Misconceptions pt. 32
Thomas slowly stood from his chair, not quite able to believe what he was hearing? He glanced around the office and noticed that everyone else were on their feet as well, and watching the female with interest.
She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a matching jacket. The typical FBI attire, dress casual. Her red shirt poked out through the V of her blazer, and her dirty blonde hair was up in a ponytail. It made her look as though she just got out of college. Maybe she did? John had been twenty-three when they recruited him. He absently clutched his right fist, trying to keep it from shaking. She was stepping inside and joining them, but he was having a hard time focussing on the case. His mind kept wandering to her first sentence. ...and he was right, as usual...
John had told them all from the beginning that Buchanan was innocent, and he was crucified for it over and over. He sighed, shaking his muddled head. Now wasn't the time for regret or shame. He could deal with those feelings soon enough. Right now he had a case to close, and so he frowned, concentrating on the young lady who was enlightening them on the evidence that was found on the computer.
Gina Rowland held the single file folder in her hand a little more tightly than normal, but they were all staring, wanting something from her. She cleared her throat and passed the paper to her boss, who snatched it up pretty quickly. She saw him reading the findings, allowing her a moment to scan the group undetected because now they were watching Clayton.
There was an older gentleman who could only be the Commissioner of Police. He had an heir of authority to him that was unmistakable. Though at the moment, he seemed nervous. His skin was ashen and his face was tight with worry lines. He had McBain's eyes. Yep, that's the father, no question! She saw a young detective who looked as intense as she felt when everyone was staring at her, scrutinizing her. He had brown hair and eyes, and was cute enough in a pompous sort of way. She could tell he was arrogant by the way he was holding himself. The other cop was a McBain too. Damn, they all had those eyes - the ones that could see into a person's soul. He was hot like his brother, though less...well, just less. She didn't feel so overwhelmed by him. Finally, there was the redhead, and she just looked pissed!
"Well?" Natalie snapped, ready to reach out and smack the man if he didn't put her out of her misery. This was her life...and John's! Finally, she grabbed the folder from his hands without a second thought. He glared at her, but didn't stop her, and frankly he was welcome to try.
She read down the page, trying to find anything useful. It was a bunch of addresses and explanations. The pages were filled with information on all the steps that were taken to reach their findings, but she had yet to see the name she wanted. Her fingers flipped through page after page, before she finally stopped. There it was.
Natalie was frozen. She read the name, twice and then a third time. She shook her head. No? She looked at the pretty agent and glared matter-of-factly. "You made a mistake. This is wrong."
Gina was slightly irritated by the blatant dismissal of her work. She wasn't wrong. "No," she began, lifting her hands to her hips, "that's it. She's your girl."
Michael was going to explode. "Who is it, damn it?" he bellowed, aware that his father and Jason were just as annoyed as he.
Natalie looked at him for a second, and grinned. She couldn't help it. She turned back to the woman. "You don't understand, this can't be right?"
"Why the hell not?"
She sat suddenly, crossing her legs and placing a palm over her mouth. "Honestly," she said, still smiling, "because she's not smart enough to pull this off, and because she doesn't have the guts to come at me like this." She held out her hand and watched Mike take the papers. He read the name.
"Adrianna Cramer? Isn't she your brother's girlfriend?"
Rex! That thought got her to her feet again. She looked from one face to another. "So? I'm a free lady, right?"
Thomas stared at her for another moment. "Yes."
She turned back to McBain. "And you're going over there? After her?" He nodded. "Good, I'm going with you."
This time he grinned. "No you're not. This is a police..."
"...save it! This is my life that bitch attacked, and right now she's probably wrapped around my little brother. I'm going!"
Tom sighed, staring at Clayton, who was standing back and letting everything unfold. Typical Fed! They only got their hands dirty when it was absolutely necessary. "Michael, let her go with you." He stared into her surprised eyes. "I think she's earned it."
She smiled softly, nodding at him before focussing on the two detectives. "Cameron, do something useful for a change. Go get John so that we can finish this."
He didn't move. Nobody moved.
"What?" she asked, turning to Clayton. "That proves that he was right, which means that you were wrong."
He took a breath. "It's not that simple Natalie, he broke the law and the fact that he was right isn't going to change that. He stays where he is."
Gina frowned. The girl called McBain by his first name. "Where is he?" she asked, wanting to know what the hell she missed?
