By the time Jack woke up, twelve hours had passed. The quiet hospital room that Jason had promised was as noisy as a battlefield, with the Seals cheering and hugging each other.
"Did the Chinese team win the World Cup?" Jack muttered under his breath as he rubbed his pounding head and sat up on the bed. But, unfortunately, even in the world of American TV dramas, the Chinese men's soccer team still didn't perform well, and the Seals had no reason to cheer for a country across the Pacific.
"Hey, lucky kid, the doctor said Clay is out of danger. His leg was saved, but he might have a slight limp in the future. Uh... does the FBI care about that?" Jason was so excited that he could barely get his words out.
Although Jack had already anticipated this outcome, he still managed to look pleasantly surprised. "Didn't the doctor say it would take 48 hours to confirm?"
"The doctor said it might be because Clay is young, and his internal injuries weren't as bad as they initially thought. His recovery has exceeded their expectations."
Sunny gave Jack a bear hug that nearly lifted him off the ground, even though Jack was half a head taller than him. "I knew as long as you, the lucky kid, showed up, good things would happen."
Although Jack considered it mere superstition, he didn't feel unworthy of the praise. "As long as he's okay, that's all that matters. Pass on a message for me—tell Clay to focus on recovering. Once he's better, I'll personally take him to Quantico."
The Quantico training program would take about five months, and Clay would likely need several months to recover. Strictly speaking, he might not be able to make it in time for the official formation of the team.
But for someone like Clay, a retired special forces soldier, there would likely be special policies in place. Besides, Jack could always reserve a spot for him—it wasn't a big deal. Jack planned to consult Rossi about the specifics later.
And so, with his job done and no fanfare, Jack's first trip to Europe came to a quiet end. He didn't even have time to try a bite of German pork knuckle.
Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. During this period, Jack's days were relatively relaxed. Other than checking in on his new office to push the contractors to speed up renovations, he spent his time buttering up the logistics department's female supervisors and employees with delicious treats.
He had no choice—starting a new team meant they only had a few small handguns provided by the NYPD. All other equipment, including vehicles, had to be allocated by the New York office. As a result, Jack's primary task became asking for resources wherever he could.
It couldn't be helped. Even though his female superior was fully supportive of him, she couldn't personally resolve every minor detail for him. To make matters worse, the main boss, Jubal, had been inexplicably busy lately. He clocked in on time every morning but disappeared the moment the workday ended.
Thus, it fell on Jack to scrounge up new equipment and a few vehicles for his future team.
In addition, recruitment was still on the agenda. Recently, while browsing résumés in the system, Jack came across two familiar faces. One was Lance Switz, a psychology expert with a smile more innocent than Reid's, complete with two adorable dimples.
The other was Jim Aubrey, a guy who, while also handsome, had a slightly goofy smile in his photo and seemed to have a habit of smirking crookedly.
Jack was a step too late. By the time he called, Lance Switz, another BAU profiler, had already been assigned to the Washington office. Fortunately, Jim Aubrey was still unattached.
Aubrey had completed his field agent training last year. Before joining the FBI, he had worked on Wall Street for several years. While he might not have been a genius like Reid, he was still a rare high-IQ talent.
Jack submitted a report to Dana Mojet, requesting to temporarily transfer Aubrey to the New York office for evaluation. If their collaboration proved successful, Aubrey would become one of his team members.
In the meantime, Jack occasionally dropped by the NYPD to see if Danny, who was busier than ever, needed help with any big cases.
The collaboration between the New York office and the NYPD was ongoing, so even after Jack joined the Most Wanted team, there would still be plenty of opportunities to work together.
Lately, however, the Big Apple had been relatively calm. Most of the cases were trivial. While there were daily incidents of shootings and murders, advancements in ballistics, fingerprinting, and DNA analysis meant most cases could be resolved by regular detectives through routine procedures.
Hannah's case had finally wrapped up, and the cheerful woman returned complaining that she'd never take on a financial fraud case again. She was sick of dealing with endless data sheets and had drunk so much coffee she felt nauseous.
During this time, Jack also attended a few poker games organized by Richard Castle. The man's extensive network left Jack in awe—judges, mayors, and even Frank Reagan were among his guests.
A few days later, Jim Aubrey officially reported for duty. As Jack had expected, Aubrey was a young man, full of energy and under 30 years old.
In Bones, Aubrey had only appeared later in the series and wasn't as prominent as some of the other characters. But he was still a familiar face and, most importantly, had never turned to the dark side. Jack figured they could get along well and decided to give it a shot.
The NYPD didn't disappoint. With the newbie in place, a new case was delivered to them. Just as Jack was considering taking Aubrey out for a meal or a drink to welcome him, Jubal knocked on his office door.
"There's been a kidnapping outside Hope General Hospital. The NYPD has requested our assistance."
"Just happened?" Jack was surprised. It was just after ten in the morning—broad daylight. A kidnapping in such a public place? Was this for real?
Grabbing his phone, wallet, and car keys, Jack left his office. The analysts and techs, who had been chatting in small groups in the operations center, immediately returned to their desks, sitting upright and waiting for instructions.
"Yes, it happened less than two hours ago. Detective Reagan is already at the scene, waiting for you. Take the newbie along and stay in touch." Jubal mimicked a phone gesture with his hand.
"OK. Agent Aubrey, come with me," Jack said with a nod. This was exactly why he had filed the report to bring Aubrey in early.
"The victim's name is Nicole Wright. She's a doctor at Hope General Hospital, an anesthesiologist. According to her colleagues, she comes from a wealthy family, so I'm tentatively assuming this is a ransom-motivated kidnapping. I've applied to transfer the case to the FBI."
Danny's explanation left Jack momentarily stunned. "You're not following up on this case yourself?" That didn't sound like the Danny he knew. Since when did he willingly let go of a case?
"I've already missed months of 'wild nights' with Linda. If I don't take this vacation, I'm afraid she'll really lose it. This one's all yours," Danny said, folding his hands in a mock prayer gesture.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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