Horatio groaned and slowly opened his heavy eyelids. "Bacon? Is it time for breakfast already?"
"Shh." Calleigh ran her fingers through his hair, making him close his eyes again. "No, sweetheart. Now go back to sleep." He nodded, sluggishly, and within seconds was snoring softly.
Telling him what she had found would do no good. She hadn't figured out enough yet to make it worth waking him up. He needed sleep more than anything; she could tell him in the morning. Then she remembered Web's words. No one else is to know about this. Not Evan, not Lieutenant Caine. She didn't like the idea of keeping it from him, but Web had insisted. Why? Why not Horatio?
Carefully, she slid from his arms, picked up her phone and went outside. She dialed Web.
"Yes?" he answered with his typically flat tone.
"I think I figured out Rebecca's code," she hurriedly said.
"You think you figured it out?"
"I know I did. I haven't deciphered all of it yet; there's a lot there. But everything I've deciphered so far has made sense." Her heart was racing. This was the first real break she'd had since she'd joined the Bureau. Finally, she felt like she was accomplishing something.
"How long do you think it w--"
"All night."
"Can you do it?"
Calleigh pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it. Can I do it? Is he serious? "Yes," she said with more confidence than she'd felt in weeks. "I'll have it to you by morning."
"Good." He actually sounded like he was smiling, though it faded quickly. "If you find anything…strange…don't wait until morning. Phone me immediately. Oh, and let me reiterate…no one is to know about this."
Damn. "What about Horatio?"
Web thought for a moment. "Not yet. When the time is right, I'll let you know."
More secrets… "Alright." Calleigh looked over her shoulder through the window and saw Horatio still fast asleep on the couch. She wondered if Web had any idea that she wouldn't be able to keep this from Horatio. At least not all of it. She turned her attention back to the phone. "I need to get back to work."
Minutes later she was again curled up beside a sleeping red-head, deciphering page after page of code. The deeper she got, the more she realized why Web wanted this to remain quiet. It appeared that Locke had stumbled onto something she was never meant to notice…
--
The sound of a file folder thudding onto his desk made Web look up over the rim of his reading glasses. "Can I help you?" He didn't move from his comfortable position; leaned back in his leather chair, ankles crossed and feet propped up on his oak desk.
"It's done. All of them." Calleigh flattened her palms on Web's desk and leaned in, whispering. "Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?"
He motioned to the chair across from his desk. "Have a seat." He reached across and pulled the file to his lap. After skimming over its contents, he looked back up at Calleigh, who was waiting impatiently for his response. He lifted the phone receiver from the cradle and pushed a single button. "Marsha, hold my calls." As soon as the phone clicked back in place, he removed his reading glasses. As he rubbed the bridge of his nose, in an odd way, it reminded Calleigh of Horatio. "How'd you do it," he asked.
"It was Francis Bacon. He developed a simple but surprisingly effective method of encoding text. There's an order to the bold letters, believe it or not. You divide the letters into groups of five. For example, the if there are no bold letters in the group, then it's the letter A. If there are four regular letters and the fifth is bold, then it's a B--" Calleigh paused. "You know what? It really doesn't matter. I figured it out, didn't I? If you want a full explanation of how it works, I'll be glad to explain it to you…after you explain that," she pointed at the folder, "to me."
Web's left eyebrow rose. "Because of what happened to her as a child, Rebecca has never trusted easily. She saw it as a curse, I saw it as a blessing. I was the only one she ever fully trusted…at least until she met Horatio…and as a result I was able to use her in ways I couldn't use others. About a month ago I noticed she was concerned about something, but she wouldn't tell me what or who it involved. She said she wanted to 'get her facts straight' first, but I could tell she was nervous. It wasn't like her, so I knew that whatever it was, it had to be big.
"I told her I trusted her instincts, and to come to me when she was ready, but fate intervened and for the past several weeks I've been trying to figure out what she was working on. Now, thanks to your work we can get to the bottom of this."
We? He's including me in this? It's about time. Calleigh nodded. "What would you like me to do?"
"Sum it up for me. Give me a synopsis of what you found. I don't have time to go through all of the files at the moment, so I want the major points."
"Even with the code, she was extremely cautious. The entire thing is vague. There are no names mentioned whatsoever. Each person is referred to by a letter, the most common letters being X and Y."
"Rather unoriginal, I'd say."
"Then I guess it's a good thing she's not being judged on creativity."
Web actually grinned at Calleigh's comment. She continued explaining details of what she'd found. Locke had times and dates of phone calls, locations of meetings, snippets of conversations and other vague pieces of information. "Any idea who X and Y are?" Web asked after she was finished.
