Diego was shocked from hearing Annie swearing in French as she handed him the walkie-talkie and Eunice and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walked to them.
"Where is Paddock Thirteen?" the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes asked.
"It's not far," Diego said.
"What's in the storage building?"
"Supplies and a tranquilizer rifle."
"Why did you need a tranquilizer rifle?"
"Our old bull was psychotic and we needed it to knock him out," Diego said and he headed down the path. Eunice and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes followed him and Diego asked one of the FBI agents if he could borrow one of the black sedans.
"Let him borrow it," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and he, Diego and Eunice got in the black sedan. Annie watched the black sedan head down the drive as anger built inside her and she softly growled.
Paddock Thirteen
Murphy pulled on the door handle, but the door stayed locked and he sighed. Connor walked around the room as he tried to find an exit when he saw the fire exit door at the back of the room and he made a small whistle. Murphy ran to him as Connor pointed to the fire exit door and they walked to the door. Connor turned the door handle, but the door was locked and he frowned.
"Shit," Connor grumbled.
"Hold on," Murphy said as he pushed the button on the walkie-talkie. "Hullo? This is Murphy MacManus. Can anyone hear me?"
"Where are you?!" Annie's voice demanded.
"We're still in th'storage buildin'. Someone locked us in."
"Seriously?!" Lisa's voice asked and he handed the walkie-talkie to Connor.
"Aye. Both th'front an' th'fire exit doors are locked," Connor said then let go of the button.
"Good!"
"You're mad, right?"
"Damn right."
"But you still love me?"
"Yeah. You still love me?"
"Yes, Ma'me," he said with a grin and he handed the walkie-talkie to Murphy.
"We're really gonna stay here?" Murphy asked as he hooked the walkie-talkie to his belt.
"Don't see any other way out."
"You got th'key," Murphy said and Connor removed the keyring from the pocket of his jeans. He looked at the keys then cupped the keys in his left hand and Murphy saw the puzzled look on his twin's face. "You gonna unlock th'door?"
"No," Connor said after he looked at the tranquilizer rifle and he placed the tranquilizer rifle back on the hook. He went to sit on one of the crates as he placed the keyring back in the pocket of his jeans and Murphy went to sit next to him. They sat in silence when Connor sighed and slid his forearms over his thighs. "Do you think this is another test?"
"You mean like those new stories?"
"Aye."
"I guess."
"Tell me summat," he said as he turned to look at Murphy. "Why did you wanna go after Smecker?"
"I wanted t'make sure someone stopped him."
"But why did it have t'be you? Or me?"
Murphy thought when they heard the sound of something stopping behind the door and they stood. Connor suddenly noticed the ladder which led to the skylight on the roof and he pointed to the ladder. They headed for the ladder as they climbed up the ladder and Connor moved the latch back. He opened the skylight as they climbed up onto the roof then carefully crawled along the roof.
"Stay where you are!" a voice called out and they stopped moving.
"Now what do we do?" Murphy whispered. He watched Connor start crawling to the edge of the roof then followed and they looked over the edge of the roof. A black sedan and some black vans were parking down the path while the black van was parked near their feed truck and Smecker and the FBI agents were standing near the black van.
"Shit. Wish I still had the tranquilizer rifle," Connor whispered.
"At least we know where Smecker is," Murphy whispered. They watched Smecker standing near the FBI agents and Connor noticed the bandage wrapped around Smecker's right wrist.
"I can't believe this," Paul grumbled as he looked at the FBI agents. He thought back to when the driver had taken off after Eunice had wanted to see him, but what Smecker didn't expect was the driver take him on a wild ride around the ranch. "I can't fucking believe this."
He looked at the other FBI agents pointing their weapons at him as he sighed and lightly shook his head. Smecker then noticed the odd look on the driver and the other two FBI agents' faces and he frowned.
"Kneel," the driver said.
"Kneel?" Paul asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"No one is doing anything," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and the driver looked at him.
"Stay out of this," the driver said.
