Recruitment Saturday- Washington DC.
Jen had been in the office since 1400. She was catching up on some reading that had been put to one side in the week because of interruptions. She was making swift work of the reports due to the fact that every other agency director and assistant director was spending the day at home, golfing or just not in the office. In Jens mind, that was her day tomorrow. Today was spent going over the personnel reviews for probationary agents.
Due to a report from the Office of Personnel, a new executive directive, made by herself, ensured all probationary agents spent their first year assigned to teams and task forces deployed within the United States, rather than abroad. This was so that the new agents were allowed easier access to friends and family after graduating FLETC. In the past twelve months, the washout rate of new agents was the lowest on record for NCIS. Jen intended to keep this directive in place for her tenure as Director.
Jen reached for the bottle of Diet Coke at her side, her feet up on the sofa, shoes on the floor. Like the rest of NCIS, Jen followed the dress down rule on weekends. She had on jeans, white t-shirt and a US Naval flight jacket, courtesy of the Commander of Naval Aviation. It was not something she would wear in the week, but on weekends, it was her favourite jacket. Jen looked at the clock, just past 1800. She decided to brave her emails, see how many sign ups had come through.
Jen saw the numbers on her email folders, having had one of the cyber technicians give her access to the emails. Jen saw good numbers from each university, with a fantastic number coming out of California. With seven teams throughout California, Jen knew they got good results, but they had surpassed themselves this year. It was the numbers out of Florida that surprised her. More than a thousand students had requested more information from them. Jen knew it was a mistake, that the emails had duplicated themselves somehow.
Opening the file, she began looking at the sign up numbers, seeing no names duplicating. She wondered what the Florida teams had done.
BRRRRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!
Jen moved away from her desk, back to the sofa. Looking at her phone, she saw Vances Id showing. A call from the Assistant Director on a Saturday evening was not a good thing, Jen decided.
"Leon," she answered, "please tell me you are calling to brag about your kids?"
"Wish I could Jen, but we have a problem at Camp Pendleton."
Jen lost all the humour from her voice. "How big?" The NCIS presence at Camp Pendleton was one of the biggest it had, outside of the Navy Yard. It had an MCRT, and further divisions of agents, overseeing General Crimes, Family and Sexual Violence, CounterIntelligence and Counter-Terrorism, and Special Operations. Jen was very concerned.
"Big enough. We need a conference, bring Jerome and Owen, along with SecNav, we need a new head of SpecOps."
An hour later, Jen found herself standing next to Philip Davenport, the secretary of the Navy, having briefed him on everything she knew. Vance was already on the screen, having been at his office. Jerome Craig was on his way to Mayport Naval Base, while Owen Grainger was trying to get back to the Los Angeles office. After contacting the other three men, Jen had called in Cynthia, not trusting anyone else with this matter. Cynthia was already liaising with family of Louis Powell, along with NCIS SpecOps. The deputy department head had only had the job three months, and Jen, Leon and SecNav had already decided to bring someone knew in. The question they had to answer now was who?
The screen flashed, and Jerome Craigs face could be seen, looking flushed. A split second later, Owen Grainger joined him, looking pensive.
"Mr Secretary, Director." Owen Grainger had known Louis Powell when he covered the Marine Crops West Field Office. Like the Director, he had already spoken with Louis Powells family and offered his condolences.
"Mr Secretary, Director." Jerome Craig had been with his wife, having dinner with their neighbours. It was not unusual for him to be called into the office, but at 6pm on a Saturday was a rarity. He could see Leon Vance, the man looked horrified. "What happened?" not wanting to know what caused that look.
"Heart attack. Declared dead at the scene." Leon was worried the same thing would happen to him one day. "He and his fiance were shopping, he stopped, saying he was out of breath. An autopsy will confirm it, but the ME has said massive heart attack."
"I know some of you knew Agent Powell, much better than I did. However, we need to sort out the problem we have. Agent Powell was head of Special Operations at Camp Pendleton. Jen and Leon have voiced concerns over the deputy there, Karl Livingstone. Only been on the job three months. i agree with them, we need someone more experienced in the role. I would prefer to wait, but the role is too important to leave empty. We either promote Livingstone now to fill the void, or we have someone ready to go Monday. I need names, people." Philip Davenport did not mean to sound callous, but the job in question was too important to have vacant. "I need these names sooner than later. I need to go brief SecDef and the other Directors. I will let POTUS know as well. Once you have selected your agent, or a shortlist let me know. Jen, keep me posted." With that the man left, trusting the four people to sort it out.
"Gentlemen, pull the names of team leaders, SFAs, and task force commanders. We'll fill it from the top. Leon, Owen, I am sorry, but we will have to grieve tomorrow for our fallen. Meet back here in an hour." Jen walked over to the computer and hit the end sequence. She didn't want to let them see her cry. She had dealt with agents being shot in the line of duty, killed in the line of duty, but finding out an agent died of an accident, or natural causes hit her harder than anything else. They should be safe at home, or with their loved ones. Its these people who worry enough when their loved ones are at work.
Jen walked back to her office. She had thought of and dismissed more than twenty names in the last hour. Only two people had the requisite experience for the job. Both of whom were needed where they were. As she passed Cynthias desk the woman was organized. She had personnel folders waiting for her, along with reports from their immediate superiors regarding the last case they worked. Jen would try to get the new head of SpecOps from this list if she could. She only hoped her three deputies didn't mention the two names in her head.
Jerome Craig watched as Jenny signed off, followed quickly by Owen. Jerome watched Leon, waiting for him to end the call. He didn't.
"There are only two men who can step into that office on Monday and take command without worry."
Jerome knew who he meant, but he would fight to keep them. They were too good where they were. They could sort out SpecOps and damage CTOC at the same time if one man was transferred.
