Chapter 3
Lucy was sitting at her desk, finishing up yet another stack of paperwork. The team had just finished wrapping up a case and each was taking some time to focus on the side of work they didn't quite enjoy, but Jane assured them they needed to get a handle on, paperwork. Jane was following up on a lead about a new potential case they had and working out the jurisdiction issues while her team worked at their desks. Lucy wasn't a fan of mainly paperwork days, but there was one upside. It tended to mean she got to see Kate for lunch. She beamed with happiness when Kate, Maya, Zeinab, and Carlos entered the bullpen around her usual lunchtime. Kate shook her head in amusement when Ernie followed them in as well to join Carlos in his questioning of the other couple the team had on their radar.
"Come on, you have to give us something," said Ernie.
"Oh I bet Zeinab gave her something last night," whispered Carlos. Kate arched an eyebrow at him.
"HR violation," she warned and he smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, boss," he said quickly. He gulped when Zeinab crossed her arms and gave him a look that dared him to continue as well. Kate got out of dodge and headed to Lucy's desk while Carlos squirmed under Zeinab's stare.
"Okay, okay, jeez, too far. Sorry. Stop looking at me like that," surrendered Carlos and Maya smiled dreamily at her girlfriend.
"Isn't she hot when she does that? That look can bring anyone to their knees," bragged Maya as Zeinab winked at her.
"That wasn't necessary, Zeinab," pouted Carlos and Zeinab playfully nudged him.
"Sure it was," she assured. Kate leaned against Lucy's desk and the junior special agent smiled brightly at her girlfriend.
"Hi," said Kate.
"Hey there, fancy seeing you here."
"The others are heading out to lunch at the diner, but I was hoping you and I could do our own thing," suggested Kate and Lucy bit her lip with a smile.
"I'd love that." Kate smiled charmingly at her as their fingertips inched closer to subtly caress. Kate's phone buzzed and she sighed.
"Let me take this and then I'm all yours." Lucy nodded her understanding as she gathered her things to leave and Kate answered her phone.
"Whistler." There were moments in their relationship when Lucy could sense Kate's tension without her even saying a word and that was one of them. It was as if the air was sucked out of the room and Kate became stoic.
"What," asked Kate as Lucy stopped what she was doing to walk over to her girlfriend. Lucy glanced over Kate's shoulder and saw Jane walking out of her office as well. Maya, Zeinab, and Carlos inched closer as the conversation continued.
"Um, yes, I'll be there by morning…you too." Kate hung up the phone and stood there numbly for a moment as she tried to process the news. Lucy's soothing touch brought her out of her daze and she cleared her throat.
"What is it," asked Lucy. Kate swallowed hard as she looked up at her team.
"That was the FBI SAC of the New York City Field Office. Scott was in a car accident. He didn't make it," she managed to get out. Zeinab sighed as she pulled Maya into her arms. Carlos sat down in an empty chair and Ernie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jesse and Kai glanced at each other as the loss for the team became clear. Lucy hugged her girlfriend and Jane waited patiently for Kate to gather her thoughts.
"What do you need," asked Jane and Kate shook her head.
"Nothing, um, change of plans though. Maya, Zeinab, Carlos, we need to head out. The funeral is in a couple of days. I'll get us out of here in a few hours. Pack and be ready to go."
"You got it, boss," said Zeinab as she led Maya and Carlos from the bullpen.
"We'll be back in a few days," added Kate as Jane gave her a hug.
"Call if you need anything," said Jane.
"I will. Luce, I need to head home to pack, but I'll be sure to come see you before we take off."
"I…" Kate headed for the elevators before Lucy could respond. Jane placed her hand on her junior special agent's shoulder before she could go after her girlfriend.
"Give her a minute. Losing a team member is hard enough, but when you used to feel responsible for them, it's even harder. She might just need a moment to process," suggested Jane and Lucy begrudgingly nodded. She wanted to go after her girlfriend, but decided to take her boss's advice.
The drive to her and Lucy's home seemed to go by in a blur. Kate was on autopilot as she began to pack and her mind wandered back to all those months ago in New York City. She was sitting in her office waiting on Scott to arrive. There had been a complication on the mission, one that should have never happened and she waited for him to tell his side of things. He knocked before poking his head in and she motioned for him to sit down. He closed the door behind him and sat in the chair in front of her desk. It was the first time she had ever seen him look nervous. His usually calm, cool demeanor gave way to stiff shoulders, a foot that tapped every few seconds when it wasn't being reminded not to, and a scowl on his face.
