without preamble. “I’m not as forgiving as Justice Price apparently is in this matter. Don’t get me wrong on this, Sheridan; your service record proves that you are as qualified as they come to be the Deputy Director of the FBI. But I want to remind you that you only garnered just enough votes to barely attain this position over a few other candidates who are likely as qualified—at least in somebody’s estimation. Doubters and skeptics exist because of some of the decisions that you made during the critical final hours of that disorder down in that Godforsaken city in northern Georgia. “I’m one of those people, Sheridan.”
“With all due respect, Justice Berry, is there a specific question that you have here for me this morning?” Sheridan asked the man.
“Questions… I have too many of them and not enough time to air them all, Sheridan.” He replied and pushed his glasses up on his face. “All I want now is an overview of where would you begin to provide the answers to the difficult questions that your countrymen are asking about those dark hours?”
Sheridan turned to where Angel was standing.
“Dr. Hicks Dupree’s earlier testimony brought the severity of our agency’s dysfunction—all of the country’s agency’s dysfunction that Pandora preyed upon into a new light that, believe me, was far from flattering.”
“I’ve read those transcripts twice, Sheridan. I’m sure our friends here are interested in your interpretations of what those records said,” Price asked.
Sheridan used the seconds that he pulled his suit jacket to its proper length to organize his thoughts for a proper answer.
“We’re all aware that in some capacity or form that an isolated number of former FBI Agents and those from sister agencies aided in the planning and execution of the 411 attacks and the subsequent actions in and around Atlanta in the days and weeks after. In so many words, Justice Price, we are a government institution, so that means that the American taxpayer himself aided in these engagements. I want these individuals brought to justice—if you’ll pardon the pun, madam. These men and women are the epithet of the worst type of traitor. And I want each and every one of them arrested and tried for treasonous crimes against this country.”
Justice Berry flashed his two colleagues that had marched in with him a look and then he turned his attention back to the new deputy director.
“We want that as well, Sheridan. I hear the pain and the sense of urgency in your voice. I believe that both are sincere. Yet, I haven’t heard any specifics on how you are to accomplish this monumental task that we have laid at your feet. I’m sure that everyone in this room knows that a House in Chains has a major rally planned in Atlanta for later this evening. Despite that mass suicide involving many of the vital components of the head of the snake, the body indeed slithers on. I have no doubt that in some deep dark corner that the remnants of Pandora are or have already done something similar.”
“I wasn’t quite finished, sir.” Sheridan cleared his throat. “Today I’m going to appoint a reclaiming czar whose sole purpose— outside of eating and breathing— is to find each and every man and woman who was involved and yank them by their privates from under whatever rock they may have be hiding under. We start this process by debriefing each and every current member of this bureau. The metaphor we use goes as follows: We sweep the barber shops and hair salons with one giant comb—meaning we get into the professional and private lives of our own people’s activities over the past few years— and we examine each and every strand we have down to its DNA coding.”
Justice Price stepped past Berry and shook Sheridan’s hand again.
“I don’t envy you this task, Sheridan. This sounds like a monumental undertaking you have ahead of you. It also sounds as if this so called czar of yours has much work ahead of him.”
“And much to answer for if he fails to produce results in a timely manner,” Berry added his last piece before this jigsaw puzzle of conversation was finished at last.
“She won’t fail,” Sheridan stepped away from the Justices as they passed and planted a firm hand on Agent Tabitha Blue’s narrow shoulder. “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t do this right now. Justices, allow me to introduce you to my choice for this important position that I spoke of minutes earlier. Agent Tabitha Blue is the most qualified person in this agency available for this assignment.” He then looked down at the woman who was fighting off the effects of near shock on her face. “All this is contingent on you accepting this posting of course.”
The younger woman had semi recovered from being totally blindsided by her bosses’ offer. Angel thought, to the agent’s credit, that she handled the unexpected attention—and potential promotion with as much professionalism as it deserved.
