Denny's = Heartburn

**GB82** · Nov 27th, 2010 04:28 PM

Special Agent Tim Simmons was beginning to wonder just when his day would end, first there were all the damn meetings with the personnel division this morning, the DHS GS meeting in the early afternoon and then the adventure he'd just returned from with Frank. They'd been tailed, found their pursuer in a local Denny's and turned down that prick's offer to throw an innocent man to the wolves in order to help the state government avoid a lawsuit. Now Tim was back at the office and needed to speak with SAC Johnson as soon as possible.

He made his way towards the SAC's office, running over what had happened in his head and wondering just he should inform his new boss that somebody had tried to bribe him on his first day on the job. Tim moves towards the door and knocks. Normally he'd notice that the SAC didn't really have much of an office or an assistant, things that any FBI SAC from Augusta to Tacoma would consider part of the job. Oh well, he thinks as he finishes knocking.

**Jmiland1** · Nov 30th, 2010 12:23 AM

"Come in."

The SAC is at his desk, hand on his mouse as he reads something on his monitor. He waves Simmons in and flashes a smile, that same companionable smile bosses all around the world learn--the one that could be genuine, but doesn't really give a lot a confidence. "Ah, Simmons, was it? Please, have a seat." He gestures at the only other chair in the office.

With care Johnson removes his reading glasses, folds them, and places them in front of the monitor. "I hope everything is starting out well, Agent?"

**GB82** · Nov 30th, 2010 10:50 AM

Part of Tim's brain is wondering about the SAC. Johnson seemed competent and professional, two traits that should have meant a better posting for the man than the job he currently held. Then again the same thing could be said about Special Agent Timothy Simmons, excellent reputation and nothing but the best scores on his evaluations, yet here he was as well. The Agent pushed that from his mind as he sat down in the chair offered by his new boss.

"Well Frank, Agent Rizzo, certainly knows every inch of the city and probably has a story about each inch as well. He gives an interesting tour of the city. However there was an incident." He pauses for a second. "We were tailed, I've got the make, model and plates but I wanted to fill you in first before I ran them in the system, managed to identify the tail car while we were stopped at a gas station and followed it to a local Denny's."

Tim straightened up in his chair. "When we entered a young man, looked to be in his late 20's, wore a suit, light brown hair, blue eyes, called himself "Eddie", which was an alias. Had the look of a bureaucrat playing at being a Secret Agent. He talked about how none of the investigations have come up with anything to clear the city and state with regards to the River Boat incident. Said they needed to be protected against lawsuits and thus we needed to pin the whole thing on a scapegoat before naming the boat's Captain as the fall guy."

Tim works his memory and gets ready for the even bigger reveal. "He made offers to Frank and I, and hinted that all of us could us help. I told him to basically go to hell, well used a few more words but that was the tone I used, it seemed to shake him up enough that he left. However he said that he would be in touch."

**Jmiland1** · Nov 30th, 2010 10:02 PM

Johnson leans back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he listens. "Well this is very serious, Agent, and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. Have Rizzo..." He trails off, shaking his head after a few moments. "I'm sorry. I forgot he's already left for the day. Well, if you'll punch up a report for me on the matter, Simmons. We need some sort of documentation in case this matter becomes more serious."

More serious? Than federal officers being offered bribes?

"Have you spoken with any of your colleagues regarding this?"

**GB82** · Nov 30th, 2010 10:16 PM

The prospect of typing up a report doesn't seem to bother Tim, he half expected as much and really he didn't have much to go home to. After six years in an FBI field office the idea of working a normal 9-5 gig, even a one connected to the DHS, was foreign to him. There was work to be done and he'd push himself until it was over. Or the terrible coffee finally lost it's effect and he lays down on an old coffee room couch for a couple of hours of sleep.

"I haven't mentioned it to anyone else, Frank drove me right back here to the office so I could report in."

**Jmiland1** · Nov 30th, 2010 10:53 PM

Johnson nods and looks off into space. "Did he say why it was so important to have a scapegoat? A lawsuit? That seems a rather frivolous reason to attempt a federal offense." With a slow shake of his head he regards Simmons again. "Run those numbers and see what you come up with. And get me that report soon, all right? Give an old man something to do with his day," he says with a smile.

**GB82** · Nov 30th, 2010 11:17 PM

"I'll go run those plates and the other information, then go type up that report on what happened." He stands up and is about to exit the office when he stops suddenly and turns to face the SAC again. "You know he promised me support for the family of one of the victims of that case I worked last year, financial support. He offered Frank help with his house payments and said that he could help Warren learn about what happened to her parents." He looks thoughtful for a second. "If saving money is a concern, why offer it to us to fix the case? How could they know what really happened to Warren's parents? Worst off, how did they get the information they had on us, the guy knew the buttons to push and even called me by name. I'd been in this office since 10 am."

Tim sighs and waits for a reply from the SAC, then will head out to the trusty government database to look up the information on the car.

**Jmiland1** · Dec 1st, 2010 09:53 PM

Johnson shakes his head sadly, and shrugs. "I'm afraid I don't know, Simmons. I really don't. I can guess at the payoff--how much did they offer you? How much is the potential lawsuit? Dollars to donuts one option is cheaper than the other. But as for where they get their information..." He shakes his head again.

Tim gets back to his desk, logs in, and then logs in again to the vehicle registeries. Getting the database to load takes longer than putting in his search information, and inputting that data takes longer than the wait for the answer:

White Pontiac. 2004. Plate # 4RNN731. Registered to... The California Department of General Services. In fact, looks like DGS bought themselves a fleet of twenty--they're all registered under the 4RNN7 series.

Tim's roll

**GB82** · Dec 1st, 2010 10:11 PM

The SAC was right about the money, payoffs to avoid lawsuits was dollars to donuts, but in the end the offer still didn't make sense. "Eddie" knew too much about them and the offer he made, as well as the ones he hinted at, were almost perfectly tailored to each of them. Like some genie from a bottle come to solve all of their problems and make their dreams come true. As Tim typed up his report he simply wished for a government issue computer that didn't run on Vista.

Simmons wrote up the encounter just as he would any other contact report, making sure that his i's were dotted and t's crossed. He added the information his search had provided and saved it before printing it out. He then went to the internet and went to search for any information he could find about the California Department of General Services. SAC Johnson would more than likely ask about them when he read the report and Tim didn't want to have nothing to offer.

**GB82** · Dec 3rd, 2010 11:55 PM

The report was simple and to the point, Special Agent Simmons made sure that it contained all of the details of what happened during the afternoon and added the information his search of the plates and the State of California's Department of General Services connection with the vehicle. All done he saves it and then prints out a copy, which he takes back to the SAC's office. Tim knocks on the door and waits to be invited in.