I Used to Be a Spy

Boss Man

Michael felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder. He would have been surprised but he had heard her soft footsteps, or rather waddles, across the tiled floor.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, turning to face Fi.
"Nah. I don't sleep well these days." Gently she kissed the top of his head and left it there. "I like being taller than you."
An amused smile crossed his lips. "I'm sure ya do."
The rigidness of his spine eased a bit and he allowed himself to lean back into the plush chair he was in beside their large viewing window.
"You're doing the right thing ya know, even if it doesn't feel quite right. I know you are. Le mo chroí go léir{with all of my heart}." Fiona said softly, as if reading his doubts straight from his mind.
"Thanks, Fi." He arched his head up and grabbed the back of her head, and gently pressed his lips against hers. Once released, she pressed her forehead to his. "Promise me... don't let me change, ceart go leor?{okay}."
"Ceart go leor{Okay}."
                                        +++++
Michael, or rather, Nolan, burst through the door of the small dingy office Kavanaugh had on the back of the pub.
Two large body guards stepped between Michael and their boss.
Without even acknowledging Michael, Kavanaugh ordered, "Get him out of here, and take care of him, alright?"
"Woah, Woah, Woah, boss man." Michael put up his hands and backed away from the two bodyguards. "Keep your muscles at bay. Actually, better yet. Can I borrow one of these? I'll take the one on the right, he's pretty intimidating."
Confused, Kavanaugh stood. "What do you want? I told you I didn't want to see your face again."
Michael removed his sunglasses and held them to his side, and fidgeted with his sweatshirt zipper. "Look, I need protection. I didn't know working with you was gonna get me into some kinda trouble. I mean guards, that's one thing. I can manage that."
"Stop your babbling and get to the point," Kavanaugh growled.
"Sul. You didn't tell me you have beef with Sul. Of all people, you shoulda told me, man. I didn't move here to be steppin' on some toes of a big bad drug lord."
"What?" Kavanaugh was hesitant, almost reluctant to clarify who Michael was spewing about.
"O'Sullivan, ya leibide{turkey, idiot}."
Kavanaugh's face went pale but he stood in place. "What do you mean? I haven't done anything to anger him."
"Says you, but he knows you're in with the guards."
As if it weren't possible, Kavanaugh's face went even more pale.
"Come, look. There's been a dude following me all morning. I can tell from that nice car he ain't no guard. Plus he's extra intimidating. Guards don't look like him around here." Michael led the small group to the front of the small office to peer out the exposed window.
Jesse sat across the street, window rolled down, gun resting at the window seal. Once Kavanaugh saw the gun, he jolted backward and ducked.
"See that there? That's a BMW 3, pretty slick huh?" Michael crossed his arms and displayed a goofy grin.
"Get out of here you idiot. Why did you come here if he was following you?"Kavanaugh screeched.
Acting as if he realized he needed to be scared again, Michael backed away and ducked behind an office desk, discreetly placing a bugged cell phone underneath. "Hey, word on the street is you're already a target anyway. Maybe it's like that "two birds one stone" thing that I've been hearing on American Tv?"
"Nolan, shut up and get out of here, now!" Kavanaugh barked, practically snarling.
"You need help moving any of your stuff? You still got the goods that I sold you? You might wanna grab those and get outta here."
"Leave!" Kavanaugh boomed. He rushed to his office and got on the phone.
"Alright, boss man." Michael exited the store, glancing back to see a panicked Kavanaugh shouting on the phone.
Michael winked at Jesse as he strolled down the street.
                                     +++++
"Oh, Mike, this is some good stuff. Sounds like he's been calling tons of people trying to figure out what triggered O'Sullivan, the big bad drug lord," Sam laughed, as Michael scanned through Sam's notes.
"The bug wasn't too far from his office?" Michael questioned, annoyed that he didn't get it closer to Kavanaugh's office.
"Don't worry about it, the guy is a pacer anyhow when he's stressed to the max." Sam reaffirmed. "Is Jesse still doing surveillance?"
"Yeah, for now anyway. I need to go take over in a couple hours if there still isn't movement."
"I can't imagine he'll be in there much longer when he thinks there's a guy out there waiting to get him." Sam countered.
Michael nodded his head in agreement. A name caught Michael's eye before he put the notes down. Hughes.
"He called Hughes?" Michael inquired, his gut twisting further.
"Yeah Mikey, he kept asking who leaked information and he thought he was protected..."
"Guess my instincts are worse than I thought," Michael mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked with empathy, then sipped his beer.
"I thought I could tell the good guys from the bad guys," Michael admitted, dropping the notepad onto the workbench of his shed.
Before Sam could offer sympathy, Michael's phone rang.
"Yeah, Jesse?"
"We've got movement. They've got duffle bags, I called it in."
"Alright, you think they are gonna get there on time?"
"I took a break and poked holes in their tires, so yeah."
Michael chuckled. "Alright, get outta there. Don't want you caught with that gun Fi stole from the neighbor."
"This thing is a beast, man. I kinda want to keep-" Jesse interrupted himself, "Okay, yeah the police are showing up, I'm gonna bounce."
"Be careful," Michael warned.