Cold Hands ✔️

eight

chapter 8; it's a little toasty in here

"Adeline, Reid, cover the back. JJ and I will take the front." Rossi ordered as we pulled up to the house. We split off, the moonlight and our flashlights guiding our way. We stayed silent as we snuck around to the back with Reid guiding the way.

When we approached the back of the house Reid tried the door knob. His attempt gave us the green light as it successfully opened, making not a sound. We quietly entered the house, clearing the rooms from the back. When I opened one battered looking door, I found a staircase leading down. I snapped at Reid to get his attention from the other room and shone my flashlight down the stairs.

One foot after another, I carefully descended the stairs into the dark. The room was heavy with musk and made my eyes water. When I got near the bottom of the stairs, a light turned on deep in the basement. A look over my shoulder confirmed Reid was following me.

With a reassuring nod towards me, I gathered up my confidence and continued down the few stairs towards the light. Making sure the shelves were clear as I passed, we made our way towards the light. When we were finally on the last shelf before the light, I gave a countdown to Reid before dashing into the open space, staring at the issue in front of us.

Our unsub, Richard Moore, was sitting in a chair with the light directly above him. 

"FBI Moore, show me your hands." I demanded. He just sat there, staring ahead. I briefly looked around him, but saw nothing. No wires and no bombs. I mentally thanked any god who would listen.

"You heard her Moore, hands." Reid reiterated. Moore raised his eyebrows, then slowly took his hands out of his jacket pocket. In one fluid motion, he opened his jacket to reveal a bomb strapped to his chest, he wasn't making it out alive, and with the 15 second timer, I had a doubt we would too.

"BOMB" Reid and I shouted at the same time, pulling a quick 180 turn and scrambling to get out of there. I didn't see JJ or Rossi and hoped that they had heard the two of us. By 8 seconds, we were at the top of the stairs, and I think by 3 we were just outside the back doorway.

You always think you know what something is going to feel like, but it's never the same as when you actually feel it. I didn't often imagine what it would feel like being almost blown up, although I've read of all that happens. Ears ringing, very warm feeling, and if you're too close, worse can happen. A lot of people say that instinct helps save them, but I guess my instinct is extra generous.

Something pulled in me to tackle Reid to the ground, who was running next to me. My body landed on top of him as I caged his head in between me and the ground. The explosion helped move us down faster, and I could feel some pain in my leg at our fall. I didn't move from on top of Reid as my instinct, and probably the shock, kept me there. 

~~~

The bomb was deafening to the FBI agents who were there. Thankfully, Agents Rossi and JJ heard the pair shout 'bomb' from their spot in the kitchen and safely made it out to the dirt driveway and away from the cars before it set off, and after the explosion they quickly looked up, even though they were blinded by the light. They needed to know that their friends got out.

Reid and Ripper got just far enough to not lose any limbs or their lives, but close enough to be knocked off their feet. Adeline's body, although smaller than Reid's by a few inches, covered his head and chest with her body. Reid ended up on his back, with Adeline burying his head into her collarbone and chest. Her elbows caged his head in and her hands went up to the back of her own head. Reid's arms went around Adeline's waist, doing his part to cushion her fall.