"If you are thinking of the same ones as me, you are probably right. Jen will fight it, Leon. They are too good where they are, we might plug the hole in SpecOps only to open a bigger one question is, if she doesn't bring it up, it will have to be one of us."
"What do you reckon the reaction will be?"
"One I didn't wish I have to find out. But I do." Jerome was resigned to the fact it would be Timothy McGee or Ricardo Balboa being transferred to Camp Pendleton. The minute the names were mentioned, Jen would fight it, knowing how proud she was of both agents, of the unit as a whole. "The bigger question is which one."
"Thats the easy part. Move the one which causes us the least problems. You know which name to give, Jerome." Leon signed off, leaving Jerome in his office, alone.
Jerome Craig knew, of all the agents in his command, only Timothy McGee and Ricardo Balboa were the best agents for SpecOps. They dealt with high flux intelligence, sudden takedowns and multi agency operations. Either of them would be perfect for the job. Should they move Balboa, Tim would succeed him, Jerome would make sure of it. If they moved Tim, he would press Jen into agreeing to a three month temporary assignment. They were making a decision with less than an hour to decide. Most reassignments were argued over for days. Jerome hoped this would go smoothly.
"I have no names for your consideration, Director." Owen Grainger was the first to speak. The teams based at Camp Pendleton had undergone restaffing three months ago. To move people again now, would be a logistical nightmare. To right the imbalance of moving one head of department to another, and promoting someone to fill the gap would take days of personnel review, time they didn't have. Jen knew this was the best suggestion.
Leon Vance decided to bite the bullet, and take the pressure off her.
"Jen, do you have anyone?"
"I have many names, Leon, and just as many reasons to disregard them."
"I have two. You are going to hate both."
"Let me hear it."
"Timothy McGee and Ricardo Balboa." Jen was shocked those words came from Jerome Craig. Looking at Vance, she noticed he had no shock on his face, only resignation.
"The two most senior agents in the CTOC. The Special Agent in Charge and the Interpol Liaison Officer." Jen knew they were the best candidates they had, but it didn't mean she to like it.
"Jerome, can the unit afford to lose either of them?" Owen Grainger had read the reports of the CTOC. Their work was brilliant, their takedown results one of the highest the agency had. "Who have you got to replace them?" He didn't want to take someone only to struggle to replace them.
"If we transfer Balboa, McGee is more than capable of stepping up. If we transfer McGee, his replacement would be Special Agent Kei Wan, the current third in command. The main problem would be in the team structure. Agent Wan would need to replaced by an agent with experience in drug smuggling operations. We would also need to get an Interpol Liaison. Agent Wan could do it, but not as well as McGee. We would have to promote Jardine, and find a replacement for European liaison." Jen was debating if it was worth it. "It will be a logistical nightmare for a while, but the team are strong. They will cope."
Jen stepped in at this point, feeling as if the decision had been made without her. "Thank you for your input, Jerome. Leon? Anyone else you would like me to consider?"
"No, Jen. Those two are my shortlist as well. I would recommend making this a short term reassignment. We are making a decision on very short notice without the normal review process. Give him three months, and we can make a permanent decision in a few weeks."
"Thank you. I will take your shortlists under advisement. I will contact SecNav and update him. I will be in touch and let you know. There is no more you can do at the office. Head home." Jen ended the call again, her heart heavy with what she was about to do.
"Jen, do Leon and Owen know I am Tims godfather? I know Jerome does."
"I never mentioned it to either of them. And Jerome is no office gossip, either. Leon just picked the two best candidates we have, and one of them is your Godson." Jen was not looking to the next phone call.
"Its the right decision. It won't be a popular one. But its the best one we've got."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Jen hated it, knowing the CTOC was going to suffer.
"Want me to make the call?
"I'll do it. Just give me a minute." Jen knew this was the best option. By leaving Balboa at the CTOC, they had a sense of continuity. If she moved Balboa, everyone moved up and everyone had to get used to a new job. This way, one person less had to be moved.
"Jen, for what its worth, I don't want him moved, but he has to be transferred, for the good of the agency."
"Thank you, Mr Secretary." She heard Philip Davenport put the phone down. She hit the intercom button, dreading the next call. She promised herself to only talk shop.
"Cynthia, please contact Agent Balboa in Florida, then Agent McGee in Florida, their cell phones please. Connect them immediately." Jen didn't want to leave Cynthia letting anything slip, even by accident. Jen waited for the call to Agent Balboa.
"I have him, line two." By the tone of her voice, Jen knew Cynthia had realised what she was about to do.
Time to tell Ric what was happening.
"Agent McGee." Now was not the time to get emotional.
"Director, is everything ok?" Damn.
"I'm fine. So is your family." He picked up her worry with just two words."Agent McGee, I have just spoken with Agent Balboa. I'm sorry, Tim, you are being reassigned, effective immediately."
"Director, please…" Jen had to steel herself. She could not let his disappointment affect this decision. She had an agency to consider.
"Agent McGee, you are to report to Camp Pendleton, California. Your new assignment is Special Agent in Charge, Special Operations. Please report to the Assessment Centre at 0900 tomorrow. Full briefing will be given by myself. Congratulations on your new post. Thank you, Agent McGee."
Jen hung up on him. Having talked to Ric Balboa while he screamed back at her, Jen didn't have the energy for another fight. She was not even angry at Ric, she knew he would apologise eventually, more for how he said what he did, than for the actual words. Jen wanted to say the same things to SecNav, and her three deputies. She now had to go home. She had to be back in eleven hours to brief her newest GL10 agent.
Jen had no idea that her phone call had ruined the night of two of her agents who had just kissed for the first time.