Author's Note: Well, folks, here it is. The last chapter. And just in time for a crazy weekend for me. There is a sequel coming sometime as Noelle and Will have a lot more story to tell. But my focus is shifting to the next New York State of Mind story. Not only that, but I have some RL issues to resolve, health-wise, so my writing's slowing down. Keep an eye on my profile, though, as I'll be updating that with new titles and summaries as I work out the stories in my mind.
Guest: So very glad you're enjoying the story! I hope you like this final chapter.
As always, I hope you enjoy this final chapter, and let me know what you think! ~lg
oOo
Things moved quickly once they knew where Travis had gone. Van Buren's yacht had a GPS transponder, and Benji immediately went to work locating the luxury ship while Ethan and Will escorted Van Buren from his home. The two women in the family had already vacated the premises, carrying what they could and knowing they likely wouldn't return. Thankfully, the Hanigan home wasn't part of the IMF's seizures, so that could be sold to allow the women to live a comfortable, albeit less grandiose, life. Will felt for them, knowing their lives had been shattered by Van Buren's arrest.
By the time he had Van Buren tucked away in an armored van and headed for an IMF holding facility, Benji had a location on the yacht. Travis had stopped just under twelve nautical miles out, still in US waters and giving the IMF agents the ability to call on the Coast Guard. While Jane checked to see if any ships were in the area, Will went over the technical specs with Benji as they plotted their approach and tactics once on board. Ethan arranged for transport: a very nice speedboat docked at the Van Buren home. Within an hour, the IMF team had boarded said speedboat after sending a coded communique indicating Van Buren wanted to meet on the yacht. Will hoped the tactic worked so they could approach, knowing that the coming fight would take everything he had.
Was he ready for this? Could he really kill a man that Noelle had once loved? It didn't matter whether he liked the guy or not. That she had cared about Travis Gilbertson told Will that there had been some good in the man. Unfortunately, he doubted just how much good given the way that Travis had abused her emotionally and verbally from the day they married.
Yeah, I can do it, he decided. Setting aside his questions about Noelle, he focused on the bigger picture. Travis Gilbertson had killed no less than four people, a number that would likely multiply the deeper they dug into his life. Based on what Noelle had told him about her marriage, Will believed Travis had been killing for the Coalition for years, not just recently.
The yacht came into view, a beacon of lights on the dark water. The sound of the speedboat carried over the ocean, and Will found himself tensing up in preparation for the fight. The soreness from yesterday's fight along with the anxiety from today had combined, and he flexed his fingers and carefully moved joints stiff from sitting for too long. He could do this. He would do this. While not as earth-shattering as a nuclear strike, this was no less important to him.
Movement on the deck of the yacht greeted them as Ethan piloted the speedboat toward it. The Ephraim deputy waited for them, his back turned as he hollered something to the lower decks about drinks. He spun when Ethan cut the speedboat's engine and found himself nose-to-nose with Benji and a nine mil. Will put a finger to his lips to indicate quiet, and Benji backed him up with a rather menacing glare. After a moment in which all of them froze, the deputy raised his hands and wisely allowed Ethan to relieve him of his sidearm. While Jane took the man into custody and transferred him to the speedboat, the other three IMF agents quietly boarded the yacht.
Ethan allowed Will to take the lead. That struck the younger man as he inched his way through the yacht. Without thinking, he ordered Ethan to check the upper deck area, realizing that the more experienced agent didn't question the instructions as Ethan passed him. This really was his mission, even if Ethan had years on him.
"Hey, what's taking so long?" Travis headed up the stairs, two drinks in his hand as he spoke. He glanced up and found both Benji and Will aiming at his head. After a beat in time, he threw the drinks. One struck Benji on the forehead, the heavy crystal cutting the Englishman's head, and the other doused Will with cognac. Then, Travis bolted downstairs.