"Not really. Even with the information we have, they could be any number of people. But this isn't just your typical investigation. There's something about these two. And…" Calleigh's tone grew sober. "There is one more thing."
"Go on."
Calleigh took a deep breath and flipped to the last page in the folder. "Rebecca believed her life was in danger." The only movement in Web's face was slight flexing of his jaw muscles. "She suspected that she had been discovered and was afraid they were coming after her."
"But?"
"Well…we know who shot Rebecca--he was a mid-level drug dealer. But it doesn't add up. Whatever Rebecca was investigating, it had nothing to do with drugs."
"What makes you say that?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a drug bust of that size--just one dealer and his stash--beneath the FBI?"
Web nodded. "Something that small is better suited to MDPD." Calleigh grew very quiet. Thinking he had offended her, he added, "And I'm sure they would do a fine job."
Calleigh shook her head. "It's not that.."
"Then what is it?"
"I don't think the drug dealer is involved with this. I think the cases are unrelated."
Web nodded several times. "Then you've just confirmed my suspicions…and also made me that much more determined to find X and Y."
Calleigh jumped to her feet. "I think I know how to do it."
"Oh?"
"X and Y were after Locke, right?"
"Yes," he said slowly.
"Then we'll have to give them what they want."
--
"I don't like it, Cal. It's too risky."
"It's the only way."
"There's always another way."
"What would you have me do, Horatio? Just forget about the whole thing? Rebecca was on to something, but she didn't know what exactly. This is our chance to find out what it was."
"But why you? Why does Web want you on this? I thought you were working on The Ghost."
"I am." Calleigh looked away for a moment. She had already told him more than she was supposed to. She had to draw the line. There were certain details that she was not allowed to discuss with him, no matter how much she wanted to.
Horatio knew that look and he understood, but he didn't like it. "I see. Somehow X and Y and The Ghost…You think they're all connected."
Unable to answer without going against Web's instructions, she avoided his eyes. It was answer enough. Web didn't want him to know that he had been referred to several times in Rebecca's coded notes. Not by name, of course, but the references were clear. Locke had had her suspicions about the true identity of The Ghost, but she'd been shot before she'd been able to get the proof she needed. Calleigh's hope was that by going through with this plan, they'd be a step closer to catching him.
There was a long pause. "So," he said softly, lifting her chin, "you're really going through with this?" The concern was evident in his eyes.
She nodded. "I promise I'll be careful."
Horatio leaned down and kissed her softly. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. But Calleigh had to make her own decisions, regardless of whether or not he liked them. Pulling his head back, he smiled weakly down at her. "When do you have to leave?"
"First thing in the morning. Around six, I'd say."
Horatio glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight. "That doesn't give us much time." Grabbing her hand, he began to pull her toward the stairs. "Let's get you to bed. You've got a long day ahead of you."
--
"Everything is in order," Web said the next afternoon. "Rebecca's been airlifted to the hospital in Orlando, security has been cut back to the standard level for the wing, and we've announced that she's regained consciousness."
"If only that were true," Calleigh muttered. Locke was still very much in a coma, but the only way to get X and Y out of the woodwork was to let them think that she was awake, that the FBI was no longer guarding her hospital wing, and that she'd be talking. They would have to get to her before she had the chance to incriminate them.
"Are you ready?"
Calleigh took a deep breath. "Yeah. I want to get this over with."
Web opened the door the room which, up until today, had been Locke's. Now it would be Calleigh's; she would become the bait. With the help of bandages, blankets, darkness, and blonde hair, she, hopefully, would be able to pass for Locke.
Now it was time to wait. There was no way of knowing when or if they would take the bait. It could be hours, it could be days. There were a lot of unknowns, for that matter, none of which made her feel any better. She would be as prepared as possible, but she had to appear vulnerable. If X and Y suspected that the FBI was anywhere around, there was no way they'd be foolish enough to set foot on hospital premises. No, Calleigh needed to seem helpless. And she'd have to stay awake. Falling asleep could mean…She didn't like to think about it.
Once the finishing touches were in place, Web left. Calleigh was now completely alone, save for the small two way earpiece. It would be the only way she and Web would communicate. They had agreed to tell no one what was going on. As far as Evan, Danny and Mel knew, it was still Rebecca in that room upstairs. Web had told them that Calleigh was visiting her sick aunt in Atlanta. Only Web and Calleigh knew the truth. Evan and Danny were stationed at different locations in the hospital, both of them working undercover. They believed they were acting as "Rebecca's" security. In all actuality, Web had put them there so that if things got out of hand, they could be in Calleigh's room in under 90 seconds.
Calleigh heard the tiny beep from her ear piece. "Alright, Calleigh," Web said. "Here we go."
