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Chapter 11
(Hotch's POV)
Seventeen hours gone
"How's it going?" Will anxiously asked on the other end of the call. I figured he'd call sooner or later, but I wish it had been later on when we had more solid evidence.
"I'm not going to lie, Will, and say we found everything we need," I sighed into the phone. "But, we are getting closer. As we speak, Garcia is pulling up information on Michael's brother and we will get proof he's involved in this."
"Better than nothing I guess," Will mumbled.
"Listen, I'll call you back when we have more, ok? We just don't have a whole lot to tell you right now."
"Fine. But, please, call when you find strong stuff," he replied and hung up. I put my phone back in my pocket and rubbed my forehead. I looked at JJ's picture on the whiteboard in the Houston station and shook my head. No matter what, I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I didn't want Henry to have to go most of his life without a mom, like Jack. I walked to the conference room where my team sat, looking at files of camera footage.
"How's it going?" I asked, hoping someone had found Keegan with Michael somewhere.
"Nothing so far," Prentiss said tiredly. "But we aren't even halfway through, so there's still a chance."
"I really hope what you said got to him somehow, Em," Morgan sighed.
"So, did he genuinely look surprised?" Blake asked eagerly.
"Yeah. I swear, his face turned white as snow when Prentiss told him about what Michael did to JJ. I don't think he had any idea," Morgan answered. I sat down in between Reid and Morgan and picked up a file, looking over it.
"Hopefully he will confront Michael about it and that'll cause a fight," Rossi said.
"Cruz said that Askari didn't like the idea of JJ being brought. I bet tension is high between the two of them as well," Blake added.
"But, he still agreed quickly. He's loyal to Michael, but Keegan is older. So he won't like taking orders from Michael," I said, tossing the file to the side and grabbing another one.
"The dominant-submissive bond can be as close as a sibling bond. If Keegan were to confront Michael about JJ and things got heated, Askari would likely side with Michael and that could put Keegan at risk," Reid said quickly.
"Morgan and Prentiss, I want you guys back at Keegan's work tomorrow. The work day is almost done, so it won't work today. But, convince him to not trust Michael," I announced.
"He almost seemed a little...angry...when he heard about JJ," Prentiss said. "Let's hope he confronts Michael about JJ tonight and that will be enough to get Keegan to open his eyes."
"If we get him on our side, he could tell us where JJ and Michael are," Rossi said.
"Let's hope that he will cooperate tomorrow," Morgan said hopefully as we all went back to looking over files.
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(JJ's POV)
Twenty-one hours gone
I shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position of lying down, but found it unsuccessful once again. The pain in my side, my head, and the cuffs around my wrists I earned for fighting back made it impossible to pleasantly lie down. The cuffs were the worst, as they were too tight and clenched my wrists painfully. Hastings advised against them, but Askari was still upset with me and insisted on them. I didn't complain in front of him, though. I guess I'd rather be in cuffs than be dangling from the ceiling and being water boarded by that sick man. I simply turned to my side and pulled the comforter up to my chin, trying to ignore the pain in my body. I closed my eyes, and still didn't open them when I heard the door open. I could tell it was Hastings. I was familiar with the sound of his steps. I continued to close my eyes, pretending to be asleep. I felt him sit on the side of the bed right in front of my stomach as he shook my shoulder lightly.
"Jareau," he said quietly. I continued the act, ignoring him completely. I heard him sigh deeply as he got up again and leave the room briefly. I still kept my eyes closed when I heard him come back in. "I know you're not asleep." I ignored him and kept my eyes closed. I heard him unscrew something and felt him hovering right over me. The next time I breathed in, a pungent odor filled my nose as my eyes widened and I coughed and gagged. "Knew it," he laughed. I continued to cough repulsively as I looked up at him.
"What the hell?" I angrily said through my teeth. I coughed again and breathed in fresh at through my nose, getting my breathing under control.
"Smelling salts," he smiled, shaking the small container in front of him. He screwed the cap back on, careful not to inhale the urine-smelling salts.
"What do you want?" I said, taking in another deep breath.
"It's time for some dinner." He simply said. I slowly got up and walked out of the bedroom, with Hastings trailing close behind me. I went the familiar route, to the kitchen. I sat at my spot at the counter, ignoring Askari and another unfamiliar man. I heard the front door open and saw Keegan come into the kitchen, walking quickly.
"Where's Michael?" He said in an angry and serious tone.