CHAPTER 46- FEAST OF THE GOLDEN GEESE Part 1

Brian hopped into the car as Justin was about to put it in gear. “What are you doing?”

“What the fuck does it look like I’m doing Brian?” Justin’s controlled tone of voice was laced with venom. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed and waited for the ring on the other end to begin before turning to Brian and saying, “You know. You really don’t have to come with me. You should go wait with Debbie. I’m sure Carl is going to bring Gus to be thoroughly checked out.

Brian glared at Justin while he continued to hold the phone up to his ear. “You’re seriously delusional if you think for one moment that I’m going to let you out of my sight.”

“Brian--”

“No Justin. I’m not going to leave you in this by yourself to face a madwoman and…” Brian’s voice failed as he almost said the name of his former best friend.

Justin snickered but there was no humor in it. “You can’t say it, can you? You can’t even speak Michael’s name.”

“Justin…”

“What Brian? He wasn’t paying for someone to kill YOU. In fact, you were the prize in all this, like one to be found in an extremely full Cracker-Jack box. So NO, I don’t need you to go with me; I don’t need you to try and talk me out what I am going to do...I DON’T NEED YOU!” By the look on Brian’s face, he realized that he may have taken it too far but Justin meant what he said. Michael Novotny had always been allowed to get away with too much shit but this time he’d taken it too fucking far. Justin didn’t need Brian to witness the clash that was about to happen between his lover and his best friend.

“You really mean that Justin?  You don’t need me?”

Justin softened his tone. “I just don’t want you to be put in the middle of this Brian. Throughout most of my problems with Michael, I have tried to keep you out of it.”

“I know that, but the difference now Justin is that I’m exactly where I should be, which is by your side. I can’t say that I’ve always been, but this is different; we are different.”

Justin exhaled harshly, running a hand through his long locks in frustration. He looked into the eyes that regarded him from the passenger seat, reading the love and determination in them. Brian wouldn’t budge no matter how much Justin tried to talk him out of it. He licked his lips before speaking. “I meant what I said Brian. I’m going to kill him if I find him before the cops do.”

“And I’m going to stop you. If you want a new set of handcuffs, we’ll stop at the toy store on the way home tonight. I much prefer the fur-lined or silk ones around your wrists rather than the cheap state-issued variety.”

Justin couldn’t help the small laugh which escaped him. Leave it to Brian inject not only humor, but sexual connotation into a serious conversation. It was something Justin always appreciated about the man sitting in the passenger seat. Very few people really knew or understood Brian. It had taken Justin a long time to figure that out; time that he would always somehow regret losing but was no less grateful for. If asked, Michael and Lindsay- maybe even Debbie- would say that they knew the man behind the myth. But Justin had learned over the time that he- and maybe even Gus- were the only ones with that privilege.

Justin started the car then, trying to decide on the first place to look for Michael. He backed the car out of the parking space, carefully still avoiding Brian’s gaze for the moment as he thought about what Brian was doing. He was putting him- putting them- first. As soon as he cleared the parking lot of the hospital and had taken the right to head back towards Liberty Avenue, he felt the larger hand of his partner engulf the hand holding the gear shift between them. Justin released the breath that he wasn’t aware that he was holding, finally acknowledging to himself that Brian really was in this with him. They had come a long way from the day that had met, and through all the fights, arguments, push-and-pull and doubts of their relationship, Justin realized in that moment, that he wouldn’t have traded a moment of it, not even within the turmoil their lives had recently become. It was humbling.

Turning onto Debbie’s street, the first thing Brian noticed was how abnormally quiet it was for that time of day. It wasn’t that Deb’s street was a hubbub of activity the way the main street of Liberty Avenue was. However, normally there were always children playing in the middle of the street. Today it reminded Brian a little of a ghost town, the kind that he had seen in the many westerns he watched as a kid. Justin pulled into an empty parking space at the corner, instead of taking spot located directly in front of Deb’s red front door.

Both of them stepped out of the car and onto the eerily quiet street. Brian’s unease kept telling him that something was very fucking wrong, even as Justin squeezed his hand a little tighter. He knew in that moment that he was not alone in the sudden fear which gripped him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. At Justin’s questioning look, Brian answered the phone, swallowing hard before speaking.

“Get the fuck out of there,” Sarah screamed into the receiver. “Get the fuck out of there right now, Brian! You and Justin get your asses back in the fucking car and get the fuck out of there!”

“Where the fuck are you?”

