while Ryan was assigned with the 2 nd Marine
Special Operations Battalion. The same Battalion of the four killers he was
hunting. Dallas knew that was no coincidence. Ryan knew as well.
As a Marine, Dallas’s specialty was counterterrorism and
surveillance. After his initial training with the FBI, his abilities earned him
immediate assignment to the elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) based out of Quantico, Virginia. He excelled in both planting and detecting hidden surveillance devices,
but his forte was finding foreign and domestic terrorist groups operating
within the United States.
While with HRT, Dallas had been the newest addition to
Ryan’s already established team. He immediately recognized what made Ryan stand
out from the crowd. He was simply relentless and a natural born leader. Ryan
recognized Dallas’s abilities as well. When Ryan was selected to lead an Inland
Regional Apprehension Team (IRAT), he requested Dallas join him to chase down
the country’s most wanted fugitives. He accepted the job on the spot.
In a departure from the normal job description of an
IRAT team, Ryan’s group would work closely with the FBI’s Behavioral Science
Division, also located at Quantico. It only took a few days for Ryan to
understand his team would be charged with hunting the most elusive and
dangerous killers who found themselves on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
Ryan and Dallas possessed the skill set necessary to
plan and execute an arrest warrant in almost any environment, but both lacked
the experience needed to profile and track their prey. Another positive
characteristic of Ryan’s leadership ability was the self-awareness to identify
his weaknesses. To compensate, he surrounded himself with agents that would
bring strengths he didn’t possess to the team. And two of the strongest
profilers were Michelle Dobbs and Tom Freeman. The fact that they also had
experience working in the field made them too appealing to pass up.
Before they knew what hit them, they were kicking in
doors and practicing assault tactics with Ryan and Dallas. It was less of an
invite and more of a draft when they joined the IRAT team. They didn’t put up
much of a fight, knowing they’d still be intimately involved with behavioral
science. They both found the idea of applying their skills in the field and
putting the bad guys in handcuffs very appealing. Ryan succeeded in creating a
highly tenacious and effective group that cleared cases with impressive speed.
Dallas, Michelle, and Tom were wondering when their old
leader would be returning to the team. They didn’t have to wait long for their
answer. After Ryan made a phone call to the deputy director to make him aware
of their short break, he hailed a cab and disappeared for over two hours. When
he returned to the safe house, he had the cabbie wait out front.
“Are you guys ready?” asked Ryan.
“Yep,” responded Dallas, patting a small leather bag over
his shoulder.
“And it matches your shoes,” added Michelle.
“And my eyes,” said Dallas. “You don’t win best-dressed
agent by ignoring the details.”
“You’re absolutely hopeless,” said Michelle, closing the
door behind them.
“Where are we headed?” asked Tom.
“A quiet little place where I like to relax and think,”
answered Ryan.
After a short ride, the cab dropped the agents off on Canal Street. There was still daylight illuminating the Quarter, but it was already filled
with loud groups of tourists and locals getting a head start on the evening’s
festivities. Most were carrying large plastic cups full of beverages that could
power a dragster. About a block away from Ryan’s “quiet little place” on the
corner of Canal and Bourbon streets, they could hear the distinct piano
accordion from the Zydeco band playing inside.
There was a decent crowd already forming in the bar, but
they managed to grab a table in a slightly quieter corner facing the front
entrance. Without saying a word, they all
Special Operations Battalion. The same Battalion of the four killers he was
hunting. Dallas knew that was no coincidence. Ryan knew as well.
As a Marine, Dallas’s specialty was counterterrorism and
surveillance. After his initial training with the FBI, his abilities earned him
immediate assignment to the elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) based out of Quantico, Virginia. He excelled in both planting and detecting hidden surveillance devices,
but his forte was finding foreign and domestic terrorist groups operating
within the United States.
While with HRT, Dallas had been the newest addition to
Ryan’s already established team. He immediately recognized what made Ryan stand
out from the crowd. He was simply relentless and a natural born leader. Ryan
recognized Dallas’s abilities as well. When Ryan was selected to lead an Inland
Regional Apprehension Team (IRAT), he requested Dallas join him to chase down
the country’s most wanted fugitives. He accepted the job on the spot.
In a departure from the normal job description of an
IRAT team, Ryan’s group would work closely with the FBI’s Behavioral Science
Division, also located at Quantico. It only took a few days for Ryan to
understand his team would be charged with hunting the most elusive and
dangerous killers who found themselves on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
Ryan and Dallas possessed the skill set necessary to
plan and execute an arrest warrant in almost any environment, but both lacked
the experience needed to profile and track their prey. Another positive
characteristic of Ryan’s leadership ability was the self-awareness to identify
his weaknesses. To compensate, he surrounded himself with agents that would
bring strengths he didn’t possess to the team. And two of the strongest
profilers were Michelle Dobbs and Tom Freeman. The fact that they also had
experience working in the field made them too appealing to pass up.
Before they knew what hit them, they were kicking in
doors and practicing assault tactics with Ryan and Dallas. It was less of an
invite and more of a draft when they joined the IRAT team. They didn’t put up
much of a fight, knowing they’d still be intimately involved with behavioral
science. They both found the idea of applying their skills in the field and
putting the bad guys in handcuffs very appealing. Ryan succeeded in creating a
highly tenacious and effective group that cleared cases with impressive speed.
Dallas, Michelle, and Tom were wondering when their old
leader would be returning to the team. They didn’t have to wait long for their
answer. After Ryan made a phone call to the deputy director to make him aware
of their short break, he hailed a cab and disappeared for over two hours. When
he returned to the safe house, he had the cabbie wait out front.
“Are you guys ready?” asked Ryan.
“Yep,” responded Dallas, patting a small leather bag over
his shoulder.
“And it matches your shoes,” added Michelle.
“And my eyes,” said Dallas. “You don’t win best-dressed
agent by ignoring the details.”
“You’re absolutely hopeless,” said Michelle, closing the
door behind them.
“Where are we headed?” asked Tom.
“A quiet little place where I like to relax and think,”
answered Ryan.
After a short ride, the cab dropped the agents off on Canal Street. There was still daylight illuminating the Quarter, but it was already filled
with loud groups of tourists and locals getting a head start on the evening’s
festivities. Most were carrying large plastic cups full of beverages that could
power a dragster. About a block away from Ryan’s “quiet little place” on the
corner of Canal and Bourbon streets, they could hear the distinct piano
accordion from the Zydeco band playing inside.
There was a decent crowd already forming in the bar, but
they managed to grab a table in a slightly quieter corner facing the front
entrance. Without saying a word, they all
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