Fic: Crossing Borders (7/?)
Title: Crossing Borders (7/?)
Author:
zarrati
Word Count: ~7,500
Genre: AU
Pairing: Leslie/Ben
Rating: R for Language and violent/traumatic themes
Author's notes: With the Park dedication rapidly approaching, enemies are revealed, plots are uncovered, and lives are put at risk.
Part 6
Ben sat in his usual spot in Leslie’s office, coordinating and scheduling security for the park dedication. They had nearly tripled the usual number of agents to work the event, and all press or civilians had to pass through a rigorous screening process before being granted access badges.
“Hey, how’s it coming?” Leslie asked from her desk.
“Uhm, it’s coming along. Andy’s agents have been working double time trying to screen all of the badge requests. I’m almost done with the schedules and duty roster, so pretty much all that’s left is actually prepping the site.”
“Awesome. Wow, I didn’t think I’d be so nervous about this.”
He looked at her over the screen of his laptop. “You know you don’t have to do this. If you don’t feel safe, or for any reason at all you aren’t comfortable, we can call it off right now. Just say the word.”
She sent him a grateful smile. “No, it’s not that. I mean, it’s partially that, what with someone trying to kill me and all, but it’s not really that. It’s just, it’s the first time I’m really going to be out in public since this whole things started, not to mention that the press are gonna be monsters about everything. It’s something very special to me, that’s all.”
“It’s in honor of your parents. I can understand that.”
“Parks have always been important to me. I can’t explain it. I’ve just always loved them, ever since I was a kid. Parks don’t care if you’re the president’s daughter or just a kid from the neighborhood. They’re there for everyone to love and enjoy.” She lost her wistful gaze and shook her head. “Anyway, I just really want this to be special, so thank you for making it happen.”
This woman would be the death of him, he knew it. With every day that passed, he found more and more reasons to want to be with her, making it all that much harder to step away.
“Leslie, I’m just-”
“Doing your job, I know. But it’s more than that. You’re going above and beyond your job description because you actually care. I can’t tell you how rare that is.” She opened one of her desk drawers and pulled out a small box. “I kind of got something for you as a thank you.”
He was speechless as she walked over to him and placed the box in his hand, doing her best to hide just how eager she was for him to open it.
He took off the lid and pulled out a small, hand carved chess piece. The white knight.
“My dad actually really liked chess,” Leslie explained. “He tried to teach me, but I wasn’t all that interested. He had a ton of different sets, but this one was his favorite.”
“I can’t-I can’t accept this. It’s too much, really.” He tried to give the piece back to her, but she refused.
“Please, it’s yours. I feel like my father would want you to have it. It’s kinda stupid, I know. A useless little chess piece--”
“No,” he interrupted, “it’s not stupid at all. Thank you.” He ran his fingers over the finely carved surface. “Wow, your Dad knew his stuff. This is excellent quality.”
She laughed softly. “You are holding a Ron Swanson exclusive. Only one chess set in existence, and if there’s one thing that Ron Swanson knows, it’s fine wood.”
“Why am I not surprised.” He took one more look at the knight before raising his eyes Leslie’s. “Thank you, honestly. It means a lot to me that you would give me something this priceless.”
Their gazes remained locked longer than even he would consider normal, but he couldn’t look away. Her eyes were so honest and full of faith--faith in him, and he was lost in them.
“Well,” Leslie said, lowering her gaze and trying to hide the flush in her cheeks. “I think it’s time for some lunch. What do you think?”
“Uh, yeah, sounds great. I’m starving. I have to drop off these schedules to Chris anyway, so do you want me to stop by the kitchen on my way back?”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll just call down and have them send it up. You want your usual?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said as he gathered his papers. “Go ahead and call it in. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ben finally left Chris’s office and made a beeline back to Leslie’s. He loved Chris, but sometimes the man talked way too much. It never really bothered him before, but before he wasn’t eager to have lunch with the most amazing woman he’d ever met. Rushing down the hallway, Ben accidentally crashed into a lanky man with a thick mustache.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Ben apologized.
The man raised two hands, covered in plastic gloves. “Don’t worry about it. Sometimes I’m hard to see. Practically invisible. Must be a superpower.” He winked and Ben chuckled.
“Must be nice. Sorry again.”
He walked into Leslie’s office and found her already waiting with their food.
“Wow, that was quick,” he commented.
“Yeah, just got delivered.”
Ben grabbed his sandwich and took a bite. “Oh, I didn’t pass J.J. in the hallway.”
“The kitchen was really busy so J.J. wasn’t able to bring it up. Someone else from the kitchen staff dropped it off.”
“Lanky guy with a mustache?”
“That’s the one.”
“Yeah, I ran into him on my way back. I don’t think I’ve seen him up here before.”
Leslie dolloped more whipped cream onto her plate. “Yeah, Joe doesn’t really make the food deliveries. He usually stays in the kitchen. Don’t blame him for not wanting to come up here much though--long story.”
“Ha, okay.”
“Although, when I’m busy, I couldn’t tell you who’s bringing what. I swear, half the time I think the food just appears out of thin air. I feel terrible, but I hardly notice them sometimes.”
Ben took another bite of his food before the words of the man in the hallway came back to him. Practically invisible.
If there was ever a time that Ben Wyatt could say he truly had an epiphany, it was now.
“Shit.” He stood up and started pacing. “Shit, I can’t believe it. It was so obvious. God, how could I have not seen it.”
“Seen what? What’s wrong?”
“He even said it. ‘Practically invisible’. It’s making sense.”
“It’s not making sense to me. Can you please tell me what you’re muttering about?”
“It’s obvious. We were looking at everyone, even the cleaning crew, but we didn’t focus on them.” He ran his hands through his hair.
“Them?”
“The kitchen staff.” He walked over to her desk. “That guy, Joe or whatever. You said he had a story. What is it?”
Leslie gave him a confused look, but acquiesced. “Uhm, he’s Joe Fantringham, or Sewage Joe as he’s called. He used to head the City’s Sewage Department, and was even a contender for a Federal position in wastewater management, but he’s kind of the perviest guy on earth. Got fired for sexually harassing several workers. He ended up getting a job working in the kitchen.”
“Who fired him?”
“Well, technically I did, but-”
“That’s it. It has to be it.” Ben started pacing again.
“Can you please stop mumbling and explain what it is that I’m missing?”
“It’s him, Leslie. I think he’s delivering the notes. You said it yourself, sometimes you don’t even notice when they’re here. There were no prints or hair because he wears the gloves and hair net. The night before you found the note on your desk, did you have food brought up?”
“Yeah...”
“Who delivered it? You were here late. J.J. had already gone home right?”
Leslie’s mouth dropped. “Oh my God, it was Joe. He delivered it.”
“And I bet that on the days Donna and April found their notes, he had brought them their lunch, too. And hardly anyone would think to question why he’s walking around if he says he’s on a delivery.”
Ben was running on pure adrenaline. The pieces were finally all fitting together in his mind.
“Call Trumple. Tell him we finally have a suspect, and have him taken in for questioning. I’ll pull up his time logs and see if he was here when the notes were found.”
He pulled up the employee logs on his laptop while Leslie spoke with the General. This was the biggest break they’d had in weeks, and he sure as hell was gonna follow up on it. The bastard practically gloated to him in the hallway. He didn’t think that it wasn’t going to be easy to get a confession from this guy, let alone the name of who he was working for, but it was a start.
~~~~~
Ben watched through the two-way mirror as Chris interrogated Sewage Joe. They had left him stewing there for hours before talking to him, but even Chris’s ‘good cop’ routine was getting them nowhere. Joe was as calm and collected as ever, barely giving Chris the slightest amount of attention.
A tap on his shoulder startled him.
“Anything?” Leslie asked coming up beside him.
“No, and you shouldn't be here. It’s not safe.”
“No way I’m leaving. I told you, I want to be involved in everything. Did you find anything useful on your own?”
Ben sighed in resignation. She was stubborn. Stubborn and adorable, a deadly combo he couldn't resist.
“His logs do confirm that he was here within the estimated timeframe of the delivery of the notes, and off duty when the notes to Ann and The Journal were most likely dropped off. He also used to live not far from Ann’s neighborhood, so he’s familiar with that area. It’s all pretty circumstantial, but it’s a something.”
Leslie looked through the glass and shook her head. “I just can’t believe it. I mean I know he’s a douchey perv, but to be involved in something like this?”
“I don’t know his entire motive yet,” Ben shrugged, “but the fact that you were the one that ended his career could have lead to some serious resentment. Plus, he doesn’t sound like a guy who respects women all that much, let alone those in authority. If whoever’s behind this exploited that…”
“Well, I am getting nowhere,” Chris said as he joined them in the observation room. “He is obviously not responding well to my tactics of wooing him into a sense of comfort and security. He even declined my snack offer of fresh nuts and berries. They’re organic!”
