*jumps and dances around in a celebratory fashion* I GET TO KEEP MY JOB! ... *ahem* I apologize for that.

So anyhow, I FINALLY got back around to writing again after my whole nervous schpeil of how I was going to pay for anything. I'm still editing and working over the next chapters of Rosy Cheeks and Shepherd's Warning, but I will try to gets those up ASAP. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

No, I still don't own The Mentalist, I don't even own the car I drive D:

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Ch. 12 – Power Play

The atmosphere of the diner was filled with cheering, laughing, and singing from the local high school football team. There was dancing and teasing between the girls and boys, and until you reached one of the tables in the back, your heart would be filled with the joy overflowing the room.

Jane and Lisbon met up with the team at the diner that evening. Cho told them any and all information they had gathered on the case. Though with no surprise to anyone, there wasn't much. Their food had arrived ten minutes before they delved into the case, but no one had bothered to even look at it, let alone eat it.

"How could Red John have known about what happened with Jane and Boris?" Van Pelt muttered. "There wasn't any video in that room."

"It has to be someone inside the CBI, there's no other way." Cho stated.

"I would have thought that whole... incident with Rebecca would have scared off any Red John followers, or at least keep them out for a while. It hasn't been that long."

"Obviously not." Jane blurted, fingering through his fries as if the answer to all of this would be at the bottom of the basket.

"Van Pelt has a point though, it hasn't even been a year since Red John pulled that last stunt." Lisbon slid her face into her hands, hangover still lingering. "This all feels like one big, elaborate prank."

"Nah, it feels more like a power play. Like Red John is just flaunting just how much power he has over everyone, how much power he has over us." There was a hint of defeat in Jane's voice.

"Like Sasha." Rigsby stated ever so calmly. Finally hunger hit him, and he took a big bite out of his sandwich.

The team stared at him as if he grew a second head.

"What? Like none of you were thinking it too? She's been doing the same exact thing to us. Showing us just how much power she has, and that she's not afraid to use that power. Besides, didn't any of you notice that the murder the other day happened while we were in the middle of that sexual harassment thing that she forced us to go to? She insisted that we go to that specific one. Then we come back and you two are suspended? I don't know, its too much coincidence for my liking."

Lisbon could feel the pounding in her head beating even harder now.

The team sat in silence as they picked at their food, except Rigsby who had gotten his appetite back. The thought of someone so high up in power being controlled by Red John... well it was scary to say the least. If it was Sasha, how would they prove it? And even if they could prove it, how could they ensure none of this happened again?

"We're going to have to break a lot of rules if we're going to prove Sasha's the one behind this." Cho stated matter-of-factually.

Everyone nodded solemnly. They'd broken rules before, but nothing as monumental as this. And while they were all worried for their jobs, they knew there were bigger things to worry about now. The safety of each other, of the whole CBI, hell, even of the whole state seemed to require that they all hang themselves by their own ropes.

"Okay, well if we're throwing the rules aside, we're going to need any and all information on Sasha's background. Any information could help us find her link to Red John." Patrick said to Cho, Risgby and Van Pelt, knowing that he and Lisbon couldn't get away with even being in the building. Getting the information seemed to rest solely on the three agents' shoulders.

Lisbon chimed in without even thinking.

"Discretion is key here. It might be better to get a hold of the information on paper rather than electronically. But that means you guys are going to have to get creative. Everyone's files are under lock and key in the storage room. But the real challenge is the guard." Lisbon's mouth seemed to be working against her. She could only mentally curse herself for practically egging her team on in this suicide mission.

"That's more of Jane's thing, Boss..."

Now Lisbon was really cursing herself as she looked into Van Pelt's uneasy eyes.

"Nobody has to do this if they don't want to, Van Pelt. I would never force any of you into that kind of position."

"What else could we do?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

The three agents looked at their boss and consultant. They both had their heads hung low in what looked like defeat. Letting go of their apprehension, they each nodded to each other, knowing once again the work they had to do.

"Don't worry about us, Boss. We'll talk to you again as soon as we can."

And before Lisbon could even think of a response, the three of them were out the door.

"Lisbon, you okay?"

Lisbon's head snapped towards the blond man who dared asked that question, her mouth slightly agape. She was certainly not okay, all she wanted to do was scream. Scream at Minelli for leaving. Scream at Sasha for everything of late. Scream at Boris for cornering her. Scream at Red John for tormenting them all. But mostly, she wanted to scream at herself for endangering the careers of her team.

But a soft "no" was all her voice would allow her to utter.