Confrontations Ch 2
Mary and Marshall were just pulling into his driveway when Marshall's cell went off.
"Mann."
"Marshall, it's Stan. There's a change in plans. Do not go in your house. I'm arranging a safe house for the two of you to stay in. Brandi and Jinx are on a plane out of town. Go get some clothes from a store and head to our newest safe house. The new and less heard of one. Let me know when you are there and I'll give you more information. Marshall, keep your eyes open," Stan said, before hanging up.
Mary looked over to Marshall when she noticed him putting the car in reverse.
"We get a new witness?"
"Ourselves," Marshall replied, filling Mary in on his conversation with Stan.
"You're kidding right. This is ridiculous. The man hasn't been around for years and is still finding a way to make my life miserable. He dragged you into this, Marshall. That is not okay. It's bad enough to use Brandi and me, but to put a target on your back is inexcusable," Mary fumed.
"It really doesn't matter if I was a target or not I'd still be in the thick of this. Let's just go shop and head to the safe house. Stan is going to fill us in and then we can come up with a plan and do some research" Marshall replied.
"Marshall, I'm not going to stay in hiding forever."
"Had no intention of doing that either. We'll need to research the information Stan is going to give us and we can do that at the safe house. This ought to give Papa Stan a chance to feel better about our safety." Marshall said, smirking.
"I think your whore rate is increasing," Mary replied, smiling when Marshall just laughed.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan finally received the whole file from the F.B.I. and couldn't prevent the swear word as it slipped out of his lips. Just as he was about to call Marshall; his phone rang.
"McQueen."
"This is Adams from the Miami branch. I have some information for you."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Marshall and Mary had been at the safe house for an hour waiting for Stan's call. Marshall had already set up his laptop and was hoping to be able to start up right away. Mary and he would start getting anxious in no time flat. Not to mention Mary was driving him crazy by packing back and forth.
"Mare, what do you need?"
"I need this to go away. I need James to not be the scumbag that we seem to think he is. I need answers. I can get him walking out on Jinx. She was always in the bottle. They fought a lot. I don't understand the life of crime or what the Griffins have to make him stay for them and apparently live a normal life. I'm assuming he left them to keep whoever is testifying from killing them just to set us up to take the fall. All these years Marshall; all these years of idolizing a man that would set us up to be killed to protect his other family. We were worthless to him. He could've come back for us, but he didn't. He left us with an alcoholic mother so, that he can live the life that he had always wanted," Mary said, swiping the tears that streaked down her face angrily.
"I wish I could give you the answers that you want to hear, but I can't only James could. He was a fool. I know that his greatest mistake led to one of the best things that has ever happened to me. As much as I hate that your past was so hard; it made you the person you are today and led our paths to cross. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without my best friend in it. For that, I'll always be grateful to James Shannon. I'll always despise how much he hurt you but I can't regret where it led you," Marshall said, pulling Mary close as she released some of the pent up pain.
An hour later Mary was sleeping on the sofa when Marshall's cell rang; looking at the caller id he noticed it was Stan.
"Stan, what do you have?" Marshall asked, softly trying to let Mary sleep.
"James Shannon is testifying against several members of Vinicius Rojas drug cartel," Stan replied.
"The Columbian drug cartel? How the hell did he get mixed up with them?"
"One of the robberies he committed at the banks contained some of the monetary funds belonging to Rojas. Apparently Rojas men found out and they worked out a deal where he'd help them. In return Rojas would leave him and his family alone. Rojas was aware that James had two daughters and a son, but he never knew where they were or what they looked like. James made sure to move his family and stay away from them" Stan replied.
"Rojas gets close and James starts following Mary, Brandi and I to keep him off the Griffins trail. Wait, you said that Rojas doesn't know what the Griffin children look like. They're thinking that Mary, Brandi and I are the children. If they're here looking for us why not set up a trap. You can use me as bait. I can go to my house and we can set the trap there," Marshall suggested.
"Hell no. Not only hell no, absolutely positively not," Mary yelled at Marshall sitting up on the couch.
"Mare, it makes sense. We can set the trap and catch these men," Marshall replied, calmly.
"If we're setting up a trap then you're using me and not you. You're not a Shannon and I'm not letting you put your life in danger or getting you killed because of something that my father dragged you into for some stupid reason!" Mary ranted.
"Marshall, neither of you is going to be used as bait. Put me on speaker phone," Stan said, waiting for Marshall to put him on speaker. "The plan is to set up a defense at the courthouse. We'll limit who can get in and most of the people in the courthouse will be U.S. Marshal's. If they can't get to you before the trial they'll go after James before or after. I know the two of you aren't going to want to stay holed up somewhere for the next month before the trial begins. Lay low for a week and then you can come into the office. You are not going on any witness transports or visits until this is over. I can't have them compromised over this situation. I still don't want either of you at your homes. They followed you and know where you live. We'll move you through several other safe houses after this week is up. I want the two of you safe. Keep an eye on each other's backs."
"Duh," Mary replied getting up and smacking Marshall in the arm. "You are not bait and will not become bait. What the hell were you thinking?" Mary snapped.
"I was thinking we could end this once and for all. No offense, but how many crime family members want a male heir. They place significance on it as they would be the next to inherit the family business. Since James has them thinking I'm the brother, it would make sense for them to come after me. In their eyes it wipes out the only living male heir to James Shannon," Marshall replied, shrugging. Standing up he went to stretch when he saw the car speeding down the road weapons pointed at the house. "Gun!"
Mary heard the warning seconds before her body was being slammed into the ground and covered by Marshall. Reaching out for her cell phone which conveniently fell out near her she hit Stan's number.
"McQueen."
"We need backup yesterday," Mary called into the phone as more glass shattered and bullets littered the room.
Stan could hear the shots. "They're on their way. So am I. Where are you?"
"Living room," Mary replied.
"Get into the bathroom. We'll be there in less than four minutes. Albuquerque P.D has some squads in the area and Stevens and Mitchell are two blocks over" Stan informed.
"Got it," Mary replied.
"What's the plan?" Marshall said.
Mary relayed Stan's message.
"Alright, you go and I'll cover. Don't argue, Mare there isn't time."
Mary huffed, but as soon as Marshall rolled off her she moved as quickly as she could without being shot towards the hallway with Marshall using the couch for cover and shooting at their company. She pulled her gun out and signaled for Marshall to move. He quickly scrambled towards her as she provided fire to cover his actions. They made their way into the bathroom and both sat guns facing the door.
They could hear the continued sound of gunfire followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the wall. They looked at each other and both knew the door had been kicked in. Mary moved into the bathtub to take a defensive stand. She indicated to Marshall to join her; but he shook his head and tried to squeeze his tall frame in between the vanity and the toilet.
"Doofus, you're going to get killed there," Mary hissed.
"They have to get in first. Somehow when they start turning that handle I doubt either of us won't be shooting," Marshall replied. They both waited to hear someone come down the hall, but the only thing they heard was silence.
A knock on the door made them both look at each other again before a smirk appeared on their faces.
"Mary, Marshall?" Stan asked, while knocking.
"Did you get them?" Mary asked climbing out of the tub while Marshall stood up.
Stan opened the door. "They left when they saw the company arriving."
"How the hell did they know to find us here?" Mary asked.
"We obviously have a leak. I'm making arrangements for the two of you that only the three of us are going to know about. Are either of you hurt?" Stan asked.
"I'll be picking glass out of my hair for weeks," Mary said, thinking of all the glass that shattered around them. It was then she thought about it. Marshall had thrown himself on top of her and she still had gotten glass in her hair with him covering her. They weren't wearing vests.
Marshall didn't even get a chance to answer when Mary grabbed him and turned him around.
"Take off your shirt, Marshall." Mary demanded.
"Mary, I think that is highly inappropriate with the boss standing right here," Marshall teased.
"Damn it Marshall, stop screwing around. Take off the damn shirt," Mary said, taking in all the slices to the fabric on the back of his shirt.
