Lee watched as Francine and Efraim left the bullpen and headed home. He smiled as Francine waddled down the hall, helped along by her husband at her elbow. He remembered Amanda doing the same with their first child. Shaking his head, he admitted to himself he still had a hard time believing these two got together, but what he saw was two people completely devoted to each other and their marriage.
He felt bad about what he was going to do. But he needed help to track down these arms dealers before something big slipped through. And if he couldn't get Efraim to trace the weapons for him, he needed his computer and the special programs within it to do it himself.
Slipping into Francine's office, he closed and re-locked the door behind him. Staying to the shadows, he walked through the connecting door to Efraim's office.
Francine kept her office shades open, but Efraim had been keeping his closed lately. Lee sat in Efraim's chair and turned on the computer, placing a small box that he hoped would bypass Efraim's safety measures and allow him access to the program database.
Hitting the keyboard, Lee watched as the box he bought from a hacker, accessed Efraim's hard drive. Programs flashed, lights and warnings started only to be shut down by the handy gadget that Lee gave a thumbs up to. Sitting back in Efraim's chair, he looked at the star charts on the ceiling and spun the chair around, looking over Efraim's military awards and the pictures of Efraim and Francine.
A tinge of guilt edged into his consciousness, which he quickly squashed. He turned back to the computer screen and watched.
Something wasn't right.
An access denial screen flashed only to be shut down by the box. Another would flash, the box would shut it down. Lee wasn't sure what was happening, but he remembered the kid telling him if Lee was trying to hack into a true computer wizard's computer, the box would freeze and he'd start a cascade of all security measures.
Damn! Lee watched as program after program began opening in the screen only to close with a security warning. Trying furiously to close it down, Lee watched as the security web crashed and the screen name of the hacker flashed in an isolation box.
The door to Efraim's office flew open with Efraim standing there, his SIG P220 in his hands aimed at Lee's head. The M.P.'s were right behind him, their semi-automatic weapons at the ready.
Lowering his gun, Efraim was shocked to see Lee in his office at his computer. He took in the box that Lee had attached and ran over to his desk.
"What the hell are you doing? Dammit Lee! You better not have shut down the security I have for line's I've tagged. What the hell were you looking for? Get out of my way!" Efraim shoved Lee from his chair, trying to get control before the entire system he had set up was blown.
"I needed your system." Lee started to explain.
"Shut up, Stetson, I don't want to hear it. Do you have any idea what you've done? You may have compromised all of my cases with this stunt!" Efraim pulled the black hacker box off of his computer and threw it at Lee.
"What is going on in here?"
Lee looked up to see Billy standing in the door, Dr. Smyth behind him. Lee sighed and tossed Billy the box. Billy looked at it and showed it to Dr. Smyth who shook his head and shot a dirty look in Lee's direction.
"This your idea of party game, Scarecrow?" Smyth asked, watching as Efraim tried to fix and access any damage Lee's forage into the computer system may have caused.
"How bad is it, Beaman?" Billy asked, coming to watch over Efraim's shoulder.
"It's bad enough. Some of this crashed to the platforms I set up for just such a contingency, but some of these files have been flashed around the world. This little black box exploited some advanced programming, but it couldn't really get past my internal security. See this?" Efraim pointed to the screen name flashing on his screen. "It's attached to these files." Efraim pulled up the National Security Agency's listing of Eastern European Arms Dealers.
"Son of a bitch!" Lee said, raking his hands through his hair.
"This is on the net, Stetson. These hackers always configure these things to flash a found file on the Internet so they can have a look at whatever was so important that the buyer was willing to get a hackers box. Anyone out there looking for this now has this list and this name. You had better get whomever this is under wraps." Efraim said, tapping the screen as he began to lock the system again, setting the security web back in place. The damage hadn't been great, with the exception of the NSA file that had been released. And that was going to be bad enough.
"Move Stetson! And when you have this person in custody, I want you in my office. Do you hear me?" Billy yelled. The M.P.'s took a step back and Dr. Smyth even raised an eyebrow at him.
