A/N: I've got 3 reviewers! This is so exciting! Thanks to Jooles and hxchick for the words of encouragement, I'm honored! Merci newsyd: je n'avais pas pense faire une traduction, mais je le ferai, si il y a une demande... Mais comment mettre les accents?
CHAPTER 3
Hotch is staring down a small sink with both taps running. He seems lost in his thoughts and doesn't hear Rossi enter the boys' washroom. The sight of the miniature sinks low down the wall and the small stalls and urinals makes Rossi smile. Hotch looks like a giant next to the row of sinks, and the mirrors reach no taller than his mid chest.
"You think you'll be able to throw up in that?" jests Rossi. "You will have to kneel!"
Hotch swallows hard as he's trying not to get sick. He lowers his shaking hands in the running water, hoping to splash some on his face, but he stops and smiles derisively instead. The attempt is futile: he would have to lean over so low to not get his clothes wet that he could not keep himself from vomiting, and right now, he really needs to prevent that. So he grabs a paper towel or two and soaks them in the water before turning the taps off. He then dabs his face and neck with still very shaky hands.
"I don't know what I'd give for a scotch, right now..." he says without looking at Rossi.
"Did you hear the news? We have a trail on Doyle's men, maybe Doyle himself, thanks to you... and Reid," announces Rossi. Hotch's focus is at once back. He listens intently while Rossi retells the developments of the past few minutes. Feeling calmer, Hotch turns to face Rossi, his eyes bright with intensity. Rossi can't help smiling at what he sees there. Our fierce leader is back!
Hotch throws away the towels, adjusts his tie and thanks Rossi before heading out.
"Jack, how would you like to spend the day with us at the FBI?" he asks the boy, who is coming back with his things, helped by Reid and Morgan.
"Yeah! Yessss!" shouts Jack. He runs to his dad, while Hotch thanks the two men for helping his son. Reid can't believe his eyes: Man, I wish I could bounce back that quickly! Morgan, however, is noticing the shaking in Hotch's hands and knows it will take a while longer for their boss to feel a hundred percent again. But he was right about Doyle...
The next few hours at the FBI headquarters are unlike any the unit has ever witnessed. Garcia plays hostess to various members of the team, as they move in to watch the satellite transmissions, along with Kevin Lynch, who is also intent on following any development to the affair from Garcia's small office. JJ is occupied with phone calls to the State Department and with Will and Henry, who at times invade her crowded office and at others take over the BAU meeting room. The latter is where they all meet at lunch time, sharing take-out, joined by Reid and Jack.
Jack spends most of the day in his father's office, doing his schoolwork at the coffee table, while Hotch works at his desk, or deals with delicate phone calls just outside his office, looking in through his inner office window to keep an eye on the boy and not make him feel too lonely.
Hotch is definitely feeling better and wants to forget the whole episode of 'panic' from earlier, but the physical symptoms are persistent: his nausea still bothers him and the shaking in his hands is an embarrassement, so he prefers to avoid the others and skips lunch altogether. Jack is the only company he needs and Garcia was kind enough to send a satellite feed to his office so he, too, can monitor the situation without having to join the group in her den.
However, Rossi is wise to Hotch's tactics and he grabs the chance to visit him while Jack is gone.
"Skipping lunch?" he asks Hotch as he enters his office without knocking. "That shake in your hands is not going to go away if you don't take care of your blood sugar levels..."
Hotch doesn't look up from his paperwork. "I have a six-year old in the next room if you're interested in baby-sitting..."
Rossi approaches slowly and decides to change his strategy.
"What do you think is going to happen next? If we find Doyle..."
Hotch sighs as he looks at the computer screen. The same image is still there: 'Shorty' and his driver have stopped at a restaurant two hours ago and have not moved since then. They look like blinking spotlights surrounded by several 'hot' spots, which identifies them among the restaurant crowd.
"I've been in touch with Interpol, the State Department, the SWAT team... they still have not agreed to let us participate in the raid on Doyle and his men, if there is going to be one... I'm waiting to hear from them."
"We don't have to ask for their permission! We're the ones who gave them this lead, we can just show up!" Rossi protests, but Hotch just looks back to him and chooses to change the subject:
"We were going to work on updating Doyle's profile, today. Why don't you and the others focus on that, this afternoon?" and he hands Rossi a file that was on top of his desk.
Rossi takes the file, but instead of leaving, he sits down in the chair across from the desk.
"Why didn't you tell us about Doyle and his son, about Emily...?" he asks quietly.
Hotch shrugs, seeming unsure. "I guess JJ and I did not think about it at the time. I later forgot about it, until JJ returned last month."
"So, that's why you started to work on Doyle's profile again," Rossi realizes. Hotch simply nods, his gaze low. He's avoiding making eye contact again, notices Rossi.
"Why have you been avoiding me these past few weeks?" he asks, bluntly.
Hotch doesn't react, which puzzles Rossi who expected at least a denial. Then Hotch faces him. Here we go, thinks Rossi.
"I don't know what makes you think I'm avoiding you. We see each other every day and, on Sunday mornings, we're both at soccer practice..."
Suddenly, the two lights on the computer screen begin to move and Hotch's attention is diverted to them.
The two agents watch intently as the men, or blinking lights, come out of the restaurant, walk to the SUV parked across the street, and get in. The SUV departs.
Hotch picks up the phone, while Rossi gets up: "I'll check on Garcia and the others..."
Hotch finds the team huddled together behind Garcia, all staring restlessly at the computer screens. For the past hour, they've been following the two lights/men as they left the city and took a country road until they arrived to a remote building twenty minutes later. The visuals reveal 3 SUVs near a large, exposed building, while the heat sensors show a small group of people inside the structure. Since they've arrived, the two blinking lights have been interacting with five other men/lights, going back and forth between two main rooms. One of the lights centered in one room has not moved from its position all this time.
They all turn their attention to the doorway as Hotch enters.
"Any news?" Morgan asks with trepidation.
"We can send two men 'to support and to advise' the raid leaders," answers Hotch. "Morgan, Rossi, I think you should grab your equipment and head there. They probably won't wait for you, although they said they were not quite ready to move in, yet, so you still have time."
"The longer they wait, the less likely Easter will survive Doyle's treatments," Reid interjects. He points to the screen: "We think Easter is still alive, because there's one man in the middle of the room who has not moved since Short and his colleague arrived. He's probably tied to a chair, or otherwise incapacitated."
"Do they have a visual on the men? Did they see Doyle?" Morgan enquires anxiously.
"No, they cannot confirm that Doyle is on the premises; that's why they're waiting. The building is isolated, and they have not been able to approach it without risking exposing themselves.
Hotch continues: "You both know the profile, they will be able to use you, but you may have to convince them to let you participate in the actual raid on the building. I wasn't able to sell them on the idea..."
"Thank you, we're on our way," Rossi signals Morgan and they both leave, while Reid sits again, somewhat disappointed to be left behind, but intellectually curious to see what the coming events will look like through the satellite feeds.
"I better get back to Jack..." and Hotch leaves Reid, Garcia, JJ, and Kevin to their waiting game.