Sue watched with amusement as her faithful dog hid under her desk after hearing Jack’s proposition.

“I tend to agree with you, Levi”, she said playfully. “Jack had better throw in a treat or two to increase his chances.”

“Is that so?” looming closer to her, her scent teasing him. It was a new fragrance and he liked it a lot.

“You need to make it worth my while, Jack”, holding his gaze, oblivious to the glances their colleagues exchanged.

“Dinner?” mesmerizing her with the twinkles dancing in his eyes.

“I ... Pizza and Chinese won’t cut it, Jack”, licking her lips to restore some moisture.

“Dinner. Tonight”, he whispered, his pulse accelerating as his eyes followed the wandering of her tongue. “The restaurant of your choice.”

“Maybe?” smiling coyly at him.

“You’re driving a hard bargain, Ms Thomas”, his smile matching hers. “How about ... a bone for Levi and a surprise for you after dinner?”

“What kind of surprise?” unable to hide her excitement ... or was it only curiosity he wondered.

“See, Sue, if I were to tell you it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

“But, I ...”

“Do we have a deal or not?” eyeing her intently.

“I ... yes”, she conceded.

“So? Are you coming?” gesturing towards the door.

His hand made gentle contact with the small of her back as he led her towards the elevator.

“Now if I imagined the sudden rise of temperature, please shoot me ... preferably before the heat wave hits me”, muttered Myles, as he looked through the window at the snow lazily falling to the ground ... and loosened his tie.

intriguing start

cath

Woo Hoo!!!

Em

Woo Hoo Hoo I was hoping you'd start one here. I've never seen Die Hard, can't figure out why it's a Christmas movie, so I better do some sleuthing before you post again.

kav

WOOHOO! Another Marlo's story!
I was going to turn off my pc (it's 2 am here) when I felt a sudden need to take a look at the stories in this section... And now I know the reason! My subconscious is addicted to your stories! And he sensed that you posted. I had to read your post before heading to bed!
Intriguing and funny start! I can't wait for more.

Ornella

Yay! A Marlo story! (Maybe this time I'll be able to read it without any computer problems.... )

I'm intrigued and a little bit worried about the title you chose, though...

I'm very curious as to what Jack's proposition is... if Levi is hiding, it must be a doozy!

dksdksfdhudskjjdsakdsjufdsdsdjklakods

LOL I loved this part!!!!

I'm here because Marlo has started a new story

I think I will sit until the next post

Yeehaw!

Kim

WOOHOO a new story from marlo
thats terrific lin

Okay, I am trying to see where Die Hard fits into this story....wait I dont want to know....do I?

I was about to say that! I mean. "Die Hard" doesn't exactly sound very Christmassy

Where are they going.....and what surprise......


Great start.....


~laura michelle~

yeahhhhh marlo your writing a new story. so great.....

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Jen

Sue didn’t particularly like venturing into the archives room, and couldn’t blame Levi for being less than enthusiastic. He was simply picking up on her discomfort. The section she found herself in was poorly lit. Burnt light bulbs were creating shadows in the aisle. She couldn’t hear the noisy ventilation system but she could feel the draft of warm air pushed out of the vents. Her eyes darted up. 1945. Too early. She strolled down to January 1946. Pulling out the dusty box, she brushed off the lid before removing it. She searched the randomly sorted files for “Huxley”.

Joe ‘Trigger’ Huxley was a wartime mob boss gunned down in Kentucky before the authority could build a solid case against him. After inheriting his large fortune, his son dismantled the organisation, or so it was believed ... until the arrest and conviction of Tom Huxley, his grandson, in the mid-eighties.

Jack remembered studying the Huxley affair while in Quantico. The fascination the case held never faltered, and Jack welcomed the excuse to reopen the cold investigation. Not that he expected to solve it, but he hoped to find evidence the organisation never died and to prevent Tom Huxley from being release on parole.

Jack recalled the shooting took place in either 1946 or 47. He scanned the shelves for December 47. He would work his way towards Sue ... two aisles down.

“Are you bored, buddy?” taking a short break to stroke the dog behind the ears. “Did Sue send you away or are you simply stretching your paws?”

