by Adam Birmingham

Created on: August 07, 2010

"Sorry, Marshal Quinn, but I'm not you're man."

Nolan was speaking far more confidently then he felt, but he wasn't about to let the smooth talking marshal get anything out of him.

"Mr. McShane," The Marshal began, "I won't lie to you, you've dug yourself a pretty deep hole here, two counts of racketeering and assaulting an officer" The Marshal paused, perhaps he expected Nolan to speak in his own defense, however, he did not, "Well, McShane, I'm going to be honest, you don't strike me as violent man, you're employer however, is a different story."

Nolan took a deep breathe, Quinn was right, he was in deep, but once he crossed his employer, he was as good as dead.

"Think very carefully about your next decision, Mr. McShane, I assure you it will have a very big stake in your future."

"If I testify, what can the Marshals do for me?" Nolan asked, his facade of confidence fading fast.

"The state drops all charges and we put you into the witness protection program."

"And what, I just ride merrily off into the sunset?"

"WITSEC is no joke, Mr. McShane, your life will change, everything about you will change, new home, new face, a new life."

A new life. The thought struck Nolan in an unexpected way, a new life presented a lot of opened a lot of doors, legitimate ones, something that he hadn't always had.

"Mr. McShane," Marshal Quinn said in a calm voice, "There's nothing simple about the choice you have to make, but you have to make it, this is you're last chance, do we have a deal?"

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