"I beg your pardon!?"
"What's goin' on?" Murphy whispered.
"Dunno," Connor whispered, but something about how the driver was standing caused a cold chill to move through him.
"I said stay out of this," the driver repeated then he looked at Smecker. "I'm not tellin' you again. Kneel."
"What will you do if I don't?" Paul asked with a smug look.
"You'll have t'deal with us," Connor said and Diego, Eunice and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes looked up at him and Murphy standing on the roof.
"I thought you said you were locked in there," Diego said as he pointed to the storage building.
"We were. Fergot about th'skylight," Murphy said.
"Get back inside!" Eunice said.
"An' miss all this?" Connor asked with a grin.
"Ok, Smart Ass. You wanna help? How are you and Murphy going to get down?" Diego asked and Connor and Murphy carefully walked to the edge of the roof. They looked down then at each other and Connor sighed.
"I think I saw some rope…."
"No!" Murphy said as he crossed his arms over his chest then he remembered something. He carefully walked along the room when he saw the fire ladder and he made a small whistle.
"What are they doing?" the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes asked Diego and Diego shrugged his shoulders. A few seconds later, Connor and Murphy walked to them and stood next to Diego. "How did you…?"
"We used th'fire ladder," Connor explained then he looked at Smecker. Connor glanced at Murphy as they had a silent conversation then they walked over to the FBI agents and the driver. Connor felt the cold chill moving through him again after seeing how the driver was standing and the driver barely glanced at him.
"Go back t'the others," the driver said with a tone Connor and Murphy recognized.
"Not until we have our say."
The driver looked from Connor and Murphy then at Smecker, but he didn't lower the gun.
"Go on then," the driver said and Connor and Murphy walked to Smecker.
"Did you have something to say to me?" Paul asked, but he slightly winced from the cold look in their eyes.
"Aye. We do," Connor said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It is true we're grateful fer your help after what happened eight years ago. You coulda arrested us fer murder. Instead, you let us spend th'night in that holdin' cell an' told th'press what really happened. Th'next mornin'? We left th'precinct an' that shoulda been that. You shoulda left town an' moved on t'the next case. Instead? Yoi stayed an' decided t'keep an eye on us."
"If I hadn't stayed then you two would have died. Or did you forget you were Papa Joe's prisoners?" Paul asked.
"An' that was due t'our own stupidity," Murphy said.
"He's right," Connor said.
"But what we didn't expect was fer you t'become obsessed with us. With what we were doin'."
"Which we had t'stop doin' after we took down that asshole."
"We went into exile. Spent day after day tryin' t'ferget what we did. Tryin' t'find some sense of peace."
"But we never found a way t'do that."
"Until th'son of th'sumbag we took down decided t'call us out by killin' our priest."
"We came home an' went back t'work."
"But we didn't know you had found out where we were an' sent someone t'lure us into yer trap," Murphy said as he glanced at Eunice.
"Only th'trap didn't work. She became friends with us. Wanted t'help us," Connor said, looking at her.
"That, in turn, became a betrayal. You had t'figure out another way t'get hold of us."
"We know what he did," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and they looked at him.
"The thing is he can't accept us not wantin' t'do this anymore," Connor said.
"We quit," Murphy said.
"Guys like you can't quit," Paul said.
"Ok. We were called into th'head office an' were told our services were no longer required," Connor said.
"Well… More like we were given a choice. Either stop doin' what we're doin' or die," Murphy said.
"Are you serious?!" Paul asked with a sigh and rolled his eyes.
"They're serious," Diego said.
"How do you know?"
"I was there when they were called into the head office."
"He was given a choice, too," Connor said.
"Yep."
"So…," Murphy said while walking to Smecker and they stood face-to-face. "Fer th'last time. Fuck off! We're fuckin' retired!"
Murphy walked back to Connor as Connor lightly nudged his twin in his right side and they headed for the feed truck. Smecker growled as he started following them and the driver and the two FBI agents aimed their guns.
