Have you ever had those nights where you feel like you've just closed your eyes and then your awake and its time to go? Well thats how I slept. I woke before Althea and changed my clothes. I started her coffee for her while I fried an egg. I wrote a note, something felt off today. Today might very well be the day I die, I realized. I wrote two notes. One for Chibs, one for Althea. I folded both and wrote their names on their corresponding letters. In Althea's I instructed her to give the letter with Chibs' name on it to him if I didnt contact her by tomorrow evening. I ate, then cleaned up my mess and left the letters by the coffee. I grabbed my bags, then I was off to Moses' Oakland address. Moses was single. He had no family. He lived in a nice neighborhood. I parked my motorcycle at the park around the block from his home and then walked to his place. I hopped his fence when I made sure there were no eyes or cameras on me. Then I checked for any sort of security system, finding none, I pulled on my gloves and picked the lock. I drew my nine and entered slowly. I cleared the entire house before I sat down and waited. It was hours before I heard someone pull into the driveway. I heard the door open and footsteps.
"Impressive. I didnt think anyone could find me." Moses said. I looked at him.
"Findin' ye was easy. I only had ta do wha' I would do." I said standing. "I'll be disarmin' ye now lad, an' if ye even think abou' tryin' ta do this any other way than wha' I wan', ye will regre' it." I said. He gave a small nod and held his arms out. I found a nine and tucked it into my waist band. "Si'." I ordered. He did so. I cuffed his wrists to the armrests of the chair.
"Ye know how this goes. Ye an' I are in the same business. Bu' yer no job lad. Ye took one o' me friends. Been takin' eyes, fingers, an' givin' them ta a particular outlaw motorcycle club. One tha' I happen ta be verra good friends with."
"This is about Munson?" He asked.
"Aye. It's abou' Munson, no one hur's me friends. So Im goin' ta hurt ye."
"The crew got a hold of us. Their giving us what we want. Munson's going home today at four." I looked at the clock it was twelve.
"Is tha' so? An' how much did ye cu' off o' him?" I asked. Moses must have realized then how personal this was for me.
"It was only business." He said.
"Aye, the good li'le soldier lad aren' ye? Jus' followin' orders. Well the one difference between ye an' me. I wasn' Blackwater, nor Spec ops. I was IRA, an' with the Irish, personal an' business have a verra fine line. This is both business an' pleasure fer me lad. Im jus' close enough ta this ta be quite gruesome, ye' detached enough ta make this the perfec' kill." I said. He nodded.
"I see."
"Ye won' see much fer long." I smiled, pulling one of my knives out of my bag.
"In order for Munson to go home whole. I need to be there, whole." He said.
"Well then, it seems we're at an impasse." I said, crossing my arms. We sat in silence trying to figure out how this could work for the both of us.
"Look, you just leave me be now, I wont look for you. I'll let it slide. As it was just business for me. I admire Munson, with what I did to him, any lesser man would have folded. But he didnt. If you're his friend I'll let it go."He was trying to save his skin.
"How abou' this, ye tell the V.P o' the Sons tha' I tried ta end ye. An' ye ended me. Give him this." I slipped off one of my rings, the one a scottish crest on it, he would recognize it. "It'll be our secret. I go on abou' me way, an' so do ye." He frowned.
"Why does the Scott need to think you're dead?"
"It's a long, sob, story, one Im no' sure ye woul' be interested in hearin'. Bu' its better if he thinks Im dead. Give him any details ye see fi' ta make him believe it." He raised an eyebrow.
"I've got time." He said.
" I don'." I told him. "All ye need ta know is wha' I told ye. Do we have a deal?" I asked.
"Its a deal if you tell me the you found a way to have two lives. I want to hear about the other side of your coin." I sighed.
"Fine. Bu' ye understand if I leave ye cuffed." I sat down, he nodded. " I fell in love with the Scot. Ye know how our jobs can take us away at a momen's notice fer months at a time."
"How did you meet?" He asked. I smiled.
