Chapter 21

Jan and Mike gave us the best farewell they could for now: with food. After these years, they still knew the best way to my heart was with the orgasmic scent of bacon. The smell hit a sore spot in my heart. However, something went deeper and was more overwhelming as we ate breakfast.

Sadness clouded the early morning. I would miss this wonderful family so much and it hurt knowing we would have to say goodbye soon. It made me pray to whoever was listening that we would return safely to them. It did not help my mental state when something I feared was said.

"I'm coming," Francis said in the stiff silence that surrounded the table.

"First of all, that's what she said. Second, I fucking knew you were going to try," I muttered instantly with my mouth full. Closing my eyes, I shook my head from where I was sitting beside Jan. She along with nearly everyone else groaned at the same time I spoke.

When my eyes opened and met his tired hazel ones across the table, I could see the amusement in them at everyone's response. Before we could beat some sense into his ass, Francis tried to reassure us. "I just want to go to the station with you and help out, that's all."

Jackson sighed and rolled his eyes. He seemed to be the only one wide awake; he did get the most sleep. Dressed in tan cargo shorts and a dark red shirt for a change, his brown hair was combed back looking damp like usual. It made his annoyed facial expression more noticeable. "I'm done with you people. There's a new person each day joining the bandwagon for Christ's sake. How I couldn't have realized this joyous adventure could get any better!" He speared the ketchup eggs and bacon with his fork a little harder than needed. Eating his food, his eyes narrowed when he turned to Francis. "You sound just as dumb as your brother."

"Relax," Francis said, looking between our distressed faces. "I said I wanted to go with you to the station. After that, I'll go home, no big deal."

We didn't argue with him. We were still well hidden and that probably wouldn't change from a drive here to the police station. That didn't mean it made me less uneasy but I sympathized with his words. He explained to us that he wanted to know what our plan will be when we figure it out, which was understandable. It wouldn't be until later that I learned that wasn't his real reason for coming along....

Following breakfast, we said goodbye to Mike and Jan. They showered us, mainly Luke and I, with concerned words and high hopes. It was tough. They treated me as if I was their child and it made my heart ache, especially when they gave me warm hugs. When Luke opened the door to finally leave, I couldn't have left faster. Anymore time around their love, I would have started to get more emotional. It helped that my head was already racing with what we were about to do.

I stared up at Luke as we walked towards the truck, Francis and Jackson following behind us. "How are we going to give Carter this test? The other officers will rip you a new asshole if they see the cop who skipped out of work."

"If they don't, I will rip you a new asshole," Jackson scowled. He was not at all in favor of this.

Luke sighed as he reached the open back car door where Carter was bound. He undid the bungee cords that held him and tossed aside the leftovers of breakfast we gave him. "When I left to find you by tracking your phone, I knew I would be gone for a while regardless. I called in and took a few weeks off, just in case. Uses some of my vacation days too. I really shouldn't have done it like that but they were happy to give it to me."

I nodded and watched as Luke took Carter's arm after he was no longer constricted by the cords. He took the handcuffs from his belt and latched Carter's wrists together (he was in uniform thanks to having multiple uniforms here and at his apartment). He helped Carter out of the truck to stretch as Francis opened the garage door.

"I'll see you there," Francis said, walking out to his vehicle. The carelessness in his voice made Jackson groan.

Glancing up to him, I could tell he welcomed getting annoyed at anything. After all, he was upset with me - with good reason. I went up to Jackson still half asleep this morning when I told him I spoke to Carter. I figured it would lighten his response. Instead, it made him alert, awake with wide eyes, and it thoroughly pissed off the dude. You can imagine how angry he became when he also heard that I wanted Carter to take a polygraph test.

He commented that this was a waste of time, a ridiculous idea, and that we can trust what we heard from Carter already. He insisted going to the police station would be dangerous for all of us and he was right. We shouldn't be doing this and we can't be recognized - especially me. But Luke sided with me and everyone agreed that it was worth the risk.

However, I was still fearful of being seen. As Jackson started driving with me in the passenger seat, I turned around to face where Luke was in the back with Carter. "How am I going to just walk in there? They see me and bam, there is my beautiful face on the front page of the paper."

Luke's green eyes in mine appeared slightly humored. "We can see if there is anyone around before you come in. The room where we give polygraph tests are out of the way and in the basement so we should be fine. People might not recognize you anyway."

It didn't take long until we got to the station. Despite how sure Luke seemed that this would go smoothly, he did look nervous when we parked beside Francis. If anyone looked more nervous, surprisingly, it was Jackson. He was bitching the whole drive here.

