Author's Note: Thanks again for your patience everyone. I'm enjoying writing this, epicly long though it is. Thanks for sticking around! Please review! More reviews equals a happier and more inspired author!
Chapter 57: Something to Come Home to
"You guys remember the plan?" Agent Booth asked Peter and Davy.
"We go into a grocery store and wait until they show up," Davy answered.
"Why a grocery store?" Peter asked.
"Every man on the run needs food," Booth answered. "If you wait long enough and know your fugitive is in a small town, he'll eventually show up at a grocery store. That's probably the first place they're gonna look for you."
"Oh," Davy said. "I guess that makes sense."
"So we're gonna go in and just wait for them," Peter nodded. "After you scope it out."
"You can't look at me," Booth said. "You can't act like you know me."
"We won't," Davy said.
"The cashiers are agents, too," Booth said looking more to Micky than anyone else. Davy knew Micky was still so uneasy about this whole thing.
"You guys know you can back out at any time," Mike said. "If you start to feel scared or feel threatened, you just tell them and they'll pull you out."
"They can't," Micky said angrily. "If they say anything while Claire has them, she'll kill them in a second."
"I'll be close enough to them the whole time she can't touch them," Booth said.
"It only takes a second to put a bullet in someone's head," Micky retorted. "I've seen it."
"So have I," Booth said. "I've done this countless times and haven't lost anyone yet."
"Look, you guys can give Booth a signal," Angela said trying to diffuse the situation. "You're both right handed, correct?"
"Yeah," Peter said.
"If you want out, tuck your hair behind your left ear," Angela said demonstrating on her own beautiful hair.
"Why our left?" Davy asked.
"If you're nervous, you may be tempted to do it without thinking," Angela said. "You'll be less likely to do it with your left hand that way."
"Oh," Davy said.
"What about when she's taking them wherever she takes them?" Rose asked. "You can't see them if they're in the back of the van and she's not going to do anything to them in the store."
"I can hear them," Booth said. "You can say a code word or something. Like...uh…"
"Red maracas," Davy said.
"Red maracas?" Booth asked.
"It's a long story," Davy smiled to himself. "But I play maracas, so it won't sound suspicious."
"Ok, then," Booth said. "Are you both ready?"
"Yes," Peter said. Davy nodded looking around the room. Sarah was holding Serenity in her arms looking concerned. Micky looked angry and Mike looked scared and worried holding onto Emmett. Willow refused to look at any of them and Rose was pacing a little. Davy's grandfather stood in the corner looking as though he were desperately trying to think of a way to convince Davy not to go through with this. Jack, Angela, Booth and Dr. Brendan sat near Davy and Peter getting equipment set up.
"Take off your shirts," Angela said pulling a metal briefcase out of a large bag.
"What?" Davy asked, though the idea of this beautiful woman seeing him without his shirt was enticing to him. He hadn't had a date in a really long time and women couldn't resist his bare chest.
"We need to hide the wire under your shirts," Jack said pulling a small set of cords out of the briefcase and unwinding them.
"Oh," Davy said. "That's really groovy! I thought they were a lot bulkier than that. The cords obvious and the microphones big and hidden in a lamp."
"Technology has come a long way in just a few years," Dr. Brendan said as Angela and Jack affixed the wires to Peter and Davy. "The microphone is taped to your chest and the wire runs to this recorder in your pocket. It emits a radio signal that I'll be able to pick up here as long as you don't go farther than 50 miles away. Booth can hear everything too in an earpiece he'll hide under a hat. They shouldn't be able to recognize him under the hat, either."
"You guys be careful," Micky said. "If you even see a hint of a gun…"
"Don't scare them," Sarah said.
"That's kinda what I'm trying to do," Micky answered. "I don't want them to do this."
"None of us do," Sarah said. "But they have to."
"We have to get our lives back, Micky," Davy said looking down at Serenity in Sarah's arms. "Not just for us. The kids need normal lives. They need friends to play with. They need to go to school. They need this as much as we do."
"I can't let anyone risk their lives for me," Micky said.
"They aren't just risking their lives for us," Sarah said. As if she knew just what they were talking about, Serenity giggled, reached out her little finger and said "daddy!"
"That's not fair," Micky said.
"We learned a long time ago that nothing in life is ever fair," Sarah said.
"Yes, that's true," Micky said smiling at Davy and Peter. "But the unfairness in life becomes easier to deal with when you have true friends to support you." Micky sighed and appeared to finally relent, but looked sternly at Booth. "Agent Booth, if anything happens to them, I won't…"
"Don't you dare say you won't testify, Micky," Peter said firmly. "We're doing this so they can pay for what they've done. Don't make all this be in vain."
"There are other ways to make them pay," Micky said in a dark tone that scared Davy a little. "I wasn't gonna say I wouldn't testify, anyway. I was going to say I won't be responsible for what happens to my mother after."
"If you kill them you'll go to jail for it," Peter said. "And if you do, I'll never forgive you for it. Dead or alive. Please, Micky. Promise me you won't do anything stupid no matter what happens to us. We've all worked too damn hard to blow it now out of anger."
"Fine," Micky said.
"You guys ready?" Angela asked.
