Surprise, Surprise

[agentwillows]

It seemed like Catherine had been taking a lot of trips by plane lately, but thankfully this had been one that she had actually wanted to take, and wasn't one required by the Feds. It seemed lately that she had been spending more time away from work than actually at work, even if she was working in the field when she was out of the state

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[albuquerque_liz]

It's a large barn, housing twenty-five horses, most of which are put up for the night or tethered outside their stalls, waiting to be brushed down. It's clear the facility is new, and the horses are all healthy looking. From a pole, a pony noses around a stack of hay.

There's someone in the barn, but it isn't Liz. She's young looking and blonde, brushing out the mane of one of the horses. She turns when Catherine comes in, brushing her hair out of her face. "Hey, can I help you?"

[agentwillows]

For a second, Catherine's heart stopped, and she was ready to turn and run. But when the woman turned around, and she saw that it wasn't Liz, she blinked in confusion. "Uh... yeah, I'm sorry, my name is Catherine Willows. I'm looking for Liz Jackson?"

[albuquerque_liz]

The girl grins and turns back to brushing out the mane of the mare she's working with. "Liz had to make a run out to the back pastures and make sure the wild ones have water. She left about half an hour ago, so she should be back any second. You can hang here if you like or wait for her out by the porch." She finishes up with the mare, loosens the tether and then walks her back into the waiting stall. "You're all done for the night, Serendipity. Next time you and Kira decide you want to go frolicking in the burrs, don't expect me to come to your rescue." She locks the gate and then gives her attention back to Catherine. "Oh, I'm Annie by the way."

[agentwillows]

Catherine nodded, glad she hadn't shown up when Liz was asleep or out somewhere. Deciding to just wait there in the barn, she smiled as she watched the girl with the horses. She had always loved being around horses, and it was something she missed a lot about living in Montana. "Nice to meet you, Annie. It looks like you've got your hands full."