Chain Reaction 3.10: Rat Hunt

Ethan

     Drake came through for me. Of course, he did just murder his wife, but she wasn't that great a person anyway. Not that I condone his actions.

     Well, what do you know? The slimy little bastard Malcolm does his own dealings instead of sending a lackey. Just like Drake said. To be perfectly honest, I worried Drake was setting me up for a trap.

     Malcolm stands at the end of an alley with two men. 

     Finn walks soundlessly up behind me. The busy street near us helps hide his voice when he mutters, "This had better not be another of your wild goose chases." I'd asked him to be my backup in a very official way.

     "That's Gerard Saunders, a higher-up in SIMS. Why would he be meeting with Malcolm Landgraab in the middle of the night?" I mutter back.

     "Exactly. It's too obvious."

     "Sometimes, things are as obvious as they seem."

     "And we're hunting rats, not geese." I smile to his scowl. He took a lot of heat standing up for me with the chief the way he did. After I'd been fired, Finn was mad. I'm not sure specifically why, and I don't know if I want to ask. I'd rather just tell myself that he supported me and my decision to go rogue and capture Malcolm with or without permission. But something must've happened to hurt Finn's career. The chief retired. I know Finn wanted the position. Obviously, he didn't get it. I wonder if he partially blames me.

      And I see Finn brought the cavalry. He quietly introduces his new partner, McGuire.

     I look at the kid and smirk. "Ready, Jerry?" I wonder if he even got my joke.

     "Let us handle it, Mr. Taylor."

     "Three-on-three. You need my help." I'd have preferred much more backup, but I also didn't want to risk too many people knowing about our little ambush.

     Finn sighs. "Just don't be an idiot." We have the element of surprise going for us, and we'd better not waste it.

     The only good part about Malcolm getting himself out of a mess is that he inevitably gets back into one, and I enjoy being the one to catch him.

     The operation is pretty standard if you don't take into account the big names we're dealing with. When we first approach, Saunders' bodyguard starts to draw a weapon. Finn doesn't mess around and neutralizes him. I beeline for Malcolm while Jerry McGuire threatens Saunders himself. I'm nervous sicking the rookie against the bigwig from SIMS, but from what I can observe, Saunders wasn't that great at the more militaristic aspect of the agency. The kid is fine.

     I snarl down to my old nemesis while he starts begging me to let up. "This is for Mikey." With each name, I push my foot harder into him. "And Chloe. And Charlotte. And Claire's parents. And this..." I kick him in the ribs. "Is for me."

     He coughs and rolls over, but no way in plum am I going to let him stand up. I do, however, remind myself that I can't have him suing me for assault. 

      Go ahead and let him try! I have Alexander Goth and his entire legal team backing me.

      "Did you really think you could get away with this, Malcolm?"

      "I have no idea what you're talking about," he sputters.

      "Sure you don't."

      "Get over it, Ethan. We successfully proved that I killed her in self-defense. She was trespassing."

      I lean down and say quietly right into his ear. "Don't tempt me to bash your head into the pavement and spill your rancid blood all over these stones just like that Tony would love for me to do. Believe me; I'd enjoy it, but you're not worth jail. Thanks to you, my children only have one parent."

      Finn comes back from securing the other guy in his squad car, ready to take Malcolm from me. If it were anyone but Finn, I'd insist upon taking Malcolm in myself. But I hand him over, praying this time that he's locked up for good.

      Saunders gets locked up, getting a lot of the heat I'd hoped would be aimed at Malcolm. I'm livid, but they're more worried about their official on the inside handing things over than the one who was turning the most profit from it.

      Even though I fear his lawyers will find some damn loophole to set the rat free again, they fail. Malcolm is charged just as heavily as his accomplice. He's put in a higher-security prison than last time with no chance of his lawyers ever finding any way out of this for him.

     It may not be justice for murdering Claire, but seeing that man go behind bars for good is a sight I will, happily, never forget.

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Next chapter is back to Charlotte!