Well, we meet again... ;)
Best wishes go to beth-rodrigues.77 (I'm glad you liked the latest chapter! You're right, Jess sometimes has the same amount of luck as trouble she gets into. :) As for Mike and his feelings towards Jess, you'll find out more about it in one of the future chapters. But, his and Gene's plan will be revealed in this one. And, yes, they had come up with a nasty surprise for Denham. Let's see what you'll think of this part of the story... :) ), ilovemedia18 (Thank you for the sweet review! :) By the way, welcome to the story. I hope you'll enjoy the future chapters. :) ), imthebeginning (Oh, thank you very much! I wish you a lovely day! ), Hector Barbosa (Thank you for your compliments! I'm glad that you like the story so far. I'm also looking forward to hearing from you again. :) ), Dustori (I couldn't stop smiling when I read your review. Thank you so much! As for the chapters to come, expect a few tense ones coming this way... ;) ) and AwesomeBlonde89 (Welcome back and thank you for the sweet review! :) I wish you a wonderful day, too! ). Thank you so much for taking your time to read and review this story! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.
Chapter Thirty-One: Fireflies In The Kitchen
We were on the road for God knows how long. The Jeep kept rumbling beneath me, depriving me of even the smallest chance of peace. My escape from the hospital had slowly begun to take its toll and all I wanted was to close my eyes and drift into sleep. But, with that infernal engine, sleeping wasn't meant to be. Slouching deeper in the front seat, I propped one leg against the edge of the door and hoped that would ease the pain in my stomach. And then I lowered my head in my hand, letting my heavy eyelids fall down.
I must have dosed off in the end, because, when I opened my eyes again, dawn had already arrived. A line of bright, auburn light was now glowing in the distance. It seemed as if someone had spilt oil along the entire horison and set it on fire. I sat up straight, in order to get a better look, when the pain in me became twice as vicious. Luckily, I bit my tongue hard, so I didn't cry out. However, that didn't stop a moan from escaping my lips. Damn it, the morphine must have worn off...
"Are you sure you don't wanna go back?", Lieb asked from the driver's seat.
"No. Why?"
"Because, frankly, ya look awful."
"You would look awful, too, if a piece of lead tore its way through you", I deadpanned and narrowed my eyes at him. That was when I noticed a canteen, tucked beside his seat. "Is that water?"
"Yeah. Wanna drink?"
"Don't mind if I do."
It must have been a long time since I had something to drink. My mouth was dry as if I had swallowed a handful of sand. I picked up the canteen and fumbled with the cap until I finally got it unscrewed. As I brought it to my lips and took a large gulp, Lieb tugged at the steering wheel. One gulp later, the Jeep made a wide turn, moving to a narrower road.
"Nice driving." I moved my gaze from the road to him."They taught you that in basic training?"
"Nope", he replied, "Before this shit, I used to be a cabbie in Frisco."
My eyebrow sprung up with no warning. "You're serious?"
"Yeah."
A faint smile appeared on his face. In the same moment, I coughed and sputtered the latest gulp of water. The snide, sarcastic Liebgott I knew was suddenly gone, replaced by a completely different person. Whoever this lad beside me was, he seemed happy. In some honest way.
Holy mackerel. "So… do you miss it? Being a cabbie?"
"Enough to ask for my job back when I get home." He glanced at my direction. But, he frowned when he noticed the look on my face. "What?"
"You know… I would never have guessed."
"That I used to drive people for a living?"
"That you can be affectionate. I always thought you were a heartless bastard."
He chuckled instead of an answer, which was more than weird. And then he stepped on the throttle. The engine let out a roar, while the vehicle jolted a bit, rushing over an old wooden bridge. Shortly after, we made it to the other side and continued our journey. But, all of a sudden, a sign rushed past our right side. It was there for a second, caught in the headlights, before it vanished in the dark behind us. I had barely managed to read the lonely word written on it. Randwijk.
"It ain't far now", Lieb announced, with his hands on the steering wheel.
He was eventually right. It didn't last long when a group of houses appeared in our sight. They were all standing close to each other, covered in the shadow of a large nearby dike. At first, I thought this place wasn't so bad. It seemed peaceful and quiet. However, as Lieb stopped the Jeep, I was forced to change my mind. Although the sunlight was still dim, I could see that the nearest farmhouse had shattered windows. It also had a row of round holes, spreading over one wall.
