CH 33
It is now just a few days later: (January 3, 2001)
For all those that are interested, Myrtle Beach in South Carolina which was about a 3 hour drive down county roads was fine. Stayed at the Westgate Hotel, right on the beach. We were on the third floor and saw the fireworks right on our balcony. IT WAS SPECTACULAR!
Having said that, been there once now, no plans on ever going back again.
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Rick and Kate had elected to take the subway which took them just over 30 minutes to get to the local Federal building. They had to go through a metal detector just to get into the building. Due to the bomb in the parking garage of the World Trade Center, it was mandated that there be increased security for all federal buildings. There were even temporary concrete freeway barriers still sitting around that prevented cars from getting too close.
Jack made himself look like a simple leather band around Rick's wrist. Rick even emptied his pockets, took off his belt and his cuff links; he still didn't set off the metal detector.
Kate didn't have that much metal or much of anything else on her except for Jill. Her watch came off, pockets were emptied and she set off the alarm. She was forced to stand there with her arms spread wide while they used a wand on her. Everything was fine until they got to her engagement ring. "That comes off only if you take my finger with it," Kate told them.
They were allowed to continue after picking up all their stuff. They paused for a bit while Rick put himself back together. When they reached the 23rd floor they found yet another metal detector that had more people, all heavily armed, manning it. From there they went through the glass doors and into the reception area.
"Castle and Beckett to see Agent Darrigo." Rick notified the woman sitting at the desk.
"One moment." She said to them and spoke softly into the mic at her lips. "He'll be right out," she advised them.
In a couple of minutes a Hispanic-looking man approached them. He was clean shaven with very short hair, a little slim, maybe too slim, and shorter than either of them.
"Agent Castle, Agent Beckett." He offered his hand to both of them. "I'm Special Agent Paul Darrigo and I run this field office. If you two will come with me," he requested and headed for a heavy wood door. He passed a card over a black bar next to the door. There was an audible click and he opened the door.
After it closed behind them he said, "I'm going to take you to our chief of security and he is going to run you through everything you need to know about how to get around in here. When he is done with you I'll be back to give you the two cent tour and we can go from there." Paul walked them deeper into the space.
"Victor, here are our new agents. Get them up to speed and let me know when you are done." Paul tapped Victor on the shoulder as he left.
"I'm Agent Victor Ripper, please no jokes, I've heard them all." Rick and Kate started smiling since their minds had already started dreaming up jokes. "We're going to start with a small amount of paperwork. I know you've already signed a few forms to get here, I just have a few more." Victor handed over a small number of pages and guided them through each one letting them read the pages before signing.
"First off we're going to take your picture and use them to create your ID that you must carry with you at all times, even when you are not on duty. If you go out to eat dinner tonight take it with you. Go see a movie, take it with you. Go on vacation to Russia, take it with you." Victor sat them in front of his camera, clicked it, printed their pictures out, laminated them, and handed them over.
Then he snapped another picture and laminated it along with a strip of something Kate had never seen before. "These are your coded ID badges that you must wear around your neck like mine while you are in this office at all times. If you see another agent or anyone else on this floor without one of these, arrest them immediately using any means necessary."
"Even if it is clipped to their shirt or pants pocket, arrest them. It must be hanging around your neck. Inside is your personal coded pass that will get you through the doors around here. The computer keeps track of each and every person who uses their ID to get through any and all doors. There are also security cameras everywhere, including the restrooms, just not in each stall."
"When you leave this floor you will be searched and scanned each and every time. You will also need to use your ID badge to call an elevator to this floor, otherwise you will have to take the stairs, all 23 floors of them. Questions?" Victor stopped and waited.
"Computers, weapons?" Rick asked.
"Those are each handled by a different person, I'm simply security. It's my job to make sure this floor and building is secure along with each person on this floor and by extension each person in this building." Victor picked up the phone and dialed. "Agents Castle and Beckett are ready for you, sir."
It only took a minute before Special Agent Darrigo showed up. "Thanks Victor, follow me."