"Mary, what's wrong?" Stan asked, hearing the urgency in Mary's voice.
Mary twisted Marshall so Stan could see while Marshall strained to turn his head to see what had Mary flustered.
"Marshall, take off the shirt. We need to see how bad the cuts are," Stan said, realizing Marshall was still feeling the adrenaline high that followed a shoot out and probably didn't feel any of the cuts that had to be on his back.
Mary lost patience as Marshall slowly began to undo the shirt one button at a time. Turning him so he faced her she smacked his hands out of her way and practically ripped the shirt off.
"Hey, you could be more careful with my things," Marshall complained.
"You won't be wearing it again. Now lose the tank or do I need to do that for you also?" Mary asked, glaring at him.
Marshall knew full well she would follow through on that threat so he quickly removed the tank while Stan and Mary turned him again so they could inspect his back.
"They don't look too deep. Mostly just some superficial cuts; but I want him looked at to make sure," Stan said. "Stevens, you take over the crime scene until I return. Mitchell you're escorting us to the hospital while they look Mary and Marshall over."
"Hey, I'm fine. Why do I have to be looked over? Marshall is the one who has cuts."
"Because I said so and I'm the boss," Stan replied, as he handed Marshall his tank back.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan watched Marshall to see if any pain showed up on his face as the doctor inspected the many lacerations on his back. None had seemed overly serious, but he was not taking a chance that one could come infected if Marshall wasn't given something for it. He had a hard enough time with Mary to get checked out. Stan wanted to make sure that none of the glass had cut her head. Dealing with one of the two partners was bad enough when trying to get them checked out when they would only insist that they were fine.
Mary walked in and looked at Stan. "The doctor almost gave me a sucker for being such a good kid, Dad."
Stan didn't miss the sarcastic tone. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Any cuts or injuries I need to know about?"
"Nope, somebody decided to play protector and take all them for himself. The only thing they could find were some pieces of glass in my hair. No cuts. So Doc, is he going to make it?" Mary asked, teasingly knowing the wounds couldn't be that bad by the way Marshall was reacting to being looked over.
"Just a few that are a little deep, nothing that would need stitches. I want him to put the ointment that I'm about to prescribe him on the wounds and keep the deeper ones covered after applying the ointment to them. He's obviously going to need help with those as they are out of his reach. Is there someone that will be with you to help?" the doctor asked, looking to Marshall.
"He won't be alone, Doc," Mary replied.
"Let me get the prescription and he is free to go," the doctor said leaving briefly.
"Where are we going to Stan?" Mary asked.
"Sedona, Arizona. A friend of mine owns a cabin there that he rents out and is putting you up there until the trial starts. No one will look for you there. James is being moved to Phoenix in a couple of days. They are working on pushing up the trial date. They were worried about jury tampering happening. Apparently someone had made an offer to fix the list of jurors. The judge is keeping the advanced date request out of the press. They have had plenty of time to prepare since your Dad was caught apparently earlier but managed to escape. The trial date is going to come quick and fast if the prosecutor gets his way. While they're prepping for trial the FBI doesn't want you visiting James unless he refuses to cooperate. We're still looking for his other family."
"You mean the one he protected by using us as targets. I'll wait to see him, but I guarantee you that I want to have a word with the man before he goes off to prison," Mary replied, heatedly.
"Understood. The jet is fueled and ready. Marshall I packed some of your things from your house so that you would have what you needed and Mary, Delia packed up some clothes for you. If there is anything else that you need order it online and send it to this address," Stan said, handing Marshall the information. "My friend will bring it to you. The cabin is stocked with enough supplies to get you through the next two weeks. Let's go.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Mathieu Pereira walked into his boss's office. He was nervous about reporting the news he received from the team sent to take care of James's son and daughters.
"What's the word from our team? " Vinicius Rojas asked.
"They were unable to kill the son or eldest daughter. They also haven't been able to locate the wife or youngest daughter. The team had kicked in the door when the Marshal Service and police department showed up. They took off in order to be able to go after them again. It was their decision that it would be unwise to have continued at that time. Luiz has reported that he and Guilherme are working on squeezing the informant harder."
"Our informant has his own children. Get them and make sure he talks and soon. These people are going to be protected and we're not going to get a chance to find them soon. If that happens we have to prepare our plan for the courthouse. It will be crawling with federal agents."
"Yes, sir."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Mary drove the SUV towards the cabin. Marshall had programmed it into the GPS and Mary insisted he close his eyes and relax. They were closed she knew; but the tension was in his jaw line. She hated it was there because of her. They were going to have to talk about this. Mary wasn't looking forward to the discussion. It would have to wait until Marshall had his back checked over again and they both got some rest. It had already been a very long day.
"I know that you aren't sleeping, Marshall. I've known you far too long. What is going on in that head of yours?"
Marshall sighed. What he was about to say wasn't going to go over well or at least would cause another break in Mary's heart caused by her father.
"Your father has to be well acquainted with some shady people in order for the federal government to be struggling to find his other family. Who else is or was James working for? We now know for a fact it wasn't our side" Marshall replied, forgetting Mary didn't know yet.
"How do we know that for a fact?" Mary asked, realizing Marshall knew something she didn't and apparently was tired enough to have let it slip.
Marshall could have shot himself at that point.
"I was going to tell you at the house, but the shooting started. Stan called in a few dozen favors and had any and all friends in positions within the government run a check to see if James had been working for them or was in the WITSEC program. All results were negative. He has to know someone with connections to keep his other family in hiding," Marshall replied.
Mary felt better knowing Marshall hadn't been holding out on her, but was infuriated over the one sided view of James. She sneaked a peak at Marshall's face and knew he was worried.
"Not mad at you Doofus. I'm pretty sure bullets flying around count as a big enough distraction to forget to mention that" Mary said, smirking hoping it would ease some of Marshall's tensions.
"We're missing some major pieces to this puzzle, Mare. There is more to your father's story then meets the eye. I have a feeling it's more than anyone is seeing. How else could he have stayed hidden for so long. If he crossed paths with a cartel, who else did he meet and strike deals with?" Marshall asked, rubbing his hand across his forehead trying to alleviate the headache that was forming.
"Let's try not to worry about it for now. I know there is a lot we need to discuss and work through, but giving yourself a headache in the process isn't going to help. It's been a long day. The cabin is only fifteen minutes away if I calculated right according to the GPS. When we get there, we can clean out the wounds, put the ointment on, bandage you up and eat before going to sleep. Tomorrow we can start trying to get the pieces together."
When Marshall nodded and didn't object Mary knew he was tired. She had a feeling his back was sore, but he wasn't saying anything. Finally seeing the cabin she sighed in relief. She was worn out emotionally and physically. Sometimes she swore trying to keep her emotional side together was more exhausting than anything she'd ever done for the Marshal Service.
"Honey, we're home," Mary teased.
"Good view with plenty of space to retreat or make a stand if necessary. All covered up by the ideal look of a little vacation home. I think Stan's friend never completely lost whatever law enforcement side he had in him," Marshall replied, while surveying the area.
"Let's just get in and check it out."
"As you wish, Sunshine."
"I'll Sunshine your ass, if you're not careful buddy."
"Promises, promises, all the time promises."
Mary couldn't help but chuckle as she found the hidden key. Opening the door they walked in to a rustic country decorated living room with a fireplace. Walking around Mary went into the kitchen quickly and Marshall moved to the door that lead out to a patio with a whirlpool.
"We have a whirlpool with a view of the mountains," Marshall called out as he heard Mary opening and closing doors to make sure Stan had the right food there.
Mary liked the idea of the whirlpool; it might help them relax some. While Marshall gazed out at the mountain Mary headed towards the back of the cabin. When she entered the hallway in the back she noticed only two doors. Opening the first she entered the bathroom. Heading towards the second she opened it and noticed that the bedroom only contained one king size bed. Shrugging she headed back towards the living room.
"Looks like there's only one bedroom," Mary said, casually.
