IT WAS LATE in the evening by the time the trio returned to the police station. Once Gideon parked the car, Tony got out and stomped away, putting on his jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Wilson got out and shouted. "Masters! Masters, get back here!"

Masters said nothing and kept walking away. Mercedes was more understanding since he had just lost his only family.

"Maybe give him some space." She told Wilson.

"I don't need 250 pounds of frontier justice tearing up this town." He shot back and shut the door. "Follow him, make sure he doesn't ruin our case."

"Why me?"

"Outside the morgue, he actually listened to you."

"And what if he doesn't now?"

Wilson walked back into the station. "Shoot him."

Mercedes stood outside her car and let out a breath. Turning around, she stared into the dimly lit road before returning to her cruiser.

Mercedes drove slowly through the town. In the distance, she could see Masters strolling by, his face serious and steps heavy. She kept tailing him as her boss instructed.

She made the left into another street. To her surprise, Masters was nowhere to be found. The blonde raised a brow and scoffed. How could she have lost him so quickly?

The officer kept going as she glanced out her window. Upon looking back ahead, she spotted the tall man in front of her and braked hard before she could hit him.

"Shit!" She cursed.

Tony was stern, standing menacingly with a stare like Michael Myers. Still, Mercedes got out of her vehicle and approached him with zero fear.

"The hell? I could have hit you."

"I don't need a babysitter, and I don't need you screwing up my investigation."

She scoffed and stepped closer, getting right into his face and looking up at the tall man.

"Okay, first...this is not your investigation. Second, babysitting some giant vagrant is hardly my dream assignment. I could be out there looking for who killed your brother. So stand down and let me do my job, because I'm very good at it."

"If you were very good at it, you wouldn't have been trying to follow a man on foot in a police car." He shot back.

There was a beat as they stood in the middle of the road, staring at each other. Mercedes finally responded.

"I figure your plan's to go to Walker's house and dig your thumb into his eye until he tells you why he confessed to a murder he didn't commit."

"Something like that." He replied.

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna be there to make sure that doesn't happen. Now, I can either follow you the whole way, or you can save the shoe leather and get in the damn car."

The blonde stomped to her car, entering it and slamming the door. She waited for Masters, who looked around and thought about his next move. With seemingly no better option and the knowledge that Mercedes wouldn't leave him alone, he relented.

"Fuck." He muttered.

Masters walked over to her police cruiser and sat in the passenger's seat.

"For the record, I'm not a vagrant, I'm a hobo." He corrected.

Mercedes put the shift in drive and looked ahead. "Whatever."

The two arrived at Mike Walker's house. Mercedes rang the doorbell, and it wasn't long before Mike's wife, Charlie, answered.

"Officer Merced, uh, Mr. Masters, please come in."

They were let inside. She shut the door and walked with them.

"I'm so sorry, Mike won't be back till late." She added. "But at least now I get a chance to thank you, Mr. Masters."

"It's just Masters." He corrected bluntly.

"Well. Masters. My husband told me that you looked out for him in that awful prison." She said, then gestured toward the couches. "Please, have a seat."

Mercedes and Tony sat down while Charlie sat across from them on the other sofa.

"Do you, uh...do you know where Mike is?" Mercedes asked her.

"No, not specifically. He's dealing with that embezzlement mess. Thank God he was cleared of all that. Can you imagine? Mike, a criminal? Man's never so much as jaywalked."

As she spoke, Tony tried moving a pillow that he sat on. Not knowing where to put it, he awkwardly just rested his elbows on it.

"I assume that's why you're here." Charlie added. "The bank stuff?"

"No." Masters answered. "My brother was murdered."

Charlie was taken aback. "Dear God. I...I don't know what to say. That the man they found by the highway?"

"He was." He replied before Mercedes could answer. "And he had your husband's telephone number on him."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense. Why?"

"Well, that's what we're here to find out. Why my dead brother had your live husband's number on him."

"Well, I have no idea."

Before the exchange could go further, a voice spoke from the hallway.

"Momma?"

Charlie's daughters, Lucy and Tally, entered the living room.

"Is it 8:30 already?" Charlie looked at her watch. "I'm sorry, but I've got to get these two to bed. Girls, say hi to Officer Merced and Mr. Masters."

They greeted them in unison. "Hello, Ms. Merced. Hello, Mr. Masters."

Mercedes waved at them. Tony didn't, not even a nod.

"It's just...Masters." He replied.

"Well, this is Lucy and Tally." Charlie introduced them. "Have y'all brushed your teeth?"

"Yes." They answered.

"All right, then get on. I'll be up in a minute."

The girls went back upstairs. Mercedes turned to Charlie.

"Well, Tally's growing like a weed." She remarked.

"Yeah, I know." Charlie turned to Tony. "She's the one with the glasses. Can you believe she's a year younger than Lucy?"

Hearing her statement seemed to make something click in Tony's head. He sat up a bit.

"May I use your restroom?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course. Through the kitchen, down the hall and to the left."

Masters immediately left the living room. He followed her direction but made a different turn down the hall. Entering Mike's office, he discreetly looked through his desk, but found nothing. Before leaving, he noticed an entire shrine to The Beatles, and it made him remember the story Mike told him in prison of how his mother used to sing him their songs when he was a kid.

Tony entered the mud room, where the family kept their loose articles and shoes. He peeked into the cubbies and cabinets but found nothing worthwhile. He then looked at Mike's fancy loafers and picked one up. He noticed some strange seed stuck on it. He held it between his fingers and walked out.

Back in the living area, Mercedes and Charlie were still talking. Masters walked up to them.

"We've taken up enough of your time. Have a nice evening." He quickly bid the woman farewell, then turned to the officer. "Mercedes."

He turned around and walked to the door. Mercedes was taken aback by his directive but obliged anyway.

"Um...well, guess we're going." She stood up. "Sorry about that."

"No. It's fine."

"Have a good evening. Thank you for your time, and, uh...I'll see you."

"Yes. Good night." Charlie bid farewell.

Mercedes walked out of the house and saw Masters standing alone, staring at the floor. He turned around when he heard her come out.

"That was an exit." She remarked.

Tony went straight to what was on his mind.

"Two things. One, she said Tally is the one in the glasses. Glasses is the main difference between the girls. Everything else was a matter of degree, taller, shorter, but glasses was absolute. One wears them, one doesn't."

