Frank looked at her and sat down. Litha didn't move from her position leaning against the door. Her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor as she began talking. She couldn't look him in the eye as she did, afraid of what he'd say...
"I didn't plan on what happened. When Dodge came to me and told me that he and IAD were investigating Callahan, I had no idea what they were planning. He asked me to help them out a bit with what information I could gather up for them. Of course, it was easy in the beginning. I was his mentor in the division, his elder officer and of course I knew everything that he did. In the beginning he was stupid about covering himself. He let it slip a few times that he had supplemental income, even offered to let me in once or twice. All this happened before I actually overheard his deal on the phone with Montcalvez."
She took a deep breath and paused before continuing. "I never planned on falling for you, Frank. But I'm greatful every damned day that I met you. I tried so hard to keep you at arm's length, because I was afraid that you'd turn on me when or if you found out I was working with IAD. Three little letters can turn people against their best friend..."
Litha fished a pack of cigarettes out of her purse, which she'd left dropped in the chair earlier. Lighting one up, she moved over and sat down in a chair opposite Frank, one leg sliding over the other. "Callahan began to get suspicious of me and it got harder and harder. He began flirting heavily with me, trying to draw me into his games and lies. That's why I never pushed him away or told him to stop. I know it was hard on you, watching him fawn all over me. I could see it in your eyes Frank."
She took a drag on the cigarette and exhaled slowly. "By the time I actually witnessed his dealings, I'd fallen head over heels for you. I never figured you'd grow a pair and ask me out. But I was glad you did. You made me forget, even if for a short while, that I wasn't the enemy, that I wasn't a pawn in a game... that I was simply Litha and someone loved me. Ain't Fate a twisted Bitch."
Frank's face was twisted up. He didn't want to relive this over again. But Litha was talking to him after nearly two years of silence on the subject of her sting... he'd be damned if he shut her up now.
"I knew that Callahan shot me, even as you held my hand and shoved him out of the room. I just never counted on the higher-ups twisting the plot a bit. When I gave you my triskele, I fully intended on getting it back from you later. Of course, when opportunity presents itself, IAD steps in and makes life hell. They, of course, seized the opportunity and dummied up the facts. They let you believe you had shot me, let Callahan believe he hadn't, and told everyone that the shot was fatal. What they didn't do, was ask me. You can't even begin to imagine how severly angry I was when I woke up to an isolation unit in Virginia and was told that everyone now believed I was dead." She took another drag and let the bluish smoke drift from her lips as she fixed Frank with an eerie stare. "I broke my wrist in three places and spent 6 months in psychiatric therapy for the tirade I went on. I ripped open my stitches in the process and put Boone in the infirmary for 6 weeks. It was not pretty."
Frank sat back.. The reality of what she just told him sank in and he felt low. All those months he'd held a wick of blame against her that she'd orchestrated the entire ordeal and then lied about it to him. But if she didn't, then he was wrong and had been for over a year...
"Litha.. I..."
"Stop, Frank. There was no way you could have known. And this is what I tried to get across to you in my own fuddled way. At the time, Wallace came to me, told me to cool it and that the sooner I got done with this, the sooner I could get in touch with you and let you in on everything. Frank, they told everyone I was dead and didn't even stop to think if I could handle the assignment. They told my mother, you, my team, EVERYONE. I snapped inside, it was like I had truly died on that floor. I made Wallace promise me that he'd keep in contact with my mother and let me know how she was, that he'd tell her if it became necessary to. I also made him swear on his honor to keep an eye on you. When did the nightmares begin for you, Frank? He told me of your 6 month furlough, of the nightmares, the one or two lost negotiations... I felt sick each time he talked about you. After a while I made him stop. Each time I wanted out, to just run to you and tell you it was all a mistake and that I was alive and in your arms and nothing would take me away from you ever again."
"What stopped you?"
"Dodge. He talked with Wallace shortly after I told him that I wanted out. Dodge came out to where I was and reminded me that if I came out of cover, then everything would be for nothing, Callahan would walk and be free to try and kill me again. I wasn't left with much choice after that. I shut you out of my thoughts until I actually saw you at my club."
"Your club? Safe Haven is yours?"
"Yeah." She chuckled and crushed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray on his desk. "A friend of mine from college runs it for me and it's under a corporate name. But it's mine and the rules are real. No sting, no criminal business. The local Police know that and so do the crooks. So far it's lived up to it's name. When I saw you there, with Cross, I knew it was time. I'd been getting pressure from Dodge to wrap it up quickly and Wallace knew I was coming unglued in the details. That's why he gave you the files, with my handwritten note inside. When Wallace assigned you to this case, he knew he had to tell you."
"Wallace didn't assign that one to us. Boone did." He sat forward, a mix of concern and confusion in his eyes.
She looked at him for a moment. "But... Wallace was Director... Boone assigned the case to you?"
"Mmm hmm. He called me up personally and told me the details. The next morning we got the file jackets and started in on it."
Litha sat back for a moment. Things were puzzling in her mind as she fidgeted with her nails. Boone assigned the case to them, knowing that she was in deep and close to busting Callahan? She stood up and walked to the window. Boone assigned her to this case too...