"Ye really wan' the whole thing don' ye? I am a member o' the Devils Daughters a female m.c ou' o' Arizona. They run ammo. I me' the Scot when the two mcs were trying to make a deal. I was surprised tha' there was another scot with the same scars. Very few people survive receiving a Grin. I fell in love. Then I took a job, an' a few more. I was gone fer a few months. The firs' time I was away. Everything was fine. Bu' this las' time, I me' Sheriff Jarry. She pulled me over comin' inta town. Le' me off. It took me a while ta track down the club. They go' another clubhouse blown up while I was away. When I did finally find the place. I saw Chibs an' the badge talkin' then kissin'. I told him we could still be friends, an' at firs' I mean' it. I made an effort to accept Althea. An' she became me friend. She se' me up on a blind date, an' made it a double date. Bu' Chibs was jealous. He pulled a nine on the poor lad. It's better fer both Althea an' Chibs if he thinks Im dead."
"Will she know the truth?" He asked. I took a deep breath.
"I haven' decided ye' ta be hones'."
"And he will recognize your ring?" He asked. I nodded. " I'll do it. But not to help him. To help you.I dont know how you've managed to do it. But you are one of the most successful mercenary assassins I have ever heard of and you still manage to keep appearances as that wealthy Scottish Socialite." He smiled.
"It's a lo' o' ' fer the mos' par', its worth it." I said I had no idea this Moses Cartwright was a closet romantic. " Remember. Whatever details ye deem necessary ta make him belive Im dead." He nodded.
"Ye try ta kill me when I le' ye loose an' this whole thing is off an' yer dead." I told him.
"You have my word." I uncuffed him.
"Thank you." I said.
"You are an inspiration Ulchabhán. I'm sure I'll see you around." I nodded and grabbed my things and left. Never once turning my back on him. And leaving my ring on the table. I went to my bike. I decided that Althea would be the only one in Charming who would know that Im alive. I called her as I got to my bike.
"Jarry." She answered.
"It's Smiley." I said.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"Unfortunately in order for Bobby to be let free, Moses has ta be there, whole. The bastard lives. But wha' I am going to tell ye nex' is only fer yer ears. Are ye near the club?" I heard a door shut.
"No. Whats going on Smiley?" She asked.
" Moses is goin' ta tell Chibs he killed me fer tryin' ta kill him. He'll give Chibs one of my rings. One he knows I'd never part with. Yer the only one in Charmin' tha' will know the truth." I said.
"Wait, why?" She asked.
"It's better fer him. Ye won' have ta deal with tha' conflicted side o' him. Atleas' where I come inta play."
"I dont like this." She said.
"Too bad doll, it's done. He'll know wha' happened around four." I told her. "Give him the letter I wrote. I assume ye read yers."
"Yeah, I did." She said.
"Then pretend I never contacted ye. Give tha' letter ta Chibs. Then be there fer him lass. I have a feelin' my death won' be the only bad news fer those lads taday."
"And just like that you'll leave?" She asked.
"Aye, I'll give ye a call if Im in San Joaquin bu' I won' be goin' back ta Charmin'." I said.
"Alright." She said.
"You take care o' him Althea. Take care o' him an' yerself." I said.
"I will." And with that. I hung up the phone. My work phone rang. And the cycle began again. The Ulchabhán would go on. Though Smiley died today, she would go on too. Just not in Charming.
CHIBS POV
We rode up to the meeting with August Marx. When we got there Jax spoke to Marx.
"How about just you and me? No weapons. No armies." Marx nodded.
"Just you and me and the things we have to trade." He agreed.
"I don' like this Jackie Boy." I said as we walked up after the van.
"Just make sure he's not packing." Jax said. Moses and I passed each other as we checked the others. No weapons. I nodded to Jax. The rest of us cleared out. Quinn and I headed to go meet Jarry. But one of the cars cut us off. I glared at Moses as he got out.
"I take it you're the Scot?" He asked, walking up to me.
"An' yer the bastard who took ou' me friend's eye." I said. He smiled.
"I went home today, and found a pretty little redhead sitting in my dining room. Scars very similar to yours. Her name was Brónach wasn't it?" He asked. I stood toe to toe with him.
"If you've done anything to her, I swear I'll kill ye." I smiled.
