Chapter 17

Present day
Both parties met at a small goat pen by the side of the farm. The shed was reeking of animal dung and urine, a heap of hay laid on either sides of the pen, one stacked high and the other just a few layers low and about sixteen goats moved about eight no care in the world.
The Senator stood with only one of his men by his side, the other stood a shooting distance away, after searching and disarming the trio of what empty guns they carried. Sure that the trio were unarmed and harmless, the five men left and one stood beside Thomas, something he never allowed when he was meeting with Pete. Never. It had always been just the both of them talking in low tones.
Senator Thomas was dressed in a golf short, a polo shirt and a navy blue base ball cap that matched his stockings and encased in his boots clad feet. His stomach looked about to pop right out of his t-shirt or better still implode and leave his offals hanging inside in a weak sac, he looked bloated, like a python who had just swallowed a whole donkey and needed a place to lay for a month or two, his hands were sprinkled with bleached hair and his necj was slightly sweating under the collar, his chin, tripple and twice the size medically advisable was sitting comfortably on top of the polo shirt collar his ears looked a little too small for his face, same thing for his eyes and nose infact, if Pete was being fair, nothing would fit the man's and exra fat, unless it was specifically enlarged artificially to do just that. Also, he held a small small, generally, his facial expression was a little too bright and merry for Pete's liking but he remained quiet.
"Jack, Jack, Jack. My Jackie boy" he said with a smile as he stood across the gang, eyes appraising them. "I heard the show you put up in California, gave the news quite a handful to last them for the week" he said with a shake of his head.
"Well, what can I say, I gotta do what I gotta do" Pete replied with a shrug, his stance wide, his chin up and his eyes fixated on the man without a blink.
"No doubt. The National News on and off paper had your face all over. It's even on Instagram now, I think some kid in a storey building took a footage of everything" Thomas stated.
"What can I say? The cameras just love me" Pete said with another shrug.
"You see, the thing is, you came highly recommended, by a man I admire and trust so much, Jackie boy, you're not impressing me" Thomas tsked and frowned.
"It's the baby you wanted, it's the baby we have, never mind our methods" he replied.
Thomas chuckled and turned to Valeria who was clutching the blanket and bundle tightly to her chest, rocking and humming to him slowly.
"Your methods are what I don't think is reliable, seeing as the whole of California and Washington DC are now getting names and faces to this whole saga" Thomas said, his eyes not so calm as his face.
"It's part of the job" Pete replied
"Really? How hard was it? How hard was it to pay the loose ends well enough to keep them shut or keep them shut the permanent way" Thomas asked with a raise of his left brow.
"The priority was taking the child and not killing some diabetic patient, and if you haven't noticed my men and I had our hands full with the boy" Pete said.
"Ah, Moses right? So that makes you Pharoah's daughter" Tommy said, pointing at Valeria and then turning to Pete he said.
"That makes you Pharoah, how hilarious" he laughed all to himself and doubled over.
"Well, your loose end had jeopardize the essence of my hiring you, you see, I am a Congressman and I have my reasons for this contract, none of them involved this whole mess being tracked back to me or anything that connects to me" Thomas stated, looking at the trio and moving about for a few seconds before he continued.
"So you see, the media and some hungry journalists have started speculations and well, the FBI are working on these speculations and it only takes time before it all blows over, boom!
My suggestion is that for the sake of___"
"Cut the shit Tommy" Pete snapped
"It's Senator Thomas" he replied.
"I'm not dragging titles with you, old man. My men and I are professionals, we give results and not exc__"
"Your men have their faces all over national TV" Thomas snapped.
"And that piece of candy over there" he said, flicking a gaze to Valeria who moved back as he advanced to her, cradling the baby tightly.
"She has her face all over too, seeing as you can't work alone, I can't let them work with you anymore and that means___"
"We had a deal Tommy, we have the baby, what stops you from making demands and getting what you want from him so we get our papers signed and viola! Everyone's happy" Pete suggested with some anger.
"It isn't that's easy Jackie boy, I don't just wanted money from Brownson you know, I want a drive he owns, a drive that somehow got on his desk and he's been too stubborn to give it out" Thomas replied.
"I don't care if you want his arm and eyes, we have the boy as he instructed, we get our documents signed and our agreed percentage and that's that" Pete replied.
Thomas tsked and moved away, laughing and little and returning to stand closer to Pete.
"Pay? Sign? What are you talking about? You'd be lucky if I gave you enough resources to hide you until this is all over. You're a fugitive now, all of you and I don't think you get to make bargains seeing as my job is not complete at all" Thomas stated.
"And who's fault is that? You've refused to make demands, what ransom! What are you waiting for?" Pete asked.
"That's not your business Jackie boy, we had a deal that you keep the baby for as long as it takes for me to make the arrangements, that's it and a deal's a deal" the man insisted.
Pete could feel his anger boiling beyond control, his fist clenching, his teeth grinding and his jaw ticking.
"Seeing as you haven't kept to our deal, I'll just be generous enough to offer you a safe place to hide, food and what ever you need until this dies down" Thomas said.
"And the money? Our stack authorization? The buyers you promised?" Pete asked.
"That's not happening" Thomas replied crisply.
"Fuck that! We risked everything for this job" Nick cut in and moved to the man.
"Restrain your dogs" Thomas said.
"Shut up, Nick" Pete ordered and Nick stepped, his face still an angry mask.
"So nothing" Pete asked, more of a statement than a question.
"Your fault, you messed it all up" Thomas replied.