Shaw was staring at the man she had tied to a chair in one of Harold Finch's safe houses; he was in a list of Samaritan operatives the Machine had given her; Shaw had requested it, and the reason was obvious: revenge.
"Now, George, you are the sixth moron of your kind I have had in my clutches; you don't want to end up like the other thirty, do you?"
The man was confused "Thirty? You said I am the sixth … "
"Yes, they were five before, but thirty when I left them … you know, when you sever four limbs and the head there remain six pieces for every guy; and six times five makes thirty; math says that; were you good at math, George?"
George flinched, then asked with a trembling voice: "How can I save my life?"
"I know for sure you killed innocent people, George, so that's not going to be likely. But you may have a chance. Give me something I can find interesting. Your boss, Samaritan, is dead, and its operatives are hunted by authorities. So, I should be happy … only, I am not: some friends of mine died killing your robot overlord, and I am angry; so, give me something, or someone, to vent my anger on, someone bigger and better than a piece of crap like you, and maybe you will be free to go."
"I … ah … I know agent Groves was important to you … "
Shaw tensed "What about her?"
"I had a mission, months ago. I was sent to Honolulu, because Samaritan had detected a woman whose physical appearance was very similar to hers … "
"What? Are you saying, your crazy robot thought she was in the Hawaiian Islands?"
"No, it was obvious she was another person, but Samaritan had a plan, that I don't know anything about, to exploit this occurrence … I was sent there with three other agents; we had to kidnap her and bring her to New York … "
"Do you mean that Samaritan wanted to use her to lure us out?"
"I swear, I don't know!"
"Did you kidnap her?"
"No, we were ready to move into action, but then it was no more necessary; we were told that agent Groves had died, so … "
"So, this woman was useless to your aims."
"Yes."
Shaw thought it over, then said: "Tell me everything you know about this woman."
The man complied, then asked if that was enough to have his life spared.
Shaw's answer was not what he had hoped for: "No, but you have earned a quick end." And she shot him between his eyes.
Shaw put the information she had about this woman aside, in a corner of her mind, and went on her killing spree. She killed every operative on the list she decided had done very bad things, if it was not so bad she called the police.
In only one case he freed the man she had in her clutches; and that was because he was the operator entrusted to dispose of Root's body after the cochlear implant was removed; he had kept her ashes in a box, and he gave it to Shaw in exchange for his freedom.
When every name on the list had a cross drawn on it, she began to think about this woman again.
She decided to take a leave; there were other agents the Machine had enlisted, like the team in Washington, so her presence was not a necessity anymore.
Money wasn't an issue for her: Harold had left her a fair share of his properties, before his trip to Italy, so she could afford everything; finally she decided and booked a flight to Honolulu. She was going to play a role: Sameen Johnson, martial arts instructor, courtesy of the Machine. And said Machine was an open system now, with the voice of Root: Harold had no more say in it, since he had left; and with the Machine in God-mode in your ear it was a lot easier to help people, a shame Elias, Reese and Root had to die before Harold Finch, the stupidest and smartest guy on Earth, could accept this truth.
On the plane, Shaw began to feel weary; the tiredness of the last months was having its toll. So she slowly drifted away …
-Flashback; a week before the day the world went away-
They were in Root's hotel room, coming back from their little reunion with the rest of the team under the bridge. Root asked: "Do you want to be alone tonight?"
"No! No, please … stay with me."
"Okay, Sameen."
"But … I am not ready for sex, sorry."
"No problem, honey; you have only to recover."
"Thanks, Root … you know, I feel safe with you."
They slept together, cuddling, and Shaw realized she liked that. She was with a woman she had missed deeply, whom she was willing to die for, not once but thousands of times, and who loved her. And if she had to choose now between keeping her emotional walls up or giving in to her feelings, the former was not really an option.
Little Gen was right: Root had turned her volume up; she felt very different than what she was before the time Samaritan had her; and what she felt now, it felt right, so she kissed the other woman, tenderly, and whispered: "I love you."
Root inhaled, taken aback, then answered: "I love you too."
-Ending flashback-
Janice Crawford was a psychologist for the third police precinct in Honolulu, 37 years, widow; her late husband, Mark, was an army officer, killed in action in Iraq four months before; she had three children, two female twins aged 8, Sylvia and Helen, and a boy aged 14, Michael.
And of course she looked like Root, but she had a different hairstyle, her hair was a lighter shade of brown, and she wore glasses. Her voice was very similar, but her tone and accent were different; which was obvious, Shaw thought, since she was raised in another place; the Machine told her Janice was born in Seattle, then at 21 she had met a young soldier, married him and moved to Honolulu, where he lived and was stationed.
The first time Shaw saw her in the flesh, her heart fluttered. She was beautiful, just like Root.
These, were the first pieces of information Shaw had gathered, and were consistent with George's words, but some days of field work, and some details coming from the Machine, let her learn that she was a strong-willed woman, she loved her children, and they loved her.
She had to spy on her, and later hack her computer, mainly her bank account, to get the whole story: they had a good standard of living, but nothing exceptional. They even had a vegetable garden.
Janice was courted by a co-worker, a detective whose name was Jeffrey Hennessy, whom Shaw didn't like at all; apparently, Janice had begun to yield to his attentions. She felt lonely, probably.
It would really have been a shame if those Samaritan goons had abducted a woman like her, with three children to grow; killing that little shit named George had been the right thing to do.
Shaw didn't know what to do now; her curiosity was satisfied, she knew now that this woman looked like Root, but only as for the physical appearance, and her personality was quite different.
