[b]Quantico, Virginia [/b]

Josh’s attention hung on Marks words like a baby bird’s does his mother’s mouth, searching for that scrap of meat, somewhere. He didn’t read the profiles, then he made an analogy.

[i]Was this guy, in any way, normal? [/i]Josh thought. 

Josh much appreciated Mark’s teachings during his early years in the bureau. He would defend “Mr. Vern” from all the bashing he’d get outside of class. People complained about all sorts of things, here and there. Everyone knew he was a gifted person with a penchant for teaching his gifts, but he was inexcusably hard to work with, that’s what everyone said. Josh would talk about how good his grades were in the class, showing them as a testament to the teacher’s ability. He would describe how easily Mr. Vern would extract the essence of a question in class and create the “answer you never even knew you wanted”. Everyone who’d worked with Mr. Vern on anything from a case to an essay, stated very easily, and now at the end of their interest in the topic, that “you just had to be there”. 

Josh understood that perfectly now. Maybe, Josh thought, he was just a good student after all. As Mark packed his things, Josh, with frustration, jammed his notepad into the briefcase he’d brought with him. 

When Mark asked his question Josh closed his eyes. He felt slightly overwhelmed. He didn’t really know where Mark lived, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take him to get to the airbase. “Okay,” Josh finally said, composed. “Go home and get your things. I hope you live pretty close because I need you in the Military airbase north of here in 25 minutes. J.L wants us in the air by—“ Josh looked at his watch, “11:30. We’re not the only passengers.” Josh stood from the chair and lifted his briefcase. “I’ll call ahead,” he said, “to warn them that you’ll be coming in a civi car. But, that badge might do the trick anyway.” 

Josh started for the door, then he heard J.L’s words ringing in his ear. He needed to build a connection, and storming away wasn’t the way to do it. He turned quickly, looking at the ground and pointing with his index, “You should join me in the elevators” he said with a bit of nervousness and some false coolness.