Disclaimer: I do not own them, just borrowing them or previous events for a while to have some fun. Also any characters from another show that you recognise belong to CBS.

Hi all, hope you enjoyed the holidays and if in the UK have not been lost in the snow. Ours has all gone now.

My usual huge thanks to Lily Moonlight for the beta and additional prodding to finish and post this.

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Chapter 36 - Victor

Flack fidgeted inside the van anxious to get moving as the audio feed from the club was not instilling him with any confidence. Surrounded by a bank of electronic gizmos that he had no idea about, they were barely able to make out more than a word or two in a row due to the background noise. It meant they were solely relying on the team inside the club for information and confirmation when Victor made his move, he wanted to be in there, provide more eyes on the situation and he guessed that Agent Morgan felt the same. Never very patient at stake-outs this one was making him edgy with the thought of what was at risk.

"I thought you said this would work, I can't hear a thing, there's too much interference," he complained, turning one of the dials in front of him.

"Don't do that," Adam scolded at the same time as an ear splitting squeal had them throwing off their headphones in shock.

After a moment they had recovered from the deafening sound enough to focus again.

"What the hell was that?" Flack gasped, tentatively picking up his headphones again, hoping that the tech wasn't going to blame him for touching the dial.

Adam hurriedly checked a couple of the machines and then looked at Flack with his mouth open and a nervous look on his face. "I need to call Mac."

"Why? What's happening?"

"That was Karla's alarm, something's gone wrong and… and she's in trouble," Adam offered almost apologetically, his voice wavering in anticipation of the reaction from the detective at his side.

Flack was off his seat before Adam had finished speaking, but despite his nerves the lab tech had grabbed his arm. "Wait, you can't just go barging in there, we have to alert the whole team, see if we can find out what is happening. Please, Flack I don't want the boss mad at me because I let you go in there without back up."

Reluctantly, Flack sat back down and pulled out his phone sending a text to Danny while Adam grabbed his own phone to bring their leaders up to speed.

….

Hawkes and Reid watched as Karla was led across the dance floor and through a guarded door to what they knew were the back offices and storerooms from their study earlier of the club blue-prints.

"Looks like they're making their move," Hawkes stated unnecessarily.

Reid nodded in agreement, his mind racing at the possible scenarios. Looking around he frowned, "Emily hasn't come back and neither has Stella, I think we've been made. We need to check the women's bathrooms, make sure they're not out there."

Before they could move from the corner booth they'd set themselves up in Danny and Lindsay joined them. "Are these seats taken? My wife's feeling a little light-headed and needs to sit down for a few minutes." Lindsay was doing her best to look a little spaced out to keep the ruse and Hawkes waved them into the empty seats.

Having taken the corner seat she was now partially hidden by Danny and she visibly dropped the act to focus on the discussion. "We saw what happened with Karla. Where are Stella and Emily?"

"We don't know, someone needs to check the bathroom. That's where they were going about 5 minutes ago," Hawkes informed them.

Danny fished out the phone from his pocket prepared to send a message to the team, but it buzzed in his hand as he did so he read the incoming message. "It's from Flack, Karla triggered her alarm, but they're not sure if it's all of us who are busted or just Karla," Danny added to the scant information they had.

"We have to assume it's all of us as Stella and Emily appear to be missing, so we should stick together in pairs at least," Reid said.

"Okay, we'll take the bathrooms, you go for the guard on the main door," Lindsay ordered, ushering Danny out of the corner and once again picking up the ruse that she was ill.

"Out, I'm gonna be sick," she moaned, pushing against Danny's arm, urging him to move faster.

He conceded and slipped out of the seat and held his hand out for her. They moved to the door, by the time they were out of sight Danny had his arm around her and seemed to be supporting her, giving him a reason to go to.

"Let's hope we haven't been recognised yet," Hawkes muttered pushing his half-drunk glass of beer away from him.

"And let's hope the doorman goes quickly and quietly," Reid answered as they exited their seats and moved towards the entrance ready to put the team's plan into action.

They reached the door and watched the tall muscled man reach out to lift the rope barrier and let a few people in. Quickly they moved forward and Hawkes smoothly slid his hand onto the rope catch and assured the other man, "I got this." From the corner of his eye he saw Reid put a hand on the doorman's shoulder and a couple of fingers in his back.

