Chapter IV

"There was a distinction between lying and telling half-truths, but it was a very narrow one." ~ Alexander McCall Smith

"Oh, my God! What are we going to do, my furry friends?", Garcia asked shocked by what has been told.

"Just a minute, though. 'If this all is real'.", Rossi repeated, "The events could be linked but there is no actual fact that links them."

There was a reason that Gloria didn't want to call this all a case and this was the reason, Rossi was thinking. They should face it. Yes, something serious was happening, probably. It needed a closer look but for sure it wasn't a solid case. After his long years in the FBI, he had learnt to call the things by their name and not to bother about politics.

"That guy probably may be in US soil but we don't even know if he was involved in the lawyers' murders. This whole thing isn't a solid.", he carried on.

Emily looked at Gloria. Emily knew that she had just agreed with her that those events and information should be treated like a case. For sure she hadn't changed her mind deep down. Had she taken Rossi on her side on the way to the BAU? Oh, yeah. That would have been easy for her... Emily shook her head. She didn't even know when she had started thinking so negatively about her friend. This whole pressure... She was aware that her moving didn't look good in Interpol. She was doing her best but that constant rise of Gloria's name around was something that had alarmed Emily.

"You don't want that guy in this country. The sooner we find him the better. He isn't here for vacations, I can promise you that.", Gloria explained looking at Dave, pleading him silently not to rise the subject.

"There is a huge difference between finding a guy and treating it like a possible terrorist attack.", Rossi said still pushing it.

Gloria shook her head and leant back to her chair throwing an "I told you" stare to Emily, which unnerved her.

"Is there a disagreement about something, here?", Strauss asked looking between the two women. "You are having FBI sources involved. There is a need to know if there is any incoherence in your facts."

"No, there isn't.", Emily replied sternly.

"This man's appearance is combined with a terrorist alert.", Hotch saved the situation, "As we assess the inside information, you two can put yours together.", he carried on giving the two women a leeway to have a private chat and Emily looked at him thankfully.

The truth was that he was agreeing with Rossi and it was better for the women to put their stories straight.

"Excuse us.", Emily said and stepped out of the room with Gloria following her.

The moment they were behind a closed door Emily started.

"What was that?"

"What was what?", Gloria asked back passively folding her arms.

"Did you talk Rossi into that this whole thing isn't a case?"

"Why would I do that, Emily? You want to call it a case. Why would I go against it?", she asked with an investigative look on her face. She had enough of Emily's continuous questioning. "Dave just made a logical thought. I told you everything is vague and you keep rushing it."

"Ria, I am under a lot of pressure here.", Emily let out a breath. She was over-thinking about everything.

"Anything new?", the other agent replied and Emily was shocked by her indifferent tone.

"Peters' presence here and a terrorist alert at the same time aren't a coincidence! How can you be so passive?"

"Yeah, they aren't. But this isn't the reason you are like that, Em." Gloria said ignoring her friend's question.

She wasn't passive about the case. She was far too tired physically and too tired with Emily trying to blame the pressure on the case. She had spent six hours on the plane going through the files and what Clyde had told her. She had already figured out the real reasons of Emily's stress and it was about time to clear some things up, but, of course, not all of them...

"What do you mean?", Emily asked playing the dumb card.

"OK. We are playing the 'what do I mean' game.", Gloria got upset finally, "You sent me there to gather information and give an opinion. So according to my experience in these types of organisations and investigations, the others from the other side have created too much out of nothing. So they have suspicions for something but they don't know and they're sending us to a witch hunting. Are we in the same page about this or not?"

Emily rubbed her eye nervously

"Tell me, Emily!"

"Yes! OK? You are right!", Emily admitted.

"Now we are talking."

"But the things are more complicated than this."

"Sure they are! They are putting you in charge of a witch hunt. And you have to bring the FBI in this mess, too, and persuade them that it isn't a witch hunt. I guess it couldn't get more complicated! I don't care about what the hell is going on around, and I'm playing it along for your sake. Just next time, tell me from the start.", Gloria finished.

