Sylvia
Chapter 19
a/n: so close, I thought I was gonna get it done in this one, but it was proving to long and cumbersome for one chapter…so I had to divide it into two. Hopefully the muse will stay focused and not stray so this story can finally be finished up…
….NCIS LA…..
"I'm so sorry guys…I really thought we had her this time…I called as soon the facial recognition caught her on the traffic cams…the building is closed circuit so I couldn't hack the interior feeds…" Eric was falling all over himself to apologize the team when they assembled in ops later that morning.
"On the contrary Mr. Beale…despite my orders for everyone to go home and rest…you found yourself back in ops, looking out for this team…" Hetty said.
Giving a frustrated sigh and turning abruptly in his chair, he ground out, "for all the good it did…we didn't catch her…again; and now not only is Kensi hurt…even Monty got hurt…"
"No, Eric…not catching her is on us, not you…if not for you we could have had it a whole lot worse…" Deeks said adamantly, laying a hand on the tech's shoulder and giving it a squeeze, "and Kensi and Monty are both gonna be fine…just a little bruised and banged up…"
Though not by any means mollified by what he still considered his failing, Eric just nodded his thanks to the detective.
"We had LAPD all over the building…how did she get by us-again…?" Callen asked.
"Checking every angle we could find…we finally caught her coming down one of the fire escapes…she apparently broke into one of the empty apartments and climbed down the fire escape…" Nell reported.
"How does she do this…she doesn't have any training, yet she's pulling off these Houdini's and seems to have access to things she shouldn't be able to access…" Sam grumbled in frustration.
"It is the nature of the beast…her distorted perceptions of reality and social boundaries, coupled with the same skewed sense of right and wrong…and Ms. Gray's psychosis makes her a master manipulator…she is not doubt finding unwitting accomplices to her plans…" Hetty explained.
"Or…" Eric suddenly piped up, hands flying over the keyboard, "or, she could have access to the internet. Then a lot of things she needs to know or do she can do without ever leaving the place she is staying. With things out there like on-line banking and shopping…and with most public records being on line there is no need for trips into the city to go to the courthouse or library…you can even grocery shop on-line… if she knows what she's doing she could hide from us forever…"
"So, if she can do a majority of this planning on the computer and out of our sight…how's she doing it…?" Deeks asked, "I thought you had the doctor's computer flagged."
"We do," Nell said, "so far no activity on the doctor's credit cards, bank accounts or computer. So, that probably means she had her own laptop."
"Okay, if she's not using the doctor's money or computer then what is she using for cash…or WiFi for that matter..." asked Sam, "if we suspect she's on her grand-parents property…it wouldn't be set up for internet and it would be suspicious to have anything delivered to an abandoned property."
"Wouldn't have to be, there are capture cards that allow you to purchase WiFi airtime, similar to purchasing minutes for a cell phone…" Eric explained, "And she could have bought a pre-paid credit card…no way to track those either."
"So you can't you track her that way…?" Callen asked.
Eric shook his head, "If she's doing a capture…it's not even off any one particular tower…she could do it from anywhere you can get a cell signal…it would be like trying to trace a burn phone…but harder, since I don't have the IP address she is using. She would have to access something that I could back-trace her through, like the doctor's bank accounts…"
"So that all that gets us nowhere…" Deeks grumbled.
Eric cocked his head, "maybe not….if she is using the internet she needs a search engine…I can hack into those and see if any show up in the area of the farm…"
The team waited with bated breath for Eric and Nell to work their magic. Eric sighed and looked over at Nell, who turned to the team, "sorry guys, there are no internet signals coming from anywhere on the property."
The team gave varying sighs of frustration at the newest setback, Callen interjecting, "but it is one more way to try to get eyes on her. You can keep up that scan…?"
"Yeah, we can keep an eye on the area…" Eric replied, adding somewhat sheepishly, "but we really don't have too."
"So anything else you were you doing when you were supposed to be sleeping…?" Callen asked the tech.
"Uh…well…" Eric squirmed uncomfortably.
"Mr. Beale…" Hetty inquired again, looking pointedly at the tech, "anything you find that can help us put an end to this nightmare will be appreciated…"
Eric took in a released a bated breath before diving into what he had been up to the previous evening…hoping the serious and time sensitive nature of their search would give him a pass for "borrowing" the satellite feed.
