After their long and arduous flight, Hotch and his team entered Interpol's London office where they met with a familiar face.
"Clyde," Prentiss called out with a huge grin on her face as she walked to her old friend with her arms out ready to hug him.
"Emily, you're looking well," he replied in his suave English accent. "Agent Hotchner," he reached out to shake his hand. "Well, we'll have plenty of time for pleasantries soon enough. I already have a room put aside for you to work, if you will just follow me."
They entered a large conference room with a 12-seat table in the middle. A few bulletin boards were already started with pictures and information. Boxes of files were stacked onto the table rife with information.
After spending the afternoon sorting through the material provided to them. They set up everything involving the old crew run by Casey Ward and the new one run by the only name they knew, The Dullahan.
JJ looked to the bare board with only "The Dullahan" written on a piece of paper in the middle. "What is the meaning behind this name?"
"The Dullahan is the Irish version of the Headless Horseman," Reid explained. "Legend has it that he is a supernatural creature without a head and usually carries his or someone else's with him with the eyes glowing like a lantern. He rides a massive black steed and uses a human spine as a whip. If he stops along the road and calls your name, you will be his next victim."
"I can see why he picked his name, already giving me chills down my back," Rossi acknowledged.
"I don't think he picked it," Reid remarked.
"What makes you think that?" Prentiss asked.
Reid stood up holding several newspaper clippings and witness accounts. "There is no mention of who this man is. No one had a clear enough look to be able to describe him. It was this newspaper that first gave him the name."
"That's exactly why he is going to remain the UnSub to us," Hotch started. "We don't need to perpetuate these fantasies and lore any further."
The team nodded in agreement and went back to work.
Clyde entered the room and slapped his hands together. "Well, I just got confirmation that The Dullahan's group is at Clancy's bar in Killarney."
"From who?" Morgan asked.
"We have a connection who has been working closely with them. Sadly, not closely enough to get us the information that we need, but it is a start," Clyde replied.
Reid closed the file he was reading as he stood up. "Well, that's my cue."
"For what?" Prentiss asked.
"To see if my cover is still good. But first, I need to do some shopping," He announced.
"Shopping? Shopping for what?" JJ asked.
"Trust me, Matthew 'Nixer' Quinn does not wear clothes like this," he referred to his sweater vest and brown slacks. "I won't be long." He gave a wink as he strolled out the door.
Morgan turned to Rossi. "Did he just wink at me?"
"And you didn't wink back?" Rossi replied.
A light drizzle filled the air with moisture as Reid headed down the brick sidewalk just as dusk was setting in for the night. The street he was on was barely lit but he was still able to see the planters filled with colorful flowers hanging a few feet above him. He tightened his coat as the chill was moving in but knew that it was only a few more feet to his destination.
He stood under the awning, wiping the raindrops from the shoulders of his muted burgundy and navy plaid, woolen jacket. He adjusted his white sand colored slacks, and fixed the blue tie around his neck. He was preparing himself for anything. After a deep breath, he opened the door to the quaint Irish pub.
He noticed a few of the older gentlemen sitting in their usual places at the bar, hovering over their cold brews. There was also a younger crowd in the corner near the dart board and doing shots of whisky.
"Oy!" A man called out from his left side of the room. "Lock up the good silver and your sisters because in walks the man who's going to steal them both!"
Reid turned to see a good friend of his standing on his chair while making a huge ruckus. He couldn't help but blush as the two moved towards each other to share a hug.
"The weatherman said we should expect heavy winds, I didn't know they were strong enough to bring you back here!"
"How you doin', Jannon?" Reid asked with an Irish accent.
"'Bout the same as always, but more importantly, how the hell are you doing? I haven't seen you since old Casey Ward was taken away," Jannon looked to him in awe.
"When I got back in town and heard about what happened, I split. I decided to take what money I had saved up and I hit to road. I toured all over Europe. I even spent a few months running a bar in the Bahamas," Reid tried not to laugh as he told the truth about the bar.
"Come on, let me introduce you to some of my mates. You remember Shawn and Patty. And this is Kyra, Mickey, Jamie, and we have an American all the way from Boston," Jannon made a snooty face.
"An American? You let an American in here?" Reid questioned.
"We've made an exception for her, she was born here but her parents moved her there when she was still a babe," he snickered. "This is Moira Dunne. Moira, this is one of my best mates, Nixer."
The woman looked up from her beer and held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you," she spoke with an Irish-Boston accent.
Reid held his composure as he looked back down to his wife. "Pleasure is all mine." He quickly turned back to Jannon. "Buy me a drink."
"That's a grand idea!" The two stepped to the bar.
After enough time had passed, Reid excused himself from the bar and headed to the restrooms where he met Alex who was already waiting for him at the end of the hallway.
"What the hell?" Reid questioned quietly.
"I know, I didn't have time to tell you. Then once I was able, I found out that you were already on your way," she tried to explain.
"Listen, I'm still not 100% sure my cover hasn't been blown, I need you to keep your ears out for me."
"I will," she reached out and touched his arm. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just a weird being back here again," he confessed. "Especially after everything that happened last time."
"I know, but it's only to get the profile and to learn as much as we can. Then we're done," she tried to be optimistic.
Reid went back to the bar where Jannon was waiting for him with a fresh poured pint of stout.
"So, are you still in the game?" Jannon asked.
"For the most part, a little of this, a little of that. Whatever needs to get done," Reid replied.
"That's good. From what I hear there are a few chores that might need doing around here."
"Point me to your man," he replied.
As if fate orchestrated it, a chilling man entered with three nasty brutes in tow. The bar patrons went from jovial to fearful in a blink of an eye.
"That would be him," Jannon responded.