Chapter 174: Mac
*When you truly understand karma, then you realize you are responsible for everything in your life. – Keanu Reeves*
The trip to Chicago ended too soon.
It had been hard to watch JD and Dean say goodbye at the gate. He didn’t want to let her go and she refused to release him from her grasp. It had been Savannah, the driver that they had befriended and hired for the rest of their trip, that had finally pulled her away.
“Trust me, little girl.” The woman said as she gently pried Dean’s hands off the uniform. “No one knows better than me how much it sucks to hand over your man to the Navy. But they own him now.”
Finally releasing his uniform, she clutched his hand. “You’re going to come back to me?”
“Always, baby.” He whispered with his voice also thick with emotions. Leaning in, he kissed her gently. “I love you, Dean. I will *always* come back to you.”
Then he hugged his older brother and sisters and their partners before giving each of the babies a little snuggle. Honestly, he had been surprised to see Cheryl and Wayne there.
“You’re important to dad and Dean.” She had told him with a smile as she congratulated him. “Therefore, you’re important to me.”
Helen hugged her son closely and reminded him that she loved him. “I love you too, mom.” He said as she stepped back and wiped her eyes.
Reese pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m proud of you.” As he stepped back, he handed the younger man a belt wrapped around a silver buckle.
Realizing what it was, JD’s eyes widened and looked up at the man that had been more of a father for the past year than his own had been for nearly two decades. “Are you sure?”
Nodding, Reese cleared his throat. “Yeah, I am. I’ll get me a new one when we come to see you in Mississippi.”
“This means a lot.” JD admitted as he took it in his free hand, sunlight shining on the buckle and the custom ring on his hand. He unrolled the belt and looked at the bee wearing a sailor’s hat and firing a machine gun, holding hand tools in his hands, while in flight.
They exchanged another hug and then JD kissed Dean one more time before he turned towards Childs and nodded. With one more look at the love of his life, JD approached the gate to be checked back in.
The family flew back home on Monday and Reese was surprised that Gina was waiting for them in his house. Dean was attacked by an overly excited Monster as he gave her kisses and his butt bounced in happiness. Helen was able to slip by with a baby in her arms without the dog noticing her.
Gina got up and motioned for Reese to follow her to his office. “I need to talk to you, Helen and Jolene. Neo too.”
The bombshell that she dropped on them had them all sitting in the temporary office of special agent in charge David MacFarland. Helen and Reese sat on one side of the conference table and Neo and Jolene on the other while Gina sat at the end waiting for Mac to join them. The door opened and everyone sat up as Mac walked in.
“How was your trip?” he asked as he sat down in the remaining empty chair.
“It was fine.” Reese practically growled. Helen took his hand in hers, trying to calm him down.
Mac smiled at them as he opened a leather-bound executive portfolio. “There’s a lot that I can’t tell you,” He warned, “but I can answer some questions.”
“You’re not going to prosecute the fucker?” Neo demanded.
“We’re not. He is turning federal witness and will flip on those above him in the organization.” Mac confirmed as he wrote on the legal pad in the portfolio.
“But what about what he did to me?” Jolene asked quietly.
“Under our agreement, he will not face any charges here, nor will he spend any time in any American prison.”
“What the hell?” Helen demanded as the others also asked the same thing. It was an unusual outburst for her, but her emotions were high, as was her fear for her daughter. The protective mother in her has the typically submissive woman being abything but submissive.
Mac sat back and let the anger run its course before he proceeded. The door opened again, and a woman entered and handed him a file folder and a cup of coffee.
“Would any of you like some coffee? Soda? Water? As long as you promise not to throw it in his face, not because I don’t want him to get hurt, but because I don’t want to clean it, I’ll get you whatever you want.”
“Feeling the love, Beth.” Mac drawled out with a grin.
“You’ll get over it.” She replied and he chuckled. “Seriously, do you guys want anything?”
Reese gave a gruff no as the women replied with a much gentler answer of no.
“Water, for all of us please.” Neo said and did not even flinch at the look that Reese gave him.
The brunette nodded and disappeared through the door. She returned a moment later with bottles of water for everyone. On her way out, she dropped a small, folded piece of paper on the table in front of Mac. With a confused look, he unfolded the paper to see in her block handwriting the words that she had told him ever since she had started.
*I hate you.*
“It’s mutual.” He told the woman as she left the room. Tucking the paper in the pocket of his portfolio, Mac turned his attention back to the family sitting before him.
“The syndicate that the Fargo family was involved in has associates in seven countries from Canada to Peru. For his cooperation, the federal government has agreed not to prosecute and that he will not spend any time in an American jail.”
“What about everything that he did? The hell that he put our daughter through?” Reese demanded.
Helen would typically try to soothe him and calm him down. She was just as angry and wanted to know the same thing. Mac let them rail at him, call him names, curse him and all his family. When they were done, the room fell silent.
“You’re missing the same word that he did.” Mac said. “He will spend no time in an American prison.”
The room was silent and then Gina started laughing. It was a small laugh at first and then she was laughing so hard that she had to wipe tears away from her eyes. Mac grinned at her as the two couples looked at her as if she was crazy.
“You caught the word.” Mac finally said when she quit laughing and took a drink of her water to calm herself down.
“I did. Please tell me that bastard is not going to Canada.”
“No, well, yes, but not for prison.” Mac confirmed with a slight shrug. “Canada has also agreed not to prosecute. They will, however, hold him in protective custody until the case is ready and the syndicate is brought down.”
“And then what?” Neo asks. “He just goes free?”
Mac shook his head. “*If* he survives Mexico, *then* he goes to Brazille and then Peru.”
“*If*.” Gina said as it slowly dawned on the others what the terms of the agreement were.
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