Without raising a brow or missing a beat, Hetty asked evenly, "and did you find anything of note during the thermal sweep of the property…?"
Again Eric shook his head, a chagrined look on his face, "Sorry Hetty, I'm not being much help am I…?"
"Nonsense, Mr. Beale, you're doing an admiral job trying to coax answers out of these machines…I'm just afraid they are no match for a person who is not ready to be found…" Hetty replied.
Looking up at the operation's manager shyly, Eric said, "Uh, I can still try…the next satellite is due in the area in the next twelve hours…I can do another sweep then…if she hasn't been found yet…"
Hetty sighed and nodded slowly, "let's hope we won't need to do that, but we'll leave that option open…"
….NCIS LA….
"No. No. Nooo…" each angry shout was punctuated by hands pounding the steering wheel.
Sylvia took in a released a deep, calming breath and ran a hand through her already tousled hair. Her mind continually running through her plan, 'How…how did this happen? She had it planned so well after watching him all these weeks. She knew he had an affinity for that nasty creature…so where his precious little dog went he would gladly come; and when he saw how happy the mutt was to have hundreds of acres to roam he would be happy too. Marty was always all about making other people happy.'
Scowling as her anger bubbled to the surface again, she said aloud, "How could this happen? What went wrong…why had he been up and out of his apartment already…he wasn't due to even pick up the dog…usually only checked on the mutt in the evening after work…" her scowl deepened as she practically growled out, "and her…" as she remembered Kensi coming down the stairs towards her.
As she pulled into the rear of a local mom and pop diner at the edge of town, her scowl changed to a twisted parody of a smile as she recalled swinging open the heavy door and hitting the woman, knocking her down the stairs. So the mutt was now out, and if what she saw of the fall was any indication, that woman wouldn't be bothering her Marty anymore. But that left her with new dilemma…Marty was spending far too much time with these new people, seldom was he alone anymore…and the last she had checked with his old college friends they were still being protected by the police. She was done with them anyway…once she had Marty back with her, they wouldn't matter…she will have finally won against their meddling; she just wanted to forget everyone and everything about the past and move forward with her life with Marty.
No, her problem were these new friends he had…they were making her reunion with her lover all the more difficult than his college friends ever had. Several times she had been close to being caught by them, and just the thought of how many times her lover had been within her grasp only to be snatched away by their meddling sent her into another rage.
She gave on last angry huff, running her hands through her hair. This wasn't getting her anywhere, she needed a new plan, a new angle…she needed to bring Marty to her; it was getting far too dangerous to keep going back and forth between the farm and the city. The eight hour round trip was testing her endurance, and eating into the money she had set aside.
Sylvia reached into the backseat of the car and pulled out a red, short-cropped wig, looking in the mirror as she carefully slid it over her head and adjusted it to her satisfaction. She then reached back and grabbed a waitress uniform and apron, before exiting the car and entering the diner.
Coming out of the back of the diner kitchen several minutes later she was met by surprise by an elderly, matronly woman who was at the register, "why, Layla…I thought we'd given you the day off sweetie…you had business in the city…?"
Sylvia gave a big smile to the woman, her voice high pitched and sickly sweet as she came up to the woman, "yes you did Miss Martha, but the appointment got…postponed, and you did say I could pick up an extra shift when I needed it…"
"Of course darlin'…these old feet of mine just can't take running the floor like they used to…" the older woman smiled back. "Well, if you've got the floor I can get busy on these receipts…call if ya' need anything, I'll be in the back office…"
"No problem, you just go put those feet up…I'll take care of everything out front…" Sylvia said, the wide smile still on her face as she made shooing motions with her hands.
"You're a blessin' child…" Martha said as she made her way through the kitchen doors.
Her smile immediately twisted into a disgusted scowl as she murmured under her breath, "stupid old cow…"
Pasting a welcoming smile on her face once again, she turned back towards the front of the story…most of the old regulars she had come to associate with the diner were already in their usual spots, and most could pretty much fend for themselves for such things as pie, coffee or the occasional condiment. She only need to clean up after them and take kitchen orders if anyone wanted food.
