AN: This is a story that has been rattling around in my head for a while. I hope you guys find it interesting. As always I do not own anything.
Maura Isles stepped out of the doorway onto the street. A rush of dread washed over her, but yet at the same time relief. In a way she was glad of her actions, even though it has sealed her fate. She inhaled a calming breath and started to walk down the street towards her car. After walking two blocks, Maura stopped on the corner to check to see if there were any on coming traffic before she crossed the street. A young man was walking across the street towards her. He made eye contact and flashed a bright smile. Even though the next events that played out were shocking, they did not surprise Maura at all. She knew what that young man was there for. The next few moments happened in slow motion. The young man reached for something inside of his jacket, and then Maura saw a flash. Two loud popping sounds rang out in the night air. The next sensation she felt was fire ripping through her abdomen. The force of the gunshots knocked her backwards as she collapsed onto the ground. Maura never put much stock in the saying that your life flashes before your eyes, as you are about to die, but to her astonishment that's what was happing. Her mind cycled through the events that lead up to this moment.
It all started about a year ago when Maura had a dinner date with an old flame, Charles White the Third. Charles and Maura had a fling a few years prior and they ended on good terms. He was in town to attend and speak at a medical symposium. Charles was the keynote speaker for his company's new heart valve prototype. Maura was elated to receive his phone call and learn about his trip to Boston. They agreed to meet for dinner at the restaurant in his hotel. When Maura arrived at the hotel lobby, she was relieved to see that Charles still looked as handsome as ever. They greeted each other and he escorted her into the restaurant. Maura was glad that there was sill a palpable attraction between them, and when their dinner was over Charles invited her up to his room. Maura agreed and they spent a passionate night together. Exhausted, Maura debated on leaving, but Charles convinced her to stay.
Maura thought to herself "If only I had gone home, things might have been different."
She woke up in the morning groggier than expected. She didn't recall having that much to drink to warrant this amount of disconcertion. Her head was pounding and her vision was blurry. Distracted by her psychical state, she didn't register that she was holding something heavy and metallic. Maura soon realized that she was holding a gun with a silencer in her hand. Confused and frighten, she turned to Charles to ask him what was going on. To her horror, Charles had been shot in the head. Blood and brain matter soaked the pillow underneath him. Maura cupped her mouth to stifle a scream. Panic set in. She jumped off the bed and quickly got dressed, shoved the gun into her purse, and clean up as much as her trace evidence she could. When the click of the hotel room sounded as Maura shut the door, she knew she made the wrong decision. The right decision would have been to call Jane, but how could she explain a scene like that? At least this way she can buy sometime to figure out some answers.
Maura rushed into the house and put the purse with the gun in her safe and went up stairs to take a shower. As water cascaded down upon her, flashes of Charles dead body permeated her mind. She was trembling so much that her legs gave out causing her to collapse onto the shower floor. Maura huddled up into the corner of the shower. Mindlessly she pulled her knees to her chest, and rocked back and forth in a state of shock. The water ran cold sobering her up. Maura lifted herself up and shut of the running water. She approached the mirror and wiped away the steam. Maura just stood there staring at her pale reflection. So many questions filled her mind. She desperately wanted all of this to not be real. Her mind was still disoriented and foggy. It felt like she was locked into some sort of a living nightmare. As Maura toweled off she noticed a small bruise on her outer thigh. After closer inspection she concluded that the bruise was cause by a needle puncture mark. Her first clue in unraveling this nightmare of a mystery. Bound and determine to find out what happen, Maura headed off to the morgue to run her blood work and some other tests.
Maura was just about to start swabbing her hand for gun residue when her phone rang. Her heart started to race and she felt like she was going to throw up. Maura knew what the call was for. Someone has found Charles body and now she would have to go and process the scene. The ME answered the phone and her suspicions were confirmed. Maura placed her vials of blood in an envelope, marked it for her eyes only, handed them to a lab tech, and left to go to the murder scene.
Maura hands started to sweat and she found it hard to breath as she approached the hotel room. How in hell was she going to get through this without fainting? Jane, Barry, and CSU were already inside.
Jane saw Maura enter the room. "Single, white, Male, 38, with an apparent GSW to the head." Jane said in a professional tone. Jane's tone was indicative of how her and Maura's relationship has been lately, more professional and less friendly.
Barry spoke next. "Seems he wasn't alone last night." Maura started to blush. "It doesn't seem like a robbery, his wallet and personal effects are still her." Barry stated.
"A crime of passion then?" Jane retorted.
Maura blocked out all the voices and noise in the room. She approached Charles and started to processes his body.
Jane snapped her fingers. "Hey Frost. Why don't you go and check in with security and see if we can get video of our Vic and his guest comings and goings."
"Will do!" Frost took his leave of the crime scene.
Maura knew it was only a matter of moments before she would be seen in the security footage and then have to answer questions about being with Charles. Before she could really start to panic, Maura felt a comforting hand rubbing her back.
"You ok, Dr. Isles?" Jane said with concern. "You look a little pale."
It has been a while since Jane has expressed any concern towards Maura.
