Dino by Jaime Lewis
Chapter SEVEN
Arianna and Special Agent Hurts had gone over the debriefing process she would face once she arrived back at the bureau. She was well aware that she would be questioned, but the grilling she met from the three directors sitting across the table from her felt more like an interrogation, and she almost wondered if she should have called her attorney.
Without Hurts present to help her defend her actions, she felt like she was on an isolated island and left to fend for herself. She’d been home for four days, and the last two had been spent at the agency being shuffled from room to room, retelling the previous two years of her life to every person at the bureau who was above her pay grade.
She hadn’t seen or heard from Special Agent Hurts since he dropped her off at her apartment the night they arrived in Washington DC. The second day she spent retrieving her belongings shipped from Italy to the bureau’s offices in Quantico. She hadn’t realized she had accumulated so much stuff until the guy at the holding facility opened the container, and she saw how many boxes were there. It would’ve taken her several trips in her tiny compact Honda Civic. She ended up hiring a couple of guys with a truck to transport everything to her apartment. Her small one-bedroom apartment currently looked like a distribution center with so many boxes strewn about. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with everything.
Getting back to the conversation at hand, she eyed the agents in front of her.
“Ms. Roland, can you please tell us what ensued in private with Demitri Barros?” One of the men asked her. She also didn’t miss the title the agent used—or lack of, she should say. He had addressed her as Ms., and not Agent. She wondered if that was a clue that her career was over.
Arianna sighed. She was tired of the same questions. She had hoped the last group who had questioned her had been the last of the torture, but it seemed that hadn’t been the case. She had done everything by the book and followed every directive that had been given to her. She was becoming agitated with each question fired off at her.
“Agent Scarborough, I have given not only you but what feels like the entire upper echelon of the FBI, my firsthand account of the last two years of my life six times, including the events that occurred last Saturday evening. Nothing has changed since the last statement I gave,” she looked at her watch, “two hours and thirty-five minutes ago.”
Scarborough cast a skeptical eye in her direction. She wasn’t going to let him break her. Finally, after several tense moments, one of the other men spoke. He had yet to ask her any questions but sat quietly studying the conversation at hand. She’d heard of people who were brought into situations like this because of their capabilities to read body language. Maybe that was what he was doing. And that was fine by her because she had nothing to hide.
“Ms. Roland, what is or was your relationship with Enzo Makis?”
“What?” Now that question had shocked her. Why would they ask her that when Enzo was an informant? Then the thought hit her. Did they not know? Was Enzo working secretly for Hurts?
“Enzo Makis,” he repeated. “There was a complaint filed against you citing that you and Mr. Makis have a close relationship—possibly a romantic one. You do know he is a known criminal, correct?”
Of course, she knew that. The guy then slid a few photographs across the table. They all had been taken during various events. From the pictures with his arm around her, kissing her cheek, or whispering something into her ear, it would appear to someone not close or familiar with the situation that she and Enzo were engaged in more than just a business relationship. But that was far from the truth.
“You have it all wrong. These pictures don’t prove anything. Enzo was just a contact in the industry. There was nothing between Enzo and me except for a business relationship.”
“Pictures don’t lie, Ms. Roland,” he said, nodding toward the photos.
“No, but people do. Anyone that I’ve had contact with for the last two years can vouch for me and tell you that my relationship with Enzo Makis is strictly platonic.” She was now past being agitated. She was pissed off that someone would try to ruin and discredit her name and career.
“You knew who he was, yet you let yourself become dependent on him and welcomed him into your private life.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. That is ridiculous. I never saw Enzo Maki outside of industry events.”
“There are pictures of the two of you at restaurants.”
“He’s been trying to get me to sign with his agency. Of course, he may have taken me out to dinner once or twice. But I’d like to point out that your so-called cameraman neglected to photograph the other people at the dinner party. I know for a fact that in this picture,” she held up the photo of her and Enzo at the little coffee shop just down the street from her apartment, “there were three other people at the coffee shop with us.”
The agent stared straight-faced at her. He looked like a pompous ass with the way he would smirk and eye over the other agents. It was like they spoke in a silent code with each other, and it was making her uncomfortable.
“During the altercation last Saturday evening, why did you purposely put yourself in front of Enzo? Why risk your life for a known criminal?”
