Summary: It was something he'd learned of late. If you truly wanted to hurt someone, you aimed for the heart. Teamfic. Warning, character death! Set pre-Cradle to Grave.
Disclaimer: Ava and Cara don't own Criminal Minds. But if they did, it'd probably be the most character-whump show in the world.
Author's Note: Just a reminder; this is set pre Cradle to Grave, so Hotch is still the boss-man! Well, well. We did the evil. And we shall continue to be evil. No character is safe! Just as a point of interest, none of you guys seemed too concerned about Morgan in the last chapter. It's probably a bit unrealistic to you guys that Foyet can magically get to the team, but trust us, there is a good reason why. It shall be eventually revealed in a couple of chapters or so. So, we had a bit of a drop in reviewers, and we aren't very surprised. It's not like we killed - oh, wait. Anyway, if you've been paying close attention, subtle hints have been dropped throughout the story before anyone was taken. If you re-read chapter two (Fun; Interrupted) after this one, you may see what we mean. A lot of the stuff we put in that seems a little un-necessary may be foreshadowing something. And thanks to those who weren't too traumatised to review - namely Dicsi, imajazzbandnerd, nexis44, safe .from .harm and Shakuma-Marie-Uchiha. And in response to our last review, no Shakuma-Marie-Uchiha, we aren't going to wipe out the entire BAU team. Well, you never know.
So the 100th episode airs tonight, and that was our main motivation to speed up our updates. Hope you guys enjoy it and our latest update. We may slow down the pace now that we got as much as we could in before the 100th. But there still is quite a bit left in this story left to go - trust us.
Cara and Ava. x
Chapter Ten - Agents; AWOL
Lemony Snicket once wrote; 'If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know exactly how it feels. And if you have not, then you cannot possibly imagine it.'
His heart was pounding as he picked up the ringing phone....
Please, no one else....
Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the number.
"Garc-"
"Why isn't my chocolate god answering his phone? I didn't mean to insult his mom! Well, I didn't actually insult his mom, I did kinda insult him though, I was just messing around, I thought he knew that!" The technical analyst wailed. "Hotch, call him and tell him I didn't mean-"
"Garcia, slow down. What do you mean Morgan's not answering his phone?" Hotch frowned.
Reid looked to Hotch his heart sinking. "But Morgan always answers his-"
Hotch waved his hand to Reid mouthing
Give me a second. Get Rossi!
"I mean it just keeps ringing! He won't pick up." she started crying, "I was only joking Hotch, I didn't mean to make him mad..."
"Sshh, it's ok. I need you to take a deep breath a calm down ok?"
She sniffed, wiping her eyes.
"Ok."
"Right, Garcia I need you to track his cell, send me the location."
"Ok, it's coming to you now."
"Thanks Garcia."
"Hotch, you think something's happened? I mean he always answers my calls."
"I don't know what's happened. I'll keep you posted, Garcia. Thanks."
"I brought you a friend!" called the sing song voice.
Prentiss didn't look up, she continued stroking the blonde hair of the young agent.
"Now, now, I've brought you a play mate and you say nothing. That's not very nice is it?"
She looked up her eyes blazing. "Go away!"
"No need to keep this tatty thing around is there?" he asked. Bending he grabbed the blonde's limp wrist and pulled JJ's body from Emily's lap and threw it in the corner.
"NO, JJ! How could you?
"It was simple really." He stepped back surveying his work, "Shame, she was a pretty little thing." He walked to the door.
"Emily, sweetheart, meet your new room mate. Play nicely!" he said with a cruel smile. He carelessly dumped the body against the wall opposite her, before slaming the door.
"No, no please. Not you too!" she whispered, unable to move towards the limp form. all she could do was stare helplessly. She angrily yelled after her cruel captor, "HOW COULD YOU? YOU COWARD!"
Leaving Hotch drive to the co-ordinates of Morgan's cell phone may not have been the best decision the BAU had ever made. With the incredible speed Hotchner was driving at, neither Reid nor Rossi had felt more travel sick in their lives. It was the only reason they were relieved to get out of the SUV. Their relief quickly vanished when they set their eyes upon the scene.
