Whisper My Name

Chapter 6

January 24, 1992

Salem Police Department, Roman Brady's Office

We may still have time, we might still get by

Everytime I think about it, I wanna cry...

~ Crazy on You ~ Heart ~

Roman slammed his office door open with a loud boom as it hit the wall. He tossed the file onto his desk, and turned to face Chief Vaughn, a man he had seen barely three times since his return, but suddenly in the last few days, he couldn't seem to get rid of. It didn't help that he'd been pursuing the Torres case even after being told to let it go. Torres's most recent threat was public, and Chief Vaughn was livid, "You know what he meant, Roman!"

Roman brushed him off, "Well he wasn't exactly subtle."

"Look, there's an open season on you ever since Torres put his arms around you, and said, Have a nice life," Vaughn said in frustration.

Roman threw his hands up in exasperation, "I said, I understand! Alright?"

Chief Vaughn was losing his patience, "Do you understand that the threat extends to your entire family? All because you refuse to let this go?"

"Look Chief, I never asked you to come down here, and give me another warning! I got the message, okay? So, let's get back to the business at hand. Bo is still alive. We've gotta make our move, and make it now. So, how do we deal with that?" Roman asked.

"We don't deal with it, Roman!" Chief Vaughn roared. The man was stubborn, and refused to listen to reason. "You're off the case, remember?"

Roman pointed his finger at Chief Vaughn, "I was off the case. There is no way you're gonna keep me outta this now. I'm this close to nailing Raffi Torres, and getting my brother back!" Roman rounded his desk, slamming his fist on the corner in frustration. Bo had been gone for two weeks, and they still had no idea where he was. His mother was on edge, and it was taking a toll on the whole family.

"Look, dammit, Roman, there is no point in any further conversation! Torres has a contract on you, and he comes from a family with a history of ritual assassination. He's an expert at it! He's even made a point of making this one public," Vaughn told Roman. "Nobody can help you anymore. You stay on this case, you may just as well blow your own head off!"

Roman scoffed, "Alright. Fine. What am I supposed to do?"

Finally the man was listening. Chief Vaughn replied, "Well, there is one thing you can do, if you're interested in staying alive."

"What's that?" Roman asked, only half listening.

"Disappear," Vaughn said. Roman laughed, not realizing that the Chief was serious, until the man continued by saying, "The ISA will give you protection. I'll move you to another town, city... another country for that matter. I'll give you an entirely new identity."

"Oh, come on," Roman scoffed. He couldn't leave his family, Marlena, his children. Not when he'd fought so hard to come home to them. Bo's words echoed in his head, Have you considered Marlena in all of this? Guilt ran through him. He was in too far now, and Bo had been right.

Chief Vaughn watched as the realization dawned on Roman's face. "It's the only option you've got."

This was ridiculous. There had to be another way. A way that didn't involve him leaving Salem and his family behind. "You're telling me, I should just go home, pack my suitcases, and walk away from my wife, and kids, and from Bo?" Roman yelled. The reality of the turn his life had taken was hitting him hard.