The BAU team exited the jet and started toward their waiting SUVs. Hotch turned around to see Roman standing by the airstairs. Hotch stopped then headed back toward the jet. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just better if I take care of a few things on my own for this next bit."
"Such as?" Hotch titled his head.
"Well, to be quite honest, I can't tell you."
Hotch stared at him for a moment. "We can work better together if we are open. Trust needs to go both ways."
"This isn't about trust, I assure you. But if I am to do this successfully, then the right hand can't know what the left hand is doing."
Hotch gave a nod of approval. "Very well. But Prentiss is going with you."
"I could do it better on my own," Roman protested.
"It wasn't a suggestion." Hotch turned toward Prentiss and waved her over. "Please go with Roman to help him with his… errand."
"Sure thing," Prentiss said as she started walking with Roman. "So, where are we going?"
"First, we need to get a car."
"Where are we going to get that?"
"Don't worry about that, love; I am very resourceful," he said as they walked to the adjacent hanger where a man was standing next to a sport's car. "Senor Roman," the man greeted.
"Good to see you, Luis." Roman extended his hand then turned toward Prentiss. "Luis, this is Special Agent Emily Prentiss of the FBI. She will be assisting us."
"Pleased to meet you, senorita."
"Luis here has been working as a liaison to MI6 for two years now. He infiltrated the Cortez cartel and has worked up the ranks. He will be helping us to get a foot into the door," Roman said.
Prentiss smirked. "I keep forgetting you work for MI6. You don't come off like the James Bond type."
"James Bond has ruined it for the rest of us. You must know that is all Hollywood. He does things that a real MI6 operative would never do."
"Such as?" she asked.
"Martinis should be stirred and not shaken. It bruises the gin." He held out his hand, motioning her toward the car. "Shall we?"
Prentiss laughed as she sat in the car, then Roman shut the door for her and walked around to the driver's side. "Thank you, Luis. I will be in touch."
Prentiss clicked her seatbelt then turned to Roman. "So, what's the plan?"
"Have you ever done any undercover work?"
"Yes, I have been on a couple of assignments."
"Brilliant. Now, we just need to do a bit of shopping."
"Shopping for what?"
"Clothes. You look like a Fed. Don't worry; I'm paying," he smirked.
"Well, since you put it that way, it would be rude to say no."
Reid was inside the police station leaning against the desk while reading a file. Hotch exited the office where he was giving an update to Strauss. Hotch moved toward Reid, who had his back toward the rest of the station. "Anything from Prentiss?" Hotch asked.
"Nothing yet," Reid said as he kept his eyes on the report.
"Something I should know?" Hotch asked.
"My four o'clock. Does he look familiar?" Reid asked as he flipped the page of the report.
Hotch looked casually across the room to the desk in the far corner. "That's the reporter we met in Arizona."
"Exactly," Reid said. "I have Morgan and JJ keeping an eye on him from over there." Reid covertly pointed his finger in the opposite direction.
"What have you been able to find out?"
"Well, he is a reporter. The only thing is what is he reporting."
"And to whom," Hotch added.
"Well, don't you worry about that. I have a plan," Reid said with a smirk.
Alex and Hugh pulled up to her house and got out of the car. Hugh carried a bag of take-out containers as he followed Alex around the walkway toward her door. "This food smells so tantalizing. Either that or I am just so famished that anything smells good," Hugh said.
"It really is that good. Their Hunan Beef is the best I've ever had," Alex said as she held her keys in her hand. "And I have been craving it all day. I am so glad I finally have my appetite back."
"What the—" Hugh exclaimed as a motorcycle jumped the curb and was heading toward them. He pushed Alex, and the two of them rolled over and landed on their knees with their guns in their hands.
The man jumped off the motorcycle and lunged toward them. Hugh fired, and the man dropped. Hugh rushed toward the bike, backed it out from the bushes, and walked it around. Just then, he saw two other motorcycles approaching. "Come on!" Hugh yelled to Alex.
Alex looked down at the broken Styrofoam plates on the ground. "I was so looking forward to eating that." She started toward Hugh and fired a shot at one of the men approaching. She grabbed onto Hugh's hand, and the two of them sped off.
"Charles! We need to get to Dave's house," Alex called out to Hugh. She turned around and fired at the other driver. He fell off onto the street as the bike crashed into a brick wall.
"Is that all of them?" Hugh asked.
Alex turned back around. "For now." She pulled out her phone to call Rossi.
"Ah, Bella Alex. I just put some spaghet on. I can add more if you are coming over," Rossi said.
"Uh, yeah, I am definitely coming over," Alex shouted as she turned around and saw two more bikes speeding up behind them.
Rossi covered his left ear and raised his voice back. "Where are you calling from? Alex? Alex, are you there?"
"Give me a minute. Someone's trying to kill me!" she shouted. She held the phone in her left hand as she held the gun in her right and fired two shots. She turned around then got back on the phone. "Sorry about that. We are on a motorcycle headed your way. I've been eliminating our tails, but new ones keep popping up."
"Okay, we will be ready." Rossi hung up then turned to Charles. "Code Red, Kiddo. Let's move."
Hugh swerved between two cars then went through a red light as car horns blared behind them. As they passed the next street, a new motorcycle turned the corner and ran alongside them. The rider turned to bump them. Alex pulled her weapon and held it toward him. The rider braked hard then sped up to catch up behind them.
Hugh turned to look behind them then saw another rider join them from the next street. "I'm sure if Charles were here he would make a jokes about speeders and Ewoks,'" Hugh shouted.
Alex turned around, but the rider behind them quickly moved. He sped up, then slowed down, moved right, and left. "I can't get a clear shot."
Hugh made a sharp turn then accelerated down the street, just a short distance from Rossi's house. He drove past the house where Rossi was waiting on his lawn. Rossi stepped out onto the street and fired at the two riders. The first one flipped over his bike and landed on the road. The second one's bike collapsed and was skidding on the gravel toward Rossi. The guy rolled and ended at Rossi's feet.
Rossi bent down and grabbed the man by the lapels of his jacket. "Come here, you little shit." He then punched him hard in the gut. The man pulled off his helmet and wretched into the gutter. "You aren't getting out of it that easy," Rossi said, then punched him hard across the face. The man fell onto the ground. "Should I be expecting any more of your little friends?" The man shook his head as he coughed, and spit blood, then promptly passed out.
Rossi walked over to the first man still lying in the street. He pulled off the man's helmet and checked his pulse. The man grabbed onto Rossi's wrist and yanked him down. Rossi elbowed him in the chest, then rolled over and jumped up just as Hugh and Alex headed back toward him. Rossi then kicked the man hard in his ribs. "You better hope my sauce isn't burnt… for your sake."
Rossi started toward Hugh and Alex as he dusted off his shirt. "Well, kids, let's head inside and tell Charles everything is okay. I practically had to handcuff him to keep him from running outside."
"What are we going to do about the mess?" Hugh asked, pointing his thumb behind him toward the men in the street.
"Let's get inside, and I will get you some food while Alex calls her best friend, Officer Keifer," Rossi said.
Alex let out an annoyed sigh. "I don't know what upsets me more. The fact that I have to call her or that the Chinese food I was craving is all over my walkway."
