Presentiment

A Criminal Minds Story

Emily's eyes shot open as an impending sense of danger rose within her. With a quick glance around the still empty room she remained alert, her gaze directed at the door. JJ, who sat right beside Emily shifted slightly before beginning the process of waking up. Turning to the mother, Emily grimaced at the worsened sight of her best friend. Her nose was on the mend, but her black eye seemed to have swollen throughout the night.

"JJ, he's coming," Emily stated as she felt goosebumps across her arms.

JJ peeked through her one good eye, turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at the brunette, "Are your spidey sense's tingling?"

"This isn't funny JJ. You are in real danger here," Emily spouted through an eye roll. Before JJ could answer Declan Merrick bursted through the door with disgusting exuberance. Smiling widely, his white teeth sparkled with excitement as he bellowed a good morning to the two agents on the floor. Emily raised her eyebrows to look at JJ, "see?"

"I trust you slept well," He laughed, before turning to JJ, "I heard about your time with my colleague. He's quite good at his job, don't you think?"

JJ seemed to get ten times smaller as she tried to push herself into the wall. Emily instinctively put an arm over her friend. Declan caught sight of her torn and bruised hands and practically patted himself on the back.

His plan was working.

"Well Lauren, Jennifer, I'm going to leave you two to say your goodbyes. After all, Agent Jareau has somewhere else to be today," With that he got real close to Emily's face, his nose nearly touching hers, "Then it'll be just you and me."

Emily spat, spraying his eyes with as much spit as she could muster. Declan snarled as he hit her hard sending blood out her nose before wiping the drool from his upper lip and nose. Two of his henchmen barreled in at the commotion, guns raised.

Rising his fist, they stopped in their tracks as he stood up slowly. His raging stare directed towards Emily, "Say goodbye to your friend, Lauren because you'll never see her again." He then walked towards the door, cackling loudly.

The door slammed shut before it clicked and echoed across the room.

JJ turned to Emily with a slight grin gracing her cracked and dry lips, "Nice."

"He deserved it," Emily stated as she turned towards JJ, "I don't know how we're going to get out of this one, Jayje."

"The team is coming," JJ told her, "You'll be fine."

"We. We will be fine," Emily stated harshly as she grabbed JJ's wrist.

The mother nodded, though not quite believe it she agreed, "We."

Emily and JJ sat in silence clinging to each other and to their last flicker of hope. As the sun tugged at the remaining darkness of the sky, it seemed with each passing moment their chance of rescue dropped dramatically. With another look at her quiet partner, Emily saw the beginnings of tears in the normally very put together blonde.

"JJ, it's going to be okay," Emily smiled, tightening her hold on JJ's now trembling hand. Her bright blue eyes were not drowning in a wall of water that break open.

With a shaky voice JJ mumbled, "Henry and Will. They probably don't even know that I am gone….," She laughed curtly, "They're on a boy's trip, fishing, hiking, and character building. I didn't want them to go, but Will insisted. His dad had taken him when he was Henry's age, so…But now, now I'm glad they're gone and having fun. Will worries too much as it is anyway."

Tears were now freely falling as the dropped consistently from JJ's chin. Running a shaky hand under her nose JJ sniffed before moving to wipe the tears from her cheek. Smiling through it all she turned to Emily with as serious a look she could give through her bruised face,

"Make sure they know that I love them," JJ told her, "And make sure that Evan gets back home."

"JJ-" Emily shook her head, "It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. We aren't just going to sit here anymore, because if we are going out then we are going out with a bang. Besides, I have a few choice words for Declan Merrick."

JJ wiped away the last tear drop before it reached her chin and nodded, "Alright Agent Prentiss, what's the plan?"

Not too far away, four agents and an analyst attempted to shake the sleep as it pulled at their eyes. It had been a long night luckless night for them as they tried to gather strength from each other. Files upon files rested on the largest table in the small police station, having been read and read again, but with no crucial information. Spencer Reid tossed one more into the growing 'no' pile before picking up another and starting again.

"Kid, give it a rest," Morgan told him almost bitterly, they had been looking for most the night, but nothing has popped. Not even a maybe, "It's a waste of time. All of this is just a waste of time."

Reid didn't listen as his finger traced over the information inside the folder on the homeowner of a house not too far from here. His name was Luke, he bought the house in 2004, and he has two kids….

Spencer tossed it into the 'no' pile before picking up another folder.

"Reid…" Hotch stood from his chair. He had noticed the patience level dropping dangerously low in the last few hours, and he knew it was only a matter of time. Reid sighed as he found another no.

A single mother, Tracy, bought the house two years ago… another 'no.'

"Spencer," Garcia tried. Her heart was breaking at the sight of her friends, her family. They were so tired.

New parents and new homeowners, Janie and Nate… also a 'no.'

