Elizabeth was seething. It had been a week since her suspension and there had been no word. Dean couldn't tell her anything and Olivia had been in the city and hadn't been able to hear anything. She couldn't take one more day in this apartment feeling angry and Campbell's face and words burned into her mind making her want to strangle something every time she thought about them. She had never felt so angry for so long. Her phone rang and she saw it was Dean.
"Hey." She said picking it up.
"How're you holding up?" Dean asked and she could imagine him in their office.
"Fine." She said.
"If fine means pissed as hell then yep you're fine." Dean said
"I know Campbell put Lonnie up to this." Elizabeth said,
"I know you do, but you need evidence." Dean said. Elizabeth sighed, they had been over this again and again.
"Hey, there's the parade in the city tonight, how about we go? We can meet up with Liv." Dean said,
"Okay." Elizabeth said, glad she could get out of the apartment.
"Okay, I'll meet you at work and we'll drive from there." Dean said.
"I love you." Elizabeth said. It may have seemed casual but she meant every word of it.
"I love you too." Dean said.
They hung up and Elizabeth lounged around for a while, cracking a few codes for fun before it was time to get ready. She drove to the main center and walked to the elevator. However when she got to the elevator, instead of pushing the second button to meet Dean, her hand hovered over the third floor, where Campbell's office was.
"Don't do it woman." She said quietly to herself. Her finger pressed the button the elevator whizzed up.
The floor was silent as she got up. She knew Campbell's office was down the hallway. She followed down and saw his secretary was behind his desk.
"Is Campbell in?" Elizabeth asked walking up. The man looked up bored.
"No, he's gone into the city for the day. May I take a message?"
"No," Elizabeth's mind was screaming at her, at what the hell she was doing and that she should turn around right now and walk away, however she leaned forward smiling sweetly, "I need a file from his office for Captain Harvelle, I was wondering if you would mind me going in and getting it."
"I can get it for you." The man said and Elizabeth tried not to grit her teeth.
"Would you?" She said as if he was doing her a favor. "It's file 349IH709" She said without batting an eye.
He blinked and said, "What?"
"File 349IH709"." Elizabeth said, again without batting an eye.
"I don't know where that would be." The man said, Elizabeth looked sympathetic.
"Are you new?" She said.
"First week." The man said.
"Well, I don't want you to get in trouble trying to poke around his office, how about I just go in real quick. Campbell won't know and I do need that file." She said. "It'll be our secret." She said.
"Well…I guess it's okay." He said standing up and walking with her towards the office. She hadn't expected him to follow her and she was wondering what the hell she was going to do now, however, as luck would have it, his phone rang.
"I have to take that." He said and Elizabeth nodded as he walked away.
The office was dark and clean. Elizabeth began to look around the office opening a drawer she could dart to at a moment's notice. An empty file clutched in her hand she inched over to his computer. She could still hear the secretary on the phone outside. The only decoration on his desk was a framed picture of a smiling blonde girl.
She moved the cursor over the computer and a password appeared. She tapped her fingers against the polished wood and then looked back at the picture of his daughter. She remembered someone mentioning she had died in a fire attack. What was her name? Molly? She typed it in and it came up negative. Mary! That was it!
The home screen flickered up as she pressed enter. Folders appeared and she began to scroll looking for anything that she could look through quickly that was possible to be about the strike and her.
Then her eye caught the a file with a date. It looked familiar and then it dawned on her that was the date that the strike occurred. She pressed it and found file after file after file. What the hell was all this? She began to scroll through the files. What she found odd were the voice recordings that were also there. She checked to hear the voice of the secretary before cranking the volume down low and clicking on an audio file.
"You didn't tell us about the strike." A voice said, it was growly and had obviously been altered.
"I knew they wouldn't do much damage." Another voice said altered as well. "Besides I can't keep slipping every bit of information to you. They will get suspicious."
"They could have seen the plans." The voice said.
"They didn't." The other voice replied. "The soldiers who looked had no idea what they were seeing. I've got one of them under my thumb and the other is considered untrustworthy. You're lucky we don't like women in the army here."
Elizabeth straightened up, could that be Campbell?
"Then the plan will follow through. The twenty eighth it is." The voice said.
The clip ended and Elizabeth was about to click on the next audio clip when she heard the secretary end his conversation. Elizabeth met him at the door and smiled clutching the empty file.
"Found it! Thank you so much!" She said a little too brightly.
"You're welcome, are you okay?" The man said leaning forward slightly.
"Oh I'm fine just feeling a little cold coming on, I think I'll go home after I drop this off to Captain Harvelle."
She waved at him as she left, but as soon as she rounded the corner she broke into a run. The information pounded through her head. It had to be Campbell on that line, he was helping the North! Something was planned for the twenty eighth, which was today!
Dean was waiting in the car as she got in and slammed the door behind her.
"Hey," He said at first and then he saw her face, "What's the matter?" He asked
"Just drive, I'll tell you on the way." Elizabeth said throwing a look over her shoulder half expecting the secretary to be coming out of the building.
Elizabeth spilled everything.
