Chapter Twenty-Eight
I finish work at 7pm and head home. Eli has to work late. He's got to check Yankee Stadium for bombs and security threats before the baseball game starts. They have to do the checks within a certain time frame before allowing the public into the building and the game starting. He's also got to go back and run through some training options with Carlos, so I don't know what time he will finish. I'm sure he's tired and having me wake him up in the middle of the night isn't helping him.
After the day I've had, I doubt that I'm going to get any sleep tonight, so maybe he'll be able to catch up a bit. I run on the treadmill and do some yoga to try to clear my mind a bit. It doesn't work, so I jump in the shower before I make dinner. After I eat, I settle on the couch with a book and I'm almost finished it when my phone rings. I glance at the clock, which reads 10:43pm, as the machine picks up.
“Hey sweetheart, I left the precinct about 25 minutes ago. I've just stopped to pick something up from home. I should be at your's in a few minutes. I hope I didn't wake you. I'll see you soon, baby.”
I sigh after he's hung up. It's not because I don't want to see him; I actually do. Can you believe that? I actually want his company now. I feel safer when Eli is around. Maybe the threat of being found has sparked something inside of me; something that assures me Eli is my safety. I sigh because I have to toss up whether or not I should tell him about Paul.
It's not like Paul has done anything in particular, except creep me out. What can Eli do at the moment? He can't say or do anything because he didn't see it. He can't accuse Paul of anything, because he hasn't done anything yet. As I hear a knock on my door, I decide to just sit on it and see what happens. I resolve to keep myself guarded and safe, particularly around Paul. I take a deep breath and check the peephole before opening the door.
Eli is standing in my doorway with a smile on his face, but his eyes reveal a tiredness and a heavy heart. I instantly feel bad, and I'm firmer in my decision to not mention anything about Paul to him. I whisper, “Hey. There's dinner if you want it.”
“Hey sweetheart. I'd love some dinner. What did you make?”
“Chicken and rice. Take a seat and I'll set it out.”
“Thank you. So, how was your day?”
“Ok. No major news to report. How was your day?”
“Not bad. I've given Carlos a few pointers so we'll see how the team gets on. The Cap did suggest merging our 2 teams, so I don't know if that's going to happen. It'll either demote Carlos or Ash, neither option I like. But, I'd rather have Ash as my 2nd in command. I trust him with commands more. I know he'll do what I say and ask questions later.”
He starts to eat and I use the silence to take in his appearance. He must have showered at home, because his hair is still wet, sending drips slowly down his neck. Although he looks tired, his eyes are still bright and alert.
He interrupts my thoughts by saying, “Speaking of Ash, he told me Paul stopped by today. I bet that was fun.”
“He needed to speak to the Captain. We made him wait though.”
I felt a tiny smile tug on my lips at the thought, but it didn't linger when I remembered the after effects of that scenario.
“You did? For how long?”
“20 minutes, maybe more.”
He laughs, and I notice just how lovely that sound is. He has a deep laugh that seems to come from deep within him.
“That's just brilliant. I wish I could have seen his face.”
“He was not happy, trust me. Eli?”
“Yes baby?”
“It made me feel like I had bugs crawling in my stomach. What is that?”
“Nerves?”
“No sir, I know that feeling well.”
I see his eyes cloud over, and I drop my head, not wanting to see his emotions. I didn't want to know if he was disgusted with me or ashamed of me.
“Maybe it was excitement? What made you feel like that?”
I explained what had happened, leaving out Paul's threat/promise of course. Eli chuckled again and then said, “I think that was excitement. You had a strange day, huh?”
“Yes sir.”
“Lots of new things to experience. I'm glad you're finding your feet.”
He rubs his hands over his face and through his hair, a sure sign that he is tired.
“Eli?”
“Hmmm.”
“You should go to bed. I'll clean up.”
“You sure? You don't want to talk or anything?”
“You need to sleep. I'll just clean up and then go to bed.”
“Ok. Goodnight, sweetheart.”
He reaches his hand towards mine, but I tense up and retract, so he freezes and then drops his hand. I whisper, “Sorry.”
“No, I'm sorry. You're not ready. It's ok. Goodnight Dani.”