"What happened out there," she questioned as she sat back in her chair, trying her best not to come off as aggressive or like she was interrogating him, even though she technically was. He cleared his throat.
"Things got a little off track, but we managed to apprehend the suspects."
"No, you and Maya were pinned down and Zeinab managed to apprehend the suspects. She saved you in the process, but that's not what I asked. What happened?"
"Jamali wasn't being a team player. That's what happened. All she had to do was stay on script and everything would've been fine, but she couldn't do that."
"You two have had it out for each other since you both arrived. Why is that?"
"There are three kinds of people in the world, those that lead, those that follow, and those that create chaos. She's the chaos of this team. She thinks she knows better but she hasn't been out in the field as much as me and doesn't have the experience."
"And what are you then?"
"Excuse me?"
"Three kinds of people, which one are you?"
"I'm the one that was trying to lead my team to safety and she refused to cooperate." Kate slowly nodded.
"I had Carlos sift through the footage. You're right, we did apprehend the suspects, but you two were led into an ambush. Maya sensed that and while, yes, she didn't handle herself very well…"
"She punched me for it."
"Again, not very well…she also stopped you from heading out the side door where you would've been trapped and Zeinab wouldn't have made it to you in time." He smirked and shook his head.
"So, let me guess, you're taking her side?"
"That's just it. On my team, there are no sides, Samuels. There are a couple of things you seem to have missed about this taskforce. One, we're a team, one that has to make hard calls and adapt and yes, go off script sometimes. I know you like structure and routines, but things go wrong. And two, this is my team. I'm the leader, but it's pretty clear you aren't looking to follow. You're a hell of an agent and I have no problem signing off on wherever you want to go next, but this may not be a good fit for you." He gave a curt nod as he stood up and she did as well. They shook hands and he sighed.
"I volunteered for this team to work with you. Your track record speaks for itself and I respect you. Watch out for Jamali, just a word of advice." With that, he left and Kate sighed, knowing she made the right decision to let him go, but still curious about if he was the only one who needed to be reassessed.
The sound of Lucy's voice snapped her out of her memories and she looked up from her spot on the bed to see Lucy looking at her with concern evident in her eyes. Kate sighed as Lucy stood in between her legs and wrapped her in her arms.
"Talk to me."
"What are you doing here? I thought Jane got the green light on that new case?"
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is I can tell you are hurting. Who was Scott?" Kate pulled Lucy into her lap and leaned into her girlfriend's touch as Lucy stroked her hair.
"When I first got to New York, I didn't choose my team for the first task force. Things went well though and after that, I got to choose who I wanted to work with next. I originally chose four members, all handpicked. Scott is…well…was the prototypical special agent. He had this All-American boy confidence and pride about himself. Maya called him Captain America. I chose him because he was honorable and structured. But, he was a bit rigid and only wanted to be on a team if he could lead it. I knew the moment they met, he and Maya would clash. She had trust issues from past field work and wasn't going to take orders from him. We were working a case and finally got the right leads to get our suspects. Maya and Scott were undercover and their covers got blown. At the time, Scott assured me that Maya got them blown, but the truth is he was pushing too hard and it made the suspects suspicious. They got pinned down. Zeinab swooped in and that was that. No harm, no foul, until I was debriefed and gave both of them the chance to tell their side of the story. She doesn't know this, but that's how I knew she'd be a good fit. She didn't make excuses. She didn't even talk about what Scott did wrong. She simply said things didn't go according to plan and they got pinned down. Maya likes to analyze people to tease them most of the time, but she's protective of the people she cares about and cares about the people she works with. Scott, on the other hand, got defensive, tried to throw her under the bus, and I told him it was time for him to move on from the team."
"Sounds like it didn't end well, but if that's the case, why did he call you?"
"I have no clue. I always told him he could, but he never took me up on the offer before. I can't believe he's gone. He wasn't with the team for long, but it was a tough case with long hours and hard moments. This job…everything can change so quickly." Lucy leaned her forehead against Kate's.
