"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." - Niccolo Machiavelli
The jet landed on a lone runway on the south side of the Las Vegas airport in the late afternoon. As soon as the plane had stopped moving, the steps were lowered and the team began to deplane. Hotch was first followed by Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, Morgan, Reid and finally Tesla. They carried their go bags with them and headed in the direction of the airport. Moments later two black SUVs rounded the building. They came up to the group and stopped. The door to the lead SUV opened and a tall middle aged man with dark blond hair and a mustache and large sunglasses got out.
"You the FBI? Sorry we're late construction and traffic has been bad lately. I'm Officer McKay from the LVPD. Is that all you got with you?" McKay gestured to the bags they were carrying. "Lest pack them in back, long way back to the station and the chief is waiting to meet you." The man talked very fast and didn't leave them any room to reply before moving to the back of the SUV he drove. He opened the back hatch and waited for the team to join him and store their gear. He was in a hurry and obviously didn't like the idea of them coming into what he probably thought was the LVPD's investigation.
The team looked to Hotch when Officer McKay turned away from them. He just gave them a shrug and walked after McKay. Once they had all put their bags in the SUV McKay started talking again.
"Only got four seats here so some of you are going to have to ride with Officer Jones in the next car." Officer Jones had yet to step out of the second SUV. It's rush hour and like I said with the construction and traffic it will take a while to get there."
"And where are we going?" the slightly irritated voice of Tesla broke through McKay's explanation.
"South Central Area Command. It's on south Las Vegas Boulevard." McKay looked at her for a moment.
"I think we should leave then if it will take so much time" Hotch got McKay's attention before anything more could be said between the two people staring each other down.
"Of Course, please climb in, Jones will follow us." McKay didn't waste any more time on them, going back to the driver's seat and getting in.
"I'm with the other car" Tesla started over to the other SUV.
"This should be very interesting" Morgan had a small smile on his face.
"Morgan, JJ , Reid ride with me and McKay. Rossi, Prentiss I think you should go with Officer Jones. See if he's any more open then McKay. And keep an eye on Tesla," Hotch ordered and headed off for the passenger side of the SUV.
"Good luck guys" Morgan said and went to get in the SUV with JJ and Reid not far behind him.
"I think Morgan is right, this will be interesting. Think they might try to kill each other before the weekend?" Prentiss turned to Rossi as they walked over to the other SUV.
Rossi knew she meant Tesla and Officer McKay. Obviously they had not hit it off right for some yet unknown reason. "Twenty bucks says there will be continued hostility but no killing."
"Is that with or without Hotch's interference."
"With interference of course, he has rules."
"Well that's not fun, but you're on."
"You going to get the others involved?"
"Of course, but not Hotch. That would ruin the outcome."
"Don't forget he doesn't like us betting like this."
By then they had reached the SUV and Rossi went to climb in the passenger side. Tesla was already sitting in back. Prentiss joined her. As soon as they were buckled in Officer Jones who was young with red hair, brown eyes and a face full of freckles, started driving. Apparently Officer McKay had started off as soon as their doors had closed. They caught up to the other SUV in no time. But that was about as fast as they were going to move. Once they got away from the airport and on the road they could see McKay had been right. The traffic was horrible, the roads were packed and there was construction of some form or another every couple of miles.
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Hotch sat silently in the passenger seat as the SUV moved along in a slow pace. He looked in the rearview mirror at the second SUV. Spotting right behind them he turned back to looking out the front window. Besides the miles of cars and construction in front of them there wasn't much to see. The outline of the Vegas strip was a hazy line far ahead but there was nothing else notable yet.
"How long you plan on being here?" McKay asked breaking the silence. He had the radio off and none of the team in the SUV had spoken.
"Until we catch the unsub" Hotch didn't look at him.
"Unsub?"
"Yes it stands for unknown subject, the killer," Reid offered but didn't go on. That was unusual but then again Reid had been acting differently since his nightmare on the jet.
Morgan and JJ shared a look of concern while Hotch watched from the rearview mirror again.
"I see," McKay didn't say anything more for the rest of the ride and neither did the team. They were all thinking about the case and how they were going to solve it without causing any more hostility with McKay and hopefully the rest of the LVPD.
The last time they had had a case in Nevada, things had gone alright for the most part and they had stopped the unsub quickly, saving the last victim. But when they went to leave Reid had stayed behind, to see his mother was the story but it was actually for a case. Rossi and Morgan had opted to stay and had helped him. This had all been done under the radar and nothing bad had come at them officially. The best outcome would be to stop this unsub quickly and quietly and get Tesla and her friends some closure without alienating and angering the LVPD.
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No one had spoken in Officer Jones SUV since the beginning of the trip and the radio had been off. After about twenty minutes Tesla had begun to fidget, half an hour in she was signing and moving all the time. She began to tap her fingers on the doors arm rest not long after that.
"Would you stop that" Officer Jones finally spoke looking back at Tesla in the rearview.