"Gun!" Eunice shouted and Connor and Murphy hit the ground as the driver and the FBI agents fired their guns. Smecker grunted as the bullets hit him and he fell to the ground. The FBI agents and the driver dropped their guns as they fell unconscious to the ground and Connor and Murphy slowly got to their feet. Diego, Eunice, the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes and the other FBI agents looked at each other with puzzled looks on their faces and a cold wind blew through their hair.
Saint Luke Hospital
After calling her mother to look after the kids, Darcy, Lisa and Annie had gone with Diego, Connor, Murphy, Eunice, the FBI agents and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes to the hospital. They sat in the waiting area, but Connor, Diego and Murphy had gone with Eunice and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes to talk with the driver and the FBI agents who shot Smecker.
They walked in the examination room with two FBI agents standing guard and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes looked at the driver and the two FBI agents resting on the examination tables. He walked to the first examination table and the FBI agent looked at him.
"Agent Maxell," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said with a small nod.
"Sir," Agent Dale Maxwell said.
"What do you remember about the incident at the Golden Cactus Ranch?"
"I remember sitting in the back of the van."
"What else do you remember?"
"We were waiting to leave when… When I felt really cold."
"Was the air conditioner on?"
"No, Sir."
"Anything else?"
"This is where things get weird. It felt like I wasn't me? Like I was outside my body. I could see and hear what was going on, but I couldn't do anything."
"Like when you pointed your weapon at Agent Smecker?" Eunice asked.
"Yes, Ma'me. I don't know why I did that. But I do remember afterwards someone saying something about the flipside?"
"Did…? Did you say flipside?" Connor asked and Dale looked at him.
"Yes, Sir."
The man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walked to the middle examination bed and the FBI agent looked at him.
"Agent Abbot," he said with a nod.
"Sir," Agent Sarah Abbot said.
"What do you remember about the incident at the Golden Cactus Ranch?"
"I remember being in the van. I was tending Agent Smecker's wounds."
"Do you remember talking to me?" Eunice asked.
"No, Ma'me."
"What do you remember?" the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes asked.
"Like Agent Maxwell said. We were waiting to leave when… When it got really cold."
"Anything else?"
"Again. Like he said. It felt like I wasn't me. Like I was outside my body."
"What about when you drew your weapon on Agent Smecker?" Eunice asked.
"Uh… Well…. I don't know why, but I whispered "ding-dong" just before I fired my weapon."
"Did you say ding-dong?
"Yes, Ma'me. And just after I shot him? I felt like I wanted to cry."
Eunice looked over at Connor and Murphy. They had confused looks on their faces and she walked to them. They went out into the hallway as she turned to look at them and she crossed her arms under her breasts.
"You heard what they said, right?" she asked.
"Aye," Connor said and Murphy nodded.
"Do you think…? No. That's nuts."
"It had t'be Romeo," Murphy said.
"An' th'other one was Rocco," Connor said.
"Are you saying those two were taken over by Rocco and Romeo's ghosts?" Eunice asked and they nodded. They went back in the room and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walked to the final examination bed.
"Agent Li," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said with a nod.
"Sir," Agent Jason Li said.
"What do you remember about the incident at the Golden Cactus Ranch?"
"I was assigned as the driver. I remember sitting there, waiting for word that we were leaving, when… When it got really cold."
"Do you remember driving off after Agent Bloom wanted to see Agent Smecker?"
"No, Sir."
"Did you feel like you were not in control of your body?"
"Yes, Sir."
"What about later on? Do you remember shooting Agent Smecker?"
"No, Sir."
"Do you remember talkin' t'us?" Connor said as he and Murphy walked closer.
"Not really," Jason said then frowned. "The weird thing… The weird thing was I felt like I knew you. Like we were…related?"
"In what way?" the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes asked.
"Like…. Like they were my kids."
Connor and Murphy felt like something slammed into their chests as they looked at each other and Connor cleared his throat.
"Was there anythin' else?" Connor asked.