Shaw asked the Machine if She knew about this woman, and the answer was yes; when Samaritan had been after her, six months before, the Machine had not warned the team because it would have been too dangerous for them to go and help her. But She had helped Janice anyway; how, She didn't say.
Shaw should go back home, shouldn't she? But again, where is home for a person like her? 'I had home, but not anymore; she was my home', she thought. And she continued to delay the moment to leave.
One day she was eating pancakes in a diner, when she heard someone approaching her from behind; she turned her head and saw Janice, a little smile on her lips. Shaw froze.
The woman asked her: "May I sit down?"
Shaw shrugged, feigning indifference "There are other free chairs, but whatever, why not."
Janice sit down and ordered a cup of coffee, then spoke to Shaw, with a kind but firm voice: "My name is Janice Crawford, but I think you know that already, given that you have been spying on me since a week or more."
Shaw was stunned, and very impressed, so she didn't even try to deny what she had just heard "How did you notice it?"
"Well, I am not stupid, and I am good at remembering faces. Besides, this is not the first time; I had this sensation , of being spied on, six months ago; two men, maybe three, that time. I guess I am oversensitive to this stuff now"
"And I didn't even realize you had spotted me! Well done, really!"
"Thanks, but as nice it may be to hear you congratulate me, I'd like an explanation more."
"Mmh … it's complicated."
"Try me."
Shaw thought about it, then decided this woman deserved to know something, and begun: "My name is Sameen Johnson. You and a friend of mine are alike; physically, I mean; so, when I saw you, I spied on you … "
"Please, Sameen, if this is your real name … "
"It is."
"Okay; but there is much more than this, isn't there? Listen, I don't like to threaten people, but what we are saying now is recorded on my phone, together with other footage we recorded formerly, and sent as we speak to my older son, who will give it to the police if you are not completely sincere, or if you hurt me in any way … please, tell me anything; I am not saying that you are not telling me the truth, but there is a lot you are keeping hidden; for example, I don't believe in coincidences, so don't tell me you bumped into me by chance."
Shaw was dumbfounded. God, she liked this woman; definitely not a weakling. She restarted, showing her some pics of Root on her phone: "This is my … friend … Samantha. Those men you saw, they were about to kidnap you, to lure me and other people out, since you and she were so alike. There were four of them, actually."
"Oh … you knew about them? So, it was you that warned me?"
"Warned you?" Shaw frowned.
"Yes, I got a couple of calls that allowed me to better understand the danger represented by those men. A strange voice, mechanical; I suppose the person who called used some distorter?"
"Ah, probably so." But Shaw knew better: it had been the Machine.
"So, you said I am a double of a friend of yours? I'd like very much to meet her."
Shaw sighed "She's dead, sadly."
"Oh! … I am sorry; she was more than a friend for you, wasn't she?"
This woman was really good, thought Shaw "Yes, she … she was in love with me."
"And you weren't?"
"I have some problems with feelings, but … yes, I guess I can say that too."
"Who told you those men were planning to kidnap me?"
"I spoke with one of them."
"Oh … and you handed him to the authorities later, right?"
Shaw blinked "Actually, I shot him between his eyes."
Janice paled "Are you a killer?"
"Please, don't be afraid of me. He deserved it, you don't; I would never hurt you."
Janice slowly nodded, obviously ill at ease "Why didn't they kidnap me eventually?"
"News came that my friend was dead, so you became suddenly useless to them."
"Mmh … this makes sense."
"Listen, when that moron told me about you, I didn't intend to come here, but eventually I yielded; I was curious, sorry. I didn't want to bother you. But you are safe now, that criminal organization has been dismantled. No one is coming after you."
"But, who are you?"
"I could lie to you, make up some story, and you wouldn't know it's fake; but I have not lied to you so far, and I don't want to lie now, so please don't ask me that question again."
Janice slowly nodded "Okay, Sameen. I am good at judging people, and I am satisfied. Besides, I know for sure you didn't lie to me."
"Oh? For sure? How?"
"Well, it's obvious you were not planning something bad; no offense, but you were not very professional: after any stakeout you went somewhere nice to drown your sorrow in whisky."
"Jesus, I have gotten really sloppy."
"I hired a private eye, expensive but efficient. Besides, you didn't expect a challenge from a shrink, did you? But there is one more thing I have to ask you, because I still don't get why you have been hanging around all this time. You saw me, but you know I am not your friend, so why stay here in Honolulu? Only to worsen your grief?"
"I couldn't decide to leave; I came slowly to realize how much I cared for her; I know you are not her, but … I don't know."
"And now? Are you leaving? Going home?"
"Samantha was my home … I'll leave, I think, but if you ask me where I am headed, I honestly don't know … could be anywhere."
As Shaw had finished her pancakes and Janice her coffee, they decided to take a walk.
After a while, Janice asked: "Why don't you pay me a visit? My children have already seen you, they have watched the footage that the private investigator shot. We'll explain to them who you are, and why you are not a danger; they were a bit worried, you understand."
"Jesus, I am really sorry, and I'll pay the bill of the p.i., of course, and anything you might have spent because of me."
"Oh, don't worry about that."
"Janice, money is not an issue for me, but I know it is for you, so let's have a deal: I accept your invitation, and you accept my bucks."
"Deal, then: this evening at seven, dinner, my place, with the whole family."
"Do you include your colleague in your family?"
"My colleague?"
"Yes, Hennessy, the guy who is courting you … "
"Oh, I see … no, he is not a part of my family … yet; he won't be there."
"Okay, then. But are you sure? You know I have killed people, do you trust me enough to let me approach your children?"