"And?" She asked.

"Right before I was attacked in prison, a guy pointed at me and said, Him. I'd taken a guy's glasses."

"Why?"

"'Cause he wasn't a nice man." He replied flippantly. "I still had them on when these cons came at me. Their instructions were clearly to find the new boys and take out the one in glasses. Walker's had been smashed. He was the target, not me. Walker's on the run, or they've already got him."

"Okay." She took in his information. "You said there were two things."

Masters brought out the seed he found earlier.

"This is some kind of seed. Why would a banker have them on his dress shoes?"

"You went in his closet?"

"No. Mud room."

Mercedes took the seed from his fingertips and looked at it herself.

"It's an agrimony burr. They grow on tall grass all around here. We call them hitchhikers, 'cause they stick on you and they go for a ride."

Masters took a moment to process that. There was a beat before he responded.

"They grow where my brother was killed?"

Masters and Mercedes traveled to where Lee's body was found earlier that week. Tony knelt by the grass and looked at the nearby foliage. The blonde stood some feet behind him, and the headlights from their car lit up their dark surroundings.

"This is cogongrass. Had it on my uncle's farm. It doesn't produce burrs."

"Okay. Still some reason they were on his laces. You don't pick up hitchhikers in bank hallways." He replied to her.

Tony got up and stepped back, looking at the surrounding area as the gears in his head turned.

"I told Wilson the shooter was someone who knew firearms well, but it was more than that. Killer was a skilled marksman."

"What makes you think that?" Mercedes asked.

"Second victim was sprinting away in the dark. Gun had a silencer on it, which makes even close-range work inaccurate, but he got a kill shot."

Tony stepped up to the dirt and knelt. He saw some footprints there and pointed.

"Prints are Lee's. Size 13. See the divot? Heard someone coming up behind him. Tried to turn. Took two in the head before he could do anything about it."

He got back up and looked at the tall grass in front of him.

"Shooter came through here. Waiting for Lee. Knew he was coming."

Masters stepped into the grass and looked up at the night sky. He pointed.

"Two days ago, the moon would have been about 26 degrees further west. This area would have been darker."

He stepped in deeper and found a specific spot. He knelt and turned, facing where he had found Lee's footprints moments ago.

"This is where he hid. He enjoyed it."

Tony got back up and walked out of the foliage toward Mercedes. He continued.

"Sniper shot from the tree line would have done the job with less risk. The shooter wanted to be close."

"Maybe it was personal." She chimed in.

"Someone takes your life, it's always personal." He butted.

There was a beat. Masters knelt and looked at the footprints again. Mercedes decided to break the silence.

"Tell me about Lee." She rested her hands on her belt. "Were you guys tight?"

Masters said nothing. There was a pause before she tried again.

"Did he have a family? What'd he do for a living?"

"Small talk to see if I say something to help your investigation?" He asked.

"I'm being nice to a guy who just lost his brother. But, you know, now that you brought it up, you might as well answer my questions."

Tony got up and spoke quickly. "In order: when we were kids; no family; last time we spoke he was working in Homeland Security."

"That's interesting. You think that this might have been connected to his job? Homeland's a big umbrella: terrorism, drugs, guns, border crimes." She said. "What department was your brother in?"

"Don't know." He replied. "We hadn't spoken in a while."

"Why?"

"Time passed."

Tony turned around and walked away.

"Where you going?" She called out.

"To find a motel."

"I'll give you a ride."

Tony kept walking. "Don't want one."

Tony Masters made it to a nearby motel and got a room for the night. Unbeknownst to him, Mercedes parked on a nearby hill and was surveying the area. She saw Masters walking through the lot and toward his room.

He passed by a group of young men who were drinking beers in their pickup truck. They spotted the man, and their leader called out to him.

"Hey. Mister. Why don't you come here? We want to talk to you."

"No, you don't." Tony said.

"No, you don't." The kid mocked. "Hey, come here. We just want to talk to you."

They all followed Masters. He still didn't turn around or give them any attention and continued walking toward his room. The group continued hassling him.

"Heard you got arrested for murder. What kind of bullshit you bring into our town?"

Tony finally turned around and faced them.

"There's two sixers' worth of empties around your car. You've been waiting a while. And since this isn't the most exciting spot in town, I got to assume you've been waiting for me. Let me guess. Rich guy in a fancy pickup put a fifty in each of your pockets to take care of me?"

The guy shrugged. "Hundred."

"Right. Well, this is the wrong day to ask me to humor your bullshit."

Masters turned back around and tried unlocking his door. The main guy shouted.

"Hey!"

He tossed a half-empty can of beer at Tony. It hit his back and the man stopped what he was doing.

"We're talking to you, man." He continued shouting.

Back on the hill, Mercedes witnessed the act and shook her head.

"Oh, Graham, you idiot."

Tony slowly turned around and faced the delinquents again.

"You're about to get your ass kicked." He told Masters.

"No." He replied. "I'm just gonna break the hands of three drunk kids."

The guy chuckled. "There's four of us here."

"One of you has got to drive to the hospital."

"Ooh..."

He threw a punch at Tony, but with a simple parry, he broke the kid's right hand. He stumbled away. The next guy threw a punch but Masters grabbed his fist and twisted it. The third guy ran in and swung, but Tony used his forehead to block the hit, which caused the man to break his fingers. He then punched the wrist of the man he was holding and broke it as well.

With the three maimed and hurting, the fourth guy put his hands up and stammered.

"I—I know where the hospital is."

Tony immediately turned around and entered his motel room, leaving the groaning young men outside. They soon all walked off back to their car. Meanwhile, Mercedes sat in her car and was in awe at how much of a tank the man was.

"What the hell just rolled into Custer's Grove?"

• • •

MASTERS TOOK A walk the next morning. He strolled through a neighborhood and passed a house that caught his attention.

A dog was in the yard, tied to a post with a leash and turning his empty water bowl over. Tony stopped for a second before vaulting over the fence.

"Hey, buddy." He knelt down and petted the dog. "Are you okay?"

Tony saw the empty water bowl and decided to fill it with the nearby hose. The thirsty dog didn't even wait for it to be filled; it lapped up the water as it came out of the hose.

"Good boy." He commended it.

