"He apologized! For killing Will! What a bastard!" JJ hisses into the phone.
"Yeah. Kind of makes me want to track him down just so I can punch his face in," Emily admits with venom. She pinches the bridge of her nose and decides to change the subject. "So, uh, Pen will text you when the docs clear her. How's Henry?"
JJ cuts her eyes over to the bed. She can't help but smile as she sees him asleep, Bear Bear in one arm, his other curled into Alaska's fur.
"Sleeping peacefully. He hasn't moved since he fell asleep. I am hoping tonight will be one without nightmares for him finally."
"Me, too. I just want to snap my fingers and get him to the day this is easier for him. I'd trade everything I have to give him that peace of mind."
"Me, too. But he's getting better. It will just take- -hey, Rock Star, what are you doing in here?"
"Lonely," the little girl answer. "No Sug."
JJ kneels as the little girl walks into the room, her stuffed tiger under her arm. "I know, Sweet Girl. I'm sorry Sergio couldn't come with us. How about you crawl up there with Henry and Alaska."
"And you?"
"And me. Let me just say bye bye to Mama."
Rocky smiles. "Hi, Mama." JJ hands her the phone. "Mama?"
"Hey, sweet girl. Having trouble sleeping?"
"Si, Mama. No Sug. Lonely."
"Well, I am sure Mommy can make you not feel lonely. Can you give her a big hug and kiss from me?"
"Si, Mama."
"Thanks, Rocky. Goodnight, sweetie. I love you."
"Love, Mama."
Rocky gives JJ the phone…and a big hug and kiss. "From Mama."
JJ smiles. "Thanks, Rock Star. Hop into bed." She watches as Rocky walks over and climbs up beside Henry. "Well, Em, I'll let you all get to it. I'll see you at the station in the morning."
"Sounds good. I love you, Jen."
"Love you, too."
JJ hangs up and stares at her kids a moment. She smiles as she sees Rocky already falling asleep as she pats Henry on the tummy. They were a great sibling duo, even when they had their spats. She climbs into bed and kisses both kids on the head.
"Love you two so much." She rubs her stomach. "Love you two, also."
JJ watches them sleep for a little while before finally slipping off to sleep herself.
Hotch had put off calling Morgan until he had something more to tell him. As he watches the ambulance containing Garcia pull away he finally pulls out his phone and hits the prompt for his second.
"Hotch? What's wrong?" Morgan asks as he answers, knowing a call this late can't be good.
"There was…an incident at the hotel."
"An incident? What kind of incident?"
"The assassin broke into Garcia's room and- -"
"FUCK!" Morgan leaps out of bed and starts to get dressed.
"She's okay! Shaken up, a small cut where he hit her but mostly okay. He…damn this is fucked," Hotch admits as he tells Morgan about what had happened. "So looks, get the first flight back in the morning. Hopefully by then we'll have Fink in custody and be ready to interrogate him."
"He should be pissed enough at the killer to give us some good information," Morgan notes.
"Hopefully. Prentiss, Rossi and Kevin are meeting Florence and Baylor to look up Fink by his real name, or at least the name the killer had, and to look up the address. If it's real, we'll take him out tonight."
"Good luck." He takes a deep breath. "Is she…really okay?"
"She is, Morgan. Promise. Oh, and expect to have a different hotel room when you get here."
"How about a suite that my goddess can stay in, too?"
Hotch chuckles. "I'll see what I can arrange. See you in the morning."
Morgan stares at his phone for a few minutes. He looks at the clock. It's 2:12. He can be back down there by 8 if he drives. He pulls up flight info and sees the earliest flight available will get him in at 9:30.
"Every second counts," he mutters as he quickly finishes dressing, packs up and calls for a rental car.
By 2:45 he has picked up the car, stopped for a 24z Monster, and started back to New Orleans. No one goes after his goddess and just walks away with an apology.
Kevin types as fast as he can. He doesn't bother to tell the 2 agents and 2 detectives that pacing behind him is NOT helping him work faster. He knows they feel helpless and angry about what happened to Garcia and nothing he can say will get them to sit down.
"Okay, address checks out. Single family home just like that bastard wrote. Looks like two outside entries just like he said." Another alert sounds and he brings up a Chicago license photo nearly 15 years old. "And here's a face."
Rossi leans over his shoulder. "That's the bastard." He stands and looks at the other three. "We need four cops with us to keep an eye on the windows so he can't escape that way. We need four with us, two for each entry. Baylor, you're with me. Florence with Prentiss."
Florence nods and calls for patrol officers to meet them a block from the address. Once they have gathered down the street, Rossi studies each officer.
"This guy is looking at the death penalty and he knows it. But we need to know what he knows to get justice for Will LaMontagne. Do NOT let him commit suicide by cop. If he does, the trigger man may never be found. This is the only way to give a 3 year old boy and a month old little girl answers about what happened to their daddy."
He sees that statement more than any other seems to settle something in the eyes of cops who had been fine with killing the suspect. Satisfied he knows they are ready, he has Florence split them up into the two infiltration groups. Once the cops are in position around the house, Prentiss leads her team to the back of the house. After picking both door locks she radios Rossi.
"We're set, Rossi."
