldn't have a problem with that?"

Chris's scowl deepened, but having now realised that Buck's problem was unfounded he went back into action, nodding to Murphy that they should move on, now that he saw the argument for what it was. Buck often jumped the gun on calling situations, without waiting for all the facts to come in. In was annoying, but it was Buck. He had to be set straight, but it would have to wait for later.

"Buck, this isn't a request. Later you and I can talk about the pro's and con's of questioning my orders."

"Lemme guess, there's no pro's, right?" Buck asked with a grin.

Chris's lip rose in a familiar curl. It was the largest sign of a smile most people ever saw from him. "Stay in touch."

..

Buck looked at the phone a moment after he hung up, his grin descending once more into a frown. Chris's word meant a lot to him, but he had his own doubts. He looked up at JD and saw that his newest friend was already packing up his desk for the day and raised a brow in question.

JD shrugged, merely grinning. He didn't bother to justify his eavesdropping, or the fact that he was going with him. There was no way he was sitting inside the office on his own all day. He didn't sign up for that.

Buck slapped him on the back as they headed for the door. "Ready for some action, huh kid?"

JD shrugged again. "Beats sitting around here." They walked to the elevator and JD added. "Besides, if this guy's gonna be part of our team, I wanna meet him."

Buck scowled even deeper as JD reached out and pressed the button for the lift. "Don't bank on it, kid."

..

Chris looked at the photo of the young girl and then looked up through the window to the room she now sat in with a female officer and one of the department psychologists. A female doctor also sat in a chair close by the girl. They were in a private hospital in order to avoid the prying media.

A press release had been sent out, but there was only so long they could be held at bay from wanting more

information. The media wolves knew that a media release was only one side of a story that did not reveal the dirt behind the real scenario. It was their job to dig that up, if they could be bothered - and if it would be financially astute to do so – and being the first to do it was where the money was made. Otherwise, they would just print whatever they were directly fed, from whatever source proved the most economical.

"She looks nothing like this picture," Chris said in disgust to Josiah, Nathan and Murphy, who all stood around him.

Why did people do that he wondered. Give the police a photo that did not match the missing person's current identity at all?

"Ezra's working on pulling one from one of the surveillance cameras at the club," Nathan told him just as Chris's phone rang.

"You can't keep a good brother down," Josiah commented, reflecting on the fact that even laid up in the hospital Ezra was still at it.

"Larabee."

"Mr Larabee, I have information that I believe you will find to your liking."

"Speak of the devil. Spit it out, Ezra."

Ezra sighed. Somewhere, someone enjoyed his flair for the dramatic…

As an afterthought, Chris spoke again, not giving Ezra a chance to answer. "Where the hell are you? You sound like you're in traffic. Josiah was about to come over there to pick you up."

Ezra leant back in the taxi, not completely happy at having had to take the public mode of transport and trying to ignore the smell of stale food and cigarettes that seemed to shroud his every pore. It was raining, the sky a menacing grey, but he still had the window open enough to feel a hint of air on his face in the back seat. The spitting rain that reached him was refreshing against the contrast of foul air inside. He scowled yet again at the driver which, if the driver had of known him, he would have realised meant the Southerner was well jacked off. Ezra Standish rarely let emotion show on his handsome face, when it did, a man could usually be sure it was intentional.

"I'm heading over to the hospital now. I've just been over to the club to get the tapes myself."

"Standish, you're supposed to be two floors up at County, filling in your sick leave forms… what the fuck are you doing running around the city?!"

"I was discharged unexpectedly early…"

Chris's face showed amusement. Buck had been right about the southerner driving the staff crazy enough to release him prematurely. He gave up. "What did you see on the tapes?"

Ezra threw cash at the driver before the wheels had even stopped spinning and got out, managing not to bump his bandaged arm in its sling as he rushed through the rain to the shelter of the sliding glass doors of the hospital entrance, a folder clutched underneath his arm.

"I'll be right up, what floor are you on?"

"Tenth."

Chris hung up. "Ezra's coming up, says he's got good news." He looked at the girl again, still sleeping, her skin pale against the white sheet. `Lets hope you've got some good news,' he silently told Ezra.

"Lets find somewhere to talk," Murphy said, leaving the window and leading them toward the nurse's station.

They met up with Ezra as a nurse guided them to a waiting room, which was not being used on that quiet morning. Josiah slapped the southerner on his good arm.

"All better, brother?"

