Luke had already experienced the pain of loss when he lost a friend during a mission. It was not like the loss he was experiencing now. He lived remembering to smile when he was near her, only to see her face angry as he approached her.
They were in love with each other. It was a fact. After Morgan left UAC, Penelope closed her heart for fear of hurting herself again. He did not blame her. He knew the way she had lost her parents.
He was at his house at that time, alone. Roxie was babysitting Pet and then he was comforting himself with cheap whiskey. There were copies of the letters scattered across the kitchen table and he just wanted Penelope to be there instead of those letters.
He picked up one of the twenty cards they could find in a drawer in Penelope's office.
"How does someone write things like that?" He said taking one of the cards. "Your sweet eyes looked right at me, I bet he pretended not to see me, I could not get his attention, and I was angry, maybe that's what I'd get you." I looked for the nicest hair clip to spruce those golden threads when people meet. "
Luke crumpled the paper and threw the glass on the wall.
"Why did not I stay with her?" He asked, starting to cry. "Because I was such a selfish bastard and thought only of myself?"
Luke really felt bad. He rushed into the bathroom to vomit the whiskey he'd drunk off. He sat down beside the vase and felt his body disconnect. He wanted to sleep forever, but the image of Penelope somewhere dark with fear made him promise himself that he would find her.
He felt that it was morning and he forced himself to open his eyes to the new day. The whiskey headache had hit hard. He took an aspirin and took a long shower. He left for a necessary race always carrying the cell phone.
Hotch was at UAC getting Emily who was now back to stay. They remembered to treat themselves with some decorum while they were at work. After work they were two single people enjoying each other for a few hours.
Rossi was in the next room rereading the pursuer's letters. He thought about how one can be so crazy as to write terrible things. Reid knocked on the door being invited to come in and join in the reading. Simmons arrived early in the unit. They were running against time.
JJ walked past Penelope's room and sighed. She had never thought of her friend in distress. She was a strong girl, but at the same time fragile.
Penelope woke up in what looked like a cabin in the middle of the woods. The metal chair looked scary, but frightening she became when she found she had her arms and legs tied to her. The kitten glasses she loved so much had disappeared. Her hair was tied in a ponytail with a black elastic, without any glamor. She thought of how stupid she had been.
If only she'd heard Luke and talked to Hotch before, even at the risk of being rushed for so long. She was not the kind of damsel in danger who hopes to be saved by a prince on a white horse. She crushed the spiders alone as if they were just ants, she shifted the tires of her car as they stuck her way to the FBI. She had made a way when she made some rice and it burned. But it was a different situation. She had not even reacted.
"I should have screamed. - She said. - Weathered. I do not know.
She had tried on the way to the van. She tried to make eye contact with some unknown people in the street, trying to make them realize she was in danger. When she opened her mouth to scream, the man came close to her.
"A shout and I'll shoot your liver." He threatened. "No one will hear and be on time." And then I'll go up there and get somebody else until I can get back what I lost.
She saw the bullshit she was about to do. She shut her mouth and obeyed, no matter what would happen to herself.
- I do what you want. Penelope said. "Just leave my team alone.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Penny. The man called her by the nickname that few actually knew. "And I will not hurt your dear team." If you do what I want.
"I'll do anything you want." - She said. - Just leave them out of it.
"Do you think I want to hurt them?" - He said. "It was always you I wanted, Penny. He called her back to Penny.
"Why do you want me anyway?" - She asked.
"You do not know how much I've tried to get your attention in the last few months. He spoke in anger. "I keep looking at you and that new agent flirting.
"I did not flirt with Luke. - She answered. - We're friends.
He glared at her. He knew she felt more than a friendship.
"Lie to me again and you'll get a bullet." He spoke to Rage.
- I'm not lying. - Penelope spoke. - And I do not even know your name.
"Call me Mr. X for now." - He replied. - In safe territory I tell you my real name.
- Safe place. Is it a joke? She tried to smile.
"No," he replied. Get in the van.
She entered. She knew it was a bad idea. So many crime scenes, so many stories of people who died after getting into vans. And your team would not notice in time to save it.
As she sat facing the door, it was not time to see the face of the man who had kidnapped her. She felt a small needle coming into her shoulder.
- Try not to scream. Another man said. "You know what happens if you yell."
He pushed the needle deeper into his arm and shoved the plunger out.
- Luke. "Penelope could only say Alvez's name before she fell completely off.
Luke arrived at UAC that morning, ready to retrieve his girl. Once Morgan left and Hotch had Prentiss he considered Penelope his. She already gave him some sort of space.