"Quiet entry on three. One. Two. Three."
As one, the two teams enter the house. Rossi winces as he hears the security alarm start to chime.
"Guy has security system. If he's here, he knows we are. Move!"
While the cops clear the bottom floor, Emily cautiously leads Rossi and the detectives up the stairs. Just before they reach the top, James Koresh leans out and fires off a round that hits the wall right by Emily's head. She fires back, just missing his arm as he pulls back around the corner.
"THIS IS THE POLICE! THE HOUSE IS SURROUNDED, KORESH! YOUR PARTNER GAVE YOU UP! SURRENDER AND GET A CHANCE TO BURN HIS ASS, TOO!" she yells out. They wait a moment. "LAST CHANCE!"
"WAIT! WAIT! I WANT A DEAL!"
"TOSS YOUR GUN AND WE CAN TALK DEAL."
A second later his handgun is tossed around the corner and down the stairs. Rossi leans close to Em.
"No way he only has one."
"I know," she acknowledges.
"OKAY! LADY, YOU COME AND GET ME."
"Predictable shit," she mutters.
Rossi just grins. Boy had Koresh underestimated the danger this "lady" would pose.
"LAY DOWN AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS SO I CAN SEE YOUR HEAD AND HANDS," Emily orders.
"NO WAY! THEM COPS WILL SHOOT ME FOR REVENGE!"
"YOU HAVE MY WORD THEY WON'T!"
"NOT GOOD ENOUGH."
"FINE. I'M ON MY WAY."
Around the corner, Koresh grins. Sure she was an agent but she's still just a woman. He readies his 9mm. As soon as it's against her head she'll give up and be his tick- -
"OOMPH!"
He doesn't finish his thought as Emily's leg proceeds her around the corner and connects with his stomach. He doubles over and her follow up gets him in the head, sending him to the ground. Before he can even gasp for breath she rips the gun out of his hand.
"Old trick, idiot," she grumbles as she kneels in his back and pulls his hands back to cuff him. "You have the right to remain silent…"
Rossi stands at the top of the stairs smiling proudly as Emily recites the Miranda warnings. He helps her jerk Koresh up to his feet.
"Should have had me come up. I'm not limber enough for that kick move," Rossi says with a smirk.
Koresh just grunts as he is handed off to Baylor and Florence for the trip to the police station.
After booking Koresh and taking time to peruse all the information Kevin had been able to find on him, the agents look at Florence and Baylor.
"You want to talk to him?" Hotch asks.
Florence shakes his head. "Honestly, he says something wrong I may punch his ass out."
Baylor nods. "Me, too. But I'd like to be in there anyway. You can lead the interrogation, though."
"Okay," Hotch agrees.
The two men walk into the room while the others watch from outside. Koresh stares at them, his face calm.
"There's been a big misunderstanding," he begins. "I heard people breaking into my house. I didn't know they were cops. I swear!"
"Then the poor shot at Agent Prentiss can be ignored. But the fact that you tried to lure her up the stairs and shoot her again can't be."
"NO! No, I would never! I was just scared. She still could have been anyone."
"You met her here when you were impersonating an FBI agent," Hotch points out.
"It was the middle of the night! I was scared!" Koresh pleads.
"Enough. James Koresh you are under arrest for multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder, participating in murder for hire, impersonating an FBI agent, and any other charge we can find during the course of our investigation. If you cooperate you won't face the death penalty."
Koresh stares into obsidian eyes. This guy wasn't going to budge. He takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair.
"I don't want to talk to you."
"Tough," Hotch answers.
"I'll talk to the FBI but not you. I want the chick."
Hotch lifts a brow and Emily smiles, eager for a chance to go after the man again.
"You want Prentiss in here after the way she took you down?"
"Fuck no. I want Jareau."
Emily stiffens. "No. Fucking. WAY!" she growls.
Hotch shakes his head. "Not happening. Pregnant agents can't lead interrogations."
"Bullshit. I want to see her face. I want her to see I'm sorry her baby daddy had to die. And I want her to know I had to arrange his death because you all were too stupid to follow the clues left in Houston."
Baylor slams his hands down on the table. "Watch your mouth! Jareau isn't stepping into this room with you. Talk to us or take your chances with a jury."
"Or better yet," Hotch tosses a folder towards the prisoner, "take your chances with your old buddies in Chicago. Our Organized Crime Unit is already asking your old friends all about you, even hinting that you are willing to take a deal for any information we can use." Koresh pales as he opens the folder and sees various members of a Chicago crime family. "I can imagine those folks will send a lawyer down for you, will arrange your bail, and maybe even arrange a nice pair of cement shoes for you to wear to a gator pond. You're out of options, Koresh."
Koresh stares at the pictures a second longer then looks up, fear in his eyes for the first time. From behind the mirror Emily smiles as she sees the smugness has been verbally slapped off the man's face.
"Gotcha, motherfucker," she whispers.
Rossi pats her on the shoulder in a fatherly manner. He had been worried one more remark about Will or JJ would have sent the brunette flying into the room. Now she has calmed a bit, knowing Koresh will have to talk or risk a painful death.
Koresh closes the folder. "What do you need to know?"