GARGOYLES: Re-Awakening

Suspicion: 3

Owen entered the Great Hall just as Xanatos was rising behind his desk. The person opposite him also rose, buttoned his suit jacket, turned and walk past Owen and out the door. The man was a police officer, Owen knew. He could tell from the way he dressed. Xanatos was setting his plan in motion.

"You received the information you require?" Owen asked.

Owen did not ask such questions because he really wanted to know. He was well aware of the fact that Xanatos rarely did anything he wasn't sufficiently sure of. He posed such inquiries as an invitation to get his boss talking. Owen had learned over the course of his career that the more intimately he understood Xanatos' thinking, the more successfully he could anticipate his needs and react to challenges that might arise. It was what made him such an invaluable assistant.

"As always, Owen. I was just informed that Maza has been stuck at her desk since her little field trip the other night. It seems she's been conspicuously unreliable of late. Undoubtedly, her snooping in my business is proving to be a distraction for her."

He walked over to look out the window. He was organizing his ideas. Figuring out exactly what he wanted and how to communicate it.

"The key is to set the right pace, Owen." Xanatos turned and looked at his assistant. "I want you to send one of our usual to follow Everly Levy. We need someone good, because he's going to need to do something very special. I want him to get her suspecting that she's being followed. She needs to feel threatened, but not threatened enough to leave town. It will require some finesse."

"It will not be easy to find someone up to the task. Most of our usual people prefer less...ambiguous assignments," Owen replied.

Xanatos smiled. "Yes. Such blunt instruments. I have faith in you, Owen."

— —

Elisa stepped out the precinct door and into the warm air. The sun was heading slowly towards the horizon. She wondered if she would see her new—whatever they were—tonight.

As she went to insert her key into her car door a woman came from nowhere and grabbed her arm. Elisa was startled, but quickly composed herself.

"Everly," she said. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't..."

Everly cut her off. "Get in the car!" With that, she headed around to the passenger side and waited. Elisa took a quick look around, then got in and opened the door for Everly.

"Drive!" Levy said. Then, catching herself, added, "please."

Elisa started the engine and they pulled out onto the street. Elisa could see how agitated Everly was and decided to wait for her to speak on her own. After spending a few seconds checking all the mirrors, she did.

"I'm being followed," she said.

"Slow down," Elisa said. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm being followed!" Everly exclaimed, half frantic. "They know I gave you information! They are watching me now. I don't know what they want but I can't let them come into my apartment. I can't let them get me alone!"

Everly was in a panic now, practically hyperventilating. Elisa reached over and put her hand on her forearm.

"Everly, you're safe with me. Take a deep breath and start at the beginning. Tell me what's going on and I'll help you."

Everly inhaled deeply.

"This afternoon I started getting a funny feeling. I was out. I had to run some errands. I got that weird feeling you get, you know, like someone is watching you? At first I figured it was just my imagination. I thought I must still be wound up from talking to you and that idiot Reed, but then I started feeling like whenever I turned around somebody would be looking right at me and then they'd look away. After a while, I started noticing it was the same faces. I think there were two of them."

Everly was getting ever more worked up as she relayed the story. Elisa stepped in to give her a break.

"It's alright, Everly. Whatever is going on, we'll get to the bottom of it. Take a second—a few more deep breaths," she said.

"Can you describe these men," Elisa asked.

"I don't know. They looked like your average person."

"Did they follow you to me?"

"I don't know," Everly said. "I tried to lose them in the subway. I think maybe I did, but I'm not sure. You have to help me detective. If whatever Xanatos is doing is bad, I'm afraid he might be capable of anything."

He is. Elisa thought to herself.

This was not good. Elisa was starting to feel the pressure. First of all, if Everly was indeed being terrorized then that was more confirmation that Xanatos was up to something—something big enough to start threatening middle-aged managers over. Moreover, the situation in the city was worsening. Elisa had been stuck at her desk all day which had afforded the opportunity to follow the crime stats. Tensions in the city were still escalating. Vandalism, harrassment, even assault on minority groups was on a steep rise. This had all started, Elisa believed, with that van heist and with Xanatos, she thought. It would only end with him, and she was running out of time.

"Listen, Everly, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm out on a limb here and my resources are pretty much non-existant. But listen, you helped me and I'm going to take care of you."

"How?" Everly asked, desperately.

Elisa thought for a moment. Her first instinct was to get Everly to Matt, but she realized right away that was unworkable. First of all, Elisa was becoming more and more concerned that her activities would end up being a career-ender, and she didn't want to drag Matt into that. Secondly, he hadn't been taken off of street duty and he wouldn't be able to sit on a witness, or informant, or whatever Everly was. He'd have no excuse not to be doing his work.

Elisa couldn't stay with Everly either because she needed to get to the bottom of all of this. That left only one person. He was the only one who at least had a little skin in the game.

"You're not going to like this, Everly, but it's the best I can do," Elisa said. "I'm gonna take you to Reed."