Well folks. I do believe I am going to answer one of the questions I posed last week. The fate of JJ. Enjoy.
The dull throbbing prodded JJ awake. With a small groan she pried her eyes open, reaching up to rub the sore spot on her jaw. Slowly she sat up wiggling the jaw back and forth to make sure it still worked and looked around. JJ was startled to find herself in a small room instead of the SUV. Her eyes roved over the sparsely furnished space taking in the bed she was currently sitting on, a nightstand with a digital clock and a lamp on top, a dresser and a small desk and chair shoved in a corner.
Looking down JJ saw she was covered with a ratty quilt. Wrinkling her nose in disgust she tossed it back and off her with two fingers. JJ swung her legs over the side and sat on the edge of the bed, racking her brain to how she had gotten here. The last thing she clearly remembered was riding in the car talking with Emily who had just suggested driving straight through to Iron Rivers. Looking around again, JJ determined if they had this had to be the worst hotel they had ever stayed in.
With a grunt she got to her feet wondering why her whole body was stiff and ached. Again she rubbed her jaw. Maybe she should go and ask Emily, she thought. Perhaps they had hit the bar after arriving and that is why she can't remember last night. She should know better than to try to match Emily drink for drink. That girl certainly knows how to hold her liquor.
Wincing at her stiff muscles JJ slowly made her way to the closed door. Just as she touched the doorknob it turned in her hand. She took a few steps back and called out tentatively, "Emily?"
The door swung open. JJ let out a small gasp. The shape filling the doorway wasn't her friend but a complete stranger. Wait! Not completely. He was vaguely familiar. She had met him before but where escaped her at the moment. Then he spoke.
"Sarah," he said, face breaking out into a huge grin.
In a blink of an eye it all came back to her. The crash, Emily injured, the man with the unruly, mud brown hair and watery blue eyes appearing over Emily's shoulder peering through the shattered window. She remembered him calling her 'Sarah' and struggling with him as he tried to drag her out of the car. JJ's eyes opened wide. He had the gall to punch her. That was why her jaw hurt.
JJ backed up trying to put as much space between her and him as possible. He came in the rest of the way carrying a tray and pulled the door shut with his foot.
"I'm glad you are awake, Sarah," he said, oblivious to her apprehension filling the room. He held up the tray for her to see. "I thought you might be hungry so I made you a grilled cheese sandwich. I also brought you an ice pack for your jaw. I'm real sorry I hit you," he said contritely.
It's okay," JJ replied tentatively. Even though he had been violent earlier she saw no signs of it at the moment. To be on the safe side she decided to humor him and play along. At least just long enough to find a way out.
She continued to create distance from the man. When the back of her knees hit the bed she swiftly sat down on the mattress. She watched as he carefully set the tray down and seated himself on the end of the bed. She eyed the food then looked back to him. "Where is my friend?"
"Who?" he asked, lifting a triangle slice of the toasted sandwich and setting it on a napkin.
"My friend, Emily."
He shook his head and held out the napkin and bread to her but she pulled back. She had no desire to in eat anything that he touched. "Don't want to talk about them," he said trying to keep his composure.
"Can I at least know if she is okay?" she pressed.
He set the sandwich down on the tray and sighed in deep frustration. "It doesn't matter about them, all they do is keep us apart. I took care of her."
JJ's stomach twisted at his words. "What does that mean?"
The tension grew thicker in the room. He had jumped to his feet and began to pace in tight, small, agitated circles while running his fingers through his hair. JJ watched him warily. She didn't want to upset him further but at the same time she needed to know what he had done to Emily.
"Took care of her huh?" She choked on the words, "for us. So she has no way to ever get to us then?"
He stopped his movements and looked back at her, hair now standing on end. A flicker of calm washed over his face. "Yeah. I don't think she'll make it out of that ravine," he said with a sly grin.
He bounded back over her with the same look of pure joy and contentment on his face that he had when he walked in. "You really should eat something."
JJ couldn't look at the food. Her stomach rolled with nausea at the thought of Emily lying dead or dying in a ravine. "Sarah?" He knelt before her and took her hands into his.
She tensed immediately but resisted the urge to pull them away knowing that it could set him off. He tried to make eye contact with her. "We're going to make it this time, I promise no more interruptions or distractions."
