Dinner That Would Not End, Part Two...
Certain Methods
Word Count: 3,310
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Should I get back to you on that one? If I don't keep it gen, then... Dani/Nico, Harm/Mac, and a possible bit of Harriet/Bud. But Chegwidden features heavily/centrally to the story, too.
Spoilers: Although I reference something from 1x12, I'm actually going to set this after 1x10 for Necessary Roughness. For JAG? Um... season two, definitely related to that season. Specifically "Secrets" and "Ghosts," and a lot of this won't make sense if you don't know those eps. Otherwise, the spoilers/timeline from JAG is kind of... vague.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just break things.
Summary: Direct, indirect. Legal, illegal. Military, Civilian. Every person has a different method for handling situations. Some are better than others.
Author's Note: I started calling this part the dinner that would not end when I was writing. It did end, but it seemed to take a while to get there, lol...
Levels of Cooperation
"I can't eat," Santino said, looking worriedly at the plate of pasta that was sitting in front of her. It wasn't that she'd really ordered more than she could handle, but her appetite had gone after her friend's revelation. Bud felt bad for her. He couldn't help but be reminded of the commander's Annie. She wasn't meant for a military life, as much as her son loved it-and her husband had, and even Commander Rabb.
Of course, Careles wasn't military, not anymore.
"It's not really as bad as you think, ma'am," Bud began, and Santino looked over at him. He was aware of more than her eyes, too. He nodded. "Mr. Careles was a SEAL. He saw combat, and he killed in the line of duty."
"Don't sugar coat things, Mr. Roberts. What I did was not for any war, and definitely not when Osborne was giving the orders," Careles disagreed. Bud looked at him. He supposed if he said anything else, the man would call him on his own service record. It was true that Bud had never actually killed anyone, that he'd never seen combat-the Sea Hawk had been stationed and the ship's fighter pilots flew missions in the no-fly zone, they took down enemy fighters, but Bud had only been the public relations officer.
"Are you trying to drive a wedge? Trying to push me away?" Santino asked, frowning at him. "I thought I was supposed to trust you, let you handle my security and that of my family. Then you drop this bombshell on me-I guess I should have known, but still... You tell me that you're a killer, and you won't let it be that you served. You want me to have the worst possible idea of who you are. Why?"
"I don't think we can afford to have any illusions here," Careles said, picking up his fork. "You seem to have an idealized version of who I am, and while I don't relish shattering it, I have brought this into your life. It is because of me. The only assurance I can give you is that I will do everything I can to make sure that no harm comes to you or anyone in your family."
"I didn't doubt that before, and I don't doubt it now, but I don't see why you had to be-"
"Just eat. Marcie will be disappointed if we don't like our food, and we do need to leave."
Bud watched Santino try to eat her meal. Everyone else was doing a better job of it-but then they were all military, all trained to eat when they could, sleep when they could. "If I may, sir-er, sirs? I was thinking that... Well, Commander Rabb has run a protection detail, so he could be of assistance, I guess, and we're all officers, so we have training, but... Our area of expertise is the law."
"That doesn't make us useless, Roberts," the admiral warned, and Bud gulped as he looked over at him. He didn't know how to explain that, not exactly. "We have more experience with the man in question. The only other person that does is Webb."
"Webb?"
"Clayton Webb, with the state department."
"Then it's not the one I knew," Careles said, reaching for his water glass. "I did have the misfortune of working with a man from the state department before, same last name, not the same first."
"I understand it's a family business."
Careles winced. "Then I imagine he's as bad as his father-and were that man not dead, then I would think that this was his idea."
"Well, he could be the one behind it. The Webb we know," Rabb said, and Bud looked over at him. The commander really didn't like Mr. Webb, did he? It was kind of funny sometimes. They got along, and then they didn't. Sometimes they were friends, and the rest of the time, they were enemies. Webb had helped them with some of their cases, but sometimes he wouldn't. This was one of those times. Sort of. They didn't really have any proof that Webb was involved in making Careles' files disappear, though he had been worried by the man.
