Facing The Music
Authors note: Spoilers for Trust Metric. David's Trust Metric reaction has been covered a lot, but I wondered how Don would handle the situation with Colby. I'm posting this before the show. I can't wait to see how it goes tonight.
Colby's was finally going home. In the mirror this morning at the hospital, the face looking back at him had looked a bit drawn. The circles under his eyes and bruises were fading but still evident. It would take him some time to put the stress of the last few months – especially five weeks in lockup, two days on the run and almost a week in the hospital behind him. Now there was two weeks of forced medical leave and debriefings with the FBI, DOJ and likely the NSA that he was not relishing.
Then there was his house. What a mess.
He'd bought the place as an investment and as far as that goes prices, in his modest neighborhood in L.A. had risen 20 in just the past two years. But he'd never made his house a home. It was a landing pad and not just because he was a bachelor. This thing with Carter had been going on since Quantico. It was like having Damocle's sword perched over his head. FBI investigations and his secret mission took up most of his energy. Colby had precious little left over to personalize his house, certainly no pet or plants. But what little he had was a mess.
Megan brought him home from the hospital. When he walked in the door, oddly the first thought was that he never realized that he had this much stuff. Mainly it struck him because it seemed that every container, drawer and cabinet that held anything was opened and the contents spilled, piled or spread somewhere else.
His trained investigative eye detected at least three distinct colors of fingerprint powder. FBI, DOJ, maybe NSA? He was sure Don and the team had tossed his place first. Colby would be willing to put his next paycheck on the line betting most of the mayhem had not been caused by the FBI. Don was too meticulous – no matter how upset, his boss would stay true to his nature and principles. It had to be one of the other alphabet agencies. No doubt things got tossed about as frustration over not finding anything helpful ramped up.
Larry and Charlie had looked up from where they were working. Both greeted him with dismayed smiles.
"We'd hoped to get more done before you and Megan arrived. None of us knew what the place would look like until Megan dropped by to get you clothes last night." Charlie said ruefully. "She made a few calls and here we are." He was sorting and folding clothes on card table that was normally in the kitchen. A couple of laundry baskets of cloths soiled by dust or other items mixed in with the mess on the floor were sorted into lights and darks. It looked like most of the contents of his bedroom were sorted in piles on every available flat surface around the young mathematician.
Larry was kneeling in front of a CD rack that normally held about 400 CDS. Its former contents were strewn around the physicist. Larry shrugged apologetically.
"I first thought that I would organize the CDs by musical intensity, but decided rather on a simple alphabetical ascending progression," Larry explained.
"Not by color?" Colby said not unkindly with a tired smile. Colby's lame joke seemed to ease the tension. He was surprised to see they all seemed embarrassed for him to see the wreck of his place.
"You know I contemplated that, but though that you might find it a tad random."
Amita came in from his bedroom with a stack of papers, empty file folders, bills and other paperwork.
Amita breezed in, unaffected by the earlier tension. Lightheartedly she stated, "Hi Colby. Megan said she was under orders to make sure that you rested as soon as you got home. We've got your bedroom and bathroom straightened out in case you want to lay down. You really look like hell. Can I fix you something to eat?"
Colby was so thankful for her frankness and normalcy, he barked out a short laugh.
"I look that good, huh?" Amita and Charlie grinned at each other, looked back at the normally dapper agent, and nodded in unison.
"Actually, I'd kill for pizza and a beer."
Megan piped up. "Beer is not on your menu while taking your meds. Would you like to sit at the table and start sorting through your papers?" She really had not waited for an answer but had already started to usher him to the table, sensing that if the younger agent didn't sit down, he would soon fall down. Megan did not force the doctor's orders down his throat. Understanding the loneliness of being the hospital, as well as the enforced isolation of keeping his secrets as a triple agent and five weeks in jail, Megan knew he would enjoy the companionship of this group while they helped him put his life back together.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan,"
On one level Colby understood Don's and David's absence. Don's life at the bureau had been complicated by the younger agent's actions. Charlie said that his brother would have been here, but he had to go in on his day off to attend meetings and Granger knew that some of it revolved around his not confiding his actions to his boss and how they may have compromised previous and current investigations. He knew that he would have to face the music soon.
Colby let the companionable hum of the conversations wash over him, happy to simply listen and respond when needed. For the first time in a long time he felt that he belonged somewhere and he felt a tightness in his chest that had nothing to do with his injuries.
Colby was grateful they had given him the weekend before descending on him. The FBI had been first and Colby was sincerely appreciative that Don had come with the team sent to question him. He was surprised to see that his boss was the most subordinate of the group, whose number included the Los Angeles Section Chief Stewart Chambers and Assistant Director Albert Morrow out of D.C. All deference was paid to Colby's contribution and sacrifices. However, as the questions progressed, it was clear that the FBI, especially the local section chief, were put out by the fact they were not aware of the operation.
Over the next three days, Colby took them through every step of the operation. His grimly clinical description of his treatment at the hands of Mason Lancer on the freighter shocked all present though their only physical reaction showed as a tightening of a jaw or white knuckled grip on a pen. They had all seen the CSU pictures of Counter Intelligence Special Agent Michael Kirkland's body. The young man in front of them was only alive due to the grace of a stronger heart and teammates willing to put their careers on the line.
But they were still annoyed and they persisted in raising questions as to why Agent Granger had not notified the chain of command as to his covert mission in Los Angeles.
Colby answered each of the questions patiently and succinctly. After three days, the stress of the debriefing was taking its toll. The younger agent was beginning to think there was no end in sight when there was a knock on the door. He could see David handing Don a thick file and promptly turning to leave. Don was rifling though the papers as he stepped back into the room.
