Uncertain Times

Samantha exits out of the interrogation room. She had a headache from the repeated questions asked by the Amitiel, the person in-charge of the internal investigation onto her unit. It was late, she wanted to head on home but wanted to talk to Bartley about things. She went around the station looking for Bartley. The hallways were filled by construction workers and fire fighters, whom were assessing the damages entailed from the explosion. She asked a few people, but they didn't know where Bartley was. She thought to herself where Bartley could be, and headed out to one room he may be at.

Samantha entered the crime scene of the SCU-7's office. The room looked unrecognizable as she would remember it be hours ago. Ruble and dirt covered most of the area, but strolled through it as she noticed Bartley at his office. She walked over and knocked at the door, Bartley telling her to come in as he was sorting out his office.

"Shouldn't you be at home, Lieutenant?" Bartley peeked at Samantha as he cleaned up his desk.

"Shouldn't you be not touching the evidence here, sir?" Samantha asked as she looked around Bartley's office, which looked more cleaner than it had been.

"Oh, it's fine. Forensics gave me the clear to reuse my office. Only outside of this office is a crime scene, more or less."

"Ah, I see. You mind if I-"

"Sit down? Yeah, sure. Go ahead." Bartley points to a seat across from his desk. Samantha walked to the chair and sat on it.

Bartley too sat down as he placed neatly a photograph of someone he knew, close to the lamp that was lighting up the room a bit. "What brings you into my office?" He asked curiously, his back leaned against his chair.

"Just somethings, sir. Well a couple of things." Samantha said.

"Ah, I guess we're gonna be here long then." Bartley said as he pulled a drawer revealing a scotch of whiskey and two glass. He takes them out and passes a glass to Samantha, pouring some for her and himself.

"You carry around alcohol sir?"

"Yep. Whenever I need to vent, I guess. You should too, Samantha. Please. First name basis, that's an order." Bartley insisted to Samantha as he placed down the bottle of scotch, and sipped a bit of his glass.

Samantha scratched her head lightly as he she grabbed her glass. "Yes sir- I mean, sure Bartley." Samantha said awkwardly. She wasn't used to calling her bosses on their first name. She was used to and stuck to the address protocol, and would find it difficult to get used to.

"So, a former federal agent huh?" Bartley said as he whirls his glass left to right.

"Yeah. Top of the class and aced my psychological studies. Been assigned high profile cases until I fucked up, really fucked up a case."

Bartley lightly scoffed under his glass as he drank. "We all make mistakes, but we get over them and learn from it."

"Yeah, I guess. But fucking up two times isn't a place where the bureau tolerates it."

"Perhaps. But what happened today is probably worse than your misconduct. All but Avery, including ourselves, are the only remaining ones in this unit. An internal investigation has been launched, and our own investigation is in a blaze while the killer is still out there."

Bartley said as he drank whole of his scotch. Grabbing the bottle and refilled it once more, but in huge quantity. He moves the bottle closer to Samantha as he got what he needed. Samantha grabbed the bottle and poured more into her glass, the need to get drunk filled her focus as she didn't want to feel misery.

"How long have you been working for the ECPD?" Samantha asked as she took a sip of her half-filled scotch.

"Oh, I've been here for about ten years now. I used to be in the AFOSI. Made a lot of achievements that honestly today would've made me a one-star general if I had considered accepting rewards and promotions. But I was planning to retire with the rank of Captain until I was approached by the Commissioner, and history tells the rest."

Bartley had previously worked for the United States Air Force as a criminal investigator under the AFOSI; Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Bartley doesn't usually discuss about his past careers, especially his military career within the Air Force. At one point in the Air Force, he made rivalry with a few associates after he had pressed charges on an Airman, and was ultimately court martialed by the Judge Advocate General.

Samantha was surprised that Bartley was a former military officer, but never knew he had achieved much during his career. She was a bit jealous that Bartley made more accomplishments that she wanted, but simply brushed these feelings aside as she flushed it down with a drink of scotch.

"So yeah. I joined the ECPD, but I could've been a Chief Superintendent like Baylor by now. But like I did in the Air Force, I turned it down. I didn't want to be the 'man' as the face of the Special Criminal Unit. How about you?" Bartley said as he pointed and looked at Samantha.

"Don't know, frankly. I just wanted to join the FBI when I was a kid, and rise through the ranks with my leadership skills, I guess." Samantha paused and hiccups to herself as she took another drink of the scotch.

Bartley placed down his glass and held up a picture frame that he placed beside the lamp. He slid it across to Samantha as he adjusted his seat.

