Reality in the blink of an eye (Hotchner/Caderton) (Reid/Sinclair)

Chapter 39. The truth

The whole BAU team had to go back to work the next day. Happily it was just paperwork and nothing serious as everyone especially Prentiss and JJ had bad hungover. Lora was nervous as it was the day when she needs to go and talk with section chief Erin Strauss about everything what happened on the last case. She walked to her office door and knocked.

„Come in" – She heard the voice from the inside, opened the door, walked in and closed the door.

„Agent Caderton, please...sit down" – Strauss said in a stern voice. Lora's heart was beating fastly, she nodded and walked to sit on the chair at the table in front of Strauss. She was reading and filling some files, so Lora patiently and quietly waited for her to finish, even though it was very annoying to be ignored for the whole ten minutes. But she realized, that it's part of the tactics to make her lose her temper, which will make easier for Strauss to fire her. After another five minutes Strauss put the pen down and looked at Lora.

„Agent Caderton, do you know, why you are here today?" – She asked, Lora nodded.

„Yes ma'am...You told me to come to your office two days ago after our case in the hostage situation where my team was in." – Lora said and stayed quiet to let Strauss talk now.

„Correct, but not exactly...you disobeyed to my orders and doubted my abilities to do my job as well as you were disrespectful" – She explained, Lora clenched her fists under the table as that woman got into her nerves.

„With all due respect ma'am, I didn't show disrespect to you..." – Lora started, but got interrupted.

„You questioned my ability to lead in front of other agents and it can cause the disrespect of them toward me in the future." – She said.

„I knew what I was doing and my only goal was to get everyone out of there safely...Ma'am, I'm a good profiler and you know that. I've learned from the best and in that moment all the best were there in danger...I didn't question your ability to lead, but I questioned your opinion and that exact decision to read from the notebook, which would've killed them all...I knew what I was doing and I did that to save them and I take full responsibility for my actions, but if we'll be in that situation again...I would do the same thing in order to save the team..." – Lora said with respectful tone and stopped if Strauss wants to say something.

„What about Dr. Sinclair?...In the protocol I can see that she was the one who made the last combination of the numbers and saved you all...you didn't doubt her ability on that Agent Caderton" – Strauss said and Lora felt anger building.

„To doubt her?" – Lora asked a little shocked that Strauss dared to even say that.

„Yes...there were seconds left till the bomb explodes...you didn't seem to doubt her, that the combination of those numbers are correct and not kill everyone there" – She said.

„I'm sorry, but there were ten seconds left and the whole BAU team cuffed to the ground...I don't think there was time to doubt anyone there.

„But you doubted me" – Strauss said with that annoying look and it caused my anger build up.

„You don't have to sit here and question my decisions I made when I typed those numbers in the bomb when three seconds were left, thinking that me and my team will die...I doubted you, because I knew, that you're wrong and that it'll kill my team...I didn't doubt Emilia, because I trust her with my life and in that moment mine and my team lives were hanging on seconds. You can't sit here and question me or why I didn't doubt Dr. Sinclair, when she stayed in that tent till the very end and risked to be injured by the explosion, while me and my team were inside that building ready to be killed and as I saw, you and your other agents picked their laptops and fastly and safely left when one minute was left...Don't question me or people who stayed and risked their lives when you ran away ma'am" – Lora said to her with annoyed voice. Strauss stayed quiet for now.