Ezra hiked a brow, "Hardly, Mr Sanchez. My arm is awash with pain and my brain is tormented with images of my heroic sacrifice to save Mr Jackson's life."

Nathan almost choked on the air he was drawing in. "Your heroic what?!"

The nurse ushered them into the waiting room, which had low, padded couches arranged around the large area. Nathan continued as they pulled a low coffee table into the centre of the chairs and got seated.

"I saved your sorry hide, Standish. You were standing there with your mouth hanging open, about to get your fool ass shot again when I covered you." He continued to scowl when he heard a low rumble and glanced sideways to see Josia chuckling deep in his chest. Another glare at Ezra and he realised the man was baiting him and shook his head.

"What have you got, Ezra?" Chris asked, there was no time to waste.

Ezra opened his folder and removed two large envelopes, using his free hand to tip the contents onto the glass table. Several prints of grainy black and white shots spilled onto the table before them. Ezra lined them up in order.

"This shot here of Ms McBride was the first captured by the cameras. It was taken at 9.20pm. She was in the line outside for around forty minutes, not viewable until around this time as she got closer to the lit entrance."

"She looks like she's on another planet," Murphy commented, seeing the vacant expression on her face even

through the poor quality. "No wonder she hasn't woken up."

Chris's eyes narrowed at the photo. "I saw this girl. Are you sure this is her?" Chris remembered the girl in the line, staring vacantly ahead, her white top clinging to her wet skin as he and Buck stood on the steps a moment, contemplating their next move. Damn…

Ezra nodded. "Positive. She's been identified by the parents who requested a viewin' of the tapes earlier this

mornin'."

Chris shook his head and picked up the photo for a closer inspection. "She was in the rain when we went out the back to meet with you. Four bikes went past us and then two returned to the entrance. That would have been around…"

"9.45," Ezra finished, pulling aside another shot. "Here you can see she moved further up the line… and here is Buck and yourself leavin' the buildin', 9.44pm to be precise." He continued to pull photos aside as he filled in the story. "You can see most of the crowd turnin' to look out at the street here which, I'm assumin', is about the time that the four bikers rode past, then here you can see the headlights returnin' from the left…"

He grabbed the other envelope and Nathan took it from him, to open it onto the table and save him the effort of struggling with one hand. Chris's eyes fell on the photo that came out on top and he felt the first measure of success he'd had all day.

"There you can see Ms McBride clearly gettin' onto one of the bikes, her friend is standing on the curb, gesturing back inside. She doesn't look pleased." He looked up at Chris. "They must have been the two bikers that you saw go back to the entrance."

"She doesn't look like she's being forced against her will," Murphy commented, but Nathan gave him a dark look.

"That doesn't mean she wasn't later."

"I think the girl's friend has been telling a few lies," Josiah said, contemplating the photographs. "She stated her friend was unwilling to leave, but that is clearly untrue."

"And if she's lyin' about one thing..." Ezra let the thought hang.

Chris stood. "Well, she isn't helping her friend any, but at least we can prove it wasn't Tanner that took her in the first place."

Murphy also stood. "Now we just have to prove he didn't do anything with her later. I'm going to update Travis."

"And I'm going to get some answers," Chris said, heading for the door also.

Nathan spoke up. "Chris, you can't get to her, they won't let you talk to her until the doctors are satisfied she can handle it."

Chris didn't turn back. "There's other ways of getting information, Nathan." Then, calling over his shoulder, "Josiah, Nathan, get onto her friend, we need to get the real story out of her. Ezra, you done good. Now go home," he said shortly, but then turned at the last second. "You see Tanner at the hospital?"

Ezra nodded. "I took a turn past his room before I left. He was preocuppied with a rather burly lookin' man. From the glimpse I had of his gargantuan frame, I would speculate that it was the club enforcer."

Damn. The same guy that punished him back in Texas before he left. That couldn't be good. "Someone call Buck and make sure he's watching that room."

The three agents watched Chris leave before Ezra leant back in his chair, content he had done something positive that morning.

"What are you looking so smug about?" Nathan asked him, looking at the photos again.

Ezra's drawl was languid as he grinned. "I was just envisionin' the ceremony as they present me with my medal of honour for savin' your life."

Nathan scowled instantly, standing up and heading for the door. "Any time you want to thank me, Standish, you let me know."

Ezra waited until he was near the door before speaking with a sincere voice. "Nathan."

Nathan turned around and Ezra's throat actually stuck. To his surprise the medic smiled and shook his head. "Don't mention it, Ezra."

