Chapter 123: Jack Likes Convertibles
The case analysis sessions ignited passionate discussions among trainees, quickly surpassing tactical training as the program's most popular component.
Even after evening study concluded, animated debates continued throughout the barracks.
Long after lights-out, conversations continued with such fervor that Supervisor Black had to patrol like a scout den leader, reminding grown federal agents to quiet down and sleep.
Saturday afternoon brought blessed free time. Theodore and Bernie approached Black's office together, requesting leave on Sunday afternoon.
Fewer than ten trainees had applied; most preferred barracks rest to venturing beyond Quantico's gates.
Four days had provided ample intelligence about their surroundings, courtesy of neighboring Marines separated by chain-link fencing.
Quantico was a closed military community, bordered by the broad Potomac River to the east, dense mountain forests to the west.
Beyond the base perimeter, only the Quantico township, with a population under five hundred, contained modest shops, a train station, and a post office designed to serve the base.
Mountain hunting, swamp exploration, or Potomac fishing hardly constituted appealing relaxation. Better to remain inside washing clothes or playing basketball than freeze outside pursuing dubious recreation.
Black approved all leave requests without scrutiny.
Sunday afternoon found Theodore and Bernie hitchhiking to Washington with Black, who'd borrowed a Marine Corps vehicle for personal business in Arlington.
Bernie chatted continuously with their supervisor, and upon learning of Bernie's post-training relocation plans, Black even suggested housing options in his neighborhood.
Upon reaching Arlington, they agreed to meet at Black's doorstep at seven for the return journey. Black had intended to remind them about punctuality, but his gaze lingered on Theodore, and he swallowed the warning.
Theodore and Bernie proceeded to the Department of Justice building. Though weekend overtime was common, most workers came from divisions other than Investigation.
The Investigation Department's main office stood largely empty, creating unusual quiet.
A handful of dedicated agents occupied small conference rooms, covering whiteboards with case research, men with neither girlfriends to date nor families to visit.
Theodore delivered a report to Ms. Gandy for Hoover's review, the primary purpose of his trip. The document contained preliminary ideas for his approach to team formation.
He'd originally planned a direct presentation to Hoover, but the Director was absent today.
Before returning to Arlington, Bernie purchased two whiskey bottles for pocket concealment and potential use in barracks smuggling. Billy Hawk had made the request.
January 19th marked Theodore's departure from Quantico to attend the presidential inauguration with Hoover the following day.
Recent blizzards had forced the repeated cancellation of ceremony plans, with procedures changing continuously as the Secret Service and FBI worked overtime to check security arrangements.
Another storm struck D.C. that night. Before dawn, thousands of volunteers and military personnel cleared Capitol Hill, Pennsylvania Avenue, and the inauguration sites again, ensuring the roads were passable.
Morning brought Jack and Jacqueline to Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral. Crowds gathered outside the church, despite Secret Service and FBI cordons that blocked their view; only the walls and stone columns were visible through the security barriers.
Widespread enthusiasm remained undampened.
After Mass, the couple met the outgoing president, who'd signed his final executive order before departing the White House.
The three rode together in an open convertible along Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill, crowds cheering throughout the route.
The former president became the first to attend his successor's inauguration ceremony.
Theodore, Hoover, and Tolson followed in Hoover's black sedan, which was equipped with bulletproof glass and era-appropriate security technology to protect its occupants.
Hoover's stern expression reflected his foul mood.
Despite using congressional pressure to constrain the Kennedy brothers, the prospect of working with them for four or eight years left him thoroughly displeased.
Theodore observed Jack through the window, with a bright smile and enthusiastic waves directed at the crowds in the convertible.
He confirmed one crucial detail: Jack definitely preferred convertibles.
The motorcade reached Capitol Hill, where an inauguration platform flanked the building's west side, surrounded by bulletproof barriers. Approximately 20,000 spectators began filling the designated areas.
At noon, under House Speaker guidance, Lyndon Johnson first took the Vice Presidential oath in the Senate Chamber. Twenty minutes later, Chief Justice oversight saw Jack place his hand on the Bible for the Presidential oath-taking.
