In the abandoned factory
Hotch could only watch helplessly at his abductor as he was tied to a pillar. He still held on to Jack's red stethoscope tightly as if it was his lifeline. If the deranged man wanted to make him go crazy screaming in pain, be it, but Hotch promised to himself that he would not give in easily. "Who is the man?," the BAU chief asked himself. He knew he had heard that voice before.
As Hotch was trying to identify the voice, he did not notice that the mask man was behind him holding a knife. Suddenly he felt a sharp hot pain in his left side causing him to gasp in surprise. Hotch could feel blood began seeping through and it started to make a bright red stain on his white shirt. Before his mind could register what had happened, he nearly blacked out when a fiery hot agony exploded from the same wounded side. He could smelled burned skin and then he realized that his wound had been cauterized.
The mask man silently watched as Hotch breathed heavily from the blinding pain and his body was still reeling in shock. The senior agent gripped his son's stethoscope tightly until his knuckles turned white.
"Having fun yet, Aaron?," the man asked.
"You bastard... whoever you are" Hotch replied.
The unsub just laughed and he could not stop laughing.
Once he calmed down, the mask man picked up the bloodied knife and lovingly caress the sharp tip. He walked closely to Hotch and the senior agent tried not to flinch when the deranged man pointed the sharp point to his face.
"Hmmm... I wonder where is the gun shot wound I gave you when we last met? If I remember correctly, I was holding the gun at this level," he said and without warning he drove the knife few inches deep into the old wound. Hotch could only clench his teeth in pain as he refused to scream and give his tormentor the satisfaction of hurting him.
"It's okay Aaron...it's okay to scream. I know you want to," he said and Hotch could hear the glee in the man's voice.
When the man took a hot rod to the wound, Hotch blacked out from the pain.
At Hotch's apartment
Prentiss and JJ went into the room where Jack was sleeping. They wanted to be with him when the boy woke up.
In the living hall, Morgan and Rossi were still trying to help Reid to remember the unsub.
"I'm sorry guys. I really try," Reid said.
"I know Reid. Can you describe to us the voice?," Rossi asked.
Reid said the unsub had a low voice and sounded quite raspy like a heavy smoker should sound. Only then the young agent remembered the heavy lingering cigarette smell on the unsub.
Morgan called Garcia and was told to include a search parameter for offenders that Hotch put behind bars who were heavy smokers.
"Baby girl, did you find anything about the letter `M' tattoo?"
"My babies here are still hard at work searching for it... Morgan, I'm scared," Garcia whispered.
"So am I baby girl. So am I," said Morgan.
Inside the bedroom
Jake began to wake up and his big brown eyes lit up when he saw the two agents.
"Hi...where daddy?," Jack asked for Hotch as he sat up rubbing his eyes.
Prentiss kneeled beside the bed and took Jack's small hands.
As Jack looked at Prentiss then he remembered about the bad man. He threw himself at Prentiss for comfort. Prentiss soothed the frightened boy.
"Aunty Emily...why the bad man taking daddy," he asked quietly and began sucking his right thumb.
Prentiss picked up the boy and brought him to the living hall. Morgan looked at Prentiss and he saw the strain in her eyes. Jack put his head Prentiss' shoulder when he saw Morgan and Rossi.
"Hey buddy, are you all right?," Morgan asked as he ruffled the boy's hair. Jack nodded without taking out the thumb from his mouth. Rossi understood that the boy was still scared and signaled to Prentiss to bring Jack to the kitchen.
JJ followed them and walked to the refrigerator and take out the orange juice. She offered to Jack who slowly reached out for it. Both agents kept Jack occupied in the kitchen
Reid continued to rake his brain trying to identify the voice.
"It's my fault Morgan. I should have acted and maybe...just maybe the man will not take Hotch," said the young agent.
"No, Reid. What you have done is right. You follow your guts and they told you that you must keep Jack safe. Hotch will not have it any other way."
"Yeah...but I.."
"No but Reid. You have done what all of us will have done in your shoes," Morgan said. Rossi' phone suddenly rang.
Inside the factory.
Hotch slowly woke up. His mind was a bit groggy and when he moved his side was throbbing fiercely.
"Uh...you are awake. Wakey wakey Aaron. We miss you. "
"Why are you doing this," Hotch whispered asked the man who was sitting on the floor in front of him.
"Why? Why? I will tell you why. You have destroyed me. But, that is a story for another day," he said.
"Now where were we before you lost consciousness...?"