Timmy's face flushes a deep scarlet. Clinching his fists at his side, with fire shooting from his eyes, he stomps his foot on the floor and says, "And let them win again the way my father did?"
Jimmy's eyes narrow. He stares into his nephew's chocolate eyes when he says in a low tone, "They win the battle; you win the war."
More furious than ever, Timmy expresses his anger through his voice, saying with every word, "How is cowering down winning, huh? Tell me, Uncle Jimmy, how?" Tell me, Uncle Jimmy, how?"
"You have to understand something, Timmy; your father didn't have a choice but to run."
"No, he could've stayed and fought instead of backing down the way he did. He's a coward, Uncle Jimmy, a damn yellow-bellied chicken shit. And that's the reason I don't have any respect for him."
Jimmy's hand jerks upward, ready to strike before he even realizes what he did. He glances at his hand like it's a foreign object with a will of its own. Childhood memories and trauma that he spent years trying to outrun slam into him. It feels like a punch to the gut that he never saw coming. I'm not my dad, he thinks, forcing his hand down by his side. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Jimmy pushes his anger down and glares into Timmy's eyes. Through gritted teeth, he says, "Your father is no coward. He only did what he thought was best."
"By forcing us to leave the only home we've ever known?"
Jimmy stands his ground. He glances at Ty and then glares at Timmy. He takes a step closer and asks in a low, steady voice, "Do you remember what happened at your first safe house, boy?"
Timmy thinks back to the frightful night. The horror of it all slams into him like a punch in the gut. His breath catches in his throat, and his face turns ghostly white. "I remember seeing bullet holes in the walls when I was being shuffled out of the house."
Jimmy's jaw tightens. "Well, that would've happened a lot sooner if you'd stayed where you were." Poking Timmy in the chest, Jimmy continues. "If you remember correctly, the only thing that saved you was the safe room, something you didn't have at the apartment."
Stepping closer to where they're nose to nose, Jimmy narrows his eyes, then says, "You need to get your facts straight before you go judging your dad." And another thing, he did it to protect your sorry ass."
"Sorry, ass, is it? I'll show you who's going to be sorry." Timmy sneers, clenching his fist hanging down by his side.
"Hey, hey, let's take this down a notch," Ty says, trying to wedge himself between them.
Leaning around Ty, Jerry adds in a low, stern tone, "It's best if you two leave well enough alone."
Timmy clenches his jaw. "And never be able to live normal productive lives?"
"It's better than the alternative, isn't it?" Jimmy sighs, feeling the weight from the past on his shoulders again.
"You try living in constant fear for the day, then tell us it's the better choice."
Jimmy's face becomes sallow as the consequences of it all replay in his mind. "I can understand where you're coming from, I can, but trying to stop them would be like playing a deadly game of Russian roulette, a duel you'll never win."
Timmy glances at Ty, who's nervously shifting his weight before he argues back. "We're willing to take that risk," he spat, a glare sparkling in his eyes.
Ty hesitantly nods. As Timmy continues
"Right, and now that they know we're here, we're hoping you're willing to help."
With a loud exhale, Jimmy says, "I'm not even sure I know who's working for him anymore," Jimmy says, massaging the back of his neck.
Timmy takes a folded piece of paper from his backpack. He straightens it out and says, "I have the names, addresses, and hangouts of a lot of Bambin's men—well, the ones I could track down." Seeing the skepticism flicker on their faces, he adds, "I know the list seems short, but I'm sure if we follow them, they will lead us to the other men."
Jimmy snatches the paper and scans it, his expression tightening. When he looks up, there's a flash of fear behind the gruff exterior. "And what exactly do you plan to do when you find them?"
"Take them down," Timmy says without hesitation.
With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head Jimmy says, "You'll get your fool selves killed."
Clearing his throat, Ty jumps in before the moment can spiral. "We're tired of watching our parents fall apart piece by piece—always looking over their shoulders, never knowing if or when someone will find us again."
Clearing his throat, Ty quickly retorts. "We are tired of watching our parents fall apart piece by piece, always living in fear, not knowing if and when we'll be found again."
Nodding, Timmy adds, "And our siblings can't have a normal life. They can't ride their bikes or walk with their friends because they're terrified of being nabbed."
"I understand your reasoning behind it, but..."
"Can't you see, Uncle Jimmy? Bambin's men may not know where we live, but they still disrupt our lives and will continue to do so until they're stopped."
Jimmy shakes his head, worry on his face. I understand why you want to do this, I do, but at the same time, I…
"He's not going to help, Ty, so let's go."
He turns to Jimmy and says in an icy tone, "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
Reaching for the barrier, Timmy turns and adds, "If something does happen to us, just know our blood is on your hands."
The statement hits Jimmy like a sledgehammer. "Wait."
Anger blazes across his face when Timmy spins around. "We're doing this with or without your help." He glances at his cousin before he continues. "So don't even try and talk us out of it."
"I'm not going to, but I also can't in good conscience let you walk out the door knowing what kind of shitstorm is heading your way."
"So you're going to help us then?"
Jimmy exhales loudly; with a look of defeat on his face, he says, "I don't see how I can with my bad back, but I know a few men who might."