Threats

by Ecri

Who is threatening Josh?

Thanks for the reviews of my other stories. They were inspiring!

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I don't make money from them. I just like to visit.

Threats

by Ecri

Summary: Who is threatening Josh?

Josh raced down the hall to catch up with his friend. "Sam, good work on the State of the Union."

"Thanks." Sam knew Josh was working up to something. He'd already told Sam he'd done a good job on the State of the Union. He kept walking, knowing Josh would keep up.

"Sam, I wanted toI neededI've been getting theseunpleasant threats"

"That must be refreshing after all the pleasant threats you usually get."

"I'm serious."

Sam kept walking. "What kind of threats?"

"You know the usual"

"You have usual threats?"

"No, not really."

"Then why did you say"

"It was an expression."

"That's an expression?"

"Let it go, will you? I meant usual like the kind of usual threats that everyone usually gets when they usually get threats."

"Is that a tongue twister?"

"Sam..."

"Have you talked to Ron?"

"Nah."

"Why?"

"I'm talking to you."

"Oh." He stopped walking for a moment, still staring ahead as if digesting this bit of information, then started walking again. "And do you have Ron looking over your next press release?"

"No. Why would I"

"I'm just asking." As they passed Ginger's desk, Sam called to her. "Ginger, could you call Ron Butterfield's office. I'll take the call in my office."

Ginger nodded and started dialing.

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Get your assistants to do what you want."

"I ask them."

"Toby and I"

"Yell at them."

"Yeah." Josh nodded, then dashed to Ginger's desk and put his hand in the phone cradle, cutting off her call. Ginger stared at him.

"Sorry, Ginger. Forget that. Don't call Ron."

"Why'd you do that?" Sam stared at Josh waiting for an explanation.

.Josh gestured Sam into his office and followed.

"Look, I don't want to talk to Ron, yet. There's somethingabout these threats."

"You're being threatened by a comedian?"

"Why do I bother coming to you with these things?"

"I've often wondered that myself."

"Sam, I'm being serious. These aren't like the usual threats."

"Not that again," Sam pleaded.

"Sam," Josh sighed, but before he could continue, a loud thump drew the attention of both men to the adjoining office. "He still does that?"

Sam nodded. "Only if he's frustrated." He stood, gestured for Josh to follow him, and went into Toby's office. "Yousummoned me?"

"Yes! About this draft" Toby stopped himself as he noticed Josh standing in the doorway. "What do you want?"

Josh pointed at Sam while taking a seat on Toby's sofa. "I'm with him."

"Josh is getting threats." Sam supplied.

Toby turned his full attention to Josh. "Seriously?"

Josh shrugged, but Sam spoke first. "He says they're funny."

"No. I said there's something funny about them. As in strange."

"What's so strange? That you're getting threats, or that the two of you are telling me about them instead of Ron Butterfield?" Toby picked up his phone.

Josh moved quickly, and covered the phone with his hand. "Will everyone stop trying to take this to Ron!"

"Give us a reason why you're not taking this seriously!" Sam turned to stare at Josh, fury on his face. "How can you not take this seriously?"

Josh drew in a slow breath. "See, threats' was probably the wrong word. These aren't very threatening"

"Oh for the love ofWill you just tell us what this is about?" Sam continued to stare at his best friend.

Just at that moment, CJ Cregg leaned into Toby's doorway looking at a press release. "Toby, have you seen" she cut herself short as she looked up to see Sam's tense posture and Toby glaring at Josh. "If this is a bad time, I can come back later." She sat on Toby's sofa.

Toby glared at her.

"Or I can take a seat." She smiled. "What's going on?"

Josh took a step away from Sam. "I've gotten some strange messages"

"What kind of messages, Josh? Letters, e-mails?" Toby's voice was calm as he eyed his own deputy and the Deputy Chief of Staff. "Give me a good reason I shouldn't call Leo right now."

Josh glanced at CJ, and Sam saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"The messages are posts.on a website." Josh moved quickly and pulled Sam to stand between himself and CJ.

CJ slowly stood, eyeing Josh over Sam's head.

Sam, realizing what Josh was saying chuckled. "You've been posting on that Lemon page again?"

"Lemonlyman.com, and no I have not."

"I should hope not. Not after the conversation we had the last time." CJ took a step towards Josh, who spun Sam around with him in an effort to keep his friend between him and the angriest woman on the planet.

"Josh, let go." Sam's suggestion was ignored.

"CJ, I was surfing one day, and I landed on this website"

"And common sense flew out of your head and ran screaming from your office, leaving you unable to recall what I said to you the last time you did this!" CJ lunged for Josh, who moved behind Toby's desk, shoving Sam a little so he'd fall into CJ.

"This was a different website!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. That makes all the difference!" Sarcasm filled the room to capacity and oozed into the hallway.

"It was perfectly innocent! I only replied to someone's message about the ability of the Democratic Party to embrace bi-partisan ideals, and some other person decided to threaten me."

"What kind of threat?" Sam asked, still hoping to get to the point sometime before dawn.

"Well there was a little back and forth, but basically it started as a suggestion that I not take up space and waste taxpayers money. Then, in the last post, he" Josh seemed confused, but then dismissed the issue of gender to get back to the story. "it said that if I didn't think I could handle it on my own, then, as my superior, he/she/it would be happy to find a way to fill my time."

"How was it signed?" CJ asked.

A voice bellowed from the hallway. "It was signed, Chief, wasn't it, Josh?" Leo stepped inside and glared at the entire staff. "What's your problem? I've been waiting in my office for 15 minutes."

CJ glanced at her watch, realizing they were all late for Senior Staff, while Josh, Sam, and Toby stared at Leo."

"Chiefof Staff." Josh whispered.

"Damn straight." Leo allowed himself a small smile. "I know you know better, Josh, and I know CJ told you to keep out of those sites. I had the tech staff notify me if you ever logged on again. I trust that was the last time."

"Yes, Leo. I'm sure it was."

Leo nodded. "Good. Senior Staff. My office. Five minutes."

They all mumbled a quick reply, and scattered to get their notes for the meeting. Josh walked next to CJ. "You were in on that, weren't you?"

"Me. No, I wasn't in on it exactly."

"What exactly did you have to do with it?"

CJ stopped, turned to face Josh, and crossed her arms in front of her, which melted Josh's playful smirk as quickly as an acetylene torch would melt a Marshmallow Chick.

"I passed by Leo in the hall, and he asked me where I was going with that motherboard." CJ resumed her walk, leaving Josh staring after her.

Finis