Courage
Disclaimer: I do not own criminal minds or any of its characters. Nor am I responsible for their actions. I will return them safely.
AN: people who aren't from the show are mine.
Chapter 1
Waiting for them to touch down, Sheriff Andrea Carmichael was leaning on her expedition. "Where are they?" she asked her partner, Sheriff Dan Westfield. "They should land in about five minutes." he was leaning on another vehcial. Both wearing bullet proof vests, for reasons. Once the plane landed the leader of the team stepped out. His sunglasses on, his go-bag at hand he stepped onto the rainy ground and waited for the rest of the team to come off of the plane. Going up to Andrea he stuck out his hand. "SSA Hotchner." he introduced. Andrea nodded in respect, shaking his hand. "Sheriff Andrea Carmichael..or Andie." she shrugged. "This is my partner, Sheriff Dan Westfield." she introduced. They shook hands. After introducing the whole team they split into two. One getting into Andie's car and the other getting into Dan's car. Once at the office Andie led them to the office like area. "Here is your space. The coffee is going and hate to break it to you, since you just got here. Another kidnapping. This time, ten year old Maggie Beastly. Right out of her bed." she muttered the last bit. "My officers are at the house, CSU is already there." she spoke softly. Aaron Hotchner nodded and looked up to his team. "Morgan, Prentiss, go to the house. Rossi and I will head over towards the dumpsite. JJ, help Reid set up and Reid, get Garcia and try to get the time on the kidnapping and send it to me." he spoke and the team started to bustle. "Dan can take Agent Morgan and Agent Prentiss to the house. I'll be happy to take you to the dumpsite." she offered. Hotch nodded.
The cool crisp air in Kentucky felt nice. The fall days would soon turn to winter, which would bring snow and little kids up in bundles. But for the job that Andie had to do was rough. She remembed being the kids, just having fun. "Sixteen year old Deana Ralstin and her brothers Steven, 17 and Tyler, 15 were found here, just in a tarp and plastic." Andie was trying to concentrate. It wasn't her first gruesome case..but this one had a strange affect on her. "Their..mom, Susie, found em." she added taking a deep breath. "Their dad died ten years ago." she said. Hotchner looked around the area. "Quiet, but I can see houses..and a school." he said. "Children playing, not noticing a thing." David Rossi added. "They were strangled, then stabbed to death." Andie said quietly, shivering slightly. "Did anyone see what was going on?" Rossi asked, looking at her. Hotch took note of her, she didn't seem like this when they first landed. "Ah, no sir, Agent Rossi. They were covered with leaves so it would make it sort of impossible." she made eye contact with Rossi as she spoke. "Not even a kid?" Hotch asked. "No sir." Andie looked at Hotch now. "A quiet, yet messy death." Rossi muttered. Going back to the car Andie got into the drivers. Once Dave and Aaron were in and started to get going back to the office Andie kept biting her tongue. "Also, your cars wont be here until tomorrow morning." she said after a long awkward silence. Hotch nodded saying, "Thank you.". Rossi was looking over the file again, then looked towards Andie. "Are you okay?" he raised an eyebrow. "Its a brutal case..I've been a Sheriff for alittle over five years." she kept her eyes on the road, gripping the steering wheel. "And..?" Hotch looked over towards her now. "I know I switched the subject..but something just itches at me and I need to see what's up before I jump in with both feet and spit it out." she murmured.
About to go under a bridge, there was a loud popping sound, then one tire was flat. "What the hell?" she muttered. "Pull over." Hotch said holding onto the handle. Andie started to pull over when there was another popping sound, this time it had pierced through the glass, hitting Andie in the right shoulder. She pulled over quickly and got out her gun. "Son of a bitch...!" she hissed looking at the wound. "Careful agents, it pierced right through the kevlar!" she exclaimed trying to open her door. "Dont get out, Andie." Rossi said already going to the other side of the vehical and getting out. Hotch was getting out also, gun in hand. "Where is he?" Hotch asked. "I dont see him.." Rossi said, having the car as a shield. Hotch was crouching, he kept his gun to the bridge. "He has a good access point from up there." he spoke in no emotions. Trying to find the unsub, or who ever the hell this was. After five minutes of trying to look for the man, another shot came through, piercing the back glass of the suv. Amost hitting Andie again. "GET DOWN!" Rossi yelled over at Andie. She was bleeding some what, holding her gun she managed to get out, and crouching, she managed to get infront of the vehical and just rest there, hoping to be safe there. After twenty minutes, nothing. Andie had called in for back-up. She was trying to compose herself, she had gotten shot before, working the downtown area. But this was different. Both Rossi and Hotch had came around, and crouched down next to her. "What kind of..bullet..pierce through.." she was gritting her teeth. "Try not to talk.." Rossi said. Hotch was trying to look where the bleeding was coming from. "Im going have to take off the kevlar and see where it is.." he said to her. She nodded, trying not to close her eyes was one thing, breaking down was another. As he was starting to take off the kevlar vest she groaned, gritting her teeth she cried out. "I know..hold on.." Hotch said, taking off the kevlar vest he set it on the hood. Now more blood was coming from the wound. "Must of clipped something.." Rossi said. Hotch nodded and looked around. "Where are they?" he asked. "T..ten minutes away.." Andie was trying to compose herself once again. "That's going to be too long." Rossi looked at her wound, shedding off his jacket he pressed it on the wound. Making her jump almost out of her skin. "Try to hold still.." Hotch said.
