For just_muse_me | 19.2.2. The ends justify the means
[OOC: Pierce written by agentfraser | Set before THIS and all that follows]
Pierce had been in a meeting and unable to take any calls for the last hour and a half. The first thing he did when he got back to his office, more than a little aggravated at the outcome of the meeting, was check his voicemail and cell for any missed calls. The last thing he expected was any text messages from any unknown numbers. He knew everyone! At least, everyone who had a reason to text message him was already in his directory. It didn't help that the message made no fucking sense whatsoever. He hit the intercom button on his phone and punched in the number for the communications department. "It's Pierce. I need a number tracked. Tell me who it's assigned to." He reeled off the string of numbers and then growled in annoyance when he was put on hold.
He read over the message again, then again. It made no damn sense. He sat down at his desk and rubbed his hand over his mouth, trying to spot any obvious clues in the blocky, cryptic text. "Agent Pierce?" the voice over his intercom interrupted his thoughts. "It's traced to a Mr Marcus Fraser in Manhattan. We can't seem to log into a call record. We're getting blocked."
Pierce felt a shiver up his spine at the name like he had just seen a ghost and cleared his throat. No fucking wonder it was blocked. Secret Service arseholes. "I don't need the calls. Thanks." He slapped at the button, ended the call and stared at the message on the screen. BALLS IN UR CRT. MAKE IT A GOOD 1. C U ON THE OLD GROUND. "Goddamnit, Campbell. What the fuck have you done?" he mumbled to himself. He knew Campbell well enough to know this wasn't going to come from nothing. What did it mean? Did the bastard actually want a link back to the FBI? Pierce was still trying to piece everything together, a tension headache started to throb across his forehead when his office door burst open without any warning knock. He really wasn't too surprised to see who the intruder was.
Iz had dressed up in a suit, and had her hair slicked back. She wasn't sure that even a surprise visit to HQ justified sweat pants and a faded t-shirt. Her lips were set in thin line as she looked at Pierce. "Bad time, boss?" she asked as she let the door close behind her. All eyes of her former colleagues had been on her since she'd walked through, but she hadn't been able to look at any of them. Not yet.
Who knew if she was going to make an even bigger mess of things, but James had decided to set things in motion. It wasn't like she could go to his SS partner for help. Alex was still an unknown even if he'd helped her get to Cameron.
Pierce gestured to the seat in front of his desk for her to sit down. "You tell me, Owens. I'm not stupid enough to know this isn't a freak coincidence. Nothing is ever a coincidence with you two. You pair are going to give me ulcers," he grumbled, pushing the cell phone across the large desk towards her. "What the fuck has he done and what does he want me to do?"
Izzy sucked in a breath at the sight of the text message before she pushed the phone away and sat down in one of the chairs across from Pierce. "He thinks the only way to get the SS to agree to cutting back his duties is for it to be health related. So he's just gone and done something incredibly fucking stupid in the hopes that it works. I'm assuming this means he wants you to help get him back. Amnesia was briefly discussed... as was his being a liaison."
Pierce closed his eyes briefly, trying to contain himself. "Has he done something, or is he going to do something? Do I have time to stop him being a total dickwad?" he asked calmly. "Or more to the point, how did you know to come here? What did he say to you? What, has he shot himself or something? What about his chick? Does she know?" He paused and turned to his PC, tapping in a few commands to bring up a list of people, rubbing his fingers over his mouth. "Who in the SS can I trust with this? I need a fucking link. Amnesia..." He narrowed his eyes a little, his brain already ticking over with plans. But then his blue eyes were on her again. "Did you blackmail him to coming back? No holds barred, Owens. I need to know everything."
"I didn't fucking blackmail him," Iz exploded briefly before she held up a hand in apology. "We talked, and he was pissed off at me for coming to you, but then he admitted his personal life was shit and he was tired of lying. He also said it was impossible for him to leave the SS, and that he hoped I hadn't fucked up his investigation. I think he went home to think about it, and now this has happened. That message means he's already done something, so I don't think you can stop him being a total dickwad. I just got this," she said as she slid her own phone across to Pierce with the message, 'BOSS. RING 1 ASAP', showing. "He wants to be James again."
