Battleground | Criminal Minds (gxg)

Chapter 20

Carli's POV

"Elle?"

My voice breaks as her name leaves my lips. She's here. She's right there, ten feet away, her hands raised in surrender and her eyes wide.

I can't feel my heart pounding, but I can hear it. I can't see the gun in my hands because my eyes are burning into hers, but my fingers clutch the smooth metal.

She wears blue jeans and a black leather jacket over a grey t-shirt. Her hair is the length it used to be, reaching her shoulder blades. Her expression is one of confusion. Pain. And fear. Her eyes flicker to the body on the floor and I follow her gaze.

What's left of my heart falls to pieces.

"Step away from the body." My voice comes out cold, but steady.

"Carli, let me explain–"

"Step. Away. From the girl." I try to ignore the way her voice affects me. The voice that played with my head, my dreams, crying and screaming and whispering in my ear since the moment she left.

Elle finally listens and takes a step sideways. I stalk towards her, my gun trained on her chest. I turn my head towards the body. My resolve starts to fall apart as every worst case scenario flickers through my mind. I look back at Elle and take another step forward.

"What have you done?"

"Carli, please." Elle reaches forward. "Just let me explain–" Her hand pushes my gun away from her and I react out of instinct. I let the gun go as my right hand comes around in a short hook punch. Elle stumbles backward, bringing her hands up.

I freeze in horror.

I hit her.

She uses my moment of hesitation to her advantage and grabs my shoulders. She spins me sideways, slamming my back into the wall behind her and pinning me with an arm across my throat. My heart thuds in my chest from being so close to her. My eyes search her familiar features, her freckles splattered across her nose, the curl of her eyelashes, her pink lips inches from mine. A red mark decorates her jawline where I hit her. Her body presses against mine and my hands reach for her hips.

"Will you just listen–"

I don't let her finish, shoving her waist and pulling her arm to spin her around. Her back slams against a wide table pushed against the wall. She lies flat against it, my hand around her throat. I don't apply pressure, but enough to hold her there. My left hand grabs my handcuffs and I secure Elle's wrist to the table leg.

I step back and let her go. She sits up, rubbing her neck. "I see you haven't lost your touch," she mumbles, trying to cover up the hurt expression on her face.

I hardly hear her. I take a panicked step away and spin my back to her.

What the hell just happened? What is she doing here? Did I actually hit her?

I fish my phone out of my pocket and dial Hotch's number. I try to count my breathing as my pulse rises.

"Pick up the goddamn phone," I mutter under my breath.

He finally answers. "Carli, what the hell–"

"Where are you?" I interrupt.

"Five minutes out."

I glance back at Elle and wish I hadn't. Even from here I can tell how hard she's trying not to cry. "You need to get here. Right now."

Hotch's voice grows worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just–" I cut myself off as my words get stuck in my throat. "Please hurry," I whisper.

I hear the sound of a siren in the background. "We'll be there soon."