Suddenly, the homeowner came out and saw the stranger in his yard.

"Hey. Hey. Can I help you?"

"No." Tony shot back without giving him a look. "Just giving your dog some water."

"He must've knocked the bowl over, 'cause I gave him water this morning."

"No, you didn't." Masters looked at him. "Bowl was bone-dry."

"You calling me a liar?'

Tony stood up and faced the man with a stern gaze.

"Yes."

He nodded. "Well, I suggest you leave my property."

Tony stood there for a moment before leaning down and petting the dog.

"Good boy."

He soon left the yard, the annoyed homeowner staring daggers at him as he did.

Tony decided to stop by the station. A police cruiser drove out of the lot with its lights and sirens, and Tony looked back with a perplexed look. Before he could go inside, Mercedes came out.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Wanted to check in," He replied. "See if there's any official progress on Lee's case before I head back out to Walker's."

"I can't talk right now. There's been another murder. Police Chief Morrison."

She quickly made her way to her police cruiser. Tony stood there momentarily before following her.

"For the record, I didn't do it." He empathized as he put his hands up.

"I know."

"What, did you stake me out all night?"

She didn't answer and got in her car. To her surprise, Tony joined her in the passenger's seat seconds later. He noticed her confused expression.

"Last night you wanted to go everywhere with me. What changed?"

Mercedes didn't answer. She simply shrugged and putting on her seatbelt before driving off.

Gideon Wilson came out of the Morrison residence, visibly shaken and holding his stomach. He leaned on a pillar and took a breath just when Officer Stevenson came up.

"Captain. What did they do to the chief? Baker won't talk about it."

Wilson held his hand out. "Just keep the lookie-loos away, all right?"

Stevenson was also pretty shaken at the secrecy. He nodded and listened.

"Yes, sir."

He walked away. Moments later, Mercedes and Masters emerged from the former's car and joined Wilson at the front of the house.

"What is he doing here?" Wilson asked the blonde about Masters.

"You told me to keep an eye on him. I'm keeping an eye on him." He gestured toward Tony. "Look. There he is."

Wilson took a breath.

"Crime scene's worse than anything I ever saw in New Orleans. And I saw things in New Orleans."

"Was he nailed to a wall?" Masters bluntly asked Gideon.

The man was taken aback. "How did you know that?"

Masters said nothing and simply walked inside. Gideon called out to him, and the two followed.

Inside, Jasper and another crime scene investigator were taking notes on the bodies, which were of Morrison and his wife. The man was nailed to the wall and had slashes all over his body. His wife was just cut up and splayed on the floor.

Mercedes looked into the room and was shocked upon seeing the gruesome scene. She immediately looked away.

"Jesus Christ."

"Prints?" Masters asked.

"I ask the questions, like this one: how'd you know about the nails?" Wilson butted. "Even in Custer's Grove, word doesn't travel that fast."

Tony didn't answer his question and walked inside.

"They wore rubber overshoes and gloves. Latex. Like whoever killed my brother."

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well, three people killed my brother. At least four to do that to a guy Morrison's size."

Jasper suddenly shouted and stepped away from Morrison's body.

"Holy shit, his fucking balls are gone!"

Wilson spoke, "Keep it professional, Jasper. Cursing's the sign of a weak mind and a weaker character."

"Sorry, I'm just not used to this. You don't see this kind of thing every day." He replied. "Pardon my French, but...where the heck are his testicles?"

"In his stomach." Tony answered as he knelt over the wife's body. "You'll find them during the autopsy."

They were surprised by his answer.

"Okay, Masters, outside." Wilson ordered.

The man followed the chief detective outside and so did Mercedes. The man took a breath and faced the tall man.

"No more games. How do you know what you know?"

"The people Walker worked for said they'd nail him to a wall and cut his balls off if he caused problems." Tony answered.

"You said Walker didn't tell you anything in jail."

"I lied. My brother didn't trust Custer's Grove cops enough to tell you he was tracking something down here. Why should I?"

"Ever think your brother didn't reach out to the cops because he couldn't reach out to the cops?" Wilson stepped a bit closer. "Maybe he was dirty. Maybe—"

"Think real hard before you finish that sentence." Masters got in his face threateningly. "It'll determine how well your jaw works the rest of your life."

Wilson didn't finish his statement. Tony continued.

"Lee was clean. Unlike that modern art piece hanging inside."

"So you're saying that Morrison was working with the same killers Walker was mixed up with?" Mercedes asked.

"That or we just saw a big fat coincidence nailed to the wall." He replied. "What I want to know is who else in Custer's Grove PD's in on it. Stevenson seemed suspicious, and Baker wouldn't go into the bathroom with me at the station house. A bathroom with a window in it. I was a murder suspect."

Mercedes chimed in. "Baker wasn't concerned 'cause he knew you didn't do it. Which means he knows who did."

"Want to tell me who else on my team is crooked?" Wilson asked rhetorically.

"Sure. Mercedes checks out, 'cause she dug in to get me out of prison. But you're hiding something. Tell me, why does a Black cop from New Orleans with a 20-year pension come work in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere? You next in line for Morrison's job?"

"For your information, Mayor Teale didn't promote Wilson. He just appointed himself acting chief." Mercedes said.

Wilson was stunned by the news. "Since when?"

"This morning. Came here to tell you."

"Whoever's running this had Morrison under his thumb." Tony said. "No one sits in the chief's chair unless they're under it, too. They skipped you to get to Teale. So I guess that means he's dirty and you're okay."

"Nothing means more to me than your vote of confidence." Wilson sarcastically replied, then sighed. "But you're probably right. At least we know who we can trust. I'm gonna call my buddy at the FBI..."

"Ah." Mercedes stopped him. "Teale's first order was: no staties, no Feds. He wants this kept in-house."

"Outside investigators will send whoever did this into hiding." Masters said. "We'll let them think they've got it under control for now."

"There's no we here." Wilson butted.

"The Morrisons were killed for a misstep. Not pinning the murder on me, Walker walking out of prison alive. But the way they were killed sent a message to their organization: Don't screw up and don't cross us. You two think you can go it alone? You can't go it alone. There's only we here. You don't see that, I'll find whoever killed Lee on my own."

Tony stepped away. At the same time, Gideon got a message on his phone. He looked at it.

