Chapter 11

She

Hotch grabbed Bannon by the collar and pulled him across the table towards him. Smith was on his feet, shouting protests and citing paragraphs on police brutality.

Morgan put his hand on Hotch's arm. Hotch threw Bannon back into the chair and left the room, slamming the door as hard as he could.

Morgan followed.

Hotch was leaning on the wall with his arms straight, his head down between his arms. Morgan put his hand on Hotch's back. Morgan could feel the tension. He was shaking with controlled anger.

Hotch swung round and faced Morgan.

"She wouldn't do this, Derek!" Hotch pushed his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe you need to sit this one out."

"Morgan, I need to see this through."

"He's lying, Hotch!"

"He called her 'Brooks'. How would he know?" Hotch had started to pace. He leaned into the corner and slid down the wall. He sat with his head in his hands, gripping his hair.

Morgan turned and ran towards the BAU office. Hotch pulled at his hair. "Oh god, Haley!" He rested his head on his knees. "Please let him be lying…."

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"Got a little job for you, Princess."

Garcia swiveled her chair to face Morgan.

"Only a little job?" she smiled, "What is it, Sweet Prince?"

"I need you to tell me if this cell is active, and if it is, locate it for me." Morgan gave her a slip of paper with a number on it. She started to input the number, then she stopped.

"Isn't this Haley Hotchner's number?"

Morgan nodded. "We need to locate her quickly. Can you do that?"

Garcia grinned. She finished inputting the number, and read off an address to Morgan. She wrote it down and gave it to him.

Morgan held the paper up to her. "Our little secret, right?"

Garcia inclined her head. "If that's how you want it to be, that's how it will be."

Smiling, she turned back to her computers.

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"Hotch, I've got a current location for her. We can go and prove it's not her, then come back and kick Bannon through the wall."

Hotch took the address off Morgan, and stood back up.

"I'm going alone."

"No, Hotch, I'm coming with you. Just wait here a minute 'til I come back."

Morgan threw his keys to Hotch. "You drive; my foot's not good today. I'll go tell Smith what we are doing."

Morgan went back into the interview room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Hotch raced to the lift and got in. He pressed the button for the car park.

His car was still in the Potomac River.

He would take Morgan's.

Thanks for the keys, Derek!

He was going to do this alone.

Hotch knew that Morgan would be following him now, taking the stairs three at a time if he could. Hotch located Morgan's car, and quickly unlocked it. As he slid into the driver's seat, Morgan crashed through the door leading to the stairs.

Hotch allowed himself a tiny smile. So predictable!

He swung the car out of the space, and made for the ramp. He watched Morgan chase the car a short distance. Then he turned, and ran back through the door.

Going to get another car. he wouldn't be far behind.

Haley was in Fredericksburg, back along the 619.

Hotch was terrified of what he would find when he reached her.

If she was behind this, and was the cause of Spence being in hospital, seriously ill, he wasn't sure how he would handle it.

He had screwed the paper with the address into a ball. He smoothed it out and put it on the seat next to him. He turned onto the 619 and put his foot down.

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Robert Wood wasn't at home when the Feds raided his house. As the door to his house was kicked in, Woods was visiting the Potomac Hospital, and was in the lift to the third floor. He waved cheerily to the nurse on duty.

"Hi there. I know it's not strictly visiting time, but I can't always get away from work." He smiled dazzlingly. "Can I just pop in and wish my brother well?"

"Who's your brother, and we'll point you in the right direction." She took a list from under the shelf.

"Reid. Spencer Reid. Can I quickly go and say hello?"

She pointed down the corridor. "Last door on the left, Mr. Reid. He will be so glad to see you. He gets lonely when his friend Mr. Hotchner is away."

Wood forced himself to walk to the door, and not run. He felt his adrenalin flow faster as he thought of what he was going to do.

"Mind you don't tire him out, Mr. Reid!" the nurse called after him. He waved his hand to her.

Don't worry I won't.

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Hotch drove towards town. The address Garcia had given them was a small hotel on the outskirts. He drove into the parking lot and stopped the car. He took out his mobile, wondering whether or not to call the Potomac, to check on Spence.

He decided not to, and he put the phone back in his pocket. He would call when he had spoken to Haley.

He went to the reception desk.

Do you have a Haley Hotchner staying here?" he asked, showing his ID.

The receptionist checked the computer, and looked back at him.

"I'm afraid not, Sir. There's no one by that name registered."

"She could have registered as Haley Brooks."

She checked again. "Yes, Sir we have a Miss Brooks, she's in room 312. Third floor, room twelve."

"Thank you, ma'am. Please don't alert Miss Brooks that I am here."

Hotch called the lift. He was getting nervous. He hadn't seen Haley now for a couple of months. He didn't know how he would react on seeing her.

He really hoped she had nothing to do with this.

Although they were getting a divorce, and he no longer felt that he loved her, she was the mother of his little boy, and that would never change.

He stood outside the door with 312 on. He took a deep calming breath, and knocked.

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Spencer was finding breathing with the tube very uncomfortable. He felt that he was fighting the machine. He hoped that that was good news, and that his own lungs were starting to function a little now. He was able to move his arms a bit too, and turn his head.

He looked towards the door as someone entered.

Spencer hadn't seen this man before. Maybe he was another doctor. He couldn't ask, not with the tube down his throat still.

The man spoke to him.

"Hello, Doctor Reid. My name is Wood."

He said the name as if it was supposed to mean something to Spence. He frowned.

Wood moved close to the bed and examined the antibiotic drip that was feeding into the back of Spencer's bitten hand.

He bent close to Spencer's face. "I have a nice surprise for you, courtesy of a certain woman who wants you dead."

Spencer's eyes widened as Wood showed him a tiny syringe.

"It only takes a couple of drops, you freak. And I have two mls."

Wood reached up to the antibiotic bag.

"How does it feel, freak to watch your own murder?"

He stuck the syringe into the top of the bag and empty the liquid into it.

Spencer was still so weak, but he needed to call for help.

He pulled at the tube in his throat. As it slid painfully out, Spencer gagged and coughed. He tried to shout for help, but his voice wouldn't come, and he vomited on the bed.

He made a grab for Wood, weakly trying to catch hold of him. Wood caught Spencer's wrists and held them tight, pressing them down on the bed either side of his head. Spencer tried to struggle, but his muscles hurt so much he could hardly move.

"You really are pathetic, Reid. What did he ever see in you?"

Wood turned away from the bed. "You have about four minutes, freak. Enjoy dying!"

Spencer swung his arm out from the bed, and pushed over the table by his bed. The table crashed to the floor. Wood went back to Spencer.

"You are going to miss those precious minutes now!"

He punched Spencer in the face, knocking him out cold.

Wood smiled, and left the room. He didn't go back to the nurse's station; instead he ducked out through a fire escape.

He just missed seeing the nurse run to Spencer's room in response to the crash she heard.