It suited her fine. It gave her time to think. She was growing restless with the ever growing delays of gaining her prize, the emptiness of going back to her rented room at the old Bed and Breakfast down the street or when she went to the cabin to take supplies and see that it was in readiness for her lover. The restlessness was simmering to a slow boil of anger…she wanted Marty here, now…and ever attempt thus far had been thwarted.
Cars pulling into the front lot caught her eye; she tensed ever so slightly as the Sheriff and his deputy pulled in followed by a second squad car. 'Why were they here?' she wondered in a slow growing panic.
She shook herself, scolding herself impatiently, 'Don't be ridiculous…the local townies couldn't possibly have figured out her plan; she's been extremely careful. Besides, this was one of only three restaurants in the entire town, they had to eat somewhere.'
As the officers entered and found a large booth in the corner she pasted on that smile she hated so much and made her way over to the four men, "Afternoon, gentlemen…my, what's this that I have all four of you handsome men in the diner at one time…?"
"Miss Layla," the sheriff greeted as he slid his girth into the booth and scooped up a menu, "the boys and I have a long, tiresome afternoon ahead of us so we thought we'd stop and fuel up on some of Miss Martha's famous beef stew and apple pie…"
"Really…" she said in mock amazement as she poured their coffees', "nothing serious I hope?"
One of the younger deputies, fresh-faced out of the academy piped in, "we're hunting for a whack job fugitive that might be hidin' out at the old Gray homestead on Route 14…"
"Enough, Riley…" the sheriff chided the young man with an impatient sigh.
"Oh, sounds dangerous…" Sylvia replied with a shiver as she shot the younger man a concerned look. She knew the young man was smitten with her and on occasion had used his juvenile crush to help her in settling into the community.
"It's nothing to be worrying yourself about, Miss Layla, don't think there's anything to it…no one's been out that way, or shown any interest in that property in over a decade…but the feds insist that we check it out. Hell, they're even sending a team out to go over the place themselves; be out this way sometime later this afternoon."
"The feds…? You mean Federal Agents? Why would they be involved in the search for a….for a…fugitive…?" the word nearly choked her with a renewed rage, but she needed to know what new difficulty was being laid over her plans.
Mistaking her stuttering as fear, the sheriff continued, "Now, don't be worrying your pretty little head…"
"But if there is someone…dangerous… lurking around…" Sylvia prodded.
"No one's out there…Feds even said so themselves…just want us to have a look around and secure the area…" the sheriff consoled. "We're gonna look around and they'll come out and satisfy themselves that no one is out there and that'll be the end of this nonsense. Now, just go on about your business and don't give it another thought. There ain't nothing to be worrying about."
Sylvia walked off to fill the order but quickly found an excuse to be back near the booth so she could overhear the continuing conversation. As she sat a booth over re-filling the condiments she strained to hear the details of the investigation.
"So what exactly is going on here Sheriff? I don't understand…if these Feds said no one was out there, then, why they coming here…?" a dark haired young deputy asked.
"It's all kinda sketchy," the sheriff said as he ran his hand over his short cropped hair in a display of guarded confusion. "Now, I talked to some flunky at this NCIS agency…sounded like some kid…think he said his name was Beale. From what I could get from the kid, apparently this suspect of theirs has a connection to this area; might be trying to hide out at the Gray's old farm and they want us to go have a look around and see if it looks like anyone is looking to move into the area, or is setting up shop in any of the cabins scattered about the area."
One of the deputies just shrugged, "sounds easy enough, but if someone was trying to move in up there surely we would have heard about it; there are still working farms out that way."
The sheriff nodded his agreement, "that we would; and the funny thing is, he said they did a sweep of the area with all those fancy computers they got up there in LA…said nothing was showing up, but said it didn't mean nothing because they had reason to believe their suspect was in the city when they ran there sweep. So, I don't see that there's anything to all this…if there fancy gizmo's didn't pick up anyone out on that property I don't know what they think we're going to find. Anyway, they faxed us the fugitive's description and no one like that has even passed through the town that I know of…"
The sheriff opened the file he had been carrying and passed around the photo of the suspect. Each deputy gave it a quick glance before handing it on with a negative shake of their head.
