Rescue

They'd discovered the route of the anonymous messages on Thomas's website for Winona Madrigal and looked at the footage of Aaron's kidnap and Kelly's murder. What they'd found had shocked them. The messages had been left by Martha Halliwell and she'd also murdered and kidnapped Aaron like they'd suspected but they'd witnessed her father had provided her the opportunity to kidnap him. It had been the main reason the Sheriff had allowed Aaron to come to the crime scene.

As soon as they reached the tarmac in the nearest airstrip to Wellman they separated ways. Rossi took JJ and Lewis off with him towards Martha's house while Reid and Lopez took Thomas and Jack to the station vowing never to leave their side. Richard Lopez had been with the team ever since Morgan had left a month ago to spend more time with Savannah and their new baby, Hank.

Rossi, JJ and Lewis headed to the address Garcia had managed to provide them on the plane after they'd discovered Martha was behind all this. They now had at least three accounts to arrest her on; two kidnaps and one murder. They prayed to God they wouldn't have another murder on their hands as they raced to the house.

As soon as they got there they jumped out of their SUVs and ran into the house. They knocked on the door calling her name and she answered looking at them blankly.

"How can I help you fine officers?" she smiled in her thick Texan drawl.

Suddenly they heard frightened cries and growls from the basement and looked at each other alarmed. They didn't need to be told to know that was their boss and he was in deep peril. They needed to help him now. They didn't know what that animal was but neither were they going to leave it alone with him. Lord knows what it would do!

Rossi pushed her aside and ran towards his best friend while she looked alarmed and tried to run. Tara grabbed her by the arm and brought out her handcuffs while JJ also ran into the house. She slapped the cuffs on her while Martha tried to protest her innocence answering, "Think again, bitch."

She growled as she was taken out and handed to the local federal agents. Knowing the sheriff was now involved in the case as an accomplice they'd decided to call the agents to meet them instead of the local cops as soon as they'd started driving towards the house along with the paramedics.

As soon as JJ got in she saw Rossi dart down to the basement but she also noticed the young, blonde girl in the corner of the room looking around herself extremely frightened. She looked up at her scared but she could see her uncle in those eyes. It was clear she was Thomas's niece, Melody.

JJ carefully approached her while she tried to shrink into the corner. JJ gently placed her hand on Melody's knee and replied, "Melody, it's alright now. We're friends of your uncle. We'll take you to him."

"She said she was a friend of my uncle," she answered unsure.

"Don't worry, Melody, we truly do know your uncle. See," JJ replied showing her the picture she had of Aaron and Thomas on her phone. Melody just nodded and reached out to her.

Suddenly they heard gunshots and she looked up at her even more scared. "That guy in the photo's down there," Melody exclaimed.

"He'll be alright," JJ assured her. When Melody looked at her unconvinced she added, "I'll have a look but you have to stay here for me. Will you do that for me?"

Melody nodded a little less frightened but still scared none the less while JJ headed towards the top of the stairs of the basement. What she saw caused her to instantly grab Melody and quickly usher her out of the house and into the SUV before the medics arrived.

As soon as Rossi had stepped onto the stairs of the basement fear had filled his veins and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The growling had been coming from a lion that was currently switching between prowling around the room and mauling his best friend who was tied to a table in the middle of the room.

When he saw the lion was about to dig his claws into Aaron's flesh again he shot his gun several times until he saw the beast fall down dead beside the table. He could see Aaron tense at the sound of the gunshots and ran down the stairs to him. What he saw froze the blood in his veins and immediately start calling for the medics. Aaron needed urgent medical attention.

He was a mess and it brought tears to Dave's eyes just to see him like this. His legs were clearly badly broken probably from the weight of the lion on his legs. He had stab wounds mixed with claw scratches on his abdomen and chest. Also there was a cut on his cheek but what worried him worst was his eye. It had been clear the lion had managed to scratch across his eye and down the side of his face.

He prayed to God they'd be able to save his eye and his sight in it. He knew if he was permanently blinded in the eye it would kill Aaron. Being in the federal system was all Aaron had ever wanted and being the head of the most elite team of profilers meant everything to him. Losing that would break him.

The medics ran in and gasped when they saw him but quickly got to work. They tried to stop the blood and called for a helicopter informing Dave they'd be airlifting him to University Hospital in San Antonio. They informed him it was because that was the best hospital in the state that could provide the medical attention Agent Hotchner clearly needed. They also informed him they'd pull in an ophthalmologist in order to save Hotch's eye and sight.

He nodded and turned back to the man he loved almost as much as a son. He took his hand as he saw he was struggling to fight the pain that consumed his body. "Aaron, you can do it. You can pull through. I know you; you're a fighter. Thomas and Jack need you. So do we."

He just nodded and whispered vulnerably and painfully, "My eye? My sight?"

"It's going to be saved, Aaron. They're going to try their very best to save your eyesight. You're going to be airlifted to a hospital in San Antonio where they'll give you all the medical attention you need and the best. Trust me, Aaron; you're going to be fine. You're going to get the best medical treatment the state can give you. You're going to be put together as good as new. You just need to fight and I know you can," Dave assured him.

He nodded but slowly closed his eyes causing Dave to worry. One paramedic placed two fingers on Aaron's neck then looked over to the other one whilst they heard the helicopter landing in the background.

"He's got a pulse but it's weakening. As soon as we've got him on the chopper the better," the paramedic said.

Suddenly two more paramedics ran in with a stretcher and they carefully transferred him from the table onto the gurney while he groaned painfully. They then quickly rushed him out of the basement, deciding to use the secret door the lion must have used to enter, then rushed him onto the helicopter with Dave running alongside of them.

As soon as they got up there JJ ran up confused and concerned so he placed his hands on her arms. "He needs urgent medical attention. They're airlifting him to University Hospital in San Antonio to get him the surgery needs. Inform the others and meet us there."

She nodded and ran back to Melody while Dave ran to and jumped onto the helicopter. As she headed towards the station in the SUV with Melody and Tara in the back she saw the helicopter take over and head towards San Antonio.