Title: Hatred is the Strongest Poison
Chapter 4 – Closer to Naught
A/N: Thanks everyone for the amazing reviews! They inspired me to write faster (remember more reviews = faster updates) :D Hope you all like this and thanks so much! Alice is ecstatic!
The call was tense but Greg was more than thankful that his team was able to get it resolved at least somewhat peacefully in shorter time than expected and as he glances over at Spike, he's almost thankful it wasn't a bomb call as he can tell something is bothering his stoic tech expert, but what? The accident was unnerving to say the least, but Spike had been through tenser situations and never seemed as 'spooked' as he does now. What else happened when he was trapped in that car? Was it just the guy that offered help, laughed and then left? Or was something else perhaps said? A threat? To Spike? But why?
"So call went okay today right?" Greg asks in a quiet tone as him and Spike head back in one of the black SUV's to SRU headquarters.
"Yeah…we saved the guy," Spike looks over with a small smile.
"Spike…"
"I'm fine," Spike tries to assure Greg, but the tell-tale frown betrays his false expression and the older man is quick to jump on it.
"How ya feelin'?" Greg inquires in concern. "Come on Spike, talk to me."
"My chest and neck are still a bit sore but its to be expected right?" Spike answers with a small frown before he turns away, casting his dark eyes out the window before him.
"After how you described the accident, yes to be expected. And I'm sure that guy coming up and giving you a false sense of help and then leaving couldn't have been easy either."
"That really surprised me," Spike sighs. "I mean he could see I wasn't joking and that I needed help…there was no one around," Spike finishes with a groan. "Now I gotta tell my parents about the car. One more thing for my dad to be happy about," Spike finishes in sarcasm.
"You wanna stay with me tonight?"
"Thanks but um…well I gotta face them sometime right?" Spike counters. "Just never had that happen before you know? I mean someone acting that way…at an accident? Leaving to get help is one thing but um…" Spike stops and offers a sheepish glance.
"What?"
"Am I rambling?"
"No more so than usual," Greg answers with an easy smile. "You know you don't have to tell your parents everything…some details you can leave out."
"Yeah…I know," Spike agrees as they reach home base. "Okay boss I'll see you tomorrow."
"Do you need a ride?"
"Nah I'll take a cab. I'll be fine but um…okay see you tomorrow okay?"
"Spike what is it?"
"It's nothing…really. Am glad it's almost the weekend."
"Yeah me too buddy, one more day to go. Okay see you tomorrow."
Greg watches Spike leave and then turns to see Ed watching him. "What?"
"I know that look. What's goin' on?"
"I just worry about what Spike's parents are gonna say when he tells them. Hopefully he'll leave out certain details…"
"Like the guy that showed up to help and then left?" Ed counters, getting a nod from Greg. "The guy was a jerk. Spike will be fine. Will you?"
"I'll be fine. Okay Eddie, time to call it a day."
"You heading over to see Marina?"
"I am," Greg answers with a smile. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah…goodnight."
Greg takes his leave, his mind still wondering about Spike and the accident. Despite the guy was a jerk, Ed had described Spike's pitiful condition and while there were hardened people in the world, Spike was the most inoffensive person he knows, leaving him like that was beyond cold, it was cruel. A faint memory from the past tries to sneak its way into his mind but Greg quickly dismisses the thought as foolish. Monty is dead…it just seems to be familiar because the anniversary of his death is approaching, he tries to reason with himself as he heads for his own car in the underground parking lot.
Greg feels his tension starting to ease a little as he approaches Marina's place of employment, mentally thankful for the peace of mind even her presence seems to exude over him after a stressful day. One of the things he values most about Marina is the fact she's not in the 'biz'; so talk of shop doesn't usually revolve around police stand-offs and near death situations. She was able to take his mind away from his job and focus on something other than his own troubles. It was welcomed and refreshing. He nears her office and hears her melodious laughter and can't help but smile in spite of the tense day he had just endured.
Marina looks up to see Greg hovering in the doorway to her office and offers him a bright smile. It had been too long since a man had that effect on her, even just a warm smile from him was enough to set her heart aflutter; the growing look of love in his eyes. And of course the spontaneous gesture of him just dropping by was enough to further cement him in her heart.
"Debbie, I gotta run…we'll talk dress disasters later," she winks at Greg as she finishes her call.
"A slip showing?" Greg smiles as he sits down before her desk.
"Underwear," Marina confesses. "And no it wasn't mine thankfully. How are you? You seem…stressed. Rougher day than normal?"
"Call was…well was the call. A standoff but we ended it peacefully…no it was Spike."
"Ah your brilliant bomb technician and computer geek," Marina gently teases. "What happened?" She quickly asks in a serious tone. "Was he injured?"
"He was in a car accident on the way to work today. He's okay, a little roughed up and sore but nothing too major. But it was…well there was this guy that stopped to at first offer help and then Spike said he kinda laughed at him, faked like he was going to get something to help with and then took off."
"What? How horrible," Marina softly acknowledges. "And this is the young man that has the troubles at home right?"
"Yeah don't want to know how that's gonna go," Greg huffs. "But enough about that," he pauses with a strained tone.
"Greg I don't mind talking about it if you want to."
"I know."
"What is it? Something else...I can tell."
"No…just remembering painful things from the past."
"You have too many of those painful reminders, time to make some newer happier ones. Do you like sushi?"
"Will it be cooked?" Greg asks in mock concern, causing Marina to lightly laugh; her eyes sparkling.
"Do you trust me?"
"I do," Greg concedes. "Just lead the way."
Marina willingly takes his arm as they head for the door and then outside. But as much as Greg tells himself to concentrate on the amazing woman he's with he can't help but wonder how Spike's conversation with his parents was going.
XXXXXXXX
"I'm done talking about this," Spike sighs.
"How do you know it wasn't some crazy person with a grudge that you help arrest that's now come back for revenge?"
"Ma, you've been watching too many made for TV cop movies. It was an accident, plain and simple. Nothing more," Spike groans as he throws his hands up in the air and just shakes his head. For the past half hour, since he got home, all he's had to listen to is a full frontal verbal assault from his parents about why this happened. Sure his mother had given him a hug and made sure he was okay when he first walked in the door, but after his father said it could be targeted it wasn't long before his mother chimed in.
"Okay so if no one objects, I'm gonna head upstairs and get some real rest," Spike just shakes his head, wanting to escape before the brow beating turned into another guilt trip about him finding new and less dangerous work.
But just before he can get undressed to take a shower, his cell rings and he's quick to answer. "Hey Tony, how's the car?"
"Hey Spike…well um I got good news and bad."
"Okay good news first," Spike answers in haste.
"I got all the parts in stock I need to fix and can probably have it back to you in a few days, including the body work."
"That's great. And the um…bad news?"
"The brakes…man it looks like they were cut – deliberately."
"What? Are you sure?" Spike asks, immediatly sitting upright on his bed.
"Yeah. I checked a bunch of stuff and then I got Andy here to double check – you know just to be sure and all and yeah…it looks like there was a small cut made and if left overnight the brake fluid wouda drained and you goin' down that hill…"
"Made…me…crash," Spike utters slowly as he sinks down onto his bed. "Cut…deliberately."
"Sorry. I know it's kinda sucky news but I had to tell you. We checked around the compartment for anything that you know…might have fallen off that we could give to you to you know…run tests or whatever it is you guys do in your evidence lab…but um…nothin'. Just a simple precision cut. It's odd though."
"Odd. Why?"
"Well if it was a grudge thing then why make the cut so obvious? Anyhoo I'll leave that for you to ponder. Sorry buddy. I'll call you when she's all done."
"Yeah…thanks."
Spike hangs up and then stares at Tony's blinking number for what seems like an eternity before the small electrical device finally finds its way onto his shelf. Deliberately cut…why so obvious? Spike looks at the time and frowns, it was too late to cut into Ed's family time and Greg was with Marina. It wasn't that it couldn't wait until morning, but he hates the fact that it's now eating way at him. Sleep wasn't going to be restful at all.
Wishing that his body would actually cooperate in going for a jog, he can't fault himself for wanting to do nothing more than just have a shower and lay down. Tonight he had more than expected to come home and listen to another round of his parents disapproval for his line of work; but that he could usually just shrug off as if it were nothing. This now was eating away at him. A grudge? But who…he had assisted on so many arrests but it was either Greg's or Ed's name in the paper, Sam's when it was his turn on scorpio. But not his name at least not recently…what could he have done recently to incur this kind of wrath? If the cement barricade wasn't there the accident could have claimed his life. Was that what was intended?
