Chapter XII
"Why would we look to the past in order to prepare for the future? Because there is nowhere else to look." ~ James Burke
"Gangs and terrorist cells both use violence to establish their power and they both have access to the weapons to do so. All I'm saying is that there is an overlap in their mentality.", Rossi explained.
"Trafficking of various things supports economically terrorist cells for years. But Paradise Demons were only about money and the same looks for NPD.", Clyde remarked.
"Some of them can have different motives in addition. That final act of Paradise Demons had an aspect of a terrorist attack.", Rossi carried on.
"Hold on a moment. These bastards had no way out. Instead of getting arrested, they put up a show.", Gloria said, averting her eyes finally from the glass and taking a breath.
"What exactly happened?", Rossi asked.
"There had been arrests worldwide. Seven high-ranked members of Paradise Demons with twelve low-ranked members shut themselves in a farm in Northern Ireland. They took hostages the family, two parents, one kid and seven workers. They called the police, said who they were and the police called Scotland Yard and Scotland Yard called Interpol. We had the profiles and information on the seven. They thought that it was going to help the negotiations.", Clyde informed him.
"And any negotiation failed?", Rossi asked again.
"They weren't planning on negotiating.", Gloria replied.
"They started killing hostages. The situation was getting out of hand and they decided to go in.", Clyde finished.
"It was like they asked for it.", Rossi remarked.
"Exactly.", the British guy confirmed, "But there was no other option. The safety of the hostages was the priority. They managed to save the mother and the child and two more."
"But with their falling those people achieved to create a media circus and put a message to the rest: 'We are tough to take down.'", Rossi said.
"But it was completely blunt and...", Gloria started to say and then she thought that was how they had described the letter and the bomb.
"Exactly what a narcissistic sociopath could have planned just to prove power.", David continued.
"And you think that's Fidget?", Easter asked.
"He certainly fits the profile.", David carried on, "And the matter is that probably his shadow shares the same views. He went into a private, military firm. These people tend to think that they are above the law. Fidget's language fits the letter and he clearly knows more than he is saying."
"But they had never acted similarly and to be honest we weren't expecting to find Fidget in there.", Easter stated.
Gloria was pressing her folded arms on her chest. Something didn't fit. Rossi's theory was making sense but not for that group. Her phone started ringing. She tried to answer it, but the line dropped.
"Crap. That's Emily and there is almost no signal in here. I'll be back in a few.", she said and she stepped out of the room, thankful because she really needed some air.
"What else is there to know?", Rossi asked Clyde taking the opportunity.
"Nothing more about the incident.", he answered.
He knew very well what the FBI agent was asking, but he just wanted to check the level of his concern.
"Easter, I have no time, no patience and too many things in my head. The only thing that I need is that: Do I know the woman this guy is talking about?", the older man pressed intently.
Clyde looked Rossi in the eye and he let a breath.
"Agent Rossi, as you said they asked for it. It was apparent that they thought they had the upper hand. So all the agencies went in full force. Still MQ-300's are tough to face. SWAT lost four people, the police three, Scotland Yard two and Interpol one, the agent in command for the Paradise Demons case. He was Gloria's boss.", he confirmed in his own way.
David raised an eyebrow with the ability of the British SIS to give side answers. 'And he was more than just her boss', he concluded in his head, his eyes going at the door that she had shut a few minutes ago. The son of a bitch was actually talking about her. Crying? Screaming? Rossi had thought that he knew Gloria pretty well, but that was a picture that was hard even for him to imagine. But something was bugging him. That man behind the glass wasn't just fixated on that day, he was fixated on her, too.
Emily filled Gloria in on everything that they had found on the scene, which was just basic and Gloria told her about the David's theory.
"Are you OK, Ria?", Emily asked concerned at the end of the conversation.
"Feeling lucky?"
"Sure.", she answered as normally as she could, trying desperately to ignore the Fidget's words that had already poisoned her mind, "We'll keep you posted on anything else", and she hang up.
Emily shook her head, putting the phone in her pocket. Gloria could fool the whole world but she couldn't fool her. They had the same techniques to hide, even if they would never admit it to each other out loud. Probably that was what had bonded an always correct and posh woman with a 'girl' from the streets in the first place. The crazy, young years, the dry humour, the decisiveness just came after. Emily let a breath, wishing that at least Rossi could take care of her friend.
