A/N: I'm sorry, but I have to. Once again, some words belong to the writers of CM.

Chapter 4

Zach walked into the principal's office to see Haley and Jack standing there. He immediately noticed that there were no US Marshalls with them. "Mom, what's going on?"

"We're leaving; now. Let's go."

"Mom, my stuff in my locker?"

"We're leaving."

"Ms. Stevens, is this necessary? What is happening?" While Zach had absolutely no respect for the spineless principal, his questions allowed Zach to read Haley. And what he saw made his stomach absolutely rumble: Absolute fear. She pulled Jack into her arms and grabbed Zach's arm, leading him out the office and the building.

While she got Jack in his car seat, Zach climbed in to the passenger side and buckled his seatbelt, trying to run scenarios through his brain. He took a deep breath. If he stayed calm, maybe his mom would hear him and could talk to him.

"Mom, please tell me what's going on," he said as she sped out of the school parking lot. "Where are the Marshalls?"

"Zach please; just let it go." She glared at him and nodded towards the backseat. Zach nodded at her. Fifteen minutes later, they were on I-95 heading south. Zach's insides churned more.

Forty minutes later, as they were tumbling down the freeway, at speeds Zach never seen his mom drive, Jack spoke up from his car seat. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

Zach looked at his mom. They were approaching an exit that displayed the sign of a McDonald's. "Mom, we need to stop. Jack needs to eat." Zach silently played in his head how he could take this to his advantage. Haley, still clearly stressed to Zach, nodded and took the exit. They pulled into the parking lot.

"Mommy, they have a Playland," Jack happily announced as Haley pulled him out of his car seat. Zach came around the car and took his brother from Haley's arms.

"And if you eat everything JP, you'll get to play," Zach smiled at his younger brother. Haley glared more at Zach.

Jack looked at him. "But Zach, I've got to go potty."

Zach smiled. "How 'bout we all order our lunches, and while mom waits to get them, I'll take you to the bathroom?"

Jack smiled at him. "You're boss Z-man." Zach smiled and set Jack on the ground, opening the door for Haley and his brother to enter.

They approached the counter; Jack happily ordering his usual Happy Meal of a cheeseburger. Haley added a chicken sandwich meal. Zach looked at the person taking the order. "Three milks please."

"Zach, you have to eat," Haley admonished.

"I can't right now mom. I'd puke if I did. I'm taking Jack to the bathroom." As they left, Haley sadly looked at her sons, with tears forming in her eyes. She knew Zach understood more than what she had told him. The older woman on the other side of the counter looked at her.

"Ma'am, are you OK?"

Haley brushed a tear away and looked at her. "I'm sorry. How much do I owe you?"

The boys re-appeared as Haley grabbed the tray. Zach took the time to say a silent prayer and swigged the first container of milk down. Jack happily dived into his meal, completely oblivious to the situation. Zach silently thanked God for that.

As Jack gulped down the last bite of his hamburger, leaving behind just few French fries, he looked at Haley. "Can I go play mommy?"

Before Haley had a chance to answer, Zach smiled, sitting across from him and their mother. "Sure bro; take off." Jack climbed around his mom and took off for the Playland while Zach ate the few French fries his brother had left. Haley pushed some of hers towards him. Zach just shook his head.

Haley looked at Zach. "Mom, I respect you and you know that. But I'm not leaving until I get some answers. What the hell is going on?"

"Zach, your language."

"Mom, watch me up my game. Because right now, I don't give a damn. You tell what the hell is going on."

Haley's eyes filled with tears again. "You know I took the day off to spend time with Jack. I just needed that. And I had accrued the time to do it." Zach nodded. She recounted the phone call she to him that she got from Marshall Victor Collins, including the news about Aaron.

"Have you tried to call dad?"

"Did you not hear me Zach? Your father is dead. I need to get you boys to that man to get you safe."

"Mom, this makes no sense at all. If the Marshalls knew about this, they would have come and got us. They wouldn't ask you to go back to McLean. Have you tried anyone else at the BAU?" He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Let me call Uncle Dave."

Haley grabbed his cell before Zach could make the call. "Zach, I'm trying to protect you and Jack. Go get your brother; we're leaving." As Zach came out of the Playland with Jack, he noticed Haley sliding his cell phone into the nearby garbage can.

They climbed into the vehicle and continued their drive south. Zach processed the information more. His guts rumbled even worse. He then thought back to his dad's profile of Foyet. "Mom stop, please. We need to talk." But not wanting to scare Jack, he said nothing more.

"Zach, I need to get you two safe."

"And mom, I'm telling you just let me check this out; with Uncle Dave, Morgan, anyone. Please mom, I know more than you think." Zach had to keep his words cryptic to not alarm Jack. Haley just shook her head, looking in the rear view at Jack. While only four, he could feel the tension in the front seat and didn't take his usual afternoon nap, especially in a moving car. Haley looked at him and shook her head again. Zach knew he was fighting a losing battle with her.

Yet Zach, knowing that Foyet had gotten into his mother's head, ran a multitude of game plans through his head. An hour later, she pulled into the driveway of their home. Zach climbed out of the passenger seat and looked around. He saw a car parked across the street. Foyet was waiting for them. He could feel it in his bones.