"What are you thinking, Litha?"
"That there is more here than Boone is telling either one of us."
****
"I didn't plan on what happened. When Dodge came to me and told me that he and IAD were investigating Callahan, I had no idea what they were planning. He asked me to help them out a bit with what information I could gather up for them. Of course, it was easy in the beginning. I was his mentor in the division, his elder officer and of course I knew everything that he did. In the beginning he was stupid about covering himself. He let it slip a few times that he had supplemental income, even offered to let me in once or twice. All this happened before I actually overheard his deal on the phone with Montcalvez."
She took a deep breath and paused before continuing. "I never planned on falling for you, Frank. But I'm greatful every damned day that I met you. I tried so hard to keep you at arm's length, because I was afraid that you'd turn on me when or if you found out I was working with IAD. Three little letters can turn people against their best friend..."
Litha fished a pack of cigarettes out of her purse, which she'd left dropped in the chair earlier. Lighting one up, she moved over and sat down in a chair opposite Frank, one leg sliding over the other. "Callahan began to get suspicious of me and it got harder and harder. He began flirting heavily with me, trying to draw me into his games and lies. That's why I never pushed him away or told him to stop. I know it was hard on you, watching him fawn all over me. I could see it in your eyes Frank."
She took a drag on the cigarette and exhaled slowly. "By the time I actually witnessed his dealings, I'd fallen head over heels for you. I never figured you'd grow a pair and ask me out. But I was glad you did. You made me forget, even if for a short while, that I wasn't the enemy, that I wasn't a pawn in a game... that I was simply Litha and someone loved me. Ain't Fate a twisted Bitch."
Frank's face was twisted up. He didn't want to relive this over again. But Litha was talking to him after nearly two years of silence on the subject of her sting... he'd be damned if he shut her up now.
"I knew that Callahan shot me, even as you held my hand and shoved him out of the room. I just never counted on the higher-ups twisting the plot a bit. When I gave you my triskele, I fully intended on getting it back from you later. Of course, when opportunity presents itself, IAD steps in and makes life hell. They, of course, seized the opportunity and dummied up the facts. They let you believe you had shot me, let Callahan believe he hadn't, and told everyone that the shot was fatal. What they didn't do, was ask me. You can't even begin to imagine how severly angry I was when I woke up to an isolation unit in Virginia and was told that everyone now believed I was dead." She took another drag and let the bluish smoke drift from her lips as she fixed Frank with an eerie stare. "I broke my wrist in three places and spent 6 months in psychiatric therapy for the tirade I went on. I ripped open my stitches in the process and put Boone in the infirmary for 6 weeks. It was not pretty."
Frank sat back.. The reality of what she just told him sank in and he felt low. All those months he'd held a wick of blame against her that she'd orchestrated the entire ordeal and then lied about it to him. But if she didn't, then he was wrong and had been for over a year...
"Litha.. I..."
"Stop, Frank. There was no way you could have known. And this is what I tried to get across to you in my own fuddled way. At the time, Wallace came to me, told me to cool it and that the sooner I got done with this, the sooner I could get in touch with you and let you in on everything. Frank, they told everyone I was dead and didn't even stop to think if I could handle the assignment. They told my mother, you, my team, EVERYONE. I snapped inside, it was like I had truly died on that floor. I made Wallace promise me that he'd keep in contact with my mother and let me know how she was, that he'd tell her if it became necessary to. I also made him swear on his honor to keep an eye on you. When did the nightmares begin for you, Frank? He told me of your 6 month furlough, of the nightmares, the one or two lost negotiations... I felt sick each time he talked about you. After a while I made him stop. Each time I wanted out, to just run to you and tell you it was all a mistake and that I was alive and in your arms and nothing would take me away from you ever again."
"What stopped you?"
"Dodge. He talked with Wallace shortly after I told him that I wanted out. Dodge came out to where I was and reminded me that if I came out of cover, then everything would be for nothing, Callahan would walk and be free to try and kill me again. I wasn't left with much choice after that. I shut you out of my thoughts until I actually saw you at my club."
"Your club? Safe Haven is yours?"
"Yeah." She chuckled and crushed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray on his desk. "A friend of mine from college runs it for me and it's under a corporate name. But it's mine and the rules are real. No sting, no criminal business. The local Police know that and so do the crooks. So far it's lived up to it's name. When I saw you there, with Cross, I knew it was time. I'd been getting pressure from Dodge to wrap it up quickly and Wallace knew I was coming unglued in the details. That's why he gave you the files, with my handwritten note inside. When Wallace assigned you to this case, he knew he had to tell you."
"Wallace didn't assign that one to us. Boone did." He sat forward, a mix of concern and confusion in his eyes.
She looked at him for a moment. "But... Wallace was Director... Boone assigned the case to you?"
"Mmm hmm. He called me up personally and told me the details. The next morning we got the file jackets and started in on it."
Litha sat back for a moment. Things were puzzling in her mind as she fidgeted with her nails. Boone assigned the case to them, knowing that she was in deep and close to busting Callahan? She stood up and walked to the window. Boone assigned her to this case too...
"What are you thinking, Litha?"
"That there is more here than Boone is telling either one of us."
****