Chapter 4
The room was like one of those old family libraries. It gave off the stench of money and respectability. Not that it impressed him. He didn't care as he sat with a bored expression on his face. There was one reason that he was there and he was looking at her. Only she would call him in the middle of the night. And to keep pressing.
"Have you thought about my offer?"
He looked at her with a bland gaze, "Same as before. No."
"Why?"
He had started to stand to leave. He had been taken aback by her question. He had come only to give his answer. Not to give details. "Why what?"
"Why are you refusing an opportunity?"
He turned to look at her. Her red hair seemed to add more like as she looked at him with a look that spoke of a history of standing up to stubborn men. It seemed that he was going to have a fight on his hands. "It's not an opportunity. I don't accept jobs if my employer can't hold up their end." He looked at her to invite her to challenge his assessment.
"It is an opportunity, Commander."
"Oh. Using that title now. Can't let anyone know that I was once one of your agents." He waved his hands in a mocking fashion. He sobered and shook his head slightly. "Not going to work… Director."
He turned to leave. He wasn't going to explain himself to a woman who more than likely deserved her position. There was a reason it was called a gag order. He actually liked living even if he wasn't acknowledged as existing.
"I'm giving you the chance to make things right. To fight back on your terms as you have always done, even when you're dying."
He was taken back to a time when he was literally dying. It was what got him into the position he was in. He could hear the gunfire, the shouts and the panicked voices of his medic and his HVP. He could hear one saying that it was the only way and then there was a pinprick and then…
"So? Your decision?"
He swallowed, looking at her. She had come to him in one of the many places he owned and sometimes operated out of. In that instance, it was a bar. Not too trendy and not too seedy. It was enough to tell that she didn't belong exactly. She knew who he was even though he pretended to be just a normal bartender. She came up to him and said that she needed him for a job.
As if sensing he would refuse, she added, "There are plenty who know the truth and are without the means of proving it. Know that I believe you."
"Not a question of belief," he replied, "But a matter of whether or not the choice will get me killed and not in the line of duty."
"We all have secrets, Rook," she said.
The scenery had changed to his bar. She was leaning on the counter. It was after hours and he had pulled his best whiskey. He had poured them each a glass. Leaning on the counter, he toyed with his glass saying, "Oh I have plenty of those. Funny thing when on the teams. You… can't really say anything about what you do and that scene comes to mind. You know, deep down in places you don't about at parties kind of thing."
"Which is why you are perfect for what I want you to do," she replied as she took a sip of her whiskey. "You are still my agent. You're paid the salary of one, but I need you to go to places that I can't get people in legally."
"There's the kicker," he said as he threw back his drink. "I'm the one that is the dirty little secret."
"A dirty secret that does more than what anyone will ever know."
"Not helping." He turned and walked away.
He ended up in the squad room at NCIS. He was looking around, seeing McGee typing away. DiNozzo was leaning back in his chair on the phone, probably hooking up with a date. Gibbs was doing whatever he was doing. He wheeled and saw her. He swallowed as his gaze traveled on her dark, curly hair and her Middle Eastern features that screamed exotic.
"Do it if it will save him."
She had said that. He blinked as he started hearing a beeping sound. It was followed by the stench of antiseptic and it forced him to shake his head. He looked up to see her looking at him. He remembered what he said.
"I need a handler. You're it."
"Now… I set you free."
"It's only the beginning, Rook. It will all crash down on you…"
Ray slowly opened his eyes since the beeping felt loud in his ears. He also wanted to minimize the glare from the hospital fluorescent lights. He knew he was in the hospital because of the smell and he could feel the slight pricking in his hand signaling an IV. Once his eyes were open, he set to roving them around to get a feel for his surroundings.
His body was sore all over but he could also feel the pulsing of pain medication and that he was coming off a sedative. He could recall the reason for that. He vaguely remembered jumping to his feet and was ready to tackle a bunch of nurses and doctors. He sat up and winced from the throb in his lower back and rubbed his forehead.
"Finally. I was tempted to steal something to wake you up."
Ray looked up to see a familiar face. His featured contorted into anger as he started to move. He was ready to leap out and tackle his visitor despite the fact that he was feeling a dull throb in his lower back which would more than likely rip any stitches he had. He was held back when his visitor held up his hands indicating surrender. He gritted, "So you're going to finish the job, Warbler?"
