Immediate Care Center
New Orleans
The whole team ended up going to the immediate care center with Chris. "We're lucky they didn't arrest us at the car rental desk," Nathan admitted.
"What did they expect they had a Chevy Chevette for all seven of us," Buck started up in disgust.
"Good thing they got the club wagon in or it would have got real ugly," JD observed.
"Mr. Tanner seems to be calming to some degree," Ezra remarked from his stance by a window. "He has slowed from a run to a steady jog now," Ezra reported dryly.
Chris walked out his left arm was in a sling. "What do you say we let Vin have our travel planner?" Chris asked.
"Sounds a little extreme," Nathan ventured.
"Nothings broke some deep bruising is all. Ice for the next 24 hrs. then I can loose the sling," Chris recited the findings and Doctor's orders, as they exited the clinic.
"I'se sorry," Vin sighed when Chris approached. Dropping his eyes in guilt after his first word.
"You didn't mean it Cowboy. It's just bruised," Chris soothed the upset man.
"I shoulda had more control," Vin muttered in disgust.
"It's all right," Chris brushed Vin's shoulder lightly.
"Are you going to ride in the van with us or run alongside," Chris teased.
"Figure I'd have ta slow down fer tha' piece a shit," Vin smirked. That seemed to break up the lingering tension and all seven piled into the club wagon to head over to the hotel, hopeful that their luck would change.
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Law Enforcement Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
Arriving at the hotel the men checked in, got the key cards and headed for their rooms.
"Why'd they have to loose my stuff," JD lamented as he followed the others. The men discovered they had been placed in two suites.
"Things are looking up," Josiah looked at the sitting room.
"Guys!" Nathan called. The two bedrooms of their suite contained one queen-size bed each.
"Just great," Buck stomped to the door.
"Buck?" JD demanded.
"I'm gonna find me a bar and kill the pain," Buck allowed.
They could hear Chris' furious tones through the wall. "Figure maybe we need to rescue Vin and Ezra?" Josiah asked. Buck cautiously walked over and knocked on the door to the other suite.
Ezra answered his hair mussed from dragging his fingers through it. His tie was askew. His shirt was partially untucked.
"What?" he snarled.
"Drink, lounge, I'll buy the first," Buck responded. Ezra blinked then forced a smile. Stepping into the hall he gathered Buck's arm into the crook of his arm.
"Mr. Wilmington have I ever shared how bewitched I am by your charming magnetism?" Ezra purred.
Buck grinned, "It ain't gonna work. Ya can't have my bed. Your shaped all to wrong and your way to high maintenance."
"My dear Mr. Wilmington, nothing ventured, nothing gained," Ezra sighed. "Perhaps I could interest you in a friendly game of cards?" Ezra grinned.
"No, and yah got to many damn teeth you shark," Buck laughed.
"Queen-size?" Josiah smiled.
"No, that pitiful excuse for a suite contains not one but 2 full size beds and the couch makes a rack for a third," Ezra came close to whining.
"You know what Chris said about our travel planner?" Nathan growled.
"Yeah, give 'em to Vin," JD responded.
"Let's take turns," Nathan offered. Heads nodded in agreement.
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Hotel
Late that Evening
"No, No, NO!" JD almost screamed.
"JD?" Buck charged out of the bathroom, gun in hand, dripping water onto the floor.
"This is cause for justifiable homicide," JD stormed out of the room a sheaf of papers in hand.
"Chris!" JD pounded on the other suite door.
"What now?" Chris snarled. Opening the door he was surprised to find a truly furious JD. It was so completely out of character. Dunne was usually extremely respectful to the senior agents. At this moment JD was chewing up iron bars and spitting out nails.
"If we had waited we could have caught a 8:30 am flight out of Denver and been here an hour and a half earlier," JD brandished the pages. Ezra snatched the sheets from JD's hand and began scanning the information.
"Those overspending, poorly dressed creatins! It would have saved the ATF $21.15 per person to have utilized the more humane flight. Not only was it scheduled for a slightly more civilized time, we could have flown business class with more ample leg room," Ezra almost sobbed.
