Counting Sheep

Ch. 30 - The Keys in the Code

***

I had just posted a site and now I just had to wait. We had loaded the website with so many bugs that everybody who came across would be falling into our rabbit hole. 

"Garcia, I'm going to need to you start tracing everyone that comes across the site. I want the name and locations even if they aren't the Eleven-Seven." I hadn't coded this much since college and I missed it. I understood the appeal of Garcia's job now. 

We waited another 30 minutes before we got a hit for 4 eyes on the site. Garcia and I began typing furiously before shrieking in delight. 

"3 of them are pinging outside the United States, but this last one is oh boy..." She paused as kept typing. I turned around to face her screens and see how close she was in getting the location. "Just out-" She was cut off by my phone ringing, I pulled it out and saw the unknown at the top. I swiped to answer and put it to my ear.

"Agent Carter speaking." A low chuckle sent ice into my veins. He wasn't hiding his voice this time. He was either too cocky or my plan had worked perfectly. 

"Hello, Maxine. It is so sweet to hear your voice. Who knew the brains of the BAU were really you?" I saw Garcia starting a trap and trace on my cell. 

"I've always been the brains, why else would I have chosen to be with Spencer? I could have had anybody but I need someone on my level. It's a shame I never met you." I let the allure fall heavy in my voice as I spoke. We had profiled the leader as being obsessive, narcissistic, and in love with me. That's why no harm ever came to my children, and the same man always delivered the drop-offs. 

"But you did meet me, you and your team have met me. But I was smarter than you and I got away. So, tell me, Maxine, how badly do you want your children back?" I just needed to keep him on the line for 15 more seconds. I just had to keep up this act for 15 more seconds. 

"I'd ask what you want me to do, but I think I already know the answer. You saw the site, you know my answer. Me for them. I'll leave Spencer and the BAU. I'll join you and your team. Me for them." I heard a whistle come from his end of the line and I smirked. He had no idea I was playing him like a fiddle right now. 

"You'd do that? You'd give up everything to ensure their safety and to be with me? You just get better and better every day." I could hear the arousal in his voice, but it was the distinct sound of crying that broke my focus. 

"Do we have a deal?" A pinging sound came from the monitor and I looked over at it. 

"I'll send Miss Penelope a file on how to locate us. See you soon darling." The line went dead. I looked at the screen and I let the phone drop from my hand.

"It pinged New Zealand..." I let my body slump forward as a few tears fell from my eyes. 

"Don't give up yet sunflower, I was able to get this too." She went to show me how the unsub was pinging off the towers. "It pings off of cell towers across 4 continents and in the process draws out a smiley face."

"That son of a bitch..." At the sound of my profanity, a file appeared on her desktop with a flashing background. She clicked on it and it opened a map. "That's only 15 minutes away." I got up and rushed from the room. I pushed through the glass doors and eyes snapped towards me. 

"I know where they are."

***

We were vested up and ready to go. We were 2 minutes out and all of us were just waiting to put these bastards behind bars. I looked over at my fiance and for the first time in days, I took his hand into mine. His fingers lacing between mine, as he rubbed his thumb over the skin. I hadn't explained all of the detail of the phone call to the team, I wasn't sure if I needed to or not yet. All I knew was that Garcia was currently back-hacking them as we drove. I prayed to the Gods above and below that she would find something just in case this was a trap.