I watched him carefully as he took a ridged breath. He spun around from where he was in the driver's seat, staring daggers to Luke in the backseat. "We are doing this against my opinion and better judgement. So, I will be asking the questions."

Luke's face hardened and I could feel my own anger rise. My eyes shot over to Jackson before Luke could respond. I was sick of sitting aside when this was my idea. "You want to bet," I said, searching Jackson's riled eyes when they found me. "I asked the questions last night, I will do it today. If you have to be there to ask too, fine. The more questions, the better. But you will not be the only one."

"First, we need to get in," Luke cut in, clearly anxious about walking into his work with us. Pursing his lips, his eyes found mine after a long moment in thought. "We could use a specific cop's help...."

"What are you talking about?"

His lips tilted up slightly. "Today is usually not a busy day but we still need to get rid of any evidence of us being here. We need the cameras off. You and I can go in and have someone take care of it for us. I have a feeling he will be more than willing to help."

My eyes widened and heart jumped. I couldn't believe what Luke seemed to be suggesting but I was completely on board. He was talking about that idiot cop, Ramper. It would be a wish come true if I could scream in his face today. Not only could we confront him and talk to him, see why he didn't tell Luke where I was this whole time, but he could help.

So, that's what we did. I put on a pair of sunglasses and found that same hat I used before. My blonde hair flowing from under it, I couldn't see much of myself. With that, we told everyone to stay put until we come back. Then, Luke and I got out of the truck from where we were in the back parking lot.

It was almost surreal to see this place again. It brought back several memories, including the night I met Luke. He questioned me here while I was sitting in a cell, he on the other side of the bars. It allowed for a smile to spread across my face as we walked towards the back entrance. The closer we got, the reality of the situation started to hit me. "Is he working today?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I hope he's here right now. He works at the station more than he is out on active duty."

When we went inside, I couldn't help myself from looking around through the tinted lenses. The walls along this white hallway gave way to rooms and other halls. Chatter was present in the distance and from the corner of my eye, I could see it made Luke tense. "You need to relax and look calm," I whispered. "You work here, you belong here."

His body did relax more as we walked. By the time I followed him into a room though, he tensed more than before. I was guilty of the same because our eyes rested on the man we were looking for.

I could see he had the same light skin from where he was standing, his head dipped and looking down at papers on a table. It gave the perfect view of his short blond hair. It reminded me that the color of his hair wasn't a coincidence. Why do you folks think I was concerned about dying my hair? That man is proof of the connection between blond hair and stupidity. From my experiences with him, he wasn't bright. And all those experiences and memories flooded back upon seeing him.

When we stepped inside and shut the door, he looked up from the table that was facing us. That's when I took in those dull eyes. They found Luke and his light eyebrows shot up. "Hey man, what's going on?" he said in a light voice, looking over to me then back to Luke. "I thought you took a ton of time off. Did you miss working too much?" he asked with a smile, looking back down to the papers.

It was interesting to see that Ramper didn't give me a second glance. Maybe this disguise was that good. Then again, he was a dumbass. My heart was racing with excitement for him to realize who I was. His reaction would be interesting because I wanted to know why he didn't tell Luke about me. There was no good excuse.

Luke didn't say a word and it made Ramper glance back up. "You alright?"

I could feel the anger in me start to bubble and I jumped in. "You never cared if he was alright or not. Why start now?" I muttered quietly, drawing his attention back. It stayed on me in confusion, until I stepped forward and took off the sunglasses. That was enough to make the confusion turn into shock.

His hands came to rest on the table between us as he leaned forward, looking at me closely, as if in gradual astonishment. His eyebrows rose as he searched my face, lips parting slightly. "No way," he whispered after a long moment.

Ramper didn't have time to accept that I was here and before him. I didn't even have the time to jump down his throat, question, or yell at him. Because that's when Luke took charge instinctively. I could see the years of personal pain and suffering pour out when he spoke.

"Why so shocked? You knew what happened to her the whole time," Luke said slowly, his voice soft but filled with uncontrollable pain. It brought back everything that Shannon said with the heartbreak clear in his eyes. "You knew she wasn't dead. You knew she wasn't taken. You knew she didn't run away. How fortunate for you. It's so nice to know that you weren't worried or suffering these past years. I'm so happy, so happy Ramper, that you knew what happened to her and didn't have to wonder."