Warbler sighed, feeling annoyed and yet relieved that his old friend and CO was his usual charming self. That suspicion kept him alive all these years. "Like I told you, Rook. We need you."
"Yeah and who's 'we'?" Ray gritted his teeth as he properly sat up. He looked to see if there was anyone that would come in.
"Same people that taught you, Rook." Warbler looked at Ray with his arms crossed over his chest. "Remember what I said at Leland?"
Ray blinked and narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. You want me to help you with this problem. Let me guess, arms deal?"
"What the Company was after since it involved terrorists," Warbler replied in an offhand manner. He gave a slight gesture like they were having a normal conversation and not a briefing. "However, it is more than that."
"Really?" Ray couldn't help the sarcasm. He wasn't sure whether or not his old teammate was legit or not. Not after what happened, but he understood the score when it came to undercover. You had to have a thick skin and anticipate those feelings of betrayal and feeling disgusted with yourself for the things you had to do.
"Simkins isn't working alone."
"Go figure."
"It's Syd."
Ray shot a look at Warbler. He was immediately brought back to a few choice memories. Once stood out completely. It was one where it caught him completely off guard. A mission where she professed her feelings and she kissed him on the mouth. He never responded, but after that, it was awkward between them. He almost had her reassigned, but her skill set he needed. He made it clear that there was no relationship. "Syd?"
"Yeah."
Ray looked away. He gave a humorless chuckle, "I'm screwed."
"Yeah you are," Warbler countered, not mincing words. "Simkins made sure that you would be out of the way by throwing you under the bus. If I'm not mistaken, FBI is on their way to take you into custody. Luckily I managed to arrange a few things so you're not a packaged deal with the silver bracelets."
"And how did you pull that off?"
Warbler grinned as he pulled out a badge. "So many agencies here in DC that they all look the same. I seem to remember you doing the same."
"I have a legit badge."
"Right. A Navy cop." Warbler watched in amusement as Ray got out of bed slowly. In all honesty, he was amazed that the man was able to stand and move as well as he did. He read the chart and it was a miracle that he was still pretty whole. Someone was looking out for him.
Ray wasn't thinking about that as he straightened his frame out. His back throbbed a little but it wasn't debilitating. He could move and he would have to. If agents were being sent after him, then he needed to get out. He had to find out why two people from his old team were doing this.
The sound of the door opening had Ray stiffen. Warbler didn't move but watched as a nurse came in holding a set of scrubs and a grey thermal shirt. Ray blinked as she stood in front of him. She seemed nervous as she said, "I know you wanted to be comfortable so I found these for you."
She placed the scrubs on a gurney. She pulled out a small bag that had Ray's wallet and a prescription tube of painkillers. She said nothing but turned to look at Warbler and gave a nod before she left the room. Ray looked at his old friend with a puzzled expression.
"You know the drill, boss," Warbler prompted, "Gotta get you out of here. And you're gonna do it on your own steam."
Ray snorted as he pulled out the scrubs. They were dark blue and the grey thermal would give a bit more warmth and help him to blend in. He wasted no time in pulling them on but he had to be deliberate since he didn't want to rip his stitches. He grunted because he had to stretch a bit and he could feel it in his back. Nothing that a couple of painkillers would help with and he popped two dry.
"Well, you don't look too bad. You might need these." Warbler pulled out a fake hospital ID and a stethoscope.
Ray narrowed his eyes as he put them on and checked his shoes. At least the clothes he came in with had been stored under his bed. He reached in and grabbed the bag only to be stopped by Warbler, "Gotta go."
"Not without this." Ray reached in and pulled out his dog tags.
Warbler rolled his eyes, "Forgot about that."
Ray made a face as he took a breath and made his way to the door of his room. He opened it and took a look to get a lay of the land. He looked back at Warbler who said, "See you later, Rook. Don't forget," and brushed past him to leave.
Ray waited a couple of minutes before emerging himself and he started walking down the halls. He wasn't sure if he was going to get away with it since he was sporting a couple of scrapes that spoke of his getting into a fight and probably a bruise or two. Then again, they were similar to injuries earned when rough housing or being extremely competitive in sports… like football.
