VI. Alphabet Soup
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 4:49PM
"Did you need any help sir?"
"Oh no, I'm fine I just thought I heard something dragging under my car but I think it was just a piece of trash."
"Yeah I hate when that happens. Have a good day" Damien nodded politely as he opened the door to the car parked next to the detective's car. He tossed his bag of groceries into the passenger seat before he buckled up and backed out of the store parking lot.
Watching through his rear view mirror as the operative who just placed a tracking beacon under the Detectives car hurried back to the black SUV at the far end of the parking lot. Unfortunately for him the agency was playing it close to the chest and hadn't revealed their presence. If they had, Reese would have been out in the open, watching his woman like a sentry.
He pulled on a pair of gloves and reached between the driver's seat, pulling out a sealed envelope.
"I guess it's time to add another player to the game." Damien smiled as he turned onto 7th Ave and Varick Street heading south towards Federal Plaza.
Midtown, New York, January 14th 4:25PM
Vivian stared as the dead body was lifted out of the dumpster and placed in front of the medical examiner. Although she knew the likely cause of death she didn't need the ME giving her shit for jumping to conclusions, "Dr. Cooper can you tell me the cause of death?"
Susan looked over her shoulder at the two Detectives standing behind her. "Once I've done the autopsy, you'll be the first to know."
"Really? You're going to give us your by the book crap. The mans neck is twisted around!" Scott shouted at the examiner glaring angrily.
Susan pursed her lips in frustration, deciding that the tension and anger in the air was a result of the identity of the victim. "It's possible but despite what you see in the movies Detective, it requires a lot of skill and force to kill someone by damaging the spine."
Susan gestured for her assistant to tilt the body to expose the mans back, showing the bloody wound behind the man's neck, "But sometimes it's just easier to use other means to damage the spinal cord. So as I said before, once I conclude my autopsy I will let you know Officer Reynolds cause of death."
"Dr. Cooper from a theoretical standpoint who would our suspect be?" Vivian asked trying to defuse the situation.
Susan sighed "Given Officer Reynolds height and weight, I can say that from the lack of defensive abrasions that your suspect will be physically fit, close to 5 foot 11 inches or above, and has more than likely has done this before."
Vivian raised her eyebrow "How do you know that they've done this before."
Susan stood up remove her gloves as her assistant began prepping the body for transport "The lack of hesitation marks at the base of the skull and the clean dislocation of vertebrae."
Vivian nodded as she watched Cooper walk away before she turned to look at her partner "Richards learn some manners."
"Sorry Brooks, it's just he's one of our own and she's acting like it's no big deal."
Vivian shook her head "She's just doing her job. Now let's do ours."
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 4:59PM
"Red meat, pork chops, chicken or fish?" Joss looked over the meat selections of the grocery store as she held her phone to her ear.
"Is he allergic to anything?"
"No, but I don't know if he has a preference for a certain type of meat." Joss sighed as she picked up a pack of chicken breast.
"What did he order when you guys went out to dinner?"
"Salmon...something fancy sounding?"
"Okay then no fish…chicken's to plain and pork chops need to be grilled," Jasmine smiled "…and we all know what happened the last time you touched a grill."
"It was one time and the gas was turned up to high, it wasn't that serious" Joss huffed out.
"Tell that to Paul's singed eyebrow. I still don't think it's grown all the way back yet."
"So steak it is." Joss ignored Jasmine as she picked up two packages of steak.
"Okay now for the vegetables; broccoli, green beans, corn or steamed mixed veggies?" Joss asked as she moved into the frozen foods section.
"Uhhh…broccoli is always good, but make sure you get a fresh stock not that dehydrated frozen crap."
Joss nodded as she maneuvered her cart back towards the fresh produce "Should I sauté it…isn't there some rule about eating garlic and being on a date."
"I'm sorry Joss, I thought you we're going to feed this man, not keep his breath fresh? What else are you going to serve?"
Joss rolled her eyes "Mashed baby red potatoes"
"Okay so we have steak with a side of broccoli and mashed potatoes. What else is missing?"
"Dessert." Joss answered as she stopped in the baking aisle.
"Should I make a whole cake or cupcakes."
