Chapter 4 –

Kate quickly spotted her dad waving at her, she swung her rucksack further onto her shoulder as she walked speedily towards him, smiling warmly while Dave wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh it is so good to see you munchkin."

"You too dad."

Kate's words were muffled as her head was buried in her dad's shoulder, she thought that she was going to have to push him away in order to breath but then she felt the weight of her rucksack being shifted.

"Let me take this for you, is this it Kate?"

"Yeah dad, I've got plenty of stuff at home and I didn't want to spend the whole weekend working."

"I'm glad to hear it, come on then the car's just outside."

"Where's mom?"

"At home, cooking."

Kate grinned as she locked her arm around her dad's, the two of them walking at a steady pace towards the black SUV.

"Let me guess, comfort food."

Dave laughed as he opened the back door and placed Kate's rucksack in before he climbed in and looked at his daughter, examining her closely as she sat down.

"I'm ok dad, I just wanted to come home for the weekend and relax."

"I didn't say anything munchkin."

"I know dad but I can see how you are looking at me, I grew up around profilers dad!"

Kate smiled as Dave raised an eyebrow and shook his head before he started the engine, hopefully a nice quiet weekend would be what the three of them all needed.

He was confident enough that they wouldn't see him, he was experienced, he was a hunter he knew how to stay still, out of sight. The telescopic lens gave him a perfect view, the only movement came from his chest as it moved at a steady even pace. The camouflage gear was not entirely comfortable but that wasn't the point, it allowed him to remain hidden and that was what he was being paid to do. Covert surveillance, at this point that was all his contract was for, but he knew that if he did a good job then a bigger, life changing, pay day would be heading his way. The thoughts soon fled his mind as his patience was rewarded, he could feel his heart rate trying to increase but he used all of his training to bring it back under control, a steady calm body was what he needed as his finger pressed on the button, capturing the images perfectly.

"I'll take your bag up, you go on through to say hi to your mom."

"Ok ta dad."

Kate smiled as Dave slung the rucksack over his shoulder and quickly jogged up the stairs, she could smell the familiar aromas drifting out from the kitchen and filling the rest of the house. With a spring in her step Kate walked through and stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her mom for a moment as she lifted the roast beef out of the oven, only when it was safely placed on the worktop did Kate venture closer, wrapping her arms tightly around her mom.

"What?"

Emily jumped and quickly turned around only to be greeted by Kate's large grin, the emotion was infectious and Emily brought Kate's face close to her own before she kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello sweetheart I didn't hear you come in!"

"That was the idea mom!"

"Yes well I'm getting too old to be surprised like that anymore, how are you?"

"I'm good mom, if a little tired."

"You're working too hard."

Emily frowned as she pushed Kate away from her so she could carefully examine the teenager who just stood still knowing that any argument would be an exercise in futility.

"Well dinner is ready why don't you take a seat."

Kate nodded her head as she picked up the dish of vegetables and carried it through to the dining room which provided them with great views of the back garden and the woods behind their property.

Alex frowned as she looked at all of the papers that were strewn across her dining room table, she hadn't been into the BAU since she had taken the phone call from the warden, the pain in her shoulder had been worse that she had believed it would be but instead she had spent hours looking at the letters Sam Davis had sent, she was certain that they were in code unfortunately she had failed to break it so far but she knew that the person who had, seconds earlier, tapped lightly on her door would be able to help.

"Evening Spencer, thanks for coming round."

"Not a problem Alex, how is the shoulder?"

"I'm getting there thanks."

"So what can I help you with? I've kept your files at work up to date."

Alex smiled as Reid followed her through and she pointed to her paper riddled table.

"I stopped at the BAU three nights ago and while I was there the warden from USP McCleary phoned up, he had concerns about one of his prisoners, a Sam Davis. Davis has been sending letters to an address in Baltimore but the letters make no sense, I'm sure that they are written in some kind of code."

Reid frowned as he picked up the copy of one of the letters and looked at it closely.

"I remember this case, it was Emily that caught him, we had orders to return to Quantico but she was certain that he would make a mistake and managed to trick him into revealing himself."

"So if Davis was targeting anyone it might well be Emily?"

Alex sighed, it was what she had hoped wouldn't be the case but her head knew that it might well be and Reid's non-committal answer only reaffirmed her worst fears.

Kate had sat herself on the small sofa in the kitchen, pretending to read a book but her mind was elsewhere, she felt relaxed being at home but she knew that her mom would be questioning her soon about her quiet withdrawn behaviour and that she would have to tell her what had happened, all Kate hoped really was that her dad wouldn't react too badly to the news.