When they entered their home, their real home, Jack smiled brightly. Haley reached for the new cell phone that Zach noticed. "We're here," she said into it. Zach knew she was making a mistake. He grabbed Jack into his arms. "Jack, I need you to listen to me. I'm going to tell you things," he whispered in Jack's ear, "that I need you to trust me and do exactly what I say." Jack looked his older brother in the eye, noticing that Zach didn't call him JP. He just nodded.

While the home had been vacated for almost six months the temp in the house was reasonable. Zach walked past the gauge that regulated the heat and air conditioning in the hallway and noticed it was totally blank. Sam had told him they would take care of the house. Foyet had already cut the power to the home. Before he could catch Jack, he rumbled up the steps to get his soldiers he loved to play with.

Zach started to chase after Jack when he heard her open the door. "Thank you Haley," the man drawled. Zach immediately knew that George Foyet was now in the house. Not wanting to expose Jack, and hoping, fervently, that Jack would play in his bedroom, he shook the hand of the man his mother thought was their savior. Zach knew the total opposite but tried his best to keep his composure. Haley smiled at him.

Jack came back downstairs. "Mommy, I have my soldiers again," he said as he laid them out on the coffee table in the living room. Zach's mind went into overdrive, trying to re-formulate a plan.

As he did, Zach noticed the absolute evil smile Foyet gave Haley as he handed her his cell phone. "Go ahead Mrs. Hotchner. It's someone you need to speak with. But the boys need to hear it as well so it's on speaker." Zach, never one to show a temper, silently burned.

"Haley?" he heard his dad's voice. Haley looked at Zach and then understood the reality of the situation.

"You're OK?"

"Yes Haley. He can hear us?"

"Yes. Oh Aaron; I'm so sorry."

"Haley show him no fear."

"I know. Sam told me about him."

As their conversation continued, Zach noticed his dad pause. That was uncharacteristic of his father. "Haley, are the boys there? Both of them?"

"Yes," she answered, shivering.

"Jack, I need you to work the case. I need you to work this case with me."

"Jack, your dad wants to talk to you." As Jack rose from the coffee table, Haley snuck a peek at Zach. He simply blinked at her. She smiled slightly at him as she handed the phone to Jack.

"Hi daddy," Jack said.

"Hi buddy. Jack, I need you to work this case. And listen to Zach. Do you understand? I need you to work this case."

Zach waded in. "Hey JP, I'm seeing that happy dance of yours. You need to go the potty bro?" Zach silently prayed his dad would pick up on that.

"Jack, I just really need you to work this case with me buddy. But to do that, you have to go the potty." That message was more for Zach than Jack. His dad was telling to roll with it.

"Yup daddy, I will. Is George a bad man?" Zach and Haley heart's both broke that Jack had to face this kind of evil.

"Yes he is son. But you listen to Zach and work the case with me buddy."

Morgan, driving the rest of the team at break length speed to get to Haley and Hotch's home, and all of them monitoring the call, looked at Dave.

"You're the Unit Chief now; but I can tell you. We won't get to all of them in time."

"Goddamnit Dave."

"Morgan, I'm giving you a simple fact as much as I hate to do it. We are not going to get all three of them out of there alive. But trust me; Hotch is sending Zach a message. He's buying us some time." JJ, a mother, sitting in the backseat, wiped away her own tear, knowing who Foyet would take out first.

"He's sending a message to Zach."

They heard Hotch tell Jack. "Buddy, I just really need you to work this case. Give mom a hug."

Zach watched helplessly as she said her good-bye to Jack, knowing her fate.

"Go potty upstairs with Zach and work the case with your brother buddy." Hotch said. Jack bolted to his older brother, who gathered him in his arms. As he turned to leave the living room, he looked back at his mother.

"I promise mom." Haley smiled slightly, knowing that her oldest son would keep that special promise.

Zach bolted up the steps with Jack in his arms and got him to use the bathroom. When he finished, Zach quickly pulled him off, got his shorts pulled up and grabbed him. "Zach, I need to wash my hands," Jack protested, as Zach put his finger to Jack's mouth, telling him to be quiet.

"Not this time Jack," Zach whispered as he carried his brother into the room, carefully avoiding the floor boards that squeaked. He was an expert at that. He opened their secret door. "Jack," Zach whispered, "did you hear what dad said?" Jack nodded his head.

"Then bro, you need to get in here and work the case with dad. And you don't say a peep until you hear dad or me. Do you understand? Jack, please, I need you to understand."

Jack, noticing that Zach did not call him JP again, quickly nodded. Zach safely tucked Jack in, helped him turn on the flashlight and headed back to the bathroom. He flushed the toilet, ran some water in the sink as if Jack was washing his hands, and the silently moved to creep out the bathroom window, using his escape from the second floor. While his stomach churned loudly, leaving his little brother behind in the house with George Foyet, he trusted his dad's plan.

As he reached for the branch that would get him out of the house and to safety, he heard the first gun shot, followed by two more. Zach climbed down the tree, his tears running unabatedly.

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