Garcia nods as Reid sets the last box in the office that had been set up for her. "I got it: no one but the team touches these boxes."
"Right. I'll be in the conference room down the hall breaking the bank book codes," he tells her.
"Have you heard from Hotch or Emily?"
Reid sighs and leans against the wall. "No. But Emily is probably going to end up in the hospital at least overnight."
"Oh, my poor princess."
"Yeah. She snapped at Hotch and nearly passed out as she started up the stairs. I think it's easy for all of us to forget just how badly she was hurt."
Garcia sighs. "Yeah, it is. She's just so…so Emily. I guess if she does get out of the hospital she can come and keep us company here."
Reid grins. "Yeah. Get two nerds working on the codes and the unsub doesn't stand a chance."
Garcia laughs. "Well said, Dr. Reid. Okay, now shoo: I have two searches that need my attention to narrow some parameters."
"Leads on the unsub?"
"Nope, his clients. If we can find them, then we can search from them back to the unsub. He had to have more than just the handwritten ledger. Somewhere he has a computer. And I plan to find it," Garcia says with determination.
The doctor walks into Emily's room. The look on his face says it all.
"Son of a bitch," she mutters.
He gives her a kind smile. "I'm sorry, Agent Prentiss. Knowing the case you are up here working I wish I could put you back in the field to track that bastard down. But you are not far enough past the serious head injury that put you in a coma for my comfort or your safety. For now, I'm not recommending an MRI. What will happen is every hour a nurse will come in and test your mental acuity. If you start to have slurred speech or unusual memory lapses we'll order the MRI."
Emily sighs, trying to come up with a better solution. There isn't one, not if she intends to keep her promise to Jen and their kids about accepting her limits. "I guess I sort of saw this coming. Still not happy about it."
"In the morning we can re-evaluate your status. You may be cleared to at least do some desk duty if all goes well through the night."
"Ugh. Desk duty."
The doctor grins. "Yeah, I didn't think that would go over very well. Take care, Agent Prentiss."
"Thanks, Doc."
About twenty minutes later, Hotch enters Emily's room. She frowns at him.
"You're cleared for duty, aren't you?"
He nods. "Yes. I understand you're not."
"Are you surprised?" she asks, eyebrow arching towards the ceiling.
Hotch can't help but smile. "No, I'm afraid I'm not." He steps over and takes her hand. "Things were crazy after getting out of there and getting to the crime house. I never got to thank you for saving my life with that pen-into-key move."
Emily nods. "Turns out not everything I learned in another life is worthless, I guess."
"I agree with that." He pauses a moment. "Emily, you said…it was easier since it wasn't bloody…"
Emily's eyes darken. "I got cocky and got caught. Shithead was going to…rape me then kill me. I got a pen, stabbed him in the throat, and then made a key with the spring."
"Was that spur of the moment thinking?"
She smiles darkly. "Nope. Sean taught me that one. He figured it would happen at some point while I was…her."
"Then I'm glad you learned it not only to save me but so that you saved yourself all those years ago." He pats her on the leg. "Get some rest, Emily. We'll see you in the morning."
Emily just nods. "Thanks, Hotch. Catch the bastard."
"We're going to try."
He leaves and Emily is left to stare at the ceiling, wishing she could be with her team to stop this asshole of an unsub.
After getting Banner into a safe house, Rossi returns to the crime scene. He and Morgan finish their third sweep of the house. Morgan looks at the older agent.
"As far as I can tell we have everything."
Rossi looks at the mass of books, magazines and knickknacks all over the living room floor. Even pictures on the wall had been removed and taken out of their frames.
"I agree. I also think we have destroyed or damaged a lifetime's worth of memories for a murdered old lady."
"True. But if we catch the asshole that killed her I'm sure her family will forgive us," Morgan points out.
Rossi just nods. JJ walks downstairs and joins them.
"Hotch is on his way back."
"Emily?" Morgan asks.