Ben rolled up his sleeves and shared a knowing look with Chris. “Well, Good Cop, I think it’s my turn, wouldn’t you say?”
Chris smiled widely and gave him two thumbs up. “Go get ‘em, Bad Cop.”
Leslie snorted. “Bad Cop?”
“Oh, you just watch,” Chris winked.
Ben walked into the interrogation room and sat across from Joe. He ignored him at first, pretending to shuffle through his papers and gather his wits. But before he could start, Joe broke the silence.
“I was wondering when they’d trade in Mary Poppins for you. I was almost waiting for him to start singing about spoonfuls of sugar.”
“Well, he’s very much opposed to refined sugars, so I doubt that would have happened.”
Joe actually smiled. “That’s a good one, Wyatt.”
“You like that? I got more. We can do this all night if you want, because we’re not leaving here until you tell me what you know.”
“And what is it you think that I know?”
Ben pulled out Joe’s time logs and threw the paper at him. “You were on shift when four of the notes would have been delivered within the building, and off shift for the other two.”
“Circumstantial,” Joe scoffed. “Come on, you have to know more than that.”
“Let’s start with motive, shall we? President Knope fired you and essentially ended any dreams you might have had for your blossoming career. Now, you already didn’t like having a woman in charge, and this just made things worse. Someone comes to you and says ‘Hey, why don’t you help me take that Knope woman out. She’s not doing Pawnee any good.’ How can you pass that up, right?
“And here’s opportunity. You work in the kitchen. The food preparation gloves help eliminate finger prints, and no one would second guess a kitchen worker making a delivery. You said it yourself--you’re practically invisible. You were taunting me, weren’t you?”
Instead of a look of anger, panic, or indifference, Joe was actually beaming with pride.
“I am very impressed, Major. He told me you were smart, but I didn’t quite believe him.”
“Who is this ‘he’?”
“Now, get real. You don’t think I’m just going to up and spill my guts, do you? All this hard work to give it up to you? That’s not how we play the game.”
Ben leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So, your boss likes games, huh? This mysterious black knight.”
“Oh, you got that reference, too. You’re pretty good when you aren’t going around getting yourself blown up.”
“He wants to discredit and humiliate me. Why?”
“Don’t know,” Joe shrugged. “He didn’t tell me, and I knew not to ask. You don’t tell everyone the entire plan, only the parts he needs to know. I’m just the delivery man.”
“So you admit that you were the one that delivered the threats,” Ben said.
“Oh yeah,” Joe answered with a nod. “Three of them were while I was making lunch deliveries, so it was easy. The hot nurse lives in my old neighborhood, so another ace in the hole there. Apparently, it’s not only easy to steal government press packets, but no one notices when you walk into a crowded newspaper office. Now, breaking into the annex was a little tough, but I perfected the art of breaking and entering during my panty raid days in college. As much as I hate her, you gotta admit Knope has a pretty sweet ass. She’s got even nicer underwear. I did a little perusing myself while I was there. But I don’t need to tell you that, do I? You’ve gotta be hitting that.”
Ben lunged forward and grabbed Joe by the collar, nearly yanking him across the table.
“You don’t even get to think about her, let alone invade her privacy like that, you sick prick.”
“I guess you aren’t hitting that,” he laughed. “You should, though. You’re wound way too tight, brother. A good, solid lay will relieve all of that tension. She might not be useful in much else, but at least she’d make a good fuck.”
Ben could smell the man’s rancid breath, that coupled with his words made him want to vomit. From his hold on the collar, Ben whipped Joe out of his seat and threw him against the wall. “One more word of filth out of your mouth, and you’re gonna regret it. I swear to God, you will.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll leave it alone,” he said insincerely and Ben released him. “But if you’re interested, I’d do it quickly. She might not be around much longer.”
“He plans to have her assassinated.” It wasn’t a question.
“He’s going to kill her, yes.”
“Were you going to have that pleasure?”
“Unfortunately, no. That wasn’t my move.”
Ben looked at the man before him with utter disgust and rage. He could barely stomach how casually he spoke about the entire ordeal, how little he seemed to care that his confession alone guaranteed him a life sentence.
“You do realize that with your confession, you’ll be put away for the rest of your life. You sure you don’t want to make a deal? Cut off some years in exchange for the name of your boss?”
Joe walked over to sit down again in his chair. “Do you really think that I would have confessed everything to you without knowing the consequences?”
“You’re willing to spend the rest of your life in prison so this guy stays hidden?”
“I’m just a pawn, and sometimes sacrifices must be made to win the game.”
Ben studied Joe’s face, cursing that cocky grin. He was unafraid and unashamed, two dangerous qualities in a suspect. Trying to break him wasn’t going to be easy or pleasant.
“So, you’re just a pawn, huh?” He strode back over to the table and sat down. “Not gonna lie, this whole thing sounds pretty pathetic. I mean, you go from a high ranking government official to some kitchen worker. And even now, this ‘big scheme’ against the president? You’re nothing more than a delivery boy.”
“Had you fooled,” Joe scoffed. He maintained his same pose of confidence, but Ben could see that his pride would be his weakness.
“Oh, but you didn’t have me fooled, your boss did. And congrats to him, because he chose well. You barely registered on my radar until today in the hallway. You know, I even suspected the cleaning staff over someone like you. I mean, I’ve seen my fair share of extremists and terrorists and all around crazies, but you take the cake.”
“You think I care what you think?”
Ben shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Just figured I’d share. You’re going to prison for the rest of your life anyway, so it’s not like you’re going to tell your boss anything.”
“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in prison.”
Ben actually laughed. A full, throaty sound that burst from his lips. “You really think that you aren’t going to rot in a cell? That you can admit to threatening the life of the president and get away with it? You’re more delusional than I thought.”
“Not delusional, Major. I just know how this is gonna end.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the glass. Walking to the door, Ben opened it and took the folder from an agent’s hand. He scanned through the papers as he made his way back to the table.
“Well, it looks like they just came back from searching your place,” he said as he took his seat. “Are you sure you don’t want to rethink your story?”
Joe crossed his arms defensively. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because according to this, they found a high powered sniper rifle and several rounds in your possession. They also found informational pamphlets about the dedication ceremony for the Robert and Marlene Knope Memorial Park, a map of the area, and blueprints for surrounding buildings. So you wanna tell me again that you were ‘just the delivery boy’?”
A look of confusion and panic flashed over Joe’s eyes for a brief second before they once again turned hard. “You’re lying.”
Ben pushed the folder forward, allowing Joe to read the report and see the pictures taken during the search. “Believe me, Joe. I’m not lying. I have no reason to. You’ve dug yourself into a nice little hole now. Don’t tell me you weren’t going to take credit for being the hitman, too?”
Joe continued to stare at the photos, his face an unemotional mask. There wasn’t anymore fear or panic, but no pride either. He was so eager to reveal his position earlier, so why not now?
“You do realize that this is now a capital offense, don’t you?” Ben continued. “Unless you tell us who your boss is and what you’re planning, you’re as good as dead. Tell us what you know, and we can work a deal.”
Joe sat silently, his rapid breathing the only thing giving away his otherwise cool exterior. Ben could practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to process everything.
Ben folded his hands in front of him on the table and leaned forward. “Wanna know what I think? I think you planted those notes, and you also were going to try to assassinate President Knope at the dedication ceremony. You were going to use your ID to get into the park, maybe even work the event yourself with the caterers. Then you were going to try to slip away from the crowd, set up your gear, and kill her. That’s what I think.”
Joe blinked as if he was recovering from a trance and slowly lifted his eyes to Ben’s. They were so cold and empty it sent shivers down Ben’s spine. He was expecting something from him. Pride, excitement, rage, denial, anything. But not those eyes.
“You’re right,” Joe whispered and cleared his throat. “You’re right. That’s what the plan was. I was supposed to use my position to deliver the notes and then assassinate her at the dedication. It was all on me.”
“So, you confess to not only being the individual responsible for delivering the threats and breaking and entering into President Knope’s home, but also to plotting an assassination attempt on the president’s life? Is that correct?”
Joe once again pierced Ben with his soulless gaze. “That’s correct. And I’m not saying anything more. Charge me, arrest me, kill me, do whatever you have to do. But I’m not saying anything else.”
Ben sighed in resignation, knowing that right now, Joe was going to be no further help. He looked up at the mirror and could feel Leslie’s eyes on him. A rush of compassion and warmth ran through him, as if she was reassuring him through the glass, letting him draw on her strength. He wanted it.
He needed it, especially now.
~~~~~
“He’s lying.”
Those were the first words out of Ben’s mouth once he stepped out of the interrogation room. He was met by the puzzled faces of Leslie, Chris, Andy, and General Trumple.
“About what?” Trumple asked. “The evidence so far corroborates everything he’s said. He confessed to leaving the notes, and he confessed to planning an assassination. You presented him with the scenario he confessed to. We’ve got him.”
