Ok, so there will be a new boss coming in soon. Whenever there is a change like this, the new boss will give the 'new regime' speech. But with our happy little group, I wonder how that will go. What kind of notes did Minellit leave regarding them?
DISCLAIMER: Only my fevered imagination and a new dryer. The rest belong to Heller and CBS.
Special Agent In Charge Hightower had spent the weekend organizing her new office. Part of her was secretly delighted to have come this far. But she knew the CBI she inherited was in a bad way. The killing by a mad man of four of their own in their own house had devastated them. It could be debilitating but she had to admit they had managed to keep working. Frankly, she was a little surprised that Virgil Minelli had left with that open wound still festering.
She had also spent a great deal of time going over personnel files. Most of them were pretty straightforward. There were a couple of units that needed some tweaking and a few that needed a fire lit under them. But they were all professionals, cops pretty much dedicated to getting the bad guy and making the world a little better. Minelli had left her his private file on each unit. It was what the official jackets didn't tell you.
For most of the units, this comprised of a page of notes. A paragraph written on his own impressions and the little quirks that might make working with these people easier. She appreciated the effort, but had decided to go with her own impressions and use these files only as a back up to fill in blanks. Except for Lisbon's Unit.
Lisbon's unit had a private file that went on for 3 pages. Hightower had heard all bout Mother Teresa's crew. Their close rate was impressive as was the mountain of complaints. Most of them were aimed at Jane, the 'consultant' She knew why the brass allowed him to stay. What she didn't understand is why a good cop like Teresa Lisbon would let him get away with this crap.
She had read the file on Lisbon's unit and decided that the conversation with them was best held in a private manner. Jane was not above creating a ridiculous scene to get his way. She had called them into the private conference room on Sunday morning, the quietest time at HQ.
As they filed in, she watched them, noticing their interactions, and matching them up with the notes Minelli had left. Van Pelt was first in. The rookie of the unit was still trying too hard after over a year. Cho arrived next. He nodded to Van Pelt, and then sat carefully, his back to the corner. Rigsby walked in, finishing a donut, and handed coffee to his other two team members. She watched carefully as the big man's eyes and that of the rookie held for a moment longer than needed. Cho caught the interplay and clearly ignored it. That was telling. As they waited for Lisbon and Jane, Rigsby asked in a hushed voice, "Do we know what this is about?" It was directed more at Cho, who looked up at them and shrugged. "Jane probably pulled something again" The tersely worded explanation seemed to satisfy both Rigsby and Van Pelt.
Lisbon arrived and greeted her team. She was a small woman who made up for it by being especially prickly in nature. She clearly used her attitude to assume command. Hightower had seen women do this before. It made sense in a male dominated world. She looked over her team quickly and ascertained they were all fine before she sat. Interestingly, she sat at the head of the table with Cho at her right hand. Considering what Hightower had heard about Lisbon and Jane, she would have expected that seat to be taken by the consultant. Cho and Lisbon exchanged looks, a conversation being held with just their eyes. Clearly, they trusted each other implicitly.
The meeting was set for 9am. At 9:05, Jane wandered in. His manner was unhurried, and relaxed. It seemed he would try to gain control in any way possible, even disrupting a meeting. Hightower smiled to herself. She had been warmed about this kind of thing and had deliberately waited. Making them wait to put them on edge was an old interrogator's tactic.
At 9:15, she walked in to the room and nodded unsmiling at them all. "I am Special Agent in Charge Hightower. I want all of your guns, shields and ID Cards on the table now."
The agents sat up in shock. They all exchanged quick glances, resting their gazes on Lisbon. Were they being fired or suspended? Did Lisbon know about this? Should they do it?
Lisbon stood immediately. "What is this about?"
"Sit down, Agent Lisbon. I expect you all to obey a direct order."
She and Lisbon stared at each other for a long moment, and finally Lisbon reached down and unsnapped her piece; put it and the wallet containing her ID and shield on the table. She nodded to the other stunned agents who followed suit. Jane smirked and put his ID on the table. He recognized a control tactic when he saw one.