Josiah got up and hoisted Ezra up by his good arm. "Heading home brother?" he asked.

At this Ezra smiled. "Perhaps after I determine how my considerable skills can further aid in our investigation."

Josiah laughed. "Didn't think so."

..

Vin heard the door click and knew that Sugar had returned. He'd fallen asleep shortly after he'd discovered the man in his room earlier, physically unable to hold his eyes open no matter what he was dealing with.

"You're awake, well that's a start."

Vin watched him take the seat he had occupied earlier with an inward sigh, not moving his head to look, but following with his eyes in the dim light.

"I spoke to the boys back home, they'll all be rocking up in the next few days for the funeral... That ought to make things a bit warmer in this town."

Funeral… He hadn't even thought about that yet. It would no doubt be a massive affair. A huge procession of bikers out to farewell their fallen brothers. He'd missed the last one in Texas after the bust had gone down. He had mixed feelings about this news. On the one hand, it meant that a potential flare-up with the law was highly probable, with that many bikers converging on the town at once, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be relieved to hear that his own chapter would be heading into town. These were boys he knew well, having them here would relieve some of the tension he'd been getting from the Denver based men that treated him more like a hated relative than a valued brother.

No other state chapter was governed this way, of that he was certain. There was something decidely off-kilter about the way the Denver club was acting, almost like they were a separate, inpenetrable entity. It would definately help to have some familiar faces around. Still, the fact that Sugar had acknowledged the coldness made him realise the hostility wasn't just towards him.

"It ain't just me then."

"Nope, there's a definate chill ta this place, an' it ain't just the weather."

When a silence stretched, Vin knew Sugar wasn't going to say anything else about it.

"Where's my bike?" He asked then, thinking he hadn't seen it since before the Doc had taken him to the hospital. He hoped it wasn't sitting out in the rain.

Sugar smiled at one of the first questions from the younger man's mouth. Here he was, in serious shit, but his priorities were still right. "Sent it out to the club house on the back of a truck. I'm stayin' out there for the week. Thought you'd wanna come out there too when they let you out, seein's how you were gona shack up with Keg while you were here..."

Vin flinched at that and Sugar saw the pain the words brought. He was grieving for his old friend, he thought. He did not know of the guilt Vin was feeling.

Vin turned his head and moved his wrist, the metal bracelet making a noise as it pulled against the lowered frame and he turned to look at it for a moment. The scenario was all too familiar to him. He shifted his gaze to his other arm, seeing before feeling the IV line that was still running into his system, effectively imobilising his free arm. "You think they're gonna let me out for the funeral with my rap sheet?"

Sugar shook his head. "You won't take the fall for this."

His voice was so certain that Vin looked at him sharply. There was a hell of a lot going on here that he didn't know about - and he wanted to know what it was.

"Fall for what, exactly? I don't remember much 'cept there bein' a girl near me and cops rushin' in an' shoutin' an' throwin' punches... what the fuck happened?" He only remembered the girl being carried out and knew what the cops had accused him of as they had read him his rights, one punch at a time. He'd woken up, cuffed to the bed and still no closer to understanding what had gone on.

Sugar was scowling. "I was hopin' you could tell me." He studied Vin's confused, frustrated expression. "That girl you were with was reported missin'. Her father went nuts, contacted the media tryin'a find her when the local cops didn't turn up anythin' fast enough for him. They started blamin' the club for kiddnappin' her... they're lookin' fer a scape goat..."

Vin's eyes narrowed. "An' that's me?" He shook his head, trying again to remember what the hell had happened after he'd left the bar with the Doc. "Fuck..." he swore softly, coming up blank and then looking up at Sugar. "I's in no shape fer anythin' other than sleep when I went with Doc..." A thought occured to him then. "Doc was with me, what's he sayin' happened?"

But Sugar just shook his head. "That he dropped you at the party after the hospital, nothin' else."

"An' how'd the cops find out where she was?"

Sugar's face looked dangerous. "I don't know that yet either."

Vin was angry, this was looking just like the bust back in Texas, only then he had known he was going to have to take the fall. This time, someone was forcing it on him. Had the club tipped off the cops in order to frame him? Had Jake not bought his story when he'd returned..? Jesus, that had to be it.

"What the fuck were you thinkin' comin' out here on your own?"

The question took Vin completely by surprise. In fact, when he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever

exchanging this many words with the man in one sitting, unless it was about fighting. He had to know what was going on, so he took a chance.