Pierce read the message and exhaled roughly. "What has he done? He wouldn't be stupid. Someone has to be there. He hasn't asked either of us to do anything related to his health. He's right, though. If he's on a leave of absence for serious health reasons, they aren't going to balk at taking him off the field and integrating him elsewhere in the investigation. Meaning, he's not just going to lick a kid with a head cold. I need to know how much time we've got. Amneisa is... it could work, but it's going to be tricky. There needs to be a purpose for it."
Iz pressed her lips together again and exhaled roughly. "He might have induced a coma from his diabetes. It's the only thing I can think of. I don't think he'd be alone, but Harri wouldn't be in on it. Which means he might have just made sure she was the one to find him, anyway. That way any questions directed at her will be answered with truth. He would be that stupid if he was at his wit's end."
"Any indication he was suicidal?" Pierce asked suspiciously. Though, if Campbell had been suicidal, he wouldn't have sent anyone text messages. He held up his hand for a moment snapped his phone up. "Can you put me through to Mount Sinai?" He was put on hold again and he went back to studying the text messages. First he had to figure out what Campbell was trying to say between the lines. The line connected to the hospital and Pierce cleared his throat. "This is Special Agent Kenneth Pierce with the FBI. I have a query as to a patient who may have been brought through your ER within the last couple of hours. A Marcus Fraser."
The woman didn't seem to hesitate at his request and politely confirmed there was no Marcus Fraser as a patient. Pierce frowned, sure Sinai would've been where he was taken. "None at all?" he asked, seeking clarification, which she offered. He averted his eyes to the cell phones before him. "What about James Campbell?" he asked, trying for a long shot.
When the answer came, he exhaled heavily and nodded. "Thank you very much," he replied and hung up the phone, meeting Izzy's eyes. "James Campbell. He's just been transferred to the ICU."
Izzy had been waiting quietly, but when Pierce said the name James Campbell she choked on a gasp and her eyes went wide. "James Campbell? What did he do? Why's in there?"
"Why is he admitted under James Campbell? That means any ID he had on him said James Campbell. This is not an impulsive thing he's done. He's planned it right down to the last detail. Meaning, he wants me and... anyone who might show up at the hospital to think he's James Campbell. Meaning, someone in the SS already knows he's planning to transition and why. I need to find out who that is. James Campbell suspiciously shows up in a coma at a New York hospital after months of being missing..." Pierce nodded, trying to slot the pieces into place. "He's in a coma, Owens. They wouldn't elaborate without me being his next of kin."
She just nodded slowly, and sat back in her seat. He really had put himself into a coma. And not only that, but he was admitted to the hospital as James Campbell. That was huge. "What about his partner? Alex. Only I think his real name is... Teddy. Something like that. Would he know?"
Pierce shook his head. "Don't know anything about the partner. Alex Teddy? Or are we talking alias here? Which could get completely fucking complicated to find the guy. Do you know anything about him? Chances are he might know something was going down, but if he did, it would be for a purpose. Campbell has only told people vital to pulling this off. I'm thinking it's a superior he's told. Then again, maybe not. Do you know how much I want to kill the bastard right now? You need to get over there and get me some more information. From the girlfriend, from the partner, from anyone you can get any information from. Hell, talk to the doorman, the paramedics. Just make sure you stop by Admin on the way out to get your new ID. Make it look like you're just as surprised that James Campbell showed up out of the blue as everyone else will be, and that this is an official investigation."
"If I walked out the office crying, would that help?" Isabel asked as she smirked. "He's some doctor at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. That's his cover, anyway. He is a real doctor, but not using his real name. I'll get whatever info I can, boss. I can be very persuasive."
Pierce waved his hand. "Maybe look a little faint and trip over the ficus," he said with his own smirk. He noted down the name of the hospital and added 'Alex' and 'Teddy' beside his messy scrawls. He watched her closely. "You got him back, Owens. No second thoughts?"
Iz shook her head. "No, none. I better get going. I'll definitely trip over the ficus, boss. And... thank you. I'll call you when I know something."
