A/N: OK, I'm doing it again. I'm in the middle of writing an FF I really, really want to do. And it's on a bit of a deadline. I'm ahead of the game though, so that's why this story can happen.
As usual, I've hit my "middle of the story" brick wall. And then this one shot sprang into my head. So yes, I'm writing a different FF, while working on another; shots my promises to myself all to h*** of not doing this. Again. Oh well. *shrugs*
Anyway, you've read the story outline. It's Matt Taylor and the team with a surprise guest. However, it is more about the team than the unsub. For you Matt Taylor fans out there, it is a bit of a more look into how he and Hotch work together before the team even goes out on a case.
All rights to Criminal Minds and those characters belong to CBS and ABC Studios. Whom, btw, I hope get off their dead assets as I post this and get some contracts signed and our show renewed! The OCM is all mine.
*Knightly bow*
The case was a major headache for the Unit Chief and his assistant from the minute it hit their desks. An unsub was grabbing prostitutes off the streets in Reno, and then transporting them over four hours to the tiny town of Jarbidge, Nevada, population less than a thousand, just north of the Jarbidge National Forest and just south of the Idaho border; in other words, the middle of practically nowhere. He had already deposited four victims around the little town, which now equaled the local's law enforcement personnel.
Matt had given Chuck and Angie a heads up that the jet would be needed. Get it ready to roll to Nevada. Possible two stops tho. Keep you posted he texted Chuck as he went into Hotch's office and shut the door.
Emily and JJ pushed their chairs from their desks, looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "I don't think this is good," Reid intoned.
"Ya think Dr. Genius," Emily smiled at him. JJ pointed at him and smiled. The three of them returned to the mountain of paperwork on their desks.
Hotch looked at Matt as he sat down. "You got Chuck and Angie on alert?"
"Yes, and with two possible landings. They need to know how much fuel to pack on."
"You're suggesting we split the team?"
"Hotch, we have to."
He nodded. "Recommendations?"
"First off, I believe the real connection to the case is in that town."
"I agree," Hotch nodded again.
"Yet, because it so remote, with barely any cell reception, we'll need a satellite uplink back here to the BAU."
"So we need Garcia to go along?" Matt pointed at Hotch. "That's on me. How do you want to split the team?"
"Chuck and Angie put us down in Elko; it's a little over an hour drive from there." Matt shook his head and Hotch looked at him intently. "You can't believe the shit I'm getting from the Reno field office. I requested two Bureau vehicles. Their response: we only have two."
Hotch slightly smiled. "And your response?"
"Tough shit; get Vegas to send you one to cover your asses," Matt smiled. Hotch smiled as well. "Back on point: I'll take Garcia, Reid and Morgan, land in Elko and make the drive to Jarbidge. You take Dave, Em and JJ to Reno. The ladies can get through better to the hooker population to find any leads." Hotch nodded his assent to Matt's game plan with a smile. He's good he thought.
Yet he noticed something in Matt. "And….."
Matt shook his head. "You're good my friend. Hotch, the messages he's craving into the victims have meaning." Hotch shook his head in agreement. "We need someone to analyze them in detail with linguistic skills." Hotch looked at him. "I've been doing some digging through the BAU personnel files. There's an agent who also teaches that at Georgetown. And she passed the profiling classes with flying colors."
"But…." Hotch asked.
"Hotch, its Alex Blake. Do I need to say more?" Hotch shook his head. "And Aaron, Doc knows her." He smiled.
Hotch knew Blake's skills and her history with Strauss; and then Reid. He thought for a second. "The hell with Strauss; get her here. And get Chuck and Angie going with the flight plan. I'll get Garcia rolling on the team briefing. Have Blake here by noon. Let me know when Chuck and Angie can have us wheels up."
Matt nodded at Hotch, got up from his chair, opened the door and headed to his office.
-00CM-
Hotch and Matt on the jet immediately informed the team that the case would be split teams. Blake seamlessly fit in with the entire team, contributing greatly to their preliminary profile they developed on the jet. She worked flawlessly with Reid and developed a healthy respect for Matt Taylor and his abilities, which was matched on his part.
How's she doing? Hotch texted.
Damn good, Matt texted back.
The Reno team fed what they learned to the other group. As Matt predicted, Em and JJ were able to make in-roads with the "working girls" population, giving them the profile they had developed on the jet. They were able to get a composite sketch of the unsub.
The local police chief took one look. "I know him; that's Charlie Watts. And from y'all have been telling me, he fits."
Hotch, get your asses here; we need the back-up Matt quickly texted.
Three hours later, the Reno group blew into the tiny police station. Morgan looked at his watch and then Hotch. "Reno to here in just under three hours? I think you beat my land speed record Big Dog."
Hotch nodded at Morgan and looked at Matt. "What do we have?"
