Chapter Text
The music was a constant thumping yet intoxicating beat, maybe it was a good song, or perhaps he'd had too many drinks. He figured it was the latter. Luckily It was pretty late into the night, and the small dive bar wasn't too busy on weekdays. Even if it wasn't, in his altered state, he didn't care who saw him like this. He was just another drunken idiot, maybe even a disgraced one.
He rested his head on the crook of his arm, watching the drink in his hands carefully like it might disappear if he took his eyes off of it.
When he opened his eyes again, to his displeasure, the glass was empty... He wondered how many it had been; looking at the clock, he knew he should cut himself off. With a groan, He waved over the bartender and thanked her as she poured more golden liquid into his small square glass. He wishes he could just swim in booze forever, but his liver and stomach protested.
This will be the last one…
The bartender, Dai, simply shook her head. He guessed he might have said that out loud and not to himself. He started lazily, dancing his fingers around the brim of the glass, watching how they moved. His foggy brain found it amusing, much like the terrible late-night live music.
"McCree, Do you need a ride home? I think you had a rough night, pal." She observed looking down at him, still resting his head in his arm.
"I'm good Dai, I don't needa' babysitter tonight, unfortunately." He gave her a half-ass charming wink. She knew what he implied and simply scoffed and went back to serving the little customers she had. It was just Family and some fresh blood.
Jesse rolled his eyes at the red-nosed and starry-eyed teens sitting at a booth across the room with one of the underbosses talking business, laughing a little too loud for Jesse's headache.
If only they knew what they were signing up for.
He ran a hand through his caramel brown hair with a long exhale. He finished nursing his drink after a good hour and reached into his coat pocket for a cigarette. He wasn't ready to go back to his dingy apartment quite yet, it was only one AM.
Jesse paused as the chair to his side was pulled out, scratching the wooden floor beneath its feet. He looked over and was met with a large brick shit house of a man. He had to be over seven feet tall, Jesse figured.
The man's pure white suit jacket and red rose gave away that he was a mobster too. A rich one by the looks of it, Probably a boss, definitely not from anywhere nearby cause he didn't raise any alarm with the other guest.
It wasn't his boss, though, so he didn't owe him any respect. If Jesse was honest, he still wasn't even sure if he was still a part of the Deadlock family anymore. He pushed that idea out of his mind, he didn't want to ride on that train of thought, at least not tonight.
McCree went about his business like he wasn't aware of the mobster next to him, Jesse didn't want anything he was offering, but he couldn't just up and leave.
McCree pulled out his cheap cigarette carton and took one out, rolling it between his lips as he reached for his lighter.
"May I have one? I seemed to have left mine back in the cab." The man to his side asked with a thick accent, definitely not American Jesse deduced. An international mobster, he thought, trying to place the accent. However, Jesse knew there was only one correct answer to his question.
"Sure," He mumbled, opening his carton back up, handing one over to him. The large man took it between his thick fingers and brought it to his mouth. The large man had his own lighter, Jesse lit his own and took a long drag.
"The Bartender called you McCree awhile ago."
"Yeah, what of it?" he took another slow drag, the guy must have been watching him for a while.
"You wouldn't happen to be Jesse McCree, the Deadlock hitman?"
"...I don't do that anymore."
"Oh, I forgot, you're a simple soldier now I heard. A Saldato." He chuckled brassily.
"And you're obviously a Boss. So what are you doing on Deadlock territory?" Jesse turned to look at him straight on. "I may be drunk, but I can still read a man pretty damn well."
"Believe it or not, I was actually looking for you."
"That's comforting, was I easy to find?" Jesse laughed, flicking ashes from his cigarette.
"It didn't take me long. I heard you frequent this dismal place most nights." The dark-complected man made a disgusted face as he gestured to the bar.
"Don't talk about the Lost Outlaw like that," Jesse slurred, fumbling over the name of the dive bar. Jesse shook his hair out as he stretched his arms. "Well, it’s been a nice Lil' chat with ya' stranger, but I need to head out." Jesse stood to take his leave.
"Sit. We have more to talk about."
"We don't, I work for Deadlock Mister. Find someone else," he really wanted to just leave now.
