CM: BigBang 2011
Chapter 5
Hotch sat at the table, going over the last details of their op and waiting for Jo. He´d told her on the way back to the station that he´d be accompanying her to the bar and she´d only nodded. Looking up when the door opened, Hotch did a double take when his newest agent entered.
Jo was wearing a black dress that hugged her figure and came to an end right above the knees. The strap of the dress went over her left shoulder leaving the right one bare. She had put her hair up on the back of her head and put on more makeup. Wearing black string shoes with high heels made her legs look a mile long. In her hand she carried a small, black purse that went well with the dress.
Hotch had to swallow. She looked astonishing. Looking between the three men, she became self-aware under the gaze. She started stroking the skirt downward and looking to see if anything was out of place.
Dave smiled. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you,” Jo said and seemed relieved. She made her way over to Dave, looked down at her left hand before withdrawing her small ring of her finger and holding it out for him to take. Accepting it, Dave put it in pocket on the inside of his jacket and patted over it a few times to indicate he´d keep it safe. Jo smiled thankfully at him.
Hotch cleared his throat. “Ready?”
“Yeah,” Jo said eagerly.
Turning toward Dave and Reid, Hotch quickly told them they´d meet them at the club before walking up to her and opening the door. The officers looked up when she entered the main room but this time she smiled with confident.
She pointed to a bag up against the wall next to the door. “Can you?” she asked and Hotch grabbed the bag before setting his hand on the small of her back to guide her outside. She turned her head and looked up at him with a small grin as they headed out.
“How do you want to do this?” Hotch asked as they started the drive toward the bar.
“I told Reid I´d turn on the mic after I change at the house since he hasn´t attacked at the clubs.”
“Do you have your piece?” Hotch asked her as he stopped at a red light.
“In my purse,” she responded and stared out the front window.
As he turned off the car, he looked over at her. “Ready?” She smiled nervously and tugged at the bottom of the dress in order to pull it down.
“You´ll be fine,” Hotch told her reassuringly.
“Easy for you to say. You’re wearing your work clothes and comfortable shoes,” she spit back before drawing in a deep breath and closing her eyes. “Sorry, I get snappy when I´m nervous.”
She chuckled sarcastically and leaned her head on the headrest. “Can you believe I´m more nervous about the dress and shoes than the whole op?” She turned and looked at him. “Would you find it strange if I told you I´d rather be wearing jeans, my favorite shirt and running shoes right about now?”
“No, I wouldn´t,” Hotch told her truthfully.
She laughed softly. A moment later she turned toward him and stared at him. “Hotch?” she asked with a hint of humor.
“Yes?”
“Lose the tie. You look too uptight with it.” She grinned mischievously at him.
He raised his eyebrows at her audacity and wondered if he should call her on it but at the last second decided to let it slide and pulled the tie off. Looking at her, he mentally shook his head when she pointed at the bottom of her neck and he undid the top button.
“Much better,” she said chuckling and opened the door.
***
It was crowded. The room was dark and buzzed with people. A young man stood on the stage, trying to sing Billie Jean and in Hotch´s opinion, was failing miserable. Hotch quickly scanned the room and noticed nothing out of the ordinary, Rossi and Reid where in place as where the other officers scattered around the room.
He found a table in second row from the stage. He drew out the chair for Jo and after she´d taken a seat, leaned in to ask what she wanted to drink. “Just water, please,” she said.
Jo wasn´t at the table when Hotch came back with two glasses and he looked around the room for her, finding her at the sound booth laughing at something the DJ said.
She took a seat next to him when she returned. There were four people ahead of her, three of which sang off key and one who nailed it all the way, drawing applauses and whistles from the crowd.
“And next we have Jo,” the DJ announced. Jo stood up with confidence and walked tall to the stage, accepting the mic from the DJ.
“Good evening, everyone,” she said with a smile and got a few claps in return. The first notes of the song started. ”Somewhere over the rainbow,” she sang softly and Hotch kept his eyes on her. She was a fairly good singer and walked the stage a few times, scanning the crowd.
The crowd whistled, clapped and stood when Jo ended the song. She smiled and took a small bow before handing the mic over to the DJ. Quickly she made her way to the table and sat with a smile.
“You´re good,” Hotch said and turned to her.
“Thank you,” she replied and looked back, “Anything?”
Hotch shook his head and watched as she took a sip of her water.
“He´s here though,” Jo said loudly so he could hear her over the next singers, who were abusing I Want to Hold Your Hand.
They came up empty and finally Hotch decided it was time and they left.
Driving carefully, Hotch watched the mirrors in hope to catch a car following them, but nothing suspicious caught his eye. He walked Jo up to the door, holding her bag for her. She took off her shoes while he opened the door and they did a quick sweep, fully aware that there was very little possibility the unsub to be waiting for them. Jo turned on a small lamp when they were done.
“I´m going to change,” she told Hotch, picked up her bag and shoes and headed for the bathroom. It took her three minutes to emerge in black sweats, a dark blue tee and a black Kevlar vest. She fastened the mic to her vest and let the earpiece fall over her shoulder. Pulling the pins out of her hair, she ran her fingers a few times over it before pulling it back into a ponytail and then set her earpiece in place. Picking up her gun, Hotch watched her as she checked it in practiced motion before looking at him and nodding.
“Is the mic working?” he asked.
“Can you guys hear me?” she asked into the mike.
“Loud and clear,” Reid said through their earpieces.
“Yes,” Dave replied.
“I´ll see you soon,” he told her and she walked him to the door.
