The Fugitive
-Chapter Ten-
A/N Hello everyone I am back again…. I am so very sorry for the huge delay on updating this story I ended up signing up for an accelerated Master's Degree program and that was the end of my life. But here we are again and ready for more of my stories. I still have my fbiloveemandhotch account open but I still haven't decided if I am going to continue those stories or not. I might transfer the ones that were not completed to this page and finish them here. We shall see….. for now enjoy this and here we go….
"Surprises are everywhere in life. And they usually come from misjudging people for being less than they appear." ― Brownell Landrum
"What's going on, guys, why are you dismissing my kids?" Emily queried, annoyed once the kids were gone.
"We need to talk." Dave said, looking at both women with a very concerned face. "Will you please sit down?"
"Dave, just say what you have to say!" Emily snapped.
"Aaron escaped prison!"
"What? Emily said, covering her mouth looking at Dave with a perplexed look.
"How in the hell did he escape?" JJ asked, just as surprised.
"We have no idea, all we know is the van they were transferring him in had an accident, and when the police arrived on the scene he was gone."
"What about the guards?" JJ asked.
"They are both fine, apparently, Aaron managed to get them to safety before leaving the scene." Morgan explained.
"This is impossible, he must have been restrained, so he couldn't have gotten too far." Emily said, finally waking up from her state of shock.
"The guards believe he used a homemade cuff key, and he was able to take off his restraints."
"Wait a minute, here." JJ said, holding up her hand. "The van he was being transported in mysteriously got into an accident, and he just so happened to have a key to remove his restraints? This doesn't sound like an accident to me."
"So, this was planned?" Emily concluded. "You think someone helped him escape?"
"We don't know that, what we do know is that his face is all over the news, and it's only a matter of minutes before the police show up here." Dave said, walking over to the window and peeking outside the dark house.
"Where are Reid and Lewis?" JJ asked.
"They should be on the way. I'd already called everyone to come here, but the BAU has ordered us to stay out of this case."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily asked.
"They don't want us involved because they think we are connected to his escape?" JJ guessed before Dave could answer.
"I'm sure that's not the only reason...they know we'll do anything in our power to help him, they are transferring his case to the State Department."
"They don't want us to find out what's really going on." Emily said suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"If Aaron is really innocent, they will do anything in their power to keep us away from finding any evidence that proves his innocence."
"Emily, do you really think he's innocent?" Morgan questioned.
"You don't?" She asked reproachfully. "Look, I am so angry and hurt with him, but I have been thinking and something just doesn't click fit.
"Something like what?" Emily, however, remained quiet unsure if she should tell the team what she knew.
"Emily." Dave said, looking at her skeptically. "Do you know something we don't?"
"I'm not sure…until yesterday I really did believe he was a guilty."
"But…" She bit her lip looking at them.
"Emily, if you know something, you need to tell us." Dave said severely.
"Someone sent pictures to him." She finally said.
"Pictures, what pictures?" Morgan questioned confused.
"Pictures of me…someone has been following me."
"Wait, what? Someone has been following you, and you didn't tell us?" JJ demanded angrily.
"I didn't know anything until this morning when he showed me the pictures."
"You saw him this morning?"
"Yes." She replied meekly. I filed for divorce so we needed to talk."
Morgan shook his head angrily. "You filed for divorced without telling us?"
"I wasn't aware I needed your permission Derek" She replied, snarling. Things had been icy between them since the other night when he called her out for meeting the Director.
"You don't, that's not what I meant." Morgan said, softening his tone.
"Then what did you mean?"
"That was his stressor." Dave said to him.
"Emily, we need to know what was in those pictures." She shook her head walking over to the window.
"If you really believe he's innocent, then you need to tell us everything you know." Dave said, walking over and stopping next to her…she sighed, taking a deep breath and looking at them.
"There were pictures of me and the Academy Director, and before you say anything, no, I wasn't sleeping with him." She said angrily, looking at Morgan.
"Wait, what do you mean by you and the Director?"
"Steven has just been a little too attentive to me...and someone has been recording us."
"Attentive? What the hell does that mean?"
"Derek, don't…okay?" She warned.
"I'm just asking you a question...we need to know…if he is involved in this, we need to know, Emily."
"Wait, do you think the Director of the Academy could be involved?" JJ asked incredulously.
"I don't know, but it's a hell of a coincidence they just so happened to send these particular pictures to Hotch!"
"It was nothing really." Emily said, "They were just pictures of me running into him at a coffee shop, him talking to me at the Academy and then again at that restaurant near Quantico. Nothing happened, but whomever took those pictures obviously wanted Aaron to think otherwise."
"This doesn't make any sense…why would someone follow you and then send pictures to Hotch?" JJ questioned.
"It does if you really think about it...they are trying to isolate him, they want him to think everyone has turned their backs on him. Hell, they want us to think he really did this."
"What about the text messages? And the DNA at the crime scene?"
"Scratch sent a message to me making it look like Garcia had sent it...if they cloned her number, they could have done that to Hotch as well." Morgan said all of a sudden.
