Nace Bilby
ACME
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(From a discussion with @Ivy about Nace's time in the United Kingdom I created Nace's partner, Caitlin Pike.)
“Agent Nace Bilby reporting, ma’am.” Those five words would be what would begin Nace’s partnership with Agent Caitlin Pike, ACME London Branch.
The thirty-three year old American turned from her desk, away from her computer screen to see the dark haired fellow in the green South African Springboks jersey standing to her left. She swiveled her chair and turned to face the man, standing at a relatively rigid position of attention and smiled.
“Hey Springbok, you should know this isn’t the military and you’re not talking to a superior officer.” Caitlin replied and stood up, extending her hand, “Caitlin Pike.”
“Nace Bilby, ma’am.” Nace replied, shaking her hand with a firm handshake.
“And it’s Caitlin, not ma’am. Ma’am makes me feel old and besides we’re both agents. Basically we’re equal rank.” Caitlin replied.
“Ok ma….” Nace began, then caught himself and said, “I mean Caitlin.”
“Better,” Caitlin said as she turned back to her computer to lock the monitor, Nace noticed that she had been looking through his personnel file from the Johannesburg Office but chose not to mention anything on it, “I think it’s about time for a coffee break. Want to join me?”
“Sure.” Nace said, walking with his new partner towards the staircase, and going down towards the first floor cafeteria only for Caitlin to grab his arm.
“No, not the cafeteria, I found a place called Costa Coffee Shop when I first moved to London. I figured I might as well get you out of the office.” Caitlin said as she headed to the small anteroom in the building foyer where employees put heavier coats.
Nace grabbed his own tan jacket and Caitlin noticed its vaguely military lines. She knew Nace was a former member of the South African National Defense Force and she could detect an introverted seriousness in the younger man.
As they stepped outside and walked the block to the coffee shop Caitlin asked, “You seem to be awfully quiet.”
I wonder if I got a statue instead of a partner. The guy seems a tad monosyllabic. Caitlin thought as they walked.
“Think ten times, speak once.” Nace said with a slight smile.
Caitlin pursed her lips and said, “So you think I’m somehow foolish because I’m talking more than you?”
“Not at all. You just think and speak a lot faster than I do.” Nace replied.
“Ah.” Caitlin replied, “So is that quote an original saying or is it a line from literature?”
“It’s a variation on a German sniper maxim from World War II: Camouflage ten times, shoot once.” Nace said.
“What does that mean?” Caitlin said.
“It meant to be observant and meticulous when concealing oneself and shooting only when one felt it was exactly right to do so.” Nace replied, “I adapted it when it comes to speech, after all was it not Thomas Jefferson who said, ‘It is better to be thought of a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt’.”
“Very good.” Caitlin remarked as they walked towards metal and plate glass facade of the coffee shop only for Nace to take the final few steps to the door to prop it open for her.
“Thank you.” Caitlin said.
“Force of habit.” Nace said.
How much about this guy is, force of habit? Caitlin thought as they both walked to the counter to order their drinks.
As they sat down with their respective coffees Caitlin said, “So tell me about yourself. What makes my new partner tick?”
“Well,” Nace began as he took a sip of his coffee, “I hail from Johannesburg, South Africa and I’m the second oldest of five children. My eldest sister, Rey, lives here in London with her husband.”
“Rey, as in Rey Carlyle, Inspector Carlyle’s wife?” Caitlin asked.
“Yes, she’s my sister.” Nace replied. Caitlin’s expression remained somewhat inscrutable but Nace could tell she was thinking something, just what he couldn’t quite ascertain.
Whoa, and people think there's nepotism with me with my ex-husband. Caitlin thought before adding, “You do realize Inspector Carlyle is the most likely candidate to replace Chief Inspector Dietrich if he ever calls it quits or gets promoted, right?”
“Rey did mention that.” Nace replied, evenly, noticing that Caitlin took a long drink from her coffee cup.
Rey had mentioned earlier in the week that Caitlin was Chief Inspector Dietrich’s ex-wife, the pair having divorced about a year ago. So he wasn’t alone in being connected to someone in the ACME London Office hierarchy.
“Ok, so continuing on, you’re the second of five children, with your oldest being the wife of the United Kingdom’s ACME Branch’s second in command.” Katilin quipped, “I’m almost wondering if you’re related to some government official or the British Prime Minister somewhere.”