"He's in a cell, and that's where he's staying." Andrew took back the file folder and stormed from the room. He had a lot to do to wrap this thing up.
Natalie couldn't accept that. She wouldn't accept that. Her eyes were on Thomas McBain. "This isn't right. He's the only one who has done his job from the start, and now he's in a cell." She stepped up to his desk. "Your cell! Do something?"
Gina inched closer to the man that the girl had referred to as Cameron. She lowered her voice while the other two went at it. "...wait, so they were...?" The detective cocked his eyebrows. "...her, with McBain?"
"Oh yeah," he offered, once again wanting to say I told you so. He refrained...barely. He stared at Michael. "So let's go get this chick and call it a day."
"Wait!" Natalie shouted, feeling her anger grow. "What about John?"
Mike sighed and walked up to her, staring hard. "We can't do anything for him right now, but we can close this case." She wasn't speaking and he could see the battle behind her eyes. She was torn between her love for his brother, and her love for her own. "Let's finish this Natalie, and then we'll deal with John."
Her heart was pounding in her chest. He was right. She had to think of Rex. She swallowed, feeling incredibly dry. "Can I see him? Please Michael?"
Eve stepped into the office and noticed the change in the air immediately. Something big happened while she was downstairs? She found her husband's eyes. "What's going on?"
He took a deep breath and spoke to his son. "Mike, take care of this." He readdressed the room. "Everyone get the hell out! I want my office back." He watched Eve join him while the rest filed out single file. The glare between Natalie and his wife was not lost on him. He sighed softly, not eager to go over everything again. She wasn't going to take it well.
When the door closed, Natalie was all over Michael. "Let me see him." He frowned and picked up the phone. He was calling for a warrant so that they could arrest Cramer. She had her hands on her hips and her eyes on his face, and when he hung up she was right back at him.
He couldn't ignore his irritation. She sounded like a broken record. Picking up the phone for a second time, he waited, glaring into her bright eyes. "Jenson," he said, continuing to hold her angry eyes. "Natalie Buchanan will be coming down to see the prisoner. She has FIVE minutes." He hung up and felt a small pitter-pat in his heart when she softened. It was nice to see her actually happy. He watched her walk away without another word, and he got back to work. This case was almost over. Then all they had to do was clear John.
Eve stared at her husband and he was nervous. His face was flushed and his eyes were dark. They changed with his mood, rolling in like angry storm clouds. She walked closer, rounding his desk until he was directly in front of her. "Tell me what's happened?" Her heart was pounding, causing her own flush to spread over her skin.
He swallowed, reaching out and holding her hand. "Natalie Buchanan has been cleared of all charges."
She blinked. "What? How?" Her face wrinkled into a deep frown. "What the hell happened when I was gone?" She thought of John. When she had gone to him, he was sitting on a cot and staring blankly into the opposing cell, and her heart picked up its speed. If the girl was free and her son wasn't? Her anger roared to the surface.
Tom could see all the emotions that were wrestling inside of her. Her big eyes told him everything he ever needed to know about her. She was never great at hiding her feelings. "There's proof babe. She didn't do any of it." He took a large breath and sank onto the top of his desk, still holding her fingers tightly. He felt heavy again, and wondered if that would ever go away? He turned his back on his son, and now there was a large mess surrounding his family. "John was right."
She touched his cheek with her free hand, feeling a tug at her soul. The man that she loved with all her heart was broken. "There was no way to know, Tom."
He released her and stood straight, glaring with his own anger. "There was one way. I could have listened to my boy." He walked away and began to pace the office slowly. "I've been so angry for so long." He stopped and stared into her eyes. "He just left! He took off and couldn't leave us fast enough, and he did that to be some hot shot Federal Agent! And I..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "...I just let him go."
Tom was at a loss. He didn't know what to do? How to fix this, and he could see that his wife was as confused as he felt. He turned to the wall that held all his awards. They praised his accomplishments and showcased his stellar career, but they were meaningless. They were just paper under glass, and he felt like a fool. He was sixty years old, and was only now realizing what was truly important - Eve and Michael and John. They were all that mattered, that should have mattered.
Eve stared at his back. He was riddled with tension and guilt, and she knew that no one would be harder on him than he would. She wasn't about to let him drown over this. He wasn't the only one at fault here. They all had a part to blame, and that included John. She loved him so much that she ached inside when she looked into his beautiful eyes, but he was far from innocent. And now he was tangled up with Natalie Buchanan.