"She was the only reason why I'm still living, I guess." He said as he pointed at the picture frame while looking at Samantha who took a look at it. "It felt like years now, but I lost her months ago."

Samantha looked at Bartley and back at the picture. "What happened to her?"

Bartley briefly paused as he sighed to himself. "An operation gone wrong, I guess. She and I went to raid an illegal drug operation down at the Westport Harbor. Backup arrived late, she was killed by a caster and bled out in front of my arms. I felt that I lost everything. The only reason why I'm even still here is because she wanted me to continue without her." He stopped talking as he wiped his teared eyes with his sleeve.

"Sir .. you don't have to continue if it hurts. Besides, I'm there for you no matter what." Samantha said as she reaches out to him as a colleague, but knew deep down she wanted to let him know as a close friend at work.

Bartley looked at her with a relief expression, nodding at her. "Thanks." He said as he snatched his glass and drank away.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something." Samantha said as she moved her chair closer to the desk.

Bartley looked at her waved his glass at her, gesturing to her to ask away.

"Are you and Pamela- uh, a 'thing'?" As Samantha asked, Bartley covered his mouth and quickly placed the glass on the table as he choked from the scotch. He coughs loudly as Samantha froze from Bartley's reaction.

He coughed twice and cleared his throat, his eyes on Samantha as he once more adjusted his seat. "U-uh, no. We're not dating in anyway! If that's what you're thinking." Bartley said as Samantha raised an eyebrow on him, not caring if they were dating or not.

"Right, I see. How'd you two meet anyway?"

Bartley paused and stared at Samantha. "It's complicated." He said as he scratched his head and looked at outside of his office to see Amitiel, who stood out there and waved at him as their eyes locked on to each other. He made his way inside and greeted both Samantha and Bartley.

"Looks like someone is having a party, you mind?" Amitiel pointed to the other chair, asking for his permission to Bartley to sit down. Bartley nods to Amitiel as he sat down, taking out another glass for him and passing it to him with respect.

"What are you doing here?" Samantha asked directly to Amitiel as she looked at him.

"Just passing the time with yous I guess. Besides, we all gotta share a moment from one department to another." Amitiel said as he grabbed the scotch from Samantha's side and poured himself some.

Amitiel and Bartley don't often see eye to eye with each other. While they see each other as rivalries, they often band together in commonality to serve the public interest. Amitiel and Bartley tinkered their glass against each other as a sign of respect while Samantha lightly drinks to herself.

"You know. I honestly thought you would've accepted that position here in the Security Services. Hell, you would've made hell for me if you had become my boss."

"I don't join a unit that tortures demons, and angels of their own kind, to serve and protect the city."

Amitiel laughed at Bartley as he said, sipping a drink of his glass. "You're not wrong."

"There's something else you're not telling us." Samantha said and interjects as she locked onto Amitiel's eyes.

"Woah. What else do you know about me FBI?" Amitiel said as he teased at Samantha.

"Nothing, I just know you're not just here to drink away with us. It's something about the investigation, isn't there?"

Amitiel looked at Samantha and then at Bartley. He whirls his glass and drinks away all of it in one shot. He placed his glass on the table, his mouth wiped, and crossed his legs as he looked at Bartley.

"My, my. You're pet side show here is gifted, I'll give her that."

Samantha became annoyed from Amitiel's snotty comment and wanted to beat the crap out of him. Bartley looked at Samantha and shook her head not do it, knowing what she wanted to do.

"Just spill it." Bartley said as he wanted to get over with what Amitiel had in mind.

"We're considering the possibility that Sergeant Avery had conspired with a cult group to commit terrorist acts against the Eden City Police Department. We've got probable evidence to suggest that."

Bartley stared at Amitiel after what he had just said. Not knowing what else to say to him. He wanted to defend Sergeant Avery from word-to-word, but knew he couldn't due to the bureaucracy of the ECPD. Samantha too couldn't believe it and looked at Bartley to do something, but he didn't say anything.

Amitiel stood up and looked at both Samantha and Bartley. His head nodded at them. "Have a good day folks. If you don't have anything to say for the record .. then have a nice day." He said as he walked out of the office and out of the SCU-7's office area.

Bartley looked at Samantha and said nothing until Amitiel was surely gone. He was desperate to find answers at this point and investigate all possible leads, even if it means breaking the very laws that they are sworn to do.

"Lieutenant."

"Sir?" Samantha replied back to Bartley.

"The duffel bag. I want to know what Baylor was up to these past few days, and what was contained in that duffel bag."