* Just found out my website didn't actually have Daddy Lump on it– sorry. He's there now, though. I also added pictures of the dogs thanks to a suggestion from a great friend. They are all on the 'Character Photos' page.
Chapter 52
Hotch let go of Kahlan's face and took a step back from her. "No."
Kahlan gave him a look of defiance. "If it's going to completely safe for you, then you have no reason to not let me."
Chuck slammed down the file in his hand. "No!" Kahlan and Hotch both looked at him not sure who he was saying 'no' to. "Neither one of you need to do it!"
"Hotch is right. We have to know what's going on," Kahlan started as she looked at her husband. "But he is not doing it unless I am there with him," she added with a look to everyone around her and enough of an edge in her voice to hopefully dissuade everyone in the room from trying to help him without her.
"Jesus Christ," Dave started and Kahlan fixed him with a look. He had to look away from her. "What the hell happened to your eyes?"
Everyone focused on her and some of them even sucked in their breath. Kahlan laughed at them but put her sunglasses back on. "Really? My eyes are what're bothering you all the most right now?"
Garcia had put her hand to her mouth. "That's scary. Are you ok?"
Kahlan sighed and shook her head slowly. "Yes, and there is nothing wrong with my vision; and, yes, it will go away, but it may take a week or so."
Chuck laughed at the looks on the faces around him. "Well, at least I wasn't the only one who was shocked to see it."
"Can we get past my eyes and discuss how my husband and I are going to pull this off?"
"Yes please. I don't want have to think about the evil eyes from hell any longer than I have to," Mack joked, and everyone laughed as Kahlan shook her head again.
"Kahlan, you are not doing this," Hotch told her as he folded his arms across his chest.
She mirrored his stance. "Then you're not doing it either."
"I have to. I'm the target, so it won't work without me."
"I need to interrupt," Garcia started as she held up her hand as if she were in school. They all looked at her. "What did you mean when you said dragon skin?"
Kahlan chuckled. "I don't know what it's called, but that bulletproof shirt Hotch is wearing that save his life in the garage."
"That's actually a pretty cool name for it. I'll have to tell my buddy," Chuck said as he smiled at Kahlan.
"Daniels' phone was at the lodge," Cam interrupted. "But it left before we actually hit it. There must be a back road out of there," Cam told them as his face displayed his confusion over watching where the phone was headed. "I lose it off and on, but it comes back in clearly near Woodstock." His tone told them all he didn't believe it even though he was seeing it.
"Woodstock? Exactly where was that lodge?" Kahlan asked as she went up to look at the laptop.
Reid opened a file box and searched for the map he knew was in there. Once he found it, he spread it out on the table and found the point he was looking for. "It was in this general vicinity."
Kahlan approached the map and studied where Reid was pointing. "Oh yeah. There are several back roads that lead over the back side of the mountain."
"They aren't on the map," Reid told her as if that meant they couldn't exist.
"They aren't real roads per say, but anyone familiar with the area would know about them."
"So we could have actually lost a lot of people that way," Will pointed out.
They all fell silent as they contemplated what that could mean.
"It was also at Leesylvania Park during the attack," Cam told them as he traced it back even further.
"What?" Hotch asked as he walked over to Cam and his laptop.
"He wasn't there as SWAT," Kahlan pointed out.
"Actually, with the way it bounces around, he could have been just outside of it," Cam corrected himself.
Garcia's laptop dinged and she started typing as everyone's attention went to her. "His voice matches the first 911 call and the call to the news station, but it doesn't match the call to Hotch directly."
Hotch shook his head, and so did several of the others.
"So that doesn't really help figure it out," Mina injected.
Hotch sank down into a chair roughly and looked at the ceiling. "We're going in circles."
"With Daniels dead, I think we need to concentrate on the possibility of a new unsub," Morgan told them.
Rossi walked over and put a supportive hand on Hotch's shoulder. "As much as I hate to admit it, Hotch is right. He has to see if he can draw out whoever is after him." Hotch looked at him and then shot a look to Kahlan that said 'Ha, I win.' "But as much as I also hate it, I think Kahlan should be the one with him." Kahlan smiled at Hotch and he gave her a dirty look.