Her hand touched him and he tensed for a second, before letting his muscles relax. "I failed him."
Enough! "Stop acting like you set out to destroy him! We didn't want any of this!" He turned and met her eyes, and his anger was flashing back. Anger was good. "There's a mess and now we have to fix it. He needs to be set free, and then he needs to get away from that girl."
"He's in love with that girl, Evie! He won't leave her, anymore than I'd leave you!"
She turned from him and walked away quickly, anxious for a little breathing room. Her heart was trying to convince her that it wasn't true, while her head knew better. Tom was right. She sighed. That didn't make them right for one another, and it didn't mean that she had to accept it. "It's not the same thing, and you know it?"
He stepped closer. "Babe, it is." He knew why she was so afraid...what scared her to death? He also knew that the time for dictating John's life was over. He was completely ga ga for Buchanan, and there was nothing and no one who would change that fact. "Look," he began gently, "we need to concentrate on getting him out of that cell. The rest we can deal with later."
Eve stared into his waiting gaze. He was making perfect sense. "I'm going to go home for awhile." The surprise on his face was comical, but she didn't have it in her to laugh. "I need time to sort through all this, Tom."
"Okay."
"You call me if anything comes up."
He nodded, hearing those words for what they really were, a command. He watched her leave him behind, and it pulled at him a little, but she would get her head together and then they could search for a way to be a real family again. All four of them.
An image of Natalie flashed behind his eyes.
Maybe all five?
Jennifer held Jack's hand with both of her own. She didn't dare release her grip or he would be out the door so fast! The cop shop was not his favorite place in the world. It wasn't hers either, but she wanted to know what the hell was going on? "Excuse me?" she said quietly, swallowing when an officer glanced her way. He was behind the front desk, and was engrossed in some paperwork, and she swallowed again.
"Can I help you?"
Jack shook his head quickly. What the hell had he been thinking, letting her drag him in here? "No, we're good."
She shot him an irritated look and squeezed tighter. "Can we speak with Agent Gina please?" He frowned, clearly not recognizing the name. "She's a Fed." Still nothing. "She's working on the Buchanan case with Agent McBain?"
Jack chuckled lightly. "Wow! You're really in the loop, huh?"
Jennifer was growing angry. "You know, Agent John McBain? Tall, dark and gorgeous? He has these amazing eyes that melt you like butter?"
The cop was tired of this. "What did you say your name was?"
Gina spotted the two hackers at the front desk, and she made her way over. They were quite the sight. The girl was clutching Jack's sleeve pretty tightly, and she knew it was the only way to keep him in the room. The man didn't like cops, but that didn't stop him from hitting on her the entire time they were at the bait shop. She could make out some of the conversation as she got closer, and it brought a quick grin to her face. ...he has these amazing eyes that melt you like butter... She dropped her gaze for a moment, hiding her amusement. Despite the situation, it was true. He did have those damn eyes. "What are you two doing here?"
They turned sharply, visibly relieved to see her. "We want..." Jennifer stopped talking when Jack yanked on her arm and shook his head vehemently.
Gina wanted to grin again. They were so damn paranoid. She ushered them across the room and away from the desk and the officer. "Now," she began softly, "what are you two doing here?"
Jenn lowered her voice. "We wanted to see how our case was coming?"
"Our case?"
Jack frowned. "Yeah, you know, the one that you wouldn't have solved without our knowledge and expertise?" This was it. She was a Fed, a hot Fed, but a Fed and so she would sweep their involvement under the rug and probably try to persecute them?
She was actually getting to know how to handle them, and all their craziness. "Well, Natalie's been released, but that's all I can tell you. Except that it's because of you that she's free of her charges."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Jack wrestled with his next question. It could hang them, but it was burning through his logic. "Are we in trouble?" He did not want to go back to jail, and he really didn't want Jennifer locked up. She was too good for jail.
Gina crossed her arms and leaned forward, lowering her voice so that they were the only ones to hear her. "I can't talk about an ongoing investigation, but I can tell you this. The FBI will be returning to the bait shop to gather more information on this case."
