Chapter 430: Reid's Spring (Part 8)

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, though silently. He had been the one who suggested placing Emily in charge of watching Lila's manager, Mike, and while it wasn't his fault that Emily had gotten shot, it still left him feeling uncomfortable. 

Reid and Lila stepped outside just then. "What happened?" Reid asked.

"Your manager, Mike, was attacked and taken to the hospital. Emily got shot too, but her bulletproof vest stopped it," Jack explained.

Lila's eyes immediately filled with tears, and Jack quickly reassured her. "Don't worry, Mike isn't in any danger."

"Can you take me to the hospital?" Lila asked, rushing back inside to grab a coat.

Jack nodded. "Let's go together."

——

It had been a while since Jack had last visited Central Hospital, and the familiar smell of antiseptic filled him with a strange sense of nostalgia.

In the emergency room, the team met up with Emily, who had just finished her check-up.

"Looks like you were lucky. The shooter used that same .22-caliber handgun," Jack said, examining her bulletproof vest, where a deformed lead bullet was embedded.

"I thought Jack would be the first one of us to get shot, but I guess I was wrong. Sorry, my bad." Rossi made an awkward joke, immediately realizing it was in poor taste. He quickly knocked on the wooden doorframe three times for good luck.

Jack chuckled, unbothered, and carefully placed the vest into an evidence bag. "This is going in as evidence."

"The shooter had been hiding near Mike's office. As soon as we stepped outside, I heard the roar of a motorcycle engine, but it was too late to react. Jack's theory was right—the manager was the target," Emily said, rotating her shoulder to shake off the stiffness from the hit. She had been quick, managing to pull Mike down and shield him, which was why she had been shot in the back, near her shoulder blade.

"But I don't understand," JJ said, puzzled. "Mike is just a friend to Lila. Why would the shooter target him?"

Hotchner explained, "Because taking Lila to the police was seen as a threat by the stalker. The involvement of law enforcement escalated the situation."

"JJ, you handle the media. We need to keep this out of the headlines for now." Hotchner paused and then turned to Rossi.

"Should we hide Lila away for a while?"

Rossi hesitated. "If we force the stalker to make a move by cutting off all access to her, it might work. But since the suspect is obsessed with Lila, isolating her might backfire and drive him to extreme actions."

"What if we leave him some room?" Jack suggested. "Garcia checked all of Lila's interview records and social media accounts. She's never publicly mentioned her favorite flower—the pink anemone. That suggests the stalker is someone very close to her. If we make it look like LAPD is protecting her but keep her at home, leaving only one patrol car outside, I can hide nearby. With Reid staying close to her, maybe the stalker will reveal himself."

Hotchner and Rossi exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"It's worth a shot," Rossi said.

"Let's hope it works."

——

Soon after, Mike's surgery was completed, and he was transferred to the ICU for observation.

People often joke that a .22-caliber bullet is only good for hunting rabbits or rodents, but these small rounds can be quite troublesome. Their lack of penetration power can cause them to bounce around inside a body after impact, creating a lot of damage. This was the case for President Reagan when he was shot—doctors had a hard time finding the bullet due to its small size, even suspecting at one point that it had entered his bloodstream.

Mike, however, was lucky. The doctors easily retrieved the bullet and repaired the damaged artery. Lila, who had been in tears outside the operating room, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mike is like family to me," Lila said, still wiping away tears as she clung to Reid's sleeve.

Jack, observing from nearby, couldn't help but think of Hannah. She, too, had a habit of using his clothes as a handkerchief back when they first met.

"You know, it's hard to trust anyone in Hollywood. Once you gain a bit of fame, everyone wants something from you. But Mike's different. He always jokes that he's a failure as a manager because he's too sentimental. He's even pushed some of his successful clients to other agents just so they could get better opportunities," Lila said softly. "I don't know if I could stay in Los Angeles without him."

Watching Reid awkwardly fumble for words to comfort her, Jack stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Take her home, Reid. LAPD will take care of things here."

They had all been up for over 24 hours, exhausted and running on fumes. It wasn't the ideal state to handle any sudden developments.

After dropping Reid and Lila off at her small West Hollywood villa, Jack drove his "Mammoth" up the hill, parking at a spot along a winding road where he could clearly see the house from 400 or 500 meters away. The area was deserted, making it a perfect vantage point.

He spent the entire day watching the villa. As night fell, JJ brought him some food, along with his Barrett MK22 sniper rifle from the BAU office.

"Hotch and Rossi found a stalker, Joe Martinez. His apartment was full of surveillance photos and notes detailing Lila's schedule," JJ reported.

Jack shook his head as he bit into his burger. "He doesn't fit the profile. He's just another paparazzi."

"Rossi thinks so too, but we can't rule him out until we've thoroughly investigated," JJ replied, setting up her own surveillance gear.

Just then, the lights in Lila's bedroom came on, signaling that she had woken up from her nap. Not long after, the living room lights flickered on—Reid, who had been sleeping on the couch, was up too.

"Guys?" Reid's voice crackled through their earpieces.

"We're here. How's it feel to be cooped up with a beautiful actress all day?" Jack teased, grinning.

"It feels like I've aged ten years. Oh no, Lila—where are you going?"

Reid's voice was cut off by the sound of Lila's playful laughter in the background.

"She's quite the star, isn't she? Great body, too," JJ chuckled as she observed through binoculars.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, finishing his burger and setting up his Barrett. Through the night-vision scope, he saw Reid standing by the pool, talking to the "mermaid" swimming in it.

Reid's mic was off, so Jack and JJ couldn't hear the conversation, but it was clear from his body language that he was trying to convince Lila to stay inside.

"I like this girl's personality," JJ said just before Lila, still in the pool, pulled Reid into the water and kissed him.

"Whoa! Too bad we can't record this. Was that Reid's first kiss?" Jack chuckled, feeling like the night had finally paid off with a juicy bit of gossip.

"Emily would be so upset to miss this. I was supposed to let her take the food to you, but I convinced her to rest," JJ said, laughing along.

"Alright, let's move. I think I've found our paparazzi." Jack packed up the rifle and helped JJ off the truck's hood, sneaking a quick kiss on her cheek as they prepared to head out.

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]