What Has Fallen

20. Jax: I Need Help

October 31

10 PM

"I'll drink to that," Marco and I tapped our beer bottles together celebrating one week since any FBI agents stopped by looking for suspicious activity. Agents took Carlos in to be questioned twice, while Marco and I were brought in multiple times to discuss our involvement with the Westfords. They tried using our criminal histories against us and accused us being in relationships with Olive and Alice. While this is a responsible accusation, we denied. Having nothing to hold us on, the agents had to release us. When they released us I offered to fix their car; the car I backed into to help Alice escape. Even though the 'special agents', Beltran and Marsh, obviously didn't care for my offer or me, Agent Kramer appreciated my offer. She brought the car in a few days later and may have opened up about the investigation to me.

Marco and I sat back in our chairs relaxing. Marco sighed closing his eyes. I asked, "Your brother mentioned your uncle is back in town. How's that going?"

"Huh?" Marco's forehead wrinkled a bit. He opened his eyes and looked at me, "Right, yeah. He told you about that?"

"Yeah, uh," I scratched my jawline, "at this point he tells me pretty much everything."

Marco chuckled, "Well, he came back yeah, but only to get arrested."

Now my face twisted to confusion, "What?"

He chuckled again leaning back in his chair, "Look, when a Westford asks for help, I don't ask questions." My face stayed the same. I hadn't heard from anyone in that family in a month, so this is news to me. He explained, "Olive asked me to get my uncle here, whatever it takes. I didn't understand until Alice called on Olive's phone and gave me very specific instructions." Now I felt more confused. Marco leaned forward placing his arms on his desk, "En serio, hombre? You don't know about any of this?" I shook my head some. He huffed, "I thought you were in with them now."

I shrugged, "I haven't heard anything in a month. Which is fair. All the shit going on with the feds, I get it."

Marco made a face that said he got it too. "She got ahold of me because I could reach my uncle without there being suspicion. My uncle, he's wanted for..." Marco scratched his head, "uh, one, stealing a little over four g's from Mr. Westford." I shook my head taking a swig of beer. Marco continued, "And, two, getting way too close to Olive and Alice when they were younger."

I sat forward and my eyes got wider, "He did what?"

Marco swallowed harder, "It was shit like hugging them for too long and staring at them weirdly. Alice was the one that brought it up to my dad when she noticed it happening to Olive. After that he ran. Carlos didn't need to know about that after going through... ya know, so we told him our uncle just wasn't allowed back." I leaned back scuffing. Marco nodded, "Yeah, I know, he's not a good guy. That's why my dad basically disowned him from the family. And, I didn't care what Alice had planned for him. I knew whatever it'd be, it'd be fitting."

Getting over the fact, Marco's uncle is a pervert, I said, "I'm assuming she needs him in jail for something. She needed someone she has dirt on."

Marco nodded, "She told me when he gets to town, he'll be arrested. I had ten minutes to explain as long as our uncle does what he's told, Alice'll get the lawyers to make a plea agreement for probation."

"What do you mean 'what he's told'?"

"Don't know," Marco shrugged. "Alice said a guard would give him instructions once he's inside."

I didn't have to know Alice very much to know she lied about helping him get out. I cleared my throat, "You know she lied," Marco looked at me, "About the whole probation thing?"