They didn't speak, they just rushed out the door, and then she allowed herself to smile. The truth is that there was no further interest in either of them, but she didn't think they needed to know that. Her mind had visions of them hurrying back to their lair to destroy evidence of their hacking activities. They had been instrumental in the evidence search, and she liked them despite their unusual personalities, but they were still criminals. If she could get them to destroy some stuff that shouldn't be in their hands...well, then she would do it.
"What did they want?" a deep voice asked from behind.
She turned to find Detective Cameron watching her with interest. "They came to find out how our case was going."
He frowned. "Our case?"
Gina chuckled, she couldn't help it.
"Listen," Cam began, "I'm not in the habit of asking the Feds for anything, but..."
Well, that got her attention. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared into his serious eyes. "What?"
Jason blew out a small breath. Was he really going to do this? "Can you back Mike up during the arrest?"
Just when she thought she couldn't get more surprised today, here was the good detective throwing her for a loop. "And where will you be?"
"Right here, doing my job."
"What does that mean?"
He was growing irritated with all the questions. "Look, can you do it or not?"
She stared at him for a long time. He was intense about something, but he was also asking for her help. That in itself told her how important it was to him. "Alright," she answered, wondering if she was making a big mistake?
He stared back, feeling the tension in his shoulders tighten even more. She was agreeing to help, but that wasn't making him feel any better. He sighed, nodding and walking to his desk. He had more to do on this case if it was truly going to be wrapped up, and if the McBains were going to be able to finally put all this mess behind them. He reached in his drawer and grabbed a file, and then he walked down the hallway toward interrogation.
Rowland watched the Detective accept her help, though it was clear that he wasn't thrilled with the cooperation. He disappeared down the hallway. She wanted to know what he was doing, but then she spotted John's brother. He was in his office and on the phone, and she had to let it go. He would need her help during the arrest, especially if his partner wasn't going to be around to have his back. She stared down the empty hallway for another moment, and then she took her own advise and let it go. Whatever was going on with Cameron, well...they'd find out soon enough.
Natalie took a smooth breath into her lungs, while she waited for the guard to unlock the bars and let her into the holding area. He put his key in the lock and turned it, and it seemed as though he were deliberately moving at a tortoise speed, but she knew that was all in her head. There was a loud clink as the metal unlatched, and then she was following him into the room. A room that she remembered well. Hell, she had spent a lot of time here not that long ago, and now it was John's turn. She sighed, pushing away her disgust at the injustice that was going on under this roof.
She peered around the wide shoulders of the officer and found his sharp gaze instantly. Her stomach twisted up tightly, feeling both excited and nervous, and despite her uneasiness she smiled. He was sitting on the cot with his back against the wall. His shirt, or rather Michael's, was hanging off of him and her smile grew. God, he looks good! She lost her grin when the cop stepped to the side, and her hands instantly went to her hips. "What do you think you're doing?"
He frowned, fairly certain that he didn't like this woman at all. She seemed like a bitch. "My job, ma'am."
She dropped her eyes to his name tag. "Officer Jensen, you got the call from Detective McBain?"
"Yes, and that's why you're here now."
She walked up to him. "I have five minutes, so get the hell out!"
He glanced from her to the occupied cell, and then he refocussed on her again. This wasn't how things were normally done, but the prisoner wasn't usually the son of the Commissioner of Police either? He shifted his stance, feeling uneasy.
Natalie wasn't about to let this putz interupt them, so she continued to press her right to privacy. "What exactly do you think will happen if you step out that door for a moment? I'll give him a nail file in a cake?" She ran a hand over her hair quickly, trying to ease up a little. "It's five minutes."
He glanced at the incarcerated McBain one last time, before deciding to leave. This wasn't worth the headache. The Chief okay'd the visit, so that was good enough for him. He left the area and went back to his desk, eager to get back to his latte.
Natalie waited until they were alone, and she turned back to the man she came to see. He was still on the cot, but his lips were curled into an easy grin and it sent shivers down her spine. She allowed her own smile to form, and lifted her wrists into the air, twisting them dramatically as she approached. He slid off the flat mattress and moved toward the door slowly. She felt her heart in her throat. "No cuffs," she purred, watching him slip his hands through the bars and rest his elbows on the horizontal metal. He seemed so relaxed.