As she started to move out of the small room to join the others, Emily felt dizzy. She had to actually sit down so as not to fall. She rubbed her forehead trying to take the wooziness away. After a moment it was gone, but that moment Garcia stepped into the room.
"JJ called and Boss Man wants us...", she was saying when she saw Emily too pale to be OK, "Em?"
"I was about to go to the conference room, anyway.", Emily spoke quickly and stood up calmly so as not to provoke another dizziness. Garcia starting to worry was the last thing she needed.
"Don't you feel well?", the tech girl asked alarmed, Emily's effort going in vain.
"I'm fine. I just have to grab something to eat.", Emily replied smiling, "Let's see what Aaron wants us for."
They stepped out of the room. Emily knew that she hadn't eaten since the previous evening. She hadn't slept, too. But it wasn't the first time. Probably it was just the extra stress. Penelope was thinking the same thing but since when stress affected Agent Prentiss? Or was there something else?
"Feeling lucky? He came in and she stayed out."
Gloria leaned on the wall. That air that she needed didn't help eventually. She was angry and full of guilt at the same time. Rossi was suggesting that that man behind the glass was responsible for everything that had happened back then, all those deaths, 'his' death. She hadn't only stayed out. They hadn't figured out the real mind behind all that. If Fidget was that mind, he never got what he got punished in full. They hadn't done anything. She, she hadn't done anything. She hadn't even tried... And that man had again to do with people lost, with similar deadly acts. Her head was ringing. She knew that Dave would have said that she shouldn't put on herself the responsibility for every evil in this world, his 'shadow' was already formed way before the events in Ireland. Those recent deaths would have happened at some point; there was no way to prevent them. It was ironic that, in that turmoil in her mind, Dave's opinion managed to surface. But still it didn't help. She was in pain, in that unimaginable pain coming from scratching old wounds.
"I know, you taught me that, Richie.", she smiled and went near him, hugging him, "Let's get some sleep. I'm exhausted."
"That's the first time you actually say that out loud.", he smiled himself, that knowing, proud smile.
"Hey-hey, don't start again. You know it's close to impossible."
"Let's say I have a hunch."
"You and your hunches...", she laughed going to the bed, starting to gathering the files and he came to help her.
What he had in mind those last two days, they shouldn't even think of it. His divorce needed six months to get finalised. One sided, without consent from both sides divorces took too long. The Internal Affairs were on their back. But if it was true, forget the mess around; it was all she had ever asked for.
Gloria shook her head. Since that morning she was trying so hard not to go down that road but she couldn't stop it. She was tumbling down that hill too fast and it hurt too much... Then something flashed in her mind.
When she grabbed the last file, she noticed a bunch of old, hand-written notes.
"Why is this here?"
There was something down that road, there was a clue. Gloria had the copy of Fidget's file still in her hand. She opened it and went through it frantically. Then she found it. She had to do something. She had do act. It was her only way of coping anymore. Then her being left out would have purpose, her still being alive would have a meaning.
And she knew exactly what to do and it was better not to debate it with the other two men. They were going to decline it. But Gloria decided many years ago that she didn't need any protectors, not anymore.
"Fidget already knows the attacks are the reason we are here. He thinks we are just here to fish and we don't know exactly what, so he has the upper hand.", Rossi said as he was discussing with the British agent which was the best strategy to follow.
"If we confront him directly, he may stop talking. We can't risk it.", Clyde commented, "We have to throw him out of his game."
That was when Gloria slipped into the interrogation room from the main door.
"What the hell is she doing?", David exclaimed, the cool Rossi had panicked and that was a fact.
"Oh, hello there.", Fidget smiled unsettlingly, as usual.
Gloria for one more time was calm beyond coolness in that particular way that was worrying Dave the most, because that was when she was completely unpredictable.
"I should have guessed that you are going to be around here. Couldn't not to, eh?", the man carried on.
"It's my job, Fidget. Agent Gloria Paterson.", she introduced herself sitting opposite him, in an appearing comfortable position.
