Chapter 25
"Oh yeah," Kahlan told him wickedly and she brought her legs up and let her pants wrap around his face and neck. She used all the strength she could muster and forced her legs and Nick to the floor. "I'm loving this!" She sat up, pulled one hand free of the loose ropes, and grabbed the sensitive sack that held the key to his manhood and yanked hard. He screamed in pain and it was her turn to laugh. "You like it like that don't you?" She pulled even harder. "You move, and I'll rip these off and let you bleed to death slowly," she told him quietly. He nodded quickly as he whimpered.
Keeping a tight grip on his manhood, she moved into a push-up position and pulled her pants back up with her free hand. She noticed the knife in his pants pocket and reached in and took it out. She straddled him and held the knife up to his throat as she pulled her bra back down over her breasts. She was about to say something but a coughing fit caught her by surprise.
Nick used the opportunity and slammed a fist into the side of her head knocking her to the floor beside him. She rolled a couple times to get away from him and as she moved into a crouching position, they both heard the door unlocking. He smiled and advanced on her in a rush. She reached behind her and grasped the wooden rod. As soon as his charge was close enough, she brought the piece of wood out in front of her; and with a jab, she impaled him on it. "Not exactly a cattle prod up your ass, but it works." His look of shock was priceless, and she smiled as he gurgled and fell to his knees. She knew the upward thrust had taken its toll on his organs and that he would be dead soon. Nice and painful, too!
Two men ran into the room with their guns leveled. They took in the situation and turned their guns on her. She knew they were dart guns, and she knew she was going to pay for what she had done, but she couldn't get the smile off her face. Demitri walked in behind the two men. He shook his head as he looked at Nick. "Put him out of his misery," he told one of the men. The man took out a knife and walked up and slit Nick's throat.
Kahlan laughed and ended up coughing. She stood up and squared her shoulders. She crossed her arms across her chest and waited for her punishment with dignity.
"You just keep making things harder on yourself," Demitri told her as another man walked in behind him.
Kahlan noticed the man smile as he looked at the other two men dragging Nick's body out of the room. "I don't take kindly to someone trying to rape me."
"If it means anything, I told him you would kill him."
"And yet he was still dumb enough to try. What's with your men, Dee? That is what they call you, right? What are they too stupid to pronounce Dah – meat – tree?" She asked him sarcastically.
"He just thought he was better than he was. He's always been arrogant."
"Not any more, he's not."
Tony laughed, but stopped as soon as Demitri gave him a dirty look. "I'll just have to change things up a bit," Demitri told her with an evil smile.
She just stared at him, and he turned and walked past Tony and out the door. Tony took off his shirt and threw it to Kahlan. She caught it with a nod of thanks, and he left and locked the door behind him. She took off the tattered remains of her shirt and put on the new long sleeve shirt and sank to the floor. The entire ordeal had spent whatever energy she had. Fuck that was close! I don't know how much more of this I can take.
XXXXX
After a morning and afternoon without any more breakdowns from Hotch, the boys talked Rossi into taking Hotch out for a drink while they fixed dinner. Hotch didn't want to leave them alone, so they called their Uncle Spencer to come over and supervise so Hotch didn't have to worry. Hotch didn't have the heart to tell them he knew what they were going to make because he had seen the roast in the fridge, so he left with Rossi to allow them their surprise.
Once they were at the bar, Garcia called with an update. "Go ahead, Garcia. You've got me and Rossi."
"Oh good, you're not alone," Garcia started. She heard Hotch's moan and realized she had chosen her words wrongly. "Oh, it's not bad news, but it's not really good news either. Sorry," she added quickly.
"What is it, Kitten?" Rossi asked her as he shook his head.
"The turnpike cameras show the van from Cameron's picture going all the way through Ohio. The last place I can put it is at the last toll booth in Ohio, but I don't know where it went from there, and the last booth is about twenty miles before the interstate runs into Indiana."
"Could you see anyone in the van?" Hotch asked her.
"Just the driver and the up front passenger. Neither man was Demitri, but I am running facial recognition on them."
"Alright, thanks, Garcia. I really do appreciate what you're doing," Hotch told her sincerely.
"Not a problem. I want to find our double-o-agent almost as much as you do, sir."
Hotch smiled. Rossi smiled, too. "Thanks, Kitten. We'll see you at the bullpen tomorrow."
"Of course you will," she said joyfully and ended the call.
"Apparently no one has ever told her that the double-o term is a British rank?" Hotch asked as he took a drink of his scotch.
"I've told her plenty of times, but you know her," Rossi told him with a smile.
Hotch's phone went off again. "Go ahead, Cam, you've got me and Rossi." Hotch told him with a look at Rossi.
"Got another image. At one of the travel plazas on the Ohio turnpike, I can clearly see Kahlan getting out of the van and walking to the building."
Rossi noticed Hotch's look of fear mixed with confusion. "She was walking of her own volition?"
"She was surrounded by three men, but yes, I would say so."
