Disclaimer: Everything familiar belongs to JE and the creators of Criminal Minds.
Warning: Adult Situations
Chapter 9, August 20th, 1300-1500
Miami-Dade PD HQ
Prentiss POV
Matt, Garcia, and I arrived at the MDPD HQ around 0700 when we entered the building; Chief Toledo was waiting to greet us. He showed us to our working area, in the second-floor conference room, and he handed over detailed records of all the break-ins, as well as lining up two witnesses to come in to speak to us. Before we get started, I need to find out his take on Carlos Manoso.
"Manny, thank you for having everything ready for us. It will help to speed up our work. On our way down here, Garcia uncovered a link to a highly trained government operative, Ricardo Carlos Manoso. What can you tell me about him?"
"Emily, step into my office, where I will tell you." I nod in agreement and follow my friend into his office. He has a fairly large office for a chief, with a beautiful wooden desk, comfortable visitor's chairs, a towering bookcase, and three file cabinets. He has a table with four chairs around it. I'm impressed with the personal feel to the office. I see pictures of his children, nieces, nephews, and siblings. I think his office is bigger than mine.
"Emily, Mr. Manoso is highly respected in Miami. He lived with his Grandmother in Little Havana from the age of 14 until he started college. He was a star soccer player on the high school team and an excellent student. He finished high school with thirty-six college credits under his belt. He went to Rutgers, in New Jersey, where he graduated in two years. Then he joined the Army. When he finished his active duty, he opened his security firm here. They had a wonderful reputation and earned it. His company helps the local bail bondsman with apprehending FTAs, as well as us when we need assistance. I have great respect for the man, for his moral code is beyond reproach. When Edward Scrog kidnapped his daughter three years ago, he risked his life to save her, even though they did not have a strong relationship at that time. He can be a valuable resource. Another interesting note is that Rangeman Security monitored five of the seven homes. I know that he will be cooperative, as long as you understand that he can be scary, and sometimes operates in the gray. He has worked with federal agents in the past, but he doesn't trust you. If you keep him in the loop, are honest and forthcoming, he will reciprocate. However, if you screw him over or refuse to share, then you can forget about having his full cooperation. He won't give anything away. He has the best poker face I've ever seen."
"Do you think that there is any chance that he is involved in these break-ins and assaults?"
"No. Ranger would never harm an elderly woman or children, especially not his daughter or her half-siblings. He gave up his rights to his daughter to protect her; I don't see him harming her."
"Okay, thank you for your insight. Does Ranger or his company normally integrate themselves into your cases or investigations?"
"No, only if we ask first. If there is a break-in at one of the properties they monitor, they will do their crime scene analysis, and have always shared the results with us. They have contacts and connections all over the place and can sometimes get information that we aren't privy to finding or obtaining. It's a symbiotic relationship. I would trust Manoso and his men to have my back in any situation."
The team from the hospital arrived at police HQ shortly after noon. Lewis updated us on the girl, Julie Martine's condition. It looked like she would make a full physical recovery, but the mental recovery would be harder. Luke almost couldn't contain his excitement about seeing Manoso again and inviting him to join our investigation. As much as I wanted to be angry with Luke, I couldn't be, as I was planning on inviting him to help us. He has the FBI clearance and knows Miami. Besides, someone was able to hack his security systems, so with him working with us, we can get to the bottom of the situation faster.
"Oh, sweet bejesus, you are not blocking me. Nice block, but I'll get around your amateurish attempts." Garcia exclaimed from her desk.
"Garcia, what's wrong?" Reid asked.
"I was about to get through the wall at Rangeman, but someone blocked me. Now I must go around them. Whoever is blocking me has skills, but my skills are better than theirs."
"I highly doubt that. Hector can keep anyone out. I don't suggest you continue to try to out-hack him; you may wind up bringing down the whole set up here." Said a man with a deep voice with a hint of a Spanish accent.
I look up and see Ricardo Carlos Manoso in the flesh, and I will admit, I had to stare for a moment. I hope I didn't drool. He is truly one of the best looking men I've ever seen. I shake my head slightly and see that Garcia is just as flustered as I was a moment ago.
"I take it that you are Unit Chief Emily Prentiss. I'm Carlos Manoso, but please call me Ranger. Next to me is my cousin, Lester Santos, and Stephanie Plum. Alvez invited us here to help you find out who hurt my little girl." Ranger said.
"Lieutenant Colonel, thank you for agreeing to work with us. I'm sorry about your daughter. How is she doing?"
"She's still in a medically induced coma but is expected to make a full recovery. She has a strong will." Ranger replied.
His phone rings and he picks it up, answering in Spanish. When the conversation is over, I can't help but smile. "My IT guy told me to tell the Black Queen that she'll never get past his wall and to stop trying. If you want to get in, you only need to ask, and he'll give you temporary access to our systems. Nobody can beat El Oraculo Negro." (The Black Oracle)
"You know El Oraculo Negro? Okay, I'll stop." Garcia responded, clearly tongue-tied.
"Garcia? Who is El Oraculo Negro?" Lewis asked.
"Why, he is one of the top hackers out there. He writes mad programs that are impossible to break through. He has one of the most secure sites and challenges hackers annual to break into it. No one knows what information is on the site because no one has ever broken through. He's a God amongst hackers." She responded. "OMG, he e-mailed me with a temporary log-in. How did he get my e-mail address?"
Ranger laughed, with a genuine smile on his face. I thought I was going to faint. How can Ms. Plum be around him all the time and not self-combust?
