Mechanic Chapter 27, a black lagoon fanfic

"It, it, it can't be. I, I, I couldn't even dream. Delilah, it had to be, we can't have imagined it," Robert Coffey, at that moment, was completely different than he had been to that point.

"Father, he looks exactly like you. He is almost as big as you are, it has to be him, why aren't you going after him," Jennifer Coffey was already on her feet heading out the door before her parents could stop her.

"Miss Vasilinov, what is the name that he uses, and how do you know him? Also you may want to just be straight up, Capt. Pavlovna," Delilah Coffey suddenly had a very severe change in attitude.

"I am sorry, who is it you think I am," Balalaika tried to deflect part of that question.

"I don't directly meet with anyone, without knowing exactly who they are. Capt. Sofiya Pavlovna, Vozdushno-Desantnye Vojska . Served during the Soviet Afghan war. More than two hundred recorded jumps, over eighteen operations. Noted as captured or missing no less than eight times, and returned on your own six, rescued twice. Currently you go by the name Balalaika, and are a member of the Russian Mafia, specifically a branch known as Hotel Moscow that operates within the Orient, Southeast, and East Asia. Should I continue, state where you are based, your age, blood type, or will you be honest," Mr. Coffey sat back down, and stared her down.

"How do you have all that information? There shouldn't be any way for you to have even half of that," now she was getting rather angry.

"Masters talk logistics. There is nothing more integral to logistics, than intelligence. Bougainvillea is for the most part legitimate, so I was willing to overlook most of this. My people would only be providing security, not directly handling any kind of merchandise, legal or illegal. Right now though, I DON'T GIVE ANY KIND OF A FUCK. That was my son, that has been missing for almost twenty years now, I have a much more vested interest in him. I want to know how you fucking know him," the way the room shook when he yelled cowed all five of them.

Balalaika, Boris, and Vassily had all served together in Afghanistan. They were hardened soldiers, who were considered some of the most dangerous people in Roanapur, Thailand. They were still human though, and the sheer force of the man, the violence that came through in his words, was enough to start waking up their flight or fight reflexes.

"During one of my captures, he was a mercenary working with a Mujahideen cell. He, killed all of them when he found out their plans for me. Then he helped me reach Soviet lines. After that I didn't see him again until around a year ago when he landed in Roanapur. My two associates here are coworkers of his, so they would be able to give more information on him than I would. If you want to know if I was aware that you were his family, we did not until we entered the room and start getting presented with evidence," even Balalaika was amazed with how easily she revealed the information.

Mrs. Coffey's eyes went wide, "He would have only been barely out of his teens, how could he have been a mercenary? Not too mention one working in the Middle East, how would he have even gotten there?"

"Delilah, let me. You two work with him, what are you? What kind of work? Be honest, there is a reason he ran away, and I really do not want to be forced to revisit that side of myself. I worked too hard to change who I was," Mr Coffey turned an evil gaze toward them.

Rock couldn't speak, Revy barely did better, "Basically we are, couriers, that dabble in piracy when we are paid to. He, is our ship's mechanic. Also extra muscle when the job calls for it. I, know what you are talking about, and I have the misfortune of being able to relate to it," and was more polite than she was wanting to be.

"What pain have my hand wrought upon one, that many must suffer for. That he, that takes the lash, mete it out upon the masses. Fire should only await one, but be granted the souls of two. May he who gave me my soul, have mercy upon it for the sins that I gave raise to," the large man took a deep breath, "Did he tell you how he got there, how he came to work with you?"

"The short, he started in Mexico, went through Central and the northern part of South America, over to Africa, the Middle East, and then up to Eastern Europe. He worked as a head of security for some Russian arms dealer before he ended up with us," it had to be because she was completely unarmed, otherwise she would have treated him like that piece of shit Nazi that wouldn't shut up about that fucking oversized Luger, well maybe not, the Nazi didn't seem as much of a threat as this man did.

"Well, Robert, he definitely sounds like your son. He sounds even more like your father. The grandson of one of the Chosin Few, surviving sixteen years as a mercenary. Apparently bad-ass just runs in your family. What is he like," Mrs. Coffey had suddenly turned from hateful, to being a mother wanting to know about her lost child.

Revy was caught off guard, "He, is kinda a surroooo, what the fuck is that word, a, the, the brother that I never had by blood. Also, probably one of the saddest individuals, oh fuck. Aren't you, your, your daughter just ran after him, aren't you fucking about her running after a fucking mercenary. A paid fucking killer, he beat a man to death with a goddamn wrench since I've known him."

