Cort’s foster brother, Damon Fitzpatrick, who everyone on earth believed to be dead, was actually very muchalive.
Cort put his hand back in his pocket and fitted the quarter between his fingers.Flick and roll, flick and roll. “Wow, yeah. I would imagine it’s serious. And you thinkIhad something to do with running the face through thesystem?”
“Don’t play dumb, Agent Cortland,” Porter warned. “It’s not a good look on you. Now, how about if you tell us who this man is and why you were searching forhim.”
Cort made a non-committal noise. “I wish I could, Agent Porter,” he said, a slight bitterness in his voice. He wished Damoncouldhave a fair shot at coming forward and clearing his name without having to deal with Sebastian Seaver, the heir-apparent to the global Seaver Tech conglomerate, and Cam Seaver, the younger brother who always covered forhim.
Agent Porter puffed out his chest and stared at Cort. “Agent Gigi Weston recalls you initiating aflirtationwith her a few months ago,” hecontinued.
“Gigi?” Cort asked, rolling the name around his mouth as though trying to place it. “Oh, the redhead on the seventhfloor?”
“Yes,” Porterhuffed.
Cort nodded and smiled. “Right, I remember. She’s a lovely woman. I do remember chatting with her a few monthsback.”
“She said she offered to show you the facial recognition system,” Porter prompted. “And you seemed extremely enthusiastic. She assumed you had a romantic interest in her, and asking her to show you the system was just a way to break the ice. But it wasn’t. Wasit?”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Cort lied. “I do remember her chatting to me about the computer, but… Well, you know me and computers.” He shot Sean a self-deprecating smile. “I was sort of flirting with her at the time, but then circumstanceschanged.”
“You mean you got her to show you how to program a long-term search and then ditchedher?”
Cort blinked.Right on the money.“No. I mean, I remembered there’s a no-fraternization policy in theoffice.”
This time it was Sean who snorted. “You honestly mean to say you were flirting with Gigi? Just last week at Garvey’s, you took off with some guy namedTom.”
“Your point?” Cort retorted, allowing his very real impatience with this topic to show. Yeah, he’d been flirting with Gigi to learn her programming system, but hecouldhave flirted with her for other reasons.Jesus.They needed to cover bisexuality in the next sensitivitytraining.
“And what aboutthis?” Porter tapped his tablet again and showed Cort a split-screen of two very official-lookingletters.
Now thiswasa surprise. He hadn’t expected anyone to catch him on this rule-bending sosoon.
Although Cort didn’t need to read further than the company header at the top of the one on the right - Seaver Tech - to know what he was looking at, he carefully read the entire thing, then shifted his attention to the letter on the left and read through that one too, as though his own signature wasn’t affixed to the bottom, buying himself a minute to composehimself.
“This looks like a pretty standard letter from the FBI giving notice of a potential investigation. And the other one looks like the typical, rich-corporation boilerplate reply, saying they’re far too powerful and entitled to take our investigation seriously. Nothing out of theordinary.”
Cort glanced up and met Porter’s eyes. They glittered with anger, and somehow it calmed Cort. He could deal withanger.
“Itwouldn’tbe out of the ordinary,” Porter agreed. “If this were in our jurisdiction to investigate! This isn’t Cyber Crimes, Agent Cortland, and no one in the hierarchy has ever authorized an investigation into SeaverTechnologies!”
Cort clenched his jaw, gripping the quarter in his hand so tightly he knew it would leave a mark on his palm. “Perhaps you’re not aware, but we received a tip regarding a very clear databreach–”
“An anonymous tip about a data breach which, I will repeat, you have no authority to investigate! Without a warrant, you’re only going on an unauthorized fishing expedition. You don’t take up a position against a company as powerful as Seaver Tech without dotting your I’s and crossing every damn T.” Porter’s eyes were hard as stone. “If they chose to take further action against us for harassment, it would leaveusopen to litigation, and after the year the Seavers have had, we never would havewon.”
Rage blossomed in Cort’s chest. TheSeavershad a tough year? They didn’t know the half of it. And now they were getting off scot-free, without any repercussions, as they always seemedto.
Porter shook his head in disgust. “You’re lucky they seem to have dropped it after thisletter.”
Those words were like tiny pins that pricked the dam of Cort’s composure, unleashing a deluge. “I’mlucky? I wasdoing my joband investigating illegal activity! Jesus!” Cort locked his teeth together, trying to rein in histemper.
Porter opened his mouth to reply, but Sean cut him off. “Cortland, this isn’t your first rodeo, so don’t start talking to me about how conducting an investigation within the boundaries of the law is compromising your morals. There are rules and procedures we need to follow, andyou know it. You know exactly how far to push the line without crossing it, and you also know better than to pull a cowboy, vigilante stunt like this.” He motioned towards the letter on thetablet.
Sean was right. Cort did know better. He’d sent the letter weeks ago, in a spurt of impatient frustration, wondering if he’d ever see Damon again, if he’d ever have enough information to make Sebastian Seaver pay. It had been stupid and he’d known nothing would come of it, but he’d hoped it would make the bastards at Seaver Tech sweat, if only for aminute.
Now, knowing he had nothing more to lose today, he crossed his arms over his chest and stood firm. “What Iknowis when assholes like Sebastian Seaver sayjump,we say ‘How high, sir?’ He can get away withanything.”
“Ah, and that offends you because onlyyoushould be able to bend the rules? You’re Kendrick Cortland, the Robin Hood of the FBI!” Porter scoffed and it took all Cort’s self-control not to wipe the smirk off Porter’s face with hisfist.
“I think we’ve heard enough,” Porter told Sean, then he stood and looked down at Cort. “You’re hereby suspended without pay, Agent Cortland, until the Office of Professional Responsibility can investigate your involvement in this matter. Sean, take his gun and badge. I’ll get Vasquez, and we’ll escort him out of the building.” Porter turned and left the office, almostgleeful.
