Bleeding out

Chapter 1

The perpetrator is male, white, in his forties, tall like maybe 6'3'' and compulsive. His victims are all white, young women in their early twenties. The unsub first drugs the women to make it easier for him to strap them to the bed. And after they regain consciousness he slashes their abdomen so many times over and over again. He enjoys watching them cry and plead until they bleed to death. Up until yesterday there were seven victims. The eight victim was found yesterday in the woods again.

After three long days the team finally had a lead. They found an old cottage in the woods. They had to move fast because they could assume that the unsub had already taken his next victim.

At the cottage

Ashley and Rossi drew their guns once they were in front of the door. "FBI!" Rossi shouted. There was no response. They literally kicked the door down. Rossi made his way to the bedroom and Ashley went to the kitchen. Rossi cleared the bathroom and went into the bedroom where he spotted a blond woman strapped to the bedpost. He immediately checked for a pulse and found a slow but steady beat. She was just unconscious. When he bend over to free her from her bonds she suddenly grabbed his arm. Her grip was weak and she was barely conscious. Rossi looked at her. Her expression told him she was terrified. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm from the FBI. You're safe now." Rossi told her with a soothing voice. He looked at her for a moment and realized she was looking past hist direction. And them it hit him. As he turned around his hand reached for his gun but it was already too late. Rossi just saw a dark tall figure in front of him. Then he felt a shooting pain spread from his abdomen. The unsub had stabbed him and pulled the knife out again.

Ashley cleared the kitchen when she heard a thud coming from the rear rooms.

"Rossi?" she shouted as she raised her gun and ran to the bedroom. The door was open and she could see the now unconscious woman on the bed and Rossi laying on the ground. She had just made one step into the room when the unsub threw himself at her. She was slammed against the wall. She managed to shoot the guy in the right leg but he wasn't willing to go down just were pushing against each other now. Ashley had to use all her strength she had in her left arm to avoid the blade the unsub was trying to thrust down on her. The man was trying to wrestle the gun out if Ashley's grip by slamming her right hand against the wall. The gun fell to the ground. Ashley had to do something. She kicked the injured leg of the unsub really hard and he fell to the ground but not without slashing her arm and stomach first. Ashley spotted her gun. It was a few feet away and Ashley threw herself on the ground to get it. The unsub was on his feet again and lunged towards her. When Ashely had her hand on her weapon she turn around but the unsub was already on top of her and managed to stab her in the stomach. Ashley cried out in shot him when he pulled the knife out and he fell to the ground bedside her.

Ashley got up and first made her her way to the woman and checked for her pulse. She was alive but unconscious again. Then she knelt down by Rossi's side and checked for his pulse.

At first panic rose up in her because she couldn't find one. Then she felt it. It was weak but at least he was alive. That was the only thing that mattered at the moment. "Rossi, can you hear me?" she asked. He didn't respond. He just lay there motionless. As she tried to calm herself down she pushed down on his wound with one hand while the other one grabbed her phone. She tapped on emergency contact and waited for Hotch to answer.

"Agent Hotch"

"Hotch, you have to come here now. Rossi's been stabbed by the unsub and is bleeding to death.

The unsub is dead and we found the woman. She is unconscious but she's been drugged. You have to call the EMTs. I don't know our exact location though." Ashley said with panic in her voice.

"It's okay. Garcia can track your cell. We'll be there as soon as we can. Just keep him alive and try to stay calm." Hotch said. "Okay" Ashley just said with a shaky voice.

"Seaver, are you injured?" Hotch asked. "No. Beside some scratches I'm fine." Ashley tried to stay strong. She was more concerned about Rossi than herself. "Okay, just hang in there. We'll discuss the details later." Hotch said comforting and hung up.

Ashley looked at Rossi. She didn't know how much time he had. But she knew that she would not let him die. Even if it meant that she herself would bleed to death.

Ashley was afraid to move because she could feel his blood seeping through her fingers even though she was pressing down on him with all her weight. There was so much it stained the floor and her clothes. They were soaked. She just wasn't sure if it was hers, Rossi's or both their blood. She looked down at herself and saw the red liquid pouring out if her wounds. But she didn't feel anything because of the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Ashley didn't care though. If bleeding out meant saving Rossi she would gladly give up her own life.

"Okay, Rossi everything's going to be fine. Hotch and the EMTs are on their way. And then were going to get you to a hospital and you're going to be okay. So please don't stop fighting." Ashley sobbed. Tears started to form in her eyes. She didn't know if Rossi could hear her but she wasn't just trying to tell him. She was trying to reassure herself too. She was terrified of the thought that his heart could stop beating any moment.

Time felt like the worst enemy because it felt like hours before she finally heard footsteps and people rushing to her and Rossi's side. It was the EMTs who pushed Ashley aside. She just stared at Rossi afraid that he could stop breathing. It was a hand on her shoulder that brought her out of the trance. She looked up and saw Hotch's concerned face. "He's a fighter. He won't give up so easily." he just said and Ashley nodded. The EMTs loaded Rossi on a stretcher and rolled him out of the cottage.

Hotch put a hand on Ashley's back and guided her out. They made their way through the woods and were almost by the street when they met the others. "How is Rossi and what exactly happened?" Morgan asked concerned. Ashley opened her mouth to answer but she suddenly felt a shooting pain coming from her side. She grimaced and everyone looked at her. "You okay Ashley?" Emily asked studying her face. She noticed how pale the younger agent was. Then she looked down at Ashley's clothes which were literally soaked in blood and that shocked her.

Ashely's wounds hurt and her hand automatically clutched her stomach. "You are injured." Emily concluded. Hotch turned surprised to Ashley and said, "You said you were fine."

"I am fine. It's nothing. Rossi…" Ashley couldn't say much more because her vision blurred and her legs gave away. "Ashley!" everyone shouted. But before she could hit the ground Morgan and Hotch caught her. "Why didn't you say something?" Hotch asked. "I don't know. I didn't feel anything because of the adrenaline. I guess I was so worried about Rossi I forgot about my own injuries." she said almost whispering. Then she started to see many black dots appear from nowhere and then everything went blalck. "C'mon Ashlesy, don't close your eyes. You gotta stay awake for us." Morgan said as he carried Ashley to to their car not the side of the highway.

Emily was by his side reassuring Ashley that everything was going to be okay even though she probably couldn't hear her. When Morgan set her down on the back sear Emily buckled her up and pressed on the wound where the blood was oozing out the most. Morgan started the SUV and drove full speed to the hospital. "Doesn't she have any sense of self preservation?!" Emily cursed.

"Says the one who went after a criminal ALONE AND ended up almost dead." Morgan said.

"Are you still mad about that? Okay I know I can never make up for it. Considering the fact that I didn't want to endanger all of you I had no other choice. But Ashley could have said something like:

Oh I forgot to tell you but I got injured too. You probably want want to get me to a hospital because damn I lost a lot of blood."

"Well she wanted to save Rossi at all cost even if it meant dying in the process." Morgan answered to her outburst.

" And I understand that. But when he wakes up I wouldn't wanna tell him that Ashley died saving his life."

"Me neither. So we'll make sure that she doesn't die on us."