6:35 a.m. Pacific Time
Los Angeles
Parker Center
Priority Homicide Division squadroom
When she got back from the crime scene, Brenda Leigh Johnson locked herself; her right-hand person, Sgt. David Gabriel; and her ex-husband, FBI Agent Fritz Howard in her office.
What they were talking about inside, no one knew for sure, but everyone in the squadroom had their opinions.
"She's this close to getting herself canned," said Detective Lieutenant Andy Flynn, between bites of his donut. "I bet she's talking with Fritz about getting herself and Gabriel into a decent job."
"They're talking about jurisdiction," offered Detective Julio Sanchez. "Fritz is in there telling her the FBI is going to work with those Navy cops. No way the Feds don't take over because the victim is an Admiral."
"An Admiral murdered within our jurisdiction," said Lieutenant Michael Tao, organizing credit card records of patrons from the Golden West Lounge, where the Admiral dined at before he was killed.
"Maybe the Deputy Chief will find a way to make the Navy cops do all the work and get the credit for herself," said Lieutenant Louie Provenza, nominally the ranking officer in the division after Brenda, in practice third after Gabriel. After Brenda's divorce, and her solidifying Gabriel as second in command despite his junior rank, Provenza went from one of her most loyal supporters to a disgruntled cop sticking around out of loyalty to all of his other colleagues.
Except for his newest colleague, Detective Amy Sykes.
"I am sure Deputy Chief Johnson is discussing the case as she will do when NCIS arrives shortly," said Sykes, eager-to-please. "Why would you think otherwise?"
"Oh. I beg your pardon, Detective, for being so negative," Provenza grumbled.
"Oh, we know you meant nothing by it sir. Your generation of detectives and officers, have always been gruff," Sykes said, in a manner the others still weren't sure whether she was naively sincere, or sincerely sarcastic. It was definitely a little condescending, whether she knew it or not, and it grated on everyone else's nerves - except, seemingly, Brenda herself.
"Gruff? Stop the bullshit," Flynn shot back, "and show the man some respect. We're detectives, Sykes. We don't accept things at face value-"
"I didn't say you did, Lieutenant," Sykes replied, hurriedly, to Flynn. "And I don't accept things at face value either, but neither do I see the worst in everyone."
"Then what do you see, Sykes?" interjected Sanchez. "Everyone's good, especially your bosses?"
"Well, Detective-" Sykes began to answer; she never got to finish.
"She sees the same things some of you saw at a similar stage in your careers," said Assistant Chief of Operations Russell Taylor. "Chief Pope and I noticed some similarities between yourselves and Detective Sykes at her stage of her career."
"Thank you, Assistant Chief Taylor," she happily said, to the other detectives' momentary chagrin.
"Detective Sykes also has a lot to learn, including listening to the helpful advice of her more experienced peers, and when to keep her mouth shut," Taylor followed; Sykes's smile disappeared, while the other four detectives couldn't help but smile - even if it was said by a man none of them particularly liked. "How long has Deputy Chief Johnson been in her office with Gabriel and Agent Howard?"
"Fifteen minutes," Provenza replied. "Locked herself in her office after we got back from the scene. Gabriel and Fritz went in there to talk to her, what did I say, Flynn-"
"Fifteen minutes ago," Flynn said.
"-and who knows what they're talking about," Provenza followed. "Perhaps, how not to royally screw up this case with the Navy cops like she did during Griffin Park-"
Taylor held up a hand. "Lieutenant, Deputy Chief Johnson doesn't solely bear the blame for that incident...and this is a new case. She - and all of you - will, as you know, be working with a new team of federal agents who, in fact, are upstairs talking with Chief Pope."
"I better go and let the Chief know," Provenza said, getting up from his desk and making his way to Brenda's office door.
Inside Brenda's office, she was fretting over something affected by the case.
"How am I going to have time to sell my house?" she fretted.
"Our house," Fritz replied. "My name's still on the deed and I still pay the mortgage."
"Yes, of course-Fritz can you meet with the realtor this afternoon?" she asked.
Fritz threw up his hands in frustration. "Why of course, Brenda, although it will require me to drop a case, the same case you yourself are working on," he said sarcastically. "Why don't you just stop everything, too, and we'll meet the realtor together?"
"Why that's a good idea, Fritz. Let's-wait. We can't do that. I can't do that," Brenda replied. "I-"
"You. Always you. Always about you," Fritz shot back. "Never about others like Sgt. Gabriel, who are doing their jobs and have part of their lives interrupted by probably the highest-profile murder in recent American history-"
Gabriel - as he had done dozens of times before, since the divorce - stepped in between to act as peacekeeper. He held his hands out to get their attention and to calm them down.
"Chief Johnson, Agent Howard," Gabriel said. "If you could table that particular discussion for another day. NCIS will be here any time-"
"I know when NCIS will be here, Sgt. Gabriel," Brenda told him. "I'm ready to meet them."
"Are you?" Fritz said to her. "All we've done is talk about the house-"
Fritz's diatribe was cut short by a knock on the office door; it was Provenza, with Asst. Chief Taylor alongside him.
"Chief," Provenza said, poking his head in the doorway. "The Navy cops are upstairs talking with Pope-"
"Actually, Deputy Chief Johnson, they're on their way to the squadroom," Taylor interjected, after opening the door and placing himself past Provenza.