"Now that I think about it? I can still taste tobacco in my mouth," Jason said then looked at them. "I don't smoke, but a friend of mine had a baby last month. He handed out cigars and we smoked them."
"Are you saying it feels like you had a cigar in your mouth?" Eunice asked.
"Yes, Ma'me."
"Christ," Connor whispered.
"Lord's name," Murphy whispered.
"Sir? Is Agent Smecker alright?" Dale asked.
"We don't know. He's still in surgery," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said then he looked at Diego, Connor and Murphy. "I want all of you to leave. I'll send Agent Bloom to your home once we learn more about Agent Smecker's condition."
"If it's all the same to you, Sir? We'd like to stay," Diego said and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes nodded. He watched Eunice lead Diego, Connor and Murphy out of the room and they headed back to the waiting area. Connor and Murphy walked to Annie as she looked out the window and she saw their reflection in the glass.
"Wanna go t'the chapel an' pray fer him?" Connor asked.
"Yeah," Annie said with a nod and they headed down the hallway. They found the small chapel as they walked inside and went to sit on one of the pews. Connor and Murphy removed the rosaries from under their shirts as they held the crosses in their hands and all of them closed their eyes. They started praying as they moved closer to Annie and she felt a sense of peace moving through her.
Hours later, Annie, Connor and Murphy walked back to the waiting area as they went to sit next to Lisa, Darcy and Diego and Connor noticed Eunice and the other FBI agents were in the room.
"Any word on Smecker?" Connor asked as he looked at Eunice.
"Not yet," Eunice said as the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes and a doctor walked to them. "Sir!"
"This is Doctor Hendricks," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and Doctor Lance Hendricks looked at them.
"How is Agent Smecker?"
"He is stable for now" Lance said as he looked at the medical chart in his hands.
"Is there a chance he'll survive?" Diego asked.
"It's touch and go for now. The next twenty-four hours will tell us if he will or not."
"How bad is he?" Eunice asked.
"There was damage to his right wrist, right shoulder and left kidney, but he was also shot in the back."
"Does that mean he might be paralyzed?" Annie asked.
"There is no might about it. The damage to his spine has left him paralyzed from the upper chest down."
Connor glanced at his brother as they sighed and looked down at their feet.
"I think we better go," Lisa said as she looked at Darcy, Annie, Connor, Murphy and Diego. Connor and Murphy glanced at the FBI agents before they followed Annie, Diego, Darcy and Lisa outside and they got in the cars. Connor sat back in the seat as Lisa started the engine and she glanced at him. She saw the concern and puzzlement on his face as she put the car in gear and the car headed down the drive. Murphy looked straight ahead as Darcy started the engine and she noticed how upset he looked. She put the car in gear and she strummed her fingers on the steering wheel.
"This has been one hell of a day," Diego said as he started the engine, but Annie only looked straight ahead. Sighing, he put the car in gear and the car headed down the drive.
The Golden Cactus Ranch
The cars pulled up to the farmhouse while the screen door opened and Darcy's mother walked outside. She watched Darcy, Murphy, Connor, Lisa, Diego and Annie get out of the cars as Darcy walked to her and Darcy hugged her mother. She watched her mother get in the car then the car left a few seconds later. Diego looked at Lisa, Annie and Darcy then walked up the stairs then went inside after opening the screen door.
Annie, Lisa and Darcy looked at Connor and Murphy and Annie noticed the concerned and slightly frightened look on her brothers' faces.
"I guess this is it," Connor said as he looked at Murphy.
"Aye. I guess so," Murphy said with a nod.
"What are you two talking about?" Lisa asked.
"You're gonna tell us t'leave."
"Don't blame you. We caused nothin' but trouble since we showed up," Connor said.
"It is true that things have been…interesting since you've been here. But that doesn't mean we want you to leave," Lisa said.
"She's right," Darcy said.
"Then why didn't you say anythin' on th'ride home?" Connor asked.
"You didn't say anything either."
"We were tryin' t'figure out what t'say," Murphy said.
