Don't Look Like a Seal Pt. 06

Karly popped out from where she had been hiding behind the rear wheels and hurried to Alex's side. She started to try and push her way past him but he held her back.

"Stay with me until Det Young secures the scene," Alex ordered her and could hear Det. Young calling for an ambulance on her radio.

The radio blared out a confirmation of her request and she turned and shouted down to Alex.

"Alex, we need some help up here," She called out.

"I need you to go to my car, Karly," Alex told Karly since he was unsure who needed the ambulance. "I'm going to get your mom and bring her to you but you cannot get on the plane. Understand?"

"No, I don't understand," She argued. "Whose hurt? Where is my mom?"

"That's what I'm going to find out," He said, "but I can't do that and protect you too."

She finally nodded when Det. Young called out for Alex again. He started back up the stairs as Karly went to his car to wait. He stepped over the prone body of Cassidy and saw that Det. Young had the other shooter handcuffed and on his knees. Recognition dawned on Alex when he saw him in profile.

"Frank Nelson? You were the one that was backing all of this?" He asked him.

"Damn right I did," He sneered. "After that bitch Addison went snooping around my little money siphoning scheme I needed the distraction. I hope that I killed at least one of your pals, Kortesis. That would make all of this worthwhile."

Alex looked down the aisle of the jet and saw where Mrs. Voss was trying to attend to me. He fought down the urge to shoot Nelson and hurried to my side.

****

A Few Hours Later

"He refused treatment again," Alex told Scottie which caused an eruption of laughter from those gathered at the table.

The team alongside Mr. and Mrs. Voss, Addison, Karly and Joe were seated poolside at the estate.

"Of course he did," Scott chuckled and turned to me. "You and hospitals, I swear."

"No hot blonde to force you to go this time around, huh?" Ramon chimed in.

I winced inwardly but managed a pained smile.

"Not this time but a feisty red head almost had me convinced to go but thanks to Det. Young's insistence on me putting on a vest I just have a couple of ugly bruises," I told them as I absentmindedly rubbed my chest.

"Way better than the alternative," Karly commented and I gave her a nod. "That blonde detective of yours almost had you convinced to go."

"He has a weakness," Ramon smiled as the others laughed.

"She had a shotgun," I retorted once the laughter died down.

"I still do," Det. Young announced as she and Det. Lang joined us poolside.

"Detectives," Mr. Voss greeted them. "I didn't expect to see you until the morning at the earliest. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, sir," Det. Young answered. "Mr. Nelson has been processed and there are several agencies that are lining up to question him as we speak. He broke a lot of laws that garnered a lot of attention now that it's come out."

"How did it come out exactly?" Mr. Voss asked. "I thought that he would immediately demand a lawyer then shut his mouth about his involvement in all of this."

"Once we were able to connect him to the warehouse and the mercenaries that he hired he started talking," Det. Young said then glanced at me. "He had incentive to spill all of it."

"A pissed off Russian can do that," I said.

"How long have you known?" Alex grumbled.

"Isn't that a discussion for another time?" I asked him.

He reluctantly nodded and I knew that it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation later but at least I had put it off for now.

"So while they argue over who gets first dibs we get a break," Det. Lang chimed in to get the conversation back on track.

"A well deserved break," Mrs. Voss commented.

The detectives sat down with us and were offered drinks.

"How's the case looking?" Mr. Voss asked once they were settled.

"With what your daughter was able to find out about the missing money from your company with her trip to Belarus which was corroborated by Mr. Kortesis it's looking good," Det. Young said.

"It's a slam dunk on that end," Det. Lang said. "We've already connected that money to the same money that he used to rent the warehouse and hire that goon squad of that Williams guy to try and grab your family."

"I still can't believe that Cassidy was a part of this. He was with us for two years," Mrs. Voss said.

"We were able to get a look into his bank accounts and, for what it's worth, it took a substantial amount of money to buy him off," Det. Lang said while Det. Young shook her head.

Det. Lang saw her then coughed before he added.

"Mr. Nelson will be going away for a long time over all this is what I'm saying," He said.

"So what's next for you all?" Det. Young asked to change the subject.

"Ramon and I are headed back up to New York in a few days," T. J. answered. "Now that we're sure our boys are safe."

"Well Grayson is still breathing so I don't know how safe it is for Scottie and Alex but our restaurant isn't going to run itself," Ramon joked.

"I think that Lis and I are headed south," Scott answered as he patted Lissa's knee.

"Smart man, Scottie," Ramon chuckled. "Put some distance between you and Ken here."

"It's not like that and Ken knows it," Scott said.

"We can use a little rest and relaxation after all of this. I'm thinking Florida," Lissa said. "Michelle always talks up Key Largo so I want to see it, the rest of the Keys and DisneyWorld too."

I chuckled to myself at the mention of Key Largo since Michelle and I had watched the movie of the same name not too long ago. I looked over and saw that Karly was giving me a knowing smile even if it looked a little sad.

****

"She will be back you know?" Karly asked as she joined me out on the beach.

We had said goodbye to most of our friends several minutes ago. I went for a walk on the beach while she went in with her family.

"Karly, you should be with your family," I told her. "You had a really long day."

"That's what Addison said but I'm still kind of decompressing from it all," She told me. "I take it that you don't want to talk about Michelle right now?"

"Not really," I admitted.

"Okay," She answered.

We walked in silence back through the gate and halfway back to the main house before she spoke again.

"How long are you staying around?" She asked.