"Then, gentlemen, let's go out there to meet them, shall we?" Brenda opened her desk drawer, grabbed a package of King Dons, and opened it, then walked past Gabriel, Fritz, Taylor and Provenza. "Pardon me. Excuse me."
As soon as she made her way to the middle of the squadroom, she saw Pope with Captain Sharon Raydor, and the entire team from NCIS's Washington field office, walking in through the main entrance.
"...were going to build a replacement for Parker Center, but budgetary issues forced us to postpone the new headquarter project indefinitely," they heard Pope saying to a brunette, walking between he and Captain Raydor, with Tobias Fornell walking next to Raydor. The brunette was NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd, and her team walked behind the four. All looked like they needed at least 10 hours of sleep.
Just like the homicide detectives did.
"Ah. Here we are. Priority Homicide," Pope said to the brunette, before turning his attention to those in the squadroom. "Attention, please. I know you're tired due to the timing of the case, which is just beginning and, I might add, is one of the most important cases any division of the LAPD has ever worked on."
"Here we go," Provenza muttered under his breath.
Sanchez and Flynn were checking out the women among the group of agents, only averting their eyes when Brenda noticed and gave them a disapproving glare. Fornell made his way past Pope to Fritz, and they shook hands.
"For our friends from Washington, this" - Pope gestured to Brenda - "is the head of Priority Homicide, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. And this" - he gestured to Kate - "is Kate Todd, a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the agent in charge of the Washington, D.C. field office's Major Case Response Team. They're similar to Priority Homicide, but handle other types of cases - similar to what we plan for our new Major Crimes division."
Pope cleared his throat, then continued. "Before we have FBI agents Howard and Fornell discuss the case, perhaps Chief Johnson and Agent Todd should introduce their teams, and everyone can wave their hands in acknowledgement."
"This is like frickin' school," Flynn whispered to Sanchez, and both chuckled - drawing Brenda's glare.
"I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson," she said, "and Chief Pope is right, some of us know some of the others but not everybody. So I'll start by introducing everyone in Priority Homicide, and if you'll just wave your hand, yes, including you, Lt. Flynn, thank you."
She began by nodding to one of the men standing next to her. "This is Sgt. David Gabriel, and over there, sitting down is Lt. Louis Provenza, and then left to right, Lt. Andy Flynn; Det. Julio Sanchez; that's Buzz Watson, who handles our technical needs; then Det. Amy Sykes; and over there is Lt. Michael Tao. And the gentleman sitting to my left is Agent Fritz Howard of the FBI, and I'm sure you've already met Capt. Sharon Raydor of Major Crimes. And last is former Commander, now Assistant Chief, Russell Taylor. Thank you, and I'd love to get to know you a little bit."
Brenda smiled, while Taylor bristled at her "last" comment. "I'm Russell Taylor, the Assistant Chief of Operations for the LAPD," he quickly interjected, before turning his attention fully on Brenda. "I directly oversee both Major Crimes and Priority Homicide." He turned back to the group, smile painted on his face.
Kate didn't miss that all of the Priority Homicide people – including Brenda – rolled their eyes at the man's pompous comment.
"I suppose this is my turn," Kate replied. "I'm Special Agent Caitlin Todd. The dark-haired woman to my left is my Senior Agent, Ziva David. Then we have Agents Tom Demming and Ned Dorneget; our liaison from the National Security Agency, Eleanor Bishop; our technical analyst Sheldon Jin; our forensics specialist Katherine Yates; and our medical examiner Noah Rooney. The other person who arrived with us is FBI Senior Agent Tobias Fornell. On behalf of my team, it's a pleasure to meet you and we look forward to working with you."
Fornell and Howard then briefly reviewed the case, beginning with the discovery of the Admiral's body.
"The FBI and every other federal agency is looking on with extreme interest," Fornell told the room. "NCIS is involved because the victim is an Admiral; LAPD is involved because of the nature of the crime and that it took place in Los Angeles. You may be under the impression that the feds, as some of you call us, have unlimited resources. We do not. If this were Timbucktwo, Kentucky, NCIS and FBI would have taken the case from the local authorities."
"However, I assured the NCIS and FBI directors that Priority Homicide was up to the task of handling such an important and high-profile case," Howard followed. "How well you work together, and potentially with other agencies - including the Bureau - will go a long way towards the success of the case. You are some of the best professionals in your respective fields, and we need your expertise."
Pope stepped forward a foot.
"I don't have to say to you, Priority Homicide, that this joint operation working successfully will reflect very well not just on your division but on the LAPD as a whole, and failure will reflect equally badly," he said. "I expect you to do your best, and to work with NCIS, and to capture this killer."
Fornell stepped forward, as Howard walked over to Tao.
"I suppose the killer - or, the man the FBI views as the top suspect - is as good a place to start as any," Fornell said. "Lt. Tao, and Mr. Watson, when you find the photos, please put them on the screen...this man has engaged in terrorist activities several years ago and is the confirmed murderer of seven NCIS agents and personnel - members of Agent Todd's team. He is also believed to be involved not just with major terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah, but with four different drug cartels in the Caribbean and Mexico, all with ties in the U.S."
Howard nodded. Moments later, the suspect's portrait, and several additional photos, went up on the projection screen next to the murder board.
"Meet Ari Haswari."