A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. As always, I just absolutely love them. I never thought I'd have so many reviews for Encrypted Legacy. Now, before we start this chapter, I just once again want to say that I NOW ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS! I didn't know I wasn't accepting them before. I guess that's why all the reviews I received were signed.

Yeah, okay, that's a bit slow on my part but do review, because I do accept them anonymously now.

Anyways, back to the story . . .

Received Messages

1527

CIA Headquarters

Langley, VA

Ciaro Café. Tonight. 7 pm. R + P.

– LCSM

Clayton Webb stared at that email for god-knows how long, a feeling of excitement, anticipation, and a pit of utter horror welling up inside of him. He had arrived at the building barely half an hour ago after expertly seeing Rabb off (though of course, Rabb didn't know it) and seeing that Mac was safely inside NCIS Headquarters (and naturally, she didn't know either).

And then he had come back to his own building to find the usual bundle of email awaiting him. He never deleted anything without reading it, CIA policy, but he was sorely tempted to this time, with the Phantom occupying most of his mind.

And then he had received the email. The latest message. He couldn't detect the sender, the email only said 'LCSM' whom he was certain he didn't know, and the title was 'Importance'.

The agent frowned slightly, reading the message over again. It wasn't like Clayton Webb to be puzzled by a relatively easy coded message. Barely coded, even. But, from what Clayton Webb could see, it was either a significant tip to the Phantom's whereabouts or they were baiting a trap for him.

Ciaro Café. Tonight. 7 pm. R + P.

– LCSM

He couldn't afford to take the latter, but he too couldn't afford to lose a tip that might put the man that murdered his father behind bars. And who was LCSM? And what did they mean by R + P?

Clayton Webb sat in his revolving office chair, mystified. The words were slowly playing in his head, running themselves over so that he might detect anything unusual. But of course, he reminded himself, the whole message was unusual. Did he know any agents with the initials LCSM?

No, he realized. He had no clue to as who LCSM was. And if it was important, why hadn't they at least given a hint to who they were? He could then safely determine whether it was really important or not. But then again, if it was the Phantom . . . they wouldn't exactly leave a calling card . . . would they?

Slowly, he seized the mouse of his computer in his hand and pressed one button. The 'Forward' button. And he forwarded the message to only two people.

But of course, they already had received their message . . .

Ciaro Café. Tonight. 7 pm. R + P.

– LCSM

Admiral Albert-Jethro Chegwidden of Virginia's Judge Advocate General Corp stared at his message, his aged eyebrow cocked up in puzzlement. He read the message over again. Surely, this must be some sort of joke. Who sent emails like these anymore? And who the hell was LCSM?

The Admiral leaned back in his office chair, staring at the message mystified. Ciaro Café, 7 pm, R + P, what was R + P? Did he know them. He ran all the R names through his mind, stopping only at one. Rabb. But who was P?

There was the little sound of a bell ringing as a sign popped up '1 New Message'. Sighing, the Admiral opened this one up. Maybe this would make more sense than the other one.

Looking at the name of the sender, he saw it was from Agent Clayton Webb. The Admiral groaned. Whenever Webb emailed him, it was never good. Never.

He opened up the message but didn't even need to finish it before he knew what is said:

Ciaro Café. Tonight. 7 pm. R + P.

– LCSM

Attached was a note from Webb that said he had received the email but had no idea as to what it meant and wanted to know if he knew the sender. The Admiral grunted. Whoever LCSM was, they were royally playing the both of them.

And if Clayton Webb couldn't figure out who the damn sender was, how was he supposed to? Irritated, the Admiral typed up a quick response to the CIA agent.

Received a message just like it. No idea who it is. Now, if you're through, I'm going to get back to my work.

- Admiral Chegwidden

He frowned as he pressed the send button. He didn't like not knowing things, and it made it worse if Webb didn't know because more often than not, Webb knew, he just didn't tell. But Agent Clayton Webb asking someone for help . . . this was a trademark moment.

Sighing, he went back to the R + P, which he had no idea as to what it meant. R. The only name that stuck out was Rabb. Slowly, he grasped the mouse and pressed the forward button.

And sent it to the one person who already had two copies of the email, adding a third . . .

Ciaro Café. Tonight. 7 pm. R + P.

– LCSM

I stared at the email. It was in brief shorthand code, but I understood it right away. LCSM, the person that I spent every millisecond thinking about, the person I love more than air itself, and the person who I'm unhealthily attracted to, Mac. That's who the email is from.

She must have gotten a lead, I figure. The Ciaro Café, tonight, at seven o'clock. I try and digest what I've just read. R + P. R + P. For a minute, I'm puzzled but then I remember, who is she trying to warm up to . . . Riley . . . and who is Riley tight with? Oh yeah, the Phantom. R + P.

Instantly, I'm afraid for her. She has a lead on something . . . Riley and the Phantom must be meeting. And apparently at the Ciaro Café at 7 pm. My eyebrow creases into a frown. What is she going to do? Obviously she emailed me because she wanted help, something I can't quite give when I'm on a carrier. But, I know someone who could . . .

LCSM,

Don't do anything dangerous. Help's on the way.

Love,

CHRJ

I press the send button and then quickly type up another email, same subject, different content.

