Chapter 8

C hapter E ight

"What the hell have you done to my family?" Michael's father snapped, staring at Thor as though he was the devil incarnate. Michael, Peter, their parents, and Thor sat in the too-stuffy living room that his mother insisted they keep but rarely used.

"Thor is not the one who got me into this. I did that on my own," Peter said. "You know this. I already told you all about it, so don't try to put the blame somewhere else." Damn, Peter had grown up a lot in the past few months. Michael sat straighter in his chair, staring at their father, and then his expression softened as he turned to Mom. "I was only doing what I had to in order to make things right."

"Where did this boat come from?" Mom asked calmly.

"The DEA supplied it. When they contacted Peter, we arranged for the boat. The issue is that the damned thing exploded. I don't know why or how. The coast guard is trying to determine that." Thor leaned closer. "The simple issue is that I don't know what is going to happen next."

"Dad…," Michael broke in. "I think you and Mom should take Rosa and go somewhere for a few days. Take them to the city or out East to visit the relatives in New York. Just get away and stay for a while. We don't want any of you in the line of fire."

"So we're being sequestered for something we didn't do?" his father complained.

"We can do that," his mother said calmly. "I've wanted to visit my sister and her family, and this sounds like a good time to do just that. Rosa can come with us if she'd like, or she can spend some time with her own family. That way you boys can clean up this mess." She glared hard at Peter. "I'll get packed, and we'll leave within the hour." She patted his dad on the shoulder. "You, too, you old goat. Let's make sure we're safe."

Dad seemed surprised. "You think this is a good idea?"

"I'm not going to be around if men with guns show up like on television. Call your friends—tell them you're going away for a while, but don't tell them where. Then everyone will know we're away, and no one is going to come looking for us." She stood and left the room, his father behind her.

"Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be," Michael said. "Now, as soon as Mom and Dad are gone, what do we do?"

"Make sure the house is empty. I don't want anyone here. We need the house to look empty. That way, if anyone is looking, they'll stop here and move on. Next, we have to lay a trail for where Peter might be, and then we see if they take the bait."

Within a few hours, his parents were gone, and Peter came back downstairs. "How are we going to handle this? I can't stay here."

"No. You need to pack your things and get out of town for a while, the same as Mom and Dad," Michael explained. "They'll come looking for you one way or another," he said flatly. "They will, and you know it."

"Fine. I suppose this is the end of my business anyway."

"Why? It wasn't your boat," Thor said with a smile. "But Michael is right. Go somewhere for a week or so. Get out of town."

"Yeah, fine," Peter snapped. "But what are you going to do?"

Thor leaned forward. "We're going to lay a trail for you. There's a small hotel across the mountains in Navarro. We're going to lead them there. Everyone is going to half expect you to leave town, so we'll make it seem like you have."

"And you know this place?"

Thor grinned. "It's run by a retired DEA agent. We can lure our dealers right into a trap. Now, all I need is a picture of you so that when someone comes looking, they'll be able the say that you're there. It will be that easy."

"How do you know?" Michael asked.

"Because most people don't run all that far from home. They stay close. Michael and I will make a few phone calls to the hotel that can be easily traced. And from there we'll let our friends come to us. Now, let me take a picture of you." He snapped one on his phone. "Okay, get packed and go. And take one of the old cars. Remember, you're trying to get away and not wave a neon flag over where you've gone. Meanwhile, Michael will take a drive down in your BMW, reinforcing the false information."

"Fine. I'll take the Toyota that Rose uses for errands and be gone within the hour. I have a friend down in LA. Robbie and I went to college together. I can call him and pay him a visit for a few days. We can go out and have some fun for a while."

"And leave your phone here," Thor added. "I don't know how technically sophisticated these people are, but get a pay-as-you-go phone once you get out of the area," Thor added to Peter's consternation. Still, he handed his phone to Thor and gave him the codes to unlock it once Thor promised not to look at his stuff.

Michael sighed. "Only you would take the opportunity to get away from people who are after you to have fun and live it up down the LA."

"I might as well make the most of it if I have to be gone," Peter said. "Don't worry. Robbie was the best of us, and while we may go out, we aren't going to get into any trouble." He hurried out of the room, and Michael sighed.