Shaking his head at the other man's arrogance, Will followed. Benji sat down hard on the stairs, shaking the cognac from his eyes and pressing a hand to his cut head. Will heard him pop back up again when Ethan reported the upper decks were clear, but he focused solely on Travis.
Noelle's ex-husband had beelined for the kitchen. Will understood. A kitchen held a multitude of weapons that anyone experienced in self-defense and close quarter fighting could use. He rounded the corner for the galley just as the first shot sounded and wood paneling flew. Thankfully, his reflexes were as quick as ever, or the fight would have been over before it even began.
Will popped out of his hiding spot to fire a few shots, all of them missing. He and Travis traded gunfire, neither one doing much beyond angering their opponents. Will ejected the clip from his gun, replacing it with one from his pocket as he sighed. If this continued, they'd find themselves in a sinking ship because one of those bullets would inevitably cause real problems. No matter how he felt, the IMF wanted Travis alive. That meant Will would do everything in his power to make it happen.
Diving and rolling for a new vantage point in the cabin, Will managed to catch Travis in the arm. The bullet barely grazed the assassin, but it was enough to send the other man's gun flying.
When Will moved in, Travis kicked out. Will caught his leg and wrenched it to one side, dodging the vase that Travis threw at him. The dodge cost him as Travis hobbled to his feet and attacked with the same speed as before. His blows hit previous injuries, knocking the air from Will's lungs. He managed to keep his focus and kicked at Travis's already injured leg. That drew a shout from Travis, along with a blow to his shoulders. Will flattened to the ground, trying to roll with the blow while reaching out for something—anything—to give him an edge. He came up with the vase, which turned out to be metal rather than porcelain like Will had thought. He got his feet under him and swung around, catching Travis in the face. The assassin fell backward, his hands coming up to defend himself. Unfortunately, it put him within arm's reach of his gun, which he grabbed. Will kicked it out of his hand and took a kick to the groin for his troubles.
Doubled over from the agony, he heard Travis get to his feet. The assassin laughed. "Look at you. Couldn't even finish a mission for your precious IMF."
Will glared at him from the tops of his eyes, following the assassin around the kitchen with his gaze and feigning more pain than he actually felt. He'd be rather sore in the morning but, now that the initial blow had come and gone, he was able to push through it and focus. But he needed Travis to think he was still recovering.
Travis laughed again. "What was this all for, Brandt? The IMF? Or your precious Noelle?" He reached out and grabbed Will's hair, yanking his head back and spitting in Will's face as he spoke. "Because you know what I'm gonna do when I'm finished here? I'm gonna go back to that beach house, burn everything in it, and teach Noelle to respect me! I'm gonna take her as mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
The sound of a gun's hammer being pulled back filled the cabin. Ethan's voice came a moment later. "How are you planning to do that if I pull this trigger?"
As Travis's smirk faded, Will's grew. He pulled his hair out of Travis's grasp and slammed his head forward. Travis howled as Will's head-butt broke his nose and sent blood down his face. Ethan wrestled the assassin's arms behind his back, arresting him and handing him off to Benji. "You okay, Brandt?"
Will blinked, the combination of his old and new injuries overwhelming him for a bit. With Travis in custody, the pain from the assassin's earlier blow plus the new concussion and stiff muscles caused him to clench his teeth. "Yeah."
Ethan didn't believe him, but he graciously didn't say anything. Instead, he clapped Will on the shoulder. "You did good."
"We're not done, Ethan." Will met his eyes. "This is just one branch of the Coalition. They're going to be setting up a whole new cabal and reorganizing things."
Ethan nodded. "We'll catch them." He eyed Will from the corner of his eye. "We always do."
The sounds of a scuffle on the stairs broke into the men's conversation, and they glanced up in time to see Travis get Benji into a choke-hold. The close quarters and Travis's determination had overpowered the Englishman, whose eyes bulged as he struggled to get his footing on the narrow stairs. Behind him, Travis grinned gleefully, blood turning his teeth red as he happily choked the life from the IMF agent.
