TITLE: Criminal Minds – "Darkest Days" (A sequel to Behind the Mask)
AUTHOR: D M Harper
SUMMARY: Agent Prentiss is forced to face her secretive past when it threatens the safety of her BAU colleagues and her beloved family.
RATING: For Mature Readers.
DISCLAIMER: This story was conjured up for reading entertainment only. No money has exchanged hands or bank accounts. There is no profit gained, just fancy flights of imagination. There is no intention to infringe on the copyright of CBS Television Studios or creator Jeff Davis. This writing does feature consensual sexual interaction between two females, so if you are underage or unable to view due to restrictions in your part of the world, be gone and take my sympathy with you. If you find such material offensive, too bad, so sad, you chose to enter this web site of your own free will; hence you have no one to whine to except yourself or a parent if you are caught, so bugger off!
A/N: Please find them time to review and feed the Muse. WARNING: Some readers may find certain sections of this chapter contain "triggers". Please proceed with caution.
Chapter 35
It was a tad past two in the afternoon when Emily entered the room allocated to Dave at Boston General Hospital. She gasped as she took in her friend's ashen face and arms pierced with various IVs and cannulas. There was a battery of monitors making all kinds of noises and the patient was sound asleep. His left hand was being held by Erin as she watched over him.
"How is he doing?" Emily inquired while nearing the bed.
Startled, the Section Chief turned her head, "Oh Emily, I'm so glad to see you. I'm happy to report Dave is doing well. The surgery was successful and he will make a full recovery. There will be a period of physical therapy, but other than that, he will be back on the job in about two months."
"That is a relief. Have you had the chance to speak to him?" asked Emily while letting go of the breath she had been holding. Leaning down, she embraced her friend.
Returning the hug, Erin sniffled back tears, "He woke earlier and was distraught over Jillian's disappearance. I've never seen him so upset."
Straightening up, Emily moved closer to Rossi and pecked his cheek, "We'll get her back." Looking back to Erin, she queried, "Has there been any news since we last spoke?"
"Unfortunately no; there have been several false leads that have only managed to hinder the Team's progress. Garcia is at the Police Station and will be able to update you. Hotch insisted I remain here, and as you can see, I didn't argue."
A gentle smile crossed Emily's lips, "Dave needs you and now that I have seen him and know he will be okay, I'll join the Team."
"No one has stopped looking Emily. Everybody is exhausted, but they refuse to take a break."
Tears brimmed Emily's eyes, "They love her Erin and she loves them. She will be comforted by the fact they won't give up."
Wiping away her own tears, Erin nodded, "Family is important Emily. It took me a long time to realise the Team is so much more than colleagues and I am proud to be their Chief. The Unit will be so much stronger with your return and I know you will do all you can to locate Jillian. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."
"Thank you for the offer and I'll let you in on a secret."
"Please do."
"Since Jillian convinced you to remove the stick from your ass, you have become a valued member of the Team's family, and the love you have for Dave has brought so much happiness into his life. We are all grateful to you for that and have grown to love you."
Bursting into tears, Erin sobbed, "Thank you Emily and naturally I feel the same way about all of you."
Placing a hand on the Chief's shoulder, Emily added, "You have come a long way and the Team has thrived under your guidance." Taking a step towards the door, she was gone before an overwhelmed Erin could reply.
-o-
Walking into BPD, Emily asked for directions to Garcia from a passing Officer. He ushered her to a conference room and she quickly made her ingress.
Penelope was sitting at a round table busily typing away on her laptop and the place was filled with evidence boards containing numerous diagrams of maps, pictures of McCall, his accomplices and lastly, a blown up image of Jillian's FBI identification badge.
"Fuck," Emily whispered as the reality of the situation struck her like a punch to the gut from Joe Frazier.
Garcia immediately sprang from her chair, "Oh my god Em, you're here." An embrace and copious tears followed before she continued, "This is not what I had planned for your homecoming."
Stepping out of the clinch, Emily dried her eyes with a tissue she retrieved from her trouser pocket, "Me either, so where are we?"
Straightening up her floral dress and sweater, Penelope answered, "There are over two hundred Agents and Officers going door to door across the city. The majority of reported sightings have been a waste of everyone's time, but the popular consensus is McCall has gone underground."
Tilting her head to the side, Emily surmised, "It's what I would have done."
"He can't hide forever and all exits out of town are covered along with all modes of transportation. Nothing has popped up on facial recognition yet, but I live in hope that the smug bastard will sneak out somewhere."
