CHAPTER 2
September 2015...
Matt let out a sigh of relief. What was only supposed to have been a visit of just short of a month had turned into a long, hot summer of testing on the combat simulator that he and Derwin Dunlap had been asked to work on for the Department of Defense. Dunlap's lack of knowledge of what it actually took physically to perform the tasks that the simulator had been set up to teach and reinforce for the troops had been a drain not just on Matt physically, but it had also placed a strain on the relationship between himself and his business partner who seemed to think nothing of constantly tweaking the program without advance notice or consultation from Houston. The additional strain of being away from CJ and their kids and a delay in the adoption process of Brian Landers had made life even more difficult. The Texas teen who had lost his mother to a drug-crazed kidnapper had suffered from bouts of anger over the loss. CJ had been doing her best to deal with it and was grateful for the help of Ben and Marcy Devereux with whom the boy had seemed to bond.
Soaring high above the lush green valleys and mountains of western Virginia, Houston reflected on all that had happened over the last few months, particularly the association that he and CJ now had with a FBI-run task force that focused on child exploitation.
Three months earlier…
"I don't think we need him." FBI Special Agent Derek Morgan leaned back in the chair, agitatedly shaking the pen in his hand. "He's too much of a loose cannon."
A loud snort came from David Rossi. "What? Does he remind you of someone close to you? Say...yourself?"
"Not funny."
"It wasn't meant to be. Derek, you've been putting this guy down from the first minute I mentioned his name: what gives?"
"I just told you."
"Proof." The veteran agent calmly stared across the table at his younger associate.
"He's a show off."
"Hotch, I believe our young friend has forgotten how to be a lawyer."
Quickly becoming tired of the carrying on between the two, Aaron took Rossi's side. "Specifics."
Sighing, Morgan rolled his eyes as he searched for a particular instance. "I don't know...he sure seems to land in front of the TV cameras a lot."
"So do we." Hotch's answer was obviously not what the younger man expected.
"Fine. Whatever. I just hope it isn't a decision that you'll regret."
"I've been married three times – I know all about regretful decisions." Rossi winked at Hotchner as Morgan huffily left the office.
"Dave, I've read this guy's file and I understand why you think he would be an asset; he's had personal experience with both the subject and one of our prime targets. But Morgan is right, too: he does have a certain reputation as playing fast and loose with the rules."
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
"Somehow you and Biblical quotes don't seem to go together." A near smile crossed the man's features. "When will they be here?"
"Just about any minute now."
Hotch's phone rang. "Yes, we're expecting them. Thanks." He hung up and closed the file he had been looking through. "The Houstons are here."
Both men headed down the stairs into the group office and within a couple of minutes a tall man with dark curly hair and a beautiful dark haired woman were shown in by one of the agents on the security staff. Rossi approached them, his hand held out in welcome. "Mr. and Mrs. Houston, welcome to the Behavioral Analysis Unit."
CJ was the first to reply, an ice-breaking smile lighting her features. "Thank you, Agent Rossi."
"Uh oh, she already knows who I am." He beamed.
"I do my homework."
"Houston, this is Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner." The two men shook hands.
"Nice to meet you. This is some place y'all have here." He looked around the office.
"The pleasure's all mine. If you would – we're ready for you upstairs." Hotch indicated the stairs and the couple followed them up and into a conference room where three other members of the unit were waiting. "Dr. Spencer Reid, Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, and I believe you know Agent Derek Morgan." The couple shook hands with all three, Morgan seeming to lack enthusiasm. "Please – have a seat."
Matt pulled out a chair for CJ and then had a seat himself next to Garcia, who seemed almost dumbstruck – something that seemed to agitate Morgan even more.
"Now..." Hotchner tapped on two file folders that were in front of him. "I've gone over your files and I must say that both are quite impressive. Agent Rossi and Agent Morgan have already reviewed them and I would like for Dr. Reid and Miss Garcia to do so as well." He pushed the files across, Garcia practically wrestling Houston's away from Reid who looked surprised but gave CJ a smile as he opened her file. In a matter of less than a minute he had read through it, closed it, and passed it over to Garcia who seemed as glued to the file in her hands as if it was a romance novel hot off the presses. The others shared a nervous smile.
"Uh, Garcia..." Reid spoke in his almost timid voice and got no response as she turned a page, her mouth hanging slightly open as she went through the information while Matt began to blush and looked nervously at his wife who seemed to find the whole situation funny as she stifled a giggle. "Garcia..."
