This chapter is dedicated to reviewer Lizzabet! For your unwavering persistent in wanting to include one more former member of the BAU. And yes, she's right, what's Criminal Minds without this team member?
Hope you like her inclusion: it's becoming full circle here!
She's All That! – Chapter 12
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The conference room was restored back into its pristine order quickly; the carpet was replaced and one would not think there was a gun-fight within previously, the blood splatter were cleaned and scrubbed and everything that belonged in the room was back in order.
Now the BAU team minus Emily but an added member of the Interpol team was now seated around the large table.
"What's the latest on Emily?" Dave asked as soon as he settled down on the chair; the ride back here was not entirely unpleasant, between Clyde's dry humor and Reid's continuous drivel every time they drove past a noted landmark Clyde had remarked, Dave really wished there were ejection seats installed in the government issued SUVs. He should see about the engineering department and insisted on the need of ejection seats. Either that, someone else could partner the two, just count him out!
Hotch shook his head, "Nothing much, Dave. We have to profile Doyle…" he held his hand when he saw Reid and Morgan began opening their mouths. "Hold it guys, we know quite a bit about Doyle but what we don't and I refuse to believe is that he's here solely for revenge on the -12 team. I'm convinced he's taking this opportunity to make trades..."
Clyde leaned forward, "You're saying he had a back-up plan?"
Hotch nodded, "Yes, a plan B while he's searching for Declan Jones. What else is he good at?"
"Besides being a serial killer?" Reid pointed.
Hotch nodded.
"He's a terrorist." Morgan said. "Wait a minute, Hotch. Are you saying he's also using this opportunity to make some terroristic threat while he is here?" He frowned with disbelief.
Before Hotch could answer, someone at the doorway cut in. "Believe it, Derek. The threat is real."
They all turned at the familiar voice, except for Clyde Easter who began to check her out; she was wearing a slim three-piece gray jacket, white shirt and matching gray pencil skirt that reached above her knees.
Garcia, Morgan, and Reid rushed to greet her happily once the shock had worn over.
Dave was moving over to the happy reunion when he noticed Clyde's open admiration and stopped as he whispered to him, "Er, I don't think so, she has a three year old son and a boyfriend who's a cop. And she's a black belt in martial arts, and can beat the crap out of you with her eyes closed."
Clyde arched his brow, "But I was just making …er, an assessment. Who is she?"
Dave quickly explained to him who JJ was and her new position in the Pentagon.
"I'm impressed!" Clyde nodded. "And you guys gave her up to them?"
Dave shook his head, "Not our choice pal. We've not given up on her yet. Hotch is still trying to get her back."
"Maybe I should…"
"Forget about it, Easter," Dave warned him. "She's ours."
Clyde shrugged but he grinned, "Just a thought; Interpol's always looking for a few good…people."
"Keep trying pal…somewhere else." Dave said as he patted his back before he moved to greet JJ.
After Hotch had introduced JJ to Clyde, he looked at her, "Thanks for coming in at such short notice, JJ but before we start, I have to say this, I'm glad to see you."
"Yeah same here…" Garcia grinned foolishly.
"Me, too." Reid nodded.
There were nods and happy grins all around the table agreeing with Hotch.
"Thanks everyone although I wish it's under better circumstances." JJ said as her smile faltered.
They nodded.
"Did you manage to get anything, JJ?" Hotch asked her.
JJ nodded as she handed the team photos of a man, "This is Byron Delaney. He was Ian Doyle's arms trader and point of contact for the foreign arms trade. TSA detained him while trying to leave the U.S. last week; he was in the no-fly list."
"Last week?" Hotch frowned.
JJ nodded, "We learned that he had tried to sell 4 stolen crates of AK-47s and 5 crates containing enough cartridges to arm a small militia army."
"Who was with him? Delaney doesn't travel alone." Clyde asked her.
JJ nodded as she watched him, "You are tight, he was detained with three others and tried to travel on forged paperwork. Immigration ran fingerprints on them in the International IAFIS and still nothing at the moment."
"Why is he formerly Doyle's POC? What happened?" Derek asked her.
She shrugged, "I didn't know you guys are interested in him, all we know is he tried to sell and Homeland bingo'ed on him. He's in the interrogation room if you want to have a go at him," She shrugged again, "So far, he has not been talkative."
