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May 5, 2003
"Where the hell is Fitzgerald?" Jack asked, seeing the empty seat at the conference table."I saw him heading into the records department a few minutes ago. Should be here soon. He knows about the meeting," Danny replied.
"What is this about, anyway," Samantha asked.
They knew it had to be serious. They'd been outside Jack's office earlier, trying to listen in on his half of the phone conversation with the Assistant Director. But all they heard were Jack's unhappy, and grumpy, replies mingled in with the "Yes, sirs."
"When Fitzgerald shows up," was all Jack would reply to Samantha's query.
A few minutes later, Martin showed up and sat down at the conference table, between Vivian and Danny. Jack looked around at the expectant faces, unsure of how to proceed. He took a deep breath and let it out.
"I got a memo this morning from the Assistant Director," he began. "Apparently he hasn't been too happy with us. Thinks we've gotten sloppy."
"What?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Not us!"
"I didn't agree with him either," Jack responded to his agents' remarks. "As you heard me argue with him on the phone earlier," he added, letting them know he knew they were eavesdropping. "But apparently, my arguments fell on deaf ears. He's got us all signed up for an in-service training session tomorrow at eight a.m."
"An in-service?" Danny questioned, perking up. "Cool! All the free coffee and donuts we want, a two hour lunch and then we get out an hour or two early!"
"Gotta love police in-services!" Martin agreed readily.
"Don't get your hopes up, boys," Jack said as he handed out copies of the memo to Danny, Samantha and Martin.
"What about me?" Vivian asked.
"You, my dear, are exempt," Jack replied. "The A.D. has found no fault with you. Just the rest of us."
Jack quietly watched as the other three read the memo. Then watched their reactions.
"But we're a team," Danny spoke up, feeling that if they had to go to the in-service, then they should ALL go."
But Vivian, who had glanced at Martin's copy, just sat back and smiled. "Sorry, Danny. But there's no way in hell I'm going. It was bad enough going through it at the Academy. I'll let you four have all the fun while I hold down the fort."
"I can't believe you couldn't get us out of this! Jack, this is crazy!" Samantha cried.
"Yeah, besides, Danny's the one who needs this most!" Martin added.
"I do not!"
Jack just watched as his agents began to bicker back and forth, blaming each other for the problem. He hardly even noticed that Vivian had gotten up and left. Looking around again, seeing his reflection in the glass window of the conference room, he realized though, that the Assistant Director was right.
"I'll see you all tomorrow morning at eight a.m., sharp. Make sure you have everything you'll need for the training with you," he told them before he, too, left the room.
+ + + + + + +
"I still can't believe I have to be here," Danny groused.
"You?!" Martin questioned. "You're the worst offender. Don't you even remember that last case? God, it was bad! I'm surprised you weren't the one arrested!"
"Who asked you?"
"Boys, calm down," Samantha cut in. "I don't want to be here any more than you do."
"Yeah, yeah," Danny muttered.
"The instructor's here," Jack announced. "Pay attention, now."
The four F.B.I. agents placed their attention at the front of the room as the instructor entered and placed a large bag on a table. They cringed as he began removing several visual aids from the bag.
"Good morning!" he greeted them enthusiastically. "My name is Arturo, and I'm the owner of Arturo's Hair Design and Fashion School! I hope you're all ready for today's in-service training session on Basic Hair Care and Styling for the Special Agent on the Scene! So get out your brushes and combs and let's get styling!"
END
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