Complexities

When Hotch got the phone call the first thing he thought of was Riley Johnston. Somehow, somewhere, and in some God forsaken, unexplicatible way, that woman was doing something that went against the proper order of the universe. Now…Hotch was not a very melodramatic man. He liked to keep things very simple: killers go in one box and disrespectful new workers in another. He liked order. He liked respect. And Riley Johnston seemed to stand for everything that he loathed in a workplace.

Gideon caught him rubbing his temples as the office phone rang. “It’s Johnston,” Hotch cursed under his breath, even as he reached for the phone.

“Keep your temper under control Aaron,” Gideon chided, that a smile plain on his face.

“I am in control of myself,” Hotch replied as he picked up the phone. “Speical Agent Aaron Hotchner speaking.”

“There have been shots fired at Beechnut and Cranes’ Rise,” the operator said, his voice slightly rising.

Hotch’s own heart skipped a beat but outwardly he showed no sign that anything was amiss. He had to appear to remain in control at all costs. He took a deep breath to steady himself before saying, “Do you know the status on Agent Prentiss and Agent Johnston?”

There was silence for a few minutes and in the background he could hear urgent whispers and shuffling papers before the harried operator returned to the phone. “Ah…well sir…Agent Johnston is reported to be screaming obscenities and threats at the shooter who we’ve confirmed as Caroline Jenkins fiancée, Robert E. Bedford. Agent Prentiss called in for help and we’ve sent a good portion of Jacksonville there, as well as Florida SWAT since Bedford seems to be using an AKA47. “

Hotch nodded. “Yes we’ll be right there.”

“And…ah sir?”

“Yes?”

“I’m getting reports that Johnston is demanding a BAAR…do we give it to her?”

It took a few seconds for THAT to soak in. A BAAR? Johnston wanted a BROWNING AUTOMATIC ASSUALT RIFLE?! “Unless you want there to be a death toll,” he snorted, a hint of sarcasm entering his normally monotone voice, hanging up on the man. He looked up at Gideon, already feeling his blood pressure rise. “Bedford has an AKA47 and he’s firing on Prentiss and Johnston. They’re ok for now…I believe Jackson PD and SWAT is there…but Johnston is demanding a BAAR.”

Gideon froze in place. “Good lord…,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll notify Morgan and Reid.”

Hotch nodded. “Yes. We want to know why Bedford’s attacking them and where exactly he got such weaponry.”

~~
After running into Esmeralda Cat’s day had taken a serious downturn. She grumbled at everyone who even looked at her and more than once glared at the clock with a ferciousity that would have made Satan himself whimper. When this day ended she would have to figure out a way on how to break it to Rowan that Esmeralda wanted back into their life.

And it was with this kind of thinking that she didn’t noticed the dishelved curly haired blonde shuffling towards the main desk. It was only when the woman had accidently bumped into one of the gofers that Cat looked up to see her: her frantic apologizing. “I’m so so so so so so sorry,” she begged and practically bowed, her blone curls bouncing everywhere. She was wearing a nice, ankle length flower printed skirt with a beige long sleeved shirt, a pink blossom tucked behind her left ear. she was also surprising tall for a girl, taller even than Cat herself. If Cat had to guess she was at least 5’11’.

Cat set aside her packages, scurrying over to rescue the frantic girl from the confused gofer. “Is there anything you need?” Cat asked as helpfully as she could sound.

The girl spun around, bright blue eyes focused solely on her. “I accidently bumped into him and the boxes fell to the floor! O God! What if they were fragile?”

“I-i-it’s ok,” Cat stuttered, debating with in her mind to come to this woman’s aid. She was frantic and so tall. She could easily overpower both of them. The other gofer, a dark haired man of about her height, watched the pretty woman with wide eyes.

“It was popcorn mam,” he said and the woman froze.

“That’s even worse!” she screamed and hung her head dejectly. “I shouldn’t have come here,” she groaned, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “Riley will kill me…”

Cat froze in place. “Riley…you know her,” Cat asked tentatively and the pretty woman nodded, raising her head. Her tears were now flowing freely, ruining her mascara.

“She’s my little sister. I need help so I went to her old job but no one told me she had gone to Quantico so I had to hack into her Face book to find out where she worked at. …Riley doesn’t like me going to her work because she says I’m…’emotional’ I think is the word?”

“I can believe it,” Cat muttered under her breath and sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Why don’t we go sit at her desk eh? Riley’s not here right now, she’s on a case-”

“OH NO! HAVE I GOTTEN HER FIRED?”

Cat winched at the sudden scream and forced a smile onto her face. This was going to be a long day. “No,” she said and the hurried quickly when she saw the woman open her mouth, “What’s your name by the way? So I can call her, if she isn’t too busy.”

The woman sniffled, digging into her purse for a bright pink handkerchief. “Charlene Johnston. But only my friends call me Charlie.”

~~~~
“Now Mr. Bedford,” a burly looking cop said, pronouncing each word through the megaphone. “We don’t want to hurt you. Just put down the automatic rifle and come out with your hands up.”

Florida PD came quickly but then again gunshots have that effect. Someone had also called SWAT. Joy. Well…at least Prentiss and I were no longer playing hide-and-go-seek with him. Gunfire had distracted him while he hightailed our asses to the SWAT van. With our fancy new bandages, we’d been kicked from the battlefield which was just damn fine with me. I didn’t get paid enough to get shot at by physocti grieving men. But all that hollering through the megaphone was starting to give me a headache.

From the safety of the balcony window we could see him peeking out, rifle up and ready, eyes wide. “Not till I get answers!”

“What answers son?”

“On who killed her! Who would kill Caroline! I’ve got connections you know! They told me her killer was a cop!” he drifted out of view, the white lace curtains hiding him. “Tell me who it is,” he demanded from the shadows.

“Now we can’t do that until we know your daughter is safe!”

My phone rang in my pocket and for a split second I thought about not answering it. Hell, with all the drama going on no doubt King Asshole would know what was going on. That man was like God. But if I didn’t answer I’d probably get fired. I dug it out and opened it up with a practiced flip of the wrist. “Ello,” I chirped.

“Riley?”

That’s weird. It was Cat’s voice. “Yeah Kitty Cat. Sup?” from behind me came another warning gunshot from Bedford. I could hear her yelp and then something in the background wailing like a cow that’s been shot.

“What’s going on there Riley?” Cat gasped.

“A man in serious need of counseling. What ya need girlie?”

“Your sister Charlie Johnston is here.”

You gotta be fucking kidding me. What is this? Come out of the woodwork and annoy me today? I’ve been shot, I work for the Devil himself, what next? God wants me to tap dance and if I don’t do it fast enough I’ll get shot with lightening bolts? So I said what any young woman would say in my situation. I took a deep breath and replied: “WHY DIDN’T YOU SHOOT HER?”

I closed the phone with an audible snap and checked to see if my gun was loaded. Charlie was a damn ticking time bomb. Time to go Rambo on Bedford’s ass. I walked a ways, trying my best to stay hidden by the vechiles and cops, before hopping into the bushes. There was a long line of greenery leading up to his house; all I had to do was run like hell behind the bushes and by the time he’d see me I’d already be on the front lawn.

“The things I do for work,” I groaned before taking off. I better be getting a raise.