When The Past Returns (Day 1)
Follows this.
Monday Morning ...
She's mucking out Kelly's stall when the SUV pulls up. It's just one, not attracting attention, and Liz leaves the shovel and wheelbarrow to go up and meet it. Mary steps out, her long blonde hair back in a high ponytail and Liz is glad to see the woman has finally abandoned those leggings she took to wearing after her baby was born. She's in jeans and a tank top and a glance inside the vehicle shows Mary's US Marshal's windbreaker on the front seat. "Hi, Mary," Liz says. It's still strange to see Mary pull up without Marshall. She likes the inspector, and appreciates the woman's candor, but her conversations with Marshall had been part of why she was able to adjust to the program as quickly as she did.
"Hey, Liz," Mary responds. she's looking around anxiously, and Liz realizes she's checking for other people.
"My helpers are elsewhere." John is in town with the contractors and Matthew is running late. Kara won't be in until the evening.
"Good. Let's go inside."
Liz frowns but nods, leading the other woman into her home. When Mary doesn't stop to take off her shoes, Liz confirms this isn't just a social visit. "What's going on?"
"Pack a bag, Liz."
"What?" She turns and stares at the inspector. "Why?" She doesn't need to pack a bag. Decades of federal training means she always has a go bag ready. She just needs to grab her med box.
"Because I said so, that's why, and you know the rules. So grab your stuff and I'll explain more on the way."
"Where are we going?"
"I'll explain on the way."
Rolling her eyes, Liz walks into the bedroom to retrieve the phone she know will be taken. She has limited time and opens up the draft text she prepped for Jenny when her gut started rolling. She sends They want me to tame the wild horses to her best friend and then turns off all the sound and slides it into her pocket. Hopefully she can hold onto it for a few minutes. John is going to flip out when he comes back and finds the stalls half finished and her disappeared. Matthew is going to have some kind of heart attack, she is sure. This is the problem with having connections with people. They worry when you disappear. She scribbles a quick note to Matthew - family emergency. Will try to call. And then grabs her bag and pill box and joins Mary in the living room. Mary holds out her hand for the phone and Liz is glad she thought to delete the message to Jenny. She also hopes that Jenny has the wherewithal to not respond right away to the message. The phone is handed over, and she follows Mary out to the car in silence.
Mary takes her bag and throws it into the back of the SUV. "Get in back and stay down," is all the inspector says and Liz obeys, climbing in and lying low. They pull out and drive in silence for ten minutes before Mary starts to speak. "The safe house is in Santa Fe. There's chatter about you that's been picked up. We want you out of the way in case any of it is true."
"What are they saying?" Liz takes Mary's speaking as permission to get comfortable on the seat and stretches out her legs a bit.
"There are gun runners who are wondering if you are still alive. If it was all faked. Which means they're getting the information either from the leak we're worried that is in our department or from Vance. Vance is too smart to do something like sell your information because it will keep the case active. So it has to be someone or something else. Your involvement with a certain NCIS director isn't helping, by the way."
Liz bit her lip. She'd had a feeling her relationship with Jenny would come back to bite her, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. "Yeah," is all she says in response.
"The only reason you haven't been moved is that if the leak is us, it wouldn't keep you safe."
"I get that, Mary."
"Good. Sometimes I wonder with you." Again, Liz rolled her eyes but she said nothing. Truth was, they'd been more than patient with her breaking of certain rules over the last few months. "Hopefully this will only last a day or two. But we need you out of the way. And ..."
"And if the leak is really in your department, you'll be able to track it down. Let me guess, there are only three or four people who know that I'm being moved and one of them is your potential leak."
"Wow, you really were a Federal Investigator for a while, weren't you?"
Mary's dry tone sparks a light smile on Liz's face, but she doesn't really feel it. She's tired and scared and now cut off from everyone. "Are you really going to move me eventually?"
"DC doesn't think it's the best idea to use the resources like that. I want to, Marshall is in line with the guys back East. So for now, we just protect you."
"Well, thank you, Mary."
"Thank me when we get you home safely from Santa Fe."
They fall into silence for a while and Liz stares out the window, watching the desert fly by. The fact that Mary came without Delia says how tightly protected this operation is and she wonders who else is in on this. If she didn't trust Mary implicitly, she'd be suspicious of this whole scenario. But it was her assigned Marshal who showed up and from what she can tell, all procedures were followed.
Twenty minutes out of Albuquerque, Liz looks back at Mary. "How is Norah doing?"
