Anfractuous

A Criminal Minds Story

Papers and pencils littered the floor having been scattered from the destruction of the desk that now lay in splintered pieces across the office room floor. Dust caked the small room becoming visible from the one source of sunshine that streamed in from the lone window. Fresh blood dotted the ground creating a trail leading to the inhabited corner where two people stood amidst the chaos.

A man cowered in the corner, blood mixed with sweat caked his eyebrow before falling to his cheek and dripping off of his chin. Large brown eyes widened with fear as he looked up to the dark gun aimed right for his head. Pleading for mercy he clasped his hands together and raised them up before looking at the woman who followed him there.

"Please," He cried, "Don't shoot!"

Vigorously shaking her head she wiped the blood that was spilling from the fresh wound on her forehead without lowering her gun. Red stained her blond hair clumping it together as she tried to push it away from her face. Her white knuckled hands clung desperately to the unsteady gun as her body started to shake.

"I can't," She whispered more to herself than to the man on the floor. A peculiar feeling of relief cascaded over her when she heard noises outside of the door and sirens blaring outside the house. They had come for her. She knew they would.

"This is the police and we have the place surrounded. You know how this will end, so put the gun down, release the hostage and come out with your hands up."

It was a voice she did not recognize that floated to her ears. A stranger that knew not why she was currently there pointing a gun to a man's head. She winced slightly at his words as she did in fact know how it will end if she did not come out soon. The hand with the gun started to shake.

"Please. I have three children… They need me," the man cried out with his hands covering his face.

"I had a child who needed me," Tears stung her eyes slowly turning them red, "And you killed him."

His face faltered as he finally realized who held him at gunpoint. Guilt and fear twisted his expression to the point where he could no longer look at his captor. This look didn't go unnoticed by the grieving mother either as she steadied her hold on the weapon.

He finally gazed up at her a single tear falling down his cheek, "I, I didn't kill him."

"Agent Jareau," The use of her name in an oddly calm manner sent her gaze flying towards the window, "We're sending someone in to talk to you."

JJ nodded to no one as she wiped away the blood that was now caking to her eyebrow. She ran a hand through her hair unaware the she was still layering it with her own red blood. Her eyes flicked to the large door just meters away in the next room. She bit her bottom lip with anxiety mixed with anticipation as the large golden handle slowly turned.

"Hotch," she sputtered with a sharp intake of breath. Grateful yet fearful to see her boss slowly making his way in with a vest strapped to his chest and his palms raised and facing towards her. Something she had seen him do countless times before…. to armed unsubs.

But there he was approaching her like she was psychotic lunatic whose only intention is to strip this man away from his family and his life with a single gunshot to the head. He was there to talk her down. He was there to stop her from killing the man who cowered into the corner in front of her like the murderous worm he was.

Hotch got just a few feet into the room before he stopped. His arms still raised with the hand closest to his gun slightly lowered. Hotch eyed with exhausted women with growing concern. Her body was swaying back and forth and her hands shook terribly. The he gazed at the man he'd come to identify as Jack Herbert, a warehouse owner in charge of shipping goods from companies he sponsors. The left side of his face was covered in blood from small cut above his temple.

Both of them had wounds that suited the disaster zone that surrounded him. A battle that somehow ended with his agent holding a gun to a man's head. A loud chirping in his ear alerted him to his remaining team's concern and worry as they called out for him. He pictured them standing just outside the perimeter. Prentiss would be biting her nails while Morgan paced back and forth. Rossi and Reid would be trying to convince Agent McCoy of HRT to give him more time while Garcia sat in the Mobile Command Center with her eyes on the clock.

"JJ. Put the gun down."

"I can't Hotch. He killed them," Her voice shook as she shouted through gritted teeth, "They were all I had, and he took them away from me."

"I didn't kill him! Please, you've got to help me…," Herbert cried flinching greatly at the death glare the psychotic woman sent his way.

"Be quiet," Hotch addressed the man sternly, "JJ. This man, his name is Jack Herbert."

"I know who he is," Anger laced her voice as she snarled.

"His wife and three kids are outside. The oldest, a girl, she's twelve and right now she's afraid she'll never see her daddy again." JJ blinked hesitantly her heart thumping wildly, " Their middle is nine. She loves to play soccer and read books before bed."

"Stop please… Hotch please," JJ plead as her heart grew heavy, "I beg of you."

"His son is five. He hates baths, but loves the bubbles. Macaroni and cheese is his favorite meal, and he looks forward to six o'clock every day because that is when Daddy comes home."

JJ gave way to a choked sob. Hotch was appealing to her humanity and her kind heart and to the JJ he knew would not hurt anyone without reason. She could feel her knees begin to give out beneath her. Her body rocking with emotional turmoil and pain. Tears darkened her vision before spilling down her cheeks.

"Put the gun down JJ," Hotch ordered, "Then we'll take him in. Then you, me, and the team will figure this out together."

"Not until he tells me where his body is," JJ whispered giving a look to Hotch that didn't ask for help, but for forgiveness, "I need to know."

Hotch looked at the sweating man who shook his head quickly and Hotch knew that Herbert didn't know. Jack Herbert knew something, but he definitely did not know where the body of Henry LaMontagne was hidden. The man was terrified.

"Jack. What do you know about Henry LaMontagne?"

What he said next brought JJ to her knees.

What do you think? Continue with it? Or not? Please let me know what you think!

Thanks!

-HCB