Retribution
summary: a decision. (sequel to Benediction)
+
"I'm going to kill him," Neal whispers harshly. His hands are clasped in front of him, knuckles white with anger.
"Neal-" Mozzie pleads, fear rising in his throat. "Don’t do this. He’ll execute you, you understand? He wants you to go after him."
Neal’s head snaps up, his eyes brilliant and flashing. "And what would you do, if it was Gina instead of Kate?" he hisses, each word tight with grief and sharp with hurt.
Mozzie shakes his head helplessly, struggling to keep the image at bay. "Kate wouldn’t have wanted you to-"
"That’s a lie and you know it. If Peter took my number instead, she would’ve stopped at nothing to get revenge. She would never have run."
They both fall silent. The refrigerator behind them hums quietly into their space. Neal bends forward, shoulders hunched and eyes clenched shut. "I'm doing this, Moz, with or without you."
Mozzie lowers his gaze, heart heavy, wordlessly weighing the worth of his life and the people he loves. A warm hand comes to rest on Neal’s shoulder, and a deep exhale brushes over the back of his neck. "Okay," he says, his voice quiet and somber, "okay."
He knows that this is suicide.
+
"I'm going to kill him," Neal whispers harshly. His hands are clasped in front of him, knuckles white with anger.
"Neal-" Mozzie pleads, fear rising in his throat. "Don’t do this. He’ll execute you, you understand? He wants you to go after him."
Neal’s head snaps up, his eyes brilliant and flashing. "And what would you do, if it was Gina instead of Kate?" he hisses, each word tight with grief and sharp with hurt.
Mozzie shakes his head helplessly, struggling to keep the image at bay. "Kate wouldn’t have wanted you to-"
"That’s a lie and you know it. If Peter took my number instead, she would’ve stopped at nothing to get revenge. She would never have run."
They both fall silent. The refrigerator behind them hums quietly into their space. Neal bends forward, shoulders hunched and eyes clenched shut. "I'm doing this, Moz, with or without you."
Mozzie lowers his gaze, heart heavy, wordlessly weighing the worth of his life and the people he loves. A warm hand comes to rest on Neal’s shoulder, and a deep exhale brushes over the back of his neck. "Okay," he says, his voice quiet and somber, "okay."
He knows that this is suicide.