April 1946. As soon as she opened the box, the name “Huxley” jumped at her. The file was so thick, it was placed in a huge envelope. Sue pulled it out, precariously balancing the box on her raised knee.

Piercing eyes peeked through the hole. The furry animal was gone. Only the human female remained. After taking one last look, the intruder dashed through the aisle, grazing her ankle.

Sue screamed.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!

ack!!!!

Jen

ack!!!!!



I'm hoping it's just a mouse (although don't tell my husband that I used the words 'just' and 'mouse' in the same sentence ) and not something even scarier...

I am, however, looking immensely forward to Jack's reaction to her scream!!

Uh, Marlo??? It was a rat or something, right? Please don't leave us hanging for too long...

Yippee!


Jill

need one of these.....

I'm so glad your writing a Christmas story Marlo

I love the Die Hard movies and i do know the Christmas link but i'm concerned that this story may contain a fair amount of angst given the title!

WHAT WAS THAT...WAS IT A RAT

poor sue hope it wasnt what I think it was scary
dont like little furry rodents wheres jack he should be there with
her more soon please oh lin

Me ->

+++++

His search instantly forgotten, Jack rushed towards her. She was sitting on the floor, her stunned expression unreadable. A ripped envelope and a deformed box were lying near her foot. The deep worry lines that instantly creased his face at the sound of her screaming and tumbling slowly faded as he helped her up. She seemed fine, except maybe for her pride and her sore buttock she massaged.

“What happened?” he asked while brushing behind her ear a lock of hair that became loose during her fall. Her skin was soft under his thumb and her perfume enticed him. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes. Was she imagining more than friendship? Should she dare to dream? “Sue? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, forcing the haze off her mind.

“I was ... it was silly.” She took a step back, and reluctantly he let her go. “A mouse startled me and I dropped everything.” She breathed in relief, grateful the box or the envelope didn’t scattered their contents all over the floor. “But I found the Huxley case.”

“A mouse?” his brows arching and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m sure you scared the poor little critter way more than it scared you.”

“For your information, Jack, it didn’t scare me. It took me by surprise. There’s a big difference.”

“If you say so”, his smile widening.

“And NO ... you WON’T tell anyone”, eyeing him suspiciously.

“See, I’m not so sure about that”, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Unless you seal my lips”, he suggested while closing the gap between them.

“I’m sure I have Duck Tape in my desk”, she quipped, leaving him laughing.

“Not exactly what I had in mind”, he confessed to the back of her head, before landing her a hand.

Once the box was neatly back in its original spot on the shelf, he led her to the nearest conference room, located off the oldest section of the archives. It wasn’t spacious, the furniture was outdated, but it possessed a secret charm that very few people knew about, and that Jack discovered a lone cold January night years ago while he was logging overtime.

Well done! Looking forward to more.

Jen

And? You can't leave it there! I want, no I need to know more about the secret charm of this little conference room!
Please, post more soon!
Ornella

Don't let him tease you too much, Sue. I'm not particularly fond of mice either.

Kim

intresting, very intresting...

Ok - first of all - I loved Sue's Duck Tape zing!!!! I can just see his reaction as she walked away!

Second - this computer screen doesn't let me peek into that conference room like I want to, so how's about you come back and tell us about this charm that Jack discovered?

Secret charm of an out-of-the-way conference in the oldest part of the archives... hmmm, this has possibilities!!! Settled in for a good read and looking forward to more!!

this is terrific but would love to know about the
out of the way confrence room what mischief jack and sue
can get up to more soon please pretty please
bribery usauly works wonders lin

Another story from Marlo - life is good!!!

Wonderful start - be still my heart!! I do believe Jack has more than friendship in mind!!!

A secret, out of the way conference room - possibilities, possibilities, possibilities!!!

Joy

Great couple of posts....really looking forward to reading more....


laura michelle

I wonder what he had in mind maybe this

Hmmm... what does Jack have in mind?!

Can't wait for more!!!

Why they installed a gas fireplace in that conference room was a mystery Jack never tried to unravel for fear the place would become public knowledge and too popular.

