AN: I apologize for taking so long in posting this chapter. Life is very busy and one of the few chances I had to post this weekend, I lost power while I was in the middle of doing just that. Thank you to Arwennicole, Alerria, muccia12, and crazyobsession101 for reviewing the previous chapter! Closing in on 100 reviews, WOW!
Tony walked confidently into the private meeting room, unsurprised to see that all the key members of the group were already there waiting for him. They needed to know what his decision was on Jennifer Jareau; not that it was much of a decision for him. His mind had been made up very quickly.
"Tony, it's good to see you." Vern, an older, graying man of about fifty-five spoke as the room fell silent.
"Likewise you." Tony nodded with a short smile.
"As you know, we need your decision on what to do about the young lady you currently have in your possession." Vern continued from his seat at the front-right of the table, just off the head where Tony moved to sit.
"I don't think it's much of a decision, really. I like what she has to offer, both to me and potentially to this colony. She is staying. I've decided to keep her as my own." Tony said self-assuredly as the others stared back at him.
"You know how we feel about adding another outsider to the mix…especially seeing as you yourself were an outsider just a few years ago. It makes us a little uneasy." One of the others spoke.
"Not to mention she works for the government if I'm not mistaken." Another, slightly younger man added.
Tony sighed, knowing he was going to get the third degree about his decision. He came in knowing that he might have to sell some of the key members of the colony on this. However, he was confident, and prepared to do just that.
"Everybody here knows all about me. I'm not going to lie to you or mince words. Did she work for the government? Yes. Is she an outsider? Of course. Is she strong-willed? Like heck she is…but that is just what we need." Tony responded back, the fire building behind his voice.
"It has not been a secret that this group has struggled for years, even before I came into the position of leader. Between government sanctions, the new way people live now, without regards to others or the teachings of their religion, there is no doubt that things have gotten harder, that things have changed. Further, we've struggled through an intense drought this year. The crops aren't what they usually are, and the cattle are dwindling. But through it all what is the one message that has always been preached? That I have always preached? That God provides." Tony paused for effect, eyeing each person who sat at the table.
"We will turn this around and once Jennifer Jareau is fully, capably, assimilated into our group, she will help us get there."
"What makes you so confident Tony? The girl has barely been here for two days. She's already at a disadvantage seeing as she is an outsider. She has so much to learn." The young man spoke again.
"I would have to agree with Rod, there are other capable choices you could have made, Tony. You could have at least picked someone from the colony. Just because this woman you picked has you physically attracted to her, doesn't make her the best choice." Vern spoke evenly.
"Listen. I didn't just pick this woman because she is gorgeous, although obviously that is a benefit. I picked this woman for her brain just as much as anything else. She is smart, she will pick up the teachings quickly once she is properly invested and motivated. Camilla has already done a good job beginning the process this morning. She has a witty tongue. She is good at making her point and convincing others that her way is the way to proceed. We need exactly that if we are to spread the teachings, or if we are to continue to try to cut deals in order to sell our crops in exchange for cattle. We all know how the last few cattle deals have failed." Tony pointed out, getting a few uneasy looks from some of the others.
When Tony finally thought he was beginning to make way in getting through to them, it was Paul, of all people, who spoke up.
"But Tony, she's a woman. You know it's the men who make the deals."
Tony froze for a second, shooting a dark look in the direction of Paul who simply held his stare in return.
"She's a strong woman. She's a physically and mentally trained woman. Even if she doesn't actually make the deals, I am confident she can help us behind the scenes with the wording and some persuasion of such deals if need be." Tony eyed Paul darkly, daring him to speak again.
"But what's to say her training doesn't take? What's to say as soon as you cut her loose and give her some freedom she doesn't try to escape or sabotage the whole group?" Another man questioned, earning some murmurs of agreement.
"Well let's ask Camilla. Camilla, do you think she can be properly taught?" Tony turned to the woman, who was seated halfway down the table beside her husband Alex. Camilla visibly paused for a moment as if to consider her answer.
