Sorry this story won't leave me alone. So there has to be a few more chapters, I guess, because a few things were left unexplained. :)
"Hi" Mandy smiles at Jason as she enters the room. Looking around she then sits herself at the opposite side of the table from where he's leaning back in his chair.
"Heyyyy! " He smiles "Lookin good there Mandy!" He pushes his hat back an looks up at her as she pulls out the chair "So, how're you doin? And how was the vacation? "
"Oh um.. yeah... you know. Beach was nice. Bar was better but I .. I gotta say, I'm not so good at kicking my heels up." She sighs "Actually is it wrong for me to say I was bored? And If I'm honest I'm just really glad to be back at work"
"Yeah, but you're not pushing yourself, right? You did take time out? Do some relaxing, some recovery? I mean after everything you went through. You do know, you need time. A lot went on there Mandy. Don't just ignore it."
"Oh, I didn't know you cared so much Jason." She smiles "I'm good so don't worry."
"Yeah well you know, you gave us all a bit of a scare there with that stunt you pulled"
"The stunt I pulled?" She frowns and smiles puzzled
"Yeah you know saying you were getting married, gave us all a bit of a shock. Don't do anything like that again!" he laughs
"I'll try and remember" She smiles "But you'll be glad to hear that I'm fine. Guess its part and parcel of the job right? Just another day!"
"Well I don't know if getting held hostage and facing death is what you call an everyday work but..." he laughs holding her hand "I for one am glad to have you back!"
She lets out a deep breath looking at his fingers and she wraps her hand tightly around his. She smiles at him, looking at his face, studying the lines, his stubble, his lips and then looking him in the eyes. He looks a lot less tired than she remembers and there's a glint in those eyes that's returned, that hadn't been there for a long time
"So how are you? And how is the Agent Powell doing these days?" she smiles, as she bites the edge of her lip curious to know if Jason's still seeing the DEA agent.
Hmmm! He smiles, letting out a long sigh. He can see the curiosity bubbling just below the surfaces of her brown eyes " Yeah, yeah she's good. Still feisty, and we're taking it slow for now. Anyway, she's always pretty busy, always away. You know Mandy, it's weird, being on the other side, me worrying about her. Being out of the loop on what she's doing. What dangers she might be getting into. That I'm the one having to put her job to the back of my mind and carry on. It's not easy for sure!"
He runs his hand through his hair leaning back, anxiously chewing his gum as he opens up about his feelings. If there's one thing he's learned since CJ's death it's to open up a lot more about how he's feeling. "Guess it works both ways, she still worries about what I do. Sure, keeps me on my toes" He smiles "You know Mandy, I'm so glad you're doin alright. I thought we'd lost ya there for a minute. I'm not sure I could've lived with that, not having you to keep me in line. Haul my ass out of the shit every now and again!"
"Yeah well..." she smiles "be nice to get back to doing it. You know hauling your ass out! Now that the dust has finally settled on everything else. Well, at least I hope it has."
"You hope?" he frowns "What the hell does that mean"
"Oh um... nothing" She smiles awkwardly toying with the edges of the files that she laid on the desk
"No c'mon Mandy ...we've known each other long enough. I know when you got somethin on your mind. So, what the hell is it?" He frowns studying her face, the fake-ness of the smile she puts on to try and cover whatever it is she's trying to hide " You didn't just come here for the pleasure of my company, did you?"
"Yeah!" she smiles "Yeah of course I did" She knows she's not fooling him. The truth is she did come here to tell him more but now seeing him, seeing that happy freshness back in his face. Well now, now she's not sure if she's doing the right thing contemplating even telling. Maybe I should just forget it?
"What is it? " he sits up straight in his chair, leaning across the table, staring at her "Mandy, c'mon spill. There somethin I should know about? Has something happened, should I be concerned?"
"No, no nothing's happened" she sighs "Look I'm really not even sure what it is yet, so maybe I shouldn't say anything, not until I've checked it out further"
"But you came here, with the intention of telling me ? Whatever this thing is? "
"Maybe. Maybe, until I saw how happy you look. How that tiredness has gone from you. Maybe that's why I'm so uncertain that telling you is the best idea!"