“No such relations. Next after me are the twins, Michael and Danielle, they’re both seventeen, five years younger than me and are preparing to attend university here in the UK in the fall. And then there’s David, the youngest brother at fourteen and still a secondary school student in South Africa.”
Caitlin asked, “So what did you do before you went to ACME?”
“Well, I enlisted in the South African National Defense Force at seventeen, joining the infantry and becoming trained as a sniper.” Nace replied.
So that’s where all the sniper knowledge comes from. Caitlin thought as she listened to Nace telling the rest of his story.
“When I was nineteen I attempted to follow into my father’s footsteps by joining South Africa’s Special Forces. It was an intense selection and many of us, me included, were unable to complete the course. I wound up collapsing on an endurance march and being removed from training. Two years later I finished my tour and enrolled in the ACME training center in Johannesburg, finding a posting in the UK to spread my wings.” Nace replied.
“So what brought you to the United Kingdom?” Caitlin asked.
“Opportunity, both at ACME and in the United Kingdom’s Territorial Army.” Nace replied. At Caitlin’s curious look he added, “The United Kingdom’s 21 and 23 Special Air Service units are Territorial Army formations that are always looking for recruits. I submitted my paperwork for vetting last year and am attempting to join 21 SAS, the unit that has a squadron in London.”
“So why the United Kingdom? Doesn’t that create some sort of conflict?” Caitlin asked.
“Not at all. A member of my family has served the British Crown, Rhodesia, or South Africa over the span of five generations.” Nace replied, “My earliest known ancestor served with the 24th Regiment of Foot in South Africa in the late nineteenth century, my great-grandfather fought and died for the British crown as part of a South African Brigade in World War I, and in World War II, my grandfather, the Major, served in the Special Air Service in North Africa, France and the Mediterranean.”
Military tradition and strong family ties, interesting. Caitlin thought and realized she would have to keep on this whole SAS thing of her partner’s. Her mind was racing along at a mile a minute, barely hearing the South African speak next.
“So since we’re swapping stories, what is yours?” Nace asked.
“Oh.” Caitlin said, “Well, I was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and lived there till I was nineteen years old and enrolling in ACME’s San Francisco academy.”
“So your parents still live in Las Vegas?” Nace asked.
“As far as I know, yes. I’ve honestly not talked to either of them in years.” Caitlin replied.
For fourteen years as a matter of fact. Caitlin thought before continuing on, “After graduation I did a short internship in the Vancouver Field Office, for about two years where I met my now ex-husband. We were married at the end of my internship and moved to London together when he was promoted to Chief Inspector.”
Nace did some mental calculations and figured that her ex-husband was definitely Chief Inspector Gordon Dietrich. Seems typical to what I’ve heard of Chief Inspector Gordon Dietrich, the man’s got an eye for the younger women. Especially given my partner was twenty years old when she and Gordon met and the man’s in his mid-forties now.
“If I may ask…” Nace began.
“Why we split?” Caitlin said, “Well, I’ll be honest, it was largely my fault. I would call myself a reformed workaholic. I put in long days all the time as a young agent, eager to prove myself out there.”
“I’m sorry to have brought that up.” Nace replied.
“No, don’t worry about it.” Caitlin replied, “It’s not something I’m shy about admitting and besides since we’re going to be partners we might as well be honest with each other.”
Turning the line of conversation around Caitlin asked, “So what about you, do you have a girlfriend in South Africa or here?”
“No, I don’t.” Nace replied, “I hadn’t really had much time in the past few years to find a relationship.”
I see. Caitlin thought before saying, “Well, just a bit of free advice, don’t marry your career.”
“I do appreciate the advice.” Nace replied as they finished their coffee and headed back over to the ACME London Office on Baker Street.
After heading towards the office Nace noticed a slender young woman carrying a flat screen monitor and a computer tower. Her wavy brown hair was pinned back in a simple ponytail and the weight of what she was carrying seemed to be a minor bother. She wore a short sleeved blouse in three colors and a pair of tan slacks and a pair of flat soled shoes.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Nace told Caitlin.
He noticed the American’s wry smile and that she seemed to be holding back some wry comment as she headed upstairs.
“May I help you with that?” Nace asked the young woman.