"I can sleep on the couch. It's not a big deal," Marshall replied, shrugging.
"It's a king size bed Marshall. I'm sure we can share. You will never fit on that sofa comfortably, no matter how hard you try to contort your body. The bathroom is the first door on the left and the door at the end of the hallway is the bedroom. Go take a shower and when you're done lay on top of the bed with your shirt off. I'll put the ointment and bandages on."
Mary knew that he would put his shirt on if not specifically instructed. She was always rather amused by his modesty. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be raised by normal parents. Though after meeting Seth, Mary assumed his Mom had more to do with the way Marshall turned out and she would be eternally grateful for that. She still liked Seth but relished Marshall's softer side. It's that side that set him apart from all the other men she'd ever known. Yes, Raph had a soft side also, but with Marshall she could really open up and feel comfortable with him. Maybe that is why happy was so far buried when she had been with Raph. She had been trying to figure that out for awhile now. Mary had been so lost in her thoughts as she sat on the bed waiting for Marshall that she jumped when he spoke.
"You okay?" Marshall asked, as he called her name twice before she heard him. Her jumping at his voice spoke volumes.
"I'm fine. Just a bunch of random thoughts circling in my head," Mary shrugged.
"Under the circumstances, it doesn't surprise me," Marshall said, before lying on the bed. "You sure you don't want me on the couch?"
Mary couldn't stop the smile. "Yes and I'm sure there will be no need for a chastity belt. My honor will still be in tact in the morning. What year do we live in?"
"Some how I doubt that. I'm sure you honor went out in high school," Marshall replied, amused by Mary's comment.
Mary was about to smack him, but with his bare back showing all the cuts from the glass he received protecting her; she just didn't have it in her.
"I'm sure you'd love to know. Where's the ointment?" Mary asked, realizing how bad that sounded after their previous comments.
Marshall didn't even answer her. He just handed her the ointment and laid his head sideways on the pillow.
"You sure you're okay?" Mary asked, worried by the lack of her partner talking. When he didn't answer she gently touched the side of his face. "Marshall?"
"Tired, Mare. I promise nothing more. Just tired."
Mary nodded, even though he couldn't see it with his eyes closed. She got off the bed and grabbed the bandages before returning. Looking at the bottle of ointment she began to wonder if it really was enough. He had cuts from his shoulder blade down to the top of his jeans. The doctor was right only a few were of any depth, but it still bothered her.
Mary began to wonder which way to do this would be best. A part of her thought about putting a glob on and rubbing it over him like suntan lotion. She worried that she would use too much of it and wouldn't have enough to make sure the deeper cuts didn't get infected.
Marshall closed his eyes tighter as he felt Mary's finger gently begin to trace the cuts as she placed the ointment on his back. The feel of just the skin of her finger on his bare back conjured up images that would get him into serious trouble if he let his mind wander too far. He didn't want to embarrass himself by letting on he liked the feel of her skin on his. Granted he would like a lot more of her skin, but that was a different thought entirely and he couldn't afford to go there. One inappropriate moan and Mary would cut an important part of his anatomy off. He willed himself to start reciting the letters of the alphabet and associate a word with it before applying the definition to it. He could do this.
Mary found herself fascinated by her finger running over Marshall's marred skin. A strange need began to stir inside of her to kiss each cut to make it better, before she put the ointment on. Seeing this much bare skin on Marshall was an odd experience within itself. It was the first time she actually saw this much of him bared to her and she found herself enjoying the view. Shaking her head she tried to get herself to concentrate on Marshall's wounds and not the rising temperature of her body. Mary could tell by the way Marshall's body began to relax that he was starting to fall asleep. She was almost done when she reached one of the deeper wounds and Marshall grunted in pain.
"Marshall?"
"I'm okay that one just stung a little when you touched it. It's fine."
"I'm sorry."
"No need. I'm fine, Mare."
"It's the last one. Let me get the bandages on so you can get some sleep. I'll take a shower and we can call it a night," Mary replied, while carefully putting on the bandages.
Marshall felt her get off the bed and was going to put his shirt on; he was tired so decided to close his eyes for just a few minutes before putting the shirt on.
Mary walked out of the shower changed into her pajamas and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Marshall sleeping with one hand holding his t-shirt. She knew full well that he intended to put it on but fell asleep before he could. She climbed into the bed carefully for fear of waking him, turned on her side to face Marshall. She loved watching the peaceful look on his face while he slept. It was probably the only time that he let things go and his mind had a moment to not process anything work or trivia related. She let that though carry her into slumber.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
James Shannon's attorney showed up the morning of his transfer. Tony Watson was a damn good attorney and a friend of a friend. James had requested to speak to him before leaving.
"Tony, how's everything going?"
"Your family is safe and secure. No sign of the Rojas family or anyone else coming after them. "
"No inquires have been made about their location?" James asked.
"Who else would be inquiring? We have eyes and ears on the Rojas," Tony asked, curiously. His gut was telling him there was more going on then they were aware of.
"I don't know who all the Rojas are connected with or what kind of stunt they could pull to harm my family. Thank you, Tony. I know that you're doing all that you can. I'll see you in Phoenix," James said, as Tony got up to leave.
"Stay safe and be careful."
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan had been working at having many conversations with old friends and people that owed him favors all last night and again this morning. Mary and Marshall were the focus of the groups attack and Marshall may have had a point about going after the son because of the only male. He had briefly thought about separating the two; but knew better than trying that. If at any point they figured out Marshall wasn't the son they would go after Mary. She could actually be traced back as his daughter. He needed a farther reaching hand then he had. Eleanor was already called and using favors to help Stan locate the Griffins. Making a judgment call that would probably get Marshall mad at him later, Stan decided to use another source that had connections. Some the same as him, but others were different. The more trusted sources they had the better off for all. Grabbing a disposable phone headed up to the rooftop of the Sunshine Building. At this point he was assuming the office and regular phones were tapped just as a precaution.
"Mann residence."
"Seth, it's Stan. I need a favor," he said, to make sure Seth didn't think anything happened to Marshall.
"What do you need?"
Stan went through the whole story of what was going on and who he was trying to find.
"Marshall and Mary are safe?"
"I'm the only one who knows where they are."
"Alright, let me check with some people I know and then I'll have his brother's tap into their sources. I'll make sure only trusted people are used. I'll call you back as soon as I hear anything. Let me know if you need help."
"Call me back on this number only. I don't know what is secure in this building."
"Keep Marshall safe for me Stan."
"I'll do my best," Stan replied, before hanging up.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Mary woke to streams of light coming into the bedroom. Looking at Marshall she noticed he had turned on his side somewhere in the middle of the night. It was unusual for Marshall to sleep longer than her. She put her hand against his forehead to make sure he wasn't feverish. She worried one of the wounds may get infected. Finding no sign of fever she couldn't help, but do a check over his bear chest and arms. The closest she ever came to seeing him this way was when he was down to the tank top in the abandoned gas station. She realized for the first time he was better muscled than she'd ever realized. She felt her heart race begin to pick up as she imagined what it would feel like to run her hands over his chest.
The last thought had her sitting up quickly and grabbing clothes before rushing into the shower. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with her. They were in a dangerous situation and all she could think of was jumping Marshall. It had to be the intensity of the situation. That had to be it. She'd never had these kinds of thoughts before about her best friend and partner before and it was making her edgy. Turning the shower on she decided colder might be better.
Marshall woke to the sound of the shower running and was embarrassed when he realized he fell asleep before putting his shirt on. Slipping the t-shirt over his head he got up to find his away bag. Grabbing a set of clothes out he waited for Mary to finish. He hadn't even thanked her for dressing his cuts last night.
Mary walked out towel drying her hair when she noticed Marshall sitting on the edge of the bed. Trying to ignore her earlier reaction to him she tried to return to their normal banter. The cold shower hadn't seemed to help much. Images of her and Marshall in the shower had crossed her mind. She decided her body was telling her she had urges that needed to be taken care of as soon as this case was over.
