Dirty Little Secret (Criminal Minds/ One Chicago Fanfic)

Chapter 23

21st District Police Department, Chicago Illinois

The intelligence unit sat in the bullpen going over a robbery-homicide case in Canaryville when Sergeant Platt walked upstairs. "Halstead, This was mailed over to the 20th district for you took them a while to figure out before they mailed it over here," the older sergeant said placing a small package on his desk. Jay picked up the package noticing it was sent almost 2 months ago. "This was sent 7 weeks ago," he said to her. "Wow, great detective work," she said before turning and walking down the stairs back to her desk downstairs. 

The detective opened the package noticing a USB stick, Halstead picked it up looking at it as Mouse walked over looking at where the package came from. 

"The return address is to a PO box in Washington," Mouse said as Jay took the package from him and Mouse took the USB stick plugging it into his laptop that he set on the detective's desk. Mouse pulled open the contents of the USB stick and it held 1 video file. Mouse clicked on the video noticing Adam and Voight walking over to the detective's desk along with the team. 

Allison came into view on the screen she was in her house in Virginia. "Hey Ricky, Mouse. If you're getting this then I guess the past came back to bite me in the ass. Tell Serg don't come looking for me it'd be a waste of time, I have something I gotta handle for the sake of you guys and everyone else. Look I'm sorry I lied and covered up the truth and put you all in danger, hopefully someday you understand why, I'll be back soon oh and don't forget the puzzle I showed you in Iraq," Allison before the video cut out. 

Everyone was confused, "Hold on a second did she say don't forget the puzzle I showed you in Iraq?" Jay asked earning a confused nod from Mouse, "We served in Afghanistan, Iraq is where she met Emily," Jay said. "She also said she lied and covered up the truth, what did she mean?" Mouse said more than asked as he started replaying the video and paused noticing Allison point at a photo for a brief second twice as she said that.

It looked like a twitch honestly until Mouse went through the video frame by frame. "Look here when she said 'I'm sorry I lied and covered up the truth and put you all in danger she points at this photo in the background. I've never seen that photo when we visited," Mouse said looking at Jay who nodded. "She didn't have a photo on that side of the room at all, can you-" Jay started to ask as Mouse zoomed in on a photo in a frame that was blurred. "Let me just... there we..." Mouse paused when the image came into focus. 

The photo was of a toddler no older than 3 with shaggy blonde hair. He was dirty and only wearing a pair of shorts while he cowered in the corner of a cement room while a gun was pointed at him. He looked horrified, "Why would she have that in the background of her house?" Adam asked in disgust. 

"It was a coverup," a familiar voice said entering walking up the stairs. Dr. Reid and the rest of the BAU walked into the bullpen. The intelligence detectives were confused as Voight walked over to Agent Hotchner. "You didn't tell me you were stopping by," the sergeant said holding a hand out to the unit chief. "Allison sent us a message too," Reid replied walking over to the computer. "Can you take a printout of this?" Reid asked as Mouse nodded and printed off a photo. "And can you start the video over again," the genius asked as Mouse restarted the video watching the man look over a piece of paper in his hand while going through the video and that's when he got what she was trying to tell him. 

"She telling us not to look for her, she wants us to protect this little boy. That's Doyle's son, she staged his death and got him into protective custody." Reid said. "Okay, where is he?" Voight asked, "That's the thing she left another clue that I haven't quite figured out." Reid replied. 

The word puzzle had certain words that he had to use to piece together what she was trying to tell them and let me tell you it wasn't easy. However, there were a few words that he couldn't piece together. Fireteam, twin flame location. "Okay I'm gonna say three words and I need you two to tell me what comes to your mind," Reid said looking at Mouse and Halstead. 

"Okay?" Mouse said slightly confused. "Fireteam, Twinflame and location" Reid replied. It was Jay that paused. "She sent us a return address on a package to a PO box in Washington," the detective replied. "Okay Reid, Halstead and Mouse go to the PO box and see what you can find. Sergeant is that okay with you?" Hotch asked Voight. "Whatever you need but my team is gonna do more than sit around looking through a video," the sergeant replied. "I wouldn't expect anything else," Hotch replied shaking Voight's hand. 

Allison's PO Box, Washington DC

Dr. Reid used the key that was sent with the puzzle to open the PO box to reveal a small envelope. Inside was another key and another word puzzle. Mouse and Halstead looked over the key that looked old. 

Reid looked over the puzzle noticing a few words stand out, "JTF2, G.L Trail, Mt top," Reid said confused but judging by Mouse and Halstead's expression they knew what the puzzle meant. The three went back outside to the Government SUV and Reid called Hotch. "Did you find anything?" the unit chief asked. "Yeah we found a key and another puzzle," Reid replied. "What's the puzzle saw boy wonder?" Morgan asked. "JTF2- That's the platoon she was working with in the Special Forces," Mouse said cutting the doctor off. "G.L Trail- That could be a trail up in the Rockies," Halstead added. "That would explain why she also wrote Mountain Top," Reid said. 

"You think she's sending you out to the Rocky Mountains?" Adam asked through the line. "She did say it was one of her favourite places in the world and I remember reading somewhere that the Canadian Infantry send some of their more elite platoons out to harsher conditions for training exercises so they can be prepared for the unexpected. They use the Rocky Mountains, and Northwest territories because it's the harshest environment to survive." Reid said through the line. "We can take you up there but it's a 5-day hike from the bottom of the Rockies to the Glacier lake and an additional 2 days to get to the top peak," Mouse said remembering what Allison told him. "I can meet Halstead and Mouse out in Edmonton and hike up the mountain with them," Morgan offered. "Alright Reid, Halstead, Gerwitz head towards the Rocky mountains. Morgan will meet you there along with the park rangers," Hotch said. 

"Why use park rangers when you have 2 army rangers that have mapped the terrain and been there before?" Halstead replied. "Not to mention this should stay in house, there's a reason Athena sent us everything in coded puzzles," Mouse pointed out. "He's right," Voight added and everyone agreed to keep the case between the Intelligence unit and the BAU. 

Rocky Mountain, Top Peak, Alberta

Allison woke up before morning light unable to actually sleep, the dark haired woman climbed out of her sleeping bag and stoked the embers of the fire slowly getting a flame going in the firpit again before she took some snow and melted it on a small pot bringing it to a boil and making herself some instant coffee. 

She sat next to the small fire that was hidden in the opening of a small cave that lead to a dead end. Allison wondered if Mouse Reid and Halstead had gotten or received the packages she left for them. 

Allison's thoughts were interrupted by the first rays of sunlight appearing in the sky above her along with Jefferson who was getting up from his tent and began to pack up his kit along with Allison. "You're up early," he said as Allison dumped her remaining coffee out over the fire putting it out before she packed up all of her kit. 

"Couldn't sleep," she replied as they began hiking down the trail towards the meadow where she, Mouse and Halstead skydived in on their camping trip, That location was where Carter and Jefferson would be picked up from and taken over to Russia where Doyle was last seen. 

The hike down to the glacier lake only took them 40 minutes since they were hoofing it down the mountain peak on a snowboard for the most part and then hikes the last 2 miles to their pick-up point. As Allison and Jefferson walked into the meadow they heard the familiar sound of one of the large aircraft beginning to decent above them. 

Allison and Jefferson sprinted toward the aircraft as a rope ladder fell from above. Halfway across the empty field before she ran over to the ladder and started climbing up after Jefferson into the aircraft. Halfway up the ladder the aircraft started lighting up and the ladder started being lifted up and Jefferson pulled Carter into the aircraft and she shut the door behind her.