“Night Eli.”
As he retreats into the spare room, I start to clean up the kitchen. There's not much to do, so it isn't long before I slip into my bedroom. I decide that I'm just going to sit up reading all night. Eli needs sleep more than I do and I don't want to wake him up with my nightmares.
I get through a few books before I look at the clock again. It now reads 5am. I haven't heard Eli stir all night. My eyes are heavy and I need to wake myself up. I get out of bed and change into some sweats before I stand near Eli's door, just to make sure he's still asleep. I shut the hall door before I start up the treadmill. I don't want the sound to wake him, but I know I need to get my blood pumping if I want to wake myself up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Eli's POV)
I groan and stretch, opening my eyes a crack to look at the time. My watch is flashing 6am and my heart does a little jump. I sit up quickly, trying to remember if I was up in the night. I don't remember Dani screaming or waking up. Maybe she slept through the night. I certainly hope so. She's tired, I can tell. She doesn't need to tell me, I can just see it in her eyes and in her body language. Yesterday was a big day for her. She stepped out of her comfort zone a few times and I'm sure that has taken it's toll on her. She really did amaze me yesterday. I mean I know she's strong, she has to be after everything she's been through and she still carries on, but I didn't think she would be so strong in front of the Cap. I actually thought she would crumble under his presence. The change in her these past few weeks has been slowly increasing. I only hope she can keep it up without getting a set back.
I stretch out my muscles as I stand up, I feel much more rested this morning. It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for you. As I exit the spare room, I hear running. It takes me a second to process, but then I realize Dani must be on the treadmill. I carefully approach the gym/office room, not wanting to scare her. When I see her come into view, there's a tug on my heart. I can only see the back of her, but her whole posture is tense and tired. I don't have to see her face to know she's probably got a determined but worn out look on it. As she runs, her t-shirt raises slightly at the back and I can see what looks like scars on her lower back. It jogs a memory and I remember seeing the tops of her arms a few months ago. There were similar scars there too. I feel a rage start to build up within me at the awful things she's had to endure, but I know I have to suppress it. She'll know I'm angry and it'll scare her. She might mistake that for disgust too. I don't want her to ever think I find her disgusting.
I slip out of sight silently and go to the bathroom to get washed up and changed. I give Dani space to process whatever she is trying to run out of her system and I make breakfast. She wanted cinnamon pancakes, so that's what I'm going to try to make.
As I gather all of the ingredients, I hear the treadmill slow down gradually until it stops. I can hear Dani slowly shuffling around the room. Her steps even sound tired, but I don't know how long she's been running for so it could just be from that. Breakfast is nearly finished when Dani appears in the kitchen. Her long blonde hair is wet and tied back, just letting loose strands frame her face. I take in her full appearance, and notice just how beautiful she is. She's in a pair of smart combat pants and a plain white shirt, but she looks good. Her blue eyes are tired and clouded over and her face looks strained. I assume she didn't sleep, but I want to ask to see how she responds.
“Morning. You didn't have a nightmare last night? Or did I just not hear you?”
“I mustn't have made any noise.”
I watch her closely and she knows I've caught her lie, so she quickly changes the subject.
“Something smells nice.”
“Hmmmm, I tried cinnamon pancakes... Dani?”
“Yes sir?”
“You didn't sleep, did you? Tell me the truth.”
She sighs, and looks defeated as she whispers, “No sir.”
“How come?”
She picks at her fingernails and I slowly reach across the breakfast bar to stop the bad habit. She flinches and retracts as soon as my hand enters her vision. I'm not going to lie, that hurts. We've been doing so well and now she seems to be scared of me again.
I drop my voice and softly say, “Baby? I'm not going to hurt you. Would you look at me? Please?”
She lifts her head slightly, but she looks wary, like she's guarding her emotions or something. I don't know what that is for though. I can usually read her well now. I've learned to watch for the slightest change in her eyes or body language.
“What's wrong Dani? Why didn't you sleep?”
“I was too worked up over yesterday. My mind wouldn't turn off.”
“I can understand that. Is that all though? You sure there's nothing else?”
She hesitates and that's all the answer I need to know she's hiding something else.
“I'm sure, sir.”
