A/N Thanks and shout outs to TRJ, Carolinagirl who taught me how to make a steak today. LOL sure do appreciate it ladies. Thanks to Cinch, Wolfmusic, Bug Evans, Fanu, Jakela and a host of others who've encouraged me to emerge from my fic hiatus to write (at least one) new fic. So this is what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy. Please read and review.
Justly we rid the earth of human fiends
Who carry hell for pattern in their souls.
But in high vengeance there is noble scorn:
It tortures not the torturer, nor gives
Iniquitous payment for iniquity.
The great avenging angel does not crawl
To kill the serpent with a mimic fang;
He stands erect, with sword of keenest edge
That slays like lightning.
~ George Elliott, The Spanish Gypsy
She wasn't answering her phone.
For the last hour it had actually kept going to voicemail. Carter never waited this long to answer her phone or him for that matter Reese thought. He was beginning to get worried. Her voicemail picked up again and he left yet another message.
"Carter, call me when you get this."
He was walking towards his car in Crown Heights, having just wrapped up another annoying incident that involved Leon Tao again. He'd managed to embezzle some funds, this time from some Russians who had been none too pleased about it.
A few short hours ago Reese had found him tied up in the kitchen of an old Russian owned restaurant on the worn out tile floor. He had a dislocated shoulder, a bloody nose and he was scared out of his mind. He was pretty sure Leon thought this had been the final straw and he was finally going to die. His eyes flickered as he recognized Reese's face and though he grimaced as Reese helped him to his feet, he managed a small smile.
Leon gave the usual promises of staying out of trouble as he was taken away on a gurney and into the back of an ambulance, but Reese was sure this wouldn't be the last time his number would come up.
He turned to cross the street, when a familiar face and figure caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes recognizing none other than Anthony Marconi, Elias' right hand man. Little had been seen of Marconi since he'd been gunned down several months, ago. Little had been heard of him either. Since Elias' mysterious escape from prison the both of them had seemed to be laying low, most likely waiting for the right opportunity to stage a comeback.
Marconi was coming out of a small jewelry shop, a briefcase in hand and got into an SUV before driving off. Reese quickly got into the Town Car and started to follow him staying a few cars behind so he wouldn't notice.
"Where are you going, Scarface?" He asked after he'd followed him for a good twenty minutes. He finally parked the SUV and got out looking around as he did and made his way to an entrance of an old warehouse opening the heavy door and went inside. Reese waited a few minutes, checking to see if he'd come back out quickly. Maybe he was making a drop off, maybe he was picking something up.
After another fifteen minutes passed and Marconi didn't reemerge Reese got out of the car slowly, his hand on his firearm, about to enter the building.
Another surprise and the appearance of Carter piqued his entrance. She wasn't wearing her uniform; she was dressed casually though he could see her holster and firearm at her waist. She looked about her surroundings just as Marconi had a few moments earlier. Did she know he was inside?
She entered the warehouse and was greeted by a tall muscularly built man. Reese sized him up, thinking of how he'd take him down if he had to. But he treated Carter with a familiarity of someone who he'd known for some time and was well acquainted with. Shortly after she entered, Marconi exited the building, standing outside along with the burly guard, almost as if she came to see someone still inside and he was giving them some privacy.
The longer she stayed inside the more he didn't like it. What had she gotten herself into? What was she mixed up in?
His patience was wearing thin. He was preparing to go in, when she finally came out. The look on her face said that she was none too pleased about whatever had happened inside. He had a feeling he wouldn't be either, but that was going to be a conversation he'd have with her later.
He watched as Marconi and the other guard went back in and he made his way toward the entrance. He walked around the side looking for an alternative way in and eventually found it. There was a heavy iron door at the back, heavily bolted and he played around with the locks until it yielded under his hands.
With his SIG in his hand he slowly made his way in and encountered a guard. He was in the middle of a meal, and not prepared for the intruder. Reese disabled him with a few blows about the body and spun round to see if anyone else would approach from the sounds of the scuffle. He was surprised when no one entered the room and slowly rounded the corridor which led to a great room. When he entered there was another guard at the door. He surprised him knocking him over the back of the neck and entered the wide space before him.
There were three men in the room now other than him. Shock ran through him as he saw who it was the Carter had come here to meet.
"Elias." He said quietly.
Marconi got up; reaching for his pistol, but Elias put his arm up to stop him and the muscular guard who was manning the front entrance.
"Put it down Anthony." He said to Marconi. "Pete, put it down. That's no way to greet an old friend of ours."
The pieces were coming together now; Carter's call to him saying that HR was going to take out Elias, the name that she'd conveniently gotten for them for the fence in the Flat Iron district, and her evasiveness with him for the past few months since her demotion. It was all clear to him and he wondered how much longer she intended to keep it a secret.
Clearly they had a lot to talk about.
"Hello, John. I was wondering when I'd see you. Although I had hoped to see Harold as well. I do miss our chess games."
Reese walked over to the table, his jaw tensing, his eyes turning a cold steel blue.
"Give us a moment." Elias said looking in Marconi's direction along with the guard. "So Detective Carter finally told you. I'm sorry it's Officer now." Elias cocked his head to the side as Reese' icy glare and a small smile crept over his face.
