Nice To Meet You (XXV)

"He, WHAT?" Morgan bellowed when JJ told him.

The blonde only nodded. "Emily and Olivia are with Casey at the hospitable. He used a Chinese food delivery guy outfit as a ruse to get in. When he tried to attack her, she called their guard dog, and he did get a piece of Dunning, but…" her voice trailed off. "Most of the blood found in their apartment was their dog's, but CSU did find a few drops of Dunning's blood. He then made her call Silas, and get him to come home…"

"Where the bastard kidnapped him." Morgan kicked a chair.

"Getting angry isn't going to help Shag." Hotch said, keeping his voice level. "Detective Stabler, he has to have a car. Did CSU find anything other than the blood?"

Elliot was just as steamed as Morgan was. "Yeah, he was driving a blue four door sedan, reported stolen a few hours ago. We found it torched in a lot a few blocks away. But there was nothing in the apartment."

"He wouldn't stay close by." Reid said. "Maybe he took a cab?"

"To obvious. Maybe the subway?" JJ proposed.

"Aren't there too many people?" Fin asked.

Hotch spoke now. "If he keeps Shag's gun concealed, tells Shag that if he tried to escape he'll shoot either him or innocent bystanders."

"We have fliers everywhere; why hasn't someone recognized him yet?" Munch asked.

"Disguise is his specialty. We won't be able to spot him that easily." Morgan responded.

"Uh… guys…" Garcia called. "I've got something. An email was sent to me, from an untraceable address."

"Well, what's it say?"

"'Web Chat with me at 8:30, or Shag dies'."

"So he's not dead?" Everyone turned to where the voice had come from; a pale and shaky Casey was standing in the precinct door way with Benson and Prentiss.

"Casey, you shouldn't be here right now." Cragen, took a step forward.

"No, I want to help." She shook her head. "I called the DA; anything you need to catch this son-of-a-bitch is yours. I also want to be there when we're online with him."

"That's not a good idea at all." Hotch stepped forward. "He gets off on other people's pain; seeing you there is only letting him win."

"We can hook up a separate screen, where she can just watch." Garcia spoke up.

"I'll stay with her." JJ offered.

Cragen looked her over; she was pale, shaking, eyes red from crying, and her hands were resting across her stomach, protecting her baby. He didn't want to have to say no to her, but what if he killed Silas on screen and while she was watching. "I don't-"

"I can take it, Captain." Her voice sounded like the strong prosecutor they all knew and loved, not the voice that should have been coming out of broken woman before him.

"Fine." Cragen looked at Garcia. "Set it up."

XXX

All of the SVU detectives and BAU agents (with the exception of JJ) were all in the main room in front of a large TV, waiting to face chat with a serial killer.

In the interview room next to Cragen's office, JJ and Casey sat with a monitor, just like the large one outside.

As the clock ticked, everyone grew more tense.

Finally a video chat invitation popped up on screen. Garcia clicked on it, and Joseph Dunning's face popped up on screen.

"Ah," he said, smiling calmly. "Captain Cragen and SSA Hotchner, nice to meet you both. Look, you have the rest of the team here as well! It's like a party!" He laughed.

"Where is Silas?" Cragen asked, trying to keep his voice level.

Dunning frowned. "All work and no play Captain? He's still with us… for how much longer is up to you."

In the interview room, Casey's stomach flipped over.

"Can we see him?" Hotch asked.

Dunning reached over and turned the camera towards another section of the dark room. Silas was lying on the floor, feet tied, and his hands bound behind his back; he looked like he had gotten the shit beat out of him.

"Looks like a basement…" Emily muttered next to Stabler.

Elliot let out a snort. "Looks like every basement in Manhattan."

"See, he's just fine." Dunning said.

"He's not fine you son-of-a-bitch!" Casey snarled in the next room.

"But I guess we must get down to business, hm?"

"I guess we should." Hotch said. "What do you want?"

"Do you really need to ask that question, Agent? You know what I want." Dunning smiled again. "I want it placed in the sewer grate outside of the precinct. You have one hour. Or…"

He stood up, and calmly walked over to Silas. Everyone knew what was going to happen next; Garcia looked away.

Dunning kicked him in the stomach; Silas tried to double over, to protect himself. Dunning just grabbed him by a handful of his black hair, pulled Silas to his knees, and pulled back his fist. He hit Silas over, and over, and over again.

"Casey, you should-" JJ began, but her voice cracked; It was hard for her to watch too.

"No." Casey whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I need to be here with him, even if he doesn't know it."

It seemed to go on for hours. Finally, Dunning threw him back down, and walked back over to the camera. There was a little bit of Silas' blood splattered on his face. "You have one hour." The camera was turned off.

Silence. "That monster…" Garcia wiped some of her tears away.

"Why the sewer grate?" Munch asked. "In front of the precinct, no less!"

"I don't know…" Reid's brows were furrowed, the wheels in his head spinning. "It's strange…"

"Do it." Cragen said. "You all saw what he did; he's not the man to jerk around. But I want snipers and plainclothes crawling all over that grate!"

Olivia had slipped in the interview room, to check on JJ and Casey. Casey was a wreck, shaking and crying softly; JJ was trying to console her, tears leaking out of her own eyes.

"…It's going to be ok. He'll come back ok." JJ hugged Casey.

"I want to believe that." Casey cried. "But he's going to kill Silas, once he gets that gun."

"You don't know that." Olivia spoke.

"What if he does die?" Casey asked. "And what if the baby doesn't have a father?" She was shaking violently now.

"Casey, you need to be positive." JJ said. "We'll catch him, and Silas will come back safely."

"Then please, both of you," Casey wiped her eyes. "Find him."

XXX

Every second that passed seemed to stretch on for hours. The air in the squad room was so tense and so quiet. People would glance out the window to the grate to see if anyone suspicious was hanging around it.

Finally Elliot broke the silence.

"It's been over an hour." Stabler growled. "No one's even come close to the grate."

"Send in a plainclothes officer to check it out." Rossi told Cragen. "I'm starting to worry a bit; and I don't worry."

About ten minutes later the officer came back, and said only two words; "It's gone."

XXX

I hope I'm freaking you all out a bit, buhahaha…

VampirePrincess: No, I just fast forward about four months so she's now about 7 to 8 months along right now.

7Seven, Ranowa, and SilvrBlade: Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

Now, REVIEW! Or I make you wait!