For three days straight Myriam was vigilant of her surroundings as she slipped in and out of her home and to work. When she finally had gotten in touch with Patton, it had been an enthusiastic reunion until she pulled him to the back to his office to speak privately.
“What’s up, Songbird?” Patton questioned as he wheeled behind his desk.
“Did you find anything around my place over the last week?” she quietly questioned.
He turned to look up at her, drawing a breath. “I looked when you messaged me, girl. I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. I seriously scoured every piece of footage I could find. No faces hit on any databases.”
Myriam sighed as she pushed herself away from his desk and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck. “Then who the hell has been in the abattoir to clean? I haven’t ordered any services. I hadn’t had time to do so when I received the transfer orders.”
Patton stared back at her. “Well, I have an idea, but I’m not sure that you’d like it much right now.”
She eyed him, glaring suspiciously.
“Hey now. Don’t give me that look. You want ideas, answers that I can’t give you. This is the best I can do. What I can suggest is to let your team in on your history if you want them to trust you, especially about letting go of Parsons,” he replied.
“No. That’s a ridiculously bad idea. I still have to go to the jail to see my brother to see if he might have found out I was coming back in town. I wouldn’t put it past him to have ears at the federal level,” she shrugged.
Patton’s eyebrow rose at that. “You think your brother has a spy on you in NCIS? That has to be the silliest thing I ever heard about your family. Seriously. Yeah, it’s a good idea to see and ask your brother, but I can tell you that his only visitor has been his lawyer. So add him to your list.”
“How long have we been friends P?” Myriam questioned.
He scowled back at her in response. “You don’t want to go there. You know I’m Team Myriam, always, but it helps if you have some backup.”
“Again, my answer is no. You got that?” she repeated, holding her gaze on him.
Patton pursed his lips, knowing she wouldn’t budge as she was just as stubborn as Pride could be. Sometimes he wondered if he might have been her birth father at times, the way they both behaved. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Good,” Myriam nodded, walking out to the squad room to find the rest of the team had arrived for the day. “Good morning everyone,” she greeted on her way to her desk when their phones beeped with an alert for a new case. Reading it, she let out a sigh. “You all can go handle the scene. Let me know what you get. I can start research from here,” she replied.
Tammy was the first to question the lack of presence from their new leader on the crime scene. “You sure you don’t want to be there?”
Myriam looked up from her paperwork. “Do you know how to do your job, Agent Gregorio? I’m sure you don’t need me there to hold your hand. If I am needed, then you can call me, but I’m sure you all can handle it fine without me looking over your shoulders.”
The agent stared at the other woman for a moment, taking her in before nodding her consent and waving for the others to join her. “Alright then. It’s just us,” she agreed, heading out.
Chris looked over his shoulder at Agent Mikaelson as he turned the corner, before looking to Gregorio. “What was all that about? Huh?”
“How did your visit with Pride go?” She asked in turn.
“It went fine,” he stiffened, glaring at her.
“I’m sure it did,” she said. “Regardless, whatever her reasons for not coming on the job, she doesn’t want anyone local to see her. I don’t know why, but I think she has something up her sleeve.”
He nodded, silently agreeing with her. “I’m sure she does but until she shows her hand, let’s play along. He told me she has her reasons for doing what she’s doing.”
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the scene, flashing their badges to pass through the security boundaries set up outside the victim’s house on base. Once inside, they found that Loretta was already there. “What do we have?” LaSalle asked.
“A suicide from all indications. I’ll know more when I get him on my table,” she replied. “Can you get him down for me Sebastian?”
“Yeah, sure,” he nodded, quickly moving to the task.
LaSalle and Gregorio started snapping pictures in the meanwhile, taking in the scene and looking at the photos on display in the home. Tammy looked up from one display set and frowned as she exchanged glances between the victim and the man in the pictures. “This isn’t his house. Why would he kill himself here?”
Loretta paused as she had been getting the bodybag ready. “That does pose an interesting question. One I am sure you will find the answer for and perhaps it could make this suicide suspicious.”
“Right,” Chris nodded. “I’m gonna go talk to the lady that found him. Maybe she has something to say about the dead guy in her house.”
Loretta watched as he went outside, letting out a concerned sigh. “Now I know that Myriam can be a frustrating individual as much as Dwayne, but I never thought she would get under Christopher’s skin this fast.”
“Yeah, well, she had zero interest in coming out on this job when this call came,” Tammy volunteered, earning a surprised response from the M.E.
“Really? Huh,” Wade speculatively offered.
“What?” Sebastian asked, having kept quiet about the agent, for the most part, all day.
“For as long as I’ve known her, she had to always be in the thick of things. The center of attention. To not be out here, then she probably has something else going that she doesn’t want anyone to know she has returned. All I know is that it will be good when the time comes because she can take the award for drama in New Orleans,” Loretta smiled.
Tammy thought about how elusive Agent Mikaelson had been and the coyness Loretta teased about the woman, dropping hints like a leaking faucet. “Do you think she’s working another case while she’s here?”