"So what's the story on this woman? I mean, for a federal agency to be involved it has to be something serious…right…?" asked one of the young deputies, "What was Riley goin' on about a whack job…?"
Scowling at his youngest deputy, the sheriff explained what he had gathered from the conversation with the NCIS tech and the rather thin file that accompanied it. "Appears this woman has some real mental issues…has been stalking a police officer…what got her incarcerated in the nut house to begin with…they didn't send me all the details; just that she was out and picking up where she left off…and that she is to be considered extremely dangerous. They got her linked to at least two homicides and a hit n run…"
A confused looked crossed another officers face, as he viewed the photo again, "So what connection does she have here, we're hours from LA. If this fugitive is stalking some LA cop why are they looking for her out in these parts…and why is a federal agency involved and not the State Police…?"
The sheriff heaved a big sigh, "that's where it gets tricky and I got a bunch of run around from this NCIS guy, but the bottom line is this cop is some kind of liaison officer…"
"Liaison officer…?" one of the deputies repeated in confusion.
"Cool…" piped in Riley, "that means these Feds needed help or something…a liaison usually coordinates cases between two agencies…that happens a lot when Feds move into an unfamiliar area to investigate a case…"
Shaking his head at the young deputy the sheriff went on to answer his deputies question, "It was before my time…but the Gray's' had a grand-daughter that stayed with them for a time after her parents were killed in a car accident…wasn't here long, went off to college in the city and never came back, even for their funerals…then she got into trouble and the state took over the property…"
"So, they think this woman…this Sylvia Gray, came back to the old homestead…why…?" the deputy asked as he scanned the thin file.
"Apparently she has no ties in LA…the only place they have left to look for her is out this way…" the sheriff replied.
One of the deputies just sat back with a shake of his head, "so they expect us to search over the whole property…? Besides the old homestead, there are dozens of old hunting shacks people have thrown up over the last ten years dotting that whole area…what are we looking for if she's not out there…?"
"See if there is any activity out that way…maybe someone setting up housekeepin' on one of them old shacks. I told them we'd take a look…but no one has reported anything unusual out the way of the homestead, and no one has seen a woman matching the description," Waving a hand at the file the sheriff continued, "Look at her…she look like the type to be roughing it out in them ol' huntin' shacks? We'll check out the homestead, they want anything else they can 'sweep' the area themselves."
The conversation halted as Sylvia brought the meals to the table.
…..NCIS LA…..
The sheriff and his deputies were waiting for the team when they pulled up to the Gray's homestead.
Reaching the porch to the old, two story white farmhouse first, Callen help out a hand, "Agent Callen, my partner, Agent Hannah," shaking the extended hand, he continued with a nod towards the rest of the team, "Agent Blye and Detective Deeks…"
A quick round of handshaking as the Sheriff introduced his department, all four of them, "I'm Sheriff Millsap. My second, Deputy Pete Rogers…got Deputy Johnny Saunders and that there is Deputy Riley Porter."
As they shook hands, the Sheriff eyed the group critically for a moment; and while his look couldn't exactly be interpreted as unfriendly it certainly held no indication of anything but strained tolerance towards the team. His eyes came to rest on Deeks, a slight smirk crossing his face as he took in the detective's slight build and curly hair, "detective…not an agent…makes you what, that liaison officer…?" He turned his eye toward Callen as he continued, "That might thin report your office sent said it was your liaison officer that was having the problem with this little thing of a suspect of yours…"
Though his team bristled at the implied slight, Deeks face remained impassive as he met the lager man's gaze, "I have a history with the fugitive, yes; but make no mistake Sheriff Millsap, this woman is extremely dangerous to anyone she encounters and she will do whatever it takes to achieve her end game-including killing you or any of your deputies or towns people that interfere with her plans…"
"I'm sure you read the report thoroughly, Sheriff…know that our suspect is responsible for killing two people already…" Callen cut in.
"I read it…" the sheriff replied, sounding unconvinced of its validity. Nodding back over his shoulder, he continued, "my boys and I have conducted a thorough sweep of the homestead hear and the area surrounding the barn. Nothing out a' place…no sign of anyone movin' in…"
"What about the out laying areas…there are hunting cabins dotting the whole area…" Sam asked.