A pair of brown eyes peered around the computer tower as he spoke and their owner replied, “Ok. Thanks for the help, and you are…”
“Nace Bilby, I just transferred here from Johannesburg earlier in the week.” Nace said as he took hold of the tower and the monitor, “To whom am I speaking?”
“Evey Hammond.” the young woman replied as the South African hefted the load.
That is awfully kind of him. Evey thought. A couple of detectives had passed her by with not even a second thought when she walked by with all that computer equipment in her hands.
“So where too, Evey?” Nace asked.
“Third floor, if it’s not too far out of your way.” Evey replied.
“On the contrary, that’s where I work, with Agent Pike.” Nace continued as he headed up the stairs with Evey in tow.
“Thanks again,” said Evey as they reached the landing of the third floor, “It was just my luck that the sodding elevator was down today.”
Nace pushed the door open and said, “After you.”
Evey said, “Oh no, you’re carrying the computer and all.”
“I insist, ladies first.” Nace replied.
The English gentleman, something I thought extinct. Evey thought, bemused as she walked through the door and towards the desk to the right of Caitlin’s. Nace set the computer tower down and then the monitor before starting to connect it.
Evey took the folded paperwork from her pocket, a form to sign for the computer. She noticed the name of the agent this computer was being assigned to was the same agent that had helped her carry the thing up the three flights of stairs.
“Sign here, here, and initial here. And once again thanks for the help.” Evey asked.
Nace smiled as he signed the form and Evey said, “Right, your computer is imaged and ready to plug into the network. Give us a call at IT if there’s any sort of issue.”
“I do appreciate it. Thanks.” Nace replied, smiling back. Those were very lovely brown eyes of hers.
It was after Evey was long out of earshot that he heard Caitlin’s voice, “What was that?”
“What was what?” Nace replied as he turned over to his new partner.
“Oh come on, anyone could see you had unmistakable puppy dog eyes just now.” Caitlin replied, “You’re not the only quiet and observant one in the room, you know.”
“Well…” Nace said, somewhat bashfully.
“Ah ha.” Caitlin said, with a triumphant grin, “So when exactly do you plan on asking her out.”
“Uhm...soon I imagine.” Nace replied.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Caitlin said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Springbok might actually be an interesting sort of person to work with.
“Agent Nace Bilby reporting, ma’am.” Those five words would be what would begin Nace’s partnership with Agent Caitlin Pike, ACME London Branch.
The thirty-three year old American turned from her desk, away from her computer screen to see the dark haired fellow in the green South African Springboks jersey standing to her left. She swiveled her chair and turned to face the man, standing at a relatively rigid position of attention and smiled.
“Hey Springbok, you should know this isn’t the military and you’re not talking to a superior officer.” Caitlin replied and stood up, extending her hand, “Caitlin Pike.”
“Nace Bilby, ma’am.” Nace replied, shaking her hand with a firm handshake.
“And it’s Caitlin, not ma’am. Ma’am makes me feel old and besides we’re both agents. Basically we’re equal rank.” Caitlin replied.
“Ok ma….” Nace began, then caught himself and said, “I mean Caitlin.”
“Better,” Caitlin said as she turned back to her computer to lock the monitor, Nace noticed that she had been looking through his personnel file from the Johannesburg Office but chose not to mention anything on it, “I think it’s about time for a coffee break. Want to join me?”
“Sure.” Nace said, walking with his new partner towards the staircase, and going down towards the first floor cafeteria only for Caitlin to grab his arm.
“No, not the cafeteria, I found a place called Costa Coffee Shop when I first moved to London. I figured I might as well get you out of the office.” Caitlin said as she headed to the small anteroom in the building foyer where employees put heavier coats.
Nace grabbed his own tan jacket and Caitlin noticed its vaguely military lines. She knew Nace was a former member of the South African National Defense Force and she could detect an introverted seriousness in the younger man.
As they stepped outside and walked the block to the coffee shop Caitlin asked, “You seem to be awfully quiet.”
I wonder if I got a statue instead of a partner. The guy seems a tad monosyllabic. Caitlin thought as they walked.
“Think ten times, speak once.” Nace said with a slight smile.
Caitlin pursed her lips and said, “So you think I’m somehow foolish because I’m talking more than you?”
“Not at all. You just think and speak a lot faster than I do.” Nace replied.
