by RJ Scott
"Drink. I put whisky in it," Morgan said firmly.
Josh tried but the burn of alcohol was exactly what he didn't want at the moment. He replaced the mug on the surface and grimaced.
"Sean escaping custody is a big thing, Josh."
"I get that." Josh couldn't keep the worry out of his voice.
"Sanctuary is like this whole big complicated family." Morgan waved his hand expansively.
Josh sighed. Clearly this was the whole 'Manny likes you but it's nothing more than proximity speech'.
What Morgan actually said turned out to be further from the real truth than Josh was expecting.
"I don't know as much as I could, but I've picked up information as I went along. I know when Jake's dad started Sanctuary, Jake was probably about ten or so. He grew up with Sanctuary. It's his entire life and the men and woman he has working for him are all handpicked by him. He trusts every single person who is part of Sanctuary."
"What has this got to do with Manny?"
"There're two stories at play. How Jake feels about Manny and where Manny fits into Sanctuary. Eight years ago, Manny faked records at MIT, so he could join Sanctuary, he's been with Jake since then. They are best friends, brothers near as damn it. Then there is Sean. Jake had no choice in Sean. The FBI wanted someone of theirs inside and they chose Sean. He was this liaison who was supposed to increase communication between the Bureau and Sanctuary. Nothing more than political crap, really."
Morgan shook his head. Frustration laced his words. "Jake went with it. Welcomed the guy. Manny locked him out of most systems and for the most part Sean was only shown what Jake and Manny wanted to show him but still, Jake and Sean were friends. Manny liked the guy."
"Then he betrayed Sanctuary."
Morgan shrugged. "Seems that way. Manny is conflicted because Jake is conflicted. But I'll leave Manny to explain his opinions on that one."
"I'm not sure Manny will be explaining anything to me anytime soon," Josh said, his tone dead.
"I think you will be surprised."
"Well this is all cool but I really need to work," Josh said. He didn't want to listen to any more of Morgan's 'Sanctuary is amazing' stories. Morgan may be bowled over by them but Josh was less so. For him Sanctuary meant Manny. Great.
He made his way to the office determined to ignore Manny if he was in there working, but the office was actually clear. Manny must be in his room. That was a good thing. Josh could concentrate on a few ideas he had.
Something in his research today on the senator's wife had pulled up a few lines of investigation and he knew that burying himself in research was the best way to get his head out of this self-destroying funk.
He had a new email, from the professor at the university. The guy had nothing conclusive on the necklace. Apparently it was mass market costume jewelry circa late eighties. Interesting. That narrowed down a year maybe? Or hell, a decade at least. Also, the Professor added, no society woman would wear fake costume stuff when the real thing was in reach. He guessed that left them looking at staff, possibly interns with the senator. Worst of all though, they may be looking at nothing more than a prostitute on her knees who was entirely unrelated to a possible body on the grounds of the Bullen mansion in the mountains.
Speaking of which, he pulled up surveillance of the place. Satellite images, Google Earth, and crime scene photos. Virtually every inch of the Bullen land had been tracked with ground-penetrating radar by the forensics team and they had found nothing except…
"Dogs!"
Emily Selby was a dog lover. She always owned dogs, mutts and pure breeds, and when she came to Senator Bullen she moved into the Bullen mansion. He scrolled through coverage and there, just under a thriving rose bed, was a set of small crosses made of stone. He called up scene photos. Each cross had a name. Muffy. Grampion.
Benny. And many others. In all Josh counted fifteen of the little crosses. A big area. One maybe scanned in a casual fashion? Something to be returned to later? After all, the focus had been out on the mountain after what Beckett Jamieson had commented in the briefing notes he had read.
Immediately, he called through to Sanctuary ops and reported what he thought. That there was every possibility that the body they were looking for was buried with the dogs in the small pet cemetery. He stood to find Manny and tell him but his own stubbornness made him sit back down. He told himself it was nothing concrete and that Manny could find out when everyone else did. Quickly he typed out his thoughts to Sanctuary ops, copied in the Bureau, forensics and pressed send on the email.
With the report filed he sat back in his seat. He glanced at the other folders on the desktop and the one labeled case reports. He had been in and out of that folder all day. He knew damn well what was in there and he had been avoiding it since he gained access to Sanctuary systems. The file labeled with his dad's name. In that single folder would be information on his dad, probably some on himself, and then there would be the transcript of the interview that his dad gave to Adam and Lee. He should read it.
He opened it.
Then shut it.
Then opened it again. He began reading from the top. Every single word hurt. Why his dad did what he did.
How he had felt trapped and unable to free himself from the Bullen web. This big, strong man said clearly that he had become less of a man by putting his family first. That hurt the most. Elisabeth Costain had died because of him and here was his dad telling the interviewers, Lee and Adam, that he felt like less of a man because his family made him weak. Where was his dad's redemption in these words for Josh? Josh couldn't see it.
After closing the file he connected to the safe house where his mom was. Last night when he Skyped her she had looked tired. Today she seemed refreshed. Awake.
"Hey Mom," he said simply.