Bloody hell, are those bullet holes? Before I even furrowed my brow, a slightly bulky silhouette appeared behind the farmhouse. I stiffened in my seat when he aimed at us with his rifle.
"Guarnere, put that fuckin' thing down!", Lieb exclaimed, "It's us!"
Lowering his weapon, Bill stepped into the sunlight. And then he saw me.
"Oh, God…"
"'Morning, Shakespeare. Long time, no see?"
Grasping the Jeep's door, I pushed it open and got back to my unsteady two feet. Speaking of my feet, they were now strangely numb because of the cold. But, I forgot about those when Bill dashed to me, wrapping me into a hug.
"Holy smoke, Bill…" I winced when the embrace became a little bit too tight. In spite of that, I managed to smile and hugged him back. "If I missed you this much, you lads must have had a tough time."
He didn't say anything about that. Instead, he moved one step away and held me at arm's length. The look on his face was hilarious. I took me a lot of effort not to snigger at his quivered eyebrows and slightly slack jaw. Not to mention that his left eye had widened more than his left.
"Jesus… they let ya out of the hospital like that?"
"They didn't." I admitted. "I sneaked out."
"Following the company's tradition, eh?", Lieb asked, appearing beside us.
Bill begun studying me, gazing at me from top to bottom. His look soon stopped at ground level. That was when he stared back at me and asked:
"Where the hell are your boots?"
I sighed. "Missing in action, unfortunately."
He slowly shook his head as he furrowed his brow at me. "You're one tough piece of work, ya know." He placed his heavy arm around my shoulders. "Now, let's get ya inside before your feet turn into goddamn ice."
Still holding me firmly, he strolled towards the door. I sped up a bit, trying to keep up with his steps. But, before I managed to do it, my stomach and back burnt in pain. It wasn't as sharp as before, but it made me grunt nevertheless. Unfortunately, the ear of my Philly friend didn't miss that. He turned at me, showing me more than a concerned look.
"You okay?"
"I'm okay, Bill", I quickly said, brushing the whole thing aside, "I'm okay. I'm just out of shape after all those days in bed. That's all."
Judging by his expression, he didn't buy it.
"Yeah, right. And my name's Claudia."
"Well, it sounds much better than Gonorrhea."
His brow furrowed even more. But, after he heard Lieb sniggering behind us, he glanced over his shoulder.
"And you, Joe, what the fuck is the matter with ya?", he barked, "Huh? Why didn't ya drag her arse back to the hospital instead of bringin' her here?"
"I could do that", Lieb replied, "But, If I'd said 'no', she would've limped all the way here from Nijmegen."
Bill rolled his eyes. "Christ…"
Muttering something else under his breath, he helped me make a few more steps to the farmhouse. As soon as we reached the door, he pushed it open and led Lieb and me into a weakly lit room. That was when I saw two more lads, who were sitting inside. Or, should I say lads from Easy?
"Jess!", Malarkey exclaimed, jumping from an old chair. But, then something caught his attention, making him stop to his tracks. "Jess, your feet…"
"Why are you all suddenly noticing my feet?", I asked, quickly becoming annoyed, "I have ten toes like the rest of you." With a short scoff, I glanced at the lad sitting beside Don. "By the way, Mike, that's a really nice haircut."
Even though it was a bit dark, I noticed that my wingman wasn't so pleased. He was happy to see me, of course. I saw that in his eyes. However, he also seemed shocked that I was in the same place as him. He gawked at me for a second or two, holding a mug with something hot halfway to his lips. But, he quickly pulled himself together, plastering a smile on his lips. Spreading his arms for me, he came closer and gave me a warm embrace.
"Jesus, you've chosen a perfect time to come back", Don said, after giving me a friendly slap on the shoulder, "You know that you're not so far from the line, right?"
All right, I have to admit that I swallowed a small lump in my throat. Returning to the line of fire wasn't my way to begin a day. However, if you ask me, neither was stopping my two friends from getting themselves court-martialled. Or killed.
"I know, lads."
Reaching for an old chair, I dragged it closer and sat down. I had almost expected for my stitches to tug, forcing me to yelp, but nothing happened. Nothing hurt this time. Thank heavens for that.
"And what about you?", I asked, "How are you holding on here?"
"Good", Bill replied, making himself comfortable on a nearby crate, "We're sittin' on our arses for now, waitin' for orders. There ain't no news from Winters so far. And there is none from Sink and Denham, too."
