章節 29: Tomato Soup I

3 months ago.

June 2012, Guy's Hospital

Levi entered the back entrance of Guy's Hospital that morning, hands in his coat pockets. In an empty hallway, he bumped into Janet. Janet greeted him enthusiastically, this time with dyed green hair. "Hi, Levi!"

"Janet, you've dyed your hair green, you look like a tree," Levi said casually, smiling as usual. Janet inwardly cringed, he sure had a way with words, she thought.

"Thanks..." Janet muttered, ambivalent. Levi nodded in dismissal, moving to leave her where she stood in the hallway. "Ah...Levi?" Janet called a few feet away, and Levi turned to look at her. "Are you heading to Dr. Gray?" Janet asked, wondering.

Levi nodded, "Why?" He asked seconds after taking note of her change of tone, he could tell she wanted to say more. "Oh, I heard she's on vacation leave," Janet informed. For a split second, she saw his usual phony smile disappear, and his eyes turned steel cold, but as soon as it came it was gone. Fast enough that Janet wondered if she imagined it.

Levi smiled back at her in understanding, "If you need to use the Lab you're welcome to use my equipment." Janet offered. "I have a key to her Lab but thank you. Good day, Janet." Levi said ending the conversation by showing his back to her and leaving. 'He has a key to the Director's Lab,' Janet thought. The Lab that was built and tailored especially for Dr. Sam Gray. The same Lab the director would deny others to use.

Gossips says that Guy's Hospital offered Sam the position years before, three times to be precise. But she turned it down every single time, insisting she needed her own Laboratory. A personal laboratory she also had in her previous job under the FBI years before.

After thorough consideration, the President decided to build her the Lab with the help of a very generous benefactor, which benefactor Janet had no clue. An investment worth making, the Board would say. Guy's Hospital Pathology department's performance rating has increased by 55% since her arrival 2 years ago.

Levi waltz towards Elle's cubicle across Sam's office, 'vacation leave' he snorted, amused at the thought of it. Sam doesn't take vacation leave; she was a workaholic. She was a perfectionist whose obsession was her job. The only reason she wasn't there that he could think of, was something must have happened.

An Injury, he thought most likely.

Elle tore her eyes off the computer when she saw a shadow hover over her. She looked up and saw familiar hazel eyes staring down at her, with his signature self-satisfied grin spread on his lips. Slick blond hair's fake smile dropped and said in a stern voice, "What happened?"

Elle sighed in response and continued typing on her keyboard, taking note that Levi Jackson knew well enough not to waste his facade of a smile on her.

"She's in Hawaii on vacation leave, Mr. Jackson. She'll be back by next week." Elle lied through her teeth. Levi saw her shoulder subtly shrug after her statement, a common subconscious telltale that meant the negation of the previous statement. She was lying, he could tell but he decided not to confront her. He knew Elle was stubborn, she wouldn't tell him or anyone for that matter if she didn't want to, even if she was tortured.

She seemed like the type who would be willing to die for loyalty. He'd rather not waste his time on her. So, he nodded and said thank you then marched away, not saying another word.

Elle for a moment was dumbfounded, she'd expected more from him, perhaps some smart-aleck response. Or maybe even demand her boss's exact location. It was unlike him to just drop a subject, Elle noted. But then again she realized, she doesn't exactly know Levi Jackson well, so she left it at that and got back to work.

One o'clock came and Elle stepped out of her cubicle for a quick lunch, pondering still at the curious behavior of Levi that morning. She fell in line in the cafeteria grabbing a bowl of pre-sliced fruits and mac and cheese. After paying she grabbed a seat, chewing her food carefully at a table. Then it hit her. Fuck.

Elle abandoned the cafeteria cursing under her breath, leaving her food. She marched back to her table, checked her cubicle of signs of disarray, her keyboard was slightly shifted to the left by 10cm. Something unnoticeable to most, but not to someone like her. Then she pulled open her top desk drawer, it was still locked, but she had to see for certain. After fishing the keys in her pocket she unlocked the top drawer and she cursed out loud at the sight.

'Levi bloody Jackson.'

