10

Torn

As he watched the house from the woods behind it, he could see a government issue, black Chevrolet SUV pull into the driveway. He was dismayed when he saw the rest of Jennifer's team exit the vehicle and then disappear in front of the house. He knew they were going inside and that they would be near his Jennifer. He could feel the hate rise in his chest. He wanted to destroy them.

Time passed slowly as he sat and watched. Finally he saw Rossi exit the back door and speak to the guard there. He was curious as Rossi returned inside and the guard from the back called out to his shift partners.

"Lennon! We're out of here," the agent said.

A younger agent came from the west side of the house, "What's that?"

The first agent nodded, "Yeah, something about reassignment. The unsub has been identified and they're going after him. They need us back at Quantico to help out. Get the others and let's go."

He watched them leave. They actually left. Leaving the BAU team alone in the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

JJ wasn't sure how she would feel to see everyone for the first time since she had been taken. It had been just 36 hours, and the pain coursing through her body and her soul was more electric than ever. She allowed herself to be gathered in Garcia's arms the minute she pushed her way into the room. JJ relished the comfort, like a child would a mother's hug.

She didn't chance a glance at the rest of the team, the men that loved her like their sister. She could feel shame rising within, as she felt their eyes on her. She knew they were waiting for her to freak out, or have a meltdown. Either way, she steadied herself for the onslaught of pity that would come from them.

She was surprised when Reid was the first of them to step forward, "JJ, I'm so sorry we weren't there to stop him. But we will get him before he can hurt you again."

JJ looked up into Spencer Reid's knowing eyes and found no pity, only regret and the need to be forgiven. She slipped her shaking body into his embrace and was thankful for the comfort. It was neither scary, nor reminiscent of force. She pulled away from Reid and accepted a nod from Hotch, a shoulder squeeze from Morgan and a fatherly side hug from Rossi. Without a word she sat in the middle of the empty couch in the living room and pulled her knees to her chest.

Emily sat to her right, and Penelope quickly sat to her left. Reid sat in the oversized chair by the fireplace and Morgan and Rossi remained standing. Hotch knelt in front of JJ with pictures in his hand. JJ could see the worry etched into his otherwise stony expression. She knew that worry was for her, and she was thankful.

"These are the faces we need you to look at," his voice was wavering between doubt and hope.

JJ took a deep breath and accepted the photographs Hotch handed her. She felt Emily's arm wrap around her shoulders. Her sad blue eyes looked at Emily and then back to the pictures. The face on top was completely unknown to her. With a shaky hand, she handed the top photograph back to Hotch and looked at the next picture. His face looked familiar to JJ, but she knew it was because she had seen him around Quantico, nothing more. She let her eyes glance around at the faces staring back at her. Their gazes were making her tremble further.

Her ribs ached, her bandaged wrist throbbed as she held tightly to the pictures, and the parts of her that he had hurt the most were making her woozy with pain. She pushed past the physical injuries she was enduring and tried to focus again on the photographs. She handed the second picture to Hotch and dared to look at the third man. She immediately handed it to Hotch not recognizing him either, and then looked at the fourth picture.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her breath became shallow and she found it hard to swallow. Emily sat up straighter next to her and put her hand on JJ's.

"Is it him?" Emily's voice gave JJ a tether to reality, keeping her from slipping backwards into the nightmare that was.

JJ tried not to cry as she looked at the face of evil captured in a photograph, his smile wicked and knowing. She handed it to Hotch and nodded. She turned her body into Emily's hold and buried her face in her shoulder. She didn't want the whole team to see her break down, but she couldn't stop the cries of panic and pain from rising within. She was thankful when Garcia shooed everyone but her and Emily out of the living room and toward the kitchen.

For ten minutes they sat together, JJ crying, Penelope rubbing her back and Emily wrapping her in a secure embrace.

Suddenly, JJ sucked in a deep breath and sat up, "I can't break down. I can't. Not now. Not yet. He's out there, and now we have a face."

Garcia nodded, "And a name."

JJ turned to Penelope, her blue eyes bright in contrast to the red of her tear stained face, "His name?"

"Oliver Madison."

JJ shook her head. His name wasn't familiar, and until 36 hours earlier she had never seen him before. She rubbed her face with her hands, clearing away the remaining tears. She stuffed down her emotions and the things she really needed to let out.

"JJ, it's okay to break down," Emily's voice was soft.

JJ stood up from the couch and moved to the window, "Not right now, Emily. I can't. We have to catch him first and he's not a coward. He's absolutely not afraid of showing up here."

"She's right," Hotch's voice was strong, certain. "We've got Kevin in his office right now going through his tech. He's not there. He's gone. His office is cleared out."

Penelope looked stunned, "He knew we were on to him. He knew we were close."

Reid appeared behind Hotch, "Kevin just found his backdoor approach to our system."

"You mean my system?" Penelope asked, anger swelling in her voice. "But if he was watching us or listening to us through our system then he knows we're here now. He knows where 'here' is."

JJ nodded, knowing the indications of what Garcia was saying. Oliver Madison, in all of his disgusting sickness, was coming for her. She felt a cold, calm wash over her. Her voice was disturbingly steady, "Let him come."

Emily stepped in front of JJ, her brown eyes searching the younger woman's face, "J, are you sure?"

JJ wasn't sure of much. She was torn between running to safety and hiding away forever, and fighting. With every scratch, bite and cut he had made in her skin, she had lost a small part of herself. She knew that when he had forced himself on her not once or twice, but three times, she had retreated so far in herself that she wasn't sure who she would be when it was all over. What she was sure of was that it had to be over. JJ was sure that if she was ever going to move forward and deal with anything, the immediate danger had to be eliminated.

JJ knew that the only way to eliminate the immediate danger was to eliminate Oliver Madison. She was going to use herself as bait. It was the only way.

Her voice didn't crack. It was strong and in control, "I'm sure."

Emily looked for any signs of doubt on JJ's face. She saw none, not one flicker of fear, "Okay."

Emily looked at the rest of the team. None of them were moving. They were barely breathing. Hotch exhaled slowly and nodded, "We need a plan."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Time passed slowly as Oliver Madison sat and watched. After what seemed like forever, he saw Rossi exit the back door and speak to the guard there. He was curious as Rossi returned inside and the guard from the back called out to his shift partners.

"Lennon! We're out of here," the agent said.

A younger agent came from the west side of the house, "What's that?"

The first agent nodded, "Yeah, something about reassignment. The unsub has been identified and they're going after him. They need us back at Quantico to help out. Get the others and let's go."

He watched them leave. They actually left the BAU team alone in the house with his Jennifer. He moved to the side of the house and crouched below a window there. He waited breathlessly as he heard the front door opening, followed by voices and footsteps onto the porch there.

He recognized Agent Hotchner's voice, "Garcia, keep us informed of her condition and let us know if you see anything suspicious."

"Yes sir, but do you really think he's coming here?"

Oliver felt his stomach flip as Hotchner continued to speak, "Oliver Madison is a smart man. There's no way he would come after JJ here. Our intel seems pretty accurate. We'll be heading to the airport and then to his house in Tennessee."

It was Agent Prentiss' voice he heard next, "Don't worry Hotch. We'll take good care of her."

"I know you will."

Oliver Madison couldn't believe it when the four male agents slipped into their SUV and drove away. He was dumbfounded by the luck he was having. He could easily take out two women, and then it would be him and Jennifer. He would have all the time in the world with her.