"Hotch," He answered on the first ring. There was a soft breathing coming through the other end of the phone and slight movement in the background. He immediately put down his pen and closed his eyes, his mind quickly focusing. Something about the breathing with no response, he had no doubt that this wasn't a normal phone call.
"Hello!?" he asked getting agitated with nothing but the breath of a stranger puffing into his ear.
"Hello Agent Hotchner." The voice said coolly. The breathing returned slow and even.
"Can I do anything for you?" Hotch asked beginning to wonder if this was some sort of sick joke.
"Well," the voice replied, "I believe I have something of yours." A moment of silence and as Hotch was about to speak a low moan came across the line. He froze. No. It this couldn't be happening, it couldn't be her. He waited not believing what was right in front of him. "Is she yours?" the voice asked. Hotch said nothing. A smack rang out and he cringed. "Is she YOURS?" the voice asked again, more impatient and irritated. He responded immediately, knowing that if he didn't, she would be punished.
"Yes, Agent Prentiss is on my team." He shot out quickly and quickly continued, "What are you doing?" the call finally having reached his brain instead of his heart where it had been from her first sound. "She is a federal agent. You think we won't find you? You think we can't hunt you down? Ask her, she'll tell you." He finished, angry and scared at the same time. Prentiss was strong. Pain didn't show up on her radar, or if it did, you never saw it. For her to be moaning like that….
"Would you like to speak to her?" He asked, seeming to ignore Hotch's line of questioning.
"Yes." He answered waiting to hear just how bad she was.
"Hotch." Her voice whispered over the phone.
"Yeah Emily. It's me. You have to stay strong ok? Tell me how bad it is." He said in a soft, as close to comforting as he could get as scared out of his mind, voice. She mumbled something incoherent. "Em," he said, screw formality, "You have tell me how bad."
"Bad." She whispered. "Hotch, he's blindfolded me. My hands are behind my back and I, well he-", a gasp broke into her speak.
"Emily!" he yelled into the phone, "What's he doing? Emily!"
"Hotch!" he heard her scream in the background. An unfamiliar sound rang over the phone and it took him a second place it. Fabric ripping. Dear God.
"You get off her!" he screamed into the phone. A laugh filled his ears and seeped into his brain, mixed with Emily's yells and more fabric ripping. "No." Hotch whispered. "No!"
"Agent Hotchner, I'm afraid I have to leave now, I have some business to attend to. And as to your earlier questions, no, you will not find me. The woman how was once yours, has become mine. And Agent Hotchner, I will enjoy it."
The dial tone filled his ears and he looked up as someone came running into his office a worried on her face.
"Hotch?" JJ asked, a bit breathless from the obvious run she had done to get to his office. "What's wrong? Why were you screaming?"
Hotch looked at her, eyes glassy and broken. "Emily." He whispered.
JJ's eyes got bigger. "What happened Hotch? What is wrong with Emily?" her voice mirroring her internal panic.
"She's been kidnapped JJ. Get the team. Now." He replied, quickly putting up his invincible facade. One break was enough. He had to be a fearless leader for his team, but not only for them. He had to be strong for her. Haley's death had been his fault and he was not going to let it happen again. He couldn't let the woman he loved slip through his fingers. Not this time.