Chapter 2

Dan introduced Matt to the Sheriff. As they shook hands, Matt looked him intently in the eye. "You're former Marine, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," he smiled. "And you are too. What do you need?"

"Someone to get me in on the back side of that property; and quietly. I'm doing recon."

The sheriff looked at him. "Holy shit; you're the one, aren't you? MOH?"

Matt shook his head. "Sheriff, with all due respect, what we need to focus on is right here and right now. There are over 50 people in a hostage situation that don't know what that unsub is going to do, including two members of SAC Hotchner's and my team. The unsub wants to go out, taking as many people with him as he can; to verify his power. My job, SAC Hotchner's job and Dan's is that we don't let that happened. And his plan is to kill the people in that kingdom he's created. That's our profile. How close can someone get me?"

"I've got just the person for you." He looked around, and then shouted for one of his deputies. A five foot four woman ran up. The Sheriff smiled at Cob. "This is Deputy Sarah Noles and she knows this country like the back of her hand and she's a big four-wheeler. She'll get you as close as you want."

Matt introduced himself to the deputy. "Agent Taylor, just trust me. I'll get you within smelling distance and they," she said pointing at the ranch, "won't hear a thing. And it's a wooded area so you should be able to move in without detection, given your abilities."

Matt smiled, "With all due respect deputy, the best thing always comes in small packages. How much time do you need to get your four-wheeler here? And btw, I'm just Cob," he smiled.

She smiled deeply back. "I've already got it here and made a run on the back side of the property to see if I could see any opening for us. Which btw, is none."

Matt smiled. "I don't need an opening. I just need a ride. Give me fifteen minutes to change and get geared up." She nodded and smiled. Matt went into the response trailer, grabbed his extra bag he had placed in there and started to change.

About that time, JJ walked into the trailer to give Hotch an update. "Damnit JJ, I'm changing in here," Cob said, getting ready to drop his pants to change into his camouflage gear.

JJ smirked at him and rubbed her tummy bulge. "And I'm seven and half months pregnant. I've seen it before, believe me."

"But not me in my boxers," Matt growled. She moved to confer with Hotch.

Matt joined JJ, Hotch, Dave, and Dan in complete cammo gear along with his face in cammo colors as well. Martinez got him hooked up with the comm equipment.

Matt pulled on a camouflage Kevlar vest. He filled them all in on his plan, checking his backpack.

Morgan looked at him. "What's in there?" as Matt strapped on his shoulder holster and then the huge backpack.

"My sniper rifle broke down, if needed, including silencer, and night scope." He nodded at Dan, who got the message. "Plus night goggles and some food and water." He smiled his devilishly I'm on this smile at all of them. "And a few surprises," he winked at Morgan. Morgan just smiled. "Martinez, you sure you can keep me connected?"

"You'll get all comm from us and be able to talk back to us. I just need you to double check the signal before you head out."

Matt adjusted the comm piece in his left ear. It was the only ear he could use after his run-in with the mortar in the Iraqi desert. They all headed outside. Deputy Noles had her four-wheeler on the scene. Hotch shook his hand. "Stay safe."

Matt smiled. "Keep ya in the loop Big Dog. Dave, get into this asshole's head and quick. And trust Prentiss and Reid. You've got two of the best inside."

"I know; I just hope they are both operating inside," he said, shaking Matt's hand as well.

"Me too Dave; try to get that info to me when you make first contact."

Dave looked at him. "I know Matt that you recommended to Aaron for me to be lead negotiator. Do you really have to tell how to do my job?" Matt just smiled and pointed at him.

Morgan put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "What do you want me to do?"

"Be Derek Morgan," he smiled, "and back-up Dan with our playbook." Morgan gave his shoulder a pull, Matt rubbed JJ's left arm and moved off to join Deputy Noles on the four-wheeler. He looked at all of them. "Let's get this done," he said as Noles pulled off with Matt's right leg hanging outside the ATV.

Hotch nodded. "We will," to no one imparticular as Matt headed off.

They took off going away from the Liberty ranch and when they got to the top of a hill, Matt had Noles stop and did a comm check. Martinez was true to his word, and the rest watched Cob disappear over the hill.

-00CM00-

When they got to the bottom of a hill after circling around to get to the backside of the ranch property, Noles started to approach a ridge top and then stopped before reaching the crest. "I went along the ridge top with binoculars earlier this afternoon after the shoot-out. Trust me they had eyes on me as well. But they showed no threat to me as I moved along." She looked at Matt. "Hope that helps."

