After Rossi finished speaking, he turned to Danny. "Detective Reagan, I suggest that the NYPD and FBI hold a joint press conference to announce to the public that the street assailant who has recently terrorized the city has been neutralized."
Danny nodded and immediately left to carry out the suggestion, not even pausing to let the paramedics check him over. As a seasoned detective, he could sense that something was amiss.
Today, the streets were teeming with patrolling officers and FBI agents in bright yellow-lettered bulletproof vests, clearly identifying their roles. Yet, the killers who had previously operated with impunity under surveillance cameras had suddenly launched an attack just two blocks away from law enforcement—only to be easily taken down. It didn't add up, and even a fool could tell something was off.
Danny had been part of the BAU's profiling process, even if the conclusions weren't formally announced. The evidence pointed to multiple suspects working in coordination, with a high level of organization and training, and an ability to evade surveillance cameras. Today's incident, where one suspect seemingly orchestrated their own death, raised even more alarming questions.
"They understand how the FBI responds to varying levels of threat. They possess counter-surveillance skills, demonstrate strong organizational hierarchy, and can inspire loyalty to the point of self-sacrifice. What does this suggest?"
That afternoon, in the operations center at the Federal Building, the team convened again. Dana Moritz and Commissioner Frank Reagan, fresh from the press conference, listened to Rossi's analysis. Their expressions turned grim.
"Terrorists," Reagan said coldly.
For Reagan, who saw New York City as his territory to protect, terrorists were the ultimate enemy. The destruction wrought by 9/11 had long been cleaned up, but the emotional scars it left behind were permanent.
"What's their goal?" Dana Moritz asked, looking to her old friend Rossi for answers.
Rossi tilted his head toward Reid, signaling him to explain.
**"If we treat these street shootings as a form of bombing, the purpose becomes clear. They're testing police response times, gathering data on how quickly we can react. This information will tell them when and where to detonate the next bomb.
The objective is to create panic and lure first responders to the scene—then attack the second wave of emergency personnel."**
Reagan's face darkened. "Just like the first responders who rushed into the Twin Towers, only to be buried when the buildings collapsed."
Reagan's voice carried personal pain. He had been one of the first officers on the scene that day, escorting civilians to safety when the towers fell, burying his colleagues beneath the rubble.
Reid continued, his tone clinical and devoid of emotion. **"It sounds insane, but it's also highly intelligent. Every random attack on civilians acts as a rehearsal.
Without today's suicide attack, we might have caught a suspect earlier and dismissed this as a serial murder case, completely missing their true objective. They've carefully studied past incidents and tailored their actions to mislead us."**
"So, we're facing a terrorist cell with at least eight operatives, and they're all willing to die for their cause?" Hannah asked, her wide eyes betraying her shock at the rapid escalation of the situation.
"Seven now," JJ corrected. "But that's just a conservative estimate. These street attacks are likely training exercises, designed to test their recruits' readiness to kill or die for the mission. It's a psychological and tactical strategy rolled into one."
Joyner, who had initially brought the BAU into the case, stood silently. Though she had earned the team's respect by spotting the patterns early, there was no trace of pride on her face. The looming threat overshadowed everything.
"This sounds like one of the most sophisticated terror plots imaginable, minimizing their risk of exposure while maximizing chaos. But what's their endgame?"
Joyner's question hung in the air, unanswered. New York City was rife with potential targets. The financial district, government buildings, tourist attractions—any of these could cause massive casualties and economic fallout.
The devastation of 9/11 was still a stark reminder. The attacks had caused direct economic losses in the hundreds of billions, not to mention the long-term impact on the stock market and national economy.
Manhattan, an island connected to the mainland by a few bridges and tunnels, was particularly vulnerable. When a single old apartment building had been targeted during Jack's first day in New York, Dana Moritz had ordered a citywide lockdown of all bridges, tunnels, and transit systems.
What if there were multiple, coordinated attacks? If the subsequent bombs targeted emergency responders with IEDs or suicide bombers, how long would Manhattan be paralyzed this time?
The thought sent shivers down everyone's spines. Even the most composed team members felt the weight of the potential disaster.
"Has DHS, NSA, or CIA provided any updates on domestic terror threats?" Rossi asked Dana. He had contacted her earlier in the day after his and Jack's initial analysis.
Dana shook her head. "CIA reports no unusual activity among the major groups under their surveillance. DHS and NSA are still combing through domestic threats, but nothing definitive has come up."
Jack, deep in thought, revisited a theory he had previously dismissed. "NSA was tracking a missing $10 million linked to the Durango cartel. That's enough to fund a large-scale attack. Any updates on that?"
Jubal, who had been monitoring that case, replied, "We know the money entered the U.S., but its final destination is still unknown. I'll contact my NSA sources for any recent developments."
At that moment, commotion broke out at the back of the operations center. The team turned to see Garcia, surrounded by several IT technicians, in a heated discussion.
"What's going on, Garcia?" Hotchner asked, frowning.
Garcia stood, visibly nervous. **"W-we have a problem. We reviewed NYPD's surveillance systems and found evidence of a breach. Someone hacked in and copied all the footage from the crime scenes.
They've been watching everything from the start."**
Commissioner Reagan's stern expression darkened further. "We just upgraded those systems and firewalls this year. They assured me that money wouldn't be wasted."
Garcia quickly clarified. **"They didn't use traditional hacking methods. Instead, they employed credential stuffing—cracking the usernames and passwords of officers with access. Once in, they used NYPD's own Wi-Fi networks to download the footage.
If we hadn't noticed the unusual download activity, we might never have caught it."**
(End of Chapter)
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