“Ah.” Caitlin replied, “So is that quote an original saying or is it a line from literature?”
“It’s a variation on a German sniper maxim from World War II: Camouflage ten times, shoot once.” Nace said.
“What does that mean?” Caitlin said.
“It meant to be observant and meticulous when concealing oneself and shooting only when one felt it was exactly right to do so.” Nace replied, “I adapted it when it comes to speech, after all was it not Thomas Jefferson who said, ‘It is better to be thought of a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt’.”
“Very good.” Caitlin remarked as they walked towards metal and plate glass facade of the coffee shop only for Nace to take the final few steps to the door to prop it open for her.
“Thank you.” Caitlin said.
“Force of habit.” Nace said.
How much about this guy is, force of habit? Caitlin thought as they both walked to the counter to order their drinks.
As they sat down with their respective coffees Caitlin said, “So tell me about yourself. What makes my new partner tick?”
“Well,” Nace began as he took a sip of his coffee, “I hail from Johannesburg, South Africa and I’m the second oldest of five children. My eldest sister, Rey, lives here in London with her husband.”
“Rey, as in Rey Carlyle, Inspector Carlyle’s wife?” Caitlin asked.
“Yes, she’s my sister.” Nace replied. Caitlin’s expression remained somewhat inscrutable but Nace could tell she was thinking something, just what he couldn’t quite ascertain.
Whoa, and people think there's nepotism with me with my ex-husband. Caitlin thought before adding, “You do realize Inspector Carlyle is the most likely candidate to replace Chief Inspector Dietrich if he ever calls it quits or gets promoted, right?”
“Rey did mention that.” Nace replied, evenly, noticing that Caitlin took a long drink from her coffee cup.
Rey had mentioned earlier in the week that Caitlin was Chief Inspector Dietrich’s ex-wife, the pair having divorced about a year ago. So he wasn’t alone in being connected to someone in the ACME London Office hierarchy.
“Ok, so continuing on, you’re the second of five children, with your oldest being the wife of the United Kingdom’s ACME Branch’s second in command.” Katilin quipped, “I’m almost wondering if you’re related to some government official or the British Prime Minister somewhere.”
“No such relations. Next after me are the twins, Michael and Danielle, they’re both seventeen, five years younger than me and are preparing to attend university here in the UK in the fall. And then there’s David, the youngest brother at fourteen and still a secondary school student in South Africa.”
Caitlin asked, “So what did you do before you went to ACME?”
“Well, I enlisted in the South African National Defense Force at seventeen, joining the infantry and becoming trained as a sniper.” Nace replied.
So that’s where all the sniper knowledge comes from. Caitlin thought as she listened to Nace telling the rest of his story.
“When I was nineteen I attempted to follow into my father’s footsteps by joining South Africa’s Special Forces. It was an intense selection and many of us, me included, were unable to complete the course. I wound up collapsing on an endurance march and being removed from training. Two years later I finished my tour and enrolled in the ACME training center in Johannesburg, finding a posting in the UK to spread my wings.” Nace replied.
“So what brought you to the United Kingdom?” Caitlin asked.
“Opportunity, both at ACME and in the United Kingdom’s Territorial Army.” Nace replied. At Caitlin’s curious look he added, “The United Kingdom’s 21 and 23 Special Air Service units are Territorial Army formations that are always looking for recruits. I submitted my paperwork for vetting last year and am attempting to join 21 SAS, the unit that has a squadron in London.”
“So why the United Kingdom? Doesn’t that create some sort of conflict?” Caitlin asked.
“Not at all. A member of my family has served the British Crown, Rhodesia, or South Africa over the span of five generations.” Nace replied, “My earliest known ancestor served with the 24th Regiment of Foot in South Africa in the late nineteenth century, my great-grandfather fought and died for the British crown as part of a South African Brigade in World War I, and in World War II, my grandfather, the Major, served in the Special Air Service in North Africa, France and the Mediterranean.”
Military tradition and strong family ties, interesting. Caitlin thought and realized she would have to keep on this whole SAS thing of her partner’s. Her mind was racing along at a mile a minute, barely hearing the South African speak next.
“So since we’re swapping stories, what is yours?” Nace asked.
“Oh.” Caitlin said, “Well, I was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and lived there till I was nineteen years old and enrolling in ACME’s San Francisco academy.”