She snapped her mouth and thought about the guy’s question. She never looked at it that way. Yes, Enzo was a criminal. However, if she weren’t an agent and didn’t know his background, she wouldn’t have known that. She turned and fixed her eyes on the man who questioned her. “I reacted. As a trained agent, I just reacted. Enzo and I were trying to get the hidden door open when Demitri approached with his weapon drawn, all the while other people were firing their weapons around us. Again, I reacted.”
“So, you chose sides?”
Her temper flared at the accusations being thrown at her.
“Have you spoken with Special Agent Hurts?”
“Special Agent Hurts will have his chance to give us his account. But right now, we are asking you the questions.”
“Look, I did what I did. Do I regret what I did? Absolutely not. Enzo knew what type of a man Demitri was, and he had come to the room to make sure I wasn’t being taken advantage of. Enzo may run rampant in organized crime, but one thing I will credit him with is that he takes care of the people he cares about. He respects them, which is a lot more than I can say of you right now, along with everyone else who I’ve spoken with over the last two days. I mean, how would it look if word got out that the bureau knowingly left one of their own inside when they knew she could be in danger because of a decision they made?” She looked each man in the eye. “I’ll definitely make sure that is in my report before I submit it on record.”
“I would suggest you watch your tone Ms. Roland. I can have you dismissed from this bureau with a snap of my fingers.”
She sealed her mouth. It already seemed as if her fate had been decided, so why bother to plead her case.
“I think we’re finished for now.” Assistant Director Scarborough said, giving her an odd look. “Ms. Roland. I appreciate your cooperation. We will be in touch should we have any additional questions. You are free to go.”
Go, she thought to herself. What in the hell was that supposed to mean?
“I haven’t been told anything since I’ve been back. Does this mean I go back to forensics with Sam?”
Associate Deputy Director Wilson glanced at the other two men, and judging from the blank expressions on their faces, the answer wasn’t going to be good. When his eyes met hers, she saw the coldness.
“Because of the severity of the complaint levied against you, the agency has decided to place you on administrative leave until a full investigation is complete. If we have any questions, we’ll be sure to contact you. Thank you, Ms. Roland.”
She felt like she’d just been slapped in the face. Just like that, she was one step out of a job. With how the three men treated her, she was sure the investigation would not go in her favor. Two and a half years of alienating her family and friends. For what?
She stood from the chair with her shoulders square. As much as she wanted to lash out, she refused to show defeat or act unprofessionally.
As she walked out the door, she took a good look around, knowing this would be the last time she saw the building's insides.
It looked as if her visit back home could be a permanent move.
◆◆◆
Assistant Director Scarborough watched through the third-floor window as Arianna exited the building and walked across the street to the parking lot. Deputy Assistant Director Frye stood next to him. Associate Deputy Director Wilson had already left the room. All three of them had been dreading that conversation and felt horrible about what they had just done. Letting an agent believe they had failed was tough, but then to pile on a bogus ethics complaint was an even harder pill to swallow. He just hoped that once everything blew over she would understand why they did what they did and accept their apology.
“That woman has some fire in her,” Frey said. “I’ll give her credit. For the most part, she handled herself better than I thought she would.”
“I hated every bit of that conversation. It literally made me sick,” Scarborough stated with his teeth clenched. “We’re all aware that Enzo Makis is a resource for the bureau. So, it was no surprise to hear that Arianna had become close to him.”
“I noticed when we mentioned the complaint, she didn’t admit to him being a bureau resource.”
Scarborough gave Frey a wry grin. “And that’s what makes her a good agent. She doesn’t have a big mouth. From what I was told, Arianna wasn’t even aware that Enzo was an informant until after the incident at the castle.”
“This is a huge setback in the Barros investigation. If it wasn’t for that damn Gabbert sticking his nose into the situation, we could’ve had someone on the inside of Demitri’s organization right now. How did Gabbert even get the Director to sign off on the orders to let him go in after Petro?”
“I don’t know. He somehow pleaded his case, and I guess the way it was presented, the bureau saw it as a win-win situation. They get Petro, who they believed would give up information on Demitri, and in turn, it would lead to Demitri’s arrest.”
“Now we’re back to square one with Barros.”
“Pretty much. Unless he does something drastic and irresponsible that leaves him vulnerable, but I don’t anticipate that happening. I’m sure he’s laying low. We have a couple of minor infractions we can bring against him, but I’d rather hold off and go for the big one.”
