Chapter 5
Jodie Black looked outwardly calm but inside was terrified. They had beaten the husband of a federal agent kidnapping her son. Also, forcing a fellow agent to give herself up whom they were currently hurting would eventually kill. No part of her mother's plan included being arrested and going to prison for a very lengthy time.
Observing the woman through the two-way mirror Hotch and Rossi could both see the multitude of emotions she was currently experiencing. Everyone thought they could handle being questioned once arrested. When you're handcuffed to a bar attached to a table in an FBI interrogation room, your confidence goes when confronted with the next forty years behind bars in a federal supermax.
Walking into the room, they placed their iPads on the table and just stared at Jodie without speaking. Both profilers notice immediately how anxious the woman is sitting before them.
"Jodie, may I call you Jodie?" asked Rossi in a grandfatherly voice, trying to put the anxious woman at ease
The petrified woman just nodded her consent to Rossi. Garcia passed further information about the Black's received from the CIA as promised via Rossi and Hotch's earwigs.
"Jodie, let's start with Henry LaMontagne. we have you for his kidnapping and false imprisonment." started Rossi. He noticed her tell it was a slight tick under her left eye.
"I know nothing about that other than what I have heard in the mailroom. I don't know who you think I am, agent Rossi." answered an almost convincing woman
Without uttering a single word, Hotch turned his iPad around on the table and pressed play. Jodie watched herself wheel Henry close to the hospital entrance before leaving him in the wheelchair and disappearing off camera. She watched Henry struggle to use the wheelchair with his cast on one arm.
" We have a statement from Henry. He identified you from a digital identification parade; he also told us he saw SSA Prentiss tortured by your mother Amanda Black and brother Aiden Black. We discovered your cell phone and computer in your locker during our search. We know about the farm; I need you to corroborate that your mother and brother are holding Emily Prentiss there? It would help if you thought very carefully about your answer. Should we find agent Prentiss dead and your Mother and brother in the wind, her murder falls on you and you alone. Are you prepared to die with the needle in your arm?" Russi warned, looking at her fully dilated pupils. " Not part of your plan?"
" They are all at the farm; Prentiss is already dead; she deserved to die after what she did to my father. My life was over the day she murdered him; she has gotten just what she deserved." snarled Jodie truthfully, not caring what now happened to her. Hopefully, her mother and brother could get away the farm was well protected.
"Garcia..." Hotch just started before he was interrupted " Just told them, sir, SWAT is airborne, ETA 15 minutes." Garcia answered.
EJ
Dreaming about Henry, Will and JJ in her happy place, Emily felt content with her imaginary family. All pain and fear went from her broken body in her nirvana with the LaMontagne family. Everything suddenly turned dark, and her body was convulsing in pain as she breathed in water. Back in her hell, she was wearing the diving mask again, full of water.
"Back with us, Emily, I see." laughed Amanda
Pulling the plug from the mask to drain the water, Emily coughed and spluttered frothy red blood down her chin. Head dangling to the side as she struggled to stay awake.
The LaMontagne's had disappeared in their stead stood her old partner Robson Wolfe. " Hang on, old girl, your partner and Jennifer are nearly here. Just hang on, old girl." Robson told his old partner
Emily was broken even in her happy place; she didn't answer Robson; she just wanted it to finish; she wanted to die.
Robson slapped her across her face hard "you're not a quitter, Prentiss; wake up, Wake up!"
Emily's eye opened her body exploded in pain as Amanda hit her in the ribs. Amanda opened the plastic bag and shook it several times, opening it out entirely.
"Time to pay, Lauren," Amanda told Emily slipping the bag over her head securing it around her neck with some masking tape. Checking, her hands were still tightly secured behind the chair. She walked out of the room without uttering a single word.
The room went dark; Emily was meant to die alone in the dark.
EJ
Garcia had worked her magic on the cameras, she had looped them, not her best work, but speed was essential. The three agents knew Emily was being held in the barn; they had to clear the farmhouse first.
"Sorry, Derek," JJ told Morgan as she started towards the barn, leaving them to clear the house.
Weapon out at the ready, JJ ran across the open ground towards the barn, knowing Emily was being held there. Reaching the barn door, she kicked the door in entering. She carefully swept the area looking for danger, knowing Emily was held in the far structure. Advancing quickly, she reached the door finding it open.
Moving her torch around the darkroom, she found Emily motionless, slumped in a chair plastic bag around her head.
"Emily!" yelled JJ running to her friend ripping the plastic bag open.
Gasping at the sight of her friend slumped in the chair, one swollen eye shut her other eye was severely swollen. Her friends face is almost unrecognisable. Checking on the brunette's breathing, finding none JJ unable to release her bonds just straddled Emily starting to blow air into her mouth not caring about the blood, thankfully her heart was still beating slowly but beating.