"I'm FBI and we're gonna take a quiet walk across the street, you try and break free and I shoot you straight in the spine and paralyse you for life." Reid's tone was quiet and sweet, the man nodding in quick compliance and with a final glance between Reid and Hawkes they moved across the almost deserted street towards the NYPD undercover van and Mac and Hotch who were now standing on the pavement.

Hawkes quickly secured the rope preventing anyone else passing, much to the disappointment of the crowds. "Sorry folks, there's a slight technical problem at the moment, we'll get you moving just as soon as it's fixed."

…..

"Good work," Hotch muttered as Reid and the doorman moved out of sight of the club and Flack quickly pushed the latter against the side of the van and cuffed his arms behind his back while a uniformed officer read him his rights.

"Who's in the club?" Flack urged the man, still holding him against the van and hissing in his ear before spinning him around with his back now against the van.

"Everyone, it's a busy night. But you won't find them. Victor knew you'd come, he knew she'd come, he's been waiting a long time to be able to get his hands on her and he's gained those two hot chicks as a bonus. You think Victor is here? Not when he knows the place is gonna get raided, he keeps his nose clean."

"Which two hot chicks?" Flack demanded, not sure he'd like the answer.

The guy grinned maliciously revelling in the pain he was inflicting, "those two cop chicks, pretending they were just out for night out, I made them the minute they arrived and you know, Victor's boys took them out so easy."

Flack wedged his forearm across the guy's neck pushing him hard into the metal side of the van causing a grunt from his prey. "Where are they and where's Victor?" he demanded.

"Safe, watching you all twisting in the wind while he takes delivery of a new batch of women who he will enjoy-" Any further attempt from the doorman to speak was thwarted as he gasped for breath from the pressure Flack had on his neck and starting to crush his wind-pipe.

"Where are they?" hissed Flack applying a little more pressure.

"Nowhere you'll find 'em" croaked the doorman.

"Flack, hand him over, he's not going to save himself," Mac's tone indicated there was no debating the point and reluctantly Flack let the uniformed officer remove the doorman as he turned his attention to the lab boss while adjusting his Kevlar vest. He noticed the frown cross Mac's face and the determined look appear in his eyes. They hadn't figured on Stella and Emily becoming targets and now it seemed they were in at least as much trouble as Karla. Neither of them had raised the alarm and now Mac was standing with his phone trying to call Stella, clearly hoping that the news was better than he feared.

Having momentarily disappeared, Reid returned strapping on his own FBI vest and Mac barely waited for him and Hotch to stand still before he prepared them for the raid, "our priority is stopping any escape. Danny and Lindsay will have the back alley door covered and ESU are in position around the perimeter. We'll go in the front, Morgan and Rossi will take the right hand door, Reid and Hawkes will ensure the patrons are moved out smoothly."

"The minute we move they're going to know, so be prepared for anything, they'll come out fighting and we would prefer that Stella, Emily and Karla aren't in the crossfire, so watch your aim," Hotch instructed, as much into his comms device as to the detectives in front of him.

"Adam can black out the cameras, that should give us an advantage," Mac confirmed.

"Let's do it. Everyone in position, we move as soon as the cameras are down," Hotch announced into his comms unit while Mac went to instruct Adam.

Flack checked his weapon and then stood with Hotch watching the entrance to the club. He had a bad feeling about this.

…..

Karla could feel the bruising forming on her arm from Nikolai's grip as he pushed her through the club. She had seen Danny and Lindsay glance her way as she was escorted towards the large muscled man guarding a door. There wasn't time for her to make any attempt at communication other than a warning look before she was whisked behind the private door and lead down a dark hallway. The team had discussed this moment at length and decided that in order to get Victor she had to play into their hands and be taken to him, everyone clearly aware of the fact that this was the most dangerous part of the operation and they needed to be patient, They had figured without them being identified, and she had jumped the gun by raising the alarm when she did, after all she wasn't 100% sure he was in the building, but by the way Nikolai spoke she was fairly confident. She just hoped Adam's trick with the lipstick had worked and the cavalry were now on their way.

"You're surprisingly co-operative," Nikolai observed urging her forward. "I'll let Victor decide on how to restrain you, but I'm warning you, if you try anything your friends are all dead and I don't just mean those two women cops who were scoping out the place earlier." The edge in his voice and the hope that the teams outside had got the message helped keep her compliant as he escorted her through another door and up some stairs. Stopping outside a steel door she was able to take in the bodyguard on the door and the keypad set to one side, currently displaying a green light, indicating its unlocked state.

"This is the one he's waiting for," Nikolai announced to the guard and the door was opened to admit them.