"Find out who did this and take care of them," Chris ordered in a deadly whisper.
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Conference
First Morning
The men each headed for the seminar after breakfast. The first meeting was for all the attendees, so the men found seating together in a back corner of the ballroom being used as a classroom for the day.
"They could have found someone who could pronounce the material correctly," Ezra winced at yet another mispronunciation.
"Nah if they did that then folks would notice how monotone this dude is," JD responded with a groan.
"Page 34, subsection 4, paragraph 11," Vin whispered in his gravely tones.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra inquired.
"He's recitin' straight outta tha manual," Vin growled as he squirmed, once again tried to get comfortable.
"Why bless your little heart," Ezra blinked at the information.
"You memorized the manual?" Nathan whispered over in shock.
"I'se tolt ta read tha dang thing," Vin growled at the sudden attention he was garnering from his friends.
"You memorized it," Josiah frowned in disbelief.
"Got in a habit a 'memberin' stuff," Vin sighed really wishing they'd go back to griping about the monotone speaker.
"Easier than reading it again," Chris softly explained. Stunned looks lingered on Vin.
Dyslexia and the effects on day to day life. Ezra mused as he watched Vin shift yet again. Lunch finally rolled around. The only saving grace for a miserable day thus far, was the fellowship they enjoyed over their meal. After a meal of mostly flavored cardboard the men headed off to different clinics.
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Conference
1st Afternoon
Chris cursed softly as he sank into a chair. Leadership and You, Doesn't anyone have an imagination?
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Buck settled in quite happily next to several very attractive ladies, his class was on procedures and obtaining evidence. I'm gonna need a new black book by the end of this thing. Buck grinned cheerfully.
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Nathan sighed as he sat through a mandatory class on basic first aid for all agents. Basic First Aid? I'd like to get through just one morning with out needing my ADVANCED trauma training.
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Josiah was enjoying himself by the time his class on ethics was over. Look how the instructor flinches every time I ask a question. Damn I'm good. He settled back with a pleased smirk.
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Ezra was thoroughly enjoying the way Josiah was terrorizing their instructor. He sat watching Josiah work. Ten minutes and I will aid Mr. Sanchez in routing this ignorant ass. I would wager 3 to 1 that the instructor will leave the room.
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Vin ignored the spiel on several long range rifles. He sat silent in a back corner next to a window.
"Tanner," an instructor yelled. "Please give us your expert opinion, since you don't need this class," the man snarled. Vin flushed slightly.
"Tha .223 is too light a bullet. A leaf er such kin shift tha trajectory. Too much power fer most of our work. Punches through and keeps going that ain't a good thing in a crowd. Seen tha bullet shatter instead a takin' out a neck vertebrae. Man went on ta kill 3 more people for he were took down," Vin answered. The instructor paused a moment.
"What about the weapons?" he demanded.
"The Weatherby is reliable. Need ta fine tune tha trigger though. Poorly designed feed system tends ta hang up. Has eleven working parts in the firing mechanism alone. That's asking for problems. Have they improved the safety? It would hang pretty bad some times," Vin responded in a calm manner as he pointed to each weapon.
"You're familiar with these weapons?" the instructor asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," Vin replied briefly.
"When?" the man demanded.
"Classified information," Vin looked back out the window ignoring the stuttering instructor.
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JD was in heaven playing with all the new surveillance equipment. Instructors frowned as JD opened equipment and prodded around. Within an hour they sat at the table watching as JD had their new toys doing stuff they hadn't been designed to. They frowned as bugs were put through a torture test of amazing proportions. They were drowned. Thrown against the wall. Walked on, heated up, frozen and a one point several bugs were doused in alcohol and set on fire. When an instructor protested. JD would respond with an incident where a bug failed in the field due to the test in question.
"Alcohol and fire?" an instructor asked in disbelief.
"Yeah we got one flambeeed," JD chuckled. Finally JD grinned holding up three types of gadgets. "Can I get some of these?" he asked.
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