CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“What do we do now?” asked Samson.
“Now, we get to have some fun,” smiled Luke. He gave a nod to Eric, who steered the boat around the boat in front of him. Behind them were six smaller boats giving directions to others in the parade. Dan and Rett, East and Conor, Leif and Major, and finally, Patrick and Cowboy.
As the floating parade began to thin out, boats parked alongside the bayou and small islands, the boat they were really concerned with seemed to be oblivious. When the boat in front of them stopped, Brockman stood from his throne.
“What’s wrong?” he asked his driver.
“I don’t know. Everyone seems to be moving to the side of the river. That guy is blocking us.”
“Fuck! We have to get in the middle of these boats again. Move around them.”
His man nodded, trying to maneuver the boat around the others. The steering wheel tugged in the opposite direction, and he frowned, pulling on it again. When the engine began to sputter and cut out, he turned to the angry face of his boss.
“What the fuck is happening?” he snapped.
“I don’t know!”
“Oh, we know,” said Moose. He pulled himself onto the boat, dressed in the slick black wetsuit. Garr was right behind, along with Mo, Hoot, JAK, and Ham.
“Who the hell are you?” growled Brockman.
“I think you know who we are,” smiled Garr, pushing back the headcover. “In fact, I think you were hoping we’d be here.”
“Brad,” moaned the woman behind them. “Brad, what’s going on? Are we in Mexico yet? Did the men buy those guns from you?”
“Yeah, Brad. Did the men buy those guns from you?” mimicked Ham.
“She’s sick. She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” he said quietly.
“Did she murder her husband or was that you?” asked Garr.
“I didn’t murder him. We argued, and he tried to kill me,” said Brockman.
“Well, it’s too bad there are no witnesses to that,” said Garr. “I mean, he was left with a knife in his heart in the middle of the men’s room. It feels like someone would have seen his wife going in there with him.”
“I told you. She’s not well.”
“Yes, we’re aware that she’s not well, but I suspect you’re not well either,” said Ham.
Brockman looked behind him, hoping to see the other boat, but he saw nothing. In fact, all the boats seemed to suddenly be gone.
“They’re not here,” smiled Garr. “In fact, that boat has been taken to a remote location to be disposed of. The weapons now belong to us. You and, I’m sorry to say, your sister will be arrested for the murder of Admiral Harris, as well as the murders of the mass shootings.”
“I don’t think so,” he said, smiling at the men. They watched him squeeze his gloved hand into a fist. The smile on his face disappeared, and Garr and Patrick smirked at one another.
“Did you expect something to go boom?” asked JAK.
“What did you do?”
“We did what we’re very good at,” said Garr.
“I’m hot, Brad,” said Marilu. She started to remove her red cape, then the jacket. When her hand reached the belt of her jeans, her brother gripped her wrist.
“No, Marilu. It’s cold out here. You can’t strip. Not here.”
“But I’m hot!” she yelled.
The VG team stared at the woman and her brother. He was trying to take care of her, but she needed more help than he could give.
“She doesn’t know anything,” he said, staring at the men. “Don’t hurt her.”
“We’re not in the habit of hurting women who are sick,” said Garr quietly. “She’ll be taken to a hospital where they’ll give her the care she needs.”
“No. No, you can’t let her go there. They’ll fill her full of drugs, and she’ll get worse. It’s happened before. Don’t you get this! Don’t you understand! I did all of this for her. I did this so she could just live life the way she wants to. Don’t stop me.”
“You have to be stopped, Brockman,” said Garr. “We can’t let you steal weapons, sell them, and use them to create chaos.”
“I need the contracts,” he said in a pleading tone. “I’m begging you.”
“We can’t allow that to happen,” said Ham.
They watched as he moved away from his sister to the edge of the boat. His hands on the rails.
“Don’t do it, brother,” said Garr. “The water is cold, and there are gators and snakes.”
“Take care of her,” he said, looking at the men. “Please take care of her.”
“Don’t!” yelled JAK, rushing the man.
Brockman fell backwards into the bayou, the heaviness of his Santa suit and the weapons on his body weighing him down. JAK started to jump over and get him when Garr gripped his arm, shaking his head at his friend.