"Webb was the one who told us you were dead and tried to warn us away from the case."
Santino looked over at Careles. "So, you're really that dangerous, Nico?"
"Yes." The words were said matter-of-factly, as if Careles agreed with the assessment but did not sound proud of it. He knew what he could do, but he wasn't going to brag about it. "They chose the right person for bait, Doctor. I know what I'm doing. I doubt they do."
"Where will you take me?" Dani asked, reaching for her wine again. She was drinking too much, and she knew it. She wanted to be more in control, wanted to feel like the professional she was and not the scared woman and mother who was facing a situation she still couldn't understand, with Nico determined to make himself into the bad guy here. Was she thrilled that his past had created problems for her, put her life at risk? No. But did he have to try and scare her further, trying to make her afraid of him? He was supposed to protect her, and she needed to trust him. This was the worst possible time for him to push her away.
And yet she knew why he was doing it. If he could act like he didn't care, if she didn't care, then he didn't have to worry about the fact that he was bait. He could go on pretending that it wouldn't matter if he died. He could pretend that she hated him enough for what was happening not to matter. He could keep his distance from her, not let himself get distracted by worrying about her.
"There are several possible locations. I haven't settled on a permanent one," Nico answered, looking down at his phone. "Your mother and children have been relocated."
"Together or separately?"
"It would be better if they were separate. It's a whole lot harder to find three locations than it is just one," Rabb observed, and Dani looked over at him before turning back to Nico.
"I'm going to be separated from Ray Jay and Lindsay the whole time?"
"For your safety, that would be the best option," Mackenzie said, giving her a sympathetic look. "You're the primary target at this point, but if he can't get to you, he'd go for your children. Separating you makes it so that he can't get at all of you at once. From what we know of Osborne, he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of you or use your children against you."
Dani took a deep breath. "And if something happens to them? I get to spend my time worrying about them? That's it? At least if we're together I don't have to go out of my mind, and neither do they. I'm not saying you have to put us where my mom is and please, please do not bring Ray there, but I'd rather not be separated from my children if there's any way around it. What if this guy pretends to be someone in security, telling me he'll take me to them because something happened? I know I'd be suspicious, but probably not enough. These are my children we're talking about."
"If possible, we'll move you to a location where you can all be together. Until we know more, though, separation is the only option," Nico said, and Dani sighed. She was trying not to lose it here. She knew she would get through it, but she worried about her kids even when they were with Ray. She couldn't help it. She needed to know they were safe if she was going to have any kind of peace of mind.
"Fine. But I want updates. More than once a day. Or this won't happen. At all. I won't go if I can't have that."
Nico looked over at Chegwidden. "Was Francesca this much trouble?"
The admiral smiled. "Well, she doesn't have kids yet, thank god, but she certainly didn't want to believe me when I said her life was in danger or allow me to take her anywhere safe. I don't think I've heard that many insults in Italian since my divorce."
"From her or from the men I sent to handle her detail?"
"Both, actually," Chegwidden admitted, laughing. "Where did you dig up those two, anyway?"
The answer Nico gave went by in a flash of rapid Italian, and the admiral frowned at him, shaking his head. "Only you, Nico. Still, even though my daughter speaks perfect English, I'm glad you found her security that speaks Italian as well."
"Couldn't have her using the language barrier to manipulate them and possibly escape. I have at least one man on each of her teams that speaks Italian, just in case. What concerns me is that Osborne hasn't made any threats against her-not now and not then. Not directly. It's not like him."
"Could be it wasn't really him."
Nico shot Rabb a dark look. "There is no way I would have forgotten that man-not one detail about him. The way he smelled, the way he spoke, the sound of his voice, the look on his face, in his eyes... You don't forget the man who taught you to kill. I know it was Osborne. I knew before he even spoke, before I saw him. There's something about being in his presence. That's how I can say he's not here, how I know our watchers are CIA and not him."