Clyde shook his head annoyed. She had figured something out. Or she had remembered something. She wasn't acting only on emotions. She wouldn't blow up the case. But instead of discussing it, she had stepped into a dangerous territory, herself. That was no surprise. One thing was sure, though. After that, she would stay in the office till the end of this case. Clyde had made a promise long time ago and he had failed it terribly. But he wasn't going to let it happen for another time, not after the last one.
"She knows what she is doing.", he reasoned the man beside him for the time being.
"I know, Easter. But that man is going to take her pain and rub it on her face. I'm going in. At least, I can get control of the conversation, if needed.", Rossi announced and he got in.
"Oh it looks like we have a little bit more company.", Fidget remarked seeing the older agent.
Gloria didn't turn. She could feel it was Dave. They wouldn't leave her alone with that man, she had guessed that. But she didn't know if she had to be angry or relieved, probably nothing of the two.
"It should always be two of us.", Rossi said casually.
"Yeah, yeah...", Fidget replied ironically, "Anyway. So you can answer the question yourself, 'Gloria'. Do you feel lucky that it wasn't you that came to us?"
"No."
And that idea of a smile that he had on his face just grew wider.
In the meantime, the others were gathered for one more time in the conference room, while JJ and Blake were on their way back to Quantico.
"The mother of the gang member that got killed recently, Paul Jackson, reluctantly spoke to JJ and Blake.", Hotch informed them.
"Why hadn't she spoken earlier?", Emily asked, who the moment she had stepped into the room was quick to grab a chair, thing that hadn't gone unnoticed by Penelope.
"Apparently they don't trust the authorities.", Hotch clarified, "Actually she does blame the police officer that had arrested her son the first time as responsible for the rest of the boy's illegal activities."
"How is that possible?", Morgan got surprised.
"She said that even if it looked like the officer was assisting Paul, at the same time, he put anti-authoritarian ideas in his head."
"So are we talking about some form of brainwash or manipulation?", Reid asked.
"A police officer manipulating a kid into illegal life? If we have to do with professionals, what's the purpose of using a kid?", Morgan wondered.
"I don't know. It may be irrelevant and it is some kind of coincidence. But we have to look at it. Garcia, have a background check on the police officer. Blake has sent you everything."
"As fast as possible, Sir!", the tech girl replied and turned to go.
"If we seriously looking at police officers and private military firms, whoever is behind all that, team or person is far too strong in money and in persuasion. It can't be just a bunch of terrorists or gangsters.", Morgan remarked and he was right.
"It wasn't a matter of luck. It was the procedure.", Gloria continued after a pause, lying, but never breaking eye contact with the prisoner opposite her.
Fidget didn't stop smiling.
"Is that the truth, Gloria?", he said in disbelief. "'It should have been me...' Remember? Why weren't you, Gloria?"
Gloria was getting numb but she was completely emotionless. She couldn't let herself feel, if she wanted to turn this man on his game.
David had to bite his tongue not to say something. He knew that he shouldn't let the man realise his protective tendencies over the woman. Otherwise, he could drag them both down. However, he was afraid, not of the bastard of course, but of Gloria. He knew that she should be like that if they wanted to get anything out of this ordeal but this couldn't prevent him from being scared with her ability to be so cool in front of that man. She was tough but not invincible.
"Cut the crap, Fidget. You didn't do what you did in Ireland just to watch me crying.", she continued dismissively.
"Then why did I do it?", the prisoner challenged.
"For power. The power of being able to provoke the pain, the power of just being able to prove power.", Gloria stated.
"It seems like you understand me in more than one ways.", he said commented.
"Oh, I do.", she said coldly, "But I don't see your power, anymore. You are in cage, talking about what you did a decade ago."
"Since you do understand me, I bet that right now you wish you were able to shoot me or strangle me with your own hands for what I did to you, for what I did to 'him'."
"Probably. What's your point?"
"That you can't. Instead you came here to talk to me, all cool, while you're only trying to make use of the fact that you weren't the one dead that day. How many others are already wishing it was them killed, Gloria? Who has the power here?", he carried on.
Fidget had started eventually to talk, Rossi was thinking. His awareness of the recent events was a fact and not an idea, anymore. He wanted to hurt the woman in front of him, provoke the reaction that he knew was there, because he had witnessed it. Her unaffected attitude, her antagonising were making him tick, wanting to show her that he was the strong one.
