Chapter 13: Joining the FBI
Cho, Libon and Jane
Dinner was good with all three glad the tension had eased. Cho pressed Jane on his Blake thinking.
Pausing with a full fork, Lisbon asked, "You don't think the FBI wanted you for solving cases. Why?"
Jane sipped his tea, blissful as the warmth washed through him and eased bruises and stiffening muscles from his near fatal encounter. Returning to the conversation, "I realized it in detention. Abbott doesn't want any part of me. Why would the brass? I'm a lowly con man consultant from a corrupt state bureau."
Cho countered, "Red John. Blake. Our hundred percent close rate."
Jane snorted. "One FBI constant is arrogance." Lisbon choked and sputtered on a mouthful of coffee. "The FBI sees only murderer and possible Blake."
"So?" Cho prompted.
"Had to be some other reason. Couldn't be touched in Venezuela, and not just because there's no extradition treaty. Strangers stood out in the small village."
Lisbon murmured, eyebrow raised, "All about you, Jane? Isn't that a stretch?"
He smiled instead of taking umbrage. "Not about me. Remember all those break-ins? Blake ruled out the easy possibilities first. I'm their last target."
Cho again. "For what?"
"Bertram's thumb drive." Jane leaned forward, caught up in the logic of his theory. "Finished with low level Blake, Abbott will have time to go after the upper levels. They're nervous. Bertram was nothing if not sneaky and self-serving. He'd have as many names and as much dirt as he could amass over the years."
"Okay, they want the drive. Why kill you?"
"It hasn't surfaced in two years. I'm their last possibility. Kill me and it stays 'lost.'"
"The FBI lures you out of Venezuela. But then detention protects you," Cho said slowly.
"Until I got out."
"Why now? Why not a month from now, a year?" Lisbon asked.
"What do cops do when a cop is killed?"
"Move heaven and earth to get the perp," she replied.
"I'm not part of the fold till I sign that agreement. That's how I knew it'd be now. If it looks like an accident, no need to look further. End of story."
Cho said, "You put yourself out there as bait." It wasn't a question. Lisbon shuddered.
Jane shrugged diffidently. "Proved my theory."
Lisbon glared angrily. "You're a damned fool. What if you were wrong? A bullet to the head would keep the drive hidden too."
"But prompt a deeper investigation."
"Not going to happen again, Jane. -Where is it?"
"Someplace safe." Cho just looked at him, irritation battling with disapproval.
Jane closed his eyes, then opened them and motioned them closer. In a near whisper, "Pete sealed it in a waterproof case and had it sewn into Daisy's hide."
"–Daisy?" Cho said, confused. Lisbon grimaced, faintly repulsed.
Jane rolled his eyes. "Daisy the elephant gives rides at the carnival. Pete said it wouldn't hurt her. Who would ever guess?"
Lisbon just shook her head.
"How do we go after Blake?" Cho asked.
"Get Grace to decrypt the drive while we figure out if Abbott is clean. If he is, see if he'll go after high levels."
"In the FBI?"
Jane raised his eyebrows, amused. "Reede Smith was Blake."
"Low level," Cho qualified.
"Meaning less useful. McAllister would find weakness and recruit as high as he could. At other organizations, too. –The FBI brass forced Abbot to fetch me. They must be involved."
Cho rested his forehead on his hand, elbow propped on the table. If Jane was right, this would be neither easy nor quick. And it would hinge on the SOB who, till last week, thought he was Blake. He straightened his shoulders and looked up. "Okay. What's first?"
Starting at the FBI
At one on Friday, Cho finally gave Abbott his answer. Immediately afterward, Abbott met with Jane and Lisbon to sign the agreement and offer letter. Moore was present and Cho attended at Abbott's request. Other than a few minor changes in language, Moore confirmed that the documents conformed to the deal they had struck and the meeting was over in a half hour. Abbott eyed Jane's bruises and scrapes curiously, but accepted Jane's explanation of nearly being run over by a car without comment.
Jane's assets would remain frozen pending six months of satisfactory performance under the agreement. Abbott told them to work with Lira, who would shepherd them through the new employee process. Afterward Jane and Lisbon accompanied Moore outside.
Lisbon extended her hand. "A pleasure Mr. Moore."