"Mmh … I do trust you; I know you killed people because you told me, but they were bad guys, weren't they?" Shaw nodded " … but you know, children are curious, they are definitely going to ask you a lot about your job, your life … "
"Then … "
"Then, you could tell them something they can believe."
"Like what? That I work for the C.I.A.? the Bureau?"
"No, too obvious … what about a secret agency? I mean, really secret, so secret that almost nobody has ever heard of it?"
Shaw froze; The I.S.A. was exactly this, but how could Janice know? Only luck, probably; no, not probably: certainly. "Ah, yes, I will make up some unbelievable tale; but believable for your children, of course."
"Thank you, Sameen; see you later!" And Janice Crawford turned to leave, but Shaw stopped her, grabbing her arm, saying: "Wait!"
"What?" Janice was clearly amazed.
"Shaw … my name is Sameen Shaw. But please, allow me to use my fake name, Johnson, with your children."
"Ah … okay, thanks for trusting me with your real name."
"Yeah … I don't want to lie to you, or to your children … I won't tell you everything, to keep you safe, but I swear, anything I'm going to spill will be true."
"I appreciate it, Sameen."
Shaw was on time. She had opted for an evening dress, but not too sexy, and she was carrying presents for the four of them: an expensive bottle of perfume for Janice, a new phone for Michael, and some high-quality clothes for the girls. And an envelope with ten thousand dollars inside.
They were all pleased with those things, since they were not exactly used to branded products, and welcomed Shaw warmly. She was afraid she couldn't manage to be polite through the whole dinner, but surprisingly she found herself perfectly comfortable with them, and her grumpy self didn't emerge at all; they were earnest people, nice, funny, and when they told her about their father, who had been killed in action, they were obviously proud, but also strong and committed to the values he had died for. And there was no self-pity in their words, even if it was obvious that they loved him.
"And now, Sameen," said Helen after finishing her ice-cream "you have to tell us about your dead friend; mommy told us she was so, so similar to her."
Shaw showed them some photos of Root, and they were enchanted by the likeness between her and Janice. But Shaw felt the necessity to be true, and said: "To be honest, she wasn't simply a friend; we were girlfriends … "
They were a bit stunned, and the twins giggled, but that was all.
After, Shaw told them about her time in the Marines, and the four of them listened to her, enchanted; then after dinner, she taught the kids some hand-to-hand combat techniques, of course only for self-defense purposes. Then they settled on the couch and the armchairs in the living-room.
"And now, what do you do for a living?" Asked Michael.
"Well, I work for a secret Government agency … but I can't tell you the name; if I do, I will have to kill you soon after, which would be a shame … " Shaw chuckled.
Janice intervened, in a cheerful mood: "Well, if our friend cannot tell us the name, we can always try to make it up … what do you think of something like, I don't know, Intelligence Secret Agency?"
Michael snorted "Pff … lame!"
But Shaw had lost a heartbeat; that name was lame indeed, but its initials made the acronym I.S.A., the same of her true former employer, the Intelligence Support Activity; another coincidence? She looked at Janice, but the woman was smiling and wasn't paying attention now; not to her, anyway. 'God, maybe I am paranoid.' She thought, and tried to relax.
She had conquered their hearts and minds, and they didn't want to let her go, so the girls asked her to stay for the night. "Tomorrow is Sunday, and we are going to Waikiki beach; you can come with us … please, Shaw!"
"Sorry, I have no bathing suit … "
"No problem, Sameen," intervened Janice "you can borrow one from me; one piece or two?"
"Ah … let's say two; if you don't mind watching a complete collection of scars, of course."
"Of course not! That will only add more charm; do you agree with me, kids?"
The three youngsters vigorously nodded.
Shaw complied; their house was relatively small, and there was no guest room, but they had a makeshift cot, and Shaw had spent nights in worse places; besides, she was too tired to go back to her hotel room.
Janice lent her some clothes for the night (a t-shirt and short pants; she was not a pajamas type), and she settled in the cot, which had been placed in the living-room.
Shaw had been in bed for about twenty minutes, when she heard a faint noise: someone was approaching her, wearing slippers; the dim moonlight coming from the windows allowed her to recognize Michael; he waved his hand, probably to reassure her he had no bad intentions; when he was close enough a hushed conversation followed: "Sameen … can I call you that? I wanted to know if you like my mother … "
"What do you mean exactly, saying 'if I like her'?"
"Well, you had a girlfriend, so … "
"Jesus, are you really afraid I could stalk a mother of three? You asked me to stay tonight, well, your sisters did, but if you want I can get away as soon as possible … "
Michael shook his head "No, you are getting me wrong; Mom is seeing a colleague, Jeffrey, and he is an absolute asshole; we, my sisters and I, think you would be a much better choice … "
"What?"
"Yes, why not? We are not homophobes, and you are the coolest person I have ever met; even my mother is really impressed, I can assure you! I think you could make her happy"
Shaw was stunned; she liked Janice as a person, and she felt attracted to her for obvious reasons, but how could this work? "Listen, Michael, your mother is clearly straight, and I would have no chances if I tried, so … "
"Straight? I don't know, the way she looked at you today … yes, she loved our father, but … who knows?"
"Go to sleep, kid, and stopping playing Cupid." Shaw said.
The boy was a bit disheartened now "Are you mad at me?"
"Not at all, on the contrary, I am happy that you think so highly of me; but this is more complicated than you imagine, believe me … goodnight."
"Goodnight, Sameen."
The day after they had a good time at the beach. Shaw swam, then decided to get tanned.
"Would you like if I put some sunblock on your back, Sameen?" Asked Janice.
Shaw thought about it for a moment, then replied: "Uh, why not?"