Walking past Penelope's room, she decided that crying was not an option at the time. He heard some stories about her having been shot, deceiving herself with the wrong men, and seeing the rift she had when Reid was arrested.
He was willing not to be one more on the list of idiot men. He came into her room and saw a small package on her desk.
- Weird. Luke thought as he opened the package. - A dvd. Luke picked up the disk and carried it to Hotch's room.
- Between Agent Alvez. Hotch said, tidying up his tie. - Some problem?
"I found this DVD on Penelope's desk." Luke showed the package. - It's dated yesterday, but it was delivered a few minutes ago. She was not in her room to receive.
"Do you think he put it in her room and just went out into the hallways?" Hotch grabbed the DVD and clicked the Play / Pause button that appeared on the input screen.
- Hey, agents. A voice spoke in the video. "A few years ago a man sent a DVD to you. Because of our dear Garcia he found out where you lived and Agent Reid with your sick mother helped in that. I want to give you a mission exactly the same. The image of the camera shifted to Penelope in a sleeping bed. "I know how much you love her. Especially Agent Alvez who seems to be very close to her. Here's how this game will work. The voice took on the shape of a man with a white mask on his face. - Agents Simmons, Alvez, Lewis, Reid, Jareau, Rossi, Hotchner and Prentiss will play this game. The clues will be delivered to you soon. If it is the media or trying to help someone outside who is not a technical analyst dear Penelope will suffer the consequences.
The image turned black and the DVD stopped spinning. One of the FBI messengers handed Luke a box.
- Checked, Verified and free of threats. The messenger answered.
- Thank you. - Alvez said.
They opened the box with the psychopath's message.
"A book, a lock of hair, and a notepad with numbers." Hotch spoke carefully.
- What's the problem? Alvez asked, seeing the face of JJ, Reid and Hotch.
"We had a case, even before Rossi and Prentiss. A crazy guy invaded Penelope's system and sent us gifts. Hotch replied.
- Bizarre gifts. - JJ completed.
"It was Gideon's time." Reid said. - He kept his kidnapped daughter for two years and later she was killed by an UnSub. He never forgave himself.
"And this guy is imitating this guy?" Alvez asked.
- Can be. Reid said. - That one's dead. He exploded.
"But he did not persecute his victims. Hotch said. "And you certainly would not kidnap a federal agent."
"Are you saying this could be a smokescreen?" Simmons asked.
"He's been after her for weeks until he finally attacks her." Reid said. "There were plenty of chances to get her out of the FBI, but he had to get her yesterday.
"An important date for him?" - Asked JJ
"Maybe something that means as much to him as to Penelope." - Rossi said.
"Anniversary or death date of someone?" Prentiss said.
"Yesterday was not Penelope's parents' death anniversary?" Reid asked.
"You're right, Reid. Hotch replied. "The driver who killed her parents was released four weeks ago.
"It's the same time she's been getting the cards." Luke replied.
"So this is about revenge?" Simmons asked.
"He was imprisoned for twenty years. Tara said. "Maybe she's guilty of him spending so much time in jail."
"Where would he take her?" Hotch asked. "There's nothing in his name for more than twenty years. The wife left him to fourteen years, taking the only daughter of the couple.
"He did not even rent a room." Said Simmons. "It's like he lives off the radar."
"The couple's house was sold to a law firm." Zuclker and Smith associates. Prentiss said.
"So he just got out of jail, finds out the woman moved in with their daughter, finds out the house was sold, finds out that the girl he killed his parents is working for the FBI, instead of crying out there. Find out she has a love interest. Hotch did not like the scene. - He's going to kill her.
"We can not afford it. Rossi said.
The hard chair in which she was sitting and her hands tied around her made her glimpse a scene she had seen in the work crime photos. She would die there, tied up in her chair. She tried unsuccessfully to knock the chair down, even at the risk of having a small bruise.
He appeared in the cabin sure of himself. 20 years in jail had made him a man safe from his deeds. Couple the deaths of her country to a drug charge and rape, and the anger he'd felt about that girl since that day so the scene looked terrible.
"You're finally here." - He said.
- Who are you? She did not recognize him.
"It's been twenty years since we met. - He replied. "I spent twenty years planning the perfect revenge.
"You should be in jail." - She said. - The penalty was ...
- Thirty years. He finished. "He was a good prisoner, and I left early.
- Why do you want revenge on me? She asked, trying to break free.
- Because? Because? Do you still ask why? He was more nervous. "I've been in jail for 20 years, lost my whole family, and you've earned a good job, friends, and a man in love with you.
He turned to him and slapped her face.
- You slut. He said giving another slap. - Stay neat. I'll start right away with your treatment.
She feared for her life.
- Luke. - She thought. - Help me please.