and her friends? You guys are like the Men in Black and I’m Will Smith?”
The other three agents all chuckled at once.
“What?” Garrett asked.
Pel spoke up. “I wouldn’t say Will Smith. Wow. Vain much?”
“Samuel L. Jackson in the Avengers?” Rivers asked.
“Not even,” Rice laughed.
“Fine. I’m in. But if you don’t get a little more forthcoming, I’m out quickly.” Garrett looked back up at the screens and hoped he wasn’t making an incredibly stupid decision. If it led to getting criminals off the street, he was all for it. If he started chasing aliens and chupacabras, he was going to feel like an idiot.
“Great, but did it sound like I was giving you a choice? My fault. We talked to your higher ups already and had you transferred. Your stuff is being brought over right now. It’s a done deal.” Rivers said. “Welcome to the FEI.”
Pel and Garrett gave each other a glance.
“Done deal? Then why were you jerking us around about joining up? Just say you’re borrowing us and move on.” Garrett didn’t like the start to this new employment relationship. If they were giant bastards about things from the beginning, what was in store down the road?
“And did you just say FBI?” Pel asked. “It sounded like…”
“FEI. Federal Entity Index. We investigate the validity of aberrant people and other creatures.” Rice corrected.
“Like little green men?” Garrett asked.
Pel shrugged. “And witches?”
“Something like that,” Rice said. He pulled two small boxes from his suit jacket and handed one each to Pel and Garrett. Inside were business cards with their names and phone numbers. “You’d still be working for your government. Same pay. Same health insurance. All that crap doesn’t change. Let’s go get you set up at your desks.”
“What about vacation? Sick days?” It seemed to be all Pel could think to ask.
Rice pointed down the hall. “Human resources is right down that hall. They’ll have all the answers.”
Garrett looked up from his cards and watched the others leave the room. He and Pel already had cards and desks. The FEI seemed pretty sure he and Pel were going to be OK with moving to a new organization. He made a mental note as to where Rice said the HR office was as he put the cards in his pocket. With a sigh, he followed the others.
20
Morgan entered The Ground Up through the back entrance, staying as casual as he could. He felt naked walking around without his rifle, and found himself patting his denim jacket to make sure the pistol was still in the holster underneath it. He was also cognizant of the buck knife in his right boot, the small dagger strapped to his forearm and brass knuckles in his back pocket.
Harper’s handler, Wallace, assured him the tracking device in Deena’s backpack was working perfectly. Wallace had hidden it there at Marsh’s behest when Deena started going missing and they began to worry the girls would run away. Across the street from the coffee house, Wallace was waiting in the SUV and Morgan was thrilled he didn’t suggest coming in to help.
The place was pretty much empty, just a lone laptop guy at a booth and a young woman standing at the counter waiting for her order. Morgan casually stared at the menu for a moment, then the travel mugs and other crap on the back wall. Out of the corner of his eye he looked around to make sure he hadn’t missed anyone in a dark corner.
He followed the arrow on a restroom sign to see the door to the women’s room wide open. He felt the muscles in his back relax and he sighed in relief. As the woman walked off with her coffee, Morgan smiled and stepped forward. “Hi—” he paused to look at the kid-behind-the-counter’s nametag. “Hi, Kevin. How’s it going? Can I get a…” he looked back at the menu. “A large mega mocha?”
“You mean a vendi Mocha Mega?” Kevin said with a half-smile.
Morgan’s eyes narrowed and he patted his jacket. “Right.”
“Anything
The other three agents all chuckled at once.
“What?” Garrett asked.
Pel spoke up. “I wouldn’t say Will Smith. Wow. Vain much?”
“Samuel L. Jackson in the Avengers?” Rivers asked.
“Not even,” Rice laughed.
“Fine. I’m in. But if you don’t get a little more forthcoming, I’m out quickly.” Garrett looked back up at the screens and hoped he wasn’t making an incredibly stupid decision. If it led to getting criminals off the street, he was all for it. If he started chasing aliens and chupacabras, he was going to feel like an idiot.
“Great, but did it sound like I was giving you a choice? My fault. We talked to your higher ups already and had you transferred. Your stuff is being brought over right now. It’s a done deal.” Rivers said. “Welcome to the FEI.”
Pel and Garrett gave each other a glance.
“Done deal? Then why were you jerking us around about joining up? Just say you’re borrowing us and move on.” Garrett didn’t like the start to this new employment relationship. If they were giant bastards about things from the beginning, what was in store down the road?
“And did you just say FBI?” Pel asked. “It sounded like…”
“FEI. Federal Entity Index. We investigate the validity of aberrant people and other creatures.” Rice corrected.
“Like little green men?” Garrett asked.
Pel shrugged. “And witches?”
“Something like that,” Rice said. He pulled two small boxes from his suit jacket and handed one each to Pel and Garrett. Inside were business cards with their names and phone numbers. “You’d still be working for your government. Same pay. Same health insurance. All that crap doesn’t change. Let’s go get you set up at your desks.”
“What about vacation? Sick days?” It seemed to be all Pel could think to ask.
Rice pointed down the hall. “Human resources is right down that hall. They’ll have all the answers.”
Garrett looked up from his cards and watched the others leave the room. He and Pel already had cards and desks. The FEI seemed pretty sure he and Pel were going to be OK with moving to a new organization. He made a mental note as to where Rice said the HR office was as he put the cards in his pocket. With a sigh, he followed the others.
20
Morgan entered The Ground Up through the back entrance, staying as casual as he could. He felt naked walking around without his rifle, and found himself patting his denim jacket to make sure the pistol was still in the holster underneath it. He was also cognizant of the buck knife in his right boot, the small dagger strapped to his forearm and brass knuckles in his back pocket.
Harper’s handler, Wallace, assured him the tracking device in Deena’s backpack was working perfectly. Wallace had hidden it there at Marsh’s behest when Deena started going missing and they began to worry the girls would run away. Across the street from the coffee house, Wallace was waiting in the SUV and Morgan was thrilled he didn’t suggest coming in to help.
The place was pretty much empty, just a lone laptop guy at a booth and a young woman standing at the counter waiting for her order. Morgan casually stared at the menu for a moment, then the travel mugs and other crap on the back wall. Out of the corner of his eye he looked around to make sure he hadn’t missed anyone in a dark corner.
He followed the arrow on a restroom sign to see the door to the women’s room wide open. He felt the muscles in his back relax and he sighed in relief. As the woman walked off with her coffee, Morgan smiled and stepped forward. “Hi—” he paused to look at the kid-behind-the-counter’s nametag. “Hi, Kevin. How’s it going? Can I get a…” he looked back at the menu. “A large mega mocha?”
“You mean a vendi Mocha Mega?” Kevin said with a half-smile.
Morgan’s eyes narrowed and he patted his jacket. “Right.”
“Anything
Similar Books
