Never Together Nor Apart

[Chapter 12]

Hotch's POV:

"200,000?" JJ seems in exasperated.

"What other leverage do we have?" I ask.

"Is he an addict?" JJ peers over at him.

"He's having a nicotine fit. We wouldn't let him smoke," Gideon answers.

"We could try that. He'd relax, open his big mouth," JJ suggests.

"Is that enough?" I counter.

"Well, I'm pretty good with narcissists. Dated a few," she adds.

*time skip*

"So, assuming Clyde isn't the mole. We looked through the JTF's personal records again, and Jeremy made some fancy plans before his death. Specifically, he bought a large estate in Spain...," Garcia begins.

"He signed all of the documents with one of his covers. Made a down payment in cash, deposited the rest," Elle finishes.

"So Jeremy sold the list to Doyle," I guess.

"He was the first victim, killed quickly Doyle didn't want any attention until he was ready," Elle reasonably allots.

"Did Tsia know?" I ask knowing they were engaged.

"I can't tell. If I were running from a terrorist, I would cash in my I.R.A. not that one. The other—you know what I mean. My point is, Tsia didn't touch that money, so I don't think she's in on it," Garcia hypotheses.

*time skip*

"Did you know that Jeremy sold the list to Doyle?" I ask Clyde.

"I had my suspicions," he replies unfazed.

"So when you go to D.C., you couldn't trust Tsia either. Prentiss read your doubt as duplicity and so did we," I tell him.

"Well, you could have just asked me who Doyle's plant was," he acts as if he would've revealed information.

"Would you have told me?" I ask doubtfully.

"No," he gives the answer I was expecting.

"Someone we both care about is in trouble. I need the original profile when Doyle was a terrorist. We combine that with who he is now as a serial killer," I practically beg.

"Agent Hotchner, you took an oath to protect the laws of your country, and I took one to protect the secrets of mine. Do you understand what your asking?" His response is reasonable.

"I know it's not easy," I begin.

"I'll do it," he states quickly, "if you join me. You see, there's no catching that man. He'd escape from your prison as easily as he did North Korea. And then, all hell breaks loose. If you want to stop that man, you have to put a bullet between his eyes yourself. Can you do that?" He interrogates, "Can you break your oath Agent Hotchner?"

"No," I whisper.

"Can you take one then?" He lets out, "can you swear that your team will save her?"

"Yes," I reply with full confidence.

A knock on the door catch's my attention.

"The British Consulate is here," Elle tells the both of us.

"Could you tell him I'll be right out?" Clyde asks, "I'm consulting with the BAU on a case," he gives me the assurance.

*time skip*

"Ian Doyle is a power-assertive psychopath, highly controlling and very explosive when something doesn't go as planned," Clyde gives the short profile from years ago.