"Once he goes, we'll lock up the house and get started laying our trail," Thor said softly. "And I think it best if you left town as well." Thor swallowed hard and sat down next to him. "I know you don't want to, but…."

Michael leaned to him. "Look. I know you want me to be safe, and I want the same thing for you. So, whether you like it or not, you and I are in this together. I'll have your back, and you'll watch mine. It's that simple."

Thor rolled his eyes. "I take it you're going to get yourself involved in my work every chance you get."

"No. But this is family, our family, and that means it affects both of us." He held Thor's gaze until he nodded. Michael was not backing down on this.

"Okay. I have my stuff ready to go," Peter said ten minutes later as he came down with a suitcase and a duffel bag. "The car is in the garage, so no one should see me load it."

"Sit low so if someone is watching, so they don't get a good look at you. Michael is going to leave a few minutes behind you in the BMW, and he's going to head to the hotel. We'll make sure it's visible without trying to be visible, and then once he checks into the room, I'll meet him there, and we can set the trap."

Peter nodded, set down his bag, and hugged Michael hard. "Don't let anything happen to you," he whispered, and Michael hugged him back. Peter's phone rang, and Thor checked it.

"Is this them?" Thor asked, and Peter nodded. "Answer the call, and if they threaten you, act scared and hesitant. You didn't know anything about the boat. And then say that they must have done something wrong." He handed it over, and Peter answered.

"Hey, guys. How did the boat work out?" Peter sounded normal and happy. Completely ignorant, which was perfect. "It what…?" he asked. "And you think I had something to do with that? Why would I blow up my own boat? The captain must have done something wrong and set the fuel on fire. I don't know, but it isn't about me. You've had the boat for days, and I don't know what you did to it, but that's the second time you've destroyed one of my boats. You won't be getting a third chance." The yelling was loud enough that Michael could hear it happen, but not what was said. "I'm sorry, but I have to give a statement to the coast guard, and I'll be sure to turn over all the information I have and say that you threatened me." The other end of the line went quiet, and then Peter handed the phone back to Thor. "Was that okay?"

"It was perfect. Let them wonder what you might tell the authorities. That is going to light a fire under them."

"Thanks. I tried to react as though I knew nothing," Peter said. "Do you really think they're going to come after me?"

"I don't know," Thor told him. "But I want to make sure you're safe. Now, get going before they have a chance to regroup. This sort of thing is going to have them spinning their wheels a little, but not for long. We need to take advantage of their indecision." Thor helped Peter load his bags into the trunk of the old car. Then Peter left, and Thor sighed as he came back into the house.

"What next?" Michael asked.

"You take Peter's car and make a show of heading out. Don't drive fast or like you're in any sort of hurry. Take the highway through the woods to Navarro, and I'll meet you at the hotel. I have a few phone calls to make. And I'll bring some clothes for you. Once you're there, don't let anyone other than me into the room. Then we'll have to wait and see what happens."

"I don't like this." Michael told Thor, his insides beginning to churn. "Your job was always to observe and report, and now we're in the thick of things. Why?"

Thor turned to him, his eyes filled with worry and determination. "Because this is family. Miller and her team screwed the pooch on this one. That boat exploding has to be the biggest muck up of the year. We could have had them. The boat from Noyo was on the way, and the meet-up craft hadn't even appeared yet. We could have had all of them, and instead, all we have is debris on the surface and a whole lot of nothing otherwise."

"What does Miller say?" Michael was curious what Thor's boss thought.

"She's up to her ears in trying to deal with the mess that she created." Thor pulled out his phone and messaged her, receiving a call right away and leaving the room.

Michael got the keys to Peter's car and prepared to leave. He might as well get to this hotel and hunker down. Michael sat in one of his mother's wingback chairs, his foot bouncing nervously on the floor.

"I was right. She wants me to sit tight while she figures things out," Thor announced once he returned. "I told her I was doing what I had to for my family."

"How does she feel about this?" Michael asked. He didn't want Thor to get into trouble.

"She wasn't too happy, and I explained that it was her screw up that put us all in harm's way. So now we'll do what we have to in order to protect ourselves, and everyone knows that a good offense is the best defense. I'm not just going to sit around. We used Peter to help us try to catch these people, and now he's in the line of fire."