“Brian just get you fucking ass back in the car. Mark has a fucking gun trained at the back of Justin’s head.” No sooner than she said that, did Brian hear the distinct sound of a gun being cocked in the distance.

Without thought, he gripped his phone even tighter, pushing Justin away from him in the last possible second before the bullet hit the telephone pole that Justin had been standing in front of a moment before. His eyes widened momentarily before grabbing Justin’s hand again, this time dragging him along like a wayward child. Fumbling with his own set of keys, Brian pressed the button to automatically unlock the passenger car door and shoved Justin inside without a word of explanation. Hearing a second cock of the gun, Brian ducked and yelled for Justin to lower his head as well. Brian glimpsed in horror as the bullet shattered the back window of the corvette before exiting through the front window, barely missing Justin’s blond head. Staying low to the ground, Brian finally made his way to the driver’s side of the car, climbing in shakily but knowing that he only had a few moments before he would hear that fucking firearm cock again, intent on ending their lives.

Brian handed the phone to Justin, after hearing Sarah still yelling into the receiver. He told Justin to talk to her while he tried to get them the fuck out of there. Although he knew that Justin was fucking petrified, he was proud that the young blond’s voice had remained steady to give Sarah the information that she desperately needed. Brian heard a three gunshots from a different type of firearm ring out, as he put the car in reverse, preparing to make a hasty escape. The same weapon was shot again as he was pulling out of the parking space, hitting the edge of his sideview mirror. Brian floored the gas, silently acknowledging that the bullet was much too close for comfort.

Justin put the phone on speaker so that both he and Sarah would hear the same thing. “What the fuck, Sarah? Who the fuck was shooting at us?”

“Mark was there lying in wait for you. At first, we thought that he was after Michael Novotny, but apparently he let the little fucker go. After the news that you received at the hospital, I put in a call to Ty to find out how close they were to the hospital with Gus and asked if there was any word on Evangeline. She was at the hospital Brian. She knew where you two were headed. Her plans have evidently changed in regard to Justin and now she just wants both of you dead.”

“No,” Justin said. “If Mark is who you say, then he would have wanted me dead too.” Justin looked at Brian then before lowering his head. “He’s Samuel Hobbs’ bastard get, and on his father’s orders, there’s no way he would have left me alive. Chris has disappeared so he couldn’t order his chicken-hearted son to hit me with a fucking bat this time. Mark was shooting to kill.”

Brian reached over and grabbed Justin’s hand, squeezing it a little in a show of comfort. He knew what Justin was saying had to be true even if that wasn’t the way the plan started out. “What about the second shooter? I imagine that was Evangeline herself.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Sarah confirmed. “At this stage, with her organization crashing down about her ears, she would have wanted to make sure that whatever orders she issued are going to be followed to the letter and that starts with Mark. The fact that he was shooting at Justin messes with her income and as deadly as the bitch is, she’s also greedy. Mark’s orders were to kill you Brian, and nab Justin while he was trying to save your life.”

“Fucking hell, that bitch has to fucking die,” Justin exploded, hearing what was intended for him.

“Don’t worry Justin, she will. In the meantime, I need you two to get to the bank now. Ted is waiting for you and if you’re intent on finding Michael, ninety-to-one, that’s where he is.”

“Why do you think that?” Justin was genuinely curious.

She laughed. “Michael sold the internet business while he was away and the money was deposited into his checking account. I had John scramble the system to buy us all some time to get there. There’s twenty-five grand in that account that he will try to withdraw.”

“Jesus...” Brian asked.

“Yeah Brian, He’s the one to call. Anyway, John can only keep the system scrambled for long.  There are some more people trying to withdraw large sums of money as well.”

“Let me guess...Joan and Claire.”

“How did you know?”

“There are about six messages on my phone from the both of them. Apparently, the devil has come due for them and they expected me to bail them out. My best guess is that they have my old man’s secondary insurance policy in hand and are trying to cash in on it since it was drawn on that bank. The problem with that, is that they won’t be able to cash it without me. I asked Aurora Kelly to put it in a trust account, in which if anything were to happen to me, Justin would execute it. Thank fuck for Myrna. If she wasn’t Justin’s attorney and advised me to do that when she did, this would have blown up in my face.”

“Well now that Joan and Claire are at the bank as well as Michael, I’ll be heading there as soon as I clear up that other matter from this morning.”

“What happened this morning?” Justin asked, frowning and searching his brain for something he may have missed. All he really remembered before Daphne coming in was that Brian wasn’t in the house when he’d come downstairs for breakfast.