"Great. Teale's called an emergency town meeting."

"Be careful around him." Mercedes warned.

"Moved out of bayou for peace and quiet. For some change. Now I've caught four bodies."

"Five." Tony corrected. "Walker, probably. If they'd do this to a cop, why not a banker?"

The man had a point. Now Wilson was thinking of what they'd have to tell Mike's family. He turned to the blonde.

"Mercedes..."

"On my way there now."

She returned to her car, but not without Masters, who followed close behind.

Charlie opened the door after hearing the doorbell chime. She saw Officer Merced and Tony Masters outside on her porch. The woman seemed disheveled and frantic.

"Oh. I thought you might've been Mike. That's why I left the gate open."

"He never came home?" Masters asked her.

"He called late last night, said that he had to speak to some people about sorting out this bank madness, and when I woke, I realized he'd never come home. His phone goes to voice mail. Listen, I...I have been with Mike since freshman year, UGA. He has never once not come home."

"Okay, all right, just a minute." Mercedes said and stepped aside with Masters. She spoke to him in a whisper. "Um...I'll stay here since I'm armed. You go find Wilson. He'll know what to do with them, but they need some kind of protection."

Tony immediately looked over at Charlie. "I need your car."

The man was allowed to use her car. He went into the garage with Mercedes following him. He stopped by a shelf and looked through a toolbox, rummaging for a knife.

"You see anyone under six-four come near this house...shoot 'em."

He flipped the switchblade in his hand and walked over to the car.

"Wilson's five-eight." She responded.

"Yup."

"Are you taking that knife?"

"You want to give me your gun?"

Mercedes stayed quiet. He smirked and opened the car door.

"That's what I thought."

Tony entered town hall, where most townspeople attended Mayor Teale's emergency meeting. He spotted Wilson leaning against a column in the corner, where he soon joined him. Mayor Teale continued speaking to the people.

"We will find the person or persons responsible for these crimes. And we will punish them to the fullest extent of the law."

"If they're killing cops in their own homes, then what chance do any of us got?"

"A damn good chance. Because as of today, per the powers given to me by the town charter, I have appointed myself chief of police. And I will not sleep until we have the perpetrators behind bars and on their way to getting the needle!"

"But what the hell do you know about law enforcement?"

"That's right!"

"We need us a real police chief and a real chief detective, too."

"Yeah!"

"Think he's talking about you." Masters muttered to Gideon.

"All due respect, but what does some New Orleans cop know about Custer's Grove?"

"Yeah!"

"That's right."

"We ain't seen a murder in 20 years, and now there's four...Four! in two days."

"Do we have a serial killer in Custer's Grove or not?"

"These killings are not related." Mayor Teale said.

"Oh? What about that animal you arrested out at the diner?"

"Yeah!"

Wilson turned to Tony. "I think she's talking about you."

"He comes to town, and people just start dying? Y'all had him in jail. Why'd you let him go?"

The people inside sounded off in agreement. Mayor Teale tried to call for order, but the attempt was fruitless. It was not until Cletus Kasady Sr. spoke up that the people quieted.

"Everyone, please! Please. Calm down. Sit down. Sit down." He said calmly and stepped up to the front. "I know you're all scared. But Mr. Masters has a rock-solid alibi. And for those of you who don't know, one of the victims was Mr. Master's brother, Stanley Jr. So he has as much invested in finding these murders as any one of us here."

He folded his hands and paced in front of the podium. He continued.

"You know...when I moved Kasasdy Industries to this town five years ago, Custer's Grove was run-down. Broken. Of course, the effects of Thanos's decimation made it ten fold compared to everywhere else. People lost, outsiders looting. Just...chaos. Am I correct? We had Main Street boarded up, right?

"Yeah."

"But I said to myself, these are the kind of people who can bounce back. Right? Who can survive anything. I have faith in our police force. I have faith in Chief Detective Wilson. I have faith in our new chief of police, Mayor Teale. And I promise I will provide whatever funds, whatever resources to find whomever is responsible for these heinous acts. You have my word."

There was a resounding applause for Kasady Sr., who was seen as the town's savior and paragon. Tony just stood there and ended up locking eyes with CJ on the other side of the room, who stared back at him.

Once the meeting was over, Gideon Wilson approached Mayor Teale, who was looking over papers on the podium.

"Mayor Teale." He called out. "A word?"

"Chief Teale now, Captain."

"Mm, of course. My mistake. I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna start cross-referencing forensics from both murder sites to establish pattern."

"Pattern?" Teale turned to him. "What the hell has Morrison and his wife got to do with an out-of-towner and some fella he was probably diddlin' under an overpass?"

"Well, that's what I want to find out." He replied.

"These killings are not related. Over the course of his career, Morrison took countless criminals out of circulation. Comb the archives, track down the biggest scumbags he ever arrested who have since been released or paroled, pardoned, everything in between...that's how you're gonna find his killer. Those are your orders. You copy, Captain?"

Wilson still wasn't convinced. "And the bodies by the highway?"

"A police officer was crucified!" Teale suddenly got irate. "I think that takes priority. Or did they do things differently there in Louisiana? Hmm?"

Wilson kept his composure. He nodded and spoke calmly.

"Copy that."

Teale walked away. Wilson turned around, letting out a sigh before leaving town hall. He met Tony outside, who was staring out onto the street with his hands in his jacket pocket.

"Teale's trying to frame the Morrison hit as a revenge killing." He told Masters. "Just sent me off to chase my tail."

"Told you he's dirty."

"I'm prone to agree, but incompetence can look like malevolence, and it's a whole lot more common."

"You know who's not incompetent? Kasady."

Wilson scoffed and walked forward. Tony followed.

"You one of those conspiracy nuts?" Wilson questioned.

"Guys with the kind of money and power Kasady wields are rarely angels. Trust me, I know those kinds of people." Masters replied, remembering Wilson Fisk and Norman Osborn. "We need to look into him."

"You want this town to hate you more than it already does? Then start smearing Kasady. And I'm not gonna be able to look into anyone except the losers in Morrison's old case files."

"No, that's what you'll pretend to do. Mercedes, too. Give us cover while we work the real angles. Like Lee's rental car. Must have had one, but none was left at the murder scene."

Wilson got to his car and faced Tony.

"You're handing out assignments now?" He asked.

