Return To Me – Chapter 7

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"Dad! Uncle Sean!" Jack waved to them when he saw them across the parking lot of the museum.

Hotch and Sean turned when they heard Jack's voice and ran to him.

"Jack!"

It was at that moment when they heard a gun fired!

Stopping still, they saw that it came from the trailer.

Jack began to run towards the trailer again.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Hotch shouted at him as he began to run to him.

His brother followed him, muttering, "What the hell is wrong with my family? Run from the sound…not towards it!" He waved his hands in defeat as he raced after his nephew.

Jack waved at the trailer, "Emily's in there, Daddy! Emily's hurt! Beth and that man!"

Hotch nodded and waved at him, "Stop son! Let me handle it! Go to your Uncle Sean! Go!" He pointed towards Sean. "Go to a safe place now! I'll get Emily!"

Jack slowed down and turned to Sean and then to Hotch. "Dad, you have to save Emily!"

Hotch nodded to his son and turned to his brother, "Sean, keep him safe."

"I will, just get her!"

Inside the trailer, the man Michael was pointing the gun at Emily who was leaning against the metal wall as her bad knee was keeping her from straightening it, beads of perspiration was forming on her forehead as she strained to keep from scream at the pain.

"Bitch, you'll pay for this!" He said.

She looked at him, "If you kill me now, you'll never get your painting."

Beth walked to him, "We'll just call your mommy dearest and tell her to get the painting." Beth looked up at Michael lovingly.

Emily shook her head, "Go ahead, the Ambassador doesn't give a shit about me or art. All she cared about is her politics. You've hit the wrong politician…and besides she's none reachable."

Beth and Michael frowned at her as Beth asked, "What are you talking about?"

"My mother at an undisclosed location, on a deep negotiation session; no one outside the chain, not even her daughter knows where to reach her, so if I die, too bad." She shrugged and looked away from them. She also saw Hotch peeking in at the corner of the doorway; Emily wanted to sign with relief, it was about time he'd arrived.

She hoped he came with the police.

"Uncle Sean! We have to get Emily!" Jack pulled his uncle towards the trailer.

"Whoa! Kid! Slow down!" he held onto his nephew. "You heard your father, I'm to keep you safe, we better listen to him and I'm not disobeying him."

"But Emily! Beth is not being a nice person! She's hurting her!" He continued to tug at his uncle.

"Okay, okay, kid…I get that you want to save her but you have to trust you dad."

Shoulders sagged; Jack hung his head and nodded.

"Hey, I have all the faith in your dad that he's going to get Emily out of there safely."

Jack nodded and leaned forward and hugged his uncle, "I'm scared for her, Uncle Sean." He began to cry.

Feeling bad for the little boy and hugged him tightly. "Hey, hey, Jack…she's gonna be all right, your dad's gonna get out. Remember? Dad's a super hero."

Jack nodded into his neck.

Pulling out his cell phone, Sean looked at his nephew, "But superheroes need some help too." He dialed 911.

Hotch was leaning against the trailer, listened to conversation inside turned to look, and saw that Beth and Michael didn't know Hotch was there but Emily did and he nodded slightly at her.

"Look, keeping me here is not going to get you your painting." Emily said. "I can call my land lord and have him pack it and ship it here."

"And you think I'll let you use a phone?" Michael said. "In your dreams, you'll call for help." He shook his head. "No. It's too risky."

"Sweetheart," Beth said to him. "How about we go to her apartment?"

He stared at her and thought, "That might work."

Beth looked pleased.

"No, it won't." Emily shook her head. "My landlord won't let you into the building."

"Not if you'll tell him to." Beth said.

"Sorry, he's old and anal retentive."

"If I shoot him, he'll change his mind." Michael said.

"If you shoot him, the English definitely will not you go free." Emily frowned, "What are you people? Just because you have a gun and a few bucks, you think you own the world?"

"We will be as soon as we have the painting." Beth said. "Five million dollars worth of it."

"And when I recovered my lost five million dollars, I'll be ten million dollars richer." He frowned at Beth.

"I told you I'll recover them in due time, Michael."

"Beth, you said that last month and I've yet to see it."

She nodded, "I said I'm sorry, I lost it in the stock market…"

Michael shrugged, "Yeah, yeah…so you said that too. Yuri is not buying it. He wants to talk to you when you get to Kiev."

Beth paled, "Do I really have to? I don't want to see him, Michael, please!"

He shrugged, "It's not my call, darling. I told him you lost it all in the stocks and he's not convinced."

"You told me to do it! You said to invest the money…it's your fault, Michael!" She pointed her finger at him.

Glaring at her, he said angrily, "Are you out of your stupid mind, woman? I wouldn't even suggest such a thing to you!"

"Oh yes, you did! You suggested I get into the FBI. You wanted me to ingratiate myself into the bureau."

"And you did a brilliant job with that Hotchner." He smiled.

Emily frowned, trying not to look over at Hotch.

Beth looked back at Emily, "Now, I'm never going back Aaron."

"You don't need to, darling." Michael said smoothly. "Once we have the painting, we have everything." He held out his hand and Beth came to him.

"Seriously, Beth." Emily shook her head. "Aaron is a hundred times better than this snake."

"Ha! Michael is so much more than Aaron is not." Beth sneered. "And he's quite the lover, Michael is." She smiled as she snuggled beside him. "Aaron doesn't know how to please me."

Emily felt sick, "I think I've heard enough, Beth."

"Yes, I'm tiring of this conversation." Michael said. "Now, how are we to obtain that painting?"

"How about never?" Hotch said suddenly from behind them.

The two turned around to face him in shock. "Aaron!" Beth exclaimed and snapping her head to Michael and sputtered, "He…he…Aaron, he's the one, he forced me to do it! Help me, Aaron!"

"Stuff it Beth! I heard it all." Hotch said as he pointed the gun at them.

Michael quickly rushed over to Emily and grabbed her by her hair and pulled her hard as he pointed the gun, "Drop the gun, Hotchner or she dies!" He warned as he began to pull the trigger.

…..

End of Chapter 7