Janice started the operation, and Shaw tried to relax, but to no avail. Janice realized that "You seem tense, Sameen … "
"I am; you remind me of her. And your hands remind me of hers" Shaw answered, matter-of-factly.
"Oh … should I stop, then?"
"No, no please!"
"I am not her, you know."
"I know, I know, but don't stop, please … let me pretend for a minute she's still alive … "
Janice had a shaken voice now: "God, I am not sure … maybe this is … unhealthy." She stopped her hands, but didn't remove them from Shaw's back. A minute of silence followed; Janice looked around, and saw that nobody was close, and her children were playing in the water; she spoke again, a tinge of sultriness in her voice, now: "Is my body similar to hers too? My breasts, my ass?"
Shaw was slightly turned on "Yes; she had a lot of scars, but the breasts are the same, judging by what I can see … God, I think you are right, this is an awful idea, I have no right to ask you to be like her for me, forget about that … "
"Yes, yes, this didn't happen, okay? Besides, the kids are coming back … "
Michael and the twins were approaching fast, so the two women acted like nothing had happened, but they couldn't erase that little bit of fluster from before; Sylvia and Helen didn't realize anything, but obviously Michael did; he had a knowing smirk, and nodded approvingly.
Janice flushed, and Shaw had an eyeroll. But the thing was, there were very few times she had been so torn and uncertain in her life; it was pretty clear now that she had a chance with Janice, but was it the right thing to do? Should she follow what her mind was telling her, or what her heart was saying?
Janice was looking at her, and she looked anxious "Sameen … are you planning to leave, and go back to New York?"
Shaw wavered "Not just yet, I think. But tonight I am sleeping in my hotel." Janice nodded, a mixture of relief and disappointment in her eyes.
On Monday Shaw began to investigate the behavior of Jeffrey Hennessy, both by herself and with the help of the Machine; she was unsure about what to do with Janice, but she wanted that, had she decided to leave, the man she was going to be stuck with could be a decent person, for her and for the kids.
The man was good-looking, but haughty, and Shaw didn't like him at all; however, there was apparently nothing suspicious in his days, neither at work, nor at home; and, more importantly, he was kind enough to Janice when they met for dinner on Tuesday; and Shaw was happy that he had tried to kiss her, but Janice had politely declined. But on Thursday things changed.
He had met another man, black, in his late-fifties, at a bar; nothing wrong about that, of course, but he had performed some amateurish evasive maneuvers before; why? This was suspicious.
When they parted ways Shaw went after the other man, of course. Some minutes later he entered an anonymous building, and Shaw tried to do the same, but was blocked by a guard, whose jacket showed a bulge that could only be a gun. She apologized for mistaking the building, and went away, sitting in a chair of a bar across the street. But after an hour she was bored, and she looked at a camera which clearly had the entrance of the building in its visual field, and said: "You are going to tell me what happens here, aren't you?"
"Of course, sweetie." She heard in her earwig; and after an eyeroll, Shaw was gone.
It was three in the afternoon. Shaw knocked on Janice's door. The other woman was a little surprised to see her, but in a happy way, and let her in. Shaw was in a very serious mood, which made the taller woman slightly anxious.
"I didn't hope to see you again, Sameen … you didn't show for days."
"I was busy following your boy-friend, actually."
"What? Why should you do that?"
"I don't know, because he is C.I.A., maybe?" Shaw paid attention to Janice's reaction: she showed only mild surprise.
Shaw was angry now "You knew! You didn't expect that I could discover this, but you knew he is an operative!"
Janice sighed: "Yes, I knew; not sure if he was C.I.A. or something like that, though. And now it's time for me to repay the favor."
"What are you talking about?"
"You were sincere with me, and now it's my turn … "
"Well, it's about time!"
The children were there, so the two women went out for a walk.
Janice waited some minutes, then began to talk: "You know my husband was killed in Iraq."
"Yes; four months ago, right?"
"Right; I was told he was killed in action, but that's not true."
"How do you know?"
"In 2010, he discovered something he was not supposed to. I am sure he paid his curiosity with his life."
"Six years later? You need to tell me more, Janice."
"Of course … six years ago he found out that a fellow soldier, Brent Tomlinson, had been murdered, and the C.I.A. was behind it."
"Wait, wait! How did he get that information?"
"I don't know exactly, but he recorded the voices of the killers. I don't know how he managed to do that."
"Holy crap! Did you hear the recording too?"
"I did; and you can hear it too, if you want."
"Later; tell me what they said."
"There were a man and a woman; the man had clearly pulled the trigger, and it was obvious they were C.I.A.; they also said something about a change in their jobs."
"A change?"
"Yes, as if their agency were to be replaced by another one, as far as the murders of traitors was concerned."
"And this other agency … "
"The acronym was I.S.A., but I don't know the meaning."
"Damned, that's why you pulled out that improbable name that evening; you wanted to understand if I knew about it."
"Yes; and you knew, Sameen, didn't you?"
Shaw sighed "Yes … it means Intelligence Support Activity, and I worked for them; before they tried to kill me, of course."
Janice goggled, her voice shaken "So, is there a chance it was you who killed my husband?"
"No, I didn't … but I could have, if I had been assigned his number … sorry."
"And now, are you going to kill me? My children?"
"What? No, no, don't even think about that! I changed, I … please, trust me, I want to help."
"Okay, Sameen, I really want to trust you … I need to trust you." There were unshed tears in Janice's eyes.
"You won't regret it … but tell me, how did you get the recording?"
