A/N: Matt's turn, finally, to pull out the Hotch smack down ala Minimal Loss (S4). With his favorite comedic sidekick partner.
Yes, I had a lot of fun writing the first part of this chapter.
Chapter 4
Matt, Dave and Blackwolf walked into the conference room. "How do you want to play this Matt?" Dave asked.
"You and Jose interview Tommy. I'll be listening in while quietly discussing tactical strategies with John," Matt said, pointing to Blackwolf's map.
"Works for me," Dave said. Dave sat down and started putting notes into his paper notebook he pulled out of his suitcoat breast pocket.
Blackwolf looked at Matt. "He's still old school," Matt smiled with a whisper. "We just thank our deities that he uses his tablet and laptop." Blackwolf smiled. He and Matt turned their attention to the map, with Matt asking Blackwolf about how many officers he had available. Dave was heads down in thought, writing his notes.
Ten minutes later, a clamor arose outside of the conference room. Matt and Blackwolf turned to look. Dave looked at Matt. "Bogey at one o'clock," as Police Chief Creswell stormed into the conference room.
"Blackwolf, what the hell are you doing? My daughter works in the casino. She texted me you had dinner with two men that looked like FBI."
Matt looked at Dave. "Gee, I thought we blended in better than that," he snarked.
"It's your deeper footprint with the Glock around your ankle," Dave snarked back. Blackwolf shot Dave a look and turned his attention to Creswell.
"Chief Creswell, every time I have been in your shop, I have treated you, your officers and any visiting LEO's with respect. I expect the same. In my shop," Blackwolf growled. "Or you can leave Apache land that technically, you have no right to be on as an LEO."
"I'll have a county injunction against you and your department by tomorrow morning," Creswell raged.
"Which will mean nothing on federal land," Blackwolf countered.
"Then I'll fire that bastard Vasquez," Creswell shouted.
"You do," Matt calmly said, "and I'll have a Justice Department investigative team on your doorstep tomorrow morning to investigate you and your department. And I'll make sure to have the fine women and men of that investigation look for civil rights abuses as well. Because we all know if there's a fourth victim he will have a Hispanic surname instead of Smith or Jones. And that doesn't make that victim a priority in your world."
"You son of a bitch." Creswell growled.
"Actually, I'm the youngest of three. Mom and dad were married thirteen months before the first one by the way. And Chief Creswell," Matt said, boring his Irish temper look into Creswell's eyes, "time me.
"I'm Matt Taylor, the Assistant Unit Chief of the BAU," Matt continued. "You are on federal land, where you have absolutely no jurisdiction here and are impeding a federal investigation. I and my partner, SSA Rossi, senior BAU profiler have every right to be here by the invitation of Chief Blackwolf." Creswell glared at him. Matt smiled. "Don't play poker with me Chief Creswell." Matt's smile quickly faded. "I'll clean your clock. My contacts in the Justice Department are deep."
"Starting with his wife," Dave quietly snarked. Blackwolf smirked.
Creswell turned on Dave. "I know who you are. I've seen you on TV. Best-selling author," Creswell snorted.
"Seven time best-selling author," Matt said.
"Thank you Matthew," Dave said. Blackwolf bit back a smile, admiring the BAU partners.
"You BAU people are glory hounds!" Creswell shouted.
"No Chief, we're not," Matt said. "Our job is to assist local law enforcement when invited in. At the end of any case, the BAU only issues a statement on the case to the press if and only if, asked by local media. The message is the same. The BAU, fulfilling their commitment to support local law enforcement, were honored to work with fill in the blank law enforcement agency to assist in the apprehension of the suspect. We commend the hard working members of said law enforcement office. It was an honor to support them."
Dave looked at Matt. "JJ write that?"
Matt nodded with a smile. "Ten years ago. It's template now for the Bureau press office."
"Assholes," Creswell said.
"I'll cop to that," Dave said, swiveling in his chair to look at Matt. "You?"
Matt smiled at Dave. "I'm Irish. Automatic membership." Dave shot Blackwolf a glance.
"Jim, I'm tired of looking at adolescent boys lying dead on my people's land," Blackwolf said. "I want it to end. I know you do too because it's starting in your jurisdiction. Please buy in and work with us. Or get the hell out of our way and off my people's land."
