Para-Noir

XXI

'Okay,' says Penelope. 'Little known fact – the building we're trying to get into is also used as a prison for dangerous criminals. We're not talking petty theft here; we're talking the big guns.' She's smiling as she says it – I wonder how she thinks this could be good news in any shape or form.

'Oh, come on, guys,' she says. 'I didn't think it would take you this long to get.' She pauses, as if for effect, and then tells us. 'We bring in a prisoner.' Her eyes are shining.

'Not everything works the way Star Wars does.' Reid is skeptical. 'A real system would have checks and balances. They wouldn't just bring in anyone they thought was a prisoner.'

'And that.' Her voice is triumphant. 'That is why it's a good thing we have two wanted felons amongst us already.' I look at Garcia, waiting for her to tell us. She doesn't have to. The guilty looks on Emily and Derek's faces are enough to tell us all we need to know.

'Wait, wait,' Rossi interjects. 'You're both wanted by the human government and the Inquisitors? What'd you do? Kill ten thousand puppies?'

'I blame labeling theory.' Emily speaks directly to me.

'No comment.' Derek's words too, are aimed in my direction.

Both have steely eyed looks; they're committed to taking this as far as they need to, no matter the risks to their own person. I don't know if I'm willing to risk their persons.

'You're definitely okay with this?' I ask them. They don't even dignify that with a response. Derek continues to stare, while Emily rolls her eyes and gives me a smile.

'Now then,' Garcia is still grinning. I can tell it's an attempt to alleviate the situation. 'Who wants to pretend to be a government official?'

***

Apparently I am the most official looking, for it's me that they put in a suit and tie. Hermes' people are doing the tech work. Some of Derek's crew is joining us under the guise of tactical officers. The rest…

'They're not coming,' Derek announces.

I frown. I had thought that they were committed. 'I…why?'

'We can't get all of them in that building without arousing suspicion. Some volunteered to stay behind – they want to fight this fight long term. This fight…it's so much bigger than any of us. We need to work out why we're here, and what we can do to stop it from happening ever again.'

And I know he's right. We can't destroy this darkness altogether, but the very least we can do is close it off.

***

I put the cuffs on her gently, not wanting to aggravate her still aching shoulder.

'Have you always wanted to cuff me this badly?' she asks. Our lips touch briefly; the kiss is short, but by no means empty.

'I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we get home.' She smiles. It's one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my entire life.

I press my lips atop her head. Her face nestles in the crook between my neck and my shoulder. We stand like that for several minutes. Not moving. Not talking. Our moment of calm before the storm. I'll get her through this alive if it's the last thing I do.

***

The freshly pressed suit and tie seems so comfortable to me. As if anything else I've ever worn is a façade, a disguise. Beside me, Dave wears a similar suit, but he doesn't seem as professional somehow. Reid, JJ and Penelope look almost comical in the garb of tactical officers.

I go through three security barriers, just to get to the front door. Each time I show them the I.D. badge that was run up for me by Hermes. Agent Aaron Strauss. I wonder whose hilarious idea that was.

The prison section of the building is several floors underground. I am given a temporary access card. 'These are very dangerous prisoners,' I tell the door staff. 'The tactical agents will need to accompany me down there.'

'That's fine.' I breathe a sigh of relief. With security this lackluster, I wonder why we didn't try something like this much earlier.

We go down eight floors. I swipe my I.D. card three times. Each time, a small green light flashes.

'Prisoner book in,' I tell the man at the desk. He nods. Taps a few keys into the computer.

'Names?'

'Prentiss, Emily. Morgan, Derek.' He taps a few more keys, and then stops. He presses a red button on the side of his desk. Armed men come from every side. My left arm tenses against my weapon. My right arm grabs at Emily's. I'm not quite sure what's happening.

'What's going on?' I ask, hoping it isn't the kind of question that will reveal me as a fake agent.

He points towards Emily. 'This one's marked for immediate execution. No trial, no waiting period.'

I see several horrified faces at this point. I know that it's time to take action. My left hand unsnaps the holster. I shoot at the desk clerk without even thinking about it. He goes down screaming, a wound to his left shoulder.

'No killing!' I warn them, though I know it's probably wishful thinking. It's sometimes hard to control gunfire in such a sudden battle.

I push Emily to the ground; she isn't much help with her hands cuffed. Beside me, Dave follows suit with Derek. Speeding lead projectiles fly through the air, hitting human and non-human indiscriminately. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Reid take a bullet. Inwardly swearing, I keep fighting.

When the dust settles, we've won. But not without a cost. Two of Derek's crew dead, and Reid has a bullet in his right thigh. It missed the femoral artery, a fact for which I am grateful.

Garcia, who had stood aside, cowering, for most of the battle, examines the open files on the desk clerk's computer. This is where her expertise lies. Beside her, the clerk moans in pain.

As she reads the file, her mouth opens slightly in horror. She has a look of betrayal on her face as she turns to Emily. In turn, Emily has her own expression – shame. 'I did what I had to do,' she said quietly.

I step over casualties – I can't quite bear to think of them as bodies, as people I might have killed. I see the expression on Emily's face turn to pain as she realizes that there's nothing she can do to stop me from reading that file.

My heart rips in two.

Emily Prentiss is a former government assassin.

And suddenly, I am alone in the darkness once more.

A/N: Because, seriously, what would this be without some character conflict as well? We're on the home stretch now, and this is officially my CM story (sequels not withstanding). OR ARE WE?