Another chapter! Thank you all for the nice reviews and I hope you are enjoying!
Hotch handed Emily her phone back, "You're staying with me tonight." He sounded adament and demanding.
"You can't tell me what to do. I have to stay here I can't give into him." Emily reciprocated very emotionally.
Hotch narrowed his eyes and told her in an almost harsh but subtle tone, "It's not safe here."
"It's not safe anywhere, Aaron." Emily used his first name and only did she use it on rare occasions. It was either because she was being seductive, romantic or trying to make a point.
"Your right, but I can't leave you alone." Hotch said calmly but sternly. He loved her too much to put her in that kind of danger.
"You'll have to. Let me bait him and this will all be over with, he'll come and I'll either end up dead or he will."
"Not a chance." Rossi stepped in.
"Guys he may be able to hear us." Reid said timidly, not wanting to be involved in the conversation. He avoided eye contact and glanced around the room again for a camera.
"I don't care anymore!" Emily blurted sitting down in the nearest recliner and resting her head in her hands. She was defeated.
Rossi tried directing everyone's attention to the crime scene. He was afraid all this tension would create an explosive scene and that's just exactly what Harvey wanted. "Look around, why would he turn up the cushions and knock over lamps? It's obvious he came to get the dog, but why the mess?"
Reid stepped up, now relaxed that they were focused on analyzing the scene, instead of being caught up in a whirlwind of emotions. "Rossi's right. It would have been more indiscreet to come in, get the dog and leave. There are also more efficient ways of breaking in." Reid said observing the open apartment door.
Hotch looked around, "He was trying to make it look disorganized on purpose. He wanted to make a statement."
Emily sighed and looked up, rubbing her hands back through her hair, "Hotch is right, he just wanted to make a statement. He's just trying to rattle me and its working. Harvey was trying to do as much as he could in what little time he had, I guess turning up cushions and breaking my new Peir 1 lamps were the most obvious or mind numbing thing he could think of." Emily picked up a cushion and threw it across the room, towards her entertainment center, knocking her rack of dvds all over the floor.
"You feel better?" Rossi asked.
"No I want my dog back and I just want this to be over." Emily took off down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Hotch asked concerned.
"To get some clothes, it doesn't look like I'm going to be staying here. Besides if I stay here, it puts Reid in immenent danger and I can't risk that." Emily then disappeared into her bedroom.
"Reid will stay with me." Rossi said.
"Guys he could hear us talking. If he does it won't matter where we stay." Reid said, his voice becoming a little high pitched.
"He's a stalker, he'll know what we do anyway. Emily's his obsession, he will know everything about her, her life, her aquantances and friends. We need to figure out his motive. My assumption is he's in this to break Emily down and slowly torment her by hurting us and that means we are all in danger. If he wanted just Emily he would of already had her." Hotch said.
"He's taken Tiger." Rossi said reluctantly, "What does that tell us?"
"Were all in danger." Reid said.
Hotch looked down the hallway towards Emily's room, "Let's remember Harvey's focus is on torturing Emily. He will hurt her as much as he can emotionally and physically when he gets the chance." Hotch looked at Reid, "Reid pack a bag, your staying with Rossi. I'm going to help Emily. When were ready, we need to get back to the BAU and formulate a plan to keep us safe, while also trying to find Harvey."
"It will just take a minute and I have to get some books and make sure..." Reid's voice trailed off as he walked out of Emily's apartment and next door to his.
Rossi looked at Hotch and said jokingly, "Give us at least five minutes."
Hotch barely grinned and reluctantly headed down the hall. As he approached Emily's bedroom he could hear her mumbling, breathing hard and throwing stuff around all in a mix of sniffles. He turned the corner and stood in the doorway.
"I know your standing there." Emily inferred with her back to him.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Hotch asked.
"No." Emily walked over to her dresser and grabbed a handful of clothes and then walked back over to her bed and threw them in her suitcase. "I'm sorry I'm so angry one minute and crying the next. I can't figure this out, I'm scared and I don't want you all to die or get hurt. I just had to go out with him." Emily sighed, "Why did I have to be so stupid. I profile for a living and I couldn't see there was something wrong wtih this guy. Maybe I deserve this."
Hotch stepped up and placed a hand on each of her shoulders, guiding her around to face him. "You don't deserve this. No one does. You will get through this and we will find him."
Emily grabbed one of Hotch's hands and squeezed it. She sat on her bed and pulled Hotch down to take a seat next to her. She clutched Hotch's hand making it seem as if she let go, she might be all alone and said, "My heart hurts Hotch. If he doesn't kill me the stress from all this will. I've felt sick constantly all morning. My chest hurts, my head hurts, even my jaw hurts from clinching my teeth. What do I do, I can't live like this."
"This is what you do." Hotch used his free hand and brushed Emily's hair away from the left side of her face. He then rested his palm on the side of her face.
Emily closed her eyes, feeling the comfort of his warmth, she opened them after a moment and asked, "What do you mean, by this is what you do?"
"This morning, since the moment you saw the pictures you haven't stopped talking. You told me how you felt, you've cried, you've yelled, you've been angry and you've been still. You were courageous and determined. You are coping with this as it happens, your holding nothing back. Instead of letting all these emotions destroy you, you are feeling them instead of masking them and the way I see it, that's an admirable feat."
"It's not easy and I'm so embarassed, I can't even describe how embarassed I am."
"I know it can't be easy and I can't begin to imagine what your going through. You have come so far in the past few months and you now have the tools to cope. Don't shut us out, keep talking to us and we will help you the best we can."
"It's a deal." Emily said, leaning her head on Hotch's shoulder.
Hotch kissed the top of her head, "You're going to get through this."
"I know we need to leave, but can I just hug you a minute?" Emily wrapped her arms around Hotch and his arms wrapped tightly around her fit frame. After about a minute Emily said, "I needed that."