"Osborne was never an instructor, though, was he?"
"Leave it alone, Commander. There are some questions you don't get answered."
"Yes, sir."
"Your coat, Mr. Careles," Marcie said, handing it to him as he reached the hostess stand. He took it and slipped it on. "You had quite a few guests tonight. I hope they enjoyed their meal."
"It was excellent, as usual," Nico assured her. Their conversation may have made dinner an unpleasant occasion, but the service and food were at their normal standard. Marcie had coped admirably with the changing dynamics of the table, but then she always did. "Thank you, Marcie. You're still taking that trip with your brothers?"
She nodded. "Yes. Leaving first thing in the morning. I thought they'd have had enough of playing in the woods and survival training, but they can't wait to have their annual contest and see which special force is better than the other."
"I'm partial to SEALs myself," Nico admitted. "Not that I don't think highly of some of the other units your brothers have gone into. Rangers, Green Berets, Force Recon... All of them have their needs and uses."
"Hey, don't forget the Air Force. I've got brothers in there, too," she objected, laughing. "I can't wait to get them out of my apartment, though. None of them belong in the city, and nowhere is big enough for that many male egos."
If not for the many male egos in Marcie's family, Nico knew he'd be trying to get her into hiding as well. He didn't like the idea of her leaving on a wilderness trip, but she was the youngest child in a very large family, and all of her brothers had training that would keep her safe. She wasn't completely defenseless, either. "Be careful, Marcie."
"Always," she agreed with a smile. "And you, too, Mr. Careles. Can't let anything happen to my favorite customer."
He shook his head, and she moved away to greet more customers. He would have expected the major and the doctor to have returned from the ladies' room by now, but perhaps Santino needed some time to accept what she'd heard and where she was going. It would not be easy for her, and it was optimistic to think this would be a short process. Osborne would want to draw it out, cause as much damage as he could.
"Careles?"
Nico turned around to look at the man in the suit. He hated these types. So smug. So convinced that they were right when they rarely were. "I have to say, you're not very impressive for a ghost."
"I was never a dead man nor was I hiding," Nico said. "It is a good thing I never had children, though, since you would seem to be proof that the apple does not fall far from the tree, Mr. Webb. You are entirely too much like your father."
The other man looked surprised for a moment, but he tried to cover it quickly. "Nice try, Careles, but you never worked with my father."
"No, not exactly."
"Should have known we'd run into you, Webb," Chegwidden said, annoyed. Clearly, the son was just as much of a problem as the father had been.
"Just as I knew there was no way you'd stay out of this and do what you were told."
"You'll forgive me if I'm unwilling to entrust my safety or that of anyone I know to an agency that betrayed me, lost my records, and set me up as bait for a psychopath who should have been dead a long time ago," Nico muttered. "Go away, Webb. There will be no cooperation here, and if you think that I'm going to let you-the CIA-take custody of Osborne again, you are very mistaken."
Nico reached back for Santino's arm and pulled her through the others. She gave him a concerned look as she got close to him. Webb frowned, but Rabb immediately blocked him. Webb gave him an exasperated look. Marcie came back, her face almost completely obscured by the coats in her arms.
"Admiral," she began, passing the first coat to him. "Major. Commander. And you're... a lieutenant, yes? There you go. And yours as well, Doctor. Thank you all for coming in tonight, and remember that friends of Mr. Careles are always welcome."
"He's not a friend," Nico said, pointing to Webb. "Is the Combat Control brother working as a bouncer right now?"
Marcie nodded. "Yes, and he'd be happy to keep anyone he needs to out. Of course, he'd have to fight Force Recon for the right to do it."
"Any of your brothers could handle him, I'm sure, if he gives you any trouble in the future," Nico told her. "Give the general my regards."
