"I got 4 names on the bottom of the list Prentiss gave us." Derek says, walking over with a small piece of green paper. "Luke Renault, Lawrence Riley, Lila Rafferty, Lyle Rogers."
"All with the initials L.R." Ashley says.
"The CIA uses cryptograms like that to assign to non-official cover agents working the same case." Hotch says.
"So do other foreign countries. These last 4 names are covers -- spies." Derek says.
"Wait." Penelope takes the paper he's holding. "No. This isn't right. Do you see this space? That shouldn't be here."
"Could it be a formatting error?" Spencer asks.
"No, this is a spreadsheet template. Formatting doesn't allow for this." Penelope says. "There's a missing name on here."
"It's another spy whose cover is L.R." Hotch says.
"Lauren Reynolds is dead." Spencer quietly says.
"What?" Hotch asks.
""Lauren Reynolds is dead."" He repeats. "Prentiss said that on a phone call 17 days ago. But her intonation wasn't surprise or grief. It was like a mantra, like she was reminding herself." He says, standing up. "Lauren Reynolds, L.R."
Hotch calls Emily.
"If Prentiss is the last name on that list, she's on Doyle's list, too." Ashley says.
"That explains her behavior the past month." Rossi says.
Hotch hears ringing from Emily's desk and opens a drawer. He finds her phone, gun, and badge.
"The secrets, the evasion." Rossi says.
"She's been biting her fingernails again, too." Spencer adds.
"Guys." Hotch calls, holding up Emily's stuff.
"She left her badge and gun? Why would she do that?" Derek asks.
"That doesn't make sense. Why run? We're her family. We can help." Spencer says.
"Doyle's killing families." Rossi says. "She's not married, not close to relatives. He was ready to wipe us out. She ran to protect us."
~ ~ ~
"She's a trained spy. She doesn't want to be found." Rossi says.
"She knows all of our tricks. We don't know any of hers." Derek says.
"All right, then how do we find her?" Penelope asks.
"Here's how. Ian Doyle is our unsub, Prentiss is our victim." Hotch says. "We profile their behavior and we treat it like any other case. Because terrorism isn't an area we specialize in, I've reached out to an expert from the state department, someone who can also shed light on Prentiss' past."
"Who?" Spencer asks.
"Her." Hotch says, looking towards the entrance of the bullpen. They all turn around to find JJ.
"Let's get to work." She announces.
+++
"Okay, so I talked to a friend from Langley." JJ says. "He couldn't give me Emily's full CIA history, but he could give me this." She says, pulling up a photo of a file. "She assumed the identity of Lauren Reynolds as part of a special task force called JTF-12."
"I heard about them." Rossi says. "They were profiling terrorists, weren't they?"
"Yeah, assembled after 9/11." JJ says. "CIA and western agencies contributed their best and brightest."
"But serial killers and terrorists have different personality traits." Ashley says.
"How does Doyle fit in?" Spencer asks.
"He was their last case. And now the JTF is on his hit list." JJ says. "Jeremy Wolff was victim number one, from Germany's BND. Sean McAlister at Interpol was the second. He's the one that brought the JTF in to work the Doyle case. He was murdered last week in Brussels with his wife and daughter. Tsia Mosely of France's DCRI. She got engaged to Jeremy earlier this year. After he died, she fled to D.C. And team leader Clyde Easter, British S.I.S. He hasn't checked in since Tsia's murder. He was also in D.C."
"Did JTF make the arrests?" Hotch asks.
"No, the host countries handled that. The team moved on to the next case." JJ says.
"If all they did was deliver a profile, how does Doyle even know about them?" Hotch asks.
"Well, considering the shadowy nature of terrorist cells, they utilize a skill we don't -- infiltration." JJ says.
"Who was undercover on Doyle?" Spencer asks.
"Emily. She made contact with him in Boston to get intel on Valhalla." JJ says. "She was posing as another weapons dealer."
"Look at how she's dressed." Derek says. "She seems awfully comfortable."