Will didn't think. He didn't have to. With the life of his friend in danger, he grabbed the sidearm that he'd dropped a few moments ago and fired. Travis's head snapped back from the bullet, and Benji fell forward. Ethan rushed to catch Benji, and the three men turned to look at the dead assassin.
Ethan shrugged. "Well, live by the sword. . . ."
No one finished the statement.
oOo
With Travis dead, the mop up went rather quickly. Van Buren's assets were seized, and his wife and daughter turned their backs on him. Thankfully, both women had invested wisely, and they would be able to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately for them, they lost the big house in the Hamptons and the luxury they'd been accustomed to in favor of something more modest but still quite large.
Van Buren refused to talk, finding it easier to face the wall and wait for death. Will and Ethan took turns interrogating him about the Coalition's goals, but they encountered silence. The Secretary arranged for his transport to an undisclosed location, though Will knew he'd likely end up dying before he got there. Men like Van Buren tended to eliminate any leaks in their organization, even if they were the leak.
Bill Hanigan received a star on the CIA's wall, though his wife never knew. She got his pension, which wasn't much compared to her own income, and she also personally thanked Will. She somehow knew he wouldn't accept anything from her, so she kept her gratitude to words and recognition. Will humbly endured the process and, after shaking Terrence Oliver's hand, wished the CIA well. He hadn't found Hanigan's killer for the CIA or for any other reason than a good man had died.
Amy Rastenburger had no family, and Michael Winslow's family believed he'd died in a car accident. Both of them received stars on the IMF's wall, and their benefits went to different charities. Will attended Winslow's funeral, standing in the back and presenting the appropriate face for a DoT employee at such an event. In the end, Winslow's family filed away from his casket with downcast faces that told Will they would miss their cousin but not pine for him.
The only people at Amy Rastenburger's funeral were IMF agents, and, while they grieved, they did not linger. Their job was a dangerous one, and all of them accepted that.
Jonathan Blake finally started talking after he learned his ex-son-in-law was dead. Ethan handled those interrogations in light of the conflict between the Blakes and Hayes. Will often accompanied Ethan just to get under Blake's skin, but they learned the most when he simply observed. Based on what he told them, Blake had recruited Gilbertson on the condition that Travis marry Noelle. He had, and Noelle had suffered for ten years before she finally left him. It turned Will's stomach to realize that a woman he cared about had been used as a pawn. It reeked of feudalistic positioning, and he hated to see Noelle reduced to an object valuable only for the connections she offered.
Will finally returned to Ephraim a month after he left. He couldn't be certain how Noelle would react to seeing him and so did not go to the bed and breakfast. He drove past and saw how the place looked the same as ever. It was late, though, and Noelle's van wasn't in its accustomed spot.
He found her watering the herbs on her front porch.
As soon as his car approached, she straightened and watched while he climbed out. The bruises from his fight with Travis had faded, and the muscle soreness had healed. He stood next to his car, waiting while she stared at him.
Finally, she walked down the steps and across the lawn. "You look good."
"So do you."
She really did. The sun had lightened her hair even more, and her skin had a healthy glow about it. Summer had fully come to Ephraim, bringing the vacation crowd that typically appeared this time of year. The sound of laughter echoed from the beach behind the house, and Will saw her smile as a child squealed.
Will took two steps toward her. "How have you been?"
"Good." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. "I made tea earlier. We can sit out back and talk."
"Sure." He followed her inside, seeing even more changes to the house. More furniture had been added, pictures hung, and a general feeling of home swept over him. Noelle lived here, and it showed.
He waited while she put together a light dinner for the two of them and led him outside. The sun sparkled on the water of Lake Michigan, and he smiled. This was home for him, too, though he'd never tell her.
After a long moment, he took a sip of his tea and smiled. "That's good."
"Thanks." She ate a potato chip, leaving her chicken salad sandwich for later. "How have you been?"