"I've had a very difficult morning." Maura gave a shaky reply.
"Oh." Jane removed her hand and went back to being professional. "We haven't found a shell casing yet, the murderer was smart enough to pick up his brass." Jane stood up and went over to talk to a member of the CSU. Maura finished up examining Charles body and packed up her stuff quickly in attempt to leave before Barry got back.
"Seem fairly straight forward. Single gun shoot through the frontal lobe was the cause of death. Liver temperature suggests that he was killed between 4:00am and 6:00am I'll have more to report after my autopsy." Maura said as calm as possible.
Just as she was about to leave, Frost returned from his errand. Maura's heart stopped. She knew this was the end. This is the moment when she is arrested for the murder of Charles.
"Did you get anything from the security tapes?" Jane said with high hopes.
"Bad news partner… The digital video system contracted a virus and it randomly deleted video information from prior night. They have been trying to recover the lost info all morning." Frost said with disappointment.
"What the hell does that mean!" Jane shouted.
"It means that I can't find any video on our Vic or his room guest." Random areas and times were deleted. Frost replied.
Maura couldn't believe what she had heard. There wasn't any video evidence that she was there. It was a miracle of some sorts. She left the scene and quickly returned to her lab. Maura sat in her chair and tried to remember any thing from last night, but her mind was hazy and blank. She pulled out a swab from the gun shot residue test kit and swabbed her hands. A few moments later her hand showed the signs of gun shot residue. Her heart sank. She now had proof that she was the one who shot and killed Charles. Maura was completely baffled. She didn't harbor any ill will towards Charles, let alone own a gun. The whole situation was very perplexing and terrifying. Maura sat there with her thoughts when a ping sounded, signaling an incoming e-mail on her computer. She opens the attachment. The results of her blood work came in. There were high levels of Rohypnol in her system. It was a set up, but who would do such a thing and why? The next thought that sprang into her mind was that now she could go to Jane and tell her the situation, and hope Jane would help her. Another ping came from her computer. The email came from persons unknown and it only contained an attachment. Maura clicked on the attachment and a two video files appeared. She clicked on the first on. The video contained the missing security footage of her and Charles at the hotel. In the footage Maura can be seen meeting Charles, entering the restaurant, leaving the restaurant, outside his room, and sneaking out of his room in the morning. The footage had a time stamps on it and it proved that Maura entered the hotel room before Charles time of death and left after.
Maura placed her hand over her mouth. Petrified that a copy had been sent to Barry and Jane would be down in the morgue any second to arrest her. Against her better judgment she clicked on the second link. The video contained footage of Charles's murder. A man dressed in all black with a ski mask was standing over Maura. He stabbed her thigh with a needle and lifted up her limp body. He drugged her around to Charles's side of the bed. Held her up, placed the gun in her hand, raise her hand with his hand, and helped pull the trigger. Then the video stopped. A message appeared, "If you don't want the security footage and the shell casing to end up in police possession then be at pier 36 dock 29 at 2:30. Come alone."
Horrified at witnessing her murder Charles, she emptied her stomach contents into the trashcan besides her desk. A few moments later she was able to gather herself together, and decided that she needed to call Jane and Barry and show them the videos. When she tried to pull up the email again, it was gone. She searched for it in the computer but didn't come across it again. It must have been sent with a self-erasing virus. Now that Maura didn't have any proof of the setup, she was forced to meet her blackmailer at 2:30.
Maura arrived at the docks promptly on time. Two very large men with a serious demeanor greeted her. They escorted Maura into a warehouse were she saw a man sitting at a table. The man gestured for her to have a seat across from him. Maura recognized this man; his name was Tommy Finnegan and he was the mob boss of a rival gang of Patty Doyle. Now that Patty was behind bars, Tommy started to take over south Boston. Maura suspected that his involvement with resent events was due to a personal vendetta against her father. Maura sat down across from Tommy. She remained poised and quiet.
"You know who I am Lass?" Tommy said in a thick Irish accent.
Maura nodded yes.
"Smart girl. Do you know what I want with you?"
Maura shook her head no.
"Well I was figurin' I be making a request of ye."
Maura's face remained expressionless.
"I'm requesting that you work for me. I need someone with your expertise." He said flatly.
"What if I refuse?" Maura asked coldly as she met his steely gaze.
"I don't think you will be refusin' me lass. It's simple, you come work for me and the evidence I have on you won't make its way to the police. Refuse and you will be arrested for the murder of that man. Your career will be over and you will be publicly humiliated." Tommy said coolly. His demeanor was casual as if blackmail, murder and extortion were an everyday occurrence to him.
Maura sat there contemplating his offer. She decided that she would take her chances with the police and hope Jane would find a way to set her free. She would rather face prison and public disgrace than work for a sociopathic monster of the likes of Tommy Finnegan.
Maura stood up. "I refuse your offer. I will take my chance with the justice system." she turned to leave.
"Your definitely as stubborn as Doyle is." Tommy chuckled. "I wonder if you share the same loyalty to family as he dose." He sneered.