"No!" Chuck yelled. "Jesus Christ, Rossi. What if something goes wrong? Then they're both. . ."
Rossi went over and put his hands on Chuck's shoulders. "It will be our job to make sure that doesn't happen."
Chuck looked pleadingly at Kahlan and Hotch. He shook his head slowly as he looked back to Rossi. "With the bad luck they've both had so far. . ." he stopped and pulled away from Rossi. "Whatever," he muttered and walked away from the group.
"I disagree," Reid spoke up. "I would say they have both been extremely lucky." Chuck looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Hotch could have been killed several times and he's still here. Kahlan has also almost died, and she's still here, too. That's pretty lucky if you ask me."
JJ smiled at him and several people nodded their agreement.
Chuck considered his words and then huffed. "Fine. Let's do this."
Morgan walked over to Reid as everyone started discussing how they should handle the sting. "I thought you didn't believe in luck, Pretty Boy."
Reid smiled. "I don't, but I feel better with him in on it."
Morgan nodded slowly as he watched Chuck, Kahlan, Cam, and Hotch talking together.
XXX
They all split up into two groups, one to go over everything and see if they could find a connection to Daniels in all of the terrorist attacks, and the other group to plan out the sting to try and get whoever was after Hotch. By six o'clock, they called it a day so they could all go see the boys' first game. They could all use the break, and Rossi, Chuck, and Reid even went and picked up Cindi, Vinnie, and Amy so the whole damn family could go support the young Hotchner men.
Everyone was early and they were all able to sit together, and they took up most of the bleaches at the fifty yard line. Donna and Mike finally showed up with Joey and she couldn't get to her extended family members fast enough. Kahlan and Hotch laughed as Joey made her way around giving kisses and hugs. Garcia busied herself with passing out hand held, red and gold, pompoms so everyone could show their support for the home team, the Warriors.
Donna sat down next to Kahlan and studied her and the group that was sitting around them. "What's going on?"
Kahlan glanced at her out of the corner of her eye as she also kept track of Joey. "What do you mean?"
"Oh please. I may not be in your all's line of work, but I can clearly see the difference on the faces of your little work family. You all are worried, and that scares me."
Kahlan smiled and patted her on the leg. "There's nothing for you to be concerned about. Relax and enjoy the game."
Donna huffed, but she knew her sister wouldn't tell her what was happening, but when she locked eyes with Chuck, she knew something serious was going on. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"I always am," Kahlan assured her, and then they all stood up to cheer as the home team made its way onto the field.
"I really hope they do ok," Garcia told JJ. "The team they're playing won state last year."
"Don't worry, Pen, The Hotchner boys weren't on the team last year," Cam told her with a smile as he put his arm around her.
"Yeah, you've seen them playing in the yard. They have skills," Morgan told her as he sat back down.
When the announcer called out number eleven, Jack Hotchner, quarterback, the bleachers erupted. Kahlan elbowed Hotch in the ribs. "White's number!" Hotch huffed. When the announcer finally got to number forty-four, Wyatt Hotchner, running back, the bleaches erupted again. Hotch turned and gave Kahlan a satisfied smirk. "Shut up!" She told him as she sat back down; forty-four was John Riggins' number.
"I didn't think schools put the players' names on jerseys. It's too expensive to change them every year," Rossi wondered aloud.
"That's true," Hotch agreed as he looked at the boys' team. The visiting team didn't have names on their jerseys. He turned to Kahlan with an accusing look.
"What?" She started. "Yeah, like I've had time to do that."
Hotch looked back at the team and noticed Cam looking guilty. "Cameron James Stillman!"
Cam looked at them sheepishly. "What? That was all Penny's idea!"
Everyone turned and stared at Garcia and Cam. "What? They can reuse them; the names come off and new can be put on. They have super strong velcro on them," Garcia started as she looked at the team proudly. "They look good, too."
Kahlan shook her head, but they all focused on the opening kickoff. The visiting team, the Bulldogs, got the ball first, but after five downs, they had to punt it away. Everyone moved to the edge of their seats in anticipation for Jack and Wyatt to show off their talent. Jack played well when he had the chance. The visiting team's defensive line was a lot bigger than Jack's offensive line, and he got tackled every other play. On the fourth down, Jack was able to slip past a defender and throw a perfect spiral to the waiting arms of a receiver downfield. Hotch couldn't tell who was yelling the loudest, Garcia or Kahlan.
