Thank you for the reviews for 57. :) A lot of the dialogue in this chapter is meant to serve as a sort of recap of some of the history we're working with. It's been a long ride, and some stuff is bound to slip your mind. :)
we danced wild
kicked off our shoes
not a cloud
in the skies to confuse
now the sky is cold
the sea is wide
and there's nothing to be done
'cept reflecting the sun
and scratching the mountainside
David Gray, "Coming Down"
"Gloria Lopez. I'm here to see Olivia Gable."
"You her lawyer?" the deputy said.
"That'd be the one. Your Sheriff hasn't tried to chat her up without me, has she?"
"Don't think so." He unlocked the interrogation room. The deputy on guard nodded and slipped past Gloria as she went in.
"Thank you, gentlemen," she said over her shoulder. "I'll want to speak with Sheriff Donnelly as soon as I'm done here."
"Yes, ma'am," the deputy said and shut the door.
Olivia lifted a brow as she studied the woman. She was…well, she was a knockout, like the type of beautiful you just didn't see very often in real life. Early thirties, maybe late twenties. About Olivia's height, gorgeous olive skin, dark eyes, a cascade of dark hair. Perfectly tailored, obviously expensive suit.
Olivia cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. This woman was her lawyer. She wasn't here to be ogled.
If she noticed Olivia's reaction she ignored it, or else she'd just gotten so used to having that effect on people that she took it in stride. She held out a hand and Olivia shook it. "My name is Gloria Lopez. Mr. Telford said you're in need of my services."
"Olivia Gable. That Mr. Telford never misses a beat," Olivia said with a wry smile.
Gloria dropped her briefcase on the table and flicked it open. Pulled out a pad of paper and a handful of pens. She eyed Olivia with a frown. "First, what happened to your face?"
"Ah. That'd be those fine Southern boys from Atlanta." She tugged down the collar of her shirt to show the bruise forming on her shoulder. "Detective Barnes decided I was resisting arrest."
"Were you?"
"They asked for Audra Flanary. I told him there wasn't anyone there by that name. Since it isn't my legal name anymore—" She broke off with a shrug that made her wince.
Gloria lowered her chin and tried to hide a smile. "I imagine they weren't impressed by your subtlety.
"No. Less than. Still, I didn't try to fight them at all. There was a friend with me, and when Barnes grabbed my shoulder and shoved me into the house, he reacted. Detective Riggs pulled a gun on him, and later hit him in the head with it."
"You're kidding."
She tapped her finger against the melted icepack Sheriff Donnelly had brought and smiled a little. She started at the beginning—from the moment she'd heard the doorbell ring—until they got to the station, outlining everything Barnes and Riggs had done to her, Tig, and Tig's property. "They made some, ah…suggestive…comments on the drive in."
"Sexually suggestive?"
Olivia nodded. "I mean, it was probably just talk? Bullshit between two cops, right? But it felt—creepy." She shuddered a little. "I was glad when we got here, let's say that."
Gloria's mouth thinned and she added another note to the page of them she already had. "I definitely think we need to file a formal complaint against both of them, both for excessive force and for sexual harassment. Do you think your friend—um—Tig?—would be willing to do the same?"
"I don't know. Probably. In general, though, they try to avoid the cops. In any capacity."
"They meaning SAMCRO."
"Well, MCs in general." Olivia leaned forward a little. "Do you represent me, or SAMCRO?"
"You, Ms. Gable."
"But the club is paying your bill."
Gloria hesitated. "Is that going to be a problem?"
Olivia frowned thoughtfully. "I hope not."
"You're my client. Not Mr. Telford or anyone else in the club. I'm here to represent your best interests."
"Okay. Good enough." She hesitated. "There are some things you need to know, but before we get into all of it I need you to call Chibs. There's something I have to ask him, and it can't wait."
"If it's about Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Telford said there's been no change."
She swallowed and her eyes flicked away. "That's—good to know. But, no. It's something else."
Gloria lifted a brow and fished her phone out of her purse. She dialed Chibs' number and handed Olivia the phone without a word.
"Chibs," she said. "It's Ollie."
Gloria couldn't make out his response, but Olivia made a face and tried to interrupt his diatribe.
"I know. Chibs—yeah, I—Chibs, I know! I've been a little distracted, okay? I can't think of everything."
Another pause while she listened.
