Crossing Boundaries
Chapter 16:Caught
Meanwhile, back in the BAU office, Gideon and Hotch were going over everything they knew about Pawel Drenik.
"This guy is an absolute scumbag." Hotch was taken aback at Gideon's sudden outburst of anger. Gideon continued: "He obviously has some sort of perceived intimate connection with Anika." He leaned heavily on his hands. "I just wish she felt safe enough to talk about this."
Hotch flipped through the file papers. "At least she was able to come to us before something happened to her. Look at what we know: we know who he is and we know that he's after Anika. We just need to know where he is right now."
Gideon dialed a few numbers and put the phone on speaker.
"Office of Divination. Speak and ye shall learn truth," Garcia's voice echoed through the room.
"Garcia, its Gideon. I need to know if you've got anything yet."
"So far this guy's got nothing. He's sure to have screwed up somewhere. Believe me, I'll find him if he has."
"Good, keep it up." Gideon hung up and left the office. Hotch trailed right behind, keeping a watchful eye on his superior. Gideon paused on the highwalk, looking down to where Reid and Anika slept on the couch.
"Let them sleep," Hotch quietly advised. "Anika's safe here. Reid's not going to let her go anywhere. The rest will do them both good."
"I just wish we had something."
Hotch looked at Gideon sympathetically. "We all want to make this right. We're all trying as hard as we can. Things will work out."
Then, Morgan, JJ, and Elle walked into the bullpen, back from Nadya's murder scene. They walked up to the highwalk so they could talk to Gideon and Hotch without disturbing Reid and Anika on the couch.
"You get anything from the scene?" Gideon questioned.
"We know that Nadya wasn't the intended victim," Morgan said. "The wounds prove it. The unsub's after Anika and he's not going to stop until he gets her."
Garcia came running towards them, a piece of paper fluttering in her hand. "Listen, I've got something. This creep messed up big time. He just applied for a bank account. Here's the address he registered with."
Hotch snatched the proffered slip of paper and glanced through it. "Let's go."
Everyone started moving, heedless of the noise they made. Amid the chaos, Reid awoke and looked owlishly around. "What's going on?"
Gideon motioned to Reid to stay still and quiet. He walked over and knelt by the couch. "We've got a location on Nadya's killer and Anika's attacker."
"Where?"
He read off the address.
Reid blanched. "That's right near where Ani and Nadya used to live! He must have been able to watch their every move."
Gideon placed a fatherly hand on Reid's shoulder. "I want you to keep her safe here. If we come back with the unsub, try not to let her see. It could be disastrous."
Without another word, Gideon motioned to Hotch that he was ready to go. The entire team took off with some FBI service men and headed out towards the location. Tact was not the agenda of this raid. They were going to catch this man, and end Anika's torment.
The SUV pulled into the slum and parked a block away from the address for Pawel Drenik. The day was cloudy, casting a dim light all through the slum. Such dim light accentuated the utter filth that permeated the slum. Everyone looked around, appalled and uncomfortable in a place like this.
"This is where they used to live?" Elle asks in disbelief.
"Elle, focus," Hotch snaps.
Silent as death, the team assembles with the FBI service men outside of the apartment belonging to Drenik. After getting the cue, Hotch pounds on the door. "Pawel Drenik, FBI!"
Inside, a lamp falls to the floor, making a loud crash as it hits the wooden floor. That single sound is enough cause for the team to move in. In a single stroke, they break down the cheap wooden door and begin to clear the tiny, filthy apartment.
Various shouts of "Clear!" echo in the sparse environment. Gideon kicks the broken lamp in annoyance. "He's got to be here," he mutters to himself.
"Hotch! Gideon!" Morgan frantically cries.
The two men rush towards the sound of Morgan's voice as it echoes out of a tiny back room. They find Morgan and Drenik locked in a vicious fight.
"Saving the little whore?" Drenik growls as he takes a swing at Morgan. "She doesn't deserve it. She has me. All she needs is me."
It is this break in focus that allows Morgan to wrestle Drenik to the ground. The cuffs close around Drenik's wrists with a satisfying click. "She never needed you," Morgan grinds out between his teeth as he hauls Drenik to his feet.
"Bring him in," Hotch orders. "There are a few questions that need answering."
Morgan hands Drenik off to the service men before joining his fellow agents.
"I wonder what he means," Elle ponders aloud.
"He'll tell us," Gideon says at last. "He feels he's justified, so he'll let us know everything."
"Are you sure?"
Gideon gives his team a crooked smile. "Absolutely."