Chapter 169: Chuck - Listen to Me, Thank You! Harvey - What Did I Do?
"What should we do?"
Andy Walton rolled up his window. As the driver passed Chuck and his team and headed toward the mansion, JJ looked at Chuck anxiously. "He's clearly taunting us. Amazing Amy must be inside, and she's in immediate danger!"
"He's convinced that even if we know, there's nothing we can do about it."
Gideon's face was grim.
"Really?"
JJ couldn't help but look at Gideon, known for his wisdom within the BAU.
"Unfortunately,"
Gideon sighed. "Using conventional methods, we really don't have any options. We don't have evidence, and we can't get a search warrant. And it might be too late to get one now."
At this point, he also looked at Chuck.
"Dr. Wolfe, do you have any ideas?"
JJ asked what Gideon wanted to ask.
"Wait!"
Chuck said calmly.
"Wait for what?"
JJ pressed.
"Wait for circumstances to change."
Chuck adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and glanced toward the mansion. "Perhaps that well-dressed lawyer still has a conscience and can create the opportunity we need."
"Him?"
JJ's expression darkened with despair as she thought of the sharp-dressed attorney they'd met earlier.
As the BAU's media liaison, she was well aware of where lawyers' loyalties lay. Under the guise of defending everyone, they almost always worked for the wealthy, or built their reputations by representing extreme clients in order to eventually serve the wealthy.
The cases handled by the BAU were almost all extreme cases. When Gideon and his team solved a case and moved on to a new one, she still had to follow the aftermath reports. She had seen lawyers, driven by their desire for recognition, defend obvious serial killers, even when the evidence was overwhelming, pleading not guilty.
Serial killers had protection, but the victims did not.
That "nice suit" comment she'd made earlier had been brewing for a while. Where did suits like Harvey's, which he'd described as merely $2,000, come from?
They were paid for by the wealthy!
How could someone like him possibly side with them, risking his own promising career to go against his billionaire client?
"Perhaps that obsessive fan will step up and create the opportunity we need."
Chuck glanced at JJ.
He knew JJ's strong empathy wasn't primarily because Amazing Amy was as young and beautiful as she was, but rather because of intense anxiety, perhaps accumulated fear from past cases that had finally erupted with Amazing Amy, someone who resonated so strongly with her.
Working in the BAU, one constantly faced extreme depravity. Those twisted methods and tragic victims constantly challenged investigators, and everyone had their breaking point.
Gideon and the others might be stronger. Rather, when it wasn't personal, Gideon and the others might be stronger, able to control their emotions and not empathize so deeply.
But once their own fears were triggered, everyone felt the same, experiencing unbearable distress.
Inside the mansion.
"Boss, you're back,"
the security chief greeted him and opened the car door.
"Yes,"
Andy Walton said, smiling as he got out, but his eyes weren't entirely pleased.
He had no desire for notoriety, nor did he want to enjoy the added thrill of provoking Chuck and the others.
The abduction of Amazing Amy was supposed to be a perfectly orchestrated operation, quietly transforming a beautiful idol into his own personal captive.
Who could have imagined that he would be targeted so quickly?
It seemed that the security chief, whom he had trusted implicitly, was ultimately incompetent.
Now that things had reached this point, he could only enjoy the added excitement.
That's right!
Although he was somewhat displeased, he didn't think Chuck and the others could really do anything to him. How could a billionaire like him, who could play political games at the highest level, really fear a criminal investigation?
"Mr. Walton, I'm Harvey Specter,"
said Harvey, who also approached.
"Jessica told me you're her top attorney."
Andy Walton extended his hand to Harvey and said with a smile, "I'll be counting on you for many things going forward."
"That's my job."
Harvey shook hands with him and looked into Andy Walton's eyes: "But before I can do my job properly, I need to know everything so I can better handle potential problems. So the FBI suspects you're connected to Amazing Amy's disappearance. Is there anything I need to know?"
"Of course."
Andy Walton looked at him with a smile: "What you need to know is that I have absolutely nothing to do with this case! Please, do you think someone like me lacks for female companionship?"
"Of course not."
Harvey forced a smile, but what he didn't say was: "Of course you won't lack ordinary beautiful women, but not all women can be obtained through normal means, and are willing to satisfy your various twisted desires. At least Amazing Amy, who has both fame and fortune, is something you can't get through conventional approaches."
