Chapter 10

Elle heard the creak of the door at the top of the stairs. The shadowy figure made his way down the stairs. "You would not accept me," he said in an even tone. "You will have to pay."

Slowly Elle's eyes adjusted to the sudden light. Her eyes fell on something he was holding in his right hand. Fear rushed through her body. It was a knife.

He moved quickly and grabbed her by her hair. "Goodbye, my darling," he whispered into her ear. And he raised the knife.

Suddenly, Elle heard shouts through the open basement door. The man she recognized as Robert Eisler looked up, startled. The voices were distant, coming from outside, but she recognized the voices of Hotch and Gideon. Eisler still looked toward the open door.

Elle took advantage of the distraction and reacted. She slammed her elbow into his gut. He doubled over with a "Whoosh" of air rushing from his body.

Elle dashed up the stairs, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Gideon!" she screamed. "Hotch!"

Eisler recovered quickly and sprinted after her. He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her backward. She screamed and kicked him. He grunted in pain and grabbed her wrists. Slowly, he raised the knife. Elle raked her fingernails across the good side of his face. He dropped the knife and held his bleeding face, howling in pain. Elle picked up the knife and thrust it into his stomach.

Eisler doubled over and fell to his knees, blood running through his fingers. "Elle?" he said, tears streaming down his deformed face. He clutched his bleeding abdomen. With his last ounce of strength, he pulled out a remote and pressed the button. Shall we dance? The notes floated up from the open basement door. On a bright cloud of music, shall we fly?

He looked into Elle's eyes, his brown eyes glazing over. "Goodbye, my dear Elle," he whispered, and then his head lolled over. Shall we then say 'goodnight' and mean 'goodbye'?

"Elle?" she heard Gideon's voice through the front door.

"Gideon?" she asked, going to the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"We're going to break the door down."

"No!" she yelled. "He's got it booby-trapped."

Outside, Hotch, Gideon and Morgan looked at each other. "Booby-trapped?" Morgan yelled. "How?"

"I don't know!" Elle answered. "He's dead."

"What happened?" Hotch asked, his voice betraying his concern.

"He came at me with a knife."

Morgan pulled Hotch and Gideon away from the door. "We've got to get in there," he said.

"Elle," Reid said, pushing his way past the other agents. "Do you see wires running from the door?"

Elle looked. She spotted five wires running from the door to a box next to the sofa. "Yeah, five of them. They're running to a black box under the window," she yelled.

"What colors are they?"

There was a pause as Elle looked again. "Red, yellow, black, blue, and green."

Reid backed away from the door. Gideon, Hotch, and Morgan waited for his answer. Reid stared straight ahead as he thought.

"Well?" Morgan asked impatiently. "What is it?"

Reid didn't answer right away.

"Reid," Gideon said. "We don't have time."

Reid took a deep breath. "It's the black one," he said.

Hotch and Morgan looked at each other. "Are you sure?" Hotch asked.

Reid looked him in the eye. "Positive," he said.

"Elle," Hotch yelled through the door, "it's the black one."

Elle took a deep breath and reached for the black wire. Outside, the four agents held their breaths, waiting for the sure explosion. Elle yanked the wire out of the box. "Okay!" she yelled.

Gideon reached toward the doorknob. "Elle," he yelled. "I'm coming in!"

He grasped the doorknob, holding his breath. Slowly he opened it, and Elle fell into his arms. Gideon held her tight. "It's okay," he said soothingly.

Elle looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Gideon, there are others!"

Gideon looked confused.

"He told me that I would have to die like all the others." Reid and Morgan looked at each other. "There are more women down there!"