Chapter 38

"You're Kay's man!" the captured unsub exclaimed as his eyes stayed locked with Hotch's. "I recognize you from the Christmas cards she sends me every year!" he offered as he eyed all of the officers closing in on him.

"You know this piece of shit?" Detective Wallace asked Hotch and the shock was evident on all of the officers' faces.

Hotch licked his lips as he studied the man.

"You're in the FBI! And you have three kids. . . Wyatt, of course, and. . . and Jack!" he took a deep breath. "And a little girl with the most beautiful eyes. . . Ahhh. . ." He bit his lip as his face scrunched up in frustration. After a second he smiled. "Joey!"

"Yeah, you can a family reunion after the trial!" the detective yelled as he grabbed the man's arm.

The man twisted out of his grasp. "Don't touch me!" he demanded and the danger in his eyes shone brightly, and then he looked at Hotch with pleading eyes. "Please! I know you!"

Hotch held up his hand to stall the detective. "Just a minute."

"What?!" the detective screamed. "This son of a bitch killed four of my men and not to mention three Congressmen and four civilians! I don't give a shit if he knows you or not!"

"What?!" the man screamed and then looked at Hotch and then all of the officers around him.

Hotch could tell by the man's face that he had no idea what the detective was talking about, and he started to think that they'd caught the wrong man. Hotch took a deep breath and stepped up to the gaggle of men. "Take him to the interrogation room," he ordered one of the uniformed officers as he pointed at the handcuffed man and then looked at the detective. "And I would like a word, Detective, in private," he added and then moved to the man's office obviously expecting his orders to be carried out.

The detective snorted his disgust, but he moved to follow Hotch and two officers took the captured man to the interrogation room. Rossi ran a hand down his goatee as he tried to make sense of it all. The officers had reported that the man wouldn't divulge his name and he had no identification on him. They had also run his fingerprints to no avail, so Rossi couldn't even get Garcia started on finding out who the man was.

Hotch shut the door once the detective was in the room and took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have to remind you, Detective, that this is a federal case and that means we have jurisdiction. If need be, we can escort that man back to the FBI building in LA and then maybe we will let you know how it all turns out."

The detective didn't miss the threat in Hotch's tone. He took a deep breath. "That won't be necessary, Agent Hotchner. I'm sorry I got a little heated, it's just that man slaughtered my men."

"I realize that you believe that is the man responsible, but. . ." Hotch started.

"It's clear that you don't know who he is! How can you. . ."

"Who he is or who he knows is irrelevant. He still deserves the same due process that every person does," Hotch refuted. "Were his rights even read to him?"

The detective wilted a little. "I'm sure they were. . . I wasn't there when. . ."

"My team and I will be handling this suspect from here on out," Hotch offered as his eyes locked with the detective's, and the quiet authority in his voice made the detective wilt even more.

He licked his lips. "Yes, Sir."

Hotch kept him fixed with his stare for another second or too to emphasize his point and then left the room. Rossi joined him as Hotch made his way towards the room where the man was being held. He leaned in close. "What the hell, Hotch?"

Hotch shot him a look. "I have no idea."

Rossi grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. Once he checked to make sure no one else was in hearing distance he leaned in close again. "If he's. . . If he's like them, then it all makes sense," he offered.

Hotch rubbed the back of his neck. "I know." He sighed heavily. "We knew it had to be somebody good, but. . ." He shook his head.

Rossi could tell Hotch didn't like the implications any more than he did. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go in there and talk to him."

Rossi winced. "Can you even trust what he said? I mean, if he's a bad guy, maybe. . ."

"I know," Hotch insisted as he started for the room again.

"Well, wait up! You're not going in there alone!" Rossi half yelled as he jumped to catch up with him.

Hotch took a calming breath, slipped his work face on, and opened the door. The man straightened in the chair as Hotch walked over and sat down in the seat across from him. "It's not exactly fair that you know my name, but I don't know yours."

The man ducked his head a little as a small smile came to his lips. "Daniel," is all he offered.

