Xander
Xander watched carefully as Daphne made her way over to the police officers. Once the officers laid eyes on her, they gathered around quickly to usher her from the scene.
Come on, Daph, he thought. Get ’em good and distracted.
She was far enough away that Xander couldn’t make out what she was saying. But he could tell from her body language that she was amping up the drama and waterworks. She stomped her feet, pushed away nearby officers, and otherwise made as big of a scene as she could. Soon, nearly every cop there was attempting to calm her down while also trying to not anger the mother of the boy for which they were searching.
Nice, Xander thought.
The coast clear, Xander made a quick run around the perimeter of the park, looking for anything he could find. After a little searching, he found a large pile of cigarette butts behind a nearby tree. Taking a position behind it, he saw that it gave a clear vantage point to the park. And judging from the number of butts, it had been more than just one person acting alone. Xander then went to the nearest parking lot and found several tire tracks that were clearly from motorcycles.
Then it’s not just Scar acting alone, he thought. They’ve got the whole crew on this operation.
Turning his attention back to the scene that Daphne was in the process of making, he saw that the cops had finally had enough and were shuffling her from the area as quickly as possible. Once she was away, she headed back to the bike, and Xander trotted over to meet her there.
“Nice work,” said Xander. “You really know how to put on a show.”
“Well, even if I weren’t, it was still frustrating talking to them; they didn’t care that I was the mom, they just wanted me gone.”
“Then good thing you’ve got me on the case,” said Xander with a grin.
“We’ll see about that,” said Daphne.
“Well, I’m thinking that so far you and I make a pretty good team.”
Daphne made a half-smile. “Maybe. But I don’t know how useful I’m going to be at facing down a biker gang.”
“Leave that to me,” said Xander.
Xander took a few steps away from Daphne, bringing in a deep breath as he did.
“What now?” asked Daphne.
“I’m gonna call Scar and let him know that I’m ready to give myself up.”
“Are you serious?” asked Daphne. “They want to kill you!”
Xander hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“That’s … what I’m gonna let them think. But I’ve got a plan, don’t you worry about it.”
“Oh … okay,” said Daphne, seeming to not be put totally at ease by Xander’s words.
Walking away out of earshot, he pulled out his phone and brought up the number for the contact he had at the Devil’s Spawn.
“Who the fuck is this?” came the gruff voice on the other end.
“Xander.”
A long moment passed.
“Then I’ll repeat the question: what the fuck do you want?”
“I wanna talk to Scar.”
“Oh, yeah? And what the fuck do you have to say to him?”
“Put him on,” said Xander. “Stop fucking around.”
The line was silent, and moments later a different voice spoke on the other end. It was a sinister, thin voice that Xander recognized as Scar’s immediately.
“Yes?” he asked.
“This Scar?”
“Why, yes, it is.”
“This is Xander. I want you to know that I’m agreeing to your terms; I’m gonna give myself up.”
“Just like that?” asked Scar. “I would’ve thought the great Xander Ricci would’ve put up a little more of a fight.”
“You kidnapped a fucking kid,” said Xander. “Not sure what kind of play I can make after that.”
Xander was careful with his words; as far as Scar and the rest of the crew knew, Jack was just the son of a woman he’d been involved with.
“Glad to see you’re smarter than you look,” said Scar. “So, you know the terms: you give yourself up, let us put a bullet right through that head of yours, and we’ll give back the kid. Simple as that.”
“How do I know that you won’t go back on your word?”
“Because what the hell would we want with some brat once we’ve used him to get to you? Rest assured, the last sight that you’ll see before going to the great beyond will be this whiny little fuck climbing into the back of a van to head back to his mommy’s.”
“Fine,” growled Xander. “Then tell me where you want to meet.”
“You know where we are,” said Scar. “Come alone and unarmed. And come soon. You try anything, you show up with anyone other than yourself, and the deal’s off.”
Then the line went dead.
Xander sighed and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
“What’s going on?” asked Daphne.
“Just getting everything sorted out with the Spawn,” he said.
But he knew how the handoff was really going to go. Unlike what he was leading Daphne to believe, Xander wasn’t coming back. There wasn’t going to be any last-minute brilliant plan that saved him from the death that the Spawn desperately wanted to deal to him. Xander was going to show up, take a bullet, his last thoughts being a prayer that the Spawn were going to let Jack return safe and sound, just as they’d promised.
But Daphne didn’t need to know any of that.
“When are you going? And I want to come with you.”
“I’m going now,” said Xander. “And you’re not coming with me. No fucking chance.”
“But he’s my son,” demanded Daphne. “I’m not going to just hope that he gets home in one piece.”
“If I come with anyone then the deal’s off.”
“But—”
“No ‘buts’,” said Xander, his voice stern. “I’m going now; I’m gonna call my boys to come pick you up and take you somewhere safe.”
Daphne looked down and nodded slowly, finally understanding the situation. Xander looked her up and down carefully, taking in every detail of her beauty. Then, without saying another word, he pulled Daphne close and kissed her hard.
He knew that this was going to be the last time he saw her, the last time he touched her, the last time he kissed her. He wanted the taste of her to linger on his lips as he went to his death. Though part of him wished that he could be locked into this kiss forever, that he’d never have to let her go, he knew it had to end. Xander gently pushed Daphne away and stepped back towards his bike.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said, gunning the engine and peeling out of the parking lot.
Thoughts raced through Xander’s mind as he drove down the highway to the Spawn’s HQ. He thought about all the years that he’d lost with Jack, how he’d never had a chance to be the father that the boy deserved. But now, he realized, he had a chance to step up and be a man for Jack, to put his own neck on the line so that his son could live. After all, he thought, isn’t that what being a father is all about? Knowing that your life is nothing compared to your child’s?
Xander knew that he’d been a criminal his whole life, that he’d done bad things over the years, unspeakable things. He knew that he’d need another lifetime to make up for the things he’d done. But maybe, he considered, doing this one thing would be enough to tip the scales in his favor come judgement.
Eventually, he spotted the turn off for the HQ. Xander pulled to the side of the road and took his phone out of his pocket. He quickly typed up a text to Grayson and sent it.
Going on a mission for the MC. If anything happens to me, then I want all my savings to go to Daphne Carver. She’s at Langford Park now, and needs a pickup and safehouse.
And that was followed by her contact information. All the money that Xander’d been saving up over the years was in Grayson’s possession, and Xander knew he could trust his boss to get it where it needed to go.
Everything sorted out, he got back onto the bike and drove towards the HQ, the finality of his fate in the center of his thoughts.