"Eventually, once some of her will has been broken and she accepts the fact that this is her new life? Then yes, absolutely."
"See? That's good enough for me." Tony's voice rose an octave.
"But Camilla the question isn't if, it's how long will it take?" Paul spoke again. Tony glared at the man, almost warning him that he was treading on thin ice.
"It may take some time in all honesty. It took until she blacked out for her to get through the first session, not that it's overly surprising. But given her stubbornness, it will take more time than usual in all likelihood. I know I can do it, however…especially, if I can go at her without restrictions." Camilla glanced at Tony with her final words.
"Out of the question. I want her in one piece. I want her to be taught, but I don't want it to be at the loss of the woman that I brought here. I brought her here for a reason." Tony said as he leaned back in his chair a little.
"Tony, you have to be willing to give a little too. We already feel like we are taking a bit of a risk here all things considered." Vern reminded firmly.
"I will not have her physically harmed more than necessary. If anyone leaves any permanent mark on her it will be me. Is that understood?!" Tony said sharply, glaring around the table. "She is here for a reason. She will learn given the proper time and patience."
"But why be patient when there were enough to choose from here?" The younger man questioned again.
"Because none of those women suited me! They were either too weak, or too shallow or too timid! They didn't have the fighting spirit that this one does! They weren't as smart or hard working as this one! Jennifer Jareau is just the woman that this colony needs, that I need!" Tony answered resoundingly.
"I know you all have your doubts, but I am telling you she is the one. There is a reason she just happened to walk into my life when I was in another state, down and desperate in my luck. We all know what would've happened. What we would've lost, what I would've lost if I couldn't find someone. Now I have. This wasn't done out of desperation, this was done out of knowing…out of the knowing that she is the one who belongs here. God showed her to me. I know this may be hard for some of you to accept, but give it time. I promise you will not regret it." Tony stopped to take a sip of water from the glass in front of him. He did it on purpose, giving the others a chance to process the words he had just set before them. With a sigh, Vern spoke.
"Tony, you know we can't exactly say no to you. We just want to be sure you have considered everything, and that you have realized how uncomfortable the situation has made some of us. If she is the right one like you say she is, then I believe you and I'm sure that the rest of us, out of respect to you as our leader, will follow suit." Vern looked to the others receiving some confident nods, and others that were less so.
"Part of the point of waiting forty-eight hours with an outsider, as you know, is to be sure they are indeed what you are looking for. That is why you had to wait to have her. That is why she has yet to be introduced into the colony, officially. So that if there are any doubts or problems, they can be taken care of with the utmost secrecy and privacy. It limits any potential mess or damage that could be created. We wouldn't want the rest of the colony to lose its faith in you or us." Vern spoke somberly. Tony lifted his eyes to meet the older man's.
"I understand Vern. Really, I do. I am up on all of the teachings despite how busy I have been of late. I am confident in my choice. She is the right choice." Tony stared confidently at the man.
Vern studied him for a moment, searching his eyes for something. Having found what he must've been looking for, Vern looked away and turned to the others.
"Then it is settled. Ms. Jennifer Jareau will be introduced into the colony early tomorrow morning where she will officially begin the process of becoming one of us. There is a lot of work to be done to assure the ceremony is of proper standard. I know some of you may not fully be convinced, but let me assure you, get convinced." Vern warned darkly before continuing.
"What makes us strong is the mind of one. When we all get behind an idea and see it through to its completion; that is how we create our success. That is how we survived our problems before; whether they are the government, the land, the crops, or our own internal issues. We have survived through the Lord's will and through lending each other the support needed. If there are any more doubts or objections, let them speak now." Vern finished, eyeing each person as Tony followed suit.
"And what if Tony is wrong, and this doesn't work? What if someone comes to find her?" Paul's voice boomed from the back of the room.
