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INTERPOL Intrigue / Spooks Beguiled – Chapter 21

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"Emily, I want you to cut all ties with Lucas North. I want you to stop seeing him." James Prentiss said to his daughter as she sat down in front of his desk.

"I beg your pardon?"She frowned at him, she wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.

He handed her a file, "You can read it later, I'll just tell you now what it says about your so-call boyfriend Lucas North." He said it with anger.

"Did you know he was previously married to this Elizabeta Starkova?" Emily nodded. James arched his brow.

"Yes, I do but I don't know much about her except that they met while he was working undercover in Russia and married there. He was then captured and spent eight years in prison."

James was silent for a moment and then he spoke, "Elizabeta Starkova is the daughter of an old spy network KGB Arkady Kachimov."

Emily gasped at the sound of the name, "KGB…"

"You've heard of him?" James asked her.

"I just heard of him," she told him of the file Harry Pearce gave her.

James sat down next to her in stunned surprise. "Emily, this is bigger than you can imagine."

"What do you mean?"

"How much do you really know about North?"

She shrugged, "Not much, I mean we met only a few weeks ago…Daddy, what's going on?"

"He may be a double spy, Russian and British." James sneered.

Emily shook her head, "That's not true! He was tortured in a Russian prison for eight years, how could he be a working for the Russian?"

James hesitated, "That doesn't make any sense then," he sighed. "He is an enigma."

"No, he is just being used as a pawn there. Someone in -5 betrayed him and he believed it was Harry Pearce which I find it hard to believe."

"Oh?"

"Not many knew he went to Russia, Harry was the only one. There had to be more than him." Emily thought deeply.

James nodded and pointed, "North has intelligence Russia wanted very badly that they are coming back for him. Obviously, this Oleg Darshavin was not successful in obtaining what he was supposed to get out of him for the past eight years."

Emily leaned over to her father, "Daddy, Lucas is the target, not me."

He nodded at her.

She immediately pulled her phone out and called MI-5.

Pearce.

"Harry, this is Emily."

Oh, it's you, back for more mouthiness.

Harry, listen, I'm with my dad…the HVT is Lucas, Darshavin is coming for him. Whatever Lucas was captured for in Russia eight years ago, they haven't gotten it yet from him and they wanted it, Elizabeta, Lucas' ex-wife is Arkady Kachimov daughter. Their marriage was a ruse. Who knew he was going to Russia eight years ago, Harry?"

I…and Connie James…but she is a trusted senior staff analyst.

"Harry, she may be your Russian mole. Lucas had his suspicion and you were his suspicion for the longest time." Emily informed him.

He was silent

Emily, Lucas is not here…he never came back after he dropped you off.

Emily's heart dropped as she looked over to her father, "Harry, he could have gone to meet with Oleg."

You may be right…Ruth says he's not answering his phone.

"Harry, trust him…"

Agent Prentiss, how do you expect me to trust my officer who is not answering his phone call? He is my senior officer, for Pete's sake! And he's meeting with his bloody tormentor! And you're telling me to trust him?

"Harry, what is it they wanted? What was so important they wanted out of him?" She asked him.

I can't tell you, sorry Emily.

"Fine, keep your damn secrets." Emily said angrily and ended the call.

"I take it he was not too please with the information?" James said.

"No."

Her phone buzzed, she looked at it as it was a text message and it was from Harry;

Meet me at Hyde's Park in one hour, before I regret it! Pearce.

Emily grinned.

"Who is it, Poppet?"

"It seems he has a change of heart, he wants to meet in an hour at the park."

James nodded and smiled, "Knew that tough ol' boy has a soft spot for you."

She looked at her father fondly, "That's what Lucas said."

James frowned, "Speaking of him...he seemed to be involved in a lot of trouble."

She stood up, "Yup, that's for being in this career, and sacrificing your life to your country! God save the Queen!" She said sarcastically.

"Get out of here, Poppet! I've got real work to do!" he glared at her as she came around and hugged him.

"Does that mean I can see him again?"