An SUV that Hotch quickly identified as Morgan's, had been forced off the road, and crashed through a mesh fence into a parking lot. Hotch and Rossi broke into a sprint to the SUV, and Reid slowly hobbled after them. Hotch reached the SUV first, and felt his heart sink when he saw the sight that fell before him.
The driver's seat was empty. What Hotch had been dreading to discover was indeed confirmed; the Reaper had taken Morgan.
Rossi reached the SUV a moment later, and gasped when he saw the empty seat. He let his eyes glaze over to the passenger's seat, and was alarmed to see the still form of Officer Darcey Miles laying there. His panic somewhat eased when he saw the slow and even rise and fall of the female cop's chest. Rossi heard Reid's sudden stop as he processed what was in front of him.
"Is she..."
"No," Rossi replied quickly, "Just unconscious."
"We need to get her out of there!" Reid said quickly.
"I agree," Hotchner sighed. He went around to the opposite side of the SUV, to the passenger door, but discovered the mesh-wire fence had done quite a significant amount of damage, and the door was almost fused shut. He yielded and returned to the driver's side. He managed to pull open the door, and carefully crawled over the glass-scattered seat to unbuckle the unconscious officer. He scooped her up carefully and slowly reversed until he was out of the SUV. He lay the young woman on the ground.
Reid slowly sat down in front of her face and lightly patted her cheek. Her blue eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Are you okay?" Reid asked slowly.
"He was tailing us," was his answer.
"Who?" Rossi asked.
"Foyet. I didn't recognise him, but Agent Morgan realised it was him. He tried to shake the tail, and we thought we'd lost him, but we came around the corner and he'd been waiting. He ambushed us, forced us off the road. I don't remember much after that..."
Rossi exerted a little pressure on Darcey's forehead, and continued doing so until she winced before she could stop herself. A poppy-shaped bruise was already taking form in that spot. "Looks like you took quite a hit to the head. You may want to get that checked out."
Panicked, the officer began to quickly sit up, "No, I don't. I'm fine."
"Officer Miles, you need to have that examined." Hotch said sternly.
Pausing for a moment, Darcey thought out her next move wisely, "Agent Hotchner, you're already three team members down. Not to mention a police officer. Will it really do any good if I stop working the case?"
Hotch paused for a moment, and unable to argue with that, surrendered.
"As soon as we find Foyet, you are to get yourself checked out." he ordered.
"Deal." the young officer replied.
"Morgan? Morgan??" Emily asked the still form of her colleague. This couldn't be happening. How had Foyet done this?
A groan was her reply.
"Please, come on open your eyes and look at me!"
She got no response.
She slipped off her shoe and took aim. It hit his ear. "Wake up!"
"Ouch, that hurt!" he mumbled.
"Be grateful I wasn't wearing heels!"
He sat up slowly, holding his head. He looked at her and blinked. She watched as he focused on her, watched as his eyes shone with delight.
"Prentiss," he whispered, a smile slowly spreading over his scratched face, "You're alive!"
"I told Reid you were ok!" he added with a grin. It slowly slide into a frown.
"Wait. No. If your alive.... then where's JJ?"
Emily hoped that he couldn't see her tears slowly falling.
"She... she, um.... "
Don't look at the corner, Emily. Don't look at the corner!
"Come on Prentiss, spit it out!"
"She's gone, Morgan." she said quietly.
"Gone? That's great, how did she get out? Is there a vent or-"
See, I worry for this country, if you're one of our protectors, Derek. Thankfully there are other agents like Emily who aren't as dense as you!" came an amused voice.
"Huh?"
"She's dead Derek! Look over there, that is JJ. Death suits her doesn't it?" Foyet laughed cruelly, as he walked towards the brunette. "Having fun?"
He stepped back suddenly, slowly wiping away the trail of Emily's spit.
"Big mistake...."
