Prologue
The BAU team, with local law enforcement in back-up, had chased their unsub through three blocks of city streets. This unsub had brutally raped and killed six women. Working the streets with the locals, and having narrowed down their search area to a six square block area, JJ and Reid had interrupted him abducting his seventh victim. They stayed with her, bleeding from a head wound of the unsub's blitz attack until EMTs could arrive.
Hotch and Matt rolled into the area first, with Rossi and Blake right behind them. Morgan and Emily screeched to a halt less than ten seconds later. "Fan out," Matt said "and stay with your partner."
Rossi and Blake walking cautiously down an alley way, following Bureau procedures to the letter; they were on guard. Rossi looked around and stopped. "Blake," he whispered. He pointed to an ajar door to a warehouse. She nodded and radioed their location.
"I damn nearly missed it," Rossi said quietly, as they waited for the rest of the troops. Hotch and Matt were the first down the alley way with Morgan and Prentiss hot on their heels.
Morgan grabbed the door handle and looked at Matt. "Easy entrance Morgan," he whispered. Morgan nodded and gently pulled the door open. Matt went in first and had a bullet wing by his head. Morgan dived in behind him to Matt's right. The looked at each other on the floor and nodded their I'm OK.
Matt put his wrist mike, attached to his dress shirt cuff to his mouth. "He's got high ground that he can see us," he advised, whispering. "Morgan, work your way around to your right; stay low but give him a hint where you are, drawing him out so I can see where the hell he is." Morgan nodded at him and set out. Matt continued. "Hotch, Rossi, when you hear me unloading my clip, get in the door and stay low. I'll be moving to my left, away from Morgan. Hotch left to cover me; Rossi right to cover Morgan. Prentiss, Blake; stand by." They all pinged their acceptance.
Morgan shook the right box for the unsub to see and he rose up, firing a hail of bullets. Matt quickly rose up, spotted him, and unloaded his clip. Hotch and Dave made their move. Emily held the door open with her leg, her gun drawn and looked at Blake. "It's us next." Blake nodded.
"Morgan," Matt asked.
"I'm good; you got him Cob?"
Matt listened to hear if another clip dropped on the ground that wasn't his. His Glock was already reloaded. "I did; but I think he's on the move," he whispered. "Prentiss, you and Blake get in, coming in low and see if that gets a response." Prentiss nodded at Blake, who dove in to the right; Emily followed to the left. There was no response from the unsub.
"Shit," Matt said. "We need another diversion to get him to pop his head up." Before Prentiss could stop her, Blake made a move up the middle of the situation. In doing so, she bumped her earpiece out of her ear, losing contact with the team.
"Cob; it's Prentiss; Blake is making a forward move through the middle."
"Copy that," he answered as he and Hotch teamed up. "Blake, stand down." He listened. He repeated the order. There was no response. Matt looked at Hotch. "Shit; now we've got to goddamn improvise." Hotch shook his head. "Dave, you with Morgan," Matt said into his cuff.
"Roger," Rossi said.
"Rattle around something to get his attention so Morgan can move up."
"Roger Cob." Less than five seconds later, Dave rattled the right crate and the unsub unleashed another round.
"I've got him Matt," Hotch advised. "He's moving towards Blake."
"Shit; Morgan get ready to move hard and fast to the center. I'm coming the other direction. Rossi, Hotch; you're our eagle eyes; put a goddam bullet in his brain. Prentiss, do recon as much as you can and send us intel."
They all pinged their acceptance of the plan. As the plan came into action, the unsub laughed manically. "Hello Agent," he smiled at Blake, holding his .357 at her head twenty feet away. "Hey Agents," he yelled. "I've got your one of your bitches dead to right in my gun sight. What the fuck are you going to do now," he asked, laughing again.
"Cob," Morgan said. "I've got him."
Matt looked across the warehouse with a clear view of Morgan. "I've got Blake. We just need a diversion."
"Cob," Prentiss said, "that's me. I'm left center so you and Hotch and can make your play from the side. Just give me a count to put down covering fire."
Hotch looked at Rossi. "Rossi, it's you and I taking the unsub out."
"With pleasure Hotch," Rossi radioed back.
"Cob, you make the move," Morgan said in his intercom. "I've got the bastard."
"Understood Morgan," Hotch said.
"Roger Morgan," Dave added.
"Now Prentiss." Prentiss laid do covering fire. Matt made the hard move to get Blake, flying into the exposed open area she was standing in. The unsub rose up and Morgan planted the first bullet in his brain and Rossi quickly added a second.
"We clear?" Hotch said, running up to cover Cob and Blake.
"Yeah Hotch, we're clear," Rossi said. "He isn't thinking anymore."
Hotch looked down at the man that was ordered to cover his team. He was sprawled on top of Blake. Cob rolled off the top of her as Morgan reached them first, pulling Blake up off the floor. "Good thing I'm wearing Kevlar," she smiled, "or I'd have a broken rib or two." Morgan just looked at her, pulling her away from the scene.
Rossi went to make sure the unsub was down as Prentiss hurried to the scene. Matt laid on his back for a second. Hotch looked at him. "You OK?"
