A/N: Sorry for the delay posting…had to battle a Migraine yesterday. But I'm better now.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful and brilliant reviews! I love every one of them!
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Acceptable Risk
Chapter 13
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"We've found the location!" Hotch looked up at Emily from the notes.
Emily rushed over to him from her desk. "Where?"
"Right here."
She frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I mean right here…as in London." Hotch folded his arms across his chest; emphasizing his biceps. Emily arched her brows in appreciation.
"Oh…uh…that's…nice." Her eyes never strayed from his arms.
"Em…" He grinned, "Are you okay?"
She blinked a few times, "Yes…yes." She took a deep breath and pushed at him, "You're really a distraction, do you know that?"
He leaned into her closely, "Am I?" and stole a kiss from her.
She giggled, "Yes." She cleared her throat. "Come on, let's concentrate."
"I am, and I just told you…it's right here in London."
She gave him a glare, "Hotch, London is really, really big. If Omar bin Laden is here, we need to be much more precise."
He stroke her smooth chin, "I know…precise…" and kissed it. "You have such smooth skin, sweetie." He said softly.
Emily closed her eyes, "Yeah?" Breathing in his soft scent and gentle touch.
He nodded, "Yes. And I like it a lot."
"Uh…Hotch?" They were interrupted by Reid who was standing by the door of her office.
Hotch nodded before they separated, "Yeah, Reid?"
The young agent watched them for a moment before he looked to Hotch, "I…uh…it's…" he held out a piece of paper. "This page…, it's the actual location. Vauxhall…"
Emily's eyes widened, "Oh my god! MI-6!" She ran out of the office and began to shout for her team, "Canter, Williams! Where is Tomas? Get in my office!" She returned to the office and took out her cell phone and began to call MI-5.
"Harry Pearce…it's Emily Prentiss." Quickly he told him what they discovered. "Yes…we believe Sir Gallows' in danger…" She turned around to stare at Hotch who in turn nodded at her. "We have to find Harold Brown…he's the key…Omar bin Laden is definitely here." She shook her head, "No sir. We don't know his exact location…for all we know he's at Vauxhall as well…or he's holding Sir Gallows hostage, I don't know but he's very dangerous."
She nodded and ended the call and looked about her, "Where's Mei-Lin?"
Reid frowned, "I thought she's here with you?"
Emily shook her head, "No…she walked out with you."
"She told me she had to get a drink…she'd be right back…" They turned their heads out the door.
"Oh…! Reid…." Emily exclaimed as she walked out to her secretary's office, "Mr. Weaver, have you seen Dr. Wong?"
He nodded, "Yes and no…she said she received a phone call and had to step out…something about saving her father…" He frowned. "Wait a minute…wasn't he kidnapped a few years ago and he was still missing?"
Emily nodded, "Yes, Mr. Weaver, Mei-Lin's father is still missing. Did she indicate where she was headed?"
Her secretary shook his head at first but hesitated, "I…wait…she did say…to the Gallows or something…I thought she was touched in the head…you know about these scientists…" He shrugged.
"Sir Gallows!" Emily exclaimed. "MI-6, she's headed to Vauxhall!" She turned to Hotch, Reid and her team, "Come on guys…let's head out there! I think Omar got in touch with her…."
…..
With lunch hour traffic, it took them munch longer to arrive at MI-6.
When they finally did, MI-5 was there.
Lucas North greeted her, "Hello again." He nodded at her and then at them.
Emily quickly introduced him to the BAU pair. "What's going on in there?"
Lucas shook his head, "Nothing so far. Sir Gallows is nowhere to be found, his secretary is giving us some story he is out of town."
Emily shook he head, "As if we're going to buy that." She turned to Reid, "Try her cell again, Reid."
The young man nodded.
"No…she's not answering." Reid shook his head. "Emily…I should have…"
"Not now Reid…don't blame yourself! This is not anyone's fault! We didn't see this coming!"
Emily's cell phone rang; it was Clyde Easter.
"Clyde," She greeted. "You have very bad timing!"
You tell me…I just landed in Heathrow. Bloody tired…and…
Emily sighed as she cut in and told him all that had happened.
What the bloody hell is going on, Emily? Harry just called me, Fillion is missing, let me tell you that if word got to the PM that the head of MI-6 is involved in something clandestine, there's going to be a lot of investigations…starting with the Parliament…and INTERPOL will be heading this investigation, mind you.
"Clyde, one thing at a time…Mei-Lin is missing, we think she received a call and is at Vauxhall…Omar bin Laden is here too. And they want SEIS."
There was a momentary silence before he spoke again, I take it you have a plan?
She grinned at her phone, "As a matter of fact, -5 is here to help us with the plan… flush out a weasel and a rat."
She could her him chuckled, You and your euphemisms…Okay, just be safe, get Mei-Lin safely, she's important and SEIS, in the wrong hands, I don't have to remind you.…I'll be there as soon as I clear customs.
"I'll see you then, my friend." But once again, she was talking to a dead receiver.
Hotch came to stand before her, "Well?"
She arched her brow, "That's Clyde, he sends his love."
Hotch shook his head, "As if. He's here, isn't he?"
Frowning at his astute intuition, "How…? Never mind." She shook her head, "He's at the airport but it'll be awhile before he gets here. He says to go ahead…Mei-Lin is our priority, let me tell -5."
He nodded as he watched her.
Reid came to stand beside him, "Hotch…what's going to happen to Mei-Lin? I mean, what if bin Laden's gotten ahold of her? Her late fiancé…" He let the implication fall.
Hotch turned to him, "Reid, we won't let it come to that. We'll get her in time."
"What if we don't? She has SEIS and if they have their hands on it…they will not have any use of her." He said worriedly.
Hotch reached out and placed his hands on Reid's shoulder, "We are going to get her back…you are going to get her back." He said firmly.
Reid nodded as he slipped his hands into both pants pockets and frowned and pulled his right hand out…and the jade pendant, "Oh shit!"
Hotch arched his brow, "What the hell?"
"She and I…When she kissed me before she left…I thought I felt something..." He frowned.
Hotch grinned slightly, "You kissed her?" He teased him.
Blushing slightly, Reid nodded, "Yeah…well, she and I came to, an…an understanding…and we, we uh, we…" he looked up at Hotch's eyes and saw his teasing looks and smiled, "Nice one Hotch, ha ha."
Smacking the young agent's shoulder, "No, good job Reid…never thought you had it, just don't tell Morgan about it."
Eyebrows raised, "Oh! Yeah…he's not going to…hey…hey…don't you tell him about us!"
Hotch chuckled, "I'm not."
Feeling slightly relieved, he nodded.
Emily came back and spotted the pendant in his hand, "Hey! Reid…the pendant! What…?"
Reid quickly explained to her.
Emily nodded, "Well, at least she's smart to do that. Wait…she knew she was going to be lured away…" She looked at Hotch. "Something is not right…"
"I hate it when she bites her bottom lip." Hotch groaned.
"Why?" Reid watched her. "What does it mean?"
"It means she knows something fishy is up and I'm not going to like it." He shook his head.
"What?"
Emily snapped her finger, "Hotch! We have to get inside! Come on…stay Reid, we have to find Sir Gallows." She began to rush towards the building."
"Wait!" Hotch held her hand, "Talk to me first, Em."
"Just trust me!" She indicated the building. "Gallows is still here."
"Emily! Emily!" Lucas rushed in. "We found Sir Gallows…up at the roof top. He's been stabbed to death."
"Oh shit."
…
End of Chapter 13