Chapter 25

"Penelope! You have a phone." JJ cried. She ripped it from Garcia's hand and tried turning it on. The cool exterior sent a cold chill through her hands. It was little dusty like it hadn't been used in a while, which wasn't surprising to either woman. Who could Jack possibly be calling?

JJ pushed the buttons and none of them lit up. They didn't make the usual beep of noises, signalling an impending call. They were dead, grey, and cold.

"Pen..." JJ whispered, her heart breaking inside of her. They were so close.

"It doesn't have batteries." Garcia explained.

"Let's go get some damn batteries." JJ exclaimed, more like the old JJ that seemed to come and go like a cold.

"Jayje, there's a digital clock right there, take out the batteries and we'll see-" Garcia couldn't even finish as JJ was ripping the clock from the night stand and flipping it over.

Garcia looked over JJ's shoulder, trying to see if her help was needed anywhere however, JJ was doing a thorough job of getting the batteries from the small, old digital clock. Garcia couldn't help the small up turn of her lips, it'd been a while since she'd seen JJ so animated about anything. The thought of escape was just enough to get her going. Finally the batteries were free and Garcia had opened the slot in the phone for JJ to put the batteries.

JJ easily slipped them into their spot and released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. What if the batteries hadn't of fit? JJ shook the thought away and tried dialing on the phone once more. When the screen lit up a pale orange and the all too familiar beep sound rung through the room, JJ couldn't help a slight squeal of delight. It was almost over, it really was almost over.

Quickly JJ had the three numbers dialed.

911

One ring later and JJ was speaking to an operator.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"Ahh, oh my God." JJ said, she couldn't help herself, it seemed so surreal. "My name is Jennifer Jareau, I'm with the FBI my team and I have been kidnapped. We've been here for at least a week. You need to contact Erin Strauss over the BAU in Quantico Virginia." JJ spoke a million miles an hour.

"Okay ma'am, slow down. Can you tell me where you are?"

"We are somewhere in the mountains. It is snowy, a man named Jack took us."

"Okay, we are contacting the FBI right now. Are you hurt?"

"Aaron is. I'm sorry Agent Hotchner. He is unconscious, he lost a lot of blood." JJ trailed off. She started to realize the desperateness of the situation, the great possibility that Hotch would die. Her voice cracked with emotion and she slid to the ground in a puddle of her own tears.

"Is anyone else hurt?"

"Not seriously." JJ finally answered. She looked down at her own tattered clothes. Random rips covered what used to be one of her favorite outfits. Her reapplied bra and underwear showed in odd places. Her original shirt and pants were barely on and hardly hiding anything. She looked like a mess and she knew it. Her entire body was covered in aimless bruises. Each varying in color. Some darker than others, some hurting more than others, and each reminding JJ of all that she had been through in such a small period of time. Her shoulder still ached with every movement. Of her physical injuries, it definitely hurt the most. It was a raw throb that seemed to just always be there.

"Jennifer, we have traced the phone and we have sent-" The woman was cut off before she could even finish the sentence.

The entire room went dark, surrounding everything and everything in its way. Eating up all the remaining light until only a small slit of remaining sunlight slipped through the blinds. It was nearing nightfall and now the power had seemed to go out. JJ got up from her spot on the floor, she reached over for the blinds and opened them. It only offered minimal more sunlight. However, in the outer light she could clearly see Garcia and Hotch's faces. She dropped the phone and looked over at Garcia with a worried expression.

"What happened?" JJ whispered.

"It's okay Jay, they're on their way. We are going to get out of here." Garcia replied back confidently.

JJ shook her head and looked back down at Hotch's pale face. He had shallow breathing, he didn't look good. His breath seemed to stutter in his lungs before he let it go, even in his unconscious and restless state.

"Should we stay here?" Garcia asked.

"What if the others are hurt? Why would the power just go out like that?" JJ questioned.

Garcia didn't have an answer. She looked at the floor in regrettable silence.

"Stay with Hotch." JJ ordered.

"No, Jayje. You can't go, you're hurt too." Garcia pleaded.

"I have to make sure they're okay." JJ insisted.

Garcia bit her shaking lip, knowing that it was a lose-lose situation. Her babies could be hurt, and she just couldn't stand that.

"Okay, go, be safe and hurry back." Garcia instructed.

JJ nodded and looked back at Hotch. She crept to his bed side and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry." JJ whispered in his ear before standing up and looking at Garcia one more time. "It's okay, we are all getting out of here, remember?" JJ was now the one offering strength, which seemed so foreign following the events of the last torturous week.

JJ crept around Garcia and creaked the door open. She looked both ways and lurked through the door frame. Garcia shut the door behind her and JJ quickly found the wall. She kept her palms flat on the cold surface. And while it sent cold chills through her shaking body, it was the only sense of security she could cling to.

She considered calling out for her team mates, but what if Jack was waiting for her in the dark and she willingly gave away her location and only subjected herself to worse harm.

She continued down the hallway, wondering if it would ever reach an end. She felt as though she was traveling down an ending-less pitch dark abyss. Just as JJ thought she was going to turn around a corner, a dark hand wrapped around her mouth and pulled her back away from the corner.