Chapter 85

Whenever the alarm goes off on Monday morning there is always a little piece of hope somewhere in Ryan that maybe it's still Sunday and he just forgot to turn it off. He tried to ignore it but a few sloppy kicks under the covers from his wife made it clear that he should attend to it and get the day started. He silenced it and laid back down.

"What now?" He groaned when his phone buzzed with a text message from Liam O'Connor. "Oh shit." He mumbled and dashed out of bed and into the bathroom. Alex laid there with eyes closed opening one eye when he got out of bed so quickly and she heard the shower running. She peeked over to the crib next to her. Her daughter laying on her back trying to force a foot in her mouth when she newly discovered her toes. Alex left her to that, enjoying this sight and her daughter's newly found obsession watching her from the bed, before she picked her up.

Ryan rushed out of the bathroom just as quickly as he went in a few minutes ago. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Alex asked from the bed with Phoebe next to her. "Forgot I have to go undercover on a case today. If Liam didn't text me earlier I wouldn't have remembered." He explained while dressing. "Okay, only for today or the rest of the week?" Alex was still confused and tried to get as much information as possible in the short amount of time he has available to explain it to her.

"Don't know. Hopefully just for today. Needed to be there an hour ago so he can brief me n what to do." He finished kissing her and Phoebe, grabbing his phone and badge in a haste off the bedside table and rushed downstairs.

"Did you forget something?" Alex asked when he came back upstairs and stood in the doorway not entering the room. "I love you guys." He said and Alex smiled at him motioning that he should get going, still smiling at his small gesture. "Your father is a real scatterbrain." She told Phoebe and tickled under her chin enjoying the sound of her daughter laughing loudly. Getting out of bed so they can start their day.

Ryan went into Liam's office greeted by a face that said he wasn't impressed. It was strange seeing the office so quiet all the desks empty no one walking up and down with files in hand or the elevator sound to the doors opening. "Yes I know I'm late and I was supposed to be here an hour earlier but I'm here now." Ryan laid down the so called apology and sat down.

Liam didn't say anything he just took a deep breathe before he continued. "You're gonna have to do this one solo. We'll be close by for back up in case anything happens, but for the first hour at least, I need you alone in there. And most importantly I you to get her cellphone." Liam started and the special agent nodded.

"We'll brief the others on the case when they get in. For now I need you to think about something you're gonna say to Rita Armand, so you can get into her office. Ryan this woman is ruthless she won't think twice about putting a bullet in your head when she finds out you're working for the FBI." Liam warned him, trying to make him see the bad side of all this.

Ryan took a seat not sure how he'll go about all this but trying to think of a story he can tell to make Rita believe him and give him access to her office. The office soon filled with people and they were called downstairs to get briefed on the case at hand.

"Welcome back after the weekend, on this good Monday morning." Maranda greeted but all she got in return were groans from the rest of her team, making it clear that they'd rather be anywhere else than at work on this Monday morning. "If you are yawning, I know that you are tired. If you have water with you… you've got something else." She laughed seeing the water bottles on the tables of the young bachelors trying to put up brave faces. "All right, this here is Agent Marvin Peters from the Armed Task Force. He'll be briefing you on the case, and what's expected of you."

"In all seriousness guys. We thought our cases with the Russians were done, but it seems like the opposite. They're back." He started looking through the group of agents sitting in front of her. Peters turned to the screen in front of him and showed a picture of a tall blonde woman, brown eyes with golden brown locks falling to her shoulders, pink plump lips. "Any of you know who this is?" Marvin questioned.

"Goldie Locks?" Simon asked and the rest of the team laughed. "Nice try Asher, but no it's not. This is Rita Armand. Leader of her gang of Russian mobs. Word is out on the street that she is planning a massive armed shipment that's hitting the coast."

"What kind of arms?" Alex asked leaning back in her seat.

"RPG's , AK47's a few snipers"

"Some serious fire power, who's throwing the party?" Natalie questioned.

