Chapter 66
It was the sound of the telephone ringing which woke Hotch from what had been a restless sleep which found him tossing and turning. Reaching out a hand, he picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.
"Hotchner," he mumbled sleepily, wondering who might be calling at this hour.
"You sound like you were asleep," said a familiar voice. "Did I wake you?"
"Yes," Hotch lied glancing up at the clock. It was about five after eleven at night. "I trust this phone call is to inform me of the team being 'out of town'. Like that was even necessary as you're not really out-of-town?" Hotch teased. He suspected the phone call had more to do with Rossi's own peace of mind as to his friend's well-being. He then spotted Reid emerging from the bathroom.
"Don't be a smart-ass, Aaron. I know you too well." Rossi sensed his friend was lying, but about what he had no idea. He'd ask Hotch about it later when the two of them were alone. For now he'd let it slide. "I figured I'd wake your lazy ass up, my friend. I mean, if I can't sleep right now, why should you? After-all, you've been sleeping off-and-on all day."
Hotch chuckled. "Jealous?"
"Damn right I'm jealous. But all kidding aside, how you holding up so far?"
"Okay, I guess." Hotch glanced at Reid's face and noticed the lopsided grin on the younger man who shook his head, a look of amusement on his face. "I have to go, Dave. I need to talk with Reid while I have a chance which I suspect is why you assigned him to stay with me anyway."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Aaron."
"Go to hell," the Unit Chief smirked. "Goodbye." He hung up the receiver without giving Rossi a chance to respond. He studied his youngest team member who sat in the uncomfortable chair staring at him.
Hotch shifted his body a little. "Are you okay?"
The younger man smiled. "Don't worry about me, Hotch. I'm fine. We have more important things than my well-being. Even though we've done all we can to keep you safe, we still need to keep a step ahead of Foyet. That's all that matters right now."
Hotch smiled. "I can't help but worry until Foyet is behind bars. I mean, we have no idea what he looks like, and no description of the man as he's been under the radar his entire life. We also have no idea when or how he will come after me. That gives me the right to worry."
Reid rested a hand on Hotch's good one and squeezed it. "Hotch, I promise you. No matter when or how he tries, we will stop Foyet. You have my word on that."
Hotch smiled, and Reid returned his boss's smile with one of his own.
Things went well the rest of the night, and continued into the following morning. At seven a.m., another group of Detective Moeller's men replaced Hotch's team. The detective assigned to Hotch's room spent most of his time in the clothes closet concealing himself. This was decided best because hospital staffers were coming and going into the agent's room, including one with maintenance who cleaned the bathroom. When Hotch was alone again, the detective slid open the closet door and leaned against the door-frame. This was so he'd be able to quickly duck back inside, and slide the closet door shut when the door of the room opened.
Hotch had no idea who any of these detectives were, except that they were not the same ones who arrived with Moeller the night before last. All the agent did know was that at three this afternoon, Moeller and his team from the night before would replace the men there now.
During all the chaos during the daytime, nobody paid attention to Foyet when he left the hospital at the end of his shift at seven a.m. He had a smirk on his face.
At three p.m., Moeller and the men who were on duty at six the night before, were again on duty. He knew his own team would be back on duty at eleven. And while he had confidence in Moeller and his men to keep him safe, he would feel much better and more comfortable when his own team was again in charge.
Things began calming down in the hospital as the day wore on into the afternoon. The agent had had very few visitors except for a female nurse changing his dressing, and an orderly who brought his lunch. The Unit Chief glanced occasionally at the stuffed bear on the window sill with a sigh, wishing he could speak with Garcia. He began to wonder if Garcia was even on duty at the moment. Or was Kevin Lynch now on duty instead of her? If he was honest, he prayed it was Garcia and not Lynch. Not that he didn't trust Lynch, or that the young man wasn't a brilliant technical analyst. But Garcia understood how Hotch thought, and what he wanted or needed most of the time without being told.
The Unit Chief became nervous all of a sudden as a chill ran down his spine telling him danger was close at hand. A danger the likes of which he had never faced or might never face again.
After twelve in the afternoon, he was eating lunch when his phone rang. Pausing, he picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.
