A Hard Place to Fall
I stood in front of my mirror in my living room and smoothed down my shirt and jacket, I was nervous as hell and had no idea what I was getting involved in during my first day at work. I clocked the time and grabbed my bag from the chair and secured my firearm in my holster and secured my ID and badge onto my belt as I locked the main door and headed down to my car outside. I had just moved to New York and found I was loving the place even though I had never lived in a city before, the gardens and parks were really going to be my stress out zones during my new life and I was thankful my apartment had a roof garden where I could de-stress after work. Twenty minutes later I found the right car park and managed to get parked in the multi-story connected to the office, another ten minutes before I got through the main door and straight through to security to check in. I handed over all my IDs required and they called up to the main office to alert them of my appearance and to ensure that someone was there from HR so I could sign the documents in presence to start my new role.
A few minutes later I got off on the twentieth floor and headed through the glass doors, the office was open plan apart from the senior agents and a woman from HR met me at the main desk, it was still very early and the place was just getting ready for the shift change; I felt the eyes of some agents on me – probably wondering who the hell I am?
"Corporal Cameron?" a voice called gently.
I turned around and was faced by the Director of the FBI again, I smiled and shook his hand as he introduced the lady from HR and invited us into his office to get the formal part of the meeting completed so he could introduce my new boss and team to their newest recruit. An hour later and everything was completed and my new file was sitting proudly completed on the table, I was now a full FBI agent and smiled as the director congratulated me on making the move from Scotland to New York in under a month's notice. He stood up when he saw a couple of men enter the office downstairs and by instinct I stood up to, being military himself, he clocked me move and waved me back down onto the chair as he went to speak to them for a moment, he then waved me through and I moved silently behind the two men who started slightly as the director introduced me.
"Neal Caffrey, Senior Agent Peter Burke, I would like you to meet the newest member of the White Collar Division; she has just moved 7000 miles to join us and I will let her fill in any questions you may have. Corporal, be gentle please?" he said winking to me.
I nodded to him and smiled, hiding a laugh under a gentle cough.
"Corporal, you look pretty young for a rank of Corporal – where do you hail from?"
"A little town in the highlands of Scotland, and you should know better than that to ask a lady her age when you first meet her?" I replied grinning.
Both men looked at me and burst out laughing as I grinned at their expressions, the accent it always throws people when they don't expect it!
"My wife said something similar when I first met her, still haven't learned 12 years later apparently! Please come have a seat and we can do some catch up!"
I winked and joined them for a seat and grinned as he handed me a mug of coffee.
"So tell us a little about yourself, I don't even know your name yet?" Peter asked.
"My name is Freya Cameron, I'm 30 years old and I am from Mullin, I have no family and have just been discharged from the regular army after twelve year's; I was recruited by a head hunter and after the evaluations I was hired by the director. Eager to learn and develop my skills I have gained during my time with the military and put them to good use in law enforcement – I just hope everyone can understand me?" I replied.
"What did you do in the military, or am I allowed to ask?" Neal inquired.
"I was a member of the medical core, based in Afghanistan main hospital, I organised triage and all training for the local population and served as required on active patrol as medic and rescue care." I replied.
Both men looked at each other and I knew I had their immediate respect, but they were dying to ask me another question and I knew immediately they were trying to figure out how to ask it politely.
"Before you give yourself a migraine walking on the egg shells, I was cleared by the military and FBI panels with full jurisdiction and clearance for work in the city!"
"Are you fully discharged, just in case a recall?" Peter inquired.
"From the UK forces yes, but I have been offered a reserve spot on the NG medic unit in NYC" I replied passing the letter.
The office door opened and in walked the rest of the team that Peter led, I flashed a smile to Neal who was looking at me and stood up to introduce myself and greet my new team. I was the only female of this unit which was fine for me, and I knew after talking to the group for an hour or so that I was going to love it here.