"So you admit that you have to do with recent killings.", he finally intervened.
"Every power has a legacy, Agent.", Fidget replied, turning briefly to him.
"What's interesting with your legacy though is that it suddenly appeared in America. These things don't change location overnight, do they?", Gloria spoke again.
"It depends.", the prisoner replied.
"On how long you've been building it? Like for twenty years?"
Fidget didn't answer but he looked alarmed.
"The thing, Fidget is that I know a little story. Remember the Irish Gun Association scandal in the 90's? Ten members accused for bringing illegal guns from the freshly dissolved Soviet Union?"
"I wasn't one of them."
"No, you weren't. But you and three others were the only Americans in that Association. What exactly were you doing? And don't tell me you were expanding your business because you were never that important anyway.", she paused and then she continued, "No, you were working for someone important, someone that had all the meanings to bring those guns here and use all the high ways, whose motive wasn't the money because he has loads of it. His motive is the power, just like you.", she paused again.
The prisoner looked surprised. Gloria was dead on.
"What happened, Fidget, have you swallowed your tongue? You are wandering how do I know all of that?
"You still don't know what you think you know.", Fidget replied, getting his composure back.
"Oh you just proved my points. It was never your own legacy, was it? It was never about Paradise Demons, too. They didn't really care for power, just money. But you are talking about power, because that's what you and your boss crave. But you were a pawn and as every pawn you became disposable. He could have pulled you out of the Paradise Demons. Instead you got into a farm and risked your own ass. The 'brilliant businessman' with the 'stupid gangsters'? Come on. He just wanted to get rid of you."
"He is able to do what he does now, because of me, because of that day!", Fidget got angry.
"Think whatever makes you feel special, Fidget.", she said and she stood up.
"Your boyfriend got killed on purpose.", he said suddenly, "He got shot by an unexpected shooter. It's time for you to learn that shooter was lying and waiting just for him."
Everybody froze. Gloria felt like she had just been shot herself. She hadn't planned that.
"Agent Richard Whelan told you that 'little story', didn't he? Over some pillow talk I guess. Interesting. We didn't have him for so talkative but looks like he was talking in between screwing you. It doesn't matter. You are going to have the same ending, anyway."
"That's why you remember her crying, that's why you are so fixated on her, too. She was your trophy.", David spoke, regretting the phrase that just came out of his mouth but he had to.
Someone had to say something and Gloria was too shocked.
"You all were wrong. Proving power and killing the most of you was part of the plan. The other part was to kill a particular person. She was the proof that part had worked.", Fidget said.
"I was the proof that you killed the man that was building a case against your boss for years!", Gloria spoke, realisation hitting her.
"And you thought that his death was a misfortune. For so many years you let his killer living a life. You came here to say to me that I'm the loser, when I'm the one that took your life and I got away with it. Even now you can't do anything. I have lung cancer. I'm not gonna live to face any trial."
"How?", she asked.
"Gloria...", Rossi intervened trying to stop the conversation but she ignored him.
"How could you plan it?! You waited till Scotland Yard was there, till Interpol was there. But how were you so sure that he was going to come into that farm? How were you so sure that you could hide his murder in a mass destruction?", she raised her tone.
"Richard Whelan couldn't just stand and watch and he wouldn't let his mistress step into that farm, would he? You know, if 'it was you' as you wished, our life would have been a little bit more difficult.", he raised an eyebrow, "Who is the lucky now, Gloria?"
Gloria wanted to cry, wanted to shout, wanted to kill that son of a bitch in front of her, wanted to... She didn't even know what she wanted. Her whole body had started aching. Rossi's voice brought her back to reality.
"Gloria, he is not worth it. This conversation is over."
His attention was focused on the woman. She was at the point of breaking and the last David wanted was for her to do it in front of that monster and feed him more. She obliged and she turned to go.
"Who won finally?", Fidget said last to Rossi.
He got enraged. That was enough!
"You are to put in isolation, till all this is over. And believe me. I'll make sure your last days on Earth are out of hell. Just to prepare you for what's coming.", he said dangerously.
"Being protective over the girl? If she ever lets you into those legs, I don't think you can handle her without getting a heart attack, Grandpa."
David just ignored the insult and they stepped out of the room.