Ten minutes later, still nothing. "H..hand me my phone.." Andie wasn't going to give up. After receiving her phone she closed her eyes for a moment, opening back up she dialed Dan's number. "Westfield." he answered. "Oh good, your not shot.." she muttered. "Andie?! What's going on!" he was alarmed. "I have been shot, we were coming back to the station..all of a sudden, flat tire, its been hit with a bullet, then I was s..hot.." she was starting to slur her words. "Andie, tell me what highway your on.." he was trying to compose himself. Andie started to slump alittle, she dropped her hand which was holding her phone and she had passed out. "Andie? Andie!" Dan yelled. "Andie, up your eyes for me.." Hotch said trying to keep her up right. "Come on, Andie.." he said. Rossi picked up her phone. "This is Agent Rossi, we are on highway 65." Rossi spoke in an authority tone. "Is Andie okay?" he asked. "Back-up hadn't come yet, its been ten minutes." Rossi said. "TEN! Holy sh..okay, Agents Morgan and Agent Prentiss and I are coming there now." he then hung up. Rossi closed the phone and returned. "Morgan, Prentiss, and Dan are on the way here." he spoke. Hotch nodded, trying to keep Andie up right. "Come on..stay with us.." he said.
When Dan got there, it was around 1:00pm. He got out, almost tripping over himself trying to get to Andie. Morgan and Prentiss were already out of the car, running towards them. Dan got onto his knees, trying to get Andie to wake up. "Andie..come on..wake up." he was out of breath. "Where was the shooter?" Morgan asked Hotch. Hotch stood, he nodded towards the bridge. "He was on the bridge. Hit the wheel first, then Andie." he said. "Oh god..Andie.." he was so frusterated. Dan then called for back-up, after that he was trying to keep her alive.
Dan was sitting next to the sleeping Andie. The agents were already working on the profile, or sleeping..he couldn't remember what was real and what wasn't. He was unsubconsciously holding her hand, he had helped her for the last ten years, lets make it the next thirty. He could tell she was exhausted from day one as being a police officer, she had made it thus far. He took his free hand and smoothed his graying hair back. He could feel the heat starting to take a toll on him. He hadn't slept since this bastard was on the streets. Which was well over three months ago. He tipped his head to the side, watching her sleep. The bullet had knicked an artery, but she was going to be okay. He smiled faintly and nodded to himself. "Andrea, we are going to get through this, through thick and thin." he muttered to himself. He heard a faint meow, then it grew louder. His eight year old daughter had picked out the tone for his phone. He stood, huddling in a corner he answered the phone. "Tammy, Im at the hospital..no no, Im fine..Andie's been shot. I'll come home before ten, dont worry about it, okay sweetheart, tell Laura that I love her. I love you too, baby..bye." he hung up. He and his wife, Tammy had been married since they were both twenty-three. At the age of fourty its alittle rough. Five years ago, when he found out that Tammy was pregnant for the first time was amazing. They had tried everything and they have a wonderful daughter. He sat back down, looking at his watch, it was eight-thirty. He got up, kissing the kiddo's head he left, saying good night to Anderson, who was a fellow police officer he taught ten years ago. He left, going back to the department and check up on the agents.
Early in the morning, and still no leads, Agent Emily Prentiss awoken to a sudden thud. She shot up from the chair to see Morgan had put a stack of casefiles down. "These are from the last four months, the autopsies, the DNA samples, the history backround, personel records, you name it its here." he said. "And this is from the four victims?!" she looked at the stack of casefiles. It was longer the her arm. Morgan nodded tiredly, sitting down he pulled one that was sitting on top. "Yeah, and Hotch has some more." he muttered. "Good god.." Emily muttered grabbing one. Their boss, as if on cue, walked in. He set the files down, another arms length worth. "These are all of them.." he sat down, taking one and started to look through it. Emily's jaw twitched and she sat back down, looking at the case file. Dr. Spencer Reid walked in, he had a coffee in one hand and a doughnut in the other. He sat down and said his good morning. All three of the agents said their greetings back, not looking up. Reid looked at the casefiles. "Are these all of them?" he asked. "Yeah." Morgan threw one towards him, well..more like sliding it towards him. Reid picked it up and started to look over it. "Massive forms of torture.." he muttered, looking at the pictures and the autopsy report. "Hopefully we will catch him in time before he kills Maggie." Dan looked like pure shit. He walked through the door, his tie was loose, his hair was all messy, his bright blue eyes was tired and hopeful to catch this son of a bitch. "Its been a full twenty-four hours..its a slim to none." Reid said looking up to the four of them. "Thanks..Reid." Morgan got up, he was looking out of the window. JJ had walked in, now, she looked like on the verge of killing someone then sleeping. "They found Maggie Beastly's body." she said.