"Come on, Kid. You've got to stop," Morgan put a hand on Reid's shoulder.

Elderly couple, Janet and Leonard, eighty five and eighty eight, lived in the same house for fifty three years… A definite 'no.'

With an anger he didn't know he had, Reid slapped the file in his hand to the table before pushing down the growing pile of 'no' and breathed heavily as they flew across the floor in a rush of fluttering papers, "At this rate of speed it would take us one whole day, nine hours and fifty seven minutes to get through them all. We don't have that kind of time, I'd relay the statistics to you, but I think you all know what they would tell us."

Rossi nodded, "We're running out of time."

"No," Reid told him sharply, "We're out of time."

"What are you saying? We give up? No, no, no, Emily and JJ are out there. My girls are out there. And they need me, they need you," Garcia ranted as her tears splattered on top of the table in front of her.

"Babygirl, there's not much we can do," Morgan hushed her, but she shook her head.

"Don't Babygirl me Derek Morgan," She yelled, Morgan stepped back, "We are the best chance at finding them alive!"

"We're not giving up," Hotch stopped her, "But if nothing turns up within twenty-four hours we will be pulled from the case."

"What?" Morgan shouted, "Hotch you can't be serious? Garcia's right we are the best chance at finding Emily and JJ."

"Strauss?" Ross queried, his face sunk as he already knew the answer, "If we get pulled from the case Aaron it is likely that we will never see the girls again."

"Then we have twenty-four hours."

Reid couldn't help but add, "But they might not."

Morgan clapped a hand on the kids shoulder as he handed him another file, before looking towards the team, "I think Garcia should monitor emergency calls and search for any reports of suspicious activity."

"Good," Hotch nodded, "Morgan I want you to call all of the local stations within our radius and have them be ready in case we need them. The rest of us will keep going through these files and hope something stands out."

Not even two hours later Declan Merrick waltzed in, a pair of shiny handcuffs swinging from his pointer finger as he sang a familiar tune, "Time to go Agent Jareau. Your ride is close!"

JJ looked towards Emily who shook her head, JJ nodded and looked up to Declan and held out her shaking hands, "Someone is learning. You should be taking note of Agent Jareau's behavior Lauren." He laughed as he wound the metal bracelets tightly. JJ winced as he pulled her up by them. Her head swam at the sudden movement, and she felt her whole body started to sway. It took all she had not to crumple to the floor.

He went to leave, pushing JJ in front of him with two guards in front of her. Emily hesitated for a moment before she lunged towards him, "Wait. Please… I would like to be with her when she goes."

Declan looked at Emily, pleading on the floor. There were tears in her eyes and a look of desperation, and he thought that her seeing her best friend locked in a trunk in a car wouldn't hurt his cause.

"Alright get up. Jeoffrey," One of the men tossed another pair of handcuffs. Declan slapped them, tightening them until Emily gasped in pain, "I wouldn't try anything or I will put a bullet in Jennifer's head. Forget the ten grand that I'm getting for her."

Emily nodded biting her tongue as he roughly shoved her out the door after JJ. She prayed that their plan would work. It was their only chance.

But it wasn't, another hope lied within a small boy who sat patiently on his bed. For the first time in a long time he was happy when heard heard the turn of his doorknob. Tapping his foot against the floor he could only wait two seconds once he saw who was at the other end, his only friend in this place, one of his dad's men, "Garrett!"

"Hello Mr. Evan. You are cheery today?" The man smiled gruffly, he wasn't a bad guy, but he got in with the wrong crowd. His short dark hair fully showed the dark red scar that went from his chin to his neck. He was well-built and fit and had the bad guy look, but his eyes were kind. There was a wife and two daughters waiting for him back in Ireland. He hadn't seen them in two years. So if ever there was a chance to leave then he would take it.

"I get to go outside today right?" Evan smiled as he took the sandwich plate form Mason's hand.

The man frowned, "Not today, but tomorrow."

"I need to go today," Evan laughed taking a bite of his sandwich before grabbing Mason's hand.

"I'm sorry Kid," Garrett said as he turned away, "Not today. People are coming over, dangerous people."

"I'm going to get to the phone and call for help. I want to go home. Miss Jennifer promised me I could if I get to the phone…," Evan stomped, his plan wouldn't work if he couldn't go outside.

Garrett thought about it for a moment. This was his chance, probably his only chance. He needed to take it. "Evan I can't let you out, but I will do what I can to get you back home."

Evan nodded and dropped Mason's hand, "I miss my family."

With that he turned away, a presentiment of disaster itching at his overwhelming fear, but maybe… maybe he could see his girls again.

Because he missed his family too.

How was it? Will Garrett get to the phone? Can he be trusted? Will JJ be saved in time? ... I know it took a long time to post, but please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or criticisms. Thank you for reading and for the reviews.

Thanks!

-HCB