Lead the Way - Chapter 102 - Exposure
Did you guys know what a special day Tuesday was? Tusday was December 6th! And LTW turned 1! I admit I decided to post twice a week so you guys wouldn't rush through a story that took me 18 months to write. What better birthday present could I give you than to tell you that yesterday was the day I started writing LTW Season 5?
My brain has been flirting with overflowing for quite some time now and yesterday it just did. I'm halfway through one sub-storyline and I love it. Obviously it will be rewritten a couple of times, but overall I feel so much lighter and better for it!
Lead the Way - 102 - Exposure
“What do we have?“ Hotch asked as he sat down.
“I hacked into the Ford satellite and located JJ’s car through her GPS signal.” Garcia brought up a map on the screen in the briefing room. She pointed to a red dot. “She was right here, almost home.”
Emily felt as if someone hit her in the stomach. She had almost been home and he had just taken her from her. She would bring her back.
Prentiss shook her head and looked up.
“When I spoke to Mrs. Jareau she told me JJ had left at ten past four. Can we estimate when she should have been at this location?”
Reid mumbled a bit and then said: “It’s impossible to consider all the variables, but if JJ always drove the speed limit she would have been there at around 7:45.”
“When did Cooper call you?” Emily looked through the logs on her phone before she answered.
“He called at 9:36.”
“So he had her for an hour and forty-five minutes. Why would he wait another two hours before sending you proof?”
“And why is he talking about this like it’s a party? Is he delusional?” Derek asked, fiddling with his pen.
“He did use most of his time stalking his victims, fleshing out his fantasy that they were his sister,” Reid offered.
“I don’t think so. I think there’s more to it.” Emily didn’t buy his act. He had shown no signs of losing touch with reality in Tyler.
“I agree. Garcia, I want you and Reid to find out if Cooper is where he is luring us. We have to make sure it’s not a trap. Also I want to know how, when and by what means Cooper escaped and remained under the radar. Has he killed on the run?”
“Dave, I trust you to take over communication with Cooper.”
“But, Sir!” Emily felt as if he was demoting her.
“We need to start taking over control. He won’t jeopardize the only leverage he has.”
“Morgan you should make sure that we have the best SWAT team on sight. Make sure that they understand that we don’t want any losses. Infrared cameras, tear gas… I want everything that can give us an advantage. Don’t worry about the costs.”
“Prentiss, I’ll see you in my office. The rest of you: try not to think of JJ. I know it’s hard, but our chances of bringing her home alive are better if we treat this like any other case and remain objective.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Emily, hold on.” This time she will have enough courage.
“What is it, JJ?” Emily asks, smiling widely.
“Would you like to have dinner with me?”
“That sounds an awful lot like you’re asking me out on a date.”
“What if I were?”
Instead of an answer Emily throws her head back and laughs whole-heartedly.
“Don’t be silly, JJ, I could never date someone like you.”
“Like me? You mean…”
“I mean, look at you.” JJ looks down herself and finds a mermaid’s tail. “Maybe you should talk to Ursula. She might be more your type.” Emily is still laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily surrendered her cell phone to Dave before leaving the briefing room. Of all the ways her relationship with JJ could have come out, this was worse than the worst case scenario. It wasn’t on their terms, Strauss was bound to find out about this, everyone’s job was at risk not to mention JJ’s life and it was all Emily’s fault.
She shouldn’t have pursued JJ. Let her think she was straight and live moderately happy with Will. They were agents in the same unit, she was much too old for her, she had no experience whatsoever in relationships… ‘So unprofessional!’
She knocked on the door before stepping in. In all her life… Emily had never felt so bad. Even after breaking up with JJ. Then, at least, JJ hadn’t been in physical danger and she could have loved her from afar.
None of these thoughts were visible on the outside, however. SSA Prentiss walked into Hotch’s office, shoulders strong, head held high. She had been only seconds behind her boss, but he was already sitting at his desk.
“I apologize for my unprofessional behavior, Sir. You will have my resignation on your desk once we get JJ back.”
“There will be no need for that.”
“I don’t understand. I put her in danger. I put the whole team at risk.”
“She hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what, Sir?”
“About four months ago, JJ signed sexual harassment wavers.”
Emily sat down. She forgot that it was impolite to sit if she wasn’t asked to. She forgot that she was in Hotch’s office. She even forgot for a brief moment that Cooper had abducted JJ. Four months ago.
She had never said a word. Neither had Hotch for that matter. Four months ago. That must mean that it was before their break up. It didn’t make sense otherwise. Was that why she had wanted to take the next step?
“I recall you saying that one doesn’t choose who they fall in love with.”