Words: 1808 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse
Pierce had been in a meeting and unable to take any calls for the last hour and a half. The first thing he did when he got back to his office, more than a little aggravated at the outcome of the meeting, was check his voicemail and cell for any missed calls. The last thing he expected was any text messages from any unknown numbers. He knew everyone! At least, everyone who had a reason to text message him was already in his directory. It didn't help that the message made no fucking sense whatsoever. He hit the intercom button on his phone and punched in the number for the communications department. "It's Pierce. I need a number tracked. Tell me who it's assigned to." He reeled off the string of numbers and then growled in annoyance when he was put on hold.
He read over the message again, then again. It made no damn sense. He sat down at his desk and rubbed his hand over his mouth, trying to spot any obvious clues in the blocky, cryptic text. "Agent Pierce?" the voice over his intercom interrupted his thoughts. "It's traced to a Mr Marcus Fraser in Manhattan. We can't seem to log into a call record. We're getting blocked."
Pierce felt a shiver up his spine at the name like he had just seen a ghost and cleared his throat. No fucking wonder it was blocked. Secret Service arseholes. "I don't need the calls. Thanks." He slapped at the button, ended the call and stared at the message on the screen. BALLS IN UR CRT. MAKE IT A GOOD 1. C U ON THE OLD GROUND. "Goddamnit, Campbell. What the fuck have you done?" he mumbled to himself. He knew Campbell well enough to know this wasn't going to come from nothing. What did it mean? Did the bastard actually want a link back to the FBI? Pierce was still trying to piece everything together, a tension headache started to throb across his forehead when his office door burst open without any warning knock. He really wasn't too surprised to see who the intruder was.
Iz had dressed up in a suit, and had her hair slicked back. She wasn't sure that even a surprise visit to HQ justified sweat pants and a faded t-shirt. Her lips were set in thin line as she looked at Pierce. "Bad time, boss?" she asked as she let the door close behind her. All eyes of her former colleagues had been on her since she'd walked through, but she hadn't been able to look at any of them. Not yet.
Who knew if she was going to make an even bigger mess of things, but James had decided to set things in motion. It wasn't like she could go to his SS partner for help. Alex was still an unknown even if he'd helped her get to Cameron.
Pierce gestured to the seat in front of his desk for her to sit down. "You tell me, Owens. I'm not stupid enough to know this isn't a freak coincidence. Nothing is ever a coincidence with you two. You pair are going to give me ulcers," he grumbled, pushing the cell phone across the large desk towards her. "What the fuck has he done and what does he want me to do?"
Izzy sucked in a breath at the sight of the text message before she pushed the phone away and sat down in one of the chairs across from Pierce. "He thinks the only way to get the SS to agree to cutting back his duties is for it to be health related. So he's just gone and done something incredibly fucking stupid in the hopes that it works. I'm assuming this means he wants you to help get him back. Amnesia was briefly discussed... as was his being a liaison."
Pierce closed his eyes briefly, trying to contain himself. "Has he done something, or is he going to do something? Do I have time to stop him being a total dickwad?" he asked calmly. "Or more to the point, how did you know to come here? What did he say to you? What, has he shot himself or something? What about his chick? Does she know?" He paused and turned to his PC, tapping in a few commands to bring up a list of people, rubbing his fingers over his mouth. "Who in the SS can I trust with this? I need a fucking link. Amnesia..." He narrowed his eyes a little, his brain already ticking over with plans. But then his blue eyes were on her again. "Did you blackmail him to coming back? No holds barred, Owens. I need to know everything."
"I didn't fucking blackmail him," Iz exploded briefly before she held up a hand in apology. "We talked, and he was pissed off at me for coming to you, but then he admitted his personal life was shit and he was tired of lying. He also said it was impossible for him to leave the SS, and that he hoped I hadn't fucked up his investigation. I think he went home to think about it, and now this has happened. That message means he's already done something, so I don't think you can stop him being a total dickwad. I just got this," she said as she slid her own phone across to Pierce with the message, 'BOSS. RING 1 ASAP', showing. "He wants to be James again."