Levi drove his blue Shelby cobra smoothly, he had 'borrowed' a set of keys from Elle's desk drawer, he reckons it was a copy of Sam's home keys based on the 'SG' engraving on the bow. He had also hacked into her office computer and checked her emails; it wasn't exactly Fort Knox. From the emails, he had taken note of Sam's address.

15 minutes later he vacated his car and gazed upon the small building, something akin to his. But it had a twist of history on it and signs of renovation. He could see a set of security cameras hidden in a corner, pointed at the front door and windows. He looked at the door and cocked his brow at the electronic door lock. It needed either a fingerprint or a passcode.

Searching his memories on Elle's emails, he recalled an exchange from a delivery agency, Elle had attached a string of numbers in the emails. Levi smiled and entered the code 1399, and the door beeped in confirmation then clicked open. Levi smiled victoriously. Levi gave the door a gentle shove and walked inside silently, a small hallway greeted him.

At the very end of the hallway was a door, and on top of it was a security camera. Which meant whoever passed the hallway had no place to hide away from it. He gazed up at the camera intrigued, and shit-eating-grin broke into his chiseled face, wondering who Sam was. The level of security she had in her flat was not for the common folk. He inserted the key, and after hearing a satisfying click, he walked in.

Elle drove like a maniac, 'he did not!', she mentally cursed. Levi did not only break into her computer, but he also stole Sam's apartment keys. And she reckons he figured out her address by reading through her emails. That stupid fuckin genius, she mentally cursed the psychologist.

"Elle? Is that you." Sam says, walking slowly out of her bedroom, her voice was hoarse and she has a killer migraine. Her eyes laid on Levi who stood observing her complexion, pale, tired, sick. And she was in her pajamas, hair in disarray only she could pull off.

"Levi. What are you--" Sam started.

"You childish man! Did I not tell you to not bother her?!" Elle barged to the gaping door. "You didn't," Levi observed grinning at her discomposed state. "It was implied, you git!" Elle spat, earning a frown from Sam who found the ruckus irksome, she wanted to complain but was too weak for it. So, instead, Sam breathed, turned, and walked back to her room quietly. The two took notice and they quieted, at least Elle did. "How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned, walking towards the redhead. "Better if you two would leave me in peace."

Elle glared at Levi, only if looks could kill, Elle thought. But the man stood his ground as a child would. By his expression, Elle could tell he didn't see the error in his actions. "Give it to me," Elle said, and Levi cocked her a challenging brow, looking down at the woman who was a foot shorter than him. Her size did not intimidate him. Elle responded by crossing her hands across her chest, "Now." She demanded.

Levi groaned rolling his hazel eyes then handed her the keys indignantly. Elle pointed at the door and said, "Now get out"

"You've seen her, now let her rest," Elle added, Levi gave Sam a fleeting look but followed the assistant's instruction without a word. Sam went back to bed after, tucked under her blanket she dozed off after Elle helped her drink her meds. Her assistant left minutes after that.

It was an hour later when Sam heard the familiar soft beeping sound of her electronic door lock and her eyes slowly opened. Lying at the side of her bed was Mo. She looked down at him to see his ears move, head up, on alert. And she heard her front door swing open, and Mo jogged out of her slightly ajar bedroom door towards the sound. He didn't bark, Sam noted, no, it was someone she knew, someone she was very familiar with.

Elle? Sam wondered.

It's only 4, she would still be in Guy's Hospital.

Sam peaked under the covers, eyes on the bedroom door. The door slowly opened, revealing Levi, beside him, was Mo wagging his tail. "Knew you were plotting something, leaving without uttering a complaint," Sam mumbled under the covers, and Levi grinned inside. No, he was not the type to back down easily. "So, how'd you get Elle to give you the keys?" She questioned.

"I didn't. I had it duplicated before I initially came here." Levi said, self-satisfied. Sam froze in response, pulling the covers off herself and grabbing her mobile on the bedside table in a hurry.

Levi saw the panic on her face and moments later they heard her front door slam open followed by heavy footsteps from the corridor. Sam knew it was too late and dropped her hand with her mobile. Levi turns just at the exact moment to see two armed men, pointing semi-automatics at him.

"HANDS UP!" One commanded loudly, ramming him to the nearest wall seconds later. His arm twisted behind his back harshly. Levi groaned at the impact, that would leave a mark he thought.