The atmosphere was saturated with unspoken fury as everyone stared at Brook and Payton facing each other in the middle of the room. Michelle watched Brook with tears in her eyes. She couldn't imagine what was going through his head. He'd just heard that the man responsible for his father's death was alive. She felt her heart drop at the thought of what Brook might do next.
"Brook..." she began. But he ignored her and walked towards the door again. Payton grabbed his arm more strongly this time and twisted it.
"Let go!" Brook yelled. Reece and Jett were on top of him in an instant trying to keep him from going out the door.
"You're not going anywhere," Soriano said in a low firm voice.
"You think you can keep me here?! You think you have any power over me after lying to me about Kromer?!" Brook yelled.
"Don't be stupid Brook! They'll kill you if you go there." Reece said, struggling to hold his shoulders down.
"Not if I kill them first," Brook said ferociously. Payton gave him a resounding right hook in the jaw that knocked Brook to the ground.
"Payton stop!" Michelle yelled.
"He needs to see sense and the only way to make him do that is to knock some into him!" Payton shouted.
"You can't go after them, Brook!" Leslie said.
"None of you are gonna stop me!" Brook shouted back. "They've been on a killing spree searching for me?! Well, I'm not gonna let anyone else die because of me! I'm gonna find them and kill them myself!"
"Brook, please!" Michelle pleaded. He turned to her.
"I won't let them get you either! I'm doing this to protect you!" he struggled against the three pairs of arms in vain before letting out a yell of frustration.
"You're ready to go after Kromer for your stupid revenge and leave Michelle?! What about her safety? Don't you care about her? How selfish can you be?!" Payton asked harshly.
"She'll never be safe as long as they're out there! I'm gonna stop them! I'm gonna kill them! Kromer and his son! Nobody is gonna stop me!" Brook shouted in rage. Paige stepped forward holding something in her hand.
"I'm sorry for doing this to you Brook, but it's for your own good." She slapped a cloth over Brook's mouth. In a second Brook's limbs went slack and he slumped backward, his eyes shut.
"What did you do to him?" Michelle asked in a hoarse voice.
"Chloroform. It's a mild tranquilizer. It was the only way to pacify him. He should wake up in a few hours." Paige said. Jett and Payton carried him up the stairs to his room and came down. Michelle leaned on the wall for support.
"We need some fuel," Leslie said, trying to lighten the air. She went to the kitchen to make some coffee.
"Sit down before you collapse," Paige said on seeing Michelle's pale face. Michelle made her way to the couch and buried her head in her hands.
"We need to talk," Soriano said addressing everybody. Reece and Payton shot him dark looks while Jett sat on the couch next to Michelle. Paige stood next to her with her arms folded.
"Okay chief. Let's talk. But about? The fact that you've kept the biggest damn secret from us?! Or the fact that our people had to die because Jackson is hunting us by attacking every automobile shop that is associated with the Night Blazers?!" Paige asked, her voice rising with each word.
"Yeah, chief. How could you not tell us about Kromer being alive?" Jett asked. Michelle noticed his hands were knitted tightly together as though trying to control his emotions.
"I was wondering the same thing. How did Kromer even survive all these years? Did you see him?" Reece asked.
"He's alive and yes, he survived," Soriano said in a toneless voice. "I couldn't tell you all about it because I had to protect you. I couldn't let what happened to our other allies happen to you. I knew none of you would sit still if you knew. Especially Brook."
"But instead of trusting us with this, you go after him yourself, get beat up, and still act like you're fit to run this crew!" Payton said in anger. "Face it chief. You don't trust us."
"You know damn well I do!" Soriano snapped. "I will not lose another one of you to them even if it means getting revenge! If I have to die protecting you, I will!"
"Let's just all calm down and think about this rationally," Leslie called her voice calm but firm. She brought a tray of coffee and set it on the table. Everyone took a cup.
"Brook is proof of what you all want to do. You might have stopped him now but I won't risk any of you going after Kromer or Jackson by yourselves. It's too dangerous." Soriano said.
"If we don't fight the war, who will?" Michelle asked quietly.
"It's not time to fight yet! We need a better standing. We need –"
"We need to do something before Jackson kills more people to draw us out!" Payton shouted, interrupting Soriano. "And with Kromer back, who knows what large-scale destruction they can plan without breaking a sweat!"
"Kromer can't do anything," Soriano said. Paige narrowed her eyes at the chief.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Kromer is in no state to even speak," Soriano said. Everybody stared hard at him. He sighed.
"There's reason Jackson wanted the Koenigsegg is to get an easy two million in cash. The Inferno Ghosts don't have that at the moment and don't have a better way of making it."
"So what's the reason?" Reece asked.
"Kromer is in critical condition," Soriano said. "He is bedridden and needs several surgeries if he has a chance to live. One of them being a heart transplant."
"So he wanted two million to pay for surgery?" Jett asked.
"Surgeries. He also has several other issues."
"So how did he survive all these years?" Payton asked.