"She's good," Mary replies tersely, a tone that implies she really doesn't want to bring her daughter into the work world. Liz nods and lets the conversation lapse again. Mary isn't in to small talk and the further they get away from home, the less Liz wants to engage in it either. So she lets her eyes drift closed.
When she wakes up, they are pulling down the driveway of a small split level home on the outskirts of Santa Fe. There are two other vehicles outside, another SUV (this one white, clearly to keep from giving anything away) and a Toyota Carola. Mary gets out first, grabs Liz's bag, and then opens her door. Liz follows the Marshal inside.
Four men rise to their feet as they walk in. They're all dressed like Mary, jeans and t-shirts, and Liz knows they all have at least three guns hidden in various places. All are clearly witsec officers as well, silent, asking no questions of anyone. Mary points Liz back to the bedrooms and Liz goes. It's her job to stay in one place and keep quiet while they protect her. She wants her phone and her laptop, but knows that's completely out of the question, so when the bedroom door closes behind her, she collapses onto the bed and waits. She has a couple of books in her go bag and is sure there will be a card game she can get in on at different points during the day. Now all she can do is wait.
Monday Evening
Dinner is a silent affair. They order from a local Chinese place and Mary goes to get it. The whole time the other woman is gone, Liz sits on the couch, pretending to read, wondering which of the men she's been left alone with wants her dead. She understands why Mary goes - it's less of a chance for the leak to be out of the controlled environment. But all she can think is that one of them has been turned, if not by Vance than some crony she tried to take down, and that if they want to get her, they will get her. Mary returns with the order and Liz is at first hungry, but it fades quickly.
She picks at her noodles, knowing she needs to eat but having no appetite. Just the mix of smells makes her sick to her stomach and she knows that it is all in her head, but all she can imagine is that she's going to choke and make a fool of herself in front of these officers. She was one of them once, a lot like Mary, refusing to get too attached, able to drink the boys under the table, the best shot in the room because she had to be. Now she is scared to eat because she's terrified to look like and idiot, so she takes the container into her bedroom where she eats slowly, tiny tiny bites, and is full quickly. Rather than walk the mostly full container out to the fridge, she tosses it into the trash can and stretches out on her bed.
A few moments later there is a knock and Mary opens the door. "I just got a call from Marshall, apparently there's a couple of people back in DC making a stink because they haven't been able to get ahold of you all day."
Liz just shrugs because if she allows herself to be emotional, she will break down and cry. She's sure Jenny threw a hissy fit but she can't do anything about it even though all she wants to do is text her best friend. "I'd be better hidden if you let me call her," she says softly.
"Probably, but your phone isn't exactly secure. Anyway, she knows you're safe." Mary's tone makes it perfectly clear that they're aware of the message Liz sent. So Liz shrugs again.
"When is this ending?" Liz looks up. "I've got horses to take care of."
"As soon as we're sure you won't end up with a bullet in your brain."
For the first time in a long time, Liz wonders if it might be preferable than dealing with all the stresses she's allowed into her life. But the thought is fleeting and she shrugs again. "Fair enough." It's the same bored tone she affected as director but she doesn't pull it off as well sprawled out across a bed in a safe house in Santa Fe.
"We're starting up a poker game. Come on and join us."
The invitation startles Liz. Mary isn't a joiner and doesn't expect her witnesses to be either. But Liz has been self isolated all day and if they're worried one of the four guys in the living room is the leak, they probably want her exposed just a bit to them. So she nods and pulls herself off the bed, casting a glance down to her dinner that's in the trash can now. She fishes the box out of the bin and hands it to Mary to put away. Maybe she'll be hungry later.
The first hand has been dealt when Liz joins them in the living room. She stands to the side, watching, judging movements like she used to. One man's shoulders are tighter than everyone else's but other than that, his body language is not suspicious. She knows that none of the Marshals in the room know her history, just that she is a witness. Hell, they might even think she's just someone in protective custody. Mary could be the only witsec inspector of the bunch. The first hand is won quickly and Liz takes a seat opposite Mary and between two former military types. Falling into the card game is easy and keeps her mind off the reality of her situation. Even with the few bucks she had on her, she wins enough to stay in the game for a few hands and no one really notices when she slips away, her dignity in tact if not all her early winnings. Her head is heavy, as if the weight of the day has finally broken her insomnia. Alone in her room, she strips down, pulls on a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top, and crawls into bed. Exhaustion claims her before she can even think to take one of her sedatives.
She doesn't remember falling asleep.