"And we were trying to figure out your punishment."
"Our…punishment?" Connor asked.
"You really didn't think you'd get away with that stunt you pulled, did you?"
"Which one? When we went t'rescue Annie from Smecker an' stop him from killin' Angus an' Devil or when we chased after Smecker when he took off in th'van?"
"Both."
"Oh."
Murphy locked eyes with Connor and they had a silent conversation. They nodded then stood straighter and Connor cleared his throat.
"Alright. We're ready fer our punishment," Connor said.
"First…," Annie said and they looked at her. "You two are doing double chores for the next two months."
"Sounds fair."
"Second… You are also going to bed two hours early," Darcy said.
"Seein' how much work we're gonna have t'do. I don't think we'll mind," Murphy said with a small grin and she shyly smiled.
"Finally…," Lisa said and they looked at her. She walked to Murphy and they locked eyes. "You are not allowed to play any video games. Not even if the boys are playing."
"But…," Murphy said with a pout and his lower lip stuck out. "Ok."
She walked to Connor as she crosses her arms under her breasts and he had an idea what she was going to tell him."
"As for you, Cowboy. No action movies. Not even if the boys are watching one," she said and his eyes widened.
"But… But… But…," Connor said then sighed. "Fine. When does our punishment start?"
"Now!" she said and she pointed to the farmhouse. They headed for the stairs while Connor and Murphy walked next to Annie and she glanced at them.
"Are we still in the weddin'?" Connor asked.
"Oh… I guess so. I mean you are family," Annie teased as she slid her arms around their waists.
"You are such a brat," Murphy said.
"An' you two are eejits," she said and they laughed as they went inside the farmhouse.
Later that night, Connor rested on his back as he looked at the ceiling then Connor moved the bedding back. He walked out of his bedroom and could just hear the television coming from down the hallway. He quickly moved into Murphy's bedroom and he saw Murphy sitting up in bed. Connor placed his right index finger to his lips as he headed for the bed and he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Why are you still up?" Murphy asked.
"Couldn't sleep."
"Me neither. Kept thinkin' about what those agents said."
"You mean about what happened in th'van?"
"Do you really think they were taken over by Rocco, Romeo an' Da?"
"Aye. Remember Lisa tellin' us how they got away from Sam's compound?"
"You mean those two guys who found 'em outside th'fence? Th'kids said one of them told really bad jokes."
"And Lisa said th'one who was with her looked like they wanted t'cry."
"Which means they were Rocco an' Romeo."
"Our guardian angels. But why did Da show up?"
"I guess he wanted t'make sure Smecker stays outta our lives."
"By paralyzin' him?"
They sat in silence when Connor stood, walked to the door then he stood in the doorway.
"Guess we shouldn't question it," Connor said.
"Aye. We should be grateful that Smecker's finally gone," Murphy said as he slid down onto his back and he rolled onto his left side. He moved the bedding up then yawned. "Night, Connor."
"Night," Connor said as he turned off the light and he left the room. He looked down the hallway when he walked toward the door to Nichole's bedroom and he opened the door enough to look in at her. He closed the door when he went to check on the boys and opened the door. He saw they were asleep as he closed the door then he placed his left hand on the door.
"Hey," made Connor turn to see Lisa standing in the doorway to her bedroom. She was wearing a gray flannel nightshirt which ended at her knees and her hair was down around her shoulders. "Why are you still up? You should have been asleep hours ago."
"Couldn't sleep," he said as he walked closer and she took hold of his hands.
"Still thinking about what happened?"
"Aye," he said with a nod and she moved the fingers of her right hand through his hair.
"I don't blame you for any of this."
"I blame me."
"Stop," she said as she kissed his lips. He shivered as her hands moved down his arms then she slid her arms around his waist.
"Are Murphy an' I still grounded?" he asked against her lips.
"Nope," she said then moved back. He watched as she went back in her bedroom then closed the bedroom door and he placed his left hand on the door. Smiling, he turned, headed down the hallway and he went in his bedroom.