"Good Morning, Doofus. How's your back?"
"It's fine. Thanks for patching me up last night."
"Not a problem. Let me get the bandages off before you shower. I'll make us some coffee while you're in the shower and then you can make breakfast before we start digging around in James's past," Mary said. A part of her felt the need to disown the man who set them up to be pursued by his enemies just so he could protect his other family.
Mary tried to fight back the tears as she felt her heart break a little more with that thought. The man she had adored her entire life had just committed the ultimate betrayal to her. It was something she had never been able to fathom him doing. It wasn't the man she had spent years waiting by a window to show up. How much of her life was spent adoring a man who committed crimes, created a new life with a family that he had stayed and now protected, the only man she'd let into her heart until eight years ago and the man she had longed to see again. Every childhood reunion imagined with her father shattered and destroyed because he chose to let them die if it meant protecting his other family.
Marshall saw the look that had come over Mary's face and new the dark place she was heading to. The breakdown would come and he was well aware of that. It would happen in small pieces until the tidal wave of emotions overwhelmed her. He expected that to be sometime after the hearing and the conversation that would take place between father and daughter. It was years overdue; but Marshall knew that James protecting the Griffins while putting them in harms way would eat Mary up until she had answers. Moving over to her he pulled her to him and heard her sniffle.
"Let it out, Mare. You need the release. I promise not to say a word to anyone," Marshall whispered, knowing Mary refused to allow most people to see her hurt. It was the one thing he cherished about their relationship. She trusted him enough to catch her when she fell and to allow her to release her feelings if only for awhile without judgment.
Mary let Marshall pull her near and hold her, but still couldn't stop her natural instinct to not allow herself to cry. The harder she fought the more she wanted to and finally the inevitable sob escaped and she held onto Marshall. She was mortified at her inability to control her emotions in one sense; yet another part knew that if there was ever one person she could do it in front of that wouldn't think less of her it was her partner. Finally giving up the battle to stop the tears she bunched her hand in Marshall's shirt and held on until her tears began to subside. Embarrassed at the display of the emotions despite knowing Marshall wouldn't mind she swiped a hand frustrated at the tears.
"Sorry," she whispered.
Marshall kissed her forehead. "Never apologize for your emotions, Mare. Ready to play nurse and make me some coffee, so I can feed you?" Marshall asked, knowing Mary needed to be back onto normal ground.
Mary smiled knowing what Marshall was doing.
"Raise your shirt," Mary instructed, the deeper cuts were at the lower part of his back. "Let me know when you're out of the shower."
Marshall watched Mary walk out of the bedroom before heading into the shower. He wondered briefly just how much of Mary's heart would be broken by James Shannon when this was all over. A part of him despised the man and the other part of him thanked him everyday for the gift he helped create.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
James Shannon was in Federal custody in Phoenix again. Tony walked in and sat across from James.
"Tony, my family?" James asked.
"No attempts have been made to go after them. We've got them secured," Tony replied, confused.
"I would like to talk to U.S Marshal Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann."
"Why do you want to talk to the Marshal Service?"
"I want to try and arrange at least protection for them when this is over. I need to know that while I'm in prison my wife and children will still be safe." James knew that he had to make it sound sincere; if he were to have a chance at this. If he could bring Mary and Marshall here, Rojas men could follow them. He could have the security detail move his family somewhere far away from Rojas men's grasp.
"You don't need to talk to the Marshal Service for that. I will talk to someone in the DOJ about setting up Witness Protection for your family. There is no need to bring the two marshals here. How do you know them?" Tony's gut was telling him there was more going on then meets the eye. He didn't like this one bit.
"I ran across them at the prison in Albuquerque and heard they were good at what they do. I was hoping to see if they knew would hear me out and see about putting in a good word with the FBI or DOJ. I just want to try and do everything to protect my family."
"I'll see what I can do, but you don't have a lot of standing ground within the system. They might help your family, but you have nothing left to bargain with. Rojas already knows you're testifying so if you threaten not to; Rojas will hunt you down and kill you. It might take me awhile to get the F.B.I. to work with me on this. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Stay out of trouble and don't do anything stupid. It's your best bet for staying safe." Tony felt he needed to warn James about that.
Tony wanted to know more about the two marshals James had mentioned. He was going to do some digging before going to the FBI. The sooner he figured out what mess James was trying to balance or game he was playing the better off for his firm. The wife and kids were innocent and it's why they took the job but something was beginning to stink with James. He would need to talk to his boss.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Marshall and Mary had finished breakfast and were setting up the laptop and information. They grabbed the burn phone and dialed Stan.
"McQueen."
"Miss us yet?" Mary teased, since Marshall had them on speaker phone.
"Mary, where's Marshall?"
"I'm right here, Stan. Sunshine just has to always have the first and last word." Marshall's tease was rewarded with a punch to the arm.
"What do you have Stan?" Mary asked.
Stan took a deep breath waiting to find out how Marshall was going to respond to his Dad's involvement. He listed all of his contacts and waited a few seconds for it to sink in.
Mary saw Marshall stiffen at the name of his Dad and the mention of his brothers' involvement.
"Was that really necessary Stan?" Marshall asked.
"Yes, I need as many eyes out for these people as possible. We're all tapping our connections to try and figure out where they have hidden the Griffins and who is hiding them" Stan replied.
"I was thinking about that last night. We know that he's not involved in any undercover or agreement with anyone in the federal government. That leads us to outside groups he could've come across while helping the Rojas. What about mercenary groups or militia type groups? They'd have the means to be able to help hide the Griffins. The other option is he put himself in the middle of two cartels? Who ever is hiding them is not doing anything legal or if they're running a legitimate business they're using it as a front. Import and export business or anything that moves products overseas would be a start," Marshall replied.
"I'm thinking it has to be something illegal. I don't think James knew how to do anything legit," Mary added.
"Stan, I can start running a list. Somewhere along the way they would've had to run into Columbia to cross paths with the Rojas. I'll run a list of any of the companies that might be a possibility if you can run a list of account member names from the various jobs that James had pulled off. With any luck we can come across some names that cross reference with the two lists," Marshall said.
"Sounds like a plan. You to take care of yourselves and Mary make sure he's taking care of his cuts," Stan replied, before hanging up.
"How do you like that I get to play nurse and keep you in line for a change," Mary said, teasingly. "Are you okay with your Dad and brothers getting involved?"
"No, but I know that we need eyes and ears everywhere. Stan wouldn't have done it if he thought it wasn't necessary," Marshall replied, shrugging and then starting to work on pulling up a list of companies and security consultant firms that would fit their criteria.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
James paced his cell anxiously. He didn't like Watson telling him that he couldn't set the bait in order to keep his associates services. It left him with no choice, but to wait until the court date. The only other chance he had to put his plan into action would be to talk to the FBI some more and tell them he wanted to speak with Mary. The thought of leaving his wife and children without security didn't appeal to him. There had to be away around this. They wanted more of the Rojas, but weren't willing to put the inspectors lives in danger.
He stopped pacing and began to think about what he wanted to do. This wasn't him was it? When did he become such a cold hearted bastard to his first two children and the man that protected his kids when they needed it? Granted Marshall helped because he had feelings for his eldest daughter; but still. Did he resent the day Mary whispered into the bug that she didn't need him anymore. Those words hurt more than he cared to admit. The problem was he was torn between two families; one that survived through hardships beyond most people's comprehension and the one that had always led a normal life. He protected his other children from the life he lived and the line he walked. They had always led a normal life. They couldn't survive on their own against a drug cartel. Mary could and that is why he did this. He kept hoping if he said it enough times that he might actually believe it.
James knew he had to wait for the trial and hoped it came before the Marshal Service found his family. If they found out who he really was; he'd lose them too. Would they be able to look him in the eye again? Would they still love him after this? He was in for some brutal conversations as it was with his first family, but to have to do that with both of them would destroy him. Now, if he could lose the nagging feeling that kept telling him he deserved it for breaking Mary's heart and abandoning Brandi before she ever had a chance to know him.
