+18 eps. 17-21 - After a hard case that takes the team to DC in order to catch a blackhat and prevent a bombing, all hell breaks loose on their return to Boston , when the ghost of the Libra killer comes back to torture Brock seven years after the m...
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There was over a thousand people in the mall, and all of them were growing pretty upset with their phones down and the long lines at all the exits. The mall speakers repeated the same message every five minutes: there had been a security breach and they apologized for the inconvenience, but they needed to search every person before letting them out. The mall staff was all over the place, listening to complaints and trying to calm people down. Gillian had a member of her team at every open exit, helping the guards, mostly because displaying their federal badge was more effective than apologies. She walked up and down the mall, scanning every face, inspecting every corner. From the comic store, Tanya worked in Warp 5, with Connor's help from home, to modify a tracking program that would allow them to locate the hacker inside the mall. Kurt and Brandon still tried to figure out what the malware was for.
"Reg, you better come down here," said Ron over the radio.
"What's up?" she asked, heading to the nearest stairs.
"We've got company. The SCU, if it rings a bell."
"What?"
"They say they're here to handle the situation."
"I'm on my way," she grunted. "Kurt, get me Cooper!"
"I'm right here, Gillian," Cooper replied. "The locals sent officers?"
"Looks like. Did you talk to them, ma'am?"
"Yes. Captain Cook agreed virtual scams are our jurisdiction."
Gillian breathed deep. If the old runt had agreed, the order to send agents came from above him. And that could only mean her father. Great.
"Let me know if I need to call him back, Gillian."
"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll handle it." With pleasure.
At the office, Russell waited for Cooper to face him.
"If the SCU showed up after you called Cook, it means he didn't send them, ma'am," he said, very serious.
Brock turned to him with a suspicious scowl, while Cooper raised only one eyebrow.
"I'm aware of it, Agent Coleman," she said, drier than usual. "And Gillian said she'll handle it."
"That'd mean confronting her father," Russell insisted, not sure Cooper got the full picture.
Brock turned to Cooper. She held his eyes, not the least bit impressed by his deepening scowl. "Gillian said she'll handle it," she repeated, her voice like a sharp blade.
Russell noticed how Brock breathed in and tried the diplomatic way. "We can always lend a hand over there, searching for the subject."
Cooper glared at him, daring him to insist, and turned her back on them to stand behind Kurt, arms folded tightly.
Brock met Russell's eyes again and shook his head. "Let us know if you need us, Agent Cooper," he said, and nodded at Russell to leave. "Get a radio, Coleman. I'll be in my office," he grunted, and stalked to the elevators.
He entertained the idea of going on down to the parking lot, take his car and drive to the mall. It was absurd, he knew it. King Gillian wouldn't be there, and his presence wouldn't change how an eventual conversation between Gillian and her father might unfold. Not to mention it would be stepping on what he'd said to Cooper a while ago, about them working together and all that. Yeah, it would be very helpful, going to the mall after Cooper stated so clearly she wanted Gillian to handle it, and them out of the away. Was it trust? Was Cooper making some sort of gender statement—we women don't need the tough guys backing us up? Was she testing if Brock really meant to work with her and respect her calls as Boston's SAC?
Whatever the reason behind Cooper's attitude, he should keep breathing deep and stay in the building. No matter the very idea of King Gillian having any part in the situation was enough to make him clench his fists. If Coleman came back in time, at least they would have a chance to listen to whatever happened at the mall.