"McCree sit." His voice hummed with a threat. Jesse looked over as Dia gave him a concerned look from across the bar, he saw her reaching under the bar for what was most likely a gun. Jesse shook his head fast and moved to sit back down. Dia watched for a moment then turned back to her work. Jesse took a sigh of relief he would feel terrible if he started anything, especially in this state cause he wouldn't be much help finishing it.
As Jesse sat back down, he undid the buttons of his suit jacket, his fingers slipped on the buttons a few times, but he eventually unbuttoned it. He leaned against the bar top.
"What do you want," He slurred.
"Hopefully you'll remember this, I'm sure you will,"
"I'm not a forgetful drunk, unfortunately for me."
"Good. I want you to kill Gabriel Reyes." He said, hushed but very flatly. Like he wasn't talking about murdering a man in a bar.
Jesse paused and then smashed out his cigarette in the ashtray between them. He knew the name and knew it brought nothing good.
"I don't do hits for other families." It was unheard of to work freelance while in a closed family. He didn't even understand why this man was here for such a request; it was ridiculous.
"I'm sure Deadlock would benefit from this hit as well, not just me, kid."
"I don't think any of us will benefit from such a bold hit like that." Jesse rubbed his eyes, just the idea of such a hit brought on so much stress. "Blackwatch isn't just a small drug family. They have a deep connection with law enforcement. You might cause open warfare."
"That's why I came to you. I'll pay double whatever Deadlock pays you." He said it like it was a done deal. It was starting to annoy Jesse.
"Listen, whatever international beef you and Blackwatch have is international. Blackwatch is right on Deadlocks fuckin' doorstep." Jesse swore, lowering his voice, so others didn't hear.
"True, but imagine the resources Deadlock will get after cutting the head off Blackwatch. Take it to your higher-ups, I'm sure they will see the opportunity in it too."
Jesse shook his head; he knew his Bosses had wanted the chance to take out that Reyes guy for years.
"I'll consider doing it, if you tell me who you are, why me, and what info do you get?" Jesse asked plainly, wanting to get straight to the point.
"Akande, with Talon. They call me Doomfist."
"Never heard of ya'."
"Not surprised, but I'm sure your bosses have. And as for why you? Talon has many eyes, and some of them are interested in you. You are a damn good shot, almost unbelievably so. You and Deadlock haven't been connected to any hits, even though you have many under your belt."
"How many?" Jesse dared.
"Forty-two, and you're only twenty-six. It's impressive." Akande smirked.
"Okay... that's creepy." Jesse frowned, he was used to being a mystery, an enigma, he didn't like the idea of someone knowing about all his hits. That meant they could tell someone about him. He wondered if this Talon group had any proof he actually made any kills.
"There's a party Blackwatch is throwing in two months. It's Invite only, and the list is long and full of criminals. I think that's a good place for a hit, don't you? Considering the guest in attendance." He finished and smashed out the cigarette he had been rolling back and forth slowly. He moved to get off the chair that somehow held all that muscle weight.
"That's it? You don't even have an in for me?" Jesse didn't know about the party, it was actually excellent info, but it still didn't help too much.
"Ask your little friend Sombra." He finished before heading to the door. "We'll be in touch, McCree. Maybe this hit will help boost your position in Deadlock back to where it once was."
The door to the bar swung shut behind him, causing the bell to ring a few times. It hurt Jesse's ears causing him to wince. With a long sigh, Jesse rested his head on the bar top in front of him. It had all been too much. He shouldn't have even entertained the conversation with that Doomfist guy, he thought.
He was confused about how Doomfist knew about Sombra, a very private information broker. She must have worked for that guy at some point, Jesse assumed. Freelancers have no loyalties, after all, he remembered.
He heard long fingernails tapping on wood beside his head, he knew it was Dai, it was just the two left in the bar now.
Jesse swore he would stop being the last patron; Dia must think he was a wreck, much like the rest of Deadlock thought of him, the ones that knew about him anyway.
"Who was that guy McCree?" she asked, looking down at him.
"Just a crazy guy."
"He was dressed really nice for a crazy guy."
"They can do that sometimes."
"Shut up. Are you alright?" She raised a brow.
"I just have a lot to think about, Dai." He grumbled.
"Well, I'm closing the Outlaw down, so go think somewhere else cowboy." she laughed before pushing him teasingly off the bartop. "Be careful, okay, and keep your head down."
"Always do," he answered, leaving money before walking out the bar door, fixing his suit jacket on the way out.
