Chapter 7

Matt got on the elevator in the BAU parking garage a little before seven. Just as the doors were about to shut, he heard the unmistakable voice of David Rossi say "Hold that elevator." Matt hit the button to re-open the doors just before they closed.

When they slid back open Matt eyed Rossi. "No loving last night?"

"No, and I bet you didn't either. And we were both doing the same thing; trying to figure out Foyet's next move."

"Dave, you were and continue to be, a great mentor to me; which I appreciate more than you'll ever know. But you're wrong this time. I spent most of the night trying to figure out how to stay glued to Hotch's side. Because something is going to happen and it's going to happen soon. Foyet is pushing for an end game."

"I agree with your assessment, Agent," he smiled at his once protégé. "Good luck on the other part."

"Tell me about it."

Dave looked at him. "You and Hotch have been working on the profile more, haven't you?" Matt merely nodded as the elevator doors opened and they stepped off together. "When are you two going to let the rest of us of in?"

"When we have time Dave," he said, stopping before pulling one of the glass doors of the BAU open, letting Rossi enter first. "I just pray to God we have that time."

They entered the bullpen, looking at Hotch's closed door with the light on, him sitting at his desk. That he was already there was a no brainer to the two of them. They moved to their offices. After opening his email, Dave moved to the break room to get a badly needed cup of coffee. He had not been in the BAU this early in years. Garcia was just finishing re-filling her cup of tea as she entered in to start her day and about to head to her lair and grabbed the coffee pot, filling his cup.

She looked at him. "This about to get bad isn't it."

"Let's just see how things play out Kitten," he smiled. "We've got the profile and we have to trust it." They both looked up to see Reid and Prentiss coming in the door, moving to their desks. Both of them had no doubt that Morgan was already in his office.

All of the team worked quickly, almost frantically, to get their reports done for the case that just finished so they could concentrate on Foyet. Even though he was the Senior Profiler, Dave's paperwork was about the same as Reid's. Prentiss' and Hotch's would take a bit more work, with their visit with Karl Arnold. Matt and Morgan had the workload, with Derek filling out the required assessments and reports as Unit Chief, and Matt doing his in charge of tactical and security for the team, as well as his assessment of the case from his standpoint.

Dave, finishing his and sending them to Morgan, walked out of his office to get a fresh cup of coffee. He walked past Reid and Prentiss to talk with them for a second and then made his way up the steps to get to Matt's door, which was uncharacteristically closed. Matt pretty much had an open door policy.

After knocking, he opened the door when Matt waved him in. "You finished?"

Matt, heads down at his laptop, shook his head. "Give me three more minutes." He looked at Dave. "If ya wanna burn that time up," he said, grabbing his coffee cup and holding it out to him, "Regular please and you know how I like it with plenty of milk. Then we can talk."

"Regular?" Matt, for some reason had trouble with regular coffee but could drink decaf like no tomorrow, as long as either kind had plenty of milk in it. For most people, it was the other way around. But most people didn't get a nine-inch piece of shrapnel imbedded in their guts.

"My guts are already churning but I need the caffeine."

"Deal," Dave smiled, setting his own cup on Matt's desk. He grabbed Matt's cup and headed back out of the office, quietly shutting the door. Matt went head down back into his report, typing like there was no tomorrow. There may be no tomorrow he thought.

As Dave re-entered his office and shut the door, Matt hit the send button of his email to Morgan with all his reports attached. He swiveled in his chair and accepted the cup of the brown elixir from Dave. "Thanks," he quietly said.

Dave grabbed his own cup and sat down in one of the chairs facing Matt's desk. "Fill me in." Matt quickly got Dave up to speed on he and Aaron's continually growing profile of Foyet.

"Like I told you earlier, I agree with your assessment. Foyet is pushing this to an end game, ramping up to his final triumph in his world."

Matt looked at Dave. "And we both know what that is."

"He's going to want to take Hotch down; one way or another for passing on the deal." Matt gave Dave his patented finger point.

Matt shook his head. "Dave, I've just got this sick feeling in my gut we're going to lose someone. That's how I'm profiling this. Foyet will sacrifice someone to get Hotch to go to war with him toe to toe. That's what Foyet wants; a battle; the shoot-out at the OK corral."

"How can I help Matt?"

Matt didn't need to be a profiler to understand Dave's words. While they all laughed at the bullpen's joke of them being the Three Musketeers, they really were. Dave had mentored both the men and felt strongly about the bond of friendship the three had forged since he re-joined the Unit. And Matt, sharing his home, with his beautiful wife and family, giving them both a refuge, was badly needed by him and Hotch. Dave treasured that; he knew Aaron did as well.

Matt studied Dave for a couple of seconds, which Rossi picked up on. "What?"

"Dave, I recommended Morgan for the Unit Chief job. But if this all falls out the way I'm envisioning it, I'm going to need some latitude from the Unit Chief. Yet, I don't want to look like I'm going over the kid's head." Matt looked at Dave. "Does that make sense to you?"

Rossi took a sip of his coffee. "It makes perfect sense Matt. You're backing Aaron's play with him stepping down as Unit Chief. He wants to keep the team together and the pressure cooker that Strauss put him in was too much. And you played it perfectly, with reasons I can understand and got by Erin. But Matt, I know you. The paperwork didn't scare you as much as having the freedom to protect Hotch. I get that. Don't worry about Morgan. If this thing comes to a head, I'll back your ass with him. You just take care of Aaron." He drilled a look in Matt's eye. "Promise me that."

Matt nodded, took a drink of his coffee and slightly smiled at Dave. "You know better."

"Yes, I do; but I still wanted to hear you say it," Dave sadly smiled. "He's going to need you."

Matt matched Dave's sad smile. "I think in the next day or two, he's going to need all of us." He looked at Rossi. "Especially the two of us."

"I'm in Matt; and backing your play a thousand percent. You just get the job done."

"Dave, let's all get the job done. That includes you. You know these people better than any of the rest of us. And I've given you the profile. Back me and help us figure this SOB out when the shit hits the fan."

"Done."

Less than hour later, the shit hit the proverbial fan.

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A/N: Here we go. I hope all you accept the ride.