"Yes. And the next one has to do with Walker's wife and kids. They need protection, even if Mike's already dead. These guys get antsy, think Charlie has even a one percent chance of knowing anything—"

"I get it." Wilson nodded. "My FBI buddy I wanted to reach out to earlier...name's Picard, Atlanta field office. I'll call you when it's set up."

"I don't have a phone."

"Get one."

Wilson startled getting into his car.

"Can we trust Picard?" Tony asked.

"Known him for years. Gave me the best advice I ever got." He replied. "Don't take the Custer's Grove job."

Wilson got in his car and soon drove away. Tony stood there, and moments later, Mayor Teale approached him.

"Mr. Masters? I'd like to offer my apologies for your arrest. My condolences for your brother. Tragedy when a person is struck down in his prime like that. But my hand to God, we'll find the killer. We'd be happy to keep you updated on the investigation. Just leave your contact information with the department before you head out."

"I'm not leaving." Masters said.

"Oh." Teale reacted, a bit taken aback. "It was my understanding you were just passing through."

"You understood wrong. I figured I'd stick around a while. The home of John Walker? I guess you can say I'm feeling a bit...patriotic." He looked around. "Custer's Grove is such a nice town."

There was a beat before Teale replied.

"Used to be. Not so much lately."

With that, the mayor walked away.

Later, Tony went to a nearby shop to buy a cheap burner phone. He took it out of the plastic and tossed it in the trash can.

"Heard about your brother." Mosley spoke from his chair outside the barbershop. "May the Lord bless him and keep him in a plastic container. You looking for payback?"

"Payback, justice, vengeance." He replied as he walked past him. "Looking for the whole gang."

"You might not be the only one."

Tony turned around. "Meaning?"

"Meaning...you wouldn't happen to have a couple of Spanish-speaking amigos in town, would you?"

"No."

"Makes sense. 'Cause the two fellas come by my shop asking about you didn't seem all that friendly." He replied. "Watch your back, Mr. Masters."

"Are you worried about me, Mr. Hoskins?" Masters asked with a smirk.

"Worried about my bottom line. Uh, you might need another shave 'fore you leave town."

"Very true." Tony replied with a nod before walking away.

Back at the Walker residence, Charlie and Mercedes conversed in the dining room on the island.

"My husband trusted Masters." Charlie stated. "Is he a good person?"

Mercedes took a second to answer her question.

"I think so. We don't really have the luxury of certainty right now, but...bad things are happening and Masters can help us."

For Charlie, that answer was enough to calm her nerves somewhat. And as if he was summoned, the man called out from the hallway.

"I'm back."

"We're in here." Mercedes spoke up.

Masters walked into the dining room. "Get some food together, pack your bags for the kids."

"Where we going?" Charlie asked.

"Got a call from Wilson. FBI agent named Picard is on his way. He's taking you into protective custody. I bought a burner. Here's the number."

He gave Mercedes the card with his number on it.

"I'd feel safer if we stayed with the two of you." Charlie told her.

"We've got to work the case." She replied.

"Picard'll keep you safe." Masters reassured Charlie and stepped away. "It's what your husband would have wanted."

Charlie caught what he said. "Why are you talking about him in the past tense?"

He stopped and turned around. Mercedes and Tony looked at each other, not knowing what to say initially. Finally, Masters decided to be blunt about it.

"We have to assume Mike's dead. They tried to kill him in prison. They killed Morrison and his wife. Your husband's gone missing, so they most likely killed him, too. There'll be time to grieve later. You have to think about your kids."

Charlie's eyes watered at the thought of her husband and the father of their children being dead.

"You need to pack." Mercedes spoke up. "Okay?"

"Okay, okay."

Charlie sniffled and walked off to pack with her kids. Mercedes turned to Tony, looking at him with disbelief of how straightforward he was to the worried Charlie.

"I'll go wait for Picard." He simply said.

Tony walked out of the house. On the ground, he spotted one of the girls' bicycles. He stared at it for a moment, deep in thought...

The boys in the shack clapped as the disabled kid, a seven-year-old named Billy, danced in front of them.

"Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!"

"Let's go, Billy! Dance!

"Dance! Dance!"

After some time, the kid stopped. The leader of the friend group walked up to Billy, holding an eight ball.

"Okay, Mr. Predicto, should Billy keep dancing?"

He shook the ball and got the answer, although he didn't really read it and said what he wanted to happen instead.

"All signs indicate yes." He said. "Come on, man!"

Billy kept dancing, and the kids clapped once more. Suddenly, two boys outside the shack got off their bikes and walked in.

"Hey!"

They all looked at the Masters brothers, Tony and Lee. The former had his fist balled, and he glared at the boys, not liking how they were harassing the disabled kid.

"You boys looking for a dance partner?" The sixteen year-old Tony asked.

"You think you can take all of us?" The leader butted with a scoff.

Tony glanced at Lee, who nodded and let his brother know he would have his back. Tony looked back at the boys.

"Let's find out."

Suddenly, they heard tires screech outside the shack. The boys inside called out.

"It's Billy's dad! Go, go, go, go, go!"

They all ran off. Tony and Lee heard the car too and turned around...

Tony turned around after hearing the faint sound of an engine in the distance. He spotted a black car with blacked-out windows near the tree line.

Without any fear, Tony stepped forward and walked toward the car. Before he could get any closer, the car drove away. Tony stared at it as it left the area.

Soon, he stormed back into the house, calling out to Mercedes and the Walker family.

"We're on the move. It's not safe anymore. Let's go."

"I'm not ready." Charlie said.

"Let's go. Now." He raised his voice, causing Charlie to put her stuff down and run to where her daughters were.

"Girls! Lucy, come get your backpack."

They all got what they could and regrouped in the living room. Masters stood around, but upon hearing the door open, he took Mercedes's gun from her belt and aimed it at the entrance. The man who came in put his hands up.

"Hey, hey, hey. Easy." He showed his badge. "I'm Picard. Mind putting the cannon down?"

Masters approached the man with the gun drawn and checked the badge and ID. The information confirmed his identity, and Masters lowered the weapon, handing it back to Mercedes.

"Told you I need my own gun." He remarked.

They all soon loaded their things into Agent Picard's SUV, and the Walker family settled inside. Picard spoke to Mercedes and Masters.