Sue was sitting on the floor, her sleeves rolled up, surrounded by papers. Her concentration was focused on two sheets in her hand. He lowered his guards and openly gazed at her. The flames licking the false log cast red and orange highlights in her hair. Her nose was twitching as her eyes darted back and forth. When she frowned he unconsciously frowned with her. He touched her bare forearm, feeling the warmth of her skin under his fingers, and he imagined his hand roaming freely over her body. She lifted her head and for an instant she forgot about Huxley and Kentucky. She had never seen his eyes so dark, or felt the attraction so intensely. His grin grew wider as he repeated his question once more, switching to signing when it remained unanswered.

“The ... the ...” She diverted her attention from the lethal weapons piercing through her heart to her knees where the sheet rested forgotten. “Have ... have you ever noticed the last names of Huxley’s associates?”

“Which Huxley? Joe Trigger or Tom?” the heat of his gaze lingering on her skin.

“That’s just it, Jack. More than half share the same last name under both ... administration.”

“Really?”

She handed him the sheets before moving closer to him. She would give Jack a taste of his own medicine and play his game. Her shoulder rubbed against his chest as she pointed with a pen the similarities between the names.

“Could be pure coincidence, Sue. It doesn’t necessarily imply family ties.”

“Or could be loyalty transcending generations, explaining why the organisation survived.”

“It’s worth looking into”, taking a second look at the list. “ And if I recall well ... Kent and Hanson have been on the DEA top 10 list lately.”

“Do you think Tom is still running the business from prison after twenty years?”

“I’ve seen weirder arrangement”, seriously considering the possibility.

“Does Tom have a son?”

“Not sure, but I’ll get Tara to branch off those family trees, and I’ll pass the information to Carver at the DEA.”

“And did you find anything interesting in your pile?” her hand brushing his thigh when she reached for a picture, aware of the small jolt she created.

“Interesting, yes. Relevant, no”, her proximity and the intimate atmosphere kindling his primeval desire. “This is a picture of the crime scene. Joe Trigger was gunned down in a popular park at sunset. A dozen or so innocent people were caught in the crossfire.”

“That’s awful.” She was still no closer to understand random violence than she was when she joined the bureau. “Was there casualties ... aside from Joe?”

“Five bystanders died, and two remained unidentified to this day. And elderly man walking his dog and a young woman.”

“Who was responsible for the massacre?” staring at the black and white picture with yellowed corners. People were either sitting or lying on the ground, dying or already dead.

“The authority suspected a rival gang but no arrests were ever made.”

Jack reached for two smaller brown envelopes.

“White male, late fifties, April 24, 1946”, Jack read on the first one before unsealing it. It contained a picture of the bald gentleman, a picture of the poodle, a pocket watch with the initial G. P. engraved at the back, a worn-out brown leather wallet with $2 and 45 cents in it and a pair of spectacles. “All his belongings.”

“And they were not able to identify him?” looking at the clues he left behind.

“No”, shaking his head. “Resources were scarce and technology at its infancy. I doubt they even fingerprinted him. There would have been no databases to compare the findings.”

“What about the young woman?” looking at the second envelope on which was written white female, early twenties, April 24, 1946.

Jack emptied the content. The picture fell face down, the place and date of her death handwritten on the back. Along with it came a strand of blond hair, a simple gold ring, a key and 67 cents. Sue reversed the picture and they both gasped.

Sue was staring ... at herself.

woohoo another marlo christmas story!!

okay this is getting a little weird!! maybe it was a sue look alike or maybe it was her great-great-great-great grandmother!!

can't wait for more!!

I actually gasped out loud when I read that last line. This looks like it's going to be one of your famous mysteries that is going to keep us guessing right until the end. And Jack and Sue teasing each other?
kav

o my god are you serious this is great

wow - new story, sue staring at her self, lots of heated looks between jack and sue - thats it, im staying here all afternoon hitting refresh!!

I have to ditto Kav here - I'm still absorbing this new development!!

You got me there. Never even saw that one coming!

Jill

Oh, Marlo, this has soooo many possibilities!! I can't wait to see where you take us!!!

Joy

Oh, wow, I love this story!