"Overnight for observation just like we expected," she answers. "The attic is clear. That trunk was all he had up there and it's mostly his domination porn. The ledger I gave to Reid earlier looks to be the only thing in regards to his…ugh, business. Seems wrong to call it that."
Rossi nods. "I second that. So we've got Reid looking into the bank records and Garcia tracking the customers with the help of an analyst on Katie Cole's staff. If these guys are on her radar it will be easier to cast our net and bring them all down at one time."
Morgan nods. "There is already a plan in place to start slapping cuffs on all these guys as soon as we arrest the ringleader. It will be a major sweep taking people down soon after we take him down so no one has time to run or destroy evidence."
"Good," JJ says bitterly.
"So now all we can do is wait," Rossi points out. "And I don't know about you but the waiting is worse than anything in my opinion."
Morgan and JJ both nod in agreement. The three agents pace as they wait for their boss and word on what their next course of action may be.
Hotch pulls up outside the crime house. He notices the neighbors and other onlookers have dispersed now that the M.E. vans and forensic vehicles are gone.
"No show, no crowd. Works for us," he mumbles to himself.
He goes inside and finds his three agents pacing in the living room. "The house is sanitized?"
"Well, it's clear of evidence. Considering what happened here I'm not sure it can ever be sanitary again," Rossi notes.
Hotch nods. "Good point. The bank ledger JJ found looks to be something our unsub has to have. He obviously didn't digitize it in case his computers were ever compromised. Pete Cartwright is going to give a status update to the news that we are done with this house and that we are still looking in the computers for the unsubs banking information in hopes of tracking him down."
"So it should make him come here," JJ sees, nodding. "Where will we be?"
"Here. But we first have to leave. I've already arranged with the owners of the house directly behind this one for us to return via their backyard. They want this asshole found as badly as we do," Hotch explains. "JJ, Morgan, I want you at the back of the house. He'll most likely try to come in that way so he's not seen from the street. Rossi and I will take the front. Do not try to take him down until he's inside. Here we control the scene; outside there are too many options for him to get away or take a hostage if someone happens to be walking by."
"Will we have police support?" Morgan asks.
"No. We know it's one man. The last thing we need is to tip him off that we are waiting for him. Once we are in, stay away from windows and no flashlights. If we tip him off we're here he'll know the bank line is a ruse. He'll be in the wind." He glances at his watch. "Let's get out of here for now."
The four agents leave and go to their hotel to change into their infiltration gear. On their way back, they pick up fast food and eat in the SUV's. After parking a street over they make their way to the privacy fence between the properties. The neighbor had already put a ladder out there so they are up and over quickly. In the house, they stand in the hallway so they can't be seen from the outside. Hotch glances at his watch.
"It's 7:15. Anyone know what time sunset is tonight?"
JJ grins. "Any of us look like Reid to you?" The agents all chuckle.
Hotch pulls out his phone. "Reid, when is sundown tonight?"
"That would be approximately 8:27 p.m. tonight."
Hotch chuckles. "Approximately 8:27? Isn't that sort of exact?"
"Well, the variations are due to where exactly you are in the city and also if cloud cover brings it earlier."
"Never change, Dr. Reid," Hotch says with amusement as he hangs up. "Okay, we have a little over an hour to wait. Anyone bring any cards?"
The team chuckles and each takes a seat. No one likes to wait but if they catch this guy the wait will have been worth it.
Christopher Ridgeley stands in Edmund Banner's kitchen watching his house. The fucking FBI agents had been swarming all over it for days because his last client was a damned fool and his payments were discovered by his wife. Since he couldn't admit what they were he decided to be a hero so she'd forget about them. Banner was lucky: had the FBI not put him into protective custody he'd have been a dead man.
He had managed to stop two of the agents…so he thought. But then he had seen the man that should have been cooked in Camille's brownstone walk into the house earlier. The female obviously was out of commission.
"Hmmm…are you dead or alive, Agent Prentiss?" he asks aloud, glad he had checked their credentials before leaving them for dead.
He lifts the card that had been left for his nosy-ass neighbor Banner and draws his thumb over the embossed lettering. He picks up the phone and starts calling around to various hospitals.
