All fandom goes to Teague
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Leonard squinted at the motel and then back at Jesse's impeccable handwriting. According to the note, Jesse would be here. Mentally, Leonard ran through all the places he had met Jesse before. There was the hotel that cost three thousand dollars per night, the private helicopter ride, the yacht... and now this. Every motel room window had been braced with metal bars and Leonard even saw some gunshots in the window. He glanced around the place, thankful for his plain clothes and the gun hugged to his chest, and walked hesitantly to the room written neatly on a napkin. Room sixteen. It was upstairs.
If Jesse's not there, I'm going to kill him, Leonard thought darkly, creaking up the stairs. He walked past room fourteen, room fifteen, and room seventeen. But, in between fifteen and seventeen was an unmarked door where the numbers had been clearly taken off. The shades were drawn and when Leonard knocked the door, there was no response. Leonard looked around nervously.
"Hey sweetie, I was hoping to make things up with you. Are you in?" he asked.
"The door's unlocked."
Jesse. But Jesse's voice sounded strained. Leonard paused and took out his handgun before opening the door. It was dark and at first Leonard couldn't see anything. He cocked the gun. "Hello?"
"Why, darling, is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?" When Leonard hesitated, he heard the click of safety being turned off. "Drop it and shut the door."
Leonard looked desperately around, but it was too dark. "What, you're going to kill me now?"
"Are you alone?"
"No."
"Good, you're lying. Drop the gun and shut the door. Now."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't drop the gun, I'll kill you. And if you don't shut the door, the mafia will kill you."
"I thought the mafia didn't exist."
Jesse suddenly laughed, his voice ringing strangely hollow. "Shut the door. I need to talk with you."
Leonard bit his lip, but shut the door obediently. "I'm not putting away the gun," he warned.
"Suit yourself."
The lights switched on and suddenly Leonard was blinded. He cursed. "Damn it, what are you trying to do?"
"Do you want to see or not?"
Leonard cursed again and rubbed his eyes. Jesse was sitting in front of him, legs crossed. In his hand, he held a gun, but he held it too loosely to be threatening. Besides, the safety was on, Leonard realized with a shock. "You turned on the safety." When Jesse said nothing to this, Leonard bit his lip. "Do you typically shoot with the safety on?"
Jesse glared at him. "And do you typically ask stupid questions? Sit down, I need to talk with you."
"Then talk."
Jesse stood up slowly, weakly. Leonard stepped back. "You're hurt."
"Really? I couldn't tell." Jesse winced and straightened his back. "The bed is an easy target. The men, they'd come in and shoot it to pieces. It's best to sleep somewhere else."
"The bathtub?"
"Try underneath the sink." He limped to the bed and stretched out on it. "I've been staying here every couple of days. Either here or in the dumpster. The men are too lazy to check that. But that's not a good place for a meeting."
"So they're trying to kill you now."
Jesse glared at him. "It's a good thing they made you a detective. Your powers of observation are riveting."
"What happened?"
"Raphael's dead."
"Who?"
"You don't know?" When Leonard hesitated, Jesse frowned. "You don't know anything, do you?"
"I know that you're important."
Jesse smiled grimly. "Nobody's important."
"You were important. They wouldn't have let you done half the stuff they let you do otherwise. I have the files."
"But you were never able to prove anything."
Leonard shifted uncomfortably. "Who's Raphael?"
"Who was. He was the leader."
"Who’s the leader now?"
Jesse hesitated.
"Fine, I'm leaving."
"No! Stop!" Jesse sat up, wincing. "Listen, I need you. And I know I need to tell you a lot. Everything, in fact. But this is not the time or place. The police station is. A private cell in the police station, so I won't be shot."
Leonard snorted. "There are no private cells. That's the whole point. You want witness protection."
"Except I'm hiding from the mafia. There is no witness protection. Even if you shipped me a million miles away, there would be no witness protection." He leaned forward. "I need you to arrest me. Eden can take care of me--they're scared of her."
"I'm not arresting you." Leonard turned to leave.
The click of the safety turned off. Leonard stopped, the top of his forehead beginning to sweat. "Good luck trying to get arrested by killing me. The mafia will get you before the police do. And then what?"
"The mafia wanted me to kill a cop for every mafia member that's died," Jesse said coolly. "This is a good start."
"Except that was under Raphael. Your new boss may not care."
"Arrest me," Jesse said. "I can tell you everything. I can tell you how to bring the mob down. What Eden's done will be nothing compared to what you can do with me."
"I'm going now."
Jesse cocked the gun. "I don't have to kill you. One well-aimed shot is all it takes."