"Hello you," she smiled. "How is it going at your end?"
He bowed his head. Tears choked in his throat and tugged at his heart. How the hell could he explain to his mom everything that was mixing and churning and hurting inside him? He was just feeling sorry for himself that was all.
"Joshua. What's wrong sweetheart? Talk to me."
Josh stood up and closed the comms room door.
Then he sat back in the chair with his mom's concerned face staring out at him on the main screen.
"I don't know what to say." His heart was breaking.
His life was shattering and the immense pressure of the day was bubbling just under the surface.
"Start from the beginning."
Josh pushed down the emotion. He wanted to start at the day when he realized his dad had two separate personalities. The one who played rough with him and helped him with homework and the one who was a criminal. The day that his world began its descent into having to believe lies and half-truths just to remain sane.
"Mom, do you remember the day dad came home and he smashed his fist into the wall?"
"What do you mean?" His mom looked confused.
As well she should. His dad's temper had left quite a few marks on the family home and they all blurred into one. Josh remembered the first time.
"You must remember mom. It was the night before my eighth birthday."
CHAPTER 15
Manny didn't know how long he stood and watched Josh. It could have been a minute, it could have been ten.
He stood in the doorway and looked in on Josh asleep at the desk. His arms were crossed to form a pillow and his head rested on them. His breathing was deep and rhythmic.
Imperceptibly Manny began to breathe in the same beat and he felt peace trickle down his spine.
"Josh?"
Josh murmured something but he didn't fully wake up. Falling asleep in this position wasn't the most comfortable—it happened to Manny on a regular monthly cycle. Normally ops woke him, to his embarrassment Jake had been the one to wake him last time it had happened.
The screens were silent and still. A couple showed status reports and Manny skimmed the time lines for inf
ormation from Sanctuary. There was nothing on there that hadn't already been covered by the call from Jake that had woken him up.
They'd found the remains of the woman exactly where Josh had pinned them. Forensics had delivered what was left to the coroner. There would be little evidence to tie the woman to the brothers, he was sure. Decomposition had done a good job of destroying everything and they had to remove dog remains as well. Still, when they pulled together her skeleton they could maybe match her to dental records or something. That would be best case scenario and would give them something to work on.
Alastair Bullen had been re-arrested about ten minutes earlier and was now heading to questioning at APD. A body on the property and probable cause was enough. Frustratingly, he could only be held on this for initial questioning. But, at least the can of worms had been opened. The night had run its course but the morning was early—there had been no hint of what Senator Bullen would do.
"Josh?" He shook Josh's shoulder softly and blinking into the light Josh slowly woke up. He had that sleep-sated smile on his face, the same as yesterday when they had spooned. Regret washed over Manny—he should have pushed back his temper and pulled Josh into bed with him last night.
"Hey," Josh said.
Manny crouched down next to him. Given his height that put him a little below Josh but hell, he just wanted to get closer. "They found the body where you said," he informed quickly.
Josh smiled. "Awesome." His voice was gruff and he coughed.
"Coffee and a shower then we need to talk. Decide what we're going to do next." Manny pushed himself against the table to stand.
"The wife," Josh started. He yawned and then stretching his arms and flexing his fingers, he pulled up a diagram of links and photos that he had hibernated. It was a match for Morgan's murder board done on a drag-and-drop workflow program. "They said yesterday, the brothers in that meeting, if she ever found out…" he shrugged and his voice trailed off. He suddenly seemed insecure and anxious.
"What if she found out?" Manny concluded.
Josh clapped his hands together with a nod.
"Exactly."
"Coffee. Shower. Get dressed."
Manny left and stalked straight to Nik and Morgan's room. Yes, it was only six am, but they needed to be up and doing things. He knocked and entered. And got an eyeful.
Yes, they were up and doing things. Shit. Placing his hands over his eyes he just said. "Phase two guys." Then he left and pulled the door closed behind him.
"What happened?" Josh was standing in front of him still looking adorably sleepy. Manny laughed and shook his head.
"Coitus interruptus," he smirked. Then he held up a single finger, licked the tip, and drew an imaginary one in the air. "My point I believe."
Josh quirked a smile in return. "I'll start the coffee."
The news hit that Senator Thomas Bullen was holding a press conference at eleven am and it was the perfect 'in' to approach Emily. Press passes were easy to organize, or rather easy to fake, and Manny stood at the back of the hall waiting for the senator to take the podium.
There was a buzz about resignation. The words passed around him as other reporters speculated on resignation, murder, and ties to organized crime. The usual heavies ringed the stage. All in black suits, they formed the best barrier money could buy.
When the senator took the stage he looked very different from yesterday. Gone was the fire and passion that danced around him when he'd confronted his brother.
Instead, there was a man who had the weight of the world laid on his shoulders. The projector feed was showing a silent version of the senator's latest advertisement and Emily was there. Dressed similarly to yesterday, in a pale suit with pearls she was a few steps behind her husband with an impassive expression on her face.
She wouldn't be able to see Manny from here. He was one of hundreds in the outer fringes of the darkened room. Manny felt a twinge of guilt at what he was going to do. Then he pushed it down. She had known what her husband was. She wasn't innocent in any of this.