Jack delivered his inaugural address, including the famous declaration: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
His fourteen-minute speech, though brief by historical standards, contained exceptional quality and memorable phrases. He projected an ideal presidential image, enthusiastic, vibrant, young, confident, and passionate.
On-site response was tremendous. Jack officially became America's new President.
NBC and CBS broadcast the ceremony using color cameras for the first time, with millions witnessing history on television.
Following the congressional luncheon, Jack and Jacqueline participated in the inaugural parade, reviewing military formations and cultural performances. This marked the first time Hollywood stars, poets, and cultural figures were invited to an inauguration ceremony.
Jack brought entertaining, secular changes to America's highest power transfer, making it less solemn and rigid.
Evening brought five official celebration balls at different D.C. venues. Jack and Jacqueline appeared at all locations for brief periods.
Private celebratory banquets reportedly followed the official events. Naturally, Hoover received no private invitation to gatherings.
At the evening ball, Theodore followed Hoover through introductions to numerous middle-aged and elderly power brokers, Senators, Representatives, Judges, and Cabinet members.
One Senator, believing Theodore had returned home after a year-long absence with reformed attitudes, immediately offered an assistant position with tomorrow's interview opportunity.
Theodore glanced at Hoover and politely declined.
After the ball, both men climbed into Hoover's sedan and exhaled long breaths. Following a moment of silence, Hoover ejected Theodore, assigning another vehicle for his return to Quantico.
Week six of selection training marked the program's halfway point. New knowledge poured continuously, every lesson feeling foreign to increasingly overwhelmed trainees.
Communal dormitories, alcohol prohibition, shared bathrooms, overnight guest restrictions, and high-intensity physical training all contributed to pressure reaching maximum levels.
Even energetic individuals like Billy Hawk appeared listless, collapsing into bunks immediately upon returning to barracks each evening.
Under such high-pressure intensity, trainees sought methods for stress relief. Weekend leave applications increased dramatically. Most wanted was the base escape, even aimless strolling outside the gates provided relief.
Others turned to family phone calls, seeking strength from loved ones.
When outside excursions and family support proved insufficient, many trainees began to experience emotional breakdown.
Another group targeted Supervisor Black for stress release. Trainees seemed to regress into single-digit children, tormenting Black through every conceivable method.
Black projected stern, cold, unapproachable authority. After six weeks of cohabitation, the trainees came to understand his true nature: a hard-faced but soft-hearted man who tirelessly cared for their every need.
Black grew worn and nearly maddened by their harassment.
Week seven brought curriculum changes: the law and physical evidence courses ended, replaced by courses on interrogation techniques and interdepartmental collaboration.
The former taught FBI-summarized interrogation paradigms. The senior agent instructor resembled a relentless reading machine, reciting manual content before requiring group practice.
Paradigm principles weren't taught; trainees could only memorize by rote.
The latter course, with its dazzling array of departmental names, drew universal groans. Ronald had been correct: the FBI was incomparable to small local police departments.
FBI resources exceeded trainee imagination. This course taught resource mobilization, showing FBI agents how to secure cooperation from virtually every government department.
Post-class emotions were consistently complex. Trainees envied the FBI's substantial resources while complaining about excessive departmental divisions that required two, three, four, or even five different offices for single matters.
Theodore valued this instruction highly, studying more diligently than tactical training.
Unlike other trainees who memorized departmental functions, he matched specific departments with middle-aged and elderly men he encountered through Hoover connections.
Theodore admired Ronald's ability to leverage personal connections everywhere, and he wanted similar networking capabilities.
March brought increased international tension. Domestic racial conflicts sharpened, creating statewide anxiety. The FBI cancelled leave twice, requiring all personnel to be on standby.
During one interrogation class, the teaching agent was summoned mid-lesson by Black. Trainees discussed the incident animatedly before quickly forgetting.
As the selection training approached its conclusion, the base atmosphere grew tense and anxious. Trainees faced extreme pressure, either experiencing breakdowns or being tormented daily.
The final week brought individual conversations with Supervisor Black, during which subtle inquiries were made about assignment preferences.
This pushed the tense atmosphere to peak levels.
Trainees finally lacked time for Black harassment. Their full attention was focused on assessments.
