A/N: Hello hello! This chapter is a bit longer, but I ended up combining two chapters because alone they would have been pretty short. I hope you guys enjoy! Again, you lovely people who follow my story make my day so much brighter and don't forget, I love reviews! ;)
Morgan, Reid, and Hotch waited outside the room while Joey was fitted with her wire. Leaning against Garcia's desk with her shirt unbuttoned, Joey listened to Prentiss give her instructions while JJ gently taped the wire up Joey's stomach.
"We can't give you an ear-piece in case he sees it and bolts, so you'll be going in blind." Joey nodded in understanding. "Try to get him to explicitly state that he's blackmailing you, or that he has something against you and why he's using it," Prentiss continued. "But don't be too obvious. We don't want him to catch on, and more importantly, we don't want you to get hurt."
Joey smirked. "I think you're a bit late on the uptake there."
Garcia inhaled sharply and looked up at Joey from where she was checking the feedback from the microphone.
Joey silently cursed herself. "Sorry, it's just…" she sighed. "Look, there's a really good chance he's going to hit me or grab me or something while I'm in there, so just…just be ready for that, I guess." She finished lamely. Garcia stared at her wide-eyed. Prentiss looked like she wanted to say something, but JJ cut her off.
"Okay, all done." JJ stood and stepped back. Joey buttoned up her shirt and stood with her arms out, letting JJ admire her handiwork. "It looks good." She nodded. "I can't see anything."
She moved to retrieve the men while Prentiss fastened a necklace around Joey's neck. "Remember, don't let him get too close to this, because he might be able to detect the camera, and don't make it too obvious that you're trying to track his movements. Just act normally and hopefully he'll stay within our line of sight."
Joey nodded and fingered the chain nervously while the rest of the team returned. Garcia checked the visual and audio feedback and confirmed that everything was working.
"Now remember, we'll be watching everything, so if anything goes wrong…" Morgan started.
"You'll stay here until I come back." Joey finished firmly. Morgan and Reid looked at her, startled. "You can't interrupt our meeting, or he'll suspect something's up. No matter what happens, you have to stay here. No matter what." She repeated seriously as Morgan opened his mouth to protest.
JJ and Reid looked like they would be highly disobedient to Joey's request, so she gave a slightly pleading look to Hotch, who nodded understandingly. Joey returned his nod and sighed, straightening her collar. "Wish me luck."
Without waiting for a response, she pushed her way out of the bat cave and toward the elevators. When the doors opened on the eighth floor, Joey took another moment to steel herself before striding down the hall to Pearce's office, where she knocked on the door.
"Come in." Came the reply.
Joey turned the handle and entered, moving to stand in the middle of the office after closing the door behind her. Pearce leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Ah good, Agent Ryan. I'm glad you received my message."
Joey only nodded. Her hands trembled slightly and she was sure she was already being too obvious.
Pearce gestured to the seat opposite his desk and Joey sat obediently. "I heard your last case was a success? You returned three boys unharmed to their parents." Joey nodded mutely. "I'm glad to hear it. Child abduction cases can be so nasty." Pearce finished dramatically with a rather wicked gleam in his eye.
There was a beat. "How did you get into my apartment?" Joey asked, thinking back to what Prentiss had told her.
Pearce cocked his head to the side a few degrees. "You've never asked me before. You're not thinking of locking me out are you?" A sinister smile had crossed his face. Joey gulped and shook her head no. "Good," Pearce leaned forward and stood up. "Besides, I like to know that you'll get my message since you don't always respond to my texts." Pearce came to a stop on the other side of his desk, leaning against it. Only a good foot of space separated Joey from him now. She shrank back in her seat a few inches.
When Joey didn't respond to him, Pearce pressed on. "Thursday night I'm expecting a package. I need you to retrieve it for me."
"What is it?" Joey asked.
Joey held her breath, wondering if she was being too suspicious. Pearce narrowed his eyes at her, and too late Joey realized her mistake. Lightning fast, Pearce lashed out and struck her face. Joey let out a gasp of pain, but quickly clenched her jaw shut. Her eyes watered slightly as pain seared up her cheek and temple. She strained her ears to listen for footsteps outside the door, half expecting Morgan to come bursting in.
