Blood and Battle | Criminal Minds (gxg)

Chapter 7

TW: guns/shootout

I park the car behind a shipping container, out of sight from the road and most of the shipyard. We exit the vehicle, careful to close the doors quietly. Gideon sneaks away into the maze of containers while Elle and I move together in the other direction. Silently, we step carefully across the pavement. I glance behind me and we hold eye contact for a moment. I can barely see her eyes in the darkness but I feel their dark brown centers looking deeply into mine.

The plan is simple. Find Vogel and Heather, talk him down. If that doesn't work, our guns are drawn.

I hug the side of the containers, moving closer to the boats. On Slessman's computer Reid and Morgan found a live feed of Heather. Garcia traced the IP address to this shipyard and we know Heather is being kept on one of the boats moored at the dock.

We're getting closer to the water—I can hear waves splashing across the hulls of the ships, the creaking swaying of the boats and their sails in the wind.

I slow my pace and let Elle take the lead. I follow her through the dark, my eyes following the red of her jacket. Her hair cascades down her shoulders, blowing softly in the wind.

We slink along the side of a shed, it's wooden paneling to our left. Fishing hooks hang down the side, just above our heads. Their tips glint wickedly in the dim light. Traps, cages, and fishing nets are stacked in a mound just in front of us. The cement beneath our feet is bumpy and uneven. I notice a pot hole in the cement, a dip in the concrete.

Elle breaks away from the side of the shack to step around the fishing nets. Her eyes are focused on the boat at the end of the dock as Vogel steps out of it with Heather trapped in his arms. Gideon is there, his gun aimed at Vogel. She doesn't see the hole in the cement and moves to step directly into it.

"Elle–" I whisper quickly, too late to stop her. I immediately holster my weapon as I reach out to her. My right arm wraps around her waist as she falls, my left reaching up and grabbing hold of one of the fishhooks. I wince as the tip enters the soft tissue below my thumb and I use the hook as leverage to spin her body away from the pile of traps and against the side of the shack.

My hand still on her waist, she's pinned between my body and the shed. My face is tucked against her shoulder and the smell of her skin meets my nose. Vanilla. And lavender. I can feel her heart beating, or maybe it's mine, racing from being so close to her.

I pull back, exhaling sharply as I pull my hand down from the hook. I feel warm blood trickle into my palm.

"Thanks," she whispers in the dark. She seems breathless.

"Don't mention it." I give her a slight smile but it quickly turns into a grimace. She notices.

"Are you okay?" Her voice is laced with concern as she takes my hand in hers.

"Just a scratch." I look away. I hate being hurt. I hate feeling vulnerable.

"Carli."

I bring my eyes up to meet hers. "I'm alright, Elle. We have a job to do."

She hesitates, then nods as I draw my weapon again and turn back towards the unsub.

A few minutes go by, Gideon trying to talk Vogel down. Elle and I wait in the shadows for Vogel to make his move. He quickly does, Gideon falling back as he's shot. I bring my firearm up but am slowed by my injury. Elle beats me to it, shooting Vogel cleanly in the chest.

"Nice shot," I say quietly.

Gideon stands up, brushing himself off and pulling the bullet from his vest. I run across the dock to where Heather's collapsed to the ground. I hold her face in my hands as she tries to back away from me.

"Hey, hey it's okay," I speak quietly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Carli. I'm here to bring you home, Heather. You're safe now."

She looks up at me with broken eyes. Tears, dirt, and blood stain her cheeks. She collapses into me as I pull her to her feet.

"You're going to be okay. You're safe now."