A/N: Sorry about taking so long to post this. First I ran into issues of letting myself get bogged down with other stories again, the problem of having too many good ideas and the inability to focus solely on a single story like I should. Then of course I couldn't decide how I wanted this story to play out. So apologies again for the delay. Anyway I am trying to write this one focusing solely on one character's perspective at a time. So please let me know if I am doing a good job with that, because any feedback would definitely be useful in approving my ability to provide you guys with the best stories possible.
Root was fairly certain she was being punished. Perhaps it was for some misdeed in her past when she was the master hacker known only as Root. Maybe it was for listening to that wretched librarian and not doing more to help her only friend Hanna. There was even the possibility that it was punishment for all the times she had flirted with and teased Sameen Shaw.
Whatever it was Root could only hope that she was being punished. It was the only explanation that gave her some small measure of comfort in her horrid situation. Why else would She, the Machine that she looked up to as a God and even as a Mother, have done this too her. That was the thought that kept her going. Intent on finishing her penance so that her punishment would end swiftly and be left behind her forgotten in the past like so many things.
A shrill RING! RING! RING! Drew her from her thoughts and with a mental sigh she plastered the fake smile, that had been used too much these last two weeks, into place on her face. With a fake cheerfulness she said "So are these all the things that you are wanting to check out?"
"Not all of them." The leer on the teenager's face made Root want to apply her Taser to a sensitive part of his anatomy. "How about you give me your number so I can check you out later. Unless you want to ditch this place now for some real fun."
Root shuddered and felt bile rise in her throat. His pickup line and look were as disgusting as all the others. 'Remember you have to keep your cover. You can't neuter this guy. Even if it would be getting rid of some bad code.' Hiding her disgust as best Root took the items from him and began the process of checking them out.
Even with her attention focused on the books and DVDs Root's senses were still honed enough to notice when the teen placed his arms down on the desk and leaned further forward. He was not even bothering to be discreet about his attempt to look down her blouse.
'At least I'm wearing a bra today. Otherwise I probably would break out the Taser and Mace just to teach this creep a lesson.' The thought was a sobering one and helped her keep focused on her task at hand. She was just finishing up the last book when she noticed the man's hand coming towards her.
Root knew the teen was likely trying to cope an accidental feel of her and play it off as though he was simply reaching for his books. Problem was she had to maintain cover. So as much as she wanted to snatch the Taser hidden beneath a nearby shelf and give the guy a good jolt to the throat she had to resist the urge. Her feet planted firmly on the floor Root pushed her self away from the desk, internally thankful for the rolling chair she was seated in, and opened her mouth to yell at the guy.
That proved unnecessary as the man's head suddenly slammed down against the top of the checkout desk. There was an ugly CRUNCH and blood began to spill forth. A yelp of pain issued forth as the teenager's hands scrambled for purchase.
"Evidently' Root thought darkly. 'You are so unused to exercise you can't even use your abdominal muscles to right yourself.'
It was all over in a fraction of a second. Shifting her attention off the bleeding man Root tried to focus on her savior's face when the teen finally got hold of something and raised his head and upper body off the desk. That proved a mistake as the person behind him grabbed hold of his head and shoulder's once more and slammed them back down with more force this time.
Once more there was a sickening CRUNCH and from her position Root could see chips of the man's front teeth go skidding across her workspace.
"Owe! What the fucking Hell do you think you're doing!? This is assault and my father will sue you for everything you own! You'll be lucky to work in a soup kitchen after he's done with you!" The teen yelled. Blood was running freely from his broken nose and mouth. All across his face it was smeared in a disgusting mess across his face as though a toddler with red paste had used it for a canvas.
When the figure obscured by the squirming teen spoke Root quickly identified the voice as belonging to a woman. "Let me guess." The woman's voice was gravelly. There was an undercurrent of violence too it that would only be picked up by someone inclined to violence themselves. Beyond that she sounded like every other person who was having a bad day and had just gone beyond their limit and was about to completely unload all their anger on the poor idiot who had the misfortune to be their target. "Daddy is the CEO of some Fortune Five Hundred Company or a hot shot lawyer. Either way you were fortunate to be born into money and don't have to worry about working a day in your life till your out of college. Giving you free reign to do whatever the Hell you wanted to whomever you wanted because either money or the threat of your father was enough to cow anyone who tried to stand up to you. Whatever it is I've heard it all before and I did not give a shit about it the first time, the last time, or now." She applied more force to the teen's head pressing it down harder against the solid wooden surface.