“So your parents still live in Las Vegas?” Nace asked.
“As far as I know, yes. I’ve honestly not talked to either of them in years.” Caitlin replied.
For fourteen years as a matter of fact. Caitlin thought before continuing on, “After graduation I did a short internship in the Vancouver Field Office, for about two years where I met my now ex-husband. We were married at the end of my internship and moved to London together when he was promoted to Chief Inspector.”
Nace did some mental calculations and figured that her ex-husband was definitely Chief Inspector Gordon Dietrich. Seems typical to what I’ve heard of Chief Inspector Gordon Dietrich, the man’s got an eye for the younger women. Especially given my partner was twenty years old when she and Gordon met and the man’s in his mid-forties now.
“If I may ask…” Nace began.
“Why we split?” Caitlin said, “Well, I’ll be honest, it was largely my fault. I would call myself a reformed workaholic. I put in long days all the time as a young agent, eager to prove myself out there.”
“I’m sorry to have brought that up.” Nace replied.
“No, don’t worry about it.” Caitlin replied, “It’s not something I’m shy about admitting and besides since we’re going to be partners we might as well be honest with each other.”
Turning the line of conversation around Caitlin asked, “So what about you, do you have a girlfriend in South Africa or here?”
“No, I don’t.” Nace replied, “I hadn’t really had much time in the past few years to find a relationship.”
I see. Caitlin thought before saying, “Well, just a bit of free advice, don’t marry your career.”
“I do appreciate the advice.” Nace replied as they finished their coffee and headed back over to the ACME London Office on Baker Street.
After heading towards the office Nace noticed a slender young woman carrying a flat screen monitor and a computer tower. Her wavy brown hair was pinned back in a simple ponytail and the weight of what she was carrying seemed to be a minor bother. She wore a short sleeved blouse in three colors and a pair of tan slacks and a pair of flat soled shoes.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Nace told Caitlin.
He noticed the American’s wry smile and that she seemed to be holding back some wry comment as she headed upstairs.
“May I help you with that?” Nace asked the young woman.
A pair of brown eyes peered around the computer tower as he spoke and their owner replied, “Ok. Thanks for the help, and you are…”
“Nace Bilby, I just transferred here from Johannesburg earlier in the week.” Nace said as he took hold of the tower and the monitor, “To whom am I speaking?”
“Evey Hammond.” the young woman replied as the South African hefted the load.
That is awfully kind of him. Evey thought. A couple of detectives had passed her by with not even a second thought when she walked by with all that computer equipment in her hands.
“So where too, Evey?” Nace asked.
“Third floor, if it’s not too far out of your way.” Evey replied.
“On the contrary, that’s where I work, with Agent Pike.” Nace continued as he headed up the stairs with Evey in tow.
“Thanks again,” said Evey as they reached the landing of the third floor, “It was just my luck that the sodding elevator was down today.”
Nace pushed the door open and said, “After you.”
Evey said, “Oh no, you’re carrying the computer and all.”
“I insist, ladies first.” Nace replied.
The English gentleman, something I thought extinct. Evey thought, bemused as she walked through the door and towards the desk to the right of Caitlin’s. Nace set the computer tower down and then the monitor before starting to connect it.
Evey took the folded paperwork from her pocket, a form to sign for the computer. She noticed the name of the agent this computer was being assigned to was the same agent that had helped her carry the thing up the three flights of stairs.
“Sign here, here, and initial here. And once again thanks for the help.” Evey asked.
Nace smiled as he signed the form and Evey said, “Right, your computer is imaged and ready to plug into the network. Give us a call at IT if there’s any sort of issue.”
“I do appreciate it. Thanks.” Nace replied, smiling back. Those were very lovely brown eyes of hers.
It was after Evey was long out of earshot that he heard Caitlin’s voice, “What was that?”
“What was what?” Nace replied as he turned over to his new partner.
“Oh come on, anyone could see you had unmistakable puppy dog eyes just now.” Caitlin replied, “You’re not the only quiet and observant one in the room, you know.”
“Well…” Nace said, somewhat bashfully.
“Ah ha.” Caitlin said, with a triumphant grin, “So when exactly do you plan on asking her out.”
“Uhm...soon I imagine.” Nace replied.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Caitlin said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Springbok might actually be an interesting sort of person to work with.