Sighing as she paused in her work again, Wade looked up at Tammy. “She could be. I wouldn’t put it past her. But also, keep in mind, and it has said already. Her family has a long history in this town. If there is any chance of her using it as an advantage, she will hold those aces up her sleeve as long as she can, because it would be the smart thing to do.”
“What is it that you know about her past?” she asked, trying to put the older woman under a microscope in a sense.
“Enough to stop this conversation in its tracks. If you don’t want to trust her, then don’t, but at least give her the benefit of the doubt because I asked you, and Pride trusts her,” Loretta hushed Gregorio, dropping her voice when more agents began to come into the house to gather any trace evidence they might find. “She’s one of the good guys. Come on, let’s get back to work.”
~o.O.o~
It took two days to close the case of the petty officer. It turned out that he had been good friends with the woman’s husband and had been over to see his friend, who had been out on a shift, so he wasn’t available to talk him out of his depression and suicidal state. He inevitably decided to commit the final act at their house, only for the wife to come home to find, leaving no notes or anything but the team did eventually find a digital journal he had kept on his computer and cell phone that cataloged the issues that he held and the Navy did not treat for active service members.
His already troubled state of mind and the discovery of impending orders to be deployed on a nuclear submarine simply was the straw that tipped the scale.
The team closed out their reports in record time and even managed to pull Patton out from his computer, despite his focused concentration on whatever it was he was working on to relax at Pride’s bar for the night.
“Maybe we should have invited Myriam to join us?” Sebastian asked. “I mean, she hasn’t been that bad. She left us to do our thing, and when we needed something when going by the book, she got it for us.”
“I’ll message her, but I wouldn’t count on it. She’s not going to make any public appearances until she’s ready. Her coming back to the city wasn’t her choice, and she’s going through some personal stuff right now,” Patton replied, his phone in hand but stopped when he heard a familiar laugh coming from the bar area. Looking up, he raised an eyebrow as he looked over and took in the dark hair and casual lean against the counter. “Well, I’ll be…”
“Is that…?” Chris asked.
“Yeah, but don’t say anything because that’s not exactly someone we’d be talking to that she’s with,” Patton muttered. “Keep to ourselves and stay silent. We don’t know her, got it?”
Tammy lifted her beer to her lips as she watched Myriam laughing about something with the bartender and some guy. “They do seem pretty chummy, don’t they.”
“How is NCIS tonight? I’m sorry to hear about your petty officer. I wish things could have been better,” Mayor Taylor greeted the team as she approached their table with a smile. “How has Dwayne been?”
“Madam Mayor. Pride is Pride. He’ll pull through like he always does,” LaSalle answered, standing to greet the mayor with a handshake and smile.
She nodded with a smile. “That’s good to hear. He’s done so much for the city, and for me personally with this whole mess, that it’d be a shame if we were to lose him. Let him know he’s in my prayers. Are you all getting a replacement for him?”
Chris and Tammy looked at one another, but Patton beat them to the punch for that answer. “HQ keeps saying they are sending someone, but when and who is still up in the air,” he shrugged, leaning in his chair as he stared at her, his beer in his hand. “When we find out, I’m sure you will too.”
“I’m sure. I’d like to meet them so that we can set a meeting to discuss an ongoing relationship about the safety of the city. Dwayne and I had an agreement about New Orleans, so anyone coming in, I’d hope would share the same sentiment,” Mayor Taylor hesitated, catching a loud laugh coming from the bar area and her words faltering at the sight of a long familiar face. “If you’ll excuse me…”
As the mayor walked towards the bar, Tammy leaned towards Patton, questioning his actions just low enough that her voice didn’t carry over to nearby patrons. “What the hell are you doing? Why don’t we tell her that we have our team leader?”
Patton frowned and nodded towards Myriam. “That’s why. We about to get a show.”
Myriam began to turn to watch the performance and take a look at the crowd as Zahra Taylor approached her. The smile she had on her face fell to a bemused smirk, settling back on her bar stool. “Look what the rats dragged in,” she muttered.
“I never thought I’d see the day a Mikaelson was in New Orleans again. Other than your brother that made the prison his cozy home for the rest of his life,” Zahra replied, staring the woman down who appeared completely at ease. “How well do you think he’d handle supermax isolation? Hm? I best not hear of any trouble in your family circles. I won’t hesitate to have the police bring you in.”
Taking a sip from her cocktail, Myriam smiled as she fought back a chuckle. “Really? My, my, how high the gutter rats have crawled. You know, you wouldn’t even have been a blip on anyone’s radar if it weren’t for Cole,” she mused. “And here you are, tossing empty threats at me?”
“Oh, I’m just warning you to keep your nose clean. I know how your family works… Speaking of, NOPD happened to have found one of Marcel Gerard’s men dead last week.”
“Yes, you would, wouldn’t you,” Myriam rolled her eyes, bored. “Marcel? Please. I only arrived in town five days ago so go find someone else to be your scapegoat. If you want to verify my travels, be my guest. Flew in from Nashville on Monday.”