Frye agreed. “What was Gabbert’s motive for all of this, including filing a bullshit ethics complaint against Arianna?”
“Glory and revenge.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There’s someone close to Arianna that Agent Gabbert has a beef with, so what better way to get back at a person than through a family member?”
“Family?” Frey asked, clearly confused.
Assistant Director Scarborough turned to face him.
“Her father.” Frye’s eyebrows rose, and Agent Scarborough continued. “Arianna’s father, Paul, is a former Marine—brilliant guy. Too bad the agency couldn’t convince him to come on full-time. Anyway, one of Paul’s friends from the Marines was recruited by the agency after he retired from the service. He had been assigned to assist Gabbert on a high-profile case. Months went by where the agent kept producing evidence against the target, but for some reason, Gabbert wouldn’t take it up with brass. His excuse was that they were petty crimes and that if he were going to bring down this one target, it would be big. The agent finally got fed up and went higher up and complained. Eventually, Gabbert was removed from the team and replaced by the agent. The agent wanted to build his own team and requested to bring someone in from the outside with operative experience on a contract basis to assist.”
Frye nodded. “Let me guess—he brought in Arianna’s father.”
Agent Scarbourgh nodded. “Yep, and within weeks the agent, together with Paul’s expertise, had pulled together a pretty cohesive case against the target. They had pulled together an abundance of solid evidence on high-profile crimes the guy had committed, including murder, and the bureau issued a warrant for the suspect. When a team of agents, including Paul, served the warrant, it resulted in a massive shootout. Ultimately, the intended suspect, along with many of his adversaries were killed. Today it is still one of the most talked-about cases in the agency. Of course, it had pissed Gabbert off.”
“Are you talking about the Elias Barros case?” Frye asked, staring at him.
“Yes.”
Frye whistled low. “Elias was Demitri’s father.”
“Now you see how it is all fitting into place? Gabbert has been skating on thin ice for a long time, and the incident over in Rome, I think, may have been a breaking point for him, and he knows it and is looking for ways to deflect his own blunders by diverting the attention to others. And unfortunately, Arianna is not only a newer agent, but she clearly has a target on her back because of her dad.”
Frey shook his head. “What an asshole. So what’s the next step?”
“Now we wait and see how the Director wants to move forward. I do know he’s been briefed on the situation and wants it resolved quickly. He also wants the Barros case moved back to the top priority list.”
“Will Special Agent Hurts take back the lead for the investigation?”
“Yes. But he’s going to have to put together a new team now that Arianna is out and Miles is still AWOL. And, once Hurts returns next week from his trip and finds out that Arianna has been placed on administrative leave, he’s going to go ballistic.”
“Shit. You didn’t warn him?”
“No, because I wasn’t sure what direction we were going to go. He knows about the complaint and isn’t happy.”
“That must be why Sam over in Forensics was pissed off earlier when I saw him.”
Scarborough nodded his head. “Yeah. He had been ecstatic when he heard that Arianna was returning. But when I informed him this morning of the circumstances surrounding her leave, I thought he would explode - he was so angry. And rightfully so. Arianna is a great agent and would be a valuable resource to his team.”
“Yeah, well, the problem with Hurts is that he could potentially go after Gabbert. Our job is to convince Hurts that he has to let the process run its course.”
“And, Gabbert—what happens to him?”
“Associate Deputy Director Wilson should be on his way to meet with Gabbert now.”
Frey raised his eyebrows in question.
“After today, Special Agent Gabbert will no longer be employed by the bureau.”
“Do you think he could be a threat to Arianna?”
“I hope not, but it’s hard to tell. He’s a crazy son of a bitch. We just need to hang tight until the complaint levied against Arianna is complete.”
“Why even investigate when we all know Gabbert’s complaint has no truth to it?”
“Because he could come back after us on a legal front and claim he was fired because he filed a complaint. This way, all of our “i’s” are dotted, and “t’s” are crossed. Nobody can say a damn thing.”
“Once Hurts returns to the office next week and I explain everything to him, I’ll have him reach out to Arianna.” He smirked. “After all, the bureau has all intentions on bringing her back once this blows over.”
Frye gave him an odd look. “You really think she’ll accept after what we have put her through the past two days?”