Victor walked them around the floor and showed them how to use their ID badges hanging around their necks and pointed out a few agents that are also wearing their ID badges properly.
"Conference room with teleconferencing, it has wi-fi as well as hard lines out of the building in addition to satellite phone call capability."
"Break room, refrigerator/freezer with ice maker, maintenance cleans it once a month and when I mean clean, I mean clean. You will get a notification and if you leave anything in it, even if you mark it as saved, it gets thrown out."
"Microwave, dishwasher, coffee machines - there are always three different flavors that vary from week to week, there is always a breakfast of some type. Today happens to be bagels and cream cheese. Oven, range, pots, pans, plates, glassware and silverware, can opener, toaster and toaster oven. Vending machines, dry goods, soda and cold items, like milk, juice, apples, sandwiches and other items. They are filled weekly."
"This is the computer room." Victor took them down a hallway with a Plexiglas wall on one side. The server and terminals could easily be seen. "Your ID badges don't allow you entrance into this room and the glass is bullet proof, nothing short of a few pounds of C4 will open this room," Victor tapped the glass.
"Each division has a team lead and they are located in these offices, including me." Victor escorted them into his room where there was a woman sitting and waiting.
"This is Penelope Martinez and she is going to take over from here. She is going to show you your work stations and get you set up with your computers and show you how to access certain sections of the mainframe."
"Penelope, this is Agent Beckett and Agent Castle. They are attached to Special Agent Jordan Shaw and assigned to this office. Penelope is mostly harmless, however you upload a computer virus and you can kiss your ass goodbye. Before or after she gets rid of it." Paul was smiling, so Kate was thinking it was an inside joke.
Penelope started taking them to their stations. It looked like all of the stations were out in a large open area with offices along one wall. "Agent Darrigo is only kidding except about the virus part. You infest your computer and I'll skin you alive," Penelope smiled while she said it.
"These are your two work stations." Penelope stopped at two desks that were facing each other. There was a short wall on one side with two more desks just like it on the other side. Another short wall behind them with two more desks. Across the hall were two more desks separated by a short wall.
The only windows were the ones in the offices. "I've already set up your computers with the basic programs you are likely to need. If you find a program you would like, fill out the form for approval and I will install it for you, after I've scanned it."
"Have a seat and turn on your computers." Penelope instructed them.
"I've given you a log in name, you just need to create a password. The password you create must be at least 8 characters long. It must contain upper and lower case, must contain at least one number and at least one special key. Dollar sign, pound symbol, etc. Try to be imaginative and try to avoid words. Your screen will only show a star symbol with each key stroke, so you need to be careful what you type." Penelope waited on them as they sat there trying to think of something they could remember that met her requirements.
"Try not to over think it, since you will have to change your password every 3 months. There is a program that will pop up when you turn on your computer and tell you that you have 12 days to change it. If you fail to change it within that time, you will be locked out until I can open another session for you. I accept bribes to keep from getting mad if you force me to open another session for you." Penelope was still smiling.
"Short cuts are shown on your desktop of the programs on your computer. This book will give you the basics of each program. More than likely you will use each of them at one time or another, so I suggest you read it."
"The Internet is accessible at any time. Each time you do it is monitored by the mainframe and you will be denied access if it finds a virus associated with that site. Also a security team will access your computer every two months. Personal files are not allowed; if they find anything it will be removed and it will go on your record. You will find a card on your keyboard notifying you that your computer was scanned while you were gone and what they found."
"You want it to stay clean. Streaming of music for personal use is not allowed. If you want to listen to music bring in your own system and use ear buds, not head phones."
"Personalize your desk to your heart's content, leave food or drink in your desk. If there is something you would like to see in the vending machines fill out a request form in the break room. If you want a different flavor of coffee, fill out a request form."
"There are seasonal coffee flavors depending on what holiday it is. There is only one flavor of De-caf since almost no one drinks it. There are also recycle bins for just about everything in the break room, use them." Penelope told both of them.
"PENELOPE!?" A voice called out. Penelope sighed heavily. "I'm coming Douglas." Penelope leaned in over their desks. "I swear that man probably can't even tie his own shoes. Read your books and play with your computer, it is about to become your new best friend." Penelope began to head in the direction of the voice.