"Mark gave it to me when he came home on leave; he told me not to speak to anyone about it, and to keep it in a safe place. I listened to it only after news came that he was killed in action. I think he had this burden on his soul for so many years, and he tried to know more, but someone found out he was a liability, so … "
"And the C.I.A. is after you because they want to know if you are in the dark, or not … "
"And it didn't help that I asked some questions at the D.O.D. local headquarters; nothing weird, only the details of his death; but it turned out that there were no other comrades with him when he died."
"Well, inquiring about his death would have been reasonable in any other instance, but in this case it raised suspicions, am I right?"
"Yes, that's why I had been contacted by Hennessy, if this is his real name … "
"Did you spill something to him?"
"No, I realized immediately he was not the man he pretended to be, so … "
"How did you realize that?"
"He joined our precinct a week after I had begun to ask questions, but it was obvious he wasn't a cop; let's simply say he had a different skill set, more of a secret agent than of a policeman; besides, he requested to undergo some psychological guidance, and he was assigned to me, but he clearly had no particular issues, and pretended to have some, evidently fabricated; it was an excuse to meet me, of course. And, just to conclude this, I got another call from the mechanical voice I already told you about. Only three words: "Don't trust him."
"Oh … I see … and he asked you out … "
"Yes; and I agreed … "
"Why?"
"Because, if I had said no, they could have tried something else, maybe involving my children; I cannot allow that … "
"You are right, it makes sense, but it was risky."
"Any mother would take risks when her children are threatened."
"Okay. And how was the date?"
Janice snorted "Well, he was kind to me, but I knew it was only a pretense; he was a jerk with anyone else, so … "
"And your house is probably bugged … "
"I know, I suspected that much since the beginning of our … relationship, but I was very careful, and I am pretty sure I never gave myself away; my children are in the dark, so the same can be said for them."
"How many dates did you go on, so far?"
"Maybe seven, eight?"
"And … did you sleep with him?"
"Mmh … are you asking for investigative purposes, or … "
"Just tell me."
"No, Sameen, I never slept with him, and I let him only kiss my cheek. I keep telling him I only need a friend …"
"Okay. And?"
"But in the end, which was your plan, exactly?"
" I am only waiting for them to give up; they will have to believe I don't know anything, if I play may part well, don't you think?"
"Probably."
"What I don't understand is this: why isn't the I.S.A. after me, and it is the C.I.A. instead? And the men who wanted to kidnap me, two months before my husband died, what is their role in all this mess?"
"The C.I.A. man behind it doesn't want to be involved in past murders: he gave the order to kill, but he is not completely ruthless, as I see it, and wouldn't have an innocent woman slain for nothing … so he is trying to figure it out; if you know about him, I mean. As for the I.S.A., well, they don't exist anymore."
"How do you know?"
"A woman I know, Brooks, was part of it. I met her a couple of months ago and she told me she had joined the C.I.A., because the I.S.A. had been disbanded, its boss and many of its people killed, and the remaining ones sent to other agencies ... about the people who wanted to kidnap you, there is no connection with your husband: the only reason they were after you was your appearance." That was a half lie: Shaw had met Brooks, but the Machine had already informed her about all that stuff, and also that the C.I.A. was dealing with the relevant numbers again.
"Okay, so I have only the C.I.A. against me and my family … it sounds scary anyway."
"I don't think it's the whole agency; I am inclined to believe it's only a man, who wants to cover his past misdeeds; that would explain why he employed a jerk like Hennessy, a bad and unskilled agent who probably made some mistakes in the past, and consequently can be blackmailed into doing something illegal … probably this is not even an authorized operation."
"And this could help?"
"I think so; we must identify this man first, then I will come out with some ideas."
"I could have his name: Beale. It was on the recording."
"Okay, let's do this: you go back home, pick up the recording and join me in my hotel room, here is the address; we'll do some research on the web … "
"Do you think he is on the internet? to be seen by anyone?"
"Not by anyone; my former activity endowed me with some … hacking capabilities."
"Okay, Sameen, we'll do it your way; see you later, then."
"Okay, and, Janice … "
"Yes?"
"Excuse me if I was mad at you, before … it should have been the opposite, instead."
"No problem, Sameen, I know you are trying to help us, and I really appreciate that."
They were in Shaw's hotel room, and Janice started the recording. The first voice was a woman; cold, detached; a real professional: "Okay, John, when do we inform Beale that you have just murdered poor Brent?"
The second voice was a man; raspy, apparently emotionless: "What's the problem, Kara? Are you afraid he may think we didn't inquire enough? Should we have spent a week asking questions all around the base? He was a traitor, we have proof of that, so what?" Shaw froze; she knew that voice.
The woman again: "You seem nervous, killing people is not good for you. But maybe this kind of assignments will stop soon."
"What do you mean?"
"I overheard a conversation some time ago; the Government is thinking about charging a new agency for the black operations, so we will be given some other tasks; the I.S.A., if I remember well … " And with that the recording was over.
Janice had noticed Shaw's reaction: "You know him, don't you?"
Shaw sighed "Yes; I knew him; he is dead now."
"How did he die?"
"Saving the world; just like the woman I loved."
"So, he was not a bad guy?"
"We all were, but we changed eventually; maybe I will tell you a story, someday; I am not sure you will believe me, though … but we have more pressing matters now."
So Shaw ran a software which allowed her to enter the C.I.A. archives, and to decrypt them; there were four male agents with the name Beale in the agency, but she immediately recognized the right one: Terence Beale, 58, black. The man that moron, Hennessy, had met the day before.
"Okay, Janice, now we know the face of the enemy. Let's see what options we have at our disposal to get out of this mess."
"I am listening."