"Then shoot me. But know that I've been shot before, thanks to your mafia friends, and I've grown accustomed to the pain."
Jesse fired the gun. The bullet lodged itself in the floor, two inches away from Leonard's feet.
Leonard sighed. "Goodbye, Jesse."
He stepped forward to open the door, but the second shot came--in his leg. Leonard gasped and grabbed his gun tighter, but it was too late. Jesse sprang on him, knocking him over and prying the gun away from his hands. He hit him in the ribs with the pistol butt. "There! Assaulting a police officer... I'm sure I can get arrested for that. Stop struggling, would you? I think I have enough to call the cops on me now." He pulled out his phone and flipped it open.
Leonard punched him in the face. Then, when Jesse hesitated, Leonard ripped the phone from his hands and tossed it to the other side of the room.
It shattered and fell.
Jesse punched him--this time in the ribs. "Are you trying to piss me off? Because you're doing a good job."
Leonard laughed, tears in his eyes. "I'm not letting you get away with this," he said.
Jesse ran to the phone and picked it up while Leonard tried to sit up, coughing. Several ribs had been broken -- it hurt to cough -- and his leg was bleeding profusely. He needed to go the hospital. If he could only get to the parking lot...
"It's broken!" Jesse said, slamming the phone down. "It won't work. You broke it."
"Tough luck," Leonard murmured.
Jesse picked up the pieces once more, trying to reassemble them. Then he looked up at Leonard. "You have a cell phone."
"What?"
"You're a cop. You're carrying a cell phone."
Suddenly Leonard understood. He jerked away, but it was too late. Jesse was over him. Jesse dragged him onto the bed. "Where is your cell phone?"
"I don't have it!"
"Is it in your shirt?" When Leonard didn't say anything, Jesse tore off Leonard's shirt. Then he sneered. "Ah, cute. A gun holster. Right near your ribs. It's almost ironic."
"Stop it!"
"Where is it?" When Leonard writhed in pain, Jesse smiled. "The sooner you cooperate, the sooner this torture will end. Who knows? Maybe we'll both be alive by the end of it."
Leonard started to cry. "It's in my pockets."
"Has it occurred to you that you are wearing cargo pants?" Jesse said dryly. He shoved his hand in one and pulled out a mint. "Tasty."
"The other side," Leonard gasped.
Jesse tried the other pocket. "Fancy. Is this a Blackberry?"
"Just call 911!"
"I don't know how to use this phone, stupid." He played with it. "How does it flip open?"
Leonard whimpered. "Speed dial, two."
Jesse's eyebrows rose. "Who's that?"
"Eden!"
"Eden. So you're going with her?"
"Never mind, just call!"
Jesse pressed two and put the phone on speaker. It rang and went to voicemail. Jesse frowned. "That was productive."
"Try again, sometimes she ignores me."
"So you're not going with her." Jesse pushed two again. It went to voicemail. He sighed. "One more time, I suppose."
Leonard was shivering and his face had turned deathly white. "Call the hospital," he begged.
"One more time." Jesse pressed two again.
This time, Eden answered.
"Leonard! What have I told you about calling me? I'm at a very important meeting right now, one which could potentially advance my career! And you calling me..."
"This is Jesse."
For a moment, it was quiet. Then Eden laughed. "What is this, Leonard? Some sort of prank? Because it's not funny."
"Eden, I'll tell you what," Jesse said. "I know that it didn't work out between you and Leonard, but that's okay because your older brother is here to save you. I have Leonard here with me. I'll make him say that he was sorry. You'll like that, won't you?" Jesse slammed his fist on Leonard's ribs and Leonard bolted up, screaming.
"Let me talk to Leonard!" she cried.
"I'm sorry, he's busy right now."
"How did you get his phone?"
"Don't you know? You did put him on my investigation. Or did you think he was too smart and clever for me to break him? Hear him. He sounds like a dying pig."
"Now just you listen!"
"I'm sorry. I don't have time to listen. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and turned to Leonard. "That turned out well, don't you think?"
"You didn't tell her the address!" Leonard moaned.
"Don't worry. You forget how smart she is. She'll be able to find us in a couple of minutes." Jesse turned to Leonard's leg. "A good shot. I surprise myself sometimes. But you're not safe here. We'll hide in the bathroom till the cops come."
"So you're finished? You won't hurt me?"
Jesse smiled. "No, not anymore. That's over, thank God. Now, to wait for the arrest. Let's hope it's a long prison term. Here, let me help you up." He went to pick up Leonard.
This time, Leonard didn't resist.
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