Brothers in Arms
A Haven fanfic
By Jeannine Trevizo
Chapter 13
-x-
“So, do we
need to do this… now?” questioned Nathan, the slight nervousness in his voice
audible to both Vince and Audrey and while Audrey reacted with a matching
anxious expression Vince laughed aloud.
“No, just
before the troubles are over,” Vince said, and he watched as Nathan and Audrey
visibly relaxed ever so slightly. “The rings and the ceremony would be the
binding ritual to cement your status together… ensuring your place here once
the troubles are gone. It was very fortuitous that you both fell in love this
cycle, or there’s no telling how long it would continue…”
“I guess
for once the Chief was wrong,” Nathan remarked quietly, the memory of the Chief
standing there in the cemetery telling him he couldn’t be in love with Audrey
invading his thoughts.
“How’s
that?” asked Audrey, suddenly remembering that she had never gotten a straight
answer out of him about what he and the Chief had discussed when Kyle had
inadvertently brought the dead back nearly a week earlier.
Nathan glanced
to her, recalling her assurance that she’d get the truth out of him later, and
if things had gone as planned when he’d arrived for their dinner… date, he
suspected he might have let her quiz him on what had happened. But as it was,
the Chief had publicly told him to take care of her, which for all intents and
purposes in his mind had deliberately put his emotions for Audrey on display in
that moment. But he’d yet to share with her exactly what the Chief had told
him.
“You
remember I told you that he said that you were important to the town?” he asked
and Audrey nodded, recalling the conversation, “What I didn’t tell you was that
he’d actually told me that I couldn’t be in love with you; that you were too
important for us to be in love because you’d take risks for me…”
Audrey’s
mouth dropped open briefly before snapping shut. Considering how the Chief had
all but partnered them up, essentially creating the circumstances that had led
to their current… emotional involvement the idea that he’d been against them
together was a surprise.
“Are you
sure he really wanted what he was telling you? I seem to recall Garland had a
habit of trying reverse psychology on you more than once…” added Vince,
reminding them both that he was still in the room with them.
“That does
sound like him,” added Audrey, now having learned more about herself and how
Garland had used Baker to get her here and more than likely keep her here when
she would have left…
“Garland
was nothing if not calculating when it came to protecting this town and you
Nathan. Suggesting that you couldn’t be with Audrey would just…”
“Push me
towards her more,” Nathan acknowledged with a slight sigh as he ran a hand up
and back against his neck, rubbing there even though he couldn’t feel it. “I
did tell him that he was wasting his time…”
At Nathan’s
admission Audrey moved slightly to lay a hand on his, the ends of his hair
brushing along her fingertips. Glancing over he gave her a half grin and she
smiled back at him. It seemed that not only was fate conspiring to throw them
together, with her the only one he could feel but the Chief had been in on it
as well…
“I guess
you showed him.”
“But I
didn’t do what he told me I did need to do… protect you. If I had Baker would
never have…” he stated sorrowfully, his hand coming away from his neck and
dislodging her fingers from his own.
“You found
me though,” she reminded him, her fingers curling over his, trying to ease that
obvious pain she could see in his eyes and hear in his voice. “But why was the
Chief so adamant you protect me? I usually am quire capable of taking care of
myself.”
“Right now
there are many people besides my brother that have… ‘opinions’
on the troubles. Reverend Driscoll left many who will follow in his footsteps,”
interjected Vince, wanting to let Audrey know the depths of Garland’s fears and
desire to keep her alive. “Over the years your arrival has not always been seen
as a positive one, so there have been those who wish to kill you and those that
are destined to protect you.”
“Destined
to protect me?”
“That makes
sense… Simon suggested that Audrey wouldn’t necessarily have to be the person
who killed Duke… that she could have others do it for
her. Duke’s been hunting for the person with the tattoo would he’d been told
would kill him; was Simon somehow referring to that?”
“The tattoo
belongs to old families in Haven. Over the centuries members of those old
families have aided each incarnation of Audrey in helping the troubled.”
“Were the
Hansen family one of them? I remember seeing Max with that tattoo,” Audrey
recalled, the memory of running into Max Hansen hours before his death coming
back to her.
“Yes.”
“That’s why
Duke saw it on me… if it was passed down through family lines…” Nathan stated,
making Vince’s eyebrow raise. He hadn’t known that Nathan had displayed the
tattoo, but knowing the triggers he wasn’t surprised it had appeared.
“What about
the Chief? He didn’t have one?” asked Audrey curiously.
“Not that I
was aware of, but it doesn’t always appear in every generation, although I
wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d shown it at one point in trying to defend
Lucy.”
“But Nathan
doesn’t have it now,” Audrey noted, reaching over and touching Nathan’s lower
left arm reverently, the light touch of her fingers on his arm causing him to
suck in a breath before he gathered his control once more.
“It has
been known to be… invisible or even dormant all a person’s life. I do know that
intense feelings, especially anger and fear can raise it to the surface.”
“So, my
protective feelings for Audrey…” Nathan began before trailing off, realizing
the circumstances that had made the tattoo visible to Duke.
“Duke most
likely saw it because you were afraid for her life.”
“So you get
a nifty tattoo when I’m in trouble now?” she remarked with a slight smirk and
he glared at her half-heartedly.
“Not really
what I want Parker,” Nathan replied, the fondness in the way he said her last
name making her heart flutter in her chest briefly.
“So now
what…”
Before she
could say anything further Nathan’s cell rang and he gave Audrey a small smirk
when he saw Duke’s name and number appear. He had gotten used to Duke being at
his elbow for the last few days. Now they were back to their normal habits;
Duke calling to complain and Nathan being equal parts annoyed and amused. He
pressed the answer button and broght the phone to his
ear.