"If yer gonna pin this on me, I deserve ta know why," he said straight, half expecting one of the man's big arms to come swinging at him for being so direct. "I've done my time fer the club, this ain't my wrap."

Vin watched Sugar closely. There was definate anger in his roughened face, but it wasn't directed at him. His honest response surprised Vin. "I don't know what the hell's goin' on here, but it ain't comin' from the top." He made a point of looking at Vin's beaten face. "Looks like the chapter here ain't behavin' too brotherly. Either that or they're short on probates and are usin' any Texan handy as the next best thing."

"I feel like a fuckin' outsider here. Thought we's all s'posed to be part'a the same thing."

"Eddie's comin' up himself, he'll sort these boys out when he gets here."

Vin was surprised to hear that the club's overall president for over twenty years was making the trip. He rarely left Texas any more, partly due to the law not allowing him to travel interstate. There was more going on than Vin's troubles. They had obviously been watching the Denver chapter for a while, maybe finally deciding they had gone too far.

"This ain't just about me..."

He knew then he'd pushed too far into affairs that were beyond his rank in the club when Sugar's scowl deepened, and this time it was for him.

"You won't go down for this," he told him again. "They need a scapegoat we'll send in one of our own probates if we have to, it won't be you this time."

Again there was a silence and Vin knew that the topic of the Denver chapter was closed. He indicated his chained arm. "So this'll be comin' off soon?" It was bothering him, more than he would ever admit.

Sugar gave him a strange look, strange because Vin actually thought he saw understanding there, but realised he had to be seeing things. This man was incapable of such feelings. He watched as he pushed his large, stocky frame up. "Don't worry about it, it'll be taken care of. Charlie's gonna turn up in a bit, he rode up with me, he'll be 'round if ya need anythin' 'til I get back. Might be a while." He didn't elaborate.

Vin knew Charlie, a huge man with a giant sense of humour but an equally big mouth. No secret was safe from him and he seemed to know everything that was going on at once, which could come in handy to a man like Vin. He was glad to know he was around.

He watched Sugar pause, he wasn't heading out just yet, though. His eye's narrowed as the large man slowly leant on the wall behind him, his arms folded across his giant chest and his keen blue-grey eyes looking intently at him, like a wall of stone.

"So this is the part when you tell me what the fuck happened out there at the club."

Vin leant his head back and looked at the roof, knowing he should make eye contact, but too tired to care. He sighed and resigned himself to the questioning. Here we go again, he thought wearily. He was so damn tired… tired of the whole game. He was sick of having to pander to a bunch of low-lives when all he really wanted to do was take them all down in one violent swoop... but that wasn't how the game was played.

..

A few hours later Buck and JD exited the elevator and met with a wall of solid muscle, looking like the epitome of 'bad-ass biker' himself, clad in a black leather vest over a short sleeve, black t-shirt. A colourful array of tattoo's covered both massive arms, down to the rings, which adorned each oversized finger. The colourful body artwork extended up to cover the entire area of his closely shaved head, no one clear picture decipherable amongst the overlapping ink, which linked together like a graffiti explosion. With a smile of bared teeth, the biker stepped aside to let them pass and Buck had to look up to see the man's mocking grin as they walked by.

Barely had the doors closed behind the man when JD shook his head. "Did you see the size of that guy?! He should be a wrestler, I ain't never seen a man that big and wide up close."

Buck just grinned, "See him flinch? The guy was scared'a me."

JD snorted but Buck looked back toward the elevator, his senses on alert. Where there was one...

They followed the line of agents and uniformed police guarding the floor, identifying themselves until they came to a doorway and went inside the NTF agent's room, adjusting their eyes to the lowered lighting. JD's pupils, however, only grew as he took everything in; studying every detail of the man on the bed's face. He had heard so much in one morning and his curiosity was sky high. He loved motorbikes, had had his own for nearly three months now, although it wasn't running. He had always been fascinated with bikers and this was the closest he had ever come to one… well, not that Tanner was one, exactly… but he was the closest he'd come yet, except the guy at the elevator…

"JD."

JD looked at Buck and realised his thoughts had run wild.

"Sit here for a while, I'm going to get something to eat."

JD looked at him in disbelief. "You just ate."

Buck gave him a hard look and scowled again at the bed. The `prisoner' was locked to the frame and seeing that, he knew JD would be alright. He needed to get some air. There was one crime more than any other that he could not abide, could not deal with rationally - the abuse of a woman.