"First one: I kill him and Hennessy … "
Janice looked horrified "You can't be serious … you just kill them, and that's the end?"
"Of course not; I get to torture them first, to learn if someone else is involved; and those meet the same end, of course."
"No, please! You said you have changed! Don't do this!"
The woman was upset, so Shaw reassured her "I was kidding, really."
"Okay, Sameen, what is the second option?"
"We gather as much evidence as possible, then I meet Beale and tell him we know, and if anything happens to you or your kids, all we have will go public."
"That's better, I think."
"I am not so sure; he could try some dirty trick … "
"Then … ?"
"then, we have our third and last option: to convince them that you have no more concerns or questions about Mark's fate."
"And how do I do that?"
"You must say that in your house, preferably in your bugged bedroom, with absolute sincerity, to the love of your life."
"Wait, are you saying I have to start a relationship, and have sex, with that moron? Hennessy? Feigning that I love him?"
"Well, it's him or … someone else."
"But … who?"
"Me, for instance; you tell him you don't want your relationship to continue, because you are in love with a woman. I would endure this for the sake of your family … would you?"
"Uh? … ah … yes, I would; for the sake of my family, of course."
"Okay, Janice, let's be serious now, your future is at risk. The thing is, we must make this true and convincing in the ears of those who will listen … we will talk about how you came to the conclusion that there is nothing shady in Mark's death … and it must be clear to them that the person who will be with you is one of the most important in your life, a person you blindly trust. Someone you could never, ever lie to"
"So … a person I love?"
"Yeah, a person you love."
"And … are we up to the task? Can we play the role of … lovers?"
"I can, and so do you."
"But … should we pretend kissing? Having sex?"
"No."
"No?"
"No, Janice, we cannot afford to be unconvincing: we will not pretend, we will kiss; and we will have sex! And orgasms!"
"Jesus, Sameen, I … I don't know if I will be capable of that … with a woman, I mean, I had never … "
"Listen, I am attracted to you, and the reason is obvious. But I have a feeling that you are attracted to me, too; am I wrong?"
Janice sighed "No, you are right; when I touched you, at the beach, and felt you turned on … the thought of you like that because you loved a woman similar to me … I don't know, it was overwhelming." Janice was flushed now.
"I can make a promise, that I will do my best to make you love the moments we will be together; or at least not dislike them … besides, all this must last only for a short time; when they give up, we can part ways."
"I hope I will be able to do that."
"Well, we are about to find out; time for a little rehearsal … "
"What?"
" Janice … we are having sex, here and now!"
Janice gasped, but Shaw reassured her: "Don't worry, when you tell me to stop, I will."
"Okay, then … be patient with me, please."
"I will be patient and sweet, I promise."
Shaw cupped Janice's cheeks and placed a soft kiss on her lips, then asked; "What about this?"
"I … I liked it."
"Good." So Shaw deepened the kiss, forcing her tongue in Janice's mouth; the taller woman moaned, evidently turned on, and lost suddenly any inhibitions.
"Fuck me, Sameen, I want you!"
They shed their clothes and threw themselves onto the bed, completely naked, and had two hours of almost uninterrupted, amazing sex. Janice came three times, the first one in Shaw's mouth, the second one they came at the same time, grinding their pussies together, the third one with Shaw's fist inside of her. Shaw had four orgasms.
Now they were lying, sated, naked, hugging and kissing.
Janice spoke first: "My God, Sameen, it has been the best sex I have ever had … It won't be hard for me to play the part."
"Good, I liked it too." But Shaw was worried: the adoring look in Janice's eyes was something she had already seen in those of another woman, and she knew what it meant.
Things went as forecasted: Janice broke up with Hennessy, and told him she was in love with a woman.
When they said the same to the three children, Michael smirked, and the twins were elated, and Helen uttered cheerfully: "Cool, now we are really a progressive family: two lesbian mothers, what can be better?"
"Helen!" Was Janice's reply "We are not lesbians, we are only … together."
"Just what I said, mom!"
Shaw had used a detector in their bedroom, and she stated that there was a bug in it, so that was a good place to pretend they were in love.
And they did, saying words Shaw would have never thought she could say to someone else; but Janice was far more convincing; which meant either that she was a very good actress, or … that she wasn't acting at all.
"I love you, Sameen, I had never met someone like you … "
"I love you too, Janice, you are the woman I have always wanted … "
And after that they had sex; noisy sex, of course, to be heard by those C.I.A. morons. Well, as for that part Shaw was convincing too. The thing was, Janice was like Root in more ways than one; her body was absolutely the same, her ways to reach an orgasm almost the same, her … love (?) for Shaw the same, and expressed the same way, by the same beautiful eyes; Root was rougher, though, but the rest was a perfect match; how could it be?
They also spoke about Mark, as agreed, and about two weeks after they had started their act (but was it really an act?) someone came when nobody was at home and removed the bugs; Shaw informed Janice about that, when they were in their bedroom.
Janice was relieved, obviously, but also worried "This means you are leaving, Sameen? What we are doing, is it no more necessary?"
"I won't leave now; if we are still watched, we can't break up immediately: it would be a weird coincidence; too weird, so we must stay together a little bit more."
"I am in love with you, Sameen." Janice said abruptly.
Shaw sighed "You do know they are not listening anymore, don't you?"
"I know."
Shaw nodded "I am feeling a sense of … déjà vu."
"Please, Sameen! Can you be serious for once?"
"Janice, I don't know if I am the right person for you … I am a sociopath, feelings are not my thing." That was a lie, but she was sure that only Root could love someone like her without being hurt; and Shaw didn't want to hurt Janice.
