11 years he'd searched for this S.O.B and now that he was in sight...Aaron Hotchner clenched his fists, resisting the urge to what? To do anything really. Anything but sitting here doing nothing. What was taking so long? "Dave?"
"I'm here, Aaron." There it was, that calming tone that could cool his head in even the hottest case scenarios...even this one. "Just stay calm."
"You really think...?" He looked over at the house. The lights were off, but that didn't actually mean... "Dave, they could be in there right now."
"That doesn't matter. He isn't. You know that. As long as you don't lose him, you're keeping them safe."
He wasn't hurting them. He wasn't hurting them. "You really think they're safe?"
"That's what the evidence suggests."
"That's not an ans-." The sound of sirens filled the air, the cars turned down both sides of the street. "He's running for it!" He jumped out of the car, hot on Foyet's heels. He was NOT going to let him get away. Not again. Damn Dave and his paranoia.
Haley Hotchner took her change and her bag of Chinese take-out. Maybe some food would help her think. If she could just relax for two seconds so she could stop shaking. There was nothing suspicious about buying lunch, right? All she had to do was sit at the tables and wait for the team to come to find her on surveillance. She was fine, everything was going to be fine. She had kept the phone conversation short to avoid a trace and Foyet had never struck in broad daylight or crowds. She hadn't wanted to listen to his litany of kill details, but Kassmeyer had made sure she'd known that. There was no reason to think he'd start now. They were just another mother and son getting lunch at the mall. "Come on, Jack, we -Jack?" She glanced down...at nothing. "Jack?"
"Hannah Banks, please report to Lost and Found. Hannah Banks to Lost and Found."
No, No...Please, God, NO! Hannah Banks? That was her cover name. "Jack?!" Of all the days to lose him at the mall. He just wandered...that was all. He was holding her hand a minute ago. He had to be here. "Jack?!"
Aaron Hotchner ran faster than he'd ever run in his life, but Foyet was still ahead of him. He half expected Foyet to charge into his house, but he didn't. He ran down the street. His relief that it wasn't his home was short-lived. Foyet dashed across the lawn of the Miller house where he let himself in... without a fight.
What the Hell? No, No, please. No! Where the Hell are you, Dave?
David Rossi wasted no time as he saw Hotch and Foyet cross the lawn three houses down from Hotch's. "Kevin, call the residents of 3310 Churchill St and warn them. Foyet and Hotch are headed their way." Hopefully they could hide before...it didn't bear thinking about. Maybe they were all at work or school..but school could be getting out and while the driveway was empty, the garage was closed. Morgan slammed on the brakes and they all jumped out. Don't do anything stupid, Hotch...
Haley Hotchner scanned the crowded food court, willing her heart to stop pounding. "He's about four foot tall, blonde hair," she told the concerned crowd that had gathered around her. "He's wearing a Captain America -" Five sets of eyes were better than one. They had to -
"There!" There were times when having a set of eyes six foot high could really be advantageous. "Is that him? Right behind you."
Haley turned on her heels, pushing her way through the crowd in the general direction.
There he was, on his tip-toes trying to reach the display of pizzas. "Mommy, I want pizza."
She had never been so relieved to hold him up in her tired arms. She could rest tomorrow, but right now? Forget trying to act normal and blend-in. "Later, baby. We got to go." Forget waiting for the team to find her on the cameras. If they could find her, then so could Foyet. But where could she hide? The restrooms, of course...but that was obvious...he would just have to follow the signs. There had to be somewhere else less obvious.
Where are you, Haley?
Penelope Garcia may have preferred working alone, another genius next to her could be more than a little distracting, but today she wasn't complaining, especially not when Reid's eyes were scanning the screens at super human speed...but for all of their combined genius, they had...nothing.
"She's not here!" Garcia scanned the screens again, saw Haley walk into a department store and then...nothing. "We lost her." How would she face the Boss Man after loosing his wife?
"No, she's here. She has to be." Reid sounded way too calm. "We went straight to the time of the phone call 2:37 pm, followed her to the food courts..."
"...and then nothing."
"But there's been no sign of her leaving. She's here, somewhere..." He kept his eyes trained on the perimeter cameras. As long as Foyet hadn't arrived she was safe, terrified, perhaps, but safe
"Wait a second..." Garcia's awed whisper took him by surprise. Garcia was not easy to impress.
"You got something for me, Garcia?"
"Where is the one place a woman can hide from men and cameras without drawing attention?"
"Mall security's already done a sweep of the restrooms."
"I know where she is. Cover me."
"Wait, Garcia!" Reid hurried after her...at least he tried. Damn his broken knee. Cover her. Right. He turned back to the screens. He was a genius, wasn't he? A surveillance system couldn't be too hard to operate, right? He only had to keep track of Garcia and Cooper's team...and watch for Foyet at all of the entrances. Piece of cake...or maybe Garcia just made it look easy.
Penelope hurried out of the mall's sorry excuse of a cyber lair, making a very determined effort to ignore all of the sales signs. She'd have to take Haley on a complimentary shopping spree when this was over...that is if she ever wanted to step foot in a mall ever again.
