Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or even a portion of the show. They all belong to Dick Wolf

Bullets from Above

Alex watched with quiet contentment as Bobby sat on the couch on Sunday morning reading the newspaper to the kids and letting them ask him questions about it. In his quiet gentle way Bobby was passing on his intelligence to his two offspring and letting them learn about things filtered through his experiences. The baby gave her a gentle nudge as her hand slipped and the bottle dropped off to the side.

"Give me a minute." She told her youngest daughter and replaced the bottle.

"Did you say something?" Bobby asked his wife.

"Just talking to Frannie."

Bobby smiled at her eyes glowing for a minute then went back to reading. The kids got bored and moved over to play in the corner of the livingroom. Alex was glad they had, so they didn't see their father stiffen on the couch. Alex knew in the pit of her stomach that it couldn't be good as soon as she saw that reaction. Bobby swore in a low voice.

"What is it, Bobby?" Alex asked.

"A letter, again. This time he's more specific." He said in a low voice. He switched to a more normal tone "We, uh, need to go into the kitchen and see if we have the stuff for lunch."

"Good idea."

Bobby took Frannie from her and held a hand out to help her up. She went first into the kitchen and turned to him. "What's in the letter?"

"Apparently the shooter was at the crash site. He described what we did and Carolyn and Mike. Except he seems to have us and Karen and Jerry confused. He saw us, but he described things I didn't do and I didn't see you do what he described either."

He handed her the newspaper and moved restlessly around the kitchen talking to the baby while Alex read the paper. "We don't look that much alike." Alex said, "But you're right. I didn't do the walk up the hill. He was watching us. He could've taken a shot then."

Bobby nodded. "I don't understand it. He has no trouble killing people who look like us, but when he has a clear shot, he doesn't take it." "Unless he figured with all the police there, he couldn't get away fast enough to save his own neck."

"It feels like he's a split personality. One time he's cruel and vicious to anyone who he thinks might get out intention, yet with us right there he didn't shoot. If he'd been really intent of killing us I can't imagine he'd've let that opportunity go by for the sake of bystanders. And he seems to think he's clever enough to evade us in plain sight."

"He has to stand out somehow. What if he's been at all the shootings and we haven't seen him?"

"We'll get pictures from CSU and see if we can find someone who's in the crowd in all of them."

"We'd better call the others and let them know about the mix up of the identities. Karen and Jerry need to know about this. They could be in danger." Alex frowned at the paper.

"I'll call Ross. He'll need to know and he can call Sackett."

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Sammy came into the kitchen. He had a truck in his hand.

"We'll be having lunch in a few minutes." Alex told her son. She reached over and slid the blond hair off to the side. His hair was the same color as hers and just as fine with just a hint of curl when it got too long. She was happy that two out of three of her kids were dark-haired like their father.

"Sammy, why don't you take some of those apple slices and go share with Mitzzi? I'll bet she's getting hungry too." Bobby told his son. He recognized that Alex was having trouble with the threats the shooter represented to their family.

Sammy took the slices and left the room. Bobby moved over to Alex and put his free arm around her. "He's starting to show his hand now and he's making mistakes. It's only a matter of time 'til he makes the wrong one and we'll have him."

"Why is he doing this, Bobby? Why is he so dead set on getting us? If we could figure that out we'd have something to go after."

"I don't know, sweetheart. All we can do is protect what's ours and keep putting the clues together until we get him."

The phone rang and Alex jumped. Bobby gave her a sympathetic smile. He answered it. "Goren."

"You saw the papers today?" Mike asked without preamble.

"We were just discussing it."

"Carolyn has an idea. Can we come over so we can discuss it?"

"Sure. Is she alright with all this travel?"

"She's standing here with her coat on. I wanted to just come over, she made me call. Just in case you were, you know, occupied or something."

"We have three kids, Mike. Believe me we're awake. Come over. Do we need Karen and Jerry here?"

"I tried both of their phones. There wasn't any answer but I left messages. You can try if you want to. It'd be better if they're there."

"I'll call. See you in a few."

"What did he say?"

"Carolyn has an idea. We need to try to get a hold of Jerry, Karen, and Ross."

"I'll call them, you update Ross."

Bobby reached over and kissed his beautiful partner "I love you."

"I love you, too." Alex went to find her cell phone.

Mike and Carolyn weren't long in arriving. Mike brought some books the kids would like and they raced off into their bedrooms to look them over. "You're going to spoil them." Alex told him with a grin.

