The Monster

Nicknames are well earned. Jack's past comes back to haunt him. The team tries to help the stubborn Jack, but will they be too late?

Friend or Foe?

Liz and Jack stared at eachother as they reached a conversational stalemate. They were both incredibly stubborn, as they entered a fierce staring contest. Jack looked away studying the pictures on the wall. She must have remodeled since he was last down here. He heard Liz with her coffee pot.

"You just missed Hank." She broke the silence.

"I know. I figured it was best I avoid him." Jack said with a smile. Liz chuckled.

"You punched him on our wedding day."

"Not my shining moment." Jack said as she handed him some ice.

"What did you do?" Liz said giving him a stern look.

"I met with some of Ryan's friends." Jack said putting the ice on his sore knuckles. Another awkward silence took over the pair. Jack decided to sit as his side began to feel incredibly sore. It hurt when he twisted, turned, stretched, and breathed.

"Im not mad you came. I just wished you came here first, Jack. I was trying to avoid this. I wish you didn't do that..." She crossed her arms giving him a judgmental look.

"Don't tell me he's not involved." Jack argued.

"You don't know what's going on..."

"Where's ma?!" Jack demanded. Jack turned around to search for his mother.

"Stop. She's not here. She's in the hospital. That's why I called you."

"What happened?" Jack asked as his voice was shaky. Jack shook his head shaking off a brief wave of lightheadedness.

"I'll explain on the way. Come on," she said as she took his hand. She knew better than to let her brother out of her sight. Despite the time since they've seen eachother but she knew her brother.

Mac and Riley arrived at the 'Flat Tire' to see many motorcycles and cars in front. The Flat Tire was a local biker bar, and a known hot spot for the local gang unit who accompanied Mac and Riley. Matty had commandeered an office at the local sheriffs office. They all posed as FBI Agents with a made up story about cartel drugs linked with said biker gang.

Mac rushes in with Riley following forgetting that his safety net was gone. The bar was destroyed. There was broken glass everywhere. The bikers were all on edge. Mac walks over to the phone with a knife sticking out of it.

"I'm getting an ambulance over here." The local police sergeant said as the other officer began escorting everyone else. Mac grabbed the closest guy as Riley tried to find anything on the phone.

"What can you tell me about the person who did this?" Mac asked the badly beaten man.

"Some nut case came in and started swinging." The bartender lied as he looked out of his swollen eyes.

"What did he look like?" Mac asked.

"I don't know."

"Did he say anything?" Mac asked knowing full well that the beaten biker was lying.

"Nothing worth repeating." The bartender said with a smile despite his face. "If y'all don't find this knucklehead we will." He finished as he walked away.

Mac joins Riley outside. Mac observes the scenery and the locals behavior. It was almost surreal. Riley tried to find anything she could off of Jack's busted phone. Riley's face lit up as she unlocked a part of Jack's life that she had searched for years ago.

"Find anything?" Mac asked seeing her face demeanor change.

"Jack got a phone call from a local number. I traced the number back. It's a landline... Owner's name is Hank Foley. Hank is married to a Elizabeth. Guess what her maiden name is?"

"Dalton? It's his sister?"

"Looks like it. Elizabeth has a brother named Ryan... and Jack. Ryan is affiliated with the losers in the bar. Ryan has a long rap sheet." Riley was taken back that after how she had looked for Jack and could not find him. She could not find any siblings of his of parents. It was like he appeared out of thin air, but as she looked on Elizabeth family tree she saw that her Jack disappeared out of thin air. Tricky Texan, she thought.

Ryan and Jack were Irish twins. Jack was eleven months the elder, but the pair could pass as twins. Ryan looked a little thinner. He kept his hair short and had a tattoos from his chin down.

"A biker with an anger problem. Looks like he's been in and out of prison for assaults, drugs, and domestic violence. Sounds like a nice guy. Is he in, or out now?" Mac said reading the screen. Mac choose to ignore the fact that they looked so similar.

"Out on probation. I can bring up his address."

"Do it. Get Elizabeth's too. She called him. She has to know where Jack is."

"Or maybe she's the one that had Jack go after Ryan?"

"We will find out. Let's go."

They arrived at Ryan's house. It was a small rundown trailer. There was an old car in pieces on what used to be the lawn. There was a nice car parked in the driveway. They could smell the mix of booze, cigarettes, and chemicals. Mac cautiously approached the door as Riley held her computer as if it was a weapon. Mac bangs on the door hard fearing that the person inside would not hear him over the music. There was a glimmer of hope when they heard the music stop. A woman answered the door. She had messy short brown hair, and was rail thin. She was pale, and wiry. She was relentless and scratching herself as she stared at the pair.

"Who are you?" She asked scratching her neck.

"Uh... Friends." Mac stuttered taken back by the woman's behavior.

"Y'all don't look like any friends of mine. You from probation? Ryan ain't here." She said wiping her nose.

"When's the last time you've seen Ryan? We aren't the police."

"You hardly look old enough to be any police. Ryan left about fifteen minutes ago. There was a problem at the clubhouse." She whined as she ran her fingers through her knotty hair.

"Have you seen this guy?" Mac asked showing the woman Jack's photo.

"That's Ryan's psycho brother." She replied smoking a cigarette. "Jack. I haven't seen him since Ryan's dad's funeral... He and Ryan got into this huge fight and Ryan got arrested. Who starts a fight at a funeral?"

"What'd they fight about?" Riley asked.

"Who knows? Those two are always fighting... Why are you ask about Ryan and Jack? I shouldn't... I shouldn't be talking to you..." She said having a sobering moment.

"Wait!" Riley yelled as the woman shut the door in their face.

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