"Yeah," Peter answered. He and Davy got up and started walking toward the door. Willow quickly grabbed Peter, however, and pulled him in for a very passionate kiss. Davy never really saw the two share affection in front of others, so he was a little surprised. So was Peter, because as they pulled away, he furrowed his brow. "What was that for?"
"So you remember what's waiting for you when you come home," Willow said before turning to Davy. "And you. You're a good man. Take care of him. Bring him back to me."
"I will," Davy smiled.
"Jack, you ready?" Booth said.
"Wait, why are you going?" Angela asked Jack.
"I'm driving the decoy delivery truck," Jack answered.
"Delivery truck?" Mike asked.
"We'll be parked outside the grocery store and they are most likely going to transport Davy and Peter somewhere else," Booth answered. "That way we can keep the truck running and leave as soon as I jump in the back to follow them."
"Don't you think they'd notice a delivery truck following them?" Rose asked.
"Absolutely," Jack said smiling. "But that's why I rigged the truck to make it so we can easily change the sign on the outside without them noticing. They'll think a different truck is following them."
"That's actually kinda brilliant," Rose said.
"Yeah, but why do you have to drive it?" Angela asked.
"If something goes wrong with the equipment, I have to fix it," Jack answered.
"Please, just be careful," Angela said.
"I'll take care of him," Booth said. "But we should get going."
"David," Davy's grandfather said as they walked out the door. "There's nothing I can do or say to make you change your mind?"
"No, there isn't," Davy answered. "I have to do this."
"I can't really tell you what to do anymore, but I want you to do everything these agents tell you to," his grandfather told him. "You do what they say and you don't question it or hesitate. Both of you."
"Yes, sir," Davy said.
"Yes, sir," Peter echoed. Davy's grandfather hugged Davy before they left for the store. On the way, they tested the equipment and went over the plan again and again so they would be sure they'd be ready. Davy wasn't sure if he liked the idea of Micky and the others listening as it happened; he and the others were already all worried enough as it is. But Davy didn't have a choice.
When they got to the store, Agent Booth went in first. Davy and Peter counted to 20 before walking in after him. They wandered around the store for a while just waiting to see if Claire and the others were there. They didn't have to wait very long.
"Hello, boys," Claire said as Peter picked up a box of cereal. "Long time no see."
"Claire!" Peter and Davy said in unison trying to sound surprised. Claire moved to stand in front of them, blocking their way and a second person Davy didn't recognize stood on the other side of him. Davy moved as if he were about to try and make a run for it, but the glint of a gun by his side stopped him.
"Don't even think about running away this time, boys," Claire sneered. "Or we'll redecorate the store with your blood. There's a van waiting outside; get in it."
"You can't kill us in a public place, Claire," Peter said.
"Sure I can," Claire said. "You're both wanted for murder. Because you're fugitives, I can do whatever I want. It would be all to easy to write it off as justifiable."
"Come on, Davy, let's just do what she says before anyone else gets hurt," Peter said looking around at all the innocent people in the store. Davy knew that no one else was really in danger; all the other people in the store were federal agents.
"That's a very smart boy," Claire smiled. Davy glanced at Peter quickly to make sure they were both still on board with the plan before walking out of the store to the waiting van Claire had for them. When they approached, she yanked open the back door and pushed Davy in. Heather was waiting for them with a sinister smile and Davy's blood boiled at the site of her.
"Heather!" Peter said slightly surprised as he climbed in behind Davy.
"Surprised I'm alive?" Heather sneered as Claire climbed in behind them and shut the door. Davy peered out at the last second and caught a glimpse of Booth climbing in the decoyed delivery van. "Did you think I was dead?"
"We kind of hoped you were," Davy answered even though he knew it would make her mad.
"That's not nice, Davy," Claire said sitting down .
"Neither is what she did to Micky and Mike," Davy answered.
"Where are you taking us?" Peter asked.
"Does it really matter?" Claire asked. When neither of them answered, she laughed. "That's up to you, but judging from our past encounter, we're taking you to your death."
"Let me guess, if we don't tell you where Micky and the others are, you'll kill us?" Davy asked. "Isn't that a tired threat? Go ahead and kill us; we aren't gonna tell you a damn thing."
"You really think that you can protect them by staying silent?" Heather asked. "We're going to find them with or without you. I don't give a fuck if we have to burn every house in this damn town to find them. I will find them. I will find my son."
"He's not your son," Peter said boldly. "He's Mike's son. He looks just like him; he acts just like him. Mike loves him despite everything you did to him to create him. Mike raised him. He calls Mike "dada". He's Mike's son, not yours. You were just the receptacle that carried him for 9 months."
"Peter…" Davy said cautiously. He knew pissing them off a little would be more likely to get them to say something incriminating (which they had, but they hadn't seen the police captain yet which is who they really needed to incriminate), but saying something this bold was likely to get Peter hurt. Or worse. Sure enough, Heather's face flashed red with anger and within a split second she lunged at Peter. Davy could only watch as Heather grabbed Peter's throat and squeezed. Peter's head bounced off the inside of the van with a rather deafening crunch causing Davy's heart to sink into his stomach.