His wide eyes were forced from their shocked state as he took in Luke's sarcastic and painful words. He searched his face with parted lips, trying to find something to say. Something to justify why he didn't tell Luke.

"Listen.... I couldn't tell you."

I knew things would get confrontational but I don't think Luke was prepared for this. I told him that Ramper knew I went with the FBI. It's clear that he didn't let it fully process before. It was now that Luke was facing how much this man could have saved him from the pain.

Luke's eyes narrowed on him as he moved closer. Resting his fists on the table, leaning in, he spoke harshly. "Day after day, you saw me. You knew I was rotting inside. You were beside me when I went insane trying to find her. You watched me use every resource and any person that would help. Watched me sink every cent I could into bringing her home. How funny... that I did all that and my answer stood feet away from me each day at work."

"I really--"

"You watched me kill myself for three years... and you couldn't relieve me."

"I-I wanted to tell you!" Ramper said loudly, exhaling roughly. "It hurt so badly! Especially because s-she went through so much and it was finally out! I wanted to tell you so badly but I couldn't! The FBI told me I needed to keep my mouth shut. And-and it's not like I knew what happened. All I knew was that they were involved!"

"I don't care," Luke whispered, eyes strained and hurt on him. It hurt my insides even more. "You could have gave me a shred of anything and it would have helped."

"I'm so sorry," he said with pain-filled eyes, stressing his words. It made me upset to hear his reasoning - because it wasn't good enough. "I wanted to. I'm so sorry."

I understood Luke needed to say those things, get it out. I wanted to tear Ramper apart too but knew I needed to stay cool about this - which sucked so much ass. I dreamed about guilting the shit out of this guy but Luke needed to do it more. That's why I needed to hold back and be the one to stay focused.

"Asswipe," I cut in, allowing Luke to look away to get his breathing under control. Ramper looked more apologetic when his eyes found mine. It made me offer an annoyed groan. "You have no idea how terribly I want to make you cry like a little bitch. But if you're sorry, you need to help us."

"I'll do anything," he nodded without hesitation.

"We can't be here. You need to dispose of or stop the cameras from filming right now. There can't be any evidence of us here. That's why you will make sure nobody here sees us too."

***

Luke was the only who had experience with lie detector tests. He knew enough that we were able to do it right - thank god. It was more complicated than I expected.

Ramper took care of everything we asked. Including the cameras and making sure nobody saw us. That last part wasn't much of a worry. When we got the others and started towards the examination room in the basement, I noticed how isolated this part of the station was.

The room itself... was small and boring. There was a wooden table in the middle of the carpeted room along with a few chairs on one side, only one on the other. Luke set up the computer that he would need to read the results. It had many cords connected to it and scrawled over the table.

When I sat down beside him, he told me what I needed to do. "While I set up, you need to write your questions. Ask specific and clear questions that will validate he was being honest while talking with you."

"Why do I need to write them down?"'

Luke's focused eyes glanced over to me. "Before we ask anything, we need him to review the questions so he understands what they mean. They can't be confusing to him."

That 'him' in question sat down on the opposite side of the table, facing us. Jackson stood behind him, leaning against the wall as he looked over everything. I knew he was uncomfortable with this - including Carter's physical freedom since Luke took the handcuffs off him. Even though Jackson was watching him closely, it didn't mean he didn't want to be a part of it. "I'm getting my questions answered," he said, hearing what Luke said.

"I only have one question I want answered: is his dick super small?" Francis threw in.

Luke didn't even bother looking at him. I was on Francis's side though, laughing as I looked up to where he stood by the door. "Why do you want to know? You hiding something?"

"I'm getting good at reading people. More specifically, guessing the inches of a dude. My estimate is a 2 and I want to know if I'm right because that would be insane!"

Unlike Francis, Jackson took a serious approach after I was finished writing my questions. He added some to the list too as we expected. After we narrowed them down and decided what we wanted, we typed it up and made it final. When Luke printed though, that wasn't it. Oh no guys. It was time for more preparation.

That preparation... was long and in the form of several more steps. First, Carter needed to review the questions to make sure he could answer them without confusion. Then Luke hooked him up with the wires and sensors attached to the computer and some other equipment. One went around his torso, one around his chest, and a few along his fingers. After that, Luke then checked if it would work with test questions.

It was during this preparation that Francis said he was going out and down the hall to keep watch for people, just in case. Honestly, I couldn't blame him. I was getting bored waiting to start.

Then finally, after what felt like five hours, I could start asking the questions. Reading them word for word from the sheet, I could only hope he told me the truth before. Guess I'll find out for sure when it's over.