Michael felt the same way Thor did. They had to help Peter, period. "Okay. I'm out of here. I'll meet you at the hotel." Michael slipped his arms around Thor's neck, loving the taste of those lips. "You know, if this wasn't so important, I'd say I was looking forward to spending some alone time with you in a hotel. Maybe see if we could bang the headboard and keep anyone in the room next door awake." He meant the comment as a joke, but Thor closed the distance between them again, the heat building to the point that Michael could barely breathe or think of anything other than the amazing man in his arms.

"Who knows," Thor whispered. Michael chuckled and hugged him tightly. "You better get going, and I'll see you at the hotel in a little while. We need to lock up the house and close the gates, and I have a few calls to make. Then I'll be there." Thor kissed him deeply until Michael's eyes crossed. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Yes, I do." Michael went to the garage and got into Peter's car before heading down the drive and out to the main road.

"You're here with Thor," the older man asked from behind the desk of the old motel that was in surprisingly good condition.

"And you must be his friend from a similar background. I'm Michael." He wasn't sure how much he should say.

"Ernie," he supplied. "He called to say that you were going to be coming and that it was possible that some trouble would be following you. It's okay to talk here. We're alone. Are you the one in trouble?"

Michael shook his head. "My brother. We shipped him off down south, and I'm driving his car, hoping to lure any trouble here. Thor should be less than an hour behind me. He was buttoning things down and is supposed to be laying a little more of a trail for them to follow." Michael sighed.

"I see. You're some kind of Good Samaritan, willing to take the heat for your brother?"

Michael didn't know if he liked that description or not. "I'm here to help my brother, but I'm also determined to have Thor's back. I don't want anything to happed to the stubborn ass."

Ernie nodded slowly, a knowing look in his eyes. "You must be the guy Thor is seeing. Don't worry, it's a small community, and word gets around even to us retired agents. And you're coming here to watch his back? Thor is tough, damned tough. He's sort of a legend in the department."

"Okay. Tell me more." Michael smiled and leaned on the counter.

"I'm not going to gossip with you, kid. But I can tell you that Thor is amazing at what he does. Though if he's willing to get personally involved in a case, the way he seems to be with this one, then this must be really important." Ernie smiled gently. "I always wondered what… or who it would take to get him to open up." He reached behind the counter and handed Michael a room key. "Halfway down, and you can park the car on the far side of the hotel under the tree. It won't be readily visible front the road, but if anyone is really looking, they'll see it. Then go right to the room and wait for Thor. I'll be keeping watch in case someone shows up before he gets here."

Michael swallowed hard, wondering if this was such a good idea. Still, he had committed himself to having Thor's back, and he sure as hell wasn't going to sit at home for days and wonder what was happening. He was better off here, knowing and seeing things for himself. "Thanks." He took the key.

"And don't worry. You got Thor's back, and we can watch out for both of you." His expression broached no more questions, and Michael wondered exactly who Ernie was referring to. "Just go and get out of sight. You don't want to be too obvious."

He nodded and left the office, curious about the guy, but more interested in getting the car in place and himself inside and out of the direct line of fire, if there was going to be any.

Michael hurried back to the motel, unlocked the door, and instantly stepped fifty years back in time. The room was spotless retro tacky, and he loved it. God, if people knew about this place, they'd be flooded. It was a mid-century modern masterpiece, and Michael was willing to bet that Ernie had spent a good deal of time restoring the place to all its fifties glory.

He set his stuff down next to the bed, turned on the television, and settled to wait in a chair next to the window so he could see anyone who approached the building. Thor had said not to let anyone in until he got there.

Michael jumped at the knock on the door.

"Michael, it's me." Thor's voice came through the door, and he unlocked it to let him in. "I parked my truck up a ways and took a back route to the hotel. I wanted to see if there were other ways to approach the building."

"I suppose there are," Michael said. "Are we sitting ducks here?" He forced himself to keep the worry from taking over. "I met Ernie, by the way."

Thor nodded. "I bet you did. He's a real character, and he knows what's going on. That's why I chose this place."

"But is he going to be able to help if someone does take the bait?" Michael peered out the window, and Thor pulled the curtains closed.