"Oh she didn't tell you. You found us all on your own."
"What do you have on her?"
"Me? Absolutely nothing. She helped me out of the goodness of her heart. She shot Yogorov, she shot that worm Terney and she saved my life. Just like you, John. I owe her a huge debt. One that I plan on paying."
"If you hurt her…"
"You misunderstand me, John. Hurting Joss Carter is the furthest thing from my mind."
"So what's your angle? I know you won't lay low forever. I know you're planning to take the city back as soon as the opportunity arises."
"War is coming, John. And it's one that I plan to win. But I'm a patient man as you know. I've learned how to wait. I've learned how to bide my time. But Yogorov, HR, all of them will give back what they stole one way or the other."
"And if she gets caught up in the crossfire?"
"I'll see to it that she won't."
"Because you have her best interests at heart."
"Because I'm a man of my word."
Reese stared into the eyes of the man he once saved. He'd regretted it so many times in the past. Many lives were ruined the day he'd led him to safety. It was something that wore on his conscience every now and again and the weight was heavy.
Now Carter would carry it as well. She did a good thing by saving his life. But he was sure she didn't have a plan. She didn't know what she was doing and any alliance with this man whether willing or unwilling came with its share of consequences.
He wouldn't let her carry it however. He wouldn't let her go through it because her goodness as a person dictated that she save him. He would get her out of this if it was the last thing he did.
"You are a man of your word, Elias, but at the same time, you won't hesitate to do what's best for you no matter the collateral damage. I won't let that happen to her. So let me tell you what you're going to do."
Reese got to Carter's apartment a little over an hour later. She wasn't at home, and Taylor was about to head out with some friends. He let Reese inside and he sat down on the couch waiting for her to come home. He took a deep breath looking around the living room, seeing photos of her with Taylor, with friends, her mother. He saw glimpses of her life that she held dear, scenes of experiences that became fond memories.
He winced at the thought of her losing it all because of Elias. And she was in danger of losing it all.
He wondered why she hadn't come to him. Why hadn't she told him? Why didn't she trust him? He felt stung by it in addition to being surprised. But he guessed he shouldn't be. She'd been fighting for the underdog since the first day he'd laid eyes on her. Still he couldn't describe the disconnect between them and he couldn't figure out how to bridge the gap.
They'd talked a bit the previous week when she'd helped him out with the Ian Murphy case, but even though they'd spent the day together he felt she still held back. There seemed to be so much he wanted to tell her, so many things he wished she would say. But they were alike in that they were both guarded; they both held things close to the vest. He just hoped that she'd go along with him and let him handle things his way.
He heard the front door open and he turned his head in the dark waiting for her to cut the light on. She was startled when she saw him, and instinctively reached for her gun.
"John. What the hell are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
"We talked about you breaking into my home. You promised you wouldn't do this again."
"I know."
"We talked about respecting boundaries."
"Taylor let me in before he left."
She closed her eyes and nodded her head. "What's up?"
He decided it was best to come to the point. There was no way around it.
"I know about Elias. I know where you had him hidden."
"What do you mean you know about Elias?"
"I know you saved him Joss. I know you felt you were doing a good thing, but…"
"No, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…..did you follow me, John?"
"I didn't." He answered quietly. The accusation in her voice and her face cut at him. "I saw Marconi, I followed him and I saw you."
He looked at her expecting an explanation, expecting a reason, anything, but she stared back at him almost defiantly, giving him one of the same stoic expressions he was famous for.
"What do you want?"
"I want to know why you didn't come to me. Why didn't you trust me? I told you if you needed help all you had to do was call."
She scoffed at his statement turning away.
"He's gonna help me take down HR. I've got this one under control."
"You think you do but you don't. This is bigger than you expected, and you can't handle this alone."
"I've handled a lot of things alone in the past few months John. So you, offering help right now are a little late."
"Things have been difficult…"
"That's an understatement."
He narrowed his eyes at her and realized she was angry. At him. Very angry.
"You're angry."
"Maybe a little, yeah."
"At me?"
"At everything right now, John."
"Joss….talk to me, please".
"I said I was fine, John."
"No you're not." He said walking over to her. "I watched you open up to a total stranger last week who you thought was going to kill you, but you keep shutting me out."
"What do you want me to say? That I can't forget how I had to dig up a year old corpse and relocate it by myself because you were too busy? That I still see imaginary dirt under my fingernails and sometimes I can't get the stench out of my nose? I buried Donnelly, I buried Szymanski and I buried Cal."
She looked at him and the full scope of what she was feeling finally hit him. She felt alone. For a long time she felt alone. She felt as if she didn't matter to him and after everything she'd done for him and what they'd both been through together, it couldn't be further from the truth.
"You can't do this alone, Joss. I won't let you."
"John…."
"I've moved Elias from the safe house."
"You had no right to do that, John."
"He's going to rebuild. There's nothing we can do to stop that, but he's agreed to cut ties with you."
"You have no right."
"You've done a lot on your own in the last few months. I know. I wasn't there. I let you down. But I'm going to fix it. I'll take care of HR and I don't want you to worry."
"What are you going to do?" She asked looking up at him. Her eyes were round and glossy. She was scared, he knew. But she was tired. Almost like she'd used up the last few traces of fight left in her.