The mention of Denham's name made my heart skip a beat. "He's here?"
"He's in the HQ. Who knows what's cookin' there."
"Now, that you mentioned cooking…" Don trailed off shortly, gazing at the wall in front of him. "I'd really use some coffee."
Bill glanced at him in confusion. "I thought you had a stash hidden somewhere."
"I spent it. I expected the British 43-rd to have some, but all they got is goddamn tea." He heavily sighed at the last word, as if he had mentioned something disgusting. "And I thought things couldn't get worse."
"Tea isn't that bad, Don."
"Theirs definitely is. Only Mike here likes it."
While the others chuckled, I smiled and took a chance to turn to Mike. But, as soon as I spotted him, my smile slid off my lips. Unlike Lieb, Bill and Don, he wasn't laughing. He was completely serious as he observed me from his corner of the room. His once cheerful eyes were now solemn, in a way I hadn't seen before. And I might guess the reason for it.
At this hour, I should have been on my way to England and safety, instead of running straight into trouble. Randwijk definitely wasn't a place for me to be in now. But, in spite of everything, I couldn't go back. Eugene and he were about to stroll over the edge and I was the only one who could stop them. That was why I pursed my lips tightly and returned Mike the same look he had given to me.
"Jess, have you seen Buck in the hospital?", Don asked.
"Buck?" It took me a second to connect the nickname to a particular face. "Why, aye. We were on the same ward. He sends his regards to you lot."
A corner of Bill's lips curved. "How's his butt doing?"
"Well, it's…"
Thinking how to answer, without involving the word "butt", I glanced through a nearby window. But, I didn't have a chance to think of something. A glimpse of someone in olive drab and a helmet on top of his head stole my attention. Actually, what caught my eye was the way he was walking. He was making slow steps, with his hands deep in his pockets. His head was so low that his chin was almost touching the collar of his jacket. He almost seemed as if he was looking for something he had dropped in the grass.
My breath hitched when I saw a trace of red on his armband. It was a trace shaped like a cross.
It's him. I was suddenly aware that my heart rate was rushing up.
"Uh… lads?" I glanced at Don, Bill, Mike and Lieb, while my brain sped up, looking for a good excuse. "Would you… is there a ladies' room somewhere?"
"So, you're back after not seeing us for a week or so", Don stated, with confusion spreading over his face, "And the first thing you're asking for is the damn bathroom?"
"It's pretty urgent", I said.
"There's one outside, just behind the house." Bill pointed with his thumb at the back wall. "But, you ain't gonna go nowhere with no shoes." He reached out from a corner and took out a pair of dark, dusty clogs. "You can take these, until we scrounge somethin' else."
"Thanks, Shakespeare." I quickly slid my feet in the clogs. They were hard and a bit too big for me, but, at least my toes weren't freezing now. "I'll see you lads in a minute!"
Before anyone had a chance to say something, I made my move and rushed through the door. Hobbling over the doorstep, I grasped the wall for support and moved behind the first corner. And then I looked on my left and right, searching for the silhouette with the red cross.
He hadn't moved away too much in the meantime. He was now standing near one of the houses, watching something in the distance. There was a cigarette between his fingers. I noticed a wisp of smoke lingering from its tip, disappearing in the cold morning air. If he didn't move for a while, I might get to him. And so I gritted my teeth, pushed myself away from the wall and made my way forward.
The distance between us wasn't big. But, with my lack of strength, it seemed like an entire mile. In the end, my side ached and I was breathing so loudly, that I thought he would hear me. However, he didn't turn around. He kept gazing in front of him, wandering in his own thoughts. It made a smile tug at the corer of my lips. When I got right behind his back, I held my breath, just in case. And then I reached out, covering his eyes with my hands.
His cigarette fell from his hand, while his shoulders became suddenly tense. But, a moment later, I felt that he relaxed. I soon heard his quiet, tired sigh, followed by:
"Heffron, that ain't even funny…"
He moved my hands out of his way and turned around, ready to tell Babe off. He didn't, however. As soon as his eyes met mine, his lips parted in complete bewilderment. I smiled, expecting him to say something, but he remained silent instead. He just stood like that and stared at me, while his pale fingers were still wrapped around my wrists.
And then, slowly, as if he was hesitating, he pulled me into an embrace. His arms wrapped around me, stealing me from this world. While he was holding me close, I raised my chin slightly and felt his lips reaching mine. He was so gentle, so careful that I barely felt them. But, that was enough to make Denham, my mission and the whole war disappear, if only for a second. There was just Eugene and me, and nothing else.