"Well now, I got a might small operation here and really can't have my men traipsing around the backwoods all day, for a suspect that your own office said wasn't even out there. I figure I can spare you Riley over there…" the sheriff said.
The young officer immediately perked up and gave a small wave to the team, who in turn looked at each other with far less enthusiasm.
…..NCIS LA…..
She thought she'd burst with the waiting and uncertainty that plagued her all day as she waited for the sheriff to come back into town after meeting up with the agents. She couldn't believe they had actually tracked her this far…and if they actually found the cabin she had been fixing up, it would put a definite crimp in her plans.
Sheriff Millsap stopped back by the diner later that afternoon, a smug smile on his face as he slid into a stool at the counter.
"Everything alright, Sheriff?" Sylvia asked as she poured his coffee.
"Fine, just fine…got them city agents out their traipsing around the back forty with Riley…" the sheriff snickered. "Shouldn't take them to long to give up or get lost out there…unless ol' Riley just drives 'em crazy first."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sylvia shared the inside joke with the sheriff. Riley Porter was a young pup far too curious and eager to please for his own good…he would be dogging the agents the whole afternoon with ridiculous questions and even more outlandish theories.
"I…uh…well, I never saw them drive through town…guess they find the place alright…?" Sylvia asked with a shrug.
"They came by interstate…had one of them fancy GPS systems or they probably wouldn't have made it outa' the city…" the sheriff continued to snicker.
Timidly, Sylvia asked, "so, uh…they coming back into town later…I mean, they gotta eat sometime and it's a long drive back to the city…are they planning on staying in town overnight?"
Now the sheriff stopped and looked at the diner waitress curiously, "you seem a might interested in these city fella's…?"
"Just don't to many city folk this far out and federal agents to boot…the most excitement this town has seen in years," Sylvia said with another shrug, feigning embarrassment, "can't blame a girl for being a little curios."
"Well, Riley knows not to keep them out past sundown…too easy to get lost if you don't know the area. They gotta drop the boy off so they'll be passing through town at least…"the sheriff answered. "Doubt they'll be a staying but if the diner's still open when Riley brings 'em in they might stop to eat."
…..NCIS LA….
It almost caused her physical pain to think her love could be this close to her yet more unattainable than ever. She didn't dare work one minute past her shift and hurried quickly back to her room at the Bed & Breakfast. She couldn't take the chance of running into Marty or any of his friends when they came back to town…not when she was this close to her ultimate goal. But she did need information…had they find her cabin…were they staying or going…would they be back or be satisfied she wasn't in the area and leave. All her careful planning was hanging by a precarious thread and one misstep could mean disaster.
Sylvia smiled as she showered and donned a revealing sun dress, piling the red wig into a bun on top of her head. There was one place she could get that information and she shivered with the thrill of manipulating the boy…how she loved molding those around her to her will.
…..NCIS LA…
a/n: I desperately hope this chapter flowed well, as it was extremely difficult to write without sounding contrived (as it is, it plays a little heavily into stereotypes) To put this chapter in perspective-first you have to know I am one step up from Neanderthal when it comes to anything electronic/computer oriented…I know just enough to be frustrated with most of it…but, Eric is a genius…so I'm hoping the computer/internet stuff in this chapter isn't too far off the mark.
I found it a challenge to write the sheriff's scene…we often see on the program where Eric or Hetty will say, "I spoke with…" but what do they really say to these locals without infringing on their security protocols…? So, it was tricky to write…to put just enough out there for the characters to act upon w/out being a total info dump. (I hate that in stories)
…and if it seems odd how uncooperative the sheriff is portrayed, keep in mind that locals in small towns usually don't take kindly to big city types, esp. Feds (and, as I said, I'm playing into typical stereotypes—think stupid sheriff in horror movie type). These tend to belong to that old school, good ol' boys club….so, to have a woman, a surfer dude with curly, sissy hair and a black man show up on their turf…think how well that will go over & there is the further stereotype about stalkers being men not women…& that "men" should be able to handle a mere woman….