He bent his shoulder toward her, leaning into her a bit and bent his head. His voice was low, hushed when he finally spoke.
"The less you know the better."
She put a hand over her mouth and nodded and he pressed his hand close to hers, running a finger along her palm. It was all he would allow himself to do, but it offered a little comfort to both of them.
"They threatened Taylor. They said they'd kill him." Her voice cracked as she spoke and he ached to pull her to his chest, but he didn't dare.
"I'll set things right, Joss. I'll keep you safe."
It was late and Reese could feel the biting chill in the air. He dug his hands into his pockets and tapped his foot on the gravel underneath him as he waited patiently for Fusco to arrive. In order to carry out his plan the way he devised, he'd needed information. He would need names and he would need to know all the key players involved. He was about to go dark, he was about to turn into the monster he'd been running away from since he started work with Finch. The moment he saw Carter exit the warehouse and realized she was meeting Elias, he had no choice.
He would do what he had to. Whatever the cost.
He could hear footsteps behind him and soon Fusco appeared sitting next to him on the bench, a grim line on his face.
"What's this about?"
"I want you to tell me again about the shooting with Carter."
It was a story Reese had heard before. In fact both Carter and Lionel had relayed it to him. But he wanted to hear it again to be clear. He listened as Lionel told him that Terney told her about a lead on Beecher's killer. He inwardly swore remembering that he was the one who told her he hadn't needed her help and that she should keep up her investigation. Little did he know that by refusing her help, he'd inadvertently sent her right into their trap.
"Who moved the gun?"
"No one knows for sure. There are theories."
"Give me the name Fusco."
"Dennis Jamieson."
"Tell me all about him. Where he lives, his shifts, his family, all of it."
Fusco paused, and looked at him, wondering where this newfound curiosity into Carter's incident had come from again. As far as he knew, Reese seemed to have put that behind him. He wondered at his motives, Reese guessed, but it didn't stop him from answering all of his questions.
"And Terney. Tell me about him. Are there any connections between him and Jamieson?"
"Well Terney's been on the force for a while, working at the 8th for a good number of years too. He and Jamieson were among first on the scene when Szymanski was killed. Terney was in charge of the case. They took statements from Alonzo Quinn, Ed Griffin's Chief of Staff and his political advisor."
"Quinn…..he was Beecher's godfather right?"
"Yeah. Gave the eulogy at his funeral. You know what? Come to think of it, Terney was there with Simmons too at the scene at Beecher's murder."
Being at the scene of one murder could have been accepted, but being conveniently at the scene of two unsolved homicides was no coincidence. He needed to pay Terney a visit.
"Thanks, Fusco."
"Hey, you're not planning anything stupid are you?"
He gave him a half smile as he got up from the bench.
"Lionel, since when have you known me to do anything stupid?"
"Whatever you do, just make sure you don't get caught."
The next morning, Reese arrived at the library early. He stood before the board with photos lined up of each and every person he felt was part of the big puzzle. He had notes scribbled next to names, dates, events, any information he could find was attached. He'd been working all night, with no sleep. He was trying to figure it all out.
He pegged Jamieson as a lower level HR officer used to do simple things like hide guns, remove evidence from crime scenes, even contaminate them if he had to. He probably didn't even know who the big boss was. Terney was higher on the food chain, Reese deduced, although his power and reach was not as far as Simmons who Reese realized was probably as close to the head of HR as possible. In fact, judging from events that happened over the last year and a half, he would put Simmons probably as the second in command.
"What's going on?" Reese spun round at the sound of Shaw's voice behind him and noticed the puzzled look on her face. "These the new numbers?"
"Personal project." He replied shaking his head and turned back to the photographs.
"What are you planning?" She asked, standing next to him, looking over everything, then at him.
He didn't answer but the look on his face spoke volumes.
"All of them?" She asked wide eyed, almost with excitement. She nodded at his silence again. "How do you want to do this?"
"Efficiently and quickly."
The shuffling of Finch's footsteps and the sound of Bear's feet could be heard on the library floor coming towards them.
"Well everybody's had an early start I see and with good reason." He walked toward them looking curiously at the board. "We have a new number."
"No we don't, Finch. These are the only numbers we're focusing on today."
"Mr. Reese…"
"Finch, we save the lives of strangers almost every day. Now one of our own needs help and we're going to make sure she gets it."
"She?" Asked Shaw. "Who we talking about?"
He ignored the question and walked back over to the board.
"These are the people who set Carter up. One of them is the head of HR and I think its Quinn."
"Alonzo Quinn?" Finch stared at him in disbelief. "He's one of the most upstanding members of the community. He's the chief of staff for….."
"I know who he is Finch. But I believe he's the one in control. Simmons is his number two. They told Terney to get rid of her, but the shooting presented an alternative thankfully and they just framed her instead. Jamieson is the one who got rid of the gun."
"Have you been at this all night?" Asked Shaw.
"They threatened Taylor, they threatened her life. It's time that we do something."
"What do you want me to do?" Finch asked.
"Get me all the information you can on Quinn. Find me something, anything to link him to Elias."
