by Ali Vali
“Yeah. We noticed the other guy while you were talking to Oliver. We got to work something out if we need to do business without an audience,” Ian said.
“Slow down,” Billy said, resting his head back but still keeping watch. The car behind them blew their horn a couple of times, then passed them. “Start going through some lights and see what happens.”
“I think they’ll go through them with us to keep up, Boss,” Ian said, laughing a little with Gabriel in the backseat.
“I know that, smartass. I just want them to know I know they’re back there wasting my time and theirs. Put your seat belt on, Gabriel. You’re going to make a nice hood ornament if you don’t and this goes bad.”
They went another mile before Ian hit a yellow light, and like he’d told Billy, the car behind them kept pace. Billy’s plan didn’t quite work out when they had to slam on their brakes or risk hitting an elderly man ready to step off the curb. Ian stopped in time, but their tail’s reaction wasn’t as great. He slammed into them with enough force that they landed in the middle of the intersection. By some miracle, they missed the old guy.
“Come on, man,” a guy that ran from the other side of the street screamed as he banged on Billy’s window. “You got to get out before this shit blows up.”
Billy was dazed from hitting his head on the side window, and Ian was unconscious from slamming his head into the steering wheel, Billy guessed from the way it was bent. He fumbled with the door handle, and the people that had gathered to help unlocked the door and got all three of them out.
“Call 9-1-1,” Billy said before he passed out with a smile for the agent standing behind the good Samaritan who’d helped him.
The guy Billy spoke to got his phone out and did as he asked, then told his friend to make sure the two guys who’d caused the accident didn’t leave. The man behind him seemed rooted in place, appearing anxious as he looked at the two guys passed out well away from the car that was now on fire.
“Tell Cain to get here fast,” Gabriel said, trying not to cry from what felt like a broken ankle. The pain, though, was making him nauseous. Cain’s assistant, Mrs. Michaels, took the information but kept him on the line.
“What happened?” Mrs. Michaels asked.
Gabriel told her about stopping so they wouldn’t hit the man loud enough for everyone around to hear. He figured the explanation would go a long way in convincing all the witnesses standing around to remember the same thing.
“Sit tight, and I’ll have Mrs. Casey meet you wherever they take you. Make sure you have someone call us with that information.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gabriel heard the sirens coming closer, and he tried to overhear what the guy in the gray suit was saying. He appeared nervous, but the older guy with him seemed woozy from the large cut across his forehead.
He grimaced when they loaded him, and he glanced back at Ian and Billy. They were both still out, and the paramedics were carefully loading them on backboards. Another car screeched to a stop close by, and he saw Muriel and two guys get out and move past the police.
“You okay?” Muriel asked, but her attention was on her cousin.
“I was in the back so I think my ankle or foot is broken, but I’m better than Billy and Ian. Make sure those assholes don’t get out of this because they’re feds,” he said so only Muriel would hear him.
“Don’t worry, and I’ll call your family and have them meet you at the hospital.” Muriel patted his chest and moved so they could load him. “And, Gabriel,” she said from the back of the ambulance, “you don’t talk to anyone about anything unless I’m there. Remember that.”
“Got it. Stay and make sure Billy’s okay. He and Ian are pretty banged up. It’s almost like they were gunning for us,” he said, almost yelling this time.
“That’s a lie,” the young guy that hit them said.
“Fuck you, man. You were following way too close, and you never stopped.” He smiled when they closed the doors after that remark, and the crowd that had gathered started saying “yeah” as if they agreed with him.
Fuck you and everyone with you. Cain’s going to make you pay if anything happened to her brother, and I’m going to love watching her take you down, asshole, he thought before he closed his eyes for the bumpy ride to the hospital.
* * *
Cain sat on the blanket Lou had gotten out of the trunk for her and gazed out at Lake Pontchartrain, enjoying the warmth on her bare feet. Emma had read most of her classwork after the sandwiches they’d stopped for and, after twenty pages or so, had fallen asleep with her head in Cain’s lap.
She had a huge list of things to do but couldn’t find the motivation to get up. Their talk after the cemetery had centered on basically nothing important. She now knew some of Emma’s history and took a moment to thank God that Therese Casey, not Carol Verde, was her mother.
She turned her head slightly when she heard someone running toward them. If it was a problem, Merrick and Lou were close enough to take care of it so she didn’t disturb Emma. She stopped breathing though, when Merrick stopped by her, appearing almost panicked. The last time Merrick had that dreadful expression she’d told her someone had killed her da.
“What?” she asked, finally exhaling.
“Billy’s been in a car accident, and he’s at the hospital with Ian and Gabriel.”
“What the hell happened?” She threaded her fingers into Emma’s hair and gently scratched the back of her neck to rouse her.
“From what Muriel said, the agents following them came close to killing all three of them when they rear-ended them. Your mom is on her way to Mercy, so I told her we wouldn’t be far behind.” Merrick exposed her weapons as if she’d need them and turned toward the panel van most likely watching and listening. “These guys are out of control.”
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, coming to a sitting position quickly.
“My brother’s been in an accident, so I’ve got to go. I’ll have Lou take you back.” She put her shoes back on and stood up. “I’ll call you later.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Emma put her hands on Cain’s abdomen, seeming genuinely concerned.
“I appreciate it, but let me see what this is about. You’ll be okay with Lou.”
Emma tried again. “I could help.”
“I know you would, but not this time.” She kissed Emma and walked away, resisting the urge to run. She’d learned the lesson of sudden loss well, and it was still too fresh in not only her mind but also in her heart not to want to rush to Billy’s side.
Lou nodded as she passed him, and she didn’t look back as Merrick sped away. When they arrived, all of Billy’s guys were in the emergency-room waiting area, and they pointed her in the right direction. Her relief was so complete when they said Billy was awake and talking, she almost had to sit before going back.
“Hey,” she said to Billy when she walked into the small room that smelled of antiseptic and bleach. “Did you piss those guys off or something?”
“Yeah, but too bad for them I’ve got a head too hard for them to do any real damage. I’m okay, really,” he said, obviously seeing the worry in her expression.
“Don’t go tempting fate,” Therese said, making Marie laugh. “He’s got a concussion and they fractured his arm.”
She hugged her mum after hearing the clear upset in her voice. “Muriel’s taking care of it, Mum.”
“This once I’d like for you to be taking care of it, but I know you can’t.”
“I wish I could grant that wish, but that would be inviting the jackals in to pick us clean.” She kissed Therese’s cheek before doing the same to Marie and asked Billy, “Can you go home?”
“The doctor said maybe tomorrow, but they want to make sure I didn’t get my brains scrambled before they let me loose on the world.” Billy lifted his good hand but didn’t touch his head. “Sorry for all the worry, sister.”
“It’s my job to worry even on days when you’re not getting y
our car blown up. I’m just glad everything that happened is fixable.” She sat on the bed and placed her hand at the center of his chest. “Concentrate on getting better, and I’ll handle the rest.”
His eyes grew glassy at what she’d said, and he shook his head as he covered her hand with his. “I love you too, but could you check on Ian and Gabriel for me? They won’t let me up to do it.”
“Mum, send Merrick if they come to move him. I’ll be right back.”
Ian was still knocked out from bashing his head into the steering wheel, so Cain spoke to his parents to assure them she’d taken care of everything. Pops clung to her when she opened her arms to him, much like she had when her da had died. Gabriel’s family was there as well, but they were waiting for him to get out of emergency surgery to reset the bones in his ankle and foot.
Whatever the hell had happened was serious enough to sideline two of her guys and Billy, since, no matter how much he complained, he wasn’t going back to work until a slew of doctors agreed to it. She was headed back to Billy’s room when Merrick stopped her and pointed to an empty room.
“Muriel just called again and said the field director of the FBI is headed over here to talk to you. She said to please wait until she gets here.”
“Where’s Muriel?” She put her hands in her pockets and tried to calm her anger. Her da always said anger and giving in to it was the best way of losing control, then losing everything.
“She said she stayed behind to encourage the NOPD to not let all the FBI credentials being flashed around at the scene intimidate them. They have enough witnesses to point out who was at fault, starting with the old man Ian stopped to avoid hitting.”
“Then why the visit to the hospital?”
“Muriel didn’t want to talk about it, but I’m sure she’ll tell you when she gets here.”
They were ready to move Billy when she returned, so she helped her mum and Marie gather his things and follow the gurney to his room. “Make sure someone’s always on this door until he goes home,” she told Merrick as they moved Billy to the bed. “Let me know if anyone gives you any shit about it.”
“You got it, Boss.”
Billy closed his eyes, but he was smiling as Therese and Marie sat with him and prayed. The nurse came in often and asked him a series of questions, so he wouldn’t get any sleep until they were sure his head was fine.
“You’re still beautiful, so you have that going for you,” Muriel said when she came in, making Billy laugh.
“Don’t tease me. I’ve got a splitting headache,” Billy said, opening only one eye.
“Then I’ll talk about you outside.” Cain followed her out, and Merrick led them to the empty room across from them. “From what Kevin said, they were thinking about running the light to mess with those guys, but they stopped to avoid killing the old man I talked to at the scene. The next thing they knew they were all being dragged out by helpful citizens because the agents hit them hard enough to rupture their gas tank. The agents tried to get out of it, but the traffic cop cited the driver, so Annabel Hicks would like to talk to you.”
“About what? Does she want to exchange insurance cards?”
“She didn’t say, and I can’t force you to stay quiet, but it’s not a good time to antagonize her or anyone that works for her.”
She nodded and stepped to the window. “And everything else?”
“It’s fine,” Muriel said cryptically, as if the room were bugged, and there was a good possibility it was. “Believe me, it’s fine.”
“Then let’s go see Annabel and hear what she’s got on her mind.”
Three men were standing with Agent Hicks when they entered the hospital-floor waiting room, but Cain barely glanced at them. Annabel held out her hand, and Cain didn’t hesitate to take it, deciding to follow Muriel’s advice. The man directly to Annabel’s right seemed to study her like a bug on a slide, but it wasn’t time to acknowledge him yet.