Thankfully, the hallway outside was silent as everyone else on the floor was gone at a conference. "I've told you, it doesn't matter what's in the package. What matters is that it gets to me in one piece."
"If I just knew what I was looking for-." Joey started, but Pearce cut her off, speaking briskly.
"I will text you an address when the time comes and when you arrive, you'll know it when you see it." He leaned down close to her and Joey shrank back, afraid Pearce would spot the camera in her necklace, but Pearce grabbed both her wrists instead. "You know that your father will be killed if he gets sent back." Pearce slowly brought one of Joey's wrists up and gently kissed the inside of it.
Joey barely repressed a shudder. Suddenly, Pearce's grip tightened and Joey sucked in her breath. She felt her fingers go numb. "So let's not forget that I have the power to frame him for affiliation with terrorists."
Keeping a tight grip on one wrist, Pearce let go of the other and placed a hand on Joey's knee. He slowly slid his hand up her thigh. Joey stiffened, humiliated, knowing that her team was watching just two floors down.
"I haven't forgotten." She mumbled.
Pearce let his hand linger for a moment longer before releasing Joey. He stood abruptly and returned to his seat behind his desk. "Good, that's all I have for you right now."
Joey nodded and stood, shaking slightly. She quickly walked to the door where Pearce stopped her. "Oh and Agent Ryan," Joey looked up to see him holding up his cell phone. "I'll be watching."Joey didn't bother replying. She opened the door and exited silently.
She was able to keep her composure until she reached the elevators. As the doors slid shut behind her, Joey pummeled the button for floor six. She leaned against the back wall and ran both hands through her hair. She felt like she might throw up.
When the doors finally pinged open, Joey burst into the hallway and sped walked back to the team. As she pushed the door open to Garcia's cave, they all stood.
"Are you okay?" Garcia asked tearfully.
"I'm fine." Joey replied curtly. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she was determined to appear composed. She unclipped the necklace and handed it back to Prentiss with slightly trembling fingers. A sudden fear flooded Joey as she looked around the tiny room. "Where's Morgan?"
"He left." Reid answered. "He didn't want to watch after Pearce…after he hit you." Reid faltered slightly. "He went back to his desk." Joey sighed in relief.
"Do you think we have enough?" JJ looked to Hotch and Prentiss.
Hotch nodded. "That's definitely something. If we pair it with the texts, calls, and notes, it should be enough to make a case."
Joey nodded, taking it all in. "I should get back to my desk. If I stay here too long, he'll start to ask questions."
They all agreed. Hotch, Reid, and Prentiss filed out while JJ stayed to help take the microphone off. Joey unbuttoned her shirt with some difficulty as her hands were still shaking.
Garcia gently brushed her fingers across Joey's cheek, but Joey jerked her head away. Garcia pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry. Do you want an ice pack or anything?"
"No thanks. Ah-." She gasped as JJ accidentally bumped her still-bruised ribs. JJ apologized hurriedly and handed the microphone to Garcia.
Garcia accepted it while keeping her sad gaze on Joey. "I can't wait for all this to be over."
Joey gave a wry chuckle. "You and me both, Garcia. You and me both."
The rest of the day passed without event. Joey had cast Morgan an apprehensive look as she entered the bullpen, but he gave her a nod of solidarity and she sighed with relief.
Garcia had insisted on having Joey's wrist looked at, as one of them had swelled considerably more than the other and was rapidly turning purple, but Joey adamantly refused. After much bickering between the two, JJ procured a wrist brace as a compromise.
As Joey sat down at her desk, she saw Reid eye her brace, but he said nothing and turned back to his computer.
As evening was drawing near, Joey one by one watched her teammates check out for the day. Prentiss, grumbling about paperwork 'eating away at her soul' was the first to go, followed shortly by JJ, then Reid, who waved goodnight to Joey before leaving.
