Chapter 81

When Hotch awoke the next time, it was dark. It took a moment, but when his eyes finally focused, he realized he was lying on the floor in a small room. With his enhanced sight, he could make out an old wooden door and stone walls, but that was it. The room was completely bare, and he frowned. Where the hell am I?

Soreness kept him from being able to move, and he knew he was still feeling the effects of the poisoned blood, but with as alert as his mind felt, he knew it had been a while since he'd been dosed. Where are my kidnappers, and why did they bring me here?

He sighed and knew he'd have to wait to find out those answers, and then he winced because he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to find out.

As he laid there, he analyzed what had happened, and he cringed. He knew that his phone and such would be found, but he also knew that unless Cameron or Garcia got lucky with their computers, they wouldn't have any idea where to search from there.

He bit his lip. No, Garcia will search every camera installed within a fifty-mile radius, and she will find that van. He sighed, though, because he knew that it would take a lot more than just finding the van to find him.

He thought back to the last time he woke up. What the hell was that noise? He brought up the image of the men leaning over him and as he searched it, he cringed. We weren't even in the van anymore. He could tell, though, by the vibrations that he had felt under him that they had still been moving. Son of a bitch! They put me on a fucking plane?! The noise was the engines! We were in a plane!

His eyes darted around as his breathing took a ragged turn. How fucking far away have they taken me?

XXXXX

Once the team was done at the scene, Rossi sent them all home to get a couple hours of sleep, and they all agreed to meet back up in the morning at the BAU so they could figure out what to do next. They hadn't found anything more, and Rossi had to remind himself that the scene was a supernatural one so he couldn't be too disappointed.

On his way home, he decided to stop by and see how the kids had taken the news. He silently unlocked and open the front door of the Hotchner home, and then rubbed Sampson behind the ears in greeting. When the dog moved towards the family room, Rossi frowned but followed him, and he sighed with what he found.

All three of the kids were huddled up on the couch with Kahlan, and they were all asleep. He shook his head and went in and pulled the blanket over them that had slipped off. When he leaned down and kissed Joey on the head, she opened sleepy eyes. "Poppi?"

He put his finger to his lips. "Shhh, Bella, go back to sleep," he urged quietly.

She nodded and nestled down against her mother as her eyes slid shut. When he moved to stand up, he realized Kahlan was awake. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you guys."

"It's fine. Did you guys get anything else?"

He winced as he shook his head. "But we're meeting at seven to make a plan. Cindi can come over to see the kids off so you can be there, too."

"Alright. You better get some sleep, too."

"I will. What did you tell them?"

"What you suggested, but they know it's serious."

He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Then I will see you in about four hours," he told her and then locked eyes with her. "Have faith."

She nodded and watched as he went towards the door. Faith? Is that counterproductive when your husband's a vampire?

XXX

Rossi really hadn't got much sleep through the night, so he was the first one to arrive in the morning. After he put his stuff in his office, he decided to go start a pot of coffee knowing that the team would need it, but he froze in his tracks when he saw Garcia pouring a cup, and he sighed. She was still in the same clothes and he knew she hadn't gone home. "What are you doing, Kitten?"

She almost spilled her cup when she jumped from not realizing anyone was behind her. "Darn you, Rossi! Don't scare me like that!"

He winced. "Sorry, but I thought I told you to go home. You weren't. . ."

"But I found her!"

He frowned. "Her?"

She sighed. "The icky goddess lady!"

"What?!" he exclaimed and pulled her into a hug. "That's amazing, Kitten!" he released her with a big grin on his face and pulled his phone out. "I'll let the team know."

She frowned. "But I already gave Double-O the info, and she said she was going to call the team." She appraised him over her bright blue glasses. "Why are you even here and not with them?"

He drooped. "Oh, Penelope, you didn't."

"What? I figured. . . she said that. . . oh no!" she gushed and looked about ready to cry. "I shouldn't have. I wasn't thinking clearly. . . I haven't had any sleep and I was so worried about My Liege that I. . ." She flopped down into one of the chairs. "I am so sorry, Rossi."