He didn't draw attention as he walked through the halls towards the exit. Part of it was that he hid the fact that he was injured, walking as normal as possible and focusing on his goal of getting out of the building. It was his focus that kept him going and moving past the security officer stationed in the ER without drawing attention. He only paused when he heard the waiting room television screen pop up with images of Leland on ZNN.
He paused to listen, hanging back so no one listened. From what he was hearing, things were bad. He couldn't linger and he kept on moving. He would find a means of getting information one way or another. He mumbled apologies when he bumped into a man in a suit and ambled out of the hospital. He was home free when he managed to catch a cab and was gone before the man, who was actually an agent, realized that he had just bumped into the escaped patient.
"You sure you want to be dropped off here?"
Ray looked out the window of the cab he had picked up and stared at the building. It was a long drive and with the throbbing in his lower back, he was tempted to pass out, but he forced himself to stay awake. He was concerned that the cabbie would get a call from his dispatcher since by now they would have realized that he just walked right out of the hospital.
Taking a breath, he nodded, "Yep."
"That'll be $34.75."
Ray pulled out two twenties from his wallet and handed them to the driver. "Keep the change."
He waited until the cabbie drove off and put the wallet in his scrub pocket. He understood why his wallet hadn't been with his personal effects. Warbler had it filled with enough case to get him somewhere and in a position where he could get more. Sighing, he turned to look at the dreary building and started up the stairs slowly.
He ignored the sounds that echoed through the hall. He passed by someone in hand me downs that were wrinkled but clean. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and received one in return as he made his way to the stairwell and started walking up them. He passed by a couple of more people dressed in second hand clothes, but they were alert and acknowledged him and let him pass. It was no big deal and he made it to the door on the third and top floor.
The key was where he had placed it when he set up the place and he used it to get in. It was only when he shut and locked the door that he was able to take a deep breath. He winced and leaned on the door and looked up at the ceiling while trying to process everything that happened since walking up in the hospital.
He remembered waking up in emergency and at the time, he was under the impression that Simkins had taken him and was going to torture him or something. He had been a prisoner before, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. He only calmed down when he heard Ziva's voice. She remembered what he told her, and she went with it and he closed his eyes in pain.
Straightening up, he went to the room and to the closet that was stocked with clothes. He picked a few out and went to take a shower, taking care not to wet his stitches. When he dressed, he left off the shirt. It was painful putting on the scrubs and the thermals and Warbler, being the type of guy he was, didn't help him and Ray wasn't the type to ask for help or put himself in a position of vulnerability. Except for one person.
Besides, he was alone, and he could walk around shirtless if he wanted to. He felt better for it as he started getting down to business. He walked through the loft to where he had his hidden wall safe. Punching in the code, he retrieved the box that was full of aliases, ones that were not on file along with bank cards, everything. It was for emergencies and this was one.
Picking out an alias, he pulled all the necessary papers and put the box back in the safe and locked it. Going to a desk, he opened a drawer and pulled out a burner still in the package. He opened it and turned it on and checked the settings. He put it in his pants pocket and took the next step. He made a meal.
It was the strangest thing in a situation like this, but Ray learned that when you needed time to fix something, you had to move slow. Even if the impulse was to work fast, you had to go slow. Haste was the fastest way to the grave. Besides, first order of business was survival and that included a meal. Nothing overly fancy, but enough to satisfy his nutritional needs for the moment. It was twenty minutes later that had him with a plate of scrambled eggs and in front of a clean laptop, checking in.
It was a risk, but he had to warn Jo so she was ready for anything that they would come at her with. He had been smart enough to use an alias as CEO and list himself as an underling right under. It would keep the company afloat. Most people thought he was nuts for giving Jo so much autonomy, but he had his reasons. He would laugh if they ever found out. The real treasure was the network that he had set up the last ten years and in preparation for something like this.
He managed to get into the secure chat that he had established. When McGee essentially fan girled at him for being the owner of DigiCom, there was good reason. He may be a frogman, but his area was in computers and technology. He was good at deep dives; he could give those analysts at FBI and local PDs a run for their money. He once hacked into an HVT secure system and used it against their target. He was good, but he always maintained there was someone better.
Right now, he was trying to create a means to listen in on conversations. It would help while he pulled it together to go after Sydney, Simkins and really put DZ to bed. He stared at his screen and his lip twitched slightly when he got the signal that his work bore fruit. He quickly typed in a message and sat back to wait for a response.