"Hotchner," Clyde turned to him, "Would you permit me to talk to him?"
Hotch arched his brow, "Care to share?"
"Delaney is Chloe Donaghy's brother." He revealed.
"I presumed they didn't part amicably?" Dave said.
"You presumed correctly." Clyde nodded.
"So, Delaney is out for revenge? If he has taken Declan, who is also his nephew, what is his real purpose?" Morgan looked around the table as he posed the question.
"Declan is the pawn." Clyde said.
"Yes but to what purpose? What did he want from Doyle?" Hotch wondered.
Dave nodded at Reid, "Reid, the piece of paper, it said Richmond, Virginia."
Reid nodded as he pulled it out, "Yeah, whatever the significance this paper means, it's obviously in Richmond."
"Do you think Emily's in Richmond?" Garcia asked worriedly.
"It's such a big area to cover, Garcia." Hotch shook his head but back in his mind he had thought of the possibility.
Clyde stood up, "Let me talk to Delaney, maybe he can shed light on their whereabouts."
Hotch turned to Dave as he nodded, "Do you mind accompany him?"
Dave almost sighed out loud but he shook his head and stood up, "No, not at all, Hotch." He stared at his friend meaningfully; he owed him one.
Hotch almost grin and arched his brow.
…
"What's that?" Emily asked Doyle, she could smell the metallic electrical burning smell as Doyle was holding a wand-like instrument attached to an electric cord.
When she came to, Emily found that she tied up in a chair as well as a huge lump in the back of her head.
"Where's your dog?" She asked him as she looked around; they were alone in the small clear room which she surmised was a bedroom as it had closets and a boarded up window.
As she looked about her and the instrument near her on a wooden chair; she now saw that it was an electrical soldering iron. A tool electrician used to solder metal and joints together. She knew Doyle was not an electrician; he destroyed things not repaired them!
If it weren't for the fact she had a good idea what it was used for, she would be laughing at him but at the moment, she was not.
No, she watched the light on the instrument went off, an indicator that it was ready to use.
Doyle picked up the soldering iron and approached her as he placed a balled up cloth on her lap.
"You know what this is?" He asked her.
"Being that I'm not an electrician, Ian, I don't know what it's for." She looked away from him, trying not to show him her fear and she was very afraid.
It was time to make up of her much practiced compartmentalized method and concentrated.
"Very well, I'll tell you. It's a soldering iron. It's usually used to fuse metals together."
Emily turned back to him, "Are you planning on using that for something or are you trying to tell me you're changing your career? Aren't you a little too old to be starting a new career?" She taunted him.
He smiled slowly at her, "You're quite funny, Lauren. That's what I love about you, your sense of humor, it's so delightful even in the face of trouble."
"Trouble? Who's in trouble?" She stared at him firmly. "Ian, you're not going to get away with this."
He continued to smile at her, "I'm going to make this easy for you. You answer me some things and I will not …harm you."
She frowned at him, "What do you need to know, Ian?"
"My son," He said as he held the iron close to her upper right chest.
Emily could feel the intense heat as she began to breathe deeply, "I don't know, Ian. I honestly don't know where he is."
He shook his head, "I'm not stupid, Lauren. You took my son from me. You know where he is. Address?"
She shook her head, "No, Ian. I don't know. And it's not Lauren. I'm Emily Prentiss…" He began to burn her as she tried to control the pain, "I'm a fed…er…al…ag…ent!" the pain was horrendously intense and finally she couldn't take it as she let out a tortured-filled scream.
He quickly muffled her screams as he stuffed the balled clothe into her mouth.
He stopped his work and removed the cloth as she panted hard.
"Once again, Lauren, where is my son?"
She raise her head and spat at him and said fiercely, "Go to hell, Ian! I won't tell you!"
He wiped her spit from his face with the cloth and stuffed it into back into her mouth before he continued 'his work' with the soldering iron on her chest.
Emily began to scream uncontrollably again and again as he carved into her once flawless skin as she smelled burnt flesh and tears spilled from her eyes….she screamed again as the hot iron pressed into her again….
…..
End of Chapter 12