"How close did she get to Doyle as part of her cover?" Hotch asks.
"The recon they did on Doyle included a background of all his romantic relationships. Emily was his type." JJ says.
+++
Rossi, Bedelia, and Derek get to Emily's apartment and go into her bedroom.
"She asked you to stop here yesterday?" Rossi asks.
"Yeah. Change her boots and... get whatever she needed, I guess." Derek says.
"It's never easy, you know, having to dig through a friend's life." Rossi says.
"It's extremely unsettling." Bedelia mutters.
"But that's not what's bugging you, is it?" Rossi asks Derek. "You're angry. Because she crossed the line with Doyle."
"No, I'm not." Derek argues.
"Right." Bedelia mumbles, rolling her eyes.
"I'm angry because a group of mercenaries just shot at me. I don't much like being shot at." Derek says. "Prentiss knew exactly what was going on, but she didn't bother to tell any of us."
"She couldn't without putting us at risk." Rossi says.
"Come on, man, we don't know that." Derek says. "All we do know is that she slept with a terrorist for a profile. And instead of coming clean with us about her dirty laundry, she just ran with it."
"Derek!" Bedelia chides.
"You think it's that simple?" Rossi asks, pulling a large envelope out of a safe.
"Till there's a reason not to." Derek says.
"Well... here's one." Rossi says. He tosses the object at Derek. "That's her passport, the real one. Now, if you wanted to vanish, wouldn't you take that with you?" He asks, putting the envelope down and walking into the bathroom.
"This doesn't mean anything." Derek says, putting the passport down. "I worked with that woman for 5 years. I put my life in her hands. I called her my friend. But right now I can't even say that I ever really knew her. Can you?"
"She's your friend, Derek." Bedelia says. "What, like we know every little detail about you? About every job you've worked? No. We don't. Maybe she didn't want to put us on risk, maybe she didn't want to talk about a time she probably wasn't happy in. It was possibly traumatic. We don't know anything. So just shut up."
"There's something down there." Rossi says, pointing to the toilet. Derek walks in and Bedelia follows.
"What do you got?" Derek asks.
"Not it." Bedelia walks out of the bathroom.
+++
"It's called a gimmel ring." Rossi tells Hotch. "The husband wife to be wear individual bands during the engagement and at the wedding." He moves the bands together so they overlap.
"You see the markings in the middle? Gaelic." Derek says. "Doyle gave it to her."
"This ring is more than just a souvenir. Otherwise, why hang on to it all this time? Why hide it from us?" Rossi questions.
"What makes you think she went to Boston?" Hotch asks.
"The Doyle case started in Boston. Maybe she's going to old locations to try and hunt him down. Maybe it's all gonna end where it all started." Bedelia says.
"If he had us in his crosshairs, she wouldn't run. She'd take the fight to him." Rossi says.
+++
"Emily walked into a trap." Penelope says. "It looks like Doyle got into the SUV, but from this angle, you can see that he didn't. Which I wish Boston P.D. would have told me before I started watching it. Sorry again for the screaming."
"She threw a flash bang grenade into a car. She's lucky the 3 people inside didn't die. Is anybody else bothered by that?" Derek asks.
"Well, 3 bad guys." Rossi says.
"Illegal as it is, I think Prentiss knows she has to be as ruthless as Doyle." Hotch says.
"He's come to the U.S. to wage a public vendetta and hired a group of mercenaries to remain loyal to him. He has nothing to lose, so she has to act the same way." Spencer says.
"So how did Doyle know she was waiting for him?" Rossi asks.
"Well, the mole must have told him, right?" JJ asks. "The same guy who's been feeding Doyle the contractors and agents?"
"And our best suspect was just arrested with a suitcase full of cash." Ashley says. "How do we get Easter to talk? He won't cooperate willingly."
"I'll handle that. The rest of you focus on Doyle's location." Hotch says.
"I hate to be the one to ask this, but how long does Emily have?" Penelope asks.
"Her best chance is also the most troubling. Doyle saved her for last because he views her as his stressor. Which means he'll take his time." Hotch says.
