The Significance of You

Chapter Fourteen

AN: Thank you to everyone who's followed the story, favourite and reviewed and a big thank you to Rizza Prentiss, rmpcmfan & 123a456e, and MeGkAtHeRiNe, who seem to be sticking to with the story! Thanks Guys ;-)

Disclaimer: I don't own criminal Minds or any of its characters.

"His mom says she hasn't seen him for about three months..." Reid explained to the profilers. "She didn't even seem that bothered, apparently they're always had a difficult relationship"

"She said Marcus had been a loner, never brought any friends home, and then last year he started staying away for days at a time, which fits in with the profile, it's around the time his relationship with Caroline progressed" Morgan stated as he let his dark eyes stare at the picture of Marcus Delporta on the white board.

Listening to her fellow team members, Emily scanned the profile she had in front of her as she brought her coffee cup to her lips. Drinking the bitter liquid, something was nagging at her insides, something didn't seem right.

"What I don't understand" the brunette began as she also let her gaze focus on the white board "is that we have taken his stressor away. We profiled that Caroline would be his next victim, she's the reason why he started killing and she's his ultimate goal... his bound to be keeping taps on her and watching her movements...

Biting her thumbnail as she thought, her mind working through its various compartment's as she began piecing the mental jigsaw together, Emily's thoughts where suddenly stalled as Rossi spoke out.

"Why hasn't he re-acted yet?"

"Exactly" Emily replied. "He would have noticed that Caroline's normal routine had changed, that's not to mention he may have seen her come to the police station".

Looking up from his own notes Hotch connected his gaze to JJ's. "I think we need to put a release out to the press that if the public see Delporta not to approach etc, Prentiss is right, his going to be more volatile now he knows we're on to him... Do you have something prepared?"

"Yeah give me a couple of minutes and I'll get it organised" the blonde smiled as she began shuffling her papers together.

Stepping away from the table and her colleagues JJ was just about to exit the room when the main detective form the local PD came towards her.

"I think you better see this" he stated as he handed the blonde media liaison a piece of paper.

Letting her blue eyes read the words, she felt a chill run down her spine as she also felt five pairs of eyes turn in her direction.
"When did you get this" JJ asked as she walked back to the table to pass the new information to her team.

"Literally a few minutes ago, a member of reception reported it to 911 and it flagged our end, does it sound like your guy?"

Looking down at the words that where scribbled onto the piece of paper, ever member of the BAU knew this was their Un-Sub alright.

"You took the only woman I loved - Now you will feel my pain" Reid read aloud to the team as he twisted the sheet of paper in his direction.

"Where did it come from?" Hotch asked as he pushed himself away from the table.

"The Jenson View Hotel, apparently a cleaner had gone to one of the rooms on her rounds this morning and noticed the door was a jar. When she went inside the room it had been trashed and there was a stain of blood on the carpet. That..." The detective stated as he point to the paper in Reid's fingers' "had been attached to a mirror in there"

"Okay let's go check it out" Hotch stated to the others as he was already walking out the door. "Do you have a team on this?"

"Already dispatched" the detective confirmed.

Getting up from her seat and following the others, Emily tried to ignore the feeling of panic slowly creeping through her system. The second she had read the words on the page, Kaitlin had popped to the forefront of her mind. The brunette knew it was irrational, but it was to coincidental that this had happened at the same hotel they had all been staying. It was clear that Marcus had been watching them, had he seen... Surely not Emily tried to reassure herself.

Following Hotch and Morgan to the SUV that was parked out front the station; she climbed into the back seat and clicked her seat belt. Reaching down into her pocket, Emily pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for Kate's phone. Discreetly bringing it to her ear, she felt the inside of her mouth go dry as it rang out several times before cutting to voicemail.

Chances where Kate was just unable to answer her phone, or had a bad reception, but as many times as Emily told herself this, it didn't take away the ever growing feeling of dread.

Taking a sharp left, the sound of the sirens filling the interior of the SUV, Hotch hit his own speed dial as Garcia's bubbly tones came through the speakers.

"Garcia your on speaker, I need you to run some checks for me"

"Okay sir, fire away, my fingers are able and nimble and waiting your command"

"I need you to check the guest list of the Jensen View Hotel"

"What... That's where you guys are staying" Garcia stated, the confusion evident in her tone.

"I know Baby Girl, we think our Un-Sub has kidnapped one of the guests, in particular from room 697 can you check who was booked in there?" Morgan asked as he dodged several vehicles in front of them.

"Bare with me two... Seconds" the tech genius stated as the team heard the audible taps of her keyboard.

Sliding her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, Garcia suddenly felt a wave of sickness settle over herself as she read aloud the name off of the screen.

"Kaitlin James... That's who the room is... Booked out to"

Emily could have screamed as Garcia's words registered. In a matter of seconds her worst nightmare had come to life and it felt like the ground was falling away from her feet. This couldn't be happening, it had to be a different Kaitlin James...

