Back at Federal Plaza, Jack led the team into the operations center, where Dana Morge, Hannah, and Jubal were already waiting.
After brief introductions, Hannah naturally linked arms with JJ, leaving the room amidst knowing glances. Their job was to liaise with the NYPD's public relations department and various media outlets to guide the growing narrative.
Rossi and Dana headed to her office, while Jack led the remaining team members to a prepped conference room. The table was piled with case files, and Jack handed Spencer Reid a folded administrative map of New York City, almost as thick as a book.
"This is a detailed map of the city. There's a stand and evidence board for your geographic profiling. Let me know if you need anything else."
He then opened the door to his personal office and invited Garcia inside. "You can use my office while you're here. If I'd known you were coming, I would've prepared a private space for you."
Jack knew Garcia worked best in a quiet environment and mentally noted to grab her favorite snacks later for maximum productivity.
"An NYPD contact will be by shortly to coordinate system access. The city's surveillance has its gaps but covers most public areas. Of the four cases so far, three happened within view of surveillance cameras."
He waved at two IT techs to set up monitors and a computer tower in his office.
Joyner, who had followed Hotchner closely, stood with her mouth half-open, stunned at how effortlessly Jack had arranged everything.
"It seems you're fitting in well here. I'm genuinely happy for you," Emily said, unable to resist giving Jack another hug.
Emily felt a lingering guilt toward Jack. After all, her past decisions indirectly caused his house to be blown to smithereens by a rocket launcher and led him to chase Doyle into Mexico. While Jack claimed it was personal vengeance, everyone knew he did it to protect Emily by eliminating Doyle as a threat.
Seeing Jack thrive in the New York office brought her genuine relief and happiness.
"My office in Long Beach is all set up. Once we wrap this case, I'll take you all to see it. You might fall in love with the view and decide to stay in New York," Jack teased, clearly enjoying the moment.
As he looked up, his gaze met Hotchner's amused expression.
Before anyone could respond, Danny Reagan's voice rang out as he entered the room. "Hey, Jack! Wow, are these all your old friends from the BAU?"
Jack quickly introduced Danny to the team. Judging by Danny's expression, something was wrong.
"What's up?" Jack asked directly.
Danny's face darkened. "There was another shooting at the Spring Street subway station about 40 minutes ago."
Hotchner pulled out his phone and sent a message to Rossi. "Emily, Jack, and I will go with Detective Reagan to the scene. Reid and Luke will stay here. Joyner and I will talk to Dana about whether we should hold a press conference."
It wasn't until Hotchner finished speaking that he realized he'd instinctively included Jack in the field assignment. Jack, however, didn't seem to notice, turning to leave with Emily as naturally as in the old days.
"You seem to have a good rapport with him," Joyner said, noting the ease between Hotchner and Jack.
"Yes, like family," Hotchner replied with a slight nod.
The Spring Street subway station is located near New York's famous SoHo district, known for its art galleries, fashionable atmosphere, and as a shopping paradise. Despite its popularity, the station itself was grimy and reeked of neglect, with graffiti-covered walls and floors encrusted with decades of dirt.
To New Yorkers, this was all part of the daily grind. For suburban commuters transferring from Grand Central, the subway was the fastest and most convenient way to navigate the city.
When Jack and the others arrived, the scene was already cordoned off with yellow tape, though only a small area was restricted to keep the subway operational. A few patrol officers stood guard while the covered body of the victim lay nearby.
"Another .22 caliber bullet to the head. Precise and clean," Jack muttered, pulling off his gloves after inspecting the body.
The victim was a balding white man in his 40s. Based on his clothing and belongings, he seemed to be an ordinary tourist with a backpack.
"Nothing unusual here. Just some spare clothes, a wallet, and a phone. Typical backpacker," Emily said, shaking her head after inspecting his bag.
"So, he just casually pulls out a gun, kills someone in broad daylight, and slips away unnoticed?" Rossi asked, incredulous at the audacity of the killer.
"No commotion at all," Jack replied, stepping behind Rossi. "A .22 caliber pistol can be made very small and quiet. In a noisy subway station, the sound of a train arriving or departing masks the shot perfectly.
"He probably hangs back, observes his surroundings, identifies the straggler, and then—bang—walks away without a second glance." Jack mimicked pulling the trigger at the back of Rossi's head.
"But I still don't get it. Even if he avoids cameras, surely someone would notice something was off? From the shot to the victim falling, it's only a few seconds. How could there be no credible witnesses?" Emily asked, frowning.
Danny waved his notebook. "Well, we have witnesses, but their descriptions are all over the place. Everything from a dark-skinned Puerto Rican to an Asian—basically covering every ethnicity in this city."
"Why would that be?" Emily turned to Jack.
Jack shrugged and gestured at their surroundings. A few subway passengers cast curious glances but quickly looked away when they noticed him looking back. Only a couple of tourists stood at a distance, whispering to each other.
"Welcome to New York," Jack said, deadpan.
(End of Chapter)
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