"So, we can track where the hack came from, we just need to have Garcia work her magic. I mean, if they clone his phone, they could also have planted his DNA at the crime scene." Emily said, feeling hopeful for the first time in the past few weeks.
"It's not going to be that easy."
"Derek, if he's innocent, we have to help him." Emily said angrily.
"I know, Em, but the State Department just warned us to stay off the case. They are not gonna give us access to the database, or anything else."
"So, how do we prove his innocence?"
"Look, guys, I know Aaron, and he escaped for a reason; he is not going to come to us for help. He knows it's the first place they would come looking for him."
"So, we're just supposed to do nothing and just sit around?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying, Bella. We're still going to help, it's just going to take longer."
"Garcia has mad hacking skills; she'll be able to get into the FBI database."
"She will, but they'll still be able to track her if she uses her computer…remember, they locked us out."
"We can use my old contacts with Interpol...Clyde will help us, I know he will."
"That will be a start, yeah, but if this is really a set up, it's going to take more than just connections. If there is anything on the database it's probably wiped of by now. Aaron had a feeling Internal Affairs was involved."
"Involved? How?"
"I'm not sure, but he told me Tidwell and Chauvin were involved, so we have to find a way to go around them without calling too much attention to ourselves."
"We need Garcia…she's the best, she'll find a way to hack into the system."
"Should I call her?" JJ asked.
"No, not yet, I don't want any of the kids to hear anything."
Just in that moment, the doorbell rang and everyone turned toward the door. Dave walked carefully to look out the window.
"It's the police...we're just having a family get together, okay?" He warned before opening the door.
The door swung open showing four police officers along with the prosecutor on Hotch's case.
"Bechum, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Dave asked with a smirk.
"Where is he?" The man replied with a stern look.
"Where is who?"
"Don't play stupid, you know by now Agent Hotchner escaped, so if you don't want to be charged with contempt of court you better start talking."
"Oh, in that case, I'm sorry, he was just in my coat pocket a minute ago...want to check the other pocket?" Dave replied coolly.
"This isn't funny, we need to search the property." But Morgan moved to block the police officer from coming any further into the house.
"I'm sorry, my knowledge with street policing may be rusty, but I do believe you need a search warrant to do that."
"We can get one in a matter of seconds, Agent Morgan, so please move out of the way."
"Make me!" Morgan threatened, looking at them dangerously.
"Now, now, Derek...calm down, man, if they want to search the place, they are free to do so, we have nothing to hide." Dave said, turning to look where Emily was standing.
"My kids are upstairs. If you come near them, or as much as look in their direction, I will…" Emily threatened venomously.
"We won't come anywhere near them, Ma'am…you hear that, boys...no one goes around the kids whatsoever!"
They watched as the officers started spreading throughout the house searching every corner they could find.
"I'll go upstairs with the kids." JJ said, giving Emily a squeeze on the back; the brunette just nodded focusing on the man in front of her.
"I know you guys are all friends and family, but let me remind you that assisting a criminal is a serious offense. If you are helping him in any way, you will be charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting along with treason against the country."
"Calm down, Bechum, we know the law. We just heard about his escape an hour ago, we're just as surprised as you are."
"Agent Prentiss, you came to visit your husband this morning. I need to know exactly what you were talking about."
"I'm sorry, but that was personal."
"There's no such a thing as personal when your husband is a wanted criminal...again, what was your conversation about?"
"Bechum, are you accusing her of a crime?" Dave intervened. "Because if not, you have absolutely no right to interrogate her, or any of us for that matter, and I can just so easily have the Secretary of State on the phone and throw your case down the hole. You are a prosecutor, you know what fruit of the poison tree is, don't you?"
Bechum, who was glaring at Emily, turned to meet Dave's eyes.
"You're not the only one with good connections, Counselor.
"The house is clear." One of the police officers said to Bechum.
"You searched the house, now can we please go back to our family night?" Morgan questioned.
"You expect me to believe you were just having a family get together?"
"Sure..." Dave said, walking toward the door and pointing at the pizza delivery guy who had miraculously finally arrived. After paying for the pizza and dismissing the delivery guy, Dave turned around to face Bechum again.
"Well, this is getting old, I'm hungry and smell pizza, so if you guys don't mind…."
Dave took the pizzas into the kitchen, giving one last glare at Bechum and the detectives.
"I think you got what you needed, Bechum, it's time for you to go?" Morgan said, walking over to the door and holding it open for them.
The officers and prosecutor have no choice but to leave, however, Bechum kept his stare on Emily the entire time. When the door was finally closed, Emily finally released the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"They're not going to leave us alone that easily, are they?" She questioned, heading back into the kitchen with Morgan behind her.
"No, they're not, this is just the beginning." When she walked into the kitchen, she looked at Dave who was looking underneath the marble counter top and running his hands along the inside of the counter.
"Checking for anything that shouldn't be there?" He stated moving around the kitchen just looking at random places.
"Dave, what exactly are you doing?" Emily asked, frowning.
"Hotch isn't going to come here, it will be the first place they would search, and they know that, there is another reason they were here."
"You think they placed some kind of listening device?" Derek asked, finally catching up with him and doing the same to the other side of the kitchen.