“I know he did, but something’s still not right. I said that to make him tell me the truth. I didn’t necessarily believe it. He confessed to delivering the threats almost immediately. He was proud of what he had done, he was confident, knew what to say. But when I came back with the report on the search, he changed. He was genuinely shocked.”
“Maybe he didn’t think we’d find out about that?” Chris offered.
“That doesn’t make sense, either. He must have known that we’d search his home once we got him into custody. He was prepared for everything up until that point, so why not that? One of the most obvious things he could have prepared for.”
Trumple glowered. “Get to your point, Major?”
“I don’t think what we found in his home was actually his.”
There were mixed reactions to his statement. Trumple openly scoffed, Chris tried his best to hide the involuntary grimace, Andy’s eyes almost bulged out of his head in surprise, and Leslie visibly swallowed.
Trumple crosses his arms. “Then why did he confess? By confessing, he guaranteed himself a one-way ticket to death row. Why would he condemn himself and give up his one chance to even make a deal?”
“I don’t know that, sir.”
“You don’t. Well, I do know that we have a suspect who confessed to threatening and planning to assassinate the president and proof to back that confession up. We know that he was planning to use the dedication as his opportunity, and even if he is only one of many ‘pawns’, we just bought ourselves some time. This was months worth of work, and I doubt this boss of his will be able to replace him that easily to finish the job.”
Trumple’s eyes grew a little softer and his posture was less rigid. “You did good, Major. Don’t let unfounded doubts get in the way of pursuing cold, hard facts.”
With a nod, the General left the observation room, a choking tension still hanging in the air.
Chris cleared his throat and laid a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I have always trusted your judgement and that hasn’t changed. However, I do feel that we need to continue this investigation given the evidence that we have. You very well might be right, but we need to be able to prove it. Regardless, we’ve found who we’ve been looking for.”
Ben nodded slightly and looked over at Andy, who shrugged helplessly.
“Ben, man, you know I’d follow you anywhere and trust you with my life, but I have a job to do. My agents have been working like crazy to help catch this guy, and we did. You did. Well all know it’s not over yet, but we’re closer.”
He could see the conflict in Andy’s gaze, practically feel him begging for forgiveness, for some kind of affirmation that he hadn’t just betrayed his friend, but Ben couldn’t bring himself to give it.
He knew, logically, that he hadn’t been betrayed, that Chris and Andy, and even Trumple, were just doing their jobs. So why did he feel like he had three knives in his back?
Instead, Ben continued to stare blankly at the pair and he felt another knife stab at his heart when Andy’s face fell. He had plunged that dagger there himself and he knew it, but his hurt pride wouldn’t allow him to make amends.
Chris must have noticed the exchange because he quickly interrupted. “Well, Andy and I still have some information to review and more planning for the dedication. Ben, Madam President.” He smiled at the pair before leaving, and it was then that Ben realized Leslie was still there, and hadn’t said a word since he came in.
He couldn’t miss her look of apprehension, and it almost made him want to weep. Her brow was furrowed and she was chewing on her lip like it was her last meal.
“You don’t believe me either.”
“Ben.” His name was breathy on her lips and it would have been a beautiful sound if it wasn’t laced with so much sadness. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, it’s that it just doesn’t make sense. He confessed, we have evidence that all points directly to him. He has no reason to lie right now. I just--I don’t know what else there could possibly be.”
“I’m not sure either, but there’s something. He was genuinely surprised about what was found in the search. He’d been waiting for us to find him out about everything else, so why was he shocked about this?”
“I honestly don’t know, Ben. Maybe he didn’t think it would happen that fast? Maybe he thought he had covered his tracks better? But the fact is that he confessed and we’ve got the proof that he’s been behind everything. We’re so close to solving this. Why can’t you be happy with what we have?”
“Because there’s something else,” he shot back. “There’s something else here that doesn’t make sense and it could be dangerous. Everyone seems to think that whatever could have happened at the dedication has been averted, but we don’t know that. We can’t get sloppy now.”
Leslie reached out and tugged on his arm, her thumb running gentle circles along his sleeve. “No one is suggesting that the coast is clear. We won’t do anything stupid, but we can breath a little easier. Even if you’re right and something went wrong in Joe’s plan, there won’t be time for them to start anything else.”
Ben let out a deep breath, the hand not occupied by Leslie coming up to wipe his face. “It’s just whoever this ‘black knight’ is has been one step ahead of us this entire time, and I can’t shake the feeling that now is no different.”
“Ben, if you won’t listen to us, listen to yourself. You said the rifle wasn’t his? Whose was it? Who could have planted everything there in the time frame between him last leaving his home and us arresting him? And do you really think this guy could possibly have predicted everything that has happened? Knowing how and when we’d find Joe, the search, his confession? How is that even possible?”
“I know, I know,” he conceded. “It doesn’t seem possible, but I hate taking the risk.” He moved his hand so that he could twine his fingers with hers. “If I screw up and something happens to you--”
“Hey, nothing’s going to happen to me. Not with you around. I mean, do you realize what you’ve done today? You found the person we’ve been looking for. Weeks and weeks of hard work, and you were able to figure it out. Out of everyone, you were the only one that made the connections and saw what we all missed.” She sought out his eyes. “You did it.”
“To be fair, you helped, so you did it, too.”
“No, not this time. I’ll admit, normally I do it, but this was all you. Take some praise, for once. You deserve it.”
He smiled bashfully towards the floor, he fingers squeezing his just a little bit tighter as she mirrored his grin. She looked back through the glass at Joe, who was still seated in the interrogation room.
“What’s going to happen to him?”
“Well, he’s going to be officially charged and processed. We’re still going to try to get him to roll over on his boss, but I don’t know how successful we’re going to be. He really believes he’s on the winning side. He won’t sacrifice the cause. It’s not his move.”
“All of these chess references makes me wish I paid more attention to my father when he tried to teach me.”
“You know, if you want, I wouldn’t mind taking the time to teach you. Once everything settles down and we have some time.” He tried to make it sound like a casual offer, but even he knew he was failing miserably. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to faze her.
“I’d really like that. Thank you.”
“No problem. Now, as much as I love these dark, dank observation rooms, I believe we have a park dedication to prepare for.”
“After you, Major Wyatt.”
~~~~~
The last few days had been a nightmare.
Sewage Joe still refused to give up the name of his employer, and he was sticking to his story that all of the equipment found in his home did indeed belong to him. Ben had spent countless hours reviewing the evidence, trying to find something that could disprove Joe’s confession, something that would lead them to the real culprit, but he found none.
Not to mention that there were several last minute preparations that needed to be made for the ceremony.
The park grounds had to be thoroughly searched and secured hours in advance, emergency escape routes had to be mapped out, and the hundreds of people attending had to be given extensive background checks.
Ben sat next to Leslie in the back of the Presidential Limousine on their way to the park, his hands shaking as he touched his earpiece for the tenth time in as many minutes. He rebuttoned the cufflinks on his dress blues, careful to avoid damaging the microphone hidden there. When he ran out of clothing to occupy his hands, he started tapping his fingers against his knee.
Leslie looked over and gently covered his hand with her own. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You don’t need to be so nervous. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t understand how you can be so calm. This is going to be a media shit-storm. We approved over one hundred press badges. There are going to be over one hundred rabid, media hounds bombarding you with questions about me and this whole mess. Not to mention the fact that we still have to worry about someone trying to kill you.”
She made a face. “Gee, thanks for that. You really know how to cheer a girl up.”
Ben’s eyes bulged once he realized just how much of his own fear he projected onto Leslie. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Oh really?” she laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how you meant it.”
He looked properly conrite. “Okay, so maybe that is how I meant it, but I shouldn’t have but it so bluntly. It’s just, me and the media don’t get along too well. I remember I did one press conference a few years back, and it was terrible.”
She nudged his shoulder and giggled. “Come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Let’s just say before the end of it, I had taken off my shirt--twice, redubbed Perd Hapley as Turd Crapley, and cried. The other ten minutes were basically just me stuttering words that might not even be in the English Language.”
Leslie didn’t even attempt to stifle her laugh. “Oh my God, that sounds terrible. No offense, but I’m so glad you haven’t done any official press for this. I don’t think we could afford your help.”
“Your confidence in me means the world,” he joked, but his smile faltered when he looked at her solemn face.
“You do know how much confidence I have in you, don’t you? No jokes, I’m serious. I know you’re nervous about everything, and you keep checking your watch waiting for the agents to check in, and you’ve just about sweated through your shirt, but I trust you. I have faith in you. I didn’t at first, but you earned my confidence. Please, it’s important to me that you know all of this.”
