Sometimes having too many leads isn't a good thing, like now. The team was faced with too much unknown information.
The co-pilot had a history of depression, and he admitted to being the one who turned off the ACARS system. Could it be that the crash was the result of his suicide attempt? Similar incidents had occurred in aviation history.
He also confirmed that there had indeed been vertical turbulence before the crash. Was it caused by unstable air currents during the flight, or had the co-pilot, in an attempt to commit suicide, manually deployed the flaps, causing a deliberate malfunction?
The captain was also a suspect for a possible suicide attack. His tenant was an Indonesian student, raising suspicions that he might have been influenced by some form of religious extremism, secretly converting into a radical.
This could also explain the argument between the captain and co-pilot before the crash. It was possible that one of them had made an unexpected move, leading to the other's resistance.
The BAU team's brainstorming sessions were usually helpful, but this time, it seemed a bit too intense. Even JJ and Emily, who were participating via video call, each proposed at least one possibility.
But unless they ruled out these possibilities, no one could be sure whether this plane crash concealed a larger plot, and if a terrorist organization might still be planning a new attack.
Feeling overwhelmed, Jack made a suggestion.
"Why don't we rank the leads by priority? We can use the information we have to speculate and deduce more possibilities. Let's work from the leads, either ruling them out one by one or digging deeper into their causes."
Rossi smiled and exchanged a glance with Hotchner. Neither spoke, waiting for Jack to continue.
"The missile attack lead is the easiest to investigate. We can prioritize confirming it. As soon as Garcia identifies a suitable suspect, we can move in for the arrest. It would be best to notify the FBI SWAT team or military task force to be ready in advance."
"The co-pilot's testimony can't stand alone. We need other evidence to support it. The flight data from the black box and the cockpit voice recordings are the best corroborative evidence. Someone needs to follow up on this line of investigation immediately, at least to obtain the communication recordings between the captain and co-pilot."
"We also need an expert in aviation engineering, someone who can provide professional insights. For example, that NTSB official we met at the crash site, Lilo Pox, seems quite reliable."
Jack finished speaking all at once, only to realize that everyone was looking at him strangely. It suddenly dawned on him that, in his eagerness, he had taken over the role of giving orders from Rossi and Hotchner.
Feeling a bit awkward, he glanced at Hotchner, who cleared his throat and casually addressed the others.
"What are you waiting for? Let's follow Jack's plan. JJ, you stay at the hospital and keep an eye on the co-pilot and his wife. Emily, go find that NTSB official; Reid could use some help. Jack, get your gear ready. As soon as Garcia identifies a suspect, you'll lead the team in the arrest and interrogation. You get what I mean, right?"
Jack nodded. Since returning from Las Vegas, he had honed his forensic skills to an expert level, and he had also acquired a new skill without even realizing it, which he was eager to test out.
"I'll go with Jack," Rossi said, flexing his wrists, clearly eager to stretch his legs after a long time without action.
Hotchner nodded. "I'll follow up on the progress of the passenger and crew list review and the recovery of the black box."
---
Garcia, as always, delivered. Just before the end of the day, she initiated a video call at exactly 11:59 PM.
On-screen, the usually bubbly woman had traded her typical pink, girly style for a gothic, dark look. Her purple-blue eyeshadow and tight widow's dress were quite jarring to the eye.
Jack nonchalantly shifted the screen towards Rossi, who couldn't help but twitch at the sight.
"Forgive me. I've been sitting in front of this computer for over 12 hours and needed a way to cover up my dark circles."
Garcia spoke at her usual rapid pace.
"Based on the target area Reid outlined, I cross-referenced several databases to identify the residents living nearby."
"This wasn't easy. I had no idea there were so many doomsday preppers in Colorado! They dig their own bunkers or convert natural caves, stockpiling weapons and canned goods. Do you think a nuclear apocalypse could really happen? Should I start preparing too?"
Rossi sighed. "Garcia, trust me, rather than trying to survive the apocalypse, you'd probably prefer to go quickly and painlessly when it comes."
"Alright, anyway. Thanks to a few tricks my new friend taught me, I dug up the background of every suspicious person I could find."
Garcia's brief concern passed quickly, and she got back to the main topic.
"Then, based on Jack's criteria, I narrowed it down to two suspects. One is Jesse Bronwyn, a retired sergeant. He's been making monthly donations to a crystal temple in Denver since last year."
"The other is David Mashak, a former Army missile operator. He was dishonorably discharged two years ago for misconduct. This guy's the biggest suspect. He has a personal website where he frequently posts rants about the 'end of the world.' He even claims that he and his brother are planning to shoot down planes to start 'World War III.'"
"That's our guy. Garcia, send us his address and any other locations he might be found. We're going to have a little chat with him," Jack said, exchanging a determined glance with Rossi, who, despite the bags under his eyes from the late night, perked up immediately.
Rossi first had Garcia send Jesse Bronwyn's information to Hotchner, leaving him and Emily to handle the less suspicious suspect.
Then, they contacted the already-prepared FBI SWAT team and headed with Rossi to David Mashak's farm.
According to the information from Garcia and the local police, David Mashak had been organizing a militia group in the area. However, due to lack of funds and the sparse population, he hadn't been able to gather enough people.
This unnamed militia group had never exceeded five members, with the main force consisting of David Mashak and his brother, Cole Mashak. There were also two farm workers who filled in the numbers.
These guys were known troublemakers, having been caught multiple times for illegal hunting. While they didn't have extensive criminal records, they were notorious enough in the local police department.
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