John felt a huge weight lift from him when he saw her step into the room. She was as fiery as ever, giving the poor kid a hard time, but truthfully he was alright with that. He wanted some privacy as well. When they were finally alone, she looked his way and his pulse spiked throughout his body. He felt a warmth spread, and smiled widely. She looked different. She looked brighter. He went to her, unable to keep the distance between them. "Hey," he greeted softly, scanning her carefully.
She needed him, so she lifted her hands and slid her fingers into his, holding tight. "Hey yourself." Every cell in her body was humming from the simple contact. "So you're looking at a free woman."
He nodded, resting his forehead against the bar. He was staring into her wide eyes, beginning to get a little lost. "Was it the computer?"
"Yes. You were right."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What? You doubted me?" The soft chuckle that filled the thick air around them was a welcome sound. "Well, if you're free, what the hell are you doing hanging around this place?"
She dropped her lightheartedness instantly. "Don't do that. You shouldn't be in here, John."
He licked his lips, and relished the fact that she was watching the motion with a keen interest. It helped that warmth along nicely. "Yes I should be, Nat." He reached out and touched the soft hair that looked like it would burn his fingers. "We've been over this. I broke the law, and I'd do it again, but you're free and you should be free."
"So should you, damn it!"
He released her and gripped the steel firmly. His eyes never wavered. "So if they know that you didn't do it, then they know who did, right?"
She huffed, more than a little irritated that he was changing the subject, but they didn't have a lot of time. "It was..." She was having a hard time saying the words out loud. He didn't speak, because he knew that she would continue, but it wasn't getting any easier to say. "It's Adrianna Cramer. She's the little bitch who set me up!"
He blinked, almost as surprised as she obviously was. "Dr. Lord's daughter? Didn't she help you take Craze Magazine from her mother?" He licked his dry lips. "Isn't she living with your brother?"
Natalie frowned. "Yes." She walked around the hall haphazardly, twisting and turning as her aggitation began to take hold. "I'm having a hard time with this one, John. I mean, she's a twit, a waste of space! How can it be her?"
He stared in silence, processing everything carefully. "You hate her."
"You would too if you knew her."
"You let her take the magazine from Dorian, and then you stole it from her."
She stopped moving, taking in his even statements. She wasn't sure how to feel about his commentary?
"You were nasty to her every chance you got, and tried to get your brother to see her for what she is?"
Her hands went to her hips. "Are you judging me, John, because let me tell you some..." He lifted his hand and she stopped, but she didn't relax.
"That's not what I'm doing Natalie. This woman went to great lengths to get even with you, to set you up, and she didn't stop there. She tried to have you killed." His heart was pounding as he thought back to the most terrifying moment of his life. If she had died? He swallowed. "I just want you to see that it can be her. If the evidence points to her, then you need to finish this so that you'll be safe." He grabbed her hand and brought her palm to his mouth, lightly kissing the open flesh. "I need you to be safe, Natalie."
She felt the sting of tears pressing behind her eyes. This was so unfair. She got as close as she could, stretching onto her toes to meet his mouth. She kissed him through the intrusive metal bars, sighing and clutching his hair. He tasted so damn good.
"Uh-hmm!"
She turned toward the door to see who was interupting them, and bit her lip at the sight of the younger McBain in the frame. She continued to hold John as best she could, and she touched her forehead to his. "I'm going to get you out of here," she whispered, finding his intense blue eyes. They were boring into her.
"Go get Cramer. That's your concern right now." He needed her to concentrate on what could be rectified. He was here to stay, and it was worth it to see her free and clear of those bogus charges.
She straightened, getting very serious. "YOU are my only concern McBain." She kissed him again, melting under the softness of his lips. Then she walked away. "I'll be back to get you released after that bitch is behind bars." She moved around Michael and left the basement without looking back. It was time to wrap this up so she could focus on what was important.
John placed his head against the cool bars again, looking at Mike. "Keep her out of trouble."
He stared for a long time without speaking, before finally reaching a decision. "I can't do that, John." He was very aware of the surprise and anger that was being directed his way. "We're going to go and arrest Cramer, and then she's going to come back here and work at getting you out of this cell." He paused, staring hard. "And I'm going to let her do it." He walked away, listening to his brother call out to him from behind.
...Mike! Don't you let her end up back in here, do you hear me?...Michael!...
He sighed, continuing upstairs. He wouldn't let her do something stupid, but he wasn't about to stop her from trying to free his brother. He had a feeling that she'd find a way.