He realized that her hand was still over his on his knee, and he turned his palm up. “I do, and it means everything. I can’t help being nervous. This means so much to you, and there are so many things that can go wrong. It’s hard sometimes, living with a constant fear of screwing up. I always have this feeling that I’ve missed something and it’ll come back to bite me in the ass. This is the most important assignment of my life, and I can’t let anything happen to you. I won’t. I’d rather die.”
She squeezed his hand, and he could swear he saw moisture building in her eyes. “Thank you. I’m confident that will never happen, though. You’re too good to let something like that take you down.”
“I mean it, though. I would honestly rather die than have something happen to you.”
Leslie shivered. “Don’t even talk like that. It’s weird enough knowing that practically everyone that works for me does so knowing they could die for me, I don’t need to hear that from you too. I’d much rather pretend to live in blissful ignorance than think about you dying.”
“If it helps, I don’t like thinking about me dying all that much either. Especially with you around to keep me company.”
She smiled her brilliant smile and it felt like a swarm of butterflies were released in Ben’s stomach. She leaned over to whisper in his ear, smooth lips brushing against his skin.
“You know, if there weren’t so many other people in this damn limousine, I’d say screw it to everything we’d agreed upon and makeout with you for a good fifteen minutes.”
He had to bite his lip to stop the moan that threatened to break free, and he turned to face her. Their noses were centimeters apart, and he could feel her breath on his lips. He would have gladly cut off a limb to lean forward and taste her.
“I’m pretty sure I’d let you.”
He didn’t think her smile could have gotten any wider, but he was wrong. Her eyes were filled with pure joy, and any nervousness that was hidden away had been dispelled. He knew that giving his life for her would be the ultimate honor, but being the cause of her happiness came in at a close second.
Ben’s focus on Leslie was interrupted by Andy’s voice in his ear. “Eagle Two, this is Eagle One. Do you copy Eagle Two. Over.”
Ben rolled his eyes at Andy’s ridiculous nicknames. “Yes, Andy, I hear you.”
“Eagle Two, please refer to the subjects by their given code names. Over.”
“Copy that, Eagle One. What have you got for me?”
“The perimeter has been thoroughly swept, bomb sniffing dogs have gone through no problem, and we have our snipers in position on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Over”
“That’s great news. President Knope and I are en route to the event. Let us know when we’re clear to pull in.”
“I’m sorry, you and who? Over.”
Ben sighed. “ ‘I’d Be Lying If I Said I Hadn’t Thought About It’ and I are on our way.”
“Roger that, Eagle Two. As of now, you are clear to arrive. Over.”
“Thanks a lot. Over and out.” Ben turned to Leslie and smiled. “Everything looks good so far. We’re okay to arrive at any time. You ready?”
She breathed in deeply and nodded. “Yup, ready as I’ll ever be. Nothing is going to ruin this day. We’ve all worked too hard for it and it means the world to me. I’d want my parents to be proud.”
“They would be. Never doubt that.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence, their hands clasped between them.
~~~~~~
Pulling in behind the makeshift stage, Ben was the first to exit the car, a swarm of agents surrounding and greeting him. He did his own inspection of the stage and personnel before introducing himself to the Park Director.
“Grant Larson? Major Ben Wyatt. I’m in charge of President Knope’s personal security. Pleased to meet you,” he said as he shook Grant’s hand.
“Likewise, Major. If there’s anything else you need for us to do, please let me know.”
Ben released his hand and smiled politely. “Thank you, we appreciate that.” From his position on the stage, he had a good view of the park and was thoroughly impressed. “This park is amazing, Mr. Larson. Your department did a wonderful job.”
Grant beamed with pride. “Thank you very much. This is by far one of the greatest accomplishments of my career.”
“I’m surprised you were able to finish it this fast. I was told the original timeline had the opening predicted for several months from now.”
“It was, but a few months ago a very generous, private donation was made that allowed us to do more work more quickly.”
“Oh, wow. Who made the donation?”
“I wish I knew,” Grant shrugged. “It was anonymous. We tried to find out so that we could thank and honor the donor in some way, but whoever it was insisted on remaining unknown.”
At that moment, Leslie walked up to them, flanked by agents, but she acted as though they weren’t there invading her personal space. She greeted Grant with a warm smile and stuck out her hand.
“Hi, Grant. Always a pleasure to see you.”
“Madam President, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you so much for attending the ceremony.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The park is beautiful,” she beamed.
Grant blushed, and Ben bit back a grin. Apparently Leslie had that effect on almost everyone.
“Thank you very much, President Knope. We owe much of that to you. You were instrumental in the design process.”
She looked over at Ben and smirked. “He means that I hounded him for weeks about how I wanted things to look and wouldn’t leave him alone until I was satisfied.”
Ben made a face of faux-shock and clutched his chest. “I don’t believe it. That doesn’t sound anything like you,” he teased, and was rewarded with another laugh.
“Yes, well my being a pain in the ass paid off. The park is gorgeous. Thank you so much, Grant. I know that my parents would be very honored.”
“High praise, indeed. Now, whenever you’re ready, I can go out and make the introductions. The press are looking particularly ravenous today.”
“Goody,” Ben murmured before he felt Leslie’s elbow hit his side. “Uhm, let me just check in once more with my agents and make sure we’re all set, then we’ll be good to go.”
Ben waited for everyone to report in, doing his best to keep an air of calm authority despite his trembling insides.
It was show time.
~~~~~
Ben was already situated towards the front of the stage when Leslie was introduced, the applause of the crowd deafening as she smiled and waved on her walk to the podium. He did his best to pay attention, but his eyes, ears, and mind were constantly occupied. He scanned the crowds and surrounding buildings, making sure that he could spot the agents in their correct positions. The audience was filled with smiling, happy faces. His fellow Pawneans were just as enamored of Leslie as he was.
The media weren’t nearly as friendly looking. In fact, they looked like caged predators waiting for their moment to strike and devour their prey whole. Unfortunately, he and Leslie were on the menu.
He tried to listen while Leslie gave her speech, he really did, but his mind refused to slow down. He’d heard it a million times already and knew it was fantastic. He could tell that just by the reactions of the crowd.
The thunderous applause clued him into the fact that the speech was over, and the almost instantaneous reaction from the reporters in the front rows let him know that the press conference had begun. Questions were being shouted from all sides, and Ben had to resist the urge to cover his ears. He wished that he could though, given what some of the questions were.
“President Knope, do you know who’s trying to kill you?”
“President Knope, how much danger are the people of Pawnee in?”
“President Knope, is it true that you’ve willingly hired a known extremist into your personal staff?”
“President Knope, has Ben Wyatt been eliminated as a suspect?”
Some of the reporters even yelled questions at him, but he remained stoic, refusing to acknowledge them.
Leslie did her best to be as diplomatic as possible, answering questions without giving too much away while simultaneously reassuring them that their own lives were safe. She defended him fiercely, and he couldn’t help the quirk of his lips when she called one reporter a dumb idiot for suggesting that Ben had been responsible for the ICE Town Massacre.
It still tore him up that she had to spend so much of the press conference defending him instead of focusing on more important issues. No matter what she said, these threats and his involvement in her life would hang over this day like a dark cloud. A day that she should be enjoying and honoring the memory of her parents was spent like this.
As one reporter droned on, Ben’s eyes were once again sweeping the crowd when he noticed light reflecting off of the roof of one of the nearby buildings. He looked and saw that it was unmistakably the light reflecting off of a rifle scope. There was an immediate sinking feeling in his stomach. While he knew they had a sniper positioned there, there should have been no reason for his scope to catch the light that way unless he was aiming at the stage.
It all happened in slow motion. He saw the rifle aimed directly towards the stage, and acted on pure impulse. He rushed towards Leslie and threw himself over her just as he heard the shot go off. He could vaguely hear the screams of the audience as he fell onto the floor over Leslie, his blood pounding in his ears. There were three other shots, but he barely registered the sounds.
All he cared about was the woman beneath him.
He tried to prop himself up on his trembling arms, but for some reason they were too weak. He looked down and saw bright red. He felt like he was about to pass out, but forced himself awake as he ran his hands over Leslie’s blouse, looking for the source of the blood. It wasn’t until he looked into her panicked eyes that he realized it wasn’t hers.
It was his.
His fading adrenaline allowed him to finally feel the burning ache that shot through his shoulder and down his chest. He could feel the blood sticking to his shirt, feel the life fading out of him.
He rolled off of Leslie onto the floor as agents surrounded them, Leslie’s frantic face hovering above his own as she pressed her hands to his bloody chest. Hands were grasping for her from all sides, but she fought them. She was crying, begging him to stay awake, to stay here with her, but he couldn’t. He was so tired, so cold, in so much pain. He just wanted to sleep.
He fought unconsciousness long enough to look into Leslie’s bright, blue eyes one last time. He tried to lift up his arm, tried to caress her cheek and wipe away her tears, but his limbs refused to cooperate, wanted to finally tell her everything that he had been too scared to share, but he had no voice.
His only consolation being that her face was the last thing he saw before it all faded to black.