Mr. Coffey shook his head, "Jennifer can take good care of herself, and she isn't stupid, just impulsive. So he did tell you how we treated him, most likely he didn't embellish any thing either. He, is smart, always was, I think we made it to where he didn't care, and just made it worse over time. He was always straight forward as a child."

"That hasn't fucking changed. He is also, probably one of the best people I know, even if he doesn't think so. At least for the shithole we live in. Why are we fucking telling you this? Look, you both fucked any chance of a relationship with him, and I guess this whole scene has fucked this deal. Sis, I know I am just here playing dressup and office for Rock, but I think it is time we fucked off," Revy started to come out of whatever had come over her.

Balalaika stood, "I must agree, Two Hands. I do apologize on his behalf as my employee. We did not intend to make a scene, and I can understand this deal not proceeding. I bid you a good day."

As she turned to leave Mr. Coffey spoke up, "I will take what we have, and have my legal department draw up an initial contract to be delivered to your hotel day after tomorrow. Despite this, I am still a businessman, and will not turn down a deal that has long term positives, just because of not so positive personal matters. Have a great day, Capt. Pavlovna."

"Wait up. Please stop, I want to talk to you," Ethan was finding the girl annoying as she followed him.

"Leave me the fuck alone. I don't know who the fuck you are, and since you have some fucking connection to those shit stains, I don't care," he hated to admit it to himself, but he was also lost now.

"I'm your sister. To think I actually wanted to know who you are. I know Mother and Father were in a bad state when you ran away, but they couldn't have been that bad."

Ethan stopped and turned, "Has she ever locked you in closet, so she could get her cunt opened up. Has he ever held a fucking skinning knife to your throat and told you to do better on your school work or he would slit it?"

"No, they cou-," she started.

"They did that to me. They beat me, starved me, treated me like utter trash. I was an inconvenience, not a child. If it wasn't for Gramps, I would have been dead. He kept them in check. I am amazed that you lived if you really are my little sister, because they don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves, not even each other," he started to notice he was drawing stares, so he started walking again.

Jennifer continued to follow him, "You broke them of that. You running away. I never got to meet Grandfather, but I know Father has said that he hoped that he even just started to make him proud despite all of his sins. I know you may not want to believe, this is the first time you have seen them in my lifetime. Oh for the, WOULD YOU STOP YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKER. Oh god, you made me start that."

Ethan turned to look at the girl, "Wow, that did sound like my family. Regardless, how the fuck do you expect me to put almost two decades of hate, behind me. Do you even know a fucking thing about me? No. Let me give you the run down. I used to be a mercenary. People pointed, I killed people, and they gave me money. I've killed women, children, whoever the fuck I was paid to kill. You think I'm a good person who could just walk in there and forgive them. I can't, because I don't deserve to, because I am fucking worse than either of them could ever be. I don't deserve to forgive them, and I don't deserve their forgiveness. I don't deserve any long wanted love from my parents. I only deserve a fucking shallow unmarked grave somewhere with a bullet in the back of my skull. Do you still want me to be your older brother?"

"Yes, because that was more honest than most people I know. I want to know Caleb, I want to know my brother, no matter what he is. Mother and Father, have always wanted their son back. The past is the past, so forget the bodies behind you, and stop being a whiny little bitch about it. Oh damn it, I don't like cursing. It causes wrinkles," then last part of the girl's statement made him laugh a little.

"Yeah, I guess we are related. You don't want anything to do with me, I can guarantee that. I lost track of the number of the number of people I killed, before I even turned sixteen. Your what, fifteen, I was working for drug cartels at your age. I learned how to interrogate people at your age. I made orphans and widows. I'm a man, whose soul is so far gone, that even Satan can't find it," Ethan felt something on his face, and when he reached up he found tears.

"I don't think that you are as far gone as you think you are, not if you can still cry over it. At least come back and talk to them. Father quit drinking, and Mother stopping being a slut, all before I was born. Maybe I don't know truly how bad they were, how you were. Here is the thing about the future, you always have the chance to make yourself better than you were yesterday," she looked him in the eye with more conviction than he had ever seen.

"I'm guessing they aren't Catholic anymore, because that sounds like some hippie protestant shit. Just because you do good, it doesn't mean your sins are wiped away. You are weighed against yourself, not anyone else when you stand before the big man. I tend not to let my friends know my religious beliefs, but even they would agree with what I am saying. That doesn't matter, you don't even know who I am talking about," Ethan started to look around trying to figure out where the hell he even was.