"Are you sure this is true? Are you lying only to me, or to yourself as well? I don't need to be a psychologist to see that you care about me, and my family; you have put yourself in danger to help us; you have always been kind to me, and the sex we have is awesome … that's enough for me. I don't want you to change, you are already perfect, as I see it. And I am sure of one thing: we are good for each other."
Shaw was left speechless for some moments, then whispered: "Like I said … déjà vu." And she kissed her.
They had sex that night, but not noisy at all this time (like they had done before: there was no one to fool now), and they were tender, soft, even … loving. So Shaw knew she had to decide what to do, and fast: if she had to leave this woman, it had to be done immediately; otherwise, she wouldn't be capable anymore. But it was probably already too late.
Janice woke up at seven in the morning, smelling a fragrance of coffee; Shaw was handing her a steaming cup, and Janice noticed that she was fully dressed.
"Thank you, Sameen. Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes, I am leaving for about a week."
"What?" Janice was clearly agitated "You will come back, of course?"
"I swear, Janice, I'll be back. But I have some matters to attend, and besides … I need to have a clear mind."
"Oh … okay, then; when exactly?"
"My flight is due at eleven."
"Can I go with you at the airport?"
"Aren't you working today?"
"Yes, but … "
"What is bothering you, Janice? Tell me, I'm listening."
The other woman sighed: "Nobody has seen us together; I mean … kissing, or holding hands; we went on dates, two times, but we never showed a lot of affection for each other in public. Not even before my kids."
"So … "
"So, I just thought that if I go with you, and kiss you goodbye, and you kiss me back … and someone sees us, then what we have will be real."
"What we have is real, even if I don't know what it is, exactly … but I see your point. So … get dressed; a cab will be here soon."
Janice complied, and they went out, Shaw carrying a duffel bag; there were passers-by on the sidewalk, and an old woman attending her garden, just beside Janice's house; Shaw saw her, and asked Janice: "Who's that woman?"
"My neighbor, Miss Lucy Stapleton, also known as the queen of gossip."
Shaw smirked, grabbed Janice's hand and dragged her towards Miss Stapleton "Hello, Lucy, I'm Sameen, Janice's lover, how's hanging?"
The old woman froze, opening her eyes wide. Shaw went on: "I have to leave for some days now, but of course I'll be back as soon as possible: can't stay away from this magnificent body, you know." And she winked, turning around, always with Janice in tow.
Janice's face was definitely red, and she was giggling "I swear, Sameen, you are unique; I'm feeling embarrassed, but also … happy."
"Mmh … I guess dear Lucy will broadcast the news soon."
"Well, maybe she'll have a bad stroke, but otherwise, yes, the neighborhood will know soon … and she's still staring at us … "
"Good. Let's give her another boost." And Shaw cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, saying: "I'll be back, please trust me. Besides, all my things are in your room."
"Our room."
Shaw nodded, and Janice went on: " Yes, I trust you; but I am going to miss you terribly; do you mind if I call you sometimes? Like, once a day?"
The cab was already there, so Shaw answered: "Gladly. Bye!"
"Bye, love!"
Five days had passed, and Shaw was going back to Honolulu; while her plane was approaching the island, her mind wandered to the worst day of her life.
-Flashback: the day the world went away, nine a.m.-
"How are you feeling today, sweetie?"
"I'm fine, Root; well, let's say I am at eighty per cent of my full potential."
"Mmh … tonight you were pretty efficient, though."
"Always the teaser, aren't you?"
"I know, but now let's be serious, I have something important to tell you."
"What is it?"
"John called; Harold's number is up."
"Jesus! Let's go, then!"
"Wait only another moment. She says today will be a mess; someone of the team could go down … "
"So?"
"So, if it is me, I don't want you to ruin your life for that; I want you to be happy, even if I am not there."
"You are my happiness, Root; you are the one who gave me hope, my safe place; you are everything I have, and I am nothing without you; sounds right?"
"No, not at all!"
"Whatever; this is a false problem, since you are not dying today, I swear!"
Root sighed "If the worst happens, please try to be happy, even with someone else; and when you are unable to decide whether you should follow your mind or your heart, go for the second one. Okay?"
"Okay, Root … and … one last thing."
"Tell me."
"Reese told me about that wedding you went for a number … and that you had a magazine of wedding dresses in your bedroom in the subway … "
"God, John is truly a meddler." Answered Root, affectionately.
"If we make it out of this war in one piece, I promise … that I'm marrying you, if you want."
Root smiled "I am already happy with what we have now, but that … would be the best thing that could happen to me."
"Let's do what we can to make that real, then."
It turned out that what they could do wasn't enough.
-Ending flashback-
Shaw knocked on Janice's door at eight p.m., and Janice welcomed her with that extraordinary smile, one Shaw had always thought could only be unique; but she was wrong, there were two of them, and now she knew the reason why.
"Sameen, you are back! And sooner than expected. You can't stay away from me, now can you?" Janice tried to tease her, evidently relieved.
"I had really matters to attend, Janice, but you are right … I can't stay away, for the simple reason that … I love you."
"Oh, my … oh."
Janice was left breathless, her eyes teary with happiness, so Shaw told her: "Listen, there is a lot of really important things you have to know, and I am about to tell you all of them. We can discuss our relationship later, is that good for you?"
Janice nodded, perceiving the seriousness of the other woman. "Okay, Sameen, I'll let you greet the children, then we'll go to our room to talk. Oh … have you eaten?"
"I am okay, thanks."
The first thing Shaw showed was a paper certifying she had been a detective for the New York Police Department, reassigned to Honolulu, more accurately to the third precinct; strangely, she was sent to replace another detective, a Jeffrey Hennessy, due for Alaska. The paper was fake, of course, another courtesy of the Machine.