Whatever comeback the guy had was lost in a gasping gurgle as blood began to fill his mouth. With each word her tried to speak flecks of blood would go flying leaving a splatter of small red puddles across the unmarked surface. He was obviously done speaking and certainly not going anywhere.
"Ma'am I assume you'll be wanting to press charges against this creep for his unwanted advances?" The woman still sounded pissed off, but much calmer now. Though there was still a noticeable undercurrent of exasperation and annoyance at the current situation.
Looking up Root finally got a good look at the woman who saved her. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a tight and sloppy bun. Though obscured slightly, by the dark blue policeman's hat she wore, there was still a slight shine visible as though she was finally trying to put more attention and care into it then she normally would. Her slightly dark features hinted at an ancestry that while of Middle Eastern origin was most certainly not the country of birth for her, her parents, or probably even her grandparents. She wore the standard uniform for an officer though it looked slightly small on the woman's slim athletic body. It still covered her appropriately but gave subtle hints that there was nothing but muscle and strength underneath that would need little excuse to be unleased. The woman had hard dark brown eyes that softened slightly when they locked with Root's.
For the first time in weeks a genuine smile lit up Root's face reaching up to her eyes. In the ghost of a whisper she uttered the name "Sam." The expression lasted all of a second before Root carefully schooled her features to not give away even a hint that she knew Sameen Shaw. As calm as she felt Root added a slight tremble to her voice. "Th-thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you had not been here."
That last sentence was especially difficult for her to say. Root regretted it the moment it left her mouth. Especially when Shaw's mouth curled up slightly at the edges in a hidden smirk.
'Damn woman is enjoying this way too much.' Playing the role of a helpless woman was not something she enjoyed doing. Her toes curled in her shoes and she wanted nothing more than to tap her foot against the floor in irritation at the current situation. Her hands were white on the armrests of her chair and for a moment Root thought she could feel the chair shake from the annoyance she was being forced to suppress. Getting to her feet she allowed a smile of relief to appear.
"Yes, I most certainly want to press charges. Maybe spending some time in Jail will help get some of the bad code out of his system."
Root watched as Shaw kept the man pinned with a single arm and reached back freeing a pair of handcuffs from her belt. Even though she could not see the face of the shorter woman Root knew Shaw had to be dancing with glee inside, or at least what amounted to it with the woman's stunted emotions.
Now that the ordeal was over Root began to pay attention to the ambient noise inside the Library. There was muffled chatter as patrons explained what had occurred to newcomers upon the scene. Just about everyone's attention was focused on the trio. It would take a few minutes before the noise level in the building returned to normal. It was thanks to the quiet that Root's implant picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. These sounded heavier than a normal customer's and had a measured quality to them. As though the person making the noise had combat training. They were fast approaching and within moments Root picked up the distinctive quiet voice.
"Please stand aside. Move please. I need to get through." The man sounded like he was whispering, but there was still an air of authority to his voice. The kind that instinctively made people listen intently to whatever he had to say and to follow the orders he gave them.
He was dressed similarly to Shaw's attire and had a cup of coffee in each hand. There was a tired smile on his face as though he was all too familiar with the scene before him. His dark eyes flickered briefly to Root's and he gave an imperceptible nod. His own way of conveying a greeting and acknowledging her presence.
"I suppose you have a good reason for handcuffing this young man. And a good explanation for why his face is a bloody mess?" Reese's voice was controlled yet there was still a slight annoyance to it as if he'd begun to grow tired of cleaning up Shaw's messes.
Root noticed Shaw's shoulder's tense for an instant at Reese's voice. Though it seemed too obvious and forced. As though the woman was pretending to be surprised at the appearance of the other office. Everything Root knew about the woman said that she knew Reese was coming long before Root had heard him approach. There was a quiet CLINK as the cuffs closed around both of the teen's wrists. Then with a grunt Shaw hauled him to his feet before turning to face Mr. Reese.