"I know something is going to happen tonight! Whoever was talking to Campbell said so!" She said.
"It sounds like Campbell but are you sure?" Dean said.
"Do you believe me?" Elizabeth asked, her heart sinking. Dean lifted his hand off the steering wheel as his mouth opened. Then he settled his hand back on the steering wheel and closed his mouth.
"You don't." Elizabeth said.
"Elizabeth, I know that you want Campbell to be guilty of something, but we can't just go in and point fingers. Everyone knows you have a grudge." Dean said.
"But we know something is going to happen! We have to try!" Elizabeth said. "Please, just trust me. I'm not imagining anything. If you don't believe me then drop me off as soon as we reach the city and I'll do this myself."
Dean looked over at her and Elizabeth saw that his mind was made up.
"Okay, I trust you, I trust you a hell of a lot more than I trust Campbell in fact, but we have to be careful. We'll go talk to Olivia, maybe she's heard something a threat or even a rumor."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said, she would have kissed him if he wasn't driving.
The city was packed as everyone was filling in for the parade and festival. Snow had begun to fall in small flurries and everyone was commenting on how they hoped it didn't escalate into a storm. They parked the jeep in front of Olivia's apartment.
Olivia met them at the door and Elizabeth quickly gave her the story.
"Dean says he'll back me but I need to make sure. Have you picked up anything?"
Olivia dropped her eyes to the ground trying to think of something.
"President Raphael is speaking tonight to open the parade. Campbell insisted on being in the security party. He's never done that before. He also asked if Ellen could be removed from the team, but she refused."
"Ellen?" Dean asked, his face going a few shades paler. If Campbell didn't want her in the way, who knew what could happen.
"They'll be at the City Palace right now getting ready." Olivia said checking the clock on her wall.
"The speech starts in an hour and it's jammed packed out there. We have to leave now." Olivia said grabbing her bag and they ran to the car.
It was some miracle that Dean managed not to get pulled over as they sped to the palace. All around them were people with preparations for the parade and Dean tried to call Ellen.
"She isn't picking up." He said, for the first time he sounded scared.
It took them forty five minutes to reach the Palace. Elizabeth would have thought it was breath taking if she had been in a mind to admire it.
"Only government personnel allowed." The guard said.
"Special Agent Harvelle and these two are with me." Dean said showing his badge. They were swept past. A podium was being set up in the middle of the courtyard and reporters and guests had gathered. Dean saw a flash of long brunette hair.
"Ellen!" He shouted over the crowd. Ellen turned at the sound of Dean's voice.
"Dean." She said walking over. "What are you doing here?" She said,
"We think Raphael might be in danger." Dean said.
"He's the president, he's always in danger." Ellen said.
"We think Campbell might have something to do with it." Elizabeth said.
"What is this? A damn Hardy Boy novel? Where's your evidence?" Ellen asked, taking stock of the group.
"It's on his computer." Elizabeth said.
"What were you doing on his computer?" Ellen said.
"We know he tried to have you removed from the security team and that he insisted on being part of it." Olivia piped up.
"Ellen," Dean said putting his hand on her shoulder, "You trust me, please, just let us be present. If nothing happens then nothing happens but please just let us stay and look out."
Ellen looked around her at the crowded court yard.
"Stay to the right, I'll be on the left in the blind. Campbell has been acting suspicious but don't do anything stupid or I swear I will whip you myself." She said.
"Thank you Ellen." Dean said smiling.
"You watch yourself boy, same for you girls." She said. It was time for her to take her place and she stood at her place by the podium seeing Dean, Elizabeth, and Olivia head over to the right.
"You look nice tonight." A voice said behind her. She turned and saw none other than Robert Singer standing behind her in a suit.
"Thank you." She said briefly, about to turn back to the front.
"It's Ellen right?" Robert said again.
"Yes, it's Ellen, Robert Singer." She said.
"Call me Bobby." He said leaning forward and shaking her hand.
"Bobby then, I can't talk right now." She said,
"Then tonight? How about drinks?" He said,
Ellen sized him up, He was probably a few years older than her, scruffy but cleaned up nicely.
"I can do that." She said allowing a small smile to tug at her face.
"Alright then." He said and walked away.
Elizabeth saw Raphael walk up to the podium. She had never seen him in person before, his tux was impeccable and he gave the air of someone who knew what they wanted and they would get it. She saw Campbell take the spot next to him, the lights shining off his bald head.
"Good evening." Raphael said to the crowd and a cheer ran through. Elizabeth began to scan the crowd and found nothing. Raphael began to talk on and on. She couldn't see any threat from the crowd and she gave a sigh of relief.
Something glistened out of the corner of her eye and she looked up. Something long, dark, and cylindrical was peeking out from behind one of the many statues on the roof.
"Dean." She began,
The words had barely escaped her mouth when Raphael doubled over the podium, his white shirt stained with blood that slowly spreading across his chest. There seemed a brief moment of stunned silence and then chaos erupted. Elizabeth's eyes shot back up to the roof and she saw a large figure drop from the statue and through a window. Ellen and Campbell were already over him calling in back up and Dean moved forward but Ellen caught his eye and shook her head. She had this and he would get that.
