"I didn't get there in time, Finch." Shaw snapped as she walked into the library the next morning, very upset.
"Ms. Tessa Crocker was murdered?"
"Yes, I got to Paulie's Diner she was already missing. No one seemed to see anything or know anything. I went to her apartment; I didn't see any sign of her. But thanks to the police radio I learned that her body was found late last night in a dumpster about a mile away. I got to the scene pretending to work for CSU. She was raped and strangled to death; no prints-the guy had gloves on, not one lead." Finch saw the set of Shaw's jaw, saw the tension in her shoulders. She was just like Mr. Reese in this respect, when they lost a number they were angry.
"Not to make light of our loss of a number, we will catch whoever did it. But we got a new number this morning. It's someone we know."
"God damn it- it's Leon I bet." she growled in anger. "I'm not in the mood to save his sorry ass again, not when I want to catch the son of a bitch that killed this Crocker woman."
"Not Mr. Tao, rather Mr. Reese." Finch rolled his shoulders. "Ms. Shaw, we need to speak with the detectives about this to keep their eyes peeled for anyone looking too hard for Mr. Reese. But we need to keep this strictly confidential between the four of us, no one outside of myself, you-Ms. Shaw, and the detectives will know. That includes John."
"You don't think John has the right to know his number came up?"
"No. John would want to be on his own; afraid of the danger he would be placing on everyone else if he was with them." No, he thought it best to keep John completely in the dark about the newest threat to his life. John would go on believing he was in hiding, he wouldn't try to get away from Detective Carter.
"Reese will be angry if he finds out that you purposely left him in the dark."
"I'll deal with Mr. Reese's anger then. John needs to focus on getting better, he'll be adamant about pushing Detective Carter away if he thinks he's in danger. She needs to be there with him to protect him; he's vulnerable in the state he's in."
"I agree, John won't." Finch knew she was being honest. But he wasn't going to allow John's pride to get in the way of saving his life.
"It won't matter if he's dead; I will not let anyone harm Mr. Reese again, even if it means him being upset with me," Finch stated just as he got a call from Detective Carter. He immediately answered her.
"Yes, Detective Carter?"
"What the hell is going on, Finch?" Her tone was bewildered; he furrowed his brows unsure of what she was talking about. He had figured the detective was calling with answers on Isaac Kilpatrick, but it seemed something else was on her mind.
"Detective what's the matter?"
"I just got the same social security number texted to my phone that I did when I found John. Now what the hell is going on?" Finch was glad he was sitting down because had he not been, surely he would have fallen. The machine contacted the detective about John? "Is the number John's?"
"It's Mr. Reese's alias, not his legal surname."
"Does that mean he's in danger?"
"Yes."
"Your source, what is it?"
"Detective that doesn't concern you."
"The hell it doesn't Finch! Whatever it is, it's contacting me about John. I need to know what it is. It's not human, so it's what-a computer?"
"I'm not even sure why it's contacting you about John." At least this time the machine had given him John's number as well. "Detective this topic is very sensitive."
"Give me the short version, Finch; it's contacting me about John for some reason. If it wants me to do something, I need to know what it is."
"I need you to stay as close as possible to Mr. Reese. He's in danger; someone wants to harm him, which has to be this Mr. Kilpatrick. Have you figured out anything on him yet?"
"No, nothing; it's like he doesn't exist."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. It's like this guy is a ghost or something."
"Stay with Mr. Reese, I'll go speak with Elias."
"Tell me what this means Finch, I deserve to know."
"The less you know about our source the safer you are."
"That's what John said too."
"He's correct, please-Mr. Reese and I both are trying to spare you pain. Trust me; knowing about our source has cost a lot of people their lives."
"I'm not scared Finch."
"I presume not, detective, but I am scared for you. Which is why I will not tell you about it. I'm sorry if this makes you trust in me less, but I will not allow harm to come to you for knowing about it." He heard a soft sigh escape her.
"Fine, I understand your reasons even if I don't agree with them. But don't think I'm just going to drop it. I'm going to keep asking and one of these days you are going to tell me."
"Thank you detective, for showing me trust again. I promise you will not be sorry for it. Now please try to remain as close to John as possible without allowing him to become suspicious. Please do not tell him we received his number."
"Yeah I got it; he needs to focus on getting better." Finch was glad she understood, at least about keeping John in the dark.
"Keep trying to find out anything you can about this Isaac Kilpatrick; I have a feeling this isn't his real name."