She looked up at him and saw something in his eyes for the very first time. Could it be? She had always known that Hotch had been hiding a side to him, one reserved only for Hailey, but she never would have guessed it was being a romantic.
Emily smiled a little. Then she got serious again.
“Sir. I meant to… we wanted…”
“Yes?”
“The team is… I never meant to lie. It’s…”
“…hard to draw the line between privacy and shame?”
Emily sighed in agreement.
“And now, with JJ, the consequences…”
“I think by now, it’s fair to say that none of us will be promoted out of here any time soon.”
Emily smiled a little again, but objected.
“Nonetheless, Sir…”
“You kept our secrets. We’ll keep yours.”
“That’s what friends do.” They both looked up to see Rossi standing in the door. “I just thought you might want a heads up.” He left quickly and behind him they saw Section Chief Erin Strauss rush down the hallway.
Emily got up and wanted to leave, but Strauss was already through the door.
“Explain to me why you didn’t call me right away, Agent Hotchner.“
“We have the situation under control.”
“Am I missing something or is my press liaison suddenly back at her desk?”
“What I meant was…”
“I know what you meant. Now fix it.”
“With all due respect, what do you think I was doing before you stormed in here?”
“Risking more agents because of your personal involvement.”
“Ma’am, this individual we’re dealing with is prepared to torture and kill without remorse if he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“Are you suggesting that we negotiate with terrorists?”
“I suggest that you let me do my job.”
“Careful, Agent Hotchner.”
“You won’t find any one more determined and more capable than this team.”
Erin Strauss turned around to look at Emily. She let her gaze wander up and down, sizing her up.
“I expect a full report for all this as soon as this situation is resolved.”
Emily held her stare. She prayed that there wasn’t too much insubordination in her eyes to cause yet another incident with the section chief.
“Of course you realize that any bad press or further losses will come down on your shoulders?” Strauss said to Hotch.
“We haven’t lost anyone yet.”
“Right.”
She watched as Strauss left the office. Even if Hotch kept his word and her secrets, she would have to deal with the section chief and her life at the BAU was over. She had loved this job even more than she had thought when she applied for it. It didn’t matter anymore. As long as she got JJ back she wouldn’t mind losing her career.
“There’s one more thing, Emily.”
She looked at him.
“I need to know that you can be professional about this.”
“I will, Sir.”
“I have a feeling that Cooper is too well prepared for us to use anyone else but you.”
“I can do it.”
“Good.”
My brain has been flirting with overflowing for quite some time now and yesterday it just did. I'm halfway through one sub-storyline and I love it. Obviously it will be rewritten a couple of times, but overall I feel so much lighter and better for it!
Lead the Way - 102 - Exposure
“What do we have?“ Hotch asked as he sat down.
“I hacked into the Ford satellite and located JJ’s car through her GPS signal.” Garcia brought up a map on the screen in the briefing room. She pointed to a red dot. “She was right here, almost home.”
Emily felt as if someone hit her in the stomach. She had almost been home and he had just taken her from her. She would bring her back.
Prentiss shook her head and looked up.
“When I spoke to Mrs. Jareau she told me JJ had left at ten past four. Can we estimate when she should have been at this location?”
Reid mumbled a bit and then said: “It’s impossible to consider all the variables, but if JJ always drove the speed limit she would have been there at around 7:45.”
“When did Cooper call you?” Emily looked through the logs on her phone before she answered.
“He called at 9:36.”
“So he had her for an hour and forty-five minutes. Why would he wait another two hours before sending you proof?”
“And why is he talking about this like it’s a party? Is he delusional?” Derek asked, fiddling with his pen.
“He did use most of his time stalking his victims, fleshing out his fantasy that they were his sister,” Reid offered.
“I don’t think so. I think there’s more to it.” Emily didn’t buy his act. He had shown no signs of losing touch with reality in Tyler.
“I agree. Garcia, I want you and Reid to find out if Cooper is where he is luring us. We have to make sure it’s not a trap. Also I want to know how, when and by what means Cooper escaped and remained under the radar. Has he killed on the run?”
“Dave, I trust you to take over communication with Cooper.”
“But, Sir!” Emily felt as if he was demoting her.
“We need to start taking over control. He won’t jeopardize the only leverage he has.”
“Morgan you should make sure that we have the best SWAT team on sight. Make sure that they understand that we don’t want any losses. Infrared cameras, tear gas… I want everything that can give us an advantage. Don’t worry about the costs.”
“Prentiss, I’ll see you in my office. The rest of you: try not to think of JJ. I know it’s hard, but our chances of bringing her home alive are better if we treat this like any other case and remain objective.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Emily, hold on.” This time she will have enough courage.