Emily was feeling guilty for hiding the true facts and instead unleashing her stress on her. She would have understood eventually. However, Emily had her reasons to avoid it, even if those reasons were just suspicions. But she wasn't planning on sharing them. On the other hand, Gloria's consciousness was telling her that she was asking for full disclosure while she, herself, was hiding the rest of what she knew. The only thing sure was that they both didn't know what had happened to the mutual trust...

A light knock at the door interrupted them and Garcia opened it slightly.

"Easter Clyde is calling us."

"What? He had said that he was going to call in the evening.", Emily said rushing to the conference room.

"Good to see you all, again.", Clyde's British accent came from the screen followed by his image. "Agent Hotchner. We should meet some day under different circumstances.", he greeted Hotch separately smiling knowingly.

Clyde wanted to make one of his comments about Hotch and Emily's relationship but during a conference call in front of a whole team it wasn't possible. 'You bet we should meet under different circumstances...', Hotch was thinking.

"Section Chief Strauss is with us, too.", Hotch introduced Erin.

"My regards, Ma'am."

"What's for the rush, Clyde?", Emily said stepping into the room with Gloria behind her.

"Not even a hello, Emily? I'm hurt. And you finally got another British in that room.", Clyde commented, noticing the guy with the beard –He was the Italian one, wasn't he? Oh yeah, the guy with the books.– turning his head a little worried towards the younger Interpol agent who instinctively stood behind his chair. That was interesting. "Anyway, there is some new information about the activities of NPD. As probably my lovely colleagues have told you NPD follows the tracks of the Paradise Demons that were selling guns to terrorists. Ian Doyle was a customer, if you know what I mean."

"And a little bit of history...", Gloria murmured.

"I'll shorten the story, dear. No worries", Clyde carried on, "NPD has already revived some of those contacts. They are deeper into business than we had thought. The alerting fact is that they have trafficked MQ-300's, for sure. Destination US."

"So they have already established a bridge here.", JJ mentioned

"And you learnt that now?", Emily asked shocked. This all was getting worse minute by minute.

"This is 'inside' information. Unfortunately we weren't able to make contact earlier.", he said.

"Sorry but I am not exactly familiar with guns...", Reid popped.

"MQ-300 is designed to shoot through bullet proof vests.", Morgan enlightened him.

"Terrorists use them against law enforcement.", Clyde added.

"So there are people in this country with this type of weapons trying to sell them or having already sold them.", Strauss spoke.

"That's 100% positive.", Clyde confirmed.

"We are following every possible lead." Strauss made the decision to proceed. "BAU can handle the start and I am going to speak to Counterterrorism."

"Is there anything new on Peters?", Emily asked. There was an actual danger out there and they were probably going after the last person involved.

"You'll be the first to learn.", Clyde answered.

"We are starting by analyzing the NPD moves considering Peters an asset. It is not much but if we establish some of their patterns we can find their clients.", Hotch ordered.

"You have full access to Interpol's data and one expert on terrorists and one in organised crime. You couldn't have more help, Agent Hotchner.", Clyde said.

"We'll keep in touch.", Emily replied.

"Always a pleasure, darlin'. Oh, sorry I shouldn't have called you that.", Clyde smiled and ended the call.

"He has a rather big ego this guy.", Rossi commented.

"You tell me...", Gloria murmured, trying to hide her shock after the mention of the gun, and sat at her seat in front of her laptop, again. "I guess it is best to start with the NPD. I spent two educating days on them."

Emily was even more sceptical after that conversation. There was no need to persuade them to assist, anymore. It was still a witch hunt, nevertheless. The knowledge about NPD was limited and they didn't even know if Peters was an actual lead. But the facts were running faster than them and Emily had another fear since this whole thing had started. She knew very well that profiling terrorists and these types of criminals involves an additional part that profiling serial killers doesn't: Infiltration.

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." ~ Lao Tzu

I know when I'm creating a case, I always complicate myself… I hope I don't complicate you…! I promise the next chapters will be more action and interaction than analysis.

Spoiler: They are going to infiltrate when the things get even worse…

Let me know your opinions!