Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot and Annie. Even the title is borrowed from Van Morrison.
Italics - Spanish
Some bad words, some violence, and fade into black sex-scenes, nothing too graphic.
DOUBLE POST TODAY! DO NOT MISS THE EPILOGUE!
Chapter 28 WednesdayThe next morning Tank and Annie skipped the gym and had some private cardio exercise in bed. They ate breakfast in the apartment, and then Tank went up to the conference room. Annie had decided to take another day away from the actual papyri, since she was on a roll with writing about them.
The briefing took quite some time, but the highlights were that they were finally rid of Morelli, and the hidden cell had been thoroughly cleaned. Gazarra had called very early in the morning and said that Johnson had been found dead at the hospital. There would be an autopsy. Whether it was an effect of the shot or if someone had decided to hasten his demise was unsure. The Rangeman team had been relieved by FBI-agents earlier in the evening, and hadn't been standing watch during the night.
Ranger returned to Miami in his private jet, and Frank decided to go with him. Juniak had looked envious when Frank left, but he had quite a lot of things to sort out before he could leave Trenton. Before he left Ranger had emphasized that there still were threats against the former mayor, and had declared that Rangeman would continue to provide him with a security detail whenever he left Haywood, and also asked him to stay at Haywood for the time being. Juniak was a bit more shaken about the shot the day before than he had let on, so he thanked Ranger and Rangeman, and declared that he would stay at Haywood. Ranger also suggested that most of the meetings could be held at Haywood, eliminating the need to go to the City Hall, which demonstrably was a hard place to secure.
At lunchtime Tank looked out his window on the beautiful weather, and told Binkie that he would be on his own with the paperwork for the rest of the day. He then called Ella and asked her for a picnic hamper and blanket. He went down to the apartment and found Annie working diligently on her laptop.
"What do you say? You want to go on a picnic with me?"
"I´d love to. I've written more than I had hoped so far, but tomorrow I need to get back to the papyri."
They got the picnic things from Ella and went down to the garage.
Tank gave Annie a fruit and nut bar.
"Ella makes those. If it´s OK with you I thought that we could get out of town. You've done beautifully despite being cooped up, but I have a feeling that you're like me and being inside if it's not by your own choice is a bit suffocating. And if you eat that bar you´ll be OK with waiting a bit for the picnic."
"Sounds like a great idea. And you're right. It´s been suffocating. But then again, I´ve had you with me, otherwise I don't know what I´d done by now."
They drove for about an hour, and then had a picnic at the beach. Afterwards they put back the picnic-basket in the car, and went for a long walk at the beach. There was a cold wind from the sea, but they walked for a couple of hours until they returned to the car.
"Thanks. That was just what I needed. To be outside, get some fresh air and exercise, and not have to look over my shoulder all the time. And I haven't really been on the beach here before. It was calming."
"You´re welcome. And I agree, we needed both fresh air and some time for ourselves."
They bought some food on the way home, and collected the cats. They all had a quiet evening, and went to bed early.
"You know," Annie said, cuddling up to Tank. "I can't decide which part of T.S. Eliot´s final stanza of 'The Hollow Men' is most appropriate."
'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper,' Tank quoted.
Annie gave him a smile and a kiss.
"I saw the book in your collection," she said. "And I can't help but think that for those not directly involved in the aftermath, it feels like a whimper. And don't take it the wrong way; I much prefer that to a bang. I just feel that there was so much drama along the way, and now it's sort of quiet."
"I agree. But I definitely feel that the best ends are the ones without the bang. Unless it's in a more vulgar language."
"Thanks for breaking my introspective mood," Annie laughed. And kissed him.
"I believe we can use the more vulgar meaning."