"And what are you going to be doing in the mean time, Mr. Reese?" He turned to look at Finch, seeing the same look of fear in his eyes that were in Carter's.
"I'll call to see what you have by tonight."
Carter walked up the steps of the 8th, her feet heavy underneath her. It's the way it was every time she came here. Every time she walked through the doors, she remembered the shooting, the IA investigation, being stripped of her Detective badge.
Every single time.
Today she needed to talk to Fusco, see if he was making any progress on the leads he was supposed to be checking into Cal's murder. She hoped he had some good news. She needed something to distract her and any development in solving his case right now was welcome.
She hadn't slept the previous night. She spent the night in bed, tossing and turning, thinking of her conversation with Reese, thinking of what he said. He said he would take care of everything, he'd make it right.
She saw the look in his eye and she knew immediately what he meant to do. She never thought of John as a monster, even when he'd shared some of the things he did in the CIA with her. He'd changed since he started his work with Finch, he'd become more human. But she was no fool. She knew his skills though dormant were still there. She knew what he was still capable of doing and being if he chose to.
It scared her.
She wasn't afraid of him even though she knew his intent. She was afraid because she realized he was doing it for her. He was literally about to kill for her and she couldn't stop him. And what made it worse was that she didn't know if she wanted to.
She made her way to Fusco's desk and he greeted her with a smile. Unfortunately Beecher's file was still locked. There was still no access and he wasn't able to find out anything. She couldn't hide her disappointment, but she understood.
"Saw our mutual friend the other night. He seemed like he was on a mission of some sort."
"He say what kind?"
"No, he didn't. But I get the feeling that things are about to be shaken up a little around here."
Shaw scowled at her reflection in the mirror. She felt as if she was wearing entirely too much makeup, too much jewelry and her dress was far too tight. But according to Finch, Jamieson liked his girls trashy, in fact the trashier the better.
Reese stood beside her, taking in her appearance and nodded his head while he went over what he wanted her to do.
"Remember don't shoot him, or kill him before you get the location of the gun and who gave the order to do it."
"This isn't my first rodeo."
"No it's not, but remember Club Blur last week. The stalker…"
"…Ian."
"Murphy walked straight past you. I need you to work on your…"
"Don't even start with me." She said interrupting him.
"Just get what we need." Reese turned the volume up on the stolen police band radio and heard the report of a homicide in Crown Heights.
"Where are you going?"
"After Terney."
Reese watched as a swarm of officers and detectives alike gathered around the bodies of three young males that lie dead on the street. Terney pulled up and exited his vehicle and walked over to stand over the bodies and engaged the crowd, fishing for witnesses to what happened. Reese quietly made his way across the street and slipped into the back seat of Terney's car undetected.
He waited another fifteen minutes until Terney got back into the car to retrieve something and he stuck the barrel of his SIG firmly into his side.
"You're going to get into the car and you're going to drive until I tell you to stop."
"Are you crazy? There are a dozen cops here; all I have to do is yell."
"And if you do that Detective I promise you the sniper that's on the roof of the building across the street will take out every one of them. Now drive." It was a bluff, but Terney didn't know that and did as he was told, closing the car door and he started the engine.
After they'd been on the road for about ten minutes, Reese made him stop at a parking lot for a clothing boutique. He made him get out and they entered a black Ford Explorer where he made Terney get into the driver's seat again.
"You want to tell me what this is about?"
He ignored Terney's question and his subsequent pleas to make an arrangement with him to resolve the situation. His gun remained firmly pressed into Terney's temple for the duration of the drive. They finally got to an abandoned trailer yard and got out of the car.
"On your knees." He told him after they walked a good ways to the back of the yard in between two worn trailers. There was barely any light between them and the silence in the air was deafening.
"You don't have to do this. Whatever this is, we can work it out. Tell me what you want."
"I want you to get on your knees." Terney finally did as he was told, his hands in the air. Reese blocked out every thought of Carter. He blocked out Finch, he blocked out the thought of every good thing in his life and mentally flipped a switch.
This man wasn't human. He didn't deserve mercy. He didn't deserve pity.
He only deserved to die.
The begging and pleading had stopped; instead Terney could be heard reciting what sounded to Reese's ears like a prayer.
He took a deep breath and stared at Terney one last time.
"Look at me."
Their eyes met finally and Reese pulled the trigger.
The silencer pierced the night quietly and Terney's body fell lifelessly to the earth, just as Reese turned to walk away.
Shaw kicked off her high heels and let her hair out of its ridiculous ponytail. She started to strip herself of all the gaudy jewelry on her wrists, fingers and neck and took off the large hoop earrings. She bent over the bathroom sink scrubbing at her face and dried it vigorously trying to remove the last of the heavy eye liner she was wearing. Her skin finally felt clean and light.
She walked into the bedroom and took the dress off throwing it across the bed. Standing in only her panties she grabbed a pair of dark leggings and an oversized t-shirt and went back into the living room.
She stared at David Jamieson who sat strapped to a chair, his mouth gagged. He'd stopped his moaning thankfully, she thought and simply looked around the room. He'd been so easily duped. Unlike Ian Murphy, he liked obnoxiously loud women with more than a little attitude and took to her almost immediately. After a few round of drinks she brought him back here and had him bound soon after.
