𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, aaron hotchner

VI.

"HOW DO YOU WANT TO GO ABOUT THIS?" Hotch asks, glancing over at Everest. The Las Vegas precinct had cleared out a conference room in preparation for their arrival, staying far away from the investigation as they possibly could.

"Every weekend, the Kingpin and his little pawns gather at the Bellagio. Most of them are high-rollers, wasting their money on the girls and gambling." Everest recalls, the familiarity slowly settling in. The profilers watch as she seizes control, almost giving Hotch a run for his money. She knew exactly what she wanted and exactly how to get it.

A nearby police officer who was lingering catches her attention. She asks, "Would you find me a deck of playing cards?"

He nods, scrambling off to do as he's told. Not a minute later, he hands her the cards.

Leaning over the wooden desk, the profilers watch as her skilled hands shuffle the deck. Pulling out the King of Spades, she sets it down on the table.

"This is the Kingpin." She explains, using the cards to explain the hierarchy. Pulling out the four Aces from the deck, she lays them on the table. "The Kingpin has an inner circle composed of four men. Each man is in charge of a specific sector, but they are the only ones who report to the Kingpin."

"The Ace of Clubs is in charge of his assets—properties, investments, and you guessed it, his clubs. His name is Carmelo." She explains, not bothering to look up to see whether they were following or not. "The Ace of Diamonds is his security detail. Since the Kingpin is a very wanted man with many enemies, he never leaves his side—but don't be mistaken, the Bellagio will be crawling with security. His name is Dante."

"Which brings me to the Ace of Hearts—the most pathetic excuse of a man. The Ace of Hearts does the Kingpin's dirty work, often stealing and lying to get him what he needs. His name is Stefano."

Setting the final card down, Everest glances up to meet Hotch's intense stare for a brief second. "Finally, the Ace of Spades. They're the Kingpin's right hand, in charge of finding individuals dead or alive per his request."

As Everest moves on, Derek notices a missing detail. "You didn't mention a name."

Hotch noticed the way Everest's jaw tensed at the question, telling him everything he needed to know. Before he can change the topic of conversation, Everest speaks up.

"Violet Everest." She answers coldly. "That was my role before I was sent to jail for his crime."

Briskly moving on, Everest continues. "The Jacks represent his business partners—Vermillo, Hernandez, Lorenzo, and Alessio. All of them are involved in some sort of illegal trade, but whoever attends the party will undoubtedly give us a lead as to what the Kingpin is up to."

The table was covered in cards, each one explaining a specific role in the Kingpin's grand hierarchy of men. With one swift movement, Everest gathered the cards and placed them back in the deck.

"There are five main exits—and I want eyes on all of them. We'll partner up, but I'll go solo and take the back exit."

"No—you're with me." Hotch interjects. "Derek or Rossi can go alone."

Everest opens her mouth to disagree, but quickly shuts it when she remembers that it was the second condition of their agreement. "Fine. But I'm still covering the back exit."

"Why not go undercover and get intel that way?" Rossi asks.

"Dante will know that somethings up and he'll warn him." She shakes her head. "It's too risky."