“Let’s just say that the Sappersteins have not escaped unscathed,” Brian answered.

“Brian? Brian what the fuck did you do?”

“Calm down Sunshine. What I did, I did with the FBI’s- or more specifically Sarah’s- blessing. Gary and Sean fucked with the wrong man when they came after you.”

A shiver went through Justin’s body at Brian’s tone. He had never heard Brian more deadly serious than he did in that moment and whereas it alarmed him, the danger that radiated off of Brian had never been more alluring. Justin placed his hand on Brian’s thigh and squeezed hard, letting his lover know exactly what his tone was doing to his insides. Sarah interrupted his horny thoughts.

“I need you both to stay in control when you get there. Justin, that means you specifically.”

“I meant what I said Sarah. I’m going to kill him.”

“No you aren’t. No matter what he does or says, you are NOT to touch Michael Novotny. The last thing we need is for any of the guilty parties to get off scot-free on a technicality or because we didn’t protect him by arresting you for attempted murder. Wouldn’t you rather Michael pay daily and over a lot of time?”

Justin huffed. “You don’t understand Sarah. Michael has never ever taken responsibility for any wrong thing he’s ever done. He will put on an innocent boy-next-door act with the melting brown eyes and whining voice so that anyone within hearing distance will really believe he is a victim of circumstance and that he really didn’t know what he was getting himself into. No one plays the dewy-eyed innocent better than Michael.”

Brian chuckled. “I remember telling him that years ago.”

“I remember. The night you went to Ben and Michael’s house because I’d left, I heard and it has always stuck with me. As I sat there reflecting through all the shit he’d put me through in the five years that I had been with you, I realized that you were right. All of the mean-spirited and spiteful things he’d said and did to me, while in front of everyone else he’d do his best to look wholesome and pure, came rushing back. Each of my thoughts, and your accusations launched at Michael were confirmed time and again while I was in New York.” Justin swallowed hard at the thought of how many times Michael had put himself in the middle of their relationship. Redirecting his comments to Sarah he said, “Michael is a master at manipulation. You would do well to remember that.”

“I get it Justin; I really do. But although I walk a fine line between criminal and law enforcer, I still manage to stay on the right side. Please don’t make me have to choose between you and my badge.”

Justin closed his eyes at that analogy. He knew that what Sarah was asking was for him to do the right thing and let her take care of Michael, but it was so fucking hard to do. That fucker had paid someone to try to kill him! And there was always the possibility that Michael would once again go unpunished. “Fine Sarah… fucking fine, I won’t make you choose. Who else is at the bank? I’ll go sit with them while you guys take care of the asshole.”

“Ted, Myrna, Aurora, John, and Colby are all there already. Jason, Jennifer, Tuck, Julianne, and Celine should on their way. Gareth, Anthony, and Jules’ husband Benny will be with me.”

“Fine, I’ll stay with them and let you and Brian deal with the rest of this shit. But mark my words Sarah, if he starts some shit with me directly, I’m fucking ending it, and prison time be damned.” Justin was pissed off and they both knew it.

“Unfortunately you and Jules have a bigger fish to fry. With both of you at the bank at the same time, I wouldn’t doubt that Evangeline or a few of her cronies that you don’t know, will try to corner you both there. I need you two to stay out in the open somewhat, but still hidden enough that you don’t draw undue attention to yourselves. Now that Hobbs, Jr. has been arrested, I don’t doubt that Senior or his vile wife will come into the bank. Since you know these people on sight, I need you to keep a lookout for them while I deal with the known entities already present,” Sarah informed him, hoping that he was calmed down enough to see reason now. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to put a period to Michael’s existence, but this was so much bigger than that one weasel. They had a whole slew of them to catch and put away.

“You know, this is probably the only time in my life that I really wish I wasn’t such a fucking gentleman,” Justin muttered darkly, which made Sarah and Brian chuckle.

“I’ve known Evangeline for many years, and I can honestly say that she would inspire both Jesus and Martin Luther King, Jr. to commit violent acts against her. But what I’m going to ask is that you leave her to me.  

Brian and Justin parked the car, making a pact to stick together as much as possible. Entering the bank they were surprised to see the line almost impeding their entrance. The first sound that assaulted Brian’s ears was of a sanctimonious tone and a high-pitched whine that he was very familiar with. Moving through the sea of humanity, he was shocked to hear the iron-haired lady’s statement.