"Yeah well we both know you're going to. You know as well as I do, that there's no way I'm letting you walk out of here without giving me some idea what this is all about"
"Yeah ... yeah stupid on my part. Look, this time off, vacation. Well it gave me a chance to read, check through all of my emails, clear out my inbox, spam box you know... stuff I don't get to look at sometimes."
"You're stallin, so get to the point!"
"Well .. you remember that hacker friend of my mine, Toby." She looks around the room
"The one that got killed in a car accident. The hit and run guy."
"Yeah. Yeah well ... he um... he sent me some emails. They came on an auto send a week or so ago"
"So how the hell did that happen? I mean, I thought he was dead? It even made the news channels"
"Um... well all I can think is that he'd set them up to send them automatically, if...if something untoward happened to him. He was super cautious with stuff like that." she laughs "He used to have contingency plans for everything. He was one of these end of the worlder's. Had a cellar full of tinned foods, that kinda thing. Always ranting on about Government conspiracies everywhere. That's what made him so good at getting information, he questioned everything. Every small detail. Stuff no one else would notice then follow a trail. So .. probably made a backup plan. I mean if he didn't get to speak with me in person "
"Okay so that in itself is kinda weird. But then he was a kinda weird guy, no offence meant! Anyway .. go ahead, so what about the emails?"
"Well they're fairly interesting, though as I said, I haven't had a chance to follow them up properly yet. I've just given them a quick scan" she sighs "Look, I'm really not sure how far I should delve into this, or if I should just leave it be now."
"Well I'd guess that depends... what they're about and why you're telling me? Mandy, you've done this job long enough, you know if there's something you should follow up. So why you playin so hard to get with it?" He looks at her. The look in her face, the nervous apprehension the self-doubt.
She looks nervously around the room, hesitating . She can see Clay, Ray and Sonny in the corner. Sonny's still asleep under his hat. Ray's working at the laptop, and Clay's browsing the internet on his phone.
She bites her lip, now turning her attention to Jason, he's staring at her across the table as she twitches her hand on the cover of the light brown folder in front of her. To open it or not?
" Look we should probably leave this alone. Maybe digging the past up is not good for either of us right now"
"Digging the past up? " he frowns, watching her toy with the edge of the cardboard on the file "So, this somethin to do with CJ?"
She lets out a long-resigned sight and nods silently "Yeah!"
"Oh wow!" He takes a breath sitting back in his seat. He frowns looking at her. His expression questioning her motives. Taking his hat off his hand are in his hair. "You know what... I don't think I wanna know!"
He looks around looking at Clay. He glances up from this cell phone and smiles apprehensively over at Jason "You know Mandy, we've all moved on. Maybe it would be better to leave the ghosts in the past, yeah?"
"Maybe..." she sighs " I wondered the same thing. Until this.. .then I wondered, but what if it not ghosts? What if it's real people, real lives. Or more importantly, what if potentially real family? Would you want that left in the past? JCs some potential family, what if they already here? Here in the future."
"Family? What family? What does that mean? Whose family, Mandy?" he frowns "You mean CJs family ? But I thought she didn't have any more. No one came to the funeral. No one called me, offered their condolences. What you think I should worry? You think someone might come for JC"
"No, no, nothing like that! No don't worry about that... . but maybe... what if he did have other family? Look, like I told you I haven't had any time to check all this out and I don't know exactly what's going on!" she sighs pushing the file forward "And I don't know who this person is. I'm working on it though. And these account details, they were all sent to me. And this it was in with some financial reports, and the other emails he sent. Jason this is a copy of a highly restricted classified file!"
"So why bring it up now, if you've not checked it out. I mean this might be nothing, right?"
"Maybe. But um... well something caught my eye, and I did a ... a little surface checking, not that I went too deep. Cos like I said, I wasn't sure how far you wanted me to make that hole. Maybe you wanna leave it all inside this file and I'm happy to do that. Go forward or leave it. Whichever you decide."