Part 8
Author:
zarrati
Word Count: ~7,500
Genre: AU
Pairing: Leslie/Ben
Rating: R for Language and violent/traumatic themes
Author's notes: With the Park dedication rapidly approaching, enemies are revealed, plots are uncovered, and lives are put at risk.
Part 6
Ben sat in his usual spot in Leslie’s office, coordinating and scheduling security for the park dedication. They had nearly tripled the usual number of agents to work the event, and all press or civilians had to pass through a rigorous screening process before being granted access badges.
“Hey, how’s it coming?” Leslie asked from her desk.
“Uhm, it’s coming along. Andy’s agents have been working double time trying to screen all of the badge requests. I’m almost done with the schedules and duty roster, so pretty much all that’s left is actually prepping the site.”
“Awesome. Wow, I didn’t think I’d be so nervous about this.”
He looked at her over the screen of his laptop. “You know you don’t have to do this. If you don’t feel safe, or for any reason at all you aren’t comfortable, we can call it off right now. Just say the word.”
She sent him a grateful smile. “No, it’s not that. I mean, it’s partially that, what with someone trying to kill me and all, but it’s not really that. It’s just, it’s the first time I’m really going to be out in public since this whole things started, not to mention that the press are gonna be monsters about everything. It’s something very special to me, that’s all.”
“It’s in honor of your parents. I can understand that.”
“Parks have always been important to me. I can’t explain it. I’ve just always loved them, ever since I was a kid. Parks don’t care if you’re the president’s daughter or just a kid from the neighborhood. They’re there for everyone to love and enjoy.” She lost her wistful gaze and shook her head. “Anyway, I just really want this to be special, so thank you for making it happen.”
This woman would be the death of him, he knew it. With every day that passed, he found more and more reasons to want to be with her, making it all that much harder to step away.
“Leslie, I’m just-”
“Doing your job, I know. But it’s more than that. You’re going above and beyond your job description because you actually care. I can’t tell you how rare that is.” She opened one of her desk drawers and pulled out a small box. “I kind of got something for you as a thank you.”
He was speechless as she walked over to him and placed the box in his hand, doing her best to hide just how eager she was for him to open it.
He took off the lid and pulled out a small, hand carved chess piece. The white knight.
“My dad actually really liked chess,” Leslie explained. “He tried to teach me, but I wasn’t all that interested. He had a ton of different sets, but this one was his favorite.”
“I can’t-I can’t accept this. It’s too much, really.” He tried to give the piece back to her, but she refused.
“Please, it’s yours. I feel like my father would want you to have it. It’s kinda stupid, I know. A useless little chess piece--”
“No,” he interrupted, “it’s not stupid at all. Thank you.” He ran his fingers over the finely carved surface. “Wow, your Dad knew his stuff. This is excellent quality.”
She laughed softly. “You are holding a Ron Swanson exclusive. Only one chess set in existence, and if there’s one thing that Ron Swanson knows, it’s fine wood.”
“Why am I not surprised.” He took one more look at the knight before raising his eyes Leslie’s. “Thank you, honestly. It means a lot to me that you would give me something this priceless.”
Their gazes remained locked longer than even he would consider normal, but he couldn’t look away. Her eyes were so honest and full of faith--faith in him, and he was lost in them.
“Well,” Leslie said, lowering her gaze and trying to hide the flush in her cheeks. “I think it’s time for some lunch. What do you think?”
“Uh, yeah, sounds great. I’m starving. I have to drop off these schedules to Chris anyway, so do you want me to stop by the kitchen on my way back?”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll just call down and have them send it up. You want your usual?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said as he gathered his papers. “Go ahead and call it in. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ben finally left Chris’s office and made a beeline back to Leslie’s. He loved Chris, but sometimes the man talked way too much. It never really bothered him before, but before he wasn’t eager to have lunch with the most amazing woman he’d ever met. Rushing down the hallway, Ben accidentally crashed into a lanky man with a thick mustache.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Ben apologized.
The man raised two hands, covered in plastic gloves. “Don’t worry about it. Sometimes I’m hard to see. Practically invisible. Must be a superpower.” He winked and Ben chuckled.
“Must be nice. Sorry again.”
He walked into Leslie’s office and found her already waiting with their food.
“Wow, that was quick,” he commented.
“Yeah, just got delivered.”
Ben grabbed his sandwich and took a bite. “Oh, I didn’t pass J.J. in the hallway.”
“The kitchen was really busy so J.J. wasn’t able to bring it up. Someone else from the kitchen staff dropped it off.”
“Lanky guy with a mustache?”
“That’s the one.”
“Yeah, I ran into him on my way back. I don’t think I’ve seen him up here before.”
Leslie dolloped more whipped cream onto her plate. “Yeah, Joe doesn’t really make the food deliveries. He usually stays in the kitchen. Don’t blame him for not wanting to come up here much though--long story.”
“Ha, okay.”
“Although, when I’m busy, I couldn’t tell you who’s bringing what. I swear, half the time I think the food just appears out of thin air. I feel terrible, but I hardly notice them sometimes.”
Ben took another bite of his food before the words of the man in the hallway came back to him. Practically invisible.
If there was ever a time that Ben Wyatt could say he truly had an epiphany, it was now.
“Shit.” He stood up and started pacing. “Shit, I can’t believe it. It was so obvious. God, how could I have not seen it.”
“Seen what? What’s wrong?”
“He even said it. ‘Practically invisible’. It’s making sense.”
“It’s not making sense to me. Can you please tell me what you’re muttering about?”
“It’s obvious. We were looking at everyone, even the cleaning crew, but we didn’t focus on them.” He ran his hands through his hair.
“Them?”
“The kitchen staff.” He walked over to her desk. “That guy, Joe or whatever. You said he had a story. What is it?”
Leslie gave him a confused look, but acquiesced. “Uhm, he’s Joe Fantringham, or Sewage Joe as he’s called. He used to head the City’s Sewage Department, and was even a contender for a Federal position in wastewater management, but he’s kind of the perviest guy on earth. Got fired for sexually harassing several workers. He ended up getting a job working in the kitchen.”
“Who fired him?”
“Well, technically I did, but-”
“That’s it. It has to be it.” Ben started pacing again.
“Can you please stop mumbling and explain what it is that I’m missing?”
“It’s him, Leslie. I think he’s delivering the notes. You said it yourself, sometimes you don’t even notice when they’re here. There were no prints or hair because he wears the gloves and hair net. The night before you found the note on your desk, did you have food brought up?”
“Yeah...”
“Who delivered it? You were here late. J.J. had already gone home right?”
Leslie’s mouth dropped. “Oh my God, it was Joe. He delivered it.”
“And I bet that on the days Donna and April found their notes, he had brought them their lunch, too. And hardly anyone would think to question why he’s walking around if he says he’s on a delivery.”
Ben was running on pure adrenaline. The pieces were finally all fitting together in his mind.
“Call Trumple. Tell him we finally have a suspect, and have him taken in for questioning. I’ll pull up his time logs and see if he was here when the notes were found.”
He pulled up the employee logs on his laptop while Leslie spoke with the General. This was the biggest break they’d had in weeks, and he sure as hell was gonna follow up on it. The bastard practically gloated to him in the hallway. He didn’t think that it wasn’t going to be easy to get a confession from this guy, let alone the name of who he was working for, but it was a start.
~~~~~
Ben watched through the two-way mirror as Chris interrogated Sewage Joe. They had left him stewing there for hours before talking to him, but even Chris’s ‘good cop’ routine was getting them nowhere. Joe was as calm and collected as ever, barely giving Chris the slightest amount of attention.
A tap on his shoulder startled him.
“Anything?” Leslie asked coming up beside him.
“No, and you shouldn't be here. It’s not safe.”
“No way I’m leaving. I told you, I want to be involved in everything. Did you find anything useful on your own?”
Ben sighed in resignation. She was stubborn. Stubborn and adorable, a deadly combo he couldn't resist.
“His logs do confirm that he was here within the estimated timeframe of the delivery of the notes, and off duty when the notes to Ann and The Journal were most likely dropped off. He also used to live not far from Ann’s neighborhood, so he’s familiar with that area. It’s all pretty circumstantial, but it’s a something.”
Leslie looked through the glass and shook her head. “I just can’t believe it. I mean I know he’s a douchey perv, but to be involved in something like this?”
“I don’t know his entire motive yet,” Ben shrugged, “but the fact that you were the one that ended his career could have lead to some serious resentment. Plus, he doesn’t sound like a guy who respects women all that much, let alone those in authority. If whoever’s behind this exploited that…”
“Well, I am getting nowhere,” Chris said as he joined them in the observation room. “He is obviously not responding well to my tactics of wooing him into a sense of comfort and security. He even declined my snack offer of fresh nuts and berries. They’re organic!”
