Welcome Back Matthew (6)

27 December, Club TJ's City K

Very quickly the table was set up for their friendly game of poker, and everyone settled down for the game. Matthew quickly realised that despite the amount of poker he has played while waiting for missions and just generally he was nothing compared to his friends. They all had the killer instinct. The only thing that was able to keep him in the game was his ability to read people.

Unlike the small change games that they play in the military these games were highly serious. The pots were huge, tens of thousands of dollars, which of course everyone could afford. While Matthew was able to stay in the game, breaking even, he was more interested in simply watching and spending time with everyone. More importantly doing that, allowed him to gather intelligence for the next time they played to ensure that he would succeed in the next game.

Eventually he, along with John opted to step out from the game and moved away from everyone to have a quiet discussion where no one could hear them, while still observing them.

Given the concerns that Chester and Lexi seemed to have Matthew had to find out what John knew about Dominic's kidnapping. He quietly asked "John, honestly tell me what you know about Dominic's kidnapping? Chester seems worried and with Phillip's health the more I know rather about that situation the more I can help Phillip."

"Damn it Matthew, this is stuff we can talk about another time."

"Do not tell me that, you know something?"

"Actually, I know little, as we were kept out of it until just before Dominic was rescued when finally, the idiot told us what the real situation. Then, the only thing I was allowed to do was be a conduit for information as Dominic is my godson. I am betting you have seen the information on the real perpetrator…?"

"I have, and knowing what I know…"

"Cutting a long story short, it has messed with Dominic. There is no evidence that he was physically abused, but the mental impact of the abduction…"

"And what he would have been exposed to…"

"Yeah that. It has left him so attached to Chester and Lexi, and it is hard for them both to leave him alone particularly at night. Over the last couple of months as he has realised how important Phillip is to Chester, he has become important to him as well. But the rest of us he tolerates, me more than everyone else as I have been able to get permission to take him on ride-alongs when I do patrols and given him some basic training on how to protect himself."

"So, what do you …"

"Think you should do. Do not push yourself into his life. He will see you as a threat but make him realise when you meet him that he can trust you. He will do the rest when he is ready. As the police psychologist told me, he just has to learn to trust adults again. But when he does trust you I would suggest take him to the military base. He is fascinated by the military and the police, so he will trust you more than most adults."

John paused, and then continued "My friend, do not think about pursuing Lexi. She was so hurt by the marriage her parents forced her in and then her husband's death. I remember seeing how you felt about her, and I still see that same look now. Since she has been back, her only focus has been Dominic, and I do not see that changing."

"You are too observant …"

"What do you expect?"

That caused Matthew to laugh, which drew attention from those around the poker table. Paul yelled out "Well we see the public servants are piking out of the fun. Why would we expect anything different from them?"

John use to it, responded "Try my friend. I know you well enough that you will have driven yourself and will refuse to take a cab home. I feel like issuing a few tickets if you want, and maybe you can sleep it off in the cells."

"Go Jump off a building John."

"To paraphrase Matthew from before, which building and what type of jumping?"

This drew more laughter from everyone and Paul shooting a look at John, who responded "Give us a minute and we will come and join you."

John paused while everyone turned back to the poker game "We will talk in the next few days, and I will try and find out more information. Plus you owe me for keeping your secret, I want additional training with you for my team and I."

"You have it, provided you keep my secret, while I keep your secret."

With that then two of them walked back to join in the poker game.