Standing across from the other man who sat at his desk in what he had been told was the prophet's office; Spencer still didn't trust himself not to kill Benjamin Cyrus for doing what he had to Emily. Last night after the beating had occurred, he had heard Cyrus order Cole to "tie her up and take her upstairs" which meant that she was still alive, but even someone who wasn't a genius could figure out that she had to be in mortal amounts of pain. In Spencer's book, for inflicting that pain on his wife, Benjamin Cyrus deserved to die. He watched in barely veiled disgust as Cyrus cleaned a small crack in his knuckle and blew on it before asking, "Did you know that she was FBI?"

There was a pause that was almost too long while Spencer worked both to make up a proper answer and to keep from saying the real thoughts that were on the tip of his tongue, and then he answered, looking mostly at Cole still for fear of what he might let slip if he looked at Cyrus, "Nancy told me that the woman was a child abuse interview expert from Denver. Four years I'd worked with her, Nancy had never lied to me before."

"As far as you know," Cyrus added before going into his own spiel. "Their law says a fifteen year old girl is a child. Fifty years ago, that same law said a fourteen year old was an adult. Have children changed so much in fifty years?"

"I can't tell you the number of times I've investigated abuse charges in small, religious groups; almost all of them turn out to be false."

"What do you think of that?"

"It doesn't really matter what I think."

"It does to me."

"Why?"

"Because God wants to save you; I mean that's why He sent you here, that's the reason."

Cole nodded in agreement when Cyrus looked at him.

Okay, fine. Maybe he could play into their game a little, gain some ground here. But that didn't mean that he didn't still want to kill the monster.

Spencer swallowed before diverting their attention by saying, "On the next call, you should… test them. Test the negotiator. Make him prove that he isn't lying."

"How would you suggest I do that?"

"Ask for the identity of the FBI agent."

"We already know her identity," Cole broke in.

"They don't know that," Cyrus countered.

Cole argued, "Yeah, but the FBI would never tell us."

"They keep on asking you to release people; well, tell them you'll release a kid and you won't harm the agent, and if they really care about the children, they'll have to tell you."

And maybe you'll actually keep your word and not hurt Emily!

Cole's backlash was instantaneous. "You're trying to get us to release a child!"

"It's one kid! If they don't hold up on their end of the deal then you know they can't be trusted!"

He looked to Cyrus for support and the man in charge backed him up by saying, "He has a point." A pause as he looked at his right hand man and then, "What is it, Christopher?"

The other man looked at the floor as he answered hesitantly, "Some have been talking about… leaving."

"Leaving?" Cyrus repeated.

Cole – apparently a nickname for "Christopher – nodded, before receiving Cyrus' orders to "wake the baby."

"Let's let them meet the orphan that they've made."

With the girl safely received outside by the authorities, Spencer wasn't entirely ready for the sight that met him at the chapel because of the conversation that had occurred between himself and the other two men, but at the same time, it was the only thing that he wanted to see. As soon as he saw Emily on the other side and to the back of the chapel, he went quickly over to stand beside her, slowing as he took in the extent of her injuries. Never before in his life had he wanted so badly to just hold her and soothe away her hurts.

"He looks p***ed," Emily breathed, glancing at him and then back up at Cyrus. Feeling his gaze still on her battered face, she looked up at him and tried to reassure him that "it's not as bad as it looks."

Tears nearly choked his voice as said, "I'm so sorry."

The look that filled her eyes told him that there was no need for any apologies, and just as quickly she turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. What was going on with her? Was she just in that much pain? What was going on in her head that she wasn't telling him? Whatever it was, she obviously wasn't going to tell him right now, so he might as well go along with what she was wanting and concentrate on the job.

"I'll get word to the team; wait for a sign from outside to indicate what time the raid will come."

And then he forced himself to walk away from her, to go back to his new "buddy," Cyrus.

Seeing the unasked question in his eyes, Spencer lied to him, saying, "I told her that she shouldn't have lied to you like that."

"To both of us."

Cyrus turned away to order one of his goons to "take her back," so he didn't see the look that passed through Spencer's eyes at that remark, but both men saw the pained look in Emily's eyes. Spencer was pretty sure that he had never felt pain such as he was feeling at that moment.

She hadn't told him. On so many levels, for so many reasons, she hadn't been able to tell him. The thought had occurred to her after Kathy had left her, once she was lying alone in the darkness with nothing but her already tortured thoughts. Only then did she think of the life that was growing inside of her, the life that only she could protect. The life that she had probably killed yesterday with the stunt that she had pulled by revealing her identity to Cyrus. She thought of Kathy again, the mother who was willing to risk it all – even her own life, if that was what it came to – in order to save her only child.

But as for herself… Emily was pretty sure that she was a worse mother then even her own mother had ever been. The thought made her sick. Moving roughly onto her side, Emily threw up onto the floor.

Enough was enough. She had to be able to do something to get herself, Spencer, and her baby out of this place. A little more maneuvering to get readjusted onto her back and she was able to lift the blind with the heel of her boot.

She began to speak, hoping with her whole being that someone would hear her as she repeated over and over, "If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnel, but I need to know when you're coming."

Of course, she wouldn't be able to do any of this on her own, but she was almost entirely certain that she could get Kathy to help her, if only she could find out the time that the raid was to take place.

And then there was suddenly a laser light shining on the opposite wall. A few well-placed blinks and movements of said light and she knew that she had to be ready by three a.m.

Five chapters in one day! I know that I have actually set an all-time record with this! And this is the longest chapter in the story yet! Yay! As always, reviews would make my day! Thanks!:)