Morgan spoke louder. "Garcia!"
"Wh-what?" She jumped in her seat.
"Reid would like a chance to read it, too." Hotch gave her a look.
"Not all of us can read 20,000 words a minute." She shot Reid an angry look and he shrank back in his chair as Matt watched the interaction. Garcia had a reputation as a computer whiz and deservedly so; her skills as a hacker had put her on the FBI's watch list and then garnered a job offer from them.
Dr. Spencer Reid was an entirely different story. From what Matt had found out about him he was undoubtedly the smartest person in the building – quite possibly in the entire country. The fact that he had such a quiet manner and was not physically commanding seemed completely out of line with his chosen profession. His talents obviously lay in his ability to take in, comprehend, and compute possibilities. To the PI he seemed to be a human computer.
When they had first met down in New Orleans a few months earlier, Morgan had said as little as possible to him, his obvious dislike worn like a suit of armor. Try as he might, the PI couldn't think of any way that he could have possibly pissed the man off – they weren't around each other for any real length of time and most of the conversation had been between himself, David Rossi, and Chuck Wylie. He mentally shrugged it off. Some folks just didn't like others for whatever reason and as far as he was concerned Morgan was just someone else on the task force that he and CJ had been invited to join.
Rossi was an entirely different type of person. He had enjoyed talking with the man – a well-known and respected author whose easy-going style might fool some people, but Matt knew that he was no shrinking violet. He had been in the Marines and could probably kick some serious ass, even if he was quite a few years older than his teammates.
Hotchner however was somewhat hard to read. Probably hell to play against in poker.The man seemed to be all business on the surface, but the way that Rossi had spoken of him at their last meeting led him to believe there was more there than met the eye. He had the cool efficiency of a well-trained lawyer, which he was; his early career had been spent as a prosecuting attorney before he joined the FBI's ranks. But Matt had gotten the impression that he truly cared about the team that he had built at the BAU – that they were almost like family.
There was a somewhat embarrassed silence shared among the group, all except for Garcia who although rapidly reading through the file, seemed much too absorbed with it. Hotch watched as Houston's right arm went around his wife's shoulders. Ever the profiler, he knew what he had read about the man's history and he also knew that although he had always been one of the good guys, there had been a stretch of years in his life where he had been a womanizer - not that that was illegal. Those days were in the past; from the moment that the couple had entered the unit, it was clear they were a team. What Rossi had told him – that Houston said they were "a package deal" - was an accurate description. Morgan's assessment was important to him as well; the rule-breaking wasn't something that he would easily tolerate and as far as he was concerned it was the only reason for the couple to be turned down for the position. By all reports, Houston had settled down somewhat in the last few years, more than just in his personal life. His work with the LAPD and Harris County Sheriff's Office showed that he was capable of going by the book. People were capable of change. Morgan, although he wouldn't admit it, had changed during his years with the team. The private investigator also seemed to have a gift for hunches; that was an invaluable trait even with all the technical and scientific tools that were at their disposal. And as far as technical ability, he had partnered with the top technical entrepreneur in the country, Derwin Dunlap, and helped to create a line of surveillance gear that was top notch, not to mention a series of video games that were enjoying top sales around the globe. His wife was also technically savvy and one of the top-rated lawyers in the country.
Finally, Garcia closed the file, a big smile on her face as she passed it over to Reid who quickly opened it and began scanning the information. In another couple of minutes both were finished.
"Now...if anyone has questions that they would like to ask?" Hotch looked at the assembled group.
"It's quite extraordinary that you managed to go from private up to captain in only four short years, Mr. Houston. Can you tell us a little about that?" The youngest member of the team, Reid seemed to Matt more like a college kid than an FBI agent.
"Well, I, uh..." He paused for a minute. "I seemed to have a talent for intelligence gathering and Uncle Sam used it to his advantage I guess you could say. In order for me to do what they had in mind, I had to be able to command."
"And I read that part of your promotions were due in part to your actions in battle?"
Nodding, Matt paused again, Hotchner noticing that he squeezed CJ's hand a little tighter and she in turn drew closer into his embrace. "I followed my orders, Dr. Reid." He gave the young man a steady gaze, neither shirking away from the question nor volunteering more information than was necessary. Probably a habit from his Intelligence days. Reid gave him a quick smile that seemed to put him slightly more at ease...that was until Morgan spoke up.
"Some people might wonder what a billionaire is doing playing such dangerous games – playing cop and fireman and all." The man's dark eyes locked on Matt's like a missile locking on a hapless target.