"Then we'll have a productive partnership. I'm tired from the flight, so I'm going to rest."
Andy Walton ignored Harvey's forced smile, nodded, and walked inside alone.
He knew Harvey might have guessed something, but as long as he didn't voice it, Harvey would just pretend he knew nothing.
In his view, lawyers were just life tools, and tools didn't need to have their own thoughts; they just had to do what he wanted.
Harvey watched Andy Walton go inside, his eyes deeply troubled.
The security chief smiled at him and walked toward the staff quarters.
In a corner of the estate, a thin figure was peering inside, then began climbing the iron fence surrounding the property. After jumping down, he lost his balance and fell flat on his back, revealing the face of blonde Barney.
As the ultimate simp, Amazing Amy was one of his most cherished goddesses.
Although he claimed that his devotion wasn't actually simping but rather a form of courtship, only he knew the truth.
Whoever truly cares must be willing to sacrifice.
And clearly he cared deeply.
So, after Chuck's hint, he mustered the courage to try and save his goddess.
Just as he climbed to his feet and prepared to continue toward the house, he heard the piercing sound of fire alarms. Startled, Barney ran back. The climb that had been so difficult before was now executed so smoothly that he disappeared outside the estate in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, in Chuck's car, as time passed and JJ imagined that Amazing Amy might be suffering abuse, she felt overwhelmed with anxiety when the alarms suddenly blared.
"Something's happening!"
Chuck immediately drove to the estate, arriving at the gate.
"You can't enter!"
the guards tried to stop them.
"FBI, I'm officially taking charge of security here!"
Gideon, holding his badge, got out and pressed the button for the automatic gate. After Chuck's car entered, he gave the guards a warning look and got back in. Once inside, Chuck sped toward the house, reaching it in just 36 seconds.
"Follow me!"
Chuck said after parking and rushed inside.
"Call NYPD immediately for backup!"
Gideon immediately got out, took out his badge and weapon, and rushed into the mansion, following Chuck. Along the way, they encountered estate staff evacuating due to the fire alarm, showing their badges and loudly identifying themselves.
"On it!"
JJ agreed and got out, making the call while running inside.
Although they didn't know who had triggered the alarm, conducting a rescue was imperative; it was their right as law enforcement officers.
As for whom to rescue, that was open to interpretation.
"Who set off the alarm? There's no fire!"
The security chief had also rushed over. Seeing Chuck and his team rushing inside, he immediately stepped forward to try to stop them. "Who authorized you to enter?"
"When the alarm sounds, everyone follows our lead. We're conducting a rescue!"
Gideon shouted.
"Do you know what you're doing?"
the security chief raged.
"Absolutely. Following legal procedures and conducting a rescue!"
Gideon said sternly.
"Ha!"
The security chief sneered, saying nothing more. He simply glared at them, as if enjoying a private joke.
Gideon immediately understood that the other party was being smug, believing they couldn't find what they were looking for, and looked at Chuck.
"Follow me!"
Chuck calmly walked inside.
Gideon and JJ, trusting in Chuck's abilities, followed closely.
The security chief also followed them, confident they couldn't find anything.
Then his expression changed.
Chuck's route was almost a straight line to the hidden room.
JJ and Gideon, who had been keeping a close eye on the security chief, were delighted to see his expression change. Both understood what was happening almost simultaneously.
Chuck could identify people by scent. Andy Walton, though not a woman, wore cologne as a man to mask his rather strong natural odor. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to use this to track the path he had taken, especially in a house where his scent lingered everywhere.
But Chuck was no ordinary person; his sense of smell was exceptional.
Gideon had learned this from reading Chuck's file, and JJ had learned it from gossiping with Hotchner and the others.
Arriving in a library-like study, Chuck paused his rapid pace.
The security chief's grim expression finally relaxed slightly, but his eyes remained tense as he stared at Chuck, his hand unconsciously reaching for his waist.
"I advise you not to do that."
Chuck turned to the security chief. "Your gun definitely isn't faster than ours!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The security chief forced a smile. "There's no fire here. You have no right to enter."
"There are both visible and hidden fire hazards. With so many books here, if a hidden fire becomes visible flames, it would be extremely dangerous."