“It won’t matter. Let him go the way he wants to. Alvin will bring him to us eventually.”
Garr stared at the water as Brockman’s head went beneath the water once, twice, then a final time as the weight of his clothing and weapons drowned him. His sister just stared, not saying anything at first.
“Ma’am, we need you to come with us,” said Mo.
“Did Brad go to war again? Did he leave me?”
“He didn’t leave you, ma’am,” said Mo. “We’re going to take you to him. Come with us.”
“Okay,” she said calmly. “I’m still warm, though.”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re going to take you somewhere so that you can get undressed. But not here, okay? There are children over there watching.”
She looked up at the banks of the water and saw all the faces staring back at them.
“Children,” she whispered. “I think I have children. Don’t I?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Garr, taking her other arm and leading her off the boat. “They’re all grown up now, but we’ll let them know where we take you.”
With the weapons secured, the second boat ‘lost’ at sea, and the body of Brad Brockman recovered, the men were more than ready to begin the wedding festivities.
Standing at the front of the church, Garr looked down the aisle and felt the tears run down his cheeks as his beautiful bride walked toward him. Sam hugged his daughter, kissing her cheek as he handed her over to Garr.
“I’m entrusting her safety to you now, Garr.”
“Yes, sir. You don’t have to worry about a thing.” He took her hand and turned toward the priest. “You look so beautiful.”
“And you’re the most handsome man in the world,” she smiled.
With the wedding done and the Christmas Eve/Wedding festivities in full swing, Macie and Garr were finally Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Garr Slater. After midnight, Matthew returned from wherever he had gone and was dancing with his beautiful wife on the dance floor.
“Everything alright here?” he asked.
“Oh, you know the boys, they have everything handled,” she smiled. “Good night for you?”
“Perfect night,” he smiled. “I see we have another potential in the making.” He nodded toward Samson and Khloe.
“Yep. I knew she needed to be here sooner than the new year. He’s enjoyin’ bein’ here with the boys and asked if he could return. They’re talkin’ to him about joinin’ the team.”
“As we knew they would,” smiled Matthew. “What do you say we go have our swim in the pond while the festivities are goin’ on? A little break with just you and me.”
“I can’t think of anything better.” Khloe smiled as Matthew and Irene left the tent, then nodded toward Macie and Garr.
“They’re a wonderful couple,” smiled Khloe.
“Yes, I don’t know them well, but they’ve been really great to me,” said Jonas.
“Who are those men?” she asked.
“Oh, I’m not sure exactly. I know they’re former teammates of Conor’s. I think their names are Johnson and Dieter. I only met them briefly.” She nodded, smiling up at him.
“There are so many people here. I didn’t ask, but are you married?” He gave a sad smile and shook his head.
“No. I’m a widower.”
“Oh, gosh. I’m terribly sorry, Jonas.”
“It’s okay. It’s been five years now. What about you? Married? Divorced?”
“Neither. I was engaged but broke it off.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, lying to himself and to her.
“He did something unforgivable.”
“He cheated on you?” he asked.
“No. For me, it was worse. He had a drinking problem and was involved in a hit-and-run accident one night, killing a mother and her unborn twins.” Jonas froze, swallowing the bile building in his throat.
“Wh-where? Where did that happen?” he asked.
“He was on business in Virginia. I was finishing my residency in D.C. He showed up with a head injury, and one of the nurses took care of him before I could get to him. He wouldn’t tell me how it happened, but I put two and two together.”
“Did you report him?” he whispered.
“I did. I called the police, but he ran before they could get there. It’s one of the reasons I decided to come here. I needed to be away from him and somewhere that he couldn’t find me.”
Jonas stopped dancing, staring off across the dance floor.
“Jonas? Jonas, are you alright?” she asked. He stared at her beautiful face and nodded.
“I’m sorry. I think I’m exhausted. I’ll take a raincheck on that tour.” He stepped back from her, giving a strange smile. “Good night, Khloe.”
“Good night,” she whispered. Ajei and Kate stood beside her, linking their hands with hers. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Come with us, honey. I think you need to hear this story.”