He arched a brow at her imperiously and grunted.

She gave him a kiss on his cheek, "I'll take it as a yes. I'm off to see Mr. Grumpy Gus."

"It's Sir Grumpy Gus to you." James pointed out and Emily and her father broke out in laughter together as she left his office and out of the US Embassy.

…..

Hotch was on his way back home when he pulled over into a convenience store and parked by the building and dialed her number.

Prentiss

"Emily, It's me." Hotch said, his heart skipped hearing her voice.

H..Aaron! Hey! How's it going?

He smiled, his dimples deepening as he heard her correcting herself; old habits, maybe one day she would call his name easily.

"I'm fine." He paused as he looked beyond the windshield and saw cars rolling by but he was not paying any attention to them, his mind was on her. "I miss hearing your voice." He told her.

Aww…I miss you too. How's Jack?

Hotch smiled softly, "He's doing great, loves school."

That's great, and you? How was work?

"Busy, the usual never ending paperwork. You know I'm desk bound now since I'm interim Section Chief. Derek is taking my place with the team, they are still in Michigan. Their latest case is a real crazy one."

It's not that one, is it Aaron? She was referring to the Replicator; at the moment, that case had gone cold.

"No, this one, the UnSubs have proven to be a man and a woman to be in their 30s and they've killed 4 other couples already.."

They spent the rest of the conversation talking about the BAU current case.

As Emily arrived at the park, she had to cut the conversation short.

Hotch nodded, "I understand, I'll talk to you later."

Yeah, Aaron.

"I love you, Emily." He said to her on the phone.

Um, yeah…Aaron…see you later.

He pressed END on the phone and pulled out of the store and headed home. He was smiling, feeling buoyed hearing her voice; he always felt calmed hearing her voice and wished she was still with the team…ah! The what if's.

Day after tomorrow he would be on his way to see her! His Emily.

He would get her back.

She belonged to him, that he knew for certain. Not that Brit!

And as for Beth…that was another issue…and the baby…

Now, why didn't you tell Emily about Beth's pregnancy?

Hotch ignored the voice as he continued driving home..

….

Hyde Park was a historical landmark. A romantic at heart, Emily had always wanted to see it and was not disappointed; the park was over 350 acres! The lawn was lush green and Emily could smell the freshly mowed well maintained park.

She wished she had the time to explore and walk the entire park but at the moment she was pressed for time.

The park was big, and Harry had not given her any specific area to meet. She saw people walking about, mostly tourists as they were posing in front of picturesque trees and flowery beds.

Her cell phone buzzed again, it was Harry.

"Walk over to the bench to your right..."

She turned and saw he was sitting down on a bench reading a book and a cell phone in one hand.

"Harry, that's so not super-spy looking with the cell phone. And where's the cliché newspaper?" She teased her.

She heard him sighed on the phone, "I wish you'd take this seriously. They were out of newspapers. So I had to grab this stupid paperback."

"Oh, what is it?" She grinned as she walked to him.

"I don't bloody know, don't read much anymore…don't have the time."

"What a shame…looks like a hmmm, oh it's a Jefferery Deaver's The Kill Room, oh a Lincoln Rhyme's new one! I haven't read it. Don't toss it. I want to read it when you're done."

She sat down next him as she turned off her phone, he did the same.

"Lucas and Elizabeta honeymooned in Moscow," Harry began. "They did the usual couple stuff, visiting the famous Tretyakov Gallery while they were there. The gallery was having an art exhibition."

"Let me guess, William Blake." Emily said.

Harry frowned at her, "Yes, as a matter of fact, it was…how did you knew…?"

"It is Lucas' favorite artist."

"Oh yes, Ancient of Days..."

Emily nodded, "You saw his tattoo?"

He nodded as he continued, "The artwork was not the purpose of the visit that day."

Harry paused as he allowed a group of tourists to pass them before he continued.

"Do you know about ceramic pottery called Gzhel pottery? About 30 villages southeast of Moscow produce these potteries since the early 14th century. The clay found in the region makes the pottery rare and one of its kind."