"They're going to be monitoring her very closely, so yes."
Hotch walked up the hill as fast as he could. His heart was racing nonstop, but he couldn't stop, he needed to reach the top of the hill. Only Reid would make him go to a place like that…it was a shrine at the top of a mountain. It had taken Hotch a good hour to climb up the hill, but he knew adrenaline was what kept him running.
He got to the top of the shrine breathless and struggling to walk, but he could see the thin shadow of Reid's body. As soon as the genius spotted Hotch, he ran toward him.
"This is a hell of a place to meet someone." Hotch said, looking around hesitantly.
"It's the only place I could think of where they won't come looking for you." The younger agent said.
"I don't know if these will fit. They were my dad's, but it was all I had." Reid handed him a pair of pants and a green sweater along with some old dusty shoes.
"Why are you doing this?" Hotch asked, looking at the aged pieces of clothing that were probably not the right size, but he took them gratefully.
"Because you're innocent." Reid said vehemently.
"If we get caught, this could end your career."
"Hotch, you put your job on the line so many times for us…I don't care about the BAU, they're wrong because they're framing you. They are all behind this! We are supposed to stand for justice, and then they turn around and do this…it's just not right."
"I have to go." Hotch said, looking around worriedly; he knew they were already after him, so they probably didn't have much time. As safe as that location was, he still needed to go somewhere. "You cannot be seen with me."
"You're going to Gideon's, aren't you?" The genius said as a matter of fact.
Hotch just looked at him quizzically. He had always known the kid was a genius, but still…
"Hotch, did you…?"
"Because he's the only one who understands what the job does…and he will help, I know he will…I'll take you there, then I have to go meet the others."
"No, Reid, no way, you can't risk yourself or your job." Hotch said firmly.
"Hotch, do you want to prove your innocence or not? Because right now, I'm the only person who believes you're innocent." Reid said, looking at him with angry eyes. "Besides, Gideon is two hours away? Are you planning to walk there with the entire city after you?"
"Fine, but we have to go now." Hotch said and he followed Reid into a 1967 Chevy Corvette. It was a little rusted, and Hotch wasn't sure it even drove anymore. He was surprised the kid was even able to drive it up the hill.
"Reid, where did you get this car?"
"It was my mother's before she got sick… Is been in a storage unit for years now."
"Great, because this won't call attention at all? Is it even driveable?"
"Hotch, do you really think I would be that stupid to drive you around in an illegal car?" Reid asked. "Registration and insurance are in the glove box." He added, seeing the senior agent hesitate.
"It's not like I have a choice, do I?" Hotch asked, looking around once again and getting into the car with Reid. The motor sputtered a few times, but they drove away slowly as Hotch watched the road around them nervously.
Hotch turned the radio on, struggling with the old tattered buttons to get reception to a news station. He knew that by now his face was all over the country and he wanted to pay attention to security check-ins to make sure they could drive away from the police. He was not sure how he got the nerve to do what he just did. He had escaped from prison, and now his charges were ten times worse, but he knew it was the only way he could prove his innocence. After all, everyone had turned their backs on him…even his friends, his family and his wife. This was not going to be an easy task, but either he spent the rest of his life in prison, or he found out who had set him up and why…it was that or losing Emily forever.
"What does Chauvin have to gain by killing Beth and setting you up? It has to be money? He's already the Director, so it's not power." Reid said, driving so slow Hotch was beginning to get frustrated.
"I don't know, but can you please drive faster?' He said, annoyed. "I need to make it by Gideon's before the sun rises."
"We think Chauvin was sleeping with Beth, at least I do, so if he killed her because she was pregnant, framing you would make sense…he gets rid of the child and her at the same time and he remains a hero."
"There's someone else besides him involved, Chauvin didn't do this alone. Dave said all the footage was erased from the BAU system, did anyone try tracking down information, did anyone hack into the system?"
"We were ordered to stay away from the case, so they blocked Penelope from any access."
"I need access to the database…if they wiped the footage there has to be a track of that."
"That would prove you were with Chauvin the day Beth died."
"That's not what I'm looking for." Hotch said, lowering himself into the seat to prevent several patrols that were driving by from seeing him.
"Chavin didn't kill Beth, he had to hire someone else to do it, and there is only one place he could get money for something like that."
"The BAU budget!" Reid said in shock.
"I know someone who is very good with computers, even better than Garcia."
"That's why we're going to Gideon's?"
"He knows people all over the world; we investigated an Asian gang many years ago, and there was this guy who got intel from the NSA to several gang mobs."
"You're going to ask the Asian Mafia to hack into the FBI database? And you think they are going to do it?" Spencer asked, surprised.
"They will when they know Chauvin is the one who shut them down ten years ago."
Reid turned to look at him in shock. Never in his entire life would he have imagined the so stoic and righteous Agent Hotchner would do something like, that let alone break the law.
"I was righteous until they sent me to prison for I crime I didn't commit. Now, I'm willing to do anything even if it means breaking my oath of office." he said.
"You think that your laws correct evil - they only increase it. There is but one way to end evil - by rendering good for evil to all men without distinction." ― Leo Tolstoy