It was a short walk down the block to his apartment building, yeah it was a dingy place right by the Outlaw, but he called it home. Being a hitman for a B rank mob family didn't pay what the movies said it did. Jesse was all too aware of the fact. And he did stuff for free to often cause, well it's Family… that's why he lives in the one room, one bathroom, a consistently moist shoebox of an apartment.
McCree spent most of his money on beer and guns anyway. A deadly combo if he ever thought too hard about it. He didn't care too much about where he slept, Jesse was too drunk to care nowadays, and he rarely brought anyone he cared about to stay the night, so he didn't keep the place that clean.
He stumbled to his room and brought his laptop, setting it on his scuffed up coffee table. He sank down into his couch, sipping a beer he found in the fridge, as he typed in the name Gabriel Reyes. The last thing Jesse saw before closing his eyes was that the name Gabriel Reyes brought up more people than he expected it to. But it was a common name he shouldn't have expected any less.
He opened his eyes groggily as the sunlight from the window bore into them, making him groan in protest to watching up.
"Jesse get up, or I'm dumping it all out!" The southern accented voice rang, like a god damn rooster.
"..." Jesse turned back over on the couch, avoiding looking at the white-haired women. It was too early to deal with a woman like Ashe.
"Fine," She barked. Jesse opened his eyes as he heard liquid pouring out onto the concrete. He shot wide awake and turned to look at the window, she had opened his window and was dumping out his Jack and beer onto the concrete two stories down. Jesse rubbed his eyes wake and sighed, trying to tell Ashe he wasn't in the mood.
"Can't you just let a man suffer in peace." he rasped.
"Yes, I do that every day. But you're my friend, so no." She dropped the bottles out the window, both didn't flinch at the sound of the breaking glass on concrete. Someone outside swore, but neither responded, Ashe just closed the window with a thud.
Jesse rolled out his neck and stood up, he was just wearing a muscle shirt and briefs. Ashe gave him a short nod to the closet.
"Fine, I'm getting dressed." He pulled his shirt off as he walked to the closet, he knew She was watching his back like a hawk. He knew she was interested, but he just ignored it and slipped on a red shirt and the rest of his simple suit. She came over with a small smile and tucked in a pocket square.
"There, now you look moderately better."
"Thanks." he hummed sarcastically as he walked over to the bathroom, fixing his appearance somewhat. Jesse watched Ashe in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. She leaned on the edge of the couch and looked around his apartment, they were opposites. Ashe obviously thought he lived in a pigsty. He did, but she didn't have to judge so openly.
"Were you at the Outlaw again last night?" She asked, tilting her head. Jesse spat out his mouth wash and ran some product through his hair.
"I think ya' know the answer to that one."
"You have to stop McCree. It's been a year, can't you just move on."
"That would be easy to do if I wasn't blacklisted."
"You just need a job, I'm sure one of the other Underbosses can find you something juicy."
"Can't you just give me one." He asked, already knowing the answer. She didn't want to show she still was friends with him, she also didn't want to give him a handout. It was hard for women in the Family to not be seen as soft. He understood and didn't hate her for it…
"Sadly, I have no hits for you. I'm sure someone has one, maybe Torres has something." She answered, looking at her nails.
Jesse came out of the bathroom, looking like the put-together man he can pretend to be when he's sober. The hangover didn't help with his agitation, though. He took a deep breath before pointing to his laptop.
"I may have a hit."
"Really? Look at you trying to get a job." She sassed. She pulled his laptop into her arms, powering it up, and her eyes went wide as she read the name.
"Gabriel Reyes? Are ya' jokin'." She started scrolling through the search results; he leaned against the wall, watching her get excited.
"No, but it wasn't my idea. Some guy named Doomfist, I think, told me about some secret party."
"Did he give you an 'in'?"
"Nah' but I know someone." he crossed his arms.
Ashe closed it and stood up, she grinned like a child who just walked into a candy store. He knew she would be all for it, it would definitely give her more assets on her streets.
"You have to do it, it's such a good job. And who knows when we'll get info like that again."
"You aren't worried about the Doom guys end game."
"Not one bit. He probably just wants a revenging killing or something."
"Are you sure? What if-"
"Jesse, you just need to take what's given, don't look a gift like this in the mouth."
Jesse knew she was right, he was looking too much into it. If she was okay with it, it was probably a good move. Maybe he's just too paranoid.