"Hotchner," he said from force of habit.
"Aaron? It's Jessica. How are you?"
"Hey, Jess. I'm all right. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"And Jack?"
"He's fine also. He sends his love and can't wait for you to come home."
"Is he there? Can I talk to him?"
"He will be soon. Alana and I are about to leave and bring him home from the Thompsons. He called me last night to wish me goodnight before he went to bed. I told him you had called earlier. He was unhappy he didn't get to speak with you. And just so you know, he says he intends to talk to you after his bath this evening."
Hotch chuckled. "I'll be here, so don't worry. By the way, how's Alana doing?"
Jess tried to keep her voice neutral, but the subtle inflection didn't escape Hotch. "She's still a little quiet and withdrawn when it comes to me. But she seems to be responding quite well to Jack. They play together. He shares his toys and books with her, and tries to include her in everything he does. You'd be so proud of him, Aaron. One night I went to check on him, and became nervous when he wasn't in his room. I found him in the guest room asleep on the floor beside Alana's bed, with his favorite book open beside him. While I was tucking him back into his own bed, he awakened. When I asked him why he was in Alana's room, he told me he heard her having what sounded like a nightmare. So he went into her room, and read to her for awhile from his favorite book. The one you used to read to him when he was smaller. He told me he wanted to keep her company and read to her until she fell asleep again. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen."
"Did she have any more nightmares after that?"
"Not that I could tell. She appears to have slept through the night after that."
"I'm so sorry I'm not there to help you care for her."
"Aaron, don't you dare apologize for anything," Jess declared emphatically. "You are in the hospital because a bad man did something horrible to you that nobody should have to suffer. It's because of that you are not able to be here for Alana. You didn't ask for what was done to you, so don't you dare apologize for anything because you would be here if you were able. And I'll tell you something else. If you dare apologize again, I will sic Penelope Garcia and Jack on you."
Hotch chuckled. He would rather face Jack than Garcia as she could be a terror if need be.
"That won't be necessary, Jess." He heard a child's voice in the background. "Is that Alana?"
"Yes. She just came downstairs after putting on her sneakers. Do you want to speak with her for a minute before we leave to get Jack?"
"I don't want to make you late for picking up your nephew. Just tell her I asked about her, and I'll speak with her later." He suddenly heard low voices.
"Hi, Uncle Hotch!" said a child's voice loudly causing Hotch to chuckle.
"Hi, sweetie. How are you? Are you being good for Aunt Jessica?"
"Yes." Her voice turned sad suddenly. "Uncle Hotch, when are you and my daddy coming home?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm hoping we'll both be home soon." Hotch chewed his lower lip understanding the little girl missed her father, and he wished he could be there himself to comfort her when she had nightmares. But for now, there was only one answer he could give her. "I understand you miss your dad, and I'm sorry I can't be there in his place to help you. But don't you like staying with Jack and his Aunt Jess?"
There was a few seconds of silence on Alana's end, and for a few seconds, Hotch thought the child might have hung up the phone.
"Alana?"
"Uncle Hotch, I love you. And Jack and Jessica are really nice. But I really miss my daddy."
Hotch let out a deep breath through his mouth. "I understand that, sweetie. And I promise we'll both be back soon." He hoped he didn't just tell a lie to the little girl.
"I believe you, Uncle Hotch. You wouldn't lie to me." She paused. "I gotta go. Aunt Jess is waving at me to hurry off the phone, so I gotta hang up now."
"You go ahead, sweetie. I'll be speaking with Jack later this evening, and then you and I will talk more. Okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Uncle Hotch. Here's Jessica." The phone was handed to somebody else.
"Aaron, anything else you want to tell me?"
"It'll keep. I'll talk with you later. Bye, Jess."
"Bye, Aaron. I love you and we'll talk later."
After the click on the other end, Hotch slowly hung up the receiver. He then stared at the remnants of his lunch and pushed the portable tray aside as he had suddenly lost any appetite he had earlier.
He swallowed the building lump in his throat and laid the back of his head against the pillow. There was something nagging at him. A nagging that something was going to happen soon; something that would change his life, and that of his team forever.