"Charlie Blackmore, that's who he is working for. He is an American, crack-head millionaire. Creating chaos, gaining power kind of bastard. That day was never about Paradise Demons. They used them. Richard had worked undercover at the time of that scandal and he had stepped onto that guy. Half of the case back then disappeared because Blackmore had connections. Apparently through them he had learnt about Richard, too. There was never enough evidence but Richie was thinking that probably, through the Paradise Demons, he could get something, since some of these from the scandal, for some reason, had gotten into the organisation. Them acting here too quickly, Fidget's involvement in the Association, his fixation with power. I just put them all together.", she said quickly without turning to look to any of the men around her and almost without taking a breath.
She just wanted to get out of there. She was suffocating but she had to explain to the other two so they could move on with the case. She, herself, was lost and shocked. She had that blank stare all over again. Her hands were hanging at her sides, no tension, no nervousness, nothing.
Clyde had seen that before and more than once. He had to shake her. Honestly, he preferred to have a Gloria furious with him than to have her completely shutting herself off and not knowing how she is going to burst.
"It was the last time you act on your own. Are we clear?", he said strictly.
David got unnerved. Seriously? That woman had just faced the murderer of someone she loved, she was feeling guilty for being alive and he was challenging her? But before he had the chance to open his mouth Gloria had turned to Clyde and what was coming wasn't for good.
"Really? That's all you have to say? That bastard killed Richard and that's what you say?", she exclaimed.
"He isn't here but you are. It's you that you have to be clear-head.", he carried on the same tone, thinking that at least he had coaxed a reaction.
"Clear-head? That's why you didn't tell me? You put the bloody notice on Peters on Richard's suspicion and you didn't tell me! Instead you gave me all that bullshit in London! When are you going to stop sticking your nose in my emotional state, Clyde?"
"Ria..."
She knew that tone! He never called her like that, except the times he was trying to protect her from something, like when he had tried to hide from her that the 'other' Richard's hunch had been right, like she couldn't feel it all... Damn it! She had appreciated his efforts once, but playing the human was almost impossible for that guy!
"Don't 'Ria' me all over again! You're doing a pretty lame job with that!"
Easter realised what she was referring to and he gave up. He couldn't be the soft one so he went to his logic mode.
"We wouldn't be here if I had."
"So you did it for the sake of the case! And I thought it was just one of your ridiculous human moments!"
"Sorry for still having my concerns about your ability to handle some situations!", Clyde raised his own tone and looked her in the eye with meaning.
For a moment, Gloria's eyes looked surprised. Clyde couldn't suspect what she was thinking he was suspecting, could he? In any way, it didn't matter anymore.
Rossi noticed that they were things hanging between these two people. He could guess that the British guy hadn't said the whole story not only for the sake of the case. He had tried to shelter her. Dave realised for the first time that they had a rather weird dynamic between them. Gloria disliked Easter, that was a fact and David was sure that her ways were not easy for him to handle. Nevertheless, there was something bonding those otherwise contrasting people. She had stayed in his team for a long time and, even if she had almost died on his fault, apparently he kept trying to protect her wellbeing, pretty clumsily but he did. He had held her that day in Ireland. He had 'Ria' her before, who knows for what reason. He was worrying about something now but his ego and his tactics weren't really helping.
"You know something, Clyde? Just go to hell!", she turned towards the door.
"Gloria...", David tried.
"Leave me alone, Dave.", she spat and she left.
Clyde shook his head, under Rossi's angry stare.
"Your people's skills really do suck."
"If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled?" ~ Jodi Picoult
Really long time without update! Sorry guys. I am running around for too long!
I hope this chapter compensates you. I made clear what's going on with Emily and even if you are aware, she isn't and she is going to take risky decisions. Clyde and his ways, even if I should reveal that they have good purposes, fail miserably. David is stuck with a Gloria that is getting out of control for her own reasons. And the others have to face a really powerful enemy.
Spoiler: There is something in Fidget's 'confession' that he shouldn't know and it is a major key in the case. It is going to fit with that mysterious bomb in the parking lot that they still haven't explained fully. (Whoever finds it or just wonders why he does say something particularly weird gets a prize!)
Leave me a word to know that you are still here and that everything in the story is clear because I am a little bit rusty and for one more time I got confused in my own imagination!