Plans, Perceptions, and Providence

By Felicia Ferguson

Shane/Oliver Engaged

Author's Note: Now, I can definitely say I'm sad this one is over. I have loved every minute of writing this story and reading your feedback and guesses. Again, a forewarning to anyone with hacker or computer programming skills—I made educated plot choices based on research, not actual experience. So, please forgive any mistakes.

As always, much love and respect for Martha Williamson, Eric Mabius, Kristin Booth, Valerie Bertinelli, and Mark Valley for creating these incomparable characters. To the #POstables!

Chapter 5

Shane sat on the couch in the conference room, laptop in her lap, and reading through the code on the thumb drive. She didn't know what John had to do or say to get them back from Steve, but she knew they held the answers.

John stood behind her tracking the code's progress down the screen while Oliver sat beside her watching, his face an endearing mix of awe and confusion. Shane's lips twitched with fond amusement. Her beloved luddite was being dragged into the twenty-first century after all, but at least he wasn't kicking or screaming.

Minutes turned into an hour as Shane continued to watch the code certainty waning with every passing number and letter. She bit her lip, then blew out a frustrated sigh. It's here. It's got to be. I can't be wrong about this.

She shook her head slowly, brow wrinkling.

Code continued to scroll.

John shifted behind her, but said nothing.

Shane closed her eyes for a second. God, is there any chance you'd help a hacker out? She licked her lips then grabbed Oliver's hand and asked, "Will you pray with me?"

Surprise lit his eyes before he closed them. She watched him in her peripheral vision as his lips moved, offering silent pleas to Heaven as she continued to read and scan.

When Oliver opened his eyes, she could feel him studying her, contemplating something. Yes, we do need to talk. Her lips twitched at the thought of surprising Oliver even more, but her gaze remained focused on the screen.

A few minutes later, something caught her eyes. A certain section of code scrolled by. She stabbed the keyboard with a command to halt the code and pointed to the screen. "This is it! Right here. This is hers. I watched her code early on in the assignment—Steve had us specifically work together that day."

Oliver peered at the screen then glanced to Shane. "How can you know for certain?"

Shane grinned. "Every hacker has their own tweaks sort of like a fingerprint. Some use them for bragging rights or like how the early explorers planted flags, but no matter what, it's really hard to avoid leaving them."

She turned to look over her shoulder at John, hoping he could see the differences. "What you said about Steve flipping your person—it got me to thinking about that team member who was reassigned. A few weeks before Steve moved me off pure coding, I overheard him tell her to make sure her encryptions lined up with mine. Now, he said that in the bullpen within the hearing of the entire team, so I didn't give it much thought. I figured he just wanted to make sure we were targeting our searches in a consistent pattern.

"But it happened right around the time I got into the CIA director's emails. So, what if he wasn't having her work on the attack we were fighting, but he was actually telling her to modify my code for whatever they had planned to do later?"

John scratched his chin as his gaze turned thoughtful. He leaned forward and tapped in a command and another dialog box popped up on the screen. More code scrolled down it. "This is Perfide's code here." Shane watched him compare the two results. Finally, his eyes lit up and he smirked. "We've got her!"

Oliver looked between Shane and John, a concerned furrow carved into his brow. "But is it enough to get Mr. Marek?"

"It's enough to make him answer some very hard questions, that's for sure." John tapped on his watch then shot an apologetic look to Shane. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take your laptop again along with the thumb drive. But I'll make sure you get it back."

Oliver checked his timepiece. Three hours had passed since John had left with Shane's laptop and the thumb drive. The FBI agent guarding the door had brought magazines, colas, as well as snacks, all consumed within an hour of their arrival. Shane had paced the small confines, then sat, then paced again for the last hour.

Hands on her hips, she stared at the door yet again. "What is going on? Surely, John found Steve."

Oliver's brows lifted. "Perhaps they are simply locating this Perfide first?"

Shane sighed then nodded and sat back down beside him. "Well, this wasn't what I had in mind for our quick trip to D.C., but at least we're getting some couple time."

Oliver chuckled and raised her knuckles to his lips. "Since it appears you're about to go crazy, why don't we play your game?"

Shane's brow wrinkled as she shot him a confused look.

"Your word association game from the bank."

Comprehension dawned in her eyes and her lips turned up. She lifted her brows silently asking who would start.

Oliver bobbed his head in a single nod. "Ladies first."

Her eyes sparkled as ideas began to form in their depths. "Flower."

Oliver's lips twitched. "Rose."

"Blue."