It was after six p.m. when the telephone rang again. Hotch had finished his dinner, and had an idea who was calling. He quickly grabbed the receiver. A smile appeared on his face as he pressed the receiver against his ear.
"Hotchner," he said.
"Hi, daddy!" announced an enthusiastic little boy's voice.
"Hey, buddy. How are you? Aunt Jess says you've been a big help to Alana."
"She's really nice. Daddy, Aunt Jess said a bad man took Alana and her babysitter."
"He did, son. The same bad man who hurt me took both of them. He also made Alana's babysitter an angel."
"Daddy, what's a babysitter?"
"A babysitter is someone who takes care of a young child. Like what Aunt Jess does with you when I go away for work."
"That was a mean thing to do, daddy."
"Yes, it was, son. A very mean thing. But he was stopped before he could do the same thing to Alana."
"Did you stop him?"
Hotch smirked. "Not this time, Jack. The bad man was responsible for me being in here. So I wasn't with Aunts JJ and Emily, and Uncles Spencer, Derek and Dave when they saved her. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."
"That's okay, daddy. You would have been there if the bad man hadn't hurt you. Nobody beats you, daddy."
"Thank you for understanding why I couldn't be there to help."
"That's okay. Daddy, did they get the bad man?"
"No they didn't, Jack. He got away before they caught him. But he will be caught. I promise you that."
For the next fifteen-twenty minutes, Hotch and Jack continued to talk. Afterward, Hotch then spoke with Alana for another fifteen-twenty minutes. Lastly, he spoke with Jessica for fifteen minutes. He didn't want to keep her on the phone as she had to put both children to bed. But she promised everybody would come on the weekend to visit him.
"I'd love to see them and you. I can't wait for the weekend. But I better let you go so you can get them in bed. Call me later if you need to talk to me. If you don't, I'll see you and the kids this weekend. Goodnight, Jess."
"Night, Aaron."
A smile graced Hotch's face as he hung up the receiver.
It was shortly before seven in the evening when Foyet hurried inside the hospital. He was nearly late arriving for work as he had a couple of last minute preparations to make. Important preparations needed for when he gained access to Hotchner's room later. He had decided he had waited long enough, and would make his move in several hours. And as he moved behind the nurse's desk, he gave a quick glance down the hall to Hotchner's room. A twisted smile appeared. "Tonight, Aaron," he told himself. "Tonight we will be together. There is no reason to wait anymore. So enjoy the few hours you have left." He grabbed the paperwork he needed to work on, but he found his mind wandering. It wandered to the quick trip he needed to make to his car and gather the items he brought with him. Items that he would need for later from his glove compartment.
When it came right down to it, Foyet admitted to himself he was tired of waiting for Hotchner. Tired of selecting substitutes in place of him when his body cried out for the agent. His body cried out desperately to enjoy the feel of Hotchner's toned, firm body under his hands. To enjoy being able to thrust in and out of the man and explode inside of him. He had no idea how his late cousin waited ten years before starting to kill again. All he knew was that he could not have done that. He didn't have the patience George had. In his opinion, Hotchner caused the most powerful orgasm of all the people he enjoyed both before and since he had sex with him. Maybe it was the agent's well-built body or how he struggled beneath him that did it. Regardless, he was positive this time would be no different. But it would be too bad it would be the last time he would enjoy the man's body. He began to wonder if the geeky agent's body would thrill him as much as Hotchner's did.
It was a little after eleven that night when Spencer Reid slipped quietly into Hotch's room. Upon entry, he noticed right away that his boss didn't appear as calm and at ease as he had been the last time he saw him. Instead, Hotch now appeared tense, and showed a nervousness that had not been there night before last. With eyes narrowed, Reid sat down in the hard chair and gripped his boss's good hand. He frowned when Hotch, for some unexplained reason, flinched at his touch and tried to pull away from him. Reid hoped it was due to stress and nervousness but suspected it wasn't.
"Sorry I'm a little late, Hotch," he said gently. "I was nearly seen by a nurse as I started to come out of the stairwell. Emily stopped me just in time or I would have been caught. I had to wait until the nurse went into a patient's room before I could leave and come in here." His boss's eyes showed how nervous Hotch really was and trying to hide from him. "Hotch, what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing because I can see it in your eyes."