Zahra’s jaw set and locked that her baiting wasn’t taken and it seemed to only irritate Myriam more like a mosquito bite. “I assure you I’ll have your movements looked into. Watch your step.”
“Is that a threat?” Myriam asked, hysterically laughing as she slid down from her seat and stepped around her as she incredulously stared at the mayor. Her overly stated question drew a lot of attention, and their conversation wasn’t quiet enough that her NCIS colleagues had heard every word. As Zahra looked around at the attention on her, she remained silent and shifted uncomfortably at the scrutiny now on her. “Wow. You know what? You do that. And how about, the next time you come at me, you bring a lawyer with a subpoena to speak with me for any of your threats because not only are you out of your ever livid mind, but you just threatened me in a bar full of people and a table full of 5-0. I am pretty sure they don’t know me from Jack, but they seem pretty surprised by your words. So, Zahra, I’ll see you around town. And a warning for you. The next time you threaten my family, you don’t do it in front of witnesses. Got it?”
Myriam had finished her speech, beyond pissed off at the mayor by the end. Finishing off her drink, she turned to smile at the crowd. “Why you all staring? It’s just another New Orleans girl drama! A round on me!”
Everyone let out a round of cheering as she winked at the pissed off mayor, passing her as she went to the bar to put the order in and set up payment. As she settled and sipped her drink the bartender refilled for her, her friend returned to her side.
“Want me to have her followed?”
Myriam turned to watch Taylor as she spoke with the NCIS team, silent as if she considered it. “No. But do keep an eye on her contacts if they make any moves. I don’t trust her. She won’t get her own hands dirty.”
Grabbing her things, she left barely glancing at the team.
Shaken by her encounter, Mayor Taylor returned to the NCIS team who now held wary looks instead of the warming welcome ones they usually offered. “I apologize for what you witnessed. It seems it is hard to shake long-held history and grudges.”
While Patton was careful not to give much attention to Myriam’s hasty exit, he kept his eyes on the mayor. The only exception was the encouraging glance to his friends to play along, knowing that they were reluctant as they weren’t sure about his old friend. It wasn’t until Chris finally spoke that he knew that they’d be on board with whatever she was planning.
“Right,” LaSalle slowly responded. His previous easy-going manner with who they’d believed was Pride, and Wade’s ally in office might not be so. “I’m not so sure what to believe now after what we just witnessed, so why don’t you go and let the dust settle. As the lady said, all she was doing was having a drink and chatting up some friends. That’s all we saw while we’ve been here.”
Mayor Taylor took in the confused, yet disturbed expressions on the team’s faces. Nodding she knew she wasn’t welcome. “If you could look into her movement for me, I’d appreciate it. I don’t trust her, and you shouldn’t either.”
Failing to find anything else to say that might sway the NCIS agents, she left the bar. Tammy let out a breath and turned to eye Patton as he held his fist beneath his chin as he glared over his shoulder as if he anticipated the mayor’s return. “What the hell was that?”
Chris sat down and picked up his bottle of beer, hesitating to take a pull. “Now I know that there has always been some shady shit that goes on politically in every town, but what just happened here sounded downright dirty and I thought we just got through a lot of that and found someone clean.”
“Ain’t nobody in this city that’s truly clean,” Patton answered, his chin jutting out. “And this ain’t a conversation for here. You want to have it. We can take it back to the office. After all, the lady wanted you to track the bird’s movements, right?”
By the time the team reluctantly returned to the office, they were surprised to find Agent Mikaelson there, at her desk. She had her legs up, crossed at the ankles, an empty bottle of wine on the desk and a fresh one in her hand as she poured herself a hearty glass. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to get back,” she murmured, her dark eyes barely glancing at them. “I take it you have some questions? I’ll try to answer them as much I possibly can.”
Chris walked right up to her desk, his eyes taking in the empty bottle with suspicion. “Mayor Taylor wants us to look into your recent travel and confirm just when you returned to New Orleans for her.”
Myriam’s lips pulled back into a small smile and looked up at him as she tipped her glass at him. “You should do that. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt if you even brought her some photos of my airport arrival as well. Might piss her off even more.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Just what are you doing here really?” he demanded.
She took a sip and let out a hum of pleasure. “Well, I could tell you, but that’d be above your pay grade.”
“That’s something CIA or FBI would say,” Tammy replied with as she glared at the agent, who only smiled and twirled around in her chair.
Myriam paused, setting her hands down and laying her head down on the desk slowly where she stared at the team sideways. It was a strange encounter and behavior for them to experience that they were slightly unnerved by it but tried not to let it show. “Hm, yes it would be and aren’t you glad that NCIS managed to snap me up first. What with my history and all? Don’t you know how that rolls, Patton?”
“My history doesn’t have blood on my hands,” he muttered as he appeared uncomfortable for outing her in front of the team.
She lifted her head and stared at him, pure fury blazing in her eyes. “I don’t have blood on my hands. You know that. And while Cole may, I doubt Nick did when he died so don’t even go there. I’m going to pretend you never said those words,” she whispered before standing from her seat to gather her belongings and walking out.