Black eyebrows knotted together, "I don't think he will. He will wait it out until the manhunt is scaled down before making a move."
"That was Reid's conclusion too."
"Did he also mention McCall will torture then kill Jillian before then?"
Fresh teardrops rolled down Penelope's cheeks, "Yes he did."
Taking a deep breath, Emily squared her shoulders, "Right then, I need a vehicle and the Team's locale."
"Morgan insisted I call him when you arrived and he will come pick you up."
"All right, that will work too."
-o-
Ten minutes elapsed before Derek ran into the room. He greeted his former partner with a hug, "I'm so sorry Emily. We are closing in on him; half the city has been searched."
"Let's get a move on," suggested Emily in an even tone. "I can cry later. We need to find her before time runs out."
"On it," agreed Morgan while giving Penelope a squeeze then leading his friend out the door.
It was another twenty minutes before Emily joined the Team. After welcoming hugs and kisses, the Unit commenced searching buildings situated at the docks.
-o-
A disoriented Jillian groaned loudly as sharp light penetrated through the small slits of her eyelids. She'd been unable to open them fully since McCall began systematically beating her several hours ago. After being pistol whipped the day before, she had been hog tied, gagged and dragged through woods then finally tossed into the back of a truck. Lastly, a dirty blanket had been thrown over her.
The torture commenced the second she'd regained consciousness and found herself bound to a chair with her wrists and ankles tied to the metal furniture with rope. Jillian could feel warm blood trickling down the back of her neck and didn't need a medical degree to realise she was suffering from severe concussion. The thumping headache, nausea and blurred vision were enough to convince her of her diagnosis.
As the brightness intensified, McCall seethed, "Time to wake up darlin'. I'm far from being done with ya Agent Rolston or should I call you Ahuva Barak? I must say, you were stunning as a brunette, but as a blonde, you are heavenly. You and I are going to have a little fun before I leave ya here to die." Ripping the gaffer tape from Jillian's bruised lips; he leaned in and kissed her roughly.
It was swift, but Jillian nevertheless felt the bile burn her oesophagus as it travelled upwards. The ensuing vomiting caused her head to pound worse and for the first time since being captured, she noticed she was naked. Refusing to give into her fear of never seeing her family and friends again, Jillian calmly stated, "If you touch me anymore I'll kill you."
A rich laugh filled the chamber, "You've got fight in ya and I like that in a woman, but ya are going to pay for killing Doyle. He was like a son to me and I'll be damned if I'll spend the rest of my life in prison because of that bitch Emily Prentiss."
Wondering how McCall knew she was the one responsible for Doyle's death considering the information was classified, Jillian was slow to respond, "Agent Prentiss has nothing to do with this."
"Oh but ya are wrong there lass. All this shite happened because Ian couldn't say no to a pretty brunette. If he wasn't all caught up with dicking her, he would never have been apprehended in Tuscany. I warned the fool, but she had him right and proper by the balls. It was a clever idea of yours to use his weakness against him in Ireland. Very well played Agent Rolston, but it's gonna cost ya your life."
"We will see," challenged Jillian prior to the right side of her head receiving a hard blow delivered by McCall's fist. "Is that the best you've got old man?"
"Fooking bitch," growled McCall while punching Jillian harder three more times.
She was thankful for the darkness when it engulfed her once more.
-o-
J.J. was shining her flashlight across the floor of an abandoned warehouse when a glimmer of sparkle caught her attention. Moving in then crouching, she reached out with a gloved hand and picked up the diamond encrusted ring, "Hey guys, I've got something."
Spencer, Morgan and Emily rushed to her side.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is Jill's wedding band," she announced while handing it to Emily for confirmation.
A sob stuck in Emily's throat, "It is." Turning her light to the dusty concrete, she spied writing and read out loud: fish cannery two blocks west "Oh my god, she's close. Let's go."
-o-
A splash of cold water to her face brought Jillian to wakefulness. She spluttered and breathing became a priority as it filled her nostrils and throat.
"Welcome back Agent," cheered McCall as a calloused hand glided over Jillian's left breast. Fingers tweaked the nipple to erection and McCall drooled, "Ya've a fine set of tits love. It's no wonder Ian was besotted. Ya ready for round three?"
"Bring it on old man."
"I'm not too old to still be able to have my way with ya. I'll get to do what poor Ian wasn't able to."
With those words, Jillian heard tape being pulled from the roll and she struggled against her restraints when her left eyelid was prised open and a thin strip of adhesive applied.
"There are those beautiful blue eyes … much prettier than those brown contacts. I want ya to witness what is coming to ya."
