CM: BigBang 2011
Chapter 13
A few weeks later
It had become painfully clear to Jo that whatever was between Reid and Hotch, had become a major problem between them. Their behavior around each other had lost the familiarity and easiness and had become borderline awkward. Oh, they tried really hard to hide it but Jo noticed it. As if that wasn´t a clear enough, the way Hotch had thrown himself into work - and dragged them all along for the ride - certainly was. And somewhere on the way Anna had become Spencer´s confidant which meant Jo got all the highlights.
“We have a case,” Hotch announced as he walked toward the briefing room. Jo groaned inwardly and turned toward Reid. Reid looked tired, as they all were, after the way Hotch had been hauling them from city to city and pushing for reports.
“This has to stop,” she mumbled and Reid´s head shot up at the sound as she rose from her chair.
“Did you say something?” he asked with interest as he got ready to stand up.
“Sit back down,” Jo replied and headed toward Dave´s office, ignoring the puzzled look she got from her Reid.
With intent she walked into the office and pretended not to see the surprised look on Dave´s face. She closed the door with a bit of noise as Dave put his suit jacket on. “You have to talk to Hotch, this is too much,” Jo said firmly.
“He´s the unit chief, what do you want me to say?” Dave said and sat on the edge of the table.
“Dave, this is the fifth case in three weeks. We are all dead tired,” Jo said firmly. She pointed her finger at him; “And don´t even try to deny it, old man.”
The corner of Dave´s mouth twitched in amusement. “I won´t, but I resent being called old.”
Jo looked away, trying to hold back the smirk that threatened to break out. She lost the battle and turned her head to smile at Dave. “He´s your friend,” she said and turned serious. She walked up to him. “He´ll listen to you,”
“And what exactly do you want me to tell him?” Dave said patiently.
Jo looked pointedly into Dave´s eyes. “Tell him, that if he doesn´t slow down, Reid will end up in the hospital again, or you use Jack.” They both knew mentioning Reid would be enough for Hotch to slow down.
Dave stared at Jo. “And Reid hates hospitals,” he said with of humor.
“So I´ve heard,” Jo said truthfully and with a playful smirk.
“I´m not making any promises,” Dave said and stood up.
“All I ask is that you talk to him,” Jo said and sighed. She turned around and left the office, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Jo took a seat by her desk and watched at Dave walked into the briefing room. She stared up into the room above. Dave sat across from Hotch, with his back to the window so she had a good view of Hotch´s reaction. Hotch sat straight in his chair, glaring at Dave. She noticed Reid glanced at her before turning his head and follow her line of vision.
“Do you know what they are talking about?” he asked just as Hotch spoke. Hotch´s face was hard and unyielding.
“About the case,” Jo told him and made sure not to miss anything that happened in the room above. Come on, Dave she thought impatiently as the conversation between Dave and Hotch got intense.
“Then shouldn´t we be in there?” Reid asked confused but didn´t look away either.
“Do you want to go in there?” Jo asked with a hint of humor. She watched as Hotch´s eyes looked over Dave´s shoulder and right at Reid. Bingo. Looking at Reid, she noticed he´d gone completely still. For a few moments, he sat unmoving and stared up into the room, then he looked away and cleared his throat. Jo sighed apprehensively as she watched Reid frown and move nervously in his chair. It´s none of your business, Josephine Laura.
Looking back into the briefing room, Jo saw Hotch had stood up and was picking up his papers. The man looked tired but determined. Dave walked out of the room and glanced her way. He smirked and winked at her before entering his own office. Jo leaned back into her chair and silently enjoyed the victory and relief.
***
It took a little time, but the team found their tempo again once Hotch set their work-load to a reasonable level. Instead he turned his focus on Jo and her secret project, one she didn´t try to hide very well. She had become close to everyone on the team and worked just as hard as all of them. Because of that, he found it hard to belief she would double cross them. His focus was first and foremost, on protecting his team and therefore he kept a close eye on her.
After a short briefing of a new case in Huston, Texas, Hotch retreated to his office to get ready for the trip. Jo entered his office and closed the door behind her. She locked her eyes with his and he noticed how she studied him.
“I can´t go with you on this case,” she said.
“Why?” Hotch asked and all the doubts he´d had about her entered his mind. He gave her all of his focus.
“I can´t tell you,” she told him looked away, “I´m sorry.”
Hotch gave her a firm stare. “What is going on?”
Jo met his eyes instantly, guarded. “What do you mean?”
He couldn´t keep all of his frustration out of his voice. “You're late for briefings, take phone calls unrelated to cases and disappear during work hours. Either you come clean or I´m forced to call Internal Affairs. So, I ask you again Agent Davenport, what is going on?”