My god, Ray. What the hell did you get yourself into?
"Right on the dot, Jo," he muttered as he typed in his response. He made a slight face as he said it, mostly from the dull throb that agitated him and a small part due to the fact he knew Jo as well as he did.
Your fault for thinking that you could handle it alone.
"No sympathy?" He typed it as he voiced it.
You know I don't sympathize with stupid.
Ray sighed and rubbed a hand on his forehead. He buried down old and familiar feelings that he tried hard to move past and closed his eyes. It was some relief to the throbbing in his back and arm where he had been hit. He looked up when he heard a beep.
You're not stupid.
"Could have fooled me."
What do you need me to do? How soon will I expect a visit at the office?
Ray gave a slight smile at the response. Jo was one person he could count on after she proved it to him. He gave her a job and they worked well together. She made no demands for anything more when his heart was clearly not interested in a relationship. She was loyal and dedicated to keeping people out of his business and he appreciated her more. She certainly was a lifesaver when he made his queries while enforcing his promises.
He knew that they would be going to NCIS HQ, to his apartment and to the company. They would be looking for him and no doubt be telling people that he was a dangerous man. There was no denying that. The government spent thousands of dollars training him to be what he was. They invested in his education and training and they ended up with someone that could put the best operatives a run for their money.
I just saw on the news that a criminal escaped custody from Bethesda. That was you, wasn't it?
Ray rolled his eyes. "I had help," he voiced as he type, "An old friend from back in the day."
Right.
Ray could almost see Jo roll her eyes at the screen. He wasn't overly worried about her being caught. He had set it up a long time ago and she was good at covering her tracks. He typed a little more giving his instructions while finishing what he made himself to eat. He was somewhat amused at her scolding him; it was something she did on a daily basis and usually in the form of a phone call.
Can I expect a phone call?
No, he typed, Too hot and I'm not putting you or what's left of my guys under the scope. They are coming after me, Jo. Not you.
Then at least contact her. You didn't come back to let it all go to waste.
Ray had nothing to say about that. He disconnected the link, knowing that she wouldn't be upset about it. She knew that he was turning away to think. It was all he could do at the moment since he needed at least a day to gather his wits and formulate a plan of attack. It was also a dangerous thing since he knew what happened when he was left alone with his thoughts.
Lounging on the battered couch he placed an arm under his head and stared up at the ceiling to think and try to let his body get some rest. It wasn't the most comfortable, but comfortable enough since he needed to be off his feet to ease the throbbing in his lower back. It was a small distraction, but not enough from the fact that Jo was right.
You didn't come back to let it all go to waste.
Jo was the only one to know the details of his relationship with Ziva. She knew how he felt about her and what he did to make her his 'handler' or inside man. She knew about the whole thing with Rivkin and what happened with that. She knew about Somalia and how he left things before going to work with the Los Angeles unit and the fact that he was miserable and continued to self-impose his misery by staying.
She was the one that warned him that Ziva was coming. Being the sucker he could be, he didn't even try to hide from her. He was polite, said hello and then put her on a plane to head back to DC. She scolded him on that one, but in his defense, he was only respecting what had been asked or rather demanded of him and it hadn't changed. She still scolded him and said that was what made him stupid.
It was enough to gather courage and call Ziva. That started things and made his remaining tour in LA bearable. When he came back and he and Ziva talked, Jo was the first to know and became the unofficial confidant. She was the one that pushed him into taking the plunge into a relationship beyond asset and handler. So, Jo had the right to say what she said.
Ray knew that he was going to have to get word to Ziva. He trusted her to keep things a secret, but his chief worry was that someone would find out. Someone always did, and that would put her in the crosshairs. He knew Sydney back in the day and while he knew Ziva could handle herself, he couldn't help but worry. It plagued him with guilt that people he was friends with and people he cared about were being dragged into a mess that he promised and kept his word that he wouldn't touch ever again. It was those with the clout that had the power to do that and they did.
Sighing, Ray closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep from exhaustion. Waking up to find a 'supposed' traitor in your hospital room and said friend helping you to escape the hospital and walking right in front of a federal agent… There was a reason to be exhausted. Besides, he did have some measures on this place.
A/N: Looks like Ray escapes from Bethesda with a little help and now he is in hiding. Stay tuned for next time on Rogue Agent...