I'm undeniably hooked and very anxious to read more! I've decided that for this one, it's probably safest to just buckle up and hang on for the ride.

I'm soooo looking forward to more!!

Wow! I missed a couple days and come back to this awesome and twist turning story. Can't wait for more.
thanks,
Terie

this is terrific marlo you have me hooked
with this one more soon please lin

What an amazing twist!!!

Jen

Whoa!

And I don't know how Jack and Sue are able to keep their focus on their work in such an atmosphere!

Em

Now I'm a little upset. I need another post to improve my condition.



Ornella

“This is impossible”, Sue repeated for the tenth time, visibly shaken. Not that the picture changed just because she willed it to change. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with loose strand cupping her face. It was a style she never adopted, but still the resemblance was undeniable.

If this was a joke knowing he would be looking into the Huxley case, it was plainly cruel, Jack thought as he stared at the picture. Two unrelated strangers separated by more than half a century just couldn’t share such an uncanny resemblance, could they?

He took the lock of blond hair and placed it against Sue’s. The shade was practically identical.

“It’s not mine, Jack”, seemingly reading his mind. “Why would they cut some of her hair?”

“For identification. Too bad they didn’t know at that time you needed the follicle for DNA testing.”

“If they had, it would be plain scary”, she observed, lightening the mood. “I don’t think it’s a hoax. The picture looks real.”

“Looks too much like you, Sue, despite the popular belief that everyone has a twin somewhere in the world.”

“I admit this is spooky, Jack, but there has to be a logical explanation”, her curiosity unleashed. “Can I have the hair?”

He watched, as she examined each individual strand of hair before discarding it.

“Sue?” lifting her chin, his thumb sensually brushing her bottom lip. “What are you doing?”

Her lips tingled under his touch. Pure reflex made her lick the affected area, inadvertently wetting his thumb. He smiled, chasing her coherent thoughts away. Why couldn’t he just kiss her and put her out of her misery? Because they were only friends, she reminded herself, the realisation more effective at cooling her down than a frigid shower.

“I ... looking for a hair with its follicle still attached”, resuming her task.

He sensed her sudden change of mood but attributed it to the mystery they were facing. He doubted her endeavour would yield any results, though it was not totally impossible that some naturally loose hair got mixed with the cut one.

After searching the conference room for a magnifying glass, he reported his attention on the pictures. He examined each body in the crime scene photo, trying to determine which one was the young woman. He sighed. He would need the expertise of the lab guys on that one. And they would also be able to tell him if the young woman’s picture was a forgery. He bagged the evidence. Technically he was working the Huxley case, and that young woman was part of it, making the lab request legitimate.

“Jack, I found one”, holding the longer hair between her fingers, her excitement palpable. It was the same golden blond than hers. “Do you think it’s enough?”

“Yes, but if you’re planning on comparing it to yours, I need a sample”, guessing her intentions.

She purposely rubbed the tip of her finger along the edge of a sheet of paper.

“A hair would have been less painful”, he remarked, as he also bagged the tissue she used to wipe the blood from her paper cut.

“I didn’t want to confuse the poor technician”, smiling at him.

“Are you coming with me to the lab?” offering his hand.

“You go ahead, Jack. Levi and I will wait for you here. I want to keep looking at the shooting. We’ll be fine”, she insisted when he hesitated. “You’re not planning on forgetting us, are you?”

“No. I did promise you dinner.”

“And a surprise, Jack”, her devilish smile illuminating her features.

“I’ll be back in a while”, winking at her.

Mentioning a surprise had been a spur of the moment thing. Now he needed to live up to her expectation. If he were lucky, inspiration would strike him before dinner was over.

Sue replaced the hair in the envelope along with the small change. The old fashioned key brought back memories of summers spent at her grandma’s cottage. It was heavy in her palm. She stroked its surface, rough and rusty. She couldn’t find any inscription and wondered if cleaning it would reveal anything significant. She traded it for the ring and sized it. It fitted her small finger. The woman must have been petite, Sue assumed. The band didn’t tarnish over the years, indicating a certain amount of gold. She held it under the fireplace light and squinted.

A short inscription was engraved inside.