"We don't know who the buyer is, it all happened so fast we lost track of the shipment, and that's why we need your help. We need everyone to be on the lookout for it." Marvin explained scanning the room.

"Not to be forward or anything, but we know this city better than any task force, why don't we take point on this?" Natalie opted looking at Marvin.

Marvin took a deep breathe before he looked at her. "Thank you, but I can assure you we can handle it. I just need you guys to be my eyes and ears out there. The ATF will take these guys down."

"You already lost track of the shipment." Alex rationalized that his ideas weren't too good and if they didn't make it out in time they might lose it. "We've been tracking local armed operatives for a while now."

"Weapons, are our jurisdiction. We're just asking for a little inter agency cooperation. That's all." Agent Peters said and left the room.

"We need to be on this Maranda." Nimah started looking at the curly haired woman.

"Guys this is their game, they make the rules on this one not me. My hands are tied." She explained to them.

"So we're just supposed to sit on our hands while these weapons flood the streets?"

"This is not our jurisdiction." Maranda repeated Marvin's words to Nimah.

"With all due respect, Maranda. Bullets don't follow jurisdictional lines." Simon added.

As much as she hated to admit it, they have a point and Ryan and Liam is already briefed on this case by following Marvin's rules, surely she can bend them a little and inform them that tides have changed and they're doing things their way and not going the ATF's route. "Well if you were to look into it without my knowledge…'

"See no evil hear no evil." Simon smiled at her

"Yeah see, I already don't know what you're talking about." Maranda told them and left the briefing room to let Ryan and Liam know where things stand at the moment.

She entered Liam's office and saw Ryan sprawled out on the couch on his back staring at the ceiling, Liam sitting behind his computer. "Is this all I need to do to get a pay check every month, Booth?" She asked looking at the man who made no point in getting up from his position. "I'm meditating, on what story I'll spin to Rita on why I need to get into her office." Ryan explained to her and she looked at Liam for confirmation. "I've stopped trying to get him out of here. He's fifty shades of paranoid as he's lying there." Liam said nonchalantly.

"All right, well plans moved up, we're doing things our way now…"

"But Agent Peters said tha.."

"Yeah I know what he said but my agents aren't too happy with how he wants to go ahead in this so I've given them the green light to ignore his orders and follow these Russians the way we would do it. If all this goes south I'll take the hit for it. I just need to know if the two of you are on board with it?" She asked before she continued.

"Does that mean I don't have to go undercover anymore?" Ryan asked carefully sitting up.

"No Booth you're still undercover." She told him and he went back to lying down on the couch, listening intently as Maranda explained the new plans.

Downstairs everyone got on the phone and called their CI's to find out if they know about any of this. After about two hours everyone met up with Maranda again, this time joined with Liam and Ryan. Explaining the way forward on how they'll go about in all of this. "All right, we found out were Armand is, she owns a really expensive restaurant up north. Agent Booth is going undercover with a story he has yet to figure out on how he'll get to her office." Maranda explained.

Once in there he'll have to get a hold of her cellphone and transfer all the data that might be lead us to the arms, onto his cellphone, and then he'll have to figure a way out of there without getting caught Maranda also explained that this is risky and anything can go wrong at any moment.

"Some of us will be in the office, some others will be in surveillance vans outside the building listening in and acting up in case something goes wrong. She has surveillance outside and any suspicious looking vehicle may cost Ryan his life. If we do watch we need to be at least two blocks away. The safest option in this I'd say is that we all stay in office and let emergency vehicles take over in case something goes wrong. We gave them the heads up on what's going down." Maranda explained.

They all nodded and got seated, two at a computer that the tech guys cracked so they have eyes on the place. Inside it was harder and they opted to not do it, but to wire Ryan instead, so they can listen in on the conversation and get help when it is need.

Ryan heading out getting into his car, putting the coordinates into his GPS driving towards the restaurant.