"Hi, this is Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi of the FBI. I'm calling to check on the status of one of our agents."
At the third hospital he finally finds success. "Yes, that's right: Emily Prentiss." He listens a moment. "Great. Thank you so much for the information. Oh, uh, what floor should we have flowers sent to?" He grins as the idiot on the other end answers. "Third floor. Perfect. Thank you so much for your time."
He hangs up. He watches the house again. He had seen the agents leap the backyard fence and sneak into the house. He waits until nightfall but no lights come on.
"Waiting for me to come get my ledger. Looks like I'll need to come with a bargaining chip."
He walks out of the house and casually strolls up the street to his van. Driving to a hospital just a couple of miles away he parks and goes into the back of the van. He digs around until he finds the doctor's scrubs he uses for…adult games. Quickly changing he kneels down at a small work station he has. Soon a plain white badge has the name of the hospital, his picture and his name on it: "Aaron Hotchner". If he has to swipe it anywhere he can play the old, "Damn, it's new and not working right," angle.
He opens a drawer and pulls out Emily's gun. He grins. "Taken with your own gun. That will sting…at least until I kill you." He shivers as he pictures her in his mind. "Of course, that won't be until after I've had some fun with you."
He clips the holster inside his pants and heads to the hospital to get what he needs to get his property back. No one questions him as he rides the elevator to the third floor. He strolls as casually down the hall as he had down the street an hour earlier. As he nears a room he hears a nurse talking.
"Okay, Agent Prentiss, last question then you can sleep."
"Hmph, for an hour and then you'll wake me again. Tell me, how the hell do I get better if you all keep waking me up?"
The nurse chuckles. "Sorry, Agent. Doctors orders."
Ridgeley looks around. Too many people right now. He'll wait until midnight. Then Agent Prentiss will be taking a little ride with him.
JJ runs a hand over her head. She looks at her watch: 11:24. Only four minutes after the last time she'd looked.
"Okay, if he missed the early news he had to have seen the late news, right?" she asks Morgan.
"I can't imagine he wouldn't be watching every chance he got if only to keep track of the investigation."
JJ nods. "Unless he doesn't have to." Morgan looks at her, eyebrow raised. "He was careful. Lots of forensic countermeasures. Used two different houses for his…business."
"He could be a cop."
JJ shrugs. "Maybe. Who the hell knows? He's been doing this a long time without being on anyone's radar. There has to be a reason for that."
Morgan nods. "He could deflect investigations if he needed to. He would also know when to cut ties with a location or a client and run."
"But Camille's death caught him by surprise. Has thrown him into a fit trying to tie up the loose ends and get out. Add in the Amber Alert tip and he didn't have a chance to get things done the way he normally would."
Morgan considers that but finally shakes his head. "Child trafficking like this is a full-time job. The DVD's, the renting of the house to pedophiles, keeping track of the internet sales…he wouldn't trust any of that to someone else. If he was a cop at some point he isn't now."
JJ shrugs. "And maybe that's how he got so sloppy this time."
Morgan thinks a second then pulls out his phone. "Garcia, cross reference the search for those who flunked jump school with former cops in the greater New York City area."
There is a grand pause. "Do you have any idea how extensive a search like that will be? You know how many cops are former military?"
"I know, Baby Girl. But if anyone can find that information it's you."
"Well, that is true. Not sure when I'll have it but I will let you know when I do."
"Thanks, Baby Girl. You always come through for me."
"Yes, my god of chocolate thunder, I do."
Morgan laughs and hangs up. Now…it was back to waiting.
While waiting for his chance to nab Emily, Ridgeley had wandered the hospital. He found where little Victor Tobbin was being treated but the boy had armed guards at his door. No problem: the kid had seen the client, not the business master.
At 12:05 a nurse walks out of Emily's room. He waits until she has disappeared into another room before he walks in. He sees the agent's eyes are closed as he approaches the bed.
"Didn't you just leave," she mutters, irritated.
He grins. "Just got here, actually." He cocks her gun.