Ben rolled up his sleeves and shared a knowing look with Chris. “Well, Good Cop, I think it’s my turn, wouldn’t you say?”
Chris smiled widely and gave him two thumbs up. “Go get ‘em, Bad Cop.”
Leslie snorted. “Bad Cop?”
“Oh, you just watch,” Chris winked.
Ben walked into the interrogation room and sat across from Joe. He ignored him at first, pretending to shuffle through his papers and gather his wits. But before he could start, Joe broke the silence.
“I was wondering when they’d trade in Mary Poppins for you. I was almost waiting for him to start singing about spoonfuls of sugar.”
“Well, he’s very much opposed to refined sugars, so I doubt that would have happened.”
Joe actually smiled. “That’s a good one, Wyatt.”
“You like that? I got more. We can do this all night if you want, because we’re not leaving here until you tell me what you know.”
“And what is it you think that I know?”
Ben pulled out Joe’s time logs and threw the paper at him. “You were on shift when four of the notes would have been delivered within the building, and off shift for the other two.”
“Circumstantial,” Joe scoffed. “Come on, you have to know more than that.”
“Let’s start with motive, shall we? President Knope fired you and essentially ended any dreams you might have had for your blossoming career. Now, you already didn’t like having a woman in charge, and this just made things worse. Someone comes to you and says ‘Hey, why don’t you help me take that Knope woman out. She’s not doing Pawnee any good.’ How can you pass that up, right?
“And here’s opportunity. You work in the kitchen. The food preparation gloves help eliminate finger prints, and no one would second guess a kitchen worker making a delivery. You said it yourself--you’re practically invisible. You were taunting me, weren’t you?”
Instead of a look of anger, panic, or indifference, Joe was actually beaming with pride.
“I am very impressed, Major. He told me you were smart, but I didn’t quite believe him.”
“Who is this ‘he’?”
“Now, get real. You don’t think I’m just going to up and spill my guts, do you? All this hard work to give it up to you? That’s not how we play the game.”
Ben leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So, your boss likes games, huh? This mysterious black knight.”
“Oh, you got that reference, too. You’re pretty good when you aren’t going around getting yourself blown up.”
“He wants to discredit and humiliate me. Why?”
“Don’t know,” Joe shrugged. “He didn’t tell me, and I knew not to ask. You don’t tell everyone the entire plan, only the parts he needs to know. I’m just the delivery man.”
“So you admit that you were the one that delivered the threats,” Ben said.
“Oh yeah,” Joe answered with a nod. “Three of them were while I was making lunch deliveries, so it was easy. The hot nurse lives in my old neighborhood, so another ace in the hole there. Apparently, it’s not only easy to steal government press packets, but no one notices when you walk into a crowded newspaper office. Now, breaking into the annex was a little tough, but I perfected the art of breaking and entering during my panty raid days in college. As much as I hate her, you gotta admit Knope has a pretty sweet ass. She’s got even nicer underwear. I did a little perusing myself while I was there. But I don’t need to tell you that, do I? You’ve gotta be hitting that.”
Ben lunged forward and grabbed Joe by the collar, nearly yanking him across the table.
“You don’t even get to think about her, let alone invade her privacy like that, you sick prick.”
“I guess you aren’t hitting that,” he laughed. “You should, though. You’re wound way too tight, brother. A good, solid lay will relieve all of that tension. She might not be useful in much else, but at least she’d make a good fuck.”
Ben could smell the man’s rancid breath, that coupled with his words made him want to vomit. From his hold on the collar, Ben whipped Joe out of his seat and threw him against the wall. “One more word of filth out of your mouth, and you’re gonna regret it. I swear to God, you will.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll leave it alone,” he said insincerely and Ben released him. “But if you’re interested, I’d do it quickly. She might not be around much longer.”
“He plans to have her assassinated.” It wasn’t a question.
“He’s going to kill her, yes.”
“Were you going to have that pleasure?”
“Unfortunately, no. That wasn’t my move.”
Ben looked at the man before him with utter disgust and rage. He could barely stomach how casually he spoke about the entire ordeal, how little he seemed to care that his confession alone guaranteed him a life sentence.
“You do realize that with your confession, you’ll be put away for the rest of your life. You sure you don’t want to make a deal? Cut off some years in exchange for the name of your boss?”
Joe walked over to sit down again in his chair. “Do you really think that I would have confessed everything to you without knowing the consequences?”
“You’re willing to spend the rest of your life in prison so this guy stays hidden?”
“I’m just a pawn, and sometimes sacrifices must be made to win the game.”
Ben studied Joe’s face, cursing that cocky grin. He was unafraid and unashamed, two dangerous qualities in a suspect. Trying to break him wasn’t going to be easy or pleasant.
“So, you’re just a pawn, huh?” He strode back over to the table and sat down. “Not gonna lie, this whole thing sounds pretty pathetic. I mean, you go from a high ranking government official to some kitchen worker. And even now, this ‘big scheme’ against the president? You’re nothing more than a delivery boy.”
“Had you fooled,” Joe scoffed. He maintained his same pose of confidence, but Ben could see that his pride would be his weakness.
“Oh, but you didn’t have me fooled, your boss did. And congrats to him, because he chose well. You barely registered on my radar until today in the hallway. You know, I even suspected the cleaning staff over someone like you. I mean, I’ve seen my fair share of extremists and terrorists and all around crazies, but you take the cake.”
“You think I care what you think?”
Ben shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Just figured I’d share. You’re going to prison for the rest of your life anyway, so it’s not like you’re going to tell your boss anything.”
“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in prison.”
Ben actually laughed. A full, throaty sound that burst from his lips. “You really think that you aren’t going to rot in a cell? That you can admit to threatening the life of the president and get away with it? You’re more delusional than I thought.”
“Not delusional, Major. I just know how this is gonna end.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the glass. Walking to the door, Ben opened it and took the folder from an agent’s hand. He scanned through the papers as he made his way back to the table.
“Well, it looks like they just came back from searching your place,” he said as he took his seat. “Are you sure you don’t want to rethink your story?”
Joe crossed his arms defensively. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because according to this, they found a high powered sniper rifle and several rounds in your possession. They also found informational pamphlets about the dedication ceremony for the Robert and Marlene Knope Memorial Park, a map of the area, and blueprints for surrounding buildings. So you wanna tell me again that you were ‘just the delivery boy’?”
A look of confusion and panic flashed over Joe’s eyes for a brief second before they once again turned hard. “You’re lying.”
Ben pushed the folder forward, allowing Joe to read the report and see the pictures taken during the search. “Believe me, Joe. I’m not lying. I have no reason to. You’ve dug yourself into a nice little hole now. Don’t tell me you weren’t going to take credit for being the hitman, too?”
Joe continued to stare at the photos, his face an unemotional mask. There wasn’t anymore fear or panic, but no pride either. He was so eager to reveal his position earlier, so why not now?
“You do realize that this is now a capital offense, don’t you?” Ben continued. “Unless you tell us who your boss is and what you’re planning, you’re as good as dead. Tell us what you know, and we can work a deal.”
Joe sat silently, his rapid breathing the only thing giving away his otherwise cool exterior. Ben could practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to process everything.
Ben folded his hands in front of him on the table and leaned forward. “Wanna know what I think? I think you planted those notes, and you also were going to try to assassinate President Knope at the dedication ceremony. You were going to use your ID to get into the park, maybe even work the event yourself with the caterers. Then you were going to try to slip away from the crowd, set up your gear, and kill her. That’s what I think.”
Joe blinked as if he was recovering from a trance and slowly lifted his eyes to Ben’s. They were so cold and empty it sent shivers down Ben’s spine. He was expecting something from him. Pride, excitement, rage, denial, anything. But not those eyes.
“You’re right,” Joe whispered and cleared his throat. “You’re right. That’s what the plan was. I was supposed to use my position to deliver the notes and then assassinate her at the dedication. It was all on me.”
“So, you confess to not only being the individual responsible for delivering the threats and breaking and entering into President Knope’s home, but also to plotting an assassination attempt on the president’s life? Is that correct?”
Joe once again pierced Ben with his soulless gaze. “That’s correct. And I’m not saying anything more. Charge me, arrest me, kill me, do whatever you have to do. But I’m not saying anything else.”
Ben sighed in resignation, knowing that right now, Joe was going to be no further help. He looked up at the mirror and could feel Leslie’s eyes on him. A rush of compassion and warmth ran through him, as if she was reassuring him through the glass, letting him draw on her strength. He wanted it.
He needed it, especially now.
~~~~~
“He’s lying.”
Those were the first words out of Ben’s mouth once he stepped out of the interrogation room. He was met by the puzzled faces of Leslie, Chris, Andy, and General Trumple.
“About what?” Trumple asked. “The evidence so far corroborates everything he’s said. He confessed to leaving the notes, and he confessed to planning an assassination. You presented him with the scenario he confessed to. We’ve got him.”
