"We have to go in" Jane said impatiently as he sat in the back of the car. It had been an hour since the phone call and Jane was becoming anxious. Mall Street was just around the corner but Cho and Rigsby refused to go there until Van Pelt and Lisbon arrived.
"Jane. You know we have to wait" Rigsby said as he checked his gun.
"But he has her...he's in there" Jane motioned around the corner with his hand and Cho sighed. Before Jane could say anything more a black car came around the corner and pulled up next to theirs. Patrick was the first person to jump from the car and then he saw Lisbon come from the car.
"They're round the corner" Cho said and Lisbon nodded. She looked at Jane and he avoided her gaze. He wasn't mad at her for telling Red John where the safe house was, he knew that anger was a useless emotion. It caused nothing but pain.
"Right. Me and Cho will go in first. I want Van Pelt and Rigsby behind. Usual drill applies." She added this onto end just for Jane.
"Jane...I want you to stay back, you're unarmed" Lisbon instructed him but Jane snorted and couldn't believe what she had asked him to do.
"No way" Jane said and he began to lead to make his way around the corner and up to the house. Lisbon ran to catch up with him, followed by Cho and Rigsby.
"Jane...you'll get yourself killed" Lisbon said and he shrugged.
"Better me than Lucy" he replied and Lisbon grabbed his arm.
"No! It's better that no one gets killed Jane! You're useless to everyone if you're dead. Would you just think for one minute?" Lisbon yelled at him and he sighed.
"Fine...I will go in last but I am going in." Jane negotiated and Lisbon nodded in agreement. If he went in last then the other agent's could figure out what to do. As they slowly walked around the corner they all had to hide around the other houses to make sure that no one saw them. Jane followed Van Pelt and they stood around the corner of the house as Cho and Lisbon knocked on the door. There was no answer and Cho nodded once at Lisbon who nodded back and then he kicked the door down. With guns raised the two officers went into the house. Thirty seconds after they had disappeared into the house Van Pelt and Rigsby followed with Jane close behind. As Jane went into the house he couldn't help but smell the damp and it made him feel sick. It was dark in the hallway and the house was dilapidated with wallpaper hanging off the walls, the carpet was wet and filthy.
"No one's here" Lisbon said and Jane saw he appear back in the hallway. He raised a brow in confusion at what she had just said.
"But the trace led us back here" Jane told her and she handed him a piece of paper. Jane took it and hastily read what it said:
Dear Mr. Jane,
If you are reading this then you traced the call which I made to you earlier. I knew you would trace the call; I have to say Mr. Jane that I am disappointed. Did you truly think I would be stupid enough to think that you weren't tracing our call? You are becoming predictable Mr. Jane. I have your daughter still, she is like her mother. I have to say that I shall find it a pity to have to kill her but you left me no choice Mr. Jane. If you are wondering where I have gone now then it is easy to figure out. I have gone back to the beginning. If you want to see your daughter then come alone. No CBI.
Patrick read through the letter in the darkness. He handed it back to Lisbon who looked at him.
"He hasn't killed her yet" Lisbon told him with faint hope in her voice. Jane nodded but he couldn't hold her faith.
"This is slow torture for me. He wants to put me through more pain before he does it." Jane said and he clenched his fists together and hit the wall of the house in anger.
"Where was the letter?" Jane asked and Lisbon sighed.
"In the basement" Lisbon said and Jane followed her to the basement. It was dark and there was only a small light swinging from the ceiling. As Jane descended the stairs he came face to face with a short corridor. Lisbon took him to a door which was on the left. Inside the room there was a small cot with a brown cover, the room was small and damp and Jane stifled a sob at where his daughter had been held captive. He noticed there was a small camera in the top right hand corner of the room.
"Lisbon..." Jane said and he pointed at the camera, but Lisbon nodded and took his arm. She pulled him from the room and into another small room off the corridor. Inside there were TV screens and one of them was playing a video of his daughter. It was dark in the room and Lucy was stumbling around, feeling along the walls, he could see the fear in her face and he could hear the deep panting coming from her lips. She was scared for her life.
"Jane...what does he mean go back to the beginning?" Lisbon asked him and Jane looked at her knowing he had to tell her.
"He means go back to the place where he committed his first murder. It is significant to him" Jane told her and she nodded. Jane turned his attention back to the screen and looked at his daughter. He stood there staring at the screen for a few moments before he left the room, not being able to take any more of watching the slow torture his daughter was being put through. Once they were back outside on the lawn Lisbon got about organizing the team.
"Red John told us to go back to the beginning and that is the Mayfield Forest where he committed his first murder. I want everyone to be on alert, he has asked for no CBI to be involved but he knows that it is not possible. We attack at midday so I want all of you to be prepared. Van Pelt, organize for back up to be available and an ambulance. Cho and Rigsby make sure the area is clear for when we attack" Lisbon instructed and then she turned to Jane.
"You know we have to be involved. I don't want you to go there unprepared" Lisbon told him and Jane nodded at her.
"I understand...I'm going for some lunch before we go..." Jane said and he began to stalk off.
"I'll come with you" Lisbon shouted but he shook his head and shouted back to her:
"I need to be alone"
Lisbon watched his retreating figure only imagining what he was going through.
...
Lucy knew that she was travelling somewhere. It had been around half an hour since Red John had moved her from that damp room and he had told her that they were going back to the beginning. Lucy didn't know where the beginning was and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She was still tied up and now she was gagged for the ride to make sure that she couldn't scream for help. Red John had thrown her into the back of his van and he had shut the doors on her. Lucy firstly began to scream for help but she realised that the gag was preventing her from making any effective sound. After an hour had passed the doors of the van opened up again and Red John pulled Lucy from the van and flung her over his shoulder. When Lucy looked up she realised what he had meant by the beginning.
