Hey all. So I've had these chapters ready for quite some time now and was just holding off in the hopes of getting some feedback on the previous ones. I've been lacking in motivation recently and your comments and reviews really do help so please keep them coming when you can! I hope you enjoy the update.
Chapter 21
The second he had seen Antonov take the marker from Emily's hand, Hotch was on the phone with their Section Chief. After convincing him that the information was as credible as it could be, it didn't take long to arrange for a helicopter to meet them on the roof of the building. The team was there in minutes, more than ready to get their friends back. Now, as they waited to be dropped them off in the frigid, January air of northeastern Maine, they could do nothing but worry. Emily watched each member of her old team closely, unsure as to how prepared they were for what they could find. On that note, she wasn't sure she was entirely prepared for what they might find. Was she truly ready to storm into the cabin only to find JJ's body, cold and unmoving? Was she ready to explain that they had mailed oh-so-miserably to Will and their sons? The image flashed in her mind for the thousandth time since this all began and Emily was quick to shake it away. The motion, however, did not go unnoticed by one of the team. Hotch reached out and tentatively took Emily's hand into his. The sudden contact startled her but once she realized where it had come from, her heart immediately calmed. She hated just how easy it was for this man to affect her. She also hated how blind he seemed to be to her plight. It wasn't the first time she had felt her heart skip a beat or two when Aaron Hotchner said or did anything in her presence. She was sure it wouldn't be the last. Squeezing the warm hand back, Emily offered him the briefest of smiles. To her great surprise, it was reciprocated. Her shock must've been easy to read as the Unit Chief actually blushed before returning his own hand back to his lap. His eyes, however, did not leave the ambassador's daughter until the voice of their pilot chimed in the BAU's headsets.
"I'll set you down about two miles away from the cabin." The man had to shout. "Border Patrol agents were closer than the nearest SWAT team so they'll meet you at the edge of the woods outside the target." Hotch and the man exchanged a brief conversation before finally, the doors could be opened and the BAU hopped out. It didn't take long for the group to cover the miles to the meeting point and by the time they got there, the CBP agents had arrived.
"Agent Hotchner?" A large, balding man approached and extended his arm out to Hotch who shook it firmly as he nodded. "Cooper Ringley. This is my team." The three men and one woman behind him nodded in acknowledgement.
"Thank you for your help." Hotch spoke quickly, eager to get to JJ and Ava. "We've got two agents being held hostage somewhere in that cabin. A minimum of three hostiles, all of which should be considered extremely dangerous."
"What's the status of the agents?" Ringley asked bluntly only to be met with silence as the BAU exchanged glances. "Are they alive, Agent Hotchner?"
"Yes." Morgan's reply was swift. "We have reason to believe that one of them is their leader's endgame."
"And the second?" Ringley frowned, his team casting dubious glances as they wondered if they were about to risk their lives for a corpse.
"There's…there's a chance she might've already been killed." The words were bitter in Hotch's mouth but he understood why Ringley needed to know the details.
"We should expect more than three unsubs." Rossi wanted to move past Hotch's comment as quickly as possible. "This woman had a multitude of employees before she was arrested and no shortage of people willing to help her for a quick buck."
"That's why we brought this." One of Ringley's team, a man who made Morgan look like a dwarf, hoisted a large, automatic gun and slung it over his shoulder.
"A big gun is just a paperweight if you don't know how to use it properly." Emily couldn't help but mutter only to receive a mischievous grin from the man in question.
"Oh, I know how to use it. Trust me." The brunette rolled her eyes as he shot a wink in her direction. The only woman on their team was quick to land a slap on the back of his head.
"I take it this is a 'shoot first, don't bother to ask questions later' kind of situation?" Ringley ignored the two as he turned back to the BAU.
"Hell yes it is." Morgan was already checking his weapon, his eyes darkened with anger.
"Two teams." Hotch broke them up hurriedly. "The first will take up positions there and there." Hotch pointed towards the closest trees surrounding the cabin. "Draw them out, make sure you get their attention."
"And the second?" Emily asked, tightening her Kevlar against the chill.
"Me, you, and Rossi will sneak in while they're distracted, find Ava and JJ, and get them out." Hotch decided.
"I'm not playing paintball with these sons of bitches while you guys go get our girls." Morgan was adamant, his copious amount of anger directed straight at Hotch.
"You're a good shot and the strongest out of all of us." Hotch explained. "I need you outside, taking out as many of them as you can so Ava and JJ don't get hurt."
"Please, Morgan." Emily insisted. "We don't have time for this." She was right, of course, and that was the sole reason Morgan chose to bite his tongue.
"Hotch," Reid spoke up for the first time since they left D.C., "what do we do if-"
"No." Hotch interrupted. "They are both fine, Reid…and if they're not we'll cross that bridge when we get there." With one last look at Emily, he turned to their temporary teammates and asked, "is everyone ready?"