"You mean the uncomfortable woman with the big tits, and the Japanese dude. They really did not fit in to the roles as well. Not to mention she has a smell like burned nitrocellulose around her. I'm not so nice and innocent as I look. I have seen our parents have fits of anger and beat on each other. I've gone with Father to inspect training facilities, contracts, and even have been trained to defend myself by the people who train our men for fieldwork. How fast can you disassemble an M9 and reassemble it?"

His answer shocked her, "Thirty eight seconds, and that is under a mortar barrage, so don't try to one up me. I am a professional. I could teach you ways to kill a man, that would leave you unable to sleep at night. If I took my shirt off, it would probably horrify you with just the scars. You know what was the only thing to scare me since I was a child, I had a brain tumor. I just had it out months ago. I have sat in trenches under artillery and mortar barrage, bored out of my skull, no pun intended, while regular soldiers were pissing their pants around me. It was a walnut sized tumor that scared me."

"So you decided just to continue on, instead of seeing it as a sign that you should change your ways. Look, maybe I can't ever truly understand what you are saying. Understand the life you lived, but are you so fucking worthless, that you would deny a girl her only desire in life," she turned her back to him.

"One, you are a complete dumbass to turn your back to a hardened killer. Two, haven't I just spent the last ten minutes telling you who I was? Look, just, what the fuck is your name?"

"Jennifer. Jennifer Eilleen Coffey. You haven't even acknowledged your fucking name," she told him.

"I don't really know it anymore, and probably won't ever take it up again. I go by Ethan Haines, but what is my real name. Maybe I will have it put on my tombstone if I get to have one."

"Caleb. Caleb Butler Coffey," she suddenly turned and hugged him, " And I am so happy that I could meet you. You can't understand how happy I am to meet you."

Caleb. It wasn't a bad name, it just wasn't him anymore. At least not as he was now. He really didn't know what to do. About his parents, this teenager hanging off of him, or the suspicious stares he was starting to get.

"Jennifer. This is the first time I have ever been to Dallas. We never came here when I was kid, so could you lead me back to the building. I, will, I will talk to them. Don't expect it to go well, and, I will hand over my sidearm to you when we get there, so you know I won't do anything stupid"

She let him go and looked up at him smiling, "Thank you, Caleb. That makes me happier than you know."

He smiled as he nodded, "Ok, now can we head back before someone calls the police and claims that there is a pedophile trying to abduct a girl in the middle of the street, because I think there are a few people getting that vibe, and I really don't want to go to jail."

He hadn't been wrong. It was uncomfortable, for everyone except Jennifer. And despite his requests for them not to be there, Revy and Balalaika were giving him moral support. Ignoring the total lack of morals there, he still didn't know how to handle this even with their support. Besides, why the fuck were they acting like women, did they just want to take advantage of the fact most of the people who would use it against them not being there to relax or something. Revy did like those weird Chinese soap operas, so who knew.

"Caleb, I, I don't know what the fuck to say. I can't make any excuses, I can't apologize, I don't know. I never thought that this would even be possible. I don't even know enough about you to try to start," Mr. Coffey didn't put a desk between them.

He stood there, face to face with his son. Where he could easily take a knife in the gut, and not have the time to react to it. It gave everyone a chance to look at how similar the two were built.

Robert Coffey stood 6'6", and Ethan 6'3". While at first glance the older man looked more powerfully built, Ethan took that trophy. Their facial structure was almost identical, though the younger man had darker skin, and a number of small scars that just barely showed. If they started fighting, it would be up in the air as to who would come out on top. It would have been one of those fights of the century types of fight. There was still the chance that it could break out.

"I don't fucking know what to say either. What do you say to someone who threatened your life over a math quiz," Ethan didn't give an inch.

"What do you say to someone you did that to? I am a piece of shit, despite where I have gotten. I'm not a good person, I probably won't ever be. I won't make any excuses," he said to his son.

Ethan looked him straight in the eye, "I guess I am your fucking spawn. I ain't any different. No, I am. I am much fucking worse than you. I didn't threaten, I have killed people, and only for a paycheck. So say whatever the fuck you want. You made a monster, and he just snowballed on his own. There ain't enough I could pay the fucking church to clean my soul. That gun I stole from you, I don't know how many lives I took with it. I still, kill people with it. It is the only connection that I have to you, and it is only for more sins,"

"Jakou bolest způsobila má ruka na jednom, pro kterou mnozí musí trpět. Že on, který bere bič, to udeří na masy. Oheň by měl čekat pouze na jednoho, ale získat duše dvou. Kéž se ten, kdo mi dal mou duši, smiluje pro hříchy, které jsem vyvolal. My Czech is a little rusty, but if I remember it is claimed that Jan Hus said it as part of a story about accepting responsibility for your own sins, and knowing that God alone could absolve them. I am surprised to actually hear a man who was supposed to be a devout Catholic use something that was said by Hussite," Ethan returned.

