Your Favorite Crime

11. The Legal Term

Wesley Evers went through security at the courthouse just like every time before, but when he reached the floor where his hearing would be taking place, a window shattered and a small canister that expelled smoke was thrown inside.

"A HITMAN FOUND US!" A familiar voice shouted from down the corridor and started running.

Another canister sailed through the broken window, causing further panic amongst everyone in the hallway.

Through the haze of the smoke, Wes saw the back of a man he would recognize anywhere. "TIM?" He wove through the people tripping over each other in their panic to escape the plumes of smoke. Even with the chaos surrounding him, all Wes could see was Tim pushing someone forward and away from the window. "TIM!" He called again. He passed the last few people separating him from his friend and blinked through the heavy mist. "It is you!"

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked gruffly.

"Court. The more important question here is what are YOU doing here? I thought you were in hiding and going into witness protection," Wes was incredibly confused.

"We had a better idea."

"WE?" Wes' eyes traveled to the short woman standing next to Tim, one of her hands in his. He hoped the billowing smoke was blurring his vision, because surely he was not staring at the criminal the FBI was trying to prosecute.

"This is Lucy," Tim introduced.

"I know who she is," he had seen her photo among the case files with the list of crimes the FBI could not charge her for.

"Don't tell Angela you saw us here," Tim requested.

"Of course I'm gonna tell her," Wes sassed. If he did not tell his wife that he saw Tim, he would probably be relegated to the couch for a month.

"Can you wait an hour?"

"An hour?"

The sound of gunfire interrupted their conversation.

"It's too late," Lucy said sadly.

"We made it this far, besides, it's the only way," Tim was desperate.

"What are you guys talking about?" Wes wondered.

"I got you a judge!" Tamara announced as she approached with a woman in a big, black robe following her. She tried to show her support for Tim and Lucy's ridiculous plan even if they were taking a very large risk leaving the safety of the safehouse while the hitmen and mercenaries who had yet to hear about the cancellation of the bounty still sought Tim out.

"Did you see how many shooters there are outside?" Tim asked.

"Just one," Tamara answered.

"The cops'll be here soon," Lucy noted, searching the hallway in anticipation of a hitman approaching.

"Then, we better get this show on the road!" Tamara said. "Which courtroom can we use, judge?"

Wes recognized the woman as Judge Randolph. The judge pointed to a small courtroom in the middle of the hallway, so Tim, Lucy, and Tamara made their way through the big wooden door she had indicated. "Judge Randolph, are you okay?" Wes asked.

"A little smoke isn't gonna scare me. I've been a judge in L.A. for 25 years," she answered proudly.

"Are you...being held against your will?"

"Against my will? Tamara is a friend of mine. She volunteers to teach the formerly incarcerated how to use computers. When she told me she needed a favor, I was too happy to help!"