"Could you give me directions and I get out and walk, I could probably get there before you" Tesla answered but stopped tapping her fingers.
"No fighting kids" Rossi interjected as Officer Jones opened his mouth to reply.
"Not to be a bother but how long of a drive are we looking at?" Prentiss leaned forward in her seat.
"About another hour maybe hour and a half if they closed exit twelve" Jones didn't look back at her.
"Do you work on the case we came here for?" Rossi asked.
"Sort of, I am supposed to help you but I haven't been briefed on the whole thing."
"I suppose we'll have to do that for most of the department once we have the profile, but in the mean time you and the other Officers we'll be working with will get the details today."
"That's good I don't like sitting in the dark. Don't suppose you could fill me in now?"
"No I'm sorry but we'll get started after our introduction at the station. We have a new lead and some new directions for you all to look at. It will be different from what you normally do. We hope everybody will be open minded, wouldn't want to step on too many toes."
Officer Jones looked at Rossi for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. "Not to many guys like change, watch your step."
"We'll keep that in mind, thanks" Rossi nodded.
They were silent again for several more minutes before Tesla started up again.
"Please stop" again Jones interrupted Tesla's movements.
"Maybe if you turn on the radio it would help" Prentiss suggested.
"We don't usually drive with the radio, it's distracting. But I guess if I keep it on low…" Jones reached over and turned the knob in the middle of the dash.
"We won't tell," Prentiss smiled at him as soft jazz began to fill the car.
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An hour and ten minutes later the radio was turned off as they pulled into the parking lot of a four story building. LVPD was in bold printed on the front of the building. The building was brick on the bottom level with two doors one on the south side and another on the north. The upper floors held large glass windows that were tinted taking over much of the space.
The two SUVs parked side by side in the visitor's spaces and everyone got out. The team grabbed their go bags from McKay's SUV quickly. Jones had handed the keys to his SUV to Rossi and went inside when they had parked. McKay had stayed to show them in and the floor they were working on. They passed the usual receptions desk and standard bullet proof glass partition in the lobby and got on an elevator. McKay hit the button for floor three as they all road in silence. Once the doors open however it was different. The office was abuzz with Officers talking, answering phones, moving from desk to desk, and writing on white boards set up all over the large bull pen.
"This way" McKay led them through the throng of Officers to a door with the plaque Chief Walters on it. McKay knocked waited a moment then opened the door and ushered the team in. Once they were inside he left closing the door behind him.
The office wasn't very large and held a desk, with three chairs in front a bookshelf behind the desk, and a file cabinet. The back of the room held a window, a table with a potted plant and another book shelf. The side wall without the door was rather empty, with the exception of a framed piece of art.
Getting up from his chair behind the desk was an older man with gray hair, blue eyes with crow's feet at the edges and a serious face. He was average height but stood straight, his body still fit despite his years.
"Sorry I couldn't meet you at the airport; it's been very busy around here. I'm Chief Walters if you didn't notice the sign on the door. Now I'm not going to lie and say I'm thrilled to have you here but I do realize we need the help. Just try not to ruffle too many feathers and watch how you push the Officers and I think we'll get along just fine. Now I'd like your names and I'll show you around before you get started." Walter's had a slight southern accent that had been worn down by the years in Nevada but spoke of a southern upbringing.
"I'm Special Agent in charge Hotchner. These are Special Agents Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, and Jareau who is also are media liaison and Dr. Reid." Hotch pointed out and introduced each or the team. "And this is a consultant Tesla," Hotch pointed out the odd member of the group who had hung back.
"Well welcome to the LVPD agents. I'll show you to the area we set up for you." With that Walters walked past them and opened the door. He led them out and down the outer edge of the bull pen. There was a door halfway down the length of the pen and it was cracked open. Walter's pushed it all the way open and entered, flipping on a light even though the room was brightened but the light coming in several large windows. "Not much but it should have everything you need, anything else just ask. You good for a while or is there something you want now?"
The team looked around a conference room similar to theirs back at the BAU. A circular table dominated the room, with several chairs. There was a flat screen TV on one wall and a large while board on another with a cork board on a stand next to it. Next to a window was a small desk with a computer. The table was covered in boxes and papers. Some were new, others looked very old.
"I think we will be alright for a little while. Those are the case files," Hotch said more a statement then question.
"Yes, all the new information and much as we could scrape together of the older stuff. More will come in tomorrow, it was stored in a different area." Walters nodded at the boxes.
"Thank you. We'll need to talk to all the Officers on this case but it can wait until tomorrow."
"All have them all ready for you in the morning then. Again anything missing or you need just ask." With that Walter's left them to begin.
(Sorry it's taken so long for an update RL is kicking me right now and I've been pretty busy. But fear not things are getting back to normal so there will be an update next weekend and a hopefully longer chapter. Will be introducing the team to the Officers next and the past child victims soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing.)