"Now that we have established who is in charge here. I respect the tight loyalty this unit has for its leader, but I am running things here. The first thing you need to know about me is that I am the boss, but I am a cop. I get it. But there are going to be changes here. Not just in your unit, throughout the CBI"
"Why did you take our shields and guns?" Van Pelt voiced the question for them all. She expected Rigsby to ask.
"Because I want you to imagine your lives without them"
"What?" This time it was Cho who uncharacteristically voiced their thoughts.
"Your unit has an impressive close ratio. You are to be congratulated. BUT, the cost has become too high"
She was impressed that they didn't ask the cost. Clearly, they all understood what that meant. She expected Jane to attack and was not disappointed.
"Agent Hightower, how is your daughter feeling this morning? Will she be well enough for school do you think?"
If he expected her to be thrown off by his seemingly random and insightful comments, he was to be disappointed.
"Very good Jane, but I am not playing your game. It's time you understood that I will be taking control here. I will not be distracted and taken off focus by your unchecked behaviors"
She held up her hand and cut off Jane's words.
"Right now, I want all of you except Jane and Lisbon to go and organize your desks. Assume that you are not staying in them."
Entire conversations were held just with slight shoulder shrugs, eye rolls and head nods. Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt quietly left the conference room clearly shaken. When they got to the bullpen, they quietly held a conference. They would go along with this for now, but agreed to stay together on whatever came down.
Cho was sure he was to be re-assigned. His loyalty to Lisbon even at the expense of rules was too well known. He was also the first to go along with whatever crazy idea Jane threw out. He figured if he could keep Rigsby and or Van Pelt here, Lisbon would still have loyal agents. He knew he was not about to use their relationship as a chip. Loyalty counted to him.
Rigsby was sure he was going to be fired or sent to file in a basement somewhere. They knew about him and Grace. Crap! He would go, if Grace could stay. At least he knew Cho would watch her back.
Grace was sure her romance with Wayne had ended her career. It would just kill her to be demoted, but maybe if she was careful, Wayne and Cho could still work together and Lisbon would have a team to take care of her.
Back in the conference room, Jane sat calmly, pretending to be bored. This woman had a military background, he was sure and would be easy to manipulate. Lisbon was furious. How dare she treat her agents this way? They had one of the highest close rates in the state. Considering how horrific the crimes, it was impressive.
"Agent Lisbon, I will start by telling you that your unit is well known and admired. Your close rate is the high-water mark. But, based upon what I have here, changes must be made. Mr. Jane, you have been allowed free rein for far too long in my opinion. Consider that over. I am impressed that Agent Lisbon has tolerated your crap for this long."
"His crap, if I might say…"
"Yes, I know, Agent Lisbon. His crap is why you close cases. The cost to the state and the CBI has become too high. I know Mr. Jane thinks he has the ace up his sleeve of his connected friends. Mr. Jane, I have 4 of a kind that will always trump your ace. They are four agents, killed here in our house. Their crime was a ploy by a sick bastard to keep you involved in the investigation of that psycho. Look at the badges on the table. Which one of those would you like to see covered in blood next, Mr. Jane. From now on, you are here at my sufferance. Tread lightly."
She sat down and pulled out those typewritten pages and a stack of files. "Agent Lisbon, we will review each member of your team, and discuss the other changes. Each agent will then be brought in. If I do not feel that agent is on board, she or he will be re-assigned. Yours is not the only unit being reviewed. However, because your unit will take longer to discuss, that is why we are here on a quiet Sunday."
"Nonsense. We are here on a quiet Sunday so in case I act wildly, you will have fewer witnesses. You are not going to dismantle this unit. There is no way you can justify that in light of the volume and ratio of closed cases."
"Mr. Jane, let us begin with you."
She pulled out a very thick file and lowered it loudly on the table. Pulling out the file from Minelli, she began to read.
