Nestor Russi Case II

Elle stood behind Levi, eye narrowed at the top of his blond head whilst he sat on a chair, eyes glued on the microscope. "I will kill you," Elle whispered to him.

Amused, Levi snorted, not bothering to tear his eyes away from the microscope. "That is highly ambitious of you," he replied.

Elle huffed in annoyance at the man, walking away before she had the urge to strangle him with her bare hands. Because of him, she was compelled to return to work, to assist her boss after receiving a text from her, saying 'Lab. Three cups of coffee.-SG'

Half an hour later, Elle opened the Lab door for the delivery man. She took the food in his hand and laid it on the table. She had anticipated that they needed sustenance, especially her, for she hadn't eaten anything since lunch. She had lost track of time being so busy that early afternoon.

Elle handed Marco and Sam Chinese takeout, while Levi declined to eat.

Sam looked at the psychologist curiously, wondering if he wasn't hungry, or was he the body-conscious type.

Marco glanced at the redhead and saw her expression as she ate, "He doesn't eat during cases, claims digestion slows him down," he explained.

"It does." Levi quipped from his seat.

Sam considered it for a moment, recalling the human anatomy and its processes.

"That makes sense, eating does slow down the blood flow in the brain because it centralizes in the digestive tract during and after eating but only for some time. However, without glucose in the system which is found from food, your body will be forced to use stored energy from fats. Seeing as you seem to be lacking those. Muscles it is. Till there is nothing more to use, drastically slowing your body and brain process especially in the long run." she mused out loud.

Levi tore his eyes from the microscope and gave her a look, 'reading' her. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, something Elle frowned at. He was looking at her boss in a way that she couldn't fully comprehend; it's as though she had grown another head.

Sam awkwardly turned to Marco, wondering if it's normal for the psychologist to look at people like they're specimens to be examined.

She felt insecure under his steady, scrutinizing gaze as he stopped his work completely just to look at her speaking.

Adamantly the blond tore his eyes off of her and continued to study the mud. Sam pursed her lips awkwardly, looking at Marco. "Don't mind him," Marco assured, amused at the two's exchange. No one had ever spoken to Levi like that, no, actually Levi never listened to anyone like that before.

He was hanging to her every word, as though she was preaching the gospel, and he was a devout Christian.

"How did you even get away from Megan?" Elle asked, trying to change the topic. She knew Megan Humphrey the blonde Biochemist, one of Sam's Caltech friends. Elle didn't particularly like her, she was pushy, persistent, and a control freak.

Sam smiled, recalling the kiss. Amused.

"Oh. A ruse," she answered.

Elle's brows furrowed at the redhead, "What ruse?" she asked.

"Levi kissed me," Sam deadpanned, causing Marco to choke on his coffee and have a coughing fit.

Levi felt his cheeks grew warm listening to the women's conversation; he reckoned it was just his idiocy at the bar that was making him uncomfortable.

He continued with the microscope and did not comment recalling the sensation. The faint taste of vodka and cherry lipstick against his mouth. The soft smell of her shampoo and light perfume. The feel of her smooth skin against his palms.

Elle glanced from Levi to Sam in disbelief. "She's kidding," she said, looking at Marco. He shook his head, covering his mouth to keep from laughing. It was true, reminding Marco of Lea. Lea, who Levi manipulated before for 'Research'.

Marco mentally scowled at this, though his face stayed relaxed he was pondering on the idea. Is he using her like he did Lea? Using her for her position and assets?

Looking at the results of his experiment, Levi broke the silence by yelling, "It's a seed!"

Sam set aside her food and vacated her seat, approaching the blond, she stood behind him looking at the results.

Levi paced back and forth,

"What kind of Seed? And from where?" he mused out loud, thinking it through.

Sam watched the psychologist, "Do you mind if I try something?" she asked. Levi shook his head to say no, he was all ears. He knew she was worth listening to.

Sam approached her Lab computer, running a software she created,

"Everything in the world has its fingerprint or a molecular signature. A seed has that too." she started, and everyone listened. They wanted to know where she was going with such a statement.

"A friend of mine helped me create this Program, I thought of it. It works as a Molecular Signature Map-Locator." She explained. Sam took a mud sample and put it in the Program. The machine started to analyze the Seed.