March 18th concluded all training courses, with assessments beginning the following day. The evaluation sequence matched teaching order, conducted over two days using closed-book written tests and practical assessments.
Day one covered legal procedures, physical evidence techniques, shooting, and physical fitness.
Legal procedures primarily test case analysis and the application of legal provisions.
Many examination room occupants appeared miserable, like Harold Wilson scratching his head, while others wrote confidently, including Bernie and Billy Hawk.
Billy's exceptional learning ability exceeded expectations.
Theodore maintained a calm demeanor, answering each question methodically. For uncertain responses, he wrote: "Consult Legal Counsel Office."
Physical evidence techniques were assessed during on-site investigations and evidence collection, requiring contamination rates not to exceed five percent.
This didn't prove easy. The scene layout prompted experienced agent exclamations of despicability.
Upon entry: a large blood pool with drag marks. The pool width forced trainees to step through blood to enter the room.
Inside resembled a storm aftermath.
Furniture lay haphazardly overturned, bloodstains everywhere, on walls, furniture, and floors. Cabinets and drawers were ransacked, contents scattered throughout.
An overturned sofa concealed a dummy corpse.
The problem stated: home invasion robbery scene.
All present agents had handled such robberies, but none had encountered crime scenes this chaotic.
Many agents stood at the entrance, scanning aimlessly, uncertain where to begin.
Theodore entered first. He donned shoe covers, gloves, a hat, and a mask, then photographed from the entrance before stepping directly through the blood pool into the room.
He avoided dragging bloodstains while continuing to photograph the scene, which included bloodstains, prints, overturned cabinets, displaced furniture, broken dishes, and scattered books. He photographed virtually every inch.
After documenting the scene, Theodore extracted the powder kit and brush, vigorously dusting drawers and cabinet doors, and successfully lifted several fingerprints.
Following the creation of the fingerprint card, he lifted the sofa and continued taking photographs.
After documenting the body, he brushed the knife embedded in the dummy.
Entry to exit was required in less than ten minutes, causing the instructor's eyes to twitch.
After Theodore emerged, he watched the instructor award perfect scores and nodded in satisfaction.
The problem required only correct protective wear, bloodstain and body photography, and fingerprint extraction.
Theodore's approach resembled genuine case handling, appearing serious and comprehensively thorough.
Bernie entered second, proceeding more slowly but passing effortlessly.
The afternoon brought shooting and physical fitness tests.
Theodore had practiced these items extensively, though not achieving first place, his upper-middle performance pleased him greatly.
Day two's case analysis assessment required trainees to simulate complete investigation processes, from search warrants through final reports.
The all-day assessment allowed revision and resubmission within deadline constraints.
This comprehensively tested entire selection training curriculum.
Theodore felt stunned upon receiving the problem.
The assessment involved a cold case from a local police department, which requested assistance. The case initially remained unsolved, but the FBI Investigation Department reopened it six months later.
Trainees were responsible for leading case reopenings, completing internal and external reopening documentation, coordinating with relevant departments based on clues, collaborating with local police for joint resolutions, writing closing reports, and archiving.
Theodore found the problem oddly familiar, as if encountered it previously.
He wrote furiously and submitted by noon.
When he and Bernie initially encountered obstacles during their private investigation, they followed formal procedures and waited five days.
Though Bernie handled most procedural documents, Theodore hadn't remained idle.
Shortly after Theodore returned to barracks, Bernie emerged. Evening brought Billy Hawk's grinning exit in third.
Subsequently, increasing numbers of trainees completed the assessment.
This evaluation served as a threshold. Passing it provided second chances, even for those who had failed previous assessments, through extended training and retaking opportunities.
Failure meant elimination regardless of yesterday's excellent scores.
Completed trainees lacked conversational mood. They ate separately and returned to the barracks to wait.
As lights went out, the assessment finished, and everyone went back to their quarters.
Results appeared the next day. The quality of this selection training was excellent; only ten eliminations took place.
The same three trucks that transported them returned the group to the Justice Department building.
Successful trainees queued at Human Resources for assignment reception.
They would undergo four-week internships: the first week would be spent observing court proceedings, followed by three weeks of participating in actual case investigations.