He pulled up in front of the restaurant sitting in the car in silence for a while. "I'm outside." Ryan told Liam and Maranda listening in from the office. "All right, go on when you're ready and be on the lookout." She coached and he got out of the car.

Two gym freak guys with big arms dressed in white stood outside the doors. They looked at him and patted in case he had something suspicious on him. He held his breath hoping they won't find the wire because then he'll be dead before he even got inside.

He passed them and walked inside, looking around at the high-class restaurant. Black and white leather chairs everywhere. A cigar lounge cut off from the rest of the restaurant in a corner, big sparkly chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and shiny wooden floors.

Ryan walked up to the bar taking a seat waiting for the bar tender to attend to him. "Double whiskey on the rocks." He ordered.

"Make that two. A man who orders a drink like that have a special place in my heart. Rita Armand, the owner." She introduced herself, extending her hand towards Ryan. Golden brown locks hanging over her shoulders wearing a short tight fit red dress and black heels. Rings in all ten fingers, overkill of you ask him but it's her money.

"Nice to meet you, Justin Spencer." He introduced himself, not sure where he got the name from but that was the first one that popped up and he went with it. "What does the Mrs. have to say about you hanging around places like this in the middle of the day?" Rita asked touching his left hand, he wondered whether he was supposed to take his wedding band off. "We have an understanding. She gets the high life and the platinum card, while I do my things. And both of us are happy at the end of the day." He took a sip and looked over at her, feeling like he's betraying his wife for real this time. "So I'm guessing she won't have a problem with it if the two of us share you?" Rita whispered in his ear leaning over to kiss him, but he stopped her standing up quickly.

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" He suggested and she led him into the office. Ryan scanned the office looking for her cellphone but couldn't spot it anywhere. He walked over to her desk and saw it. She sat on the desk leaning forward seductively pulling him closer with his tie. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk trying to get the phone, as she tried kissing his neck. "Hey, what's the rush. We have all day, I'll be right back." He told her when he got hold of the phone and his jacket laid on the floor. "Don't take too long in there baby." She smiled lighting a cigarette.

Making his way to the bathroom across the office and closing the door. "Just so you know I'm hating every minute of it." Ryan whispered frustrated, he took out his own phone and connected the cable to transfer the data from hers to his. "Hang in there it's almost over." Liam tried. "I'm busy flirting with some woman for information, I'm married Liam, hang in there is not going to make this any easi…"

"Ryan what was that?" Maranda asked concerned from the other side

"Damnit, how do I turn it off. It won't turn of." Ryan started to panic when Rita's phone rang from inside the bathroom.

"Justin, why do you have my phone? Open this door right now." Rita banged on the door and the phone kept ringing. His back was against the wall and there was no way he could explain it. "Justin! Open this damn door!" She yelled and before he could answer the door was open. He had no idea how she did it. "What are you doing with my phone?" She asked arms crossed over her chest. "Forget that, we have business to attend to." He tried getting her out of the bathroom, she glanced over and saw the two phones connected, trying to act as if she didn't care. She leaned into him and kissed him pulling him out of the bathroom and pushing him down in the chair, when they got back into the office.

"You're right we do have business to take care of." She kissed him again sitting down on his lap, legs spread on either side of him, ripping his shirt open and found the wire. She stood up and hit his nose with her fist. "I should've known you were too smooth." She laughed striking his cheek with her fist this time. He tried standing up when she got off him, there was no way he was going to get into it with a woman. Surely Maranda and Liam would've heard what went down and they said they have vehicles on standby. She pressed a button and the guys who searched him outside were there in seconds. They walked over to him, one holding him down while the other secured his hands at the wrists behind the chair and his legs to the front of the chair.

He just accepted his fate right now, that if no one showed up, he'd die in here today and all for nothing since they won't even have the information they thought they were looking for. Right now he prayed that someone would come get him.

"Okay, clearly you don't know who I am or how I operate so let's get to it." She nodded her head at her two side dogs and they took turns punching his open chest. It's no use putting up a fight since he can't do anything. His breathing became hitched after a while.

