A/N: Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. Thank you SWWoman once again for your beta skills.
Chaos 21
John spent the better part of the morning telling Harold everything he knew about Mark Snow. From the moment John had met Snow until the chilly meeting with Snow and Kara when John had told them he was leaving the CIA, and never spoke to them again. He went into as much detail with Harold as he could remember. There were some things that John kept to himself, that were not pertinent to the situation at hand, and they would never see the light of day.
The more Harold learned about Mark Snow the more inclined he was to believe John was correct in his assessment that Snow was their perpetrator, but John was holding back. He could tell by the way John left gaps in certain time periods. It was as if these areas had been sectioned off in John's mind as "off limits" to everyone, including John. Although Harold was curious about these incidents, he trusted John to know what was relevant to the case and what was not.
There was a lull in the conversation where both John and Harold were lost in their own thoughts until Harold spoke up. "John, are you ever going to tell me about whatever it is you're leaving out of this discussion?"
John stiffened, and his face darkened immediately. With his eyes downcast he said quietly, "I can't do that, Harold. I'm sorry." He then looked up with such a haunted look in his eyes that it made Harold gasp.
"John, if these things are as dark as I'm assuming them to be, you can't harbor them alone. You need to tell someone or they'll eat away at you," Harold said with concern for his friend.
"This subject is closed, Harold. We won't speak of it again," John said with finality.
Harold stared at John for a moment, then realizing John would not be moved, he nodded his head in agreement even if he didn't like it.
John glanced at his watch, and saw that it was nearly noon. He turned to Harold and said wearily, "I promised Joss I would bring her lunch and it's nearly noon. Why don't we pick this back up after lunch?"
Harold nodded his head in agreement. "I think we both need a break. It's been a long morning, and I think I'll go home to have lunch with Grace. Why don't we meet back here in a couple of hours? A long lunch with our better halves will do us both good," he suggested with a smile.
The darkness that had shrouded John seemed to lift a little as he smiled back at Harold. "I think you may be right, Harold. See you in a couple of hours," with that John turned and walked from Harold's office feeling lighter with every step as he thought of seeing Joss.
Joss was sitting upright with her legs crossed in front of her as she flipped through the numerous channels available on the TV provided in her room when John came through her door loaded down with bags of food and a cardboard cup holder with their milkshakes. She squealed happily, and clapped her hands together, her mouth already salivating at the thought of the delicious caramel milkshake he had brought her, not to mention the loaded cheeseburger and onion rings.
John dropped the bags with the burgers and onion rings on the bed in front of Joss, and smiled as he watched her tear into the bags with unabashed joy. She really did love to eat. He placed the container with their milkshakes on her side table, and then shrugged out of his overcoat, laying it over the back of the armchair. He then sat in the same armchair, and let out a relaxed sigh.
"Aren't you going to eat something?" Joss asked as she unwrapped her cheeseburger.
"I will in a minute." John replied. "I just want to relax first."
Joss looked over at John curiously as she chewed the bite she had just taken of her burger. He did appear a bit tense. She wondered if the meeting with Harold had gone well, and what they had discussed that had made him this stressed. She didn't say anything, not wanting to worry him further, but allowed him to relax as he wanted.
Soon John got up, walked over to the bed, rummaged through the bags to retrieve his own food, and then took his food and milkshake back to his chair. He took a big slurp of the milkshake, and hummed in satisfaction as the cool, caramel coated his tongue and throat. He looked over at Joss who was smiling at him indulgently.
"Good, huh?"
"I've never had one of these before, it's delicious," John replied with a grin. "I'm glad you suggested it, sweetheart." He then took a huge bite out of his cheeseburger and closed his eyes in bliss. He could hear Joss laughing, but he didn't care. He just looked at her and grinned again wider.
"If you had any sense, John Reese, you'd be dangerous," Joss said, laughing with her hand over her mouth because she had just taken a bite of onion ring.
"What? You don't think I'm dangerous?" John replied in mock insult.
"Naah, you're just a big teddy bear with blunt claws," Joss said softly, with love in her eyes.
John set his food aside, walked over to Joss's bed, took her by the chin, and looked into her soft brown eyes. "I could show you just how dangerous I am if we weren't in this hospital," he said seductively, sending heat all through her body.
Joss swallowed before she said huskily, "I guess I have something to look forward to then."
"We both do," John whispered before he took her lips tenderly, moving his hand behind her head to deepen the kiss. She tasted of caramel from her milkshake, and it mixed deliciously with her own natural sweetness.