"Probably another week. Until Alex has his team fully in place," I answered.

"Sure you can't stick around longer?" She asked.

"I will always come back if you need me but this isn't my sort of thing," I told her. "I'll get soft living in the lap of luxury all the time. I will visit often though because it is nice to visit."

She smiled and nudged my arm.

"With daddy buying you a boat I doubt that you'll be living in squalor, Kenny," She laughed.

"I still can't talk him out of that huh?" I asked.

"Not unless you've reconsidered becoming the head of security here you can't," She answered then held up her hands. "I already know your arguments against that and I get it so no need to go over them again with me."

"Thanks, Red," I smiled at her. "I knew that you would understand."

"Yeah," She nodded then smiled. "I'm leaving in a few weeks and taking all the excitement with me so you'll be bored here."

"Now that you mention it, I could use some boredom," I joked.

"Keep that up and I'll have you joining me in London, mister," She laughed as we reached poolside where Alex still sat as he nursed a drink.

Karly remembered that he and I needed to talk so she excused herself and left me there with Alex. He was silent as I took a seat at the table.

"Look, about Yuri," I started but he shook his head and waved me off.

"Let's celebrate today's victory a little longer, Ken," He said. "Right now I don't care about Yuri and I'm only slightly pissed that you didn't clue me in that he was in my backyard."

"Alex, there was very little chance that you and Yuri would cross paths," I said. "Besides it's not you that should be the one that's worried about Yuri."

"Yeah, the shark backed him down," Alex chuckled. "He will not take that lightly. You bought yourself a world of trouble with that little stunt."

"Tell me something I don't know," I sighed.

"Is that why you aren't taking this gig? Afraid that Yuri will come looking and you don't want the Voss' caught up in it?" Alex asked.

"That's part of the reason," I admitted then spread my arms. "You can't tell me that you could see me living here and running security. That's not me."

"All you need are the short shorts, a Detroit Tigers cap and pair of dogs that hate your guts," Alex joked.

"And the Ferrari," I smiled. "I would seriously reconsider this if I got access to the Ferrari."

"The Voss' would just forward your paychecks to the state to pay for your traffic tickets if you drove around in a Ferrari," He laughed.

"Yeah but it would be fun though," I smiled. "What about you? Why aren't you jumping on this opportunity?"

"I've got a business to run," he said.

"And it got weird with Addison," I said.

"It didn't get weird," He argued then after a beat he sighed. "Okay, so it got weird but I had to question her."

"If you say so, Alex," I responded.

Before he could say something else Joe emerged from the house and joined us at the table.

"How's your head, Joe?" I asked as he sat.

"Still hurts," He answered. "I am not cut out for this kind of work, guys."

"You could always join me on my fishing charters if you weren't afraid of the ocean," I said. "Update my electronic gear, drive the boat, that sort of stuff."

"Man, I'll take the ocean over getting smacked over the head by a lunatic any day," Joe answered. "Are you serious about this?"

"We can talk over specifics later but yeah," I nodded. "I could use a hand and you can help out from the office when I'm on a case."

"Away from the lunatics," Alex chuckled.

"I'm in," Joe laughed.

"Of course you are," Alex shook his head then looked at me. "Can't believe that you're taking the best tech guy I ever worked with and making him a fisherman."

"We can all use a change every now and again," I told him. "Besides if you need us, you know where to find us."

Alex nodded and took a sip from his glass.

"I do and I might even... hell, I will be kicking a few cases your way when I need the help," He said. "You aren't going to disappear on me again are you, Ken?"

I shook my head.

"No," I answered. "I think I'm almost where I belong."

****

Epilogue 12 months later

"Addison, you have a visitor asking for you," Mr. Voss called out to his daughter.

Addison appeared from her room then made her way down to the front hall where her father stood with a man she didn't know.

"Can I help you?" Addison asked the stranger who appeared upset.

"Hi," the man said. "You don't know me but I think that... I mean that I'm... I'm here about Michelle."

"What about her?" Addison asked suddenly worried.

She hadn't heard from Michelle for a couple of months. Not since the Australian expedition that Michelle was on had ended.

"I'm Justin Busfield," He introduced himself. "She was with me at a first aid station in Africa. It was overrun and... and she's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean that she's gone?" Mr. Voss demanded as he reached out and hugged Addison to him.

"I told her to get on the truck with me but she wouldn't," Justin said as he shook his head. "She kept putting villagers on until it was full. We had to leave her there."

"You left her! You left her there to die!" Addison shouted at him.

He backed away, sure that if she wasn't being restrained by her father that she would be trying to rip his throat out.

"I don't know that she's dead but..." Justin started then paused. "I just don't know. She talked about you a lot. I thought you should know."

"Please come sit," Mr. Voss offered. "You look like you could use a drink and I need some more information on what happened to Michelle. Addison?"

"I need a minute," Addison told him, turned and went back up to her room.

She returned and found them in her father's study a few minutes later. She was dressed to go out and her father commented on it.

"I have to go tell, Kenneth," She told him. "He needs to know."

"Addison, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Her father warned her but she shook her head.

"He needs to know and he needs to hear it from me," She said adamantly. "I owe him that."

Mr. Voss nodded and so did Addison while she fought back tears. She fought them the entire ride to the marina where she knew his boat was docked. She wondered how she would tell him about Michelle and how he would react. She hoped that he would somehow be able to make things better but she didn't have any idea how he could do that. She had no idea how anyone could.