"Just stay here, I'll be back in a minute."

JD watched him leave and once again the room was quiet. He could not help but step closer to peer at the man in the bed, taking in the bruises on his face and the deep cut above his eye. He was so much younger than he had thought he would be – and cleaner too! Hell, what had he expected, him to be lying there in his black riding clothes, covered in grease and dirt? Shaking his head at his own thoughts, he looked at the handcuff and the slack, bandaged wrist encased inside, lean fingers relaxed against the crisp sheet.

"Takin' it all in, kid?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus Christ! You scared the hell outta me!"

Vin chuckled slightly, despite the ache that ran through his side, which had started to hurt when he had begun his long monologue to Sugar only ten minutes prior. He'd closed his eyes and heard the door open again and used the moment it had taken the two men to adjust to the light to peer at them through semi-closed lids. He'd quickly determined it was the ATF agent from the night before. Wilmington, he thought his name was. Listening, he had heard the anger in his tone, but was not sure what it was directed at. For the first time it occurred to him that the agents from the night before would be getting all kinds of mixed information about his arrest. What had they concluded? Would they think him guilty and assume the worst?

As Wilmington had left Vin had then felt the scrutiny of the young, curious man now looking down at him with

wide, eager eyes. If he was an agent, he wasn't one long in the field, judging by the glimpse he'd had of a young face and the scrappy covering of a new beard, not yet filled in.

"You're awake?" JD squeaked, embarrassed to have been caught ogling.

"I'm thinkin' so."

JD noted the relaxed face, through the mottled bruises and felt himself relax. There was something about the slow delivery of the Texan's drawl that helped put him at ease.

"I gotta watch your room for a while."

Vin nodded, amusement in his tired blue eyes. "And you are…?"

"Oh," he stepped forward. "JD Dunne, Agent JD Dunne, of the ATF."

Vin nodded again. "Pleased ta meet ya, Agent JD Dunne. I'd shake yer hand, but…" he lifted the wrist closest to JD and again the metal band jangled on the bed frame.

JD looked at the hand again and then the silence stretched. The undercover agent was looking at him intently and it was unnerving him. Why didn't he say something?

Vin was keeping one eye on the door. A uniformed cop had just poked his head in behind JD's back so that the kid had missed it. The man had looked like he was on a mission and Vin sensed trouble. Having an ATF agent visiting him was not good. His club wouldn't like it and the boys in uniform outside sure wouldn't like it, not after their effort in arresting him earlier that had come with a warning to keep his mouth shut.

"You don't have ta stay in here," Vin told him. "You can wait outside."

JD looked at the door and then pulled out a chair to get settled in. "Can't do that. Buck – ah, Agent Wilmington, wants me to stay in here, under orders from the Captain."

Larabee… Was he watching his back? What was he thinking, now that he was being held on charges of rape? Surely he would know that he couldn't have done it in the shape he was in last night. Still, why should he assume anyone would think the better of him? He considered getting a message to Larabee through his young agent, but there were too many ears around right then listening in.

The silence stretched again and then JD blurted. "I ride a bike, too."

Vin smiled, he couldn't help it. The kid was nervous as hell but curious as a cub. "That so…" He paused, the kid wanted to go on. All he had to do was stay silent and JD would shut the hell up. Yet, something had him encouraging him anyway. "Whadaya ride?"

"A Suzuki, she's a beauty, an SV 650, only got her a few months back but she runs like a dream. Well, least she did till she broke down last month and I can't get her going again. She's been in the shop a while. Lucky I moved in with Buck and he gives me a lift to work most days. I don't know if I'll have the money to pick it up once its finished at the shop. They mostly fix Harley's there, but it was close enough to wheel it over to without having to load it up on Buck's truck."

"Might wanna check up an' get a tally. Some'a those shops can rip ya off if ya let `em. Make sure they tell ya what they're gonna do first `fore they go an' do it."

JD nodded. "I didn't even get to take it on a nice long run, always wanted to do that. You know, just ride out for hours on a nice clear day?"

Vin grinned. Now that he could understand, particularly given the predicament he was currently in. He was as far from freedom as a person could get right then. "Ain't nothin' like it in the world. Gettin' that wind on yer face, seein' the open road, all yer thoughts meltin' away…"

He stopped and JD thought for a minute he'd drifted to sleep when his eyes didn't open for a second. He studied the lean face again. He liked Vin Tanner, instantly. There was no arrogance or attitude in his voice as he talked to him, offering advice. It was as if he were a friend, chatting, albeit he had done most of the chatting himself.

