Maura stepped out of the car and felt a shiver running down her spine; she didn't know if it was actually chilly since the sun was gone or if it was simply her lack of sleep and the exhaustion that slowed her down recently.
Frost met them by the car and pointed to the street in front of them; the crime scene tape was visible at all possible entrances to the street and it was dark except for the street lights. The street appeared entirely empty but there was a single dark shadow in the middle of the street that made you think twice.
"What have we got?" Jane wanted to know and put a pair of blue latex gloves on. Maura listened only half-heartedly; she kept scanning the streets with her eyes the way she had always looked at a crime scene back in time when her role at each one of them had been a different one. There were lots of dark parts and side entrances.
There's no way they secured them all, she thought though she didn't doubt that anyone hadn't done his job properly. She was nervous but she couldn't tell why. She followed Frost's outstretched arm with her eyes and gazed into the street.
"Again it seems to be a man in his thirties, no ID," Frost explained. "But as I told you, there's something weird about this one," he said and they all ducked under the crime scene tape to approach the body. "According to the uniform, he's a marine."
Maura listened carefully and tried not to miss any detail while she mentally prepared herself to do the job she was supposed to do.
"A marine?" Jane asked. "What was he doing in Boston?" Jane said more to herself.
"Fleet week's over," Frost said and nodded. "Even If he was still in town, why would he be alone?"
"Any witnesses?" Jane asked and Maura already knew the answer. Frost shook his head. "No one knew a thing, no one heard a thing."
"How did you find out?" Jane asked and Maura walked around Jane to have a look at the victim; her heart hammering against her chest. She had dealt with dead marines while she was still with the NCIS, someone certainly knew it. It couldn't be a coincidence again.
"Got an anonymous call," Frost said. "We're still trying to get a caller-ID but it doesn't look good."
He stepped aside and the moment Maura caught a glance at the body, her heart skipped a beat. It felt like all air had been sucked out of her lungs. She couldn't breathe or think straight; she knew something had been terribly wrong all along.
You should leave, she thought as she looked at the corpse in horror, frozen by her fear that was now blankly writing on her face.
"What the hell is that?" Jane asked and Maura only heard her voice from afar. She couldn't move even if she wanted to; she remained crouched down in front of a strangers body. Numbed by the fear and the urge to run away but it was too late.
Whoever that man was hadn't been killed by a bullet through the chest like the other two but by a straight headshot. Expect from the dark wound in the middle of his forehead it looked like he was sleeping.
Maura shook her head to herself; she felt panic crawling up her neck and it appeared fairly hard to breathe and keep control.
"It has to be definite," Jenny explained. "We can't mess this up; they have to be one hundred percent sure that the shot killed you otherwise there will be doubts, people will ask questions."
Kate nodded, she knew the best solution was a straight headshot. There would be no doubt that it didn't kill her.
She saw it in front of her eyes, she heard the Director talking; her voice echoing in Maura's mind like it happened yesterday. She suddenly hated the feeling of not being able to protect herself; she wasn't carrying a gun and there was no way she'd get one now. A part of her knew that it might be too late already.
She forced herself to take a look at he rest of the body and found his hands folded in front of his chest the way dead ones rested in a coffin; in his hands he held a red rose. It was exactly the same she had found on her doorstep and she knew that it had all been done on purpose. It all seemed so clear now.
She felt herself panicking; she had to make them leave to keep them all safe. To keep herself safe. She felt the tears burning in her eyes; tears of fear and helplessness. She'd been working so hard to get where she was now after she'd been forced to leave her old life behind and now all she could do was watch it falling apart.
"Maura, what's up?" Jane asked, she had noticed that something was wrong with her friend and crouched down beside her.
"It's gonna be alright," Jane joked and tried to cheer her up. "We've seen worse," she said and Maura realized that her hand was shivering when she placed it on Jane's knee to keep herself steady. She felt her feet getting numb because of her position.
"No," Maura whispered. "No, no, no," she said and desperately shook her head. "You have to leave," she told Jane and looked at her. "Now!"
"Maura, no! I'm not going anywhere until I know what is going on here," she said and put her hand on Maura's. The seriousness and the terrified look in her friend's eyes scared her because it was something she had never seen before but she wouldn't leave her tonight.
"Please, Jane," Maura whispered and the tears fell down her cheeks. "You have to leave."
"And then? What's going to happen if I leave?" she asked and Maura knew she was getting mad and worried at the same time.
"I wish I knew," she admitted and looked down at her feet; her vision blurry from the tears.
"I know I haven't been honest with you," Maura whispered without looking at her best friend. "I have asked you for your trust many times and I'm grateful for all the patience you've had with me, but I need you to leave for your own safety."
"What... what is it Maura, I just don't understand! Is there anyone threatening you?" she asked because she didn't know what else to say.
"I think the message is pretty clear," Maura said and looked at the body in front of them. "Did they secure all the entrances to the street?" she asking, trying to change the subject for now.
"Of course they did," Jane said and nodded.
"Is someone still out there?"
"Yeah, we have two officers checking the street on the back," Jane said and got up; so did Maura.
