"Yeah, okay. You, too. See you later." He headed out and fired up his bike to go to work...
Eli thumbed through some paperwork at the counter in the back of the shop and glanced over his shoulder as Tal joined him. “Hey.”
“Morning.”
“You, um…heard from Ryan?”
“Nothing in particular…why? Everything okay?”
Eli kept his eyes on the clipboard. “Well…Alec Banks is dead. He was…killed during an Elite case.”
Tal blinked. “Wow, that’s…a surprise.” He shrugged. “Can’t say I’m disappointed about one less thorn in my side, though.”
Eli finally looked up at him. “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?”
“What? You feel differently? Alec was the only man who ever succeeded in making me afraid to even go home at night. Not to mention he was insanely obsessed about me being with his ex, and couldn’t ever let that whole thing rest even when he was over his little beat-up-Tal phase. So, no, I don’t think I’m being harsh.”
Eli sighed and focused again on the paperwork. “Well, Ryan was rather upset about it last night, so just tread carefully.”
“Even in death, Alec is making things difficult. I’m not gonna lie about how I feel.”
“I’m not asking you to!” Eli’s frustration came out in his tone. “Look, I understand, but you gotta realize that despite Alec’s stupid and wrong choices, he and Ryan were still close once. And he was a friend of mine once, too. We may not have had a good relationship recently, but he’s still gone, and there’s still a hole there. So just…if all you have to say is negative, then for all our sake’s, keep it to yourself until we’ve worked through it.”
It was rare for the two friends to exchange any kind of harsh words, and Eli did feel badly, but there was more here than Tal was willing to acknowledge, and it wasn’t helping matters. Eli picked up the clipboard and headed to the other room. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
Scott managed a little smile for Hope before he stood up. He did appreciate her never-ending encouragement and graciousness, even if he couldn’t always express it well. Maybe some ice cream really would help…
…The next few days at the Elite office were strange ones. Alec had been gone from the team for so long, yet there was still a sense of loss. He had succeeded in gaining them intel, and in return had lost his life. It was no small act.
During the course of work, Scott and Dalton stumbled upon a current file that had apparently been misplaced by someone in the Agency. But it served to confirm what everyone already thought to be true. The file held a report of Alec’s intrusion into their outpost, their discovery of his presence, and the method with which they ended his life. If there had been any doubt of his death before, or any faint hope that he had survived, it no longer existed. And as such, Reese made preparations. They at least owed it to the memory of Alec to gather and remember…
Eli tucked in his collared shirt and ran a hand through his hair before exiting the bathroom. He’d thought about staying home today. But something inside said he should go to the service for Alec. He knew Ryan was going – maybe he was going for her. Or maybe himself. The whole thing was just messed up. But he still couldn’t deny there had been good times. So he would try to dwell on those things.
“Ryan? You ready?” he hollered down the hallway. The service would start in twenty minutes at the cemetery.
Jason stood outside the hospital room, ready to help Misty, if need be. It was going to be a hard day – for more than one person. For him. For Misty. Carson. Mackenzie. With the actual proof of Alec’s death, a service was only right. But it was a day to say goodbye. And such a farewell would not be easy.
Carson paced in small circles under a tree in the cemetery. He was just a short ways from where they would lay a marker for Alec. Without a body, it made things better and worse, both. But the Elite had agreed to afford Alec at least a location where others could visit. The hardest part for Carson was knowing that he was supposed to share a short speech, and he didn’t feel ready. At all.
Axel had helped him through this past week, but he felt far from at peace with all of this. Life had to go on. But that didn’t mean it would be easy.
Justin stood nearer the small plot laid out, one hand hooked in his jeans pocket, and the other on Mackenzie’s shoulder. The girl’s eyes were full of shock and sadness, but she had agreed to coming. She had not taken the news well, and had seen Justin almost every day this last week to get through it. Today the tears were gone, and she was very quiet. Even the sight of her dad nearby wasn’t enough to bring a smile. Not in this place. First, Misty was hurt, then Alec was killed. It wasn’t fair, and she just wanted everyone to be together again. But things would never be the same now.
Justin had planned to come anyway, for Carson’s sake, but had made sure to clear his schedule after Mackenzie had said she wanted to be here. Her parents had left her in his and Carson’s care for the length of the service and would pick her up later. It seemed the most appropriate way to handle things at the moment, though nothing seemed to have a real right or wrong at this point. Justin’s only concern was a setback with Mackenzie if she was allowed to dwell on her sorrow for too long.
Eric stood and laughed, shaking his head at Ashlee. “Hey, now. I may be old, but I’m not dead. Come on. Let’s go for a ride.”
It felt good that he and Ashlee were okay again. He was just glad to have figured it all out, especially before he’d have to leave again…
…It was that same evening, and Eric found himself alone in the barn hayloft, gazing out over the sky after the sun had just disappeared. Stars were just beginning to appear, and a cool breeze brought relief from the hot day. He was more sore than he’d like to admit, and knew the next day would be even worse, but he was far from ready to go to bed. He’d left supper rather quickly to find his way here where he found few answers to what was bothering his heart and mind. Maybe somewhere deep down, he hoped Stacy would find him here where they often sat together to stargaze. But whether she came tonight or not, his search for an answer continued to plague him. Up until this morning, he’d been so sure of what he should do. And now…it was blurry again.