"That's what I'm thinking too Finch; it's got to be an alias. We need to learn his real name or, at the very least, where his men hang out. If we find that out, maybe they'll lead us straight to Kilpatrick."
"Keep me posted detective." She hung up with him and he stood up. "We need to set up another meeting with Mr. Elias; we need him to meet with this Kilpatrick again."
"She got John's number again?"
"Yes,"
"Do you have any idea why the machine is giving her his number?"
"No, I'm not really sure Ms. Shaw, it's quite peculiar."
"Maybe the machine has a crush on her." Shaw snorted as she walked beside him towards the exit of the library. Finch had thought about that, but perhaps the machine felt guilty about not helping Mr. Reese prior, and was trying to make up for it? The detective wasn't receiving anyone else's numbers, just Mr. Reese's, which left him stumped.
"What's going on Carter?" She shook her head at Fusco as she pocketed her cell phone.
"John's in danger again, I need to head back to the apartment. Can you handle looking more into Isaac Kilpatrick?"
"Yeah sure, you heard the news, right?"
"What news?" she asked as she gathered things up. She looked at Fusco.
"The news that Tessa Crocker that person four eyes and G.I. Jane wanted us to look into was offed."
"No I hadn't heard."
"She was raped and strangled to death, found in a dumpster."
"Any leads?"
"None, no one seemed to see anything or hear anything. Either that or they are too scared to talk."
"Who's on the case?"
"Olson and Hanes."
"See if you can hear anything about it."
"I'll try. So wonder boy is in danger still; what's new?"
"It's different though, his number came up."
"His what?"
"I don't know Fusco, I've been receiving weird texts." She sighed, walking over to him, showing him the four texts she gotten in a matter of minutes of one another of the same number over and over again. "Finch knows what this means but he's not talking…yet."
"Keep on the little guy, he'll spill eventually."
"Yeah. Hey before I leave to go sit with John to make sure he's alright can I ask you something."
"Sure what's up?"
"This is going to sound stupid but have you messed with my desk?" she asked trying to keep it light. "I won't be mad, just tell me, okay? Because my photo is missing."
"What are you talking about?"
"Some of my things were shifted in my desk, and a framed photo of me and my kid is gone. I was just wondering if you were playing a joke on me."
"No." Joss sighed, wishing it had been the case. She didn't figure Fusco to do such a thing, but she wanted to make sure. "Wait a minute-you thinking someone was at your desk, rifling through it, for what?"
"I don't know. It doesn't matter because I have to get going, I'm probably being paranoid or something. I am spending too much time with John I think." She tried to laugh it off, but it still unnerved her. Where would she put her photograph of her and her son? She wouldn't put it anywhere, that's why. Someone took it, but for what reason? Joss hurried out of the station, she rushed to her car when a feeling a very uncomfortable feeling like she was being watched filled her. Joss had the same feeling yesterday, like she had been watched. She drove in circles, hoping that if someone was watching her they wouldn't find where she was staying at. Joss looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, no cars parked, nothing that seemed worrisome. But she couldn't stop the feeling that she was being watched. Joss climbed into her car and decided to do what she had been doing, drive in circles. Joss pulled away from the station and drove, her eyes on the rearview mirror from time to time watching as she made a few rights to see if any car followed her. Sure enough, a silver sedan followed far back but continued to make the continuous turns she did.
Joss felt the blood in her veins quicken as she pushed down on the pedal speeding up to run the stoplight. She zipped through the light with a honk of a horn from several people as she ran a blatant red light through the intersection. The silver sedan had to stop, and she made a quick right before she sped faster to get away from her tail. Joss spent about twenty extra minutes driving all over the place never once seeing that silver sedan again. She drove to their apartment complex, glad the parking lot was obscured from view from the street. Joss wasn't taking any chances however; she pulled into the parking space backwards, grateful there was a brick wall separating the parking lot of the apartment complex to a restaurant behind it. She locked up before she rushed towards the complex. Joss fiddled with her keys with the doorknob; in her haste to get in, she tried to stab her car key into the lock. She grumbled feeling stupid for being so paranoid lately, when she finally got the right key into the lock.