Cat,

Ciaro Café, tonight at 7, meeting between Riley and Phantom. Mac tipped us off.

Contact Webb,

Harm

He pressed send on that message too and then, feeling emotionally drained from worry over Mac and physically drained over the intense work outs he had suffered through this morning, he shut down his laptop, ignoring two unread messages . . .

1638

Riviera Shopping Plaza

Washington, DC

"One sec, Gloria," stressed Catherine to Beth O'Neil as they entered the River Shopping Plaza. "I've got a new email."

Catherine pulled out her cellular phone and began to press the arrow buttons. Beth watched fascinated, playing the perfect part of an older woman who wasn't quite in tune with today's modern technology.

Catherine read the email and then frowned slightly. Harm had sent her a message, presumably excerpting bits from a message Mac had sent him. The Phantom was meeting tonight with Riley? Out in the open, too?

"What's wrong, Moira?" asked Beth, taking the time to jab back at Catherine with her undercover name.

"Read," Catherine commanded quietly, handing Beth the cell phone. Beth read very slowly, puzzlement increasing in her facial expressions.

"The Phantom and Riley are meeting tonight," she breathed. "At the Ciaro Café. Isn't that a bit . . . public?"

Catherine shrugged. "I would have thought so."

"But that's not what's worrying you," Beth said slowly. She stared into Catherine Gayle's eyes, determined to find something in there that Catherine wasn't voicing. For once, the blue walls in her eyes seemed to be decreasing in strength.

"No," Catherine admitted slowly, "it's not." She stared at Beth. "Harm said 'Mac tipped him off'. That means they're still communicating. That's dangerous . . . to the mission. To themselves. I don't understand how after all the things they've done they could do something that . . . stupid." Catherine broke of frustrated. "Harm's not an idiot, nor is Mac. You'd think they wouldn't be the ones who underestimated the power of the Phantom. It's all very well for Mac to sit on her six in NCIS headquarters but Harm's the one risking his life as bait here . . ."

"Mac and Harm know every risk," Beth O'Neil said sighing. "It had to be something important or Mac wouldn't have emailed Harm." Beth stared determinedly into Catherine's eyes. "Mac cares deeply for him . . . she wouldn't want anything to happen to him," Beth broke off, averting Catherine's eyes for a moment. "Just like you wouldn't."

Catherine whirled around. "I do not care for Harm. I mean," she cut off quickly. "I do care for him but not in the way you mean. Not in the way Harm cares for Mac."

"And that's what's really bothering you, isn't it?" Beth persisted. "That fact that Harm's worried for Mac and he'll go through any lengths to keep her safe. Just like you would for him . . . only that goes unnoticed."

"Shut up, O'Neil!" Catherine snapped quietly, lowering her voice so no one would know Beth's real name. "I'm not in love with Harm, if that's what you're implying. And I am most certainly not jealous of Mac, so can we just leave things how they are? End of discussion."

Beth shrugged. "Fine then," she replied sourly. "Are you going to call Webb, then?"

"Huh?" asked Catherine, turning around.

"Call Webb," said Beth more slowly. "So you can inform him about the Phantom meeting . . . tonight . . ."

"Yeah, I get it," Catherine said quickly. "But I'm thinking that if Mac emailed the meeting to Harm then she also emailed Webb.

"Besides," Catherine said quickly. "You and I are a team, we don't need backup."

"Catherine, are you sure that's the smart thing to do?" Beth asked, her eyes blazing.

"I'm head here, O'Neil," Catherine snapped. "And don't you forget it. We'll tail Riley to the Ciaro Café and watch his interactions with The Phantom and then if we find enough incriminating evidence, we'll bust them."

"All by ourselves?" Beth asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes," Catherine said quickly. "Which also means that we'll get all the credit for the arresting. And you know what that means," she said with a wink. "Field agents, here we come."

LCSM,

Don't do anything dangerous. Help's on the way.

Love,

CHRJ

Mac read the message slowly. Don't do anything dangerous. Help is on the way. Surely, Harm couldn't be coming himself. He was probably on a carrier somewhere. And besides, if Riley saw him, he would probably recognize him immediately.

This also means, she draw the connection herself, I can't go either. Even if I am only there to spy.

Help's on the way.

That's what Harm's message said. Help's on the way. She checked her watch. Little over two hours left until seven o'clock. Most people at NCIS had already gone home, including Riley. Mac had stayed.

What help? Webb? Some help he'd be. Who else was in on the CIA team. After all, there was supposed to be people protecting her and Harm. So would he command his team to go to the café . . . if he even knew who they were? She certainly didn't know who was tailing her.

Breathing slowly, she wrote the only two words which came to her mind for Harm. She also decided to drop the initials, Commander Harm Rabb Jr. CHRJ, and LCSM was quite done with now. But, incase Riley wanted to check her email, she'd have to use another code. And so she picked one that was familiar to her

Flyboy,

Be safe.

Love,

Ninja Girl

Closing her eyes, Mac leaned back in her chair and did something she hadn't done in a long time. She prayed.

A/N: I know not much happened in this chapter, but this leads up to an action packed next chapter so bear with me and kindly review . . . and remember I now accept ANONYMOUS REVIEWS!