Chapter 29 – Searching for the Prize
The five vehicles moved through the living village of Ramstein AFB. They split up; two going one way and two going another way, with the fifth going through the main part like a regular patrol vehicle. Winters and his team in another vehicle left and went a completely different route. The vehicles converged on their destination. They pulled up to the back entrance of the housing building. Colonel Meacham ran his ID card through the security system, knowing his would allow access through the door that otherwise was unapproachable.
Matt, knowing that Strauss, Garcia, Reid and Jordane were hanging on their every move, quietly reported through his comm system; "Breaching outer door."
The two MPs were the first up the steps, knowing their orders and the plan. All the rest of the search teams, in order, followed closely behind in stealth mode. They reached the third floor. Taylor and Meacham, directly behind the two MPs, nodded at them to proceed. "Easy boys," Matt whispered as they headed out. "Make this look routine."
They nodded and moved into the hall. The first MP looked up and down the hall as the second moved to elevator, pulled out his security key and locked the elevator off from stopping on the floor, nodding at the first. He silently relayed the message to Matt.
Meacham motioned for him to continue to their first adjective, while Taylor got Larson, Morgan and Seaver into place. The MP quietly knocked on the door. Matt looked at his watch. 2123. Please don't let these guys be sleeping. The MP's knock was answered on the first one and he quietly told the occupant that the room needed to be searched. Matt heard the person start to balk and quickly entered the room.
"Whoa," said the occupant, whom Matt knew through Garcia's digging was Airman First Class Mykel Martell, dressed in off duty casual wear.
"Airman Martell, I'm Colonel Taylor. I'm also Supervisory Special Agent Taylor with the FBI." He showed Martell his credentials. "Please Airman Martell, keep your voice down. You are in no trouble whatsoever; we are only asking your cooperation in an ongoing investigation." Martell relaxed.
"What do you need sir? I'm more than willing to cooperate."
Taylor smiled at him, put his hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Do you mind if we check something in your quarters. And Airman, I assure you once again, you are in no trouble. We just need your assistance at the moment." Martell nodded.
"Airman, I have to ask for the record; where is your roommate?"
"On duty sir."
"Which means you alone are giving us access to these quarters? Do you understand that?"
"Sir, I completely understand that. What I don't understand is what you are looking for? Jake, my roommate and I don't have anything to hide. What can you possibly be looking for?"
Matt gave him the big Irishman smile. "Airman it's not what we're looking for. It's what we are not looking for. Do we have you permission?"
"Yes sir." Matt led him out to the hallway, as Larson, Morgan, Seaver and Montoya, with his camera already running, taping Matt's conversation with the Airman, entered the room. Martell gulped loudly as he seen the personnel waiting in the hallway. Matt gently slapped him on the shoulder. "Airman, please just trust me. This is the easy part. However, you now are a material witness to an ongoing investigation. We will need you to join us at the Provost's Marshall's office for a while. But hey," Matt said as he winked at him, "Airman, you don't have to report for duty later tonight; which Airman, will be completely covered. We just really need your cooperation."
"I'm in sir," he said with sincerity as he looked at Matt.
"Then Airman, just stand down for right now." Martell nodded as the first MP stood next to him.
Seaver exited the room three minutes later and looked at Cob and Hotch. "Sirs, the room is absolutely clean," she said with a small smile. "Agent Morgan and Sergeant Montoya are finishing their processing. You're good to roll."
Seaver moved Martell back into his quarters so he could dress into a uniform, and the team moved to the next step. Dave reported over his FBI comm. "First quarters secured; breaching second." The four back in the conference room were hanging on every word.
With Meacham's security clearance, his ID card simply opened the door, which he pushed open for the next team. Collier went in the room, with Prentiss and JJ right behind him. They looked around, and all reported, "Clear." Strauss exhaled a deep breath. Taylor and Rossi entered and stood with Meacham as the first three searched the room, with two of Winters' team filming every move, under his direction.
It took the three of them less than 30 minutes to turn the room upside down. They found nothing that could remotely implicate Wohlers. Matt and Dave looked at each and moved in as the rest stood off to the side. Rossi checked the corner to the window, while Taylor checked the corner next to the hall. Taylor spoke into his intercom. "Morgan, do you still have Montoya with you and access to a chair from Martell's room?"
