The Day Before

Chapter 1
The ATM

"In Lowell, Indiana, there was a four-hour hostage standoff in a bank. The bank customers were made to line up and stand still for hours . . . just like in a regular visit." - Bill Maher

Aaron Hotchner had done it. He had been given a clean bill of health by the doctors, and he had passed his physical and psych evaluation to return to the BAU. He still walked with a limp, and couldn't run as well as he used to. Sometimes he still bled, if he ran or fought too hard, but the doctor had said that might never heal completely. But the most lethal wounds, those deep in his heart and mind, they were pretty well patched up. He had had to re-learn how precious life was, but the lesson had been easy with the teachers he had been blessed with.

It felt strange, the weight of his gun on his belt and ankle, and the feeling of his FBI ID in his pocket, but it was good. He felt whole again.

And he knew he couldn't have done it without his loyal friends, Dave and Spencer. He glanced across the precinct at them waiting for him. They were window shopping a Games shop. Spencer was instructing Dave on the new Lara Croft game. Dave had that glazed look in his eyes. Aaron wanted to laugh.

He pushed his card into the ATM.

The ATM ate it.

"Dammit!" Aaron said under his breath. He took Jack's little hand in his and went into the bank.

All he needed was to get some money for the first few days at work and to pay the sitter. Why was everything so complicated?

As usual there was a queue. Jack went to sit at one of the customer's desks and began filling in deposit slips. Aaron watched him; head down, concentrating on writing little circles on the dotted lines; and he felt a tremendous surge of love.

Jack missed his Mummy, but Jess had stepped up to the plate and Jack was happy. Aaron was happy too. His relationship with Jess was developing slowly. He didn't want a whirlwind romance, not with Haley's sister. He had to be sure.

Although truth be told, he had been sure with Haley. It was Haley who hadn't been.

Jess had seen him at his most vulnerable, had listened to him when he was depressed and held him when he had cried. And still, she was interested, waiting in the sidelines for him to notice her. He didn't have to be anyone else with Jess, just himself, Aaron Hotchner. And yesterday, Jack had asked if Aunty Jess was his new Mummy. And last night Jess had said that she loved him.

At the moment he was happier than he could ever remember being. He felt fulfilled. His son was happy, he was going back to work the next day, he was falling in love again, and he had the best friends a man could wish for.

The woman in front of him finished her transaction and stepped away. Aaron was still smiling as he limped to the window. He was about to speak when he heard a crack above his head. He looked up and saw a shattered hole in the safety glass. He turned in time to see a masked man fire an automatic at the ceiling. Lights popped, people were screaming and diving for cover and a vinyl banner advertising the best way to keep your money safe floated slowly to the floor; the only movement for a split second.

Then a voice shouted, "On the floor!"

The bank customers instantly crouched down. Aaron looked for Jack. He wasn't at the desk any more.

"Jack! Where are you?" Aaron shouted, and he started to limp across the floor to where Jack had been sitting.

"You! In the suit! I said 'get down on the floor'."

Aaron thought about going for his gun. But the automatic was pointed straight at him. "I am going to find my son." he answered.

Aaron saw two other men by the door also armed. The front gunman walked around the whimpering customers, and repeated his order to Aaron, the automatic inches from his forehead. He knew that if he fired, they would have a hard job identifying him.

Aaron glanced over to the desk. To his relief, he saw Jack under the table.

"I want to get my son." Aaron repeated, a slight tremor in his voice. He wanted to draw them away from Jack. "I can't see him." he said and took step away from the Jack's hiding place.

The gunman turned his weapon around and hit Aaron on the cheek bone. Aaron felt the bone crack and he went down hard. Someone screamed again. As his vision dimmed he was eye to eye with his little boy, wide eyed and scared, hunkered down under the desk.

'Stay there!' He mouthed the words, praying that Jack would understand. He started to get up and the butt of the gun hit the back of his head, and he lost consciousness.

-0-0-0-

"What was that?" Reid stopped Lara Crofting mid sentence and spun round to face the street.

"Sounded like a gun shot." Dave said."I think it came from the bank. Where are Aaron and Jack?"

"They went to the ATM. They're not there now."

Spencer and Dave both drew their guns at the same time, and held up their ID's.

"Clear the area. FBI! Clear the area!"

Folks were pretty obedient when faced with Feds waving guns. The precinct was cleared quickly and efficiently.

Dave and Spencer crept over to the door of the bank, and using a periscope mirror, Dave looked inside.

He leaned back onto the wall of the bank next to the door. Reid stood beside him.

"I saw three UnSubs. Maybe more. Customers on the floor. Aaron is standing by the teller's window. Can't see Jack."

"What are we going to do?"

"Well we can't go crashing in there. I have to hope Aaron will gain control. Talking down UnSubs is what he's good at."

"Like he did Dowd." said Reid. "But Jack's in there. He will be Aaron's priority. He will work to protect his child."

"Yeah you're right." Dave got out his mobile. "No signal. There usually is in here. They must be using a jamming device."

There was a loud metallic clang as the security doors closed the precinct off.

"Was that security or the UnSubs?" Reid asked.

"The UnSubs." Dave said. "Security wouldn't close the doors unless the police were here."

"So it's down to us then." Reid said. "A two man SWAT."

"Looks that way." Dave said, pulling back the cocking mechanism on his gun. There was a scream from inside the bank. Rossi looked in again.

"Agent down." whispered Dave. "They're going to find out now that he's FBI."

"I didn't hear a shot." Reid said. "They must've hit him."

Rossi nodded. "We have to hope that Jack is hiding. If they find him, they'll use him against Hotch."

"Oh god." Reid wiped sweat from his forehead.

"They must have another way out if they've lowered the security doors." Dave looked round the deserted precinct.

"Reid, stay here and watch. I am going to see if I can get a signal anywhere."

Dave ran to the corner of the precinct, and slowly walked the perimeter, checking his mobile. He shook his head at Reid. No help from Garcia. They had to do this alone.

"They've essentially locked themselves in." Reid said when Dave got back. "They must have another way out."

"Roof or basement." Rossi said. "Roof would be easier, less work. Basement, more preparation, but more likely that they'll get away unseen."

"We'll have to profile them to see which they would choose."

"Ok, round to the side Reid. We need time to think."

The two men moved quietly to the side of the building and crouched in the shadows. They had very little, but they'd worked with less.