"Did you sign yourself over to this group because you needed money and were loyal to similar morals?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Did you start to stray away from their morals?"

"Yes."

"Did you continue working for them because they would take away everything and kill you if you didn't?"

"Yes." I asked a few more similar questions until things got more interesting. Questions came up that were more relevant because it controlled where we go from here. It went beyond bringing up things from last night. We started searching for more we could rely on with my next questions.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. "Do you hope that we succeed in shutting down the institution?"

"Did you give us the correct information regarding the base we will kidnap your boss from?"

"Will you give us the correct details about the design of this building?" I asked.

All of his answers for those questions were yes.

I bite my lip as I asked him my next questions. I got lucky Jackson didn't see some of the last questions I added before we finalized it. I knew he wouldn't like them.

"Are you willing to actively help us succeed in tearing down the institution you formerly worked for?"

"Yes."

"Will you help us kidnap your boss for the sake of our success?"

When he answered yes to this too, I glanced behind Carter and caught Jackson's eyes. They were closed as he scowled, taking deep breaths. I knew he hated that we were hauling around this guy to begin with. Actually talking about trusting him and letting him help us was hard enough. But to have Carter involved actively, without him bound, was just crazy in Jackson's eyes. Which I understood. It probably wouldn't get that far anyway but it didn't hurt to see his answers.

Once the questions were done, and I felt confident that this would help, I couldn't help myself. "Is your dick two inches long or less?"

Carter scoffed under his breath from where he was sitting this whole time. Luke only groaned and stood up, signaling this was over. Not before I received a "hell no" though from Carter.

We all stayed in that room after Carter's test. As it turned out, he didn't lie once, which made me very happy. It allowed for the ideas in my head to spin faster. It gave us the chance to figure out what we could do. We knew we could trust him. Now, it was time for answers that didn't involve a yes or no response.

It was the strangest thing, all of us sitting around the table - with Carter not in handcuffs. It was somewhat unsettling too. Though he didn't lie, I knew those cuffs would be back on his wrists when we leave. We weren't totally onboard with giving him complete freedom, especially Jackson. He was fuming up a storm. He didn't say a word and he just sat there, not bothering with anything. On the other hand, I was on a roll.

"I don't understand. So this place is around a series of abandoned warehouses by a river? These guys are loaded. Wouldn't they have a headquarters at some high end and more secure place?" I asked Carter, who was still sitting where he was before. Only difference now was that Jackson pulled up a chair at the end of the table. Francis was still sticking it out in the hall so I was unable to deliver the devastating news to him that he was wrong about Carter's dick.

Carter shook his head, humor in his eyes. "This is not some worldwide advertised business, okay sweet cheeks? It's where it is for a reason. It's an active and used building but it's around places that were abandoned. We would use these warehouses for certain things like storing weapons and equipment. The main building is where most workers are and will report to."

"What is in this main building? Offices?" Luke asked him from next to me, leaning forward in curiosity.

Carter nodded. "A few, yes. These people are organized but it's not a professional place. It's the business side and the social chaotic place all together. Offices and the business part is on the second and third floor of this rundown building. The higher ups and the boss have offices up there. It's where paper work and contracts are kept, where they monitor things, and where they keep track of progress on a job. There are also bedrooms up there too. Many of the people that work there actually live there or stay for a long period of time."

I raised an eyebrow, recalling what he told me before. "Aren't these higher ups and bosses rich? Isn't everyone? Why would they live there?"

"They are filthy rich," Carter nodded to me. He casually looked around the room, as if more interested in his surroundings as he answered. "Some do have nice private homes and shit elsewhere. Remember though, the people working there - working up in the office and business part anyway - are completely dedicated to this. They run the place so it's home in many ways. They also like to have fun, follow their morals together, and can be rowdy when they aren't working. So it works."

"When they aren't working, they all just basically have fun and live together in this big house?" I asked. How fucking weird is that? I guess it made sense since this was their lives.

"Well second and third floor is work and business. The first floor is a bar they opened, which was smart thinking on their part. It hides what is really going on and keeps away unwanted attention. It also draws workers under them to stick around all night and have fun. Some of these contracted workers, like myself, will even bunk in the warehouses because this is home for them too, they are that loyal. Which is a benefit to have more workers around the base. They keep an eye on the place."

This system alone was weird when he explained it. This made it stranger. "It's a bar for the public? So anyone can just go inside?"