It was simply too easy. She sat opposite him, with a beer in hand and took a swig.
"Now, you're going to get the gun and you're going to cop to taking it along with HR's plans for setting up Detective Carter is that clear?"
He nodded his head.
"Of course it's clear." She said smiling. "And do you know why you're going to do it? Because if you don't, I'll visit your wife at home and she and I will have a little…..chat. Understood?"
"The body of Detective Raymond Terney was found in a parking lot in Crown's Heights this morning. Terney had served with the NYPD for almost twenty years and had been a member of the 88th precinct for the last eight years. Terney was killed by a gunshot wound to the head, and so far the police have no leads….."
Carter felt nothing as she watched the morning report while she got ready for work. She did the buttons on her uniform shirt and fastened the hook on her pants before attaching her holster.
Terney was gone. She felt nothing. Not joy, not sorrow. She felt nothing.
Terney was gone. She wondered who would be next.
Reese followed Simmons to Queensbridge Park. He watched as he sat in his car for a few minutes apparently waiting for someone. Fusco had been friends with him for a long time before he got involved with HR. For all his years on the force, Simmons was still a street cop, but that didn't stop him from becoming the top enforcer for HR.
A black pickup truck appeared and Alonzo Quinn came out, joining Simmons. Together they walked to a small clearing and Reese set up his long range microphone so he could overhear the conversation.
They were talking about Terney's death and the disappearance of Jamieson. They also speculated on the connection between the two incidents and Carter who Quinn still felt was a threat. He wanted her taken care of. She was still looking into Beecher's murder and she didn't seem to want to give up no matter how many dead ends she encountered.
"I want her gone Simmons. Terney didn't want to kill a woman so she got demoted, but even that didn't stop her. It's time."
Reese grew angrier the more they spoke and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. When they finally ended their meeting, Reese tailed Simmons as he made his way back into traffic. He waited till they were through a deserted street at a stoplight. Instead of coming to a stop behind him, Reese rear ended him listening to Simmons swear as he was getting out.
He didn't open his car door or put his window down. He didn't turn his head or make eye contact as Simmons approached his vehicle.
His knuckles rapped on the glass, telling him to put it down, which he did, slowly, still not looking up.
Simmons' face was grim; the lines in his face etched deep, his mouth a straight line. The most outstanding feature of his face was his clear gray eyes, which seemed to be clouded right now with annoyed irritation.
This was the man who knew where Taylor was being kept after Elias took him. This was the man who'd blackmailed Lionel for months and threatened Lee after he'd forced Fusco to work for him. This was most likely the man who killed Cal Beecher, and the reason Carter launched an investigation for his death, leading to her set up and demotion.
He kept his eyes, his face, his soul blank and as Simmons bent over the driver's window asking for license and registration, Reese quickly pulled out his SIG and fired two shots to his chest close to his heart.
Simmons grunted, deep in his throat and fell backwards. He didn't even have time to reach for his gun.
Fusco walked through the bullpen at the precinct headed for his desk looking for his new partner, Leland. He was at the moment fascinated by his new Swing line stapler. Fusco shook his head as he finally looked up at him.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Come on, hot shot. We got a new case in Washington Heights. Two fresh bodies."
He watched as Leland practically leapt from behind his desk and told himself not to roll his eyes at his exaggerated eagerness. He just hoped this time he wouldn't lose the contents of his stomach too close to his shoes.
"Fusco did you hear? Traffic cam caught Simmons being shot to death not far from Queensbridge Park." Leland said.
Fusco stopped in his tracks at the news, immediately thinking of Reese and the information he requested not too long ago.
"They get a look at the car? Or who did it?"
"Traffic cam got the make of the car, but the license plate was missing and there's no clear shot of the driver. They're going through footage of nearby cams to see what else they can find, but so far it's not looking good."
He recalled his exchange with Reese after their conversation was coming to a close.
"Hey, you're not planning anything stupid are you?"
He gave him a half smile as he got up from the bench.
"Lionel, since when have you known me to do anything stupid?"
"Whatever you do, just make sure you don't get caught."
It looked like Wonder Boy was actually taking his advice.
"Come on, let's go."
John stood several feet from the car he'd been driving, watching as the hungry flames licked at the metal, slowly destroying it and all traces of him inside. He heard the crackling of the windshield, smelt the burning fabric of the seats and every other part of it in his nose and started to walk away.
His phone rang and he picked up, tapping on his earpiece. It was Finch.
"Mr. Reese, I've got the information on Quinn that you wanted. There are some substantial HR ties, along with questionable money transfers that coincide with the murders of several key figures in the Russian Mafiya."
"I'll be there shortly Finch."
"John…."
Reese stopped short of hanging up, his scowl in place as he walked toward the curb.
"Yes Finch."
"Detective Carter called. She wanted some help in possibly gaining access to a blocked file in Beecher's murder case. It seemed all access has been shut off and it's hindering her inquiries into the investigation."
Reese swore at the information. He'd told her to let him handle it, but she was still doing some digging of her own.
"What'd you tell her?"
"That I would help her in any way I could."
"Finch, concentrate on the IA investigation. Who headed it? And were they connected to HR as well? We need to focus on who it is we need to talk to about Carter's reinstatement."
