Page 65 of Devil and the Deep Blue Fish

“I wasstabbedin theliver,” Jackson retorted grumpily. “And I got back to Langdon telling me they were going to let Ellery go but would be happy if Jade and I stayed on. I mean, wemadehim the guy who would go to the wall for the little guy. We couldn’t very well let him go out on his own, right?”

“And you personally were in love with him,” Cody said dryly.

“There was that,” Jackson returned. He smiled a little. “I don’t think any of us have regretted it since. But what I’m saying is there are some good defense firms out there who would give you a break, and if we don’t have any spare work for you, Ellery and I will write odes to your godlike abilities after Henry gets back, so… you know….”

“There’s life after the force,” Cody said dutifully. “You’ve been telling me that since November, Jackson. Don’t worry. I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid. I’m a believer.”

Jackson chuckled without humor. “Good. Just be careful. Being a believer got Henry an intestine full of lead.”

“And like you, I’m sure he’d agree it’s worth it,” Cody told him firmly. “And thank you. I’ll keep up hope you suddenly add partners, but I honestly hadn’t thought of other defense firms—or even your old one. Silly me.”

“Out of the box thinking,” Jackson said absently. They were passing a row of small businesses and coming up on an alleyway. An employee was hefting a rather large cardboard box down the sidewalk, heading for the alley, and Jackson—who had been pondering how they were going to get into the Stepdragon Fortress of Solitude and Death suddenly had an idea.

He had to cross two lanes of traffic—and return an extended middle finger in greeting—in order to swerve to the side of the road and into one of the “outside of the bike lanes but hopefully not in traffic” parking spots to do it, but he managed to cut off the surprised man hefting the box.

“Do me a favor, would you?”

“Wha—”

Cody was busy clutching the chicken stick, so Jackson threw Jennifer in Park with a silent apology and hopped out. “Waithere, sweetheart,” he said, making sure he left her automatic keys in the drink holder. “I’ll be back.”

He trotted out into the drizzle and hailed the surprised employee. “Hey! Can I have that?”

The man—young, with line tattoos up and down lean arms—eyed the minivan dubiously. “Sure, man, but you got a vehicle to sleep in. Are you sure you’re going to need one?”

“I’m not sleeping in my car!” Jackson retorted, and then double-checked his outfit, grumpily pleased that both jeans and hoodie appeared washed and worn but intact. “This is for a… uhm… art project.” He smiled winningly.

“Glory hole?” The clerk asked, balancing the enormous flattened box on his head to keep off the rain.

“If that’s what makes you want to throw it in the back of the van, sure,” Jackson told him, raising the hatch.

“No, seriously, dude,” said the thin-faced clerk. His straw-colored hair was plastered around his eyes and neck, and he was starting to shiver, so Jackson handed him a beach towel as he grabbed a canvas bag filled with various uniforms he and Henry used to, uhm, blend as they worked. “Are you moving? What?”

“I’m pretending to be a UPS worker so I can see if a bastion of toxic white women are holding LGBTQ kids hostage,” Jackson told him flatly as they shoved the box in over the dolly lying crosswise in the back for this very reason.

“Seriously?” His helpful friend had wide hazel eyes, and he appeared to be charmed. “So, like, I’m helping superheroes?”

Jackson shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “It’s your good deed for today!”

The kid laughed. “Naw—fuck that, dude. I’m adopting a puppy today. You saved me five minutes of unnecessary work breaking that down so I can get out in time. Have fun storming the castle!”

And with that he turned and jogged back to the store as the sky opened up.

Jackson hung back for a moment, sheltered by the lifted back of the minivan, before slamming it shut.

“Hunh,” he said, climbing into the driver’s seat, aware that Cody Gabriel was staring at him.

“Just like that?” Gabriel said. “You… you told him the plan just like that?”

Jackson stared back, his hands fastening his seat belt automatically. “Was it a secret?”

“Well, I would have figured it out!” Cody told him. “But… but I wasn’t expecting you to tell people!”

“Who’s he gonna tell? His girlfriend? His parents? His roommate?” Jackson shrugged. “Man, he was trying to make a gray crappy day a little bit more magical. I got no problem with that. I thought I’d help.”

Cody chuckled. “I’d say mission accomplished, but he already had you beat.”

“Yeah,” Jackson said. “I know. That man was gonna get himself a puppy!”

---