“I know he did, but something’s still not right. I said that to make him tell me the truth. I didn’t necessarily believe it. He confessed to delivering the threats almost immediately. He was proud of what he had done, he was confident, knew what to say. But when I came back with the report on the search, he changed. He was genuinely shocked.”
“Maybe he didn’t think we’d find out about that?” Chris offered.
“That doesn’t make sense, either. He must have known that we’d search his home once we got him into custody. He was prepared for everything up until that point, so why not that? One of the most obvious things he could have prepared for.”
Trumple glowered. “Get to your point, Major?”
“I don’t think what we found in his home was actually his.”
There were mixed reactions to his statement. Trumple openly scoffed, Chris tried his best to hide the involuntary grimace, Andy’s eyes almost bulged out of his head in surprise, and Leslie visibly swallowed.
Trumple crosses his arms. “Then why did he confess? By confessing, he guaranteed himself a one-way ticket to death row. Why would he condemn himself and give up his one chance to even make a deal?”
“I don’t know that, sir.”
“You don’t. Well, I do know that we have a suspect who confessed to threatening and planning to assassinate the president and proof to back that confession up. We know that he was planning to use the dedication as his opportunity, and even if he is only one of many ‘pawns’, we just bought ourselves some time. This was months worth of work, and I doubt this boss of his will be able to replace him that easily to finish the job.”
Trumple’s eyes grew a little softer and his posture was less rigid. “You did good, Major. Don’t let unfounded doubts get in the way of pursuing cold, hard facts.”
With a nod, the General left the observation room, a choking tension still hanging in the air.
Chris cleared his throat and laid a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I have always trusted your judgement and that hasn’t changed. However, I do feel that we need to continue this investigation given the evidence that we have. You very well might be right, but we need to be able to prove it. Regardless, we’ve found who we’ve been looking for.”
Ben nodded slightly and looked over at Andy, who shrugged helplessly.
“Ben, man, you know I’d follow you anywhere and trust you with my life, but I have a job to do. My agents have been working like crazy to help catch this guy, and we did. You did. Well all know it’s not over yet, but we’re closer.”
He could see the conflict in Andy’s gaze, practically feel him begging for forgiveness, for some kind of affirmation that he hadn’t just betrayed his friend, but Ben couldn’t bring himself to give it.
He knew, logically, that he hadn’t been betrayed, that Chris and Andy, and even Trumple, were just doing their jobs. So why did he feel like he had three knives in his back?
Instead, Ben continued to stare blankly at the pair and he felt another knife stab at his heart when Andy’s face fell. He had plunged that dagger there himself and he knew it, but his hurt pride wouldn’t allow him to make amends.
Chris must have noticed the exchange because he quickly interrupted. “Well, Andy and I still have some information to review and more planning for the dedication. Ben, Madam President.” He smiled at the pair before leaving, and it was then that Ben realized Leslie was still there, and hadn’t said a word since he came in.
He couldn’t miss her look of apprehension, and it almost made him want to weep. Her brow was furrowed and she was chewing on her lip like it was her last meal.
“You don’t believe me either.”
“Ben.” His name was breathy on her lips and it would have been a beautiful sound if it wasn’t laced with so much sadness. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, it’s that it just doesn’t make sense. He confessed, we have evidence that all points directly to him. He has no reason to lie right now. I just--I don’t know what else there could possibly be.”
“I’m not sure either, but there’s something. He was genuinely surprised about what was found in the search. He’d been waiting for us to find him out about everything else, so why was he shocked about this?”
“I honestly don’t know, Ben. Maybe he didn’t think it would happen that fast? Maybe he thought he had covered his tracks better? But the fact is that he confessed and we’ve got the proof that he’s been behind everything. We’re so close to solving this. Why can’t you be happy with what we have?”
“Because there’s something else,” he shot back. “There’s something else here that doesn’t make sense and it could be dangerous. Everyone seems to think that whatever could have happened at the dedication has been averted, but we don’t know that. We can’t get sloppy now.”
Leslie reached out and tugged on his arm, her thumb running gentle circles along his sleeve. “No one is suggesting that the coast is clear. We won’t do anything stupid, but we can breath a little easier. Even if you’re right and something went wrong in Joe’s plan, there won’t be time for them to start anything else.”
Ben let out a deep breath, the hand not occupied by Leslie coming up to wipe his face. “It’s just whoever this ‘black knight’ is has been one step ahead of us this entire time, and I can’t shake the feeling that now is no different.”
“Ben, if you won’t listen to us, listen to yourself. You said the rifle wasn’t his? Whose was it? Who could have planted everything there in the time frame between him last leaving his home and us arresting him? And do you really think this guy could possibly have predicted everything that has happened? Knowing how and when we’d find Joe, the search, his confession? How is that even possible?”
“I know, I know,” he conceded. “It doesn’t seem possible, but I hate taking the risk.” He moved his hand so that he could twine his fingers with hers. “If I screw up and something happens to you--”
“Hey, nothing’s going to happen to me. Not with you around. I mean, do you realize what you’ve done today? You found the person we’ve been looking for. Weeks and weeks of hard work, and you were able to figure it out. Out of everyone, you were the only one that made the connections and saw what we all missed.” She sought out his eyes. “You did it.”
“To be fair, you helped, so you did it, too.”
“No, not this time. I’ll admit, normally I do it, but this was all you. Take some praise, for once. You deserve it.”
He smiled bashfully towards the floor, he fingers squeezing his just a little bit tighter as she mirrored his grin. She looked back through the glass at Joe, who was still seated in the interrogation room.
“What’s going to happen to him?”
“Well, he’s going to be officially charged and processed. We’re still going to try to get him to roll over on his boss, but I don’t know how successful we’re going to be. He really believes he’s on the winning side. He won’t sacrifice the cause. It’s not his move.”
“All of these chess references makes me wish I paid more attention to my father when he tried to teach me.”
“You know, if you want, I wouldn’t mind taking the time to teach you. Once everything settles down and we have some time.” He tried to make it sound like a casual offer, but even he knew he was failing miserably. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to faze her.
“I’d really like that. Thank you.”
“No problem. Now, as much as I love these dark, dank observation rooms, I believe we have a park dedication to prepare for.”
“After you, Major Wyatt.”
~~~~~
The last few days had been a nightmare.
Sewage Joe still refused to give up the name of his employer, and he was sticking to his story that all of the equipment found in his home did indeed belong to him. Ben had spent countless hours reviewing the evidence, trying to find something that could disprove Joe’s confession, something that would lead them to the real culprit, but he found none.
Not to mention that there were several last minute preparations that needed to be made for the ceremony.
The park grounds had to be thoroughly searched and secured hours in advance, emergency escape routes had to be mapped out, and the hundreds of people attending had to be given extensive background checks.
Ben sat next to Leslie in the back of the Presidential Limousine on their way to the park, his hands shaking as he touched his earpiece for the tenth time in as many minutes. He rebuttoned the cufflinks on his dress blues, careful to avoid damaging the microphone hidden there. When he ran out of clothing to occupy his hands, he started tapping his fingers against his knee.
Leslie looked over and gently covered his hand with her own. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You don’t need to be so nervous. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t understand how you can be so calm. This is going to be a media shit-storm. We approved over one hundred press badges. There are going to be over one hundred rabid, media hounds bombarding you with questions about me and this whole mess. Not to mention the fact that we still have to worry about someone trying to kill you.”
She made a face. “Gee, thanks for that. You really know how to cheer a girl up.”
Ben’s eyes bulged once he realized just how much of his own fear he projected onto Leslie. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Oh really?” she laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how you meant it.”
He looked properly conrite. “Okay, so maybe that is how I meant it, but I shouldn’t have but it so bluntly. It’s just, me and the media don’t get along too well. I remember I did one press conference a few years back, and it was terrible.”
She nudged his shoulder and giggled. “Come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Let’s just say before the end of it, I had taken off my shirt--twice, redubbed Perd Hapley as Turd Crapley, and cried. The other ten minutes were basically just me stuttering words that might not even be in the English Language.”
Leslie didn’t even attempt to stifle her laugh. “Oh my God, that sounds terrible. No offense, but I’m so glad you haven’t done any official press for this. I don’t think we could afford your help.”
“Your confidence in me means the world,” he joked, but his smile faltered when he looked at her solemn face.
“You do know how much confidence I have in you, don’t you? No jokes, I’m serious. I know you’re nervous about everything, and you keep checking your watch waiting for the agents to check in, and you’ve just about sweated through your shirt, but I trust you. I have faith in you. I didn’t at first, but you earned my confidence. Please, it’s important to me that you know all of this.”
He realized that her hand was still over his on his knee, and he turned his palm up. “I do, and it means everything. I can’t help being nervous. This means so much to you, and there are so many things that can go wrong. It’s hard sometimes, living with a constant fear of screwing up. I always have this feeling that I’ve missed something and it’ll come back to bite me in the ass. This is the most important assignment of my life, and I can’t let anything happen to you. I won’t. I’d rather die.”