Scarborough shrugged his shoulders. “We can only hope.”
◆◆◆
Travis Gabbert downed another shot of tequila and slammed the glass down onto the bar.
Shane, the bartender, gave him a dirty look and shook his head.
“Why don’t you slow down there, Travis?” Shane told him, and Gabbert sneered at him.
“Why don’t you quit acting like my mother and do your damn job and pour me another drink?”
Gabbert took the shot glass and flung it down the bar. It almost hit one of the two guys who were sitting at the other end. Both men threw daggers his way. Gabbert didn’t give a shit. He glared right back at them.
“What in the hell are you looking at?” He shouted at the two men. They just shook their heads and turned away from him.
Shane then walked over and set a glass of water in front of him.
“What the fuck is this shit?” Gabbert asked, slurring his words and curling his lip up in disgust. He came to drink, not hydrate.
Shane leaned against the bar and stared at him. Gabbert squinted his eyes.
“I asked you a question.”
Shane didn’t respond verbally. He reached over to the cash register and grabbed a small piece of paper, and placed it next to the glass of water.
When Gabbert looked closer, he realized it was his check. He took another look at Shane, who was still eyeing him.
“It’s time for you to leave, Gabbert,” Shane told him.
“You’re kicking me out?” He shouted, drawing even more attention to his behavior. When Shane didn’t answer, Gabbert pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and threw it down on the bar. “You’re an asshole, just like everyone else in this world.”
Shane just shrugged his shoulders and walked to the other end of the bar to wait on the other customers.
Gabbert slid off the stool, then before he walked away, he purposely knocked over the whole glass of water, spilling it all over the bar and on the floor. He directed one last glare toward the others before he walked out.
He stumbled out the door and started to walk down the street. He passed by a gas station with a small convenience store attached when he decided he wasn’t done drinking for the day. He went inside and grabbed a case of beer off the shelf, and took it up to the register. There were two people in front of him. As he waited, he saw a small television behind the counter. It was airing one of those network news shows. But that wasn’t what had caught his attention. It was the person on the screen. His body began to shake with anger all over again as he watched the FBI director give an update about a big case that the agency had been involved in.
That entire agency could go fuck themselves for all he cared. After today he vowed to get even with every person who contributed to his firing. When he had been called into his Assistant Director’s office earlier today and was told he was being let go from the bureau, he thought it had been a joke. But when he was presented with exit paperwork all packaged up like a fucking present, he realized that his ousting had been planned. They tried to make it seem like it all stemmed from the incident a few nights ago involving Petro Shevchenko and Demitri Barros, but he wasn’t stupid. He had a lot of enemies in the agency who’d love to see him gone. Hell, lately, it was a challenge for him just to get selected for a case as most of the seasoned agents refused to work with him because of his history.
When the bureau decided to put an undercover team together to go after Demitri Barros, he’d been the first agent to express interest in leading the team, citing his knowledge of the organization since he had been assigned years ago to the case involving Demitri’s dad. But it hadn’t been a huge surprise when he was rejected mainly because of the way that case had ended for him. What did infuriate him was the name of an agent who was offered a lead role in the Demitri operation—Arianna Roland. Gabbert would never forget the Roland name, ever.
Ever since Paul Roland, Arianna's father, and that other agent had screwed him over on the Elias Barros case fifteen years ago, he had wanted revenge.
So, when the opportunity presented itself for him to take the lead on Petro Schevchenko’s case, he snagged it and ran with it. Knowing the history between Petro and Demitri, Gabbert began to form a plan that would not only take down two criminals on the FBI’s list but would redeem his name in the agency while giving the Roland family a little taste of their own medicine.
His plan would have been flawless had it been executed how it was supposed to. However, he hadn’t been prepared for Petro to take matters into his own hands and screw up the entire operation. Gabbert had promised his superiors that it was a simple snatch-and-grab that would create no disturbances to the event going on. But that was far from what had transpired. It had turned into the biggest clusterfuck of his career. He tried to draw the attention away from him by filing an ethics complaint against the Roland girl, but it hadn’t been enough.
He snarled his lip up in disgust. He wasn’t about to let the father/ daughter duo get away with destroying everything he worked for. He was out for blood, and he vowed to take down anyone who got in his way. He’d show the agency just how good of an agent he really was.