"Busy." He answered honestly. Then, he shook his head. "Noelle, there's a lot I can't tell you, but. . . ."
She held up a hand. "I know, Will. I've had time to think, and I believe I understand. With everything that came to light about Dad and Travis, I'm not sure I want to know everything you deal with on a daily basis. Just promise me one thing."
He eyed her, knowing his ability to make promises was limited.
She shrugged. "Stay safe."
A relieved smile came to his face. "I'll try."
"Good."
They lapsed into companionable silence while they ate their sandwiches and drank their tea. The sun set, and mothers called the children to their homes for the night. Will tried to absorb the peace of the place, wishing he could bottle it up and take it back to Washington with him.
Noelle finally stirred. "How are Benji and Jane?"
He glanced over, surprised she'd asked about his team. "They're good. Off on new missions."
"But not you?"
He shook his head. "My last one was pretty big. There's still a lot of work to do, so I'm staying with it for now. The Coalition's international, Noelle. We only brought down one portion of it."
She accepted that with a nod.
He turned to face her as the last rays of the sun caught the lake. "What about you?"
She shrugged. "Still working at the B&B, obviously. We have a new hostess—one that interests Dane."
Will laughed. "So he's finally found himself a girl?"
"We'll see." Noelle grinned with him. "They've only been dating a couple of weeks but, if I'm right, she's The One for him. He's also got a new deputy, a firecracker of a woman named Jo."
"I know." Will chuckled. "He asked me to vet her up and down."
Noelle bit the inside of her lip. "Axel's gone. Left with the kids and is living with them. I guess being here was just too much of a reminder of Greta. I'm managing the B&B now. Thinking about buying it." The mood turned sad. "It's not the same without her."
Will reached over and took her hand, holding it in support. He understood. When he'd lost his mother, his home never felt the same. "You'll make it."
"I know." She didn't let go of his hand. "I'm happy here, Will. I mean, it's hard to know what really happened, but I like it here. I'm really glad I came back."
He smiled at that. "Me, too."
Her answering smile faded quickly, and she pulled away. "I have to know. What happens now?"
He didn't need her to spell out her question. "We have your father in custody." He wished he could shield her from the reality of life. "Travis is dead, Noelle."
She closed her eyes at the news, her relief warring with the left-over affection she'd had for her ex-husband. He might have made her hate him, but she'd once loved him. "Did you do it?"
"To save Benji." Will was grateful to have that very valid excuse.
She nodded, her struggle written across her face. "Do you regret it?"
"I regret a lot of things. This is not one of them." He turned back to the lake. "I know it's your father and ex-husband, and I know there's no love lost between you and Travis. But I know what it's like to have your father disown you. I never had a father, but I had a grandfather."
Noelle took a few moments to get her emotions under control. "Speaking of which, I read the journal." She offered a shy smile. "I'm kind of glad we're not cousins."
He picked up on the unspoken meaning. "Me, too."
They sat there for several more hours, talking about things as topics came to mind. Will listened as Noelle vented about her family and what they were going through, and he shared his regrets concerning the entire situation. Life had not been easy for either of them, and they understood one another rather well. Noelle, in turn, let him think when he became pensive and refilled their tea glasses as many times as it took.
Finally, she offered him the guest room and slipped off to bed. Will stayed on the porch a while longer, debating what he should do. He really did care about Noelle, and he was grateful they weren't related. His feelings could turn romantic with very little effort, though he had promised not to let them head that direction.
Finally, he carried their empty glasses inside and locked up the house. For now, she trusted him with her safety, and it was enough.
oOo
The next morning, Noelle rose and made breakfast in a pensive mood. She'd lain awake all night, wondering what to tell Will. She truly cared about him, but she still couldn't allow herself to get involved with him romantically. As much as she wondered what it would be like to have him care for her like that, she knew better than to jump into a relationship. Travis had done a huge amount of damage to her mind and heart, and she needed to think clearly. Not get wrapped up in something that would ultimately hurt both of them.