I frown, but decide not to press the issue any more so I nod and hand her a plate of food. “I don't know if they're as good as your momma's, but I tried.”
“Thank you, sir.”
We eat in silence for a few minutes and then I ask, “How long did you run for?”
I think my voice startles her, because she jumps before answering. “About 40 minutes.”
“Wow, that's good going. I have to force the team to run for that long.”
“I like running. You can pretend you're leaving all your stress and problems behind, even if it's just for a little while.”
I don't think she realizes the gravity of what she just admitted. Now I know there's more on her mind, but I don't bring attention to it. “I know what you mean. We should go running in Central Park. It's beautiful, especially at this time of year.”
Her eyes widen and I can feel the panic rise in her, so I quickly say, “Not yet, sweetheart. We'll work towards that. It's a goal to work towards.”
She absentmindedly nods, so I ask, “Can I ask my question now?”
Her head snaps up and then she nods.
“What's on your mind?”
She looks shocked, “That's your question, sir?”
“Yep, that's my question.”
“Just tired, sir.”
“Because you didn't sleep?”
She sighs, “Yes sir.”
“Did you try to sleep?”
She looks caught out and I know the answer.
“Why didn't you try? You know I'll be there to help you if you have a nightmare...”
By the look in her eyes, I think I hit a nerve right there.
“That's the point, sir. You're tired and it's my fault. I'm the one who keeps waking you up. I'm the reason you don't sleep properly. It's all my fault and I don't like that. I don't like being a burden. I don't like putting you in that position.”
“You're not. I choose to stay here. I choose to wake up. I choose to help you. That's all my fault. I want to help you. I want you to trust me. If I want you to trust me, then I need to be here through the bad bits as well as the achievements. If I'm not here for the rough patches, then the good bits won't happen. You're not a burden, far from it actually. I enjoy your company and I love that you're making progress. A few weeks ago you would never have told me any of this. I care about you, Dani, and I just want to help you as much as I can. Don't deny me that privilege if I choose it. Please?”
She whispers, “Yes sir. I'm sorry for.... everything.”
“No need to be sorry. Just try to trust me a bit, hey? Don't you feel better after talking about it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. You ready to go?”
“Yes sir.”
I grab my guns and my badge and we head out for the precinct.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(End of Eli's POV)
As we step onto our floor, I can tell it's going to be a busy day. The Captain calls for me as soon as I stand at my desk. He rattles off a whole list of things I need to get completed before the morning is through and he wants me to help out on an operation that has just been brought to our attention.
There's a bank robbery taking place and the teams have been rushed out. Both Alpha and Bravo teams have gone, so I quickly get to my computers and pull up the surveillance cameras, blueprints and any other relevant information. I put my headset on and I've got communication with the teams instantly.
I try to push everything else to the back of my mind and try to concentrate solely on the task ahead. As I'm telling everyone the schematics of the bank, I frown and say, “Hmmm, that doesn't seem right.”
Eli asks, “What doesn't?”
I don't answer right away, but they can hear my tapping on my keyboard.
“Talk to me, Romanov.”
“Sorry sir, I'm just filtering through some systems. Huh, I didn't think it was right. The blueprints the bank gave me are out of date. There's a hidden vault behind the original vault. If you can get into that through the sewer system, then you have an excellent chance of surprising the robbers. I haven't been able to reconnect the cameras they took offline as yet, but I've got a program working on that as we speak. I'll be able to give you locations on all of the robbers once they're up.”
“Good. Send through the new blueprints and I'll figure out our next move.”
“Yes sir.”
I send all of the new blueprints and dimensions to Eli's i-Pad and then I set to work on getting the camera feed back up.
About 5 minutes later, I say, “Sir? I have the feed up, but it's grainy. I think it's the best I can do though, sorry. It's all in real time, so you can make your move according to that.”
“Great, thanks. Guys, we're going to hit the ground running. Watch the feed. Scott, Hernandez and I will check out the blueprints. I'll need to liaise with the cops on scene before we can make any decisions.”
I carry on working, as I listen to the chatter on the coms. I make out that they're going into the front and the back of the bank. Eli says that all the intel they have shows these are inexperienced robbers. They only have 2 hostages, as they hit when the bank wasn't opened yet, and there's only one guy watching the hostages.
