Reflections or mirages
Chapter 7. On the edge
A few days after FBI S04E09 "Unfinished business"=
"So, it's confirmed? Maggie was right. Rina and Jubal are together...?" Kelly asked, sitting at the break room table and eating his lunch.
Also sitting at the table, head resting on her fist and expression of controlled disappointment, Elise exhaled slowly, eating her sandwich, albeit with considerably less interest. "That's right," she replied between bites, "and according to Stuart, Isobel apparently already knew."
"Relationships at work..." Ian mumbled.
"I don't know how Jubal can like Rina," Elise protested through her teeth. "She's the kind of person that…" The sentence trailed off as if Elise had not been able to find a word that, with Rina still fighting for her life in the hospital, was not inappropriate.
"Well, that's not all," said Trevor, who was leaning on the counter while eating an energy bar. "Apparently Rina and Jubal had an affair some time ago. She got divorced because of it."
The others turned to him in surprise.
"What?" Elise asked. "Where did you hear that?"
"Jubal told me," Trevor replied flatly, raising his eyebrows and shrugging his shoulders. "Rina's ex-husband came to see her in the hospital and Jubal just mentioned it."
"Not exactly a secret, then," Kelly guessed.
"Jubal didn't seem proud, but he didn't mince his words," Trevor said. "Although at the time he seemed a bit stunned, to be honest."
Elise sighed again. "What a pity. I really thought that between Isobel and Jubal... There was... I don't know... There was something going on." Ian sipped his drink, twisting his face disapprovingly. Elise ignored him. "Jubal deserves a bit of happiness. So does Isobel."
Ian's expression softened, as if agreeing with Elise.
"Jubal seemed happy lately," Kelly said with a shrug. His coworker looked at him with some annoyance because that somehow contradicted her. "Kelly misunderstood her and hastened to add, "Before all this happened, of course."
Elise had to suppress the unpleasant shudder at the thought that Vargas had been behind the attack on Rina and had threatened the lives of the rest of the team and their families. What if he tried again...? Her hunger was suddenly gone; she pushed the rest of the sandwich aside.
"Any word on Rina's condition, by the way?" Trevor asked then.
"There's been no change, I think," Ian replied, dismayed. "She is still in a deep coma and they don't know if she'll wake up..."
The four looked forlornly at each other. With each passing day, it was less likely that she would.
"Hey," said Jubal, suddenly, leaning in half of his body through the doorway; dark circles under his eyes, his haggard face, underlined his deadly serious expression.
Elise couldn't suppress a gasp, thinking with embarrassment that Jubal had caught them gossiping. Under other circumstances, she knew their boss would have taken it with humor, but now Elise just feared he would be offended.
Unfortunately, it was something much worse.
"Break's over, guys," Jubal said with urgent gravity. "We have an active shooter at a mall in Brooklyn."
·~·~·
=During FBI Most Wanted S03E09 "Run-Hide-Fight"=
Jubal was briskly walking toward the JOC followed by his analysts, but Isobel beckoned him from the doorway of her office, even though she was on her cell phone.
"Yes, I agree." She gestured for Jubal to come in and closed the door behind him.
What's going on? asked Jubal with his eyes.
"OK," she continued on the phone. "Our SWAT is on its way as well. Yes, we'll be in touch." And she hung up. "That was Captain Taylor, NYPD. He's in command there. He ordered his men to fall back. The doors have been rigged with explosives and there's no access to the security cameras right now. They fear an ambush."
Exhaustion gnawed at Jubal's insides. He cursed between his teeth, closing his eyes tightly and rubbing them with his thumb and middle finger until he saw little flickers.
"Jubal," Isobel said softly, moving closer to him. "I want you to stay out of it this time."
"Come again?" He looked at her puzzled, thinking he had misheard her.
"You are exhausted. You need to rest."
"It's no big deal..."
"Have you even come by your home these days?"