"Could you please stop yelling at me for five seconds and listen?" she finally said. Apparently that got through, because then, "Thank you. Okay, look. Obviously I have a pretty serious problem, but Donnelly has already brought Teddy's name into the conversation. I think Patterson might be looking to deal."
She fiddled with the icepack again.
"I know that. You think I don't want—" She broke off with a quick glance at Gloria. "If something happens to him I've got nothing. No chance at getting out from under this. And I'm sure Tig told you what the cops did to both of us."
She fell quiet except for the occasional murmur of agreement.
"Could you just give me forty-eight hours? Can I ask that much? I know it's a lot. I know you—but you haven't even heard from Jax yet. Forty-eight hours, Chibby. If you don't hear from me by then, do what you have to do."
This time her silence seemed to stretch forever, and Gloria had the feeling she was struggling not to pace. Finally her entire body relaxed and she lifted a hand to brush across her eyes. "Thank you. And thank Bobby for me, too. Oh, and Chibs? How, um. How's Juice?"
Her face fell as he talked. "Yeah," she said, quietly. "Keep an eye on him for me, okay? Not sure—not sure when I'll be back."
A brief pause. "I know. I love you too." She shut the phone before she could start crying, and Gloria studied her carefully.
"I think we have a few things to talk about," she said.
She passed the phone across the table with a tight smile. "No shit."
Gloria flipped to a clean page on her notepad. "Well, let's start at the beginning. Theodore Flanary's murder."
Olivia tilted her head. "That's not quite the beginning. But, here goes."
She told the entire story: how she and TJ met. The details of their marriage. Her escape plan and how she'd come back to kill him (and why). She explained the last eight years of her life, and her constant fear of Teddy and the Atlanta PD. She paused in the timeline to explain exactly who Teddy was, and why Patterson might want him so badly. Then she jumped forward a bit to talk about her time in Charming. She glossed over Juice, mostly because she could hardly say his name without losing it, but she did go into detail about the kidnapping and today's shooting.
"I should have brought a tape recorder," Gloria said as she put down her pen and shook out her cramped hand.
"Probably."
She took a deep breath and glanced through her notes. "Okay. You killed your abusive husband because you were afraid he would do the same thing to his next wife. You've been on the run from his father ever since, and he finally showed up a few days ago. He kidnapped you and Mr. Trager, then later Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Telford, and Mr. Lowman. Both he and his bodyguards attempted to rape you, but you were able to get away." She lifted a brow at Olivia to check in.
"All correct so far."
She made a mark on the page. Then, "Earlier today you and various members of the Sons of Anarchy MC traveled to San Francisco for the express purpose of kidnapping Mr. Flanary. At such time Mr. Ortiz was shot by one of Mr. Flanary's associates, and now Mr. Ortiz is in critical condition and Mr. Flanary is being held prisoner by SAMCRO."
Gloria paused and smoothed a hand over her notepad. "Ms. Gable, this is quite a story."
"Please call me Olivia. And, yeah. I know it is." Her mouth quirked. "I have a flash drive stashed in my car with everything I've got on Teddy. It has stuff I didn't give the club. Anything the Feds could possibly want."
"Do you believe there's a genuine risk to your life if you're extradited to Atlanta?"
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Look for yourself, Ms. Lopez. This is what those cops did to me when they knew they were coming back here. What do you think they'll do when they have me alone, with no one to answer to?"
She tapped her pen against the table. "We could try to run with that. We're already planning to file a complaint—oh, that reminds me." She pulled a small camera from her briefcase. "I should take some pictures to document the injuries."
Olivia was familiar with the drill. She stood against the wall while Gloria snapped several face-forward shots, and a few of each profile. She took some of Olivia's shoulder, where Barnes' fingerprints were clearly visible. She asked Olivia about her wrists, but she shook her head.
"Those are mostly from the kidnapping," she said.
"And your lip?"
"That too."
Gloria nodded and stashed the camera again. "It's obvious that the black eye and injury to your shoulder are much more recent. I don't think the older bruise will be a problem."
They sat back down and Gloria studied her carefully. "Olivia, how much are you prepared to offer the DA and the FBI?"
"Anything they want on Teddy. Nothing at all on the club."
"Hum," she said. "While I'm sure DA Patterson is very interested in Mick Doyle, he hasn't exactly been a nuisance to her county. SAMCRO has, and continues to be. She wants the club."