"Weapons?" Rick asked before she got too far.
"After lunch. …which reminds me, I suggest you bring your lunch even if you have to cook it yourself. You have to go through security to get out of here and again to get back in. Oh and having anything delivered is not allowed, though if you are in a conference during lunch, lunch will be provided, which is usually pretty good." Penelope walked off.
Suddenly Penelope returned. "Almost forgot, if you leave your desk for any reason at all, log off and log back on when you sit back down. If security finds a computer running with no one at their desk it will be locked down, and you will need permission from Agent Darrigo and myself to unlock it. I suggest you never, ever let that happen." This time Penelope did walk away.
"Don't let Penelope get to you. She really is a pussy cat once you get on her good side and there is no lone more loyal once you do. I'm Frazier and this is Hammond." Frazier offered his hand over the short wall to Rick while Hammond did the same to Kate.
"Castle and this is Beckett," Rick responded.
"What Penelope didn't tell you was that the floor is broken up into areas. Combat significant Violent Crime, White-collar crime, Transnational/national criminal organizations, Civil Rights, Public Corruption, Cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes, Espionage and terrorist attacks," Frazier waved his arm and tried to indicate the areas of each.
"This area is the Violent Crime area, though that is loosely based, since all of us use Penelope," Frazier explained.
"Why is that?" Kate inquired.
"Penelope is our resident hacker and researcher using computers. There is almost nothing she can't find or file that she can't open. There is a rumor that she hacked into the CIA once, though I would take that with a grain of salt if I were you." Frazier and Hammond went back to work leaving Rick and Kate alone.
Rick and Kate started reading their book and started looking through their computer when a message box opened on each of their screens. "I have entered the local FBI mainframe and created a shadow server space where I can send each of you messages without being noticed. If you allow Jill to scan your computer Kate, she can do the same. – Jack"
That got Kate to whisper. "Jill?"
"The local system is primitive, however for your level of technology I cannot fault it. - Jill"
"Your computer like all the others are monitored by the mainframe, however it will not see this shadow space, it is secure between the two of you. – Jack"
Rick started typing and it showed up on Kate's screen as he typed. "Why does this box look the way it does?" To Rick it looked like a screened shadow.
"The security cameras that monitor this floor are capable of zooming. Even if they zoom in on your computer screen they will not be able to read this box. Even the box itself will look like it is blended in with the screens background. – Jack"
"Can you monitor this floor's security cameras along with all the others located in this city?" Rick typed.
"This floor's, yes, still working on all of the other cameras. There will likely be some that are not connected to the outside and are connected to a closed circuit, so they will not be accessible to me. – Jack"
Kate was the first to play with her computer to get a feel for the programs that had short-cuts on her screen. "Babe you should see some of these of these functions." Kate made up a name and found where all of them that matched were located that didn't require hacking or wasn't password protected.
Then Kate had an evil idea and put in the name Richard Rodgers and got nothing on his military background. It showed her that he had been in the military but nothing about what he had done. Maybe someday he would tell her.
They both found a closed case and started following it to find out how that case had been worked. "Lunch?" Rick asked looking across his desk at Kate.
"Sure, here or somewhere else?" Kate responded.
"Cold sandwich, apple, milk, soda, coffee. Not really very appealing. Just if we leave we have to go through security to get out and get back in," Rick moaned, feeling like he had just placed himself in prison.
"You could just…" Kate flicked her head while talking softly.
"Let's go downstairs and look around without leaving the building." Rick suggested instead.
They were searched leaving the floor and went down the elevator and started walking around and Rick suddenly pulled Kate in close when Jack said it was clear and presto, they were just outside of one of their favorite restaurants in St. Lucia.
Kate was grinning over the rim of her glass while looking at Castle. "Don't go getting any ideas Kate, we do this too many times and we are likely to get caught or questioned as to why no one sees us eating in the break room," Rick warned her.