--
Nothing happened that day. Or the next. To keep up appearances Doctors and nurses came and went, and Calleigh basically 'became' Locke. The hours passed brutally slowly. There was nothing good on TV, she had no visitors, and she wasn't allowed to call Horatio.
If she knew Horatio, and she liked to think that she did, he was back at the house, waiting for a phone call, probably going crazy. She had warned him that it could be a matter of days before anything happened, but it made him no less impatient. She had told him that, if necessary, he could contact Web.
And he had. He tried to be as patient as possible, but when Calleigh hadn't come home that first night and she hadn't called, he became concerned. Web attempted to reassure him that she was safe, but it didn't make him feel any better.
Again, Horatio's nights were sleepless. He felt utterly helpless again, but this time it was worse. In the past, he knew that Calleigh could be in danger. This time, she was, and there was nothing he could do about it.
If anyone harms a hair on her head…
--
At 2:24 am on the fifth night, Calleigh sat bolt upright in bed. She could see through the window into the dark hallway. Occasionally a shadow would pass by the window as a nurse or two walked by, but over all, the hall was still.
But something wasn't right…
Her earpiece beeped. "This pond is empty," Web said.
"He's here," she whispered. I can feel him."
"No. I'm calling it. If someone was going to make a move, they would have done it by now."
Another shadow passed by and slowed. "Just a little more time."
"This is not a negotiation. I want you out of there now. Danny will meet you at the elevator on the bottom floor." Web spoke into the walkie. "Danny?"
"Sir?"
"I want you--"
"Web," Calleigh whispered as she peered through the slit in her eyelids at the shadow on the other side of the window. She needed to pretend she was asleep, but she was too nervous to completely shut her eyes. "He's here. I know it."
"Agent Duquesne, you're ordered out of that room."
"Danny," Web said into the radio again, "Agent Duquesne is in room 5203. I want her physically removed from that room if necessary."
"Copy that." Danny was confused, thinking Calleigh was in Atlanta, but he wasn't about to go against Web. Not while he was in one of his moods. "I'll be there."
Silently the door to Calleigh's room opened and the figure stepped inside. Keep calm, Cal, keep calm. She couldn't stop him yet. She would have to catch him red-handed for any charges to stick.
"Agent Duquesne! I order you out of that room!!"
Calleigh ignored Web's voice and tried to slow her breathing. She heard footsteps come around the end of the bed. They stopped right beside her.
"Danny, what is your location?" Web shouted.
"I'm on the elevator. I'll be there in forty seconds."
Calleigh could hear the soft click of something plastic. From her years of training, she identified the sound as a syringe. So that's how he's going to do it.
Slowly, Calleigh counted to five and pulled her gun from beneath the blanket. "Federal Agent!! Don't move!!" She yanked off the bandages and jumped to her feet, pressing the button for the over head light.
As the light came on, Calleigh's eyes went wide. Standing there, in complete shock, was Rick Stetler.
Had the situation not been so serious, Calleigh might have laughed. She had been wanting to get revenge on Stetler, but never had she dreamed that the opportunity would land in her lap. She yanked the earpiece out of her ear and threw it onto the bed. She was tired of hearing Web order her to 'stand down'.
With a raised eyebrow, she tilted her head to the side. "You have got to be kidding me. Murder, Rick? Isn't that a bit low, even for you?"
"You've got this all wrong, Calleigh."
"Shut up and put your hands on the bed."
At that moment Danny burst through the door, gun at the ready. "Web says y--" It took a moment for his brain to process what he was seeing. With an amused grin, he holstered his SIG. "Not bad, Duquesne."
"What does Web say?" she asked as she frisked Stetler for any other weapons.
Danny just shook his head and chuckled. "He wanted me to come get you, drag you out by force if necessary, but…"
Calleigh jabbed the muzzle of her gun in between Stetler's shoulder blades and pushed him down onto the hospital bed. "Mind letting me borrow your cuffs, Danny?" He pulled them from beneath his coat and tossed them to her. Calleigh holstered he own gun and reached for Stetler's wrists. "So tell me, Rick, are you X or Y?"
Stetler's face scrunched up in confusion. "Huh?"
Calleigh shook her head. "Never mind. Just shut up. You're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Federal Agent. You have the right to remain silent…"
--
Danny and Calleigh led Stetler down to the Parking Garage where Web and a handful of other agents were waiting. Calleigh handed Stetler off to one of the agents and moved over to where Web was filling Mel and Evan in on what had been taking place.
"The interrogation's set," Web said as he approached them. "You and you," he said, pointing to Danny and Mel, "finish up here. You," he pointed at Calleigh, "that bus outside makes a stop by your neighborhood. Why don't you ride it."
Calleigh was stunned. "What?"
"I've called ahead. Your belongings from headquarters will be waiting for you in your driveway."