"I know and I'm so sorry about Scott. I already cleared it with Tennant and she agreed that I should go with you to the funeral." Kate sighed.
"Lucy, you're in the middle of a case and your team needs you."
"I can sit this one out."
"I don't want you to have to drop everything because of this. It's only for a couple of days. I'm just going to pay my respects and then I will come right back."
"Kate…"
"Your team needs you out in the field right now. I promise I won't be gone for long. You know I never could be." Lucy wanted to protest, but also didn't want to start an argument. She could tell her girlfriend was mentally and emotionally exhausted, so instead, she tenderly kissed her. Kate melted into the kiss and pulled her closer.
"I love you," whispered Kate.
"I love you too," said Lucy as she held her close. Kate allowed herself to be comforted by her girlfriend for a moment longer, knowing soon she would be out of her warm embrace for a few days.
After promising Lucy she would call as soon as she landed, Kate and the rest of her team boarded a plane to head to New York City. It was a long flight and Kate used it to catch up on some sleep. She wasn't able to sleep for long though and frowned in confusion when she woke up with Maya sitting beside her.
"Why aren't you sitting with Zeinab," asked Kate as she stretched and sat back up in her seat.
"Carlos is annoying me. He keeps asking if I'm okay every ten minutes. I know it's a coping mechanism and he's just worried about me, but still."
"Are you okay?" Kate put her hands up in surrender when Maya side-eyed her.
"Just a question," she added.
"No, obviously, but I will be. I just have some questions I guess."
"About Scott?"
"About why you chose me over him? We've never talked about it, but he was sort of right. I wasn't a team player back then."
"But neither was he. The difference was, you saw it as a flaw, something to overcome. Scott couldn't see his flaws when he was on our team, but I do know he eventually did after he moved on."
"How do you know that?"
"I heard good things from his superiors during meetings. Maybe he learned something during his time with us after all, just like we did."
"I feel guilty. I know it's stupid, but I can't help but wonder if he would've still been on the team would any of this have happened."
"Car accidents happen, Maya."
"You really think it was an accident?" Kate frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Scott called you out of the blue and then suddenly, he ends up dead? That can't be a coincidence, boss."
"Well, if it isn't, we'll find out. First place we're heading is to the field office to get some answers about what happened. You can't blame yourself for any of it either way though. Scott was very clear about his love of New York and he had a family there. Even if he originally stayed on, he wouldn't have relocated. I don't regret any part of my decision on that, Maya, and I don't think he did either. All of our track records prove it too. He went on to close some pretty big cases in New York, our team found its stride, and I don't think anyone could ever question our dynamics. Speaking of which, you should be spending time with Zeinab."
"And Lucy should be here with you, but here we are, what a pair we make." Kate scoffed.
"I will have you know Lucy isn't here for a good reason." Maya arched an eyebrow at her in challenge and Kate sighed.
"And I will let you know it when I figure it out," she conceded and Maya smirked.
"I already know it…well…I have my suspicions at least."
"This is the part where you're going to analyze me again, isn't it?"
"Fun fact, I never stop analyzing you, boss…"
"Not so fun of a fact…"
"You've learned to process trauma on your own. You see it as a burden that you don't want her to carry, but she loves you and she just wants to be there for you. It's also a bit triggering for you for obvious reasons and between the past and New York feeling like a place you last were when you were feeling a bit lost, you're trying to process how to feel about that. A part of you, even after all this time, even knowing that she wouldn't judge you for it, is scared of being that kind of vulnerable with her."
"So you came to sit up here with me to get away from Carlos asking you if you're okay, all so you can tell me why I'm not?"
"Actually, you and I are quite similar in how we process these things so I realized if I could analyze you, I could reflect on me, and now I'm going to go back there and let my loving girlfriend be the support I need in these trying times." Kate stared blankly at her for a moment.
"Sometimes, you annoy the hell out of me."
"Sometimes, I annoy the hell out of myself, but it doesn't change that I'm right. I know it's hard, but you really need to let Lucy into that part too. She isn't going to run if you want to crumble sometimes. We all need that person and mine is giving me a beautiful smile right now, so uh, sleep tight, boss." Kate shook her head in disbelief as Maya went back to sit beside Zeinab. She watched as Maya whispered to her girlfriend and Zeinab sweetly kissed and hugged her. Kate rolled her eyes and got comfortable in her seat again, feeling both utterly annoyed and grateful to have Maya in her life.