He slowly walked over to Emily, and grabbed a hold of her hands tightly. Emily was baffled when he loosened her bounds, and quickly tied wrapped a rope around her free arm, securing it to her waist. He pushed her to the ground, and Emily began to panic when he sat on her back. What does he want with me? She thought. Before she had time to acknowledge what had happened, he grabbed her arm and yanked it back with such force that she felt her bone separate from its joint. She just lay in shock.
"You son of a bitch! leave her alone!"
The pain was making her light headed, the room spinning. But she refused to scream, she refused to give him the pleasure. Foyet rose to his feet, and re-tied her bounds.
"You've been warned.." he whispered before walking to the door. She looked up, eyes burning with hatred.
"I never listen to warnings Foyet."
"You will listen to mine." he promised.
The woman groaned as she unpacked the groceries from her car. She hated the fact that her apartment was on one of the highest floors. She struggled to carry the bags in through the door, and was relieved to see that she'd had a stroke of luck. An elevator was already free.
She slid in through the doors and pushed the button for the 13th floor, while balancing all the shopping bags in her arms. Luckily, no one else interrupted the elevator ride, and she strolled out of the elevator on the 13th floor. She only had a short distance to walk before she reached her apartment. When she saw it was open, she panicked a little.
Calm down, she thought, remember what to do in these situations.
She slowly and quietly dropped her bags outside her door and slid in the doorway silently. She crept through her kitchen, and hid behind the wall while peeking into her living room. The light and the television were on, she was certain she'd switched those off. She snuck into the living room, and silently grabbed the fire poker from the fireplace. Her intruder was sitting on her couch, she discovered.
A burglar who makes himself at home. There's a new one for you. she thought to herself, before raising the fire poker above her head and -
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," her intruder said suddenly, not even glancing over his shoulder. Startled, she dropped her makeshift weapon.
"My god! What are you trying to do? Force me to kill you?" the woman replied, half relieved, half frustrated.
"You would never have done that. I thought you had more stealth to be honest," he replied, not looking up from the book he was reading. He wasn't even paying attention to the television on in the background.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, confused. She hadn't talked to him in a while, and his sudden re-appearance was a little surprising.
"Just felt like a visit. Not quite sure why. You ever have that feeling that you should do something?" he asked.
"Believe me, I know." she replied sighing. He chuckled. His eyes finally looked up from the book he was reading and he smiled at her. It had been a long time since she saw him smile. He gave a quick glance in the direction of the television and froze.
"Turn that up," he ordered.
"What?" she asked, bewildered by his sudden interest in the television. When she saw what was making the news these days, her eyes widened in horror. She quickly picked up the remote and increased the volume quickly.
"... the Unit Chief of the Behavioural Analysis Unit, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, has been under scrutiny by his superiors for some time. And with good reason. Since Agent Hotchner has been in power at the BAU, Unit Chief following his predecessor former SSA Jason Gideon's public major depressive episode, his team above all others seems to constantly be endangered.
It isn't surprising that two of the team members departed from the team, when you consider the facts. Since Aaron Hotchner has been Unit Chief, a staggering three members have been shot under his leadership, one of whom quickly resigned from the team following their shooting.
But the reason the BAU are now in the limelight again, is because it has been rumoured that members of the BAU have been abducted. If you're wondering if that is even possible, it's clear you don't recall the abduction of one of the team members in rural Georgia in February 2007. Videos of the killing of 'sinners' were posted on a website, along with the Agent in question being tortured by the killer.
It seems that Aaron Hotchner's leadership at the BAU has caused nothing but problems for the member of his team. And one wonders why one would even dream of remaining part of the team when-"
Frustrated with what she had just seen, she muted the television.
"Do you think it's true?" she asked, doubtfully.
The man paused for a moment, before finally putting down his book altogether. "I don't think it's impossible. It has happened before..."
"That doesn't mean -"
"You know as well as I do, if these were just rumours, they would have held a press conference to quell them."
They took another look at the television and were horrified at the new headlining story.
'TOP STORY! BAU members investigate crashed SUV. Stronger rumours of the possibility of an undercover kidnapping emerging.'
She sighed, "What should we do?"
"The only thing that we can do," he replied. "Help."
Hmmm... who do we have here... Reviews are love guys...