The Road Home

[abrightboy]

Raylan's loose ends had been tied in Kentucky and Malcolm's were as tantalizingly close as they'd ever been. He and Raylan made the trip to New York with the intent of discovering the fate of the girl in the box, so they could head down to Miami without... baggage.

They would have to start with the revelation Jessica and Ainsley had made to Malcolm right before Raylan was shot, sending Malcolm back to Kentucky: that Eve had infiltrated the Whitly family to learn more about the Surgeon's victims.

Malcolm let them into the New York loft - a space he considered theirs now, more than his, since they decided they might weather the hurricane season there after moving to Miami - smiling as Sunshine tweeted greetings. Once the door was shut behind Raylan, he opened the door of her cage. Ainsley would have fed her diligently, but nobody would have let her out to fly. Sunshine took off across the loft and Malcolm grinned, watching her go.

He looked at Raylan. "We can still bring her with us when we leave, right?"

Comments

[tinstar]

Raylan glances at Malcolm during the exchange but his eyes landed back on Jessica. She was the lynchpin in this plan working.

"Okay. We can do that." He glances at Malcolm again, hoping the man trusts him enough to keep his mother safe.

"Malcolm can wait out in the surveillance van, that way he's safe and with the rest of the team. That work for you?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm does not look pleased. Not at being sidelined and not at not being on site when the sting happens, but he doesn't say anything, beyond what his face conveys.

Jessica doesn't look at him. "If that's as far away as you think you can keep him."

"Miami is as far away as he's going to keep me," Malcolm says icily.

Jessica does, finally, look at him. "Don't start with me, darling. If Nicholas really is capable of what you're saying and you really are potentially in his crosshairs, then for once in your life I can protect you."

Malcolm's mouth settles into a thin line and he looks at Raylan. He doesn't need that kind of protection. Tell her. Tell her.

[tinstar]

Raylan took a few more steps towards Jessica, one hand settling oh so lightly on the outside of her shoulder, trying to draw her attention away from Malcolm and the emotionally charged argument they were in the middle of having.

There were still a lot of things up in the air.

They didn't have time for this.

"Jessica. You're a good woman for helpin' all of us keep him safe. You're not doin' this alone, okay? I might not be from your side of the tracks but I understand a mother's need to protect her children. An' we're here to stop the threat - the best kind of protection there is. I appreciate you agreein' to work with us. Gimme a few hours to coordinate with the NYPD and get the set up in the basement. You think you can get Endicott to agree to come over for dinner when you call him?"

[abrightboy]

“Never underestimate a man’s inability to turn down the hospitality of a woman they think they should possess,” she told Raylan stonily. “He’s already invited me to dinner. A sob story about how I feel safer in my home with everything that’s going on and how much the presence of a big strong man like himself would make it so much better will bring him running.”

Malcolm was still looking expectantly at the side of Raylan’s head. He hadn’t told her yet.

[tinstar]

"Then we're set." His hand fell and he looked over under the weight of Malcolm's eyes.

He knew what Malcolm was expecting. He looked back at Jessica.

"We'll be back inside 45 minutes. I hope you're ready to have a whole host of people in your house."

Turning back to Malcolm, he corrals the man with one soft arm, guiding him out of the room so he could safely talk.

"Let her have this one. It will be good for her and it gives you a good place to argue from.. Trust me, okay?"

[abrightboy]

“But what if something happens?” Malcolm asks. “You’re going to be in here and I’m going to be out there where I can’t help you!”

lets bump to when its all set up?

[tinstar]

"You're gonna be outside to run in and save me," Raylan reasoned as they reach the door and he digs into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. "I know it's not exactly what you want darlin', but this really is a compromise. It puts thirty feet between us and I've seen you run. It'll be okay."

He pulls up Gil's number and dials it as the front door closes behind them.

"Hey, Gil. I've got an idea."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm is somewhat mollified by that - enough to go along with the plan - but Gil is none too happy about using Jessica as bait. He also knows the chances of changing her mind, though, so he just insists on being in the basement instead.

Malcolm is a fidgety presence in the surveillance van as Endicott walks up to the door of his family home.

[tinstar]

Raylan would take whatever concessions he had to, all the better to keep Jessica safe, to keep Malcolm as satisfied with the situation as he could. Gil was a good cop and Raylan trusted him.

