The therapy session was a total disaster, but James still paid for it, well, with Mike’s money because he had no cash on him, and paying with a card would just fuck up everything, even if it’s not in his name. He wanted to be mysterious about it and have no connection with what happened because he just knew somebody was going to talk, maybe the doctor, maybe Niam or Eva, even though he threatened them.
So as they finally stepped out of the building back to the street, it was surprising because the people disappeared. There were only the few that still celebrated but were drunk as fuck, and the others all left, marching toward the central park and bigger areas to celebrate even bigger the national emergency like it was good news.
But somehow, everybody seemed to not care about what it’s going to mean to the economy. The closed border was going to slow down everything, and the prices were going to skyrocket up to the moon. It was something inevitable... but shit, if the public is happy, let them be happy.
The second surprising thing he noticed was the guards outside, well, he told them to get ice cream, and they did. It was funny seeing them with weapons on slings, licking ice cream and popsicles.
"Where now?" Mike asked, as he too was surprised a little and found it funny that nearly all of them were licking ice cream, but as they noticed James, they started shoving it in and destroying the whole thing.
"Is there any restaurant that’s appropriate... with how we look now?" He asked as he turned back to Mike, who thought about it, but he knew not a single restaurant that was appropriate with weapons in hand, because people would look and ask questions, more important, even snap pictures... well actually there was one to snob people.
"There is one restaurant that’s a hot spot for, well, criminals, like businessmen who are evading tax and doing fraud. I was there once with Hector." He said, and it was actually a good spot. From the outside and even inside, it was a high-end restaurant, with no one in there who could fuck them up.
"Then let’s go. Where is it?"
"Actually, pretty close, two streets away." Mike said as he stepped down from the stairs.
"Then we go again in formation. I’ll be beside you." He said, and everybody got ready to walk again, but before they could, three fully blacked out SUVs turned into the street, going exactly toward them.
Mike immediately reached for his gun, as well as the guards, who were already flicking off the safety and ready to shoot, but James knew those cars, and the number plates.
Those were exactly like what the IF came with on the night Marco was kidnapped, and the government plates on them were easily recognizable, but not just that, the light on top.
"I highly doubt they are going to attack us." He said in a nonchalant way, but he too wasn’t sure if it really was a government car. Like what he heard about the cartel, they could even be in those cars.
But shit, Mike was ready to dive with James behind some cover if needed, as well as the guards to cover fire, as the cars stopped directly in front of them and the window rolled down.
"I was searching for you, James." A familiar voice.
"Benjamin, nice to see you. Your speech was long and boring." James said to him with a smile on his face.
"Well, I didn’t even know what I talked about." He laughed. "Shall we go eat something?"
By the question, James was stunned a little and confused, how the fuck did Benjamin want to hang out with him, when the whole fucking country was celebrating him and the cabinet? Like, there was no doubt that he would be recognized if they went anywhere and second, how the fuck did he have free time to roam around the city and search for him... and how the fuck did he find him?
"You have eyes everywhere, huh? Don’t y’all declare a national emergency? You have too much free time for that much pay.".
Benjamin just laughed again. "I have ears and eyes everywhere, but it wasn’t me. I called Hector, and your car has GPS tracking, so he said where it is and where you went... he said therapy, and this is the only one here."
"Wow, Hector betrayed me, huh?" James shook his head as he chuckled about it, because he was the last one he thought would tell Benjamin where he is, because he was still hating them.
"This is an important matter we need to talk about." Benjamin’s eyes changed to a serious look, and even his voice. "So let’s go. Your guards can hop in too."
I can’t have a single moment to relax...
"Four of you come with me. The others, go get the cars." James said as he looked at Mike, and he nodded, as well as the guards, and they hopped into the SUVs.
"If somebody snaps a picture, we’re fucked, you know that too, don’t you, Benjamin?" James asked as he closed the door.
"Oh, I know it. But the restaurant we’re going to is a very private one, so no need to worry." He said, and they rolled out of the street and well, even though there were still roadblocks, because of the government plates, they were getting out easily.
Meanwhile, James was thinking if it really was a good decision, because it could turn into chaos in a second, because Benjamin’s face now was known nationwide, maybe even worldwide as well as the others. Meeting with them now wouldn’t be as easy as it was before.
"So... I’m listening." James said as he looked at Benjamin.
"Well... uhhh..." Benjamin suddenly started sweating and visibly became nervous. "It’s your time..."
James immediately knew something was up, by the way Benjamin said it and realized he will never have a moment to chill out, not with them and the current situation.