"I can't believe, Gabriel fucking Reyes. That would be your biggest hit. Aren't you excited?"
"I'm more anxious than anything, He's a big target with a lot of assets and connections. The Family talks about him being an obstacle a lot."
"He takes every good deal on the table, this city and most of the west coast is basically all his if we rolled over for him... fuckin' ass hole."
"Have you met him?"
"No, I'm not sure if anyone Deadlock has even seen him." she laughed, "Sneaky bastard. He's like a ghost or something."
She was right, they all knew the name, but no one in the Deadlock mob has actually met him or done deals. There are some photos of him somewhere, Jesse just needed to actually do some research. He was a big name, after all, some paparazzi had to snap some good photos of him and where he hangs out.
"When's the next Family meeting?" Jesse asked, moving to the kitchen.
"Lucky for ya' it's tonight. Come to it after it's over, and we all can talk about the hit some more."
"After?"
"Just listen to me, McCree."
"Fine, whatever." He didn't want to fight, he should consider himself lucky he's getting to even talk to the other Underbosses. "I have errands to run, lock up my apartment when you leave." He finished as he tucked his pistol into his chest holster.
She simply nodded as she moved to raid Jesses' fridge for the rest of the alcohol, even the bottle he was hiding most likely. He didn't care, he could always just buy more.
The errands were light, simple weapon transfer. Jesse was just the pretty face standing guard of the merchandise. This is what he's reduced to nowadays. He really was just like any other soldier to Deadlock. He was paid in cash and tucked it into his wallet. He found his motorcycle and drove back to the Outlaw, he sat in the parking lot waiting for the crowd to clear out the bar telling him the meeting was over.
When the various other Deadlock members cleared out the bars upstairs apartment, Jesse headed upstairs. He opened the door, and Ashe was standing in a circle with the other underbosses. Unlike most mobs, Deadlock had a council; they had no main boss like the other big mobs.
"McCree, been a while." Torres laughed, looking at him as he closed the door behind him. Jesse gulped down his nerves, it was humiliating talking to them at such a low rank, he used to be equal to them. Goes to show no one is untouchable, Jesse figured.
"We heard you have a hit idea, you needa' run past us." Sanders ran a hand through his beard as he looked Jesse up and down, judging him. Jesse squared up his shoulders, not letting them see how this meeting affected him.
"It's Gabriel Reyes," Jesse said unwaveringly.
Ashe looked at the men standing beside her to see their reactions, both weren't expecting to hear that name obviously. Jesse explains to them all about Doomfist, and the possible 'in' he might have. They all nodded along without saying much. When Jesse finished, they all looked between each other. Jesse swayed back and forth on his heels, absentmindedly, trying to calm himself.
"McCree, are you sure that you can do it." Sanders raised an eyebrow. "Someone else can take this hit for you."
Jesse scoffed, honestly offended by the sentiment.
"This is different Sanders, I won't miss this shot." The anger was evident in his voice.
They turned to talk to each other, all ignoring Jesse was standing just a few feet away. Jesse tapped his foot, waiting to hear their answer.
"Take your time with this hit. With the target being a Boss, we can't afford to be connected to it or rush into a kill." Torres says.
"Are you guys sure about this," Jesse asked, hoping they might actually say they were too far over their heads. Ashe shook her head.
"We are positive, Jesse. We can't afford to miss this opportunity. This hit will do you some good too." She smirked, knowing Jesse just wanted to feel accepted back into the Family. He tried to tell himself that he didn't need their approval, but McCree desperately needed it, it's why he drank so much. It also didn't help that he had been depressed for a while since the incident.
There was some short discussion with the group of bosses before he was dismissed, he was drained and needed to hit the hay.
A day passed, and Jesse sat in the Cafe he went to almost every morning and ordered his usual caramel flavored coffee. He finally had time to do the research he needed to do for his hit. Jesse had some loose ends on some errands that he needed to finish before committing solely to the hit. He pulled out his laptop and opened it to the search he was last on; Gabriel Reyes.
It took maybe four minutes, but he finally found the one he was looking for, Gabriel Reyes of the BlackWatch family. He moved the cursor to filter for images only, and he stopped. He never saw the man before, just heard the name, he scanned through the photos one by one. The man in the pictures was older, but damn if he didn't look right. He clicked a photo taken of him at a local celebrities housewarming party. He had a lovely man and woman tucked in each of his arms. They were probably models,' Jesse frowned.