Finally, night was falling heavily outside, Morgan walked up to Joey's desk. "Come on, kid. I'll take you home."
"But—." Joey protested.
Morgan held up a hand. "This paperwork can wait until tomorrow. Let's call it a night."
Not wanting to bicker with Morgan any more, Joey begrudgingly agreed and packed up her stuff. The two of them waved to Hotch, who was still leaning over his desk, before making their way down to the parking garage.
Morgan and Joey joked and made idle chat as they drove. Joey was glad Morgan wasn't upset that she'd forbade him from intervening during her and Pearce's meeting, and she was feeling like part of the weight had been lifted off her chest. They had recorded Pearce and they were going to report him.
Morgan finally pulled up to the curb in front of Joey's building and unbuckled. "What? Morgan, no. You don't have to stay here tonight." Joey insisted.
"I know." Morgan replied. "But at least let me check your place before I leave you here alone."
"I'm fully capable of taking care of myself—." Joey began rather indignantly.
"I know you are." Morgan held his hands up in surrender. "But it will make me feel better."
Joey hesitated before relenting. "Fine." She unbuckled and lead Morgan up to her apartment.
"I told you everything was fine." Joey said, her hands on her hips. She watched as Morgan, for the fourth time, checked to make sure all the windows were locked. They hadn't found anything in any of the rooms, and it didn't look like anyone had forced their way in.
"Okay…" Morgan sounded unsure.
"Morgan, please." Joey insisted, gently pushing him toward the door. "Everything is fine, you've checked it out yourself. Now let me get to bed and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. Goodnight, kid. Call me if you need anything." Morgan said as he stepped out into the hallway.
"I will." Joey replied honestly. She bade him goodbye before shutting and locking the door after him.
Joey put a pizza in the oven to cook while she took a shower. Once out, dried, and ready with a plate of three slices of pepperoni, Joey climbed into bed where she switched on the TV. Some nature documentary was playing, and as she finished her pizza, Joey let facts about North American otters wash over her as she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Joey woke to the sound of her alarm. She switched it off before shoving her face back into her pillow with a groan.
She lifted her head suddenly. Something was off. She had definitely eaten pizza in bed last night…but where was her plate? She looked around her bed to no avail. And hadn't she left the TV on? Joey flipped over to stare at her dresser, and her heart dropped.
The TV was off with the remote neatly tucked underneath it. But what was causing Joey's breathing to quicken was the envelope leaning against the corner of the screen. Joey threw herself out of bed and snatched the envelope. 'Agent Josephine Ryan' was on the front in the same typed lettering as all the others.
Heart hammering, Joey glanced around her room. This definitely wasn't there last night. There's no way she and Morgan could have missed it. Joey dashed to every window, checking and confirming that all of them were still locked. She tried her front door. Also locked.
She spun on the spot and raked a hand through her hair, taking deep breaths. She glanced at her watch and cursed. The bus would be there soon. After quickly changing, Joey grabbed her bag and the envelope, and sprinted out the door.
Joey's eyes darted around the hallway as she stepped off the elevator. She felt jumpy. Her mind had raced the whole ride over to the office. How could Pearce have gotten in last night?
"Good morning Ry—what's wrong?" Morgan started, but changed mid-sentence as he caught the look on Joey's face.
Joey shook her head slightly as a warning and continued on to her desk. Pearce could be watching. She clumsily sat and unpacked her files, reaching to turn on her computer as she did. After a minute or two, Morgan came over and leaned against her desk.
"What's wrong?"
Joey made sure to keep her head down as she spoke. "He was in my apartment last night." As if presenting proof, Joey pulled out the envelop addressed to her.
She looked up to see that Morgan's face had turned cold. "That wasn't there when I checked everything." He protested.
"I know." Joey muttered. "But it was there when I woke up."
Reid had been silently eavesdropping on the conversation from his desk. He now looked back and forth between Joey and Morgan. "What does it say?" he finally asked.
"I don't know." Joey confessed. "I didn't have time to read it this morning."
"Open it." Morgan insisted.
