Hazard
“Everything alright here?”
Jim’s gruff voice broke through the tension radiating between the three men and Chris easily slipped into Deputy mode, turning to regard the two men with the same tense face he had shown them earlier.
“Yeah, it’s cool, I was just asking Jared if he needed me to come get Jeff here, but he insisted he is fine, I promised him some coffee though.”
Jim nodded briefly and turning to Jeff he apologised;
“Looks Like I called you down here late for nothing Jeff, I’m sorry, but he kinda freaked me out. Chris here seems to have calmed him down some though. Thanks for calling anyways, I appreciate it.”
Jeff smiled an easy smile and glancing in at Jared who hadn’t taken his eyes off of him replied in a concerned tone.
“Hey no problem Jim, Maybe I should give him the once over anyway? He is looking kinda pale.”
“No! No...I’m fine, I don’t need to see no one, no more drugs...I’m ok now, just...just some coffee would be good....please?”
Jared looked directly at Jim Beaver with those words and Jim looked at him for a few minutes before deciding.
“Alright Jared, it’s your call son. Just so we are clear we offered you medical assistance.”
Jared nodded stiffly, feeling his insides thawing once more, Jeff sent a concerned smile his way, but his eyes spoke of retribution and murder and a promise of a chat, soon.
Real soon.
“Ok then, Chris you go sort out the coffee for the kid, I will walk Jeff out.”
Chris let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding as Jim led Jeff away and turned to Jared as he rose;
“Jesus Jared, I don’t mean to question you man, but are you sure? Are you completely sure? This man was involved in some way in what happened to your family? I just gotto be sure.”
Jared raised a pale face and looking Chris straight in the eye, nodded.
“I’m sure” His voice was shaking as were the hands he ran through his hair before burying his face in them. “Chris, he has done something to Jensen, you have to find him, but he isn’t dead, I know it. Please....find Jensen?”
Chris swallowed past the lump in his throat at Jared’s blind faith and stubborn belief that Jensen still lived. But if Jeff and his crew were capable of the cold blooded murder of a father and a 14 year old boy, then he really didn’t think Jensen stood a chance in hell of being alive. But he didn’t want to shatter the last hope Jared had and nodded.
“I will go get you some coffee and maybe a sandwich, you have to try and eat something.” He insisted as Jared made to protest that he didn’t want to eat.
“I will be right back.”
******************************
The following morning Jared was formally charged with the murder of Jensen Ackles, he said nothing in his defence, just stood straight and tall for the first time. He did the same thing he had always drawn on when challenged growing up, withdrew into himself and just let the proceedings go on without a word. Bail was set at $100,000, and Jared wasn’t surprised, not really, everyone in town knew there was no way he was ever gonna come up with that money, and no one except Jensen would have bothered to try and get him bailed.
It was what happened outside the courthouse that shook Jared.
Chris had stuck close to Jared the whole time inside the courthouse, and he had a firm hold on Jared on the way out. To anyone it looked like Chris was keeping firm hold of the man who had murdered his best friend, his face had been set in an incredible mask of steel, eyes flashing dangerously; but what Chris was doing was protecting him, the hand on his arm firm but supportive, with Jared getting slight squeezes of support every now and then. It was Chris’s support that Jared was never more grateful for when a group of about eight men, separated themselves from the jeering crowd that had gathered and placed themselves in front of the path of Chris and Tom and Jim as they tried to lead Jared to the waiting car.
The larger of the men, John Michaels, was huge and he knew it and had used it all his life, and he was the kind of man who had never grown out of his bully phase and now used his vast wealth and position in the town to keep it running his way, most of the time. It was a well known secret that Michaels and his crew, loved to dish out their own brand of punishment, and today was no different. Although it was surprising that they had decided that they wanted to avenge Jensen, seeing as it was Jensen and Jim and Chris who they went toe to toe with constantly.
None of the men seemed to be armed, but, it was obvious that they had weapons well hidden underneath long bulky Jackets. Jared had never been one for confrontations, and was even less so after re living the nightmare of his family’s murder, and he paled and stopped dead. Chris stepped forward, deliberately placing himself directly in front of Jared, which should have looked ridiculous considering the height difference, but an angry Chris was no one to be messed with and his eyes spit fire.
“Back off Michaels.”
“Now Kane, this freak is a cop murdering faggot!”
“I said, Back. Off. Now.”
Seven men stepped forward to join Michaels as Both Tom and Jim followed Chris’s lead, Jim joining Chris to stand in front of Jared with Tom lending his height to stand behind. Without a seconds thought, Chris had his gun out and the click of the trigger being pulled back echoed between the two men.
“And I’m an asshole murdering cop, and I won’t even think twice Michaels.”
