"Rapetti!"
It took her more than 15 years to forget about them. But it wasn't long enough for him. Bruno Rapetti was an old man, and one could tell that he was handsome when he was young. Guess it runs in the family, at least that is what she thought when she first met Riccardo.
Ugh! Just remembering him makes me want to vomit.
Bruno Rapetti was a man who had control of everything around him and was admired by many people with political connections. He had the power that many people envy, including Miss Ellington. She would always talked about how generous he was to the school. Her praise for Bruno had led Riccardo to work at the school, to build a better image and moral.
Huh! A moral that he ignored and pretended to obtain in front of others, but on the inside he was a calculating perverted bastard.
She looked around and realized that by now, Riccardo should've known she was here. He's his father's shadow, if Bruno ordered something, he followed to the number. That number being colored in green.
So where is that coward son of a bitch?!
Rapetti turned towards his men, signaling to leave the room now. After they left, Bruno turned back to her, grabbing a rusty old chair to sit on. "Ever since you were a little bambina, you were such a headache, your own parents didn't know how to control you."
"Just like you, you sure knew how to control Riccardo; giving him access to young girls so he could do awful things to them, didn't you?!"
Bruno didn't answer, he simply smiled at her witty attitude and reply. Emily noticed that he didn't even flinched nor did he response in any emotional way. His demeanor told her that he already knew what his own son was doing. So that meant that he knew that Riccardo had raped her years ago.
But how could he allowed that!
Every time he donated money to Miss Ellington's School, he pretended to be this generous wealthy men. But now she's understanding that it was a scheme to let his son do things to girls.
"You were just an unfortunate target." he responded. "An unfortunate but perfect target."
"What do you want?" she asked, she was too tired from the beatings she received that her voice sounded too agitated.
"Why am I here? Are are you going rape me like your sick psycho son?"
Bruno's response to her question was just a simply laugh, an emotional laughter that a mental person would have.
"A padre avaro, figliolo prodigo." he said.
"Don't I know it." she gritted bitterly.
Bruno got up and before he opened the gate to the room she's kept in, he said; "I'll see you in a minute, Rose."
Emily turned to look at him shocked at what he just called her.
"You son of a bitch!" she yelled over and over, as he left.
When he first worked alongside her for the first time, her resemblance with Kate was uncanny. The determination and her standing bravery were as if it left Kate's body and transferred to Emily's. But he wasn't in love with Kate, she was more like a daughter to him than anything else.
So what was Emily to him?
He mentally slapped the back of his own head, scolding himself for losing focus and continuing to break his own damn rules.
"McGee!" he barked.
His yell earned him frightening stares from his team and the BAU. For the most part, his team has never seen him this upset, enough for him to get him all fired up. This was a whole new Gibbs, a dark and scary Gibbs.
"Boss?" Tim replied, jumping up from his chair.
"Emily. Rapetti. Track and trace, I don't care if you have to break bureaucrat protocols. Find them!" he ordered, walking away.
"Track and Trace?" Rossi asked; "Where's Emily?"
"Emily's missing?" JJ followed.
"She can't be missing." Garcia said.
"What?!" Derek shouted, stunned by hearing about his partner. "What's going on?"
Gibbs didn't have time to answer all these questions, what he needed was a rush of coffee. And he needed one right now.
"Gibbs!" Abby called for his attention, making him stop before pressing the elevator button.
The low tone and seriousness of her voice washed the feelings of agony and desperation, but his emotions were the ones getting the best of him.
"What Abby?!" he said in a tone that surprised the young goth, who jolted herself back.
Gibbs realized his mistake, he hadn't meant to snap at her, the emotional stress of finding Emily, was messing up with his state. The irrational side of him was causing him to lose the sense of focus. But it was not an excuse for him to lash out like that to his team. If Emily had heard this, she wouldn't speak to him, she would have smack the hell out of him.
He took a deep breath before apologizing to the scientist. "I'm sorry Abs." he softly apologized.
The others looked at him, they understood he was concerned for Emily, but they were curious as to why he was reacting this way. Rossi was stunned at the fact that none of his team mates had figured out that the navy boss was in love with their lovely dark haired team member.
"What do you have Abby?" he spoke with a softer tone, that to Ziva, Tony and McGee it sounded so foreign.
"I analyzed the tarp that was used to wrap the third victim, and I traced it back to a manufactured store in Franklin, and crossed checked a list of people who bought this specific tarp, its someone we know." she briefly explained.
Gibbs frown at the way Abby was expressing her words, he knew every emotion and behavior she let out. The rest of the teams were also curious at what she had to say. But like Gibbs, Hotch was extremely impatient. "Ms. Sciuto answer, what was it that you found?!"
Abby handed the file that she had in her hands to Gibbs; "Find her please." she pleaded.
Gibbs looked at the file, and in it was the picture of the man who was behind all this.