Hotch could tell he wasn't going to give him any more than that. "And you know, Kahlan. . . Kay?"

Daniel nodded quickly as his smile grew. "Yep! I've known her since 96. We used to work together."

Hotch shared a quick look with Rossi and then studied the man in front of him. He was twitching around in his seat, and Hotch wasn't sure if he was extremely nervous, scared, or on something. Hotch swallowed. "Do you know why you were arrested, Daniel?"

His eyes darted around as he chewed on his lips and he finally shrugged, sort of. "Not really."

"What were you doing tonight when those officers found you?"

"Driving."

"Where?" Hotch asked.

His face scrunched up as he shook his head and after a second he drooped. "I don't know."

"You don't remember?" Rossi asked as he moved closer to the table and shared a look with Hotch.

Hotch could see the concern in Rossi's eyes and he understood because he was starting to get the same feeling.

Daniel wiped his face on his shoulder and then shook his head. "No. They didn't want me to."

"They? You mean the officers?" Hotch asked him.

Daniel shook his head as anger overtook his features. "No!"

Rossi held up his hand to try and calm the man down. "Ok. Then who are you talking about?"

Daniel looked back and forth between Rossi and Hotch and then shook his head. "I don't know."

Hotch and Rossi shared another look and Daniel looked back and forth between them quickly. "I should. . . but I don't. . ."

He almost started hyperventilating so Hotch held up his hands. "Calm down, Daniel." Daniel took a deep breath and nodded. "You need a drink?" Hotch asked him as he stood up. "You look like you could use some water."

Daniel nodded quickly. "Please!"

"Alright. We'll be right back," Hotch assured him and Rossi followed him out the door.

As soon as they were down the hall, Hotch turned to him and shook his head. "Was that as bad as it seemed to be?"

Rossi huffed. "My God! What the hell is that man on?"

Hotch shook his head again. "I don't think that's it. Did you see his eyes and the circles under them? It's like he hasn't slept in a week."

"As banged up and dirty as he is, he looks like he's been living on the streets."

"And did you see the blood stains on him?"

Rossi nodded. "There's no way those older ones came from his fight tonight with the officers."

Hotch nodded as he took out his phone. "One way to check his story," he started as he brought his wife up in his contacts.

Rossi pat him on the shoulder. "I'll go find him some water."

Hotch nodded and waited for his wife to pick up.

"Hey, Hun. You're calling early."

"Hey, Babe. You got a minute?"

"What's wrong?" she asked because she could tell by his tone that something wasn't right.

"Well, the locals seem to think that they've caught our unsub," he offered.

"And that's not a good thing?"

"I'm not sure what to think right at the moment."

"Why?" she drew out because she didn't like the way he was acting.

"Because he says he knows you, and he recognized me from the Christmas cards you send him every year."

"What?!"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Kind of the same reaction I had."

She took a deep breath. "What's his name?"

"Well, the only thing he would give me is his first name. He wouldn't even give the officers that."

"And?"

"Daniel."

"Daniel? Daniel," she repeated softly and he could tell she was trying to place the name. "Sorry, Hun. I know a few Daniels, but there isn't one on my Christmas card list."

Hotch inhaled deeply. He didn't like that answer because the man knew a little too much about his family to be comfortable with.

"Damn, though, Aaron, if he knows your name and the fact that I send out Christmas cards with our family pictures in them. . ." She blew out a breath. "What the hell have you gotten yourself into?"

"You're sure? He even knew the kids' names."

She sucked in her breath. "What?" She swallowed and bit her lip. She was starting to understand the felling she'd been having since he left for the awful case.

Rossi came back with a water bottle and his eyes asked Hotch how it was going. Hotch shook his head.

"What's this guy's game?" Kahlan asked.

"I guess we're going to have to find out," Hotch uttered and then went in the room.

Daniel's head had been down on the table but he sat up quickly.

Hotch looked at him. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but Kay says she doesn't know you."

The fear that crossed his face made Hotch think of a trapped animal. He licked his lips. "Yes she does!"