"That's enough for now, I'll take over from here." She ordered and the two men stepped down. "I…I can explain." Ryan breathed trying to get her to listen to him. "Shut up! I don't wanna hear it." She walked over to a drawer and pulled out a knife, with wooden handle, the blade shining in the light as she turns it in different directions.

"Maranda we have to do something. Get the guys on the line." Liam said the moment they lost contact with Ryan. "Don't you think I already did that, they said they're fifteen minutes out." She panicked. "Fifteen minutes Ryan might not have in there!" He yelled and decided to take matters into his own hands although this might be dangerous.

Alex rushed into the room next door they were sitting in. "Are you seriously going to just sit there and listen while my husband is being tortured out there?" She asked much calmer than she was actually feeling. "Parrish, we're working on it." Maranda explained. "No you're not! You're sitting here while we have no idea what might happen to him. I'm going. With or without you." She walked out of the room and grabbed her car keys running outside.

"Alex wait! You can't go there alone." Natalie ran after her but it was too late her car sped down the street already.

"Rita, ju…just listen to me." Ryan tried again but she slapped him across the face. "You have some nerve disrespecting me." She spit in his face. Blood streaming from his nose dark circles slowly forming under his eyes, his chest a light shade of pink from all the hits he got within the last ten minutes. She kissed his cheek and his forehead, leaving a trail of red lipstick marks. She slid the blade slowly across his abdomen and he shivered at the cold metal on his skin.

"Please, please don't." He tried again all thoughts of negativity running through his mind. He had no idea how much time passed but it felt like an eternity, and still no one showed up. She struck the knife in his abdomen, twisting it and he screamed out in pain. She definitely hit something he just wasn't sure what. He was too scared to breathe thinking it might cause more damage and he took slow shallow breathes.

She saw his car parked outside and was certain that he was here, or at least that's what she'd hoped. There was no entry to the front since the door was locked and the went around the back. Some of the kitchen staff tried to stop her but she showed her weapon and they let it go, knowing she won't get far, not with their boss lady.

The bar was empty and there was no one in the restaurant, and she took to looking for the office her weapon pointed out in front of her. She's scared, she has no idea what these people are capable of but she needs to get her husband out of here.

Rita nodded at the men again and they got away from the door they were guarding, walking over to him, throwing punches. Alex heard muffled sounds from the other side of the door when she opened it and saw her husband. His nose bleeding, his dark circles around his eyes and blood rushing from his abdomen where the knife was still buried. Time stood still for a few moments before she reacted.

"Alex…?" He asked before a final blow to the head sent him spiraling into darkness.

The two guys stood there pointing their own weapons. "Look who decided to join the party." Rita laughed at Alex and one of the men fired a shot in her direction but she hid behind the wall, when the sound of sirens made her feel a surge of thankfulness, that help has arrived. The three of them tried to get away but there were too little time and too much man power for them to make a run for it.

Before they got to them Alex shot bot the men in the shoulder, and Rita rushed passed her but was caught by Caleb in the hallway.

Alex rushed to her husband's side. His head hung forward and he was still bleeding. She didn't want to pull the knife out and didn't know what else to do. "Ryan, please. I need you to be okay." She cried keeping his head up and wiping the lipstick stains from his face. His shallow breathing the only thing assuring her that he is still alive but the stab wound making her worry that he won't get help soon.

"Hey, they're going to help him. He'll be fine." Caleb said walking over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and bringing her in closer as she cries. Caleb sat there holding her while the others searched the place for the cellphones Ryan tapped earlier. The medics entered and got him on the stretcher rolling him out towards the door. "You can ride along." One of the woman smiled at her and she got off the couch letting go of Caleb.

