Dick tried to hide his nerves by chain smoking cigarette after cigarette as he sat on the outdoor patio of the coffee shop. That was by far the best part of LA. If he was back East he’d be bundled up in layers fighting off the cold but, out here, even his worn leather jacket was a bit too much. It made him stick out a bit more as well, something that he was never really a fan of. 

His coffee sat in front of him, by now cold as he flipped through the pages, paying little to no attention to the things around him. The was a singular job, drawing all of his focus. If he slipped up now, he wasn’t going to be the only one to pay for it. He needed to be on top of his game, that’s why he left the flask sitting on his bedside table back in Chicago, he didn’t need anything to dull his senses now. 

He was growing frustrated now though. The more he flipped through the pages, the more jumbled everything became. More than anything, he needed a break but he wasn’t going to allow himself that. Not until this was over and buried anyways. He lit up another smoke as he flipped the file closed. 

This was going to be worse than he originally thought. The man was protected. From what he could tell from his connections, by someone with power and reach. Two things that Dick wanted nothing to do with. The thought occurred to him that he was playing her game but that didn’t really matter anymore. If there was even the off chance that she wasn’t lying, he had to make sure. Not for him, or her for that matter, but for Jason and Emma. 

Those names stuck with him as he picked up his coffee mug. He had missed the entirety of their lives so far. They wouldn’t recognize him from a hole in the wall yet he still felt obligated. They were partly in this mess because of who he was. Maybe if things hadn’t gone to hell with Katrina it would have been different but that’s not how it played out. The kids were alone and that wasn’t something that he could ever forgive himself for. 

Dick needed space and some time to think. If he went in guns blazing he would just end up dead and they would soon follow. This needed to be done quickly and quietly, two things that didn’t seem to go hand in hand in LA. It dawned on him as he sat at the tiny cafe that he only had one job, just keep them safe. Everything after that, he would deal with later.

Dick kept racking his brain as he sat there but the longer he stayed, the more his head hurt. He really wasn’t in the frame of mind for any of this. As he flipped through the pages once more, out of habit above anything else, it became clear to him that this was going to be much harder if he didn’t have any help. This wasn’t exactly something that he could go broadcasting either. It needed to be played close to the vest otherwise innocents were going to get caught in the cross fire. 

He never liked bringing in anyone on his jobs, he always preferred to work alone, less people could get hurt that way. He just didn’t see any other option at this point. He didn’t have the skill needed to pull this off, not yet anyways, and he certainly didn’t have the time to acquire those skills. The only problem with all of that was that he was so far out of his depth at this point. Dick was barely treading water, anyone else he brought in might make that worse. That had a little to do with his trust problems which all seemed to stem from Katrina. She was the one that got him into this mess. Maybe if things had gone a different way and she actually told him years ago about all of this it would be another case but, that wasn’t how everything shook out. She kept it all hidden and he couldn’t help but blame himself for that. The night before he left hadn’t been a good one, that much was clear but, he never envisioned this as the outcome.

He let out another frustrated sigh as he shut the folder once more. He needed time to relax although he knew he wasn’t going to get that here. Dick settled in his seat a little more, the California sun beating down on the back of his neck. He did what he always did in situations like this, he let himself fall into people watching. The streets were more filled than he was used to back home, the warm weather certainly made things easier for everyone, some in shorts and a t-shirt wandering about their lives none the wiser to his panic. He needed to figure something out and quick or he wasn’t going to be able to pull this one off. 

That thought shook him to his very core. Dick wasn’t the only one who would suffer for this if things went sideways. 

Dick made a few phone calls but all of the numbers were either disconnected or there was no answer. Realizing in that moment how far things had slipped through his fingers. There used to be trusted friends of his but all of that seemed to slip away as well. He knew that he wasn’t the easiest to get a long with but he had hoped at least one person was still out there willing to help. 

Racking his mind just a bit more, he tried to cycle through the names he used to know but everything always came back to the three of them. Jason, Emma and Katrina.

For some reason he thought to call her again. He found himself actually wanting to hear her voice. That was something that he forgot how it felt and he couldn’t decide if that was good or bad at all. Maybe just give her an update. Surely she would have some connections out west, she had her fingers in far to many pies for that not to be the case. Dick didn’t want to show any weakness though. She had trusted him with this and even if he didn’t fully trust her, he could trust that she would do anything to keep those children safe. 

Dick hesitated as he began dialing the number, his fingers seemingly protesting each and every number that he rotated on the rotary telephone. He took one last deep breath before spinning the last digit. After the first ring, Katrina picked up the other line, “Yea, it’s me...I’m in LA now. I managed to get some information...As concrete as it can be I suppose...Well, the only way I’m going to be able to do that is head up to Seattle. My train leaves in an hour or so. I’ll know more when I get there...I’m not sure...The rumblings all say that he’s holed up in Lakeview Manor...Haven’t figured that part out yet...Yes, Katrina, I know what is on the line here...Yes...Hey, slow down a second there, I told you I would take care of it and that is exactly what I plan on doing...Of course I’ll keep you updated...You stay safe too.”

Dick nearly had to fight with himself to not slam the receiver back down. She just seemed to bring that side of him out. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly as he stole a glance down at his wrist watch, just enough time to make it to the train station.