"Jackson Teller made a deal with her. He took the fall on the KG-9 in exchange for immunity for the club from RICO. She has her scapegoat. Unless she's prepared to void his deal, I don't think she'll be foaming at the mouth for SAMCRO."
Olivia's mouth twisted. "The FBI loves political corruption, yeah?"
"Since nine eleven it's practically their bread and butter."
"Right. So. There's stuff in there about Teddy's political connections. About how he practically bought Atlanta's last two mayors." She flicked her fingers. "Don't know about the current one, of course, but I can't believe it would be much different. State Senators, Congresspeople, hell—the current Governor of Georgia was running for Mayor of Atlanta when I left."
For the first time Gloria seemed to lose her cool a little. She shifted in her seat. Crossed one leg over the other and uncrossed them again. "Did you give the club anything about the politicians?"
"Nope," she said. "That'd be law enforcement exclusive. I didn't even give it to Potter the first time."
The one thing she hadn't told Gloria was about Agent Stephens. She'd said Juice had killed one of Teddy's guards, but she didn't mention anything about the FBI or what Stephens had told them. Obviously they were protected by attorney-client privilege, but she had a feeling the Feds wouldn't be too keen on giving Juice any sort of pass on knowingly killing one of their own. She didn't want to put Gloria in the awkward position of suborning perjury.
"Okay," Gloria said. She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "Okay, so we need to talk to Patterson. Get the FBI in here and enter into proffer right away."
"Proffer?" Olivia said, her brow scrunched.
"It's a state of immunity during a plea bargain. Basically you tell the DA everything you know and they decide if it's good enough to warrant the deal you want to make. They can't use anything you give them during proffer against you—or anyone else."
"All right. I guess that's fair enough."
"First tell me exactly what you want. Your ideal scenario."
Olivia shrugged a little, with just her good shoulder. "I give them everything I have on Teddy and the man himself in exchange for immunity for TJ's murder and WITSEC. Also immunity for the club for any crimes they might have committed in relation to Teddy—kidnapping him, for example. Or Juice killing the guard."
Gloria hesitated. "Olivia, what exactly is your relationship to Mr. Ortiz? I need to be clear."
"Ah. Well, he's my—um. We…" She trailed off with a scowl. Why was it so hard for her to say? She cleared her throat. "We're...engaged. He's my fiancé."
"I see. You're quite serious then. Do you want him to go into protection with you?"
Her mouth fell open. She closed it again. Of course she did. But…
"He's in a coma, Ms. Lopez. I can't exactly ask him. And I can hardly turn his entire life upside down without asking him."
Gloria's expression was compassionate. "Do you think he would want to go?"
He'd said he wanted to leave Charming. He'd said he wanted to make a life with her. But that was a completely different story than witness protection.
"Legally speaking, would I even have a right to speak for him?"
"Do you have power of attorney?"
"No," she said. "I have no idea who does, or if he ever appointed anyone."
"The person who has power of attorney—if such a person even exists—could make the decision on Mr. Ortiz's behalf."
Who would Juice have chosen? Chibs, maybe. Gemma? Oh God. She shuddered at the thought. Well, on the other hand, Gemma might jump at the chance to get Juice out of her hair for good.
Olivia gave a slow shake of her head. "I can try to find out. The hospital would know. But it—I just can't—it's not fair to him. If he could choose, fine. It's his life and his decision. But to decide for him? That's not right. He has a life here. Family. I mean, can you imagine? You get shot, fall into a coma, and then when you wake up you have a new name in a new city and a completely new life? How awful."
Gloria's mouth quirked in rueful appreciation. "I can see why you're hesitant. It's possible he could wake up before the deal is completed, in which case you could ask him and the point would be moot."
"Of course," Olivia said. "That's the ideal, isn't it? And we are talking ideals."
A brief silence fell.
"How will the club feel about turning Teddy over to the police?" Gloria said, sensing that a change of subject was in order.
"That will be…tricky, to say the least." She bit her lip and flinched. "I have an idea, though. I'll need to see Jax Teller before I sign anything. I—also need to find out how much he's comfortable with me telling the cops."
"Olivia, now is not the time to hold back. If you're going into WITSEC anyway, they won't be able to find you for any sort of revenge or retribution."
"I know that. It's the principle of the thing. And, besides, if I leave Juice here…well. I can't make life more difficult for him by turning rat."