Vern lifted his head so he could see Paul. He knew the man privately had issues with Tony, as well as a desire to take Tony's spot; a spot he knew Paul thought belonged to him. Vern pondered for a moment, a wry smile forming on the edge of his lips. Turning, he looked to Tony once more, the man looking a little more uncomfortable as he knew what Vern's answer would be.
"Then, we make the problem go away, for good."
/
The rest of the afternoon passed agonizingly slow for JJ. All she could think about was how much time was left on the mental clock she had created to keep herself sane. The problem was it was driving her insane. She couldn't stop thinking about her team, praying that they were on their way. They were coming for her, they had to be.
For the rest of the afternoon she tried to stay calm, tried to stay focused, but she couldn't, she was jittery. She jumped at every noise she heard, her ears perking up in hopes that it was her team set to crash through the wooden door. Her senses were on high alert for her team's arrival. They were the best of the best, she kept reminding herself. They would save her from this hell.
She tried not to think of Spencer, how tired and beaten down he must look as he searched for her. She tried not to think about what would happen if they didn't come. What the consequences would be if they didn't show up, another hellish night she would have to endure, no doubt worse than the previous ones as Tony's actions continued to escalate.
Instead she tried to clear her mind, thinking back to happier times; the glorious weekend she had just spent with Spence, her man. He knew how to treat her. He loved her unconditionally and didn't treat her like a piece of property. He would do anything for her and stop at nothing until she was brought home safe. She could rely on him.
Time slowly dragged on. Once the paper had been completed JJ had printed it out and tossed it into the folder without giving it a second look. Slamming the computer shut, she went over to the chair and dragged it back to the window. With nothing else to do, JJ found herself looking out that window, watching some of the others until it began to get dark and group by group they retired to the comfort of their homes.
The dark. Oh how she loathed it.
As she watched the sunset her heart began to beat more quickly. There was still no sign of her team. Tony would be back soon, anytime really.
JJ paced around the room nervously for a while. She didn't know for how long, but she was almost certain her path would be worn into the floor. When she couldn't take it anymore, when she thought she was going to go crazy or scream, she forced herself to sit.
She sat again, looking out into the darkness, watching as the sun set off in the distance, praying to see headlights on the horizon coming her way. This worked for a while, but soon she began to jiggle her leg nervously.
JJ forced herself to stand, to walk to the bathroom, to use said bathroom to try to distract herself. Nothing worked, she was going crazy.
She began to test all the drawers in every room, starting with the bathroom. She hoped against hope that maybe Tony had left something unlocked, maybe she could find something that would help her. The more drawers she tried, the more agitated she became. She let out a frustrated huff when she reached the kitchen and came away empty.
Running her hands through her hair, JJ returned to the main room. Her eyes were drawn to the window once more. The darkness seemed to be enveloping her, seeping into her subconscious, eating away at her.
Instinctively she turned on the lamp near the bed, an attempt to drown out the darkness that was setting in on her. She closed most of the curtains as it began to get cold, being sure to leave that one curtain open, her window of hope per chance. She thought about grabbing the lamp from the table and wielding it as a weapon when Tony returned. She even went so far as to try to lift it. The lamp was bolted down.
'Of course it is.' JJ laughed at herself for being so silly, so naïve, so desperate. Of course Tony wouldn't forget something small like that.
Regardless, JJ was convinced there must be some point in the room where the integrity could be compromised and she could build a mode for escape. She began to feel along the walls, like a crazy person in a padded cell. She was becoming a crazy person in a cell. The combination of being isolated for so long with the idea of what the soon to be lost isolation would bring was driving her completely coo-coo. As she reached the end of the first wall she cursed out loud that she couldn't find anything. Not that she expected to. She thought about continuing onto the next wall, but decided against it. Doing so would only make things worse for her mental stability.
JJ sighed out loud, moving to the couch and plopping herself down in a heap. She had to calm down. She had to get her composure back so she could take on Tony when he returned.