Angel couldn’t say the same thing for herself however.
What the fuck…She thought dumfounded. She glared first at Sheridan and then at Agent Blue and finally at Christopher Prince in rapid succession. How could Sheridan bypass you as a candidate for this posting, Christopher? He must have felt her fury and ducked her constant glaring by finding something worthwhile to look at on the hardwood floors.
“I can’t say that I was expecting this type of honor being bestowed on me this morning, sir,” Blue was showing her overbite again. “Yes, yes, I would be proud to accept this responsibility. I want to do this.”
Justice Price nodded at the younger woman a satisfied smile played a tune on her lips.
“Special Agent Blue, our committee has already been briefed on your service record early on in the process when the deputy director was mentioned as a probable candidate to serve in his new capacity. I stand here before you very pleased with Sheridan’s choice for this posting.”
Berry folded his arms, apparently not as easily pleased or silenced.
“Do not misunderstand me or my words, young lady. Your qualifications are extemporary as it has already been said here before but—“
“What is it, sir,” Blue asked Berry. “What is it that troubles you about my role in this?”
“Agent Blue, you took a gunshot to the head only six months ago.” He asked her quickly. “Are you completely healed from your injuries?”
“I have,” Blue nodded as if she had anticipated this line of questioning. “Thank you for your concern, sir. But the truth is that I’ve never felt physically better than I do right now…at least since that night. The surgeon that treated me did a miraculous job.” Blue stared in Angel’s direction for a long minute. Seth was at the top of his game despite all that he’d been through himself in the hours before he pulled that bullet out of Blue’s skull. “And the psychological therapy that I’ve been through in the months since has brought my focus and concentration to a higher plain. I won’t bore any of you with all of those details of my recovery, sir. What I can tell you is this, Justice Berry: I won’t fail you. I give you my word.”
Justice Berry stared at Blue for a long time after she’d last spoken…and then he nodded in her general direction and disappeared out of the door without saying adding a word of his own. The other Justices silently followed him out.
After the door shut behind the last of them Angel said aloud:
“What in the hell just happened here?”
Tabitha Blue looked as if she could stand no longer. She settled herself in one of the nearby uncomfortable chairs as if standing for one minute longer would zap all of her remaining energy. Christopher now found something interesting to peer out of the window into the landscape of Washington, D.C.
“While I don’t share the doctor’s persistent distaste of your choice for job openings, Mr. Deputy Director,” Blue let her words bite wherever and whoever they may. “I must admit to be truthfully surprised at your offer as well.”
Sheridan grinned.
“You weren’t a difficult sale for them or for me, Agent Blue.” Sheridan sat on the desk where the young woman was seated. “You’re work in this agency throughout your career is stellar. You are loyal, trustworthy and…vigilant. You’re going to need all of those qual
ities, especially the latter, if you are to carry this assignment out successfully.”
“Maybe,” She leaned forward and looked up at Sheridan, but her expression had changed. “I heard you say that I was the best available candidate.” She turned around to where her ex-partner was still looking out of the window. He must have felt all of the eyes in the room glaring in his direction. “Why did you turn Sheridan down, Chris?”
Christopher spun around and could only manage a sheepish look on his dark, beautifully unblemished face. He didn’t speak at first and then when he did open his mouth the words couldn’t find their way clear of his lips.
“Well,” Angel had run out of patience. “Are you going to say anything, Christopher?”
He tugged at the crease on his slacks and then seated himself on the table where Angel was sitting, which was adjacent to both Sheridan and Blue.
“Alright, okay,” He threw his hands up at her. “The truth is that I lacked one critical area of qualification for accepting any advanced position within the bureau or any other governmental agency.”
Angel sat up.
“And what would that qualification or lack thereof be?” she asked, but just as suddenly one of the likely answers popped into her head before her friend manufactured an answer.
“I am no longer employed by the Federal Bureau of