Rossi looked at his watch. "When did you call her?"

She swallowed. "About forty-five minutes ago."

He cringed. "She's probably already got her."

She could tell what Rossi thought Kahlan was doing to the woman, but she sat up straighter. "She wouldn't do anything too bad with Puddin and Chuckles with her, right?"

"Cam and Chuck are with her? You know that for sure?"

She quickly nodded as she stood back up. "Yes. Puddin was with me when we found the evil minion. He went to pick up Double-O and they met up with Chuckles because I called him while Puddin went to get my Liege's queen."

He didn't want to tell her that Kahlan had done plenty of bad things with the guys by her side, but he relaxed a little and brought up Cameron in his contacts.

Before he could hit the call button, though, his phone signaled he was getting a call from Kahlan. "Speaking of the devil," he uttered and then answered. "Please tell me you haven't done anything stupid."

Kahlan laughed. "Well. . ."

"Kahlan Lavonne Hotchner!"

"Chill, Dave. All we did was persuade the cab driver to give us the address of where he dropped off the akka."

He inhaled deeply. He could just imagine what she had done to get that address. But what I don't know can't hurt me. "And you're there now?"

"Yep, and awaiting you all. Well, once you all finally decide to get up and get moving."

"You're actually waiting for us?" he asked and he couldn't keep the shock from his tone.

She huffed. "I've never dealt with an akka before. I want all the back-up I can get!"

Despite everything that was happening, he smiled. "We'll be there, and Kiddo?"

"Yeah?"

"Positive thoughts!"

"Yes, Dad," she agreed and then ended the call.

He looked at Garcia. "Get the address from your husband and send it to the team. Tell them to meet us there, ASAP!"

"You know it," she told him and then handed him the to-go mug she had filled while he was talking to Kahlan. "Go, and keep the rest of my pretties safe!"

Once he climbed into the SUV, he took out his phone and readied a text. We need more than human back-up. He typed a message to Sebastian. You said you wanted to help, now you can prove it.

XXXXX

The effects of the dead blood slowly left Hotch, but he still couldn't move that easily with the cowl still wrapped around him. What the hell is this thing? He did manage to bring his hand up and check his chest. The men hadn't buttoned back up his shirt, and he cringed with the thought of them giving him more of the blood.

His chest still hurt when he moved, and he winced when he finally saw why. The needle was still sticking in him, but the syringe was gone. Assholes! They probably left it on purpose! He didn't realize that he had snapped it off in a fit of agony.

He grabbed it and pulled it out with gentle fingers and then tossed it away from him. He rubbed the spot that still had a few web-like streaks emanating from it, but they slowly disappeared before his eyes, and they took the pain with them. He sighed. There must have still been blood in it.

He rolled over onto his back and blew out a breath. And now I wait. Great!

XXXXX

Kahlan was standing on the street corner watching the apartment building across the street when she straightened. "Sebastian, Christian, I'm glad you could join us."

Christian turned shocked eyes to his friend. "How the hell did she know we were here?" he asked in a whisper.

Sebastian shrugged and went to greet the woman, but she turned to them. "I'm glad Rossi called you all. I think we may need a little supernatural help with this."

"You found the akka?"

She nodded. "We believe she is in apartment 4C. We were waiting for Rossi and them before we go in."

Sebastian appraised the building as Christian appraised the woman before them. "You did hear us when we told you that the akka is a minor goddess from the underworld, right?"

"And?"

"And she's a goddess!"

"And exactly what does that mean?"

"It mean's she's immortal!"

She inhaled patiently and tried to keep her anger in check knowing that the vampire in front of her was not the cause of it. "And so are you, but I can kill you."

Her even tone actually scared him and he took a tiny step back from her as his eyes narrowed.

Sebastian sighed. "Yes, we can be killed, but I'm not sure an akka even has any weaknesses."

She shrugged. "Then I guess it's a good thing you two are here." She paused as she looked up to the rooftop of the nearest building for a moment and then looked back at Sebastian and smiled. "Or are all of you here?"

That made Christian even more nervous because Michael and them had just arrived. "How did yo. . ."