Oliver propped his elbow on the armrest then rested his cheek on his fist, settling into their rhythm. "Sky."

"Mountain."

"Beautiful."

"Book."

"Knowledge."

"Um." She glanced up at the ceiling, then smirked. "Love."

"You."

Shane grabbed his lapels and tugged him to her. Drawing his lips to hers, she whispered, "Good answer."

A single knock was followed by the door opening. John stepped in then paused. A teasing light lit his eyes, and a hint of a smile tickled his lips. "Sorry to interrupt."

Shane released Oliver's lapels, her previous playfulness sobering. "Any news?"

John nodded. "An arrest warrant was issued for Perfide, and she's now in FBI custody. Marek is in an interview room with one of the agents who questioned you. I was thinking you might be interested in hearing what he had to say."

Shane glanced over her shoulder to Oliver.

John shook his head. "Sorry, you're the one with a security clearance. Oliver will have to stay here."

Oliver placed a hand on her arm and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Go. It's the only way you'll get the answers you need."

Shane took in a deep breath and nodded. "I'll be back soon."

John and a new female agent escorted Shane back to her interview room where they found Steve leaning against the wall watching the original agent, who sat at the table. A file lay open in front of them, and a photo of Lt. Amber Brigand stared up at Shane. The brunette's hair was much shorter in her West Point graduation photo, but otherwise she was the same hacker Shane remembered from her time near the Pakistan border.

Steve pushed off the wall and closed the file. "She graduated near the top of her class in cyber science. From all accounts, a patriot who wanted to serve her country. Don't know when or why she was turned. At least not yet."

John nodded to the FBI agent, who removed his own file from a briefcase next to his chair. "We're not here to discuss her motives, Mr. Marek. We're here to discuss yours. What exactly was your role in all of this?"

Steve leaned back against the wall, arms crossed as if he didn't have a care in the world. Shane's eyes narrowed as she watched him, wondering where the Steve she knew—had dated—hid in the one before her now.

"I'd been watching her for a while after we worked a different op. Some classified files were accessed and later sold on the dark web, and she was the most likely candidate for the theft, but I had no way to prove it."

John nodded. "That sale is what tipped off my firm, and we began our own discreet investigation at the request of the CIA Director."

Steve grimaced, then released a slow breath. "Given my suspicions, which I can't go into because it's still an active, open investigation, I requested she be assigned to my team when the cyber crisis happened. It was the perfect opportunity to surveille her under close quarters without tipping my hand."

Shane shook her head as she sorted through the new information, piecing it together with her own knowledge. "So, why include me?"

Steve dropped his arms and spread them wide. "I didn't lie when I said I needed someone who knew USPS. I'm sure you saw that in your assignments."

Shane's head bobbed in a reluctant nod. Most of her encryption work was shoring up the USPS servers and mainframes—at least in the beginning.

A smile flicked across Steve's lips. "But assigning you the CIA crack was where the fun started. I'd had our people set up a dummy document that ticked similar boxes of the one she'd stolen previously. You opened the door to the CIA servers I needed her to walk through in no time at all—I knew you were good, but I didn't realize how good until then. At that point, you were the perfect person to lure Brigand into the trap I was setting."

Shane wasn't certain if she should take his explanation as a compliment or a condemnation. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment, she remained silent.

"Remember that day I caught you doing a search about Louisiana for that old, dead letter thing? I made sure she started following your encryption patterns, betting that she would move on to your actual code. Most hackers have pretty big egos when it gets right down to it, and I knew, given your skills, she would be tempted to try and one-up you."

Shane shook her head. Hackers aren't the only ones with big egos.

"Over the next month, I dropped a few hints about my being interested in making some side money, but not having the coding skills to get to the file that I knew would merit the big dollars."

Shane's eyes narrowed and she glanced over at John. "That was when Steve took me off pure hacking and started having me consult on the drone footage. He needed me out of her way—out of their conversations."

Awareness dawned in John's eyes. "What about the thumb drive?"

Steve's cheeks wrinkled. "Once we were back in the States, Brigand approached me about a transfer. Told me she'd found something but needed to work with her team to make some more modifications to the code so they could access the file and get our payout. Said she couldn't do that under Langley's watch." He shrugged again, his lips curling in a dismissive half-smirk. "I arranged it,then went in, grabbed the drive from a storage unit at Langley, and passed it off to her."

Shane's brows lifted and she crossed her arms. "And you just happened to choose a lipstick color that I regularly wear?"

Steve's smile turned wry. "No, that was intentional. I knew if she thought I was setting you up, then it would keep her from getting suspicious that I was actually setting her up."