"Alright, well... if it's enough to come to your attention... then you got mine!" He takes a deep breath, wondering if he might just regret saying that "Hit me with it! Then' ll decide what to do with what I know"
"Alright! But you sure? Cos once you see, you can't unsee it?"
"Yeah sure! Go ahead. He frowns at the look on her face, he laughs" What you gonna tell me CJs alive? Cos I know damn well that's not true! I saw her die in my arms... " he sighs now getting emotional "And I saw her body before the funeral, so I know that's not it. That's not what you're gonna tell me!"
"No, no not quite. Okay then... " She opens the beige file in front of her, turning some of the pages of reports and financial print outs until she gets to a large black and white photograph which she turns on the table so she can push it in front of him, for him to read.
"Wat the hell is this?!" He snaps angrily "This some kinda god damn joke, Mandy? I just told you .. " Jason frowns " What you said that this wasn't about ghosts so what the hell is this? Just why do you have a photograph of CJ? I just told you... she's dead! What the hell are you trying to do to me, Mandy?"
"Nothing" She sighs "You're not looking. Look again! Carefully this time!"
Jason looks around he's finding it difficult. Just the mere glimpse of the photo sent his emotions into meltdown and he bites his lip "I can't, I can't look at her. God damn I don't even have photos at home of her..." He closes the file, pushing it back towards her. He sighs " So what is it?"
Mandy opens the file again and slides it across the table. Its laid there full exposed in front of him. He can't help but look at it now. "Look again Jason! This time look at her!" Mandy sighs, watching him study the photo "Jason,... Jason, it's not CJ"
o-o-o-o-o-o
Clay frowns looking up from his phone he watches Jason and Mandy "Hey..." he kicks at the sleeping Sonny's leg "What's going on over there?"
Sonny frowns, lifting his hat up. Looking over at Jason and Mandy "I dunno, maybe going over some old files, or somethin like that? Who the hell cares ? Just as long as it aint nothing to do with us. Then I'm fine with whatever it is they're doing?
"Well they look like their up to something to me. I mean Jason looks tense"
"Jason looks tense to you?" Sonny laughs "And you can tell that from sittin right here? Wow! Wow Clay, that's some impressive superpowers you got goin on! And anyway, don't take no powers of deduction, Jason always looks tense. It's what he does best. I told ya... don't worry about it! Now go do something more useful, and somewhere else. Let me sleep!"
Sonny watches as Clay keeps staring he can see the wheels in his brain turning over and he knows he's not going to leave it alone. There's a suspicion and probably rightly, they do look like they're plotting something. Engaged deep in a hushed conversation
"Oh hell Clay, why you doin this? It's Mandy and Jason!" he shrugs "Who knows what the hell they're cookin up?! My life is not meant to involve itself in whatever Miss Mandy might be up to with Jason, or not!"
"No! No sonny I don't mean that! I mean what are they discussing, something in that file she has on the desk . You think it's some new target package? Maybe something interesting this time. What I wanna know is why she's discussing it with Jason, first. Since when did she do that"
He turns around nudging Ray. He's still wrapped up reading reports, lost deep in thought on his laptop "Hey Ray! What the hell is that about over there? You know anythin?"
"No brother, not me!" Ray shrugs "Well nothing he's shared with me, so far, man. Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll find out if anything comes from it, and if we need to know, right?"
Sonny closes his eyes again. Ray goes back to his list. But Clay sits staring, watching their body language "You want a coffee Sonny? Hey Sonny?" he shakes his head realising Sonny's asleep
"You want more coffee Ray?"
"Um.. yeah, yeah sure. Only if you're getting up though"
"Yeah, I'll go"
Clay frowns picking up Ray and his own cup. Then he heads over to the machine that is on the unit behind where Mandy and Jason are talking. He slowly pours the coffee into the two cups and then he slowly looks around ,and smiles.
He can just about make out the photograph laying in the open file and he silently gasps. Then he has an obvious frown as he watches them "Hey Jason, Mandy, you wanna coffee?"
Mandy looks up "Oh um... hey Clay!" She turns smiling, Clay stood by her left shoulder and she quickly closes the cardboard cover on the file.
