Uniform #2
“See you later, Angel,” Mac said. He followed Yvette to Cooper’s office. The door was open, and Cooper already sat at the conference table inside. “I’ll text you later,” he said to Yvette.
Cooper looked up, hearing his voice. “Hi, come in. I’m ready for you.”
“See you gentlemen later,” Yvette said. Then she walked back down the hall, acknowledged Angel as she passed and grabbed a cookie from the kitchen before she headed up to Ops. She was aware of the smile that was on her face. She was genuinely happy.
Mac closed Cooper’s door and took a seat with him. “Bet you didn’t think you’d see me this soon,” Mac greeted with a smile.
“I will admit I was a bit surprised when Shepherd told me he was going to offer you a position. I was more surprised when he told me you’d accepted. If I’d made a bet about it, I would have lost.”
“I actually asked for a position without knowing he planned to offer it to me.”
Cooper laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have predicted that. But we’re happy to have you with us. We’re going to work on the onboarding over the next few hours, which include re-taking your oath, similar to the one you took when you were with the CIA.”
Mac nodded.
“We’ll lay out your training schedule today as well, though I anticipate it will be more like just verifying and checking off the items. Learning our protocols will probably be the only real training, and those are online for you to read, study, and test to show mastery of.
We’ve moved most of onboarding and training online thanks to Angel and Madison. ”
“So, the quicker I progress through the online items, the quicker I can be done with training?”
“Yes, pretty much so. As you are aware, we carry federal creds to give us standing when operating domestically. Shepherd plans to reach out to his CIA contact today and see what they’ll require to reissue your CIA creds.
They may want you to complete the test portion of the online credentialing our people go through. ”
Mac’s gut twisted. “I know the creds are only good while I am with Shepherd Security and the CIA has no authority over me to pull me for their missions, but the thought is not palatable.”
“Trust me, I get it,” Cooper said. “But the alternative is for you to start over and do a full-blown course with either the FBI or DEA. Re-establishing your CIA creds will be faster and less time-consuming.”
“I’ll suck it up and do what I need to do . Don’t worry.”
“I knew you would,” Cooper said.
They worked together for over an hour in Cooper’s office.
He had the computer tablet assigned to Mac and helped him log in to complete the onboarding forms. Then Mac recited the oath, promising to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to obey the orders of the President of the United States and all officers, which included Shepherd and Cooper.
This was followed by Mac reading and signing the employment contract.
“Okay, that’s it. You’re officially employed by Shepherd Security,” Cooper said. He extended his hand. “Welcome to the team, Mac.”
Mac shook his hand. “Thanks.”
Cooper took his phone from his pocket and typed out a text message. An incoming message immediately displayed with a chime. “Garcia’s ready for you. He’ll get you access to the building, issue your agency phone and take care of all the digital items on the onboarding checklist.”
Mac followed Cooper back through the hallway and then up the stairs to the eighth floor. Garcia was in his workroom, beside the door to Ops, where he knew Yvette was. Garcia stood as they entered and offered his hand. Mac shook it.
“Not sure if you know, but Garcia and Jackson share the number three position here at Shepherd Security,” Cooper said.
“One of the first items in the online training is the command structure at the agency. Garcia will get that pushed through to your tablet, and I’d suggest you try to knock out all the modules as fast as possible.
” His gaze shifted to Garcia. “He wants to complete the training as fast as possible, not knowing what all the CIA will put him through to re-issue his creds.” His attention went back to Mac.
“It’s my understanding they were pissed when you resigned. ”
Mac laughed. “When are they ever happy about it when one of their assets takes a walk? Especially if they’re staying in the intelligence game when they leave. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make me start at ground zero.”
“Shepherd will negotiate it for you, don’t worry. I thought the DEA would have made me jump through multiple hoops when I left them for Shepherd, but Shepherd handled them, has at every turn,” Garcia said.
Cooper left, and they got to work. Garcia issued his agency phone and set up cloned instances for both of Mac’s other phone lines on it.
Garcia granted him electronic access to the building and all floors.
He enabled computer access to their servers and all necessary files and issued his Shepherd Security email address.
That was it. His digital footprint as an agency employee was established.
“I’m supposed to bring you down to Doc now, for the installation of your tracker, but let’s swing by Flores’ office first and then I’ll show you to your office.
Flores met with Shepherd shortly after your meeting with him to be told of your team assignment, and Requisition Ryan was asked by Shepherd to get it set up right after your meeting with him.
He should have it nearly put together by now. ”
“Damn if you guys aren’t efficient,” Mac said.
Garcia threw a smirk his way. “Seriously? You know us well enough to have expected it.”
Mac laughed. “True.”
Flores’ office was on the seventh floor.
Mac used his code and palmprint to unlock the door within the stairwell to test it.
It worked. Tommy Flores sat behind his desk with his computer tablet open when they entered through the open door.
He stood when they entered and greeted them with a wide smile. “Hi welcome to the team, Mac.”