“See you soon,” she told him and he could feel her watching him as he walked toward the car before he heard the front door shut. He knew she´d pretend to lock the door before going into the room.
Hotch drove down two blocks and picked up Rossi and get ready. Reid was waiting in a car one street over along with Detective Buckner. Hotch turned the car around and drove back. He parked on the other side of the street from the house and killed the engine. They could see Jo moving in the living room before disappearing into the kitchen.
“We’re in place,” Hotch said into the mic on his vest.
“Copy,” Reid said.
“Copy,” Jo said.
And the waiting game began. Hotch stared at the house, watching for anything. “You and Jo. You want to tell me how you know her?” he asked and glanced at the man sitting next to him.
“No,” was all Dave said and Hotch looked at him. Deciding there was a time and place for this conversation and it wasn´t here. Hotch didn´t push the subject.
“I´m going turn of the lights and get into position,” Jo informed them when it was couple of minutes past 1 am. Two minutes later the house went dark.
Two hours passed. All men kept alert.
“I see movement,” Reid reported suddenly.
“Copy,” Jo replied and Hotch and Dave looked at each other and drew their guns.
Six minutes ticked by. Hotch assumed the unsub was looking for a way into the house.
“He´s here,” Jo whispered. “Came though the bathroom window.”
“Go,” Hotch ordered quickly and opened the car door.
A gunshot echoed through the night and everyone sprinted toward the house.
Hotch and Dave where inside within seconds, quickly making their way toward the bedroom. Hitting the light-switch they found Jo on top of the unsub, keeping his right hand twisted behind his back and resting one knee on the middle of his lower back.
“A little help here,” she said when she noticed them. Hotch moved out of the way so two police men could come into the room and haul him away in handcuffs.
“You alright?” Dave asked Jo just as Reid joined them.
“Yeah,” Jo said and looked at her left hand, experimentally opening and closing it with a small wince. “Son of bitch came out of the blue and kicked my hand. I accidentally pulled the trigger.” Jo nodded toward a hole in the wall next to the door.
“You should have it looked at,” Hotch told her.
“I´ll be fine,” Jo said absentmindedly and looked back at her hand.
“Go have it checked out,” Hotch told her firmly and Jo´s head shot up, meeting his eyes stubbornly, clearly not wanting to obey the order. Hotch watched her as she forced her lips together in order to hold her tongue before purposefully walking past them. Beckoning toward Jo and locking his eyes with Reid´s, Hotch silently told Reid to go with her and make sure the EMT´s on standby, took a look at her hand. Reid quickly turned around and followed her.
“That went as well as it could have,” Dave said, and Hotch couldn´t agree more. There was really nothing more for them to do here.
Detective Buckner met them by the front door with CSU right behind him as they walked out of the house. He held out his hand toward Hotch. “I can´t thank you enough for coming. I can´t believe you managed to catch the guy in two days.”
“You´re welcome,” Hotch said as he shook his hand and noticed Reid watching them with his hands in his pockets, clearly waiting to talk to him. “Excuse me,” he told the detective and man before walking away.
“Yes, Reid,” Hotch said as he came closer.
“The EMTs want to X-ray her hand, and since there’s nothing for them here, they offered to take her in the ambulance,” Reid told him as they walked toward the red and white van.
“Alright. Go with her and I´ll pick you up when we’re done here,” Hotch told him.
Rossi picked up the bag the unsub had brought with him and showed it to Hotch before opening it. Inside, they found ropes, rags and duck tape. Hotch knew they had their guy and they headed over to the station to interview him.
Hotch´s cell rang while on their way to the station.
“So, Reid called me and had me look into your unsub. I´ve dug up a few things,” Garcia´s bright voice said.
“Hold on, let me put you on speaker.” Hotch hit the button and handed the phone to Rossi. “What have you found?” Hotch asked.
“Benjamin Burns lost his parents in a fire when he was four and his grandmother took him in. Apparently, social service was notified a few times about the boy but never found reason to remove him from the home.”
“Sounds like she wasn´t treating him very well. That would make him bottle up some anger,” Dave interrupted.
“Yeah, because the grandmother died four weeks ago and according to her web browser she was a big fan of… care to guess?” Garcia asked brightly.
“Judy Garland,” Hotch and Dave replied in unison.
“Losing his grandmother is probable the trigger,” Hotch said.
“Yes,” Dave said. “She managed to keep him in check,” Dave said.
“Thank you, Garcia,” Hotch said.
“You are most welcome,” Garcia said and hung up.
It only took Dave ninety minutes to get a confession. When the older man walked out of the interrogation room, Hotch got a text from Reid saying they were done.
“I´m going to pick up Jo and Reid. Think you can hitch a ride to the hotel?” Hotch asked his old friend.
“Sure, it won´t be a problem. I gather we’re spending the night?”
“No, I was thinking of flying home,” Hotch told him as they walked toward the conference room they occupied.
“Home just in time for breakfast,” Rossi sighed tiredly. Hotch agreed and headed out.
***
Hotch found Jo standing outside the hospital and talking on the phone, her left hand bandaged. Reid sat on a nearby bench waiting for him.
Reid took the passenger seat as Jo ended her call and climbed into the back. “How did it go?” Hotch asked.
“Just a sprain, nothing is broken,” Reid told him.
“I just talked to Mr. Ripley. He´s going to run the story in the morning,” Jo said tiredly from the back.
Hotch nodded. “We are going to fly home tonight,” he informed them.
***
Ch: 6