Matt looked at her, nodding, as he keyed his mic, "Hotch, can you read me?"

"Go Cob," was the reply he got.

"Noles ran up here earlier along the ridge top that they scope out. She ran them over with binoc's as well. They let her go. They are in on the county mounties being involved."

"Copy that; what's you next move?"

"Doing my job. Tell Dave about the county mounties."

"Copy that; Cob, stay safe partner."

Dave on the network pitched in as well. "Goddammit Matt; stay safe."

"Yes mom." Rossi shook his head as Morgan smiled.

In the next breath, he joined in as well. "Cob? Feed me and Dan what you can as soon as you can."

Matt smiled. "Roger Morgan. I'll keep in touch. Morgan, your interview with Caine is key; we have to have inside intel, especially on the layout."

"All over it Cob."

"Roger that. Cob out." Matt got off the four wheeler and looked at Noles. "You gave us a helluva an in Deputy Noles. Thank you," he said offering his hand.

"Cob, just get as many people away as you can and safely" she said shaking his hand. And if you have to take a few peeps out with that sniper rifle," she smiled, winking, "I won't tell."

"That's an escalation, something we don't want. But I might red light one or two of them tonight to play with their heads," he smiled.

"Do it," she smiled.

Matt laughed, waved her off and quickly moved to the ridge top. He pulled his binoculars off his belt and took a look. He noticed three men guarding the backside rooftop. "Cob to base. I'm on the ridge top. I've got three men, all armed with assault rifles, standing guard on backside rooftop. I'm gonna just wait and watch until the sun goes down some more and then start to move. I'm hoping I can pick up on their shift change patterns. It should be pretty regular. Cyrus isn't that detailed to rotate them at different times."

"Roger Cob," Hotch said.

As the sun started to go down, which put him in the shadows for the compound members, Matt, following his extensive training, silently and stealthily moved down from the ridge top. It was a heavily forested area and nearly a half-mile in depth. He took a break to relieve himself and took the time to drink some water and eat a granola bar.

After it got dark, his ear piece rang with Morgan. "Cob, Cyrus is making contact."

"Patch me in," he whispered.

"Done Cob." Matt heard Cyrus' call to Dave. He silently shook his head as he heard what Cyrus was saying. He thanked his god that Em and Reid were all right, and silently mourned the loss of Nancy and then went back to business.

"Hotch? Cob. Did you hear that language?" he whispered.

"Yes Cob, and understood. At least we know Prentiss and Reid are still alive."

"Roger that; Hotch, Dave needs to work that," he whispered behind a big oak tree.

"Copy that Cob. Dave knows that; he's making contact at first light. Which means we're getting bugs in. Morgan and Dan are working on them now."

"Roger that. Guard rotation is on four hour intervals. You can just about set your watch by them. I'm gonna grab a few Zzzzzz's. Wake me if you need me."

"Roger. Hotch out."

Matt grabbed a couple of hours, and then pulled out his night scope, shoving his night goggles on top of his head, looking at the crew doing guard duty. Just as he suspected, they were mostly younger men. And they were talking back and forth. Matt, pulling his night vision goggles back down over his eyes, moved up close enough to hear them. It was mainly just three kids talking, the clear night making their voices carry.

Matt toyed with an idea in his head of putting his sniper rifle together and putting the red laser tag on one of their foreheads, but then decided against. He shook his head, smiling. Damn Noles, I'd love to but I don't want them to know I'm here. As close as he was, the trajectory would be too low.

He heard a mic ping on in his ear piece. "Cob, its Morgan; you awake?"

"Awake, and close enough to hear the guards," he whispered.

"Leo Caine should be here by 10 am."

"Roger that. Get a map Morgan and have Garcia send it to my cell. Morgan listen to me closely. I heard these kids talking. Cyrus has gasoline and a lot of it in containers and dynamite. Tell Dan that when we go in it's going to have to be hard and fast. I'm hoping I can neutralize the back area and get Dan's team in that way."

"Roger that Cob." Morgan passed along his message to Dan, as well as Hotch and Dave. The two veteran profilers just looked at each other and shook their heads.

Matt looked over the eastern horizon to the sun starting to come up. He couldn't move for a while until it got higher in the sky. He settled down, briefly taking another snooze.

He woke to Morgan. "Rossi is heading in."

"Copy that and keep an eye on him Morgan," Matt whispered. "Have Dave give me full report when he gets back."

"Roger Cob."

Dave returned 20 minutes later and gave Cob his full report, along with the message that the bugs were working. It was then then that all hell broke loose.

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