She turned, though, when Chuck called for her from the alley next to the apartments. She started to go to her best friend, but she turned back to the vampires. "My husband is a vampire, you know that, right?" she asked with raised brows and then turned without waiting for an answer.

"That woman scares me," Christian uttered as the rest of Sebastian's family joined them on the sidewalk.

"I know. She's great, right?" Willie asked with a big grin.

Sebastian just shook his head and moved to follow her, and they all quickly joined him.

"She's got some guy in there with her with her, but the place looks normal enough. It's just an efficiency so it's not too big, either," Chuck told her as he handed her a tablet. "Cam's got the fiber optic under her door and I just put a listener on her window up there," he added as he pointed to the fire escape above them.

"Kahlan, Charles, this is the rest of my family," Sebastian started and then introduce the new comers. "This is Aaron's wife and her best friend," he explained to the vampires.

Michael looked the humans over and then looked at the man who had turned him. "And there's an aka in there?"

"They believe so, yes."

Michael looked Kahlan in the eyes. "Go home where it is safe and let us handle this."

The shock on Kahlan's face was obvious, and Chuck backed up a step. She huffed. "Did you just try to compel me?"

Michael was shocked and he looked at Sebastian. "Why didn't that work?"

Sebastian shrugged as he looked Kahlan over.

Kahlan eyes went wide. "You did! You son of a. . ."

"Can we please focus on why we are here and figure out what we're going to do about the akka?" Jenny offered.

"Sebastian! You can't let them go in there!" Michael insisted. He gestured to Chuck. "Him maybe, but not her," he added as he gestured to Kahlan. "She's just a woman!"

Chuck tensed. Oh shit!

Kahlan's eyes narrowed and she stepped up to the new man and her hand flashed out and gripped the back of his neck before he even realized what she was doing, and he gasped.

"Kay! He doesn't know you," Chuck tried when he saw obvious pain etching across the man's face. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it!" he offered as he looked to Sebastian and the rest of them. He was worried that they would do something to Kahlan to protect one of their own.

Willie was staring at them wide eyed, but Chuck couldn't tell if it was fear or awe on his face. Jenny was smiling as she folded her arms across her chest and Sebastian was suddenly right beside Kahlan. "What are you doing to him?" Michael's eyes pleaded with him to help him.

Kahlan cut her eyes to the head vampire. "He may be a vampire but he still has a brain that sends impulses down his nerves to control his movements." She looked at the man in her grip who was starting to tremble. "You can't move, can you?"

He tried to shake his head, but couldn't. He swallowed. "No," he breathed.

"Kahlan, please release him. He only meant that he was worried about you. He didn't mean to offend you," Sebastian offered as he looked to Chuck for help.

"You would think a four-hundred-year-old man would have enough sense not to be a chauvinistic bastard!" Kahlan insisted.

Sebastian let out a long breath as he nodded. "Yes, and I'm sure he's rethinking those thoughts already. Please release him without damaging him. We are here about Aaron, not whether or not we all agree on the workings between the sexes."

Kahlan fixed Michael with a deadly look. "Don't think that just because someone is human or a woman, that they are powerless against you!"

"Yes. . . Ma'am," he uttered.

She let him go and took a step back and he dropped to his knees as he gasped, and Christian went to him in a flash to check him out.

Kahlan took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair to calm herself down as she turned back to the building.

After a moment, Christian helped Michael up and moved him even further away from Kahlan and was about to say something to his friend when several vehicles pulled up on the street in front of the building.

"There's Hotch's team," Chuck told them as he went out to meet them and pulled Kahlan with him.

They all gathered on the sidewalk and Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but Kahlan butt in first as she gestured to the humans who had just shown up. "Hotch's team," she started and then gestured to the nonhumans, "meet Sebastian's vampire family and friends." Then she looked at the Detective. "Better introductions can wait, let's go," she ordered and then pointed to the alley. "Chuck, you take half of each team and head up the fire escape, and I'll take the rest with me to her front door. Wait for my signal to enter."

Chuck smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

None of the others argued with her taking charge and they all split up.