+++
"Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am? I'm the man!" A guy yells as Rossi and a detective drag him in. Rossi shoves him off, the detective dragging him away.
"Who's that?" Hotch asks.
"Jack Fahey. Irish mob. He called Easter's cell phone 12 times in 6 hours." Rossi says.
"Any connection to Doyle?" Hotch asks.
"Boston P.D. says he's low level." Rossi says. "But the Irish mob has long standing ties to the I.R.A."
"See if you can get anything out of him." Hotch says.
+++
"Why were you calling Clyde Easter so much, Jack?" Rossi questions.
"Anybody got a smoke?" Fahey asks. "How about you, Beanpole?" He asks Spencer. "What about you, hottie?" Bedelia doesn't give a reaction, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She glances at the other two, not missing how Spencer's jaw clenches and he straightens up a bit.
"What do you think?" Rossi asks.
"Narcissism masking deep seated insecurity." Spencer says.
"So if we puncture his self-image, this hood rat will talk." Rossi says. Spencer nods.
"Hey, hey, hey, I ain't no hood rat. You take that back." Fahey orders.
"Well, you look like one. You smell like one. You smell that?" Rossi asks. Spencer sniffs.
"Hood rat." He nods.
"I am not! Take it back!" Fahey orders.
"Hey, Jack." Rossi leans down so he's in his face. "Do you know what a hood rat is?" He fails to answer. "You see what I mean? He's just gonna have to learn the hard way."
"All right, all right, look, Clyde was gonna pay my medical bills, all right? This ear, it ain't growing back." Fahey says.
"What happened to it?" Bedelia asks.
"This bitch teammate of his shot it. Said it was a warning." Fahey says. The three glance between each other, knowing it's Emily. Rossi stands on Fahey's other side and Spencer and Bedelia stand across from him. "Thought she could take on this I.R.A. big shot named Doyle. So I told these--" He screams in pain when Rossi grabs his injured ear. "What the hell, man?! Jeez!"
"Where's Prentiss?" Rossi asks.
"Who? I don't know!" Fahey cries in pain.
"Lauren Reynolds. Where's Lauren Reynolds?" Spencer asks.
"Oh." Fahey says, smiling. "Friend of yours, is she?"
"You tell us where she is right now, or I swear, I'll send you to a prison where they'll teach you what a hood rat is." Rossi tells him.
"And by the time you do, she'll be in pieces." Fahey says. "So, uh... my price just went up." He grins.
~ ~ ~
"200,000?" Ashley asks.
"What other leverage do we have?" Hotch asks.
"Is he an addict?" Ashley asks.
"He's having a nicotine fit. We wouldn't let him smoke." Rossi says.
"We could use that. He'd relax, open his big mouth." Ashley says.
"Is that enough?" Hotch asks.
"Well, I'm pretty good with narcissists. Dated a few." Ashley says.
+++
Rossi, Bedelia, and Ashley are on the roof of the building while Fahey lights a cigarette.
"You know when a cigarette is best?" Fahey asks, glancing between Bedelia and Ashley. "After sex with me. Even better after a threesome."
"Mind your manners." Rossi jerks forward, making Fahey back up from the two women.
"All right. Whoa, whoa." Fahey says.
"You're already extorting us for Prentiss' location." Rossi says.
"So, just out of curiosity, what's it like working for Doyle?" Ashley asks.
"Eh, he's not so tough." Fahey says.
"Wow. I bet you're his hookup, aren't you?" Ashley asks. "I mean, after all, you're the man."
"I could show you how much of a man I really am." Fahey says. Rossi takes a couple steps forward, glaring. "All right, all right, all right, jeez. What's the with the sexy cops/bad cop routine?" He laughs. "What do you think--"
Bedelia flinches as blood splashes onto her face and clothes, standing in shock when she sees the bullet wound in Fahey's chest.
"Down!" Rossi shouts, pulling Ashley and Bedelia to the ground, his hands placed on their heads. Fahey gets shot again and he drops to the ground.
