Chapter 37

Hotch and Rossi went to check on things at the station as soon as they got up the next morning and finding everything quiet, Rossi convinced Hotch to go grab some breakfast so they could check in with the team.

"Baby Girl has worked her magic again," Morgan started through Hotch's phone sitting on the table between him and Rossi. "She was able to find a direct connection from Tara Smith, the lady going for Stewart's district, to the same corporation that had contacted Kaiser. She showed us a long email history between Tara and a guy named John Pierce who is supposedly one of the upper management guys in the corp. John Pierce turned out to be an alias, but he has scheduled a meeting with Tara for the day after tomorrow, so they're watching her and waiting to see if anyone actually contacts her. I gave the agents instructions to pick them both up."

"She couldn't find anything connecting the dummy corp to William Booth, the guy going for Weister's district, but she was able to find security footage from a coffee shop he regularly visits and he had several meetings with the same woman from Kaiser's videos, so we have also set up surveillance there to see if we can catch them in the act," JJ went on to explain. She and Reid had never gotten to interview Harmon; she'd died in a car accident, but after the FBI was done investigating the crash, they knew her brake lines had been tampered with and that is what made her lose control on the curvy mountain road that took her from her hometown into the city.

"It sure would be nice getting our hands on her or any of them really," Rossi put in and Hotch nodded his agreement.

"What about the third person?" Hotch asked them.

"Jameson Hall is completely open about his relationship with the corporation. He even lists them as backers and supporters and they have been to some of his campaign meetings and such," Mack told him. "He is also being watched as we speak with instructions to grab him and any of them who show up."

"I thought about bringing them all in and trying to break them that way, but I figured actually catching someone from that group would serve us better in the long run," Morgan put in.

"I agree," Hotch started. "That's great work everyone," he offered and took a drink of his coffee. It was the first time he felt they actually had a chance for some answers.

"How about you guys? And more signs of our unsub?" Reid asked.

"No, but if you were able to positively connect the woman going up against Johnson for the district, then they are definitely going to want to take him out of the picture," Hotch told them.

"He wouldn't play ball so they found someone who would," Rossi offered.

"Why do you think they're doing it all?" Mack asked.

"Having several key districts under their thumb would give someone a lot of political power," JJ told her.

Mack snorted. "I hate politics!"

They all silently agreed.

"Alright. Keep us informed. We're going to go set a bigger net now that we're almost definite that our unsub will strike," Hotch told them.

"You got it, Man," Morgan assured him and then ended the call.

"Do I dare say we can see a light at the end of this tunnel?" Rossi asked him as he finished the pastry he'd gotten.

Hotch took a deep breath and looked at him as he frowned. "And yet, I feel the tunnel just got a whole lot longer."

Rossi sank into his seat. "I hate when that happens."

Hotch stood up and grabbed his coffee; his pastry hadn't even been touched. "Come on. I want to make sure every aspect of Johnson's day is covered."

Rossi nodded, stood up, put Hotch's pastry back in the bag. Maybe I can get him to eat it later. He grabbed it and his own coffee. "He's only struck at home so far."

Hotch nodded. "True, but our luck he'll decide to take out a whole Starbucks just to hit his last mark."

Rossi winced at the thought. "We can't even be sure this is his last mark," he offered as they made their way outside.

Hotch looked at him and then frowned some more. "He hasn't killed any more congressmen."

Rossi nodded as he thought about it. "There is that."

XXX

A little after lunch, Hotch contacted the team and wanted them to join him. Not knowing anything about the unsub, it would be easier once they sized him up to pick which two BAU agents were best suited to interrogate him if they did capture him and that would be easier if they were all there to choose from. He and Rossi resigned themselves to a boring day of waiting, and Hotch looked at his watch. He smiled when he realized the kids had just gotten home, so he went ahead and called them. Joey went on and on about a project she was doing, and Hotch had to keep biting back the chuckles that wanted to escape as she complained about being paired with a boy she didn't like. He smiled. "You have to learn to work with people, Angel. You're never going to like everyone you work with," he tried.

"But he's lazy, Daddy! I've done all the work!"

"You've done all the work, or you just don't like the work he's done?" he asked to clarify knowing Joey was a perfectionist like her parents. He knew the boy had to be smart or he wouldn't have been in the school, but he also knew Joey was one of their top students and she got frustrated with some of the other kids sometimes.

She sighed. "If he would just listen."

He smiled. You are just like your mother. "If he is your partner in this, then you have to let him help. You know how important it is for partners to work together."

"Yeah," she offered. "Like you and Poppi or Mommy and Uncle Chuck."

He chuckled. "Yep. You have to give him a chance; maybe he's intimidated by you and a little nervous."

"Alright, Daddy, I'll make sure to listen to him tomorrow."

"That's my girl." He smiled. "Let me talk to one of the boys."

"Alright. They're out back so hold on," she told him and he could hear her moving through the house. "Love you," she told him.

"Love you, too," he got in before he heard the back door open and a bunch of yelling, and he tensed. What the hell?

About thirty seconds later, Jack came on the phone. "Hey, Dad."

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked him.

Hotch heard the door shut and knew he had went inside. "What was all that noise?"

Jack laughed. "A bunch of the guys are over and we're having a marksmanship contest."

Hotch relaxed as he imagined the yard full of kids shooting the boys' plastic BB guns at targets. "Yeah? Who's winning?"

Jack laughed again. "Lilly! That girl can shoot!"

Hotch laughed. Jack and Sarah didn't like Lilly in the beginning and he was happy to see all of them getting along. "There's nothing wrong with a girl beating you at something."