She squeezed his hand, and he could swear he saw moisture building in her eyes. “Thank you. I’m confident that will never happen, though. You’re too good to let something like that take you down.”
“I mean it, though. I would honestly rather die than have something happen to you.”
Leslie shivered. “Don’t even talk like that. It’s weird enough knowing that practically everyone that works for me does so knowing they could die for me, I don’t need to hear that from you too. I’d much rather pretend to live in blissful ignorance than think about you dying.”
“If it helps, I don’t like thinking about me dying all that much either. Especially with you around to keep me company.”
She smiled her brilliant smile and it felt like a swarm of butterflies were released in Ben’s stomach. She leaned over to whisper in his ear, smooth lips brushing against his skin.
“You know, if there weren’t so many other people in this damn limousine, I’d say screw it to everything we’d agreed upon and makeout with you for a good fifteen minutes.”
He had to bite his lip to stop the moan that threatened to break free, and he turned to face her. Their noses were centimeters apart, and he could feel her breath on his lips. He would have gladly cut off a limb to lean forward and taste her.
“I’m pretty sure I’d let you.”
He didn’t think her smile could have gotten any wider, but he was wrong. Her eyes were filled with pure joy, and any nervousness that was hidden away had been dispelled. He knew that giving his life for her would be the ultimate honor, but being the cause of her happiness came in at a close second.
Ben’s focus on Leslie was interrupted by Andy’s voice in his ear. “Eagle Two, this is Eagle One. Do you copy Eagle Two. Over.”
Ben rolled his eyes at Andy’s ridiculous nicknames. “Yes, Andy, I hear you.”
“Eagle Two, please refer to the subjects by their given code names. Over.”
“Copy that, Eagle One. What have you got for me?”
“The perimeter has been thoroughly swept, bomb sniffing dogs have gone through no problem, and we have our snipers in position on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Over”
“That’s great news. President Knope and I are en route to the event. Let us know when we’re clear to pull in.”
“I’m sorry, you and who? Over.”
Ben sighed. “ ‘I’d Be Lying If I Said I Hadn’t Thought About It’ and I are on our way.”
“Roger that, Eagle Two. As of now, you are clear to arrive. Over.”
“Thanks a lot. Over and out.” Ben turned to Leslie and smiled. “Everything looks good so far. We’re okay to arrive at any time. You ready?”
She breathed in deeply and nodded. “Yup, ready as I’ll ever be. Nothing is going to ruin this day. We’ve all worked too hard for it and it means the world to me. I’d want my parents to be proud.”
“They would be. Never doubt that.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence, their hands clasped between them.
~~~~~~
Pulling in behind the makeshift stage, Ben was the first to exit the car, a swarm of agents surrounding and greeting him. He did his own inspection of the stage and personnel before introducing himself to the Park Director.
“Grant Larson? Major Ben Wyatt. I’m in charge of President Knope’s personal security. Pleased to meet you,” he said as he shook Grant’s hand.
“Likewise, Major. If there’s anything else you need for us to do, please let me know.”
Ben released his hand and smiled politely. “Thank you, we appreciate that.” From his position on the stage, he had a good view of the park and was thoroughly impressed. “This park is amazing, Mr. Larson. Your department did a wonderful job.”
Grant beamed with pride. “Thank you very much. This is by far one of the greatest accomplishments of my career.”
“I’m surprised you were able to finish it this fast. I was told the original timeline had the opening predicted for several months from now.”
“It was, but a few months ago a very generous, private donation was made that allowed us to do more work more quickly.”
“Oh, wow. Who made the donation?”
“I wish I knew,” Grant shrugged. “It was anonymous. We tried to find out so that we could thank and honor the donor in some way, but whoever it was insisted on remaining unknown.”
At that moment, Leslie walked up to them, flanked by agents, but she acted as though they weren’t there invading her personal space. She greeted Grant with a warm smile and stuck out her hand.
“Hi, Grant. Always a pleasure to see you.”
“Madam President, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you so much for attending the ceremony.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The park is beautiful,” she beamed.
Grant blushed, and Ben bit back a grin. Apparently Leslie had that effect on almost everyone.
“Thank you very much, President Knope. We owe much of that to you. You were instrumental in the design process.”
She looked over at Ben and smirked. “He means that I hounded him for weeks about how I wanted things to look and wouldn’t leave him alone until I was satisfied.”
Ben made a face of faux-shock and clutched his chest. “I don’t believe it. That doesn’t sound anything like you,” he teased, and was rewarded with another laugh.
“Yes, well my being a pain in the ass paid off. The park is gorgeous. Thank you so much, Grant. I know that my parents would be very honored.”
“High praise, indeed. Now, whenever you’re ready, I can go out and make the introductions. The press are looking particularly ravenous today.”
“Goody,” Ben murmured before he felt Leslie’s elbow hit his side. “Uhm, let me just check in once more with my agents and make sure we’re all set, then we’ll be good to go.”
Ben waited for everyone to report in, doing his best to keep an air of calm authority despite his trembling insides.
It was show time.
~~~~~
Ben was already situated towards the front of the stage when Leslie was introduced, the applause of the crowd deafening as she smiled and waved on her walk to the podium. He did his best to pay attention, but his eyes, ears, and mind were constantly occupied. He scanned the crowds and surrounding buildings, making sure that he could spot the agents in their correct positions. The audience was filled with smiling, happy faces. His fellow Pawneans were just as enamored of Leslie as he was.
The media weren’t nearly as friendly looking. In fact, they looked like caged predators waiting for their moment to strike and devour their prey whole. Unfortunately, he and Leslie were on the menu.
He tried to listen while Leslie gave her speech, he really did, but his mind refused to slow down. He’d heard it a million times already and knew it was fantastic. He could tell that just by the reactions of the crowd.
The thunderous applause clued him into the fact that the speech was over, and the almost instantaneous reaction from the reporters in the front rows let him know that the press conference had begun. Questions were being shouted from all sides, and Ben had to resist the urge to cover his ears. He wished that he could though, given what some of the questions were.
“President Knope, do you know who’s trying to kill you?”
“President Knope, how much danger are the people of Pawnee in?”
“President Knope, is it true that you’ve willingly hired a known extremist into your personal staff?”
“President Knope, has Ben Wyatt been eliminated as a suspect?”
Some of the reporters even yelled questions at him, but he remained stoic, refusing to acknowledge them.
Leslie did her best to be as diplomatic as possible, answering questions without giving too much away while simultaneously reassuring them that their own lives were safe. She defended him fiercely, and he couldn’t help the quirk of his lips when she called one reporter a dumb idiot for suggesting that Ben had been responsible for the ICE Town Massacre.
It still tore him up that she had to spend so much of the press conference defending him instead of focusing on more important issues. No matter what she said, these threats and his involvement in her life would hang over this day like a dark cloud. A day that she should be enjoying and honoring the memory of her parents was spent like this.
As one reporter droned on, Ben’s eyes were once again sweeping the crowd when he noticed light reflecting off of the roof of one of the nearby buildings. He looked and saw that it was unmistakably the light reflecting off of a rifle scope. There was an immediate sinking feeling in his stomach. While he knew they had a sniper positioned there, there should have been no reason for his scope to catch the light that way unless he was aiming at the stage.
It all happened in slow motion. He saw the rifle aimed directly towards the stage, and acted on pure impulse. He rushed towards Leslie and threw himself over her just as he heard the shot go off. He could vaguely hear the screams of the audience as he fell onto the floor over Leslie, his blood pounding in his ears. There were three other shots, but he barely registered the sounds.
All he cared about was the woman beneath him.
He tried to prop himself up on his trembling arms, but for some reason they were too weak. He looked down and saw bright red. He felt like he was about to pass out, but forced himself awake as he ran his hands over Leslie’s blouse, looking for the source of the blood. It wasn’t until he looked into her panicked eyes that he realized it wasn’t hers.
It was his.
His fading adrenaline allowed him to finally feel the burning ache that shot through his shoulder and down his chest. He could feel the blood sticking to his shirt, feel the life fading out of him.
He rolled off of Leslie onto the floor as agents surrounded them, Leslie’s frantic face hovering above his own as she pressed her hands to his bloody chest. Hands were grasping for her from all sides, but she fought them. She was crying, begging him to stay awake, to stay here with her, but he couldn’t. He was so tired, so cold, in so much pain. He just wanted to sleep.
He fought unconsciousness long enough to look into Leslie’s bright, blue eyes one last time. He tried to lift up his arm, tried to caress her cheek and wipe away her tears, but his limbs refused to cooperate, wanted to finally tell her everything that he had been too scared to share, but he had no voice.
His only consolation being that her face was the last thing he saw before it all faded to black.
Part 8