"When you ran away, it opened my eyes. I had a major crisis of faith. The Chaplain at the precinct, he had been told by several of the people that were assigned as my partners, what kind of person I was. Everyone knew me as a mean spirited drunk, and the only reason I kept my job, was I did it right. That was all I did right. He, was a scholar of many different Abrahamic sects. He requested that I be assigned to light duty at the station, so that he could help me overcome my grief.

He knew my family was Catholic, but he also knew that the local church was one that, the priest would sell indulgences, and that I paid for several. I couldn't when you disappeared, and he took me under his wing. He, thought that that particular passage, that it was something that I should relate to. The way he explained it, was that a master of the land beat a serf, and that serf later was given power within that realm, and killed many under him. The master of the land understood that the serf had sinned, but it was because he had sinned as well. He could not ask forgiveness from those who had died, because he beat the man. Only God could grant him peace, as he was punished in Hell, because he took responsibility for his part, as the catalyst for the serf's sins.

He was a wise man. I thank him in my prayers everyday. He saved my life, my marriage, and my future. I think he would have probably found it funny were he still alive to be standing here, to see this, and how true that passage is," He reached out to place a hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"Father Henderson. I remember him, I went to school with his nephew. I didn't really know his nephew, but he would always say a few words to me when he came to pick him up when his parents couldn't. Look, as much as you don't deserve my forgiveness, I don't deserve yours, for what I did to you at the time I ran away. Let's just leave it at that. There isn't really a fucking thing that we could do to mend fences at this point. You are a successful businessman now, and I am just a relic that became a criminal because no one wants people like me in the world anymore," Ethan, didn't have it in him to knock the hand away.

As they watched Revy leaned over to Balalaika, "This is better than those Chinese soap operas. It also makes more sense."

"You watch those as well, my, my. You're right though, it is. I kinda wish we had a bottle of -," the sudden presentation of a pair of filled wine glasses interrupted her.

"One thing about not caring about what is rude or not, is having an absolute love of soap operas. I just never thought that I would ever be living one. It is so exciting," Mrs Coffey was all smiles as she offered them the glasses.

Ethan looked a the women sideways, "I don't even know what to call you. I can't even remember what I called you as a kid besides sir. Dad, pops, father, or what the fuck do I even call you?"

"Caleb, I don't give a fuck. I, am just glad that I have had the chance to see you again. I got to know that you are alive. That means more to me, than you even saying anything to me. I know that Jennifer wouldn't agree, but I am a complete fuckup as a father. The shit I did to you, I couldn't blame you if you just put a bullet between my eyes right now."

"I can't do that, Jennifer has my gun."

The older man couldn't help but breaking into a laugh, "Well, that would definitely make it more difficult. Fuck, I, I'm just not good at this. Your grandfather would be kicking my ass right now, so I just need to pull my balls out of my pocket and fucking do it," and with that he took his surprised son in a solid hug, "Caleb, despite everything, I love you. I know you may still hate me, and I will never try to stop you from it, because you are right to. I don't deserve anything else."

"Well, Caleb, how do you feel," Balalaika asked as they made their way back to the hotel.

"Don't call me by that name. Caleb Coffey died a long time ago, I'm just wearing his face," he said as he stared out the window.

The woman sighed, "That isn't something many people in our world get. I wouldn't have stopped you if you had taken his offer to stay. I don't think that Rock or Two Hands would have either."

"Sofiya, I have too many respons-,"he was interrupted by the trash truck slamming into the driver's door of the suburban.

Instinct kicked in and he threw himself over Balalaika. That didn't last long as the three quarter ton SUV's momentum changed directions and it started to roll. When it hit its side it skidded several yards before slamming into a light post and coming to a stop. Most of the windows were busted out. Ethan's vision was blurry from hitting his head on the roof during the roll.

Seconds later he saw figures coming through the back hatch window. They had masks covering their face, so even without clear vision he knew they were a threat. It was taking him a lot of effort to move, so he could do nothing as they ignored him and grabbed Balalaika's unconscious form. He fought and managed to pull his weapon as the last one was going back out, and place several shots in the man's back. Tires squealing were the last sounds he heard as he passed out.