Emily stared at the offending garment that she reluctantly had put on. Not after Riccardo had raped her, she had lost all her self-confidence in her features. The more she grew up, the more she thought she wouldn't be good enough for every guy she dated.
Of course, she became intimate with some of them throughout her young adult life, she was still a woman after all. But what Riccardo had left her, was more damaging than any scar she acquired in her line of work.
She learned that scars are just marks, and they don't have to dictate where we are going. But, it seems that Rossi was wrong, this particular scar is dictating where she is. Her past dictated her future, the scar from her worst nightmare came back to haunt her again.
The sound of the gate opening pulled her back to her horrifying reality. Bruno stood standing there, as he closely observed her wardrobe. The way his eyes leered at her body, disgusted her. The cumulative feeling of her body being used to satisfy the illusion and fantasy of a man so sick as Bruno, made her want to vomit. No wonder Riccardo turned out to be who he is.
Where was Riccardo anyway? I'm sure he would know by now that his psycho father has her.
"Bella rosa, siete pronti?" Bruno asked, filled with arrogance and inimical in his voice.
Emily's bruises haven't healed completely, the dark marks were superficial to an observant eye. If there were any tears marked in her eyes, then it wouldn't be evident compared to the swollen bruises that covered it up. The makeup that Bruno ordered her to put, was a mask that hid the reality of her demeanor.
Rapetti continued to stare at her, she could see that he was thinking of something. His eyes had a glint of flashback. But it was gone the minute it appeared.
"Let's go then." he finally spoke, he grabbed her arm with such force that she groaned from the pain.
His men followed them closely, their weapons held tightly in their hands. She assumed it was a preventative measure so she wouldn't try to escape. But she couldn't, even if she wanted to. Her bones were sore to the point that it felt immune to her skin, and her legs couldn't gripple the gravity of the ground. As they were walking, she took the opportunity to observe her surroundings. Her emotional response may not be working right now, but the one thing keeping her alive was her mind.
If there was one thing she needed the most, it was that. She didn't seduce and extracted information for Ian Doyle all for nothing. Her eyes observed the ground she walked on, they had taken her shoes off when she first woke. She could now feel the crack floor, the stony pieces of ancient rocks poking her soles. The temple of her forehead, was a wave of sweat. Her breathing were the cause of the torturious beating she undertook, Bruno's men had fairly assured her no mercy as they used her as a punching bag.
Her first thought was that they were going to take the opportunity rape her. But, she realized that Bruno was the controller here, she knows that he has a higher plan for her. And the question is, what the hell was he up to? Where was he taking her? And what was going to happen to her?
The weakness of her legs caused her to stumble a few times, but the impatience of Bruno's men forced her to keep going, and subsiding the pain away. She noticed that she had walked for more than about 10 minutes, and further away from where she was held in. They had crossed about 3 in a half margins of long tunnels. And each tunnel they crossed started to scare her the most, as she saw cage-like prisons in every hall she walked, with young women held in each one.
So this was what he and Father Silvanno's business referred to? Trafficking young women as sex slaves!
She realized that each one had been submerg into unspeakable abuse and torture. Their physicality were seen filled with dark bruises, and she could tell that their skins had handprints larger than a woman's hand. Her profile instincts told her they were repeatedly raped countless of times. And because they were hardly nude.
She closed her eyes for a couple of minutes. She tried to absorb everything that she's seeing, her mind praying that what would happen next would just be a nightmare.
A horrible nightmare.
They entered a sort of underground operating elevator that took them further down to where she's been recently held. The handcuff blistering her wrists to the point where a line of red encircled it. The scrap of dress she's forced to wear didn't shield her completely from the cold she's feeling…?
Its strange, she remembered where she felt this particular cold, she's born and raised in D.C, and the weather there wasn't as chilled as it is now. There was something familiar about this particular cold, she had felt it before. Probably countless of times, but during her childhood when she traveled with her parents. Usually the places they were stationed weren't this cold. Only one place had she felt this type of cold, and it was back when she was in...Italy?
Son-of a bitch!
I should've known, of course, the only place that would mean so much to him, to them. This is what they want, to torture me for what happend?!
It was all his fault! He drugged me, took advantage of me! And he probably wants to do the same…
All her thoughts disappeared when they arrived to what she believed to be a platform, almost looked like a was a dark turquoise curtain that covered the other side, so she couldn't see what was there, nor did she want to know.
"Mettila dentro." Bruno ordered, walking away. He disappeared through the curtain, never turning back to look at her.
The two men that held her arms tightly, pushed their weapons that were hanging onto their bodies aside, and did as ordered. They put Emily inside the steel container cage, that was for sure made for large animals.
And she's being treated like one.
They locked the container, and left without one promiscuous word or behavior. She felt terrified, just like when she was a little girl. Just like that night when she cried herself to sleep after Riccardo had raped her.
