Tall Tommy glanced quickly around the small room as he dropped his satchel on the floor and pulled two tiny earphones connected to his mp3 player from his ears. His muscled arms and chest stretched the fabric of his shirt as he pulled off his baseball cap and ran a quick hand through his thick hair. Dublin stared dully at the toned, tanned physique of his colleague with an equal mixture of envy and hatred.
“What’s up Dub?” Tall Tommy asked as he carefully rolled up his earphones and tucked them in his pocket. “You look like shit, dude.”
Dublin eyed him sourly for a moment before responding.
“Yeah well, you shoulda seen the feckin’ girls that–”
“Man, is this a nice boat or what?” Tall Tommy interrupted, running his fingers along the hand-made cabinets next to him. He whistled in awe as he disappeared into the galley and aft stateroom.
“Yeah, nice feckin’ boat.” Dublin muttered under his breath before closing his eyes and folding his arms over his head. His aching skull felt like it was in serious danger of cracking like glass under the pressure and shattering into a thousand pieces. Part of him was hoping that it would.
“Oyster… fifty-six footer,” Tall Tommy mused as he walked into the salon and stood over Dublin. He kicked the Irishman in the leg to get a response, but only roused a feeble moan. “Somebody must have gotten a nice bonus to afford this sweet little bitch,” he continued. He sniffed at the air and looked around, a confused expression suddenly clouding his handsome face. “We’ve gotta do something about the smell though. It smells like whores and stale nachos in here.”
17.
CONFIDENTIAL
Memorandum #RO-1423.09
Date: October 27
To: Thomas R. Coleman
Re: Candidate Entrance Evaluation/Case File: #6253-76
Subject: Evaluation Summary
Candidate #6253-76 Coleman, Thomas R. has completed the requisite entrance examinations and evaluations as defined.
Candidate completed the Psychological Evaluation portion of the examination with a score of: NON-PROFILE/ATYPICAL.
Evaluators notes:
Candidate’s written test scores display a high potential for Impulse Control Disorders (ICD) that may significantly compromise judgment while active in the line of duty. Candidate’s psychological assessment interview was completed on the same day of the written evaluation as required by the Agency’s Psychological Evaluation Standards (PES). Candidate’s PE interview also indicated a high potential for ICDs.
Failure to meet the mandated psychological profile as defined by section 45.32 of the Mental Profile Guidelines disqualifies the candidate from acceptance into the Central Intelligence Agency at this time. As defined by section 4.12 of the MPG, candidate’s failure to meet the mandated psychological profile at the time of evaluation disallows any subsequent attempts for entry into the program.
Agent Tom Coleman read the one-page memo he’d received in the mail for a fifth time before neatly folding it twice and tossing it into the wastebasket. He then organized the items on the desk of his cramped, windowless office and stared vacantly at the Landscapes of Sedona calendar pinned on the wall next to him. His mind was still processing the news when someone knocked on the door.
“Yeah, come in.”
A male colleague, dressed in the customary button-down blue shirt and black slacks of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or “ICE” office, walked in and smiled. Like most of the people that worked in the Flagstaff Field Office, the man was several years younger than Tom.
“Hey Tommy boy,” his coworker said, flashing a broad smile, “workin’ hard or hardly workin’?”
“What’s up?” Tom replied curtly.
His colleague sensed Tom’s mood and immediately eased his smile into an awkward smirk. “A few of us are heading out to lunch. It’s Rick’s birthday so we’re going big. Wanna come along?”
“So it’s Agent Martin’s birthday, huh?” Tom shook his head as he once again organized the folders on his desk. Like him, Rick Martin had started his career with ICE as an Investigation Agent about eighteen months earlier. In that time, Tom had worked with him on enough cases to know that the young man had all the requisite qualifications for a successful career in any governmental agency – he was endlessly cocky, flawlessly unimaginative, and brilliantly adept at turning investigative mistakes into departmental triumphs in the final draft of every report that he filed. Even so, it was still a surprise to Tom when Agent Martin was promoted to a coveted position in Undercover Operations six months ago with the speed and attention normally reserved for the offspring of nepotistic senior officials. The two had been cautiously cordial since, but Tom knew from that moment on that Rick could never be counted as a friend.