"Mann."
"Marshall, it's Stan. There's a change in plans. Do not go in your house. I'm arranging a safe house for the two of you to stay in. Brandi and Jinx are on a plane out of town. Go get some clothes from a store and head to our newest safe house. The new and less heard of one. Let me know when you are there and I'll give you more information. Marshall, keep your eyes open," Stan said, before hanging up.
Mary looked over to Marshall when she noticed him putting the car in reverse.
"We get a new witness?"
"Ourselves," Marshall replied, filling Mary in on his conversation with Stan.
"You're kidding right. This is ridiculous. The man hasn't been around for years and is still finding a way to make my life miserable. He dragged you into this, Marshall. That is not okay. It's bad enough to use Brandi and me, but to put a target on your back is inexcusable," Mary fumed.
"It really doesn't matter if I was a target or not I'd still be in the thick of this. Let's just go shop and head to the safe house. Stan is going to fill us in and then we can come up with a plan and do some research" Marshall replied.
"Marshall, I'm not going to stay in hiding forever."
"Had no intention of doing that either. We'll need to research the information Stan is going to give us and we can do that at the safe house. This ought to give Papa Stan a chance to feel better about our safety." Marshall said, smirking.
"I think your whore rate is increasing," Mary replied, smiling when Marshall just laughed.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan finally received the whole file from the F.B.I. and couldn't prevent the swear word as it slipped out of his lips. Just as he was about to call Marshall; his phone rang.
"McQueen."
"This is Adams from the Miami branch. I have some information for you."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Marshall and Mary had been at the safe house for an hour waiting for Stan's call. Marshall had already set up his laptop and was hoping to be able to start up right away. Mary and he would start getting anxious in no time flat. Not to mention Mary was driving him crazy by packing back and forth.
"Mare, what do you need?"
"I need this to go away. I need James to not be the scumbag that we seem to think he is. I need answers. I can get him walking out on Jinx. She was always in the bottle. They fought a lot. I don't understand the life of crime or what the Griffins have to make him stay for them and apparently live a normal life. I'm assuming he left them to keep whoever is testifying from killing them just to set us up to take the fall. All these years Marshall; all these years of idolizing a man that would set us up to be killed to protect his other family. We were worthless to him. He could've come back for us, but he didn't. He left us with an alcoholic mother so, that he can live the life that he had always wanted," Mary said, swiping the tears that streaked down her face angrily.
"I wish I could give you the answers that you want to hear, but I can't only James could. He was a fool. I know that his greatest mistake led to one of the best things that has ever happened to me. As much as I hate that your past was so hard; it made you the person you are today and led our paths to cross. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without my best friend in it. For that, I'll always be grateful to James Shannon. I'll always despise how much he hurt you but I can't regret where it led you," Marshall said, pulling Mary close as she released some of the pent up pain.
An hour later Mary was sleeping on the sofa when Marshall's cell rang; looking at the caller id he noticed it was Stan.
"Stan, what do you have?" Marshall asked, softly trying to let Mary sleep.
"James Shannon is testifying against several members of Vinicius Rojas drug cartel," Stan replied.
"The Columbian drug cartel? How the hell did he get mixed up with them?"
"One of the robberies he committed at the banks contained some of the monetary funds belonging to Rojas. Apparently Rojas men found out and they worked out a deal where he'd help them. In return Rojas would leave him and his family alone. Rojas was aware that James had two daughters and a son, but he never knew where they were or what they looked like. James made sure to move his family and stay away from them" Stan replied.
"Rojas gets close and James starts following Mary, Brandi and I to keep him off the Griffins trail. Wait, you said that Rojas doesn't know what the Griffin children look like. They're thinking that Mary, Brandi and I are the children. If they're here looking for us why not set up a trap. You can use me as bait. I can go to my house and we can set the trap there," Marshall suggested.
"Hell no. Not only hell no, absolutely positively not," Mary yelled at Marshall sitting up on the couch.
"Mare, it makes sense. We can set the trap and catch these men," Marshall replied, calmly.
"If we're setting up a trap then you're using me and not you. You're not a Shannon and I'm not letting you put your life in danger or getting you killed because of something that my father dragged you into for some stupid reason!" Mary ranted.
"Marshall, neither of you is going to be used as bait. Put me on speaker phone," Stan said, waiting for Marshall to put him on speaker. "The plan is to set up a defense at the courthouse. We'll limit who can get in and most of the people in the courthouse will be U.S. Marshal's. If they can't get to you before the trial they'll go after James before or after. I know the two of you aren't going to want to stay holed up somewhere for the next month before the trial begins. Lay low for a week and then you can come into the office. You are not going on any witness transports or visits until this is over. I can't have them compromised over this situation. I still don't want either of you at your homes. They followed you and know where you live. We'll move you through several other safe houses after this week is up. I want the two of you safe. Keep an eye on each other's backs."
"Duh," Mary replied getting up and smacking Marshall in the arm. "You are not bait and will not become bait. What the hell were you thinking?" Mary snapped.
"I was thinking we could end this once and for all. No offense, but how many crime family members want a male heir. They place significance on it as they would be the next to inherit the family business. Since James has them thinking I'm the brother, it would make sense for them to come after me. In their eyes it wipes out the only living male heir to James Shannon," Marshall replied, shrugging. Standing up he went to stretch when he saw the car speeding down the road weapons pointed at the house. "Gun!"
Mary heard the warning seconds before her body was being slammed into the ground and covered by Marshall. Reaching out for her cell phone which conveniently fell out near her she hit Stan's number.
"McQueen."
"We need backup yesterday," Mary called into the phone as more glass shattered and bullets littered the room.
Stan could hear the shots. "They're on their way. So am I. Where are you?"
"Living room," Mary replied.
"Get into the bathroom. We'll be there in less than four minutes. Albuquerque P.D has some squads in the area and Stevens and Mitchell are two blocks over" Stan informed.
"Got it," Mary replied.
"What's the plan?" Marshall said.
Mary relayed Stan's message.
"Alright, you go and I'll cover. Don't argue, Mare there isn't time."
Mary huffed, but as soon as Marshall rolled off her she moved as quickly as she could without being shot towards the hallway with Marshall using the couch for cover and shooting at their company. She pulled her gun out and signaled for Marshall to move. He quickly scrambled towards her as she provided fire to cover his actions. They made their way into the bathroom and both sat guns facing the door.
They could hear the continued sound of gunfire followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the wall. They looked at each other and both knew the door had been kicked in. Mary moved into the bathtub to take a defensive stand. She indicated to Marshall to join her; but he shook his head and tried to squeeze his tall frame in between the vanity and the toilet.
"Doofus, you're going to get killed there," Mary hissed.
"They have to get in first. Somehow when they start turning that handle I doubt either of us won't be shooting," Marshall replied. They both waited to hear someone come down the hall, but the only thing they heard was silence.
A knock on the door made them both look at each other again before a smirk appeared on their faces.
"Mary, Marshall?" Stan asked, while knocking.
"Did you get them?" Mary asked climbing out of the tub while Marshall stood up.
Stan opened the door. "They left when they saw the company arriving."
"How the hell did they know to find us here?" Mary asked.
"We obviously have a leak. I'm making arrangements for the two of you that only the three of us are going to know about. Are either of you hurt?" Stan asked.
"I'll be picking glass out of my hair for weeks," Mary said, thinking of all the glass that shattered around them. It was then she thought about it. Marshall had thrown himself on top of her and she still had gotten glass in her hair with him covering her. They weren't wearing vests.
Marshall didn't even get a chance to answer when Mary grabbed him and turned him around.
"Take off your shirt, Marshall." Mary demanded.
"Mary, I think that is highly inappropriate with the boss standing right here," Marshall teased.
"Damn it Marshall, stop screwing around. Take off the damn shirt," Mary said, taking in all the slices to the fabric on the back of his shirt.
"Mary, what's wrong?" Stan asked, hearing the urgency in Mary's voice.