As planned, the team headed to the New York Field Office as soon as they arrived to be debriefed on what evidence had been collected from the crash site. Kate and the rest of her team listened closely as FBI SAC Covington informed them of the findings.
"Samuels was off-duty at the time of the crash. The driver of the truck that hit him said his light was green and Samuels ran a red light, but based on the traffic cam footage, that doesn't appear to be completely true. His light was green, but something was off with the traffic lights and Samuels was going through a yellow. It's like there was a delay or something in the system, maybe a faulty part. The light is already being replaced." Carlos shook his head.
"Doubtful. A delay like that would be intentional, like a hack. Even with updated tech, reverse engineering and spoofing the communication of traffic sensors to influence traffic lights isn't that difficult to do. If the hacker doing it knows a thing or two about a thing or two, it could be an easy way to create chaos. Can I see the footage and activity logs? I may be able to track some things to see if something was being manipulated," asked Carlos.
"Of course, our tech guy can get you all that," said Covington.
"What was Scott working on before the accident," asked Kate.
"The same case he became obsessed with for months. There've been a string of heists and we suspected a local team we'd been tracking for years, but couldn't find enough evidence to make a case. Samuels was adamant that the same team was tied to each heist and that this team was international, not local. We were able to confirm that after he tracked down a lead and found a hideout. Damn good work, but the suspects are in the wind."
"When did he find the hideout," asked Kate.
"Two days before the accident," said Covington.
"You mean the murder," corrected Maya and Covington sighed.
"Look, we want to figure out what happened just like you do. Scott was one of ours, but there isn't enough evidence to call it a homicide. We're happy to have Carlos look at the traffic cam footage and system, but it seems so far like an unfortunate accident and glitch that has been fixed."
"Anything else you can tell us," asked Kate.
"That's all we got, but we'll be sure to get that footage over to you. Your team's reputation precedes itself. If you find something, let me know."
"Thank you," said Kate as Covington left the conference room.
"He's hiding something," said Maya.
"Then we'll find out what, but for now, let's focus on the crash site," suggested Kate.
The team spent several hours at the field office before heading back to their hotel. It had been a long day of travel and investigating, but they hadn't found many leads. Kate stuffed her hands into her pockets as they all entered the elevator of the hotel.
"So you know it was hacked, but can't prove it was hacked," questioned Kate after Carlos explained the issue.
"It was definitely a hack, but a sophisticated one. It was so precise that it appears more like a glitch than an interference with the signal. It was done by design. It'll take me some time, but I should be able to figure it out with Ernie's help."
"I thought you said hacking into that system would be fairly simple and most hackers could do it in some shape or form, so how will you be able to figure which one is responsible," asked Kate.
"Just because most can, doesn't mean they do, and if this is tied to a professional team, the list gets shorter. Every hacker has a code, a signature, something unique. It will take a minute, but I can work on it."
"Do you have to work on it here," asked Kate and he shook his head.
"No, my new lair is well-equipped and I would prefer to do this back in Hawai'i."
"Good, then get some rest. Tomorrow is about Scott and paying our respects. When we get back to Hawai'i, we'll do some more digging," informed Kate.
"Will we get to see Dylan and Jake while we're here," asked Carlos and Kate shook her head.
"No, they're out of town. They said we could use their place if we needed somewhere to stay, but I figured you would appreciate having your own rooms. I should let her know we landed safely, though. I'll tell her you asked about her," said Kate. They all stepped off of the elevator and onto their floor of the hotel as Kate pulled out her phone to text a message to her friend and old roommate. She quickly sent it and checked to see if she had any new messages from Lucy.
"Lucy," laughed Carlos and Kate's head darted up to see the three of them running over to her girlfriend. Lucy laughed as they hugged her.
"Hey, miss me already," teased Lucy and Maya smiled knowingly at her.
"Showing up to surprise the boss, gold star," said Maya and she giggled when Lucy blushed.
"Night, boss. Night, Lucy," they all practically sang as Carlos headed to his room and Maya and Zeinab headed to theirs. Kate grinned from ear to ear and sighed happily as she walked over to her girlfriend. Lucy was leaning against the door of her hotel room with her hands in her pockets as Kate closed the distance between them.