"Call them back," she told Jane with a tone of authority and determination that she hadn't used in years and it surprised them both. "Call them back and don't let anyone behind the barriers."
"I'm asking you again," Jane said calmly. "Do you have any idea what we're dealing with?"
"Yes," Maura finally answered. "And you should be expecting the worst."
Jane turned to leave and their eyes locked again. For one second she thought she was looking at a stranger instead of the Chief Medical Examiner; her best friend and the woman she loved. She knew something was changing between them; she had never seen her like this and she couldn't explain it. All she knew is that it hurt a lot to know that she was hiding something from Jane. Even until the very end.
She walked back to her car to tell Frost to call the officers back and asked herself at the same time why she was following Maura's orders. She knew something as off but she still wanted to believe that her friend knew what she was doing.
Maura stared into the darkness of the street. She felt her heart hammering against her chest and missed the heavy feeling of her gun on her hip. She had nothing to protect herself while she stood in the middle of a deserted street.
One gunshot out of nowhere and it'd be over, she thought bitterly and yet she couldn't move. She knew that everyone was watching her from behind; waiting for a sign, a piece of information but that was something she couldn't give them now.
#15: Always work as a team.
She remembered that too well and it was the best thing she could try now. She almost laughed out loud when she thought of another rule. It hadn't taken long to memorize them all because Gibbs had kept repeating them constantly.
#45: Clean up your messes.
She'd gotten them into the mess more or less and she'd failed to be honest with her best friend and the best thing she could do now was trying to get the body away from the crime scene and get away to a place that was safe for all of them. She knew what they were capable of, she'd seen so many things she never even considered possible. She remembered how easy it had been to put a bomb into someone's home and no one ever knew. Not until it was too late.
The same thing could've happened to her house or even worse, to Jane's and they wouldn't know until it was too late. A part of her knew that things would never end if she walked away no, but did she have any choices? She couldn't life the lie any longer. She'd lost all her strength to fight and her will to lie. She knew she couldn't do it any more. She had to stay and face it, no matter the outcome.
She knew Jane was watching her and she thought of all them things she hadn't told her; she thought of the kiss that had her confused and aching for more at the same time. The feeling of safety she felt when she was with Jane. She wanted to tell her everything because she deserved to know the truth and the thought of not being able to do that almost killed her. She tried to control her breathing and keep her mind clear; she had to focus, she had to concentrate.
Unwillingly, she turned around and faced the detectives and officers who were waiting. Maura nodded and said only loud enough for them to hear: "Move the body." She turned around again and waited until the body was out of her site. She didn't examine the body properly but there was no need for pretending any more. The gunshot through the head had blown up his brain and there was no doubt it had killed him. Parts of it were still spread on the street along with a dark pool of blood.
Something told her that, whoever it was, wouldn't give up easily and she couldn't back off any longer. Not if she wanted to keep Jane safe and alive. What could she do? Ask Jane for her gun? She nearly laughed at herself for even thinking about it; she knew it'd never happen but before she had a chance to decide, she heard a sound breaking the silence of the empty street.
It took her a few seconds to realize that someone was clapping and that the sound was echoing from the walls of one of the empty alleys.
"Well done, well done," a male voice said loud enough for everyone to hear and she heard the detectives behind her fuzzing around. She couldn't see where the voice was coming from and she didn't dare turning around.
"Slow down, detectives," the man said and his voice was more aggressive and louder. "One more move and she'll be dead before you have the chance to reach your guns."
Maura heard whispers behind her but it appeared far away; she knew very well that he had an advantage. He saw them but they had no idea where he was. One wrong movement and it'd all be over.
What have I done, she thought and felt the pressure on her chest increasing. She bit her lip and shook her head in defeat.
"Did you like my gift?" the voice asked and it seemed that it was approaching but she couldn't make out the direction it came from. "I heard you'd always been fond of roses, I thought you might enjoy it."
Maura heard him laughing; he knew he was the one pulling the strings from now on. There was nothing they could do and Jane would never risk her life; she would figure something out. Though she didn't want Jane to try anything, there was nothing she could do to keep her from it. That was the thing she always wanted to avoid and yet there was no turning back.
"I knew you'd be smart enough to get the hints," the man said but Maura didn't move.
Have I heard that voice before? She didn't remember it.
"Too bad it won't help you any longer," the man said and she knew from the sound of his voice she could tell he was enjoying this very much. She saw a shadow moving to her right; he was right there.
"You've tried so hard and yet it didn't get you anywhere, you'll die sooner or later," he said, slowly emerging from the shadows. He was well-built and tall. Dark haired and yet she couldn't see his face, but the gun in his hand.
Maura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to cry; when she was still an NCIS agent she wouldn't even consider surrendering but things had changed.
Will I really die tonight?
She was terrified and numbed with fear but the only thing she could think of was Jane who would be there. She was there and yet so far away and the thought that she'd watch her die hurt Maura more then anything else. She never wanted to do that to Jane; she couldn't leave her like that. She knew Jane wouldn't be able to live with it for the rest of her life, it would kill her too.
