Tolerance Book IiI

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven: A New Angle

Burial Site

After escaping the confines of the Field Office with an eager Andrews in tow Jay stood beside the now empty graves and eyed them intensely. Al and Collins were talking to the ME where he worked under one of several tents that had been erected to keep soil samples and newly discovered items free from the outside dusty elements. The Profiler approached the auburn haired man with a frown.

"What are you seeing?"
"It didn't strike me before but this site is very disciplined .....,"
"You said it was organised," the blonde reminded.
"Yeah but looking at it now it's clear it's very precise. The graves are all the exact same depth and width," Jay tapped the clipboard in his hand provided by one of the Forensic Technicians, "I knew they looked roughly the same but this ...,"
"What?"
"This is military like in its' precision," Jay concluded uneasily, it always stung when a fellow Veteran strayed onto the wrong path.
"You think the Partner is or was a Soldier?"
"It's a possibility."
"Damn," Andrews considered the ramifications if indeed the Mob Boss was working with a highly disciplined individual but then thought of the Victims' Injuries, "wouldn't the causes of death signal someone prone to volatility and therefore indicate unpredictability which would not tippify a Soldier?"
"Unfortunately the military attracts certain individuals who have mo compunction about taking life."
"Wouldn't that be a red flag?" the blonde queried, exposing his ignorance where military matters were concerned.
"You would think," Jay shook his head sardonically then elaborated, "suits their purposes."

"So what are we thinking?" a new voice enquired as Al and Collins joined the pair.
"Jay figures the Partner could have a military background."
"Damn!" like his fellow Veteran it did not sit well when a Soldier betrayed their oath.
"Am I missing something?" the Profiler asked surprised by the vehement utterance.
"Halstead and Olinsky are former Rangers," the FBI Agent responded, "and also Snipers."
"Wow. Didn't see that coming," Andrews confessed ruefully, clearly his background check on Halstead had not been thorough enough, "so if you're right you two should have a unique insight into the Partner."
"Not so sure about that," Al stated evenly before noting sternly, "he's clearly gone off reservation."
"I didn't mean to imply you are alike," the Profiler suddenly realized his words could have been misconstrued, he had not meant to insult either man!
"Don't mind Al," Jay advised with a wink to assure no offence had been taken, "at his age he tends to gets a bit cranky."
"Oh har har!" the aforementioned man rolled his eyes before nodding to the blonde to confirm they were good, he was angry at the situation not the younger man.

"So does him being a Soldier nix the idea of a childhood link to Gambini?" Collins wondered.
"Not necessarily," Jay spoke thoughtfully, "Mouse is running checks on schools Gambini attended. I'll ask him to check out any incidents of animal cruelty ....,"
"How does that help?" Collins frowned.
"He can trace if anyone involved in those types of incidents went on to join the military. Maybe we can backtrack from there," Jay shrugged, it was worth a shot.
"We still don't know what spooked Gambini enough to leave the country," Al noted, "it might not be related to the organ operation."
"I'm inclined to think it wasn't," Jay surmised then upon receiving questioning glances expounded on his reasoning, "the operation continued in his absence. If the business had been threatened it would have been shut down."
"But they stopped using the site here," Andrews pointed out a flaw in the theory.
"Probably because Gambini had to take off suddenly and his Partner couldn't cover Dallas at the time," Al agreed with a nod.
"So a military connection is that good or bad for the investigation?" Collins looked at the Chicago duo.
"It shouid help us identify the Partner," Jay noted, "if there is in fact a military background."
"Something tells me you're spot on," the stout man decided, "so do we need to head to LA?"
"That's your call," Al reminded, surprised the Seattle man was willing to accede his role.
"Halstead?"
"It's your call," the green eyed man reiterated.
"I'm asking for your opinion," Collins persisted stifling any impatience, he knew the men weren't deliberately trying to be awkward.
"Don't think we'll glean anything from the site there. The photos and video footage we'v seen seem ample enough."
"Okay so we head back to Chicago," the lone FBI Agent declared glancing at his watch then around the site, "but first let's get out of here. It's almost lunchtime and I'm starving!"
"Willis isn't going to be happy," the Profiler poibted out as they walked back to the black SUV, "he wants to be part of the Task Force ...,"
"With fifteen Victims he's not going to have much sway," Al pointed out pragmatically, the low body count meant the locations with a higher ratio would lead the investigation.
"I'd appreciate if you kept me in the loop," the blonde confirmed as they reached the vehicle.
"Will do," Jay promised, he understood how difficult it could be to only play a small role in a case but needing to know the eventual outcome.
"Well Collins Halstead here is going to buy lunch," Al declared magnanimously as he turned on the engine once they were all ready to go.
"He is?" the young Detective asked ruefully from the back seat sending the Profiler beside him an exasperated look.
"Sure," the moustached man nodded vigorously then supplied innocently, "Collins will need the sustenance."
"I will?" the FBI Agent raised a brow and eyed the Driver suspiciously.
"Sure," Al turned on the indicator to enter the lane for downtown before adding casually, "as the Senior Law Enforcement Officer it's your duty to tell Willis we're leaving."
"You're older than me!"
"Not in rank," Andrews piped up from the back seat earning a headshake of mock disgust from the beleagured man.
"Hey could we deal with what's really important?" Jay scolded ending the banter as his companions looked shame faced.
"Sorry," Andrews offered an apology contritely.
"Why? It wasn't you who offered my money to buy lunch!"