"So this is why you wanted my room number? I thought you just wanted to send me something."
"I did. Me. And before you saying anything, I am following very strict orders from my boss right now so none of that, your team needs you crap." Kate wrapped her in her arms.
"Oh really and what very strict orders are you following right now?"
"To make sure you're okay and work as a liaison for your team. I take those orders very seriously. Besides, did you really think there was anywhere else I would be?" Tears filled Kate's eyes as she smiled.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too," she whispered back before passionately kissing her girlfriend. She giggled when Kate pulled out her room key and opened the door as she peppered kisses over Lucy's neck. The moment they were inside the hotel room, their eyes locked and nothing else needed to be said. Both knew what they needed in that moment and it was only one another.
The next morning, the funeral for Scott Samuels was held at the church his family had attended since he was a child. One of the things that drew Kate to Scott when she saw his application was his loyalty, honor, and how much he loved his country and city. It was clear that New York was his home and where he always wanted to be. Lucy held her hand the whole time, making sure she was okay and being the rock she needed her to be. Kate didn't expect it to hit her so hard, but all the memories of the last funeral she was at crashed into her like a wave she didn't see coming. She had been so focused on the case that she hadn't given herself the chance to truly think about the emotional toll. As she stood beside her team and held onto Lucy's hand, she felt the grief of watching Scott's family mourn the loss of a son, husband, and brother. She was relieved when it was over and even more relieved that Lucy had come. In that moment, she fell for her girlfriend even more and kissed the top of Lucy's hand as they walked to their car after the funeral. The reception was held at Scott's home and Kate was surprised when his wife approached her and Lucy.
"Whistler, right," asked the woman and Kate's eyes widened.
"Yes, hi, I'm Kate."
"I'm Scott's wife, Claudia. Can we speak in private?"
"Of course," said Kate and Lucy gave her hand a comforting squeeze before letting it go. Kate followed Claudia through the kitchen and down a flight of stairs to the basement. She frowned in confusion when Claudia closed the door behind them.
"Is everything okay," questioned Kate.
"This is probably going to sound crazy. I didn't believe it myself. He had grown so paranoid over the past few months, even said someone might be following him. I wish I would've believed him. Maybe he would still be here," said Claudia as she took in a deep breath to regain composure. Kate waited patiently and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I can't imagine what you're going through right now. When I lost my brother, there was nothing anyone could say to make me feel better, but if you think there's more to what happened than an accident…"
"It wasn't an accident. Someone killed my husband."
"Why do you say that?" Claudia walked over to an old recliner in the corner. She reached under it and grabbed a VHS tape and a stack of comic books.
"What is that," asked Kate.
"I don't know. He just told me in case of an emergency, mail this to Kate Whistler." Kate took the stack of comic books, along with the VHS, and frowned in confusion.
"He told you to give me this?"
"Yes."
"Did he say anything else?"
"No, just to give you that. I don't know what's going on, but I know someone killed him and Scott wanted you to have these. That's all I know. I'm sorry, but I need to go find my mother-in-law and make sure she's okay. Excuse me," said Claudia as she headed back up the stairs of the basement. Kate heard more footsteps heading her way and looked up to see Lucy, Maya, Zeinab, and Carlos coming down the stairs. She handed Carlos the VHS and Maya the comic books.
"What's all this," asked Carlos.
"Scott knew he was in danger. He thought he was being followed and trusted so few people that he called me and wanted his wife to give me these," informed Kate. Maya titled her head in confusion at the stack of comic books.
"Captain America," she read out loud and took one of the comic books out of its plastic slip.
"Careful with those. They are collector's items," warned Carlos
"Well, they're evidence now," said Zeinab and Maya's eyes widened as she opened the first page.
"What is it," asked Lucy. Maya pulled out a notecard and handed it to Lucy before turning to the next page. Each page had a notecard inside with Scott's handwriting scrolled on it.
"Gold star, Steve Rogers," said Maya with a smile as she read over one. Scott Samuels was onto something after all, but whatever it was, he went out of his way to make sure it wouldn't end up in the wrong hands.
AN: So, what do you think so far? Definitely more drama in this chapter. Writing the mystery of it all has been interesting, but I am definitely digging the dynamics and exploring those more. Next chapter, back to Hawai'i with the rest of the NCIS Team.