He zoomed in on the sharp cheekbone, noticing the thick scars decorating them. He was looking for identifiers, that's what he told himself as he clicked off the photo.
He rubbed his eyes, he needed to do actual research, he couldn't get distracted just because the target was hot. He started a document to track all the places Reyes had been spotted, he had read too many useless articles by the time his coffee was all gone, he pulled out his flask and took a quick sip then tucked it back away. He read through another online post where someone mentioned meeting Reyes, at a lounge called Desperado's Call. Jesse laughed. It was a very fitting name.
The lounge only let in the most elite, Jesse knew he could get into it if he called the right people. That was the plan he decided as he shut the laptop and left the small Cafe, he needed to watch Reyes in his natural habitat. It wouldn't be a wrong way to pass the time he smirked to himself.
Jesse stretched his arms, pulling the back of his suit jacket tight. He had been standing in this chaotic line for hours, he checked his watch, it had only been an hour, but it felt like ages. The line was full of people his age, mostly some older, all trying and failing to get into the lounge by bribing and name drops. There were many models and actor types, Jesse felt a bit self-conscious. He wasn't sure if he fit the crowd, he pulled his shirt, and suit buttons open some to expose more of his chest, maybe that would help he shrugged and ran a hand through his hair as the line moved forward some.
It took a few calls, but he finally figured out who the bouncer was that night and lucky for him that the bouncer had dealings with a deadlock in his teens. So he offered a deal, let him in; clean slate with Deadlock. He agreed, but he couldn't cut the line, it would bring too much attention, I should have arrived earlier, he scolded himself.
As he moved forward again, he heard the crowd behind him all start oohing and aahing. He turned to look and see what everyone was looking at. It was a glossy black with red accented Rolls-Royce Ghost. Jesse couldn't help but whistle under his breath, it was a damn fine looking car. It slowed to a stop at the front of the line. Jesse watched as the passenger and driver door both opened.
The passenger was an attractive man, dressed very revealing wearing a suit but no shirt accented with a gold choker. He seemed to fit well with the crowd around Jesse. The guy looked like the definition of arm candy.
Jesse pulled his eyes from the passenger and looked to see the driver. Jesse's eyes went straight to the dark curls on the man that were swept neatly all to one side, some silver peppered it lightly. From the back, the man was shaped like a damn hourglass. As the man turned around, Jesse grinned to himself, looking at the sharply chiseled face and perfectly trimmed goatee.
Gabriel Reyes…
His research paid off.
____________
"Name ?" the bouncer asked, flipping through a small list in his hands.
"It's Joel Morricone." Jesse hummed, shooting the bouncer a hard look, warning him about the deal they discussed on the phone. He had to show he wasn't there to fuck around.
"Oh, uh. It seems you're on the list. Welcomes to Desperado's Call Mr, Morricone." He stammered out like he's never lied in his life.
Jesse rolled his eyes and walked through the stereotypical red rope and through an enormously large set of glass doors. When he walked in, he tried to take it all in, but it was so much. The lounge was bathed in red light, everything was black and red themed. There was a large section of couches where people just sat and drank or made out, there was also a small dance floor, there were some cages scattered around the place for paid dancers. The bartop was long and glass, it was right across from the couches. The music playing was a piano cover of some slowed down pop song.
He took a deep breath, trying to collect all the information his eyes gave him. He gave himself a small slap to his cheek, focus Jesse, he thought.
He walked to the bartop and ordered a pure whiskey and a glass of water. He didn't want to get drunk, he was on the job now. He scanned the lounge looking for his target, it didn't take long, the place wasn't fully packed because of their picky guest list. He saw Reyes sitting on one of the rounded couches in the corner of the lounge with his passenger's legs resting over his long crossed legs.
Jesse moved to a seat for the perfect angle to keep an eye on the pair. He took a long sip of water as he saw Reyes lean over to the man beside him, whispering probably sweet nothings in his ears. Jesse turned away and started a comfortable conversation with the bartender, he needed to look like he wasn't there just to watch someone.