"Anytime." Hotch replied. They pulled apart, "Now what do you say we finish packing?"
"Yeah." Emily's phone began to ring again. She looked at it and slumped, resting her head in her palms, "It's him."
"Were not answering it." Hotch told her.
"What?" Emily snapped, "Won't that make him mad?"
"Of course, but he obviously doesn't have any message to give you except to taunt you. Turn it off and ignore it."
"What about the team?" Emily asked.
"I'll make everyone aware they should not use your number for contact."
After stuffing a few more things in her suitcase, Emily shut her luggage, ready to leave and said, "Let the games begin."
When Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Emily arrived back at the BAU everyone met in the conference room.
Morgan began, "I tracked down the man who Harvey handed the package over to this morning, It was Agent Vickers. Agent Vickers never even second guessed taking the package, Harvey was dressed in a FED EX uniform and acted as if he was in a hurry because he had just recieved a call, stating his wife went into labor. Agent Vickers even saw him get off the phone before he approached."
"Well planned." Rossi stated.
"In fact he was very organized, he had a rouse, fake phone call and even a uniform." Reid reiterated.
Hotch looked to Garcia, "Garcia did you find him on any of the survelliance cameras?"
"Yes sir. In fact he is all over them, he didn't try to be discreet. There were times he even looked straight into the camera and smiled. That's was all kinds of creepy by the way."
"Your telling me." JJ added.
"There is one more thing." Garcia went to add. "He was wearing the FED EX uniform in all the videos and his hair was blonde."
"So he has a wig or has died it." Emily said.
"How did he escape?" Hotch asked.
JJ stepped up, "Simple hit and run."
"Has he called anymore?" Morgan asked.
Emily pulled her phone out of her pocket and layed it on the table. "It's been turned off."
"What? That will just antagonize him." Morgan stated.
Hotch inferred his opinion, defending Emily, "Yes, but it is one less thing she has to worry about."
Morgan was becoming a little angry, the whole situation made him mad anyways, he just hated seeing Emily suffer, "He could escalate and what happens when he gets your telephone number Hotch? He probably already has it, has all of ours in fact."
"That is something else we need to talk about." Hotch said. "We all could be in danger and its important no one is left alone, or goes anywhere on their own. Rossi already suggested on the ride back that you all are welcome to stay at his place."
"What about you and Emily?" JJ asked.
"Yeah, Hotch wouldn't it be safer if you and Emily stayed at Rossi's too?" Morgan asked.
Emily stood up, "No it wouldn't. There is a gurantee he will come after me, but there is no guarantee he will come after all of you."
"We are a team." Morgan stated.
Emily became mad again, "Don't you think I know that?"
"Then we should be together." Morgan told her.
Emily walked over to Morgan and gently touched the side of his face, "Morgan I know you care about me, I can see that but I can't focus on catching Harvey when I'm worried about all of you and this is the only way I know how to do that. Please trust that." Emily pleaded with him.
Morgan gave in, "Okay."
Emily walked back over to stand next to Hotch.
Morgan looked at Hotch, "You better take care of her."
Hotch was defensive in his reply, "I will."
"So what do we do?" JJ asked.
Hotch answered, "Garcia keep tracking all of his movements. We need to know every move he makes, he's smart and probably will only use cash. He could be stealing it, so we don't catch him making any withdraws, or his family and friends could be getting the money for him. Thinking like him will help us get one step ahead. Lets not forget he too was an agent and knows our methods. We have surveillance watching his house, it's likely he won't go home but we will be waiting if he takes a chance."
There was a few moments of silence then JJ asked, "So we just wait right now?"
Hotch replied, "Yes. Until Garcia finds something or Harvey makes a move all we can do is start charting and posting his timeline on the board. It's important to see his evolution and we need to add more to his history than we have before." The team went straight to work after that and stayed busy the rest of the evening.
Time passed agonizingly slow and finally late into the night there came a point when the team found a seat and were at a dead stand still with little to no progress. Hotch finally made the call for everyone to go home for the evening, or rather Rossi's home. The team hated to abandon their work, but sleep was necessary for all of them to have a clear head the next day so they complied and left.
As Hotch pulled onto his street with Emily in the passenger seat they both became immediately alarmed. "You see that don't you?" Emily asked.
"Yes." Hotch replied.
"What are you going to do?" Emily pulled out her gun.
Hotch paid close attention as his headlights shifted past his yard. All his outside lights were off along with his inside lights creating a dark abyss. "I"m not going to react. I'm goingt to pull into the driveway like I normally would. I don't want him to think his taunts are working."
Emily was nervous, "But what if they are?"
"You'll be okay. Think of him like any other un-sub. You are hunting him and this is just a lead."
Emily focused on the darkness as they pulled into Hotch's driveway. Since when is electricity being shut off a lead? She thought. Sarcastically she remarked, "Nice, none of the surrounding light even attempts to illuminate your yard and house. He could be hiding anywhere."
Hotch stopped the car and pulled out his gun, "You'll be okay. I would tell you to stay here but that's probably what he wants and I'm not going to risk that." Without prolonging it any further Hotch stepped out of the vehicle, Emily followed his lead reluctantly.
From the vehicle they began to approach the front steps when they noticed the front door was cracked open half way.
"Oh God. Do you think he's in there?" Emily whispered, clinching her gun.
A slight noise could be heard coming from behind the door. Emily wanted to run and call the police, but technically they were the police, they were trained for this. If Harvey was waiting for them they had to be ready. "Did you hear that? Do you think it was him?" Emily asked in the stillness of the dark night. A eerie breeze swept past her face
Hotch could feel his heart racing, Harvey had the upper hand. He looked behind him at Emily, "There is only way to find out."
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