"Hello, Doc", I whispered in his neck.
He quietly chuckled, letting me go. With one hand resting on my cheek, he looked at me again. That was when the look in his eyes slightly changed. It didn't last long when his smile begun to fade.
"You went AWOL."
There was no question marks after that. It was a fact – and the only thing left for me was to affirm it. Biting my lip, I gave him a short nod.
"You shouldn't be here", he muttered.
"I have every reason to be here, Eugene."
"Jesus Christ…" He moved away from me, while his black eyebrows approached each other. Aye, the magic of the moment was now a hundred miles away. "You should be back in Nijmegen, where it's safe!"
"Maybe you're right. But…" I hesitated for a while, thinking of what to say next. There was no way for me to tell him why I was really here. And so I settled for: "But, I reckoned I had a few more things left to do."
This time, he looked at me as if I had gone mad. "Can ya hear yourself talkin'? You're actin' as if everythin's just fine!"
"Things are fine. Well, in some way…"
"Do ya even know what happened a week ago?", he asked in a strangely low voice.
He became quiet after that, but he didn't move his gaze away from me. His eyes became slightly darker, as his expression begun to change. They were soon looking at me not just in disapproval, but also in fear. And enormous pain.
"I'll tell ya what happened. You were hit." His voice faltered for a second. Swallowing thickly, he added: "You were dyin'… and I was holdin' ya, watchin' as you faded. There wasn't much I could do and…" He trailed off soon after and slowly shook his head. "I can't lose you, Jess."
I felt a small ping of guilt. Biting my lip, I made one step closer to him.
"Gene, it's all right." I felt a sharp ping of guilt and I struggled to ignore it. Mustering some sort of a smile, I added: "Nothing will happen to me."
"Nobody knows that, 'specially not inna place like this", he said, almost whispering, "Why can't you just go? You'll be much safer there, far from da line."
I bit my lip. "I can't leave."
"And why da hell not?"
"Because… because you need me." So that I can stop you and Mike from signing your own death warrants, that is. "Who will watch over you while I'm gone? I don't know about you, but I haven't seen too many pilots wandering around here."
He frowned at me even more. "All of this ain't yo concern."
"Really? Oh, let me see." I placed a finger on my forehead, pretending to be thinking a lot about something. "You're sleeping in a village on the edge of a bloody no man's land, with Germans waiting on the other side." I soon sent a glare in his direction. "I'm not going anywhere yet."
He let a short, irritated sigh whoosh between his lips. However, there were no words after that. He just let silence step in between us like a huge, invisible wall. But, after some time, he also decided to break that silence. I noticed a thin crease emerging on his forehead as he asked:
"May I at least take a look at da wound?"
To tell you the truth, I hesitated. However, I didn't do that for long. If I wanted to stay here and find out what Mike and he were up to, this wasn't a moment for making rows. That was why I nodded.
"Sure."
Eugene's expression became even more serious. "Come 'ere, then."
Giving me the sign to follow him, he went behind the nearby door. Entering just after him, I found myself in a house similar to the one where Bill, Don and Mike were. It had only a few pieces of furniture, scattered around the room.
"Could you stand here?", Eugene asked, pointing at the empty fireplace.
Nodding again, I limped to it. And then I waited for him to close the door and join me. When he eventually came, he shoved his hand in his medic bag and took out a torch. He soon turned it on, suddenly creating a pillar of yellow light in the dark room. That was when he tried to prop it against the mantelpiece, but it didn't work out too well.
"I'll hold it", I suggested, taking it from his grasp, "Where…?"
"Point it down. Like this." He carefully moved my hand, so that the light was falling straight on my chest and stomach. "Good."
While he begun taking out other things he needed, arranging them beside him, I took the chance to shrug off my coat. Pulling my arm out of the sleeve, I let it fall on the floor. Not counting the clogs Bill had given me, the only thing I had underneath was an oversized T-shirt, which barely reached my knees.
"Can you…?" Trailing off, Eugene made a strange motion with his hand. It took me some time to find out that he was actually asking me to lift my shirt.
"Oh. All right."
I grasped the hem with my free hand and rolled it up, revealing the bandages underneath. Just a second later, Eugene's cheeks received a deep shade of red. I almost forgot how bashful he could be. Trying to act as if nothing was wrong with him, he bent a little and begun working.