It was a cloudy day, rumbles of thunder in the distance. Maggie Beastly's body was being zipped up. She looked peaceful, hopefully he didn't do the mass torture on the poor girl. The ME stood, writing down the final finding he looked up to find Rossi, Morgan, and Reid. "Hi, Im Michael Tun. The ME." he stuck out his hand. After the greetings and introducings he looked down at his findings. "Poor girl has suffered a severe blow to the head, stab wounds ranging in sizes..and strangulation..now I also found her throat was burned. And he left a piece of paper." he handed over the piece of paper in an evidence bag. "She was found by the elderly couple over there. God bless them all.." he muttered. "Thank you, Doctor." Rossi said. He nodded and left. "Morgan, go talk to the couple, Reid and I will look around, find anything unusual." Rossi said.
Morgan nodded, going over to the couple, who were holding hands and they were scared. He crouched down in front of them. "Hi, Im Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan with the FBI. Can you tell me what happened?" he asked. "My wife and I..were just taking our weekly stroll..its the very park I asked her to marry me.." he looked over to her, giving her a small grim smile. She kissed him and then looked over at the agent. "When we were taking out stroll, I saw a small hand, I thought it was a doll until I saw the hair..then the face..oh that poor girl!" she was grasping her husbands hand. "We immedately called 911.." she said. "How long were you out here?" Morgan asked. "Almost an hour." he said. "Was there anyone, near her?" he asked. "Im not sure..I cant remember." he sighed. "What about you, ma'am?" Morgan turned to the lady. "Not that Im aware of.." she sighed. "I really wish we could give you more." she added. Morgan nodded, he took out his card and gave it to them. "Call me if you remember anything.." he smiled standing. He nodded. "We will, sir. Oh! Can you tell our daughter, Andrea that we are proud of her, working hard?" the man asked looking up to him. Something in Morgan hit him. He nodded. "I will, sir. Take care, ma'am, sir." he then walked off.
Rossi was looking around, letting Reid look at the letter. "Hand written, curved to the left..he's left handed." he looked at the message again. "He writes: 'You left her at the hospital. She's in pain..how dare you leave her. If you dont come to her in three hours, she will be gone..forever.' he keeps repeating her, and its written like a lover is protecting his woman." Reid looked up to him. Rossi looked up to him. "Call Hotch, tell him to meet us at the hospital." he then took Reid and went over to Morgan. "They are Andie's parents." Morgan spoke. Rossi nodded then had two police men guarding them. "Andie's in trouble." Rossi spoke as then started to get into the car.
Andie was awake, she was reading a news paper. She was biting her nail when the door creaked. She looked up to see this man, maybe about twenty. He closed the door and sat down next to her. "Andrea..." he breathed. She looked at him for the longest time. It was the unsub. "Get out of here now." she looked at him. "No, Anderson is passed out..and no one is going to come and rescue you." he opened his bag and took out a knife and couple of bottles of some sort of drug. "Has your mother taught you never to use drugs?" she asked. He slapped her once. "Dont you dare speak of that bitch!" he started to fill the syringe with the drug. She tried to get away, but she was hooked up to the machines. He pulled the knife up, putting it to her throat. "Dont move." he said. She nodded, looking at him trying to plot something. He started to fill her with the stuff, she was becoming very tired. "Help me.." she tried to move, but he sliced her once and then watched her fall asleep. He then left, hopefully she will die. She was trying to get up, but she was falling asleep. She managed to stand up, taking off the patches and then she fell onto the floor, unconscious.
Getting to the hospital, Hotch got out running in. Reid, Morgan, and Rossi not far behind. He went up to her floor and towards her door. To find Anderson was being checked out by a medic. He pushed his way through and opened the door to find Andie unconscious. "DOCTOR!" Morgan hollared out. Hotch and Rossi were on either side of her, trying to wake her up and to sit her up. Reid looked at her arm. "She's been injected with something." he pointed out. Morgan was looking around, then found a small bottle. He picked it up and looked at the name. He closed his eyes for a moment. Realizing what this was. "Hotch, its Ketamine." he gave it to him. When no doctors were coming Morgan stuck out his head again. "CAN WE HAVE A DOCTOR IN HERE?!" he called out. He then looked around, no Anderson, no medic, no nurse, no doctor..not even a piece of dust. He blinked, then closed the door. "Something's wrong. No one is out there." he said. Rossi looked up, he stood and walked over towards the door, peering through the window. "Where is everybody?" he asked. "Morgan's right, something is wrong." Hotch said.