Gloria clearly wasn't happy, but she conceded the point with a small nod. "You're the client," she said. She packed her (now almost full) notepad and bundle of pens back in her briefcase and snapped it shut. "I'll take this to Patterson, and then I'll get the flash drive from your car. Where is it?"
"In a compartment in the driver's side door. With the window rolled all the way up, twist the handle like you're trying to roll it higher. A little drawer will pop out."
"Okay. Keys?"
"Teddy took them. There's an extra key in my house on the little hook by the door. Oh! Also you'll see a box of strawberry Twizzlers. Grab that too."
She frowned. "If you need me to bring you—"
"It has Teddy's DNA. I thought they might like that."
"Oh." She let out a short laugh. "God they're going to shit themselves."
"Let's hope," Olivia said. "Otherwise I'm fucked."
It took a few hours—the FBI wasn't terribly happy with Patterson since Tara had bailed on her immunity deal—but eventually she got an agent from the Stockton satellite office to come to Charming. She dangled Mick Doyle's name and was surprised by the reaction: they seemed to hesitate, as though they knew something she didn't.
When the agent got there—Michael Carmichael, a name which made them wonder if his parents had lost a bet—he cornered Donnelly and Patterson in Donnelly's office and demanded they turn over anything they had.
Patterson wasn't an easy woman to intimidate. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, eyes narrowing, as she studied the small man in the standard dark FBI suit. "Agent Carmichael, please. We need to speak to Ms. Gable. Her lawyer has agreed to proffer, but we need the FBI on board first."
He scowled and ran a fleshy hand over his thinning hair. "I can't make any agreements until I know what's on the table."
"You know that isn't possible. She isn't going to expose herself like that." She frowned. "Is there something you would like to tell me, Agent Carmichael? Because I'd think the FBI would be very excited to hear whatever Ms. Gable has to say. Mick Doyle is high on nearly every Most Wanted list in the world."
He paced away. "We already know Doyle's real identity."
"Hm," Patterson said. "Then it might interest you to know that this woman was married to his son. And is currently under arrest for her husband's murder."
That got his attention. He whipped around, face suddenly bright and avid. "Is she Lincoln Potter's CI?"
"I don't know," she said, her voice smooth through the lie. "All I know is she wants to talk, and according to her attorney it's worth our time to listen." She paused. "Do I need to call someone from Sacramento?"
He drew himself to his full height and glared at her. "That won't be necessary. If her attorney says she's ready for proffer then let's get on with it."
Patterson and Donnelly exchanged exasperated looks behind his back as he slammed the door open and marched across the squad room.
"What a prick," Donnelly muttered.
Patterson lifted her brows in agreement before they followed him.
Olivia raised her head as the door opened. She pegged the guy in front as Fed immediately, and she already knew Donnelly. That left DA Patterson. Donnelly gestured for a deputy to bring some extra chairs, and then she made introductions.
"Olivia, this is Agent Carmichael of the FBI and the San Joaquin County DA, Tyne Patterson. Everyone, this is Olivia Gable and her attorney Gloria Lopez."
They shook hands all around (though Carmichael definitely made a face before he shook Olivia's), and by the time they were done the seats had arrived. Everyone got settled and Patterson offered Olivia a reassuring smile.
"Ms. Gable, Ms. Lopez tells us you have information you'd like to share about Mick Doyle, AKA Theodore Flanary, in exchange for WITSEC and immunity on the charge of killing his son, Theodore, Jr."
Her gaze flicked to Gloria, who gave a tiny nod. "That's right," Olivia said.
Gloria lifted a hand to stop her before she could say anything else. "We understand that as of now we are in a state of proffer, and anything my client says cannot be used against her either by San Joaquin County, the state of California, or the Federal Government."
"Agreed," Patterson said. "Proffer applies."
"Agreed," said Carmichael.
"Or anyone else, right?" Olivia said.
"That's right," Patterson said. "We need to make sure your information is worth what you're asking."
Olivia choked on a little laugh. Gloria pulled the Twizzlers box from her briefcase and slid it across the table.
Patterson gave them both a quizzical look.
"To start with, that's Mick Doyle's DNA. Teddy Flanary's DNA. There's a half eaten piece of candy in there, and guess who was chomping on it earlier today?"
Carmichael leaned forward. "You've been in contact with Flanary today?"