"Of course. She'll be sorry she missed you."
Webb shook his head. "I don't believe this."
Nico laughed a little and took hold of Santino's arm again now that she had her jacket on. She was surprisingly quiet. "We need to go."
As they left the restaurant, the military officers apparently running interference for them, more was running through Dani's brain than she felt capable of processing, and she didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to scream, another to cry. She wanted to smack Nico-not just because he'd gotten her into this but because he should care more about himself-and then she wanted to hug him because, again, he should realize that people cared about him-look at Marcie and that Admiral Chegwidden. They both cared about Nico, though it was far more obvious in Marcie's case. Dani had to wonder what her story was.
"How do you know Marcie?" she asked, settling on the least explosive of all topics. Maybe Nico would feel this one was a better one to allow some details to slip-since Osborne and all of that past were clearly off limits.
"I helped her diffuse a situation with an angry and violent customer," Nico answered. "Her brothers were overseas at the time-all of them-and when she saw what I did, I reminded her of them, and she got... attached. I think you call it transference?"
Dani nodded. It was, a bit, though she thought he was trying to lessen the importance-not only of what he'd done-of what Marcie felt toward him. "Did you arrange protection for her, too?"
"Her brothers are in the city. They are more than enough protection for her, though I have had her under surveillance since I learned of Osborne's return," Nico explained. She looked at him. "Marcie has several brothers, all of whom serve in the military, all special forces from all the various branches. She's probably safer than you are at the moment."
Dani made a face. "That is not a comforting thought, Nico."
"I never said it was."
She sighed. "I'm supposed to go with you right now, yes? No stops at home, no picking up anything as far as clothes or pictures or... anything?"
He nodded. "The necessary items can be procured later, but your house is a compromised location. You can't go back there. It's possible that Osborne has already rigged something, and you'd be walking right into his trap. We're going to need to get rid of your phone and anything else that might be able to be traced-that is, anything electronic."
Dani bit her lip. "Is it too much to ask to get something from my car? I only brought in the small purse, and it doesn't actually have the pictures in it. It wouldn't matter if I could keep the phone, but since I can't, there are some print photos of the kids in my other purse. Can I get them, or is that too much of a risk, too?"
Nico looked conflicted. She pointed to the car at the far end of the lot. "That's yours, right? So, technically, my car is on the way to yours, so... Not a big loss of time, is it?"
He didn't answer, but she decided to take that as permission. She really didn't think it could hurt to grab the pictures. At least then she'd have something. Some tie to her children since she couldn't talk to them or see them or hold them. Not that either of them would want to be held, but...she wanted to hold them, to tell them it would be okay and in telling them, tell herself. The pictures weren't that great, but they would be a little thing she could use to get through this.
"Wait."
Dani stopped just in front of her car and bit back a curse. She turned around. "What?"
Nico looked around the parking lot, searching for something. "It doesn't feel right. Remember, I said I could feel him. I have that feeling right now."
"With the CIA watching and everything? I thought you said that would keep him from making a move right now."
"Inside the restaurant, yes. Still, if the CIA is watching me to see when he shows himself, their focus was inside. Even if they have someone keeping an eye on the parking lot... He could have been out here the entire time."
She didn't doubt that. "Okay, then. What do we do?"
"Get away from your car, for one thing," Nico said, moving closer to her. She started to back away, back toward him, but the ground shook and she lost her balance. She heard a deafening boom almost right in her ear, felt a warm rush of heat all around her. Then something hit her, and she went down.
She struggled to get up, move away from the fireball that her car had just become, but something held her down. Nico's voice was a whisper, even though she was pretty sure he was yelling. "Don't move. The fire is far enough away, and if he can see you're moving, he'll try again."
"Again? With what? My car already blew up."
She shouldn't have asked. There was another boom, and the car flipped up in the air. Nico grabbed hold of her, rolling both of them over as the car came crashing back down.
Chapter Seven