A few minutes later, Rossi and JJ walk in to join us. I make introductions, instructing Rossi and JJ that they were safe to share information.
"It's clear that the unsubs entered through the back patio sliding doors. The alarm system was never engaged that night, or it was disengaged immediately. The house was left untouched, but JJ thinks that they searched Ron's office. What type of work did Mr. Martine do?" Rossi asked.
"He was an accountant in a prominent firm here in Miami. Their clients include many of the rich and famous in the Miami area. I heard a rumor that one of the cartels is using the firm, for legitimate business, but I haven't been able to confirm or deny those rumors. When I heard the rumors, I spoke with Ron. He assured me that they were only rumors. I believed him." Ranger said, shaking his head.
"Wait a minute. Barbara Keys, the victim in the sixth break-in is a personal wealth manager at Green Brothers-Harrison, a prominent investment bank. Matilda Escobar works as an administrative assistant for Cohen-Perina-Sanchez Law Firm, also dealing with business clients primarily. The first victim, Jimmy Caruso is a real estate agent for a high-end Miami agency. Could it be that a shared client links each of these cases?" Reid highlighted.
"But what about the first three break-ins?" Matt asked.
Stephanie Plum responded, "they were the trials. They were practice. The first home has a low-end security system. Easier to bypass. The next two homes were Rangeman systems. Again, lower end. Those break-ins were in a blue-collar, solidly middle-class neighborhood. The last four were in the much more prominent neighborhood and had mid-level to high-level security systems. Not as easily hacked, but with practice, would be easier to bypass. There is no connection to the first three houses to the rest in any way."
"Proud of you, Babe," I hear Manoso say, barely above a whisper.
"I think Ms. Plum is right," Rossi said.
"Stephanie or Steph, please. Ms. Plum makes me feel old." Rossi smiled at her before continuing.
"Ranger, what can you tell us about the systems installed in each of the homes?"
"Give me a few minutes to have that information sent here." Ranger picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Send me the specs on the homes in the file I sent you asap." He said into his phone before hanging up.
"We'll have the information within ten minutes. I can tell you that the system in the Martine home was our top residential system. It required a series of three codes to disengage the alarm between the hours of twenty-three hundred and zero-six-hundred. Ron and Rachel refused video monitoring, but the house was remotely monitored by my company twenty-four seven. I tried to convince them to at least allow cameras at the front and back doors, but they felt that their neighborhood was safe and that I was overprotective and unreasonable. We monitored for carbon monoxide and fire. There are panic buttons in each room that if they pressed it, an audio and video feed would open between headquarters and the house. Julie and Rachel had a panic button they could carry on their person. From our on-site assessment, it seems that the panic buttons were never engaged. That means that Julie or Rachel never had an opportunity to get to one of them."
As Ranger finished telling us about the system at the Martine household, a dark look came over his face, and he blamed himself for his daughter's injuries. Even though his face was blank, we are trained to read body language, and I could tell he was a tightly coiled snake, ready to attack. I saw the moment Stephanie realized his change. She stood, grabbed his hand, and spoke to him gently.
"Ranger, Carlos, you do realize that it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented what happened. Yes, things might have been different if they had cameras, but you can't know that. Rachel and Ron choose not to allow you to protect them the way they should have. Don't blame yourself. Julie needs you too much for you to retreat to self-loathing and push her away."
I watch his muscles loosen, and his fist unclench. He glances at that woman and sighs. "You're right, Babe. I feel helpless."
"You're doing everything you can to help her. Once Javier gets the paperwork settled, you'll have custody of your daughter, and you won't feel so helpless when you are hovering over her day and night."
"Ranger, we got the e-mail from Silvio. All the houses in the last four break-ins had the same system. The second two had purchased the mid-level system. I think Beautiful's right; they were practice runs." Santos states.
"I have a safe house in the Coral Gables neighborhood. We have the same system on that home. If you think it could help, I would like Garcia to try to override the system. I want to know how they got into the system. If the Black Queen is as good as El Oraculo Negro says she is, it should be child's play." Ranger states.
"I agree. Reid, I want you to work with Penelope to hack the system."
"Why me? I know nothing about technology. You know that." Reid replies.
"I want you to look for patterns or loopholes. Penelope might need you to help her see around issues. I doubt they had one person working on the system." I reply.
"Okay," Reid says reluctantly.
Ranger gives me the address of the house and calls his office to inform them that someone will try to disengage the system. His employees are to allow it to happen. He wants their moves recorded so the system can be upgraded to counter their intrusion. I agree with his conditions. As we finish discussing the security breaches, Ranger receives another phone call. After the call, he seems relieved. "Babe, Julie's awake, and I have custody. We need to go back to the hospital."
"Ranger, I would like someone from my team to accompany you. We need to talk to your daughter."
"I have no problems with that. I ask that you allow me to visit with my daughter first. I don't know if she knows about her parents and siblings. If I feel she can talk to you, I'll allow it, but if she needs time, I ask that you give her that time. I promise I won't block you, but I don't know what kind of mental state she'll be in when I arrive. I do ask that you allow either myself or Stephanie to stay in the room with her is she requests."
"Not a problem. JJ and Tara, please go to the hospital with Ranger and Stephanie."
"If you don't mind, Santos will stay here to help in your investigation. Whatever you need from Rangeman, he is authorized to obtain."
"Thank you. I hope your daughter makes a full recovery." I say, sincerely meaning it. From what I read about her prior kidnapping and shooting Scrog, I know that she is a strong young lady. I hope that she can become even stronger from this ordeal.