Colby was surprised when Don interrupted the assistant director.
"I had Agent Sinclair go to Washington and collect information on Kirkland's op to ferret out who Dwayne Carter's contact was. Some of the files are from a safe in his office and others were from his home. " Don handed a memo to the AD. "This is an email from the instructor Colby contacted after being approached by Carter. The instructor contacted an Ellerby in Counter Intel who passed the email to Kirkland."
Don passed more papers over to the section chief and AD. "This is Granger's psych profile. Attached notes identify how Kirkland planned to use Granger to maintain total confidentiality on this op." Pointing to one highlighted reference in the assistant director's hands, the assistant director complied with the unasked question and read it aloud.
"Potential for upper level security incursion at the bureau or other agencies possible. Will take advantage of Granger's military background, fierce loyalty and sense of duty to maintain absolute secrecy. Op knowledge must be contained at all cost."
Colby looked away from the group, hesitating for the first time to look any of the men in the eye. He was conscious for the first time of feeling duty and honor as something for which to be ashamed. He had been used and the profile in the report made the qualities he held dear, that he strived for, seem like weaknesses rather than virtues. As he looked away pretending to glance out the window, Colby could feel the stinging in his eyes. Mason would have cracked him like a walnut if he had read that report to him in the freighter.
Caught up in his own thoughts, Colby was unaware of the Morrow's quick leafing of the papers or Don's change in position in the room - until he felt his supervisor's hand alight briefly on his shoulder. Don was now standing directly behind him. Colby heard the softest whisper, meant only for his ears… "You have to understand - I .Trust. You."
AD Morrow cleared his throat and smiled at the younger agent for the first time in three days. "Son, there is nothing, I mean nothing in this file that you should be ashamed of. Kirkland's initial notes in your file might seem – harsh or even manipulative – but counter intelligence has a mission and secrecy is paramount to the mission. He knew that your sense of honor and duty would protect the mission – even at the cost of your life – which it very nearly came to. Maybe we lost sight of that goal a little in the past three days. Don't think too unkindly of Special Agent Kirkland. There was a letter to be opened in the event of his death. "
Morrow read the letter aloud, "Agent Colby Granger came to me while still training and exposed a potential security risk that might lead us to other Chinese agents who may have infiltrated this or other federal government agencies. It has been two years and his dedication to duty, even in the face of false imprisonment, has been exemplary. It has been an honor to work with and know this exceptional young man. I am about to put into motion steps to effect his escape in order to finally ascertain the identity of Dwayne Carter's Chinese contact. In the event of my death or disappearance, the attached materials should exonerate Agent Colby Granger. I recommend Agent Granger for special recognition for his bravery and dedication to the United States Government and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Looking Colby in the eye, Morrow added. "This letter was unopened. Kirkland had obviously addressed it to himself. It was dated two days before his death. I plan to personally take it to the director." Suddenly Morrow's solemn face broke into a wide grin. "At least Kirkland's worst fear did not come true. The mole was in the DOJ. We come out as the hero's and DOJ will be looking for cover." Schooling his face into an impartial mask once again, he added, "Agent Granger, we will expect you to report for duty in two weeks."
"Yes, Sir!" Colby replied with marked enthusiasm. Morrow and Chambers were already getting various papers together and tucking them into their briefcases in preparation to leave.
Colby ventured one last question. "Sir, I would very much appreciate it if the duty that I report to is in Los Angeles and to Special Agent Don Eppes."
Morrow's eyes fairly twinkled as he looked from Colby to his supervisor. "I think Bureau Chief Chambers and I concur that we will leave this decision up to Special Agent Eppes." With that, both men walked out the door.
Don was looking like he was preparing to leave as well and acting, to Colby's annoyance, like he had not heard the request.
Even Granger was surprised when he heard the tentativeness in his voice when he placed the request a second time.
"Uh, Don…Will you and the team have me back."
Face as serious as a preacher, Don replied, "David is still pissed at you, but I guess you have his answer in the file he brought back from DC. Megan's been smiling more than I've seen in weeks. Charlie, well you know Charlie, I don't think that his Trust Metric was completely based on Mathematics. He never gave up on you."
"What about you, Don?" Colby queried softly, dreading the answer.
Don's face took a stern, thoughtful look. "I seem to remember telling you that if you lied to me again, you'd be off the team."
Colby looked down for a second, then looked the older agent directly in the eye, ready to face the music.
"I'm proud of what you accomplished and I'm proud of our team for figuring out the real deal and sticking by you when it really counted. You trusted me with the truth when the chips were down and that goes a long way in my book. I know that you didn't know me two years ago, when all this started. It's an honor to work with you…but so help me god, Granger…"
"I know, I know."
Don's face became the stern mask that Colby remembered on the night he was interrogated – the one night where he couldn't look the senior agent in the eye. "You can't use that excuse again. If you can't trust me, I can't trust you, got that. You pull a stunt like this again and you're off the team."
"On one condition," Colby said with a smile sneaking onto what was trying to be a completely innocent face.
Knowing better, Don rose to the bait anyway. "Yeah? And what exactly would that be?"
"Don't hire any traitors."
Colby heard Don mutter "wiseass," "last word" and something that sounded remarkably like "beware of what you wish for" to himself before he slammed the door. Happily for Colby, his supervisor was grinning was he walked out of the door.
Colby surveyed his sparse house and for the first time since joining the Army over ten years ago, he realized he was finally home.
The end.