Jubal's jaws clenched. He had spent the entire night in the hospital for the third time in a week, but had left when, shortly before dawn, Rina's parents had arrived. They had already made it clear on the first day that they wanted no dealings with him.
"What was necessary," he said, untruthfully.
"Jubal," Isobel insisted at his evasiveness, "I saw you asleep at your desk this morning. You were unshaven. You cleaned up and changed your clothes in the dressing room, didn't you? Again?"
Uncomfortable that Isobel had hit the nail on the head, Jubal lowered his eyes, and did not answer.
"Are you at least eating?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes. Well," he admitted to Isobel's questioning look, "maybe not enough," he said.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to end up sick-"
"Can you leave me alone?" Jubal cut her off. "I can take care of myself," there was open irritation in his voice.
With a bitter taste in her mouth, Isobel straightened, preparing to get really serious with him, but the ringing of her cell phone interrupted her. She picked up the call immediately, without looking. In those moments, it could be anyone, from the ADIC to the Director, the Mayor to the Governor of the state.
"Kristin," she said in a surprised tone as she recognized the Fugitives Task Force agent voice. She suddenly turned pale. "Oh, God." Her alarmed eyes triggered Jubal's adrenaline, and he took an unconscious step toward her. "Jess and Sheryl are inside the mall," Isobel informed him in a choked voice as she put on the speaker.
"They're okay for now," Kristin said as she drove over, her car siren howling in the background. "There are at least two shooters. Hana is helping Sheryl reset a security door to gain access to a safe place."
Jubal's fatigue had suddenly gone as if someone had slapped him in the face. Isobel proceeded to brief Kristin on what the situation was with the NYPD outside.
"Keep me informed," she concluded and let the agent concentrate on driving as fast as possible.
"I will notify our bomb squad," said Jubal and immediately set off.
"No, Jubal," she stopped him.
"What?"
"I said stay out of it."
"No," he flatly refused, "No, not a chance."
"Be realistic, Jubal."
"This is ridiculous."
"You are in no condition!"
"I don't give a fuck! It's my friend in there, damn it!" Jubal bellowed, advancing aggressively towards her and waving his hands. "Are you really going to do this to me again!?"
She didn't back down. Despite the difference in size, despite the power of Jubal's voice, she was not intimidated. She blinked startled, however: she had never seen him so out of it before. Anyone else, or if it had happened in other circumstances, would have received the iron of her anger for that disrespect, but not this time. He's... he's furious at me, Isobel thought, her heart sinking in a sea of stormy anguish. Of course he is. He blames me for what happened to Rina, she realized. Tears involuntarily rose to Isobel's eyes as she stood there trying in vain to control them. And he's right.
Jubal closed his eyes, immediately realizing the unfairness of his outburst. Few people deserved his wrath less than Isobel. He clenched his fists. He needed a few seconds to get himself under control. He mentally thanked her for granting them to him.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, deeply embarrassed, holding up his hands apologetically. How had he allowed himself to get to that point? "Very sorry. I shouldn't have been like that. But I need... I need to be there for Jess. You get it, right?"
Isobel swallowed hard at the lump in her throat. Yes, she get it all too well. She had failed Jubal in so many ways. She couldn't fail him anymore.
"Yes. Yes, so do I." She placed her hand on his arm affectionately and led him to the JOC. "Let's go."
·~·~·
=After FBI Most Wanted S03E09 "Run-Hide-Fight"=
Applause and cheers for the birth of Sheryl's second child –a boy this time– in an ambulance, right there at the scene of the tragic shooting that had just taken place at Brooklyn Point Mall at lunchtime, filled the chilly air of the first winter day and brought a certain catharsis to all present. It had been a horrible day... dozens killed and wounded by three hate-filled shooters. People whose only "crime" had been to go Christmas shopping.
But life will get through in all situations.
The ruckus at first didn't let Jess hear Isobel when she caught his attention.
"Jess!"
Changing his expression to a serious one, Jess turned and approached Isobel's car, which had just stopped practically beside him with a sudden stop and from which she was almost jumping out. He knew she had come as soon as she could.