Chuck met his eyes. "Where do you think the hidden fire hazard is? Here? Or here?"
The security chief instinctively glanced in a particular direction.
Chuck immediately spotted it and headed straight for a bookshelf.
This was clearly Andy Walton's regular retreat. His scent was everywhere. A slow search could lead to the secret room, but that would waste precious time.
Since the security chief was present, he made the most of it.
After all, it was the security chief who had committed the crime and imprisoned Amazing Amy. He must know where the secret room was located.
The security chief's face went pale, but with Gideon and JJ watching him with their weapons drawn, despite his anxiety, he didn't dare move.
Chuck looked around and found a switch. With a slight click, the bookshelf slowly opened, revealing a secret door with a keypad.
Under the security chief's desperate gaze, Chuck calmly pulled a miniature UV light from his pocket. Shielding it from view, he shone the UV light across the keypad, revealing six brightly illuminated numbers—the six digits of the combination, traces left by repeated use.
What kind of person carries something like that?
They're definitely prepared!
JJ stared at the security chief with satisfaction. She knew this wasn't preparation at all, but rather specialized equipment carried by the obsessively clean Chuck.
Chuck tried the combination, but it was wrong. He paused, looked at the keypad for a moment, then tried again. This time it worked, and the secret door opened silently.
"Let's go! Check inside for any fire hazards!"
Chuck drew his service weapon.
The security chief's forehead was covered with sweat as he watched. However, seeing Chuck's gun, which was larger than his own, and remembering Chuck's series of uncanny actions, he tactfully walked in first under their watchful eyes.
The chamber was enormous.
After Chuck and the others had descended for a while, they finally reached the bottom. Andy Walton's face showed both irritation and surprise. He smiled at the group entering, saying, "You've arrived just in time. I don't know what happened, but there's suddenly an intruder in here. I just discovered it myself."
"Shut up!"
JJ snapped at him, quickly stepping forward to embrace the tearful, traumatized Amy and offer comfort.
"Hey, this has nothing to do with me,"
Andy Walton said dismissively, spreading his hands. Then, with a sharp look at the security chief, he indicated that he should take full responsibility.
Damn it!
He really hadn't had time to do anything yet!
The security chief hesitated.
"Thank God,"
Gideon said quietly. "Amazing Amy has finally been rescued, otherwise we'd all be crucified by public opinion."
The security chief shuddered.
He remembered what JJ had told him before: Amazing Amy might not be the most famous teen idol in America, but after more than a decade of building influence from her New York base, her impact was considerable. Before helping his boss, he'd done his research and knew Amazing Amy had many devoted fans. He'd previously thought these fanatics could provide cover for his actions, but now he was deeply worried about them.
Being an accomplice and being the primary perpetrator were two completely different things.
Public opinion might tear apart the FBI for failing to solve the case, but those crazed fans would likely tear apart the primary perpetrator, literally.
"Amy, is that him?"
JJ asked gently, comforting her while pointing to Andy Walton.
"It's him!"
Amazing Amy trembled in JJ's arms.
"The keys!"
Chuck looked at Andy Walton.
Andy Walton wanted to continue playing innocent, but seeing the determined expressions of Gideon and the others, he knew they could easily restrain him and forcibly search for the keys, which would be utterly undignified. So, he tactfully reached into his pocket, shrugged, and said, "Hey, who put this in my pocket? I have no idea how it got there!"
Gideon took the keys and stepped forward to remove the restraints from Amazing Amy's hands and feet.
BAU Unit Chief Hotchner and his team, along with Director Kate from the FBI's New York field office, arrived with a large contingent of FBI agents and police officers.
"Time to cash in that insurance policy, counselor!"
JJ taunted Harvey as they emerged, supporting Amazing Amy.
"Listen to me, thank you,"
Chuck said quietly as he passed Harvey.
Gideon, who was walking nearby, suddenly looked thoughtful.
"..."
Harvey's mouth twitched.
Thank him for what?
He hadn't even had time to do anything yet!
He hadn't set off the fire alarm, and for a moment, he felt like he was taking credit for something he didn't do. But as he watched the trembling, tearful Amy being helped out and embraced, he shook his head, suppressed his confusion, and allowed a slight smile to cross his face.
Regardless of whether he deserved credit or not, this outcome was pretty good.
(End of Chapter)
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