The attitude cut through the air like a chainsaw and Rossi noticed that although her face was still in a confident smile, CJ's eyes narrowed on the agent across from her. That is a lady who could slice you to ribbons like a tigress. He had no doubts whatsoever that the couple would be a great asset to the task force, and CJ was more than just a pretty face on a knockout body; the woman had brains and charm – and knew how to use them to their fullest advantage.
"Agent Morgan..." Matt's tone was more serious and had gone deeper, something that quickly caught everyone's attention. "I'm not playing games. I was asked to be an advisor to the LAPD. The Sheriff of Harris County asked me to join them as did the Fire Marshal's Office. I don't "run around playing cop and fireman" as you put it; they requested help and advice. As far as being a billionaire – that plays absolutely no part in what I do – other than the fact that I don't get paid a dime for doing any of it." He gave Morgan a steady gaze and Rossi could see how Intelligence had found him to be a great asset. A friend at the CIA had also given him some inside information. Houston had been groomed from the moment he set foot in boot camp to join them; rather than doing what he felt would compromise his morals, he had turned them down. More than a few feathers had been ruffled in Washington when he had more or less told them where they could put it.
It became quiet and Hotchner cleared his throat. "Do you have any questions?" Looking to the couple he hoped that Morgan would back off of his harsh treatment.
Sensing that her husband was doing his best not to completely go off on Agent Morgan, CJ decided to speak up. "I understand that this is an inter-agency task force. In the past, Matt and I have worked with multiple agencies and there is usually a bit of friction..." She paused for a few seconds, looking pointedly across at Morgan. "Is that going to be a problem here? Because if it is, we might well decline the invitation. We would like to think that helping out the children that have had their lives shattered because of this activity would be worth putting aside any preconceived notions."
Hotchner cleared his throat and then spoke. "Mrs. Houston, all of the agencies involved – the FBI, Secret Service, Postal Inspection Service, and Customs – have agreed to make this as streamlined as possible. Since the FBI has the largest amount of agents and resources to contribute, we're heading the task force. Rest assured that each agency and each member of the task force is committed to trying to eradicate the problem."
CJ's smile returned. "That's very welcome news. I most sincerely hope that will be the case."
Hotch looked around at the group and after receiving affirmative nods from Reid and Garcia and satisfied that all questions had been answered, gave a nod. "So does this mean you'll be joining us?" The couple looked at each other and nodded. "Great. We really appreciate the help with it. You both have a great reputation and any advantage we can gain over the perpetrators of the crimes makes it that much easier. Welcome to the task force." He stood and shook with the pair as did the others, Morgan the last to reach across the table and the handshake that he and Matt shared was a quick one. "We're scheduled to meet here tomorrow at 9:00AM. Right now we need to get your credentials and security clearance taken care of so that we can hit the ground running tomorrow. Penelope, would you mind escorting the Houstons down to Personnel and helping with that?"
"I'd love to..." She stood and motioned toward the door, Matt and CJ following her out and down the stairs, then out of the office's door as Morgan leaned against the railing outside the conference room watching them go.
"Morgan..." Hotch approached him. "I understand your concerns, and believe me – if there is a breach of ethics in any way, the person responsible will be removed."
"Good, glad to hear it."
"That applies to you as well." The look that he received from the younger agent was one of shock.
"You should know as well as anyone else here that every person deserves a chance to prove themselves – an unprejudiced chance. If you don't feel that you can work with the Houstons in a team environment you're free to leave the task force." Turning away, he went down the hall to his office, quietly closing the door behind him.
September 2015...
The past few months at Quantico had seemed like years to Matt. He not only missed CJ and the kids, but hadn't slept well. He kept seeing flashes of something that he couldn't identify and avoided sleep as much as possible, the result being that he was more than a little ill-tempered, especially when it came to Derwin. Had it not been for the need of the troops to experience close-quarters combat situations and entries in the most realistic of environments, he would have walked away from the job - something that he had never done in his life.
He waited until he was a good distance away from the airport and then dialed the Texas ranch. "Hey, Madre Rosa. Is CJ around?"
"She just walked in - hold on." Smiling, she handed the phone over to Matt's wife.
"Hey, Cowboy. How did it go?" Pouring herself a glass of tea, she sat down at the kitchen table.
"Real good. We only had one glitch this time - since Derwin finally listened to what I told him. Don't think it'll be hard to correct. But overall it was a big success."