“What is it, JJ?” Emily asks, smiling widely.
“Would you like to have dinner with me?”
“That sounds an awful lot like you’re asking me out on a date.”
“What if I were?”
Instead of an answer Emily throws her head back and laughs whole-heartedly.
“Don’t be silly, JJ, I could never date someone like you.”
“Like me? You mean…”
“I mean, look at you.” JJ looks down herself and finds a mermaid’s tail. “Maybe you should talk to Ursula. She might be more your type.” Emily is still laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily surrendered her cell phone to Dave before leaving the briefing room. Of all the ways her relationship with JJ could have come out, this was worse than the worst case scenario. It wasn’t on their terms, Strauss was bound to find out about this, everyone’s job was at risk not to mention JJ’s life and it was all Emily’s fault.
She shouldn’t have pursued JJ. Let her think she was straight and live moderately happy with Will. They were agents in the same unit, she was much too old for her, she had no experience whatsoever in relationships… ‘So unprofessional!’
She knocked on the door before stepping in. In all her life… Emily had never felt so bad. Even after breaking up with JJ. Then, at least, JJ hadn’t been in physical danger and she could have loved her from afar.
None of these thoughts were visible on the outside, however. SSA Prentiss walked into Hotch’s office, shoulders strong, head held high. She had been only seconds behind her boss, but he was already sitting at his desk.
“I apologize for my unprofessional behavior, Sir. You will have my resignation on your desk once we get JJ back.”
“There will be no need for that.”
“I don’t understand. I put her in danger. I put the whole team at risk.”
“She hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what, Sir?”
“About four months ago, JJ signed sexual harassment wavers.”
Emily sat down. She forgot that it was impolite to sit if she wasn’t asked to. She forgot that she was in Hotch’s office. She even forgot for a brief moment that Cooper had abducted JJ. Four months ago.
She had never said a word. Neither had Hotch for that matter. Four months ago. That must mean that it was before their break up. It didn’t make sense otherwise. Was that why she had wanted to take the next step?
“I recall you saying that one doesn’t choose who they fall in love with.”
She looked up at him and saw something in his eyes for the very first time. Could it be? She had always known that Hotch had been hiding a side to him, one reserved only for Hailey, but she never would have guessed it was being a romantic.
Emily smiled a little. Then she got serious again.
“Sir. I meant to… we wanted…”
“Yes?”
“The team is… I never meant to lie. It’s…”
“…hard to draw the line between privacy and shame?”
Emily sighed in agreement.
“And now, with JJ, the consequences…”
“I think by now, it’s fair to say that none of us will be promoted out of here any time soon.”
Emily smiled a little again, but objected.
“Nonetheless, Sir…”
“You kept our secrets. We’ll keep yours.”
“That’s what friends do.” They both looked up to see Rossi standing in the door. “I just thought you might want a heads up.” He left quickly and behind him they saw Section Chief Erin Strauss rush down the hallway.
Emily got up and wanted to leave, but Strauss was already through the door.
“Explain to me why you didn’t call me right away, Agent Hotchner.“
“We have the situation under control.”
“Am I missing something or is my press liaison suddenly back at her desk?”
“What I meant was…”
“I know what you meant. Now fix it.”
“With all due respect, what do you think I was doing before you stormed in here?”
“Risking more agents because of your personal involvement.”
“Ma’am, this individual we’re dealing with is prepared to torture and kill without remorse if he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“Are you suggesting that we negotiate with terrorists?”
“I suggest that you let me do my job.”
“Careful, Agent Hotchner.”
“You won’t find any one more determined and more capable than this team.”
Erin Strauss turned around to look at Emily. She let her gaze wander up and down, sizing her up.
“I expect a full report for all this as soon as this situation is resolved.”
Emily held her stare. She prayed that there wasn’t too much insubordination in her eyes to cause yet another incident with the section chief.
“Of course you realize that any bad press or further losses will come down on your shoulders?” Strauss said to Hotch.
“We haven’t lost anyone yet.”
“Right.”
She watched as Strauss left the office. Even if Hotch kept his word and her secrets, she would have to deal with the section chief and her life at the BAU was over. She had loved this job even more than she had thought when she applied for it. It didn’t matter anymore. As long as she got JJ back she wouldn’t mind losing her career.
“There’s one more thing, Emily.”
She looked at him.
“I need to know that you can be professional about this.”
“I will, Sir.”
“I have a feeling that Cooper is too well prepared for us to use anyone else but you.”
“I can do it.”
“Good.”