"She... Err... she checked in yesterday afternoon, is supposed to check out..." Garcia stammered and continued reading the information off of her screen. "This morning, but as of yet the hotel have nothing on their systems"

Hearing the small delay on the other end of the phone, Garcia knew the team where adding two and two together. What had she done! She had purposely booked them into that hotel so Emily could be with Kaitlin and now due to her stupidity she had ended up getting the woman kidnapped. If anything happened to the journalist she would never forgive herself.

Turning in his seat and seeing the brunette's posture, Hotch's question had already been answered before it left his lips. "Isn't your friend Kaitlin's surname James?"

"Yes" the brunette replied her voice void of any emotion as she felt herself shutting down. Letting her dark brown gaze focus on the ever changing scenery as they neared the hotel, Emily was fighting an internal battle as she fought to keep herself under control and the aching pain in her heart from taking over.

"Where you aware she was currently in Florida?"

"Yes" Emily replied once more but brought her eyes to make contact with those of her boss. "She was attending a journalism seminar"

"Okay Garcia, I want you to check Kaitlin's cell phone see the last time she used it, it might tell us where she is now"

"Yes sir" Garcia replied sombrely "Em?" She cut in just before Hotch was about to clear the line.

"Yeah"

"We'll find her honey"

***

The pounding pain in the back of her head was the first thing Kaitlin re-called as her blue eyes fluttered open. Shutting them quickly as the small amount of light in the room caused pain to sear into her brain, she went to roll into the foetal position but found her legs and arms where pulled out and bound.

Lying deadly still as the memory of the maintenance guy came flooding back, Kate felt a sudden surge of adrenaline rush through her body as her mind tried desperately to think of a way out. With her senses suddenly heightened, she could taste the dirt on the old piece of rag that had been tied around her mouth as a gag. She could also smell the musty tint of mould and damp that seemed to surround her. Attempting to open her eyes one more time, she ignored the pain and tried to focus on what was in front of her. The brunette could see light filtering through a cracked window, which had a grubby sheet thrown over it on the far wall, there was a wooden chair not far from it, and various crates and newspapers littered the floor.

Turning her head, Kate could see she was laid on a yellowing mattress, its fabric top, ripped and worn. Searching the room one more time and presuming she was in some sort of a cabin, she tried pulling her arms free, but only felt the tight knot of the rope burn into the skin around her wrist.

"There's no use trying to get way, you're not going anywhere" Kate heard a male say as a figure appeared to step out of the shadows.

Feeling the fear ripple up into her chest, Kaitlin was sure the thudding of her heart beat would be heard in the room. Standing in front of her was a young guy, no more than twenty. His hair was messy and greasy and flopped over his forehand. She recognised he was wearing the same clothes she had seen him in previously, but this time there was blood smeared over the front of his T-shirt... Surely that wasn't hers? She thought.

"Although seeing you squirm like that does seem to have some... Affect on me" Marcus smirked as he stepped closer to the bed.

"But not quite as much as when I saw you with that FBI Agent this morning" he continued as he leered over Kaitlin's body. "But from what I saw" he paused as he dragged his clammy finger over Kate's blouse, starting at her shoulder and then working down to her breast "she seemed to have quite an effect on you to"

The cold reality of what was happening hit the brunette like a knife, this was the Un-Sub in Emily's case, and she had got herself kidnapped by them. Feeling her eyes instinctively lock on to those of her capture, her stomach clinched and her breathing increased as she could see the crazed look settle over his features.

"I'm going to have some fun with you... After all don't you think I deserve that after those fucking agents took Caroline away from me!" Twisting his body, Kaitlin caught a glimpse of something shinny as its reflection shinned onto the wall. As if the situation couldn't get worse, the journalist's blood ran cold as she saw Marcus pull a long silver hunting knife into full view.

"I love her God Damit! Doesn't that mean anything...? And I know she loves me, she does, she just needs time to realise it" he continued as he sat down on the mattress next to Kate's body.

Having him so close, Kaitlin felt utterly exposed as she tried once more to pull on her restraints. Never in all her life had she felt so hopelessly afraid. What she would give to be back safe in Emily's arm. That's when her heart filled with a small glimmer of hope, Emily would find her, she have to.

Suddenly feeling the buttons explode open on her blouse, Kate struggled on the bed as Marcus straddled her waist and ripped her blouse open, exposing her lace bra and chest. Dragging the cold edge of the blade over the smooth skin of her throat and collar bone, Kaitlin couldn't hold back the petrified scream that left her mouth, but got muffled against the gag.

Feeling the pressure of the knife decease, the brunette was met with the palm of Marcus's hand thundering into her cheek bone.