"You hold on, Emily Prentiss. Do you hear me? You will not die on me." her blonde friend warned between breaths.
What seemed like hours to JJ passed until she felt a hand on her shoulder. The SWAT team member smiled and started releasing her hands from the shackles with his bolt cutters.
Emily coughed, spraying blood everywhere as she started breathing by herself. She was finding it difficult to breathe by herself, so JJ continued to help her friend with her breathing until the paramedics arrived and took over her care.
Watching her fellow FBI agents help move her friend to the stretcher, ready for transport by helicopter to a hospital. Jennifer stood back the entirety of her friend's act of self-sacrifice apparent in the broken woman being ever so carefully transferred to the stretcher.
EJ
"35-year-old FBI agent collapsed left lung, Partially collapsed right lung fluid in the lung. Broken ribs on both sides of her chest. Facial bruising possible fractured jaw and fractured right eye. Penetrating wound Left and Right shoulders." briefed the Paramedic to the ER doctor.
Taking one look at the FBI agent, the doctor not liking what he could see, " Straight up to O.R 7", he told his well-organised team.
As Emily was wheeled into the Elevator, the BAU walked into the E.R., all concerned about her.
"Emily Prentiss?" Reid asked the approaching nurse
"She has gone straight up to Emergency surgery. I will take you up to the surgical waiting room." answered the polite nurse indicating for the group to follow her.
"Emily is in O.R 7. I have told reception you are here; they will keep you informed as much as they can." smiled the E.R nurse
The team, not being strangers, sat down, knowing it would be a long wait. Morgan pulled Reid to his feet with a smirk.
"Who wants coffee?" he smiled.
Everyone answered yes. He walked away with Reid to start the first of many coffee machine journey's while they waited for news on Emily.
"Will? What the hell?" JJ asked her husband being wheeled into the waking room by a nurse.
"Calm down, JJ. My captain told me about Emily when he visited, and it's taken me this long to persuade them to bring me down. How is Emily?" Will asked his wife
JJ was still glaring, highly annoyed at her husband for daring to persuade his nursing staff to bring him down to the waiting room. The annoyed blonde could see the pain plastered all over her husband's face.
"She was rushed into surgery; you, William LaMontagne Jr, will get your ass back upstairs and into your bed." yelled an irritated blonde wife, both hands on her hips.
"Will, I will keep you informed of everything. No offence, you look terrible." Rossi told the detective, preventing his highly strung wife from hurting him.
"Thanks, Dave." smiled Will and nodded to his nurse to return to his room; JJ was satisfied she kissed her husband on the cheek and smiled.
The room returned to silence as all assembled waited for any news, all lost in thought about their injured friend
"I'm furious at her one moment; then, I am so thankful she saved Henry and Will. I will look after her when she is discharged; no way is she shutting me out this time."
Rossi smiled at the blonde. He considered his daughter, " I will get everything you need for Will and Emily. If you need more space, you can all move in with me until they are both on their feet." smiled Rossi
JJ smiled at Rossi and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you, Dave, that means a lot. Hotch, I am going to need some time. I owe her everything. She saved my family." JJ asked with a forced smile.
"We will arrange something, JJ," Hotch told his worried agent
EJ
Three hours into their vigil, JJ paced around the small waiting area like a caged tiger. Unless you offered coffee, she was best-left pacing; Derek found out the hard way after wearing her soda for daring to ask her a question.
"Emily Prentiss?" asked the surgeon
The whole team stood " Yes?" announced everyone
Looking at his iPad, "do we have SSA Jareau here?" he asked after looking up
JJ just raised her hand in confirmation.
"Emily designates you as her Proxy; you are authorised to make all medical judgments when she is unable. Could we go somewhere? While I update you on her condition?" Asked the doctor looking around at the assembled group
JJ shook her head." No need, tell me, doctor, so I don't have to repeat everything you just told me." the anxious blonde told the doctor.
Garcia slipped her hand into JJ's while they waited for the doctor's report
" Emily suffered some severe injuries; we have managed to re-inflate her partial collapsed lung. She suffered multi broken ribs, which caused her collapsed lung they will hurt like hell. Emily suffered a fractured right eye orbit. During the beatings, bone fragments have severed her optic nerve. She will be blind in her right eye. Her spleen will need to be removed; her lungs took some damage from the water she inhaled. I need to get back to my patient.
JJ stood silent shocked at the extent of her friend's injuries, unable to speak.
"How much longer will you be? Doc." Hotch asked him
The surgeon turned and faced the group again. " one and a half to two hours if everything goes well." he answered.