Pierce read the message and exhaled roughly. "What has he done? He wouldn't be stupid. Someone has to be there. He hasn't asked either of us to do anything related to his health. He's right, though. If he's on a leave of absence for serious health reasons, they aren't going to balk at taking him off the field and integrating him elsewhere in the investigation. Meaning, he's not just going to lick a kid with a head cold. I need to know how much time we've got. Amneisa is... it could work, but it's going to be tricky. There needs to be a purpose for it."
Iz pressed her lips together again and exhaled roughly. "He might have induced a coma from his diabetes. It's the only thing I can think of. I don't think he'd be alone, but Harri wouldn't be in on it. Which means he might have just made sure she was the one to find him, anyway. That way any questions directed at her will be answered with truth. He would be that stupid if he was at his wit's end."
"Any indication he was suicidal?" Pierce asked suspiciously. Though, if Campbell had been suicidal, he wouldn't have sent anyone text messages. He held up his hand for a moment snapped his phone up. "Can you put me through to Mount Sinai?" He was put on hold again and he went back to studying the text messages. First he had to figure out what Campbell was trying to say between the lines. The line connected to the hospital and Pierce cleared his throat. "This is Special Agent Kenneth Pierce with the FBI. I have a query as to a patient who may have been brought through your ER within the last couple of hours. A Marcus Fraser."
The woman didn't seem to hesitate at his request and politely confirmed there was no Marcus Fraser as a patient. Pierce frowned, sure Sinai would've been where he was taken. "None at all?" he asked, seeking clarification, which she offered. He averted his eyes to the cell phones before him. "What about James Campbell?" he asked, trying for a long shot.
When the answer came, he exhaled heavily and nodded. "Thank you very much," he replied and hung up the phone, meeting Izzy's eyes. "James Campbell. He's just been transferred to the ICU."
Izzy had been waiting quietly, but when Pierce said the name James Campbell she choked on a gasp and her eyes went wide. "James Campbell? What did he do? Why's in there?"
"Why is he admitted under James Campbell? That means any ID he had on him said James Campbell. This is not an impulsive thing he's done. He's planned it right down to the last detail. Meaning, he wants me and... anyone who might show up at the hospital to think he's James Campbell. Meaning, someone in the SS already knows he's planning to transition and why. I need to find out who that is. James Campbell suspiciously shows up in a coma at a New York hospital after months of being missing..." Pierce nodded, trying to slot the pieces into place. "He's in a coma, Owens. They wouldn't elaborate without me being his next of kin."
She just nodded slowly, and sat back in her seat. He really had put himself into a coma. And not only that, but he was admitted to the hospital as James Campbell. That was huge. "What about his partner? Alex. Only I think his real name is... Teddy. Something like that. Would he know?"
Pierce shook his head. "Don't know anything about the partner. Alex Teddy? Or are we talking alias here? Which could get completely fucking complicated to find the guy. Do you know anything about him? Chances are he might know something was going down, but if he did, it would be for a purpose. Campbell has only told people vital to pulling this off. I'm thinking it's a superior he's told. Then again, maybe not. Do you know how much I want to kill the bastard right now? You need to get over there and get me some more information. From the girlfriend, from the partner, from anyone you can get any information from. Hell, talk to the doorman, the paramedics. Just make sure you stop by Admin on the way out to get your new ID. Make it look like you're just as surprised that James Campbell showed up out of the blue as everyone else will be, and that this is an official investigation."
"If I walked out the office crying, would that help?" Isabel asked as she smirked. "He's some doctor at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. That's his cover, anyway. He is a real doctor, but not using his real name. I'll get whatever info I can, boss. I can be very persuasive."
Pierce waved his hand. "Maybe look a little faint and trip over the ficus," he said with his own smirk. He noted down the name of the hospital and added 'Alex' and 'Teddy' beside his messy scrawls. He watched her closely. "You got him back, Owens. No second thoughts?"
Iz shook her head. "No, none. I better get going. I'll definitely trip over the ficus, boss. And... thank you. I'll call you when I know something."
Words: 1808 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse