Shaw disconnected and walked around to the back of the Escalade. She leaned over and threw up the little left in her stomach. As she wiped her mouth she again began to shake uncontrollably. Breathe, just breathe for a minute. He bought it- you have time to formulate a plan.
Sameen Shaw was not afraid to die. Several years ago, she would have said she wasn't afraid of anything. Then came Root and Gen and everything changed. She had a weak spot but also knew if she exposed it, it might be exploited. She had a gut feeling that whoever was on the other end of the phone had gotten used to being in control.
Conversely, he wasn't used to being defied, and it might spook him. That it had so far only gave Shaw the tiniest sliver of hope, but prying that into an opportunity would take planning, luck and possibly help. What to do?
She had to think, strategize and act- if she sat back and considered the situation it could paralyze her. She pushed the thoughts of Root and Gen to the back of her mind and fell back on the years of training that got her through the Marines and the ISA. She could probably formulate responses based on where he would insist they eventually met up, but until she had a destination she was limited in her actions.
How did they track us so easily? They knew we'd be at the gas station, we stop there twice a week. They knew I was at the girl's house, they put the phone on the windshield...There's a tracker on the Escalade.
"Can you hear me?" Yes. "They put a tracking device on the Escalade somehow. Can you scan the car and locate it?" Possibly.
Several minutes went by. The Machine was silent. Then…
Press the OnStar button on the mirror. Shaw did as asked. Someone hacked the OnStar system, whenever any data is transmitted, instead of one signal to OnStar, there are two signals outgoing, one is an encrypted app that looks like what Admin developed to clone other cell phones. Undetectable unless one specifically searches for it.
"Can you locate the source in the car? Can you locate the source of the app?"
No, it appears the OnStar module itself has been compromised somehow. You may have to switch vehicles to escape it.
"But if we stay with the Escalade, knowing they can track us, it gives us a slight advantage in that they don't know we know. Wait, can you tell if they can hear any conversation in the vehicle?"
It appears the communication mic can be accessed at any time to listen in on conversation.
"I have to switch vehicles then.
"We can't call John, he's not done rehabbing, Finch is out but that only leaves Lionel and I don't know if he can handle what we're going to need to…."
Shaw paused, thinking hard.
"How far is Colorado Springs from here?"
Five hour drive, about 350 miles.
Shaw pulled her phone out and searched briefly. She selected a number and pressed send. After three rings-
"Very few people in the world have this number- who is this?"
"Hi Elizabeth."
"Shaw? Is that really you?"
"Yeah, and I hate to skip pleasantries but I'm in some serious shit."
"Well, there's time for this, Shaw, I'm really sorry about Root."
"That's nice Elizabeth, but Root's not dead."
"What?!"
"Unfortunately, if I don't get some help and quick, I'm afraid she may be."
"I can be at the airport in an hour or so, where do you need me?"
"Actually, I'm just outside of Santa Fe right now, so you might be faster driving."
"Maybe you'd better slow down and tell me what's going on."
So Shaw did. She spoke uninterrupted for ten minutes, the only sound from the other end a gasp when Ellie heard that John was still alive as well. When she finished her update she stopped and there was silence for thirty seconds or so. Finally, Ellie spoke up.
"So it sounds like you want to kamikaze into an undetermined location against an undetermined number of bad guys with me as your only back-up."
"I guess that's about it."
"What could go wrong? I can be there in less than five hours, but if destination changes we can adjust on the fly. Just let me know. Also, I may have some reinforcements for you in the area that of advanced weaponry. We'll talk when I'm on the way. I've got to pack the Excursion but I'll be headed toward you soon."
"Thanks, Elizabeth."
"Aw shit, Shaw, if my mom hadn't been in that crash we might have ended up together. I always fantasized about it- among other things."
Shaw stumbled for a response, uncomfortable with the direction but reminding herself that was before the Stock Exchange, before Samaritan had her, and before she thought Root was dead. Before she could say anything, Ellie spoke again.
"It's OK Shaw, I know you and Root were…are… close.. closer than we ever were. I'm over it."
"Thanks again-call me when you're on the road and I'll try to give you a more complete update.I have a stop to make to change rides."
"Sure, bye."
Elizabeth Ruben disconnected, then turned back toward the house. Before putting her phone away, she made a call.
"Brenda, can you come by and stay with mom for awhile? Like, several days? Something came up and I have to leave for as much as a week. You can? Thanks, babe, I'll be gone by the time you get here. You're the best."
Ellie headed back to the house, ran in the door and went to her mom's room. Her mother looked up as she came in, flushed and breathless.
"Something wrong, Elizabeth?"
"I have to go away for a few days, mom, something important came up. Brenda is coming over to stay with you."
"I like her, honey, but you know she always looks at you funny. I can't put my finger on it but…"
"You've said that before, mom, it's probably the light off her glasses. Listen, she'll be here later but I've got to run. I need to pack and hit the road in less than an hour."
"Well, you better get going then, I'll be fine. But you better not be gone too long, you know how lonely I get when you're gone."
"I'll be back before you know it."
Forty minutes later Ellie hit the road. She carried two changes of clothes, four sets of underwear and a toothbrush in her backpack. It rode on the passenger side floor with two Uzis and six 30 round clips. Two .45's rode on each side of the driver's seat and her Mossberg Maverick rode "shotgun".
She had pulled the back seat out and folded down the middle; barely enough room for the eight boxes containing her pride and joy.
….
Elizabeth Ruben wasn't always a badass. Until she spent hours handcuffed to the inside of a shipping container- long enough to make peace with the fact that she was going to die- she had simply been a genius programmer/hacker who got in some trouble through no fault of her own. Her big mistake was in talking about an algorithm she was developing.
An unscrupulous co-worker decided she would steal the algorithm. Elizabeth was tased, drugged and kidnapped then left to die in a shipping container. Fifteen hours later, after she had resigned herself to dying alone, naked and handcuffed to a bar in the container, John Reese came to her rescue.
Her recovery was long and not without complications (a new fear of the dark among other issues). However as she began to emerge she realized she had been given a gift few had, a second chance.
She began helping John, her mysterious rescuer, initially using her skills as a programmer to go undercover at a systems development company. When she was almost killed by the number, John attempted unsuccessfully to dissuade her from continuing.
Shaken, but not deterred, Elizabeth refused to quit. Realizing she was serious, John and Finch began to equip her with the skills she would need to function in their world. Over the next several months Finch anonymously sharpened her hacking skills while John helped her learn the basics of self-defense, weapons, and forced entry.
Eventually, she got herself into trouble and was captured and handcuffed in a warehouse loaded with explosives. Reese was unable to get to her in time and she was forced to try her newly acquired lock picking skills to get out of the handcuffs.
She escaped after several failed attempts and managed to get clear of the warehouse seconds before it blew. Three brushes with death, three narrow escapes, and still Elizabeth Ruben would not abandon her quest to help John whenever needed.
Maybe she always was a badass.
...
As she was integrated into Team Machine, she was acquainted with some of the other members. Shaw helped Elizabeth with several numbers and they discovered a mutual attraction to both danger and each other. Detective Fusco provided back-up on occasion. Elizabeth also became close to Detective Jos Carter until she was murdered by a member of HR.
Her relationship with Root was…. complicated. Root was a genius hacker- only Finch was her equal/superior. Her code was elegant and Elizabeth sometimes felt inadequate when the two were paired in a situation where both were required to program. On the other hand, Root's social skills seemed lacking most times the two were together- leaving Elizabeth feeling like Root was a wayward child in need of direction.
Further complicating this relationship was a mutual attraction both tried to keep buried- with mixed results. When Elizabeth realized Root had feelings for Shaw that went far past the physical, and that Shaw, while not encouraging, did little to discourage Root, she made a conscious decision to back off.
Several months before Shaw was taken at the Stock Exchange, Elizabeth received a phone call from home. Her mother, Shannon had been severely injured in a car accident in Colorado. She was forced off the road by a drunk driver who'd gotten lost leaving a Cripple Creek casino late one night.
Her lightning reflexes kept her from hitting the swerving drunk head-on, however her only escape route launched her F250 off a several hundred foot drop. Miraculously, her truck landed on a fifteen foot outcropping of rock after falling about 50 feet. Unfortunately, it landed upside down on a large boulder which compressed the top into Shannon.
Shannon should have died- and probably would have if she hadn't been on the phone with one of her friends from town. When Deb heard, "Oh, shit!" right before the call disconnected she contacted the sheriff's department. Retracing her route home, a deputy noticed a tree that had been snapped off very recently. Discovering the wreckage, he notified EMS and mountain rescue.
Several harrowing hours later, Shannon was transported to Colorado Springs in very critical condition. Three fractured vertebrae, severe head trauma, broken collarbone, two fractures in her left arm, a broken leg and two cracked ribs (one of which punctured a lung) left her clinging to life.
Elizabeth was at one of the safe-houses listening to Root and Shaw bickering (again) when the call came in.
"Elizabeth, this is Deb Downs." Ellie felt an immediate tightening in her chest.
"Is my mom OK?"
"There was a crash, she's in bad shape. She's in surgery at Penrose in the Springs."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
Elizabeth walked to the balcony over where Root and Shaw were now engaged on the leather sofa.
"Hey, I need to get home fast, which one of you wants to take me to the airport?"
"What's up?" It sounded like this came from Shaw but Elizabeth wasn't certain.
"My mom- car crash, she's…." Elizabeth's voice broke and both Root and Shaw jumped up.
"Dead?" Root never had a filter.
"No but she's in bad shape.. surgery in Colorado Springs."
Root also was resourceful. "Let me call Harry."
Five minutes later Root called up to the balcony where Shaw had joined Elizabeth.
"Finch is arranging a private jet to take you home, you have an hour and a half to get to Teterboro Airport in Jersey. This time of day, your best bet is on the bike."
Root paused for a few seconds.
"Shaw can take you."
Realizing what Root was saying, Elizabeth looked down, gratitude in her eyes.
"Thanks Root."
"I hope you mom's OK, Elizabeth."
No 'Lizzy' she noted.
Fifteen minutes later, bug out bag on her back, Elizabeth rode off on the back of Roots bike, Shaw driving.
Less than eight hours after that, Ellie arrived at the hospital. Debbie was waiting for her.
"Your mom made it through surgery- we're waiting to see if she wakes up."
Two days later, Shannon regained consciousness. That was the beginning.