"Let's do it, Captain America." The large man jeered with a grin, trying to lighten the mood for the BAU and failing miserably. As the three designated agents broke off from the rest, Emily couldn't help but peek at her old boss. His jaw was set, teeth grinding hard enough that she could almost hear them chipping, and the hold on his weapon was so tight, she was sure he would lose circulation in his fingers. As they ran, Hotch sensed her gaze on him and turned to meet it. Using the trees as cover, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way the moonlight illuminated her features whenever it shined on her. He knew that that should be the last thing on his mind as they raced to save two of their teammates but he simply couldn't help it. His worry for Emily's wellbeing, as well as her happiness, was more than what a superior normally felt for his agent. Every passing moment in her presence only showed him just how important she was to him as well as how much he'd missed her. Now she was back but only because Ava and JJ were in peril. She would undoubtedly be gone again soon. The thought cut him deeply as his overwhelming need to protect her kicked in just as they were approaching the cabin. The sound of gunfire and shouting had begun seconds before and the three agents could hear much more than three unsubs gathering their weapons to defend their boss. Hotch, Rossi, and Emily crouched down low beneath a slightly open window, waiting for the ample opportunity to climb in. Just as Emily was about to look inside, Hotch grabbed her arm, stopping her. She almost groaned out loud as his overprotectiveness reared its head and he looked inside instead. Without looking back, the Unit Chief motioned that it was clear before swiftly climbing inside. Emily could've sworn she saw a small grin appear on Rossi's lips. The three relished in the warmth the fireplace emanated throughout the cabin and made a quick sweep of the structure as silently as they could. Room by room, they searched for Ava and JJ, becoming more disheartened the longer it took to find them.
"There's no way Antonov tricked us." Rossi grumbled. "Is there?"
"No, they've got to be here." Emily insisted, unable to even consider the repercussions if Dima had indeed fooled them.
"Where's Volkov?" Hotch frowned, sure that the woman wouldn't want to be too far from her captives. "If she's not outside and she's not in here…"
"Then there has to be another room." Emily finished for him. "A room close enough so Katya can control everything but hidden enough to be away from harm."
"You mean a room like this?" Rossi's voice came from the living room where he had kicked back a bear skin rug to reveal a trapdoor. Wordlessly, Hotch reached down and turned the latch, thanking every deity known to man that it wasn't locked. Throwing back the door, all three agents pointed their guns down into the poorly lit area to reveal a staircase. Hotch descended first, followed by Emily, and Rossi who covered their backs. The hallway was narrow but allowed for two people to stand, shoulder to shoulder. Emily and Hotch exchanged quick glances as they took in the large, metal door at the end. Just as Hotch's hand wrapped around the handle of the heavy door, a single gunshot caused the three agents to jump.
"It's quite simple actually. You don't."
Ava's first instinct was to barrel straight into the woman who had caused so much misery and suffering. With the amount of rage and fear boiling so close to the surface, she was quite sure that she could take the blonde. However, Ava restrained herself as she saw the woman slowly remove a gun from the back of her jeans. As Katya pointed the gun at her, Ava's only move was to cover as much of JJ's prone body as she could with her own. Katya let out a small chuckle at the action.
"You disappoint me, Avalona." As always, her full name from the criminal's lips made Ava nauseous. Then again, so did everything else about her now. "I really thought you'd keep your word. I thought you'd actually changed but it seems like you're still the stubborn, prideful, little bitch I met all those years ago."
"Your disappointment means as much to me as an ant means to a boot." Ava spat, completely unsure as to how she was going to get out of this. "What're you going to do? Shoot me? After all this, you're just going to put me down like a rabid dog?" Ava rose slowly, pointing at the back of her own head. "Want me to turn around so you can get a better shot?"
"You play with fire a lot for someone who's so afraid of getting burned." Katya narrowed her eyes at her, contemplating the consequences of killing the younger woman.
"You actually think I'm afraid to die?" Ava surprised her with a laugh. "Death is only the beginning of the things I'm willing to suffer as opposed to letting you touch me again."
"That's quite bold for someone who was willing to do much more than that a few hours ago." Katya grinned as she struck a chord, watching the brunette's jaw clench and unclench. "You can lie to yourself all you like, Ava. You and I know the truth."
"And what truth is that?" Ava ground her teeth as she asked, taking small steps closer to the woman in the hopes that she wouldn't notice.
"That you enjoyed our time together. That given the opportunity, you would jump at the chance to feel my hands on you again." Ava squashed the urge to gag but she couldn't stop the handful of tears that fell down her cheek. Lowering her head to hide them, as well as break free from the woman's piercing gaze, she could barely hear Katya's full blown laugh as blood rushed passed her ears.