"Shut up you stupid bitch" he barked as he climbed of her body and ran his fingers through his hair. "Your mine now"

***

Emily's feet felt like led weights as she walked down the corridor towards the crime scene. She could see the police tape around the door, and several members of the local police department walking in and out. Having been with the BAU for well over a year now, the brunette defiantly was no stranger to crime scenes, but for the first time in her career she was dreading walking through that door way and being greeted with the scene that waited.

Feeling warm fingers lightly grab her shoulder, Emily turned to see JJ walking at her side.

"How you holding up?" The blonde asked quietly.

"Ask me when we've finished this case" Emily replied. "I... I"

"It's going to be okay Em, We'll find her" JJ tried to reassure, but deep down she knew this could go either way.

Standing in front of the door to Kaitlin's Hotel room, Emily's breath caught in her chest and her stomach twisted as her brown eyes took in the chaos. The wardrobe doors had been thrown open and clothes and hangers where scattered over the floor, the bedding that would have dressed the mattress laid strewn across the room, and the bed side tables had been knocked over with the bed side lamp smashed into to pieces. Letting her gaze move from corner to corner, Emily's heart practically broke as she noticed the blood stain on the cream carpet. Closing her eyes to as she tried to pull herself under control, the compartments of her mind working overtime as she tried to block out the images of Kate's last moments in the room.

Feeling Morgan step behind her and guide her into the room as he also took the scene in, she took the rubber gloves that he offered her and slid her slender hands into them.

"This doesn't make sense" Rossi said to the team as he walked over to the mirror on the far wall. "It all looks to staged, look how the duvet is half off the bed half on the floor, the ends are folded... It would never have naturally landed like that, and the broken lamp both parts are lay next to each other..."

"It's as if he thinks making us think there was a struggle will inflict us in some way" Reid added

"When in realisation, if there had been a fight or struggle, there would have been more blood over the room, not just in one space. To me it looks like a head wound, that's possibly bleed out" Morgan said as he crouched down and inspected the stain on the floor.

Plucking the piece of paper off the mirror and seeing his reflection spray out into the shatter glass, Rossi continued.
"Why shatter the mirror and then cover it up with the note... His obviously ashamed of himself or has underlining issues with self acceptance, so for him to walk back here and place it here, this has to be the key"

I think the wording it is very significant, his almost implying that he will take someone we love as much as he does Caroline, in essence we will then feel his pain, and making us think Kaitlin fought against him, but was subdued somehow would cause us hurt" Reid concluded as he re-read the message. "It's like his alluding to a relationship of some variety"

"Well Kate and Emily are friend's there's your relationship" Morgan stated.

"I think what Reid means, is its implying to more of loving relationship then just friendship" Rossi explained as he turned to look at the brunette profiler who's eyes where focused on the blood stain in the middle of the room.

"Prentiss did you see you Kaitlin yesterday after we got back to the Hotel?" Hotch asked as he studied her.

Lifting her gaze up to meet her unit leader, she prayed this could all be over. No matter what way she looked at this, it was clearly her fault. She should have pushed Kaitlin away, she was working on a case, and now because of the failure of herself resolve Kaitlin could... Could. The brunette couldn't even think about it.

"Yes I saw her" Emily replied as she took in the iron expression on Hotch's face.

Feeling five pairs of eyes turn to her; Emily wished she had told the team about her relationship with Kaitlin. Now they were bound to find out in the worst way possible and Emily's professional credibility would be in tatters.

"Is there any way that Marcus would have seen you and Kaitlin together? Did you leave the Hotel?"

"I don't think so, we never left the hotel"

JJ's blue eyes studied her colleague and friend. This was awful, Emily was guarded and now one by one her walls where being pulled down in front of the team as they tried to get to the bottom of what had happened. She could feel the tension that was eluding from the brunette as she answered Hotch's questions and no doubt everyone else in the room could as well, including Hotch. As terrible as the situation was, JJ couldn't help but develop even more respect for the brunette women, if the roles had been reversed; JJ knew she would have cracked under the pressure by now.

"And your sure?"

"Yes I'm positive" Emily restated and she felt her palms go cold as she knew what question her boss would ask next.

"What did you and Kaitlin do? We need to know Emily, you where potentially the last person to see her before Marcus abducted her... We need to know how he would have known you where linked to her"

"We... She..."Emily began as she sprayed her fingers through her hair "she stayed the night in my room"

Seeing Rossi's eyebrow arch and feeling everyone else stand there with suddenly unanswered questions, Emily knew she was going to have to come clean, it was the only to save Kaitlin.

"Maybe Marcus saw her leave this morning after I did... I don't know" the brunette sighed.

Seeing Reid gently look at her, she knew he was the one who was going to ask the question she dreaded. Not because she didn't want the team to know, she was past that, all she cared about was getting Kaitlin back safe and sound, but in the space of a few hours she had lost all control over her personal life and it would soon be aired in front of everyone she cared about.

"Emily, why would Kaitlin have stayed in your room when she had her own?"

"Because...Kaitlin's my girlfriend Reid, we're together"