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I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you liked the rest of the story.

ONE DAY EARLIER

"WHAT!" Van Pelt winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. Jane couldn't help but grin at the sound of Minelli's furious voice. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT A CRAZED SERIAL KILLER HAS SET HIS SIGHTS ON MY LEAD AGENT AND NOBODY TOLD ME! I COULD HAVE ARRANGED PROTECTION!"

"Well, yes sir, but, you see," Van Pelt stuttered. If she had problems talking to Lisbon, she was even worse with Minelli. Jane took pity on her and grabbed the phone.

"That was the reason Lisbon requested that we kept it quiet, sir. She believed that if protection detail was issued, Red John would give up all hope of ever getting at her and leave. And all of our previous experiences suggested that he was already out of town by the time we found the bodies, so there really wasn't too much cause for concern."

"SHE WAS KIDNAPPED FROM UNDER YOUR NOSES! I'D SAY THAT WAS CAUSE FOR CONCERN!"

Jane struggled to think of a clever response for that, and, for once, failed. "Yes, but…"

"I want you off the case, now. I want protection detail on the rest of you. I want every CBI unit investigating this while you stay safe at home, do you understand?" Minelli asked, his voice finally lowering to a tolerable level. The anger was still very much palpable, however, and Jane knew he had to tread lightly.

"With all due respect sir, we're already very much invested in this case. We've spoken to several relatives and witnesses, we know the evidence, and the personal connection might even help us in catching Red John. I assure you, we have everything under control. Well, actually, they have everything under control. I'm not really doing anything seeing as how I'm just a lowly consultant who doesn't really have any expertise in the whole protection thing, but,"

"If you find a single hair, I want to be notified."

"Yes sir," Jane replied, leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed, "I promise."

PRESENT

Her chest was tight as she struggled to inhale. The warm body next to her was gone.

"Jane! Jane!" she screamed, tears leaking out of her eyes as her chest inhaled but took in no oxygen. Her arms flailed wildly, reaching out to find him, the team, anyone who could help her. The only result was a constant pain in her hands as she slammed them again and again against the hard wooden box.

"We'll find you, Lisbon. It's okay. We'll find you," a voice soothed, right by her ear, but the man it belonged to was a hundred miles away.

"I can't…I can't…" her chest screamed in agony, her head felt fuzzy and thick. "Jane, I can't…"

I can't breathe.

ONE DAY EARLIER

"I don't understand. This isn't his style." Jane said, frowning. They had all gathered together to wait in case CSU found any evidence in Lisbon's hotel room, although they all knew the chances were slim.

"He's broken pattern before." Cho pointed out, but Jane shook his head.

"Not like this. The first case, Taylor and Jane – that was him. But now…"

"He just wanted to scare you." Cho offered, but despite his constant rebuttals he was beginning to see that Jane had a point.

"Maybe, but kidnapping is not his style. This isn't right. This can't be him."

"But it has to be someone who knows about him – his signature, etc – and they'd have to know us too."

"An accomplice?" Grace asked, thinking back to their last Red John case.

"An accomplice wouldn't break pattern, though." Cho pointed out, "He'd work in it; work for Red John."

"Unless the accomplice doesn't want to play anymore."

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Preview: If she has any chance at survival, this is it.- Cho