"I have a plan. There are units on either side of us. Both of them are closed for renovations, and Ernie has bolted them up tight. No one is going to be able to get into either one of them. The back of the building is a block wall, and there aren't back doors. So, the only way in or out is through the front door. We'll be able to see anyone coming, and I suspect that whoever shows up isn't going to expect any sort of organized response."

Michael looked to Thor. "What sort of response? Do you have a team of mice in your pocket with guns?"

Thor lifted an aluminum suitcase to the bed, opening it to a small arsenal. "Can you shoot?"

Michael scoffed. "You probably should have asked me that before you brought me here, but yeah. I'm a damned good shot. I used to do competitive skeet shooting. It was one of the few times when I thought I might have made my father proud of me. I won a tournament when I was sixteen. My father loved the sport, and he entered the two of us in the tournament. He messed up my application, and I ended up in the same class as him. I beat twenty men twice my age. I'm good with a handgun, but much better with a rifle." He had never pointed a gun at another person, and Michael wasn't sure he would be able to do that even now. But he had insisted on coming along and having Thor's back, and by God, he didn't intend to leave Thor out on his own. He swallowed and pushed the idea from his head.

Thor opened the other case and handed Michael the .22. "Will this work?"

Michael sighted it, wishing he could have the chance to use the gun for practice, but nodded. "It should do."

Thor handed him a box of ammunition and set about loading the guns and getting them ready. He arranged them on the table while peering outside using a crack in the curtains.

"Anything?" God, part of him hoped Thor was mistaken, but the bigger part just wanted this whole thing to be over.

"No." Thor settled down in the chair, holding the gun, appearing to go to sleep.

Michael did his best to rest, but he was too nervous and keyed up to sleep. "Do you do this often? The stakeout sort of thing?" He got up from the bed and then sat back down again. Part of him felt like a spring, coiled, but with nowhere to go.

"I have a number of times. You just have to settle in to wait." Thor took his hand, his thumb lightly rubbing the back of it. "What I do is often a waiting game, and we just have to play it."

Michael nodded and pulled a chair over next to Thor's, hoping some of his calm would rub off.

They sat for what seemed like hours, with Thor checking each time the gravel outside crunched. "Is something happening?" Michael asked as the sun began to set and the light outside started to fade.

"Not yet. Though…." Thor tensed and watched. Michael stood behind him. "A car just drove in. They did a loop through the lot." He nodded slowly, continuing to watch. "I think they just saw Peter's car." Thor turned to him with a smile.

"Did they leave?"

Thor shook his head. "They're going to the office. Ernie knows that to do and has a picture of Peter."

"Is he going to tell them where we are?"

"Nope." Thor smiled. "He's going to say that his guests deserve their privacy and that he can't tell them anything. If they want to visit with a guest, they should call them first." They waited. Sure enough, Peter's phone rang once, and Thor silenced it. Thor checked the number, and Michael wondered what sort of show they were putting on for Ernie's sake. He was starting to see the routine here.

"What's going on now?" Michael asked.

"A second guy, huge, is going into the office. His job is to intimidate Ernie, and this time, he'll let them. He'll tell them our room number, and we need to be ready. Don't shoot anyone if you can help it. I want these two in one piece so they can talk." Thor stood by the side of the door and motioned Michael down on the floor. He took a stance with the rifle ready.

The knock, when it came, was almost too loud. Michael jumped slightly and then steadied himself.

"Peter, we need to talk. It's going to go harder on you if you don't just open the door." The voice was gruff and deep, intimidating as all hell. Thor unlocked the door and opened it, both men barreling into the room.

Michael cocked the rifle on the first one, and Thor pressed his Smith and Wesson to the back of thug number two's head. "You both need to drop the guns and not move, or we blow both your brains out."

Thug Number One held his gun still. "You want to lose that ugly head of yours? Drop it," Michael growled, his finger already depressing the trigger. Thug Number One lowered the gun as Thug Number Two set his down. Michael kept a bead on both of them as Thor zip-tied each of their hands. Then he searched them, pulling out a small arsenal of handguns and knives.

"It's safe," Thor said, and Michael moved, seating Thug Number Two in one of the chairs and binding his feet. Thor did the same to the other one.

"What do you want from us? We aren't going to tell you anything," Thug Number Two said defiantly.

"Sure you are." Thor smiled. "Go get that small bag." He pointed to the suitcase where he'd gotten the guns. Michael opened it again, pulled out the bag, and handed it to Thor. He opened it and laid out a set of nasty looking knives.