“I don’t care what you think you know about this document. My son is dead, or will be soon at any rate. Therefore I expect you to honor mine and my daughter’s claim to the insurance money listed on this document, young woman.”

“And as I said madam, unless the beneficiary is here to sign the document, you nor your daughter have any claim to the monetary value. If you’d like I can get the branch manager, who is in the office today, to explain the policy to you as I have already done several times, but the result will be the same. You have no claim! Now kindly step aside so that I can help the other customers behind you.”

“Look here Lucinda,” Claire sneered, “I don’t give a shit what your policy says, we are entitled to that money. We need it, my brother doesn’t, it’s ours! End of story!”

Brian was saved from having to say anything because Aurora was already taking care of it. She had come upon the two women, and was silently waiting for them to finish their diatribe. The two uniformed officers accompanying her cringed as Claire finished speaking.

Aurora cleared her throat. “Lucinda, thank you for keeping your patience with Mrs. and Miss Kinney. I’m sure that it was an exercise just from what little I’ve heard myself.”

“And who the hell are you to say something like that?” Claire screeched.

“Interestingly enough, I am the person that Lucinda offered to get for you.”

“What? You’re the bank manager?” Joan spat. “Well good, then you can tell this woman that since my son is neither here nor will he be in the future, the funds on the policy that my late husband left need to be released immediately.”

“What do you mean that your son isn’t here nor will be in the future?”

“We have it on good authority that he is dying as we speak,” Claire said, as if that fact has already happened.

“I had not heard that Brian was dying. I’m so sorry to hear that. What hospital is he in?” Aurora stated, putting her hand to her lips for Brian and Justin to remain silent while she talked to the women.

“He isn’t in a hospital. Some of our creditors have said they would take care of him.”

“Oh, so that means this cash-in of the policy is for him? Then why didn’t he sign it beforehand? I mean if it would save his life and all…”

“Who said anything about saving his worthless life?!” Claire screeched again. “If anything, his selfish ass should have gone to meet his maker years ago.”

“Besides, he’s a homosexual who is already doomed to eternal damnation. No, this money is to keep us from being homeless and I don’t appreciate you withholding what my husband intended to be rightfully mine.”

“May I see the document?” Aurora asked. Looking it over, Aurora’s eyes lit on the real reason that the bank teller did not automatically cash out the policy. “Lucinda, can you pull up a copy of Mr. Kinney’s signature please.”

Lucinda smirked as she did so. Once the screen was up, she and Aurora studied the document once again, noting the immediate differences. Smiling, Lucinda printed out the screen at Aurora’s request, just as a third person joined the teller at the counter.

“Lucinda, I have Kinnetik’s… Joan and Claire Kinney? What are you two doing here?”

Aurora laughed at the shocked looks upon their faces. “I’m sure both of you know Ted Schmidt, Brian’s personal and business accountant.” Turning back to Ted, she said, “It appears that they are trying to cash out Brian’s deceased father’s secondary policy but are unable to because Brian’s not here.” She winked at him, telling him to keep silent even as he saw the man in question standing off a little to the side and behind the larger of the police officers flanking Aurora.

“Did he sign it?”

“He did but…”

“Let me see the document?” Ted asked, and Aurora handed it to him without hesitation. “Oh, now this is interesting.”

“What? What is so interesting, young man?” Joan demanded, hands clutching her bible as she tapped her foot impatiently.

Ted smiled at the old woman. Brian had always told him that if his death was assumed, the vultures known as the Kinney women would circle. Ted could see that Brian was not wrong, which made him take pleasure in the sentence he was going to utter. “Well you see Mrs. Kinney, Brian is not a lefty, so the slant of this signature that is supposed to look like his, is all wrong.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about? No one forged Brian’s signature,” Claire stated.

“Claire, I’ve been Brian’s personal accountant since the days we were both pretty fresh out of grad school. I think I would know Brian’s signature a whole lot better than you two would. I can say beyond a doubt that this is not Brian’s signature, but I would bet my last dollar that it belongs to one of the two of you.”

Aurora chuckled. “Well there is one way to test that theory. Would you both give me permission to pull up each of your accounts. The signatures are all in the system electronically so there isn’t a way to mistake them. Also whenever Brian signs something, there is a little something extra that he puts on the back of that signature which lets us know that it’s authentic. Do either of you know what it is? Because I can tell you right now, that the document is missing that very thing.”

Claire caught on to the implications immediately. “Come on Mother. We’ll go get Brian to sign the documents and then come back to cash out the policy.” She began trying to turn her mother away from the teller, Ted, and Aurora, only to be confronted with her worse nightmare.

