Epilogue
Four months later
THE CHANGEin temperature was immediate as Mitch stepped from the air-conditioned high-rise onto the city street. He hit the Send button and pocketed his phone. He pulled his coat tighter against the chill, and despite being jostled by the crowds purposefully walking in both directions, Mitch stopped and looked up. Above the office buildings, the sky wasa clear blue. He took a deep breath. It was over. He’d done what he had to do, and now he was free.
“C’mon. Let’s get that beer. We’ve got something to celebrate, right?” Ross’s grin was wide as he nudged Mitch in the direction of The Rocks.
Luckily it was early enough that they managed to get a table on the rooftop, and soon Ross was raising his glass in a toast.
“Here’s to a job well done.”
Mitch snorted. “I’m not sure how well the job was done, but I’ll drink to the bloody thing being over.” They clinked glasses, and he swallowed the cold lager.
“You’ve started the celebration without me.”
They both looked up to see Shelley, Ross’s wife, smiling at them. She gave Mitch a quick kiss before slipping into the seat beside Ross. Ross flung an arm around her shoulders and pulled herclose. Envy tugged at Mitch’s heart as he observed their closeness.
“Hey, Shell. It’s great to see you. I’ll get you a drink.” He pushed back, chair legs scraping on the floor. A minute to himself would be good. “What are you having? Glass of white wine, right?”
“Ah….” She and Ross shared a look.
“What?”
“Well, we’ve got some news,” Ross said.
“It’s only early days, but we want you to knowwe’re having a baby.”
“Fuck. Really?” Mitch’s smile was wide, but he was sure Ross’s grin was wider. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you guys.”
He moved around the table and gave Shelley a quick hug as Ross stood. He grasped Ross’s hand and gave it a shake before hauling him into a back-slapping hug. “That’s great news, mate. I really am happy for you.”
Ross pulled back, eyes crinkling. “Yeah,me too.”
“This is definitely cause for a celebration. Lemonade all round?” Mitch said, looking at Shelley. He gave her a wink, her laughter following him as he headed to the bar to order another round.
“How’d it go today?” Shelley asked when he finally returned.
“As expected. This was only the internal inquiry to tie up loose ends regarding the whole operation. Bureaucracy more than anything,but critical to make sure the case holds up in court. The trial won’t be for at least twelve months, maybe longer what with the court backlogs,” Ross said.
“I can’t believe how lucky you were, Mitch.” Shelley reached over and patted his hand. “Thank God you weren’t hurt worse.”
He instinctively brought his hand to his side where the bullet had entered and thankfully passed straight through.I guess you can call a broken rib, punctured lung, and shredded muscles lucky.Even now he felt the twinge that reminded him daily of that fateful day. The only good thing to have come out of the injury and his subsequent stint in hospital was that he had finally kicked the smoking habit once and for all.
“Yeah. I’m glad Ross and the others were there, or there could have been a very differentoutcome.”
It had been a hell of a lot easier to watch the police cart Finn away rather than the paramedics. But Mitch still had nightmares of coming to, strapped to a gurney, and seeing the look of desperation on Finn’s face as he was dragged away. God, how he wanted to see Finn. The yearning gripped him hard enough to take his breath away.
“Are you okay, honey?” Shelley squeezed his hand.
Mitch shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Uh-huh.”
“You’ll let us know if you need anything, right?”
“Thanks, Shell. I’ll be okay. The inquiry today was the only thing holding me here in Sydney. I’m free to move on now, at least until the trial.”
“What happens next?” she asked.
Ross spoke up. “The presidents of both clubs were killed along with eight other club members. The remaining gangmembers were taken into custody. They’re facing a slew of charges—illegal possession of firearms, assault, murder, drug importation and distribution. The businesses have been closed down. The assets of each gang have been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act—cash, vehicles, property. Thanks to Lana and the Forensic Accounting team’s hard work, we think we found most of it.”