JJ stared at the man lost in some world she could not grasp and really didn't want to. He once again picked up half of the sandwich and offered it to her. She turned her head to hide her disgust and disinterest. With a growl of annoyance he threw the sandwich down and jumped up.
"Look I said I was sorry for hitting you, but I don't deserve to be treated like this. I go through all this effort to make something I know you love and you turn your nose up at it," His voice rising and eyes flaring in anger.
He took a quick step towards her hand raised as if to strike her then he stopped and abruptly spun. In a few heavy strides he was out of the room slamming the door so hard the glass in the window rattled. JJ released the breath she was holding as she heard the locks turn.
JJ paced the room a thousand times over. She kept checking and rechecking the door and the lone window secretly hoping that one of them had miraculous come unlocked on one of her rounds. Of course that didn't happen. The only way out was through the door and she had to wait for him to return. She knew he would once he had calmed down and she had to be prepared for him.
There wasn't much in the room she could use to defend herself. JJ briefly considered using the lamp but it was not well constructed but the food tray he had used was solid wood. She had noticed it when she took the sandwich he had made and thrown it away.
It had a good heft to it and if she put enough shoulder into her swing, he should go down.
JJ walked over to the bed and picked up the newly discovered weapon. He had made a crucial mistake and had no clue to who he was messing with. Before she moved to stand at an angle to the door she created a little diversion to draw him further into the room. She stuffed the sheets and pillows in the bed to look as if she was sleeping in it.
There she began to think about Emily. Her captor's previous words echoed in her mind. She didn't want to believe that Emily could be dead. She felt her stomach tighten into a knot, and anger began to over take her. The delusional man holding her in the rank room was about to meet her wrath.
When she heard footsteps begin to approach the door JJ adjusted her stance. She widened her legs and bent her knees slightly and brought the tray up in a cocked position. She drew in a few shallow breaths to calm her nerves. She knew it was now or never, and had to go with a surprise attack. She had played along enough and he would not expect her to be anywhere but on the bed. She hoped anyway. As the doorknob turned she felt her muscles twitch in anticipation for what she had to do. Once he was down she had to run get out of there and not stop. She felt the sweat that formed on her palms begin to loosen her grip and she quickly adjusted as the door began to creak open.
"Sarah, I'm sorry I got mad at you," he said, stepping into the room and up to the bed.
JJ swung with all her might, bringing the tray down on the back of his head with a solid thunk, splitting the tray into two pieces. He went down with barely a grunt. She didn't know how long she had so she dropped the two halves and bolted from the room, slowing enough to lock the door behind her.
He wasn't down long. JJ was only a few feet away when she heard him roaring in rage and slamming into the door. Quickly she scanned the room and spotted the door leading to the outside and freedom. She dashed over and groaned in dismay at the multiple locks securing it to the frame. Frantically she clawed at them then Morgan's voice echoed through her head reminding her what she had learned from her training sessions with him. Do not panic. Remain calm. Take in a breath and slowly release it and let your eyes focus on one thing at a time.
JJ paused, closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath and let it go slowly. Immediately she felt more focused. Eyes open she began to attack the locks one at a time. She smiled when the last lock clicked. Grasping the knob she pulled the door open. There was an explosion of wood behind her then a heavy weight slammed into her back, knocking her against the door.
"That wasn't very nice, Sarah," he hissed in her ear.
He pressed against her harder. JJ planted her hands against the door and shoved back as hard as she could. Surprised by the move he stumbled backwards, allowing JJ to spin around. With a growl he headed back for her and JJ brought her knee up sharply nailing him in the groin. He toppled over like a fallen tree. Quickly JJ turned back to the door. As her hand successfully turned the knob again a deafening blast echoed around her and the wood beside her head splintered from the bullet's impact.
JJ froze from the realization of the immediate danger allowing him to regain his feet. Hunched over in pain he grabbed her shoulder and placed the gun to the back her head. She sucked in her breath when she realized he had just gained the upper hand.
"Where do you think you are going?" he demanded.
JJ struggled to keep her voice steady. "Outside."
"Why?" he asked, pressing the gun harder against her head.
"I was afraid it was one of them coming to take me away from you," she said off the top of her head. Play along, she silently reminded herself. Play along but don't over do it.
