Aftermath
Chapter 26
Korsak gingerly advanced, weapon still leveled at the medical examiner. His tone was steady but betrayed the stress and consternation when it cracked at the end of his sentence. Jane was still, her gun dangling from nerveless fingers; it was a wonder it hadn't fallen to the floor. The distress on the detective's face spoke of the battle between disbelief and dawning acceptance. She looked into Maura's stormy green eyes and saw the horror and price pulling the trigger exacted. Whether the shooting was justifiable or not, its mere reality coated Maura. She would never be the same, of that, the detective was certain. The change, how profound and tragic, had only taken root within the ME; it remained to be seen just what affect ending another's life would have in shaping her. Jane was intimately acquainted with such a transition and it was not something she wished for Maura to experience. Life obviously had other notions.
"Maura, look at me…come on, look at me-that's it, okay…now, put down the gun…" Korsak's voice pacified and commanded. He stepped closer, partially shielding Jane.
"I…" The ME started then fell silent, the strain of holding the gun out from her body beginning to show.
Korsak caught Jane's gaze. His brows lowered as he subtly gestured to her.
The motion snapped the brunette out of her daze. Thumbing the safety back into the on position, Jane leaned toward the floor and allowed the gun to gently slip from her fingers onto the carpet.
"Hey, Maur." Scratchy and a tad high, Jane's voice nonetheless appeared to make some sort of connection. As she neared the ME, she kept her arms down by her sides, schooling her face not to relay anything other than complete normalcy.
The color was returning to Maura's face but the terror loomed in her eyes like an elongated silhouette. Rich brown eyes probed and lulled as she kept them locked onto Maura's. She quietly cleared her throat and swallowed before continuing in a balmy tone.
"We're here, Korsak and me." The sentence caused her to stall. Quickly she looked at the other detective and they shared the same thought: where was Frost? The painful flurry of anxiety in her stomach went ignored. Each detective arrived at the same conclusion, that separating was the best possible course of action. She nodded assent at the question in his stare. Quietly, he backed away, lowering his weapon to find out what happened to the young detective.
"J-Jane…?"
Without a word, she swept Maura into a crushing embrace, burying her nose into the warm, soft spot just below the ear. Easily she extracted the gun from Maura's grasp as she slowly pivoted their bodies, angling them so that her gun hand was closest to the door. Maura's body shook, her fingers plowing into Jane's back. The dry, convulsive sobs emitting from her depths were absorbed by the detective's supportive body. Sweet murmurs of understanding fell from Jane's lips as they skidded across her lover's neck and cheek.
"Maura, you need to focus for just a minute, okay?" Slightly apart, she was able to capture the ME's attention, eyes locked in solemn entreaty.
"He's just unconscious! I'm callin' it in, Jane!" Korsak's booming voice cut through the walls.
Jane's heart tripped then settled into a rough, jubilant rhythm. She crooked her arm around Maura's neck and pulled her close, exhaling unevenly into loose whorls of honey colored hair. Wet, hot tears dropped onto Jane's neck, sliding downward. Holding the crying woman even tighter, the detective was swamped with protective instincts and empathy. The fierce impulse to hunt down Blake wasn't entirely motivated by the honorable trait for justice; there was more than a little thirst for revenge mixed in. She didn't say anything, simply allowed Maura the space and safety with which to express her emotions. The words, if they came, would be uttered later. For the moment, Jane held her.
XXX
The safe house was swarming with law enforcement personnel and one FBI liaison. Maura stuck closely to the detective's side, her expression more composed although the vulnerability around her eyes was unmistakable. Everyone had questions for the medical examiner. Jane's scowl and highly alert demeanor discouraged any aggressive tendencies from the often gruff investigators. While Maura was answering Cavanaugh's questions, Jane grabbed hold of Korsak's arm and led him down the hall.
"Frost is in the back of an ambulance, bitchin' about his head hurtin'."
Jane's smirk was grim. "He's always been a candyass."
