American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop

As most of the old-timers exited the room, a group of middle-aged men started to file into the conference room. They were all dressed in casual clothes, and their faces seemed to carry even more and deeper wrinkles than the pampered seniors who had just left.

"That guy's name is Matt Graff. Be careful around him," Rossi quietly warned Jack, indicating a man with a receding hairline, unshaven face, wearing square-framed reading glasses. This guy even showed up to the meeting wearing a pair of hole-ridden sandals.

"CIA?" Jack had already noticed him. Out of everyone in the room, this was the only face he recognized. Wasn't he the guy who had wanted to retire peacefully but ended up getting decapitated by his ungrateful daughter? He looked just like the infamous "empty-nester Thanos."

Jack suddenly recalled last night's passionate entanglement with Jane, and a strange feeling crept over him.

Rossi nodded. "He's currently a consultant for DHS, an expert in black ops, and a veteran at doing the dirty work. This operation is under his lead."

At that moment, Jane was also invited in. Standing at the doorway, she seemed a bit awkward under the gaze of all the middle-aged men until Rossi smiled and gestured for her to sit next to him.

"Does the FBI only hire new recruits based on looks these days?" Matt Graff's eyes swept over Jack and Jane as he cracked a joke, which earned some chuckles from the others.

"Well, we do our recruiting at comic cons these days," Rossi shrugged and followed up with a self-deprecating joke.

The chuckles turned into outright laughter. And in fact, Rossi wasn't making things up. You could indeed find FBI recruitment booths at the New York Comic Con, along with ones from the Army and the Marine Corps, making it quite a relatable scene.

Once the jokes were out of the way, the atmosphere lightened noticeably. The bigwig from DHS began to explain the situation, which wasn't much different from what they already knew. Yesterday's incident had stirred up a lot of anger at the top levels.

Even the recently re-elected, blond-haired president, who rarely spoke without mentioning China, had made a rare comment about the Mexican immigrants who had tragically died.

As a result, DHS was formally tasked with assembling this joint task force, which included the FBI, IRS, DEA, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives), ICE, Federal Marshals, military personnel, and many other agencies.

The task force's first mission was, of course, to take down the Sonora Cartel, which had dared to provoke the federal government.

Next up was Thanos—uh, no—Matt Graff, who, with a casual air, began to lay out the operation plan.

He first introduced several key figures. At the top of the list was Manuel Díaz, the highest-ranking member of the Sonora Cartel within the U.S.

Though he held the highest position in the U.S., Graff still referred to him as a "small-time boss" because the real leaders were hiding in Mexico, protected by local law enforcement. Even the CIA and DEA didn't know where they were hiding.

So, the real target wasn't Manuel Díaz, but his cousin and superior, Fausto Alarcón, the Sonora Cartel's third-in-command, known by the nickname "The Executioner."

But there was a catch. Not only did no one know where Fausto Alarcón was hiding in Mexico, they couldn't even locate Manuel Díaz in the U.S.

Díaz owned a company called "Sun Oasis" in the U.S., which managed over eighty foreclosed properties and other legitimate businesses.

For example, the mansion Jane and Jack had raided yesterday was technically owned by Manuel Díaz, but there was no concrete evidence linking him to it.

This led to another key figure: Manuel's brother, Guillermo.

Guillermo acted as a courier between Mexico and the U.S. under the guise of legitimate business. Though small-time, he was still a boss in his own right, and since he was Manuel's brother, he undoubtedly knew all his secrets.

As luck would have it, not long ago, Mexican federal police had arrested Guillermo, and he was currently being held at the Juárez Court.

The first step of the plan was to extradite Guillermo to the U.S. and extract enough information from him to locate Manuel Díaz.

As for the rest of the plan, Matt Graff didn't go into detail. It was more of a "play it by ear" situation, but the final objective was clear: the task force's first action would be to go after the Sonora Cartel, using the "Executioner" Fausto Alarcón as a sacrifice.

Everyone in the room agreed with the plan, and they quickly began assigning personnel. The military would bring in an experienced Delta Force unit from the front lines, and the DEA would send veteran agents.

DHS and ICE would coordinate with the Texas Attorney General's Office for Guillermo's extradition, with the Texas Rangers assisting in the transportation.

As for the FBI, Matt Graff turned his attention to the three silent members sitting in the back. "I need a liaison."

"Two liaisons," corrected Rossi, who had already discussed this with Jack.

Matt Graff scratched his head and sighed. "One person is enough to sign the paperwork."

Rossi's face remained stern, his gaze carrying a hint of mockery. "Agent Jane Banner will be signing the paperwork. As for Agent Jack Tavoler, you know why he's here."

"Okay, okay, two liaisons it is. But only because it's you, David Rossi—wait!" Matt Graff suddenly looked up, his eyes locking on Jack.

"You said his name is Jack Tavoler? The Jack Tavoler?"

Jack felt a chill under the man's stare. He had no idea if Graff's shocked expression was genuine or not. Since when had he become famous?

Rossi remained calm. "It's exactly the Jack Tavoler you're thinking of."

No one in the room, not even Jack himself, knew what the two were hinting at.

"Then it's settled!" Matt Graff clapped his hands in excitement. "See you in El Paso at noon the day after tomorrow."

——

"How does that guy know me?" Jack finally couldn't hold back his curiosity after leaving the DHS Information Security Center. He asked Rossi.

"He was on a mission in Fiji when that Pioneer flight crashed. His team was originally supposed to lead the rescue effort, but he refused. His exact words were, 'I'm not risking my life in that hellhole for a bunch of unlucky bastards.'"

Rossi chuckled as he spoke.

"When he later heard about the huge operation you pulled off on that island, he regretted his decision, but by then, the mission had been reassigned to SEAL Team B. He ended up being ridiculed by his own people for missing out."

"He probably went back and reviewed the reports afterward and remembered your name."

Jack wasn't particularly bothered by Graff's "refusal to save" them. He was more interested in the man's CIA credentials. "Does he have a lot of pull in the CIA?"

Rossi nodded slightly. "Do you remember asking me about Frank Moses, the R.E.D.? If Matt survives long enough to retire in ten years, he'll be at a level just below Frank."

"Uh," Jack was momentarily speechless. "Just below Frank? So, you're already assuming he won't reach Frank's level in ten years?"

Rossi laughed. "When it comes to planning operations, he's on par with Frank, but ten Matts wouldn't stand a chance against him. Frank's skills are top-notch."

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