"Okay, this is off the books. To get a family into an actual protection program would take time and red tape. Wilson said he can't get the FBI officially involved yet, so I'm gonna take a few personal days, watch the family myself. Bottom line, do not let this bite me in the ass. We are talking about my career here. Wilson and I are tight; we ain't that tight."

"We won't let you get burned." She said.

"Better not." He got into the car and turned it on. "I told him not to take this job."

He soon drove away with the Walker family. Masters and Mercedes walked back to their respective vehicles.

"Now we get to work." Masters said.

"I'm gonna make some calls, find out what Lee was doing with Homeland." She added.

"You're gonna have to do it on the side. Teale's got everyone on a snipe hunt. Wilson'll fill you in."

"Okay. What about you?"

"I'm gonna go see that guard Spivey at Warburton. Whoever paid him to set up Walker to be killed is who's running this thing. Spivey's the key."

"He won't tell you anything."

Tony opened his car door.

"Depends on how I ask."

Masters was driving down the road. He took out his phone and called Spivey's number, pretending to be Wilson.

"Taylor Spivey. Chief Detective Wilson, Custer's Grove PD. Calling on account of Tony Masters. Yeah, well, he's pissed. Says he got tuned up pretty good while under your roof, and now he's suing. Well, he was your prisoner, and I'm not losing my job
over this. Is there somewhere we can meet up, get our stories straight before lawyers start sniffing around? Okay."

Masters ended the call and put his phone away.

"See you there, jackass." He muttered.

Later that evening, he made it to where Spivey said he'd meet him. He pulled up outside the dingy bar and got out of his car, where he saw Spivey waiting.

"Hey, Spivey." He greeted.

Spivey saw that it was Masters.

"Eh, look who it is. You know, I never met Detective Wilson, but I heard all about him. And you sure as hell don't sound like a Black man from New Orleans on the phone. Figured you were setting me up, so I thought I'd return the favor."

Spivey whistled, and a car hidden within the treeline turned on. It started to drive up to the two.

"You should've let those boys kill you in the prison." Spivey added. "It would've been a lot less painful. Adios."

Spivey went back inside. The two men inside the car came out with weapons drawn. One man held up his gun and gestured toward the open trunk.

"Let's go."

Tony looked inside the trunk and stood there for a moment.

"No. It's too small." He turned around and faced them. "It'll be uncomfortable."

"Not as uncomfortable as a bullet to the stomach, pendejo."

"Well, the smart move would be to shoot me right here, but you haven't done that yet. Maybe you don't want to draw attention firing outside a crowded bar. Or maybe you have orders to take me to your boss so he can find out how much I know."

The two Venezuelan hitmen looked at one another. Tony continued.

"Whatever it is, it means that when I make my move, you're gonna hesitate. And you guys know what Cato said about hesitation, right? He who hesitates—"

Before he could finish, Tony knocked the gun out of the man's hand and then slapped him hard, sending him to the ground.

The other hitman punched Masters, but he countered with his own hit and slammed him against the car. He forced his arm into the trunk and brought the door down twice on it, causing him to let go of his gun. He then grabbed his head and slammed it against the car again, knocking him out.

The first hitman got up, brandishing his butterfly knife.

"Puta, I'm gonna gut you."

Masters took out his own knife and flicked it open. They faced each other for a moment before Masters thrust his blade at him.

The man dodged his attack and swung, but Masters weaved away from the blade. He swung next, but the man was able to parry his attack, too. They blocked their subsequent attacks before Masters was finally able to stab the man's shoulder.

"Argh!"

Masters got in a stance again and waited for the man to attack. He did, but Tony was able to block his swings, ultimately putting him in a hold and forcing him to drop the knife. Still, the hitman was able to headbutt Masters.

Tony took the hit and headbutted the man back but harder. It put him in a daze and allowed Masters to pin the man against the car.

He elbowed him a few times before noticing the second hitman getting up. He stopped hitting the man and immediately went over to kick the other guy in the face. Unfortunately, the first hitman was able to run up and slash Masters in the back.

"Ugh!"

Tony immediately grabbed the man, picking him up and suplexing him onto the back of the car. At the same time, a police car rolled up and sounded their siren.

"Hey!"

Masters looked at the cop but quickly ran the other way.

"Stop where you are!"

The other hitman ran off, too. The lone police officer gave chase.

"This is Mike-7. I need backup at the Blue Cat. Foot pursuit of one suspect. Second at large."

The other hitman the cop didn't see crawled back to his car and soon drove away.

Back at the station, Mercedes and Wilson were working, and the blonde was on the phone.

"All right, yep. Th—Thank you. Bye, now."

She ended the call and spoke to Wilson.

"Both Avis and Hertz confirmed, no unaccounted-for rental cars in the entire state."

At the same time, the front door opened, and Tony, who had just escaped the police, walked in nonchalantly.

"How many more are we waiting on answers from, six?" Wilson asked her.

"In the Atlanta airport alone."

Masters stopped by their desks. They looked up from the computer and stared back at him, waiting to hear what happened with Spivey.

"It didn't go as planned." He simply said.

Sometime later, Masters sat on a chair with his shirt off as Mercedes tended to the cut on his back, using the first aid kit she brought.

"Well...this one's special." She remarked. "You need stitches."

"No, I don't." He butted.

"Fine. Superglue it is."

Wilson walked out of his office.

"Just got off the phone with the Georgia State Police. No suspects from the Blue Cat brawl were apprehended."

"Would've been nice to question them." Masters said.

"Maybe next time don't pull something like this by yourself. I said you could work with us."

"It's not my fault Spivey didn't buy it. I shoved a pole as far up my ass as I could; I still couldn't sound like you."

Mercedes tried her best to hide her smirk after his joke, continuing to tend to the man's wound. Wilson paid it no mind.

"You've been here a couple of days and you've already thrown down in Warburton, beaten up some locals and fought a couple of goons in a parking lot."

"They weren't goons." Masters corrected. "Probably military or ex-military. South American."

"How could you know that?"

"'Cause if they weren't I would've killed them within ten seconds."

"How'd you know they were South American military?" Wilson asked again.

"Spoke Spanish, had Glock-17s and the technique one guy use to head-butt me was from a martial art called Reisy. Hardly anyone uses except branches of South American special forces." He answered before pausing a moment. "Plus, if they weren't, I would've killed them within ten seconds."

"Why would South American military be involved in this?" Mercedes asked.

"Don't know. You ever see anyone like that around Custer's Grove?"

"Not till you showed up." Wilson replied.

"Then they're hired muscle. Not running the show."

The blonde finished gluing Tony's wound shut.

"You're all set."

The man stood up from the seat, grabbed his shirt, and started putting it on.

"I have no idea what the hell's going on around here."

"Well, I might, if you're done talking about Spivey and South American military." Mercedes stood up as well. "Turns out Lee was working for the Secret Service's division of Homeland."

"Doing what?" Tony asked.

"No one could or would give me any answers, but—"

Wilson chimed in. "Secret Service covers everything from mail fraud to protecting the president to child exploitation. Your brother could've been involved in almost anything."

"Counterfeiting?" He asked. "Walker specialized in currency management."

"Yeah, maybe. But money's at the root of every crime there is. Drugs, guns, human trafficking...all rotates around cash."

Mercedes sat back down after putting the first aid kid away.

"Well...I left a voice mail with the Office of Investigations. Figure people usually get hurt when they're looking into something others don't want 'em to, assumed maybe Lee was an investigator like you."

"Good logic." Tony replied and picked up his jacket. "Thanks, Doc."

Wilson noticed he was about to leave and called out.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Homeland Security won't call back till tomorrow and by now Spivey's heard things have gone sideways at the bar. Since his bosses feed screwups their own testicles, my guess is he's gotten out of Dodge for a while. I'm gonna find his house and search it."

"Prison guard's home address won't be public. And county offices won't be open till morning. I'll chase it down then and handle it myself." Wilson said. "You? Go get some rest."

Tony stood where he was, agreeing with what Gideon had planned.

"I'm getting a beer." He said.

"Absolutely not." Wilson butted. "You saw those people at town hall. They were ready to grab torches and come after you like Frankenstein."

"Frankenstein was the doctor." He corrected. "They went after Frankenstein's monster. Details matter."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "You're going back to your motel."

"I'm just gonna sit in a bar, have a beer and think all this through."

"And then someone will say something you don't like and you'll break their head open...again. Not gonna happen. Now you can go to your motel right now and sleep in a comfortable bed or I can arrest you for vagrancy and you can sleep in my holding cell."

"He's not a vagrant." Mercedes chimed in from her desk. "He's a hobo."

He turned to her. "What?"

Mercedes took a sip from her mug and shrugged. At the same time, Tony left the station. Wilson exhaled and walked up to the blonde's desk.

"Just tail him. Make sure he goes straight back to the motel."

He didn't even let her say anything before returning to his office. Mercedes sat back and let out a sigh.

Outside the station, Tony continued walking. He heard the doors open, and then Mercedes called out, so he stopped.

"Hey, I get it. In the past few days, you've lost one brother and had four fights. If anybody needs a drink,
it's you."

Masters turned around, still not saying anything.

"There's a roadhouse. Just across the border in Alabama. Nobody knows you there. Cold beer, hot music." She fiddled with her keys and crossed her arms. "But you got to behave."

Masters kept staring back at her, still not saying a word. She chuckled.

"Maybe they'll even play that blues stuff you like."

Finally, the tall man smirked. He took her up on her offer.

"Okay."

"Follow me to my place." She tilted her head toward her car. "I got to change into something less law enforcement. And we got to stop by a gas station, and get you a T-shirt with a little less blood on it."

Masters looked down at his shirt, noticing the blood stains. She definitely had a point.

Tony and Mercedes drove down the road. They were already in Alabama and were on their way to the roadhouse she mentioned.

The radio was playing, and Police Dog Blues by Cephas & Wiggins, a track originally recorded by Blind Blake, came on.

"Hey, isn't that your guy, Blake?"

She put up the volume. Tony nodded as he looked out the window.

"Yep."

"Nice."

Tony turned to her, smiling a bit before looking ahead at the road.

Later, they made it to the roadhouse. Music was playing, and people were either chatting or dancing. Tony sat by himself, but he wasn't alone for long as Mercedes came back with two beers.

"Thanks." He said and was about to open it with his hands.

"It's not a twist-off." She told him.

He simply used the inner part of his elbow and biceps to force open the bottle.

Mercedes nodded and used the side of the table to pop hers open.

"Show off." She remarked.

He smirked and drank his beer. Mercedes did as well, and there was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

"Feeling any better?"

"Not feeling worse." He replied.

"Well, that's a start, ain't it?"

He took another swig. Suddenly, another song, on the slower side, came on, and Mercedes took notice.

"Uh-oh." She turned to him. "They're playin' Patsy. You know what that means."

"No."

She put her bottle down and got up from her seat, leaning over it.

"Means we got to dance. Practically the law."

"I don't dance."

"You're telling me that your mama never taught her sons how to dance?"

"She did..." He replied. "But when I ask people to dance, it usually precedes a lot of punching."

"Good thing I'm doing the asking." She reached out for his hand. "Come on...Frankenstein's monster."

He scoffed and relented, taking her hand and letting the blonde take him onto the dance floor.

They stood among the other couples dancing, but Masters wasn't sure what to do. In all honesty, he was somewhat nervous. He had really gone dancing since that one date he had with Carla two years ago. Even then, he was pretty terrible.

Despite his anxiety, Mercedes was there to keep him calm. He followed her lead as the blonde took his right hand and brought it to her hip while she took his left hand and interlocked their fingers. She put her left hand around his neck, and they moved to the music.

Tony's stern look became soft as he looked down at Mercedes, who smiled back at him as they slowly danced. He soon got more comfortable and let go of her right hand, moving his left to her back, joining the other by her waist. Mercedes wrapped her other hand around his neck, and Tony leaned his head against hers.

They continued slow dancing to the music, and the two finally had a calm moment away from the chaos happening in Georgia.

After a while, the two decided to leave. It was raining heavily outside, and Tony took off his jacket to give it to the woman.

"Oh. I—I don't need your jacket." She gestured ahead. "Move your ass, big guy."

Mercedes ran through the rain to her car, giggling in the process. Tony shook his head and chuckled as he followed her.

They soon started driving back to Custer's Grove. Tony noticed Mercedes rubbing her arms and shivering slightly, feeling cold from the rain.

"You should've taken my jacket." He told her.

"I'm a big girl."

"I know."

Ahead, Mercedes noticed police lights. It looked like a sort of blockade.

"Whoa, look at this." She said.

Paranoid, Masters took out Merced's pistol from the glove compartment.

"Hey, take a beat, champ." She reassured him. "We're far from Custer's Grove."

"Not far enough." He butted. "I say go, you duck."

Tony hid the gun underneath his leg. A cop came out of his car and walked up to their vehicle. Mercedes rolled down the window and showed her badge.

"What's goin' on?" She asked.

"Road east to the highway's flooded. No one's getting through tonight."

The cop looked into the car and saw Tony, who glanced at Mercedes. The blonde looked at him momentarily before turning to the cop again.

"Is there a motel near here?"

In the motel room, the half-naked Tony used the sink to wring the water out of his wet t-shirt. Mercedes soon came out of the bathroom, having just showered. She only had a gray Custer's Grove High School shirt and some underwear.

"Sorry I didn't have anything in my truck your size." She apologized as dried her wet hair. "Could've sworn I had a paint tarp or a circus tent."

She put down her towel and walked to the bed. Tony smirked.

"Funny."

Mercedes sat on the bed and noticed the snacks on them. Tony hung his wet shirt and pointed at them.

"I got a sampling from the vending machine."

"Wow." She rummaged through them. "You always eat this well?"

"I was hungry. Didn't think room service would deliver this late."

"Hmm."

She took a bag and opened it. Tony immediately saw a candy bar and grabbed it.

"Oh, yeah."

"Going straight for the Clark Bar." She remarked and leaned against the headrest.

"Clark Bars are the best. Had these at every PX on every base I ever lived at when I was a kid. No matter where we were at the time, Lee and I could always find a Clark Bar."

He opened the wrapper and snapped half of it off.

"You want half?" He asked her.

"No. Prefer Zagnut."

"No one prefers Zagnut."

"Excuse me?"

"What are you eating right now?" He took a bite of the piece he had in his hand. "Read me the flavor."

"Spi—" She laughed upon reading the flavor.

Masters smirked. "Read it out loud."

"Spicy Cajun Crawtators."

"There you go." He held up the piece of candy. "I'll take a Clark Bar."

Later, the two were about to sleep. Mercedes laid on the bed while Tony decided to sleep on the floor. It was quiet, and all they could hear was the heavy rain pouring outside.

"You okay down there?" She asked.

"I've slept in worse places." He replied.

"Been all over, huh? Barely left Custer's Grove. Never really wanted to. My family's been here since the town was founded."

"Like the Teales."

She scoffed. "Fuck the Teales. Merceds built this town, Teales stole it. Old Casper Teale got in bed with the railroads. Swindled farmers out of their land and laid tracks right through their crops."

"You still have family in Custer's Grove?"

"My parents died when I was a kid. But I had Gray."

"Gray?"

"Had Wilson's job before Wilson. He was my parents' best friend. Always...looked out for me. Kind of like a second dad. Taught everything I know about being a cop. How to work a case, keep your notes and files organized. He was the most fastidious person I have ever met. I mean, the man only had a horseshoe of hair, and he still had Hoskins trim it for him once a week."

Tony took in what he was saying about the man who practically raised her. He had his head on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

"But he had a dark side, too." She added. "He...was depressed a lot. Never married. No kids. Drank. Hung himself from the rafters in his garage about a year ago."

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Always gave me daisies on my birthday. Daisies are my favorite. What about you?"

"Snapdragons." He answered. "Cool name, hard to kill."

"Yeah, yeah." She turned to her side. "That sounds like somebody I know. No, that wasn't what I was asking you. I was...I was wondering if you had
any family I didn't know about?"

Tony laid there a moment in silence. He already had an answer in mind. Just Lee. But...he was surprisingly vulnerable at the moment. Mercedes was telling him about herself and the people she deemed close, and he felt like it would be wrong if he hadn't been truthful. So...he decided to be somewhat honest.

"I...uh...I have another brother, actually."

"Really?" Mercedes asked, a bit taken aback.

"I just found out about him, through...circumstances. He—He has a wife. A couple of kids. I haven't seen him face to face...but he knows about me and...I know about him."

He remembered how Yelena told him about Maggie Carter having his mother's letter and telling Y/N about him. He wasn't sure if they were actively looking for him, but he was sure he wasn't going to go looking for them. He still needed time and wanted to be alone.

"Wow. Okay. Do you...plan on seeing them?" She asked.

"Not at the moment."

"Do...you want to?"

There was a beat. Again, he was honest.

"I'm not even sure."

"Hmm."

Masters decided to move on from that specific topic and thought about Lee.

"But the only family I really had was Lee. If I hadn't have walked in that bar a few days ago, heard that Blind Blake song, probably would've been years before I found out he was dead."

"Well...in spite of the circumstances......it's been nice
getting to know you."

Tony looked up at Mercedes, who was leaning over the bed and facing down at him.

"Nice getting to know you, too."

She smiled.

"Night, Masters."

He smirked back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Good night, Mercedes."

• • •

TONY AND MERCEDES made it back to Custer's Grove that morning. They pulled up to Mercedes's house and parked in front.

"You know, before we get into it, I could use a real breakfast." She said as they got out of the truck. "That Zagnut ain't cuttin' it."

"Should've had the Clark Bar." He remarked.

She chuckled. "Yeah?"

As they stepped up to the front door, they noticed it ajar. Masters took out the knife he had, and Mercedes ran back to the truck to get her pistol. They both nodded and went into the house with their guards up.

They noticed dirty footprints all over the house. After quickly searching the premises, they regrouped in the living room.

"All clear." Masters called out.

"Clear." She spoke, too. "When they came in, they tracked through the flower bed."

He pointed at the footprints. "Rubber overshoes."

"They were gonna kill me?"

"Could've been here for me. My car was parked out front."

Mercedes checked outside and closed the door but quickly noticed something crudely etched behind it.

SEE YOU SOON

Mercedes turned around. "Looks like they plan on coming back."

With that threat, Tony knew these people were now after him and Mercedes. And they weren't going to stop unless they did something about it.

"I'm really gonna need a gun."