"Now, we wouldnt want to mess up this truce that our boys have come to now would we? Besides. I didnt do anything to her she wasnt going to do to me. Quite a fighter." I saw him play with something in his hands. "She asked me to give this to you. She was very admirable. So Im fulfilling her last wish. She really must have loved you." He said, holding up a ring. One I had seen on Brónach's finger many times. She said that her mentor in the IRA gave it to her. He tossed it at me.I caught it.
"Wha' have ye done?"I whispered looking at it.
" I found her in my dining room waiting to kill me. Most of it was self defense." He said, then he smiled. "She never once screamed. She was stronger than Bobby was in that way. All she said the whole time was at the very end. I asked her if she had any last wishes. And she replied ' I know I have no right to ask this, but would you give this to the V.P of the Sons?'." He gestured to the ring. " I asked if there was any message for you and she simply said. 'Tell him that the decision has been made.' She asked you to take good care of someone. Sounds like you lost one hell of a woman there." I felt cold. She was gone. And our last encounter, I didnt want that to be her last memory of me. I didnt want to remember her that way either. " I respected her. I am sorry it had to happen that way." Moses spoke before getting back into his car and driving away. I looked down at her little ring in my hands. Then slipped it into my pocket.
"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.
"Lets go meet Jarry." I said, not answering his question.
I walked into my apartment after meeting with Jarry. She had given me a letter, I assume Smiley wrote it before she left. I sat down with a bottle of whiskey, the '43 she had brought back from Scotland all those months ago. I took a swig before opening the letter.
Chibs,
I know recently everythings been out of whack. The mess the club is in, my insane work hours. Jax asked me to get the bastard who took Bobby, if you're reading this, it turns out Moses όόόόwas the better hitman. But you should know I put up a fight, and that my last thought was of you. I need you to keep Althea safe, and she'll keep you safe. I can see that you are happy with her, and I feel that it is better this way.
You taught me to love. And I did, deeply. I didnt realize how bleak my life was before I met you, that I was working towards an inevitable end with no other goals other than the next target. After I met you, each fight wasnt what it was before, something to entertain me and my sick habits, when I met you I cared if I lost because it could be the end of me. You changed me, I have learned so much from you, and I hope I brought something to your life as well.
Maybe if it was a different time, if I had come back sooner, or even called, this mess could have been avoided. Or maybe it was meant to be. But you should know that you'll always be in my heart. that I'll keep an eye on you from whatever is next for me. And maybe we can be together in a different life.
All my love and best wishes,
Smiley.
She had expected she wasnt going to make it. My heart broke a little, loosing her all together, not getting a proper good bye. Being so horrible to her in our last hours together. It was almost too much.
"Alright Chibs open up or we'll shoot the lock out." Jax yelled through the door. It had been a few days since Smiley died and since I left my appartment. I opened the door.
"Wha'." I demanded. Jax took me in.
"You look like shit. What is going on?" He commented as he pushed his way into my home. I closed the door and looked at my boots.
" Did someone die and I miss it?" He asked. I flinched at how closely his sarcasm hit the mark.
"Smiley died tryin' ta ge' Moses ta hand over Bobby. The day Marx killed him." I said frowned.
"What?" He asked. I pulled her ring out of my pocket.
" She's gone, dead." I said.
"How do you know?" He asked, no one had seen her in a few days, I guess the assumed she took a job and made good on her threat, leaving not to return any time soon.
" She found Moses, tried to kill him, but he killed her. She gave him this, she would never part with it without a major cause. And she gave this letter to Jarry." I picked it up off the counter. It was crumpled and worn, I had read it so many times. " She knew she might not make it." I whispered. Jax read it.
"Jesus." He breathed. " I had no idea brother. I thought she took a job." He hugged me. I looked at him, I couldnt find the words, so I hugged him then went and sat down.
" I hate to do this to you, but we have a lot to get done." He said. I nodded.
"Aye.I'll ge' dressed." I said.
And so began my life without Smiley.
So this is the end of the story... Im considering doing a sequel please review or pm me or something to let me know it wont be a waste of time. I hope you enjoyed :)