She kept a hold of his hand the entire time as they sped through the traffic on their way to the ER. The medics checking his blood pressure and attending to the stab wound, trying to secure it so it won't cause too much damage. They got out and rushed him into theater while Alex sat in the waiting room. It wasn't until she was sitting down that she processed everything that had happened, and she started to get jittery as her breathing and heart rate spiked. The nurse behind the counter noticed she was acting strange and made some sweet tea, handing the cup to her and taking a seat next to her squeezing her hand.

"I can get you something to calm you down." The nurse suggested but Alex shook her head. "No, I'll be okay, thank you." She motioned at the tea taking a sip. "I can sit here with you until someone arrives." The nurse said making herself comfortable. "I'd appreciate that. Thank you."

They sat there in silence for a while before Shelby, Nimah and Natalie arrived, and the nurse smiled at them touching Alex's shoulder. "Have you heard anything?" Nimah asked and she shook her head, the three of them taking a seat on either side of her.

"Alexandra Booth?" She stood up when the doctor came out in his scrubs. "Your husband is going to make a full recovery. He suffered a bit of a concussion and may have a headache when he wakes up. The stab wound didn't hit anything vital, it was mostly muscle that will heal up on its own. You can go see him." He smiled and she nodded looking over at her three friends, Caleb and the rest of the team filling the seats in the waiting room.

She walks into the hospital room. He had an IV in one arm and his head was propped up on a bunch of fluffy pillows. His breathing even. She sat down and took one of his hands in her shaky hands. It was warm and it somehow steadied her shaky one. "I need you to wake up now. So I can tell you how much I love you." She whispered her voice full of emotion. She stroked his hand lightly and pressed a kiss to his bruised wrist. "I don't mind your snoring at night, or having to pick up the damp towel you leave on the floor after you've showered. And the stubble you leave in the sink after you've shaved or putting the toothbrush cap back on that you always leave open when you're done…"

A soft squeeze from his hand made her look up and she saw his head turning from side to side. "Hey it's okay." She got up and moved closer to him his eyes opening and blinking rapidly taking in his surroundings. It took him a moment to get everything into focus when he saw his wife. "What took you so long?" She asked smiling down at him. "I'm in hospital?" He croaked. "No, we're in the Hamptons."

"I need better pain meds then." He smiled touching her face. "Thank you, for showing up when you did."

"You're okay, that's all that matters right now." She said kissing his forehead. "I don't ever want to see you like that again, babe." She thought back to how he looked just hours ago. He didn't know what to say and brought her hand closer to his mouth to kiss it. Her changed expression made him worry. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Phoebe's still at day care, I need to get her. We'll come back here I promise." She explained in her haste and walked out the room.

In the waiting area she heard voices talking in a hushed tone . "Suppose you're looking for her?" Natalie asked with Phoebe sleeping on her lap. "When you went inside Caleb went to go get her, spare you the drive there and back." She explained. "You guys.. thank so much you." Alex walked over and Natalie handed the sleeping four month old over to her mother.

She fussed at first being awoken and moved out of her comfortable sleeping position. "It's okay it's mommy." She said softly and Phoebe looked up to the familiar voice and settled back to sleep. "If you need anything else, we're one call away." They said before leaving.

"That was quick." Ryan joked when she entered the room with Phoebe "They went to get her, she's been in the waiting room since I came in here." Alex explained and Ryan sat up as Alex handed the sleeping baby over to him, placing her on his chest. "Hey pretty girl." He kissed her soft curls and moved up as much as he could.

Alex scooted up onto the small space on laying on her side, in his stretched out arm. Both of them staring at their sleeping daughter. "I heard all those things you said about the damp towel and the stubble in the sink you know. Is this my get out of jail free card for always doing it?" He asked rubbing her back lightly. "I'll think about it." She laughed slightly kissing his jaw before settling in his arm again.

Hey guys! I got a review a few days ago someone asking if Alex can safe Ryan. I struggled to write a case around that but I hope this chapter did it justice, and met your expectations. Let me know what you think. And the other suggestions that I got I promise I'll get to them and write them in. Thank you for reading. I value your ideas and opinions. Lovies-S