That was weird.
The arresting agency named in the report was the New Jersey field office in Newark, but the ORI number didn’t match. It wasn’t even close. The letters at the beginning of the nine-digit originating agency identifier always matched the state. But instead of NJ, the code started with NV.
Nevada.
Who the hell made the Valentine arrests? I knew I wouldn’t find the arresting agents’ names in the report. Only the agency was included. To my knowledge, it hadn’t been a joint operation, which either meant that it was a clerical error or it had been intentional.
Since I had been granted access to the digital archives and had plenty of time on my hands, I went digging.
“Greear. My office,”Agent Sanders barked as he strolled by without so much as a glance my way.
Echoes of “ooh” rose up from the bullpen of desks like I had been called to the principal’s office.
I looked at the time before logging out of my computer. 4:58 PM.
There was no such thing as “time off for good behavior” when it came to undercover agents going rogue and then returning to duty. I’d be punished for as long as he held a grudge, which meant I had no incentive to earn brownie points and gold stars for staying late and working past quitting time.
He’d better make this quick. I expected to be in the elevator by five sharp.
I slipped through the door just as he dropped into his rolling chair. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Take a seat,” Sanders said as he pointed to the chair across from his desk.
The clock on the wall said 4:59, but I sighed and sat anyway.
James pushed a stack of papers across his desk, clearing the top so he could rest his elbows on top of it and steeple his fingers.
He stared at me.
I stared at him.
Neither of us said a word.
Finally, he broke. “What are you doing here, Judah?”
Huh?Tension pulled between my brows. “I’m not sure I understand, sir.”
“Here. At the bureau.” He pushed away from the desk and leaned back in his chair. “You had a stellar career in the Navy. Graduated Quantico at the top of your class. And between you and me—you’re one of the best UCs we’ve got. You’re intuitive, smart, and calculated. You cultivate useful assets and get the best out of them.”
I didn’t know what he was buttering me up for, but I didn’t trust the compliments.
“So what are you doing here?” he asked again. “What do you want out of your time with the FBI?” He kicked one ankle up on top of his knee. “You want to run up the ranks? You could go from SSA to ASAC within a year. Run your own field office within five. With your military experience, you’d be looking at a direct ladder that’ll take you as high as you want to go. You could be the director one day.” He reached over and picked up a pen, rolling it between his fingers. “You want something more like what you were doing in the SEALs? I can make a call and put in a good word to get you over to HRT.”
HRT wasn’t just any ol’ division. The hostage rescue team was the elite of the elite in the FBI. It was the equivalent of the most experienced units of the military’s special operations. They worked domestically, responding to hostage situations, threats of terrorism, and complex situations that required extensive tactical experience.
I was qualified, but getting onto HRT definitely wasn’t a “put in a call” kind of favor.
“I’m happy where I am now. I like the mix,” I lied. “It’s a good blend of fieldwork and research. You’ve put together a good team.”
The corners of Agent Sanders’s mouth tightened in disdain. “Here?” he said in a blend of annoyance and disbelief. “Doing fucking secretary shit all day?”
“It’s a good refresh on all the cases we’ve worked,” I said casually. “It makes the transition from living under a cover to being back in the office a little easier.” Lies. All lies.
But he didn’t know that. He was too busy being pissed that I didn’t take the bait.
“I’ll be frank: you have no future in this department,” Sanders said. “Not after that stunt you pulled. You know we have no tolerance for UCs acting outside of the?—”
“I was cleared by OPR, so if you have an issue with me after their investigation, I recommend you take it up with them.” I made a show of glancing at the clock. “If there’s anything you’d like to discuss about my current job performance, I’ll be back tomorrow morning at nine a.m. sharp.”