"Isobel."
She grabbed him by the arms. "Jess, are you all right? What about Tali and Sarah? Your father? Your team?"
The anxiety, the breathlessness in Isobel's voice made Jess' heart shrink.
"We're all fine, Isobel. Thank you."
"I'm glad," she said with relief. "Thank goodness. Kristin has kept me posted, but..."
"I know," Jess smiled at her.
He found it curious that Isobel seemed to need a hug more than he did... But it was only for a moment. Isobel straightened her back and went back to being the SAC of all the agents there. Jess sighed.
"Sheryl's wife just gave birth to a baby boy," he said, pointing to the ambulance that was already leaving for the hospital. "Everything went well."
Isobel smiled genuinely surprised. "That's... That's wonderful," she sighed, moved. "I'll congratulate her later."
Jess then informed her of everything that had happened, as his superior that she was. It had been a dark day that would forever be etched in the most terrible chronicle of New York's history.
After briefly coordinating with the police, Isobel walked Jess and his family to their car. She was sending him home to take care of them, to recover from the trauma. The adrenaline crash was affecting Jess already, who was beginning to notice that he needed the rest.
Meanwhile, Isobel was left in charge of the whole mess. He didn't envy her position.
"Any news on the ADIC Trenholm?" he asked as the others climbed into the vehicle.
Isobel took him a little aside to answer. "No. It remains unchanged..." Looking around, Isobel lowered her voice even though there was no one else there but them. "Am... Were you able to talk to Jubal as I told you?" she asked him with just a hint, but overt, of shyness. "I am worried about him."
"Isobel... If you're worried about him, maybe you should talk to him yourself."
"I've tried, but Jubal is being very…" she cleared her throat, "elusive. And I don't want to be pushy."
Yes, she had already told him that the other time.
Jess found the chasm that had opened up between Jubal and Isobel heartbreaking. Before she would not have hesitated to approach Jubal and offer her help. It was obvious to him that the reason for the original conflict was Rina herself.
For Jess, to have Jubal back with her had made no sense at all. If he had been his AA sponsor, he would have strongly discouraged it. Hell, he wasn't and he'd told Jubal anyway, when his friend had confessed to him that they were together a few weeks ago. Rina was too attached to the previous time Jubal had indulged in drinking. Infidelities aside, theirs had been a toxic relationship. Getting back together with her was the perfect springboard for a relapse... But Jubal didn't listen and Jess didn't want to push him any further because, for the first time in a long time, that shadow of loneliness and sadness in his friend's eyes had disappeared.
And, in any case, a bullet –the bullet from one of the evil devices planted on Vargas's orders– had eliminated that risk and replaced it with a crueler one. Too well did Jess know how devastated Jubal would be. He was worried about him, too.
"Yes, I talked to Jubal yesterday. He told me that Rina's family doesn't want to see him, or even talk to him. He is..."
"I know, on the edge. And he's not letting be helped." Isobel shook her head in dismay. "He's going to call you soon by the way. He was very worried about you and your family." He had even wanted to accompany her to Brooklyn, but Isobel needed him at the JOC, coordinating. "Could you... Could you keep an eye on him?"
"Of course," Jess replied.
To say goodbye, Isobel gave him a strong, fraternal hug, which he did not hesitate to return.
"I'm so glad you're okay. That you all are," she murmured. "This has been quite scary." She hesitated for a moment before finally adding, "Don't tell him I asked you, please."
Less than a month ago, Jubal had come to Jess to tell him that Isobel had been very stressed and down lately. Difficult decisions and tension with her superiors were taking an expensive toll on her. Then Jubal had asked him the exact same thing about her in almost the exact same words, including the 'don't tell her' part.
Jess sighed deeply, squandering patience as he climbed into the car and Isobel asked everyone to rest and take care of themselves. These two... Jess thought. Someday she would sit them down on the same couch and force them to have the conversation they refused to have with each other.
~.~.~.~