She eyed him. She didn't like the look of him, and she'd rather deal with Patterson. "I know exactly where Teddy is. I can put him in your hands if you give me what I want."
"How do we have any proof you're not lying through your teeth?" Carmichael said.
Olivia flicked her eyes toward Gloria. The lawyer hit a button on the laptop she had open in front of her and turned it around. Several photos flickered across the screen, including the one she'd shown Lincoln Potter almost seven months ago. There were also pictures of Teddy shaking hands with over a dozen well-known politicians, and just as Carmichael started to look really excited, Gloria closed the lid.
"That was a preview," she said with a smile. "Photographs are just the beginning. We have property deeds. Personal correspondences. Records of political donations. Recordings of phone calls and conversations."
Carmichael looked like he was about to come in his pants. "How the fuck do you have all that?"
"I think we should start at the beginning," Patterson said before Olivia could answer. "Tell us what you know, starting from your first meeting with Flanary up until—well, today, I supposed."
"This is gonna take a while."
"None of us have anywhere else to be," Patterson said.
Olivia leaned back in her chair and took a sip of water. She gave them a long, detailed account of everything she'd told Gloria, up until the point she moved to Charming. There she stopped and cast a look toward her lawyer.
"Ms. Gable isn't prepared to offer any incriminating information on the Sons of Anarchy MC at this time."
"It seems as though SAMCRO is directly related to recent activity with Teddy Flanary," Patterson said.
"Especially since Juice Ortiz is listed in critical condition at the medical center in Concord—and this morning there was an incident in Teddy Flanary's suite at the Four Seasons," Donnelly added.
"Not to mention our dead Federal Agent in that warehouse."
"What?" Patterson said. She clearly didn't appreciate being sideswiped, and while she knew about the incident at the warehouse, she'd had no idea a Fed was involved.
Carmichael sighed. "We already knew Mick Doyle's identity, as I told you. For the past several months the FBI has been investing him with keen interest. We had an agent in his organization."
He paused and Olivia waited him out. "We were aware that Flanary's men had picked up Ms. Gable and Alex Trager, a member of the MC, and that they later apprehended Filip Telford, Happy Lowman, and Juan Carlos Ortiz."
Olivia lifted a brow and let the anger she'd taken out on Stephens bubble to the surface. "You knew? And you didn't do anything?"
"It's an extensive investigation—"
"Agent Carmichael," Patterson said, all icy politeness, "perhaps now would be a good time to shut up. Before you make things worse."
His jaw snapped shut and he looked sulky.
Donnelly leaned forward. "Trager told me the two of you had gone off to Yellowstone for the night."
"Did you think he was going to tell you we'd been kidnapped? Especially considering what we had to do to get out of it?"
"Let's talk about that, Ms. Gable," Patterson said. "What exactly happened?"
She took a deep breath and pressed her hands against the table. "Day before yesterday Teddy and a bunch of his guys broke into the ice cream shop. They drugged and black-bagged Tig and me, and cut Chucky Marstein's wrist."
"Who?" said Carmichael, earning himself a glare from Patterson.
"Our office manager at the garage where I work," Olivia said. "The garage the club owns. He cut Chucky's wrist to be like mine and then left him there to bleed to death."
"Luckily some of the shop owners on that street still care enough to call 911 when armed commandos come busting in windows," Donnelly said.
"Luckily." Olivia looked down at her splayed fingers. "Teddy's been sending me these postcards the last few weeks. He left a photograph at my house the night before the kidnapping, and he left another one after the attack on Eli Roosevelt and Tara Knowles."
She gestured and Gloria pulled a baggie from her briefcase and dumped the contents on the table.
Donnelly stared at her, the postcards momentarily unimportant. "You're saying Flanary killed Sheriff Roosevelt?"
"No, of course not. He doesn't do his own dirty work."
"Hired assassins killed Eli, but they missed when they shot Dr. Knowles?" Patterson said.
Olivia shifted in her chair. Patterson smiled at her and reached into the folder she held. She spread several photos across the table.
"I'm curious if you know anything about these photographs, Ms. Gable."
"I've never seen them before," she said after a brief study.
Patterson tapped one of the pictures with a well-manicured nail. "Is that Jackson Teller and Tara Knowles' home?"
"Yeah," Olivia said. "How did you get these?"
Patterson lifted a brow. "You don't know?"
