A Final Goodbye

Brown was seething with anger, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. He was the Director of the CIA, one of the most powerful organizations in the world, and he was not used to being pushed around.

He couldn't believe that the IRS had come to raid his CIA Headquarters, and he didn't know why they were doing it.

"If they want to play, then let them bring it on. I am not afraid to play with those bastards. Although the IRS has great power and wide control, has more "resources" than us, and has more armed forces in their hands, along with more funding than us…. FUCK!"

The more Brown thought about the confrontation, the more he realized how big of a gap between the CIA and the IRS and how hopeless it is. The IRS is on a whole other level. The more he thought about that, the more frustrated he got.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. If he had focused, he could have heard the hidden meaning in Walter's words. But it was too late for that now. Brown was in a rage, and he was ready to take on the IRS, even though its a foolish action.

He sat in his luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-Class, modified using the CIA's latest technology, and looked out the window. The windows offered a stunning view of the city. But Brown wasn't in the mood to enjoy it, being too pissed off.

He brought his phone close to his ear. Walter is currently online. Walter had been with Brown for many years and knew how to read his boss's moods, even through a phone. And he knew Brown was pissed off right now.

"Go to the data room right away and retrieve the data from 100 and 860 archives," Brown barked, his voice firm and passionate.

"Since the IRS wants war, we will give them war!" He added with blazing eyes.

Walter's eyes widened in surprise. He had never seen Brown like this before. He knew his boss was powerful, but he had never seen him so pissed.

Brown leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He knew this was just the beginning of a long and challenging battle, but he was ready for it.

He would do whatever it took to protect his reputation and his organization. Even though there is a 99% chance of him ending up in prison. But he is determined to take down the IRS with him as well.

But contrary to his expectations, Walter didn't give him any reply.

"Walter..."

"Are you there?"

"God damn it, did you hear what I said, WALTERR.."

Brown barked into the phone, his voice laced with anger and frustration. His face red with fury.

Walter, had been caught off guard by Brown's sudden outburst. He stumbled over his words as he tried to respond, his eyes flickering nervously around his room.

"But Director, the data room... I don't have access to it!" Walter finally managed to blurt out, his voice barely audible.

Brown's anger boiled over.

"Can't you ask William to take it out for you?" he roared.

Only the data room administrator, William, can enter and exit the room regularly. He must undergo multiple verifications such as iris, voice, and fingerprint scans.

Walter shook his head, his face growing paler by the second. "Sir, I don't have the authority to do that..."

"Fuck!" Brown cursed under his breath.

"You continue engaging with that IRS person first and wait for me to come. We'll deal with this later."

Brown hung up abruptly, leaving Walter staring at the phone in dismay.

As Brown's car got closer to the Headquarters, his mind raced. He had been trying to get hold of Chris, the IRS Director, for hours. But that bastard had vanished without a trace.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. By the time he had reached the CIA Headquarters, he was practically seething with fury.

The room was a hive of activity, with dozens of agents manning the phones and typing frantically at their keyboards. Brown strode purposefully towards Williams's office.

"William," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I need to get into the data room. Now."

William looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. "I'm sorry, sir," he said, shaking his head. "I can't do that without the proper clearance."

Brown leaned in close, his breath hot on William's face. "Listen to me," he hissed. "I need some important information. And I need it now. I'll have your head if you don't let me in."

William swallowed nervously, his hands shaking slightly. "I'm sorry, sir," he repeated. "I can't help you. You need the president's permission for that."

With a snarl of frustration, Brown turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

As he returned to his office, he could feel his anger dissipating, replaced by a sense of defeat and exhaustion. He had been running on adrenaline for hours, and now he felt like he had hit a wall.

He slumped down in his chair, feeling like he had been defeated. But then, a spark of determination flickered to life within him. He had to keep fighting, no matter how impossible the odds were.

Taking a deep breath, he strode towards the meeting room, where Walter was engaging with Jack in a serious conversation about gigantic ventilation ducts and the colony of rats that inhabit them.

▪▪▪▪

As the phone call between Brown and Dahl dragged on, Jack received a cryptic message from Ethan.

"The things are in our hands. We have evacuated safely," the message read.

After exchanging pleasantries with Ethan, Jack turned his attention to Walter, whom he had been closely monitoring.

Walter had just finished speaking to Brown. He could tell from the strained expression on Walter's face that he was waiting for an answer.

Walter approached Jack. "Mr. Jack, our chief just called me and explained some things, but before that, I need to ask, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"

Jack furrowed his brow, pretending to be lost in deep thought. "What is my purpose?" he repeated as if genuinely pondering the question.

Walter couldn't help but wonder if Jack was being intentionally evasive.

"It's simple," Jack said with a serious expression. "I'm here for friendly cooperation with the CIA."

Walter was momentarily taken aback. He had expected Jack to be more forthright about his intentions.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the words "friendly" and "cooperation" might have a deeper meaning.

As he pondered this, Jack continued speaking.

"We've been having some trouble with tax evaders, and we believe that the CIA can offer us some valuable insights into how to catch these criminals," Jack said with a serious expression.

"Specifically, we're interested in your management systems, equipment technology, and personnel training along with your massive ventilation duct technology as well," Jack said sincerely.

Walter listened intently, still unconvinced that Jack's motives were pure. But he couldn't deny the sincerity in Jack's voice.

"Are you serious?" Walter asked, astonished.

"Yes, Mr. Walter. I have no other purpose." Jack said with sincerity.

"Mr. Jack...since your purpose is this...friendly exchange," Walter said, emphasizing the words friendly and exchange.

"Why didn't you say it before?"

Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes. Walter's confusion was understandable, but Jack had been trying to throw him off the scent with their meaningless conversation.

"Well, you didn't give me a chance to explain as you were busy showing the CIA Headquarters to me!"

Jack said confidently, leaning back in his chair with a sly grin. His eyes sparkled mischievously as he watched Walter's stunned expression.