'Where is Tony?' JJ couldn't tell what time it was, but as it was pitch black outside, she surmised it must be at least nine. She wasn't exactly hungry; the result of her big meal earlier and the stress she felt now.
'Why is he so late?' Not that she minded at all. She actually preferred it over the alternative even if she was going crazy.
'If it's nine, then I was taken almost forty-eight hours ago.' Her brain reminded her.
'Shut up, damn you! I'm not trying to make myself crazy. Saying things like that are only going to make it worse.' She chided herself.
'Where are you Spence? Please don't fail me right when I need you most. Hotch, David, Emily, Derek, Pen…where are you?' JJ wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her legs onto the couch as she laid out on it.
She was becoming tired, the boredom becoming too much, the exhaustion hitting her body hard. The stress, torture, lack of sleep from the previous night, and the hyperactivity from the last few hours were getting to her. Over the next few hours, JJ drifted in and out of a light sleep. She would wake abruptly when she heard the creak of the house settling, or she thought she heard the lock to the door. At one point she woke with a start when she could have sworn she heard Spence's voice, only to be deeply disappointed to find he wasn't there. As she drifted back once more, she could hear his encouraging voice in her head.
'You can do this JJ, you will survive. You're one of the toughest people I know and I love you no matter what. Stay strong for me. I'll be there to help you as soon as I possibly can. Not a moment later, I promise. When I get you back, you'll never leave my arms again. And I promise I'll let you teach me how to dance no matter how long it takes. We'll go to the beach. We'll listen to the waves as we look at the stars in each other's arms. I'll tell you the name of every star before I kiss you just the way you like it. I will rescue you. Until then, I love you JJ, always remember that.' JJ's lips turned up into a slight smile, the words of Spencer in her dream enough to comfort her just a bit.
/
Spencer wanted to keep working on the case. Damn how he wanted to keep working on the case. But it was getting late, and Hotchner insisted that they slept in shifts, just as they had the previous night. They had to stay as fresh as the allotted time during the day would let them; no matter how much closer they got to JJ or how much time had passed since her abduction.
'Almost two whole days.' Spencer's brain didn't hesitate to remind him. He had stayed focused on the case, even as the new leads and potentially a new big break had been presented to them.
Unfortunately, Prentiss and Rossi were almost back from the five hour rest they had agreed to take. Spencer knew he and Morgan would be next. He knew that while Hotch didn't know everything the nurse had said at the hospital, that Hotch was keeping Morgan close by as he knew best what was going on with the young genius.
What that meant was Morgan could very well stick to what the nurse had said, which was to be sure that Spencer took the sleeping pills. If he did, that meant at least seven hours of sleep. He would be knocked out, completely unable to fight off the effects of the drug and unable to wake on his own until he was at least somewhat rested or someone came and got him.
Sure, Morgan could come and get him after Morgan had slept his five hours, but they both knew Reid needed his rest. Further, if he woke early while on the pills, he was sure he would be groggy and out of it until he had pumped enough caffeine into his system to counteract the effects of the drug. It wasn't fair and it made him nervous. He wanted to give JJ all the time he could, to not be restricted because of some drug or a few choices words a nurse had said.
Spencer knew he could try to go to Hotch with his current conundrum, even if he wasn't fully honest about his current situation. But he knew that especially given that he had just been shot and had clearly not slept much in the past few days, that Hotch would easily side with Morgan. Spencer sighed as Rossi and Prentiss walked back into the room. They both looked tired from their short rest.
"We're back. Morgan and Reid, your turn." Emily said as she stifled a yawn.
"Give us a second; I want to look through this last page of the report." Spencer said as he stared intently at the new information they had received.
After watching the video, the part where the team entered the precinct for the first time, the group had kicked into action with new life. Hotchner had an image of the man sent to Garcia in hopes that she could identify him by running him through her database. Unfortunately she could not; he had no criminal record as far as they knew. They had made note of the man's features. His apparent height and weight, how he seemed to be dressed similar yet better than the other two men they had as suspects.