“What now
Duke?”
His eyes
widened and he looked to Audrey quickly as Duke spoke.
“You’re
sure? Okay… we’ll come to the boat and we can discuss this before you do anything
stupid.”
“What’s
going on?” Audrey asked quickly, concern lacing her voice.
“Duke’s
brother is in town. Seems like Dave called him and told him he was needed in
Haven.”
Vince paled
visibly before them. He had known Dave was trying to stop Audrey and Nathan but
the lengths he was willing to go to scared him. It was almost… vindictive. And
considering how Dave had been when Sarah had been here… he wasn’t so sure that
it wasn’t.
“That’s…
not good,” Vince said slowly. “I didn’t want to mention it but… it seems that
someone took the weapons box…”
“Dave,”
stated Audrey and Nathan without even thinking twice about it and Vince nodded
solemnly.
“I expect
that he planned to have Lance return and attempt to convince Duke to join his
cause or, failing that he would somehow convince Lance that he was doing his
father’s sacred duty by hunting you down. The fact that Dave has the box and
Lance has no idea of what his true legacy is makes me worried.”
“It would
be too, if Duke hadn’t talked his brother into contacting Dave and luring him
in so we can take him into custody.”
Audrey
smiled and gave Nathan a look. She knew that they’d put aside their differences
while she’d been kidnapped but the fact was that the two still weren’t quite
on… friendly terms. But they had quite a while and lots of troubled people to
help to let them fully repair that friendship once more.
“See, I
always said the two of you could work together if you just put your minds to
it.”
Nathan gave
her a slight scowl, but no matter what he’d told her about never trusting Duke
he grudgingly had to admit that the one-time con man had come through for him,
for them, and they needed each other if they had any chance of ending the
troubles once and for all.
“Don’t
remind me. Let’s go.”
With that they
turned and headed to the truck.
-x-
Nathan and
Audrey had driven quickly to the Cape Rouge and once Nathan parked they got out
of the Bronco, slamming the doors shut as they moved together towards the gang
plank. There was no one on deck to greet them so Audrey moved towards Duke’s
cabin below decks. As Nathan walked the path there memories of the last time
he’d been there filled him and he reached out to catch Audrey’s hand in his
briefly, causing her to pause and look back at him. The look on his face made
her heart stutter and she moved to cup his jaw and cheek in her hand briefly,
letting him know she understood and was there.
He nodded
briefly before he eased away from her and then took the lead, directing them
down and into Duke’s personal space. Within they found Duke sitting at a table
with another man who had his back to them. At their arrival Duke lifted his
empty glass in their direction.
“Officers,”
Duke said with a cocky smile as Nathan and Audrey walked into the cabin.
At Duke’s
words the man sitting with him turned and his features instantly reminded
Audrey of Duke. Obviously this was the brother that Nathan had referred to.
“Duke,
Lance,” Nathan said, acknowledging both men, having recognized Duke’s older
brother by sight.
Standing
Lance regarded the man and woman that had just walked onto his brother’s boat.
The tall, dark haired man looked familiar and it took him a few minutes before
he placed him.
“Nathan Wuornos?”
“It’s been
a while,” he replied moving to the older man and reaching out a hand, which
Lance caught and quickly shook.
“So, you’re
going to help?” Audrey asked, her question breaking into the testosterone
filled reunion and causing a slight questioning look to appear on Lance’s face.
“Sorry…
Lance, this is Officer Audrey Parker,” Duke stated, forgetting he’d neglected
to introduce her and not sure if his brother realized who she was.
Lance stood
and stared, gauging the bright blue eyes and honey blond hair of the slim woman
before him. He’d seen the pictures that his father had left for Duke in his
journal and recognized her as the woman within them; her features were the same
if her hair was different.
“The woman
dad and Dave wanted you or me to kill,” he breathed, his voice now filled a bit
with awe.
Nathan shifted
ever so slightly closer to Audrey and Duke registered the movement. He clasped
a hand over Lance’s shoulder and eased him back a step. Nathan was still on
edge with Audrey’s kidnapping and right now any perceived threat to her he
expected Nathan to go full on guard dog. And he really had no desire to watch
Nathan try to take his brother apart…
“She’s also
the woman that is going to help fix the troubles and who we’re going to help
stay alive so she can do that.”
“Which I
thought was why you brought us here,” reminded Nathan. “You know Dave Teagues is bad news, and if you can help us locate him…”
“He was
expecting me to call him when I get into town,” Lance explained and Nathan
found himself smirking slightly, his eyes drifting from Lance to catch Duke,
and then Audrey’s gaze. “But I thought I’d make a stop first…”
Nathan nodded, glad that the older Crocker was as calculating and
suspicious as his younger brother; now they had a chance to catch Dave and
maybe, just maybe safeguard Audrey’s life while they ended the troubles once
and for all.
“Okay then.
So, how about you give him a call?”
-x-
Dave heard
his phone ring and snatched it up. He’d been hiding in the old ranger station
cabin waiting for something to break his way. It was secluded enough that he’d
figured Nathan and the rest of the police force wouldn’t find him there.
“Lance…
good to hear from you,” he said into the receiver, the relief in his voice
audible.
On the
other end of the line Lance spoke and Dave struggled to understand what he was
being asked.
“I can meet
you… at the lighthouse? In two hours? It will be tight, but of course.”
Clicking
his phone closed, he sighed. Once he and Lance met he was certain that he could
convince him to help him…
Quickly he
packed up his meager things and started back towards the edge of the forest to
where he’d hidden his car, hoping that he’d be able to avoid the Haven PD until
he could get to the light house, and then he could get Lance disappear with him
until the time was right to take action…
- End
Chapter 13 -