As Eli fills in the teams, the authority in his voice is more noticeable now then ever before and it makes me realize just how strong he is. “Bravo team, you enter the front of the bank. Alpha team, we'll enter through the rear. Scott, you need to take Hawkins and set up the detonation to get into the secret vault. We'll throw smoke bombs in before we enter. It has to be synchronized, so make sure you monitor your comms. Romanov, you'll need to give us the green to go when the coast is clear...”
My eyebrows shoot up and my eyes are as wide as dinner plates. I squeak out, “Sir?”
“We can't risk losing the video feed down in the sewage system. You need to monitor the feed, make sure there's only one guy watching the hostages and give us the best position to enter the secret vault. You have to talk us through this...”
My breathing becomes ragged and I feel my heart rate increase. “Romanov, switch to channel 3.”
I do as he says, knowing it's the secure and private channel.
He must have walked away from the teams, because it's relatively quiet when he says, “Dani, I need you to do this. I need you to be strong. Ok? I can't send the teams in the rear without being there myself. Take deep breaths, count if you have to, but I need you to focus. I need you to show everyone just how good you are at your job. All you have to do is make sure there's only one guy on the hostages and tell me when the others either have their backs to the secret vault or if they're distracted enough for us to enter. You can do this. You got this, firefly.”
I nod, knowing he used my poppa's nickname to reassure me. Then I realize he can't see me, so I take a deep breath and say, “Yes sir. I got this. I can do this.”
“Good girl. Just focus and take deep breaths. Tell us we're green to go. Switch back to channel 1.”
I did as he said and I hear Ash say, “Ramirez, we using small detonations? Less noise and less vibration.”
“Yeah, best plan. You and Hawkins head down there now and set up. We need to move as quickly as we can. Romanov, what does it look like in there?”
“One guy with the hostages, hang on... another guy has just popped up. He's talking to the other guy. The guys in the vault look like they've only got 2 more bags to fill. That probably won't take them long, sir.”
“Scott, get a move on. We have about a 10 minute window. Bravo team, get into your positions. It's going to go down quickly once you send the smoke bomb in.”
I watch and listen very closely for everything. Once I hear that Alpha team are through to the secret vault, I have to wait for the right moment to tell them to breach the bank. Stress or what? I'm sure this isn't in my job description.
As I'm concentrating, I see movement out of the corner of my eye. My eyes flick upwards and I see Paul standing there, smirking at me.
My breathing changes and my heart rate kicks up a notch. My mind is screaming at me to be on guard, but I know I can't let it affect my work. The teams are counting on me to get this right. People could die if I don't give them the right signal. Eli could die if I get this wrong. I count to steady myself and pay attention to my screens.
It feels like a lifetime, but is probably no more than a minute before I say, “Green to go, green to go.”
That's when the comms go mental. There's shouting and loud noises, but I'm not sure if there's gunshots. Because of the smoke bombs, the camera feed is rendered useless and I have nothing to show me what's happening. I just listen and hope that everyone is ok.
Paul steps up to my desk, a little too close for comfort, so I push my chair back. I try desperately to control my emotions and my body. I can't let him know this bothers me. I'm quiet for a minute and then I ask, “May I help you?”
“I'm here to see the Captain.”
“Do you have an appointment, sir?”
I cringe. I don't want to call him sir, but not only is it built into me now, but it's part of the job.
“No, I don't. I'll just wait until he can see me.”
“We have 2 teams out, sir, so that may be a while.”
“It's ok, I'll just wait.”
I tense up, knowing this is going to be extremely uncomfortable and stressful.
“Right. I'll just let him know you're here.”
I quickly leave my desk, still listening to my headset for any word from the teams.
I knock on the Captain's door and wait for him to call me in.
“Sir? Mr Jarvis is here to see you.”
“Does he have an appointment?”
“No sir, not through me at least.”
“Neither me. He'll have to wait. I'm all over this op.”
“Yes sir, I'll tell him.”
“Dani? Can I have a refill on my coffee please? Ask Paul if he wants one too.”
“Yes sir.”
