Chapter 12
Rossi was put back in the room with the key in hand. His breathing had regulated and he luckily was uninjured, just worn out. He was roughly pushed into the room, and he found the team discussing in a circle. Jack shut and locked the door behind them and Rossi was brought to speed on what the team had come to. Reid had explained his hour and gave the revelation of how the entire "hell house" was focused on JJ. Rossi was then given a chance to explain his hour. He did so, and showed the team the key he received in his hour. Much to his disappointment, they were just as stumped as he was and that was no help to their current predicament.
"So I have been thinking about this 'Lindsay', obviously she has some relevance to me, but I just can't place it." JJ said.
"Why don't we ask him?" Emily suggested.
JJ gave a small nod, then looked at the intercom with defiance.
"Who's Lindsay?" JJ called out.
The team was silent as they waited for a reply. Just before the team was about to give up, Jack entered the room steaming mad.
"You have no right to just throw her name around." Jack screamed.
"Who is she?" Hotch pressed.
"My wife." Jack growled back, surprising the team.
Hotch made the mental note that Lindsay was probably his stressor, and she was most likely dead. For some odd reason in this mans psychotic delusion, the BAU was at fault, specifically JJ. This stressor pushed him into creating this hell house to cause the BAU pain, but he didn't want to kill them. Maybe the team could use this to their small advantage.
"It's your fault she died." Jack said towards JJ.
This proved Hotch's theory and increased his worry for JJ's safety.
Jack walked with angry stride towards JJ, as she backwards crawled herself into a corner in an effort to escape the mans torment.
"Stop." Hotch said and stood up to try and defend JJ.
Jack didn't answer but instead gave Hotch a backhand, and Hotch hit the floor clutching his face. Jack bent down and grabbed JJ's forearm, bringing her up to his level.
"Did you tell them we had sex?" Jack said with a grin.
He was obviously very narcissistic, he already knew she told them and the fact that he wanted to bring out more humiliation was pure narcissism.
"You didn't rape me." JJ said with defiance.
"Yes, I did." Jack said gripping JJ's arm harder.
"No you didn't!"
Jack punched her in the gut several times until she was on the floor gasping for the lost breath.
"Please, stop." Hotch said in an anxious plea.
Jack brought JJ back up to his level and then began pulling her out of the room.
"If you're not going to kill us, why hurt us?" Hotch cried in one last attempt to save his girlfriend from the endless torment he knew she would begin to suffer.
"You need to pay for your sins." Jack said solemnly as he dragged JJ out of the room.
Hotch fell to the floor in frustration, as the team sat speechless at the scene before them.
"He's obviously very narcissistic." Reid said. "If he didn't rape JJ, but he is saying that he did, it's likely that he feels as though his power was ripped from him as well."
"He didn't rape JJ." Hotch said sternly.
"How do you know JJ's isn't just saying that because she is embarrassed?" Emily asked in a quiet voice.
Hotch sat quietly pondering, "she said he didn't, and I believe her."
The team nodded silently, finally Garcia spoke up.
"He seems sad."
"Why do you say that?" Morgan asked.
"Im not a profiler, but anyone can see that, that man has seen a lot more if this world than he ever wanted."
"He must have really loved his wife." Rossi said.
"Emotional people or people that have been hurt, often set out for revenge. In this sense, he was hurt by us, specifically JJ, this whole hell house is set around a long lasting revenge that he has had against us." Reid said.
The team sat silently unable to come up with anything else.
"What do you think the key is to?" Rossi asked.
Jacks voice came over the intercom.
"I can answer that." All the anger that had been previously admitted from the man, was undetected. "The key is for those of you who survive your hours. As I said before, you are free to go if you win. That key is the key to the door, but if you try to leave before all the hours are over, JJ will pay for it."
The screen came back on.
JJ was a bloody mess and she was once more tied to a chair. Her left eye was black and swollen shut, her head lulled from side to side and she barely clung to consciousness.
"JJ." Hotch mumbled.
"Well that answers that." Emily said.
"JJ came across Jack and his wife some time in our first organized year as the BAU team." Reid said.
"That was with Elle and Gideon, and how?" Morgan said.
"Well - "
"Actually, never mind. We need to let JJ know, and maybe that will strike a memory." Morgan said.
"JJ." Hotch said again.
JJ looked at Hotch as best she could.
"Do you remember any cases from our first year together that could have been Jacks wife getting killed?" Hotch asked calmly.
"No." JJ mumbled.
"Are you sure?"
A nod.
"It must have been a case she didn't take!" Reid said.
JJ nodded again until she finally fell into unconsciousness.
Thanks to everyone! Especially Susie G for all her amazing help! Hope you all like the story. Please review! :)