"Would I have asked if I knew?"
She shook her head. "Why was Gemma Teller-Morrow holding a gun in this house at the precise time Dr. Knowles was attacked?"
"I have no idea. You would have to ask Gemma."
"Are you seeking immunity for her as well?"
Olivia met Patterson's eyes. A look of understanding passed between them. "No," she said, simply.
Patterson inclined her head. "Fair enough."
"You don't have any real proof these cards are from Flanary," Carmichael said as he studied them.
"They're all from the Atlanta area," Donnelly said, "and he left the photograph at the ice cream shop." She flipped a couple of them over with the tip of her pen. "Messages use similar phrasing. I'm sure you've got someone at the FBI who could link all of these together."
"What happened at the warehouse, Ms. Gable?" Patterson said.
"I don't know how long Tig and I had been there when the guards brought in Chibs and Happy. They grabbed me and took me into an office. Juice was there, tied to a chair, and he'd been worked over."
She took a sip of water and Gloria rested a comforting hand on her arm. "Do you need a break, Olivia?" she said, softly.
"No. I need to finish it or I might not be able to."
She took a long breath and told them what Teddy had tried to do, and how she had stopped him, and then about the assignment he'd given the guards.
"When we got back to the main room I played along. Made the one guard—um, O'Rourke, I think—believe I was…well. Into it. Then when he was distracted, I got the knife off his belt and stabbed him in the leg. Pulled his gun on the other one—Stephens—and got him to untie the guys."
"Stephens," Carmichael said. "That was our man."
"Hhmm," Olivia said, her eyes cold. "Your man sure didn't seem keen on saving me from potential gang-rape, Agent."
He flushed and looked away.
"We had no idea he was a Fed. He didn't identify himself."
"The other guard's throat was cut," Carmichael said. "Which one of those animals did that?"
Olivia's smile was cool and cutting. "Your agent did that, sir. I ordered him to tie a tourniquet around O'Rourke's leg and leave the knife in place. Instead he pulled it out and sliced his throat open."
"That's bullshit," he said with a snort.
She lifted her hands with a shrug. "Believe it or don't. It's the truth."
"Who killed Agent Stephens?" Patterson said before Carmichael could jump in.
"Um."
"Olivia," Gloria said.
"The proffer covers them, too, right? You're not going to go arrest someone because I say I saw them do something?"
"No, Ms. Gable. Anyone you mention right now is safe from prosecution, just like you are."
Her jaw worked a moment. Finally, "Juice shot him. We had no idea who he was. I don't think he would've killed him if he'd known. All he saw was some guard of Teddy's who'd stood outside that room while Teddy tried to—and then stood by and watched while his buddy—"
She broke off and shook her head. "We didn't know."
"All right," Patterson said. "If Agent Stephens didn't identify himself then that's on him." She cut her eyes at Carmichael. "I'm sorry about your man, but if he were really willing to stand by while this woman was brutalized, I find it hard to get terribly worked up about it."
"He had a cover to protect."
"What's the point of being a good guy if you let the bad guys get away with nasty shit right under your nose?" Donnelly said. "I get you had your precious case, but come on. That's ridiculous."
Patterson cleared her throat. "Were there other guards?"
"Four more," Carmichael said. "Six in total."
"I don't know what happened to the other four. I stayed inside until the guys called the all-clear."
"What happened today in San Francisco?" Carmichael said.
"Teddy always stays at the Four Seasons. I told the guys where to find him. Juice was shot. They took Teddy. As of a few hours ago he was still alive. That's all I know."
"We need him to stay alive, Ms. Gable," Patterson said. "He's not much good to us dead."
"The club is giving me forty-eight hours." She tapped her finger against the tabletop. "It's imperative I speak to Jax Teller before I sign any deal. The club can't think I ratted, and I need to convince him to turn Teddy over."
"Where are they holding him?" Carmichael said.
She cast him a scornful look. "I'm not telling you that, proffer or not. And since they found out I've been arrested, they probably moved him. Just in case."
"Do you really believe you can convince Jackson Teller to give up the man who ordered the hit on his wife?"
"I don't know," she said. "All I can do is try. Are you saying if I can't get you Teddy the deal is off? Completely?"
Patterson and Carmichael exchanged glances.
"We want Flanary, but your information would give us his organization. But if this MC is holding him hostage and we don't get him, we will go after them with the full force of the federal government," Carmichael said.