"Cupcakes! You know those triple chocolate ones you always make for Thanksgiving…plus it will be easier for me…for you….to send him home with cupcakes."
Joss rolled her eyes grinning "Don't worry I'll save you some cupcakes."
"Thank you…"
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 4:30PM
Kate stood back and watched as the head coordinator gave orders for the operatives in the field.
"This is Tac 2, the subject has left the grocery store and the beacon has been attached to her car. Do we follow her?"
"Negative Tac 2, the subject is familiar with surveillance, she's made our boys before. Just pack up shop and report back." Duvall replied.
Duvall switched over to the other line "Tac 1, the subject is on her way home. What is the condition of your zone?"
"This is Tac 1. The zone is green. No sign of the target. Only the subject's teenage son, the dog and an adolescent African American female, looks like a friend of the son."
"Understood. Hold your positions. No one moves until I give the order our target is to be considered armed, dangerous and highly efficient."
Brooklyn, New York, January 14th 5:49PM
"The limit of five x squared minus eight x minus 13 over x squared minus 5, as x approaches 3 is equal to…..I don't care because I'll never need this"
Taylor laughed "Are you going to tell Mr. Lucas that during 3rd period?"
"I wish I could but the last thing I need is another referral or suspension. I'll just let him continue thinking I'm a lazy teenage degenerate." Maya replied shutting her math textbook and stretching.
Taylor shook his head "You're probably right, they might just kick you out of school especially after that fight you started with Ben Mills"
"I didn't start that fight but I sure in the hell finished that shit…fucking punk bitch tried to put his hand up my skirt" Maya grumbled.
Taylor gripped his pencil tighter. "You're lucky the cameras caught what happened if not I'm pretty sure you would have gotten in trouble with the police for assault or something."
"They tried too, his Dad tried to blame me saying I elicited the behavior with my attire,…blah, blah, blah…"
"What? That's stupid you were wearing your school uniform." Taylor scrunched his face in confusion.
Maya snorted and laughed "Don't get me started on another state of affairs rant, because you know I won't stop…besides all I have to do is a 100 hours of community service."
"Doesn't seem fair" Taylor rebuffed.
"It's over. I ain't sweating it, I'll be done with that damn school in a year then I'm getting the fuck up out of this city."
Taylor gave a forced smile "What do you have to do for the community service"
"It was up to me, so I signed up with that community group that goes around doing all that cleaning stuff, getting rid of graffiti and picking up trash and stuff."
"Really you're going to go around cleaning stuff up?" Taylor replied fringing shock.
"Hey, it was either clean up a bunch of crap or babysit a bunch of dysfunctional ass kids at the community center and I hate kids, they annoy the shit out of me." Maya rebuffed as she laid on the floor and started to pet Artemis.
"I know you're not cussing in my house young lady?"
Taylor laughed as Artemis leaped over Maya and darted to the front door as his Mom shuffled in with groceries.
"Artemis calm down none of this is for you." Joss chastised as she lifted the grocery bags higher.
Taylor stood up and grabbed the grocery bags "Mom I got them"
"Sorry Ms. Carter." Maya forced out as she stood up and moved in for a hug.
"Mmmhmm, I'll let it slide this time." Joss reached out and embraced her before standing back and look her over "Well look at you, wearing makeup. How are you and your foster family working out?"
Maya smiled "Thanks Ms. Carter, still trying to figure out the whole eyeliner thing without poking myself in the eye but the Wilkerson's are nice, better than my last foster parents."
"That's good to hear I'm glade." Joss smiled softly "Did you want to stay for dinner?"
"Love to but I can't, Mary and Doug need help setting up the spare bedroom for the new foster kid they're taking in."
"Oh that's nice to hear." Joss replied as they moved into the kitchen.
"Yeah I guess …soooo Ms. Carter I hear you have a new boo-thang" Maya grinned as Taylor shoved her arm as he put the groceries away.
Joss rolled her eyes and chuckled as she began taking out her cooking ware "Is that what you kids say these days."
"Among other thing, remind me to install urban dictionary on your phone."
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 6:55PM
Susan watched silently as Detective Brooks and her partner talked to her assistant about the evidence they found in the Officers throat. As she finished washing her hands she glanced back at the body, then back up, watching as the Detectives headed out to continue their investigation.