Creswell looked at his feet and then at the three in the conference room. "What have you got so far?"
"A possible witness that Vasquez is asking for assistance," Blackwolf said. "And the BAU's preliminary profile."
"Keep me in the loop," Creswell said.
"Chief Creswell," Matt said, "we may very well need the support of your department. If we have your cooperation, we will definitely keep you in the loop."
"Thank you Agent," Creswell said. He turned and headed out of the conference room. The three watched until Creswell left the building.
Dave looked at Matt. "Who knew you could handle politics so well?" Dave smiled.
"Local ones are a no-brainer. But Dave, you say one word to Aaron, I will cut your throat," Matt growled. "Dealing with federal politics is below my pay grade."
"Mine too," Dave said. "I've got your back kid," Dave smiled.
Blackwolf smiled, shaking his head. "Damn, you two were good." Dave and Matt smiled at him.
Dave looked at Matt. "That was too easy," Matt said, shaking his head. "I still don't trust the bastard."
"Neither do I Matthew," Dave said.
-00CM00-
Vasquez walked into the conference room ten minutes later with another man. "Everything OK?" Blackwolf, Dave and Matt looked at him. "I met Creswell's car going back to town as we were coming in."
"It is for now Jose," Matt said, rolling his eyes a bit. He looked at Jose.
"Tommy," Jose said, getting him into the conference room, "you know John Blackwolf?"
"Good to see you again," Tommy smiled at Blackwolf.
"You too, Tommy," John smiled.
"Tommy, this Agent Rossi of the FBI," Jose said.
Dave got out of his chair and shook his hand. "Thank you for coming out Mr. Weir. We appreciate your help."
Weir shook his head. "Jose filled me in Agent. I'm happy to help. I'm just Tommy."
Rossi smiled. "And I'm just Dave."
Matt walked up to the two of them. "Hi Tommy. I'm Matt," he said, shaking Tommy's hand. "Please sit down and relax."
"Jose says you need my help," Tommy said, balking at sitting down.
"Yes, we do Tommy," Dave said, gesturing to the chair. "Which means you and I just have a chat, along with Jose. Matt is going to work with Chief Blackwolf." Tommy sat down.
Matt and Blackwolf turned to the map. Matt looked it over more closely. "John, what is this?" he pointed as Dave gently laid out the profile to Tommy. "This A, B, C and D sections of the map?"
John looked at him. "Cob you understand that big of area to cover for my patrol officers?" Matt nodded. "We've always divided up that quadrant into four sections with that designation. We lose some hikers in that area all the time. It helps us narrow our search."
Tommy looked at Rossi. "The school has a big statue on the playground that is A-B-C."
Dave looked at him. "Tommy, have you noticed any staff member that hangs out around there with a male student?"
Tommy smiled. "There's a new student assistant that's out there all the time with a Hispanic kid. I see it all the time."
"What's his name?" Dave asked.
"John Lawford," Tommy said.
Blackwolf shook his head. "John Lawford just joined our volunteer search and rescue team."
"When?" Matt asked.
Blackwolf thought for a second. "Two months before the killings started."
Matt looked at Blackwolf. "He'd know this map?" pointing at it.
"Yes," Blackwolf said.
Matt pulled out his cellphone, hitting a speed dial button. "AT Turner," he heard.
"Turner get me hooked up to the tech gurus now. I'm priority."
"Got it sir. Kevin is at the ready." She made the connection.
"Lynch," Kevin answered.
"Kevin everything you've got on John Lawford."
"Cob, I was just about to call you. He's sending up multiple red flags in my systems. They start in Denver and then moved to the Phoenix area. I'm glad Penelope isn't here to read off to you his record."
"Kevin, find this SOB. I want to know where he is right now," Matt growled.
"On it sir," Kevin replied.
"And Kevin, hook me up with any available US Assistant District Attorney in the area. We need a search warrant."
"Multi-tasking as we speak sir."
"Please send the background on Lawford to Dave and me."
"You got it Cob."
"Thanks Kevin," Matt said, ending the call.
Jose shook his head. Dave looked at him. "John Lawford is the son of the mayor of Terra Mesa."
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