I grab his cup and head back out to my desk. “Coffee sir?”
“Yes please. Cream, 2 sugars.”
I make the Captain's coffee and take it in to him before setting Paul's coffee down on the little table. There's no way I'm handing it to him.
“The Captain is busy with an operation, but he'll be with you as soon as he can.”
“I don't mind waiting. I have a free morning anyway.”
As I sit behind my desk, I can't help but say in Russian, “Great, just great.”
I pick up my files and start working through them, and not even a minute later Paul asks, “So, how is it, working here?”
I hesitate before answering. I don't want to get into conversation with him, but I also have to be careful to not show any weakness, well as much as possible.
“It's fine, sir.”
“Just fine? I thought it would be great, considering you have all the teams around you.”
I frown, not understanding what he meant, but he continues. “I mean, that's a good bunch of guys to have around you, isn't it? I'm sure they can really take care of you. It must be nice, being the only woman any of them seem to pay attention to. You seem to have them all wrapped around your pinkie...”
Something in my brain tweaked, and it reminded me of what Cain had said. I gasped, because remembering what Cain said then caused the memories to rush back; the pictures of everything he'd done. The creepy way he touched me. I briefly shut my eyes, trying to clear my head, but it didn't really work. I had to calm myself down or I was going to give everything away.
I manage to grind out, “I don't know what you mean, sir.”
“Sure you don't. I'm betting those guys will do anything for you, and I do mean anything...If you catch my meaning...”
My eyes widen at the suggestion he's just made and I think I'm actually going to be sick. Just when I think I'm going to throw up, I hear Eli come through on my headset.
“Romanov?”
“Yes sir?”
“I need you to type up a report of everything that went down on the op. Can you do that?”
“Yes sir.”
“And get onto that bank and find out why the heck we had the wrong blueprints.”
“Yes sir, right away. Are you tying up loose ends, sir?”
“Affirmative. We'll be a little while.”
“Right, sir.”
“Go to channel 3 again.”
I switch my channel over and he asks, “Everything ok? I heard you talking in Russian.”
“Yes sir, fine sir.” It amazes me how he can just go from work mode into protective mode without even a second thought it seems.
“Is someone there?”
Now, this could go bad for me either way I answer. If I say yes, he's going to ask who. Then Paul will know I'm talking about him and Eli is going to worry. He needs to concentrate, so I can't have him worrying. But, if I say no, I'm pretty sure Eli is going to know I'm lying.See how this puts me in a tough spot?
I sigh, “No sir. I'm just waiting for the teams to get back safely.”
“Right. Well, we'll be in ASAP.” He knows I'm lying; I can hear it in his voice and the fact that he was short with me. It makes me feel guilty, but it's for his own good.
I just sigh again and say, “Yes sir.”
I can see Paul eyeing me up, trying to figure everything out. He makes me uncomfortable, not just because he's a shrink and trying to delve into my past. He's just a creep and he makes my danger senses kick in. Before I can even blink, Paul is sitting on the edge of my desk. I can't help it, my instincts kick in and I fly away from him and tense up. I'm just waiting for something to happen and he knows that. He smirks and places his coffee cup on my desk. I hear the amusement in his voice, as he says, “That coffee was very nice, thank you. I think you need to relax a little bit, Miss Romanov. You seem tense. Tell the Captain I'll speak to him another day. I should be getting back to my appointments.”
Even after he's gone, I can feel myself trembling. My body can't seem to calm down and my brain can't seem to process what just happened. I'm sitting at my desk, staring off in a daze when the Captain appears.
“Where's Paul, Dani? I've been buzzing you...”
“Oh, sorry sir. I didn't hear it, sorry. Paul has gone. He said he'd speak to you another day. He had appointments to get back to.”
“Ok, not to worry. Hey, you ok Dani? You're shaking.”
“Yes sir, just hungry I think.”
He eyes my suspiciously, and I do my best to calm my nerves.
“Go grab something to eat. The teams should be back in an hour or so. They just have to give their statements and make sure everything is tied up.”
“Yes sir.”
A/N: So, Dani is working on their ops now. What do you think of Paul? Is he a creep or is he just concerned? Any guesses? :)