"Affirmative Colonel; what do you need?"
"Check the hallway tiles outside of Wohlers' quarters along the wall line and see if any are loose. Make sure Montoya films it."
"Roger that," Morgan responded. Hotch and Tauscher moved up in the hallway to join them. Martell opened the door to his quarters and after getting an explanation from Seaver, offered a chair from the room.
"Can we narrow this down so it doesn't look like a wild goose chance," Tauscher whispered to Hotch.
Hotch nodded and spoke into his mic. "Colonel can you narrow down Morgan's search field?"
"Affirmative; hold please." After a pause he said, "Morgan, I've got a half panel directly over the corner of the door coming your way. That means you have a full panel, correct?"
"Roger."
"Count fourteen up to Martell's quarters."
"Roger." Morgan set the chair down, climbed up and tried to move the first as well as the two panels in either direction of Matt's count. "Colonel, they are stapled in. While they give a little if I push really hard, these have not been moved. It's the same like we found in Martell's quarters." Tauscher smiled at Hotch and nodded. Rossi, in Wohlers' quarters moved to Matt.
"You got something Colonel?" Matt nodded and waved Winters and his tech with the video camera over to his area.
"SAC Hotchner, we need Major Tauscher in here." They both strode in less than five seconds later and stood at the side of the bunk along the hall wall. Winters nodded and his tech started filming.
"Agent Rossi, this chair that sits at the side of this bunk; notice the four legs that I'm willing to bet match the indentations in the carpet to this area here," Taylor said as he pointed to the corner. The tech moved in to film the area, while the second took pictures. Taylor pulled out his latex gloves and looked at the top of chair. "And while there is no dust on the top of the backrest of the chair," he said bending down, "someone isn't a very good housekeeper." Matt pointed to the dust on the supports that ran between the legs as well as the seat where the back rest joined.
About two feet away from the corner was a floor lamp. Rossi looked at the top of the shade and light bulb. "Sergeant Wohlers has a lot to learn about dusting," he smirked. Winters and his team moved in to collect samples and document everything.
Winters looked at the dust. "In my opinion, Major Tauscher, this dust is consistent with ceiling tile dust. Our analysis in the lab should confirm it." When they had finished, Rossi and Taylor looked at Hotch and Tauscher.
"Your call, Major. Do we have probable cause?" Hotch said.
Tauscher smiled. "More than I need." She nodded at Taylor and Rossi. "Do it." Matt smiled at Dave, as his gloved hands reached for the chair. He set the chair down in the indentations.
"Perfect match," Rossi said, while the documentation continued. Taylor climbed up on the chair and pushed on the panel closest to the hallway. It moved freely, sending a small shower of dust on Matt's cover. He handed his cover to Rossi, who passed it on to one of the techs, giving them a sample which they brushed off into evidence bag. He maneuvered the panel out and handed it to a tech, gliding it into another evidence bag. Montoya moved into the room and began filming with a wide shoot, while Morgan and Seaver stood in the doorway. Collier, JJ and Prentiss still in the room, watched as well.
Matt pulled out his flashlight, and stuck his head up into the opening, with his hand trying to find space to get into the 12 inch square opening. He pulled his head out of the opening slightly, stuck the flashlight into his mouth and maneuvered his head back into the opening. Less than five seconds later, he came back down, shut his flashlight off and stuck it in his back pocket. He looked at Dave and reached up with his left arm into the opening.
As Winters' team documented everything, Matt pulled out a sealed plastic food bag and took a look. "Looks like trophies to me," he said as he handed the bag of obvious pairs of multi-colored women's panties in it. He placed it in an evidence bag Winters held. Montoya filmed Winters marking the evidence bag.
Matt stuck his head up in again with the flashlight. He repeated the procedure and pulled out a scarf in another bag and showed it to Rossi. "Five will get you ten this has Lieutenant's Pearson's DNA on it."
"No bet." The additional evidence was passed off to Winters' team.
Hotch said into his mic, "We got him."
Back in the conference room, Strauss, Jordane, Reid and Garcia exchanged smiles.
###
