When Jack returned to the operations center, he found everyone packing up to head home. Most of them, like him, hadn't slept for two days.
"Nicely done," Jubal Valentine said, shaking Jack's hand and giving him a brief hug, with a friendly pat on the back. "You gave us a real surprise. I can't believe you actually managed to lure that bastard right into our trap. The BAU's profiling skills are the real deal."
"Just lucky," Jack replied with a grin, downplaying his role.
The final plan had indeed relied a bit on luck, making full use of Robert Lawrence's arrogance. Despite Lawrence's average intelligence, his overconfidence was extreme. Once they identified the community meeting at the cathedral as his target, Jack and Danny Reagan had rushed to the site with a bombproof containment unit just before the meeting began.
Identifying MS-13 gang members in the crowd wasn't too difficult. They came in two types: one covered in tattoos from head to toe, and the other dressed like typical Latino students. Additionally, the pressure cooker bomb was hard to disguise completely due to its size. With Jack and Danny each covering one entrance, they quickly caught a guy with a sports bag, whom Jack immediately detained.
The arrest caused minimal disturbance, and Jack swiftly escorted the MS-13 member out of the cathedral, bag and all. After handing him over to NYPD backup, Jack and Danny placed the pressure cooker bomb in the containment unit and drove to a secluded spot by the Hudson River, where a bomb squad was already waiting. An experienced expert dismantled the bomb in ten minutes. Jack and Danny then took the disarmed bomb's phone trigger and headed to the CBS broadcast studio.
What followed was quite a show. With Jack and Danny cornering Robert Lawrence in the makeup room, NYPD began evacuating the community meeting venue, creating a sense of urgency as though time was running out for him to act.
True to character, Lawrence took the bait. He made his incriminating call in front of the FBI, assuming that if he managed to detonate the bomb, all evidence would be destroyed in the explosion, leaving the police without enough to charge him. His misplaced confidence was baffling, perhaps bolstered by the absence of direct evidence linking him to Brick or his escape from the Valley YSL church bombing attempt.
Ultimately, the moment Lawrence dialed the detonation number, he handed the FBI the evidence they needed.
---
A few minutes later, in Dana Moger's office.
"All handled?" asked his boss.
"Fingerprints taken, mugshots done, and I watched him put on his prison uniform," Jack replied with a smile.
"Danny Reagan managed to apprehend a few more MS-13 tattooed members and even got some of them to talk about Robert Lawrence and his real partner, Roman Lunioff. By now, I imagine the two groups are meeting up in the holding center."
Dana Moger took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as a touch of relief softened her face. "Thank you for everything you've done for Maggie Bell and Omar Zidan."
Jack shrugged. "I didn't know them personally, but it was just part of the job."
Dana nodded. "You've put in a lot of effort, and you've given us quite a few surprises over the last two days, so I've prepared one for you too. I think you'll find out soon enough."
As Jack drove home, he wondered what kind of surprise his boss could have prepared. Another press conference, maybe? He hoped it wouldn't be that; he wasn't exactly eager for that kind of "surprise." Finally, with some free time, he decided to check the media's coverage of the case. Watching himself on screen felt strange, and as he rated his performance, he thought he did pretty well overall, apart from a touch of nervousness.
When he stepped out of the elevator on his floor and unlocked his door, he froze slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. He'd barely had time to throw his belongings into the living room the night before, yet now everything was organized neatly. Even if Rossi had come to New York without telling him, it wasn't his style to tidy up Jack's things.
Then it hit him—the familiar scent of cologne in the air, or rather, the distinct smell of Lush cologne. "Hannah?" he called softly.
"Surprise!" Hannah sprang out from behind the sofa like an excited rabbit, practically tackling him as she jumped into his arms, her long legs wrapping around his waist.
Jack finally understood Dana Moger's "surprise." Hannah had secretly arranged to transfer to New York without telling him. No wonder she'd seemed so uncharacteristically helpful packing his bags before they parted.
"We can be partners again!" she said with a playful pout, kissing him soundly.
---
Yankee Stadium, one of New York's most beloved venues and home to the MLB's New York Yankees, was silent today, a stark contrast to its usual bustling energy. Instead, the FBI held a solemn memorial service there to honor two agents who had recently died in the line of duty.
As Scottish bagpipes played mournfully, a ceremonial procession made its way forward, accompanied by an honor guard escorting the fallen agents' coffins. The honor guard fired salutes, and a formation of six helicopters flew over the stadium at low altitude.
FBI agents from the New York office were all present, along with representatives from NYPD and various city departments, as well as civilians who had gathered in the stands.
Robert Lawrence hadn't lasted a day in prison. MS-13 members had killed him, taking his heart in their traditional method of dealing with traitors. To date, the guards hadn't recovered it.
For reasons left unspoken, Jack was asked to be one of the pallbearers, participating in the memorial service from start to finish. It was an unexpected experience, marking the first funeral he attended in this world and, unexpectedly, it was for a colleague.
Dana Moger gave a twenty-minute eulogy. Afterward, the honor guard folded the flag from one of the coffins into a triangle and handed it to her, which she, in turn, presented to the families.
Jack wondered if CIA agent Matt would receive a similar farewell, though it seemed unlikely. This funeral only strengthened Jack's resolve to retire early. He wouldn't mind a flag-draped casket, but perhaps not the Stars and Stripes.
Dana gave Jack permission to take some time off before officially reporting back to work, so apart from attending the funeral, Jack spent most of his time with Hannah, exploring New York and visiting famous landmarks.
They even stopped at special sites like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Who knew how many movies and shows were set in this world? Jack knew well that blockbusters loved to target these iconic landmarks.
Through a discreet contact with Zoe, Jack also learned the cost of Hannah's transfer: she had agreed to delay her promotion by at least two years.
In upcoming chapters, plots from Castle and CSI will gradually unfold. To avoid overwhelming readers with too many characters, I'll adjust the storyline slightly, sometimes focusing on two or three consecutive cases from one series. With so much to cover, we'll take it slowly. And Miami's still on the horizon.
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