Brothers In Arms

Chapter 6

Josie pulled Abel's chest of drawers away from the wall and, scooping him up into her arms, used it at a barricade. There was a moment of silence before she heard, who she assumed to be Opie, return fire. He was on parole and she knew it meant immediate arrest if he was caught.

"Josie?" Opie hollered into the house.

She pushed the bureau away with her feet and, as he opened the door to Abel's room, popped up from behind the bureau.

"We're okay," she assured him. "He woke up but fell right back to sleep once it got quiet again."

"Good."

Opie guided her back to the living room with his hand against her lower back. He couldn't help but stare at the gun in her pants as she laid Abel in the pack and play and sat on the couch.

"Was that you shooting back?" She asked as he pulled his phone out to let everyone know what had happened.

"Yeah," he scoffed. "I'm not gonna let those assholes get away."

She nodded. "Okay then. How about the cops? They gonna look the other way with their federal parolee firing into the streets?"

"That's about a fifty fifty chance," he sighed. "You uhh, you're carrying and you handled that shit pretty well."

"Surprised?" She asked with a tiny smile.

"What's more than surprised and shocked? Cause I'm that."

Josie laughed a little. "I didn't just suddenly appear in California as a full grown woman. I have years you don't know about."

When he opened his mouth to press her for answers, lights flashed and sirens filled the house, waking Abel again.

"Ah shit," Opie hissed when he saw Hale. "I'm fucked."

It wasn't something she wanted to do, but Josie could see the dread in Opie's expression. "Here," she handed the now crying Abel to him. "Let me see if I can talk to him."

"You?" His eyebrow arched high in disbelief. "You sure?"

"Can't hurt," she shrugged.

Josie straightened her dress and walked out of ur house timidly. Opie almost didn't recognize that woman after seeing her with gun in hand, body tense and ready to fire. She approached Hale and offered him her hand, Opie watched closely as they shook and began to speak quietly.

"Deputy Chief David Hale," he said as they shook hands.

"Hi, deputy," Josie smiled. "I'm retired Special Agent Josephine Hotchner. I understand you're here for the gunshots but could we have a word?"

Hale looked at her suspiciously but nodded as they shook hands. "Sure. What's the FBI doing it? Retired or not."

"It's not official," she chuckled. "I'm in the private sector now, I'm a therapist."

"Agent to therapist?" He smiled as he tried to pry more information out of her. "Odd choice."

"I was a criminal psychologist," she clarified. "Not that odd. About tonight, there was a drive-by and I'm really hoping you can extend a professional courtesy and just let whichever neighbor called that they're safe and...you handled it."

Hale's jaw clenched, his cheeks sucking in as he stared at her. "You want me to just ignore a shooting? Why? So they can go out and serve their vigilante justice?"

"No," Josie snapped. "I want you to ignore my return fire so I don't have to go through the rigamarole of an investigation. I retired for an emotional reason and I truly don't want to go through all that again but I had to protect Abel. I'm sure you understand that much. One more incident and I will call in my former team to help in anyway they can. Please, Chief."

Josie used particular vocabulary, made vague promises and used an elevated title for him in hopes that she could coax Hale into agreeing.

"You returned fire?" He asked her despite her having just said it.

"I did," she said confidently. "Guess you can tell I'm rusty, I didn't manage to stop the unsub."

Hale slowly started to nod. "If this turns out to be more or you haven't been honest, Agent Hotchner, I-"

"Just Mrs," she corrected him. "And it won't."

"I'll hold you to that." Hale said as his expression began to soften again. "I find it funny, though."

"What?" She eyed him suspiciously.

He shrugged and moved back to his car. "That a retired FBI agent would be anything to do with any of these people."

"I've met men you wouldn't believe existed while I worked in Virginia. These guys?" She laughed a little. "Puppy dogs," Josie shrugged. "Nice meeting you."

"And you, Agent," he winked.

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Beach day shortie! Enjoy the weekend! Xoxo