There was no answer on JJ's cell phone. Immediately, the team launched into a search to track her down. Emily volunteered to call the home Diana Reid was staying in to find out when JJ left, if she even made it there. Reid contacted the agents protecting his father with strict orders to bring him straight to the BAU. The food remained forgotten on Reid's desk, turning cold.
"I just got off the phone with Will." Hotch somberly announced as he joined the diligent workers in the conference room. "He hasn't heard from her since this morning."
"How did he take it?" Rossi asked.
Ran a hand over his face, "He's worried… but he's trying to stay calm for Henry… I sent a protective order to the house, just in case."
"Sir…" Garcia squeaked, "Would it… be alright if I went… to stay with them?"
"No, Garcia, we need you here." He was stern, fierce. "I need all of the team on this. Everyone is working on this. It's almost four, which means our remaining 21 hours is now down to seven. I know we're worried, but we need to treat this like any other case."
"First thing we need to figure out is where Nathan is intending to meet Reid," Gideon said, staring at the correlated map.
"He said I should know," Reid flipped through Nathan's file yet again. It was more just to give his powerless hands something to do. "I already know where to find him… I just need to figure it out."
"Or he's screwing with you kid." Morgan shouted. "So when you don't show up, he has an excuse to kill her!"
Morgan's cries were white noise to him. "Poetic," he repeated, the words in the file melding together as his thoughts drifted. "He said killing JJ after my mother would be most poetic. Why would killing her next be so ideal?"
"Isn't it obvious," Riley said with a shrug, "JJ's pregnant. She reminds him more of Sandy than any of the victims."
"If that were the case, he wouldn't be waiting to kill JJ." Reid spoke more like he were processing the information than explaining it. "He wants to kill her after my mother… her death is more to affect me than to appease his desires… another reason why I thought it were you… men fall in love with women like their mothers…"
"JJ doesn't exactly make sense, then." Elle muttered.
As Elle spoke, it jarred a memory in Reid's mind, floating to the surface…
"I thought you were full of hot air, Reid." Elle said over Morgan's laughter. Reid desperately tried to blow out the flames.
"They're trick candles, okay, Spence. They're going to come back on every time." JJ explained kindly.
"Ah, Mommy to the rescue." Morgan teased.
"Mommy?" Reid asked, slightly offended.
"It makes perfect sense." Reid sat up straight. "Nathan knows you guys are the most important people in my life. You're my family. Look at it from that prospective: JJ protects us, she watches out for us… she's kind of like our mother."
"He kills your real mother," Gideon pointed out. "And then he kills your surrogate mother."
Reid's face fell in his hands. It may explain it, but it brought them no closer to finding her.
Emily rushed into the door, "Reid," she cried as soon as she entered. The panic all over her face was enough to tell him something was wrong. "You're Mom's gone."
"What?" He screamed, jumping out of his chair.
"She left this afternoon." Emily explained. "I spoke to the receptionist at the hospital. A woman who matches JJ's description came into see her. She wasn't even there five minutes when she declared that she and your mother had to leave… the receptionist even said she looked rather upset when she left."
"Why didn't they stop her!" Reid yelled, like it was Emily's fault.
"Reid, she had a badge. They won't refuse the FBI, especially when she was placed there in our custody in the first place." Rossi explained. "The question, why did she feel they needed to leave."
Riley added, "And why would Diana leave with her without any difficulty?"
"My guess would be… Nathan was there," Gideon said. "If JJ showed up… and he was already there talking to Mrs. Reid… he may have a had a different plan but amended it upon her arrival."
"Nathan probably threatened Reid," Hotch added in response to Riley's inquiry. "He tells her to do what he says or he'll kill her son. She is already paranoid, so she willing goes with JJ."
"So we're not just looking for JJ," Morgan realized, meeting Garcia's saddened, glistening eyes. "But for Reid's mom, too."
Reid's eyes went across the room and met Gideon. This was it, the desperate measure Nathan was heading for. Now it just came to finding him.
…
Hotch ordered for a press conference. It was important to get JJ's picture out into the media. The public responded better when they could relate to the victim. JJ had been on the news so many times, there was an excellent chance of her being recognized.
Their goal was to get Nathan to reach out to them again. Another conversation could lead to other clues to his location, or his victims. Not to mention, a chance for Garcia to trace the call.
Hotch, Emily, and Gideon took care of the press. The others did what little they could, waiting for a response. After awhile, the others paused for a break. Except Reid, who was determined to work until he found the answer.
It took everything in him not to think of them, cold and in pain somewhere. His mother must be so confused, her nightmare having been realized. All she must be thinking of was when her son was going to come in and save her. He would do everything in his power to rescue her, even if this time it did take his life.
He stood before the maps, not noticing there was another person in the room until a warm hand rested on his shoulder. It startled him enough to cause him to jump, turning to find Riley. "Sorry," she apologized. "I thought you heard me."
"No… I'm sorry, I'm just distracted," He explained, "What did you say?"