Mike shrugged. "They needed something to distract them. This is getting serious. They shouldn't be worried for their lives. Can we turn on the television?"

"Is there something on we need to see?" Alex asked.

"It's important. Trust me." Carolyn said. They turned on the entertainment center as well and turned them both up. The result is that they had to sit close together to be heard.

"What have you come up with, Carolyn?" Bobby asked.

Carolyn sat back on the couch with a sigh of relief. "Did you read the Times?"

"Not yet. What's in there?"

"There's a rambling letter in the personals section. Judging by what it says we are on the mark about this being a group effort. They're promising a kill a day until we find them unless you and Alex both resign from the NYPD. It goes on about your activities and your extra house. From what I read, it appears they think you have enough money to own a house in the country and you're not safe there either. He or rather they have you and the youngsters confused."

"The Kids?" Bobby asked.

"It's easier than saying Karen and Jerry all the time." Mike offered.

"I tried to call them after I talked to you and there was no answer either."

"We can't wait for them to be here. We need to come up with a plan now. This is working it's way up to a full war, here. I think we should see if they can tell the difference between you and the Kids."

"Just how do you plan on doing that? We aren't putting them on display." Bobby said angrily.

"I never said that." Mike replied hotly. "I don't want them hurt any more than you do."

"What are you suggesting?" Alex asked.

"There has to be a way that they're finding out where you'll be and when and I don't think it's from your schedule. If that was it, then they'd never be confusing you and them. Suppose they're listening another way?" Carolyn asked.

"Like what? A bug here in the apartment?"

"I don't think so, though it wouldn't hurt to have it swept for them. I was thinking something less sophisticated. Who else but you know where you'll be and what your schedule is?"

"We tell my dad, Captain Ross knows, you and Carolyn usually do. That's it. What are you getting at?"

"Everyone of those people you mention is contacted by your cell phone. That's your main source of communication. Could these people be tracking you using your cell phone frequency? You used it to call the Kids about the accident, didn't you? And the killer was there too. He didn't mention being anywhere else when you were."

"We have the latest technology and we switch phones regularly. He couldn't keep up with them." Bobby said.

"I'm not suggesting he is. You keep the same number from phone to phone, but you don't hide the volume you talk in. I'm thinking he might be listening in."

"With an electronic ear?"

"He could be listening right now." Carolyn said. "With the right equipment one of those things isn't hard to make and electronics parts are everywhere."

The very idea was alarming, yet it made sense. "But how can he be here to hear the conversations and out making the killings?"

"I'd say they have a central person who is their command center."

"Could we get the department to come in with their equipment and find where the listening signal could be coming from?"

"I don't think ours is that sophisticated. We'd have to bring the FBI in for that." Mike said.

"And I don't want to do that unless we have to." Bobby said. He didn't get any disagreements from them. The FBI tended to do things their own way irregardless of how anyone felt about it, rather like having an unwanted houseguest that is a slob and won't go home.

"So we have to make sure this person or people are confused as to who is Alex and who isn't."

"We actually have a pretty good idea. Alex, do you remember that coat of Bobbys that I borrowed at the accident?"

"Yes."

"I gave it to Jerry to wear. And I gave one of your blouses that you keep in there and had Karen put it on. It was a test and it worked. The things he put in that letter were things Karen did while she was wearing your blouse over the clothes. He either has poor eyesight or he doesn't really know what you look like."

"How can we use this information to catch the SOB?" Mike asked.

"We need to completely focus their attention on somewhere where they think you and Bobby are going to be. Then jump them from behind."

"It'll have to be somewhere we know really well." Bobby agreed "and we'll have to tell the Kids so they can act as the decoys."

Alex saw her husband wince even as he said it. He had never liked putting someone else in danger to save his own life. She agreed, but they had three small children now to think about. It wasn't just them anymore. She put a hand on his arm and squeezed. He gave her a smile and put his hand on hers. They were in complete agreement.

"So where are we going to put this shindig together?" he asked.

"We think it should be at Karens place. It's big enough to do what we need to do and her neighbors are far enough away to keep them from becoming accidental targets."

"She definitely isn't going to like this." Mike predicted.

"None of us do, Mike, but she will know that it has to be done, just like the rest of us." Alex said.

They didn't have to agree out loud for them all to know that was the truth.

TBC