When John pulled away from the kiss, he and Joss both were breathing heavily, both suddenly ravenous for each other. They both knew there was no way to quench their thirst for one another here as they gazed into each other's eyes.
Joss rose to her knees, and wrapped her arms around John's neck to pull him closer to her, her body needing contact with his even if this was all she could have. She felt him wrap his strong arms around her, and pull her into his body. She felt completely enveloped by him; his scent, his body, and most of all his love.
It was as if it was just the two of them. John felt he and Joss had woven a spell around them where only they existed. When he had pulled her body to his, he had buried his face in her neck, inhaling her unique scent, tasting her skin with his lips and tongue. John pulled his head back to see the same desire in his eyes reflected in hers. He cupped her face in his hands, and said in a low timber, "You have no idea how much I want you right now."
"Yes, yes I do. Because I want you," Joss replied closing her eyes with a sigh. "Thank god I only have one more day here. I don't think…"
"Wait, what? You can leave day after tomorrow? When were you going to tell me?" John asked in a barrage of questions, his face lighting up as if it was Christmas.
"I'm sorry. I just forgot to tell you. It completely went out of my mind when you came in with the food," Joss tried to explain without laughing.
"It's okay, it's fine," John said laughing and peppering her face with kisses. "I'm just glad to hear you're well enough to go home."
Joss laughed with him, covered his hands with hers, and stared into his shining, bluish-grey eyes. He is such a beautiful man, she thought for the thousandth time.
"Hey, you need to finish eating. Don't you have to go back to the office?" Joss finally said.
"Ah, who needs food when I can feast on your beauty?" John said with a grin.
Joss cocked an eyebrow. "Did you come up with that all on your own or…" she left the rest unsaid.
"I'll never tell. But you're right. I do need to get back to NLS." John replied and kissed Joss once, then turned to get his overcoat from the chair. Then he stopped, and turned back to her. "Thank you," he said meaningfully.
"For what?" Joss asked curiously.
"Having to talk about Mark Snow put me in a very dark place, but being with you….just being with you, makes all of it….I don't know how to explain…" John trailed off as he saw Joss shaking her head.
"You don't have to explain, John. I understand. It's the same way you make me feel when I've had a bad day, too," she said with a soft smile.
John returned her smile, then suddenly swooped down, and took her in his arms again. He rocked them back and forth, making Joss laugh even more until she finally swatted his arm and ordered him to go back to work. With one final grin, he grabbed his coat, waved goodbye, and walked out of the door.
Joss watched him leave with a smile, but as soon as he was through the door her smile faded. She was remembering her feeling from this morning. How many days like today would John have to go through, and the day wasn't even over, until he came to that day she couldn't help him through? That worried her more than the threat to her own life. The day the darkness overwhelmed him, would her love be bright enough to lead him through?
The parking garage of the NLS offices was still mostly full when John parked his luxury sedan in his designated spot. He was just getting out of his car when his phone rang. He looked down at the screen as he shut his car door, and stopped in his tracks. It was the same unknown number that the perp, now known as Mark Snow, had called him from to tell him Joss had been poisoned.
John reached into his pocket, pulled out another phone that was used strictly between him and Harold, and hit the call button while simultaneously answering the unknown caller.
"Yes," John answered brusquely.
"You should really answer your calls more kindly, Mr. Reese," came the garbled voice of Mark Snow. Obviously Snow was unaware that they had identified him, which was good. The less Snow knew of their progress the better. "You never know who might be calling," Snow continued.
"What do you want?" John asked, trying to keep control, and not let on that he knew who he was talking to.
"Nothing in particular. I was getting bored so I thought I might go hunting tonight, I have a particular model in mind, but to make it interesting, I thought I would let you in on the game. Maybe you can save her, like you saved Joss. Interested?" The voice laughed maniacally.
John felt his blood boil. This was sadistic. Mark was playing games with John's head, like he did when John was in the Agency. "What are you going to do, you sick fuck?" John ground out between clinched teeth.
"Now, now, kind words, John or I won't let you play. Here's a clue. If you want to find her before the day is done, look for her where you might have ONE. Good luck John," then Snow disconnected.
"Damnit!" John exclaimed, and then put the other phone to his ear. "Please tell me you got that, Finch," John said as he raced into the building toward the elevators.