"Your dad's here. He's waiting for you at your desk." Riley said, indicating she expected Reid to come greet him.
"Oh," He gave a nod. "Would you do me a favor and… entertain him for awhile while I work."
"You know, normally I would oblige," Riley began, taking a step closer to him. "But it wouldn't hurt for you to just say hi. I mean… he hasn't seen you in three weeks."
"Yeah," he nodded, not bothering to keep his temper down. "Kind of like how I didn't see him for almost twenty years. And then two years after that. I didn't hear a word until he showed up in the middle of the night and brought me into this."
Riley was within reach to hold him, but stopped herself. A bit surprised, she hoped she had misunderstood. "Spencer… you are not honestly blaming your father for this."
Reid's fingers ran through his hair again as he groaned in frustration. "I know it's not his fault," he said, meeting her eyes again. "But I just can't handle this. I don't want anything to happen to my dad, I don't. But if I had to choose between him and my mom-"
"No, you wouldn't," Riley interrupted, folding her arms. "You might think that, you may even believe that. But I know you, and you wouldn't sacrifice either of your parents. If anyone pitted one against the other and made you choose who lived and who died, you'd give your life to spare both of them."
"Well… I'm glad you have that faith in me, because I'm not so sure!" He snapped.
"Okay, I'm going to let this pass and say it's just your temper talking. I will go and entertain your father, you stay here and keep working without a break." Riley said going towards the door.
"We're running out of time, Riley!" Reid called. "I know my mother hates you, but I don't want her to die. And you may not care about JJ, but she's my friend and I have to help her."
Riley gaped at him. He said hurtful things to her before out of anger, but this was different; he actually sounded like he meant them. "How can you say I don't care about JJ? When I sat in that waiting room, just begging and pleading for you to be alright, JJ was the one comforting me. And when you were dead, I was so distraught over you, I could barely stand upright. JJ took care of me the entire week before your funeral. She let me sleep at her house, she made sure I ate, she gave me clean clothes to wear. She did it like it was nothing. I hate that I was so dependant on someone, but I love her so much for that. I owe almost as much to her as I do to Emily… so don't you dare say I don't care about her. Or any of you."
She turned to leave, but stopped, discovering more she had to say. "Oh, and by the way, when Hotch came in and gave that Oscar winning performance that you were dead, you're father was in that waiting room, too, and he couldn't stop crying. Maybe he can't come out and say it, but he loves you. You might be a genius… but sometimes, Spencer, you can be so stupid!"
That was it. Riley hurried down back to the bull pen, leaving her stressed and tired beau to his work.
…
JJ awoke in the darkness. She hadn't remembered falling asleep, nor could explain why she felt so groggy. The last thing she could recall was being forced to hand over her car keys to Nathan, the knife focused on her stomach. JJ would normally have fought him, but the threat too her unborn child prevented her.
It took a long time to adjust from the dark. It was pitch black in here, what looked like a long booth or a tube. She tried to sit up, but her wrists were bound in her hand cuffs… that memory came back to her. But how had she gotten so drowsy?
The sounds of heavy shuddering breathing were heard. On the bench across from her was a long stretched out figure fast asleep. Now she remembered, it was Diana shivering from the cold, possibly drugged with the same substance she had. The thought of that stuff bothered, her, hoping it wasn't anything that would harm the baby. Getting worried right now would not do anyone any good, though. When and if they got out of here, then she could be concerned.
JJ hoped Diana would stay asleep for awhile, unsure what to tell her when she woke up. It had been a miracle she had gotten Diana to come with her without bloodshed. Nathan swore both of them would be dead if JJ didn't get Mrs. Reid and go with him, and the only way she had managed to convince her was under false pretenses. She explained that they were no longer safe there and she was taking her to Spencer. When she woke up and discovered she still was not with him, JJ knew she would get upset.
It was cold and damp in here like a basement, stinking like a sewer. Her jacket was gone. JJ couldn't even remember how they'd gotten in here. If she managed to walk on her own, her mind had blocked it out. The room shook every now and then when a tremendous thunder sounded somewhere above. Maybe it was the pain in her head, or the fatigue, but she couldn't decide where they were. She tried to get to her feet, but the minute her head left the bench, she grew too tired and nauseas to stand. JJ wondered if that were the drugs or morning sickness. Resting her head again, JJ felt herself becoming sleepy again. Besides, even if she had full use of her hands, she didn't even think her legs could support her long enough. JJ and Mrs. Reid were stuck for now.
Shivering, she curled into a semi-ball. JJ wouldn't allow herself to think about the pain in her head; nor would she let herself think about Will or Henry. It was still early in her pregnancy; she could easily miscarry if she got too upset. If the drugs hadn't killed her baby already, she wasn't about to let anyone else harm it.
Although, maybe it was too much to believe they had a chance. It was a mystery if the team even knew they were missing. But she had to admit, even if her friends were searching, there was little hope. They couldn't possibly know where they were. JJ closed her eyes, falling back asleep, knowing that the odds the two would be found in time… were slim to none.