“Now, now, sister dear, no need to go and find me, since I’m right here, now is there?”

“Brian? Well good. Now that you’re here you can cash out the policy immediately,” Joan ordered, expecting to be instantly obeyed.

“Hello to you too, Joanie. As for cashing out the policy, the answer is no. But since I’m sure that Claire forged my signature, I will happily step aside and let the Pittsburgh P.D. do what they do best, which is arrest the two of you for insurance fraud, among other things. Who knows? They may actually have a priest or two behind bars with you so you could be the good Catholics you are and unburden your souls, since with any luck you will die in prison.”

“I can’t believe you are so selfish! I don’t know why God chose to give me such an ungrateful ingrate for offspring.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about me now Joanie. I think the title of ungrateful ingrate is more suited to Claire, since she’s been draining you dry for years, which is why you’re always coming to me for money. Well we won’t have to worry about that any longer, will we? You’re going to a place with three hots and a cot. Enjoy your stay in Club Fed. Officers, I would like to have these women arrested and yes, I will be down to the station a little later to officially press charges.”

“Brian? Brian?! You would do this to your family! Your own mother and sister?!” Claire screamed. “I should have arranged to have you murdered years ago, instead of now!”

Brian’s jaw clenched hearing her admission. He felt his heart had been ripped out of his chest all over again; felt the pain of living with their abuse verbally, physically, and emotionally as if it was freshly inflicted. In that moment, all he wanted to do was shut himself off and find himself in the bottom of a bottle of Beam and never climb out. As the self-destructive thoughts continued to form a revolving loop in his mind, he felt the lifeline clinging to him, once again saving him from them... and himself.

“Brian, you have two choices. You can kiss me and forget about them or you can let them win again,” Justin said, his voice soft enough for only Brian to hear. “I know it hurts, just like Craig’s wishing me dead hurt me earlier. But you are not the sum of what insignificant people say about you. We’re Taylor-Kinneys- lions among sheep, remember? So fuck them! You belong to me, while they will belong to Bruising Betty and Big Bertha in a little bit. Although I think whichever person gets your mom for a cellmate will kill her or themselves within the first twenty-four hours.”

Brian snickered at the mention of what awaited Joan and Claire behind bars. Turning to them, his voice was steady when he addressed them. “Thanks Claire.”

“What the fuck are you thanking me for?” she asked, venom lacing her shrill voice.

“Admitting in front of a room full of witnesses, including the police, what you and mother have been up to. This will make the officers’ jobs that much easier. Enjoy your one-hour a day free for the rest of your miserable lives.”

Brian then grabbed Justin and planted his lips firmly over the plump pink ones of his husband. He only let Justin up for air to witness Joan and Claire being read their Miranda rights. He couldn’t help laughing at the outraged diatribes of both the women as they were shepherded out the doors of the bank, none too gently. Apparently, their derogatory comments of gays were especially offensive to Officers Martinez and Llewellyn- two of the lesbians on the Pittsburgh Police Force.

“In Claire’s case, she’s probably jealous that no one, male nor female, wants her. I still can’t believe the same DNA created you two. She reminds me of dirty dishwater, while you make me think of white sand beaches somewhere far, far away.” Justin whispered to him, raising his eyes to the hazel ones he’d come to know so well. He searched them for any sign of distress after watching his biological nightmares being carted off to jail.

“Well that’s two down and from the looks of it, about thirty more to go,” Aurora whispered to them.

“How far away is Sarah and company? Have you heard from them yet?” Justin asked as he looked around at the faces frowning back at the couple. He really didn’t give a fuck what they thought. He was only concerned about one patron, who looked like he was toiling between keeping his place in line or coming over to confront Brian and Justin. “Fuck, he just can’t stay away, can he?” Justin asked rhetorically, seeing the minute the indecision in the coward’s eyes ended.

“Brian? Look Brian… I know you said you didn’t want to see or hear from me…”

“And yet, here you are,” Justin sneered, unwilling and unable to keep from addressing the idiot standing in front of him.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Michael said through gritted teeth. “I was talking to my best friend.”

“Oh really? Where is he? He’s here? No, I didn’t think so, unless of course it’s that imaginary best friend you had as a child. But then again, since you never grew up…”

“Fuck you Justin! If you had just stayed dead, died or stayed in New York…” Michael flinched as Justin almost grabbed ahold of him. If not for the quick actions of Brian and Ted, Michael surely would have received several blows for every word he uttered. And Michael knew it too.

