Origin - Season One by Nathaniel Dean James Read Free Book Online

director’s office. For once, she wasn’t on the phone. He walked in and closed the door behind him. She cut him off with a raised hand before he could say anything. “I know, I know. When he walked in here I almost burst out laughing. He looks like a twelve-year-old Al Capone.”
    Mike, who didn’t feel remotely jovial, found himself laughing at the image.
    “What do you want me to do, Mike? It’s a brave new world.”
    As she said this, she glanced over at the picture of George W. Bush hanging on the wall by the window.
    “He calls you Mary,” Mike said.
    “Mike, I get it. Believe me. As soon as our friends from Treasury are gone, I’ll drive him to the airport myself. How about that?”
    “And we’re just going to forget this ever happened, right?” Mike said.
    “Yep. That’s exactly what we’ll do. Forget it ever happened and go back to chasing our own bad guys. Does that really sound so bad?”
    “When you put it that way, I guess not.”
    “Good. Then go back out there and play nice. I know Jane keeps a bag of marshmallows in one of her drawers. Perhaps he’d like one.”
    When Mike got back to his office, Jessops was talking to someone on his cell phone with the folder open on the desk in front of him.
    “Anyway, I’ve got to go,” Jessops said. “I’ll call you later.”
    He put the phone down and closed the folder. “Tell me, Agent Banner, you think it was just one guy?”
    “Unlikely,” Mike said.
    Jessops stood and held out his hand. “For what it’s worth, I think you did a good job. I’ll make sure the director knows that.”
    Mike had to stifle what would have been a sarcastic laugh. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
    When Jessops was gone Mike closed the door and called Mitch in DC.
    “Hey, Mitch, how’s it going?”
    “That depends on what you mean. If you’re talking about my car, it’s hardly going at all.”
    “Yeah, well I’m not talking about your car. Listen, we’re off the job.”
    “The Fellowship of the Fed is breaking up already?”
    “I’m afraid so. Have you finished your report?”
    “Yeah, it’s right here in front of me. You know, I’ve been thinking –”
    “I’m going to stop you there, Mitch. One, because I haven’t had a lot of sleep. But more importantly, I’m no longer the investigating officer on the case. Whatever you have, include it in the report. If someone else wants to pursue it, I’m sure they’ll be in touch.”
    “Wow, you sound really pissed off,” Mitch said.
    “Well, I’m not. Relieved, maybe. And grateful to be getting back to my day job.”
    “All right, amigo. You’re the boss. I guess I’ll see you down here in about ten years then.”
    “Don’t count on it. Actually, there is one thing you could do for me.”
    “Shoot.”
    Mike hesitated.
    “I’m still listening,” Mitch said.
    “Could you run an internal personnel check for me?” Mike said.
    “Sure. Although as you surely know, you’re cleared to do that yourself.”
    “I know. It’s just that –”
    “You don’t want a record of it showing up on your system. Now you’re talking my language, Kemosabe. What’s the name?”
    “It’s nothing like that. I –”
    “Hey, say no more. Office politics, man. I get it.”
    Mike lowered his voice. “The name’s Jessops. Apparently he’s the White House liaison, whatever the hell that means.”
    “He’s there? In New York?”
    “Just arrived, yeah.”
    “I’m on it. I’ll call you back in an hour.”
    Mitch called back fifteen minutes later. “Okay, I found him. Bruce Wayne Jessops. What did you want to know?”
    “Bruce Wayne?”
    “Yep, it appears we’ve found Batman. Born eleven March seventy-three in Sacramento, California. Joined the Bureau in ‘99. Mother deceased. Father is Jeffrey Wayne.”
    “The senator?”
    “Yep. Jessops was his mother’s maiden name. I’m guessing he took it to avoid the flak.”
    “That’s it?”
    “That’s everything in the record, yeah. You want me