"Congratulations." She looked at her watch. "So I guess you'll be spending the night in Quantico?"
"No ma'am. I'm in the air right now. Should touch down in LA about midnight."
"Hon, is that really a good idea?" She knew just from the sound of his voice that he was tired. "You don't have a co-pilot with you to keep you awake."
"Nah, I'll be fine. Got a pot of coffee here."
"You could radio in a change in flight plan and come here instead, then go on to LA tomorrow."
"I wanted to have a few of days to study up for the class." He paused and there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. "I miss you."
"You have a funny way of showing it." She laughed.
"I just want to get this over with. It's already been put off too many times." He changed the subject. "How are the kids doing?"
"They're fine. The boys have been giving Catey a run for her money every chance they get."
"Keeping you on your toes, huh? What about Brian?"
"He's been keeping busy helping Ben and Marcy. Ben says he's got a real talent for construction. Plus football and school are taking up quite a bit of time."
"That's one thing I don't miss - hot practices." He chuckled. "Well, guess I better get off of here and keep an eye on the radar. There are some storms trying to pop just the other side of the Mississippi. Might slow me down a little bit."
"Just be careful, baby. And call me when you land, okay?"
"I will. Love you."
"Love you, too." Hanging up she gave a heavy sigh. Being apart from him for the last few weeks - aside from a couple of stolen weekends in the mountains of Virginia - had been hard enough. Now he wasn't even going to be spending the night. After putting the phone back on the base, she went through the house and upstairs to help Sheila get the kids in bed.
The storms nearing St. Louis were looking more intense on the radar and Houston thought about what CJ had said. He also thought about how much studying he had to do and knew that once he got to the ranch he would most likely sleep better than he had been. Maybe the dreams he had been having were just the result of worry over the testing of the combat simulator.
As he drew near the Mississippi, Houston received instructions from air traffic control at Lambert-St. Louis International to climb to an altitude of 50,000 feet in order to remain above the storms. Even after reaching the altitude he still had quite a bit of turbulence to deal with and was glad when he neared Wichita and the clearing skies. Another altitude change and the rest of the trip was uneventful. Landing at LAX, he taxied to his hangar and deplaned, tossing his gear bag into the front passenger seat of his truck that his ranch hands had dropped off for him. Just as he started the engine and was about to call CJ, his phone rang. He was surprised when he saw the name on the screen. "Miss Ramona? Everything alright?"
"Houston, I'm so sorry to call and bother you, especially at this hour, but I need your help." The aging actress was seated on the side of her bed, her face filled with worry. "My neighbor, Kelsi Hammond has been arrested."
"Kelsi Hammond?"
"Yes, she's a sweet girl. I know she couldn't have possibly killed her husband."
"Uh, okay. Well…" He glanced down at his watch: it was almost a quarter to one.
"I really hated to call and wake you."
"No ma'am, I just flew in - haven't made it out of the airport yet. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Oh, thank you. I know if anyone can help her it will be you."
Matt stared at his phone as the call was ended. "Oh, boy. This oughta be interesting." Before he pulled away from the hangar, he punched CJ's number.
"Glad you called, hon. I was starting to get worried about you. You really need to get some sleep."
"Well, that's not gonna happen for a while." He went on to tell her about the phone call he had just received. "Would you do me a favor and -"
"I'll see what I can find on Kelsi and Devon."
"And there's yet another reason why I love you."
"I'll let you know when I have something. Be careful."
"Yes ma'am. 'Bye." A nearly half hour drive to Doheny Road in Beverly Hills found him pulling up to what could closest be described as a three ring circus. He was forced to park around the corner on Cord Circle. A familiar voice called to him from behind the side gate to Ramona's property.
"Houston…"
"Hey, Miss Ramona."
"As far as I can tell Kelsi is still 've got her in a police car."
"Alright." He paused for a moment. "I'll see if I can get into the scene, but I've got to warn you that I don't consult with Beverly Hills PD. As a matter of fact the last time I had anything to do with them was when they had me in cuffs in your driveway."
"Just please see what you can do. Here…" She slipped a piece of paper through the bars of the gate. "That's the code for the front gate. You may need it."
"Well Miss Ramona, I appreciate that but…"
"There isn't time for all this talk. You've got to help her."
"I'll see what I can do." Tucking the paper into his pocket, he began walking up to the corner and then proceeded west on Doheny Road for a short distance. He was stopped at the edge of the crime scene tape by a Beverly Hills sergeant - the very one who had tried to arrest him a couple of years earlier when he was chasing an arson suspect. "Matt Houston…" Showing the LAPD ID, he received an angry look from the middle aged man.