They watched more of the videos, trying to get every ounce of footage they had on the man so they could pick up on his mannerisms, his personality. The problem was, except for that first day, they had very little of the man. He remained hidden, letting the other two men handle his bidding for him.
Clearly he was the alpha male of the pack. He also seemed to be a little volatile at times if his interactions with the short man were of any indication. The fact that this man could snap so easily; that he could be verbally abusive suggested that he could also be physically abusive. While this wasn't really a surprise, Spencer still tried not to think about the fact that JJ could very easily be at this man's mercy.
Unable to identify the alpha, they had decided to switch gears as Rossi and Prentiss rested. Now, all Spencer could do is get them up to speed before he would be made to leave.
"Any luck on identifying our guys?" Rossi asked as he sat down with a cup of coffee.
"Not the first guy, but the second guy yes." Morgan replied.
"We went through the booking logs seeing as the shorter man was booked two days ago. His name is Cal Stevenson, of Santa Monica, California." Hotchner informed them.
"He's a little ways from home." Emily replied as she looked at the image Garcia had been able to pull as soon as they had given her the name.
"He was booked for apparently trying to steal cattle from a local rancher. In his written statement Cal claims he had a verbal agreement with the rancher to purchase the cows. He claimed that the purchase would be forthcoming in a couple days once he was satisfied with the quality of the cows. The rancher claims this was not the case and that Cal tried to pull a fast one on him. He was arrested, held overnight and booked. He's due in court in about a week." Spencer explained.
"Well, this is some good news. Do we know where he is staying? I'm assuming it's not California that would be a bit of a ways to go with cows." Emily said.
"We don't. It appears the California address is his last known address and its a few years old. According to the tenant at the building he lived, he left a few years ago, didn't say where he was going." Hotchner said.
"Doesn't he have to give a legitimate address on his processing papers, especially considering it's a legal document?" Emily questioned.
"He does, and he didn't. It appears he has been using the California address the whole time. The next time he shows up in court, if he shows up in court, we will be sure to get him for that too." Hotchner replied sternly.
"So the trail is cold then?" Rossi asked with disappointment.
"Not entirely. While we don't know where he is now, and we certainly can't wait a week for his court date, this isn't his first offense. Cal got into two similar disputes over cattle in the last two years. The first was in northern New Mexico, the other was in western Oklahoma, right near the borders of both Colorado and New Mexico. Garcia found that both of these disputes were later settled, relatively quickly, out of court." Morgan stated.
"Partly to blame for the bad address not being caught." Rossi said as he processed what Morgan told them.
"We located on the map where the three disputes took place. While we can't triangulate his possible location given that it doesn't form a triangle, given that two of these three incidents took place in Oklahoma, and the other was near Colorado, where we know license plates have gone missing, we are assuming he's either relatively local, or somewhere just across the border in either Colorado or maybe even New Mexico." Spencer summarized.
"So at least we have a general area to work with." Emily nodded.
"Exactly." Spencer confirmed.
"Do we have any more information on this guy? Do we know about his past, who he associates with, any relatives he might have so we can get a better picture of this guy?" Rossi asked.
"Garcia's working on that. She probably won't have any new information until the morning." Morgan said.
"We also have her tracking down the rancher who filed the charge against Cal Stevenson; we're hoping to interview him in the morning as well." Hotchner added.
"What about the other guy, the leader?" Emily asked after taking a sip of her own coffee.
"The name he signed to set Cal free was Mark Anderson but Garcia can't find a picture through all the Mark Andersons that fits with the image we took off the tape. We're speculating that he might've used it as an alias." Spencer replied solemnly.
"Again, falsifying a public, legal document; just another charge we can hit him with." Morgan added.
"Didn't the officer who processed him ask for a valid ID?" Rossi asked incredulously.
"He did, and speaking with the officer he had what appeared to be a valid Oklahoman license." Spencer answered.
"Well either we can't find him or he got away with using a fake ID." Morgan sighed.