Emily's eyes slowly open. She raises an eyebrow. "Is this a test of my reflexes?"
He smiles. "No, it's a test of how much you want to save a little boy's life. I believe his Mommy called him Timmy. Well, until I knocked her ass out."
Emily's eyes harden. "You're lying."
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." He pulls out his phone and shows a picture of a young boy tied up and lying on the floor of a van. He shudders with revulsion. "Sick fucks messing with little kids is just…disgusting. But I'm sure you can see he is cute enough to make me a good bit of money once I get up and running again." He turns a wolfish smile on her. "I prefer adults."
"Gee, how nice for you."
"Now, I need your help, Agent Prentiss. I left something at my house and I need to get it back."
"Just knock on the door and I'm sure someone will be happy to help you," she says sarcastically.
He grins. "You're feisty. I like my women feisty." He tosses a set of scrubs on the bed. "Get up and get dressed. If you leave without causing a scene I will leave Timmy outside on a bench. Cause problems, and I kill him."
"A nurse will be in here soon," Emily points out.
"She just left. And won't be back for an hour. You see, Agent Prentiss, I've never been caught because I am careful. Now, be a good girl and get dressed. Timmy could be running out of air soon."
Emily stares at him. She can't tell if he's lying or not and she can't gamble Timmy's life. She stands and strips, forcing herself not to react to the lustful look on his face as he studies her body. When she is dressed he steps to her.
"Walk out close to me. Cause a scene and I will shoot anyone who tries to help you. And Timmy will be dead and his parents won't even have his body to bury."
Emily just nods. Ridgeley opens the door and peers out. Seeing the hallway clear he forces Emily out just ahead of him. They get to the stairwell without being seen. Unfortunately for Emily the stairwells are deserted at this time of night and no one sees them as they walk down to the ground floor. A door just off the stairwell takes them outside. Two blocks later Ridgeley stops her at a dark panel van.
"Hands behind you, Agent."
Emily shivers, thinking about the porn stash JJ had mentioned finding while they packed up the office. Emily shivers again when she feels the evidence of Ridgeley's arousal on her leg when he cuffs her, leaning closer to her than necessary. He opens the door and shoves her inside the van, quickly climbing in behind her and locking them in. He puts a knee in her back, crushing her chest down into the floor of the van.
"Where's Timmy?" Emily croaks, not seeing the boy.
Ridgeley gestures with his gun. "Back in the trunk. Time to shut you up for a while."
He grabs a ball gag. Emily grimaces figuring it has probably not been cleaned since it was last used. He ties it tightly, making her wince in pain. He rolls her over, straddling her waist. Her eyes do not betray the fear she feels inside as he runs his hand up under her shirt.
"After we get my bank book, you and I are going to have a little fun, Agent Prentiss."
She can't stop the involuntary shudder as he grabs her breasts. She struggles under him and nods her head towards the trunk. He chuckles and slides off of her. He makes his way to the trunk.
"Oh, Timmy? Time to come out now," he says in a sing song voice.
At that point Emily knows she's been tricked.
He opens the trunk and shows her that it is filled with items to be used in his domination/submission fetishes.
"Oops! That's right: a kid would slow me down so I figured I'd use an agent as a bargaining chip instead." He gives her a sick grin. "My bad."
As he starts to move past Emily to get to the drivers seat she kicks out at him, slamming him into the side of the van. She kicks again, hopping to make enough noise and shake the van enough that someone passing by might stop to see what's happening. Ridgeley leaps on top of her. He draws back and punches her in the face.
Emily goes limp, her head once again exploding in pain.
"Stupid bitch," he mutters. He grabs a set of shackles that will allow her to walk but not run and secures her feet. He then takes two straps, tying her feet to a cross bar at the end of the van and her hands above her had to another cross bar near the seats. His dick grows hard as he pictures her naked and trussed up the same way. He strokes a hand down her face.
"I'm going to make you scream, Agent Prentiss. And I'll make you beg. You're mine now, bitch."
He gets in the drivers seat. Time to get his ledger.