Shane rubbed her arms, trying to brush off the slimy feeling his machinations created.

The FBI agent pushed back in his chair and studied Steve. "So, who actually mailed the thumb drive?"

Steve flashed a self-deprecating smile and shrugged. "I did. Had to make sure it got around the USPS security protocols we have in place here. Guess I should have done a better job sealing the envelope."

John shook his head, his lips pinching in distaste. "And the encrypted email account in Shane's name?"

"Had to have a way to corresponded with Brigand, and using Shane's name just added an extra layer of subterfuge and believability that I was willing to commit treason for cash. Hacker groups are not known for trusting government officials, and Brigand's group, despite being new to the game, was no different."

John huffed but nodded his agreement. "He's not wrong."

"I kept in touch to make sure she received it. But days and weeks and then months passed and when she didn't receive it, it looked like the op was going to be a bust."

John turned to Shane. "The group started to move on to new targets, which my company has been tracking over the last few months."

Steve leaned back against the wall again. "And I started working up a new plan—just had to wait for the next crisis to bring her back in. Then you turn up with the thumb drive, and we had to move quickly to grab her before she learned what was happening."

Shane's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. "You mean by arresting me. For something I didn't do."

Steve flashed the aw shucks smile that had once turned her head, but now only made her want to hit him. "Technically, you were just brought in for questioning. This guy and his buddy got a bit ahead of themselves."

The FBI agent tossed his pen on the desk, but said nothing.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"The op was above your security clearance for one, and we had to make it look like she'd gotten away with no one suspecting she'd done anything. To keep the opportunity to set her up again open. Especially once the thumb drive turned back up."

Stunned by Steve's nonchalant explanation for almost ruining her life, Shane's mouth dropped open. Her lips moved, but no words formed.

Confidence tinged with the barest hint of regret shaded his eyes. His lips flinched into an almost apologetic smile. "We're rolling up a new hacking ring thanks to setting her up. Like you said before, it was for the greater good."

The conference room door opened revealing Shane once again. But this time, instead of seeing her delighted grin, Oliver watched her shoulders droop and her chin tremble. Oliver extended his hand and drew her into his arms. He wouldn't ask for details—he already had no doubts about Mr. Marek's role in the subterfuge. John followed her, closing the door behind him. Their FBI escort was nowhere to be seen. Whatever happened in the interview, it seemed Shane was now completely cleared of any culpability.

Shane pulled back and wiping her cheeks, she flashed Oliver a wan smile of thanks then tugged him to the couch. After she updated him with the broadest of overviews, she looked over to John, who sat in one of the arm chairs, one leg crossed over the other, hands steepled in front of him. Disappointed acceptance laced her words. "Steve had an answer for everything. Do you think he's telling the truth?"

John shrugged. "We'll know for sure once Perfide is interrogated, but to me, there's always going to be doubt in whatever truth Marek speaks. It's just his way. He's a gray man in a gray world."

Oliver sniffed, unwilling to so readily release Mr. Marek from his role in hurting Shane. Lifting his brows, he asked, "What happens now?"

John uncrossed his legs and rose. "With Shane cleared of everything, you're free to go back to business as usual. I'll arrange it so she can keep her security clearance, and any further contact or work with Marek will be at her discretion."

"I'll pass." Shane shook her head and turned to Oliver, a contented smile wreathing her lips. "I'm perfectly happy to return to Denver and the DLO."

All remaining concern Oliver had for Shane's contentment with their simple life together evaporated. With a small smile, he rose then held out his hand. She took it with a delighted smile, and they followed John through the door.

Oliver glanced down the hallway and stiffened. Steve Marek stood languidly talking with another suited man. Feeling Shane sliding her hand into the crook of his elbow, Oliver's tension eased, but only by small degrees.

Her voice low, soothing, but fully cognizant of the trouble Mr. Marek had caused them, Shane murmured, "You know you're going to have to forgive him."

Oliver's head bobbed in a single slicing motion. His lips twitched with irritation. "I know. But not today."

Shane watched Oliver from the entry to the FBI building as he called for a taxi to return them to the Franklin Adams and back to their normal life.

"Shane."

She flinched at the familiar voice, but turned, and found Steve holding her laptop. His face was a mixture of regret and apology but both were overridden by a certainty of the rightness of his actions. He flashed a quick smile. "So, I guess this is goodbye again, huh? I'm sure I've got absolutely no chance of changing your mind now."