"Given what we know about these guys, their planning, a fake ID is hardly implausible." Spencer said as he shuffled through some papers. Hotchner looked at the young man, noticing how tired he looked and how hard he was obviously trying to hide it.
"Anyway, that is where we stand at the moment. Now that you two have returned, Morgan and Reid it's your turn. Go get some rest. We'll see you back here in a few hours." Hotchner ordered with finality in his voice that left no room for argument.
Morgan and Reid exchanged a glance, and Morgan nodded as they stood. Spencer neatened the stack of papers in front of him and then walked out, not bothering a glance back into the room where he had spent the last hours tediously going through every detail.
The ride back to the hotel was quiet, which Spencer was thankful for. He had made sure to eat again while Prentiss and Rossi were gone, adhering to the nurses rules while also trying to keep Derek off his back. He had to admit, eating a proper meal did give him more energy, even if it wasn't always plausible for him to do so. In this case it had been, not just to please Morgan, but also because Spencer knew a full stomach would weaken the effects of the sleeping pill a little.
Morgan parked the SUV and they made their way into the hotel room. They survived the tired silence of the elevator ride and in a few moments time, they stood in front of their side by side rooms. Spencer pulled out his key card and swiped it quickly. He entered and went to close it just as quickly when Morgan put his hand on the door to prevent it from shutting.
"Before you go to bed Reid, I need to be sure you take the sleeping pill." Morgan told him seriously. Spencer had been expecting this.
"Let me just change and get ready, and then I'll come get you through the bathroom." Spencer said, pointing to the adjoining bathroom that they shared. Morgan was visibly surprised that Reid caved so easily.
"I'm tired. I really don't feel like arguing. I just want to get this over with." Spencer said in a voice that held a hint of realized inevitability. Morgan gave a weak smile.
"If you don't get me in ten minutes I'm coming to find you." Morgan warned and Spencer showed his agreement.
Spencer quickly stripped down and changed into some more suitable clothes. When he was done, he quickly used the bathroom before preparing a glass of water and going to get Morgan. He tapped on the other bathroom door leading to Morgan's room and a moment later the door opened.
"Ready?" Spencer asked as he held the pill up in his hand.
"Go ahead." Morgan nodded.
Spencer tilted his head back and dropped the pill into his mouth. Without wasting time he leveled his head back evenly and lifted the glass of water to his lips, chugging a large gulp of water. When he had swallowed the water, he quickly opened his mouth, giving Morgan a very quick glance into his mouth.
"Satisfied?" Spencer asked tiredly.
Morgan hesitated a little, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it he agreed. He was too tired to get into a fight or question Reid's honesty, he trusted him.
"Goodnight Morgan." Spencer said, turning and walking back towards his room.
"Get some rest Reid." Morgan called after him.
He stood in the bathroom, waiting and watching until he saw the light in Reid's room shut off. He couldn't help but to feel for his friend. As Morgan finished getting ready for his own short rest, he could only hope that Reid would catch a break and find some peace, get the sleep that he so much deserved.
"Morgan?" Spencer called from the dark room.
"Yeah Reid?"
"Make sure you come get me before you head back."
"We'll see Reid." Morgan said noncommittally.
"I mean it Morgan. Don't let me sleep all day."
Morgan sighed and shook his head.
"After all this time, you still don't think I have your back." He said with a slight chuckle, ending the conversation and closing the bathroom door behind him.
Spencer stared at the ceiling, his eyelids becoming heavy. He knew when all this was over, that he would owe Morgan. Until then, he couldn't help but feel that, despite everything, he was lucky to have a friend like him. With that conclusion, Spencer's eyes closed and he fell into a dream-less sleep.
AN: I know I made a bigger deal out of Spencer taking the pill than I should've, but I'm trying to push Spencer through the challenge that I created for him, and I'm trying to show that Morgan has his back. I really want to update again Wednesday, but the next chapter may need some work so it could be Saturday. Thank you all again for reading!