"Yes, John, every word. John he's more demented than we thought. Are you sure we shouldn't involve the police in this?" Harold asked hesitantly. He had suggested it before, but John felt they could handle it until the need for an arrest was imminent.
"No, Harold, they're not equipped to handle someone like Snow." John replied as he jabbed the button to their floor on the elevator. Why can't these things go faster, he thought frustrated. "I'm the only one who knows how he thinks, his reactions. Someone else would just get hurt," he finished as he watched the numbers tick away until finally the doors slid open at the NLS floor, and he pushed through before they opened completely.
John disconnected his phone call as he reached Harold's office, and entered without knocking to find Harold at the Machine console. Harold had already placed the recording into the Machine, and was running it through some type of algorithm to dissect the recording.
"Find anything?" John asked, out of breath after the phone call, and his rush to get up to the office.
"No, nothing yet," Harold replied in his drawn out drawl. He turned to face John. "What was that riddle about, John?" He asked curiously.
John looked completely bewildered. "I have no idea, Harold. I have no idea what he's talking about," John replied exasperated. "'If you want to find her before the day is done, look for her where you might have ONE.' One what? One thing, one place…it could mean anything!" John said, running his hand through his hair agitatedly.
Harold stood, walked over to his desk, and sat down behind it. "If we break it down," he began, "the first part is simple of course. We need to find her before the end of the day, which I'm assuming would be sundown, and therefore gives us about five hours."
"Shit. That's not enough time." John barked.
Harold looked up at John's outburst, but didn't say anything about it. Instead he continued with his analysis. "The second part, on the other hand, is much more difficult. Yes, I realize I'm stating the obvious, Mr. Reese," Harold said when he heard John's annoyed sigh, "but this is my process. You know this, or at least you should, by now. Moving right along, look for her where, so she is at a place you would be familiar with, you might have ONE, something you only have one of." Harold murmured to himself.
John and Harold volleyed ideas between them for nearly two hours without getting any closer to an answer to their riddle. The longer it took, the darker John's countenance became. Harold was beginning to worry about his friend, and the damage Mark Snow was inflicting on John's psyche. Harold was afraid if they didn't find an answer soon or if they were unable to rescue the women in question, the harm it would cause John might be unimaginable. Then a thought came to Harold.
"John, do you think Joss might be able to help us with this dilemma? She was a detective, after all. She might have some insight that we don't," Harold suggested.
John brightened immediately. "You know Harold, you might have something there. Call her through the Machine. It'll be better than trying to connect through our cell phones." John replied, and they walked back to the Machine console to call Joss.
Joss picked up after the third ring. "Hello?" she answered cautiously.
"Hey Joss, it's me, John. I'm here at the office with Harold." John said. He hadn't thought about the caller I.D. coming up as Unknown Caller. It probably freaked her out.
"Oh, John, thank goodness. When it came up Unknown Caller it kinda freaked me out a little." Joss said with a shaky laugh. "Why is it coming up Unknown Caller? Shouldn't it say NLS or something?" she asked curiously. John looked to Harold.
"It must be a glitch in the system," Harold lied smoothly, "I'll have to get our tech guys to take a look at it."
"Oh, okay. So what's up?" Joss asked cheerfully.
John really hated to bring Joss into this, but they were running out of time, and ideas. He explained the phone call he received from Snow this afternoon, and then relayed the riddle to her, asking if she had any ideas of what it could mean. She was quiet for a while; they assumed she was thinking about the riddle. Then she said,
"John, you said the riddle was, 'If you want to find her before the day is done, look for her where you might have ONE' correct?"
"Yes, that's correct." John answered.
"When Snow said 'ONE', did he mean the number one or did he mean that you had won a competition?" Joss asked seriously because she remembered something John had told her one night, and she had a feeling that John and Harold had been looking at this riddle all wrong.
John stared at the Machine console that had issued Joss's voice in stunned silence, as if it had suddenly come to life. He had completely misunderstood what Snow had said. He had meant "won" not "one". It clicked. He slowly turned to Harold and said,
"I know where he's going to be. We need to call the police. Tonight…we catch a killer….."
A/N: Well, as you can see we're coming to a close of my first adventure into a "book" of fanfiction. I would like to say Thank You to everyone who has followed this adventure with me. It was never meant to be so many chapters, but sometimes these things take on a life of their own, and it was fun watching John and Joss fall evermore in love. The next chapter should be exciting, revealing, heartbreaking and...beautiful. See you soon...