He ended the call and made contact with Shaw who was still at the safe house with Jamieson. He decided to head there first before he went to the library.
When he got there Jamieson was strapped to a chair and Shaw was in the kitchen eating a sandwich.
"He's agreed to give up the gun. He'll make his statement, take the fall, and he says he can name some key players. What have you been doing? You got Terney?"
"And Simmons. Quinn is the only one that's left."
She raised her eyebrow at him and put her sandwich down. "You're going through an awful lot of trouble for Carter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He was annoyed at her statement and glared at her coldly.
"It means you are willing to kill however many people you have to in cold blood for this woman. But you insist that she's just your friend."
He had thought about their conversation on the roof the week prior. At the moment he'd brushed it off, but her words now hit like a bucket of cold water to the face.
Yes, she was his friend. The closest he'd had in a very long time. But in some ways she was more than that. She occupied a place in his life that he couldn't explain. He knew that she was important to him, very important and he also knew that he needed her to be okay. Right now she wasn't. He knew that he would do whatever it took to make sure that she was okay.
He didn't know why.
He didn't know why he felt compelled to make it up to her for not being there. He wasn't sure he was ready to examine his feelings for Joss just yet. Did he even dare to?
"I'm going to meet Harold at the library. Take Jamieson to get the gun and let him make his statement. I'll call you with the name of the person he needs to go and see."
Finch had found that over the course of the last two or so years there had been sizeable deposits made to an offshore account in Alonzo Quinn's name. Each sum coincided with a major move made by Elias, tracing all the way back to the evidence lock up job Reese had been a part of with Joey Durban and the group of former Marines. Finch found the source of the deposits and linked them with one of Elias' accountants using an alias.
They finally found a substantial money trail and had the bank records to prove it.
"His name was conveniently not in the ledger that the FBI recovered from Christopher Zambrano's property. Neither was Simmons." Said Reese.
"Neither was Detective Fusco's." Finch commented as he scooped up some food for Bear and poured it into his bowl.
"What about Cal?" Asked Reese. "He got an anonymous tip saying that Szymanski was dirty and accepted bribe money. It leads to Szymanski's arrest, but after a conversation with Carter, he starts to reconsider and starts asking questions."
"Depending on the answers he found or the people he asked, it might have been a direct cause of his death." Finch answered.
"Maybe Fusco knows something. I'll go talk to him."
He started to walk off, heading for the stairs.
"Mr. Reese. This isn't the way we work. This isn't what we agreed to in the beginning. We didn't set out to exact vigilante justice. We're supposed to be helping people."
Finch was right. It hadn't been their agreement. And he had hired him to do a job, to stop people from getting hurt. But this was different. This was about Joss. And he wasn't about to stop until it was all done.
"This isn't our work, Harold. You're right, this isn't our agreement. But I told you from the beginning, that she was never just another number. And she never will be. We're not just helping people. We're helping Carter."
Finch didn't respond, but he sat back in his chair with a defeated look on his face. He took his glasses off and rubbed at his nose.
"Find out the name of the guy who headed the IA investigation, send it to Shaw. She's waiting for it. She's helped me as much as I needed, so she can assist you with the next number till I'm done."
Reese was tired, he'd been up for almost 48 hours straight and he hadn't eaten. He'd been used to working like this back in the CIA. Back then emotions were shut off, fatigue or pain was ignored. They were inconsequential to completing the mission and getting it done. He'd had his psyche programmed to that mindset for the last two days, and he willed it back to normal as he stood under the stream of the hot water in his shower at home.
He could hear the gun shots in his ears, seeing both Terney and Simmons falling in front of his eyes. He'd felt nothing then, just a resolve to do what he'd set out to do. Now back in familiar surroundings he wondered and worried if Joss would see him in a different light. He was doing this for her, he wanted her to be safe and he knew mere arrests or imprisonment for the key players in this instance would not be enough. But what if at the end of it all, she saw him as the monster he sometimes thought he was?
He'd spoken to Fusco earlier before coming home. He told him about Beecher's conversation with Elias, relaying to him how he'd questioned Elias about Szymanski and whether or not he'd actually taken a bribe from him. Elias had told him that Szymanski had always been clean and he warned Beecher about allowing himself to be played. They never knew who gave him the tip, he'd never revealed his source, but knowing he was Quinn's godson and the newfound discovery that Quinn was the head of HR, it wasn't hard to put two and two together.
Quinn had not only been the one to set up Szymanski, but he'd also ultimately given the go ahead to kill his own godson.
His hands moved over the knob turning the water off and he stepped out of the shower throwing a towel around his waist. He felt a little better and his muscles thanked him for the heat therapy. He dried himself off and slipped into a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt before he headed for the kitchen to fix something to eat.
He'd bought some porterhouse steaks and he had them laid out on the counter as he sprinkled some seasoning over them. He chopped up some garlic; some shitake mushrooms and minced some shallots.
He took out the red bliss potatoes from his refrigerator, taking them out of their plastic bag and putting them into a colander. The water washed over them and he scrubbed at their skin with a veggie brush till they were clean.
He put them in a pot on the stove to boil, sprinkling some kosher salt, a little garlic and some bay leaves into the water.
