Authors note: Sorry it's a little short. Its not my favorite chapter but it still works. Enjoy.
Chapter two
As the word falls down
10:08 am
I watched the red dot move forward a few more moments before standing and leaving the room. I needed to call them and make sure everything was okay. Once in my office I dialed Emily. I rung three times than she answer. 'Prentiss what the he…." I said my voice harsh and angry but she cut me off.
"Hotch, we're okay." She said though she knew they had messed up. "We we're about to call you."
I looked at my watch able to hear the lie even over the phone. "It's been eight minutes." I told her.
"Hotch listen we're almost there. Don't worry." Rossi's voice came over the line, it was farther way than Emily's had been.
"Stay on the line." I told them wanting to hear this. I cursed myself for not going with them. Why hadn't I thought to go with them?
I heard the car come to a screeching halt and I just imaged Emily, who was obviously the passenger almost fly forward as she tried to unbuckle her seat belt and jump out of the car at the same time.
There was some fumbling sounds and I could make out each of their footsteps as they made it toward the door. "Its Morgan's car." I heard Rossi's voice though it was distant. "Do you see him?" I asked though I wasn't sure if my voice would be heard. As there was no answer I figured it wasn't though I knew the answer anyway. He was either in the apartment or not even there. If he wasn't there I wasn't sure what I would do. Where else would he be? Did the UNSUB get him too?
I heard a door open. The two moved up the stairs with out a word, I wish they would talk, tell me something, what was going on. I would have been happy with anything at this point. But they said nothing. I heard another door open and close and I knew they had exited the stair well.
"Rossi." I heard Emily's voice she sounded concerned.
My heart was racing. "What is it? Prentiss? Rossi?" I demanded.
This time they heard me, which made me thing they had been ignoring me before. But I wasn't about to let that get to me. "The door's open." I heard Emily say, she was whispering and I knew that it was time I shut up.
There was almost no sound coming through the phone now and I just stood there waiting for anything. It seemed a life time went by as I waited for something anything.
"Emily…" The word sounded like it came from another room. I hadn't heard them clear the apartment but it was so small I knew it would be easy to tell if someone was there. "Its his phone." Rossi said his voice closer. "The battery's been taken out."
I knew that this wasn't good. The UNSUB had taken Morgan, just as he had taken Garcia. But why? Of course I knew the answer, we had ticked a lot of people off over the years. "Is there any evidence where they were taken?" I asked my voice shaky.
"um…" Emily said and I could hear russelling. A few moments later. "No nothing… not that I can…." She was cut off by a bang.
"Emily?" I called into the phone. No answer. "Dave?" There was another bang and this time I knew it was a gun shot. "DAVE!" I shouted but my voice was drowned out by three more shots in a row. Then the line went dead. I pressed redial but nothing. I than called Rossi's phone but again nothing.
"What happened." I looked up to see JJ and Reid standing just outside my door watching me.
"We need to get over there now." I said moving out of my office. I wondered how long they had been listening though in the end it didn't matter either way. This time as we left the office we called a SWAT team knowing that this was getting more dangerous with every minute that passed.
I of course got behind the wheel of the car. With the other two chooses being Reid and JJ I seemed to be the best choice. There wasn't much traffic and well with the way I was driving most people were smart enough to stay out of my way. I didn't even realize where I was going. I just knew I needed to get there and get there as fast as I could. Every so often I would hear Reid let out a sharp gasp as I took a turn to fast, and could see JJ holding on for her life yet unlike Reid her face was still composed, determined even.
I slammed on the breaks just in time not to hit the back of Rossi and Emily's SUV. Jumping out of the car I pulled out my gun and ran for the door, Reid and JJ close behind. I didn't care that the SWAT team wasn't there yet. They would be in a second, but in that time anything could happen. There was no way I was waiting.
I made my way up the stairs. My heart was pounding and it was a struggle to keep my breathing level and quiet. I finally reached the top of the stairs and made my way into the hall. I could just image what had happened here only minutes before. Emily and Dave entered the apartment, who's door sitting lay open, then something happened. Some one shot at them or they shot at someone, I had no idea. The only thing I was sure of was that There had been five rounds fired before the line went dead.
When we reached the door I stood outside it for a second, leaning against the wall just by the doorframe. Reid and JJ on the other side of the door waiting for my signal to go in. I listened for a long moment for any kind of sound, but heard nothing. Either those inside the apartment were dead, or no one was there. I hoped for the seconded because at least then I had some sort of hope.
I looked to Reid and JJ, then swung around the door into the front room. It was just as bright and colorful as I remembered from last time yet something was off. There was just this feeling. Something wasn't right here. The first thing I noticed was blood. Blood on the far wall and floor. Yet there was no one here. No bodies nothing. I made sure we checked every single inch of the small place just in case before we put our guard down.
I moved to the blood and noticed a couple of holes in the wall, one of which was surrounded by blood. That meant someone was hit.
"There's three more bullets here." JJ called from across the living room.
"From the casings it seems someone was standing here, firing two shots, one by you Hotch and two by JJ" Reid said not sounding like himself. None of us were the same in this moment we all knew what was coming next.
"I think the UNSUB fired first, then Rossi. Then maybe Emily, who dropped the phone in the moment, The UNSUB fired again… hitting Emily, then Rossi fired on last shot before somehow being subdued." I sighed trying not to sound to worried. It made sense, yet I had no idea if it was true. I hoped it wasn't. Though more than likely the blood either belonged to Rossi or Emily. If it was the UNSUB's the two would still be here.
Almost as if on cue five SWAT guys, making the small apartment very crammed, ran through the door. "They're not here, have some guys canvass the area, they might be near or someone may have seen or heard something. Also get forensics in here immediately." I ordered and four of the men ran out of the room as one stayed behind dialing a number.
At this I walked out. I couldn't stand being in there any more. I couldn't bare not knowing what had happened, or if the person shot was even alive any more. Not to mention we had two other agents out there with this guy. What was his game and even more important how were was going to stop him before he picked us all off one by one.