Jesse watched the minute hand tic on his watch, it was getting pretty late, and his target hadn't moved much, he just sat and wore a stoic grin. It didn't really reach his eyes Jesse released. He ordered another drink for himself, McCree may have drunk more than he intended, he felt his eyes start to weigh more than they had when he arrived. Jesse looked back on the pair, they were still just simply talking, sometimes the younger one would kiss Reyes neck, but it didn't seem like Reyes reacted much to it.
Jesse stood and left a good chunk of money on the table, the drinks were probably the most expensive he's ever had...they didn't even taste that different Jesse frowned.
He had seen what he came to see, Reyes stayed there most of the night from what Jesse watched and didn't really move around much, he just sat and drank. Many people would go over and talk to him a short time before he would basically dismiss them away and go back to chatting with the arm candy.
Jesse walked out the front door and started looking for a cab, he walked down a little further from the entrance, it was too busy to call a taxi at the front. Jesse jumped when he heard a loud crash behind him, he looked around to see where the sound came from, there was a small alleyway he didn't really notice before where garbage can layed on the ground.
Probably an alley cat
He walked down into the alleyway some before he realized it went right behind the lounge. He thanked whatever random cat knocked over the bin cause he may not have noticed it like he is now without it. The alleyway echoed off, dropping water from someone's broken storm pipe. He followed the small street back some distance ignoring the protest in his mind screaming 'danger! Dark alley'. It hooked around a corner, and there it was a steel-plated back door to the Desperado.
Jesse stepped forward to move around the corner when the door swung open with a loud clunk. Jesse quickly stepped back, hugging the edge for his life, he couldn't talk his way out of this one he wagered. He peeked his head around the corner to see what was happening, he heard raised voices.
The arm candy that Reyes had with him early was laying on the concrete, looking utterly offended by something being said, Jesse leaned in a bit more to hear. He then noticed another bouncer standing over the guy with his arms crossed.
"Scram, Alec."
"What the hell did I ever do to deserve this treatment! Do you know who I am!"
"Alec, just go, I don't want to have to damage your goods." Jesse noticed as the bouncer moved, the gun at his side. He must be a BlackWatch member.
Jesse held back a laugh as the guy on the ground, Alec, instinctively reached a hand to his face. Guess that's the goods. Alec moved to his feet and dusted off his pants, taking a few steps back from the meaty bouncer.
"Bring Reyes out, he'll clear it all up!" Alec huffed with the whiniest voice Jesse ever heard
Jesse heard another pair of footsteps walk outside, the sound of heeled shoes echoed down the alley. Jesse pulled back behind the corner, so the new person didn't see him snooping.
"I think it's crystal clear, Alec." a rich deep voice echoed. The sound of the man's voice was an attention grabber that's for sure, Jesse couldn't help but sneak a peek again.
It was Reyes, fixing his tie tucking it back into his crisp black suit. He looked like the devil himself with the red light from the lounge shining behind him, casting shadows over his sharp features.
"Reyes, please I didn't do anything, please let me back in. Honey ple-"
"Don't talk that way with me boy, that doesn't work on me." He walked up to the Alec guy and reached around into his back pocket, Jesse swallowed, it was quite a display. Reyes stepped back and waved a black wallet in his hands.
"Stealing from me, tsk." He shook his head, causing the curls to bounce.
"What did you expect, you really think I was just fine with our agreement."
"Boss, should I take care of him for you?" The bounce threatened, glaring at the now shaking arm candy.
Reyes tucked his wallet back into his pocket and waved a dismissed hand.
"Just find him a cab, I'm done with him." He growled.
Jesse was about to leave, he wasn't sure where the Alec guy was going to go, but he assumed, down the alleyway, he was in. As Jesse was about to move back, He saw Reyes look in his direction. The dark brown eyes looked onto Jesses, He froze for a moment, then ducked back behind the corner, he waited to see if any footsteps came towards him, nothing did.
"Boss, are you heading back inside?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. I just thought I saw something."
"Do you want me to check it out?"
"No, just get that pickpocket home." He hummed smoothly as he turned around to head back inside.
"Fuck you, Reyes!" Alec hissed with all his might.
"Good night Alec." He said plainly, "Don't ever come back." Jesse then heard the steel door shut; it was his cue to leave. He stood and booked it back down the alley, almost falling a few times. Jesse needed to get a cab, he was positive Reyes saw him, at least he thought they locked eyes for a moment. He shook his head and tried to wave down a cab, he must have just been looking past me, he told himself.