"Jackson didn't sit back and do nothing; why do you think he revived the Inferno Ghosts? But Kromer's damage from eighteen years ago was a lot to deal with. It's implausible that he's even alive. But Jackson kept him alive. Up till now. But Kromer was on the verge of death. Eventually, when things grow worse, you become more desperate. Kromer's condition became so bad he needed a heart transplant if he wanted to buy a few more years."
"And a heart transplant costs almost two million," Michelle said looking up.
"Yes," Soriano said, turning to her.
"So that's why you had us get the Koenigsegg," Reece said thoughtfully.
"Unless Jackson's found another way to get two million, Kromer won't be getting a transplant."
"He should," Michelle said, surprising everyone.
"Michelle, have you gone crazy?" Paige asked. Michelle stood up.
"If Kromer stayed alive, he'd get convicted for everything he did eighteen years ago including killing Brook's father!" Michelle said fiercely.
"We don't need Kromer alive for that. Jackson is enough. If in some parallel universe the FBI ever actually bothers to convict him." Reece said.
"But Kromer deserves to be punished!" Michelle said.
"By staying alive? You're clearly not thinking straight." Payton said.
"I understand what she means," Leslie said her eyes lowered thoughtfully. "She wants Kromer brought to justice." Reece scoffed.
"Justice? In this world? You're thinking of a fantasy, Michelle."
"He survived eighteen years! If he stayed alive long enough to be convicted for all his crimes –"
"Wake up Michelle!" Payton interrupted her. "It won't work. This isn't the kind of ideal society you're dreaming about. Kromer can get out of this like a snake out of a hole if he survives at all. And Jackson won't think twice about killing off anyone associated with us for denying him the chance to save his father."
"So what, we just – we're not gonna do anything? That's not fair to Brook!" Michelle said hotly. Leslie laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I know Michelle, but right now, we need to plan this carefully. We've suffered too much loss before to go about this without thinking this through."
"Pft. I say we rally all our allies and charge at Jackson head-on." Paige said.
"No. Jackson is desperate right now. We don't want to give him leverage to take us down. And that's exactly what will happen if we run headlong into his trap." Soriano said.
"I can't take this anymore," Michelle said walking off upstairs. She went into Brook's room. Brook was lying peacefully on the bed, his face calmed by the tranquilizer. Michelle squeezed back tears as she watched him.
"One way or another Brook, I'm gonna make sure you get justice for your dad." She said lying beside him and taking his hand.
It was still dark outside when Michelle woke up. She didn't know what time it was but only that she hadn't been asleep long. The reason she woke up was that she felt cold. The warmth from earlier was perceptibly missing. Michelle got up from the bed deciding to go get a glass of water. She turned and looked behind her expecting to see Brook sleeping peacefully – but he was not there. Instead, she found a folded sheet of paper. She turned on the bedside lamp and opened it. It was from Brook.
Michelle,
I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say to you. I want you to know that I love you and it's tearing me apart that I have to leave you. But I can't sit back and do nothing while I know Kromer and Jackson are after you. I'm not gonna stop until I make sure you're safe. Safe to live a life without running away, even if it means a life without me.
I'll take care of the Ghosts myself. My father knew what to do – it's time I finished his work. If I die, I want you to know I love you and I always will. You are my everything Michelle and I'll never leave you.
If anything happens to me, I want you to have my parents' house in the North Valley. That's all I can offer you.
Don't cry for me, Michelle. That would break my heart more than anything. Stay safe.
Yours forever,
Brook.
Michelle felt her legs give way and sank to the floor. She couldn't breathe; her chest was constricted. Her hands were shaking violently and her mouth went dry. She felt her vision swim. Brook was gone – and he might never come back.
Paige was passing by Brook's room and decided to check on him and Michelle. She opened the door a crack and saw the light on. She opened it a little more and saw Michelle ashen on the floor, a sheet of paper held tight in her quivering hand.
"Michelle? What's wrong?" she asked. She saw the empty bed and Michelle's face and understood. She clenched her fists.
"He's gone. Brook's gone." Michelle cried, her face desperate. Paige glanced around the room and saw the open window.
"Dammit, he's either too smart or too stupid." She said. She helped Michelle up.
"We're gonna get him back," Paige said in a firm voice. "And when we do, I'm gonna pulverize him for leaving like this."
Paige and Michelle went downstairs and bumped into Payton on the way.
"Where are you going at this hour?" Payton asked. Paige's expression was dark when she spoke.
"To get Brook back. He's gone. You tell the chief and I'll break you myself." Payton sucked in a breath as he clenched his fists before exhaling heavily.
"Fine. But I'm coming with you. I'll get Jett and Reece." He said.
"Make it snappy," Paige said, taking Michelle's hand and pulling her out to the garage. She pulled away all the tarps covering the cars in one fluid motion. Michelle saw that Brook's Bugatti was missing and her heart constricted.
"You want to ride with me? I'm warning you, I won't drive slowly." Paige said to her.
"She'll be riding with me," Payton said coming into the garage. Reece and Jett followed him, their expressions serious.