"This isn't LAPD jurisdiction, sir. You'll have to leave."
"Look, I -"
"You'll leave now or be arrested." The grumpy man continued to scowl at him.
"Can you at least tell me who the detective in charge is?"
"I'm not at liberty to say. Now move along."
"And you have a good night, too." Turning away from the tape, he went back towards the Landers estate and was immediately set upon by a sea of reporters and paparazzi, the shouts for information and the flash of cameras nearly robbing him of both his hearing and sight. A few followed him back around the corner and continued to hound him as he got into his truck. Trying to tune out the racket he dialed Ramona's number. "I can't get into the scene. I'll try going down to the station and see if I can get some cooperation there."
The less than two mile drive to the police headquarters on Rexford Drive took only a few minutes during which Matt couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't been turned away from a crime scene in ages. "Michael oughta get a laugh out of that."
Entering the lavish building he stopped at the front desk and inquired as to who was working the Kelsi Collins case.
"I'm sorry, sir. I can't release details of an ongoing investigation."
"I understand. Will this help?" He once again showed the ID.
"No, sir. This is Beverly Hills jurisdiction.
"I'm a consultant to LAPD."
"Yes sir. This is Beverly Hills."
Nodding, Matt turned and walked out of the building and slid behind the wheel of the truck, dialing Ramona Landers as he glanced at his watch. It was almost 2:00AM. The call was answered immediately. "Miss Ramona, do you know if Kelsi has an attorney on retainer?"
"I have no idea…and that doesn't sound like good news."
"Well, Beverly Hills PD won't tell me squat."
"But I thought that you worked with police now?"
"Yes ma'am, but not with Beverly Hills."
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"If she calls you tell her -"
"Wait a minute. Oh, it's her on the other line. Hold on." Ramona was gone in an instant and while Matt waited he found himself yawning. "Houston, she says she doesn't have a lawyer."
"Okay, tell her that she doesn't have to say a word. I'll get her the best lawyer there is."
"Alright…" She was gone again and as he waited the thought crossed his mind that CJ might not want to take the case; what then? "Kelsi said she would do it. Poor thing. She's scared silly."
"That's about all we can do at the moment, Miss Ramona. I'll call CJ and let her know." And hope like hell she doesn't mind taking the case.
"Thank you."
"Yes ma'am - now try to get some sleep, okay?"
"I'll try. Goodbye."
Punching CJ's number once again, he could tell that she had been asleep when she answered. "Hey, Little Mama."
"Is everything okay?"
"Not exactly. Do you think you could represent Kelsi Hammond?"
"I…well, I guess so. What time is it?" Turning she looked at the clock on the bedside table. "Uh, okay. I'll have to tell Sheila."
"She doesn't have a lawyer and I told Miss Ramona I would get her the best one." He gave a smile as she laughed.
"So now you're trying to butter me up, huh?"
"Is it working?"
"Yeah. Have you talked to Kelsi?"
"No, but Ramona did. I passed along that she should just keep mum until you get there. I imagine they'll just book her in and get a fresh start in the morning." He tried to stifle the yawn but wasn't successful.
"You need to get some sleep, hon."
"I will. See you in a little while. Love you."
"Love you, too, Cowboy. 'Bye." After hanging up, CJ went down the hall of the Texas ranch and quietly knocked on Sheila's door. A sleepy voice told her to enter. "Hey, Matt called. He needs me to go back to LA." Explaining what had happened and who was involved she watched as the nanny snapped fully awake.
"Kelsi Hammond? And Devon Collins is dead? Oh, my goodness."
"Do you just want to stay here?"
"Sure, we can do that. No sense in waking the babies up."
"I really appreciate it."
"That's why I'm here. Wow, I bet Tattle Tale is going to have a field day with this! Mmph, mmph, mmph."
CJ went back to her room and called the air service that she and Matt used when the jet was unavailable. She arranged for a flight that would take off at 4:30. After quickly packing, she went first to Catey's room and kissed her sleeping daughter on the forehead before slipping into the nursery and giving Mike and Vinny kisses as well.
Matt got to his office in the Houston Industries Building just before 3:00AM. He stretched out on the couch and was almost asleep when he got a text from CJ: Flight lands at 7:30. He texted her back: I'll pick you up . Love you. The reply came within seconds: Love you. With a sigh he set his alarm for 7:00 and within a minute or two he was asleep.