"There's no need to be ashamed, Ava." The woman taunted. "I told you that simply lying there like a victim wasn't going to cut it and you delivered…and delivered, and delivered." Ava had to bite her lip to keep a sob from escaping as the woman chuckled at the memory. "I wonder what she's going to tell the rest of your team- that is, if she survives the trip." Ava held her breath, having completely forgotten that JJ most likely knew what she had done. "Will they memorialize you as the hero who sacrificed everything to save their friend…or the whore whose last free act was fucking her enemy?" If asked about this moment months from now, Ava knew that she would be unable to recall what was running through her mind or exactly what transpired next. All she knew was that, in a flash of red hot fury, she somehow managed to slap Katya's gun out of her hand and tackle the woman to the ground. Shouting curses and blinking away tears, Ava used her anger as well as her desperation to rain blow after blow on Katya's face and body. Simply put, she snapped in almost every way possible. The blonde, more than surprised at the turn of events, got in quite a few hits of her own but Ava didn't seem to feel a thing. Punch after punch Katya withstood until finally, she was able to pull a knee up against Ava's chest and force her back. The brunette cried out, more in anger than in pain, as Katya scrambled in search of the gun. Just as her fingers wrapped around its grip, Ava was on her again and the two were rolling into the walls as they wrestled for control of it. Katya, her form not nearly as beaten or weakened as Ava's, managed to land on top and straddled the younger girl's chest as she used both hands to aim the gun. Ava grabbed the weapon from the top, turning her head away from the barrel just in case. Just then, something shiny caught her attention: the knife. Still embedded in the man's neck, the knife was the only other weapon in the room…and Katya didn't even know it was there. Ava placed her left hand around Katya's fingers in an attempt to keep her from reaching the trigger while her right went for the knife.
"Looks like you won't get to experience the pleasure of my company again after all." Katya growled, assuming that the brunette had given up when she saw her let go. Just as Ava stretched far enough to graze the bloodied hilt of the knife, the gun went off and a searing pain erupted in her shoulder. She screamed but used the distraction to yank the knife out of the man's neck. Just as she did, the door behind them swung open. Katya, expecting no one, turned her head just enough to see two strangers bursting in, guns pointed directly at her. Ava, however, couldn't see the newcomers and didn't hesitate in plunging the knife directly into Katya's gut. The woman let out a surprised gasp as she frowned at the sudden pain. The gun fell from her hands almost immediately as blood began to soak through her shirt and onto Ava's hands and chest. The snarl on Ava's lips seemed to dissipate as she realized what she had just done. Katya, eyes watering from either the pain or the knowledge that she had lost, used the last of her strength to reach out and stroke Ava's tear stained cheek. Frozen, the younger woman felt the body above her begin to go limp. She stared deep into dark eyes as whatever little light there was in them was snuffed out for good. Katya's body dropped heavily onto her and she let out a wail of pain, her entire body crying out as the adrenaline quickly began to fade.
"Ava!" Hotch's voice, surely a delusion, echoed in her mind as Katya's body was pushed off of her. The man himself appeared above her, taking in her multitude of injuries as well as the empty look in her once bright eyes.
"She's dead." Rossi announced as he stepped over Katya's body to check on JJ. Ava swallowed hard, using much more strength than she remembered needing to turn her head. Tears streaked down the side of her face as she watched Rossi and a dark-haired woman rush to JJ's side.
"Jay." Ava's voice was hoarse, her blood already pooling around her and Hotch. The Unit Chief, having located the most crucial wound, put all of his weight onto Ava's right shoulder. The brunette cried out, the adrenaline she had used to fight Katya now completely gone and leaving her to feel every last bruise.
"She's lost a lot of blood." The concern in the other woman's voice was clear and Ava squinted, sure that she should know who she is. Before she could get a better look however, Hotch called her name. The sound was distant, almost as if she was underwater, but she turned her head to face him regardless.
"It's going to be alright." He told her. "Volkov is never going to hurt anyone again." Hotch watched as more tears appeared in his agent's eyes and was sure his heart was breaking.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed, her tears mingling with the multitude of blood staining the floor. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't know."
"Shh," Hotch cooed, "no one blames you, Ava. No one. It's all going to be alright. You just have to stay awake."
"I-I didn't want my past to-" she paused to take quick, short breaths, "to hurt this team. I'm s-sorry."
"This isn't your fault. It's hers." Hotch glared at Katya's body, somewhat disappointed that he wouldn't get to lock her a box and throw away the key himself. "Try not to speak."
"Y-You came." Ava couldn't help but smile briefly before the pain wiped it away.
"Of course we came, Ava." Hotch pressed down on her shoulder harder, wincing as she cried out again, this time not nearly as loud. "We're your family." The word caused a switch to go off in her, as if hearing it made her immune to the vast amount of pain she was in. Ava swallowed hard and looked up at him, eyes as clear and bright as the day they met.
"Hmm." She breathed, another smile etched on her lips. "Family." Hotch tried to press down even harder as he saw her eyes begin to roll to the back of her head. His shouts for her to remain awake went unheeded as Ava allowed her body to go limp and saw nothing but white.