The man approached, keeping a slight distance between them. She could see his face but she had no idea who he was. She had certainly never seen him before.
"Freeze!" she heard Jane shouting behind her but he didn't even look at her; he just laughed and seemed fairly unimpressed.
He isn't afraid to die, Maura thought. No sane person would walk out of a safe place in front of cops who had their guns drawn already. What does he want? She asked herself but she knew the answer already.
Me.
"Who are you?" Maura asked after a few seconds; she was surprised by the calmness of her own voice.
"I don't think it matters," he said. "But I know who you are," he said loud enough for everyone to hear and she knew why he did it. He knew they may kill him sooner or later, hopefully before he had the chance to pull the trigger but he wanted to make sure that he ruined her life before he died.
"Put the gun down!" Jane shouted again.
"Shut up!" he shouted back at her; Maura wanted to turn around and tell Jane not to do anything stupid. She just wanted to look at her one last time but she couldn't move. "I would listen Detective Rizzoli," he said. "Listen carefully."
He turned his attention back to Maura and said: "Don't you think they deserve to know the truth before you die, Caitlin?"
Jane watched the scenario in front of her. There was a stranger pointing a gun at the woman she thought she knew and there was nothing she could do. She only had one chance; one mistake and Maura would be dead. There was no doubt about. She'd seen what he did the last two times, there was no doubt he knew how to kill her in an instant.
The truth, Jane thought. He knew it. He knew what she was keeping from me all the time. For some reason Jane believed that he did, he seemed too confident to be bluffing. She kept her gun at arms length, praying that the back up would be here soon.
Why did he call her Caitlin? Jane didn't understand; she couldn't see Maura's face. She had her back turned to them and she kept perfectly still.
"Things are rarely what they seem to be," the man said loudly and they all listened; listened to what he was saying. Listening for anything unusual; for the distant sirens of the special units. "I have to say that you did a great job, it's been a few years. Took me a while to find you."
"Let me ask you something," he said and look at the detectives behind her. They weren't that close but Maura knew they'd hear every single word. "How much do you know about your dear friend?" he asked with a smile on his face.
Jane stared at the man and felt the rage rushing through her body but he had a point. She'd been asking herself that question many times already. There were so many things she didn't know about her but she never asked herself why. Why would Maura keep so many things away from her?
Things are rarely what they seem to be. Caitlin.
"Well, then let me tell you a little story," he said and they might as well have been discussing that over a cup of coffee. He was playing a game and he was enjoying it way too much.
"A couple of years ago, there was a pretty Special Agent working for the NCIS; she was good no doubt about that. She used to work for the Secret Service, Rosefern wasn't that your sweet code name?" he paused for a second to let that sink in. For just one moment Maura was glad she couldn't see the faces of her friends. "Too bad she tried to mess with the wrong people."
"Why are you doing this?" Maura asked a little louder this time. She was furious and afraid and she pretended to be someone else long enough.
"Because you deserve it!" he shouted. "You deserved it all along!"
He turned the gun in his hand and she tried to take a deep breath.
"I bet no one knew that your pretty friend here is a liar!" he said. "A Goddamn liar!"
"Why are you doing this?" Maura asked and noticed the shaky sound of her own voice. "Why, if you're going to kill me!"
"Because I want your friends to know what you did, that you lied to them all those years. I just wanted to see the disappointment on their faces when they find out who you really are."
"There's nothing wrong with who I was."
"That doesn't change the fact that you are a liar, Caitlin. They've trusted you and I'll make sure that they never will no matter what you do... or not," he said and chuckled to himself. "They'll question everything your ever did, you know that?"
"You fucking bastard," she shouted at him and felt the rage taking over her body, yet she had to be careful; he laughed.
"I wonder Special Agent," he said and started pacing in front of her. "You still any good with a gun?"
"Give it to me and I'll show you!"
"Fiery one, you are. I can see why Ari liked you."
"Fuck you," she hissed and felt the tears burning in her eyes.
"Let's get back to the story," he said. "As I said, Special Agent Caitlin Todd thought it would be smart to run away. Change her identity and her profession. Even her appearance but I have to say I liked you a lot more when you were brunette." He remained silent for a second to let that sink in. "I watched you die once and I'm not doing it again. Not until I know I pulled the trigger myself!"
"They will shoot you the moment you pull the trigger," she said and prayed to God that it'd be over quickly.
"It'll be worth it," he said quietly. "I promised Ari I'd finish what he started. No matter how hard it would be."
"I feel sorry for you," Maura said and felt the tears burning on her face.
"How does it feel to lose everything you had?" he wanted to know and she kept quiet. "How does it feel to be all alone again?"
It felt like all her thoughts had vanished from her mind, she stared straight ahead but didn't see anything. She just stared into the empty space behind him; the rushing of her own blood in her ears was the only sound she still heard.
I've come so far and it'd all end tonight, she thought while the tears streamed down her face silently.
"What makes you think she's alone?" someone asked and the last thing Maura heard was a gunshot and Jane's screams in the distance before her knees hit the hard ground.