Mary twisted Marshall so Stan could see while Marshall strained to turn his head to see what had Mary flustered.
"Marshall, take off the shirt. We need to see how bad the cuts are," Stan said, realizing Marshall was still feeling the adrenaline high that followed a shoot out and probably didn't feel any of the cuts that had to be on his back.
Mary lost patience as Marshall slowly began to undo the shirt one button at a time. Turning him so he faced her she smacked his hands out of her way and practically ripped the shirt off.
"Hey, you could be more careful with my things," Marshall complained.
"You won't be wearing it again. Now lose the tank or do I need to do that for you also?" Mary asked, glaring at him.
Marshall knew full well she would follow through on that threat so he quickly removed the tank while Stan and Mary turned him again so they could inspect his back.
"They don't look too deep. Mostly just some superficial cuts; but I want him looked at to make sure," Stan said. "Stevens, you take over the crime scene until I return. Mitchell you're escorting us to the hospital while they look Mary and Marshall over."
"Hey, I'm fine. Why do I have to be looked over? Marshall is the one who has cuts."
"Because I said so and I'm the boss," Stan replied, as he handed Marshall his tank back.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan watched Marshall to see if any pain showed up on his face as the doctor inspected the many lacerations on his back. None had seemed overly serious, but he was not taking a chance that one could come infected if Marshall wasn't given something for it. He had a hard enough time with Mary to get checked out. Stan wanted to make sure that none of the glass had cut her head. Dealing with one of the two partners was bad enough when trying to get them checked out when they would only insist that they were fine.
Mary walked in and looked at Stan. "The doctor almost gave me a sucker for being such a good kid, Dad."
Stan didn't miss the sarcastic tone. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Any cuts or injuries I need to know about?"
"Nope, somebody decided to play protector and take all them for himself. The only thing they could find were some pieces of glass in my hair. No cuts. So Doc, is he going to make it?" Mary asked, teasingly knowing the wounds couldn't be that bad by the way Marshall was reacting to being looked over.
"Just a few that are a little deep, nothing that would need stitches. I want him to put the ointment that I'm about to prescribe him on the wounds and keep the deeper ones covered after applying the ointment to them. He's obviously going to need help with those as they are out of his reach. Is there someone that will be with you to help?" the doctor asked, looking to Marshall.
"He won't be alone, Doc," Mary replied.
"Let me get the prescription and he is free to go," the doctor said leaving briefly.
"Where are we going to Stan?" Mary asked.
"Sedona, Arizona. A friend of mine owns a cabin there that he rents out and is putting you up there until the trial starts. No one will look for you there. James is being moved to Phoenix in a couple of days. They are working on pushing up the trial date. They were worried about jury tampering happening. Apparently someone had made an offer to fix the list of jurors. The judge is keeping the advanced date request out of the press. They have had plenty of time to prepare since your Dad was caught apparently earlier but managed to escape. The trial date is going to come quick and fast if the prosecutor gets his way. While they're prepping for trial the FBI doesn't want you visiting James unless he refuses to cooperate. We're still looking for his other family."
"You mean the one he protected by using us as targets. I'll wait to see him, but I guarantee you that I want to have a word with the man before he goes off to prison," Mary replied, heatedly.
"Understood. The jet is fueled and ready. Marshall I packed some of your things from your house so that you would have what you needed and Mary, Delia packed up some clothes for you. If there is anything else that you need order it online and send it to this address," Stan said, handing Marshall the information. "My friend will bring it to you. The cabin is stocked with enough supplies to get you through the next two weeks. Let's go.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Mathieu Pereira walked into his boss's office. He was nervous about reporting the news he received from the team sent to take care of James's son and daughters.
"What's the word from our team? " Vinicius Rojas asked.
"They were unable to kill the son or eldest daughter. They also haven't been able to locate the wife or youngest daughter. The team had kicked in the door when the Marshal Service and police department showed up. They took off in order to be able to go after them again. It was their decision that it would be unwise to have continued at that time. Luiz has reported that he and Guilherme are working on squeezing the informant harder."
"Our informant has his own children. Get them and make sure he talks and soon. These people are going to be protected and we're not going to get a chance to find them soon. If that happens we have to prepare our plan for the courthouse. It will be crawling with federal agents."
"Yes, sir."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Mary drove the SUV towards the cabin. Marshall had programmed it into the GPS and Mary insisted he close his eyes and relax. They were closed she knew; but the tension was in his jaw line. She hated it was there because of her. They were going to have to talk about this. Mary wasn't looking forward to the discussion. It would have to wait until Marshall had his back checked over again and they both got some rest. It had already been a very long day.
"I know that you aren't sleeping, Marshall. I've known you far too long. What is going on in that head of yours?"
Marshall sighed. What he was about to say wasn't going to go over well or at least would cause another break in Mary's heart caused by her father.
"Your father has to be well acquainted with some shady people in order for the federal government to be struggling to find his other family. Who else is or was James working for? We now know for a fact it wasn't our side" Marshall replied, forgetting Mary didn't know yet.
"How do we know that for a fact?" Mary asked, realizing Marshall knew something she didn't and apparently was tired enough to have let it slip.
Marshall could have shot himself at that point.
"I was going to tell you at the house, but the shooting started. Stan called in a few dozen favors and had any and all friends in positions within the government run a check to see if James had been working for them or was in the WITSEC program. All results were negative. He has to know someone with connections to keep his other family in hiding," Marshall replied.
Mary felt better knowing Marshall hadn't been holding out on her, but was infuriated over the one sided view of James. She sneaked a peak at Marshall's face and knew he was worried.
"Not mad at you Doofus. I'm pretty sure bullets flying around count as a big enough distraction to forget to mention that" Mary said, smirking hoping it would ease some of Marshall's tensions.
"We're missing some major pieces to this puzzle, Mare. There is more to your father's story then meets the eye. I have a feeling it's more than anyone is seeing. How else could he have stayed hidden for so long. If he crossed paths with a cartel, who else did he meet and strike deals with?" Marshall asked, rubbing his hand across his forehead trying to alleviate the headache that was forming.
"Let's try not to worry about it for now. I know there is a lot we need to discuss and work through, but giving yourself a headache in the process isn't going to help. It's been a long day. The cabin is only fifteen minutes away if I calculated right according to the GPS. When we get there, we can clean out the wounds, put the ointment on, bandage you up and eat before going to sleep. Tomorrow we can start trying to get the pieces together."
When Marshall nodded and didn't object Mary knew he was tired. She had a feeling his back was sore, but he wasn't saying anything. Finally seeing the cabin she sighed in relief. She was worn out emotionally and physically. Sometimes she swore trying to keep her emotional side together was more exhausting than anything she'd ever done for the Marshal Service.
"Honey, we're home," Mary teased.
"Good view with plenty of space to retreat or make a stand if necessary. All covered up by the ideal look of a little vacation home. I think Stan's friend never completely lost whatever law enforcement side he had in him," Marshall replied, while surveying the area.
"Let's just get in and check it out."
"As you wish, Sunshine."
"I'll Sunshine your ass, if you're not careful buddy."
"Promises, promises, all the time promises."
Mary couldn't help but chuckle as she found the hidden key. Opening the door they walked in to a rustic country decorated living room with a fireplace. Walking around Mary went into the kitchen quickly and Marshall moved to the door that lead out to a patio with a whirlpool.
"We have a whirlpool with a view of the mountains," Marshall called out as he heard Mary opening and closing doors to make sure Stan had the right food there.
Mary liked the idea of the whirlpool; it might help them relax some. While Marshall gazed out at the mountain Mary headed towards the back of the cabin. When she entered the hallway in the back she noticed only two doors. Opening the first she entered the bathroom. Heading towards the second she opened it and noticed that the bedroom only contained one king size bed. Shrugging she headed back towards the living room.
"Looks like there's only one bedroom," Mary said, casually.
"I can sleep on the couch. It's not a big deal," Marshall replied, shrugging.