"What are you going to do with all that?" Thug Number One asked in a wavering voice.

Thor met his gaze. "I'm going to start cutting things off you. Doesn't matter to me. I'm not the police, and I really don't care what happens to you. When we're done, we'll simply dump what's left of you down some ravine where the animals can pick you apart, and you'll never be found." Thor drew closer. "It isn't like you'll be missed, and anyone who might have known what you were doing certainly isn't going to come looking for you, are they?" He smiled evilly, and Michael swallowed hard.

"He's just bluffing," Thug Number Two said, and Thor turned, nicking him along the shoulder.

"Like I said, I really don't care about either of you. Your only value and hope is in what you can tell me. Then I can call in the authorities, and they can take you both to a nice safe cell. At least you'll be fed." He sat down, and Michael opened the cooler he'd brought along, passing Thor a bottle of water and then a sandwich, which Thor ate and drank in front of their guests before getting up to use the bathroom.

"I need to go," Thug Number One said once Thor returned.

"Then you'll need to wet yourself, and I'll take pictures of that. There are plenty of places they can be shared to make your humiliation public and all the more pathetic." Thor drank some more water and tossed the bottle into the trash. Michael turned away, trying not to smile as Thug Number One quivered in his chair. "Who sent you boys? I want names," Thor said.

"I told you I wasn't going to tell you anything," Thug Number Two said, but the other one was clearly more afraid and watched Thor like a hawk.

"You're allowed to think for yourself," Michael told Thug One gently.

"You keep quiet."

"We weren't even supposed to do this. All we were told to do was find out where he'd gone. That was all. Follow his car and report. That's what Mr. Holton said."

"Reynard Holton?" Thor asked, and Michael stifled a groan. His parents were friends with the Holtons. This was going to be awkward as hell for his father, especially once it came out that they had involved Peter in their illicit operations.

"Keep your big mouth shut!" Thug Number Two yelled, struggling against his bonds. "You know if you open your mouth, he'll shut it permanently. Either that or I will."

"You shut up, Bobby. I didn't sign up for any of this." Thug Number One turned to Michael. "We were just supposed to find this Peter guy. That was all, but Bobby figured he wanted to be a hero and got the bright idea to take him out. Instead, we walked in on you two." He glared at Bobby, and Michael figured they would get everything there was to know. "Look what you got us into. Tied up, and I gotta go. You can wet your pants like a baby, but I'm a man and…." He looked up at him, pleading. "I really got to use the bathroom."

A knock sounded at the door. "It's Ernie."

Thor unlocked it and pulled the door open.

Ernie stepped inside. "Looks like you caught yourself a couple of fish."

"They're minnows, but they named the whopper," Thor said with a smile. "Could you take this one to the bathroom? I don't want him making a mess of the room. And call the department—tell them we have exactly what they want."

"Sure." Ernie took Thug Number One to the bathroom, returned, and got him back in the chair.

Thor and Ernie then began making calls. It took a few hours, but a number of cars pulled into the parking lot. Both men were taken into custody and settled into the back of unmarked DEA vehicles.

"Do you think this is the end of the ring this time?" Michael asked. Thor had gotten a small part of it five months ago, but that hadn't done anything to shut down the flow of meth out of the area. It really seemed they might have gotten to one of the leaders this time around, though.

"I sure as heck hope so," Thor said as he packed away all his weapons and locked them in the case.

Ernie came into the room, closing the door after him. "Those boys are singing like canaries. Apparently, they know where the operation is located. Reynard made a huge mistake sending those two on this little recon mission. He might have thought of them as small fish, but the one doing most of the talking now seems to have seen one hell of a lot, and he's scared as hell."

"Thanks, Ernie," Thor said. "For everything."

"Yeah. I'm heading out of here for a few days, and I suggest you get out of here too. There's no use sticking around, and making yourselves scarce is the best thing you can do until the department mops this up."

"Good idea." Thor smiled as he gathered everything together. "Let's you and I go on down to the city for a few days. After all this, we deserve a little fun." Thor set everything on the bed and drew closer. "And I intend to see to it that we have plenty of it." He kissed Michael hard, and Michael barely heard Ernie leave or the door close behind him.