"All mine. Unless there's something more–" he hesitated a moment, but neither spoke up, "a bill for any charges above the retainer will be sent care of the Austin FBI."
"That's fine. I–"
Jane interrupted, "-We–"
"-can't thank you enough."
Moore looked Jane over shrewdly then included both when he spoke. "Let me know if you – either of you – ever decide to go into private investigations. I would be interested in your services."
Lisbon frowned. "You haven't seen our work." Jane just smiled.
"I've seen enough. If that's all, I have a plane to catch. Thank you for the opportunity to serve."
They watched a moment as Moore drove away.
"How'd you find him? He's good."
She glanced at him, surprised at Jane's favorable reaction to a lawyer. "Hightower."
Jane's smile widened. "What's Madeline up to these days?"
"Just appointed director of the new California Criminal Investigative Bureau." Jane nodded appreciatively. "I called in some of your chits to get her help."
"Good move."
They turned and reentered the FBI building.
Abbott and Cho
Abbott looked up in surprise as Cho followed him out of the meeting.
"Cho?"
"Jane and Lisbon can start next week. I assume Lira will help with the team leader set-up. What about an IT analyst?"
Abbott answered while pulling files from his desk drawer for his next meeting, "You get the vacant office–"
"–Prefer the bullpen with my team."
Abbott shrugged, "Your choice. Human Resources has the list of unassigned analysts." He set the files on the corner of his desk. "Appears you'll hit the ground running. Good. I'll fold your team into rotation as new cases come up. Probably next week."
"Yes, Sir."
Abbott paused. "Anything more?"
Cho placed a half-dozen files on Abbott's desk. "Jane and I read through a dozen cold case files. Good leads on six."
Abbott sat back. His eyes glittered and he tipped his head. "Pick one to follow up. I'll assign the rest to other teams." Cho chose the highest profile one. Abbott glanced at the names on that file and let his lips stretch in a small smile. "Ambitious. I'll be out of town on Blake next week. Don't make a mess of this," he said, nodding at the file in Cho's hand.
Cho nodded and left to get the list of IT analysts from HR. Lisbon and Jane were settling in when he got to the bullpen.
"Cho, okay if I use this desk?" she asked. He nodded.
"Told you, Lisbon. Cho will be back here so he can keep an eye on everyone, right?" Jane looked at Cho, who nodded as he transferred things from a desk in the middle to one next to a wall so that the room was in front of him. Jane continued, "And you're going to get me a couch." Jane winced looking around. "Everything's cold and hard around here. Terrible for thinking."
"You'll get your couch, Jane." It was quitting time. "Go find something to drive and someplace to live, both of you. -We'll tackle the Avilard case on Monday." Lisbon glanced at Jane, whose return glance promised to fill her in on the cold case they'd be working.
Lisbon started toward the elevators, but Jane hung back. "I want to vet the analysts."
Cho looked steadily at him. "You'll both talk to them. I decide." Lisbon dragged Jane off by his sleeve lest he get on the wrong side of Cho. Cho looked at their retreating forms and allowed himself a ghost of a smile. Hit the ground running all right. His professional – and personal – life had just gotten ten times more interesting and rewarding. He ignored the increased danger.
Lisbon and Jane
Lisbon and Jane walked away from rental office number seven on HR's list. The FBI would pay for three months at furnished, fully equipped apartments till they made permanent living arrangements.
"Jane, what happened to that trailer–"
"–Airstream."
"–Airstream in your terms?"
"Still there. I have three months to find and buy one at their expense. Or I can make other arrangements so long as the money is the same."
She grumbled, "Can't believe they're buying you a home!"
Jane sighed, slightly annoyed. "Wouldn't have to if they released my assets. I had a hard enough time with my Malibu house thanks to the FBI."
She stopped walking and put her arm on his. "Oh! –But it's okay? I mean, you didn't lose it, did you?"
Eyes closed, he leaned his head back and let the warmth of the sun soak in. "I paid the taxes through a third party so it wasn't confiscated and sold." He turned to her and fished in a vest pocket. "Here," he said, handing her an envelope. "Reimbursement for those purchases."
She looked inside. "Jane! This is way more than you charged."
He grinned, "So buy me lunch."
