Participants:
Scene Title | Internal Matters |
---|---|
Synopsis | Bryan catches Allison after the meeting, and gives her a dressing down that she doesn't appreciate. |
Date | August 9, 2010 |
There's considerable tension in the air even after Buckley closes the door behind him, cutting off the conference room from the hallway beyond it. There are many reasons why he asked Allison to step outside with him, but none of them are best discussed right outside the door, no matter how thick it and the walls may be. So he jerks his head toward one end of the hall and starts to walk.
It's only after they're a few paces away from the door that he stops and begins to speak, his voice low and intense, with a slight hiss on the breathier consonants. "Understand, Richards, that what I have to say to you is as one professional to another," even if she hardly fits that bill in Buckley's eyes right now.
"What you said in there? Bullets for Harper's gun. And you say him train it on us. Pretty soon he won't just be pointing out our flaws to our faces - he'll do it in front of his own bosses, and they're the ones that will pull that trigger. And leaving the Company on these terms is probably not the best idea. Not a soul in there has any reason to trust you right now." His eyes focus on her own, watching them intently as if to make a point. "They will watch you like a hawk, and if you slip, just once, and say something you shouldn't, even to a hairdresser, they'll bring the hammer down. And trust me. You don't want that."
If one were to ask the water cooler about Bryan Buckley's history with the Company, they'd hear things about top secret missions after which files were locked away in archives, never needing to be touched again. They'd hear things about efficiency, subtlety, and professionalism. Ironically, he's everything his most recent partner isn't, aside from cold-blooded. While there's no easily obtained proof that Buckley's fangs have brought about the end of Company defectors-turned-informants, there's no rumor that he hasn't either.
Though Allison follows him, the moment he begins speaking her eyes cool and narrow slightly, and her chin lifts just a touch. "You say that as though you believe I care. First, Ryans screwed up big time. I got Darryl out of the mental hospital. I mindfucked him to trust me so I could. I was driving the car when we were ran off the road. I was responsible for him. Yet he couldn't find the time to make a phone call to let me know that Darryl was dead?" She shakes her head. "I have never been given any reason to respect Ryans, and the fact that he's my superior doesn't change that."
Her head tilts slightly. "As for my leaving the Company? That is entirely my business. I don't know you, you aren't my boss, and therefore, you have no say whatsoever on whether I go, or how I go. You don't know my motivations, or my history, and I do believe that, with all of that in mind, this conversation is finished," she says, turning to start walking off.
"That meeting," Buckley hisses, his hand shooting out to grab Richard's by the arm, "was not the place to bring up your little spat." He holds onto her firmly and leans down to bring his face closer to hers. "And you should care. You should care how your behavior reflects on all of us here. You should care how your behavior can and will effect our relationship with the Institute and the fucking Government. I don't give a rat's ass if you turn in your credentials and sign your confidentiality agreement today, but I do take offense to how you acted in there. You were entirely unprofessional, and there is absolutely no excuse for that."
Buckley takes a deep breath, his grip getting a bit tighter as he draws himself back up again. "This isn't a game, Richards. This isn't high school, or your fucking sorority. You can't throw a tantrum in the middle of a meeting, where there is an agenda to get through, and expect it to just be forgiven. I can't wait to see what they do to you for this." With that, he lets go of the woman, pushing her away from him in the process as if he sullied his hands touching her in the first place. But he stands his ground, glaring at her.
"If you ever grab me again, ever touch me in a way meant to harm or insult, I will break my rule about using my abilities on agents, and I will ensure that you will believe you are a drooling baby who needs diapers for the rest of your life," Allison says in a low, dangerous voice. "You have no right to talk to me like you are, and even less to touch me, and I will not hesitate to make sure that you regret it if you try again," she adds before taking a few steps back, then turning to, again, try to walk off.
And he lets her. Buckley just stands there, his face as hard as stone as he watches her retreat. A smile twists onto his mouth after a few moments, but he turns soon after, heading toward the Supervisor's wing. There are a lot of assignments to be posted now, with so many cases that need attention. But maybe, just maybe, Bryan can convince someone in his subtle way to let him address a more internal matter.