With the first down gotten, Jack's next play was a handoff to Wyatt that put them twenty-three yards closer to the goal line. After another nasty tackle from number ninety-two of the Bulldogs, Jack was down again. Hotch could tell Kahlan was getting mad. A quick pass to Wyatt got them a couple more yards, but in the end, they had to punt it away, too.
Four more downs, and the Warriors had the ball again. Ninety-two took Jack to the ground roughly on the first play. Hotch noticed Kahlan shift in her seat. Jack was able to get the ball thrown downfield the next play, and handoff to Wyatt the next. Ninety-two took Jack down as soon as he got the ball to Wyatt, but Wyatt rushed for thirteen more yards. Another play, a screen pass, found Jack on the ground again.
"Come on, Ref!" Kahlan yelled. "That was a late hit!"
"Calm down, Babe," Hotch told her as he noticed her hands balled into fists.
"That damn kid has it out for Jack!" She insisted.
"It's football, that's what he's supposed to do."
She huffed and got pissed again as 92 hit Jack a little late again. "I swear, if he does that. . ." she started as she stood up.
"That's a kid you're threatening," Hotch told her as he grabbed her arm.
"What?" Kahlan asked him as she looked back at him. "I would never, but I think I might go have a talk with that coach!"
"Babe, he's fine. It's just a game." He looked at her with a little worry because he had never seen her act like that at any of the boys' soccer games. Of course they weren't out tackling each other, either.
"Your right. It's probably bad parenting. You think his father is over there?"
"Jesus Christ, Babe. Calm down. You are not going over there," Hotch told her as Jack got hit again.
Kahlan ran a hand through her hair roughly, but she sat back down. Everyone else was looking a little scared at the way Kahlan was acting. Even Donna had scooted away from her a little.
On the third down, Wyatt fixed Jack with a look in the huddle. "Throw it towards Barns," Wyatt started.
"But that's right where 92 has been coming straight up the middle," Jack told him as he eyed him warily.
"I said through it towards Barns, let 92 intercept it," Wyatt told him quickly.
Jack looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, but he noticed Wyatt and Sam, their biggest player, grinning. He grinned. "Alright, but this better work," he told them and they went to the line.
The snap and the throw, and everyone was floored when the ball was intercepted by 92. Kahlan's eyes got big as she took in the field. Wyatt was steaming towards 92 from the right, and Warrior 36 was running just as hard from the left. They met their target with precise timing, and 92 went down in a clash of pads and helmets. The ball got lose, and Jack scrambled. He scooped it up, evaded a couple tackles, and entered the end zone for the first Warrior touchdown. The bleachers went wild, as Wyatt finally pushed himself up. He smiled at 92 still on the ground. "That'll teach you to mess with my brother again!" Wyatt told him menacingly, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. As he walked back over to the sideline, he noticed his mother smiling proudly, and he knew, she knew, they had done it on purpose. Hotch was too busy slapping fives with Rossi and Morgan on Jack's first score to notice the slight nod that Kahlan gave her son. He nodded back and then went to congratulate Jack, too.
Ninety-two was out for the rest of the game, but by the time it was over, the Bulldogs won 17-14. While they hadn't won, they were all extremely proud of how well the boys had played, and they all went to Pizza Hut for an after game party.
Kahlan got Wyatt alone for a second and gave him a hug. "Who's 36?"
Wyatt grinned. "That's Sam. He's an eighth grader."
"Next time you see him, tell him I said thank you."
"Yep," Wyatt told her as he went and sat with Will and Morgan as they were going over all of the plays of the game.
Kahlan noticed Jack's smile as he and Wyatt locked eyes for a second. Hotch came up behind her and put his hands on her waist. "That was a great game."
"Yep," Kahlan told him with a grin.
"You finally get over being mad? I don't want to have to worry about you behaving at some game when I'm not here."
She craned her head around and smiled at him. "You don't need to worry. I think our boys proved they can take care of themselves."
"Told you," he told her and gave her neck a kiss.
She sighed contently. Now, if we can just get this shit taken care of without you getting hurt, I will be a happy woman!