Joss entered the apartment, nearly dropping her things when she saw John on his feet with crutches, struggling with a towel, all wet and naked. Joss couldn't help but stare. Good grief he was well endowed wasn't he, and he was aroused. Joss was unable to quit staring, well damn she was a hot-blooded female that was highly attracted to him; she could-right? If the roles were reversed he'd surely make no qualms about staring to his heart's consent. Joss's gaze never lifted, she was sure her mouth hung open as she ogled his naked wet form.
"JOSS!" Even his embarrassed shout of her name didn't pull her gaze away, that only happened when he placed a towel around his hips. Where did this towel come from? Oh right, he had been struggling with one while he tried to use the crutches. She forced her eyes up, traveling the wet length of his body. She finally made it to his eyes, seeing the embarrassment in them. "I didn't realize you were coming home."
"So you decided to streak in the apartment?" Not that she was upset at finding him in his birthday suit, but she did have a son.
"No." his answer was short and clipped. He was still embarrassed.
"Where's your wheelchair?"
"Joss, I'm stronger now, I can use the crutches. Besides I was in the middle of a bath when I thought I heard something. I climbed out, I didn't want to get the wheelchair wet. I'm guessing I heard you." She was glad she didn't call him to give him a heads up or she wouldn't have gotten the great show. Except now it was going to be even worse trying to live with a man she was sexually attracted to, whom she had now seen naked, but couldn't have.
"Why are you taking a bath alone? What about your back?" she was proud of herself for reprimanding him while she was mentally trying to chill her body down.
"I could reach the bandages Joss; I figured I'd have Taylor put them back on for me when he got back home from his friends." She nodded. Taylor was on Christmas vacation since Christmas Eve was only a few days away. Joss flickered her eyes across John's wet body; it seemed Christmas came early for her.
"Now I know why the nurses were fighting over giving you sponge baths," she murmured more to herself. But by John's face turning a cute light pink color, he'd heard her. He was quite adorable, when he was embarrassed. She didn't comment on his blushing. "Um, I'll turn around if you want." she motioned, he looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because I'm sure the towel you're holding in place will fall giving me quite the encore while you try to maneuver the crutches and go back to taking your bath." Why was she being noble? She should have just kept her big mouth shut and enjoyed the encore presentation.
"Oh, right." Joss sighed, hating herself right now while John struggled to knot the towel around his hips with his casts and the crutches in his way; he was having a rough time of it.
"Better yet…." She put the stuff down on the floor, kicking the door haphazardly shut before walking over to him. Her eyes were on his beautiful blue ones while she grabbed a hold of the towel that he was loosely holding around his hips. She never looked away; it felt like the oxygen between them got zapped while her fingers dipped below his navel, feeling his soft skin while she knotted the towel around his slender hips tightly. "How's that?" Good lord, was that her voice? It was low, breathy, and provocative. John's eyes slid down to her mouth, making it almost impossible to not lick her lips so she did, making him moan softly. She took a step back before she did something really stupid like kiss him again and impishly snatch the towel away so she could take her fill of staring at his body.
"Thanks," he mumbled as he turned and began struggling with the crutches to get back to his bedroom. Joss watched him while her mind wished for the towel to fall before she forced herself to go pick up the things she dropped at the door. No sex, he wasn't allowed. Her brain seemed to remember, but her body wanted to jump in that bath with him. Her entire body ached again for his. What was this-a test, was the world testing her willpower to not give in and jump a man that was still recovering from extreme physical trauma? Was she some sort of sicko or something? Good gosh, she just wanted to find relief from this constant pressure she felt. She couldn't shake the sexy image of John butt naked out of her head. John was beautiful from head to toe. Joss pushed aside her sexy thoughts, deciding to put them in the back of her mind. She had to focus on keeping John safe and stop thinking of what sex would be like with him.
John was still embarrassed. He didn't let on he was, but he had been thinking too much of Joss in his bath. He had grown aroused which she had seen thanks to his paranoia. He had worried someone found where he was at, he went out to check, and then Joss entered. She looked so surprised, and then her eyes slinked down. He had been so surprised he hadn't moved the towel around his hips in time allowing her a nice long look at him. Had it been different, had he found her naked, he couldn't say he wouldn't stare at her naked form, so he couldn't fault her. But still he was embarrassed. Joss had helped put the bandages on him and she seemed a little distracted. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing back here by eleven A.M.
"What brings you home so early Joss?"
"This and that." Her answer was too vague for his liking. Which made him narrow his eyes on her. She looked at him innocently and he couldn't tell what she was hiding from him. "You know since I am home early, I'm going to decorate for Christmas and you're gonna help me." she stated as she stood up.
