Title:
Power
Play
Rating:
R
Fandom:
Criminal
Minds
Universe:
Creatures
of the Night (Part 1)
Pairing:
Morgan/Prentiss;
JJ/Hotch
Genre:
Supernatural/Drama
Summary:
Tensions
are running high when a vampire joins the BAU, but all differences
must be put aside as the team investigate a series of suspicious
werewolf murders. AU.
Author's
Notes: Betaed
by Windy City Dreamer. Some guest beta work from Yellow Smurf
Chapter Forty-Three
It's not long before David Rossi finds himself entering Erin Strauss' office for the second time in as many hours. This time, he's not alone. He has Hotch, and an agent from Internal Affairs, who had introduced himself as Peter Myers. He's surprised at how quickly Myers had managed to grasp the situation. With any luck, Strauss and her associates will be behind bars before sun-down. There are agents waiting just outside, should anything get out of hand.
'What's going on?' asks Strauss sharply, standing at the sight of the three agents entering her office without knocking. Hotch gives Rossi a slight nod. He knows that if the Unit Chief were to conduct this conversation himself, it could end very badly. The Aaron Hotchner wrath is not something to be taken lightly.
'We've got a little something you might like to hear.' He sets his phone on the desk in front of the angered Section Chief, pressing a single button. The conversation that had been recorded plays out in full, Strauss' face becoming paler by the second. By the end of it, she looks as undead as her status implies.
'Is that all you have?' she asks coldly. 'Really, David. You know as well as I do that recordings can be faked.'
'Recordings can be faked, sure,' he shrugs. 'But that's not all we have. We have a paper trail – our technical analyst is far better than any hacker you could hire to cover it up – and we have the three required signatures to allow a telepath to sit in on all relevant interrogations. You're screwed six ways to Sunday, Erin. The best power trip you can hope for is getting the top bunk in your prison cell.'
She's still a little shocked by the situation, as evidenced by the fact that she doesn't say a damn word when Myers cuffs her. That said, Rossi knows that the legal battle that's sure to follow won't be a particularly clean one. It never is when politics is involved, and this case has politics coming from every angle. They'll be feeling the fallout for months.
That becomes clearer than ever when Hotch gets a phone call as they're on their way to suit up for the raid. He has a pained look on his face, and Rossi can only assume that it's not good news.
'All due respect sir, these people are responsible for murder. That is a felony, and they will be arrested, no matter their political affiliation. Yes, I understand that, but this raid will go ahead as planned, and the people that killed fourteen werewolves will be brought to justice.' His voice is laced with anger, and the Hotchner wrath is coming out in spades.
'I have three words for you then, sir. Fidelity, bravery, integrity.' Without waiting for an answer, he snaps the phone shut with noticeable rage.
'Director?'
He nods, his lips tight. 'Let's suit up,' is all he says.
***
Cutner's entourage, campaign manager included, is mostly human, but the raid team is prepared for a small scale war involving any number of species. They've learnt from the last time they'd gone into a hostile setting unprepared, and just as with the previous night's meeting with Owens, they're not going to take any chances.
Both Emily and Morgan insist on going on the raid, though both of them have physical issues that would normally preclude their presence. Reid, by contrast, is far less enthusiastic, and doesn't seem to argue when Hotch tells him to sit out. The Unit Chief is fairly sure that by the time they get back, Reid will be gone. In search for answers. He's already forewarned Garcia, who has been instructed to keep the feelers out; not enough to invade his privacy, but just so they can make sure he doesn't get himself killed.
Though protocol dictates that the SWAT team go in first, but they're hoping to do this without making too much of a scene. It's bad enough that they have to go in there fully armed, and vested up. The vests will stop bullets, fireballs and most other forms of energy attacks, but there are at least two hundred members of Cutner's campaign in the office, and Hotch is betting on the fact that they won't be very happy to see five armed FBI agents, and the dozen or so SWAT team members crashing the party.
Warrant in hand, Hotch opens the door, and walks straight to the receptionist's desk. 'I have an arrest warrant for Philip Randall,' he tells the secretary, who looks at him as though he's grown several extra heads, all of which are singing the National Anthem.
'His office is the first on the left,' the secretary tells him, too stunned to say anything else.
'Thank-you for your co-operation, Miss Schuler,' he says, looking at the name plate on the desk. 'We'd appreciate if you stayed around – we will be required to question all employees for the purposes of our investigation.'
She gives a nod, confused, but not about to argue the situation with the man that's carrying a gun that could kill her in a second.
He walks down to the first office on the left, followed by the rest of the team. He knocks on the open door. The man sitting at the desk looks up, and before he even says anything, Hotch knows they have their mastermind.
'Philip Randall, you are under arrest-' He doesn't even get partway through the well-rehearsed script before Randall is on the move. Not missing a beat, Rossi takes him out with a plain energy blast.
'What's going on in here?'
'Senator Cutner.' JJ takes the lead, the liaison superseding all else for the moment. 'Agent Jareau, Federal Bureau of Investigation. We have an arrest warrant for Mr. Randall; he's being taken into custody. We're going to have to ask you a few questions.'
Cutner's mouth opens and closes, without him making the smallest sound. He slumps against the wall, head in his hands. Hotch isn't sure if the Senator knows about the conspiracy, but either way, he won't be entering the office of President any time soon.
For him, it's over.
For the team, it's just begun.