"Guy was making unwanted advances towards the Librarian. She obviously wanted him to stop and he wouldn't hear it. I simply stopped him when he made a grab for her." Shaw's voice was calm, collected and business like as she looked the taller man in the eyes. From Root's position she could swear there was some unspoken communication going on between the two.
"Partner." Reese said after a few seconds silence. "You know that some people don't like it when we step outside our jurisdiction. I've had enough chats with Detective Fusco about how Narcotics shouldn't be investigating crime scenes. And I'm certain he's also talked to you about arresting people for…what was it last time?"
Now Shaw was scowling and did not look at all pleased with what her partner was saying. "Which one. The gangbanger who was in unlawful possession of a firearm? The drunk who was publicly intoxicated and threatening to assault his wife? The woman who hit a pedestrian and decided fleeing the scene of an accident on foot was preferable to sticking around and possible going to jail. Or are you referring to the woman who decided it was a good idea to try and mug me when I was walking home after work last night?"
Shaw's head turned slightly to the left so Root could see her eyes. She had to bite her bottom lip when the former assassin's eyes rolled upwards in a 'why am I putting up with this bullshit' expression before settling back into bored.
"I was worried about my safety officer." Root said with some hesitancy. Playing up her role as the helpless victim. "I do want charges pressed against the man. Who knows what he might have done to me, or other women if your partner had not been here to stop him." Once more a slight foul taste filled Root's mouth at what she had to say.
"That is all well and good Miss…" Reese hesitated. When Shaw had slammed the guy's head against the wooden desk the name plate identifying her had been knocked over. It was currently out of sight and likely covered in too much blood to be read unless it was engraved.
"Miss Graves. Samantha Graves." Root piped up. It wasn't the greatest cover name and bore too much resemblance to her old name for her comfort. But it was a decent cover and had kept her safe. She had received the identity the morning after her tryst with Shaw. It had galled her to actually be stuck as a librarian. Especially given her history with the woman who had been partially responsible for the death of her only childhood friend.
"Well Ms. Graves we can certainly hand him off to someone who actually has the authority to arrest him, but I can't promise you that he'll actually face much time. Lack of evidence and all that." Reese shot a look at Shaw.
The shorter woman simply ignored it and handed the young adult over to Reese, after she took both cups of coffee off of him. "I'll go ahead and call Lionel then." She said before setting the coffees on the desk.
Root briefly watched John escort the handcuffed youth out of the building as Shaw made a quick call to Fusco to see about getting the guy actually put behind bars. With the incident over the gathered crowd began to disperse and the patrons that had items to be checked out went over to the secondary checkout desk located on the other side of the building.
Shaw stepped away from the desk while she conversed quietly with the detective. Though to Root it sounded more like she was putting up with the man's asinine arguments about how she shouldn't be overstepping her bounds and to let actual patrolmen and detectives handle arrests for things not related to Narcotics.
Looking at the two coffees Root picked up the one that had stray long dark hair barely hanging from the lid. Likely Shaw's since Reese's wouldn't let his hair ever get that long thanks to his military training. She took a long sip of the unsweetened drink and enjoyed the feel of the scalding hot liquid going down her throat. Before she could set the cup back down Shaw had finished her call and had turned around catching Root with her drink still held up to her mouth.
Shaw's lips pressed tight together and her eyes hardened as she approached and snatched the drink from Root's slightly warmer hand. "Don't. Touch. My. Coffee." She hissed out as she set it down.
"Really Sam are you worried that you'll get sick or catch something from me. I would have thought after our brief night together that would be the last thing you'd be worried about." Root spoke in a hushed whisper and her eyes had a mischievous sparkle to them as she flirted with the combative woman.
"That night is in the past. Just like our relationship Samantha." Shaw growled back putting extra emphasis on Root's real name much to the woman's chagrin.
Root sucked in a breath at Shaw's words. Sure it had been two weeks since that night in the warehouse. And the two women had neither seen nor heard from each other. She could understand if Shaw was slightly upset about getting stuck at a call center, which evidently had not worked out. Though that did not explain the woman's words.
"Shaw what is the…" She started to say before the other woman held a hand cutting her off.