"What?" it was such an abrupt change in subject it left his mind reeling.
"You know, decorate a Christmas tree, decorate the apartment, that sort of thing." she smiled.
"You have a Christmas tree?"
"Yeah, a fake one which I had Finch pack over from my apartment since I knew we'd be here for the holidays. I think its in the hall closet over here, he thought it was sweet I wanted to decorate the apartment for us. He went a little overboard since there are several bags in here that he bought for us to decorate the place with. I think Finch likes Christmas John." John slowly got back onto the wheelchair before he followed her to the hall closet. His eyes however happened to be on her shapely butt. She got a peek at him so why not take a nice long look at her ass. She straightened and he forced his gaze to innocently flicker up before he was caught. She turned and plopped big brown bags of stuff in his lap. "Hold on here's more." she stated as she disappeared into the hallway closet again. John had more things piled on top of him.
"You know I'm not some moveable table Joss." he grouched as she put some garland around his neck which made her laugh. She waved him off before she pulled out a big box of the artificial tree. John had to allow her to wheel him back in the spacious living room since she had piled tons of things on his lap and he had hold onto them before they fell. Joss disappeared and came back with the giant box. She motioned to the side of the living room near the window.
"I'm thinking here since its mostly empty space." she stated before opening it up pulling out the fake limbs.
"What happened at work Joss, that brought you home early?" he asked again.
"Nothing, its my turn to make sure you are alright; I always send Fusco, Shaw, or Finch."
"Joss-" she lifted her brown gaze to his eyes and he could see whatever it was she wasn't going to tell him.
"John, I wanted to make sure you are alright." He nodded. John wasn't totally sold on that, but she was very over protective. She was always barking orders at him, trying to keep him from doing too much too soon. He'd let it go for now. They decorated the tree; she put on a bunch of multicolored lights before they placed some ornaments on it. She did the top while he put some on the bottom where he could reach. Doing this was unusual for him, he didn't recall the last time he ever had decorated a Christmas tree, not since he was a kid. Joss went around the apartment hanging up the festive garland and some more multicolored lights. John opened a bag searching through it before finding mistletoe. He held up the sprig and she turned, smiling as she saw it.
"Finch must of got that." she took it from him and held it over his head.
"Joss," but before he could say anything else she leaned down pressing her soft lips to his in a light, quick kiss.
"Rules are rules, John." She smiled before walking away. He wished she hadn't done that because now his body that just cooled off was again overheating. He watched her climb up on the stepladder that was supplied for them, and rolled his eyes when she hung it over the couch where he usually sat. She shot him a cheeky grin. "Here, good for you John? It seems perfect to me."
"Funny, Joss." She seemed to be in a playful mood today, either that or she was trying to distract him. It was working, knowing Joss wanted to kiss him again and again was very much on his mind presently.
"Or how about here?" she snickered as she climbed down making her way to the threshold to his bedroom. "Or how about anywhere where you are?"
"How about we hang it over you?" he smirked. She smiled at him, shrugging. He watched as she hung it directly over the threshold of his bedroom which made him sigh. They finished decorating; he got back onto the couch while she sat down on the sofa chair.
"So anything more on the men with the tattoos?" John asked after a little while. He noticed something cross her features but it faded. It seemed she knew something more than what she was telling him. He wanted to know what.
"Nope."
"Joss,"
"Yeah, John?"
"What are you keeping from me?"
"Nothing."
"You know something else, don't you?" she sighed before she gave in.
"Elias got us the name of the leader of the men that had you. Elias met with him, talked with him."
"Who is it?"
"A guy named Isaac Kilpatrick." John furrowed his brows trying to think if he'd ever heard of a man with that name. But nothing came to him.
"Never heard of him."
"Yeah well, I checked into his name, he's not in the database, its like he's a ghost or something. So we are really back to square one again. We don't know anything yet unfortunately. This group is even more elusive than HR. We don't know who the leader is, he's like some ghost, we know his agenda, he wants to take over control from the Russians and HR; he's already killed several Russians, allies to the Russians, and he's taken out Terney."
"These people seem much more cutthroat than HR and the Russians."
"I agree. I thought the Russians had few rules; I think this new guy, this Kilpatrick guy, has even less. He wants control at any means necessary and he wants Harold for some reason." John nodded his head in agreement. He was sure the reason for wanting Harold was a much more personal reason than to control everything. Maybe it was about the machine, but even that seemed more of a business reason. This guy had been almost desperate to find Harold. It had to be a personal vendetta against Finch, just what? "But maybe if we can find where they frequent maybe his tattooed men might lead us right to him."