"From what he remembered, he heard a shot, called it in then ran smack dab into…" Korsak consulted his notes, flipping through the pages. "…Johnson…Agent Richard Johnson who cold conked him over the head with a some karate-type maneuver. He thinks Blake was pulling up the rear. And…they took his car."
"Doesn't sound like Blake had a back-up plan. Why was she luring me here? We're missing something." When Korsak shrugged, she asked, "The two dead guys? Hadmore and…Turrin?"
"Yeah. Maura said Turrin had a change of heart apparently. While Maura and Blake were fighting-"
"Whaaat?" Jane frowned, leaning in. "Maura…fighting? I must have missed that part when I was talking to Cavanaugh."
"Yes." Korsak responded, unable to hide the glint of pride twinkling in his eyes. "She broke that bitch's nose, Jane. Had her pinned against the wall but Hadmore and Turrin came in after hearing them scuffle."
"Jesus. It's always the quiet, polite ones, you know?"
Korsak guffawed. "She is definitely not one to tangle with. You've got your hands full."
Jane glowered, crossing her arms over her chest.
He had the grace to blush a little before continuing. "It seems Turrin had a change of heart, knocked out Hadmore and turned on Blake. He gave Hadmore's gun to the doc. But then…things went a little sideways."
Jane bit her lower lip. "Yeah, Maur said Turrin started to lose his nerve. She kept Hadmore on the floor but then Turrin started arguing with Blake, right?"
Korsak nodded. "Then…Hadmore made his move while Maura wasn't paying attention."
They shared an instant of silence. Jane shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The far-off look on her face displayed her inner turmoil. Korsak managed to barely refrain from touching her, knowing the consolatory gesture would be unwanted. Awkward and shy, he waited, heart heavy. Jane couldn't help herself however hard she tried. The images of Maura wrestling with Hadmore, made even more terrifying by her own imagination, criticized her.
XXX
Maura shot the agent while Turrin and Blake swapped punches. That's when Johnson made an appearance from the back of the house, his heavy footfalls cushioned by the carpet. Instinctively she catapulted into the room where Victoria Singleton was held capture. She checked the woman and felt a faint pulse. The horrendous noise beyond the room, of bodies slamming against walls and frantic grunts, urged Maura to act before they remembered her. She had to set down the gun in order to untie Victoria. Hands shaking, her first attempt was pathetically inadequate. "We got to go, Vanessa! Now!" It was Johnson, his voice a roar above the din. The door suddenly burst open and Agent Turrin entered, arms flailing. Maura didn't have a second to react, could only watch in abject helplessness as the man was shot from behind. The bullet exited his head in a gruesome splash of brain matter and blood, some of which splattered upon her. Terrified and unarmed, her eyes locked with Blake's and time stopped. Everything went into slow motion. The measured thud of her heartbeat in her ears, the sluggish blink of her eyes and the sure knowledge that she was about to be shot seemed as if it were happening to someone else. Maura felt the beginning ache of regret and resignation. Blake, however, was being unceremoniously shoved forward, Agent Johnson's face a mask of fury and fear as they moved from the doorway. With survival uppermost in her mind, Maura retrieved the gun, her death-grip whitening out her knuckles.
XXX
"So, what did Cavanaugh have to say?" Korsak broke the silence.
The look that overcame her features was severe. "The FBI came to him because of our cases intersecting. They've been suspicious of Blake for a while, leaning on Turrin to turn. Things...escalated before a plan could be put into place."
Korsak's bushy brows pushed down on his eyes. "How long would it have taken to say 'hey, head's up, Blake's dirty, watch your ass?'"
"FBI's 'need to know' order. The liaison thought it best that the BPD conduct their investigation independently but keeping an eye on Blake and her crew. Cavanaugh was downtown with the Commissioner and Mayor trying to get approval for the undercover operation."
"So, he left us exposed?" Korsak hissed, running a meaty paw through his gray hair. His harsh glare searched out the object of his extreme ire.
Jane sighed, unclenching her fists. "As far as the brass was concerned, there wasn't any proof so there was no indication just how deep Blake's duplicity ran."
"But not to give us a little warning…"
The detectives grew silent once again, deep in thought, turning over the implications.