Aaron stared at his subordinate. He didn't want to tell him how he scared he truly was. If he let his subordinate know the truth, it would make the younger man nervous. It might cause Reid to suspect his boss's nervousness might be due to the fact Hotch didn't have confidence in him to protect him which wasn't true. And thinking that would never suffice if something did happen.
"I'm just tired, Reid," Hotch lied hoping he sounded believable. "I spoke to Jessica earlier and Alana's suffering with nightmares. I should be there to help her, not stuck in this hospital. I also need to be there for my son who's looking after Alana like a grownup to help Jess, and he shouldn't have to do that. He's only a kid himself." He licked his lips.
"What's really bothering you, Hotch?" Reid asked softly, noticing the sadness in his boss's eyes. Hotch stared into the hazel eyes of his youngest agent.
"Jess told me Jack overheard Alana having a nightmare, and went into her room to check on her. He stayed with her and read his favorite book to her until she fell back to sleep. Jess found him on the floor beside the little girl's bed where he had fallen asleep."
"He may be a kid, Hotch. But he's your kid, and that makes him special. He knows you help people, and he wants to help people also. And reading to Alana, and staying with her until she fell back to sleep, is the way he thought best to help her. You should be so proud of him, Hotch."
"I am proud that he's so caring and wants to help people even at his young age." He massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb. "I guess I'm just feeling guilty because my son is doing for Alana what I should be doing for her."
Reid smiled. "Don't think of it that way," he said. "Think of it as him temporarily filling in for you until you come back home."
Hotch let out a deep breath. "I know you're right, but I can't help..."
"Yes you can help, Hotch. In fact, you did help. You helped mold Jack, even at five-years-of-age, to become a generous, caring child. And with your continued guidance and love, he will become a generous and caring adult. I only hope when I have a child, he or she will be as kind, generous, and caring as Jack."
Hotch looked at the young genius while mulling over everything that Reid had said to him. The corners of his lips slowly turned upward.
"Reid, any child who has you for a father will be one lucky child. There is nobody as gentle, loving, and caring as you even though you try to hide it. He or she will also be the smartest kid in the world. You're going to be a great father one day and don't ever think otherwise."
"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."
"I only spoke the truth." Hotch failed to hide a yawn behind the back of his hand. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's been a long day for me."
"That's okay. Why don't you close your eyes and try and get a little sleep. I'll be here when you wake in the morning unless it's after six a.m." He started to get up from the uncomfortable chair.
"Where are you going?" asked Hotch nervously, the fear clear on his face again.
"Nowhere. I'm just going to sit by the window and use the moonlight to read my book. I don't want to use the overhead light in the room as it might draw unwanted attention." He got to his feet and moved to the wooden chair near the far window away from the stuffed bear. He reached into his messenger bag, removed his hardcover book, opened it to where he had left off earlier, and began to read.
It was a little after two in the morning. He tried and failed to hide a large yawn behind his fist and failed. As he tried to wake up, Reid shook his head, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted, but he needed to stay awake as Hotch needed him at his best. He glanced over to check on his boss. Hotch was asleep with the head of the bed elevated, and facing the door of his room. Needing a break, Reid decided to go to the bathroom and throw cold water on his face. As the Unit Chief was still asleep, Reid figured it would be safe to leave him alone for a few short minutes. Especially since Garcia was keeping watch on whoever entered Hotch's room. So he quietly got to his feet, placed his book down on the chair seat, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Reid stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He looked as exhausted as he felt. It was times like this he wished he had a large cup of black coffee. But there was no way he could get one from the coffee machine in the corridor without someone seeing him. And if Foyet was watching, he would know the team lied and was still in town, and all Hotch's planning would go down the drain.
Instead, he turned on the cold water faucet, cupped his palms together under the running water, and splashed the cold water on his face several times. He hoped this woke him up more as he needed to be alert.
He then grabbed a towel from the towel rack and patted his face dry. But just as he finished, a voice crackled through the earpiece in his ear.
It was the voice of Penelope Garcia.
A/N: The next chapter will be the one in which the confrontation takes place between Hotch and Foyet.