"Oh I know. Sarah beats me at stuff all the time."

Hotch chuckled. "I know the feeling."

Jack laughed. "You want to talk to Wy?"

"Yes, please."

"Ok, I love you, Dad," Jack told him

"Love you, too, Buddy," Hotch told him and then heard him yelling for his brother.

Wyatt came on the phone breathing heavily. "Hey, Dad! You're calling early."

"I had a minute and wanted to check in. How're things going?"

Wyatt laughed. "Other than getting my butt stomped, pretty good."

"Jack told me Lilly's winning."

"You should see her, Dad. It's scary. It's almost like she doesn't even aim."

"Does it bother you to be beat by a girl?" He thought he'd done a good job raising both of his boys and he would hate to find out one of them was chauvinistic.

"What? No way!" he half yelled and then his voice lowered. "Is it sad that I'm actually proud that my girl is the one winning? Does that make me arrogant?"

Hotch laughed. "Not unless you turn into a jerk and rub it in people's faces. You being proud shows how good of a man you are."

"Cool. Thanks, Dad."

"Any time, Wyatt. I guess I'll let you go so you can get back to your friends. I love you."

"Love, you, too, Dad. Talk to you later," Wyatt told him and then ended the call.

Rossi was looking at him with furrowed brows. "What was all that about?" Hotch chuckled and then told him and Rossi laughed. "Only your kids would be spending their free time practicing their shooting skills."

Hotch shrugged. "They're hanging out and having fun, and if they're honing skills for later in life, then so be it."

Rossi smiled. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Hotch was about to say something else, when Detective Wallace rushed up to the door. "They're after him."

Hotch and Rossi shot to their feet. "What?" Rossi asked as they followed him out into the station.

"Two of my people saw him approaching the house, and they went after him. They're in traffic pursuit now."

"Where exactly?" Hotch asked him as his eyes glanced at the map showing the station's jurisdiction.

Wallace went to the map, and his eyes searched it and pointed. "They're headed northwest down Fort Tejon Road."

Hotch studied the map. "If he gets to Highway 138, he'll be gone."

Wallace quickly looked at the woman manning the radio. "Get a roadblock set up on 233rd street."

She nodded and started routing officers to where she wanted them.

"If you have the man power, you better block off Mescal Canyon Road, too," Rossi suggested.

The woman nodded and continued directing the officers in their vehicles.

Hotch rubbed the back of his neck. He knew Johnson was safe because the agents hadn't reported him leaving work yet. He inhaled deeply. Rossi squeezed his shoulder. "They can handle it, Aaron," he told him quietly because he could see that it was killing Hotch not to be on it. "Besides, it would be over by the time we even got out there."

Hotch nodded. "I know."

They all turned when they heard the officers reporting that the suspect was on foot and heading south towards the hills. Hotch winced. Pease don't let him get away. He looked at Wallace. "Warn your people to take extreme caution. We have no idea what this man is capable of."

Wallace nodded and jumped on the radio.

Within ten minutes an officer reported to have the suspect down, but then they lost radio contact and after several long seconds Hotch was really starting to hate the silence. Rossi shared a look with him. "Maybe we should go."

Wallace shook his head. "No, it's just some of those hills mess up the signal."

He barely got the statement out when another voice came over the radio. "Officer down! We need medical!"

The woman manning the radio quickly typed on her keyboard, and Rossi saw the whole station tense. He silently sent up a prayer to watch over the fallen officer and hoped that the unsub didn't think suicide by cop was the way to go. He glanced at Hotch and realized he was probably thinking the same thing. He leaned over. "I really hope we get a chance to talk to this guy."

Hotch nodded. "If not. . ." he shook his head. He wasn't sure he wanted to go there because he wasn't sure about being able to connect the unsub to whoever was behind it all without being able to actually talk to the man.

The radio erupted with what could only be described as chaos, and Hotch felt stomach clench. Several officers were yelling about an officer down, and Hotch couldn't tell if they were all talking about one person or several.

Wallace assured them medical was in route, and Rossi could tell the man was pissed. He couldn't blame him, because he was felt the same way.

They all let out a collective sigh of relief when it was finally reported that the suspect was in custody, and Hotch silently hoped it was all worth it, that the man could be made to talk.

XXX

After about twenty minutes, Wallace rushed outside and helped bring in the man who had caused his people so much grief and to get a final report of what had happened.

Hotch and Rossi had stopped their discussion and looked when they brought the complaining man in. He was ranting and raving as he struggled against the officers bringing him in, and Hotch could tell the man was livid as his eyes searched the building.

"Hey! I know you!" he yelled as fought against the two officers who were dragging him through the station and pulled himself to stop.

When Hotch realized that he was looking their way, he turned around to see who the man was talking to. He couldn't believe their unsub actually knew one of the cops.

The man pulled from the grip of one man. "You're. . ." He shook his head. "I know your name," he continued as another officer grabbed his free arm and tried wrestling him towards the cells.

Hotch looked back at the man and eyes narrowed as he realized the man's eyes were locked with his. What the hell? Several of the officers were also looking at him.

"Ahhh. . . Hotchner! Right? Ahhh. . . Aaron Hotchner!" the man blurted out as he pulled away from all of the officers and stood up straight faced Hotch and the men moved to grab him again.

"Wait!" Hotch said and they all froze as Hotch took a couple steps towards them with Rossi right on his heels. He shared a look with Rossi and looked back at the rumpled man. "And you know that, how?"