Once her right eye was forced ajar, Jillian scanned the room. She was in what appeared to be a break room that hadn't been used for years. Her stomach heaved and rolled when she saw the table to her right had been cleaned off and a blanket tossed haphazardly over the wooden surface. As the puking began, tears pricked the back of her eyes.
A chuckle escaped from McCall's lips, "Now, now Agent Rolston, if ya keep throwing up like this I'll just have to keep pouring water over ya."
"Do your best," snapped Jillian before calming her rage. "So what's your plan?"
Laughing again, McCall replied, "It is rather simple lass. I'll fook ya for a few hours then stab ya when I am done. Afterwards, I'll hop on a friend's boat and sail off to freedom."
"I'm surprised you still have friends left. I thought all your criminal associates had been rounded up and put in prison."
"Nah, Davey McGill has been legit for years and has stayed away from the gun trade."
Surprised by McCall's openness, Jillian pressed on, "So why is he helping you now?"
"He owed me and I'm collecting. He's out of town at the moment. His dad used to own this place before it went out of business. Tommy used to run ten trawlers back in the day." Picking up the bucket previously utilised to douse Jillian; McCall walked over to a sink and refilled it.
Jillian took the opportunity to survey the remainder of the room. Her belly rolled once more when she spotted the large hunting knife and Ruger pistol lying on the nearby table. Hoping her Team mates were close to finding her, Jillian played for more time.
Taking second to recall info from her captor's file, Jillian asked, "Can I ask you something?"
"For sure ya can."
"Do you have any whiskey on you?"
McCall's blue eyes lit up, "Indeed I do. Would ya be wanting a sip darlin'?"
"It will settle my stomach and as I'm going to die; I wouldn't mind a drink before I go."
"I see no harm in ya request love." Pulling a pint sized bottle from the pocket of his overcoat, McCall screwed off the cap and pressed the mouth of the glass container to Jillian's lips.
She gulped down two mouthfuls and had to stop herself from smiling when her torturer took three long pulls of the golden fluid. "Thank you," she said instead.
"Nothing like whetting the old whistle," joked McCall before collecting the bucket and tossing the icy contents over Jillian.
Steeling herself against the harsh coldness, Jillian was taken by surprise when McCall picked up the knife and stabbed her left side followed by her shoulder.
Holding back a scream, Jillian had no intention of giving McCall the satisfaction of hearing her agony.
"That's just in case ya had any foolish ideas while I untie ya and put ya on the table," explained McCall behind a sneer.
The words spoken barely registered in Jillian's mind as wave after wave of pain flooded her nervous system … it was in overload. She could detect the blood seeping from the wounds, but was thankful the flow was slow. The penetration wasn't too deep and she still held on to the optimism her Team would find her in time. She offered no resistance as McCall loosened her binds and lifted her up onto the table. There was no energy left in her bruised and battered body to offer any fight. She grunted slightly when her injured back hit the hard surface.
Her reaction only made McCall snigger, "I'm glad ya still have some feeling left in ya."
"I have another question," she asked sluggishly.
"What?" demanded McCall while removing his coat and finishing off the bottle of alcohol. The Irishman tossed the bottle into a nearby rubbish bin before retrieving another.
"How did you know I was the one who disposed of Doyle?"
Tapping the end of his nose with an index finger, McCall arrogantly stated, "Ah, wouldn't you like to know."
"Duh, that's why I asked."
Her comment received a hasty punch to the open wound on her left shoulder, "I suppose there is no harm in ya knowing, it's not like ya'll be able to pass it on. I have an old friend at the FBI here in Boston and he found the information for me." Drinking generously from the bottle, he put it on the counter and turned to his captive.
"What now?" quizzed Jillian as her shoulder went numb.
"The very special Agent Thomas Connors has fed me info for over a decade and he has been richly compensated for his fine work. He got a bonus for supplying the route to be taken by the ambulance from the prison to the hospital."
"Holy shit, what a god damn prick."
A feral leer spread across McCall's face, "Speaking of pricks, it is time you made acquaintance with mine."
"One last question," interrupted Jillian in a last ditch effort to gain more time.
"One more than it is down to business lass."
"Can you still get it up?"
"Why ya smart mouthed trollop," replied McCall while raising his right fist.
Jillian actually laughed as the first blow connected with her jaw. She was hardly holding onto consciousness when the second and third followed in quick succession.
"Don't ya be worrying about that," scoffed her would be rapist.