She tucked the money order into her purse and decided to let it slide for the moment. "About time. We've toured seven places and you don't like anything."
"Not so," he protested mildly. "Just that the security wasn't good enough."
One lunch and two more complexes later, they finally found apartments acceptable to him. The rental agent left them alone in the apartment for a few minutes while taking a call.
Jane looked around. Attractive, up-scale, impersonal. But it was defensible and two apartments were available side-by-side.
"Okay with you, Lisbon?"
"It's fine, Jane. The last four complexes were fine."
Hesitantly, "You're all right living next door? I don't want it to be awkward for you at the FBI. I could live at a nearby complex instead."
She sank down on the couch and waved him over. "It's a little ... soon to live together, but this is good. If we're gonna tackle Blake, I want you as close as possible."
He looked at her curiously. "You hate the bias against female cops, hated the rumors about us in the CBI."
She looked away, then back. "I can't be bothered with what 'people' think. I'm not compromising our safety to gossip, Jane."
He relaxed and kissed her on the cheek. "Good." The realtor returned and they took the apartments.
Lisbon and Jane moved into their apartments on Saturday. The rest of the weekend was wonderful. They moved their clothes and toiletries and then shopped for groceries and supplies. Jane thoroughly enjoyed the mundane chores – shopping, laundry, cooking. Lisbon bought a few creature comforts to make up for the things left in Washington. She'd move her things to Austin when she rented or bought a house.
They spent some time apart, but went out together. Lisbon refused to let the beautiful weather, anticipation of working for the FBI, and melting warmth of Jane's company lull her. She was horrified at the near-fatal attack. She had no intention of testing out Jane's conviction Blake would lie low now that he worked for the FBI. And, they had a decade plus two long, lonely years to make up for.
The movie was good. Jane shepherded Lisbon out of the theater with his hand on the small of her back.
"Chinese? Thai? Tex-Mex?"
"Take out?" He nodded. She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "And how do you know about restaurants around here?"
Smiling, "Walked all around the city last week."
They finally went with Szechuan and randomly chose her apartment for eating. Lisbon forcibly set aside the thought that Jane knew about Austin because he'd deliberately made himself a target.
Lisbon dished out the food while Jane took sodas from the refrigerator, tea kettle and tea not yet available in her apartment. With a glance, they mutually agreed to eat in the living room. Before sitting down, Lisbon locked the door, armed the security system, and put one gun next to the couch and a second on the bedroom night stand.
Returning, she dealt with his easy grin. "Don't. No denial. No making light of it. You take it seriously till we're done with Blake." She glared till he dropped the grin, swallowed and looked away.
"Okay."
Lisbon promptly plopped down on the couch next to him and attacked the food. After beating back imminent starvation, she set aside her plate, leaned back and studied him.
"Jane?"
"Mmm?"
"– Um, you're ... different."
He glanced over, amusement and curiosity plain in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"This – this is so normal it's surreal. We're about to take on the leaders of a nationwide corrupt conspiracy. Shouldn't we, you know, be more serious?"
Jane set his plate on the sofa table, then pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulders. He sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the couch back. Quietly, "Teresa, I've paid my dues. I spent ten years finding and," his breathing hitched, "killing Red John. It took two more to overcome my role in my family's slaughter." She opened her mouth to argue against misplaced responsibility, then decided against interrupting. "If I could change that night, god knows I would. Since I can't, I'm moving on – with you, if you'll have me. I want a normal life with as much happiness as I'm capable of. I'm going after Blake because they won't let me, let us alone." He sat straighter and looked at her directly. "I won't waste another minute waiting for some perfect time to live."
He tipped his head down while cradling her face in his hands. He kissed her gently, tongue tracing her lips, then meeting and caressing hers as her lips parted. Emerald eyes dark with desire met ocean green eyes equally dark. Kisses heated and adored all skin that could be reached. They undid buttons and slid clothing off shoulders, allowing warm skin to touch warm skin, both consumed with the need to be close, closer. The imperative of breathing finally gave pause. Without speaking they rose and made their way to the bedroom, hands entwined. Crisp sheets welcomed them as they fulfilled unspoken promises over a decade in the making. Sweet and gentle gave way to urgent passion. Bodies cooled only to be enticed to repeated couplings until sleep finally claimed them.
They were home.