"Maybe, so why are you home so early?" he tried again. "Finch and Shaw surely need your assistance to find this Kilpatrick and you aren't one to leave work early. So what's going on that made you come back here?"
"John, let it go."
"No, I feel like you are hiding something from me." He was tired of people treating him like he was made of glass. Yes, he was recovering but he didn't want to be treated differently.
"Aren't you doing it to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I asked you point blank what your source is and you won't tell me. So why should I tell you what I'm hiding?" Damn it, why was she reversing this on him?!
"It's to protect you Joss."
"Well so is mine."
"I don't need protection."
"Neither do I; but that doesn't stop you from withholding information from me." John felt pinned to a wall, she had him there. He was withholding the information to protect her; it seemed like she was doing the same thing for him. He decided to try to change the subject, maybe he'd try talking to Finch, Lionel, or Shaw to see what was going on. He couldn't help but feel like she was withholding something that he needed to know.
"She gave me the slip again boss." Ryder smirked more to himself as he was sitting in a parking lot he pulled into. She was always hard to follow, she seemed to take a lot of precautions wherever she was going, never seemed to be going home. He went to her apartment, which she never came to nor her kid. Which meant they were staying somewhere else, just where?
"What do you mean again, you are my best guy?! Do not fail me Ryder!"
"She's careful, she hasn't been to her apartment nor her kid since I begun tailing her a few days ago, and whenever she leaves the precinct for the day she like drives in circles and I lose her. Which makes me think she is living with Reese."
"Interesting; do you think they are together?"
"Not sure boss; maybe she's taking care of him while he recuperates? Reese was pretty close to being dead."
"Could be; my men have checked all the hospitals in the surrounding area. They had found one that fit John's description as well as his physical injuries a while ago, but they were stonewalled. Maybe its for the best she gave you the slip; I need you to pull back from tailing her anyway."
"Why?" He didn't want to pull back, he wanted to continue to watch her, learn her, imagine her beneath him, fighting him while he took her.
"Ryder, we need to prioritize my need for revenge against everyone that destroyed who I was needs to be placed on hold. Just like your need to screw the detective, we need to take care of a few other issues first."
"Like what?"
"I don't just want to destroy the lives of people that destroyed mine, I want to run this god damn place, I want to be the leader, I want people to fear me the moment they hear my name. I want people to bow down to me, I want the REAL power. It was what I was striving for before Harold ruined me. He took my money, imprisoned me, and I lost my wife and my daughter thanks to him."
"Anything I'll do anything for you boss." his voice was uneven as he closed his eyes. Images of the detective slapping him, punching him, fighting him for all she was worth was causing him to get harder. Jocelyn Carter would surely be his best.
"I know you would Ryder, to gain that power I deserve I need the Russians and HR out of my way. Then my revenge on Harold will be easier to obtain, the man in the suit will be dead, and no one will be able to stop us." His allegiance to the boss was his first and foremost objective, nailing the detective had to be second. Boss wanted revenge on Harold and his cunt of an ex-wife and the boss was able to prioritize, then so could he. He couldn't allow his need for the detective to cloud his loyalty to the boss; he'd just find another woman to hold him over till he had the pretty detective.
"Okay boss, I'll head back."
"I need you to assist Troy in a double murder tonight."
"Sure thing boss, who are they?" .
"Alonso Quinn and Officer Simmons."
"The chief of staff for the mayor?"
"Yes, I have it on good authority that he's the head of HR and once you slit his throat, HR will be run into the ground. I'll have HR running scared, the Russians will lose their backing, leaving me the chance at taking over their stomping ground."
"Then I can have Carter?"
"You'll have her Ryder, soon."
Author's note: Hey two updates back to back, this almost never happens for me, but you can thank Misery Loathes Company for this update. Although don't expect another update tomorrow, not sure when I'll post the next chapter which happens to be somewhat of a pivotal chapter too...crap, well it won't be too long from now.
Next chapter...good stuff happens like Leon is back(I love that guy), Finch and Carter share a heart to heart, while Shusco share a conversation too. HEE HEE HEE, Shusco I crack myself up sometimes :P
Thanks for reading, and reviewing you peeps are the bestest :D