As Prentiss arrived, Matt held out his hand to Hotch. "Just help me get off the goddamn floor." Unknown to Matt, his mike was pinged open. JJ and Reid, arriving on the scene, heard, like all the rest, the bite in his voice. JJ and Reid looked at each other.
Blake walked out of the warehouse ahead of Morgan. "You OK," JJ asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled.
Morgan blew by her, muttering under his breath. "No you are not."
Blake looked at Reid. "You are in deep trouble Alex."
The team went to the police headquarters and finished what they had to. Hotch looked at Matt. "We flying tonight or tomorrow morning?"
Matt was about to answer when his cell pinged with a text. He pulled it out of his pocket, smiling at Hotch. "Tonight; Chuck and Angie have a flight plan cleared." They all silently packed up.
Alex Blake's stomach churned as she sent a text to James. On our way home, she sent. I think I screwed up.
The BAU team did the usual good-byes with the locals, loaded up their SUVs and headed towards the airport. As they started to board, with their personal luggage getting loaded, their cells all pinged with a message.
No one goes home tonight until your tactical reports are done. Hotch The team all groaned.
Blake looked at Morgan who just shook his head. She sent a new text to James. Now I know I have.
The flight home was extremely quiet, which was unusual. As they reached cruising altitude, Matt sprawled out in the center aisle, lying flat on his back. Hotch looked at him. "First thing tomorrow morning, you see the Bureau doc or don't bother coming in the door because I'll chase your ass right back out."
Matt, lying on the floor looked at him. "Way ahead of you Hotch." Blake sitting in the four top with Morgan, Reid and JJ, looked at them. She didn't get much of a response. Rossi, sitting in the two top at the front with Prentiss, smiled wickedly at her. Emily smiled, knowing what was coming and just shook her head.
-00CM00-
Matt walked into the BAU at 9:20; not his usual 8:00 am with the twins being out of school for the summer. He went up the steps, gimping a bit, which the team noticed, including Morgan, who was doing some back work with Emily on their profile for reports.
He leaned his muscular frame into Hotch's open door way. "You get the email yet," he asked.
"No; tell me the truth."
"Aaron, I always tell you the truth," he said, his Irish temper showing. Hotch knew immediately that his partner was going on little sleep.
"Matt, no I haven't received the official memo yet from the BAU doc. Tell me," he said.
"I screwed up my hip flexor. The doc said it will hurt like a banche and gave me some exercises that will help. Until it clears up, I'm completely cleared for field duty. The doc said 'you only have to put up with pain; the injury won't get worse'. I've dealt with pain before Hotch."
Hotch looked at him. "I haven't got the official email."
"Aaron, you will; I'm hurting but I don't lie to you."
Aaron Hotchner smiled. "I know you don't," he said as his email pinged. He eyed it quickly, with a smile at Matt. "It's the doc."
Matt smiled. "She'll tell you the same thing I just did."
"I don't doubt that; what about the other situation?"
Matt looked at Hotch. "I want Blake in my office at 10 am and advise her to not be late." Hotch looked at him. "Aaron; trust me; I know how to handle our team." Hotch nodded with a smile, turning to his laptop to send the message to Alex.
Blake looked at the email that pinged on her laptop. Agent Blake; you have a 10 am appointment with Agent Taylor. I would highly advice you to not be late. Hotch.
Blake, knowing she was in the Irishmen's doghouse, looked at Reid. She had got to know Emily and JJ and had a deep respect for them. Yet, she was still not part of that complete sisterhood that the two agents and Garcia shared. She turned to the one person she truly knew.
"Do they make Kevlar for your butt?"
"No, they don't," Reid said, completely missing the humor in the question to diffuse her nervousness.
Three minutes to ten, Blake walked up the steps and knocked on Matt's door. "You wanted to see me?"
"Come in Agent Blake; please shut the door." Blake shut the door and sat in one of the chairs in front of Matt's desk he waved at, still looking at the files on his desk.
Matt got out of his chair and walked to the front of his desk and leaned against it.
"Alex, I know you are new to the team. However, that is the key word: team. We cover each other and don't needlessly put each other at risk," he gently said. "We back who we are partnered with. By Agent Prentiss' report, you left your partner exposed, without telling her. You moved into a fluid tactical scene without letting anyone know or getting approval to make the move. I don't need to tell you about the type of people we deal with." Alex shook her head. "Because of them, we have to hyper vigilant with each other, especially in that kind of situation."
"Agent Taylor, I saw an opening and I took it. The rest, as you pointed out, was a mistake. It won't happen again."
Matt smiled. "That's what I needed to hear."
"How's your hip?"
"It's a flexor problem. Sitting is not fun. I'll get over it," he smiled. "Hotch is waiting on your reports."
Alex got up from her chair. "Got it." She walked to the door and opened it as Matt circled around to his chair.
"And Alex, if you lose your earpiece, you stop and put it back in if possible. Communication is the key of not killing each other. I really don't need that pain in the ass paperwork," he added.
"Got it," Alex smiled.
Reid looked at her as she walked to her desk behind his. He smiled. "The Irishman's doghouse isn't as bad as it sounds, is it?"
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