Fulcrum

Chapter twelve

Cleo's morning started out great until he woke up and walked to great everyone else, only to see Felicia talking Walker. Normally she wouldn't mind seeing them together since she knew the two were close, but the ranger kept showing up and wouldn't go away. It was starting to get on her nerves, if this guy planned on helping, then why wasn't he getting them what they needed? Overhearing Felicia's cries and talk about being raped, Cleo made the wrong conclusion. She thought that Walked was the one who did it, and her respect for the man instantly became deep hatred. How could Felicia hang around this man? The media was right he was a maniac.

She cleared her throat and interrupted their conversation. Looking like a shark sniffing for blood.
"Felicia what is going on here?" Cleo asked.
"Oh Cleo I was just..." Felicia stammered. She hadn't told anyone the story she shared with Walker, and she didn't really want to share it again.
"We were just talking," Walker said. "Felicia and I have a lot to catch up on." He hadn't actually interactted with Cleo yet or any of Felicia's friends really. It wasn't because he didn't want to but none of them seemed to trust him. He didn't blame them, law enforcers were like monsters in the night to them.

"Haven't you two done enough of that?" Cleo asked crossing her arms. "As the owner of this shelter I want you to leave." She didn't scream but her blood was boiling.
"Cleo!" Felicia exclaimed surprised by her friend's sudden change in behavior.
"Its okay I have to go anyway." Walker responded. With all this information Felicia had given him, he wanted to get the proof he needed to lock Avis up.
"No you don't have to," Felicia said. "Cleo whatever you're thinking stop it alright? He's not going to take me to jail." Cleo didn't respond and walked away with a snarl on her face. This Texas Ranger was not tricking her best friend, Cleo refused to allow that.

"She sure seems friendly," Walker commented trying to lighten the tension. Felicia apologized to him and teared up a bit. "Are you okay?"  Felicia nodded. She trusted that he wouldn't tell anyone her secrets, and hopefully Jake would soon be finished up with the drive.
"I just wish she hadn't reacted that way towards you," Felicia responded. "Since Denise is the DA now, Cleo has been acting that way towards anyone wearing a badge."
"Its okay I'm probably not liked around here," Walker responded. Asher joined them since he had been left waiting for awhile and wanted to know what was going. "Sorry about all this bud, you've seen more conflict then I have in the past year." Asher of course couldn't hear him but he clung to Walker anyway.

"I told you he would warm up to you," Felicia smiled. The sweet interaction made her forget all her worries and thought about what he said about being herself. How long had she been hiding under false names and a disguises? Maybe just for one day she would embrace being herself. "Walker I've been thinking."
"What about?" He asked.
"About what you said and if you let get out of this ridiculous outfit, I'll come with you hq," she answered. "I want to make a witness statement about everything I've seen."
"Felicia I'm all for this idea, but walking in without prove would make you seem like a liar." Walker responded.

Felicia sighed under her breath since she hadn't thought of that.
"But don't you believe me?" She asked.
"Of course I do, but it's not me you have to convince," Walker explained. "I need evidence to prove what you're saying." Felicia sighed a second and Walker told her not to worry about it since the drive had everything they needed.
"Jake," Asher commented interrupted. The two looked around to see a sleep deprived Jake being pushed by Jessy. The drive was hidden firmly in Jake's hand and Jessy pulled on his hair every time he began drifting off. The dark skinned girl was clearly having a blast, since she kept laughing.
"Play with me!" Asher exclaimed running away from Walker to embrace the two of them.

Hey buddy Jessy signed picking him up and scratching his head. "Hey did we miss the party?" She asked.
"Jake you said it was going to take you a few days," Felicia commented. "What happened?"
"It is going to since someone keeps changing the codes whenever I get close," Jake explained. "But looking through the drive I found something, it looks like Avis had a contact named Roseline."
"Wait that was my mother's name," Felicia responded. She got a little emotional wondering if her mother had been involved with Avis. "Please don't tell me that I'm his illegitimate daughter or something."

"No but that's what Avis wanted everyone to think," Jake answered. "Until your mother decided to betray him and set the house ablaze so that he wouldn't be able to find you." Felicia was once again glad that her son wasn't able to hear all this. Because she was on the verge of having a panic attack over this, hearing that her mother started that fire made her weak in the knees.
"Felicia are you okay?" Jessy asked. Knowing that her silence was a sign that she was freaking out.
"Yeah just a little shocked, hold on I need to go freshen up." She left without saying anything more.
"Felicia!" Walker exclaimed in concern.
"I'm sorry about that sir," Jake said. "We didn't mean to upset you but there is something you should know."
"What?" Walker asked.

***

Avis was running out of time, there was only so long he could keep the drive from being encrypted. Since his men had no idea where Felicia was hiding, his plan of taking her son wasn't working. But maybe there was a way he could kill two birds with two stones.
"Miles?" Avis asked and his assistant jumped into the air.
"Yes sir," Miles responded holding his chest trying to steady his beating heart.
"Is the captain still with us?" Avis asked.

"No I've made sure to send him away by sending him fakes threatening texts from his son," Miles answered. "It won't buy us much time but it worked."
"Good because I'm going to need to pull my last card, I'm paying dear old Walker a visit," Avis responded. "Take control of the Rangers and find out where she is hiding, I want that girl locked up," she continued. "And take the bastard as well, Felicia and I can always make more."