She felt him pause. "Is that why you hit me?" he asked tentatively.
"Yes."
JJ let her breath out slowly and attempted to turn around. Surprisingly he let her. Now she had her eyes on the gun and his face. Holding back a grimace JJ cautiously laid a hand on his chest. His eyes looked down at her hand and then rose to gaze fondly at her.
"I couldn't see very well and had mistaken you to be one of them," she lied. "I'm so sorry."
His face split into a broad grin and tucked the gun into the back pocket of his jeans. He engulfed JJ in a big hug. "I forgive you, Sarah."
JJ automatically stiffened, arms around his back but not touching. She brought one hand slowly up to return the embrace. Little by little she slid the other down toward the gun.
"Say my name, Sarah," he whispered. "I love the way you say it."
Shit! JJ froze, hand mere inches away from the butt of the gun. I'm screwed.
When she didn't respond right away he stepped back creating space between them. His eyes began to simmer with the anger that she thought she had managed to dissipate.
"Sarah?" he asked suspiciously and grabbed hold of her wrists. "What is my name?"
"I…" she hesitated.
With a growl he tighten his grip on her wrists and yanked her back towards the room. She tried to pull back and drag her weight but he over powered her. Like a slingshot he threw her forward. JJ tucked her arms and rolled to absorb the impact. He was towering over her before she could react and gripped her hair yanking her back up.
"I'm so disappointed in you." With those words he directed them past the door swaying on a single hinge. He threw her to the floor a second time. JJ tried to roll with it but her back slammed into the footboard of the bed, temporarily knocking the wind from her lungs.
As she lay gasping for breath he dug around in the single drawer of the desk. Pulling out a roll of duct he moved over to her and jerked her arms painfully behind her back and wrapped the tape around her wrists. When he was done, he hauled her up and dumped her on the wooden desk chair which tipped back precariously from the force of his throw. Quickly he used the tape to secure her tightly to it.
As he ripped off the final piece of tape and smoothed it out around her ankle he looked up to her, his eyes sad but dark. "I know it must be the stress of the danger our love is in from these people, but you have to stop fighting me."
He rose from his knees and cocked his head to the side as he examined his handiwork. Then he turned and headed for the door. He paused in the doorway to look back at her. "It's Cal," he said with a voice full of anguish. With a sigh of defeat Cal turned off the light and pushed the broken door back into place. Darkness descended leaving JJ frightened and alone with her thoughts.
The sounds of birds having a lively discussion outside the cabin's window brought JJ back to the real world. With a moan she opened her eyes and blinked lazily against the bright sunlight filling the room. At first she didn't recognize where she was but within seconds it all came flooding back. She had been kidnapped and imprisoned by a man with extreme mood swings who had also hinted that he had killed Emily.
JJ closed her eyes at that thought. She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want it to be true and that her best friend might be lost to her forever. There, of course, was the possibility that Cal had lied to her so that she would stop asking questions. But it was that smile he had given her than had her believing that he had spoken the truth.
She shook her head. You can't think about Emily right now, she chided herself. Must focus on a way to escape, find her way back to the team, back into the arms of Will and Henry. Only then would she be able to learn what truly had happened to Emily.
Hearten by her new found determination JJ reopened her eyes and rolled her head in an attempt to get rid of the kink in her neck from sleeping upright. Immediately she set about trying again to loosen the bonds that kept her tied to the chair. A loud groaning noise stopped her and she watched as the damaged door swung open on its one hinge while scraping across the floor. JJ winced as the sound grated on her ears.
Her captor stepped in with a bright smile pasted on his face. "Good morning, Sarah. Did you sleep well?"
"I've had better nights," she admitted. "This chair isn't designed for sleeping in."
His face fell. "I'm sorry. I really am," he apologized and started to shift from foot to foot. "It's just that you make me so mad. Why do you always have to fight me? I'm only trying to take care of you."
"I'm sorry, Cal," JJ said, making sure to use his name knowing it would please him. He perked up. "I've been on my own for such a long time I had forgotten what being taken care of felt like," she lied.
"I understand," he said, smiling shyly.