"Not if she doesn't mention their involvement outside of proffer," Patterson said.
Olivia glanced at her in surprise.
"And you haven't, Ms. Gable, have you? SAMCRO was discussed here, in this room, and we won't discuss them again unless we have a deal on the table and have once more evoked proffer."
Why was Patterson helping the club? She hated SAMCRO. She must really want this deal to happen. To take down Teddy and his crew. It would be a huge coup for her, though the case would be taken away and given to a US Attorney for prosecution. But still. It would be her bust. Her fish at the end of her line.
"Would I still be able to get WITSEC and immunity for TJ if we lost Teddy?" Olivia said.
"That shouldn't be a problem," said Carmichael.
"What about immunity for anyone else involved? Juice for killing the guard. Things like that."
"We could discuss it. If everyone there is willing to swear under oath that Agent Stephens didn't identify himself as a Federal Agent."
"I think they would be willing to do that," she said. Honestly they would jump at any chance to lie to the cops. Happy would do it with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.
"Are you seeking WITSEC for Mr. Ortiz as well?" Patterson said. "I understand you two are close."
Olivia and Gloria shared a look. "Juice is in a coma. I won't make the decision for him. But if he wakes up in time…" She trailed off with a shrug.
"We can give you twenty-four hours," Carmichael said. "After that the deal is off the table."
She lowered her head. Dr. Bryant had given Juice twenty-four hours nearly…eight hours ago. If he wasn't awake by the time Carmichael's clock ran out, it was a good bet he—
She couldn't finish the thought. Instead she simply nodded.
"We'll need to see Mr. Teller as soon as possible," Gloria said. "Olivia won't sign anything or make any official statement until she's spoken with him."
"I'll make the arrangements. We can go first thing tomorrow. Is there anything else?"
"I want to see Juice. I mean. Of course if he wakes up, but…I want to see him either way. I want to spend some time with him," she said, her voice going thick halfway through. She swiped angrily at the tears in her eyes and Gloria passed her a tissue under the table.
"I don't get it. You two bangin' or something?" Carmichael said.
Olivia snarled at him, fury replacing sorrow in an instant. Gloria pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Ms. Gable and Mr. Ortiz are engaged. She is understandably distraught at his condition, and the added pressure of having to make such an enormous decision is wearing on her. That, coupled with her recent ordeal and the way she was treated by the detectives from Atlanta—I think some latitude is warranted.
"As you can imagine, Ms. Gable suffers from fairly severe PTSD. I will be watching my client closely for any undue stress or trauma this process puts on her. And I'm not afraid to file a complaint against anyone for even the slightest breach in protocol," she said with a pointed look at Carmichael. She bared her teeth in a sharp smile. "The detectives from Atlanta will be hearing from their Internal Affairs division very shortly."
The song "Baracuda" by Heart popped into Olivia's head and she pressed a hand to her mouth to smother a smirk.
"Sheriff Donnelly, let's get Ms. Gable something to eat, and let's ensure that Detectives Riggs and Barnes don't approach her again while she's enjoying our hospitality," Patterson said after a quiet moment.
"I'll have a couple of my deputies keep an eye on them," she said.
"I can take her to a safe house," Carmichael said.
Patterson lifted a brow. It seemed like Agent Carmichael had been given a great deal more leeway than he'd led her to believe.
"Is that really necessary?" Olivia said. "I'll be completely cut off there. If something happened to Juice overnight—" She broke off, momentarily overcome.
"I think my client would prefer to stay here, so that if there's an emergency someone can contact her," Gloria said.
"Understandable," Patterson said. She wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of stashing Olivia in an FBI safe house until the deal was inked. "All right." She tilted her head at Carmichael. "Get something on paper for Ms. Lopez to peruse and I'll get you in to see Jax Teller first thing tomorrow morning."
"Great," Olivia said. She dredged a smile from somewhere and hoped they couldn't see how terrified she was.
Argh. Well it looks like we'll be rolling into at least ch61 after all, bc an important scene that was supposed to be here had to be pushed to 59 bc this one was already almost 6k words long. I've just written that scene, and it's 3k words long...and I have at least two other important scenes plotted out for 59! So yeah. I thought I would be struggling to meet my self-imposed word count requirements for the last few chapters, but apparently not.
*sniffle* almost over, you guys. I'm both elated and sad.