Theodore and Bernie joined the ranks of trainees. Familiar agents passed by, offering greetings.
After the agents departed, many people stared at them.
Billy Hawk, positioned behind them, poked Theodore and whispered: "How do you two know them?"
Theodore looked at him questioningly.
Bernie turned and quietly explained that the FBI had recruited him and Theodore in advance.
Billy's eyes widened, mumbling, "So we all attended selection, but you two attended training."
Harold Wilson, positioned ahead, turned around: "Don't you know them?"
This time, Theodore and Bernie felt stunned.
Bernie asked Harold: "Know us for what?"
Harold pointed at Theodore: "Felton Police Department, Texas, youngest Sergeant promoted in under one year."
He indicated Bernie: "Felton media calls them the 'twin detectives.'"
He paused briefly and then said hesitantly, "There's a fairly large local Felton newspaper that writes its own stories."
Theodore silently resolved to inquire about the Felton Star acquisition at noon.
Bernie gave Theodore a somewhat smug look and pulled Harold aside for a quiet explanation.
He hadn't expected the Star's reputation to reach Chicago.
Billy curiously leaned over, asking Theodore about 'twin detectives' and the newspaper.
Theodore considered, then answered the latter question first: "That's a third-rate tabloid, not as significant as Harold suggested."
"That newspaper simply enjoys writing nonsense, reporting blindly, and often distorting facts."
Theodore accumulated negative descriptions for Felton Star, then prepared to fairly and objectively explain the 'twin detectives' origins.
He paused, slowly recalling that 'twin detectives' originated from Felton Star reports.
Initially, that third-rate tabloid called them 'Psychic Agents,' later becoming 'Psychic twin detectives.'
Bernie, conversing with Harold while monitoring surroundings, pulled Billy over:
"Initially, they called us 'Psychic Agents' because—"
Bernie discreetly explained their Felton experiences from the Star's perspective.
By queue arrival, he seemed to have more to say.
Supervisor Dawson from Human Resources was present today, enthusiastically guiding Theodore and Bernie through onboarding procedures.
Theodore and Bernie finally received officially issued firearms and equipment, FBI badges, and most importantly, leather identification holders.
This item equaled police badges.
With it, they could legitimately shout: "FBI! Open the door!"
At noon, Hoover summoned Theodore. He'd returned explicitly from the White House.
Hoover appeared exhausted with a poor complexion. International tensions kept him extremely busy.
They shared a simple lunch and returned to headquarters.
Hoover called Theodore into his office and handed him a gold-plated pistol.
Theodore held the weapon, puzzled.
Hoover snorted: "Your graduation gift."
He remembered Theodore's graduation ceremony, expression worsening.
Theodore looked at Hoover suspiciously and pocketed the gun.
Hoover snorted again, retrieved Theodore's January report, placed it on the table, and tapped it.
This report contained preliminary concepts regarding the composition and development direction of the investigation team personnel.
Theodore provided a detailed report explanation.
Contrary to Hoover's expectations, Theodore didn't intend immediate team completion.
He told Hoover that the current needs required an agent responsible for internal affairs.
The internal affairs agent required familiarity with paperwork, the ability to liaise with various departments for investigation coordination, and certain mathematical foundations.
Hoover's temples throbbed listening.
Theodore then elaborated on his vision for developing his investigation team.
He suggested providing security training for critical financial institutions or high-value personnel to enhance awareness and reduce the likelihood of robbery and kidnapping, achieving crime prevention goals.
Finally, Theodore returned the conversation from vision to reality: "I need office space."
"Bernie and I still use the small conference room as an office. We need dedicated office space."
Hoover tapped the desk but couldn't conjure office space.
The FBI headquarters was crammed into the Justice Department building, with many divisions experiencing space shortages; no vacant offices were available.
He directly assigned the problem to Tolson, informing Theodore that Deputy Director Tolson would lead the investigation team.
Tolson would arrange office space, and that internal affairs agent whose description alone caused headaches.
Theodore inquired where Deputy Director Tolson was located.
Hoover remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively, signaling Theodore to take his departure.
Given current international tensions, the White House couldn't spare an FBI presence. Since Hoover had returned, Tolson naturally remained at the White House.
[End of Chapter]
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