The speech was short. Full of promises from Thomas that he had only ever worked for the public interest and that he was resigning because he had to ensure his brother had support over the terrible allegations being leveled at him. Again he reinforced that his family had had their problems historically but it appeared that certain factions were using his brother against him. The implication there was that someone was out to get them.
Manny even saw a few journalists nodding at this. Oration was clearly the senator's strong point. He was up there thanking his wife for her support and he really looked like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth as he held out a hand and she took it to stand next to him.
Having seen her yesterday Manny wasn't entirely convinced she was happy to be there. The senator said he would answer a few questions and Manny straightened. His hands closed over the control in his pocket and he heard Josh's voice in his ear.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," Manny said simply.
Some reporter from the front row asked about aspirations outside politics and Bullen was giving some bullshit answer about more time with his family. Another asked about his daughters and what they felt. Again more bullshit about their being sad about the end of their dad's journey to make a better America.
"Pass the sick bucket," Josh intoned.
Manny had to hold back the instinctive laugh.
"Sir," Manny finally called, "I have a question." The light found him in the crowd and as he was staring directly at Emily he could see the wide, shocked expression on her face. The senator looked positively ill, and equally shocked. Both of them were frozen still.
"My question is. Do you know this girl?" He pressed the control in his pocket and where before had been the promo video was now a grainy version of the photo of the senator receiving the blow job. The girl on her knees.
The necklace. The senator blustered and demanded the feed be cut. He dropped his wife's hand and the entire room was silent.
"Marianne Whitely? Oh my God," Emily said clearly into the microphone. Then the room erupted with noise, shouts and cameras flashing, and Manny watched as Emily left the stage. Carefully, he made his way through the reporters before they decided to focus on him and headed down to leave the center. Nik was waiting in the car and Manny slid into the front seat.
"Let's go home."
When they opened the door to the apartment Morgan and Josh were both waiting.
"Jake wants Nik to extract Emily," Morgan said immediately. "She's asked for federal protection and they're looking to Sanctuary for immediate support."
"She didn't hang around," Nik commented, and then he held the door open and waited.
Morgan didn't hesitate. Grabbing a bag and whistling for Puck, with hurried goodbyes the two men were gone in under a minute. Manny watched the whole thing. This is what it was. One day seamlessly segueing into the next and Sanctuary out there doing their thing and doing it well.
"You okay?" Josh asked carefully. He was in the kitchen doing something with the coffee machine.
"It wasn't nice shocking her like that," Manny said.
"But she's not untarred by the Bullen family. Had to be done. She's the weak link. It will all fall down like a house of cards now." He went into the small kitchen and hugged Josh from behind.
For a second Josh relaxed against him but then he went stiff in his arms. "Jake talked to me too. Says you'll take me back to Jennifer if I wanted so I can stay with Mom. Says I did an awesome job though." Josh laughed.
But it wasn't a laugh of joy. It was one that dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, and when this is all over and if it's safe for me to show my face in public he offered me a freaking job."
"That's a good thing isn't it?" Manny asked cautiously. He nearly jumped back when Josh thumped a clenched fist on the work surface. Temper didn't sit well on Josh. He was normally so utterly calm and controlled.
Manny wasn't sure whether to be worried or pleased that emotion was
streaming away from Josh instead of being held inside. Deliberately, he encouraged Josh to turn and face him. Josh turned but wouldn't look him in the eyes.
"Don't you think that is a good thing? You are damned good at what you do. Look how it went these last few days.
You're a natural. I said that to Jake when I—"
Josh shoved him away. "You spoke to Jake? What did you tell him? Jake is a good friend of yours. Did you tell him that you wanted me there for the occasional break?"
"What?" Manny wasn't following this. The words were irrational. "What the hell, Josh?"
"You said yourself I shouldn't mistake this for anything more than it was. I know my place, so what did you tell him then?" Josh was demanding answers and his green eyes looked suspiciously bright. Manny bit his tongue. He wasn't convinced that Josh was ready for everything that Manny had to say but he guessed the beginning was as good as any.
"You don't understand. Jake is a like a brother to me—"
"I knew it—"
Manny shook Josh hard and wondered at that point if he should be slapping the taller man.
"Listen to me, you idiot. I talked to Jake last night.
Before any of this went down. I said to him that I had these feelings for you and we clicked and that you liked Star Trek and you were so good with computers and I liked that." He paused for a breath. "He laughed. Said that maybe I should take a sabbatical from Sanctuary to see whether you were the one person I was looking for in my life. I suggested I go into witness protection with you—"
"You have a life. You can't do that—"
"Don't worry, he said 'not on his life'. He said I would be off my head after three hours and would be wiring the fridge to get satellite reception. Look, Josh. I don't know where this will go. I feel a connection to you that I never imagined I would. I used to look at Nik and Morgan, or Adam and Lee, even freaking Kayden and his Beckett, and I would see them as other types of people. Not men like me who lived in the real world."
"I don't know the others, but I like Nik and Morgan, they're good together," Josh said quietly.