"That's interesting history lesson, Harry, what's this had to do with what happened eight years ago?" Emily pressed.

Harry turned to look at her and leaned back against the bench, "I'm getting to it, young lady." He arched his brow at her. "Since these 14th century old artifacts are work of arts, they do not need to go through x-ray machines in customs while traveling. And ceramic cannot be scanned through and as it is not metal it is an excellent medium to transport plutonium."

It took a moment for Emily to register what Harry had said.

"Did you just say plutonium?"

He nodded, "Five Gzhel jars contained sealed plutonium are among the collection coming to the British Natural Museum in a day for an exhibition."

"What is this plutonium for?" She was in shock. "What is the exposure rate?"

Harry shook his head, "It's been in the jars for a number of years, so it's not posing any dangers unless it's broken or removed. The only thing is we have to find it. Lucas is the only one who can identify them, well, he and Elizabeta."

"Great, right now, he's missing."

Harry nodded, "Lucas also knows the code to a combination to unlock a nuclear device in Moscow, that is why they are eager to get their hands on him…again."

"To arm the device?" Emily asked.

"To sell it to the Syrians."

"Syria does not have the funds or do they?"

Harry shrugged, "You tell me, the POC was killed, they were in negotiations. Apparently, someone has the funds."

"Who the hell could afford to buy it, if not the Syrians?"

"Oleg and Arkady would be your new best friends." Harry pointed out.

Emily snorted, "Some friends!"

Harry frowned, "Did you just…snorted?"

Emily looked at him, "I might have, why?"

He shook his head, "Nothing…kind of …endearing actually coming from you."

She smiled, "Aw…Harry, you like me! Don' you?"

He stood up "I didn't say that."

She stood up as well and slid her hand through the crook of his elbow, surprising him but he didn't protest as they walked out of the park.

"What am I up against, Harry?" She asked.

"Just be careful and come back safely, and don't be too rash. These people won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

She nodded.

When they reached the edge of the park, she kissed him on his cheek, "I'll get him back, Sir Harry." She turned away and left him.

He watched her, "Just get back in one piece, Emily Prentiss."

He then pulled out his phone and got a hold of Ruth.

"Ruth, it's Harry." He greeted her.

What do you need?

"I want you to pull me the file on Connie James." He requested.

Connie James? He heard the skepticism in her voice.

"Yes, everything we have on her." He then ended the call and walked back to his car.

Before he started the ignition, he mulled over what Emily Prentiss had told him; Connie James would be the most likely person to be the one who had double crossed Lucas and sold out to the Russian eight years ago…but to whom? And for what?

Pursing his lips as he tapped the steering wheel of his car, he tried to recall what was happening around the time; Connie James was retired from -5. Living in a…bunker? Harry shook his head at the choice she made in her living accommodations. Who would live in a bunker?

Only kooks live in such weird places, including paranoid delusional…people back in the time of World War II when they were afraid of the Nuclear age and began building nuclear shelters…panic rooms.

Harry then though further of what was going on then, when the former Ministry of Defense was going to de-commission a nuclear bunker containing biological/chemical weapon testing pods.

He called Ruth again.

"It's Harry again."

Oh, hi…I just started the search, you seemed a little anxious.

"Where does she live currently?" he asked.

Hmmm…Surrey.

Damn! Harry thought; the bunker was located in Surrey!

Now the question was, should he pay a visit to her? What would he find? Would the pods still be there?

"Ruth?"

I'm still here, Harry.

He sighed, "I'm going to be a little late heading back to the GRID."

I take it you're going to Surrey. She pointed.

"Ruth, I believe you've been badly influenced by Agent Prentiss." Harry turned on the ignition.

She laughed, Not at all, Harry. Emily hasn't been here long enough.

He harrumphed gruffly, "All the same, you're sounding more and more like her, and I don't like it at all."

She giggled, I think it's a little too late, Sir Harry.

He groaned, "Oh no, not you too, Ruth."

…..

End of Chapter 21