OWT-Epilogue

Moving On

Three Months Later

"Marshal David Bryant the Fourth, do you understand why you are here today?" the interrogator asked.

"Yes, I shot my son, Tucker Bryant, attempted to frame Boris Kuester von Jurgens-Ratenicz

for the murder of my drug dealer, who I also killed. I also forced Boris, Dr. Hank Lawson, and my son to burn police evidence and help plant new evidence in the process. In the process, I kidnapped two civilians-Divya Katdare and Evan R. Lawson- and held them as hostages and endangered the life of a minor who suffers from hemophilia." Marshal replied, his voice void of all emotions.

"Are you aware that you will be sentenced only 15 years of jail time instead of 20 since you cooperated with the police and gave yourself in?" the woman asked.

"I am aware of that, yes." Marshal nodded.

"You will not be given the option of parole and you will lose custody of your son. You will be given the opportunity to have one visitor a month, and you may visit with one person before we send you to jail. Would you like to wave these rights or partake in them?"

"I'd like to use them."

"Who would you like to talk to?"

"My son, Tucker Bryant."

"Very well." With that, the petite woman stood from her seat and walked out of the door.

On the other side of the interrogation room, Tucker Bryant nervously bounced on his heels. How was he supposed to face him after what he did? How could Tucker forgive his father? Tucker just sighed. He knew that he had to talk to his father. Even if he didn't want to, he had to know the truth.

"Tucker, your father would like to see you now. Do you accept?" the woman who was in charge of interrogations asked.

"Of course, Milly." Tucker nodded. "I'll talk to him."

"Right this way." Milly motioned for Tucker to follow her, and the boy immediately did so. She led him into the room and pointed to the chair he should sit in. Then, she walked toward the corner of the room where a camera was pointed directly at Marshal. She clicked the button that turned the device on and reassured the father and son that they would be given the privacy they were promised. With an understanding nod from the men, she walked out of the room and closed the door.

"Tucker, I need to tell you something." Marshal started.

"And I need you to tell me something too; let's start with the truth." Tucker said. "Milly told me that you murdered your dealer. There's more too that, isn't there?"

"There always is, Tucker." Marshal sighed. "I wasn't alone with the dealer. You know that my dealer didn't have the drugs, and he tried to tell me that I was being followed and wouldn't give me them. I knew he was bluffing, and I was angry about it. I was a junkie, and I needed a fix. So I shot him and stole whatever drugs he did have on him. Well, it turns out he was right. I was being followed."

"By mom." Tucker said hollowly, filling in the blanks.

"She wasn't supposed to be there; she could've gotten hurt. Mary was pregnant with you at the time, and the thought of her getting stuck in the middle of a drug dealer gone wrong scared the hell out of me. I rushed her back into the car, and when she started asking questions, I told her nothing had happened- it was all just a misunderstanding. She knew I was lying, so she turned around on me and started talking to the police. She didn't think I knew about it, but I did eventually find out about it. When I went to approach her about it, she went into labor, and I never got the chance to tell her. She… she died giving birth to you.

"A few months later, the police reopened her case and started digging. They found out about what had happened and where it had taken place, and they were ready to make an arrest. I panicked, and I started making I plan. I would kidnap Divya and Evan and send you, Hank, and Boris out to destroy the evidence and help create new ones. I needed them as leverage, as you know, but I never planned on hurting them until you said you weren't going to the hospital with my plan was to plant Boris' blood on the new evidence and use the rest on you. I was going to say he hurt you when I brought you to the hospital, which would have gotten the police's attention. Then, they would open an investigation against him, which is where they would have found the evidence I created. Boris would have been arrested, I would have been a free man." Marshal explained. "It would have worked, I knew, but I wasn't planning on you standing up to me."

"Did you honestly think I would have let you lie to the police, that I wouldn't figure out the truth?" Tucker asked, his voice low but not cold. "You don't know me very well then."

"I know you are right. I don't know the man that you are." Marshal whispered. Tucker didn't respond; he just kept his head low and let his mind process what his father had done. There were still holes and questions to be asked, but he let it go. There was no need to dwell on the past anymore; it was time to move on. "Please, Tucker, say something."

"What you did was horrible, and I may be an idiot for doing this, but I forgive you. And now, I'm going to do something you've never been able to do."

"Yeah? And what would that be?" Marshal snorted defensively.

"I'm going to walk away, and I'm going to let this go," Tucker stood up, and so did Marshal. Milley and an armed police guard walked into the room at that moment, and Tucker took the opportunity to start walking out. He stopped when he reached the door, though, and he turned back to face his dad. "I'll see you in 15 years." Then, Tucker left.

The police guard escorted Marshal out of the room and into his new 'home'. His cuffs were removed and his door was locked.

"Yeah, I'll see you then." Marshal whispered.

Later that Day

"I assume you're wondering why I brought you here." Boris started.

"I think I know why I'm here." Tucker said from his seat across from Boris. The older man had asked him to come over to his mansion, and Tucker had agreed to without any other explanation. Now, as Boris slid three police files closer to him, he had a feeling he knew why. "This is about my mother, Mary Jules."

"That it is, Tucker." Boris nodded. "I'm assuming Marshal told you that your mother started working as a consultant against him with the police. She told them everything she knew about what had happened, but in all honesty she didn't know much. With the information she gave them and the information the police had all ready received, they managed to make the connection, though.

"One of these police files contains the information Mary knew. The other two, on the other hand, are mandatory information about her that the police acquired all their consultants to give them. One of the files is filled with information strictly about her, and the other one is about her family and friends.

"You should know that I've studied these files quite thoroughly, and that I've learned things about your mother that no one else knew except herself. But it's time for me to put these files away now, and I'd like to pass them on to you."

"But that's not the only reason I'm here, is it?" Tucker asked.

Boris passed the files to Tucker, who put them to the side for the moment. He nodded his head, and then he smiled. Boris reached down underneath the table and brought up a suitcase.

"What's that for?"

"It's for you…if you're willing to accept my offer." Boris let a small silence build between them as he started smiling again. "Tucker, you've accepted my offer to stay as a guest with your girlfriend Libby in my home, but now your father's in jail and you have to handle your father's finances, and that includes his business. Cooperate America is cutthroat, and you're not ready for the challenge yet. You're going to be expected to, though, and I'm here to propose an offer that will ease you into the process."

Boris took a moment to set the suitcase upright before continuing. Then, he asked the question both men had been waiting for.

"Tucker, it would be an honor to have you under my wing and study the ways of business as an heir to a fortune. Would you be my protégé?"

The boy sat stunned. He had hoped for this for a very long time but still he was hesitant. He had been disappointed so many times before. For long seconds he sat gawking at the older man's kind and understanding smile.

Slowly, Tucker mimicked Boris' smile and stood up confidently. He reached for the suitcase that the man had slid closer to him and picked it up.

"It would be my pleasure."

Boris stood opposite of Tucker and extended his hand. Tucker shook it firmly before allowing Boris to lead him back inside. Without another word between the two men, they entered the house and let the door close shut behind them.

The End

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