"Follow Captain Harvelle." She said to the backup.
"It came from the roof, I want half of you to go to the back now! Fan out we have no idea who this is but he just shot the president. Harvelle has the front and the rest of you come with me."
Dean, Elizabeth, and Olivia were quickly equipped with bullet proof vest and Elizabeth and Dean pulled their guns out of their holsters. Olivia was given a spare handgun and the group began to make their way into the building. Dean led the group up the main stairs, Elizabeth watching his back. Olivia had fallen back into the role of soldier, though it had been a few years since she had been expected to be in anything like this.
"Split up." Dean said. Their team split further with Dean, Elizabeth, Olivia and two other soldiers. They reached a balcony which held the statue that had been used. The tripod was still there. Dean looked around briefly and he found something scratched into the stone by the tripod. It was a pentagram in a circle. His blood ran cold,
"Olivia get out of here." He said, as soon as the words left his mouth a large figure dropped from above and shot one of the soldiers who had come with them. The other he had wrapped his arm around his neck. The soldier was slowly choking and struggling in vain.
"Hello Dean." The man said from under the balaclava he was wearing. Elizabeth knew that voice.
The soldier was turning blue.
"Let him go Sam!" Dean said holding up his gun.
"Do it." Sam challenged and he laughed but without a trace of mirth. Dean's face was set but his eyes were not so certain. There was a gurgle from the soldier in Sam's grasp.
"You might want to hurry up big brother." He said.
Dean waited just a second too long to pull the trigger. The soldier crumpled to the ground and a shot rang out. Sam jumped up and as if there wasn't six foot four inches of him to deal with had hauled himself up on the roof. Dean followed him just as quickly and Elizabeth and Olivia followed. There was the whole of the capital in their view. The rushing of the river that ran by the side of the palace was heard below. Olivia, whose heart had been in her throat since she had first seen him stepped forward. Dean was in front of her but Sam who had only had his eyes on Dean since they first entered that balcony saw her. The ski mask was pulled off, showing handsome features, strong cheek bones and a broad nose. These features were contorted in a shocked look.
"Olivia?" He said.
Dean held up his gun again. Sam raised his.
"There isn't any coming back from this Sammy." Dean said
"What makes you think I won't shoot you too?" Sam said.
"Because you haven't yet, and not in front of her you won't,"
The wind was beginning to pick up.
"Sam please." Olivia said,
She could see him working things out, he was weighing his chances and she knew Dean was doing the same. They were both brilliant when it came to situations like this. And one of them was going to die if she waited too long.
"Dean stand down." Olivia said stepping forward.
"Olivia, what the hell are you doing?" Dean shouted as she moved forward. She placed herself in front of his gun, blocking them from each other.
"Don't shoot him Dean, it'll kill you. Let the back up come, he isn't going anywhere." Olivia said facing him. "Don't let him do this to you."
"Sam, I know you don't want to kill your brother, you've told me so." She said turning so she was facing Sam. Had he gotten bigger?
"He can't ask anything from me, not even to spare his life. He hasn't done the same for me." Sam said.
Olivia suddenly felt herself jerked around the waist as Sam grabbed her.
"Don't shoot!" Sam said and Olivia felt the gun digging into her temple. "Drop your weapons." Sam said. Dean threw his gun away from him and Elizabeth lowered hers to the ground.
"Sam don't you dare hurt her!" Dean said. Olivia felt the fear come back, overpowering, old and unchanged. Once again Sam held her life in his hands and she didn't know what side of him was going to win.
"Sam, please." Olivia said quietly that only he could hear, a sob stuck in her throat.
The ledge was close and Sam was inching them closer. Dean saw the same too and lunged for his gun. The gun left her temple as Sam fired at Dean and suddenly all around her and Sam was open air as the river moved closer and closer towards them. She felt Sam grab hold of her and then nothing.
Sam hit the water feet first and tried to have Olivia do the same. The force of the current ripped them apart and he kicked above the water. He didn't see her as his head broke the surface. He flicked his hair out of his face and dived under. He swam about five feet down when his hand closed around her arm and he hauled her to the surface. Her eyes were closed and she had been knocked out by the impact on the water.
"Olivia. Olivia!" He said shaking her. He looped around and grabbed her by the arms swimming against the cold strong current for the bridge. It was too dark for Dean to see him pop up but it would be only a matter of moments before they had soldiers crawling around. He dragged Olivia up onto the shore and checked to see if she was breathing. A shaky breath met his ears and he breathed a sigh of relief. Bobby had given him a safe house he could retreat to until he could make a run for it and it was close. He lifted Olivia, still unconscious in his arms and began to hurry down the dark streets. Everyone was in the city tonight and it would be hours before the chaos settled and people were able to return home. The abandoned building blended in with the rest by the docks and Sam opened the door easily. The shabbiness of the outside belied the inside which was furnished, had electricity (though it was blocked by curtains so no one would see), and running water. Also a stocked kitchen. Sam breathed a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. The mission was complete and he was safe. He looked down at Olivia, and he had something he never dreamed he would see again.