Mac shook his hand. “Thanks, I was happy when Shepherd assigned me to Bravo Team.”
“We’re glad to have you,” Flores said. “I was surprised when Shepherd told me earlier that you were joining the agency and Bravo Team, but it makes sense he’d want to ensure Bravo Team will remain staffed after the four of us look at retirement not too far down the road.”
Mac’s lips tipped into a grin. “I can’t see the four of you retiring anytime soon, will be a loss for sure, losing the experience the four of you have.”
“We’ll see,” Tommy Flores said. “I’ll make sure to include you in all Bravo Team texts and emails so you get a feel for us. The other three members are deployed right now. But I know we’ll all be back in town during Thanksgiving week. We’ll have an all-team meeting then.”
“Sounds good,” Mac said. He figured he’d be in town that week as well.
Next, Garcia showed Mac to his office down the hall from Flores’.
It was the same as all the other offices on the eighth and seventh floors.
A desk and office chair, with two guest chairs in front of it, and a file cabinet shelf combo behind it.
And a comfortable couch and table near the door.
His name was already on the door. He left his computer tablet on the desk.
They descended the stairs to the fourth floor.
The door from the stairwell dumped them into the medical suite of offices.
Each team’s medic had an office. Doc’s office was the only one with a light on.
Doc was ready. He had an intimidating-looking piece of equipment laid out on a tray with a bandage and an icepack.
Yvette had warned him how the tracker smarted as it entered the skin and muscle of the shoulder. He wasn’t looking forward to this.
“Hi Mac,” Doc greeted. “Welcome to the team.”
Mac couldn’t help but chuckle. “Thanks, it’s actually kind of surreal.”
Doc nodded. He tapped the chair he had ready. “Take your shirt off and straddle this and we’ll get it injected.”
“Okay, you have access to the stairs and elevator. When you’re done here, go back to your office and work on your training modules for as long as you want.
One of the first modules includes the agency calendar for logging your in and out status when you’re working in the office.
Remember to log out whenever you decide to go home for the night. ”
“So there’s no set schedule for the next week or so while I’m training?”
“Cooper will push through to you via calendar invite anything he’ll work with you on, but otherwise, set your own schedule and work on your online training modules until they’re done,” Garcia said.
“Shepherd expects at least forty hours a week when you’re in the office unless there’s been a discussion with him to the contrary,” Garcia said. “I’ll catch you later.”
After Garcia left, Mac pulled his long-sleeved Henley over his head.
His weapon was holstered in the small of his back, tucked into his blue jeans.
He noticed Doc wore his openly on his right hip.
He knew it was the expectation that everyone in the office was armed at all times.
Yvette had told him that if Angel didn’t wear clothes that allowed for it as she often wore dresses or skirts, she had one inside her top desk drawer.
There was also a weapon in a special compartment of her desk mounted so that it would take out anyone standing directly in front of the bullet-proof glass window that separated her from the waiting room.
Doc laid the cold icepack onto his upper shoulder on his back without warning. “Damn is that cold,” Mac said, surprised by the sudden sensation.
“We’ll numb it with the icepack for a few minutes before I inject it,” Doc said.
Five minutes later, Doc removed the icepack, ran an alcohol pad over it, and lined up the tracker installation device. A pull of the trigger and the tracker sliced through his skin and imbedded the device inside the muscle in his shoulder.
A painful electric sensation jolted Mac and ran down his arm. He winced and went rigid. He felt a wiping sensation on his shoulder and then the bandage being applied, followed by the icepack again being sat on it.
Doc lifted his phone from the desk. He hit dial.
Yvette answered. “Hi Doc. I see Mac’s tracker online.”
“Thank you for the confirmation,” Doc said.
“You’re welcome.” She disconnected the call. Knowing once Mac was done with Doc that he’d be on his own, she planned to message him shortly.
“That’s it,” Doc said. “If it hurts keep ice on it for no longer than fifteen minutes every hour for the next few hours. I put a bandage on it which will protect it if you shower while the incision heals over the next few days. Try not to overwork it with too much exercise in the next twelve hours and no lifting weights for about twenty-four hours.”
Mac nodded. He didn’t plan to do anything strenuous in the next day so that advice was unnecessary. Mac stood and put his shirt back on. “Thanks.”
“I have medical oversight over all the teams and the medic on each team has responsibility over his team members as well. Either the team medic or I can pull anyone from duty at any time if we believe they are physically not up to par. Our team shrink has similar oversite regarding mental health. Your team medic is currently on a mission. If you have any issues, I’m your point of contact, unless it’s an emergency but even then, you need to call me after you dial 9-1-1. ”
“Got it. Thanks.”
He left Doc’s office and returned to his office on the seventh floor. He settled in to work on his training modules. He’d stay until he was tired, hoping to knock most of the twenty hours’ worth of training out in the next three days in addition to whatever skills check schedule Cooper set.