“Ms. Casey, I’m Special Agent Annabel Hicks,” the woman said as she released her hand.
“I didn’t realize your agency investigated traffic accidents, Special Agent Hicks.” Muriel sighed but she was smiling.
“I’m sure Ms. Casey here informed you that two of my agents rear-ended the car your people were in. It was an accident, pure and simple, that our agent takes full responsibility for. We’ll handle all the medical expenses, and the damage to the car, but I’m here to assure you it was simply an accident.”
She couldn’t help but stare at the man now smirking as his boss put her ass in the fire. “Is that your opinion, Special Agent—”
“Kyle, Barney Kyle, and yes—just an accident.”
“You’ve both done your job then, so you’re free to go,” Cain said, now sure who was across the street from her office, her home, and life in general watching and listening. “Accidents happen, right?”
“Is that a threat, Ms. Casey?” Barney asked.
“No, it’s a group of people minding their own business on their way to work almost getting killed in an accident. Not everything’s a conspiracy, right?”
“Sounded like a threat to me,” Barney said.
“Agent Hicks, forget about my family, and concentrate on whether everyone who works for you has had all their shots.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Barney said, taking a step forward, Annabel holding onto him to keep him from getting closer.
Cain stepped forward one pace. “From what I hear, rabies rots the brain,” she said, and his face got cherry red. “That’s not good for anyone with a badge and a gun.”
“Ms. Casey, simply remember that we’ll take care of the costs of the accident, and we won’t bother you again while your brother recovers,” Annabel said, forcibly pulling Barney back. “Call if there’s any problem.”
“All I’m asking is for you to stay away from my family so something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Barney jerked away from Annabel and stood extremely close to Cain. “We have a job to do, so you’re in no position to request anything.”
“Everyone has a job to do, extra Special Agent Kyle, but no one else’s job description lets them get away with almost killing three people. You want to do your job, do it like everyone else before you—stay across the street.”
“Don’t fucking—” Barney said before Muriel stepped into the limited space between him and Cain.
“Agent Hicks, it’s time for you to go, and anything else you want to add to this conversation can go through me. Today might’ve been an accident, but there’s more to consider than medical costs and a car. One of our employees is in surgery, and the other is still unconscious.” Muriel, like Cain, didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Barney Kyle. “Once they’re able, I’m sure they’ll have more demands than what you’ve offered.”
“I’m sure we’ll entertain any reasonable requests,” Annabel said. “Excuse us for intruding.”
“I’m sure it won’t be the last time,” Cain said, making Barney stop walking, but he didn’t say a word when he turned around.
Let the games begin, extra Special Agent Kyle, she thought, smiling at him when he turned around again before leaving. Whoever ends up with a bullet through the head first loses.
* * *
“How is he?” Emma asked after answering Cain’s call as she sat in her dark apartment. Lou had walked her to her door, and it had taken over an hour to recover from her anger at being sent away like a small child.
“He’s in the hospital for the night with a fractured arm and a concussion. I’m more worried about the guy who was driving him. The doctors put him in a medically induced coma for a few days because of the swelling in his brain.”
“I’m sorry, and hopefully he’ll be okay. Will you let me know how Billy makes out?” The feeling of not fitting in with Cain came back full force, and she was sure she’d never break into the circle of Cain’s family to have a real future with her. It was good to realize that now, before she cared any mor
e than she already did.
“Am I keeping you from something?” Cain asked, and the noise from her end disappeared as if Cain had moved.
“No. I was sitting here trying to study and was thinking about you.”
“Somehow I suspect that’s not a good train of thought.” Cain sounded tired and totally serious. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“So you get to decide or conclude what my thoughts are and move on?” She stared up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly to keep from crying. She was tired of crying and starting to see tears as one of her weaknesses. “Thank you for giving me the benefit of doubt.”
“Today two FBI agents rammed the car my brother was in hard enough to hospitalize three men. Their only reason or suspicion for following them at all was that my brother was in the car. We’re Caseys so we must be guilty.” Cain shot off the words like she was firing them from a machine gun and each of them was meant to inflict harm. “I know this won’t be the last time something like this happens, so I give no one any benefit of doubt.”
“Not even someone who cares about you?” She couldn’t stop her tears and cursed her inexperience with relationships. She’d been overwhelmed at having found something she’d searched a lifetime for and not known exactly how to handle it. Wanting something with Cain had gone way too fast, and she couldn’t deny just how much she cared. Had she actually admitted it, she would have scared Cain off way before this.
“Don’t say things you don’t mean or understand.”
“I never have in my life, and I’m not going to start now. You can push me away if you want, but don’t try to lay the blame on me.” She tried her best to keep the quiver out of her voice but was failing fast. “Your brother and his friends will be in my prayers,” she said and hung up.
Cain called back a few times, but Emma couldn’t handle any more hurt or rejection so she lay on the sofa and cried. Perhaps her mother was right, and God really had abandoned her for her disobedience.
The phone woke her the next morning, and the sound of cows mooing made her smile. “Hi, Daddy.”