Unexpected 1: Trojan Horse

Chapter 13: Grand finale

The men found an empty table in the seating area just outside the hospital cafeteria. Since it was already ten, it was mostly deserted. Only one young woman accompanied them, talking on the phone nonchalantly in one of the benches far to the left. Deacon guided the guys to sit in the farthest table from her. He wanted to make sure no one could hear, not a soul.

"Deac, man! You got us all scared here!" Hondo hadn't seen this side of Deacon since he and Luca helped him escape from the loan shark that gave him money for lil Victoria's surgery, but that was a couple of years ago. Hondo knew that anything that rattles Deacon is something serious.

"What is it, Deac? Spill it!" even Luca couldn't hide his panic, "Did something happen with Annie?"

"The kids okay?" intervened Tan

"Guys"- Hondo turned to look at them- "I don't think this has to do with Annie or the kids. Right, D?" Hondo was just trying to guess, while fighting his nerves. He looked at Deacon closely, to try to decipher the secrecy.

All this time Deacon listened with a deep frown on his face. After Hondo spoke, he took a deep breath, and stared for some seconds far to the right, with regret.

"I don't-" he stopped himself, he shook his head

All three men looked intently at him, none had even touched the bags of food. The cutlery had been set out in the table, untouched as well.

"D?"- Hondo said, as he moved his hand across the table and placed it in front of the worried officer, sitting in front of him- "Get it out, man. We're here."

Deacon swallowed hard, then lowered his gaze. He exhaled slowly, and proceeded. "Off the record?" his eyes were just pleading for help. His palms were sweaty and he felt his short sleeve shirt soaking wet with perspiration.

All three could only nod, as the tension made them paralyzed.

"Ok" he stood, stretching his legs. He put both hands inside of his pants pockets and stood looking directly at his teammates. He said, "You have to promise me this stays with us, and no one else. No Hicks, Lynch, absolutely nobody. Not even"- he stopped, looked at each of his friends straight in the eye- "not even your loved ones!"

The others looked at each other quizzically, and nodded quickly.

Deacon took two steps back, looked up the building and then returned his gaze to the table. He slowly took a seat next to Tan, as Hondo and Luca stared at him from the other side of the table intensely. Deacon nodded, and continued.

"Every night, when I get home"- he closed his eyes and grinned-"Annie receives me with this look. It's tender, soft, worrying, relaxed- it's-it's hard to explain!- just-" he opened his eyes to find the others paying close attention- "it's difficult to explain, you know? She gives me the same look and always says 'I'm glad you're home, safe with us.' Every day. Every. Single. Night. But"- he paused again, looking far away-"it's the look. I don't know how to explain it, but"- he nodded slowly-"it's so soothing, loving, tender...A look that only a woman can show. I've never seen a man with that delicate touch, but in women is so"- he paused-"magical."- he paused again frustrated-"I don't know if I'm making any sense."

Tan interrupted almost immediately, without even thinking it twice. "Yeah, I know that look. Bonnie gives me that same look right before she hugs me tight, every night when I make it home. It's"- he paused, looking down at the table-"It reassures me, you know? Saying I love you, but I'm worried sick. Makes me believe she actually cares."

Hondo spoke softly "It's woman's touch, guys. Ain't no man ever gonna be able to replace that. It's in their nature."

"I getchu, coz I remember my moms used to receive my dad with a look so soft... like saying 'I'm glad you're here' and it made my dad happy, you know?" Luca joined in, as he reminisced his own past.