"Look this is neither the time of the place for this. I also don't have the patience to do this right now." Her voice was tight as was her jaw. The tight grip she had on the coffee was already making permanent indentation on the heavy paper container. Turning Shaw walked away a few steps before stopping. She stood there for a full ten seconds back ridged and not saying anything before she turned around. There was a slight hurt look to her eyes. "If you really cared…" Shaw's mouth closed tight and her eyes squeezed tightly shut. When they reopened they were hard and devoid of emotion once more. "If you cared then I would have seen you before now."
Root was speechless. She leaned back heavily against her mess of a desk. She wanted to go after the shorter woman and talk to her. To try and figure out what had caused her to become so distant to her and to…actually seem hurt. That last thought stuck in Root's head and she turned it over and around even as she watched Shaw walk away and out of the building.
'Shaw never cared. I could drop in for a few days and then disappear for a week and she wouldn't bat an eye. Now…this? Is she upset because I've been too busy to keep tabs on her? Did she actually expect me to show up at the call center for however long she was there? When….' The thought came to a stuttering stop as Root questioned if she truly wanted to even think it. 'Did she actually feel hurt?' It was that thought that felt especially cruel to Root. She knew Sameen Shaw quite well and the woman had limited emotions. She had even said as much herself. Being forced to actually question on whether or not Shaw could even feel things besides anger felt oddly wrong to Root. It shouldn't have thought. She'd spent her whole life not giving a damn about anyone but herself. It wasn't until recently that she had begun to actually value other people. First was Harold Finch, but only because at the time he had been her key to the machine. The next had been Shaw. But that had started off as merely an interest in keeping the woman alive long enough to divulge what she knew about Northern Lights to her. From there…. Root's mental train of thoughts came to a halt as her supervisor approached.
The older woman had a look of concern on her weathered face and gave Root a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you go home for the rest of the day Ms. Graves. I think you've had to endure more than enough. I will expect you to be here tomorrow for your afternoon shift though."
Root forced a smile on her face and grabbed her purse from underneath the checkout desk. Then she clocked out and headed home.
The rest of her afternoon and evening passed without incident. Cooped up in her small 3 room apartment Root spent her time on the computer trying to see if she could find anymore weaknesses in Samaritan's protection.
DOWNTOWN POLICE PRECINCT
Vincent Miller the 3rd fumed in the small cell he had been placed in. He had been shoddily patched up and been given a couple of aspirin upon arrival, but it had done little to ease his throbbing headache or the pain he felt from his nose and mouth. His father had already been notified of his arrest and had assured his son that he would be released first thing in the morning. It had been the old man's way of punishing him for getting into trouble once more and failing to resolve the issue of his arrest on his own.
That had been how he was raised. From day one his father had taught him that men take care of their problem on their own no matter how they had to be solved. Money fixed plenty of them sure, but that was his father's and grandfather's solutions. Vincent…well he preferred a more hands on approach. Thankfully he was sneaky about how he took care of troubles. A greased palm her to ensure the person who stood between him and valedictorian was killed in a hit and run, to a few broken bones in women that didn't know their place in the world.
It infuriated him the way that Librarian had refused his advances. Who was she to think that she could turn him down? If anything she should have been on her knees begging him to take her out for a night on the town. She had been decent looking enough for at least one or two night before he kicked her to the curb. Plus it would have been a chance to remind her of how she and others were supposed to be subservient to him. Not just because he came from money, but also because that what women were supposed to do. 'Love, honor and obey your man' Vincent arrogantly thought. 'It doesn't matter if it's your husband, your child, your boyfriend or even a total stranger. Men make the rules and women are supposed to obey them and be grateful for the scraps we toss them.'
"I'll make her suffer for this. Her and those moronic officers. They think their better than me, I'll show them. By the time I'm through both those women will be either dead or in the hospital." He muttered darkly.
Then inside his head a darker voice whispered. 'Why even give them the dignity of death. Death is the easy way out. Why not give them a permanent reminder of their place in the world? One that will remind them forever why they shouldn't fuck with you or any man. Who knows maybe if they are lucky you'll even send them a check a month to help cover costs.' His lips curled upwards at that last thought. It would be something he would never do, but it had not stopped him from using it a time or two before with some women. They had actually believed him, up until he arrange with some…'friends' to make sure the women were never found.
In the darkness of the cell Vincent Miller the 3rd plotted and waited for his release.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what your thoughts. If anyone is interested in possibly helping me beta future chapters please let me know, cause I'd really appreciate the help.