Taking a deep breath, Joey flipped the envelope over and broke the seal. With slightly shaky hands, she pulled out the neatly folded paper, and dropped it when she read the note. She stood abruptly and took a few steps away from her desk, running a hand through her hair.
Morgan and Reid both leaned in to read the message, which simply said 'bring me the tape.'
Joey shook her head. "He knows." She said, barely audible. She didn't want prying ears to tune in to what they were saying.
Reid looked to Morgan, nervous and unsure of what to do. Morgan stared at Joey for a second before grabbing the paper and stuffing it back into the envelope. He handed it to Joey. "Come on."
The two of them calmly walked up to Hotch's office, where JJ was standing talking to their boss. "I don't know, it might have gotten lost between departments…" Hotch mused thoughtfully. He trailed off at the sound of Morgan's knock.
"Sorry, Hotch." Morgan said as he and Joey entered without invitation. Morgan shut the door behind them.
"Pearce knows." Joey breathed when she found Hotch and JJ staring at her expectantly. She placed the envelope on Hotch's desk. "This was on my dresser this morning." Joey stepped back and stared down at her shoes.
"But it wasn't there last night." Morgan shared a significant look with Hotch.
JJ looked horrified. "He was in your room while you were asleep?"
"Pearce left for a business trip this morning." Hotch said with furrowed brows as he pulled the paper out of the envelope. His expression darkened as he read the note.
"I don't think he's on a business trip, Hotch." Morgan shook his head.
"Is your go bag packed?" Hotch asked Joey. She nodded. "Good, you're staying with Prentiss tonight. Don't go back to your apartment until we can find Pearce, though I'm sure he's off the radar by now." Joey nodded while the others exchanged serious glances. "As soon as you leave her tonight, switch your phone off. Garcia will cut all the cameras from the bull pen to the parking garage. We can't take any risks."
That night, Joey rode with Prentiss back to Emily's apartment. "Thanks again for letting me stay here." Joey said for what felt like the hundredth time. It was late, just past midnight, and the two took care to be quiet as they made their way down the hall.
"Oh it's not a problem at all. Besides," Prentiss grinned as she unlocked her door. "Sergio likes the company."
Joey smiled to herself and followed her colleague in. Prentiss lead her to the guest bedroom. "You can stay in here tonight. Hi Serge." She commented as her black cat slinked into the room. "Oh! I forgot," She turned to Joey. "I'm supposed to water my neighbor's plants and feed her cat while she's gone on a business trip. She just left today. Do you mind if I run over really quick?"
Joey smiled and waved her away. "Not at all!"
Prentiss beamed as she backed out. "Okay, it won't take more than five minutes, I promise. Make yourself at home!" She called and a few moments later, Joey heard the front door close.
As it did, Joey felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out to reveal a text from Hotch asking if they had made it home okay. Joey was about to reply when she heard a noise in the kitchen.
She paused. "Emily?"
Nothing. Joey felt her pulse begin to race. She was being paranoid, right? Just in case, she slid her phone into her back pocket at slowly reached for her bag. "Sergio?" She called, pulling out her gun.
The black cat blinked at her from the bed. "Sergio, is that you?" Joey called again, trying to sound as casual as possible. Weapon in front of her, Joey inched toward the kitchen. "I hope you're not getting into anything you're not supposed to." She prayed the cat would stay put.
Joey rounded the corner and barely had enough time to register the barrel of a silencer on a pistol before pain exploded in her left shoulder. She cried out, dropping to her hands and knees. Her gun clattered out of her hands and onto the floor. Joey quickly scrambled toward it, but someone kicked it out of reach. "No." She cried. She had to warn Prentiss. "Em—! Ah—." Joey tried calling out but gasped at a sharp pain in her neck. "No…no, no. Emily!" She called, but her voice sounded weak.
Joey's arms and legs suddenly gave out and she felt her face hit the kitchen floor. "No…" she muttered again. She heard the sound of heavy boots coming toward her. Someone reached down and pulled her phone out of her back pocket before she closed her eyes and darkness consumed her.