Cal moved his hand to his hip and pulled a knife from its sheaf on his belt. He held it up for her to see. JJ held her breath wondering if this was the end of the line. Then he knelt and cut the tape securing her ankles to the chair legs. She resisted the urge to kick out at him. It wouldn't have accomplished anything except provoking him and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Are you hungry? I can make you some breakfast," he offered, slipping the knife back into its sheaf.
JJ slowly climbed to her feet and using the chair back as support, she walked in careful circles around it in an attempt to restore the circulation in her legs. She held back the whimper as the feeling of pins and needles shot through them.
"Why don't I make us breakfast?" she suggested instead. She was starving and she didn't want that gnawing sensation distracting her while she searched for a way out of this mess. Plus she had no desire to eat any food he had touched. "As a thank you for saving me."
Cal's face lit up like a thousand watt light bulb. "That would be wonderful, Sarah. May I escort you to the kitchen?" he asked, offering his arm to her.
JJ repressed a shudder as she slipped hers through his. Together they walked to what could be barely called a kitchen. After looking over the meager contents of the refrigerator, she was able to scrape enough together to make a basic omelet. As she cooked Cal set the table with mismatched dinnerware. While he prattled on how long he hand been waiting for this, she discreetly looked about for a way to escape or anything she could use as a weapon.
Though Cal appeared to be lost in his delirious world of joy, he still kept an eagle eye glued to her that JJ chafed under. Any time she got anywhere near the drawer that contained the knives, he would hop up immediately and do the cutting for her. This was a sign that underneath his level of eternal happiness, he was still suspicious of her, a subtle warning that she took to heart that she had to tread very, very carefully around him.
"Sarah?" he asked suddenly around a mouthful of omelet. "Do you remember when you came to visit me in jail?"
Uh oh. Not going to fall into that trap again. "Of course I do, Cal," she lied. "Why don't you tell me about it? You do a much better job at it than me."
He smiled broadly. "You were so proud of yourself. You had just turned eighteen so your stupid parents couldn't stop you anymore from visiting me. You told me they were sending you to an out of state college and that you didn't want to go. Remember what I said, Sarah?"
JJ faked a smile. "I do. Please say it again."
"I told you to go. That we could write and phone each other. You agreed and promised to wait for me." He reached over to take her hand. JJ dodged it by picking up the dirty dishes.
Then his smile faded. "Two weeks later the guards told me you and your parents were killed in a car accident." He eyes grew cold. "I knew it was a lie you parents had made up while they whisked you away to some secret location."
"That was cruel of them," JJ said, placing the dishes in the sink. Great. I'm a substitute for his dead girlfriend.
"I never gave up on finding you, Sarah," he whispered, suddenly at her back. Cal wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. JJ struggled not to tense up.
He continued. "The guards laughed at me and called me crazy but I ignored their taunts and jabs. Over the past eights years I looked high and low for you, occasionally encountering women who pretended to be you."
"What happened to them?" she asked even though she already knew the answer. "Did you take care of them like," JJ hesitated, swallowing hard. "Like Emily?"
"Yeah."
Oh, god, she thought to herself. How many women has he killed in pursuit of a ghost?
"My dear Sarah, I have to go to work," he announced.
"Go ahead, I'm be fine by myself," she said, hoping to make it sound like a regular occurrence.
Cal slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to tie you back up. I haven't fixed the door yet." He took her by the hand and led her back to the bedroom.
After he had secured her to the chair again, Cal leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. "I'll be back later."
If she could have JJ would have wiped the kiss away but all she was able to do was to watch him pull the door shut.
Cal was true to his word. He floated in and out for the rest of day, untying her once to let her use the outhouse. JJ spent most of her time dozing since she didn't want to think about Emily or Henry or Will or the poor women he had murdered. She could only hope that Will had called Hotch and the team was now looking for her.
The sound of glass breaking and the thud that followed it woke her. JJ held her breath and stared at the door. Suddenly it flew open and the light from the other room framed the figure in the doorway with a shadowy glow. JJ let out a gasp.
Okay, trivia time. Creepy Cal is named after a literary character. Yes, literary this time, not movie. Though the book was made into a movie as a lot of books are. Give me his full name and the book. Bonus if you can tell the actor who portrayed him in the movie. Lets see who can get without looking it up or asking someone. I know you can do it. Until next week.