Confidential [ON HOLD]

5. Inside Man

Bree and Rick Collins' back garden was a place that Benjamin had never step foot in. Being the little brother he was Bree never trusted him with something she put effort in. If there was one thing that Bree Collins loved more than her family and computers, it was gardening. While Benjamin didn't really care much about keeping a window open, Bree loved the great outdoors.

The ground in the back had a fairly large amount of space dedicated to farming vegetables and fruits. There was a small corner with colorful flowers and beads sprouting out of the soil. There was a wall covered in creepers and crawlers that Benjamin had only seen in high school textbooks.

Rick wasn't his usual noble and gentlemanly self. The man was a sweating mess—judging by the humidity outside, Benjamin was sure his brother-in-law was hot and bothered because of something else entirely.

"I don't have all day Rick," he drawled out, looking at Rick in the bored manner C.J usually sported. "Tell me what's going on between you and Meyer and don't you dare lie."

He hadn't expected Rick to meet his stare. Rick swiped his hand behind his neck and rubbed his hand dry of sweat on his pants. His hand went to his collar, pulling and jerking it around like trying to create an invisible bubble separating him from Benjamin. "I don't know if you realize, but you're beginning to sound like her. I wonder what else she's changing—pitting you against your family."

Rick didn't need to tell him who he was talking about. C.J was inside with his sister and until this moment, he didn't think what they would do. He was sure C.J wasn't going to attack Bree. But with the amount of bad stories she had heard from him and Rick about C.J, Benjamin just hoped that Bree didn't attack C.J.

Maverick Collins had been Benjamin's primary partner on cases for the better part of his FBI career and Benjamin really didn't mind. Rick Collins was a supportive primary and he loved his sister. He was just a good guy. So, Benjamin really wasn't expecting him to say something like that about C.J—no matter how much he didn't like her. Was this why Rick wanted to talk to him alone? To bad-mouth C.J?

Benjamin gave him a weak look, "You do realize that C.J is just a lead in this case, she isn't making me solve it," he felt like a grade-school teacher explaining why two plus two isn't five. "And with the way you're actin right now, I think you deserve much worse than the way I'm talking to you right now. So, instead of complaining about C.J, how about you tell me about Meyer?"

Rick's jaw ticked an action that Benjamin never thought he would get from him. "Meyer wants to know who Colby Simpson is," he blew out a mouthful of breath. "Steve Anderson made it clear he isn't going to say anything and your lead happens to be the only other person who might know something. Now, according to law we can't hold an interrogation against an Agent unless we have substantial evidence. And we have no proof what-so-ever."

"When the Director of the FBI wants to interrogate an Agent off the books, I don't really think he would be concerned with rules and law," Benjamin said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms at his chest.

"C.J is a real favorite. She has connections in and out of the FBI and Meyer's not an idiot. He can't mess with someone like that without being messed with too."

Benjamin scoffed, "What do you take me for? I wasn't born yesterday Rick," he said, shaking his head to himself. "That can't be it—it just can't. You expect me to believe that Meyer is constructing an inner circle of his most trustworthy FBI Agents because he wants a team backing him up when C.J's interrogated?"—he laughed airily—"That's just ridiculous, so, so ridiculous."

Rick threw his hands up in the air, "Well it's the truth. Meyer wants Colby Simpson—"

"Why does he want Colby Simpson by the way?" asked Benjamin, his eyes squinting in confusion.