With the grip on her arm tightening she was pushed inside and held facing a man at the ornate carved desk that formed the central feature of the room. The room was set up to look like a businessman's office with the usual office paraphernalia spread across the desk. Heavy and imposing, the furniture fitted with the general décor of an enthusiastic collector of ancient cultural artefacts which probably better belonged in a museum.

"Bring her closer." Victor's order in a heavy Russian accent brought her attention to him and for a few fleeting seconds a faceless hooded figure crossed her mind before she was able to focus on her enemy.

She was getting her first real look at the man behind her previous abduction when she worked undercover with Derek in Chicago. He seemed at ease, after all this was his domain, he was a little younger than she'd expected, probably in his early 40s with dark curly shoulder length hair, which probably on its own would have looked rather unimposing, but the moustache and goatee seemed to add an extra level of menace to his features along with the dark eyes which seemed cold and unforgiving. She figured his stature put him somewhere close to six and a half feet tall and his frame while not as muscular as his other henchmen she had seen still gave him an oppressive presence.

Without breaking his hold, Nikolai pushed her a couple of steps forward where Victor eyed her carefully before removing himself from his position against the desk and circling her. Taking his time, Karla could almost feel his eyes boring into her as he critically appraised her.

"You're still a fine woman; I can still make good money from you. Of course, the bonus is that your two friends will also bring an excellent price," he taunted.

Karla bit her lip to stop herself from answering back, knowing it was the worst thing she could do. He was trying to goad her, but she was determined to wait him out, trying to buy time for the team to make their entrance.

"Is everything ready for her?" Victor asked turning to Nikolai, receiving an affirmative nod in reply. He smirked at Karla before glancing at his henchman again. "And where are her friends?"

"Her friends were packed according to your instructions and left ten minutes ago for the camp; Mikhail will be taking care of Mrs Messer as we speak, no doubt having to kill her husband in the process. Shame about their little girl, being left all alone," Nikolai gloated with an equally evil looking smirk.

Karla felt sick at the way they discussed her friends, but she had known going into this operation that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Good to hear, the boys will get some pleasure from breeding her."

Karla shuddered; she knew that if they really got away with their plans then more than just the four lives of the women would be shattered. Danny and Lucy would be collateral damage and she didn't want to think about the effects it would have on Morgan, Hotch and Mac.

The sting from a hand striking her face brought her back to the present and her focus onto Victor. Nikolai was gone but she still felt the impression from his hand on her arm. The good news now was that there was only Victor in the room. The bad news was that he was out to settle an old score and her chances of taking him down alone were going to be limited.

"I don't expect you to obey me immediately, but you will in time," he said, his eyes raking over her body again. "I'm surprised you have nothing to say, I've been watching you, you're an opinionated, independent woman. Never mind, there will be plenty of time for you to curse me when you begin your training."

Karla tried to keep a neutral look on her face as she maintained her silence, hoping he would get mad, because then she would have a better chance of trying to take him down as he wouldn't be thinking clearly. She tried to mentally prepare herself for anything and be ready for whatever he had planned next.

"So I'm getting the silent treatment. You're a little disappointing, Zaika you had more fight in you when you were drugged and tied to a bed in that motel in Chicago seven years ago. I thought I would never see this day again, but imagine my surprise when I heard from my boys that you were in town. I knew then that this time you would not escape me, no matter what back up you had."

As much as she wanted to respond, she knew the moment she did he would have the upper hand. She had to hope that she was buying time for the team to get there.

Victor stood before her and caressed her face, surprisingly gently and while inside she felt her skin crawling, outwardly she kept still. "It's time to go. By the time your back up gets in here we'll be long gone. You think you have this place covered, well I have a little secret that isn't on any of the blueprints," his voice dropped as if he was sharing a secret.

He wrapped his hand around her arm and she felt the bruising from earlier manifest itself again. For a moment she refused to move, if he managed to get her into a secret area of the club the team would lose their trail.

"Move it, my car's waiting downstairs" Victor hissed in her ear, as the door swung open admitting the guard.

"It's started. ESU are downstairs rounding everyone up, they've already knocked out the surveillance cameras."

"You know what to do, I need about ten minutes to get out, make sure they're kept busy downstairs for that long and tell Nikolai to meet me at my car with the other one," Victor ordered.

"On it," the guard answered and left again closing the door behind him. Victor pulled Karla towards it and locked it by the code pad at the side.