"Pretty much. You go in though, you will be watched. There are many different jobs you could have at this building and one is surveillance and watching the area because it's such an important place. You try to go upstairs though, you will be stopped. You will be questioned and checked out if you are not a worker. It's nearly impossible to get up there."

I sighed, resting my elbow on the table. I propped my head up with my palm. "Where specifically is your boss's office?"

"Second floor," he said, looking back between us.

"How could we get up there, grab him, take him, and get away?" Luke asked bluntly, pursing his lips. His questions gave Carter the chance to prove he really could help beyond what he already has done.

"I don't know how the fuck you guys could get up there. To get out wouldn't be as bad I don't think. His office has a wall that is mostly windows. Right outside that window, you look down and you see a small road that is behind the building. You get out that window and find a way to get down, you should be fine. You would need at least two people for that probably; he is trained like I am. Key is getting up there in the first place. That's your challenge."

I thought over it. It was clear that there would be many complications and fine details we would need to sort out. We already had ideas circulating in our heads, but we needed to know every option of possibly entry to the upper floors. It made the wheels in my head spin in a direction that could lead to more. At the same time, I kind of hoped it wouldn't.

"Reid collects all these kids and sells women off as sex slaves. He has some of his own, no doubt. Does your boss?"

Carter pursed his lips, smiling as he answered. Probably because he knew how uncomfortable this would make me. "Not officially and not through contracts. It's somewhat separate but the bar brings in a pretty rough crowd. With it, a lot of prostitutes or women eager for money. These men are rich, can afford it, and it's not like the chicks are going to be running to the cops. The closest thing I can think of is some prostitutes will become 'regulars' because a worker or higher-up will have favorites and basically rent out the same girl each time."

I grimaced, looking down to the table. I could feel the disgust on my face and run through my body hearing that. Not just because I knew that this actually happened. It gave me a good idea of what we could do. I still had hope by the time we get everything else out, we could think of an alternative though.

***

The morning dragged ass after we left the station and immediately had to say goodbye to Francis. We apologized that we didn't figure out how we were going to do this yet; I was hoping to give him that answer. However, it was nice knowing he knew what was happening and that we could trust Carter. It was also nice that he helped us out. He checked with Ramper that all evidence was gone and made sure nobody was around as we walked out. He did more too, but it wasn't until later that I learned about that. We thanked him as he we exchanged goodbyes.

"I am guessing I am not allowed to tag along on this one?" he asked, smirking to his brother standing next to me.

"Hell yeah you aren't," I said at the same time Luke agreed with a "you'd be right."

Francis scoffed and offered his brother good luck and a hug. He did the same with me. It was warm and sweet, making my chest hurt like it had earlier saying goodbye to his parents. I would miss him terribly.

"Be safe and blah blah blah all that other nice stuff," Francis teased.

"You got it," I laughed, shaking my head as he slowly moved out of our hug. He gave me a genuinely sad smile.

It really was a shame we didn't have any more time to hang out or talk. It was worth it if it meant him staying home with his daughter and not getting shot in the back. I could see he had a few of those memories going through his head of our past struggles. Thing was, I knew he was remembering all the shit Luke and I went through, not him. He didn't want that kind of danger and pain going on in our lives again. "Seriously though, come back home soon. Please," he said, looking between Luke and me, swallowing hard.

"We will," Luke nodded in a soft voice.

After Francis got in his car and drove away, Luke and I got into the truck where Jackson was already waiting in the driver's seat. Carter was in back, not bound like before, but he did have handcuffs on. Slamming the door shut, there was nothing but silence. Immediately, I could feel the tension in the car. The source was Jackson. I sighed. I knew I would have to talk to him eventually. He was not at all happy about any of this so I would at least have to try to fix it.

We started driving until we were safely an hour outside of our home town as well as where the base is located on the edge. I could feel my heart beating faster than it needed to. I had one idea of what we could do as a plan but really needed to consider it before bringing it up. It sounded stupid and crazy. Jackson was pissed off enough that if he learned about my idea, he might throw his hands up and quit. It was such a crazy idea, I knew Luke would be against it automatically too. That's one reason why I needed to at least get Jackson to calm down before we do anything else.

I took the chance when we stopped at a gas station. Luke filled up the truck as I grabbed Jackson by the arm and towed him around the side of the dumpy place. I knew what his issue was and it meant us starting to clash. Under my hand, I could feel how tense he was before stopping and looking up at him. His brown eyes were hard as he stared down to me, waiting. He was stubborn, like me. But we needed to sort some things out and he would be in a talking mood in a minute.