Garcia looked up from her laptop. "Thanks to the awesome Dr. Blake along with her fine furry friend Dr. Reid and my handsome muscle bound heroes, a match to the profile." She pointed to her screens.
Hotch noticed Matt already pulling on his Kevlar. "Look at the layout of that farm," he said, pointing to one of Garcia's screens. "I need three assault teams." He quickly made the assignments, adding Blake to Hotch's team with Reid. Hotch nodded his understanding to Matt. They were the back-up. "Hotch, Reid's on point." Hotch silently smiled inside. It was a typical Matt shout-out to the extra hours Reid had put in on the gun range and working with Matt.
The team quickly put on their Kevlar as well, along with the Police Chief and his Sergeant, aka the day patrolman in the small town. A second officer, serving the middle afternoon shift joined them.
An hour later, the unsub was down before he could kill his fifth victim. Matt had planted a bullet from his Glock in the middle of his brain as Charlie Watts started to move to take a shot at Blake who was trying to reason with him, understanding through his messages why he was doing what he was. Before that, he was holding the gun to Marci Jacobsen's head. Blake looked at him. Matt shrugged. Morgan walked past her. "That's the Cobra, doing his job."
By the time the team finished the paperwork with the locals, eating the pizzas they had delivered to the small police station, it was past ten. Hotch looked at Matt.
He shook his head. "Hotch, I miss my wife and kids too, but no. We stay tonight, and fly out tomorrow. Chuck and Angie need the sleep as well." They all exchanged handshakes with the three local officers, who looked in awe as the team headed out the door.
They settled into the four rooms the local motel had to offer. Hotch, Rossi and Matt were in one room with three beds. The BAU gang of ladies got the second one of the same parameters. Morgan and Reid got the third; Blake got her own. As promised by the Police Chief, "They're not posh by no means; but they're clean. Harry and Debbie run a good place."
Matt looked at all of them before they dispersed for the night, having got their room keys. "Breakfast is at eight; we're on the road by nine to Elko. Wheels up back to Quantico at ten-thirty." Everyone agreed to the plan.
-00CM00-
The team started to enter the only eating place in the town a little after 8 am. It was a hole in wall diner, one of the few that still existed in the Americana country side. However, the smell coming from the place made all of their stomachs rumble in anticipation.
Morgan, who had pulled up to the curb with the first Bureau vehicle, got out along with JJ, Emily, Reid and Garcia.
Matt pulled into the next parking spot with Hotch, Rossi and Blake. As the four of them started to walk in, Blake stopped them as Hotch reached for the door to let her in first.
She smiled. "The rumors are really true."
"Which ones?" Dave asked with a smile.
Blake smiled back. "That this team is more than a team; you are a family."
Dave smiled his Rossi grin, waving his index finger at Cob and Hotch. "They're mom and dad. It varies from day to day." Blake laughed.
Matt looked at Hotch and then Blake. "And he," pointing at Dave, "is the dirty old man uncle." Blake looked at him. She got the big-ass Irishman's grin.
"Screw you Cob," Dave retorted.
"I prefer my wife, thank you Dave." Blake laughed and walked in the door that Hotch opened for her, rolling his eyes.
"Pretty common between them two?" Blake asked Hotch.
"They'll make me gray before my six year old son."
The rest of the team was already in a six top booth at the corner of the diner. As they got to the four top booth with menus that obviously for them, Blake looked at Hotch and Taylor. "You let the kids sit together?"
"On occasion," Hotch smiled broadly.
"And only if they promise to behave," Matt added. The catcalls and responses from the group all equaled the response that Emily just gestured with one finger. Alex laughed as she climbed into the booth with Matt joining her. Hotch and Dave took the other side and opened their menus. The rest of the team, knowing their coffee preferences had already ordered for them.
As they looked at their menus sipping their coffees, Blake shot a look at Matt and Hotch. "Thank you for bringing me out on this one," she smiled.
"Alex, you were needed," Dave smiled.
"And proved your worth," Matt added. "You helped us nail down the profile."
Hotch looked at her. "Alex, we know. You want to be part of this team. We get it. And for the record, you are needed on this team. Please be patient and let Matt and myself work on that a bit. We have budgets to work with."
Dave looked at her. "That's bullshit Alex; the two of them just need to formulate a plan with you in the equation that Matt can send over the top of Strauss' head to his contact at JEdgar. However," he smiled at her, "that does take some finesse."
Blake looked at Hotch and Taylor. "He really is the dirty old man uncle isn't he?"
Aaron and Matt roared with laughter. "Welcome to the team Agent Blake. Just give Matt and me some time."
###
A/N: A diner is a vanishing species on the Americana home front. No matter the size of the town, they were the gathering place for the locals. The few that remain should be cherished.
One shot; quick shout outs. With all the favorite alerts I've been getting lately, y'all should know the drill!
*Knightly bow*