Maura stopped in her tracks. She knew she shouldn't indulge him any further. She should just keep walking away, but instead she turned around and gave him a questioning look.
"Refuse me and there will be dire consequences to not only you but to the people around you." Tommy threatened with a smirk.
Maura thought about for a second, and feelings of worry flooded her body, but she didn't want to give Tommy the satisfaction of knowing he got to her. She turned around and continued towards the door.
"Oh before I forget Lass. Send my regards to Detective Rizzoli. These streets can be a dangerous place. Tommy said with a laugh.
Maura walked as fast as she could to her car. Her hands shook as she tried to unlock her car. Once in the safety of her car, she broke down crying. What was she suppose to do? She wasn't sure how far Tommy would go to get what he wanted. Maura was conflicted. She didn't want to endanger the lives of the people she cared for, but she didn't want any part of what Tommy had in store for her. She reasoned that if her parents were in any danger they have the resources to hire private security and then means to disappear. If Jane was in any danger she has the entire Boston PD to protect her. Maura made the logical decision to go ahead with her plan and tell Jane what was going on.
When Maura arrived at the police station, Jane was nowhere to be seen. Dread filled her mind. What if Tommy had all ready gotten to her? The thought of Jane being hurt in any way made Maura sick to her stomach. For the second time that day she threw up. Maura headed up to the café to get some peppermint tea to calm her stomach. As she stepped off the elevator, she saw Jane walking towards her. A visible bloodstain was on the front of her white shirt, form a broken nose. Maura ran towards Jane to access her injuries and inquired about how she got them. Jane had a broken nose, black eyes, and a gash on her forehead, split lip, and bloody knuckles.
"Are you ok Jane?! What happened?" Maura asked in a panic.
"It looks worst than it is Maura. I was out on a lunch run when three gangster fucks jumped me. I think it is a little retaliation because Frost and I asked not so nicely about gang involvement in a murder of a young boy. We tuned up a few guys for info and now it seem like they are a little sour about it." Jane said with a shrug.
Maura was speechless. She knew this wasn't gang retaliation; this was Tommy Finnegan doing. This was his reminder for her to not refuse him.
"I'll be ok. I've got to go and make a report." Jane pushed past Maura.
After seeing what was done to Jane's face, she knew that if she refused Tommy he would find ways to torture and kill Jane while she was behind bars. She couldn't live with herself if that happened, so Maura decided to work for Tommy Finnegan.
For the next year Maura was Tommy's mob doctor. She would patch up Tommy's henchmen. She would alter crime scenes and destroy evidence when Tommy's gang was involved. It was surprisingly easy to do. Maura thought that she would break out in hives and faint every time she did something dishonest, but the threat of Jane's life was a good motivator.
Maura's body turned cold. The amount of blood lost was lowering her body temperature. She would soon bleed out and die if help didn't arrive soon. Facing the possibility of death Maura's mind drifted to thoughts of Jane.
Three months before Maura met Charles for dinner, Jane and her had a falling out. Maura's didn't like the way Casey was treating Jane. She told Jane that she deserved better than Casey. Maura pointed out that Jane has changed her personality for a man that was emotionally cruel towards her. Jane didn't like what she heard and they fought because of it. The fight ended with Jane pulling back from the friendship.
While Maura was living her double life, medical examiner by day, mob doctor by night, Casey had surgery on his spine. He asked Jane to be with him while he recovered and went through rehabilitation. Jane was so happy and accepted his request with open arms. As a result, she and Jane drifted apart. They were more work collogues than friends now.
Maura could feel unconsciousness creeping in. soon she would black out and that could be the end. An odd sense of calm washed over her body. She had finally put an end to the hell that was her life.
Over the past year Maura collected information and evidence in the hope that she could gather enough Names, places, illegal activities, and evidence to put Tommy and his gang behind bars for good. If her life was the price to pay for betraying Tommy then so be it. The last straw was a case she was working. A 14-year-old Russian girl was murdered and her body dumped in the trash. As the investigation continued, it was relived that she was sold into the sex trade and brought over to the states to work as a prostitute. Everything about this case was despicable. Jane's main suspect turned out to be an associate of Tommy's. Maura found carpet fibers embedded in the zipper of her boot. It was her job to destroy any evidence that could link the associate to the girl. She stared at the little girl lying on her autopsy table and decided enough was enough. Maura grabbed what evidence she had and headed to the States Attorney's office. Maura turned over what evidence she had stored at work and told the attorney there was more evidence in a safe in her house. They made an appointment for the next day for Maura give over the rest of the evidence she had. The attorney informed her that when he processed this evidence that she would more than likely be arrested for her involvement, but he will motion for a plea of immunity in exchange for her testimony and the evidence she procured. The most beneficial act she could do would be to turn herself in. They made plans for her to surrender to the police tomorrow when she returns with the rest of the evidence. Maura left the States Attorney's office not regretting anything. Jane was now safe.
Maura heard the faint sounds of sirens off in the distance. Darkness took over as she slipped into unconsciousness.
AN: please let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Continue? Reviews make my day. no seriously… I'm like a kid on x-mas day with I get reviews.