"This wouldn't have happened if Boy Scout there would have done some checking for me." Lee said, angry at what had happened.
"Can it, Scarecrow. Beaman was working on a special project and was under orders not to take on anything else. You aren't in the loop. Now, I have to divide his attention between a special request from the President of The United States and this mess you've created. Do what I told you to do! Now!"
Francine and Amanda watched as Lee left the bullpen. Francine raised an eyebrow as Amanda sighed and quickly followed Lee. Pushing through the M.P.'s, Francine walked over to her husband and leaned on his shoulder.
"Did you get it in time, B?" She asked, watching him go through his programs.
"I didn't lose any of my work. None of my hacking has been compromised. But Lee used my computer to break through to the NSA computers to find this." He pointed to a list compiled by a joint task force between the Agency and the National Security Agency that listed arms dealers by name, country and possible place of residence.
"This isn't good." Francine said, shaking her head as she read the list.
"Yeah, it gets worse. This is the name and email address of the guy he got the black box from. It took me 22 seconds to get the information. This guy is a grad student at Georgetown. If Lee can't find him, he won't live long enough to pay back his student loans."
"You sure it's that bad, Boy Scout?" Dr. Smyth asked.
"Yeah. It's that bad. We have to get a team to his family, they're in New York, out on Long Island. We have to throw a net over this. And as soon as we do that, I'm personally going to shoot the Scarecrow." Efraim said, still working his keyboard.
Dr. Smyth, Billy and Francine all nodded their agreement.
Billy looked up from the reports he was reading as Efraim walked in his office. He could see exhaustion and annoyance on Beaman's face. Efraim walked over to Francine who was sleeping on Billy's couch, and he smiled for the first time that evening since Stetson had crashed into the computer system as he watched Beaman lean over to run his knuckles gently down Francine's cheek.
"You get the system stabilized, Beaman?"
Efraim moved to sit in one of the chairs across from Billy, and he sighed with exhaustion. "Yeah. I tried to bury the document under educational sites hoping anyone who saw a glance of it would think they had some burn and just give up. But I don't know if it'll work."
"Burn?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, eye strain. Hacker talk." Efraim told him.
Billy raised an eyebrow. "You sound fluent," he observed.
Efraim gave a small smile. "Yeah, well, I have a badge."
"Hmmmm. I sometimes wonder, Beaman." Billy shook his head at the man sitting across from him. Efraim interested Billy, he was a complex man and full of surprises. He watched as Efraim got up and walked back over to his wife. He kneeled down and spoke quietly to her to wake her.
Francine's eyes opened and Billy watched her smile at her husband as he helped her to sit up. As partners, they had settled into a comfortable working relationship, each seemingly reading the others mind when they needed; working from their strengths to minimize their weaknesses. From what he could see, their personal relationship was steadfast and satisfying to them both, each finding in the other what they had been seeking. Their obvious affection for each other earned them both some teasing, but Efraim took it in stride, always happy to be reminded of his wife. And Francine was often the first one to tease about her devotion to Efraim.
"Feeling okay, Francine?" Billy asked as she got to her feet.
"Ohhhh, I guess I needed that nap. Although to be honest, I nap about as much as I sleep at night. How'd you do, B?" She asked him, her hand caressing her husbands arm.
"About as good as anyone, hon. You ready to go home?" Efraim watched as Francine nodded. He kissed her on the cheek and picked up her purse and his briefcase. "I've set my computer to watch for anyone looking for that file. Keep Stetson away from it, will ya?"
"Done. Get some rest and get in here bright and early in the morning. Goodnight, Francine, Beaman."
Climbing in and starting the Explorer, Efraim let the air conditioner run before he pulled out into the muggy DC night. Francine's head was back as she watched him drive, a small smile on her face as she rubbed her burgeoning belly.
"Baby kicking?" Efraim asked, placing his hand on hers.
Francine nodded, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Feel that?" She asked, smiling widely at him.
Nodding, he winked at her and gave her belly a light pat which rewarded them both with a kick from the baby. Grinning, he went back to driving, ever cautious, more so now that Francine was pregnant.