I didn't dare to look down, just in case I saw something red appearing. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to focus on the wall behind Gene's head. As I was doing my best to watch the lines in the wood, and not what he was going, I felt a few small tugs. Eugene must have begun peeling the bandages off, layer by layer.
"Look, it doesn't hurt…"
My words suddenly got replaced by a painful shout when he touched the wound on my back. Before I knew it, tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision in an instant. And then I heard Eugene's peculiar accent muttering:
"Yeah. I can see that." He placed his hand on my stomach, as gently as he could, checking the other wound. I didn't know why, but his touch sent me slight shivers. "Well, you're damn lucky. You didn't tear a single stitch."
"That sounds like a good thing." I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc? Will you let me stay?"
He stood up, sending me a bit dark, disapproving look. Soon after, he snatched a clean bandage and begun slowly wrapping it around me.
"All right", he said, "You can stay. But…" He sent a quick glance up at me and raised his index finger. "There are sum conditions."
Conditions, conditions… just when I don't need them. I shifted my weight from my left foot to my right, doing my best not to look too annoyed.
"I'm listening."
He didn't answer until he tied the bandage off. And then he picked up a small bottle out of his pocket and placed it beside me. In the light of the torch, I spotted small pills inside.
"You'll take these twice a day", he instructed in a serious voice, "If you don't feel good fo sum reason, call Spina or me. We're both gonna be here, since we're not moving out soon."
"Okay."
"And you'll be restin' in that bed over there", he said, pointing at the old wooden bed in the corner of the room.
And I made my escape just to stay away from a bed... "Until when?"
"'Till I say somethin' different."
"You can't keep me chained to the bed. What if Winters or Denham call me for a meeting or something?"
Eugene's brow furrowed one more time. "You can go, but you're gonna spend da rest of the day here." He kept his steady gaze on me. "Got that?"
A corner of my lips curved. "Everything is crystal clear, Mr Roe."
"Jess, I'm serious."
"I know you are." Now, that he was done, I pulled my shirt down. "Jesus, don't look at me like that. I'm much tougher than you think."
I waited for him to retort, but the only answer I got was silence. With a quiet sigh, I took his hand and knotted my fingers through his, like we used to do. And, like in those days, his skin was as cold as ice, while his was pleasantly warm.
"I'll be all right, Gene. You'll just have to trust me on this."
His eyes darted from my hand to my face. And then he raised his other hand, placing it on my cheek.
"You're goddamn stubborn, Jess."
A corner of my lips curved for a bit. "Tell me something I don't know."
XXX
Taking one of Gene's pills out of the bottle, I reached for my cup beside the bed. But, I came across a surprise when I found out it was empty.
Oh, bloody hell. Placing the cup back with a rattle, I sat up in bed. I thought of asking Eugene if he had some water left. But, I soon remembered that he wasn't here. He had left half an hour ago with Bill and the rest of the lads on some reconnaissance mission. My only company in this moment was Ralph, who was snoring out loud in a bed beside mine.
Shrugging off my blanket, I leaned closer to the nearby window and propped my arm against the wooden frame. And then I took a quick look outside. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see anything. Night had fallen over the farmhouses and the dike, painting Randwijk in the deepest, darkest shade of black.
Randwijk was one of many villages in an area called 'The Island'. That was actually a five kilometre long strip of land, stuck between the Lower Rhine in the north and Waal River in the south. However, that was only the part of the whole story. Since the town of Nijmegen on the Lower Rhine had been marked as the east point of the Allied advance, everything went completely haywire. The Germans surrounded us from almost all sides, leaving a small space for retreat in the south.
In Bill's words – we were up to our necks in mess.
How lovely. My brow furrowed at that thought. I let my gaze moved across the land, but I could only notice a glimpse of the neighbouring farmhouse. If I recalled correctly, Lieb and Don hadn't gone on that mission. Perhaps they were inside now.
Well, if they are, I hope they have some water to spare. Returning to my feet, I snatched the jacket Gene had left for me. Soon after, I was hobbling through the door and into the night. It was so quiet outside, that it seemed eerie. I couldn't hear a single noise, except the ones I was making. Like that wasn't enough, it was so dark that I found it hard to describe how things looked. I would have probably got lost if it hadn't been for the glimpse of the lad's farmhouse. I could only see thin lines of the walls and the roof hanging in the air. With my hands outstretched in front of me, I limped towards it as quickly as I could.