The throbbing in Jillian's head increased twofold with her eyes unable to focus as McCall stripped off his trousers. To her great disappointment, penile function was not a concern for him. In an attempt to not be awake for what was coming, Jillian goaded him one more time, "Do you always have to tie up woman for sex Mister Little Dick?" It didn't work.
"Ya eyes must be playing tricks on you love; my cock is more than big enough to get the job done."
"Then why bind me to the table? As you can see, I am pretty much done for and offer you no fight." She nearly chuckled while watching McCall contemplate her words.
"Ya have a point and I'd prefer some struggle from ya as I fook ya sweet pussy and arse. Ya'll have the best sex of ya life. Unfortunately, it will be ya last."
"We'll see and that's some might big promise to live up to."
McCall laughed throatily as he began to undo the rope tied around Jillian's wrists and table legs, "Maybe I should take ya back to Ireland with me and keep ya for fun instead and make ya suffer longer."
"I'd only slow you down in my condition and attempt to kill you the second I had the opportunity."
Making a start on untying the restraints from Jillian's ankles, McCall nodded, "As expected Agent."
With only her wrists now bound together, Jillian knew she only had one chance to escape, so she patiently waited as McCall took off his shirt. Taking another drink of whiskey, he stood at the end of the table and reached for Jillian's hips. Sliding her down to the edge of the table, McCall spread her legs wider than was comfortable and moved between them.
Licking his lips, McCall leaned over to fondle her breasts. Moaning, he huskily mumbled, "So beautiful and because ya have entertained me so well; I'll do ya the favour of getting ya nice and wet before sticking me cock into ya."
"Aren't you the gentleman," taunted Jillian while holding back her urge to regurgitate once more.
"Ya'll be begging me for more by the time I'm done with ya."
"I doubt it and can you please stop the blow to blow commentary; it's making my headache worse."
Pinching hard nipples, McCall remarked, "As the lady wishes."
Jillian cursed her body for reacting to the fumbled caresses and thought of Emily. She tried desperately to close her eyes as she felt the outer lips of her labia being parted. It was a fruitless attempt. When the tip of McCall's penis pressed along her perineum, she gathered all her strength, raised her hips and legs and struck out at McCall's chest.
With bulging eyes, he stumbled backwards and Jillian took her best and only shot. Jumping off the table, she staggered on wobbly legs then head butted McCall as he angrily approached her position. Falling forward and onto her, Jillian was trapped against the table.
Reaching behind her, McCall grabbed the knife. She froze as the blade rammed into her right flank, but grinned when she heard movement outside in the hallway.
McCall knifed her again before standing up and grabbing his clothing. He fled out a side door as darkness began to consume Jillian. Aaron burst into the room with Emily was by his side and she raced to her badly wounded wife. Morgan, J.J. and Blake gave chase out the door McCall had taken.
Jillian vaguely heard Hotch call for Paramedics as she focused on tear filled brown spheres and tried to remain conscious. "Davey McGill's boat, back to Ireland," she managed to push out past split and bloodied lips.
Turning to Aaron, Emily relayed the information, "He's got a boat under the name of Davey McGill and plans to return to Ireland." With gentle movements, she removed the tape holding Jillian's swollen eyelids apart.
Drawing in a short breath, Jillian continued, "I love you so much. Thank you for finding me."
"I love you too honey and help is on the way, just hold on Jill."
"I can't keep my eyes open, so cold Em."
Emily removed her dark blue FBI jacket and covered Jillian's ravaged frame as best she could then yelled, "FOR GOD'S SAKE, SOMEBODY FREE HER HANDS."
Reid pulled a pocket knife from his belt and cut into the rope.
"Thanks Spencer," mumbled Jillian as her eyes closed and the vision of Emily faded.
-o-
Two Paramedics worked on Jillian for fifteen minutes before she was stable enough for transportation to Boston General. Emily stood by and watched helplessly while her wife was lifted onto a gurney and wheeled out of the room.
"Ride with her to the hospital," ordered Aaron. "I've contacted Garcia and she managed to trace the location of David McGill's boat. The Coast Guard are on McCall's tail as we speak."
"Yes Sir," replied a shocked Emily as she followed the Medics out into the corridor.
The journey to the hospital was a blur for Emily and she was relieved to find her in-laws and Erin waiting for her as Jillian was taken into the E.R.
Maureen embraced her initially, "How bad is she?"
"It's not good. She has been terribly assaulted and stabbed four times."
"The bastard," cursed Malcolm as he hugged both women.
Erin joined the huddle and they stayed in that position until a sobbing Penelope joined them moments later.
-o-