He cut on another burner, putting his cast iron skillet on and waited for it to heat up. Extra virgin olive oil was added and he seared both sides of the steak before finally letting it cook for a few minutes. He liked it medium rare.
He could smell the aroma of the herbs, the shallots and the garlic and they filled his nose, tickling his taste buds.
He started to anticipate his meal as his hands chopped at spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables for a garden salad. He told himself he was laboring in the kitchen because he wanted a home cooked meal. It would have been easier to just go to Murray's, order take out and come home to eat it, but truly he felt like he needed the distraction.
He started to think about Joss after his conversation with Finch earlier and though he was shifting his mindset from that of a killer at the moment, he couldn't allow himself to think of her too much or he wouldn't finish what he set out to do.
His hands moved over the vegetables as he loaded them into a wooden salad bowl, and he remembered the fleeting touch of her palm under his finger. He'd wanted to hold her. So badly.
He was confused, remembering Shaw's words, her questions, his feelings as he watched Murphy kiss Joss and he was sure that she enjoyed it, even though she was supposed to be working him. He hated feeling so perplexed, especially now, when there was one final move to be made.
He needed to stay focused.
But wasn't he doing it all for her anyway?
Wasn't she what this was all about?
The potatoes had been smashed and were in the oven now drizzled with olive oil, rosemary, parsley and a little parmigiano-reggiano cheese. The steak was almost ready and he grabbed a beer from the fridge opening it and taking a long pull. He needed to dull his senses; he needed to clear his mind. Perhaps after his meal, he'd go straight to bed.
Tomorrow was a big day.
Carter entered John's building and got onto the elevator. She'd always known where he lived, though he'd never invited her over. She realized she was taking a chance showing up unannounced. She didn't know if he'd have company or not. But she figured he'd surprised her in her house before, she could return the favour if only just once.
She tried calling him earlier, but he wouldn't pick up. Either he was too busy to answer her or he was ignoring her. She hated thinking about both possibilities. If he was busy it means he was out there doing what he'd promised to do and if he was avoiding her, it was because he felt she might try to stop him.
She'd called Finch to find out where he was. He'd said that John was home and so this is where she came. She needed to speak to him.
Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the news swirling around the station, Terney was dead, now Simmons. At first she felt nothing, but now she wasn't so sure she was okay with it all. He was doing this all for her. She wondered why.
This went beyond mere friendship she thought. This was far beyond anything she could describe. She guessed it was the same as what she did for him in Rikers and after he got out and had a bomb vest strapped to his chest.
In a moment she'd forgotten she was a mother. She forgot who she was. She saw a fellow soldier about to die. No he wasn't a soldier. He was her friend. He'd saved her son. He'd saved her life. He was….John….and she couldn't let him die alone.
She'd blocked it out after that. She'd gone about her work like normal. She'd dated Cal and tried to move on, but it always came back to John.
But there were so many variables. There was Elias, there was Zoe, his never ending work with Finch and now she was a beat cop. Where could something between them go?
She finally pressed the doorbell and heard movement inside his place and footsteps coming closer to the door. When he opened it he looked surprised to see her, but he didn't ask how she found him, he didn't seem like he cared. He simply stood to the side and let her in.
"I tried calling you." She said, not caring to look around. She looked straight into his eyes.
"I know." He answered softly.
"I heard about Terney. And Simmons." He raised his head a bit looking past her and she wondered if she made a mistake coming over.
"Who's next, John?"
"I'm handling it. That's all you need to know."
"I thought this is what I wanted….but…I don't know John. I want justice for Beecher and Szymanski. I want Cal's murderer to pay for what he did, but….I don't know if I'm okay with being a part of this."
"You're not Joss." He said and his voice was raspy. "You're not a part of this. This isn't on you."
Her head was bowed low to her chest. "Tell me what…"
"No. I'm not telling you anything. I don't want you anywhere near this. I want you to be free and clear once the smoke clears away."
Her head shot up as he moved closer to her and she stared up at him.
"John….I can't….."
"Trust me. I may have lost it. I may have lost your trust. But you can trust me. Just let it go."
His eyes mirrored her own, filled with tears as hers did. She was still confused about what was between them. She could see that he was too. She started to shake her head and raised her hand to protest but he reached out and put his hand on her arm and it travelled up her shoulder.
She was surprised by the tremor that passed through her at his touch. It took her back to the hallway in the DOD facility when they'd held onto each other for dear life. It had been as if they were both strengthening each other back then. It felt like it was the same now.
She squeezed his hand and she knew she wasn't imagining it, but he moved one step closer to her. In the next instant, she looked up and he'd bent his head towards her and was kissing her. She was being pulled closer to his chest and suddenly she was lost in it. The tension of Rikers, being handcuffed together, searching frantically for him after he was kidnapped, all of it was poured out between them. She tasted his desperation, his fear of losing her, his fear of dying on that roof alone and she felt the jealousy of watching her kiss another man being pressed onto her mouth.
He was taking from her, yet, he was also giving to her.