"Who could it be?" Spike mumbles to himself as he heads into the bathroom to have a warm shower and calm his nerves. He looks at the dark bruise from the seatbelt and steering wheel on his smooth chest and frowns. His mind then thinks back to the dark eyed stranger that left him helplessly trapped in the wrecked car.
"Snap out of it Spike," he tells himself as he turns on the hot water. "That wasn't the guy…he was just…some jerk. Tomorrow everything will be back to…normal," he finishes with a heavy sigh as he steps under the hot water.
XXXXXXXX
"Well dear Spike hope the trip to the mechanic's won't cost you too much!" Monty laughs as he slowly paces his small dimly lit lair. He had seen Greg heading for his car alone and just assumed he would be heading home and so did the same; not seeing that Greg was heading for Marina's and thus giving him another target he could use against Greg – Spike, in a few days would bear the brunt of his revenge-fueled anger.
Monty slowly wanders into his dingy bathroom and stares at his reflection in the mirror. He looks at the set of false teeth in his mouth and snickers.
"You never did look beneath the surface did you Greg...always face value with you...seeing the good. Bah!" Monty huffs as he pulls out the top set of false teeth to clean them. When he had planned his own death, he wasn't sure which teeth they would use so aside from leaving a few of his own, he had the majority pulled and a new nearly complete set put back into his mouth. His jaw was never really the same but then he didn't care; at the time all he could see was hatred and revenge.
He finishes splashing cold water onto his face but when he stands back up another reflection is looking back; a familiar face from the past. A face he caused the terrible demise of.
"Ahhh!" Monty gasps as the face changes from that of a normal man to a burned mass and then fades. "Damn you Dylan!" He curses as his fist slams into the wall and then pulls back with a pulsating painful vibe. He rubs his fist in his palm as he heads out of the bathroom and into his small dingy living room. But instead of settling into his usual chair to watch whatever drivel was on TV, he heads toward a small dark corner and then peers into a cell-like room, no windows, one small light bulb and bars blocking off a small part of the room. The area before was used to house large animals as part of the whole structure but it was perfect for his revenge scheme.
"I hope you like your new room Spike," Monty offers with an evil cackle as he slams the door to the dark tomb-like room shut. "Course you won't be here that long to get really cozy…only long enough," his voice trails off as he heads for his small kitchen.
But it wasn't just a simple beating that he has in mind for Spike, Spike was to be the instrument he uses to cause Greg's death. "I want your demise to be as memorable as mine for those closest to you…those forced to watch your death as you were forced to watch mine!" Monty shouts, his anger easily surging.
Monty takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut before his pounds his fist on the table once more and then slowly opens his eyes and looks to his right. He grabs the nearby flask and smiles.
"I heard you went sober Greg…that's to bad…really...really to bad," Monty grins as he takes another swig and then puts the flask down on the counter.
"Wonder what your friends might think if they found something in your locker they shouldn't," he muses in a deep tone as he glances over toward the stolen janitorial gear and fake facial apparel he would be using next. "I'll keep you distracted on one thing and then you'll be too busy to worry about dear Spike going missing until it's too late."
Monty walks over to his table and picks up a small newspaper clipping with a picture of Greg and Spike it in after Spike had cleanly diffused a bomb in a very public setting that would have done major damage. "You don't deserve any happiness," he growls at Greg's mild smiling face.
"I suffered for ten YEARS!" Monty shouts before he slams the picture back down on the table and then lets his fingers trail over a small syringe. "Now it's your turn…now…its your…turn."
XXXXXXXX
"Ah Spike…you being in this early is much more like it," Greg comments early the following day. "But you look tired."
"I am…didn't um sleep that well," Spike frowns.
"Parents were relieved and then jumped right into the whole you need a safer profession argument."
"Like clockwork," Spike groans. "I don't really want to work out right now but didn't want to be there when…Tony called and said my brake line was deliberately cut," Spike rattles in haste, quickly veering from one sentence to another.
"What?" Greg asks in shock as he gently takes Spike to a more private area. "Okay slow down. What else did he say?"
"Said it was obvious and asked if I had any recent enemies. Boss I didn't…"
"Spike, before we get all panicky, did he find anything that…"
"No," Spike interrupts again. "He found nothing that could be used as evidence or whatever…just said it was cut, possibly the night before, the fluid was mostly drained and that it took a hill for it to run dry and um…boss what if I put the team in danger or something?" Spike asks in panic.