Rossi opened the water for him, put a straw in it, and sat it on the table in front of him; but Daniel didn't notice. His eyes were darting around and Rossi's brows furrowed as he took a step back and shared a look with Hotch.

"What's your last name? Maybe that will jog her memory," Hotch offered.

Daniel's head snapped to him and he smiled. "Skip! She calls me Skip! They call me Skip!" he blurted out.

"Skip?" Kahlan asked. "Light brown hair, blue eyes, about 6' 1'', really sharp dresser?" she asked her husband quickly.

Hotch looked Daniel over. "Yes, except for that last part," he confirmed.

"What the fuck?" she exclaimed. "Put me on speaker!"

Hotch took a deep breath and laid his phone down on the table.

"Skip? Is that really you?"

"God, Kay! It sure is nice to hear your voice!"

"You remember that mission down in Cuba?" she asked to make sure it truly was her old friend.

"Yeah, of course."

"What did I yell at you for on the plane ride back?"

Hotch and Rossi shared a look and Hotch winced. It was clear the man used to be on the squad with her. Rossi shook his head.

Skip laughed. "You yelled at me because you found a whole box of cigars in my pack."

They could all hear Kahlan's sigh. "Jesus Christ, Skip, what the hell is going on?"

He sank into his seat a little more. "I don't know."

"Skip, did you kill those people?"

The way Skip tried to ball himself up, Hotch knew he didn't want to answer that.

"Skip!"

"I don't know!" he yelled. "I don't think so, but I. . . God, Kay, I don't know!"

"How could you not know? Damn it, Man! I trained you better than that! How can you remember what happened on a plane in 98 and you can't remember what you did this week?!"

Skip had flinched with each statement and when Hotch saw tears welling up in his eyes, he stepped closer to the table. "Kahlan. . ."

"No, damn it, Aaron! I need to know what the hell is going on!"

"I think we'd all like to know tha. . ." Hotch countered, but he paused when he saw Skip sit up fully. His face was void any emotion.

"They made me do it," Skip all but whispered.

"What?" Hotch, Rossi, and Kahlan all asked at the same time.

"I didn't want to, but they made me. I tried to fight them," he explained as his eyes unfocused.

Rossi shot a look to Hotch and backed up a step and tried to pull Hotch with him.

"They? Skip? Who's 'they'?" Kahlan asked him gently.

"Julie and Mika are dead," he started crying. "I tried to stop them!" he bawled and then slammed his head down onto the table and started hitting his head over and over again.

"Daniel!" Hotch yelled as he reached for his shoulders. "Stop!"

"I had their blood on my hands!" he yelled and then slouched against the table as sobs wracked his body.

"Aaron," Kahlan called. Hotch reached for his phone knowing that she wanted to talk to him privately when Skip suddenly sat up.

"It doesn't matter! They'll win! They always do! I had to do it! I had to. . ."

"Stand down, Skip!" Kahlan yelled.

Skip sucked in his breath and stopped his babbling. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I need to talk to Aaron, Skip. Ok?"

"Yeah, ok," he offered as he sank back against the seat.

Hotch picked up his phone and motioned for Rossi to go out the door first. Once Kahlan heard the door shut she spoke up. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

Hotch half chuckled, half huffed. "I was going to ask you that!"

"My God!" Kahlan exclaimed and Hotch could picture her running her hand through her hair. "Is he tweaking?"

"I wouldn't think so. I mean, we haven't gotten a blood test or anything but I've never seen anyone act like that because of drugs."

Kahlan took a deep breath. "Aaron, are you sure he's your unsub?"

Hotch winced because he could tell by her tone that she was hoping that he wasn't. "I don't honestly know, Babe. I haven't been able to get a whole lot out of him yet."

"But your killer is bad enough that it could be?"

He took a deep breath. "Anyone good enough for your squad would fit the profile."

"Son of a bitch!" she got out and Hotch heard something crash and he knew she had kicked something. She blew out a breath. "Alright. I'm coming."