"It's a king size bed Marshall. I'm sure we can share. You will never fit on that sofa comfortably, no matter how hard you try to contort your body. The bathroom is the first door on the left and the door at the end of the hallway is the bedroom. Go take a shower and when you're done lay on top of the bed with your shirt off. I'll put the ointment and bandages on."
Mary knew that he would put his shirt on if not specifically instructed. She was always rather amused by his modesty. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be raised by normal parents. Though after meeting Seth, Mary assumed his Mom had more to do with the way Marshall turned out and she would be eternally grateful for that. She still liked Seth but relished Marshall's softer side. It's that side that set him apart from all the other men she'd ever known. Yes, Raph had a soft side also, but with Marshall she could really open up and feel comfortable with him. Maybe that is why happy was so far buried when she had been with Raph. She had been trying to figure that out for awhile now. Mary had been so lost in her thoughts as she sat on the bed waiting for Marshall that she jumped when he spoke.
"You okay?" Marshall asked, as he called her name twice before she heard him. Her jumping at his voice spoke volumes.
"I'm fine. Just a bunch of random thoughts circling in my head," Mary shrugged.
"Under the circumstances, it doesn't surprise me," Marshall said, before lying on the bed. "You sure you don't want me on the couch?"
Mary couldn't stop the smile. "Yes and I'm sure there will be no need for a chastity belt. My honor will still be in tact in the morning. What year do we live in?"
"Some how I doubt that. I'm sure you honor went out in high school," Marshall replied, amused by Mary's comment.
Mary was about to smack him, but with his bare back showing all the cuts from the glass he received protecting her; she just didn't have it in her.
"I'm sure you'd love to know. Where's the ointment?" Mary asked, realizing how bad that sounded after their previous comments.
Marshall didn't even answer her. He just handed her the ointment and laid his head sideways on the pillow.
"You sure you're okay?" Mary asked, worried by the lack of her partner talking. When he didn't answer she gently touched the side of his face. "Marshall?"
"Tired, Mare. I promise nothing more. Just tired."
Mary nodded, even though he couldn't see it with his eyes closed. She got off the bed and grabbed the bandages before returning. Looking at the bottle of ointment she began to wonder if it really was enough. He had cuts from his shoulder blade down to the top of his jeans. The doctor was right only a few were of any depth, but it still bothered her.
Mary began to wonder which way to do this would be best. A part of her thought about putting a glob on and rubbing it over him like suntan lotion. She worried that she would use too much of it and wouldn't have enough to make sure the deeper cuts didn't get infected.
Marshall closed his eyes tighter as he felt Mary's finger gently begin to trace the cuts as she placed the ointment on his back. The feel of just the skin of her finger on his bare back conjured up images that would get him into serious trouble if he let his mind wander too far. He didn't want to embarrass himself by letting on he liked the feel of her skin on his. Granted he would like a lot more of her skin, but that was a different thought entirely and he couldn't afford to go there. One inappropriate moan and Mary would cut an important part of his anatomy off. He willed himself to start reciting the letters of the alphabet and associate a word with it before applying the definition to it. He could do this.
Mary found herself fascinated by her finger running over Marshall's marred skin. A strange need began to stir inside of her to kiss each cut to make it better, before she put the ointment on. Seeing this much bare skin on Marshall was an odd experience within itself. It was the first time she actually saw this much of him bared to her and she found herself enjoying the view. Shaking her head she tried to get herself to concentrate on Marshall's wounds and not the rising temperature of her body. Mary could tell by the way Marshall's body began to relax that he was starting to fall asleep. She was almost done when she reached one of the deeper wounds and Marshall grunted in pain.
"Marshall?"
"I'm okay that one just stung a little when you touched it. It's fine."
"I'm sorry."
"No need. I'm fine, Mare."
"It's the last one. Let me get the bandages on so you can get some sleep. I'll take a shower and we can call it a night," Mary replied, while carefully putting on the bandages.
Marshall felt her get off the bed and was going to put his shirt on; he was tired so decided to close his eyes for just a few minutes before putting the shirt on.
Mary walked out of the shower changed into her pajamas and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Marshall sleeping with one hand holding his t-shirt. She knew full well that he intended to put it on but fell asleep before he could. She climbed into the bed carefully for fear of waking him, turned on her side to face Marshall. She loved watching the peaceful look on his face while he slept. It was probably the only time that he let things go and his mind had a moment to not process anything work or trivia related. She let that though carry her into slumber.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
James Shannon's attorney showed up the morning of his transfer. Tony Watson was a damn good attorney and a friend of a friend. James had requested to speak to him before leaving.
"Tony, how's everything going?"
"Your family is safe and secure. No sign of the Rojas family or anyone else coming after them. "
"No inquires have been made about their location?" James asked.
"Who else would be inquiring? We have eyes and ears on the Rojas," Tony asked, curiously. His gut was telling him there was more going on then they were aware of.
"I don't know who all the Rojas are connected with or what kind of stunt they could pull to harm my family. Thank you, Tony. I know that you're doing all that you can. I'll see you in Phoenix," James said, as Tony got up to leave.
"Stay safe and be careful."
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stan had been working at having many conversations with old friends and people that owed him favors all last night and again this morning. Mary and Marshall were the focus of the groups attack and Marshall may have had a point about going after the son because of the only male. He had briefly thought about separating the two; but knew better than trying that. If at any point they figured out Marshall wasn't the son they would go after Mary. She could actually be traced back as his daughter. He needed a farther reaching hand then he had. Eleanor was already called and using favors to help Stan locate the Griffins. Making a judgment call that would probably get Marshall mad at him later, Stan decided to use another source that had connections. Some the same as him, but others were different. The more trusted sources they had the better off for all. Grabbing a disposable phone headed up to the rooftop of the Sunshine Building. At this point he was assuming the office and regular phones were tapped just as a precaution.
"Mann residence."
"Seth, it's Stan. I need a favor," he said, to make sure Seth didn't think anything happened to Marshall.
"What do you need?"
Stan went through the whole story of what was going on and who he was trying to find.
"Marshall and Mary are safe?"
"I'm the only one who knows where they are."
"Alright, let me check with some people I know and then I'll have his brother's tap into their sources. I'll make sure only trusted people are used. I'll call you back as soon as I hear anything. Let me know if you need help."
"Call me back on this number only. I don't know what is secure in this building."
"Keep Marshall safe for me Stan."
"I'll do my best," Stan replied, before hanging up.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Mary woke to streams of light coming into the bedroom. Looking at Marshall she noticed he had turned on his side somewhere in the middle of the night. It was unusual for Marshall to sleep longer than her. She put her hand against his forehead to make sure he wasn't feverish. She worried one of the wounds may get infected. Finding no sign of fever she couldn't help, but do a check over his bear chest and arms. The closest she ever came to seeing him this way was when he was down to the tank top in the abandoned gas station. She realized for the first time he was better muscled than she'd ever realized. She felt her heart race begin to pick up as she imagined what it would feel like to run her hands over his chest.
The last thought had her sitting up quickly and grabbing clothes before rushing into the shower. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with her. They were in a dangerous situation and all she could think of was jumping Marshall. It had to be the intensity of the situation. That had to be it. She'd never had these kinds of thoughts before about her best friend and partner before and it was making her edgy. Turning the shower on she decided colder might be better.
Marshall woke to the sound of the shower running and was embarrassed when he realized he fell asleep before putting his shirt on. Slipping the t-shirt over his head he got up to find his away bag. Grabbing a set of clothes out he waited for Mary to finish. He hadn't even thanked her for dressing his cuts last night.
Mary walked out towel drying her hair when she noticed Marshall sitting on the edge of the bed. Trying to ignore her earlier reaction to him she tried to return to their normal banter. The cold shower hadn't seemed to help much. Images of her and Marshall in the shower had crossed her mind. She decided her body was telling her she had urges that needed to be taken care of as soon as this case was over.
"Good Morning, Doofus. How's your back?"
