Though Rossi appeared grumpy and irritated, Jack saw through him immediately, guessing the underlying reasons with near-perfect clarity.
On the way to Rossi's house, Jack had been mulling over the situation. Logically, for Dana Mosier to propose building a new task force modeled after the BAU, one that would answer directly to her, she would have undoubtedly consulted Rossi beforehand.
However, when Mosier informed Jack about the opportunity, she hadn't mentioned Rossi at all. Instead, she had focused on showering him with promises of promotions and incentives, almost as if deliberately tempting him. That was uncharacteristic.
If this were Jack's previous life, such a scenario would make sense. After all, Mosier and Rossi weren't married, and it was hard to say whether professional interests or personal feelings weighed more heavily between them.
But this world was different. Jack had long noticed that idealists in this reality seemed purer and more sincere. In some ways, it was almost too good to be true—but at the same time, it felt "real" in a way that was hard to explain.
That might sound contradictory at first, but put simply, the people Jack interacted with—the familiar faces from his world—were extraordinarily genuine. As long as he grasped their personalities and values, he had nothing to fear.
Take Jason Hayes, for example, the leader of SEAL Team B. Jason was a tough, determined soldier who seemed willing to do anything to follow orders and accomplish missions. But Jack knew Jason was also a man of justice—someone who wouldn't harm innocent people, who would help the weak, and who would even set aside his mission temporarily if he encountered civilians in need.
In Jack's previous world, such traits in a U.S. Special Forces leader would have been almost unimaginable. He couldn't claim such soldiers didn't exist, but they were certainly rare—like finding a needle in a haystack.
It reminded Jack of that one idealistic "fool" in history: the American soldier who, upon realizing he was complicit in genocide, stood outside an embassy, drenched himself in aviation fuel, and lit himself on fire in protest. In all of America's wars—from Korea to Vietnam, from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan and Iraq—only one such person emerged.
Then there were Jack's friends at the Wilshire police station, like John and Captain Grey. They all had distinct personalities, with their own quirks and flaws. They made mistakes, had messy love lives, and occasionally acted foolishly, but each had a moral code they refused to break.
Jack liked this world for that reason. Dealing with these familiar "narrative characters" was easy. He didn't need to worry about being backstabbed, betrayed, or manipulated.
The same went for his boss, Dana Mosier. Though Jack hadn't worked with her long, he could tell she was a person of integrity, much like Rossi. She wouldn't betray her subordinates, nor would she betray Rossi.
Jack trusted his instincts, and they pointed to one conclusion: Dana Mosier and Rossi had orchestrated this situation as a test for him. By insisting on returning to Los Angeles to consult Rossi in person, Jack had already passed their little test.
Rossi's current irritation wasn't due to Jack's potential departure from the BAU—it was likely all part of his plan. In fact, the idea to restructure the New York Most Wanted Task Force might have been something Rossi and Mosier had agreed upon together.
What truly annoyed Rossi was that his "little fox" of a protégé had seen through their scheme and had the audacity to show up at his doorstep with JJ in tow, leaving the old man feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Still, this was all part of Rossi's design. If anything, Jack's ability to see through the test gave Rossi a sense of pride. It confirmed that both he and Dana Mosier had made the right choice in backing him.
After downing a mouthful of bourbon, Rossi exhaled heavily, the alcohol burning his throat. Finally, he spoke. "Everyone knows the golden era is over. Some people think the solution lies in creating a new enemy, like the Slavs of old, to unite the nation under pressure.
Others believe decline is inevitable, like nightfall, and that our focus should be on maintaining order and upholding justice. They want to build a beacon of hope that can guide us through the darkness until dawn."
Jack swirled his glass, letting the ice clink against the sides. "Don't tell me your favorite author is Cervantes."
"Uh…" Rossi's stern expression faltered for a moment, then he burst into laughter.
"While I do admire Don Quixote's courage to charge at windmills, I'm more of a fan of The Three Musketeers."
"I thought The Count of Monte Cristo would be more your style," Jack teased with a faint smirk.
Rossi laughed heartily, only realizing after a moment that their conversation had been derailed by his cunning protégé.
"Don't worry," Rossi said with a wave of his hand. "We're just a group of old-timers nostalgic for a bygone era. No secret societies, no Freemason-style brotherhoods."
"Organizations like NYPD's 'Blue Templar' have repeated the same tragic pattern throughout history. The dragon slayers always end up becoming the dragon. I'm sure you've heard that story before."
Jack remained noncommittal, pouring a bit more bourbon for all three of them, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was for Rossi to drag him into some hidden FBI cabal or clandestine group.
Mentorship and professional support were one thing, and Jack was more than willing to accept Rossi's guidance. But anything beyond that—missions to uphold the interests of a select few or perpetuate some shadowy agenda—was something Jack wanted no part of.
"Most of us have spent our lives fighting crime," Rossi continued. "We've seen so much darkness. Some of us have been consumed by it, becoming part of the problem. But a few of us have endured and kept our principles intact.
"Some have started foundations, like the Jefferson Institute or CSI labs, to advocate for the innocent and speak for the dead. Others are still trying, using their knowledge and experience to carve out new paths. You know how expensive those high-tech projects can be."
Rossi's last remark almost made Jack laugh. It was true—training a behavioral analyst like him required only 560 hours of coursework and a bit of natural talent. The rest was learned on the job.
But creating a forensic genius like Temperance Brennan required not only innate brilliance but also an astronomical amount of funding and state-of-the-art lab equipment.
Jack chuckled, adding, "I think both fields complement each other. If frontline detectives are incompetent and rely solely on evidence sent to the lab without intuition or professionalism, that's a disaster too."
This dynamic was similar to inter-branch rivalries in the military, where ground troops often looked down on the Air Force for their high-and-mighty attitude. Similarly, frontline detectives tended to dismiss lab-bound forensic experts as impractical bookworms.
For example, FBI agent Seeley Booth often referred to Dr. Brennan and her lab team as "squints." On the other hand, researchers who trusted only hard evidence often looked down on detectives who relied on "gut instincts," even though those instincts were often informed by psychological profiling theories developed by experts like Rossi.
Jack now understood Rossi's intentions: his transfer wasn't about switching allegiances, but rather branching out—spreading their methods and influence further. It wasn't just a promotion; it was an opportunity to lead a team, wield some autonomy, and leverage the FBI's vast resources to tackle problems that would otherwise be insurmountable for most people.
If Jack could turn his new task force into an "A-Team" akin to Rossi's BAU, that would be ideal. Perhaps that was Rossi's true wish all along.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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