"I will never again tease you about your little gadgets, B. That sensor you carry to let you know your computer has been compromised, probably saved lives tonight."
"I hope so. Stetson came close to losing his head tonight."
Chuckling, Francine nodded. "I saw. Poor Amanda, she was beside herself when she heard you yell at Lee. He was getting an earful from her when they were waiting for the elevator."
"Someone needs to clip his wings, he thinks he can do anything."
"That's because Scarecrow is accustomed to doing anything and getting away with it. He runs things his own way and that's the way it's always been."
Efraim nodded as he checked the traffic before turning onto their block. "I've run afoul of Stetson too often in the past when he's running fast and loose. It's gonna take me awhile to get over this one."
"Yeah, I know, B." Francine watched the nerve clench in Efraim's jaw and she sighed. Her husband and Lee had a strange relationship; she knew that he admired and respected Lee. Personally, they were friends, enjoying the same things, each respecting the others strengths.
Their working relationship however, had always been a source of irritation to both men. Both thought outside the box, which made them both excellent problem solvers and agents. Lee ran an operation from the seat of his pants, Efraim thought everything through, using his intellect to out maneuver an opponent. Their differing styles clashed, even though they usually found a way to work well together.
"Lee went too far this time." Francine said, knowing exactly what her husband would say to that.
"He always goes too far. This time, he's way out of line."
The seriousness of Efraim's tone told Francine how angry her husband was. She sighed, knowing that she was in store for rough seas ahead with this issue between Efraim and Lee.
The townhouse was cool when they came in. Francine sighed and sat at the kitchen table, pulling a daisy leaf that had wilted in the bouquet on the table. Efraim wrapped his arms around her as he stood behind her, kissing the side of her neck. "I love you, hon. I'm sorry about tonight, I know you wanted to stop at the baby store and pick-up that bedding."
"We'll do it tomorrow, B. Not to worry. B?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Will you rub my back?"
"Mmm hmmm. You hungry?" Efraim asked as he rubbed Francine's lower back, smiling as she laid her head on her arms on top of the table.
"No, Billy got me something earlier."
"What did he get you that you aren't supposed to have?" Knowing that Billy would give into one of Francine's long faces and plea for something she wasn't on her diet.
"Why would you think that, sweetie?"
Laughing, he massaged her shoulders. "Because I grabbed a piece of the pizza that Billy brought in, and he made me promise not to get upset that you had eaten several pieces." He laughed even harder at her disgruntled look.
"Okay, so I'll behave tomorrow. I promise."
"Right. Tomorrow you won't be feeling well because the pizza will have upset your stomach and it will be very easy for you to behave yourself!"
"You're such a pessimist, Efraim!"
"Come on upstairs, hon. I'll get the antacid for you."
"Thanks, B. Give me a hand up, will you?"
"Want help getting ready for bed?"
"As soon as I get that antacid I will!"
"Told you."
"Don't be smug, B. I can't help it that I crave everything that I'm not supposed to have. If you think about it, it's really your fault."
"My fault? How did you come to that conclusion?" Efraim handed her several of the antacid tablets the doctor had told Francine she could have.
Taking a sip of water, Francine leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's your fault because you got me pregnant!"
Efraim laughed. "I seem to remember that you were a more than a willing participant, Francine. In fact, I seem to remember just how much you liked getting pregnant, my love."
"Hmmmm, I don't remember any of that."
"What?" Taking her in his arms, he kissed her.
"I seem to have forgotten."
"Forgotten my. . .you have not!"
"Show me."
"Francine . . ."
"Please? Show me. Remind me. Love me." She said to him, her voice husky and low as she rubbed her hands over his chest.
"You know what the doctor said."
"The doctor said to be careful. You're always careful with me, Efraim."
Kissing her, he reached around to rub her lower back. "Come on, let's go to bed, hon. I'll show you everything you've forgotten."
Her breath caught in her throat as his lips at her ear sent shivers through her. "Promise?"
"Mmmmm. I promise."