"At least she wasn't hurt on the trip," Rossi told him. "Have you heard anything from Chuck?"
"Not yet, but I would think if he finds anything, Hotch will be the first to know," he told him and ended the call.
"How is it that they all always seem to call around the same time?" Hotch asked Rossi.
"I don't know. Must be some sort of computer thing," Rossi told him with a smile.
XXXXX
Demitri and Tony were reviewing the tape of Nick's time in the cell. "Shit! She still had his knife!" Demitri yelled as he watched her hold the knife against Nick's throat.
"I can make a trade for it," Tony suggested.
Demitri gave him a puzzled look. "What do you have in mind? I was thinking about just darting her and taking it."
"You could do that, but I was thinking of giving her something she needs," he told him with a smile as held up a bottle of water.
Demitri smiled. "That'll work, if she'll do it. She's bound to building up a resistance to those drugs anyway."
Tony smiled and walked to Kahlan's room.
Kahlan woke with a start when she heard the door opening; she hadn't meant to doze off. She scrambled to stand up and had to balance herself on the wall. She watched as Tony stepped into the doorway but didn't come any further.
He smiled at her. "You have Nick's knife."
"Do I?" She asked innocently.
He noticed her hands were behind her back. "I want to trade this bottle of water for it."
She stared at him as her dry throat screamed for the water. "Why?"
"Because I know you have got to be thirsty, and I don't want to have to worry about you trying to kill me with that knife," he told her honestly.
"Throw in a nice steak dinner, and you might have yourself a deal." She wasn't sure what to make of the man before her. She knew he was the one who gave her the shirt and had warned her about Nick, and she could tell he wasn't a stupid man, but she just couldn't get a handle on him.
He laughed. "No steak around here, but maybe a burger."
"And where would here be?"
Tony glance quickly at the camera in the center of the room. "I can't say."
He said can't, not won't. Hmmmm. "So something to eat and a drink, then."
"Give me the knife, and I promise to bring you back something to eat within ten minutes."
She studied him. She didn't have anything to lose by trusting him. She knew they could just gas her again or dart her to get the knife, so she leaned down and put the knife on the floor in front of her. "Any chance you could turn the thermostat up a little, too?" She asked and then kicked the knife to him.
"No control over that either, sorry," he told her and rolled the bottle of water to her feet after he picked up the knife.
"Couldn't hurt to ask," she told him with a smile.
He smiled back and shut the door. She reached down and grabbed the water and took a long drink. She stopped herself from drinking too much because she wasn't sure when she'd get another bottle.
XXXXX
Hotch and Rossi got back to the house after Wyatt had texted Hotch and told them that dinner was almost done. They walked in on Wyatt beating Reid in a game of chess. Jack and Joey were watching the game intently.
"You're actually winning?" Rossi asked Wyatt with surprise.
Wyatt gave him a feigned hurt win. "I've had good teachers."
Hotch shook his head. He knew Kahlan had been teaching both of the boys how to play.
"Uncle Spence should move his horsey," Joey told Jack. They all looked at the board. Rossi laughed.
"Hey, no fair. You can't help him," Wyatt said as soon as he saw what the move would do.
Reid turned a shocked look to Joey. "Has your mom been teaching you, too?"
"Me and Mommy play afer she plays with the boys," Joey told him with a smile.
Hotch shook his head. She is so much like her mother! "Well, since that'll be check mate. I say put it away so we can eat."
"That's not a loss, you're not supposed to have help," Wyatt told Reid as he started to pick up the pieces.
"I was going to move the knight anyway," Reid told with a smile. They all could tell he was lying.
"Sowy, Uncle Spence," Joey told him as she went up to hug his waist.
"That's ok. I guess I'll have to play you next," he told her as he tickled her. She giggled and ran into the family room.
"You're staying for dinner, right, Uncle Spencer?" Jack asked him from the kitchen as he got down the plates.
"Sure. I wouldn't pass up a homemade meal at any time," Reid told him as he made his way to the kitchen to see if he could help.
XXX
Four days later and on a case in Texas, Chuck finally called Hotch. Hotch looked at his phone, saw who was calling, and excused himself out of the conference room. "Hey, Chuck. We were really starting to get worried about you."
"Sorry, but I've spent the last five days combing Cincinnati with a fine tooth comb, and I can't find any traces of Demitri or Kahlan."
Hotch sighed. He didn't think he would have found anything, but he couldn't tell anyone else but Rossi about his feelings. "I'm sure you did your best. They probably just dumped the body there to throw us off."
"Yeah, but it still sucks. You have anywhere else I should check out?"
"No. Go on home. The kids miss you."
Chuck sighed. Hotch could tell he didn't like giving up, but what else could he do. "Alright, I'll head back in the morning. Where are you guys?"
"Texas, but I think we'll be done tomorrow. I'll see you when we get back, and thanks, Chuck, for everything."
"No need to thank me, Hotch. You all are my family, too. I'll see you when you get back. Be careful," he told him and ended the call.
Hotch put his phone away and went back in to concentrate on the case.