Michaels eyes narrowed with temper, before smirking in a way that had Chris itching to punch him, before he turned, cocked his head slightly and moved away, saying quietly;
“It’ll keep...he will keep.”
They moved away and not giving themselves time to even process what had happened, the three police men bundled Jared into the waiting police car and back to his cell. It wasn’t until they had Jared safely inside and locked up that Chris fell onto a chair in Jim’s office, his face whiter than Jim had ever seen it.
“What the hell just happened Jim?”
Jim shook his head and reached into a drawer and pulled out a whiskey bottle, offering Chris a drink which he refused.
“Jim...what the hell is going on around here huh? Why am I getting the feeling you wouldn’t have fought that son of a bitch too hard?”
“’Cause maybe, just this once, this once I kinda want that freak in there to feel their kind of justice!”
Chris stared opened mouthed at Jim for a minute before rising to his feet and moving to the door.
“Jim, this isn’t you man, please, for gods sake, don’t let those guys get their hands on this man, at least give him the chance to answer to a judge, let a judge decide. Don’t throw away everything for a quick fix for a pain that ain’t gonna ease that fast.”
Jim barely spared Chris a glance and he closed the door behind himself quietly. Chris gave a quick look in on Jared, and found him sitting on the edge of the cot, hands clasped in front of him. He didn’t even glance up, he seemed to know who was standing there and whispered softly;
“I’m scared Chris, I’m scared.”
“Don’t worry Jared, I’m gonna figure this out, hang in there ok?”
Jared never looked up, just nodded silently and Chris walked away, pretending he hadn’t noticed the tears that had fallen from the bowed head. He had no idea what to do now, but he knew he had to do something, and fast.
Because if Jail didn’t kill Jared, there were men waiting outside who would.
Outside the building, Jeff sat in his truck, quietly contemplating the day’s events. He smiled, it was a stroke of genius going to Michaels bar and dropping the right words here and there, just enough to let the man who wouldn’t normally have batted and eyelid at Jensen’s death, know that they had a gay man up for murder, and he had just let the small town bias and Michaels sadistic nature do the rest. He wasn’t taking any chances, and Chris Kane had thought he had him fooled last night, but he hadn’t. Jared had told him, told him who he was, or, at least who he thought he was....Chris wasn’t that good of an actor and Jeff had been at this to long now not to have noticed the change.
Now he had a plan B in place, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. This way, when Jared was set free, both he and Kane would go down.
Michaels would make sure of it.
Chapter 8
Jim’s gruff voice broke through the tension radiating between the three men and Chris easily slipped into Deputy mode, turning to regard the two men with the same tense face he had shown them earlier.
“Yeah, it’s cool, I was just asking Jared if he needed me to come get Jeff here, but he insisted he is fine, I promised him some coffee though.”
Jim nodded briefly and turning to Jeff he apologised;
“Looks Like I called you down here late for nothing Jeff, I’m sorry, but he kinda freaked me out. Chris here seems to have calmed him down some though. Thanks for calling anyways, I appreciate it.”
Jeff smiled an easy smile and glancing in at Jared who hadn’t taken his eyes off of him replied in a concerned tone.
“Hey no problem Jim, Maybe I should give him the once over anyway? He is looking kinda pale.”
“No! No...I’m fine, I don’t need to see no one, no more drugs...I’m ok now, just...just some coffee would be good....please?”
Jared looked directly at Jim Beaver with those words and Jim looked at him for a few minutes before deciding.
“Alright Jared, it’s your call son. Just so we are clear we offered you medical assistance.”
Jared nodded stiffly, feeling his insides thawing once more, Jeff sent a concerned smile his way, but his eyes spoke of retribution and murder and a promise of a chat, soon.
Real soon.
“Ok then, Chris you go sort out the coffee for the kid, I will walk Jeff out.”
Chris let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding as Jim led Jeff away and turned to Jared as he rose;
“Jesus Jared, I don’t mean to question you man, but are you sure? Are you completely sure? This man was involved in some way in what happened to your family? I just gotto be sure.”
Jared raised a pale face and looking Chris straight in the eye, nodded.
“I’m sure” His voice was shaking as were the hands he ran through his hair before burying his face in them. “Chris, he has done something to Jensen, you have to find him, but he isn’t dead, I know it. Please....find Jensen?”
Chris swallowed past the lump in his throat at Jared’s blind faith and stubborn belief that Jensen still lived. But if Jeff and his crew were capable of the cold blooded murder of a father and a 14 year old boy, then he really didn’t think Jensen stood a chance in hell of being alive. But he didn’t want to shatter the last hope Jared had and nodded.
“I will go get you some coffee and maybe a sandwich, you have to try and eat something.” He insisted as Jared made to protest that he didn’t want to eat.
“I will be right back.”
