Peter placed the telephone receiver in the cradle and leaned back in his leather chair with a satisfied smile.  

Bruiser studied his boss's face before handing him a steamy cup of coffee. "You look like the cat that caught the canary, Boss. Must have been a good phone call." 

"Better than good. Remind me to leave a nice bonus check in Smythe's Christmas stocking. He's been quite resourceful." 

"I haven't seen that big of a smile on your face for a long time. What gives?" 

"Our friend got word prior to Boston PD on the BOLO issued for the kid's car as well as any stolen vehicle in the vicinity that night. He got hits on both." 

"On both? They driving in separate cars?" Bruiser cast a confused look at Peter. "That doesn't make any sense." 

"No, you're right, it doesn't. But Smythe thought whoever beat up the guy in the alley wanted those diamonds pretty bad. Since they were on the run, he did a bit of police work and discovered a vehicle was stolen only blocks away from the area." Peter chuckled. "Would you believe our flatfoot cop found both of them before the police? As coincidence would have it, he had friends in the town who spotted the cars." 

"So, they're in the hands of the authorities? I don't see that helping us very much." 

"You've been in the city too long, Bruiser. These country cops don't work on the same wave link as we do. They deal with missing bulls or broken windows, not criminals. They saw the cars and gave Smythe a call this morning. One car is parked, but the other is gone." 

"So, they lost one. Do they have whoever was driving the second one?" 

"Nope, no sign of anyone there?" 

"Then, why the smile? We aren't much further than we were before, are we?" 

"Ye of little faith, my friend. The car that is gone is registered to the boy, and they are driving west on Highway 68 in Kentucky somewhere." Peter laughed. "Boston has no idea how a man's investigative powers improve when given the right reward. Our Officer Smythe asked if a robbery or stolen vehicle report had been filed. Came back with information on a general store robbery and a stolen car. Even got the plate for us." 

"That's awesome, but won't Boston be on top of it with all their resources?" 

"Now, there's why Smythe is getting a big bonus. He got his friends to hold on to their information for 24 hours. Of course, they have no idea about the diamonds. It's just a stolen car for them." Peter stood and walked around the desk. "Let's get your best men tracking them, right now. I want those jewels before Boston's finest get them. I'll text you the details and any updates." 

"On it, Boss." Bruiser hurried from the room as he gave orders to the crew from his cell phone. "Get the helicopter fired up, Jack. I'll have a car waiting for us in Lexington. We've got to get these guys before the police do, understand?" 

"Loud and clear." The phone clicked as each man rushed to complete the necessary details. 

************************ 

After driving 50 miles during the night, Mason had found a secluded parking place off the road so they could catch a few hours of sleep before sunrise and eat some of the food. Once Paddy's hunger was satisfied, he'd slept like a baby. On the other hand, Mason was restless and unable to sleep,  

Paddy's gentle snoring brought a smile to his face. He preferred to visualize his younger brother as innocent to the darker side of life. He shouldn't have dragged him into this crazy plan, and he regretted it.  

Pangs of hunger gnawed at his stomach. Worried whether they were being followed last night, he'd let Paddy satisfy his hunger while he finished a small bag of chips. He'd questioned whether to continue the quest for the diamonds or head off in another direction, a safer place and maybe a new beginning for both of them. 

As he reached into the bag for something to eat, his fingers touched cold hard metal, the bonus he'd discovered while hiding behind the counter. He pulled it from the bag and ran his fingers across the barrel of the gun and its pearl handle. A chill ran up his spine. It was the first time he'd ever held a gun. He'd expected to feel ferocious and strong; instead, he hated it. Fighting someone with his fists was one thing, but actually shooting and killing a human being left a foul taste in his mouth.  

A howl brought him abruptly back to reality. "Ma — son! Why — do you — have a gun?" Paddy's eyes were wide with fear as he pressed his back against the car door. "Are you —" He couldn't bring himself to ask the question. His trembling fingers wiped the sleep from the corners of his eyes.  

"No, of course not. I grabbed it last night, thinking it was cool, but now, not so much." 

"Good, because it scares me." Paddy pushed Mason's arm away.

"Yeah, it scares me too." Mason pushed the gun under the seat. "We can get rid of it later."  

"Mason, don't get mad at me, but do you think we could forget about the diamonds and maybe keep moving west?" Paddy covered his ears, expecting his brother to explode, but it didn't happen. 

"I've been thinking about those diamonds, and you might have the right idea. We wouldn't know how to live like rich people anyway." 

"Do you mean it, Mason? Can we just keep on driving and find a cozy little place by a lake? We could catch fish and let our feet dangle in the water." 

Mason chuckled. "You know your feet would scare all the fish away, right?" Laughter filled the inside of the car. "Come on, Paddy, let's go find us a nice, quiet place to settle, okay?"  

Mason started the car and pulled onto the highway, thinking of happier days ahead instead of chasing diamonds.  

No longer worried about finding Lance and Bennie, the two men laughed and shared memories of the past and dreams of better tomorrows. Unaware of the drama unfolding around them, Mason failed to notice the car approaching behind them and the high speed it was traveling.  

The Lincoln Towncar raced past their car as the occupants stared at them. 

"Wow! They sure are in a hurry to get somewhere, Mason. I thought they were going to run us off the road." 

"Crazy drivers." Mason shook his head and watched the car disappear around the curve. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until he released the air he'd been holding. At that very moment, a blue car approached, driving at a high speed. Terror shot through Mason's head as he realized it was the Towncar returning. The driver must have made a U-turn and was speeding toward them. 

Unable to tear his eyes off the car, Mason yelled at his brother, "Get down, Paddy. Get down." 

The gun barrels exploded as they neared Mason's car.  Pain seared through his body as he lost control and the car left the road, rolling into the ravine and landing in the water. 

Paddy screamed as he watched the water turn red. Gasping for air, he moaned. His blood gushed from the gaping hole in his side.

A band of men stood atop the cliff, riddling the car with bullets. 

Paddy's terrified eyes met Mason's as a gurgle slipped between his lips.

With his last bit of strength, Mason pulled Paddy into his arms, cradling him. "I'm sorry, pal. Forgive me." Tears streamed down his face, knowing Paddy had taken his last breath, and his was only seconds behind. As he whispered, "I love you, Paddy," his final breath escaped into the air.  

The team scrambled down the edge of the ravine to the car. With no concern for the dead men, they quickly searched for the jewels. 

"There's nothing here, Bruiser." The men washed their hands in the water, waiting for further instructions. 

"Forget them." Bruiser scowled at the scene below. "We've got work to do. I'll check with the boss for any updates on the other car." Bruiser climbed back into the car and placed his call to Peter.