"Okay anything recent that you might have just brushed off as an angry passerby? A possible threat from a call? Anything?"
"Nothing boss. I haven't even been late on a movie rental," Spike gently jokes before his smile turns back to a frown. "What do I do?"
Greg looks at Spike in concern. He could see the worry and fright behind the chocolate brown orbs and couldn't fault Spike for being scared in the least. He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared for him. But he wasn't about to blow something out of proportion if there was no real threat.
"Okay best case, it's a case of mistaken identity."
"Worst case, I'm dead?" Spike groans.
"Okay before we get to that, let's not panic just yet okay. You said you park your car on the street right? Maybe it was…"
"Boss…"
"Spike, I'm not trying to make light of this in any way, however, I don't want you off your game if it could be nothing."
"And the team?"
"We'll tell them because I think that when we go to our next call, having them alert to something can only help us and keep us all ready just in case."
"Right and if it is nothing, then they'll be possibly distracted and it'll be my fault," Spike moans as he just exhales heavily and looks back at Greg with a frown. "What do I do?"
"We talk to the team and decide together," Greg assures him. "Then we'll go from there. If you want the day off, I can get…"
"No…I can't just go home and do nothing," Spike shakes his head in haste.
"You can always go to my place and relax if you want," Greg suggests.
"Nothing there that I might um…"
"Marina had her son last night so she couldn't stay over," Greg answers with a smile.
"Thanks boss but um…I gotta work. I gotta keep my mind busy okay? Please…"
"Spike, it's your call," Greg tells him in truth. "Unless your work is affected then it's mine. Come on lets get set up for the day. I need some help in inventory."
"Counting guns…that I can do," Spike smiles as they head for the weapons lock-up. "How was dinner last night."
"Sushi," Greg sighs.
"And?"
"Raw fish? Spike do I strike you as a raw fish kinda guy?" Greg chuckles.
"Did you give in?"
"All she has to do is smile and I give in," Greg retorts with a grin. "Actually it wasn't that bad. Okay…"
Spike and Greg work on the inventory until the team comes and then it was a team meeting, Greg wanting to tell the team what Spike had told him and let them decide. Everyone of course was concerned but they also agreed that to bench Spike might be what the person was wanting and they'd just be extra careful. But they also agreed it could be nothing and then it was Spike's call.
"I don't want to go home," Spike looks at Ed for confirmation.
"Okay. But if you see anyone or get wind of something about to happen no matter how small you think it is, you better tell us. I won't jeopardize the team because you think it's nothing or can handle it on your own and it turns out to be something."
"Fair enough," Spike agrees.
"Okay team…" Greg starts only to have Winnie make the famous 'hot call' announcement and it was business as usual. The team hurries to get fully dressed in their gear and out the door, no one noticing the cleverly disguised janitor slowly pushing his supply cart toward the team one locker rooms.
"Morning," he smiles at Winnie from behind his fake mustache and goatee.
"Morning," Winnie answers back. "Any word on Carlos' return?"
"He's working on getting a more moveable cast," Monty replies slowly, looking at the young woman with a placid expression. "Maybe a few days."
"Right," she nods, unaware that the man before her had not only stolen the ID of the man he was subbing for but had also rendered him unable to work – permanently. His body would be found a few days from now when the SRU team would be distracted with more important matters – like a missing team member.
Monty heads into the locker room and pulls out a small device and starts to examine the lockers until he finds the one that belongs to Greg. He looks at the lock and frowns. It would be more of a challenge and time wasn't on his side. He pulls out a large key ring and smiles. Maybe this putz was useful after all, I might not need to break the lock, he grins as he pulls out a small master key.
He then retrieves the little flask and places it in Greg's locker and closes the door, thankful that the gloves he is wearing will hide any fingerprints.
"Now Greg…how about a call to your boss…"
A/N: So hope you are still liking it. Yes Monty is evil and twisted and a bit deranged but then that's what Alice likes best lol so am going with it. Think he'll be able to make the plant in Greg's locker? Who will find it and what will happen to Greg? And what about the foreboding snippet about Spike's future with Monty? Hope you are liking the Greg/Marina growing relationship as well as the Greg/Spike parts. More to come so please review and thanks so much!