"Where would we be right now if you decided on the course of action?" I asked plainly, searching his gaze.

He scoffed in almost disgust. "Three hours ahead of this. Because I wouldn't have wasted my time at a fucking police station."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I knew where he was coming from but couldn't wrap my head around how this was that big of a setback. "Doesn't it feel good to have validation that he was telling the truth? He could have been lying. Considering what we are relying on him for, it could have killed us if he was lying."

"I knew he wasn't lying. Between all of us, you should know I'd be careful about it."

"How did you know he wasn't lying? Is there a way you can tell with 100% certainty? I don't think so."

"We went over this bullshit earlier," he sighed, looking quite annoyed and tired. Tired of all this. I couldn't blame him. Literally from the moment he woke up to now, he was just finished with everything. A good example why could be how he yelled at me this morning about going to the station.

"I need you to man up," I said, stepping closer and staring up to him closer. Sighing, I pursed my lips, tired of his attitude. "I am sorry that you are exhausted with all this bullshit. I am sorry you have to put up with our decisions. I really am sorry," I said, nodding with sincerity. I have known Jackson for a long time and I knew how stubborn he can be. But this was slightly different. This wasn't deciding on dinner and fighting with him on it. Our lives depended on the decisions we were making. "I am sorry you were dragged into this. However, I am an adult, just like you. Yes, you are older, are experienced with things like this, and have skills I don't. But you owe me the same respect you demand and it needs to come in the form of understanding."

In his eyes, I could see the usual guard he keeps up slowly melt. He blinked a few times before taking a deep breath. "You know I respect you. Way more than most people."

"I do know." I took a hard and deep breath, jaw clenching. I didn't want to get deep or anything like that but I knew how bad he struggled with this. He had from the start of all this so I wanted to help. "You owe me the chance to fight for my own life. I don't want to just go with it anymore. I'm tired of people showing me or telling me what to do in order to live. I own my life and need to protect it as I see fit. I value your knowledge and am beyond grateful to you. I'm stepping up now and you will make room for equal authority, whether you like it or not."

I knew he did not like those last words. Regardless, he understood and he was a man that knew all too well about where I am coming from. In fact, in the long moment of silence between us, I saw something on his face that was different. Almost admiration and sad acknowledgement that I was right. "I get it, I really do," he nodded. "I'm only concerned though that some of these decisions you're making are irrational. I think it's because I'm not use to it," he mumbled.

I chuckled under my breath and raised an eyebrow. "Irrational? I don't remember me being the one that smashed the hotel window without thinking," I teased.

He groaned and rolled his eyes back. "You better watch it. I could say there is no equal authority when I'm the one who bought and owns the truck that's getting us around."

We talked for a little more, mainly me stressing that he needed to loosen up a bit on controlling what we do. We had to talk about it before but it's a little different now. I was taking charge more and I needed to. I've realized that I owe it to myself and everyone else.

Like I expected, he had a hard time not calling this conversation stupid. He was like me because I felt the same. We aren't the type of people who talk about this sort of stuff but it was wasn't without progress. I saw he understood and agreed with me. However, while talking to Jackson and trying to get him to see me as an adult, I knew it could crash back down with my idea of what we needed to do. I had hoped that he wouldn't ask me right then but he did.

"Well nothing too bad has happened yet I guess thanks to you," he said. It was the closest thing I would get to him admitting he needed to calm down and be open minded. "I have a feeling it's only a matter of time until you take a shit and it's hits the fan."

"Hey, I'm feeling good about everything so far," I said, looking down at the cracked pavement. It was either that or the actual white-painted brick building. I didn't want to meet his intimidating eyes when he continued speaking.

"Whys that? Another brilliant idea?"

"Well yeah, no shit. Of course," I said, trying to play it off in a joking manner. I did not want to tell him what I was thinking. I was not scared of him but I did want him on my side.

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "And what's that idea?" he asked in a tired voice, not falling for my lighthearted tone. I bet my avoiding eyes gave me away.

I would have probably told him my idea anyway soon enough. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a public show when I say it to him. I nodded nonchalantly and started in a light voice. "Well you know, it's not a big deal. Just spit-balling here. Just ah... you know, I could always um....." I nodded to myself with pursed lips, trying to slowly lead into it, eyes still not on his. It sounded like the dumbest possible idea.

"You could always what?" he asked. From my side vision, I noticed he crossed his arms.

"Well, you know. I could dress up as a prostitute, go in the bar like Carter mentioned with someone, and find a way to get up to the boss's office like that."