******************************
The following morning Jared was formally charged with the murder of Jensen Ackles, he said nothing in his defence, just stood straight and tall for the first time. He did the same thing he had always drawn on when challenged growing up, withdrew into himself and just let the proceedings go on without a word. Bail was set at $100,000, and Jared wasn’t surprised, not really, everyone in town knew there was no way he was ever gonna come up with that money, and no one except Jensen would have bothered to try and get him bailed.
It was what happened outside the courthouse that shook Jared.
Chris had stuck close to Jared the whole time inside the courthouse, and he had a firm hold on Jared on the way out. To anyone it looked like Chris was keeping firm hold of the man who had murdered his best friend, his face had been set in an incredible mask of steel, eyes flashing dangerously; but what Chris was doing was protecting him, the hand on his arm firm but supportive, with Jared getting slight squeezes of support every now and then. It was Chris’s support that Jared was never more grateful for when a group of about eight men, separated themselves from the jeering crowd that had gathered and placed themselves in front of the path of Chris and Tom and Jim as they tried to lead Jared to the waiting car.
The larger of the men, John Michaels, was huge and he knew it and had used it all his life, and he was the kind of man who had never grown out of his bully phase and now used his vast wealth and position in the town to keep it running his way, most of the time. It was a well known secret that Michaels and his crew, loved to dish out their own brand of punishment, and today was no different. Although it was surprising that they had decided that they wanted to avenge Jensen, seeing as it was Jensen and Jim and Chris who they went toe to toe with constantly.
None of the men seemed to be armed, but, it was obvious that they had weapons well hidden underneath long bulky Jackets. Jared had never been one for confrontations, and was even less so after re living the nightmare of his family’s murder, and he paled and stopped dead. Chris stepped forward, deliberately placing himself directly in front of Jared, which should have looked ridiculous considering the height difference, but an angry Chris was no one to be messed with and his eyes spit fire.
“Back off Michaels.”
“Now Kane, this freak is a cop murdering faggot!”
“I said, Back. Off. Now.”
Seven men stepped forward to join Michaels as Both Tom and Jim followed Chris’s lead, Jim joining Chris to stand in front of Jared with Tom lending his height to stand behind. Without a seconds thought, Chris had his gun out and the click of the trigger being pulled back echoed between the two men.
“And I’m an asshole murdering cop, and I won’t even think twice Michaels.”
Michaels eyes narrowed with temper, before smirking in a way that had Chris itching to punch him, before he turned, cocked his head slightly and moved away, saying quietly;
“It’ll keep...he will keep.”
They moved away and not giving themselves time to even process what had happened, the three police men bundled Jared into the waiting police car and back to his cell. It wasn’t until they had Jared safely inside and locked up that Chris fell onto a chair in Jim’s office, his face whiter than Jim had ever seen it.
“What the hell just happened Jim?”
Jim shook his head and reached into a drawer and pulled out a whiskey bottle, offering Chris a drink which he refused.
“Jim...what the hell is going on around here huh? Why am I getting the feeling you wouldn’t have fought that son of a bitch too hard?”
“’Cause maybe, just this once, this once I kinda want that freak in there to feel their kind of justice!”
Chris stared opened mouthed at Jim for a minute before rising to his feet and moving to the door.
“Jim, this isn’t you man, please, for gods sake, don’t let those guys get their hands on this man, at least give him the chance to answer to a judge, let a judge decide. Don’t throw away everything for a quick fix for a pain that ain’t gonna ease that fast.”
Jim barely spared Chris a glance and he closed the door behind himself quietly. Chris gave a quick look in on Jared, and found him sitting on the edge of the cot, hands clasped in front of him. He didn’t even glance up, he seemed to know who was standing there and whispered softly;
“I’m scared Chris, I’m scared.”
“Don’t worry Jared, I’m gonna figure this out, hang in there ok?”
Jared never looked up, just nodded silently and Chris walked away, pretending he hadn’t noticed the tears that had fallen from the bowed head. He had no idea what to do now, but he knew he had to do something, and fast.
Because if Jail didn’t kill Jared, there were men waiting outside who would.
Outside the building, Jeff sat in his truck, quietly contemplating the day’s events. He smiled, it was a stroke of genius going to Michaels bar and dropping the right words here and there, just enough to let the man who wouldn’t normally have batted and eyelid at Jensen’s death, know that they had a gay man up for murder, and he had just let the small town bias and Michaels sadistic nature do the rest. He wasn’t taking any chances, and Chris Kane had thought he had him fooled last night, but he hadn’t. Jared had told him, told him who he was, or, at least who he thought he was....Chris wasn’t that good of an actor and Jeff had been at this to long now not to have noticed the change.
Now he had a plan B in place, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. This way, when Jared was set free, both he and Kane would go down.
Michaels would make sure of it.
Chapter 8