"You're joking," Calleigh said.
"I'm not joking," Web said, folding his arms, "and I wasn't joking when I gave you a direct order to stand down. And now you don't work for me."
Danny shook his head. "But this was her arrest."
"And my report will reflect exactly that if she catches that bus." Web glared at her. "I suggest you catch it." He turned to the other three agents. "I'll meet you guys back at the Ranch." Leaving the four of them completely stunned, he turned and headed across the floor of the parking garage.
Danny, Mel and Evan stared at her. Like them, Calleigh was speechless. Slowly, she shook her head in disbelief and turned to walk away.
"You're not going to quit…" Danny called after her.
Like I have a choice…
--
An agent three inches taller than Rick and several inches thicker pushed him toward the waiting SUV. Stetler squirmed in discomfort. When Danny had brought him out to the garage minutes before, Evan had made eye contact with him. What the hell was going on? Why had he not done anything?
The whole thing had been Evan's plan. He had given him specific instructions as to how to 'take care' of Rebecca. And not only had it not been Rebecca in that bed, but the plan had failed…miserably. Had he been set up? No, Rick thought. Matthews isn't that stupid.
Stetler shuddered as he remembered Evan's last words to him. You squeal, and I'll make you wish Caine had killed you that night.
When they reached the SUV, the agent pulled the backdoor open and pushed Rick inside. "Where are you taking me?" he asked.
Without answering, the agent slammed the door shut, leaving Stetler in almost total darkness. The inside of the SUV was silent. He shifted awkwardly, trying to find a more comfortable way to sit, but the cuffs were too tight. As he moved to his left, his foot bumped struck something that seemed out of place. It was at that moment that he realized that he wasn't alone in the vehicle. He strained to see in the darkness, but his eyes wouldn't adjust quickly enough.
A voice broke through silence. A deep, growling, angry voice that had haunted him since the night he'd been attacked in his sleep.
"Hello, Rick."
--
"Calleigh, wait up." Evan rushed to catch up with her as she hurried out of the parking garage. Hearing his voice, she paused and waited. When he reached her side, he bent over at the waist, put his hands on his knees and panted for air.
There were a million things Calleigh wanted to say, none of which were pleasant. She was livid. How could Web have done that? After all that I've done, after all that I've gone through, how could he have done that? "What do you want, Evan?"
"Forget the bus. Let me take you. I drive right by your place on my way to headquarters anyway."
Calleigh thought for a moment, but she honestly just wanted to be alone. "Thanks, but I'll be fine."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm not worried about you so much as I am about Horatio. He…asked me to look out for you."
"He what??"
"About an hour ago…he called me."
She looked at him skeptically. "And why would he do that?"
"Because he's worried about you. And he said that if you were to go back to the Keys…that he wouldn't be there."
What? "Oh? Did he say where he was going?"
Evan shook his head. "No, just that he had something he had to take care of."
"No offense, Evan, but why the hell should I believe you?"
He chuckled. "He told you'd say that."
"He did, did he?" She folded her arms across her chest, not yet convinced.
"Yes. So he told me to tell you something, something that only the two of you would know. That way you'd know it was from him."
She narrowed her eyes, but waited for him to continue.
Evan scratched the back of his head. "He um…said…Venus. Pink…Venus."
Calleigh's eyebrow slowly slid up. There was no way Evan could possibly know about that, not unless Horatio actually had spoken to him. She had never mentioned it to anyone, and she was certain that he hadn't either. It was too embarrassing for him. But that convinced her all the more that he truly had spoken to Evan. It wasn't something that could have been faked. It was far too absurd. Calleigh's tone softened slightly. "Did he say anything else?"
"No. Just that he would call you when he's finished."
She really did want to be alone, but if Horatio found out that she had refused 'protection'… She sighed. "Alright."
Evan smiled and nodded toward a car on the opposite side of the garage. "Good. I'm parked over there."
--
Danny opened the car door for Mel. "I can't believe that son-of-a-bitch."
"I know." Mel nodded and climbed in. "So what if she disobeyed his orders. You do it all the time."
"Thanks," he replied sarcastically.
"Come on, Dan. You know what I mean. She was just following her instincts. And she happened to be right."
Danny walked around to the other side of the car and got in. "True. Maybe Web didn't like it that she proved him wrong."
He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. As they drove down level after level in the garage, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened. "Shit!" he cried, slamming on the breaks.
"Jesus, Dan!" Mel braced herself on the dashboard as the vehicle lurched. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Danny hit the gas and the tires squealed on the concrete before the car sped forward. "Going after her."
"Who?"
"Calleigh!"
"But why?"
"Web is up to something. That bus doesn't go anywhere near her neighborhood."