Cops' Kids

C23

"No, Tyson," Erik Fanucci shakes his head firmly. "That is not possible. In fact, just your brothers is damn near impossible!"

"It's just four more!" Tyson argues. He stands up to pace Francesca Marti's living room.

"Them or your brothers," Erik says coldly. He isn't much for semantics, especially pro bono cases like this. Getting eight people out of the Chief of Police's home is going to be hard enough, but a well respected university professor and doctor? Forget it.

"Really?" Tyson gapes at the dangerous man. He doesn't seem mean compared to Elmer but that's because Tyson has only seen his good side, courtesy of Dr. Delluci. Erik Fanucci stares at him, unblinking. The capo is getting pissed off. Tyson chews his lip but comes up with his answer right away. He's been preparing for his brothers escape seriously for two years. The girls need an escape plan from someone else. "The King girls, then. I'll get my brothers out."

"How?" Erik throws his head back with a caustic laugh.

"I've been saving up money," Tyson flushes. He doesn't even have a job and he hasn't told anyone his escape plans before.

"A couple grand from a part time job?" Erik scoffs. "That'll get you far."

"No," Tyson rebukes softly. It's strange to him, actually disagreeing with a grown man that doesn't hit him for it. "I've been investing in the stock market for about two years. I have two mil spread around."

"I'm sorry, what?" Erik coughs, looking at the teenage boy with newfound respect. Two million in two years from the stock market. Tyson definitely isn't playing it safe. Or.... "Who's your inside man?"

"Alan O'Hara," Tyson answers. He doesn't add that Alan O'Hara is his ex-girlfriends dad. "Please don't ask him to help you out. He's already afraid he'll get caught."

"I have plenty of money of my own," Erik waves the boys concern off. He crosses one leg over his knee and relaxes into the couch. "But money isn't gonna get you out of here."

"Aisling O'Callaghan," Tyson says the next name of a person to help him out. This one is Helena's stepmother. "She's the citywide store manager of that convenience store everyone talks about. I have go bags stashed in every single store, a code to the doors, and a full time workers keycard so there is no way to track anything back to me."

"You're getting there," Erik nods. This boy does have brains behind the brawn. Erik urges Tyson on in his escape plan.

"Elaine Griffiths," Helena's mom, "she's a flight attendant. Her fiancé owns a private airline and she owes me a favour. She has me and my brothers on a VIP list to make a quick getaway." Elaine owes Tyson big time. She had been on bad terms with her daughter until Tyson had brought their relationship closure and a future.

"I'm impressed," Erik steeples his fingers and leans forward. Tyson Watson was just a boy in trouble when Dr. Delluci asked his help but now he's seeing a man of steel resolve behind the young face.

"And if for some reason our faces are plastered everywhere and we're grounded," Tyson says. He actually has a smile on his face and is getting antsy at telling someone like Erik Fanucci his plan. Hope is burning in his chest. "My moms friend, Penelope Phan, is a trucker. She's tried getting my mom to leave already and has promised us a ride in her truck along her country long route. We can literally start new anywhere."

"I know you trust these people, son," Erik holds a hand up when Tyson tries to interrupt. "But I'm not doing my due diligence if I don't run background checks. Dr. Delluci still wants me to help you get away from your stepfather although it's looking more and more like you don't need my help." 

"Thanks," Tyson paces behind the sofa, hands hanging by his side. It's been a night and a day and his shoulder is unbelievably sore from Mr. King. The next person in his plan is actually his ex, Beatrice's father. "A detective, who I shouldn't name, has a forger CI. I've already made fake ID's for my mom and my brothers and me. They're in the go bags and the detective has some hidden if the go bags are found."

Erik only smiles. Tyson reminds him of himself when he was younger, reminds him of himself today. A little more smooth edges and hopeful naive but a callous aura and brilliant mind. If Tyson wasn't a kid Erik would be offering him a spot under him in his uncles mafia.

"If, for whatever imaginable reason, I'm caught or my brothers and mother, I have a junior partner from Robinson and Cahill on retainer. All of my bases are covered through her." The lawyer just so happened to be Beatrice's stepmother. She'd done well in not recognizing Tyson in front of Elmer and the other witnesses.

"Robinson and Cahill," Erik wants to stand up and shake Tyson's hand. That or salute him. The kid probably doesn't know it but his uncles best lawyers are all from Robinson and Cahill.

"Then I've boughten a dozen or so houses around the city if we can't fly or drive out. Some are in rough neighbourhoods, some in upscale neighbourhoods but all have a single military or police personnel renting them. It puts extra money in my pocket and makes it look like someone is living there if we need to move in suddenly." He'd gone through LRT's and company bank accounts with the help of Rita's dad. Tyson knew Rita's family was struggling financially and her father would get a percentage of the asking price and made sure all the houses he bought were from him. Some of Tyson's fathers brothers don't know it, but the houses they are living in are their nephews. His godfather and Uncle Salvador lives in one. He is a Sergeant on the police force and hates what the Carr-Hardwood's do and hide. His other uncle, Wallace, is an officer in the navy, often in the sea for months on end. The house he lives in is closest to Elmer's. On a few occasions Tyson has crashed there for a couple hours until he was ready to face Elmer's wrath.

"The last notch in the plan is my Aunt Kylie, my real dads older sister. She's a photojournalist. Over the years I've given her what evidence I could of the abuse Elmer has put us through. If one day one of us disappears she will make it all public. The plan was to expose him soon but now that you are part of the picture, I think that will be if you don't kill him." Tyson breathes out deeply. His arms are trembling and his fingers shaking. So far Erik hasn't said much but Tyson has spent years perfecting his plan. He knows it's a good one, he just wants to hear from someone that it is a good one.

"Don't worry, son. I'll do my part efficiently." Erik smiles. It's a bloodthirsty one. He does hold up one finger though. "Your plan is rock solid, why haven't you acted on it?"

"He's still their-," Tyson shakes his head. Elmer is the only father he really knows. "He's fill our father. I don't know if I can trust my brothers."

"You worried about Benjamin?" Erik asks. He is too. That boy is apathetic outwardly, already reminds people of his father with the mean look in his eye.

"And Ross," Tyson admits quietly. Ross is terrified of his father but has no one else to go to. Official reports don't admit Elmer's fault in his mothers death.