"Patrick Jane is brilliant. His ability to notice the tiniest details at a crime scene or during an interrogation makes him an asset to the CBI. However, his unhealthy obsession with Red John is dangerous. It has proved fatal. The growing connection between him and Agent Lisbon is affecting her objectivity. She has less and less control on him. He is not a team player. He has no loyalty to anyone save himself and his thirst for vengeance. If he gets it, he will probably cease to have a reason to go on. If he does not, his bitterness and self loathing will make him even more of a danger to those around him."
Lisbon didn't want to hear this, but knew it was an accurate assessment. She personally thought she still had a control over Jane. But the rest of the paragraph was horribly on target.
"There's more, but I think this sums up a great deal. Mr. Jane you are slowly sliding from the asset to the liability column here at the CBI. I think it is safe to say that in terms of Agent Lisbon, you are a liability. I can not get rid you you completely, but from now on, all 'ideas' you might have to catch a suspect, MUST be cleared with me personally."
Jane stood abruptly. If he left, his connection to Red John would go. Jane knew Red John would kill again to keep him connected. This new agent in charge would not be easily gotten around. Minelli had a don't ask, don't tell policy. He only interfered when the mess got too big. Hightower planned to be a lot more hands on. Patrick Jane did not like being controlled. He looked over at Lisbon. She was staring at the badges, ID Cards and guns on the table.
He sat down, seeming calm and relaxed.
"Fine, then, I accept your terms"
"Terms, Mr. Jane? This is not a negotiation. You may go and pretend to sleep on your sofa. I will give you back your ID card later."
Going to the door, she called Cho in next. His normal calm demeanor betrayed nothing of his nerves. He would not give this woman or anyone an inch.
"Agent Kimball Cho.", she began to read from Minelli's notes. "Cho is completely loyal to Agent Lisbon and therefore the unit. He will take that loyalty to whatever degree he needs to. He is willing to bend rules to back up the unit. Cho may not completely trust Patrick Jane, but he understands his help has closed cases. His past had taught him that loyalty is all, and if you need to break the rules, the consequences are worth it. Because he rarely allows himself to show emotion to those he does not know extremely well, he is one of the best interrogators in the state. He has turned down multiple offers from the FBI and to head his own unit. He will not leave Lisbon."
Cho sat down and looked over at Lisbon. Then he looked down at his badge and gun. He had traveled a long road to get that badge and gun. The assessment of him was not easy to hear, but he knew it was fair. He waited to hear what was next.
"Agent Cho. You are a very smart man. Your IQ tests out higher than most agents. You could have done anything. You choose to stay here. While your loyalty is commendable, it is hurting you, your career and possibly your unit. Your first loyalty to should be to the law that you have sworn to uphold. You need to remember this."
"I understand." Typically, he kept his answer to the barest minimum. He didn't agree, she noticed, just affirmed his comprehension.
"You may go and wait by your desk. Send in Agent Rigsby"
Wayne nervousness was obvious. He never liked being called into the principal's office and this is what this sent him back to in his mind.
"Agent Wayne Rigsby. Despite being the son of the most notorious bike gang leader, he is almost fanatical about the rules. He is a solid smart agent. But he lacks real leadership skills. His ability to put together pieces of a puzzle have stood him in good stead. However, once those pieces are put together, he is willing to let someone else make the final decision. His strength and speed make him an asset. Interestingly, the only time he will make that split second decision is during immediate danger. Rigsby will always put himself out there. He needs to learn that he is not invincible. He is also a little compulsive when it comes to being protective of women. That needs to be watched. And so will your lunch."
Putting the paper down, she looked up at the visibly nervous man. At that moment it was hard to reconcile this worried face with the man who ran into burning buildings and would throw himself into danger in heartbeat. For all the world, he reminded her of a great dane her brother had. He even had those same puppy eyes.
"Rigsby, you are getting to the point in your career where your future will be decided. It won't be the unthinking bravery that will be noted, but your ability to make the tough decisions. If you want to be nothing more than muscle, fine. But remember, your body will age. Leadership skills, however only improve with age. You have been in law enforcement too long to not understand that."