~ ~ ~
The three go back inside, Rossi informing others of what happened. Spencer rushes over to Bedelia when he spots the small amount of blood.
"Hey." He grabs her arm, making her face him, and she loses the blank look on her face. "Are you okay?"
"Ye-- yeah. No, I'm..." She glances down. "It's not mine." She says. "Uh... I-I guess they're watching or something cause-- cause Fahey got shot. Um..."
"Here, I'll help you clean up." JJ offers and Bedelia nods, letting the blonde lead her to the bathroom.
~ ~ ~
After getting the blood off her face and what she could out of her hair and changing her shirt, Bedelia and JJ return to where everybody else is. Bedelia sits next to Spencer.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He quietly asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a little bit of shock." Bedelia quietly assures, forcing a small smile.
+++
"Ian Doyle's a power-assertive psychopath, highly controlling and very explosive when something doesn't go as planned." Clyde says.
"Okay, so how does this fit in with who he is as a family annihilator?" Ashley asks.
"And Prentiss' role in it." Rossi adds.
"Annihilators have a romanticized view of who their family is." Spencer says.
"Well, actually, he was an orphan." Clyde says.
"Well, they think of family as their possession, until some law shatters that and starts them killing." Derek says.
"But Doyle was never married." Clyde says.
"Children?" Bedelia asks.
"No." He answers.
"You wrote in your profile that he carried out his murders with surgical like precision." Spencer says.
"Yes." Clyde says.
"With no collateral damage." Derek says.
"That's right." Clyde nods once.
"Perhaps this child was a surrogate for one he had." Rossi says.
"Say Doyle had a child and you didn't know about it. Is it possible that Prentiss did?" Ashley asks.
"Then why would she keep it from me?" Clyde questions.
"Who else was in the compound the day that you arrested Doyle?" Hotch asks.
"Just his staff." Clyde says.
"All Irish?" Hotch asks.
"Yeah."
"That's a start."
+++
"I got him!" Penelope announces. "I matched Irish immigration records based on Doyle's employees. Declan Jones, he's the only boy who matches. He settled in Boston 8 years ago, adoptive guardian Louise Jones."
"I knew Louise Jones. She was Doyle's housekeeper." Clyde says.
"Are they still alive?" Hotch asks.
"Declan and his mother went missing 7 years ago." Penelope says. "Bodies were never found. Wait, what is this? Uh... God. Someone took pictures of them being shot."
"Is there an address?" Hotch asks.
"That looks like a warehouse. It's gotta be big enough to house a small army. That's weapons, supplies. Let's see -- which means it has its own perimeter. I got it. 1518 Adams Street."
~ ~ ~
"Wait, wait, look at that." Spencer says, pointing at the hand that's holding the gun in the photos. "Morgan, come look at this." He says and Derek walks over.
"It's black clothing and a hand, Reid." Derek says.
"No, look at the fingernails." Spencer says.
"Oh, my God." Penelope whispers.
"Holy shit." Bedelia whispers.
+++
Doyle got away, but they found Emily who had been stabbed with a sharp piece of wood.
They're at the hospital and have been waiting for a while, waiting for any news. Bedelia pushes herself off of the wall once JJ walks in. The blonde sadly shakes her head.
"No." Penelope cries, shaking her head.
"She never made it off the table." JJ says. She glances at Bedelia, the two sharing a subtle look.
Spencer gets up and starts to leave.
"Spence." Bedelia stops him.
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." He says. Bedelia frowns and pulls him into a tight hug. He buries his face in her shoulder, gripping onto her tightly.
Bedelia's grip around him tightens and a few tears fall down her cheeks. She looks at everybody else's reactions, watching the other four members start to cry, only making her chest ache even more.
She continues to quietly cry, though it's more out of guilt than pain.
Bedelia soon manages to detach Spencer from her, the man saying he's going to the bathroom. Bedelia walks into the hallway where JJ and Hotch are.
======================
you all know i live for angst. the more the better, i'm evil