Will appeared wearing tan slacks and an off-white shirt. He hadn't put on a tie, but he looked summery and healthy and wonderful. He helped her finish breakfast and set the table outside. When winter came, she planned to create a dining area inside, but she loved the morning sun too much.
They ate as they shared the paper, and Will gravitated toward the political pages while Noelle loved the comics. He read with such intensity that she wondered what secret plots he saw behind Washington's political scene. And that brought her to her problem.
Until she coped with what Will did for a living—with what he really was—she'd always doubt him. Not that she'd doubt that he cared about her or was trying to do the right thing. No, she'd question his motives, whether he saw more than she did, and how much she was really telling him. She needed to get a handle on those doubts, and that was something only time could give her.
Forcing her mind back to the comics, Noelle finished her breakfast and carried their dishes inside. Will helped with clean up while she prepared for the day. She found him in the living room, setting his bag next to the door. "You're leaving so soon?"
He straightened. "I only had a couple days." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked toward her. "I'll come back soon, Noelle."
"You'd better."
He smiled, but it faded quickly. "Listen, there's things you need to know. About why our families didn't get along."
She narrowed her eyes. "It was more than that summer between Maryanne and Edward, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "It was the Coalition. Your grandfather joined right after that summer, and he tried to bring mine into it as well. Joseph Hayes resisted, which only made things worse between them. After Maryanne got pregnant with my mother, all hopes of a reconciliation between friends was gone. It just. . . ." He shrugged. "Secrets destroyed our families. I thought you should know what really happened."
"I understand some secrets, Will." She met his eyes. "If half the stuff you deal with got out, there'd be mass panic. I'm okay with that. But I have to learn to deal with it. I have to get to the place where I'm not wondering what secret plot you see behind every rock and tree."
He genuinely laughed then. "It's not really so bad."
"I know, but my mind fills it in." She felt a bit sheepish now. "What is it really like?"
He sobered. "It's hard to explain. Never able to relax, always wondering who's going to come after you, worrying about your loved ones." He said that last bit while giving her that strange, from-the-tops-of-his-eyes glance he always did. It seemed like he was telling her something, something she desperately wanted to hear, and wanted to see her reaction. "You do see secret plots where there are none, sometimes. But it's with much more clarity. I'm trained to analyze, to look at things differently and make snap decisions. I have my 'safe zones' where I know I can relax. Here is one of them."
His admission made the tense expression fade from her face, and she gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad, Will. Really glad."
He crossed the room then, pulling her into his arms and hugging her close. "Call me if you need anything," he said into her hair.
"I will." She stepped back and looked at him. "I need time. Right now, I want to just accept everything you're saying and run. But. . . .Will, I've gotta figure out what Noelle wants—what Francesca needs. I can't just jump into something until I've learned how to live without everything hanging over me."
"I understand." He kept his hands on her shoulders. "I still consider you a friend, Noelle. A good one—one I trust."
"Good." She squeezed his wrists and sighed as he let go. His trust was freeing. It meant he would let her make her own decisions in life and try to support her. At least, that was part of it. The other part meant he'd call her if he needed anything. Like that's going to happen. She wanted to roll her eyes at herself. "Thank you, Will. For everything."
"You're welcome." He picked up his bag and opened the front door. "Take care of yourself, Noelle."
"I will."
She watched him tuck his bag in the trunk of his car and then climb behind the wheel. He paused to take a deep breath, and then he drove away. Before disappearing, he smiled and waved, the same wave one would give a good friend.
Noelle stood on the porch for a long time, grateful she'd had the foresight to take the day off. She hated that her relationship with Will was colored by their families' choices, but she'd seen hope that morning. Will trusted her, in spite of everything. For a woman who had been so degraded she had once doubted her own worth and intelligence, that meant the world.
~The End~