Jo forced her lips together in determination and stared at him. For a split second her eyes showed uncertainty but he noticed it. “Agent Hotchner,” she started firmly. “You are not on need-to-know-basis with my assignment. I´ve strict orders not to tell you.” She drew in a breath but kept eye contact with him. “You have two options, one is letting me sit this one out. Second is terminating our agreement if you don´t think I´ve been doing a good, in that case I suggest you take it up with Director Messing.” She looked at him pointedly. “Either way I´m not going on that plane.”
Hotch got the message; Director Messing was running an operation inside the BAU. It only worried him more than reassured him. Did that mean his team was under investigation? Did that mean he was under investigation? "Is my team the focus of your assignment?”
Jo stared at him and pressed her lips together. Fifteen seconds later it became clear she wasn´t going to answer.
Hotch glared at her, more frustrated than before. “Okay, you´re staying and you are staying out of the BAU while I´m away,” he told her firmly.
“Hotch - “ Jo tried to object.
“We´ll have this conversation when I get back,” he said fiercely, “Either you are walking out by yourself or I´ll have agents escort you.”
She shook her head and looked at the floor. “Yes, sir,” Jo said firmly and exited his office. He watched as she picked up her shoulder bag and walked out through the glass doors.
It was time to get a few things straightened out. Determined, he walked out of his office and entered the one next to him without knocking. Dave looked up in surprise when Hotch stopped in front of his desk.
“Hotch?” Dave asked calmly but with a hint of curiosity.
“What do you know about Agent Davenport´s work?” Hotch didn´t have time to waste time on pleasantries.
“Nothing,” Rossi replied and leaned back in his seat. “We are both agents and know the job so we tend to leave it out of our personal conversations.”
Hotch drew in a deep breath to calm his anger and walked over to the window.
“What is going on? Has Jo done something wrong?” Dave asked with concern as he stood up and walked over to him.
“I don´t know,” Hotch replied and rubbed his brow. “Do you think it´s possible she´s working for Strauss?”
“No,” Dave replied quickly, “Jo is very well aware of my thoughts on Erin. Jo would have told me if she´d approached her.”
“Are you sure?” Hotch asked and looked at his friend.
“Yes. Why, aren´t you?” Dave asked curiously.
“Because that´s how Prentiss got on the team. Strauss signed her papers to have leverage on her when she needed information on the team. But Prentiss resigned when Strauss approached her.”
“And now you think Jo is playing the same game?”
Hotch sighed. He was conflicted about whether he should tell Dave or not. But Dave knew Jo best of all of them. Maybe he could find something. “She just admitted being on assignment for Director Messing.”
Dave raised his eyebrows and stared at Hotch for a moment. “That would explain the secrecy I've noticed.” Dave thought for a moment. “Hotch, I truly believe that if Jo was out to hurt anyone on the team, she wouldn´t have gotten so involved. If I get a chance I´ll talk to her,” Dave told him.
“She´s not coming with us,” Hotch said and turned toward Dave. “And I told her to stay away from the BAU while we are away.”
“That´s understandable,” Dave said to try to calm his friend. “But I trust her, Hotch. With my life.”
Hotch considered what Dave said and agreed with his assessment. “You´ll talk to her?”
“First chance I get,” Dave promised.
“Thank you,” Hotch said and left the office much calmer.
***
After an exhausting three day stay in Texas, the team landed in Quantico. They´d caught the unsub so it was a success. Hotch was getting ready to exit the jet when his phone rang and he noticed Garcia´s number.
“Yes, Garcia?” he answered.
“Sir,” a distressed Garcia said on the other end, ”I think you need to come here as soon as you can.”
“What´s going on?”
“Agent Davenport is here with an army of agents and just arrested Strauss,” Garcia blurted into his ear.
“What?” Hotch stopped short, in surprise.
”They´re leading Strauss out in handcuffs, right now,” Garcia told him.
“I´ll be right there,” Hotch quickly walked down the steps, all exhaustion gone from his body. “Do you know the charges?”
“Oh, girl what have you gotten yourself into,” Garcia said as he heard her type. “It´s espionage.”
“I´m on my way,” Hotch said and noticed the others looking at him as he hung up.
“Hotch, what´s going on?” Morgan asked as the other gathered around the unit chief.
“Strauss has been arrested,” Hotch told them and looked directly at Dave, “by Agent Davenport.” Hotch didn´t miss the small pride in Dave´s eyes before the older agent nodded. “Let´s go,” Hotch said quickly and moved toward the driver´s seat. Dave sat in the passenger seat while Reid and Morgan climbed into the back seat.
Hotch tried to call Jo as he drove toward headquarters, but only got her voicemail. The same happened for the others.
