Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series
Disclaimer: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)
Rating: T (for romance)
Pairing: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)
Author's Note: Thanks for being patient with the pace. Part of it is I'm new to fanfic writing and part of it is I'm setting the foundation for future stories. Your feedback really helps and encourages me to keep the story going, so thank you for your comments, your favorites & tracking! I'm also working on the next in the series - more on the character side and less on the procedural, but let me know what you'd like to see/not like to see. Thank you!
Steve walked back into headquarters to see Julia and Danny working at the smart table. Julia had freshened up a bit after her frightening encounter but was still pale. Danny was watching her, a worried look on his face. They both brightened when they saw Steve.
"How's Kono?" Danny asked.
"She's fine. She'll be here shortly with Chin. I wanted her to go home but she insisted on coming in. She'll have a sling for a few days while her arm heals, but the bullet thankfully missed all of the major arteries and blood vessels. What are you still doing here?" Steve asked, his voice showing his concern for Julia as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
She noticed that his hand drifted down her bare arm, and sighed inwardly as he softly rubbed her arm. It was difficult to be near him and focus on her work, but in many ways she welcomed the comfort of his touch. Unfortunately it reminded her of all of the feelings she'd pushed aside to finish this case. Emotions were too dangerous. She'd already found herself at gunpoint today for being distracted. She couldn't do this now, she thought, as she cleared her throat and stepped back from Steve to focus on the smart table. "I'm just finishing up. We've nearly got it. Thankfully Lenola and his girlfriend are not nearly as clever as the Chases at stashing money." Flipping some info up on to the big screen, she continued. "I found five deposits, two of them about three weeks ago, and another three on Monday, all for $9,999 into Lenola's Bank of America account."
Danny looked puzzled as he looked at the data. "Why $9,999?"
Steve looked at Julia, confused at her reaction. Maybe it was just the aftershocks of the afternoon, but for whatever reason, right now she seemed to need to concentrate on the case. He answered, "Post-9/11, all wire transfers and cash withdrawals or deposits over $10,000 require paperwork to be filed with Homeland Security."
Julia nodded and continued, "Most transfers close to the limit are flagged as well, particularly by a national bank like B of A. I wouldn't be surprised if they set aside the cash at the branch. But because it is cash, I can't trace it back to the person who paid him to kill Jennifer. We also don't know what his girlfriend's involvement is."
"Who is she?" Steve asked.
"Thalia Neman. She not only has a record, but she also has a warrant out for her arrest for a B&E last year. That may be helpful in giving you a little leverage." Julia shot Thalia's record and mugshot up onto the screen.
"The couple that steals together, stays together." Danny added.
"I have a thought on how to tie it all together, but it's, well, unconventional again. I take it that's not a problem?" Julia started. Steve nodded, so she continued. "Lenola doesn't seem to be the sort who would be up on current banking laws. What if I went in after you two started interrogating him, and indicated that we were able to trace the serial numbers on the cash back to the person who hired him? Offered him a ticking clock?"
Danny nodded. "Might work. Might backfire. What's our backup plan?"
Steve scoffed slightly. "There is no backup plan. This is barely a primary plan. What would you need?"
"Could borrow your ID holder? I'll just flash him my U of H ID and tell him I'm with the Secret Service."
"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute, you're going to impersonate a Federal agent? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that highly illegal? Let me think for a moment. Oh, wait, I know this one… yes, it is illegal, and the Feds are not the sort that would appreciate the whole 'ends justify the means' defense!" replied Danny, emphatically.
Steve looked at Julia, who dropped her eyes briefly. Danny looked at the two of them, confused by the silent treatment. Julia looked up and caught Danny's eyes. She took a deep breath, and started. "Danny, when you asked me before about when I took down Thalia, I wasn't entirely truthful. I did learn that move in a self-defense class, and I am a brown belt in karate. But I also spent five years as a Special Agent with the Secret Service. So while saying I'm with the Service is a small fib, considering the consulting and the work I continue to do, it's a small one I think they will forgive me for."
Danny looked at Julia, surprised, but suddenly understanding how much her admission made sense and how many of the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Julia continued, "Due to the nature of my work, I try to be very discreet with who knows about my history. It's why it doesn't show up on any background checks, and why most of my friends and colleagues know very little about what I did for the Service. I'll read Chin and Kono in later, but honestly, right now I'm too beat to think about it. I've already shared far more with the two of you than I ever intended to," she said, sighing as her shoulders sank a little from the realization she had to disclose one more thing to Steve and Danny. She stepped away from the table to take a sip of water as she thought about what she needed to say. She turned back to face the two of them, as Steve and Danny both noticed the serious, drawn look on her weary face.
"There is one more thing both of you need to know. I can only give you about an hour before I need to make a call about Thalia."
Steve looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, you need to make a call?"
"I have to report the incident when she took me hostage. I won't be permitted to be a witness. The U.S. Attorney's office will step in and give her a plea to avoid my being named in any indictment or charge. The only way you can convict her is if you get Lenola to roll on her for Jennifer's murder," Julia said, tiredly. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice."
Steve noticed the toll the day's events had taken on her. Although she had applied her makeup skillfully, as he looked carefully he could see the deep circles under her eyes and the pallor of her skin. He couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be to be taken at gunpoint and know that your attacker would never stand trial for the crime. The secrets she kept, the private life she led - he knew what that was like. He knew how hard it was to trust others, to put your life in their hands. He realized that although he trusted his team, he had never had that feeling of trust with a woman. He wasn't sure he could.
As Steve looked at Julia, he saw in her a strength that didn't come from her training or from her work – it was something she had developed and honed over the years to keep doing the job she needed to do despite anything she might be feeling physically or emotionally. He shared the same ability, and right now, he knew that more than anything, she needed to finish this case with them. He also knew that right now, her idea was the only one that might work.
"So let's go and do this. What's your plan, Julia?"