The door opening drew their attention and they looked up to see a uniformed officer enter, followed by a grey haired, older man. Vin's face grew hard as he recognised the police Chief.

"We would like a word with the prisoner alone," the Chief informed JD.

JD's eyes swerved to Vin's. For some reason, he respected this man and trusted his judgement. He was, after all, going to be on their team. The Texan nodded ever so slightly and he saw the message to go, yet he had his orders.

"I'm sorry, I'm ordered to stay in the room."

Levitz frowned and toyed with the elastic band he held in his hand. "By whom?"

"Captain Larabee, ATF."

Using pure arrogance, the Chief snarled. "You tell your Captain that my authority outweighs his here and if he wants to challenge me on that, he can take it up with me himself, not get his little yap dog to stand in for him."

JD was angered by the words, but flustered and not sure what to do. After all, this was the Police Chief, he had no reason to disobey him, did he? But there was a tension in the room that had begun with his arrival and the atmosphere did not seem to bode well for Vin. JD was beginning accept that the police really had done this to him and landed him in here, where he had not previously been sure what to think. He needed to get Buck, he'd know what to do. He met Vin's eyes again.

"See ya soon, Agent Dunne." He was telling him to go.

As JD left, Vin felt his stomach knot, despite himself. The uniformed officer closed the door as the Chief approached and Vin made sure his face remained completely impassive.

"Ya come ta practice some more'a that law ya preach?"

Levitz smiled a cold smile as he pocketed the elastic band.

"The girl might have stated you didn't do anything, but that doesn't mean you weren't an accomplice. You bastards are all alike, taking the law into your own hands, making up your own rules."

Vin heard the first sentence and his mind began to whirl. He was off the hook? It must have just happened and the Chief had come straight here. Suddenly he thought of Sugar as he'd sworn to him earlier that he wouldn't take the fall for the girl and he began to get a sick feeling. What had Sugar done? But right then, he put on a grin for the corrupt Chief. "Well well... guess ya came ta make yer apology then."

The Chief's eyes were hard, full of menace. "You smart-mouthed little prick. It doesn't change the fact that she was assaulted."

Vin's own eyes iced over. "Not by me she wasn't."

"You would have joined in if you could have. You're probably pissed off that you missed the fun."

So Levitz did know that he was innocent. He felt anger surge, but knew that would get him nowhere. He realised words were useless with this man. "Guess ya have ta release me now..." he already knew that wasn't why the man was here.

The Chief grinned again, reminded of his purpose. He pulled a key from his pocket and toyed with it. "You got a lot of attention aimed at you, boy. Seems a lot of people are interested in you." He stared down into Vin's face, his eyes threatening. "I don't want to hear that you tried to turn that to your advantage, by making up stories that aren't true - like false tales of police brutality."

Son of a bitch. He was here trying to cover his own ass, not wanting him to tell anyone what they had done to him now that he realised he wasn't going to get busted for the girl. Again, his anger got the better of him.

"Reckon ya might wanna go check yer manual on how ta arrest a man right… Think there might even be this bit `bout 'innocent `til proven guilty'. Ya mighta skipped that part while's you were beatin' on children or somethin' at the academy, drownin' puppies, that kinda thing."

The Chief used one of his hands to take Vin's wrist in his own, fingering the restraint. "You could be right."

With that he jerked Vin's wrist back so sharply that the Texan growled in the sudden onslaught of pain to the already ravaged skin.

"Then again, I've been around long enough to know that with animals like you, there's only one way to get the message through. There's only one language that you understand."

Once more his wrist was snapped back at an angle, the torn flesh beneath the bandage tearing anew as it protested against the restraint of hard metal and the sudden stretching of its limit against the bed frame.

On a hiss of breath, his chest holding his pain at bay with protest, Vin glared at the greying man. "Ya seem ta speak that language pretty easy. Seems not all the bad seeds grow on the wrong side `a the law."

The Chief almost snarled. "I live to keep decent folk safe from thugs like you."

Vin's look spat vengeance, even as he shifted and felt the wound to his side protest. His voice was raw. "An' who keeps `em safe from you?"

As the Chief leaned forward, his face dark with anger, Vin knew he wasn't done, that he should not have pushed the man. Still, as he felt the weight of the man's hand leaning on his battered chest, he made a promise. His list for retribution had just grown by one.