She closed her eyes, trying to take in a grasp of air that the beating she received had taken out. She felt sick to her stomach seeing herself so exposed in front of testostero alpha males, because she knew that the only thing in their minds right now was what's inside her dress. She tries to take the image of the horror she endured, and what's waiting for her out of her head, focusing on something that would comfort her.
But the only thing that she could think of at this moment was him. His gorgeous eyes, that she loved every time it looked at her. The way his gaze intimidated her, and brought her vulnerability to light, but not in the way that she felt exposed. But rather safe and secure. They way he looked at her, made her feel free from all the pain, free from all the hurt.
It was as if she wasn't here, about to die, but there with him. And all she saw from those gazing eyes were love.
She closed her eyes, letting a tear slip down her cheek. The people she needs the most aren't there to save her. She wants to believe that her team are looking for her. That Tony, Ziva and McGee are fighting tooth and nail to find her.
But as she looks around, she has never in her entire life felt more alone than right now.
"Hotch, what the hell is going on, where's Prentiss?" Morgan questioned, starting to seriously worry about his partner.
Tony just couldn't take it, the boiling anger in his veins started to burst from his own skin. His temper making him react to the point where he slammed his fist to the nearest desk.
The loud thud, made Abby jumped. Everyone else were stunned by the reaction that the young agent let out. Although his reaction is justified, because they understood how he felt, he still surprised everyone.
"Her name is Emily!" he growled, walking up to Derek.
Their faces were mere inches of each other, their cowboy standoff had sent their teammates in active mode to separate both agents. "I know what her name is!" Morgan replied, insulted by the meaning of Tony's words.
Tony wasn't satisfied by the agent's response. When Emily first came to NCIS, she had this wary of trust and deception, along with a bag of burdens. He became aware of the default relationship between her and her team. Their faith in her drained, while he and the rest of team Gibbs offered their small cup to fill.
And now, this wrestlemania mannequin wanted to prove that he really had my friend's back? He thought.
"Then you should also know that we don't treat her like any other case, when one of our own is in danger, we make it personal and we don't give up until we find her safe and sound." He pushed Morgan away, ignoring the scolds from his own team.
"Tony!" Ziva interjected, pulling his arm so that he would step away from the other agent.
Morgan felt like he just knocked him out, the way Tony had said those words made it sound and feel as if he isn't as concerned as he says about a team member in possible duress. "I wasn't implying anything, I-
"Enough!" Hotch finally shouted. His voice frightened everyone in the squadroom.
Gibbs had raised his eyebrows at the man's reaction. Everything he heard about Hotchner, was that he was a hardass, and serious man. But after the last couple of days, he discovered more behind the stoic and serious FBI agent.
Hotch walked forward to his subordinate, with one firm look in his eyes he told Morgan to relax. "Either you settle down or take a walk." he warned with a tone that was not up for more arguing.
Gibbs looked closely at Hotch, he could tell that the man was gradually losing his patience and more importantly he was losing focus, more than he's doing right now. And at this moment they couldn't, because as a result, they would lose more time.
"Hotchner." Gibbs grab his attention.
Hotch looked at Gibbs, understanding that the marine agent wanted to speak to him privately. He turned back to his team, "Help agents McGee and Ms. Sciuto." he ordered his team.
He gave Morgan a dark look that led to no further discussion.
Gibbs and Hotch entered the elevator, where he once again paused it, indicating Hotch that he wanted to discuss in private.
He handed the file to Hotch, and the dark-haired man frowned in confusion. The moment he opened the file, it felt like he was having a flashback. This individual was responsible for five men's deaths. And it hasn't been that long for him to forget about that particular time.
I had treated Emily like a complete jerk, and she didn't deserve it. If I hadn't been too focused on what my bosses would say, and had paid more attention to what kind of person he was, then I wouldn't had treated her the way I did.
Gibbs notice the look on Hotchner's face. He saw the expression of guilt and regret.
Well duh! No matter who or what someone else might say, always have the back of the one you care the most.
He smiled inwardly at himself, thinking of his own team. He may be hard towards them most of the time, but he's always there to stick up for them whether they needed or not. But, having been observing Hotchner these past few days, he realized that his feelings for Emily are strong.
"Father Paul Silvano?!"
Gibbs noticed that the name wasn't foriegn to Hotchner, the way he said the name. The distaste in his voice, sounded as if this persona was some kind of enemy of the past. Most relatively, the past of Emily.
"I'm assuming that this Silvano person, isn't new to you." Gibbs stated, already assuming the answer.
"No, he was the priest that-
"That killed Emily's friend."
Hotch nodded in response. He assumed that Emily had already told the marine, her story with Matthew. It made
"And right now, he has her." Hotch replied, with wrathfulness in his tone.
"Where is he right now?" Gibbs vehemently asked.
They will not get away this time, he will not lose another woman he cared for.