Down in the basement, it was dead silent, save the sound coming out of their earphones as Endicott came in.

Jessica was an impeccable host, and Raylan bit his knuckle as he waited for her to turn the conversation towards what they needed.

[abrightboy]

He turned the conversation towards Jessica, how he had fallen for her, how she should be with him… how he could keep her children safe and ensure her ex-husband never darkened her life again.

When he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, that was when Malcolm jumped out of the surveillance van and burst into the house.

“Hello, mother, I hope I’m not late for dinner,” he said as he walked in, then pretended to notice Endicott there. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you had company,” Malcolm remarked.

Jessica’s brilliant smile became tighter, but remained in practiced place. “Darling, you remember Nicholas Endicott,” her voice said. Her eyes said she might kill Malcolm herself at this point.

[tinstar]

It was disgusting to listen to and if there wasn't a damned good reason for them doing all this, Raylan would have already been up there shoving the man around. But he wasn't on in ear with the surveillance van and the sound of someone - Malcolm bursting in had Raylan shoving off his earphones with a swear.

Goddamnit.

Pulling his gun, Raylan silently made his way up to the top of the basement steps, head and ears tilted towards the living room. As much as he wanted to race in, he had to let some of this play out, lest he ruin it himself.

'I hope you know what the hell you're doin',' he thought to himself.

[abrightboy]

“This is why you never keep him where you can’t grab his collar,” Gil whispered.

Of course he was right behind Raylan.

Malcolm, meanwhile, continued his charade.

“Endicott… right, of course. Of the pharmaceutical empire. What brings you to our humble abode?” he asked gamely.

“Just having dinner with your delightful mother. Discussing the future,” Endicott said, giving her a broad smile.

Jessica glanced away almost coyly, but Malcolm recognized the discomfort in her expression.

“The future. A bit soon for that kind of talk isn’t it?” Malcolm snorted.

“When two people know what they want, what’s the point of wasting time?” Endicott said airily.

[tinstar]

There was no way in hell Raylan was gonna tell Gil to go back; he was grateful to have the experience behind him. Instead, he huffs a breath and shakes his head, jaw working out as he turns back to listen to the conversation. Now that they were in the shit, they had to just deal with what they were given.

Raylan had to trust that Malcolm knew how to control the situation. He might be a little manic right now, but he was trained, he knew what they were after, what it meant.

He was sure Malcolm wouldn't fuck that up. Not when it meant his family's safety.

[abrightboy]

“Are you talking about what two people want or are you talking about what you want?” Malcolm asks. “Because I feel like you’re not accustomed to being told ‘no’.”

“I’m never told ‘no’,” Endicott says, his tone a little darker.

“Or else what?” Malcolm asks hypothetically.

“You know… you remind me a little of your dad,” Endicott says, gesturing towards Malcolm with his wine glass. “Be a shame if you got picked up for a similar crime.”

“Malcolm is not his father,” Jessica informs him icily.

“Oh, Jess, you’re a loving mother and a good person, but you have a notorious blind spot for the murders of the Whitly men.”

“A similar crime,” Malcolm muses. “Where would you get one of those?”

“People get killed in this city every day, Malcolm,” Endicott informs him condescendingly.

[tinstar]

Antsy, Raylan couldn't stay in one spot and silently slipped around the corner, tucking himself against the wall and doorframe edge that separated him from the dining room with Gil silently in tow. It was better that they were both hearing this, that everyone else downstairs was hearing and recording this too - Better for the court case that was inevitably going to follow this mess, in the end. Malcolm wasn't going anywhere near charges if Raylan and his badge had a say.

Court case or paperwork but Raylan knew they weren't getting out without either one.

He wasn't sure if Endicott was stupid enough to pull a weapon, but he listened for the familiar shuffle of fabric that would come with it, the gasp that Jessica would likely give out at the draw - his mind spiraled with the ways that this could go wrong.

How did Endicott think he was getting out of the trap he was mindlessly sitting in?

[abrightboy]

"So a murder will happen and you'll... what, interfere in the investigation? Tamper with the evidence?"

"I won't do anything. I don't have to. I have people for that. I own this town."

"You can own whatever you want," Jessica tells him. "You can't make an innocent man commit a murder!"

"For all intents and purposes? Sure I can. DNA is easy to get these days and nobody questions it."