Once she was sure they were gone she pulled her cell phone out and dialed a number. "Hey it's me….no I'm not canceling dinner but you might have too….look I'm not supposed to be contacting you but I….I just finished autopsying of an Officer Blake Reynolds, he was found in a dumpster not far from your precinct and he had Detective Carter's contact card stuffed in his mouth."
Brooklyn, New York, January 14th 7:28PM
Joss pushed a stray stain of hair behind her ear as she looked her outfit over in the mirror. Taking in her dark blue skinny jeans and her white long sleeve chiffon top and her flat black boots.
"What do you think Artemis?" she asked the ball of fluff that was too preoccupied with her squeak toy.
'Ding-Dong'
Joss smiled as she looked at her watch 7:30PM, "Right on time," she muttered to herself as Artemis took off running and barking towards the door.
"Taylor hurry up and come down stairs!" Joss yelled as she made her way down the stairs.
John smiled as he heard Artemis barking through the door
"Hey John, come in." Joss smiled, taking in his navy blue polo, blue jeans and leather jacket as she moved to the side.
John nodded as he moved further inside her house chuckling as Artemis circled around his legs sniffing at his feet before she began to whine.
"Sorry Artemis no Bear today." He uttered reaching out and scratching behind her ear.
Joss moved in and wrapped her arms around his waist pecking him the lips lightly "Are you ready for this?"
John returned her kiss "As I'll ever be. What am I supposed to say?"
Joss grinned lowering her voice and faking a British accent "Start with my name is Warren. John, Warren."
John smiled at her sarcasm "Should I tell him how I like my Martinis too?"
"Just relax, besides once he sees who you are, I'm going to be the coolest Mom ever," Joss smiled separating herself from him "Taylor come down stairs please. There's someone I want you to meet"
John looked at her in confusion, listening as footsteps coming down the stairs, before he could question her comment he heard a sharp intake of breath. He turned around and looked at Taylor staring at him with a shocked expression.
"No way Mom, you're dating the badass who saved me!"
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 7:00PM
"Shit!" Fusco exclaimed as he hung up with Susan, before quickly dialing Harold.
"Yes Detective" Harold answered.
"Glasses I think we have a situation. I need you to look into anything you can find on an Officer Blake Reynolds."
"May I ask why Detective?"
"He was found dead and dumped in a dumpster with Carter's contact card stuffed down his throat."
"Oh my," Finch quickly shuffled around Bear and headed for his desk, "Does Detective Carter know?"
"Not yet but Brooks is a Bloodhound, so I'm sure she's going to be contacting Carter in some capacity about it."
"Should we inform Mr. Reese of what's going on?"
Fusco hesitated, "Lets' find out what's going on first. Reese has been on edge since the stalker. The last thing I want is Wonderboy absconding with my partner and locking her away in some safe house."
"Indeed." Finch replied.
Fusco sighed as he rubbed his eyes "But to be on the safe side I'd let Tinkerbell know what's going on, just in case shit hits the fan."
Brooklyn, New York, January 14th 8:45PM
"So what do you do for a living John?" Taylor asked as they sat at the table, both he and John were on their second plate.
John glanced at Joss sipping his wine "Currently I'm a financial banker."
Taylor looked at him in confusion "Financial banker?...So you just perform armed tactical rescues in your free time?"
John smiled as he heard Joss choke on her wine at Taylors comment.
"I use to be in the military. When I found out what happen to you, I told your Mother I'd help her."
Taylor nodded trying to forget his kidnapping "What branch?"
"Army"
"Were you Special Forces or something. Because when you saved me, you rolled in like you were Rambo."
"Yes I was. But enough about me, I see you've changed since we last met." John changed the subject focusing in on his new cut hair and slightly more muscular structure.
Taylor rubbed his head "Yeah, started weight lifting and my Dad's teaching me how to fight."
"Really, what fighting style?" John raised his eyebrow. When he first met Joss he had done an initial background check into her life. He knew that she was divorced and that she had full custody of Taylor, but considering she always left him with her Mother instead of his Father, he'd assumed that she didn't trust the man. He made a mental note to dig into Paul Carter when he had some free time.
