just_muse_me: 6.9.5. Behind Blue Eyes

[agentcampbell]

6.9.5. Behind Blue Eyes - The Who

No one knows what it's like to be the bad man
To be the sad man behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated, to be fated to telling only lies

[Comes a month after THIS and THIS]

Kenneth Pierce watched with an unreadable expression on his face as the entirety of his department flooded into the conference room and started to fill the seats around the large table. There was overflow and some of the Special Agents selected to line the back wall, leaning against it with their arms folded. The absence of one of their own was blatantly obvious, though no one had really giving much thought to James Campbell being overseas in Australia undercover. Absences like this of their Aussie colleague weren’t uncommon and the only person in the room who really probably had spent any time in discontent thought over it likely was Agent Owens. Pierce cleared his throat, his face remaining stoic and expressionless. “Masters, give Owens your seat,” was all he said at first and refused to meet Isabel’s eyes as she looked like she wanted to protest the fact she needed a seat at all, but did as the boss ordered and dropped into Frank’s vacated chair to the left of the conference table.


A few more moments of uncomfortable silence followed, only punctuated by the odd cough, throat clearing or sniffing. The room was stuffy at it’s overfull capacity, but it wouldn’t matter. Pierce had no intentions of letting this linger. No one knew why the abrupt meeting had been called. Usually there was plenty of notice before department meets occurred and rarely were all the Agents requested to be present. So, rarely, in fact, that no one could actually remember the last time they were all in a room together like this, with the inclusion of the receptionist, administrative staff and a few other members of other departments selected by Pierce himself, again for reasons unknown. Pierce remained standing as his cool blue eyes scanned his staff before he spoke again. “Unfortunately, this meeting has been called for circumstances I’d never wish to have to deliver. It’s also not the first time I have been in this position,” he spared a small glance at a heavily pregnant Ali, who was sitting in the seat beside Isabel, “and in the nature of our job, it won’t be the last.”

He paused to try and settle on the best way to deliver the news. “Some of you in this room will be aware that Campbell hasn’t been in contact for close to five days. Normally, this could be explained away by the fact he’s been sent deep undercover. Regretfully, I have to reveal that since arriving in Australia, he hasn’t been undercover consistently and has been able to maintain contact with HQ and the US consulate in Australia at least twice a day for debrief. All contact, however, ceased five days ago and intelligence neither here nor in Australia have been able to establish contact or locate him. He has not been in contact with any family or friends, including his brother who travelled to Australia with him. He has not accessed credit cards or bank accounts in this time, he has not had any medical prescriptions filled nor sought any medical assistance. With Campbell’s health background, these could be serious indications of his well-being. Half an hour ago, the Australian Federal Police officially listed him as a missing person. All leads he was investigating have gone cold and at this point, we have evidence to believe the group he was trailing in our investigation were operating to lure Campbell to danger, perhaps with intent to kill him. We are currently investigating the possibility that Campbell was involved in a double, more sinister life to what any of us knew of him here because there seems to be no other rational explanation. We cannot ignore the link that his partner was murdered in the line of duty with the NYPD due to drugs three years ago and we think this could be a vital lead.”

Pierce couldn’t look directly at Isabel. He’d known for some weeks now that Campbell had been bedding her and, in fact, was still married to her after their disastrous investigation in Vegas months ago. It was difficult to keep secrets when you were an FBI Special Agent. Walls had ears and everything else had eyes. Still, the partners seemed to have eluded anyone else to their copulation outside of the job and Pierce had no intentions of revealing the fact to anyone. At this point in time, it was insignificant… at least until he had time to question her about Campbell’s activities beyond his job.

When he spoke again, his tone had taken a more rough, monotone edge. “Many of you here are Campbell’s friends or acquaintances. All of you, indeed, are his colleagues. You will be questioned and expected under Oath to the Bureau to be truthful in your responses, no matter what loyalties you believe to have directly to him.” His face softened slightly and he dropped his arms to his side. “Campbell’s official listed status with the FBI as of today is missing, presumed dead. We’re going to need everyone’s help, large or small, to try and locate him and bring him home alive. We won’t give up until we find him. Information will be supplied as it comes to hand. Right now, we have none.” He stonily gestured to his PA to open the conference room door. “That is all. Meeting adjourned.”


- isabelowens & agentsullivan referenced with permission


Word Count | 890