[tinstar]

There it was. Basically a Golden Ticket in a pretty little chiffon wrapping. It was a threat, a confession. All on tape. But not the one they were looking for and not a reason to burst in. Jessica hadn't asked him to leave, he was posing no threat, physically. Raylan hated that he had to follow these rules but they were tight for a reason.

They needed to get to Eve and Raylan was smart enough to be following out the slowly tugging threads on Endicott, playing with his arrogance, his expectation of winning no matter what. God, Raylan couldn't wait to see the look on his face when they finally burst in.

This had to be in service of Eve and putting her murderer away. The dominos that fell after it would all be in their favor.

[abrightboy]

"The person who killed Eve wasn't innocent, though," Malcolm points out.

"Poor, innocent Eve," Endicott coos. "She just wanted to help people. She shouldn't have gotten so mixed up with the underbelly of the city and the Whitly curse."

Malcolm's voice takes on a harder edge as he replies "The person who attacked my father wasn't innocent."

Endicott smiles and throws back his drink. "Honestly, I'm surprised nobody killed him a long time ago. He has a lot of enemies."

[tinstar]

Raylan wishes he had an earpiece in Malcolm's ear. They were so close and Raylan was looking forward to getting this fucking slimeball on every charge they could. He gave Malcolm an extra fortyfive seconds and then-

To hell with it. They had enough that any good lawyer worth their salt would be able to put Endicott away for a good number of years. He gestures at Gil and counts them down. Three, two, go go go.

Raylan steps out gun raising to narrow in on Endicott as he announces them loudly with: "US Marshals, nobody move!" Gil followed behind him, gun also raised and leveled at Endicott while he glances up and down Jessica and Malcolm to make sure they were okay.

[abrightboy]

Endicott smiles, taking a sip from his glass.

"Gentlemen. I don't know what you think you're here to accomplish, but let me assure you that all you're doing is creating legal problems for your various... agencies," he tells them, unconcerned.

"You hired the assassin that killed Eve and attacked Martin Whitly in his cell," Malcolm says firmly.

"Prove it," Endicott smirks.

[tinstar]

"You've already admitted to conspiracy to impede and interfere with police investigations, evidence tampering, and whatever else we can dig up from under every rock we gotta overturn to find your shell companies, your papertrail, your phone records.."

He steps in a little further, Gil following and heading towards Jessica as he watches Endicott. Malcolm could mostly handle himself, Jessica needed the cover.

Raylan continues. "Plenty to take you in and hold you for 72 hours while we get a Judge to sign off on gettin' that information."

[abrightboy]

“You have people for that. We’ll find them and flip them and put you away for good,” Malcolm tells him venomously.

Endicott just laughs outright and takes a casual sip of his wine.

[tinstar]

"Alright, up on your feet," Raylan tells Endicott, moving towards him, pistol kept raised as he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a pair of cuffs, expertly kicking one open with his fingers.

"No lawyer in the world is able to stop the fact you're bein' arrested on suspicion of conspiring to the murder of Eve Blanchard."

[abrightboy]

“Maybe not,” Endicott muses as he stands, letting Raylan cuff him. “Just consider what happened to the last person Malcolm Whitly was intimate with. She got nosy about my business too. She didn’t have anyone left in her life, but don’t you have a kid, Deputy Givens?”

Malcolm grabs the gun out of Gil’s hand and points it furiously at Endicott’s face.

“STOP!” he shouts through gritted teeth. “JUST STOP!”

[tinstar]

His pistol isn't put away until he's got one cuff around Endicott's wrist and only so that he can get the man into the cuffs to begin with, and all for the better with the threat that falls out of Endicott's mouth. Okay so maybe Endicott's cuffs went on a little tight, but before Raylan could spit anything out from behind his teeth, Malcolm had a gun pulled.

"Watch out, Nick," said with the sharp edge of an offensive familiarity, "He knows how to shoot and I ain't afraid to get a little bloody."

Gil didn't take things as calmly as Raylan did, bursting out with a "HEY, Hey-" and raising a hand as he steps up towards Malcolm, resting a hand on his raised arm but not putting any pressure on it. "Malcolm. Think about what you're doing right now. You shoot him here, you're letting him win. Let us handle this. Please." He was asking for Malcolm's own sake, no one else's. Don't make him cart both father and son out of here in cuffs.