A little too late as he gets a full look at the printed photo. "What's that about? " He looks at them both and frowns
Jason looks away and saying nothing He coughs "It's nothin. That's what it is. Nothin ! It's the past and that's where it stays" He gets up "I'll catch you later Mandy. Glad to have you back, by the way !"he kisses her cheek and leaves.
Clay frowns "So, what's his problem? Something to do with that?" .
"Oh no. No that's just clearing up some old paperwork!" she smiles, changing the subject "So... you good Clay, you all mended now ? "
"Yeah I'm good. So how you finding life back in the field? It feel kinda strange?
"You know what no! No actually it feels stranger, being away. Not sure what to do with myself in downtime"
"Oh, you should be like Sonny. Just sleep!" he laughs
"I heard that Spenser! I'll have you know I do not just sleep I will have you know that I... sleep like a hibernating bear!"
"Yeah!" Clay laughs " Yeah a bear with a sore head most of the time!"
Clay frowns then he passes the cup of coffee to Mandy. As he stands it down for her, he accidentally knocks it over "Oh shit! Oh god Mandy! God, I'm sorry!" he squeals in pretend horror, watching as the hot coffee tips all over her lap.
She jumps from her seat, the heat and the mess "Oh shit!...Oh shit, I need to clean this up. I have a meeting in thirty minutes!"
"Oh god! I am so sorry! Totally my fault. Tell you what you go clean up and I'll clear this up desk. Don't worry Mandy. I'm sure if you wet it quick, it won't stain" he smiles " I'm so sorry can't believe I'm so clumsy. God I feel terrible"
He starts wiping the coffee off the table, spreading it over her clothes even more "Clay Stop! You're just making it worse. Shit! Look, I'll be back from these things in a minute. I need to wipe this before the stains!"
"Hey, there's a hand drier, in the bathrooms. Maybe you can dry it out, if you're quick!"
She frowns at him sighing. She's so annoyed as she looks at her skirt and blouse now soaked in dark brown coffee stains "Just go Mandy! Before it dries in. I'll take care of this!"
He looks up as she leaves the room. Then he looks over in Sonny and Ray's direction. Checking,
Sonny's still in land of Z'ds under his cap and Ray's engrossed reading some stuff he found with regards to his promotion.
Clay looks around taking his cell phone from his pocket, he sits himself, with his coffee, at the desk.
Casually he swings the chair around. Then he slowly and subtly, slides the beige file he saw out on the desk earlier. The one that was in front of Mandy, and he lifts the edge of the cover.
He can see the black and white photograph from earlier "Oh my god! What the hell?" He frowns, then he flicks the rest of the photographs his eyes darting back and forward to the doorway to the office, checking for movements on the other side of the room, or indeed Mandy's return.
He takes out his cell phone and hurriedly clicks photos of all of the pages and paperwork in the file, including the financial statements. Then he pushes the contents back inside and closes the cover on it. But, just before he puts it back in the pile, he takes one more look at the large black and while photograph. He frowns puzzled by the picture "CJ?" he questions his own eyes
"Clay!"
He gasps looking up sharply as Sonny call his name. He gulps nervously, wondering for a moment if he's been caught. Then, putting the file back. He looks up and smiles
" Hey Sonny was sup man?"
"Clay, you got more coffee in that pot. If so I'll have one!" Sonny lifts his hat and looks at him "What you doin' there, man?"
"Oh, nothing. Just sittin. Sittin and drinkin coffee. I'll get you some!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-
Mandy meets Jason in the bar. She smiles "So..."
"So..."
"here we are again". She smiles again "And so soon"
"Look... " Jason sighs "...I don't know why I asked you here. But... well, I can't stop thinking about that intel you pulled. And what you said. That photograph wasn't CJ ?! So..who the hell is it then?"
"Got your curiosity, did I?" she laughs "I knew it would! I told you, I only did a surface dig."
"Come on Mandy! We both know that you never surface dig anything. So, tell me ... what's this all about. And what do you know?"
"Why don't you buy me a drink first Jason?! Then we'll talk" She smiles, pulling the file out of her bag "I'll have a large vodka soda!"