“Justin, what did we agree to?” Brian’s voice was stern as he looked into the blazing blue eyes of his partner. He felt as murderous as Justin did in that moment, but he had to believe that Sarah would take care of the man he used to think of as a friend, better and more efficiently than either of them could. Whereas the ass whipping would have short-term gratifying results, it could also land them in jail and apart for years. Brian was realistic enough to know that he and Justin wouldn’t be in jail for a year or two, but would be doing ten-to-twenty hard time if they didn’t keep themselves under control. “Ted, can you take Justin to Jules, who has just arrived. I know that they have something to go over.”

“Brian, I’m not…” Justin began to protest, only to be cut off.

“A child. I know. But right now I have to deal with the overgrown child standing in front of us. You have already proven that any time spent in his presence will have you going off the rails. Let me handle this, okay?”

He could see when he’d broken through the belligerence that was emblazoned within Justin’s eyes. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Justin nodded. “Okay Brian, I’ll let you deal with him. In the meantime, I’ll give Ted, Aurora, and Quinn whatever information that Jules and I can. Just don’t be long. I don’t like being without you by my side for too long.”

As Justin moved away with Ted, Brian heard Michael’s sneering whine. “So you’re his guard dog now? Has his mouth finally gotten him into trouble and he needs you to get him out?”

Brian narrowed his eyes at the man. How dare he make assumptions about the nature of Justin’s comments when he was a primary cause of them? “I would think that you of all people would know Justin can handle himself more than adequately Michael, if that fading black-eye marring your face is anything to go by. In any event, I’m surprised to see you here at the bank. I would have thought the first thing you would have done was seek out Debbie. She’s been worried sick about you.”

“What for, when she has you and Sunshine?” he sneered.

“Maybe because you’re her son and regardless of the shitty way you act, she loves you.”

“And you? Do you love me?”

Brian closed his eyes. Of course Michael would never think about what he does to anyone else except Brian. He really had a one-track mind, in which Brian featured heavily. “I have nothing to do with you skipping out on Debbie, Michael.”

“Of course you do! I couldn’t stay here without you speaking to me. Do you have any idea how hard it would be to see you and not speak to you? Do you? I love you Brian. I always have; always will.”

“Michael, you don’t love anyone, not even yourself. If you did, you would want me to be happy with Justin. If you did, you would want Ben, a man who has bent over backwards to please you. He would still be your husband. Instead, every one of your actions have screamed hate. Every one of them, but especially the fact that you stole from your own mother and for what? Joining some sick organization to get rid of Justin so that I would want you? Get this through your concrete-encased head, once and for all, Michael. I. WOULD. NEVER. WANT. YOU! Justin is a man, whereas you are a boy playing dress-up. He’s faced much more adversity in his life than you ever have because we all protected you. He didn’t run away or hide behind others; didn’t make excuses or place blame. He faced shit like a man and came out a victor instead of a victim. You’ve thrown everything you could at him and look what he’s gained... My respect, my love, and my admiration. What have you gained? Nothing, Michael, except my contempt. I hope that whatever business you have at the bank today will bring you happiness, because as a person, you’re a miserable and pathetic asshole destined to die alone.”

Brian turned his back just as Sarah came through the door of the bank along with several police officers. Looking at the roundup, Brian was sad to see Michael among them, but he had to deal with the weight of his own decisions, for once. It was past time that Michael did. Sarah came to speak to him as the police matched pictures to the people they were arresting. A paddywagon waited at the curb to take all of those within the bank that were on the list to the precinct for their official booking. Just then Ted, Aurora, Quinn, and Peter came out of the back office, stacks of papers in each of their arms.  

“Here is all of the financial evidence we could gather. It’s a good thing we were able to get that subpoena earlier this morning. I think Remson and Brown had something to do with that, along with Myrna. I didn’t know that Mrs. Brown’s brother-in-law was a federal judge here in Pennsylvania,” Ted said, as he handed his stack over to Sarah.

She nodded. “It made it easier than having to send all the way to Washington, although I don’t doubt Josiah would have been able to get it.”

“Great. So now we can all get to the station so I can file additional charges on my fucked up bio family,” Brian stated, looking around for Justin and Jules.

“Martinez filled me in on her way to the station with…” her phone rang, and seeing the number, she answered immediately. “Shelia, what is it?”

“Fucking bitch has Jules and Justin! She’s with two other goons. I’m following behind the van now.”

“Fucking Hell!!"