"A program that gives you information where specimens come from?" Levi verified in awe. "Yes. From earth, animal, plant species... virtually anything, so far, we've got 65% of London, it's still under construction, and 20% of different types of earth particles and specific locations where it came from. If we're lucky, your Seed will match up with the Program." Sam explained.

Marco and Levi stood side by side, looking at the screen, waiting for the result.

Result Matched: Fraxinus Angustifolia

Marco turned to Levi, "What's that?" he asked. "Ash tree," Levi answered, while Sam nodded and started to run the Trace program. A map of London showed up on the screen with different colours on different locations, colour-coded based on the degree of where Ash trees are more prevalent.

"Red means hot." She said Levi took note of the locations; it showed that Ash trees were prevalent in Euston Square.

But the problem was, the Seed was a wind dispersal type, meaning it flies. The culprit could have gotten it virtually anywhere that the wind took it.

"Laptop, Elle," Sam instructed, and Elle handed it to her, while Levi and the rest watched. She stretched her fingers and cracked her neck from side to side.

Elle knew what that meant, "Oh god, no," she muttered, earning curious looks from the two men. Elle knew Sam well, they have known each other for more than five years, and she had been loyal to her, tolerating her at times like this, when the woman breaks the law; by hacking Government Systems.

Sam turned to everyone, mostly the two men. "Okay, this never happened," she told them, then started typing on her laptop. Seconds later tabs appeared, she typed data and codes. Levi looked at the screen, and he knew he was looking at the United Kingdom's national weather service Met Office, on the screen as she hacked through its Server.

Levi smiled. Marco noted the glint of delight in his eyes, genuine fascination making its way to his face.

"That is awfully good! That really is!!" the Irishman exclaimed.

"What is?" Marco asked, looking at the screen baffled. Levi instructed, pointing at the screen, "Watch," he instructed while Sam continued to type then, all of a sudden, she stopped, successfully breaking in the Server.

She looked up at Levi standing beside her, "How old is the mud?" She asked.

"Approximately, 36 hours." He answered. And she nodded typing again, while the scan on the mud was running.

"Okay, this is a long shot. We could theoretically track the Seed by merging the info with the Wind Map from MET. Match it up with your mud's content, approximate time, and..." Sam started to explain the mechanics, continuously running the system.

"We could get a list of the possible sites where the person got it." Levi finished, eyes gleaming with excitement, he felt like Christmas.

"Theoretically," Sam confirmed grinning, as she typed so fast only an experienced hacker would be capable of, oblivious of the look of admiration Levi was giving her.

Elle, Levi, and Marco watched the screen as the program ran its course.

Scan Finished.

Sam clicked it, and a map of London that looks like a weather map popped out. "Red means hot," Sam said, staring at the screen where the location is shown, data from the airflow, Ashtree sights, and mud location all merged, and a specific location was revealed.

All of them gaping on the screen.

Levi grabbed his coat at the door, "Genius." he complimented.

Sam smiled, closing her laptop "Yes, it is," she agreed, pleased with her Program.

"The Program is brilliant. But you are sublime." Levi said, looking her straight in the eye. Marco cracked a grin; it was an uncommon sight to see, for Levi Jackson rarely hands out compliments.

Levi turned and left the Lab in a hurry, fingers typing a message of the location to Davies.

Marco hurried to grab his jacket,

"Thanks, Sam! Sorry--we got to go," he said running after Levi. "Welcome! Tell me what happens when you have the time!" Sam yells back. "Okay!" Marco yells as he runs after the blond in the hall.

.....................

An hour later.

Levi and Marco stood outside a building along Hampstead Road, standing behind the police cars was Davies looking at the duo in disbelief.

Behind him, his people were taking into custody the 'missing' accountant Nestor Russi. Who's not missing, but was hiding from loan sharks fearing for his life?

"Seed. You got it from a seed." Davies spoke incredulously, couldn't believe that Levi was right, yet again.

"Sam was a huge help in the case," Marco commented. "Sam?" Davies repeated, baffled.

"Yes, Dr Sam Gray of Guy's. Incredibly brilliant, why haven't I thought of it?" Levi mused out loud as he turned.

"What is?" Davies asked, confused. "The Program!" Levi answered, walking away after.

Davies shot Marco a confused look, and the bearded man mouthed a 'tell you later', following behind Levi, he was after all his ride.