"It's fantastic, Sameen, we will work together!"
"Yes, if you want … but there is so much I have to tell … I don't know what you will think of me, after."
And Shaw told her everything, about the Machine, Samaritan, Reese, Finch, Root, everything that happened. It took a lot of time, because all looked so unbelievable, and Shaw had to provide evidence of all that, with a laptop on her knees, answering every question coming from Janice, that only an A.S.I. could.
"God, Sameen, I'm shaking … what you went through, it's insane! You are a heroine!"
"A heroine? No, Root was a heroine, not me."
"But the tortures you endured … "
"Not that I had much of a choice."
"Is there anything else you have to tell me? Because this is already a lot to assimilate."
"Yes, there is … inhale deeply, Janice."
A minute of silence followed, then Shaw whispered: "Root was your sister."
"What?!"
"Yes, twin sister, of course; you would have been indistinguishable."
"But, my parents … "
"Elizabeth Groves, your mother, was pregnant, and nobody knew who the father was. But there was something else that was kept hidden: she was carrying two babies; probably she didn't know that herself. And when you two were born, she must have been desperate, I guess. She could barely afford to maintain one child, but two was out of question; then a nurse offered to give one of the children to a couple that was desperate for a different reason: their newborn baby girl had died, three days after birth. I don't know how they could forge the records, but obviously this is what happened."
"Who told you that?"
"I've been in Corpus Christi, at the hospital, were you both were born, but only Samantha Groves officially; the archives are on paper, but I could get to the nurse and the doctor that made this; I threatened them, using information provided by the Machine, and they spilled; I went to the local car hire firms, and I discovered that a man named Lawrence Crawford, a wealthy businessman from Seattle, had taken one of their cars to go back to his city; and the employee had written on the form there were three passengers. I assume the other two were you and your mother."
"My God … "
"I went through the archives of the hospitals in Seattle too, and I found the name of another nurse, and she spilled too. Then I paid a visit to your family, in Seattle; to your mother, actually, since your father is dead, and she tried to deny, but when I showed her all the stuff I had already gathered, she broke.
I had smelled something shady when you showed me that photo of your family: your 'parents' are completely different from you, whilst your younger 'brother' is similar to your 'father'. And your similarities with Root were too many.
And finally, before leaving five days ago, I took some of your hairs, in the bathroom. In New York, in a … place where Root had lived for a long time, I retrieved others; hers, of course. Then I had them analyzed by a lab."
"And … "
"The DNA is the same, basically. Only very few differences, as expected, but you and Root were monozygotic twins."
"Oh, my God … but Sameen, if you have this Machine that knows anything, why didn't it tell you about me and my sister? Why bothering asking my mother and other people, having those hairs analyzed?"
"Well, why don't you ask Her, then?" And Shaw pointed at the laptop.
The beautiful face of Root appeared on the screen, and Janice gasped "God, you told me it had took her voice and face, but … "
The Machine-Root began to speak: "Hello, Janice, looking at me you can see how Samantha Groves was. I didn't know for sure you two were sisters, since there were no digital recordings back in 1979. I had a suspicion about that, though, but I decided, for your sake, and your family's, that Sameen didn't have to know about it … we had a war going, after all. But I am glad that you two met, finally.
I leave you with Sameen now, see you later." And the screen turned black.
Janice was crying "My poor sister; and my parents, they told me nothing … "
"Don't be too hard; I am sure they loved you, and you had a happy life … happier than Root's, anyway. And those nurses, too; I am not sure they did that for the bucks, or to help two families."
"Yes, my father loved me. And my mother too, of course" Then she started to cry again "Oh God, I had a sister, and she is dead now!"
"You should be proud of her; And if it can console you, I told her that I loved her, a week before her death, and I made her happy in her last days. And the day she died … "
"What?"
"Well, I told her that if we had made it out of that mess, I would have married her."
"Oh … how beautiful!"
"And now … " Shaw went on, drawing a little box from her pocket "I am doing the same with you. Janice Crawford, will you marry me?" She opened the box, revealing a gold ring with a purple diamond mounted on it. "Purple was her favorite color; I hope you like it too."
The other woman was speechless, then managed to say, in a shaken voice: "I guess this is the last surprise of a very emotional day."
"The last one, I promise; for today, at least."
"You know I am not her, right?"
"You have already said that, and I know there are differences, but this is what I want for the rest of my life."
"What? Marrying a woman only because she reminds you of another one?"
"Well, it's complicated; let's say I am marrying a woman because she is beautiful, intelligent, loves and protects her family and makes my pants wet only thinking about her, and yes, because you remind me of her. Do you think there is something wrong in this? In our last week together, the best thing was to wake up and see those wonderful eyes staring at me lovingly; your eyes are the same, and I want this happening for every morning of my life …"
"But she was also different, wasn't she?"
"Yes, let's say that you are 80% like her: the entirety of your body, of course, but also passion, intelligence, and strength, the strength that comes from loving someone, like your children, and wanting to protect them, even at risk of your own life. Like she loved me. This part comes from genetics, I guess."
"And the remaining 20%?"
"Your sweetness, your kindness, your dislike for violence, these are yours, and come from the different environment you grew in. But the interesting thing is that I love both of those parts; hence, I love you. And she told me once, if I had to choose between following my mind or my heart, I should go for the second. Now, please, say yes."
"Yes, yes a thousand times! God, what a day it was today! I don't know how I will be able to sleep!"
Shaw smirked "Well, who said I am planning to let you sleep tonight?"