"We heard," Jett said to Michelle. Her face was still ashen and drawn like she had just woken up from a nightmare.
"Then stop wasting time and get in your cars! In his Bugatti who knows how much ground he's covered already!" Paige said with ferocity. Everyone got in their cars. Michelle got into the passenger seat of Payton's Dodge Viper.
"Are you sure you want to come?" Payton asked. "That might not be such a –"
"Don't argue with me, Payton! I'm coming. This is Brook we're talking about. I am not staying behind. Now stop wasting time and let's go!" she shrieked. She realized she was panting like she had been running and had held her breath for a long time. All the pain, the rage towards the Inferno Ghosts, the panic about Brook's life had broken through and she felt desperate.
"Michelle's right. Let's go." Reece said. They started their cars and rolled out of the garage.
"Why didn't you tell Leslie about it?" Paige asked through the car radio.
"She wouldn't have let us go either. Nobody's gonna stop us now." Payton said.
"Guys, how are we gonna find him? He could be anywhere." Reece said.
"I put trackers on all our cars just in case we had a situation like this," Jett said. "I'm tracking his Bugatti now – he's on Billshore Street. Heading east at an incredibly high speed."
"Damn Bugatti. If he had a slower car..." Payton said.
"Let's just go! Jett, send us the coordinates and we'll follow." Michelle said as Payton drove alongside him.
"Got it, Michelle. Don't worry. We'll get him back." Jett said, trying to infuse confidence in his voice.
"Damn right we will," Paige said as she kicked the gas pedal hard.
Several minutes later, though less than it should've been thanks to the supercars, the crew slowed down on Billshore Street. Jett checked his tracker before speaking through the radio to the others.
"Guys, something's not right. His car's stopped."
"Did he find the tracker and get rid of it?" Payton asked.
"Not likely. I put it in a place no one can reach." Jett said.
"When this is over, we need to discuss some rules of privacy," Paige said.
"If it weren't these trackers – you know what? Never mind." Jett said, shaking his head. "Hey look, there it is!" Jett's excited voice alerted everyone. They saw the dark outline of a car coming up on their left, illuminated by a streetlight.
"Is it -?" Michelle began, squinting to see if it was Brook's car.
"It's the Bugatti alright," Payton said. Michelle glanced at him when she heard the grave note in his voice. He and the others pulled up and got out.
"Empty," Paige said looking inside the Bugatti.
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Paige," Reece said bitingly. Jett circled the car looking for clues.
"Guys, I've got bad news. Brook left this car of his own volition. There's no sign of damage to the door, no sign of breaking in, nothing." He said.
"You mean, he walked away from his car?" Michelle asked. "Then that means he can't be far from here!" she looked around hoping to see Brook's figure somewhere on the road.
"Unless he was taken in another car," Reece said. Michelle turned to him with panic in her eyes.
"No, no! Brook's here, he has to be! We have to look for him!" She said her voice was on the verge of a shriek. She started to walk along the road calling Brook's name. Payton grabbed her arm and pulled him back.
"He's not here! He's gone okay? He left the car and probably took a cab." He said.
"But that means he knew he was being tracked. That doesn't make sense." Paige said.
"Yeah, we didn't even know about the trackers. How could he have?" Reece interposed.
"Unless... what if –" Jett stopped and looked at Michelle.
"What? What is it? Say it, Jett! It may help us find him." Michelle begged.
"I'm sorry Michelle, but what if the Ghosts have him?" Michelle's eyes filled up and she shook her head.
"No... no they don't! They can't!" Michelle shouted. She pulled away from Payton's grasp and walked on.
"Brook! Please! I know you're here! Brook, please come back!" She shouted towards the empty road. Payton came and stopped her in her tracks.
"Michelle, I need you to trust me. Listen to me. Brook's not here. but we're gonna find him alright? I'm not gonna let him off the hook for this." Michelle raised her tear-filled eyes to Payton.
"Promise." She said in a hard voice.
"Promise," Payton said and led her back to the others.
"We need to regroup and make a plan. Without his car, it's gonna be a lot harder to track Brook." Jett said. Reece gave him a hard nudge in the ribs and nodded to Michelle.
"Uh, I mean, we'll find him. For sure." Jett rectified. Reece rolled his eyes.
"Someone's gotta drive Brook's Bugatti back." He said.
"I will. You all have cars anyway." Michelle said.
"Are you sure? Will you be okay?" Payton asked. Michelle nodded and blinked back her tears. She got into Brook's car, inhaling his scent which was so prevalent in the leather. She could feel the slight warmth in the seat, the warmth left by his body. Thoughts about the last time she'd been in there rushed through her head. She had been straddling Brook on this very seat, sharing heated kisses as his hands touched every part of her body. It had all felt like a dream...
She felt her eyes fill up again. She thought back to the first time Brook took her on a drive; she and Brook had been alone in the car; they had been so happy together, sneaking out of the base. Brook had taught her how to really drive...
"Just follow us okay Michelle? Payton will be right behind you." Jett said through the radio. Michelle blinked back her tears and agreed. They got into their cars and drove back home.