The Intelligence Control and Analysis Program

Chapter 7

"Okay, so the last one's an outlier, but we have 4381, 4383, and now 4385. It sounds like a sequence of some sort. I can try to pull out all cases involving a 4380s genius, but it will take a while..."

Hotch pursed his lips, brow creasing in thought. "Even 4436 isn't all that far away. It's..."

"Fifty-six."

Hotch glanced at Genius and gave him a grateful smile. "It's only fifty-six number gap."

"You want me to look into the whole range?"

Hotch considered it for a moment, but then he shook his head. "No, stick with the eighties for now. We'll expand when we have more time and more facts."

"Got it. Keep in touch, Aaron. We're reporting and filing here, but we're ready whenever you need us."

Hotch smiled slightly. "Yes, I know. I'll call you as soon as we get the case."

Hotch hung up his phone and set it aside, returning to his project and frowning. ICAP has their own doctors, kitchen workers, and guards. They have their own cafeteria, gym, library... they do their own laundry and building maintenance. It's practically impossible to find a third party vendor who works in or around the building.

Still, a third party was one of the easiest ways to get information without raising flags, so he grabbed a blank sheet and started to write. What other choice did he have?

They would have to get pharmaceuticals... food or ingredients in bulk... and there has to be some company providing electricity...

***

"Can I... can I ask you something?"

Hotch looked away from the evidence board and crinkled his brow, slightly concerned by the timid nature used to present the question. "Of course. You can ask me anything."

Genius chewed on his lip, then his nails, and then his lip again. He grinned to himself, like a giddy little mischief maker, and then turned serious again. "Um, well... I really liked, um, what you said to..." he glanced around, and then began to gesture with his hand. "You know. You were really sassy."

Hotch's eyebrows shot up, and he tried not to laugh. "Sassy?"

Genius nodded rapidly. "I... I just wondered... I, um, I'm not making excuses. I know what I did in Texas was wrong. I know I have to behave. I, um, I just..."

Hotch immediately understood, his mouth opening in a silent 'aha' as he began to nod. "You want to know why it's okay when I speak out of turn but not you, right?"

Genius bit his lip, a grin still tugging at the corner every now and then. "Is that okay?"

Hotch smiled reassuringly. "It is absolutely okay." He grabbed a dry erase marker and started drawing the timeline Detective McGee had given them. "It's a valid question."

Hotch paused, took a breath, and then dove in. "There are a few reasons. One of the big things to consider is what is at stake. In Texas, we were already on the case to find Owen Savage, and the only thing that could have come from arguing with the local police was conflict. We weren't on the case when we got here, and we could have sixty-three—"

"Given the timeline and how quickly the unsub is spiraling, it's probably sixty-four now."

Hotch smiled and offered a brief nod. "My point is, there are a lot of people who could be hurt or dead, and there are even more people who could be in danger. But, unlike in Texas, we were not given the authority to help them. Trying things the nice way hadn't gotten us on the case, so I had to make a decision. My attitude with the captain could have led to further conflict, or it could have led to feelings of guilt or—and this is what I think happened—made him very determined to prove me wrong."