"Just an extra precaution, to get in they'll need the code, their battering rams won't work it's been specially reinforced, this whole office is like a panic room." The icy tone of his words chilled Karla as her first suspicions on seeing the door were confirmed.

He had only made one mistake that she had detected so far: if she could get away from him, she had clearly seen the numbers he had entered on the pad. The six digits corresponded to the day she had come to the notice of NYPD at the bar where she had first met Flack. He looked at her curiously. "I see you recognise the date, I thought it was quite prophetic, that you should turn up undercover in Mirage where my boys were enjoying a night out. Of course they recognised you immediately and we set in motion the chain of events that brought you here. Having you at the evidence warehouse was a happy co-incidence."

Her lack of reaction caused Victor to stop again as he moved them towards a corner of the room.

"That didn't seem to surprise you, had you guessed my little game plan? We should have picked you up yesterday with that blonde FBI agent, but something must have tipped you off and you evaded me for the last time. Shame I didn't get my hands on her, watching the two of you together would have been quite entertaining."

Karla fought the urge to cringe at his words, while glad that JJ was still safe, although his next words felt like she had been hit with a ton of bricks. "Don't worry though it's merely a small set back. Before the night is out, she'll be joining you in your new home." Gripping her arm tighter he looked at her and laughed. "You thought she was safe in the hospital? Oh my little Zaika, how much you have to learn about me. I don't back down when I find what I want and I'm going to enjoy the two of you. We're wasting time, let's go."

He turned his attention to the wall panel and she knew now she had to make some sort of move. If he made it to his car with her it would be the end, not only that JJ was in trouble and no one would know until it was too late if she let this go further. This time as he moved her she resisted harder, prying his hand from her arm.

"You're hurting me," she hissed, taking a step back from him towards the desk.

His response was swift and decisive. He stepped forward and back handed her causing her to fall across the desk. It was what she had expected; he barely struck her and she had been able to partly control her landing, reaching for the ornate letter opener as she fell. She felt the hand fist in her hair and he used it to pull her up, or that was his intention, however all he got was the handful of the long wig she was wearing, which he tossed aside amid several Russian expletives. It allowed her a few seconds to push herself up and be ready when he lunged at her again, which he did without hesitation, but he found himself with the letter opener in his side for his attempt. A roar of pain echoed around the room as he yanked the object from his side allowing blood to spurt out of the wound, giving her a chance at leaving a trail if he managed to get her into the secret passage.

He lunged for her again, as heavy knocking on the door started. It was clear that the guard was trying to get back in, but was thwarted by the locks. For the moment Karla needed it that way, she wasn't in control yet. Dodging sideways from Victor's lunge had left him out of her line of sight and as she turned to face him again, she felt the bolt of pain rip through her side and her muscles seize with darkness threatening to engulf her as she lost control and the floor rose to meet her.

…..

ESU and the teams quickly converged on the main hall of the club and corralled everyone together, taking out those who were clearly the workers and ensuring their separation from the patrons. The DJ had been removed with the other staff and his music shut down, enabling instructions and conversation to be shared among the teams. Danny and Lindsay joined Mac, now wearing their own Kevlar vests and armed ready to continue the raid. Hotch and Flack were ready to move, already standing near the doorway to the back offices.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked as the young couple joined them.

"Fine," hissed Danny as Lindsay rested a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him.

"It was touch and go for a while, but they hadn't accounted on the country girl fighting back," Lindsay breezed with a hint of false bravado.

"Good you were prepared," Mac acknowledged, glancing around the gathered club-goers who were starting to be quizzed by uniformed officers. Although he had been told about Stella and Emily's disappearance he had still half expected Stella to be greeting him when they got inside, the realisation that she really wasn't there caused his stomach to churn at her absence. It strengthened his resolve that they needed to press on and clear the rest of the building without any delay, every minute counted. He made a final check of his weapon and looked at Hotch, who glanced at the NYPD team and nodded.

"Morgan and Rossi are taking the other exit hoping to meet us upstairs," he confirmed.

With a team of ESU accompanying them they opened the door to the dark hallway and began to enter, searching each room they passed.

The ESU officer in attendance with a battering ram made short work of their entry to each room off the hallway and they quickly cleared them as they made way towards another door at the end.

Flack reached the door first and yanked it open, quickly aiming his gun up the dark staircase on the other side.

Now working on how everything is resolved and who gets out unscathed. Hearing your views will help the muse.

posted - 27 Jan 13