It didn't last long when I reached the door. Smiling in relief, I grasped the door knob, ready to push the door open. But, I didn't, because something made me suddenly stop.
I had heard voices from the inside of the house. However, they didn't belong to only two men. They belonged to twice as much.
What is going on? Trying to be as careful as possible, I made a few steps to the right and stopped at a broken window. And then I slowly peeked through it, into a small kitchen covered in shadows. It was now occupied with four human silhouettes, which were standing around an ancient wooden table.
My eyes widened in surprise when I recognised all of them. There was Gene, standing it a corner, with his chin in his hand. Bill was a few steps away, sitting at the table, while Lieb was leaning against the nearby cupboard. What was even more weird, Mike was also there. I could only see his back, but I was absolutely certain that was him. I could recognise his frame anywhere.
What the... what are they doing here? They should be on a bloody mission! Blinking in bewilderment, I stepped closer to the window. All of them were smoking, including Mike. The tips of their cigarettes were glowing in such fade orange light, that they reminded me of four fireflies in the kitchen. In spite of the darkness that lingered around them, I didn't fail to miss the looks on their faces. They were more serious than I had ever seen them. And that made me bit my lip for a second.
"Look, we all know what happened after Nuenen." Lieb's deep voice shattered the silence like glass. "We were there, for chrissake. She almost didn't make it."
I swallowed a lump in my throat. It wasn't so hard to guess who she was.
My heart begun picking up speed as I leaned closer. If the lads were having some sort of a secret meeting, I wasn't planning on missing it. Turning one ear to the cracked window, I did my best not to make a single sound.
On the other side of the glass, Bill chucked his cigarette to the floor. And then he stepped on it, extinguishing its glow. Meanwhile, Eugene stepped out of his corner.
"We gotta problem, now that she's here", he said quietly, "She might find out."
"That's not the only problem, Roe", Mike replied. Taking a long drag and letting out a puff of smoke, he glanced at each of the three lads. "Denham is on his way here."
All of a sudden, Bill's Philly accent intervened. "Here? Whaddya mean, here?"
"I heard that the second platoon will be sent somewhere. And Denham will be there, to supervise them or something. Expect some action coming this way."
Cold chills slowly climbed up my spine. Mike Sullivan, what the hell are you doing?! I wanted to shout that out loud, but I forced myself to stay quiet. I couldn't give away my hiding place. Especially not now, when a meeting like this was going on in front of my eyes.
"That means…" Gene's expression became even more serious.
Mike nodded. "He'll send Jess with us. She's our air support after all."
"But, she ain't fit for no action. She can hardly walk an'..."
"He'll ask her anyway."
"If she gets up in da air and if we get attacked, she's dead, Sullivan."
"I know. I know." Mike took another drag. Soon after, smoke begun lingering above his head.
"We can't just sit 'ere, doin' nothin'", Bill said, "She's one of us, for fuck's sake! And we're not leavin' any of our guys… or gals behind."
"But, what the hell could we do?" Lieb waved around with his smoke. "In case you haven't noticed, Denham's a goddamn colonel! If we make this public, it's gonna be his word against hours! And then we're all…"
Bill looked over his shoulder, right in his direction. "Jesus, Joe! Calm down, will ya?"
"There's no way we're going public", Mike said quietly, "We'll have to help her in a different way. In a way that won't include the whole company, just the four of us. That way, if anything goes wrong, it would be difficult for Denham's orderlies to find any clues later."
"And what the fuck would that plan be? You already got one, kid?"
"Actually, I do."
That was when Lieb, Bill and Gene turned in his direction. I looked at him, too. And, truth be told, what I saw scared me. Although I knew Mike since we were kids, I had never seen him like this. His eyes had some sort of fire that almost made me shudder.
Gene slowly shook his head, becoming paler by the second.
"You tell 'em, Sullivan", he muttered, "This was all yo idea in da first place."
"But, you agreed, Roe."
"Just' because that's da only way of gettin' her life back."
In the dim light of the Lucky Strike, I noticed that Mike had tilted his head slightly. "That's the one thing we all agree on, isn't it?"
"Wait, wait, wait…" Bill seemed more than confused by this. "What is that supposed to mean?"
For a moment, not even a fly could be heard in the kitchen. That was when Mike spoke again, giving us the answer we had all been waiting to hear. Unfortunately, that was something far beyond my expectations.
"This is what I mean. We gotta take out Dehnam."
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