Here's the new chapter.
My friend gave me a great idea for the next two stories so I have started writing them. However, there is another story to succeed this one and preceed that one.
Hotch slumped over his desk, phone pressed to his ear. Reid sat across the room with a cup of coffee with his sugar. Their eyes met as Hotch listened to the dial tone. They shared a quick smile and Reid looked away. Hotch looked down at the phone number written on his phone. He punched in the numbers as he read them and waited. A young man's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Is Alice Shepherd there?" Hotch asked briskly, sitting up straighter.
"No, she left about an hour ago."
A girl. The killer was a girl. I didn't see that coming. Cles swallowed reaching up at clinging to Adrik. I can't let this continue. If I keep talking, maybe I can distract her from Adrik and he can call the police. Cles opened his mouth to speak.
BANG
Cles stiffened at the loud, abrupt sound that echoed throughout his apartment. Suddenly, Alice appeared before him as Adrik slumped forward. Cles stared horrified at the monster. A groan broke through and he looked down. Blood glowed from around Adrik's hand pressed over his chest. "A-Adrik?" Cles knelt beside him.
Suddenly the world sped up. "Adrik?!" Cles screamed as Adrik hit the hard wood floor. "N-No, no, no!" Cles collapsed beside him and pulled him into his arms. "Adrik, you'll be okay. You'll be okay," he gasped, yanking off his shirt and balling it up. "You'll be okay," he murmured pressing it over Adrik's wound. Adrik's eyes fell close. "Adrik? Adrik, please," Cles begged. He sniffed and realized the tears streaming down his face.
"He deserved that, lovely," Alice whispered. She lowered the gun but still held it clenched in his fist. "Cheating is an abomination, especially when this scum cheats on a genius-."
"Adrik's never cheated on me!" Cles screamed, clutching his husband's lifeless body in his arms. "I wrote that story about someone else! A-Adrik, n-never h-hurt me." Cles sobbed, pulling his body close to him and pressing his nose into his hair. "W-Why would you do this? Why?"
"You're words are the words of god," Alice whispered. "They changed my brother. He once had nothing to live for. Then he read your words. He turned his life around. I read your words. I knew you were a higher power. A greater being. You wrote the sacrifices you needed to continue your words."
"Adrik didn't have anything to do with my writing. All he did was love and support me. Never did he do something to harm me. Never!" Cles gasped and pushed Adrik's hair from his eyes. "It'll be okay, Adrik," Cles whispered kissing his forehead. "It'll be okay."
Cops scurried past JJ as she hurried towards the tap figure of her boss. "H-Hotch? There's been a call of a gunshot in Cles's apartment."
Hotch hung up his phone and nodded. He caught Morgan's eye and nodded. Prentiss stood at the signal and they all headed out after the mob of officers.
"He hurt you. He betrayed you with that monster."
"Adrik never hurt me!" Cles screamed closing his eyes. This isn't real. This isn't real. If I close my eyes it's not really happening. He gasped, tears rolling down his face. It's not real. His eyes fluttered open. Adrik's face was contorted in pain, his eyes closed. Panic shocked through Cles.
He's not breathing.
"NO!"
"Freeze!"
Adrik's dead.
"No! This monster deserves death! He lied to this god!"
Adrik's dead.
"I need you to put the gun down.
Adrik's-.
"No!"
-dead?
Gun shots rang out around them, but all Cles saw was Adrik's face, emotionless. All he heard was nothing at all. Adrik wasn't breathing.
"Adrik?"
"Cles-?"
"Adrik?!" Cles gasped staring into his husband's face. There was no rhism of reaction on his face. "Adrik?!" He sobbed violently.
"Cles, we need to get him to a hospital." Cles looked up frightened. Hotch knelt beside him. Cles gasped in pain and pulled Adrik closer. Blood had soaked into his own clothes, but he cared not. "Cles-?"
"He's dead," Cles sobbed. "He's dead!"
"He's not," Hotch reached and pressed his fingers along Adrik's throat. "He still has a pulse. We need to get him to a hospital."
Cles caught sight of EMTs. The stood with a gurney behind Hotch's crouched form. Cles looked down at Adrik's face and pushed hair from it, matting it with blood. Cles sobbed and pulled back from his husband's body. Hotch stood and let the EMTs work. He stepped around and helped the broken man to his feet. "He'll be okay. Are you hurt?"
"No." Cles gasped and covered his face, smearing blood over his skin. He sniffed. "Where are they taking him?"
"General Hospital." Hotch murmured. The team of cops and agents streamed around the apartment. "Go get cleaned up, alright? I'll take you to go see him after, alright."
Cles sniffed and nodded. He stood staring unseeingly at the red splotch on the hard wood floor. Hotch looked back at it and looked at Cles sympathetically. "He'll be alright."
"I hope so." Cles whispered nearly inaudibly.
Chapter 9- End
TBC
An epilogue to follow.