"It's fine. Thanks for patching me up last night."
"Not a problem. Let me get the bandages off before you shower. I'll make us some coffee while you're in the shower and then you can make breakfast before we start digging around in James's past," Mary said. A part of her felt the need to disown the man who set them up to be pursued by his enemies just so he could protect his other family.
Mary tried to fight back the tears as she felt her heart break a little more with that thought. The man she had adored her entire life had just committed the ultimate betrayal to her. It was something she had never been able to fathom him doing. It wasn't the man she had spent years waiting by a window to show up. How much of her life was spent adoring a man who committed crimes, created a new life with a family that he had stayed and now protected, the only man she'd let into her heart until eight years ago and the man she had longed to see again. Every childhood reunion imagined with her father shattered and destroyed because he chose to let them die if it meant protecting his other family.
Marshall saw the look that had come over Mary's face and new the dark place she was heading to. The breakdown would come and he was well aware of that. It would happen in small pieces until the tidal wave of emotions overwhelmed her. He expected that to be sometime after the hearing and the conversation that would take place between father and daughter. It was years overdue; but Marshall knew that James protecting the Griffins while putting them in harms way would eat Mary up until she had answers. Moving over to her he pulled her to him and heard her sniffle.
"Let it out, Mare. You need the release. I promise not to say a word to anyone," Marshall whispered, knowing Mary refused to allow most people to see her hurt. It was the one thing he cherished about their relationship. She trusted him enough to catch her when she fell and to allow her to release her feelings if only for awhile without judgment.
Mary let Marshall pull her near and hold her, but still couldn't stop her natural instinct to not allow herself to cry. The harder she fought the more she wanted to and finally the inevitable sob escaped and she held onto Marshall. She was mortified at her inability to control her emotions in one sense; yet another part knew that if there was ever one person she could do it in front of that wouldn't think less of her it was her partner. Finally giving up the battle to stop the tears she bunched her hand in Marshall's shirt and held on until her tears began to subside. Embarrassed at the display of the emotions despite knowing Marshall wouldn't mind she swiped a hand frustrated at the tears.
"Sorry," she whispered.
Marshall kissed her forehead. "Never apologize for your emotions, Mare. Ready to play nurse and make me some coffee, so I can feed you?" Marshall asked, knowing Mary needed to be back onto normal ground.
Mary smiled knowing what Marshall was doing.
"Raise your shirt," Mary instructed, the deeper cuts were at the lower part of his back. "Let me know when you're out of the shower."
Marshall watched Mary walk out of the bedroom before heading into the shower. He wondered briefly just how much of Mary's heart would be broken by James Shannon when this was all over. A part of him despised the man and the other part of him thanked him everyday for the gift he helped create.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
James Shannon was in Federal custody in Phoenix again. Tony walked in and sat across from James.
"Tony, my family?" James asked.
"No attempts have been made to go after them. We've got them secured," Tony replied, confused.
"I would like to talk to U.S Marshal Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann."
"Why do you want to talk to the Marshal Service?"
"I want to try and arrange at least protection for them when this is over. I need to know that while I'm in prison my wife and children will still be safe." James knew that he had to make it sound sincere; if he were to have a chance at this. If he could bring Mary and Marshall here, Rojas men could follow them. He could have the security detail move his family somewhere far away from Rojas men's grasp.
"You don't need to talk to the Marshal Service for that. I will talk to someone in the DOJ about setting up Witness Protection for your family. There is no need to bring the two marshals here. How do you know them?" Tony's gut was telling him there was more going on then meets the eye. He didn't like this one bit.
"I ran across them at the prison in Albuquerque and heard they were good at what they do. I was hoping to see if they knew would hear me out and see about putting in a good word with the FBI or DOJ. I just want to try and do everything to protect my family."
"I'll see what I can do, but you don't have a lot of standing ground within the system. They might help your family, but you have nothing left to bargain with. Rojas already knows you're testifying so if you threaten not to; Rojas will hunt you down and kill you. It might take me awhile to get the F.B.I. to work with me on this. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Stay out of trouble and don't do anything stupid. It's your best bet for staying safe." Tony felt he needed to warn James about that.
Tony wanted to know more about the two marshals James had mentioned. He was going to do some digging before going to the FBI. The sooner he figured out what mess James was trying to balance or game he was playing the better off for his firm. The wife and kids were innocent and it's why they took the job but something was beginning to stink with James. He would need to talk to his boss.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
Marshall and Mary had finished breakfast and were setting up the laptop and information. They grabbed the burn phone and dialed Stan.
"McQueen."
"Miss us yet?" Mary teased, since Marshall had them on speaker phone.
"Mary, where's Marshall?"
"I'm right here, Stan. Sunshine just has to always have the first and last word." Marshall's tease was rewarded with a punch to the arm.
"What do you have Stan?" Mary asked.
Stan took a deep breath waiting to find out how Marshall was going to respond to his Dad's involvement. He listed all of his contacts and waited a few seconds for it to sink in.
Mary saw Marshall stiffen at the name of his Dad and the mention of his brothers' involvement.
"Was that really necessary Stan?" Marshall asked.
"Yes, I need as many eyes out for these people as possible. We're all tapping our connections to try and figure out where they have hidden the Griffins and who is hiding them" Stan replied.
"I was thinking about that last night. We know that he's not involved in any undercover or agreement with anyone in the federal government. That leads us to outside groups he could've come across while helping the Rojas. What about mercenary groups or militia type groups? They'd have the means to be able to help hide the Griffins. The other option is he put himself in the middle of two cartels? Who ever is hiding them is not doing anything legal or if they're running a legitimate business they're using it as a front. Import and export business or anything that moves products overseas would be a start," Marshall replied.
"I'm thinking it has to be something illegal. I don't think James knew how to do anything legit," Mary added.
"Stan, I can start running a list. Somewhere along the way they would've had to run into Columbia to cross paths with the Rojas. I'll run a list of any of the companies that might be a possibility if you can run a list of account member names from the various jobs that James had pulled off. With any luck we can come across some names that cross reference with the two lists," Marshall said.
"Sounds like a plan. You to take care of yourselves and Mary make sure he's taking care of his cuts," Stan replied, before hanging up.
"How do you like that I get to play nurse and keep you in line for a change," Mary said, teasingly. "Are you okay with your Dad and brothers getting involved?"
"No, but I know that we need eyes and ears everywhere. Stan wouldn't have done it if he thought it wasn't necessary," Marshall replied, shrugging and then starting to work on pulling up a list of companies and security consultant firms that would fit their criteria.
/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
James paced his cell anxiously. He didn't like Watson telling him that he couldn't set the bait in order to keep his associates services. It left him with no choice, but to wait until the court date. The only other chance he had to put his plan into action would be to talk to the FBI some more and tell them he wanted to speak with Mary. The thought of leaving his wife and children without security didn't appeal to him. There had to be away around this. They wanted more of the Rojas, but weren't willing to put the inspectors lives in danger.
He stopped pacing and began to think about what he wanted to do. This wasn't him was it? When did he become such a cold hearted bastard to his first two children and the man that protected his kids when they needed it? Granted Marshall helped because he had feelings for his eldest daughter; but still. Did he resent the day Mary whispered into the bug that she didn't need him anymore. Those words hurt more than he cared to admit. The problem was he was torn between two families; one that survived through hardships beyond most people's comprehension and the one that had always led a normal life. He protected his other children from the life he lived and the line he walked. They had always led a normal life. They couldn't survive on their own against a drug cartel. Mary could and that is why he did this. He kept hoping if he said it enough times that he might actually believe it.
James knew he had to wait for the trial and hoped it came before the Marshal Service found his family. If they found out who he really was; he'd lose them too. Would they be able to look him in the eye again? Would they still love him after this? He was in for some brutal conversations as it was with his first family, but to have to do that with both of them would destroy him. Now, if he could lose the nagging feeling that kept telling him he deserved it for breaking Mary's heart and abandoning Brandi before she ever had a chance to know him.