Shane took the laptop then stepped back, placing more distance between them on the off chance Steve might attempt a second, unwelcome kiss. She planned on leaving D.C. with Oliver, not having to hire him his own attorney. "Absolutely none, Steve." Her tone brooked no argument, but her eyes softened as forgiveness eased through her. Though she would never agree with his tactics, she did respect his desire to protect the country. "I do wish you well, though."

Steve's brows lifted and his gaze settled just over her shoulder. "And Oliver?"

A short dry, huff slipped between her lips. "Let's just say he would prefer to stick you in a blender and push frappe."

"Ouch. I guess deserve that."

Shane flashed a guarded smile, but said nothing. He wasn't a bad guy. He just wasn't what she would call a good one. As John had said, Steve was a gray man, happy to live in a gray world.

Steve returned his gaze to her, then nodded. "Yeah, well. Enjoy the wedding. And your lives together."

"We will. Thank you."

Grateful he hadn't changed their plane tickets, Oliver sat on the couch in Shane's hotel room while she freshened up before they left for the airport and their flight to Buffalo. Like his luggage at the door, he was more than ready to bid D.C. goodbye. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch allowing the strain of the last two days to dissipate.

After a few minutes, the shower turned off and he could hear Shane humming an unfamiliar tune. A smile slipped over his lips as he savored the sound and imagined the rest of their lives together. Twelve more days. A now familiar ring sounded from the desk. Oliver opened his eyes and rose to answer her phone. He tapped the green button just as Shane emerged fully dressed, but still towel drying her hair.

"Hello?" he answered, grinning as her brows lifted in surprise.

"Oliver? Is Shane okay? John said she'd been released." Becky asked, worry threading through her words.

"She's perfectly fine. Would you like to speak with her?"

"Can you put me on speaker?"

Oliver's mouth pursed as he held the phone away from his ear and peered at the screen. He looked at Shane uncertain which button to push. "She wants to be placed on the speaker. I only know how to answer and hang up," he explained with a sheepish grin.

Shane cupped his cheek and smiled, her eyes warming with loving amusement. "That's good place to start." She tapped a button and suddenly Becky's voice filled the room.

"Shaney?"

"I'm here, Becky. And I can't thank you and John enough for everything you've done."

"Nonsense. Can't have one of my special projects go under because some government agent can't get it through his thick skull that you're completely off the market. When are you heading back to Denver?"

Shane put the phone back on the desk and returned to toweling her hair. Bare foot and face still bereft of make-up, Oliver couldn't imagine her looking any more beautiful. Her gaze caught his and darkened as a new intimacy thickened around them.

"Shaney? Did I lose you?"

Shane's eyes widened and her mouth worked to form an excuse. Oliver's cheeks crinkled with delight at rendering her speechless. "No, we're here. We'll be flying to Buffalo tonight as originally planned to see Gloria then home to Denver tomorrow."

"Oh, I was hoping we could have dinner, but we'll see you at the wedding. And Shaney, we have to keep in touch more often than simple emails and reports."

Oliver watched Shane as she chatted with Becky, her enjoyment of their friendship evident and heartening, and made his own silent promises to encourage their continued contact.

Three hours later, Shane and Oliver sat in their first-class seats finally leaving D.C. Hand clasped loosely in his, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander. As difficult as their original separation and the past two days had been, was it possible God had used everything that happened for her good? For their good? Without their separation, would she have fully appreciated how deeply she loved Oliver? And without her own crisis, would she have ever have fully turned to God, deciding to trust him with her life?

A soft smile curved her lips as she opened her eyes and studied Oliver's profile as he dozed next to her. Yes, John was right. God was faithful. He provided her strength and protection when she asked. But she also could see he was good and loving, doing even more than she could ever ask, imagine, or think in partnering her with Oliver. As she had once told Alex, Oliver was everything she never knew she wanted. But God knew. Warm peace settled through her. Thank you.

Shane squeezed Oliver's hand, smiling as he woke. His eyes warmed with the deep, abiding love that melted her heart. Tugging at her pendant, she asked, "Oliver, when one chooses to follow God, does one do anything in particular?"

Oliver's brow furrowed and his lips pursed as he brushed off his light doze and pondered her question. "Well, water baptism is considered to be an outward display of an inward change." Oliver blinked as full comprehension eased through his eyes. "You believe?"

Shane's brows lifted and pure joy radiated from her smile. "Yes, and not just because you do. I believe for me."

As Oliver kissed her knuckles above her engagement ring, Shane couldn't help but feel as if three strands had started weaving together. Savoring the sensation, she issued one last invitation. God, would you like to come to our wedding?

End