To Be Continued ...
Monday Morning ...
She's mucking out Kelly's stall when the SUV pulls up. It's just one, not attracting attention, and Liz leaves the shovel and wheelbarrow to go up and meet it. Mary steps out, her long blonde hair back in a high ponytail and Liz is glad to see the woman has finally abandoned those leggings she took to wearing after her baby was born. She's in jeans and a tank top and a glance inside the vehicle shows Mary's US Marshal's windbreaker on the front seat. "Hi, Mary," Liz says. It's still strange to see Mary pull up without Marshall. She likes the inspector, and appreciates the woman's candor, but her conversations with Marshall had been part of why she was able to adjust to the program as quickly as she did.
"Hey, Liz," Mary responds. she's looking around anxiously, and Liz realizes she's checking for other people.
"My helpers are elsewhere." John is in town with the contractors and Matthew is running late. Kara won't be in until the evening.
"Good. Let's go inside."
Liz frowns but nods, leading the other woman into her home. When Mary doesn't stop to take off her shoes, Liz confirms this isn't just a social visit. "What's going on?"
"Pack a bag, Liz."
"What?" She turns and stares at the inspector. "Why?" She doesn't need to pack a bag. Decades of federal training means she always has a go bag ready. She just needs to grab her med box.
"Because I said so, that's why, and you know the rules. So grab your stuff and I'll explain more on the way."
"Where are we going?"
"I'll explain on the way."
Rolling her eyes, Liz walks into the bedroom to retrieve the phone she know will be taken. She has limited time and opens up the draft text she prepped for Jenny when her gut started rolling. She sends They want me to tame the wild horses to her best friend and then turns off all the sound and slides it into her pocket. Hopefully she can hold onto it for a few minutes. John is going to flip out when he comes back and finds the stalls half finished and her disappeared. Matthew is going to have some kind of heart attack, she is sure. This is the problem with having connections with people. They worry when you disappear. She scribbles a quick note to Matthew - family emergency. Will try to call. And then grabs her bag and pill box and joins Mary in the living room. Mary holds out her hand for the phone and Liz is glad she thought to delete the message to Jenny. She also hopes that Jenny has the wherewithal to not respond right away to the message. The phone is handed over, and she follows Mary out to the car in silence.
Mary takes her bag and throws it into the back of the SUV. "Get in back and stay down," is all the inspector says and Liz obeys, climbing in and lying low. They pull out and drive in silence for ten minutes before Mary starts to speak. "The safe house is in Santa Fe. There's chatter about you that's been picked up. We want you out of the way in case any of it is true."
"What are they saying?" Liz takes Mary's speaking as permission to get comfortable on the seat and stretches out her legs a bit.
"There are gun runners who are wondering if you are still alive. If it was all faked. Which means they're getting the information either from the leak we're worried that is in our department or from Vance. Vance is too smart to do something like sell your information because it will keep the case active. So it has to be someone or something else. Your involvement with a certain NCIS director isn't helping, by the way."
Liz bit her lip. She'd had a feeling her relationship with Jenny would come back to bite her, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. "Yeah," is all she says in response.
"The only reason you haven't been moved is that if the leak is us, it wouldn't keep you safe."
"I get that, Mary."
"Good. Sometimes I wonder with you." Again, Liz rolled her eyes but she said nothing. Truth was, they'd been more than patient with her breaking of certain rules over the last few months. "Hopefully this will only last a day or two. But we need you out of the way. And ..."
"And if the leak is really in your department, you'll be able to track it down. Let me guess, there are only three or four people who know that I'm being moved and one of them is your potential leak."
"Wow, you really were a Federal Investigator for a while, weren't you?"
Mary's dry tone sparks a light smile on Liz's face, but she doesn't really feel it. She's tired and scared and now cut off from everyone. "Are you really going to move me eventually?"
"DC doesn't think it's the best idea to use the resources like that. I want to, Marshall is in line with the guys back East. So for now, we just protect you."
"Well, thank you, Mary."
"Thank me when we get you home safely from Santa Fe."
They fall into silence for a while and Liz stares out the window, watching the desert fly by. The fact that Mary came without Delia says how tightly protected this operation is and she wonders who else is in on this. If she didn't trust Mary implicitly, she'd be suspicious of this whole scenario. But it was her assigned Marshal who showed up and from what she can tell, all procedures were followed.
Twenty minutes out of Albuquerque, Liz looks back at Mary. "How is Norah doing?"