"We'll my Mom only agreed to boxing…"
Joss rolled her eyes "Exactly boxing is plenty of dangerous. I don't need your Dad or his Jarhead buddies teaching you Jujitsu or Krav Maga."
John smiled behind his glass at the tiff between Mother and Son.
"What about you John?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"What kind of fighting styles did they teach you when you were in the Army?"
"The kind that keep you alive" John relied.
Taylor smiled "Could you teach me?"
John let out a small laugh which turned into a nervous smirk as he saw the look Joss was giving him as she causally sipped her wine.
"Uhhhhhh…so Joss what's for dessert?" John asked timidly.
Manhattan, New York, Federal Plaza, January 14th 8:35PM
"How'd we end up with this lead?" Moss ordered the technician as he looked over the contact card and newspaper article in the evidence bags.
"It showed up at the front desk the receptionist didn't get a good look at the man who delivered it. There were no finger prints or fibers on either piece of the evidence."
Moss stared at the newspaper article 'FBI agent found shot and killed in overturned vehicle. No leads.' He then turned his attention to the other evidence bag that held the contact card for Detective Jocelyn Carter with the words "She knows the truth" scrawled on the back.
Moss frowned he always hated Donnelly's need to include the Detective in their affairs, he was equally pissed when Donnelly kicked him out of the loop during Riker's. He didn't know what Donnelly saw in the Detective, to trust her so much. To him it seemed like she was always plotting whenever they showed up to discuss the man in the suit, it seemed like she was subtly interrogating them for information before she added her viewpoint.
Moss stormed out of the lab as he returned to his office deciding it was time to ask Detective Carter some questions.
Manhattan, New York, January 14th 8:00pm
"Hey Barns you have a package." Matthew muttered as he dropped the package on the desk.
Matthew raised his eyebrow as he watched Kate open the package to revel an overstuffed military file "Looking into Reese's military history?"
"No." Kate replied opening the folder as she began to scan the Warrant Officers file.
"What's her file going to tell you that Reese's wont?"
"I requested both of their files but for some odd reason John Riggs military file is missing."
"I'm surprised you're here and not out with the tactical team ready to apprehend Reese. Have they brought him in yet?"
"No not yet I think Duvall is waiting for him to finish his visit. Doesn't make any sense why he's there to begin with."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked half paying attention.
"You never form personal attachments while you're active, it'll just get the people you care about killed or worst."
Kate looked at the head shot she had of Reese's, from his imprisonment at Rikers by the FBI "Maybe he's just tired of being alone. Tired of the lifestyle."
Matthew snorted "Then why sign up to be in this line of work."
Kate looked over her shoulder at Matthew "How long do you plan on staying with the agency in your current capacity? 10, 15, 20 years."
"I don't know. Why? Matthew asked confused.
I may not be a field agent but I'm sure you guys have retirement plans that don't involve bullets and unmarked graves.
Kate stared at his photo "It's one thing to live in isolation for a set period of time, it's something else when that measurable term becomes indefinite."
After a while you lose focus, you become complacent and predictable. You think that it's over and then someone shows up to remind you that it's not." Kate narrowed her eyes as she stared harder at John's photo.
Brooklyn, New York, January 14th 9:02PM
"Congratulations solider you survived." Joss retorted as she wrapped her arms around his waist as they stood in the kitchen.
John looked down the hallway where Taylor had scurried off to finish his homework after telling him it was nice meeting him. "Survived yes. But does he approve of me dating his mother is the real question?"
"Trust me if he didn't you'd know already." Joss replied snaking her arms around his shoulders.
John smiled as he pulled her closer "Thank you for dinner Joss."
"You're welcome, maybe next time you can invite me over to your place and cook me dinner."
John smirked and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, "I'd love to have you for dinner."
Joss laughed at his innuendo and pulled him closer only to be interrupted as her phone rang.
Joss sighed as she pulled her cellphone from her packet, seeing that it was her partner "What is it Fusco?"
John watched in concern as he felt her stiffen and pull out of his embrace.
"What!... when….. okay I'll tell him." Joss replied slightly panicked.
"John you need to go."
John straightened up before he could ask why, they heard a heavy knock at the door followed by a female and then male voice.
"NYPD!"
"FBI!"
AN: Sorry for the hiatus...FBI, NYPD, CIA John and Joss cant get a break.