They released their words, all of the words they couldn't say, as his hands roamed down her back, and as she fisted her hands into the fabric of his shirt. His fingers moved over her neck pulling her mouth closer still. She was pressed so closely into him it felt almost as if he was lifting her from the floor. She held onto him as their tongues touched, releasing the frustration over Szymanski, Beecher and Donnelly and her subconscious concerns about his relationship with Zoe Morgan.
Nothing else mattered in that moment, but his touch on her right then. When their lips parted, they were both breathless, eyes hooded. Both wanted more, but knew this was the wrong time to pursue it.
He pulled her to his chest once more and she put her arms around him as the tears she'd held back for months finally slid down her cheeks.
He rocked her back and forth in his arms and she was thankful for his firm grip on her. She closed her eyes inhaling his scent, leaning into him figuratively and literally.
She finally let it go.
Reese lay on his back in the bed, looking at Joss who was fast asleep and nestled onto a pillow next to him. They hadn't made love, but she'd fallen asleep in his arms. It felt good to have her here, just being next to him. It made him feel content, secure.
After being with Zoe, knowing what their relationship was, he felt happier laying next to Joss Carter, a woman with whom he had a relationship that neither of them could properly characterize or understand. She was scared of what he'd done. She was scared because at the beginning she'd accepted it. She was scared now, just as he was of how their relationship was evolving and where it would go from here.
He considered her request to stop this mission of his. He considered her request to stay his hand. She didn't want him to get it any dirtier than it already was. But he felt he couldn't turn back now. The information on Alonzo Quinn was being leaked to the press as he spoke in the form of an anonymous untraceable email to The New York Standard, one of the city's most reputable newspapers and its top reporter. The story would probably break by early morning. Quinn's reputation would be ruined, but he wondered if that would be enough. He wondered if the loss of his freedom was sufficient punishment for what he did to Joss, for all he put her through.
It was a start, he thought. A very good one indeed, and though he was tempted to pay old Quinn a visit, he felt it would be a sign of good faith to do as she asked, simply because he wanted her to trust him again.
He turned toward her putting his arm around her, and felt good as she snuggled closer to him. It wasn't long after he closed his eyes that he fell back into a restful sleep.
Carter sat across the desk from Ed Solis, the IAB officer who was in charge of the investigation on her. The first few times she'd sat opposite him was when she was being questioned about her shooting when she accompanied Terney on a supposed lead on Beecher's case and when she was being told that she was going to be demoted. This meeting however was different.
She sat and listened as he told her about new evidence that had come up regarding the gun she said the suspect had aimed at her before she shot him. Apparently Officer Dennis Jamieson had come forward with a story nobody wanted to believe, but had to in light of recent events that had occurred during the last three days.
Jamieson had said that he was on orders from Detective Terney to move and hide the weapon so that Carter would be framed and set up for a bad shoot. He copped to other activities he'd been involved in on behalf of HR and named a few reputable Detectives across several precincts who he'd received orders from in the past.
In short they were reopening her case and after verifying his information it looked as if she would be getting her shield back.
Inside she was screaming. She was ecstatic, but she kept her face straight, her eyes serious as he looked at her.
"I'd like to apologize to you Detective. You've done a lot of good here on the force and while at the 8th. It's unfortunate that this whole incident had to happen."
"Yes it is, Solis. But I'm glad the truth is finally coming to light. I'm glad that my name can finally be cleared."
When she left the room she felt vindicated. She felt a weight come off her shoulders. She felt the fog starting to fade away.
The precinct was buzzing about the news of Alonzo Quinn being arrested on charges ranging from taking bribes, orchestrating the murders of private citizens, law enforcement officers as well as various levels of corruption. She looked up at a mounted television that several officers were gathered around and got the satisfaction of seeing him being put into the back of a squad car in handcuffs. There were also reports that allegedly linked him to Cal's murder.
She knew it was no coincidence. Not in the least.
Terney, Simmons, Jamieson and now Quinn.
It had all been orchestrated by John somehow. He said he would take care of it. He promised that he'd make sure that she was safe. And he'd kept his word.
They'd drifted apart for a while after he got out of Rikers. She guessed they'd both lost themselves a little, lost their way. Now she felt as if this was the chance for a new start.
How they would navigate that was yet to be seen. But she didn't want to run away from her feelings for him anymore, no matter what they were.
She left the precinct and walked down the steps about to head home when she got a call from an Unknown number.
She picked it up, smiling, knowing who it was.
"Did you happen to catch the news?" He asked.
"I did." She replied smiling again. "And I just came out of a meeting with Internal Affairs. Seems there's some new evidence found in my case, they're reopening it and I'll be a Detective again. I don't know how to thank you, John."
"Don't mention it. But if you feel compelled to express your gratitude, how about we go for a drink? We do need to sit down and talk. It's time, Joss."
"You want to talk about some things."
"Don't you?"
"Maybe. Like Zoe Morgan."
"Or Ian Murphy." He replied.
"Or you and me."
"You and me, Joss." He agreed. "It's definitely time."
"I'll be at Best Bars in twenty." She got into the back of a taxi, looking forward to seeing him and looking forward to all that they had to talk about. She knew everything wouldn't be hashed out in one day, but perhaps this dialogue, this opening was what they needed to move forward, however slowly, but steadily.
This was a new beginning. A new day and she felt good about it.
"I'll be there."