blue. criminal minds

four...heavy liftings

See it was all about cutting ties, literally, Croft would tie a cable tie or a piece of wire around the person she wanted deads neck, then in a moment of grief, (it wasn't grief, Jude knows that, but Odessa herself didn't) the woman would grab a pair of wire cutters and snip the wire, splitting the person's neck at the same time.

So while Jude was off, spending her time 'getting to know' Odessa Croft, Atlas was stuck with the so-called family of the leader herself, and that family was fucked up. They had all lost their family in horrific ways, ones parents had their parents de-gutted in front of them at the age of five, anthers were forced into a suicide pact by their next-door neighbours.

Atlas got the weirdos and Jude got the psychos, it was normally how these things work. But they had both changed in the two years they had been away, June had become more loud-mouthed? She had become blunter and cutthroat. More 'if you even say hello to me before I've had a hot chocolate I will skin your knee caps', after the first seven months she had almost completely forgotten how to talk to Mason, but she was fine, — i'm fine, now fuck off — that's what she told Atlas at least.

He, on the other hand, hid his change well, it was seen by flinching at smashing glass, jumping when someone touched his shoulder, waking up sweating in the middle of the night. Atlas we still himself though, he still acted and felt like his usual, sarcastic, dumbass self. And because he was his usual dumbass self, the only thing he could think of doing while shackled to the metal table was hum 'Hey Jude' under his breath.

It was a stupid move, but all-in-all it was a banger of a song.

He had already gotten the first of the three-step interrogation process over and done with, they had sent in Agent Rossi, an older, dark-haired, Italian man, who in the thirty-minute period that Atlas had known him, had shown the younger male nothing but kindness.

Atlas assumes that they've already spoken to Jude, and in that same period of time those Agents had probably figured out that Ella Silvera was not the name of the woman sitting in the interrogation room. If there was one thing Jude was not good with, it was talking to people in suits.

The door slammed open, Atlas flinched, the man with the chiselled jaw looked confused. Another day, another situation to live down, in his own mind at least.

"Your name is Atlas Stanton" the agent started off. His voice was firm, nothing like how he was being spoken to earlier. The whole good cop, bad cop act was going to end in a flame of misery, and it was going to end fast. But they knew his name now, that could change things.

Atlas didn't have his name attached to the cid directly, the people who worked there were to smart for that, if they wouldn't give him an alias they would hide his name. But if the people who worked at the bau (honestly, the bau is literally a division of the criminal investigation division, it was a bit confusing - why hadn't Barr arrived) did a deep, like a really deep search, they would find that he is the first emergency contact for a nine-year-old Mason Vaughn. And if they looked into Mason, well Jude would be discovered within the first two seconds.

"You're 39 years old, and you have residences in Tokyo, Milan, Toulouse and Florence"

"What can I say" Atlas smirks, "I like to live in luxury", he says all of this with extreme humility of course.

"See here's what I don't understand, you've never gotten a speeding ticket, never been arrested, man you pay all of your goddam taxes, so why are you here being questioned about running a trafficking ring?" Atlas believes that Agent Morgan needs to do deeper background searches. never been arrested? Surely even the agent in front of him knows how false that accusation is.

"Wrong place wrong time then?'

"You think this is a joke?" the agent fumes, he has slammed his hands on the table, and even though Atlas is expecting it he still jumps.

The agent is close enough now that Atlas can see the bulging vein on the left side of his bald head. It must have been a bad enough case because Atlas knows first hand that you aren't supposed to let the cases affect you emotionally (someone needs to tell that to Jude; is what he tells himself).

"No agent, what I think is that you are wasting both yourself and my time, you know we didn't do this, I know you know I didn't do this. So Agent, no, I do not think this is a joke, what I do think is that you need to find yourself some better suspects" when Atlas is finished his monologue the vein in the agents head is bigger, almost like his confession of being innocent made the man angrier.

Morgan stands still for a moment, breathing heavily he swears under his breath. Atlas wants to be the bigger person, but he can't help muttering "another dollar for the swear jar", he's happy with that, thinks its a good joke. Morgan obviously doesn't because he turns abruptly and is about to throw his fist onto the desk when the door opens.

"Morgan, they've been cleared" it's a woman this time, blonde hair, calm voice, but Atlas can see how her hands flex like they're trying to stop themselves from punching something. And it clicks, they don't know, Jude and he will be able to continue along with the mission.

"By who?" he stresses out, teeth clenched.

"I don't know" the woman admits sourly, "but the woman, she got a phone call with her lawyer. Next thing I know Hotch is arguing with someone on the other line and tells me they're good to go"

Morgan doesn't move, thinking over the options placed before him, taking another deep breath before pulling the keys for the cuffs out of his pocket. Atlas smirks at the man as he rubs at his chafed wrists.

"Well boys" he looks at the blonde, "and girls, this has been fun, but if you could show me the exit much would be appreciated" Atlas knows they must absolutely hate him.

BLUE.

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