Kate stopped grinning and put her glass down. "Yeah, I suppose. I guess we'll have to start bringing our lunch with us." Make it the night before and store it in Tupperware and throw it in the refrigerator.
"Maybe, or we go shopping tonight and you can cook our lunch. They have everything including a dishwasher." Rick reminded her, getting Kate to smile. Home cooked meals without the home part.
"Another thing to consider - I can only do things 6 times a day. If something happens after lunch I'll only have 4 left for the day. I'll have used 2 of them on something trivial like lunch," Rick added, trying to plan ahead.
Kate mentally kicked herself, she had taken for granted Castle's ability to teleport them anywhere he chose at any time. His ability using Jack was a gift and shouldn't be misused just to eat lunch out of the office. "You're right, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. We'll go shopping tonight and have lunch in the break room from now on."
Kate suddenly thought maybe she could make the other agents jealous with what she cooked for her and Castle. "Maybe we can bring in a crock pot and let it cook while we work." Kate had an idea.
"Make everyone's stomach growl while it cooks knowing we get to eat it. You are an evil woman Agent Beckett." Rick grinned at her, liking this plan.
Lunch was over and they teleported right back into the spot they had left from and went back upstairs. They found someone at their desks waiting for them. "Agents Castle and Beckett?" He asked.
"Yes sir," Rick answered quickly.
"I'm Agent Jones and I'm here to check you out your service weapons that you will be carrying around for the rest of your FBI career. Follow me." He lead them both to a small section of the floor that they hadn't seen before.
"We'll start with you Agent Beckett. With your hand size I'm going to suggest a Glock 23 since the Glock 22 is slightly bigger. I've seen from your file that you are familiar with this weapon." Jones remarked.
"Yes sir, I am," Kate assured him.
"Here is your weapon, it has been cleaned and tested however it is up to you to verify that and keep it clean. Here are your first 50 rounds of .40 S&W AP, you can pick up more here anytime you wish or you can purchase your own."
"This is your GTL 22 attachment, it is a dimmable xenon white light and a red laser. These are your two spare magazines and your polymer holster for your weapon. Like your rounds you are free to purchase additional magazines on your own. Check out your weapon and sign here." Jones placed the clip board in front of Kate.
Kate promptly removed the clip, found it to be empty and opened the chamber to make sure it was empty and then disassembled it and put it back together. She slapped in the empty clip and pulled the slide back and released it. Only then did Kate sign her name, pick up all her equipment, and secured her holster.
"Agent Castle, I've also read your training history. I would recommend a weapon for you, however, I'm going to let you choose," Agent Jones told him.
"If it's all the same to you I would like a SIG Sauer MPX-P that uses .40 S&W rounds along with a silencer and a shoulder harness to hang it at my side, with a green laser sight mounted on the top along with 2 spare magazines." Rick requested. Jones looked a bit stunned.
"That is not a standard issue weapon so I don't have one of those in stock. If you're sure you want it I can have all of that here this same time tomorrow. I presume you want the harness to be able to hold the silencer as well as the spare magazines?" Jones inquired, not surprising Rick at all.
"That would be nice and I'm sure, if you can't find the right harness let me know and I'll find my own." Rick responded.
"Well in the mean time you still need a weapon till yours arrives." Jones placed a Glock 22 with a box of 50 .40 S&W AP, 2 extra clips and a polymer holster on the table in front of Rick.
Rick promptly did what Kate did and put it back together and signed the form. "When yours gets here you can sign that one back in as being returned or keep it, it's your choice." Jones tells him.
Rick and Kate headed back to their desks. "Castle?" Kate was curious since she didn't know what Rick had asked for.
"Look it up Kate if you are curious," Rick remarked while smiling at her and watched Kate pull it up on her computer at her desk.
"You're an FBI Agent, Castle. Not an Army Ranger anymore." Kate looked at Rick sitting at his desk beginning to worry that he was going to revert to his Ranger ways and put himself in harm's way when he didn't have to. Kate wanted to marry him, not bury him.
"And my time as a Ranger taught me to always be prepared and not get caught being outgunned." Rick answered back.