“Is that what´s she´s been hiding?” Reid asked.
“Looks like it,” Dave replied.
For the next two days, everywhere Hotch tried to get information he got stonewalled. He tried to see Director Messing but got turned away. Finally, Hotch called JJ. She had given him the polite answer of no comment and that he knew very well she couldn´t talk about it. They had nothing and all they could was wait.
Finally, late on the second day, Dave came to his office and told him he had just talked to Jo.
“Of course she didn´t want to talk about the case,” Dave told him, “but I managed to get her to admit that she joined the team to get close to Strauss and monitor her. She sends her apologies and promises she´ll come and see you as soon as she can.”
Hotch shook his head. “What's going on, Dave?”
“I don´t know,” the older man sighed. “But I know she wouldn´t be doing this without probable cause.”
“I know. She´s a damn good agent,” Hotch said quietly, realizing he meant it.
“That she is,” Dave agreed and looked out the window.
Hotch noticed the worry on Dave´s face. “How did she sound?” Hotch asked, concerned.
“Tired,” Dave told him.
Hotch could understand that.
***
The following Monday, there was a quiet knock on Hotch´s office door and Jo entered a second later. He quickly stood up and tried to hide his surprise.
“I´m sorry,” she said and stared at him. Dressed in jeans and plain top, she sat down heavily in the visitor chair by his desk. “I was only doing my job.”
She looked so tired and worn out that Hotch felt for her. He slowly sat down as he asked gently: “Who do you work for?”
Jo looked at him. “What I´m about to tell you is strictly confidential. I can give you the highlights but no details.”
“Okay,” Hotch agreed, he just wanted an explanation.
“My team was a part of a larger taskforce run by Director Messing. We came from Internal Affairs, but there were also teams from Counterintelligence and International Operations. It was huge, Hotch.”
Taken aback, Hotch stared at her for a few moments while he thought about what she´d said. This was much bigger then he´d anticipated. “What was the op?”
Jo drew in a long breath. “Counterintelligence has been chasing a leak for almost three years. Terrorist groups and sleeper cells got tipped off and managed to elude capture. We were brought in about six months ago when it became clear the leak was inside the Bureau and we quickly suspected AD Strauss.”
Jo put her hands together in her lap and looked down. “Finally, last week International Operations Unit apprehended a man in the Middle East and we were put on standby. That´s why I couldn´t go with you. And then we got a green light to arrest Strauss.”
“I couldn´t tell you what was going on because there was a risk someone could be working with her. That´s why I made sure all of you noticed I was working on this too. We hoped that it would make any associates nervous and have him make a mistake,” Jo finished and looked at him.
“You thought the mole was inside the BAU?” Hotch asked with disbelief.
“The intel pointed toward the BAU,” she said apologetically and looked away.”If there is, she hasn´t given him up. But given her profile, I think she would have given him up just to gain some leverage. So, no, I don´t think there is one.” She looked at him. “I´m certain it´s no one on the team,” she said firmly.
Jo looked out the window. Dave, Morgan and Garcia stood behind Reid, who sat at his desk. All of them stared up at the office with curiosity. “When I contacted you to get on your team, I thought this would be just another IA assignment.” She huffed skeptically. “I never expected to get so involved, to gain friends…” She looked at him, “for my family to get involved. You have an amazing team, Hotch.”
“Thank you,” Hotch told her and gave her a small smile. He understood her position much better now. Being an undercover IA agent wasn´t an easy job.
“I wanted to bring you on board from the beginning, but Director Messing said no. I was only following orders, and I´m sorry.” She said and looked at him sadly.
“I understand,” he said, although he was a bit disappointed on not being informed. He still resented her a little for it. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
She shook her head. “But I still have three weeks left of our arrangement,” she told him.
“Yes?” he asked curiously.
“I want to work them, if that´s okay,” she asked hopefully.
“Why?” Hotch asked a bit surprised.
“Well, except for a few things that need to be finished from my last assignment, I have resigned from IA. The BAU is a good place with good people and I like working with Dave.”
“How much is left of your assignment with IA?” he asked worried about how much time it would take.
“Two interviews regarding the investigation and review and sign the reports my agents should be writing as we speak,” she told him.
He was still an agent down but he couldn´t help but wonder if he could trust her. To her credit, she had come and explained, something she hadn´t had to do. “Okay,” he said.
“Thank you, boss,” Jo said teasingly and stood up. “But right now, I´m going to go home and sleep for the next twelve hours. I´ll see you tomorrow.”
“Eight o´clock sharp,” Hotch replied and extended his hand, “I´m glad to have you back.”
“Thank you, Hotch,” she replied sincerely and shook his hand.
***
Ch: 14