"Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear." ― Lao Tzu
IX. Revelations
New York…Library…Sunday…11:00AM
"Finch why didn't you call us" John questioned as he and Shaw stared him down.
"I didn't see the purpose of it Mr. Reese" Harold replied
"She could have killed you Finch" Shaw stated
"Yes she could have Ms. Shaw, but she didn't and even if I did contact either one of you, Ms. Ross would have already been gone by the time you would have arrived."
Harold watched as John and Shaw crossed their arms.
"If it makes you both feel better, I'll make sure that I contact you both the next time a killer steals my tea."
Harold turned back around and turned on his computer.
"As it stands now, Ms. Ross had set her sights on another target and unless she returns to New York I don't think she will be a concern for us, for now."
"Did you get a chance to ask her about..?" he heard John trail off as he questioned softly.
"Unfortunately Mr. Reese, she said she didn't know anything about Detective Carter."
Harold had to school his face as he watched disappointment run across Johns face.
"So what do we do now then?" Shaw questioned
"Until we have a new lead Ms. Shaw we continue doing what we do and hopefully we will get some answers."
New York…Sunday… 5:00PM
Ross watched as Carter led her into a nice looking brick building. They made their way up the stairs to the third floor and down the hall to the last door. She watched as Carter punched in a key code and opened the door.
"Wow, pretty swanky place, someone has deep pockets." Ross stated as she looked around the apartment.
"You should see his other ones." Joss replied as she closed the door.
"So what now?" Ross questioned
"We wait, once Finch sees that the safe house has been accessed they'll all show up."
Ross raided the fridge and pulled out a soda and sat down at the table and put her feet up.
Joss moved toward the window and looked out at the street.
"Anxious" Ross questioned
Joss moved back around the table and sat down.
"Among other things" Joss replied
Her chest hurt and she felt like she was going to throw up, although she wished for so long to return to New York, to return to her son and John. She didn't know what she was going to say to them.
15 years ago all she wanted to do was serve her country. Her father was a patriot and a war hero. She grew up listening to her mother tell her how he sacrificed his life to save his fellow brothers in Vietnam.
He died before she was old enough to remember him. All she had were letters he wrote to them and some pictures. She was inspired by her father to join the military. She was fueled by a deep seeded notion of patriotism to put her country before herself.
She had been naive and unprepared when she accepted the DIA's offer. Over the years she worked for them she lost herself.
She once had been a young innocent patriot who wrapped herself up in the flag and lived by words of freedom written on parchment paper. But not anymore, she didn't know who she was anymore or what she stood for.
They say you live and learn and if you practice something long enough, you get good at was good at her job but now all her work and sacrifice, all she had given up, was now going up in flames.
New York…Library…Sunday…5:10PM
Harold filled Bears bowl and set it on the floor and moved back to his desk. He flipped the page in Ross's file as he began sifting through the information. He was absolutely fascinated that a person could go so long in this world and not have a trail of some kind.
No birth certificate, no yearbook picture no nothing he couldn't find anything. Even though it took him a considerable amount of time he was able to find out John and Sam's beginning's. If he ever did see Ms. Ross again he would love to learn her story.
Harold was brought out of his musings as his computer beeped and his security program alerted him that someone had accessed one of his safe houses.
After pulling up the security feed in the main room he was able to see a female figure sitting at the table drinking a soda when she tilted her head he saw her face and gasped.
"Speak of the Devil." Harold muttered under his breath as he watched Ross sitting in his safe house he immediately dialed both John and Sam.
"Mr. Reese, Ms. Shaw we have a situation."
Finch's Safe house…Sunday… 5:50PM
John pulled up into the ally next to the building that Finch's safe house was located in.
He parked his car, got out and popped the trunk and pulled out a Kevlar vest and two back up pieces.
When he turned around Shaw was standing behind him wearing a vest too.
"After reading her file I'm not taking any chances." She stated
For once he agreed with her. From reading her file they knew that they weren't dealing with a former soldier or spy, Ross was a mercenary with no allegiances to anybody and that made her dangerous.
John closed the trunk of his car and he and Shaw made their way into the building
Joss splashed her face with water and wiped her face off with the towel that was in the bathroom. She tuned the light out and walked out of the bathroom and down the hall. She stopped in her tracks as she heard the front door get thrown open and the sound of familiar voices. Voices she hadn't heard in months.
Ross sat at the table waiting for Carter to finishing washing her face. Her thoughts were interrupted when the front door swung open and the man and woman who called themselves Reese and Shaw pointed their guns at her.
"Don't move" Reese ordered
Ross smirked at him
"Took you long enough"
"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you Ross considering your trespassing" Shaw stated
Ross turned her eyes on Shaw
"It's not trespassing if you were let in."
"And who let you in?"John questioned
Ross smiled but before she could respond Carter did for her.
"I did" Carter replied
Ross watched as Reese and Shaw turned their guns to the hallway behind her as Carter walked out of the back.
"No freaking way" Shaw responded first
Harold barley remembered to breathe as he watched the events unfold on his computer. They all stared at the figure of a dead woman, the woman they saw die, the friend he saw die.
"Impossible" Harold muttered as he took in the face of Jocelyn Carter, standing alive and well in his safe house. Harold went into auto pilot as he gathered his things and Bear and rushed out of the library and headed toward the safe house.
John felt his heart stop as soon as she spoke those two words. He had never in his life felt so many overwhelming emotions hit him all at once. He nearly dropped his gun when his arms fell limp at his side.
In a voice so soft and raspy he barely recognized it as his own. He let four letters he hadn't spoken out loud in 7 months fall from his lips.
"Joss?"