Chapter Text
It’s been 2 weeks since Jack returned home and Mac and Riley announced their engagement to their friends. While Riley had lunch with her mom, showing off her engagement ring and Diane being all happy for her daughter, Jack was adjusting to being home and determined to go back to the Phoenix. With Mac’s help, Jack had settled in and finished up unboxing his stuff at his new place. After being away for a few years, Jack felt happy for once. He was home, Mac and Riley were together and engaged and the Phoenix team were still around, with Desi and Russ now part of it. Jack had yet to get know Russ but he knew he would have to eventually but not right now. Right now, all Jack wanted to do was relax and if there was a mission, it would just be him, Mac and Riley. Jack had longed missed the old days of him, his best friend and his special girl saving the world. After finishing up setting up Jack’s new place, Jack breathes a heavy sigh of relief, which Mac notices.
“You ok ?” Mac asks.
“Yeah man, it’s just I feel like myself again. I’m home. I have you, Riley and the others. I know i’ve been back for 2 weeks but it’s only just now that I feel complete. I missed you guys, you know ?” Jack admits.
“Yeah, we missed you too. We’ve had plenty of life and death situations where we wished you were here. But you’re here now and that’s all that matters.” Mac tells him.
“Thanks man. I appreciate you saying that.” Jack replies. They share hug afterwards. After hugging, Jack asks Mac about if he has decided who is going to be his best man for the wedding.
“So, have you decided who’s going to be your best man ?” Jack says with a smile pointing at himself, hinting that he is hoping Mac will choose him.
“Uh, I haven’t decided yet. Me and Riley have only been engaged for 2 weeks.” Mac says.
“So ?” Jack asks.
“Riley and I haven’t even discussed wedding plans yet and you’re already head of us.” Mac jokes.
“That’s why you got to start making decisions now, man. What food you gonna serve ? Where you gonna have the reception ? And the most important one of all for you to make; who’s gonna stand by your side at the aisle and throw you the best bachelor party ever ?” Jack tells him. Mac can see Jack’s smile on his face and he can’t help but crack a smile because of it. Before Mac can answer, he and Jack get a text from Matty.
“Get your asses to the War Room, now.” The text said.
“Looks like Matty needs us.” Mac says.
“Yep but this conversation isn’t over.” Jack says as he and Mac leave for the Phoenix.
The Phoenix War Room...
Mac and Jack enter to see just Riley sitting on her own, who also got a text from Matty to come in.
“Hey, how was lunch with your mom ?” Mac says as he leans down and kisses Riley on the cheek. Riley smiles after receiving that kiss on her cheeks.
“It was good. She’s super happy and excited about our engagement. She’s probably more excited than we are.” Riley tells him.
“She isn’t the only one...” Mac informs her, pointing at Jack who is behind him.
“Now, come on you two. I can’t be excited for my best friend and my little girl getting married ? Jack asks.
“Yes, you can but you seem too excited.” Riley jokes.
“Well, excuse me for being in a happy mood.” Jack says.
“You’re going have to put that happy mood away for a while. We’ve got work to do.” Matty says behind Jack, making him jump.
“Jesus Matty ! Still scaring and surprising people out of nowhere, I see.” Jack says.
“Get back to being used to it, Dalton. It ain’t going away.” Matty teased him. Mac and Riley laugh as they missed the old days of Matty terrorising and teasing Jack.
“Where are the others ?” Mac asks.
“Bozer, Leanna, Desi and Russ are busy with other ops. Today, it will just be the three of you.” Matty says. Jack smacks his hands together in excitement.
“Hell yeah ! Just like the old days !” Jack shouts. Matty stares at him with her famous stare. Jack notices this and realises his mistake.
“Right, probably shouldn’t have done that. My bad... please continue.” Jack says quietly.
“Anyway, the three of you are heading to meet a contact in prison, who has information for us. We don’t know what it is exactly but she told us that it involves a private organisation who hires mercenaries. She won’t say anymore until she meets you person.” Matty informs them.
“Who’s she ?” Riley asks.
“Your old friend, Kai.” Matty tells her.
“Kai ?! You sure ?” Riley asks, being surprised.
“Yes and she will only talk to you, Riley. Get going.” Matty tells them.
At the prison where Kai is being kept at...
Mac and Jack wait outside of the room while Riley enters to see Kai sitting down, cuffed to a table. Riley sits opposite her.
“Riley, it’s been a while. Good to see you.” Kai says.
“You too, Kai. How have you been ?” Riley asks her.
“I’ve been staying alive. Been keeping to myself. I hate it here but what else can you do ?” Kai replies. Riley knows where is she coming from. She spent 2 years of hell inside of prison, struggling to stay alive. She’s still thankful for the day Mac and Jack came to her and asked for her help. Her life changed for the better that day and she hoped if what Kai had was good enough for the Phoenix, then maybe Matty could do something about lowering Kai’s prison sentence or even better, releasing her and make her serve the rest of her sentence working for Phoenix, just like Riley did herself. Kai isn’t a bad person and her skill set could be useful at Phoenix. Kai notices Riley’s engagement ring on her finger.
“Woah, is that what I think it is ?!” Kai asks her. Riley nods with a smile.
“Riley Davis, never thought I would see you getting married. Congrats girl. Who’s the lucky man ?” Kai asks.
“It’s Mac.” Riley tells her.
“The blondie who you work with ? Not bad.” Kai says.
“Thanks. He and Jack are outside this room right now, so can we get down to business ? My boss says you have some information on a private organisation for us ?” Riley asks.
“I do. If I tell you what I know, can you do something about my current situation ?” Kai asks, lifting up her cuffs that are cuffed tight to the table.
“If it’s good, I’ll ask my boss if she can help you out. I promise. Now, what is it ?” Riley says.
“Ok, here it is. A few days before we dealt with Peyton taking out LA’s power grid, I was hired by a private organisation’s owner to locate a assassin. This guy they were looking for apparently killed the boss’s son, so he clearly wants revenge. They had no luck finding this guy. He seemed to just vanished off the face of the planet, so they decided to hire a hacker to locate him. They contacted me and offered the job, which I accepted. I thought it was just a simple job but after meeting with the main boss, I felt something was off. He seemed off edge and I didn’t like the way he was acting around me. It took me a few days but I did the job and managed to locate the guy. Because I felt something was off about him, I hacked into the company and found some disturbing stuff that they’ve done for several years. I put the info onto a hard drive with it being password protected. The hard drive is in a safe location that only I know. Before I told the guy where this assassin was, Peyton attacked LA’s power grid, so I ran and went into hiding, thinking the feds will immediate think it was me and will be looking for me. You found me and know the rest.” Kai tells her. Mac and Jack who are observing outside, look at each other. They wonder what info is on that hard drive and who this assassin was.
“Kai, who was this assassin they were after ?” Riley asks. Before she can answer, the prison’s alarm goes off. Mac and Jack look up at the alarm and then look behind them to see the security guards locking the gates and heading off to see what is the problem, trapping them so they can’t leave for the exit. Riley exits the room she was in and asks what’s going on. They hear gunfire coming from the exit’s location.
“Guys, that’s not good !” Jack says, getting his gun out.
“Mac, what’s happening over there ? The prison’s security alarm just went off.” Matty says over the comms.
“We don’t know but we just heard gunfire coming from the exit. Also, we’re trapped here.” Mac tells her.
“I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.” Jack says.
“Not the time for a Star Wars pun, Jack.” Mac replies.
Continued in the next chapter.