by Kara Parker
“I got to spend time with you. I’ll take that over a parade.”
She smiled at him and then looked away from a moment as a look of confusion crossed her face.
“What is it?” Falcon asked.
“I was just thinking of someone who owes me a favor,” she spoke in a faraway manner as if she were remembered something that happened a long time ago in some other life. “He’s in the FBI, pretty high up actually, but he was just a field agent when we met. I saved his ass once and he’s owed me ever since...”
“What are you thinking about?” Falcon asked.
“I’m gonna make a phone call and get dressed,” Grace said. “We don’t have a ton of time before we need to get going.”
“Good thing I don’t have any worldly possessions to worry about,” Falcon said with a shrug as she walked back to her bedroom.
Alone he walked out into her backyard. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, but he liked the feeling of stepping onto the dewy grass in his bare feet. It was at first shocking and then pleasant and, coffee cup in hand, he stood in the grass and stared off into the forest.
Maybe he would end up somewhere that had seasons. That would be nice at least. He had never really seen snow before; he thought it might be nice to wake up one day to a world covered in white snow. Maybe he would get to live near the beach. He could take up surfing and run a surf shop on the boardwalk. Either way, Grace was right. This was a chance at a new beginning, a chance for him to be anyone he wanted. He just needed to figure out what that was.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Within an hour they were on Grace’s bike with Falcon’s few possessions in a backpack. They needed to go to the police station first. Grace said she needed him to sign a few forms there. She hadn’t said anything else about her FBI contact, and Falcon had no idea what favor she was going to ask of him.
They drove down the beautiful California roads and into the basement parking lot of the police headquarters. Inside, Grace directed him through a labyrinth of parking spaces until she was satisfied and he parked his motorcycle next to a bullet-ridden blue pick-up truck.
“This is our witness entrance,” she explained as she produced a key that unlocked a door that led to an elevator that required a different key to call the elevator. “We need you to sign some paperwork and the boss wants to meet you.”
They rode up together, feeling that sensation of their stomachs dropping with the elevator’s sudden rise. Grace reached for his hand and squeezed it as the elevator brought them to the tenth floor. She let go of his hand and led him down a quiet marble hallway. Everything inside was clean and shiny and bright and he was impressed. Falcon had only ever seen the holding cell in the police headquarters, and this was much nicer.
Grace stopped at a dark wooden door and knocked once before pushing the door open. Inside three men rose and Falcon and Grace walked in together.
“Falcon” Grace started, ‘This is Captain Lloyd, this is special agent Finn with the FBI, and this is Mr. Peretti, the ADA who’s in charge of the cases against the Screaming Eagles.” The three men each shook Falcon’s hand, thanking him as they did so.
“Mr. Marks,” Captain Lloyd said, “You have done a great service to both the city of Los Angeles and the state of California. We owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Falcon nodded in thanks while some part of him marveled at the strangeness of this. Falcon Marks the biker being commended by the chief of police for his help and good work. But it felt good to do something worthwhile for once. It made him wish he had done more good things in his life.
“Indeed, Mr. Marks, and we think the life we’ve set up for you is going to suite you very well,” the FBI agent said. “We’ll just need your signature on these papers and you will be good to go.”
“But before we do that,” the ADA chimed in. “I thought we would offer you a little treat to help you pass the time.”
He pressed a button and to the right a TV flickered to life. On the screen, sitting behind a table, his hands and feet in shackles, was Ernie. Falcon’s heart skipped a beat when he saw it. It was the big boss in a prison jumpsuit and handcuffs forced to recon with what he had done. It was what Falcon had wanted and what he had fought for and seeing it made him feel vindicated. He had done the right thing and the proof was right in front of him.
Grace and the captain and the FBI agent left leaving Falcon with a pile of paperwork in front of him. He signed and initialed where he was told to while Ernie sat shackled to a table on the TV behind him. All in all, it wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be to end the life of Falcon Marks. Just a few strokes of the pen and a notary's stamp and it was done.
When he was done the ADA left and Grace came in after him, a huge smile plastered across her face. She looked radiantly happy and Falcon tried to feel happy for her. She must have just received more good new about the investigation.
“Good news?” he asked.
“Excellent news,” she said, her smile growing bigger. “I talked to the special investigator and my captain and I convinced them it was a good idea and they agreed.”
“To what?” Falcon asked.
“I am escorting you to your new life,” she said with a smile. “I’m going to go with you and get you all set up.”
Falcon felt his heart soared and he knew it was impossible but it felt like his heart was making a break for the heavens. She was coming with him; he wouldn’t have to say goodbye to her just yet. He still had more time with her. It was a small favor in a world of guns and drugs and motorcycles and he was grateful for it.
Falcon couldn’t help himself; he picked her up in a bear hug and swung her around twice before finally putting her down.
“Thank you,” he sighed, pressing his forehead against hers. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
“I have some idea,” Grace replied.
He took one last look at Ernie is his shackles. The boss had a permanent looking frown on his face and he kept shaking his head back and forth. He was in jail and he knew Falcon was the person who put him there. Good. Falcon knew now he wasn’t some easily replaced foot soldier, he was better than that and his boss had failed to notice. So Ernie clearly wasn’t that smart.
“I have one more thing to show you,” Grace said, “but it’s on the way.”
“We’re leaving now?” he asked.
“No more putting it off,” Grace said.
Her surprise wasn’t what he had expected but it was exactly what Falcon wanted and needed. He pulled the bike up along a chain link fence, but neither he nor Grace got off. On the other side of the fence was the playground to Sophie's school. Little boys and girls who had just figured out how to walk and talk at the same time were running around like the little maniacs they were.
It didn’t take him long to see her. Sophie’s golden curls were shining in the California sun and she was playing hopscotch with two other girls and she was killing them at it. She was so smart and so sure of herself and Falcon was still amazed that he had helped make her.
Grace tightened her grip around him and leaned back into her embrace. He was doing the right thing; he didn’t doubt it anymore. Sophie was a smart girl, she would go on to do great things, and Falcon would never forget her. They watched her play until the school bell rang and all the children groaned as they were herded back inside.
Falcon smiled at his own memory of recesses so long ago. He envied those children and lives they had in front of them. But he was much the same. He wasn’t Falcon Marks anymore; he was riding into a new name, a new life, a new chance to do everything right.
He revved the engine and Grace tightened her grip around him as he pulled out into traffic and onto the highway. The sun was high above them as they headed east.
THE END
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