The Desert Lion's True Colours (6 page)

‘My bad bro…’ Leon said with a mischievous smile. ‘. . . If I told you the morning I’ve had you wouldn’t believe me.’

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ Jay replied. ‘I won’t believe you.’

‘Huh?’ retorted Leon.

‘Your right, I won’t believe you.’ Jay repeated.

Shaking his head Jay looked across the table at Leon and sighed.

‘How much longer are you going to keep this up for?’ He asked.

‘Ok, whoa.’ Leon replied hesitantly. He knew he was late but Jay’s attitude told him something else was bothering him besides his tardiness.

‘Yo, what’s eating you?’ Leon asked. ‘All this agro over me being a little late, it’s not like I haven’t been late before.’

Hearing that, Jay lurched forward in his seat and said ‘you just don’t get it do you? It’s not just about you being late. You’re not answering my calls, you’re going to meet Black on your own, you’re not making roll call…’

‘Anything else?’ Leon interjected.

Jay let out another sigh. ‘I’m not trying to get at you.’

Leon could not help but sense the near defeat in his friend’s voice however he allowed Jay to continue.

‘You’re starting to worry me. Talk to me, what’s going on Nate?’

Hearing Jay use his real name left Leon in no doubt that Jay was more than upset. They had been on three separate cases together and up until that point whenever they were undercover, government names were never ever used
-
even if they were alone. Leon was fully aware that at that very moment he was now having a conversation with Dean Alan Ferguson, not Jay Daniels who played the supporting role in this real life FBI Drama. He was now talking to his best friend,
-
not his partner.

Leon took in a deep breath, released it through his nose and then said ‘Guess who came to pay me a visit this morning?’

‘The Chief?’ Jay replied in an all knowing tone.

With eyebrows raised, Leon was going to ask how Jay knew that but then immediately realised who he was speaking to. Jay was usually in the know when it came to things like that.

‘After you didn’t answer your last check in,’ Jay said sarcastically, ‘Chief Edwards called me. He said he knew this case was going to be too much for you and that he can see you’re getting side-tracked from the job at hand.’

‘And you?’ Leon enquired.

‘And me what?’

‘What do YOU see?’

Jay let out a slight chuckle before sitting back in his chair.

‘That’s the problem dawg; you’re not around for me to see anything. I know, I know. Sometimes you need your space, I get that. I got that twenty-seven years ago, when we first met. But this right here is not just
A
JOB
. This is our lives bro and if we’re not together as one on this thing then…’

‘Then what Dean?’ Leon asked, goading his friend into saying what he really felt.

‘I’m saying this might have to be the end dude. I’m saying we might as well stop being partners and be assigned to different cases. I love you like a brother but I need to know I can rely on you and right now you’re not providing me with any confidence.’ Dean paused for effect, but unfortunately Leon gave nothing in response.

Slamming his open palm down onto the table stationed between them Jay said ‘For real man, what’s going on? Either you talk now or I call the Chief and tell him I think you should be taken off the case. What’s it going to be?’

Leon knew Jay was upset but now he could see the worry clearly written on his friends face. Listening to how his best friend in the world felt, touched a nerve and for a moment memories of his young self,
-
Jnr. Leon Michael Brown’
-
(before he changed his name to Nathan)
-
son of Leon “
Kilo
” Brown,
-
came rushing back. The confused 9 year-old boy who had been shipped off to boarding school; after last seeing his mother disappear into protective custody in the back seat of a Crown-Victoria was plastered across his mind. A weird mixture of guilt, confusion
-
and even though he would hate to admit it,
-
fear, made its way into his gut. Strangely enough Leon’s lifelong ethos of ‘
If
you’re
a
true
friend,
you
know
I
need
my
space
’ didn’t seem to cover the shame he felt for causing his friend to feel as if he wasn’t around when he needed him. The same exact feelings he had been trying to deal with for god knows how long.

Nathan’s
mind
went
down
memory
lane
to
that
very
first
night
at
St
Glenmuir’s
-
New-Science
Boarding
School.
(A
state
and
private
funded
school
that
was
part
military,
specialising
in
social
sciences)
He
remembered
being
beaten
up
by
three
older
kids
who
left
him
lying
on
his
bed
with
a
busted
lip
and
questions
of
why?
Why
has
he
now
been
made
an
out-cast?
With
tears
in
his
eyes
he
saw
the
boy
from
the
opposite
bunk
walk
over
and
without
saying
a
word
place
a
small
wooden
bat
about
twelve
inches
long
onto
his
bed.
It
was
old
and
battered.
Nathan
felt
a
slight
twinge
of
fear
as
his
mind
went
through
all
the
things
it
had
probably
been
used
for,
other
than
baseball.
Not
sure
if
the
boy
was
friend
or
foe
Nathan
decided
not
to
touch
the
bat
or
say
a
word.
The
boy
decided
to
reply
in
kind
by
walking
back
to
his
bunk
across
the
room
in
silence.
Nathan
watched
him
get
into
his
bed
and
pull
the
covers
over
his
head.
After
a
few
moments
he
heard
the
boy
say,
“Hide
it
under
your
pillow.
We’ll
get’em
tomorrow.”

After
dealing
with
those
three
older
boys,
the
next
few
years
made
way
for
a
friendship
motivated
by
appreciation
and
loyalty
on
the
part
of
Nathan
and
as
Dean
got
to
know
his
new
friend
he
couldn’t
help
but
admire
the
drive
he
had
to
be
better,
to
want
the
best
and
be
different
from
the
life
he’d
once
known.
Through
the
remaining
years
of
boarding
school
they
stayed
tight
as
brothers.
Due
to
Glenmuir’s
specialised
field
-
like
all
the
other
boys
that
attended,
Leon
and
Jay
fulfilled
their
entire
school
and
University
careers
within
those
walls,
graduating
with
honours
and
receiving
degrees
that
aided
them
in
being
recruited
to
attend
Quantico,
the
FBI’s
training
facility
in
Virginia,
36miles
outside
of
Washington.
Then
after
graduating
from
Quantico
at
the
top
of
their
class
they
were
assigned
to
attend
8months
special
training
at
Fort
Kelham
–
A
training
facility
for
the
51
st
Rangers
and
special
Ops
Forces.
Due
to
their
knowledge
of
one
another,
survival
skills
and
their
advanced
degrees
in
behavioural
science,
criminology,
sociology
and
conflict
resolution
they
were
assigned
as
partners.
With
their
unique
abilities
they
were
immediately
sent
out
on
undercover
assignments
together.
Leon
had
to
admit,
Jay
had
been
there
for
him
since
the
beginning.

Not knowing what Leon was thinking and feeling enough time had passed for his question to be answered Jay said ‘Are you going to give me an answer or what?’

The tone in Jay’s voice broke through Leon’s thoughts like a stone through glass,
-
The exact thing needed to bring his mind back to the present moment. Looking over at his friend Leon realised the look of worry that was on Jay’s face had long gone and was now replaced with agitation.

Leon lowered his head, so his chin was resting on his chest and then heaved a sigh.

‘Aight, aight…’ He said finally. Looking directly into Jay’s eyes Leon cleared his throat and then said, ‘Here goes
-
I want out.’

‘What… !’ Jay exclaimed
–
much louder than Leon would have liked. ‘. . . What d’ya mean you want out?’

‘I mean, I can’t do this anymore. I’m losing it! The lies, Kerry, the Chief coming to my house, trying to blow my cover,’ Leon paused to make sure Jay was still with him then said ‘And don’t get me started on how I have to see that fuckers face every day and not put my hands round his neck and squeeze the life out of him. There’s no doubt he was the one who killed my father.’