"She's good," Mary replies tersely, a tone that implies she really doesn't want to bring her daughter into the work world. Liz nods and lets the conversation lapse again. Mary isn't in to small talk and the further they get away from home, the less Liz wants to engage in it either. So she lets her eyes drift closed.
When she wakes up, they are pulling down the driveway of a small split level home on the outskirts of Santa Fe. There are two other vehicles outside, another SUV (this one white, clearly to keep from giving anything away) and a Toyota Carola. Mary gets out first, grabs Liz's bag, and then opens her door. Liz follows the Marshal inside.
Four men rise to their feet as they walk in. They're all dressed like Mary, jeans and t-shirts, and Liz knows they all have at least three guns hidden in various places. All are clearly witsec officers as well, silent, asking no questions of anyone. Mary points Liz back to the bedrooms and Liz goes. It's her job to stay in one place and keep quiet while they protect her. She wants her phone and her laptop, but knows that's completely out of the question, so when the bedroom door closes behind her, she collapses onto the bed and waits. She has a couple of books in her go bag and is sure there will be a card game she can get in on at different points during the day. Now all she can do is wait.
Monday Evening
Dinner is a silent affair. They order from a local Chinese place and Mary goes to get it. The whole time the other woman is gone, Liz sits on the couch, pretending to read, wondering which of the men she's been left alone with wants her dead. She understands why Mary goes - it's less of a chance for the leak to be out of the controlled environment. But all she can think is that one of them has been turned, if not by Vance than some crony she tried to take down, and that if they want to get her, they will get her. Mary returns with the order and Liz is at first hungry, but it fades quickly.
She picks at her noodles, knowing she needs to eat but having no appetite. Just the mix of smells makes her sick to her stomach and she knows that it is all in her head, but all she can imagine is that she's going to choke and make a fool of herself in front of these officers. She was one of them once, a lot like Mary, refusing to get too attached, able to drink the boys under the table, the best shot in the room because she had to be. Now she is scared to eat because she's terrified to look like and idiot, so she takes the container into her bedroom where she eats slowly, tiny tiny bites, and is full quickly. Rather than walk the mostly full container out to the fridge, she tosses it into the trash can and stretches out on her bed.
A few moments later there is a knock and Mary opens the door. "I just got a call from Marshall, apparently there's a couple of people back in DC making a stink because they haven't been able to get ahold of you all day."
Liz just shrugs because if she allows herself to be emotional, she will break down and cry. She's sure Jenny threw a hissy fit but she can't do anything about it even though all she wants to do is text her best friend. "I'd be better hidden if you let me call her," she says softly.
"Probably, but your phone isn't exactly secure. Anyway, she knows you're safe." Mary's tone makes it perfectly clear that they're aware of the message Liz sent. So Liz shrugs again.
"When is this ending?" Liz looks up. "I've got horses to take care of."
"As soon as we're sure you won't end up with a bullet in your brain."
For the first time in a long time, Liz wonders if it might be preferable than dealing with all the stresses she's allowed into her life. But the thought is fleeting and she shrugs again. "Fair enough." It's the same bored tone she affected as director but she doesn't pull it off as well sprawled out across a bed in a safe house in Santa Fe.
"We're starting up a poker game. Come on and join us."
The invitation startles Liz. Mary isn't a joiner and doesn't expect her witnesses to be either. But Liz has been self isolated all day and if they're worried one of the four guys in the living room is the leak, they probably want her exposed just a bit to them. So she nods and pulls herself off the bed, casting a glance down to her dinner that's in the trash can now. She fishes the box out of the bin and hands it to Mary to put away. Maybe she'll be hungry later.
The first hand has been dealt when Liz joins them in the living room. She stands to the side, watching, judging movements like she used to. One man's shoulders are tighter than everyone else's but other than that, his body language is not suspicious. She knows that none of the Marshals in the room know her history, just that she is a witness. Hell, they might even think she's just someone in protective custody. Mary could be the only witsec inspector of the bunch. The first hand is won quickly and Liz takes a seat opposite Mary and between two former military types. Falling into the card game is easy and keeps her mind off the reality of her situation. Even with the few bucks she had on her, she wins enough to stay in the game for a few hands and no one really notices when she slips away, her dignity in tact if not all her early winnings. Her head is heavy, as if the weight of the day has finally broken her insomnia. Alone in her room, she strips down, pulls on a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top, and crawls into bed. Exhaustion claims her before she can even think to take one of her sedatives.
She doesn't remember falling asleep.
To Be Continued ...