"It's going down as a righteous kill but she's gonna have to make a formal statement at the precinct."
Korsak grimaced. "What about Blake and Johnson?"
"Being hunted by their own kind."
"What were they into?"
Jane's exhale was tinged with weariness. "Something mob-related obviously. Why else were they parked down the street? Probably has something to do with Delaberti and Mazzetti."
"Well, we still got Victoria Singleton."
"If she pulls through." Jane's statement was ominous. "And…I'm going after Blake, Korsak."
XXX
After the evidence was gathered and their statements were taken down at the precinct, it was close to seven o'clock at night. Both women were on edge, the adrenaline having no choice but to pool and roil. The ordeal had stimulated and drained them. Frost was lucky enough to only suffer a concussion and a three stitches on the side of his head. Korsak looked haggard but happy. Looking grim, Jane insisted on following the medical examiner home. Everyone knew how very easily things could have turned out differently, in ways none of them dwelled upon. Yet, it hadn't. Jane tenderly squeezed Maura's fingers, then followed her out the door, Korsak and Frost splintering away once they reached the parking garage.
Once safely within the confines of Maura's home, they opened a bottle of wine, conversation superfluous. The strain of the day did not cast a pall over their tired limbs. If anything, Jane was on the verge of hyperactivity as her lithe form seemed to vibrate with unspent energy. She was in the living room, arms gesticulating with each point disclosed. Maura, patiently waiting, examined the ends of her hair as she sat on the couch. It was getting late and harder to ignore the ambitious quiver below her stomach. From the looks of things, Jane, too, felt the need to get lost, leave the present. The air was charged, fueled by the brunette's movements and husky voice. Maura knew she should be focusing on Jane's rant about what happened at the safe house but…every time she stole a quick look at her, Maura's skin tingled all the more.
"I should have seen it coming, Maur!" Jane fairly barked. The wine in her glass teased the rim, threatening to spill over onto the cream colored carpet. "That blood on the wall…! Jesus, I thought…" The words limply stalled as she ran a brisk hand through black tendrils. "When I find that bitch…"
The terror and vulnerability had abated into the outskirts of Maura's memory for the moment. Filled with a powerful need to distance herself from the events of the day, she watched Jane, green eyes narrowing in hunger as they followed the sway of her lover's body. The emotional and psychological consequences would come soon enough, would force her to deal with them but the visceral ache to feel Jane's body over hers was overpowering. It wasn't until Jane stood in front of her, hands on her hips, black eyes glaring down with questions sparkling in their depths that Maura allowed their eyes to meet.
Jane's breath abruptly changed, her features honed from the knife-like energy zipping along nerve synapses. The electric tension between them arced, drawing their bodies closer. Maura stood as Jane leaned over and they met roughly in the middle. When their lips connected, the brunette's hands burrowed under the soft, flimsy material of Maura's shirt, fingers skipping over the skimpy undergarments she had purchased. It was difficult to grasp how much had transpired in the last forty-eight hours and Jane didn't even try. Instead, she let go, listening to the internal demands of her body.
She groaned when her fingers cleared a lacy barrier and glided between aroused creases of intimate flesh. Maura's hips lifted off the couch, entreating and demanding at once. Nails dug into her back as Jane adjusted her wrist, as her teeth claimed soft skin. Still mostly clothed, they were half-draped on the couch, Maura's leg hooked around Jane's lean form, a heel firmly pressed into the brunette's ass. Eager and angry and pushed beyond all endurance, Maura's hands braced against her lover's shoulders, shoving her downward. She arched her back when a hot, wet mouth fastened on her clit, one hand reaching for dark strands of hair. The phantoms scattered in the incandescent physical accession that trumped everything else.
XXX
Later, heartbeats slow and blood languid, they held each other close in Maura's bed. Bodies sated, deeper emotions rose to the surface, trickling between them like raindrops. Words were hesitant and disjointed. Gentle palms cradled as fingertips stroked with reverence, a prelude to emotional surrender and acknowledgement of the ties binding them together.