The night of assignments had finally come, and Jimmy had filled out his wishlist during the day, indicating where he hoped to be placed. By evening, he would receive an envelope containing his future workplace.
Each prospective agent was required to stand in front of the other agents-in-training, open their envelope, and share their results. This was a decades-old tradition that had not changed, something every class at the FBI Academy participated in.
Having lived together for several months, everyone was familiar with each other. Those who received assignments in big city offices were met with applause and cheering, and even those headed to more remote locations were encouraged with clapping. Either way, there was no lack of enthusiasm.
Jimmy opened his envelope, "Manhattan Office, New York City, New York State," he raised his envelope and laughed joyfully.
Sitting back down, Jimmy continued to gaze at his future workplace on the paper. Manhattan, New York - what a place! It seemed life wouldn't be dull from now on. After all, New York was infamous for its crimes.
A few days later, Jimmy and his peers began their graduation ceremony. Each student, dressed in a suit, took turns walking up to the stage to receive their FBI badge and graduation certificate. With that, they officially transitioned from trainee agents to FBI agents.
After receiving his badge, Jimmy had one last task to do at the Academy: visit the armory to collect his issued FBI handgun and ammunition.
Then, it was time to leave the FBI Academy with his luggage in tow. Jimmy didn't take the shuttle bus to the airport; instead, he disembarked at Stafford, where his own car was stored in the parking lot. It had been months since he'd seen it, and he wondered what condition it was in now.
Dragging his luggage to the parking lot, Jimmy found that the security was decent enough. At least his car was still there, though covered in a thick layer of dust, with windows broken and all four tires deflated—perhaps punctured by someone. Jimmy wasn't interested in checking every detail.
Since Jimmy had already emptied out his car before, the thieves likely found little to take. He opened the car door to do a quick check before heading to the parking lot security to get a towing company's number. He called them to tow his car from the parking lot to the nearest repair shop for a full check-up.
The tires had been flat and under pressure for months, so it was best to replace them. He planned to drive back to Little Rock and then on to New York, a journey spanning thousands of miles, making this the perfect time for a thorough inspection.
As for the financial loss, well, Jimmy had a decent amount of money that he could use legitimately. In fact, he could have bought a new car, but he couldn't bear to part with his first one.
With a little extra tip, the repair shop quickly put Jimmy's car on the lift and began the inspection and cleaning. In just two hours, the vehicle was spotless inside and out—new tires were fitted, the engine was cleaned, various gaskets and spark plugs were replaced, and the brake and engine oil were changed. When money was no object, anything was possible. Otherwise, following their usual pricing and schedule, Jimmy would have had to stay in Stafford for several days.
Jimmy drove off in his partially renewed Mercury, heading to Little Rock. The journey home was much quicker than the trip to the Academy had been. With limited time, he didn't make extensive stops along the way, arriving in Nashville, Tennessee by evening. After a night's rest at a roadside motel, he set off again in the morning, making the four-day trip there in just two days for the return.
Arriving in Little Rock by night, Jimmy rested briefly at home. The next day, he went to the apartment manager to terminate his lease and cancel his parking spot. Having packed beforehand, there wasn't much luggage to deal with. He threw his suitcase into the trunk and drove to the county police station.
"Hey, Jimmy, long time no see." "Hi, Jimmy."
Exiting the parking lot and entering the police station lobby, everyone he met greeted him. Jimmy reciprocated with hellos and hugs. It had been half a year, yet it seemed the same old faces were around with no new additions.
Jimmy went straight to James's office and knocked on the door.
James: "Come in."
Jimmy entered and James was surprised to see him.
James: "Jimmy, what are you doing back here? Is your training over?"
Jimmy: "Of course, I've graduated. I'm heading to my new place soon." Jimmy pulled out his wallet from his pocket and showed it to James, one side bearing the FBI eagle emblem and the other the FBI credentials with Jimmy's photo.
James took Jimmy's credentials, while Jimmy grabbed a chair and sat across from James at his desk.
James: "Congratulations, Jimmy. Where are you off to next?"
Jimmy: "New York, Manhattan."
James: "That's a great place. Seems like you did well at the Academy, not everyone has the chance to work in a big city."
Jimmy took back his credentials and put them in his pocket.
Jimmy: "It's all good, we didn't have many trainees, and everyone made the cut. I'm just here to see you guys before I head off to New York. By the way, have you hired anyone since I left?"
James: "We've hired two veterans, one from the Marine Corps and the other from the Army. Both good fellas, now undergoing familiarization at the precinct."
Jimmy: "Wow, two strong team members. How are they doing?"
James: "Not bad, both discharged this year. They've got great physical conditioning and shooting skills, just acclimating to the law and enforcement procedures. I estimate they'll be ready to handle things solo in a couple of months. How are you planning to get to New York?"
Jimmy: "I'll drive there, about 3,000 kilometers."
James: "I suggest you take a flight instead. You've never been to Manhattan, have you?"
Jimmy: "No, what about it?"
James: "Manhattan is the most densely populated area in America. I once went to college in New York, and driving there was a nightmare. If you plan to settle there, you can always buy a car later. Right now, without a fixed address, there's no need to drive. Parking in Manhattan is incredibly expensive."
Jimmy: "What about my car, then?"
James: "Leave it here. Once you're settled, you can have it shipped over."
Jimmy: "Alright then, I'll leave my car at the police station parking lot for now. Thanks, James."
James: "You haven't greeted everyone else yet, have you? Go ahead and do that, and let me know before you leave."
Jimmy: "Will do, James, see you. I'm going to catch up with Cage and the others now."
Jimmy stood up, left James's office, and made his rounds through the station to greet familiar faces before driving away from the station. He needed to check on his two storage units to ensure they were still in order and pay for another year to prevent their auctioning off.