"Yes, Ma'am?"
He answered it as a question, not trusting what he should say. It was the kind of response she had expected from him.
"Go back to your desk and send in Agent Van Pelt"
Van Pelt was trying too hard to hide her nerves. She had never been through regime changes like this. She would learn that cops came and went. It was a part of your lifespan as an agent.
"Agent Van Pelt. You are a product of the new generation of cop. You're better educated, more technologically savvy and want the answers right away. Like most of your generation, you have information thrown at you constantly via the internet etc. But you lack knowledge." Reading from the pages Minelli had prepared, "Van Pelt will be an excellent agent once she gets some seasoning. She is eager and willing to learn, but a bit unsure of herself. The biggest concern is that she will be distracted by her personal life and her past. She is the last in a string of agents who were assigned to this unit. Most of them left because of something Jane did. Her ability to last with him speaks well of her determination."
Grace paled a little when she heard about her personal life. Did that mean she knew? What happens now?
"I expect you will improve with time as we all did" Hightower envied Van Pelt a little. She was of a generation of women in law enforcement that was walking a path Hightower had cleared. She didn't even understand how bad it had been. But she expected more from Van Pelt as a result.
"I am interested in staying on in this unit and learning more"
"Yes, I know. Go back and wait by your desk"
As the door closed behind her, Hightower swung around and fixed Lisbon with a steady stare.
"As for you Agent Lisbon, your rise and potential fall are being carefully watched. I know that each one of those agents is completely loyal to you. That is part of the problem. You have all lost sight off the laws you have sworn to uphold and defend. You are on a slippery slope that is getting slicker by the day. Mr. Jane will probably be the death of your career. Did you know there was conversation about you taking Minelli's place? It was decided that you had lost your objectivity. My job is to remind you of it on a regular basis. For now your team will stay on and together."
"My team…"
"I haven't finished. There will be some changes. First of all, Mr. Jane is never to be left alone at any crime scene. He is to be accompanied by you or an agent at all time. That agent will lose his badge if Mr. Jane does not comply with CBI regulations. He is out of control. That lack of control has not only caused chaos, he has caused deaths. Those families have lost their loved ones because Jane thinks he is above the law"
"Wait just a minute! I agree that Jane can be a little off center. But he hardly caused the death of Bosco and the others. Red John…"
"Oh yes, Red John. Any case involving Red John will still be handled by your unit, but will be completely overseen by me. It's time this case was handled in a professional manner. You and your unit are all over the map on this one. Not anymore."
Finally sitting down, she took a more conciliatory tone.
"Agent Lisbon, you are a good agent. I know you closed cases before Jane and you will after him. Minelli had complete faith in your abilities. Maybe too much. This is why these changes are being made. Tighten up your team. Speaking of which, What the hell do mean allowing those two to date? Either you are completely clueless, which I doubt, or you have been looking the other way. No matter. That stops too. I will allow you to handle that, but be aware I am watching. I plan to be more hands on. Get used to it"
Stepping to the door, she called them all back in. They all stood by their places. No one wanted to be the one to ask. Hightower watched as they tried to read Lisbon's face. Were they agents or unemployed?
"I have spoken to each member of this unit regarding my expectations. For the time being you will all keep your badges and current assignments. However, that could change at any time. There's a new sheriff in town, you will either accept and embrace the change or be swept away by it."
Taking a moment and looking each agent in the eyes directly, she gave them back their guns and shields. It was symbolic, deliberately so. Hightower giveth and would taketh away. Lastly, she handed Jane back his ID card.
"Take a long look around this room, at these faces. Your actions could kill careers or even worse. Remember that, Jane"
He nodded and smiled. Hightower didn't trust him. He would bear watching very closely. Picking up the files, she left the room. As she closed the door, she could hear the whoosh of air that they all let out. They had been holding their breaths. Good. A little fear went a long way.
So, what do we think? Would love a review or 2 or 100!!