"Truth is powerful and it prevails" - Sojourner Truth.

Chapter 17

Morgan stood outside the interrogation room with his arms folded across his chest staring through the two-way mirror at Ronald Hunt who was seated alone, his wrists handcuffed and hands on the table. Chief Madison stood beside Morgan also staring at the suspect.

"You gonna question him?" Madison asked the agent.

"I want to let 'im sit there and wait for somebody to talk with him," Morgan replied, his eyes never leaving Hunt. "If I march in there right away, then he's in charge. But if I wait and let him sit for awhile, then I'm in charge."

Madison nodded, understanding. "In other words you want to make him sweat."

"You got it," Morgan replied with a glance at the Chief before he turned and walked away followed by Madison. As they were walking away, Morgan felt his phone vibrate and reached inside his jacket. After checking the caller ID, he pressed the phone to his ear. "Yeah, Prentiss." He stopped walking and listened to what Prentiss was telling him. "Okay. Thanks. Listen, how's Hotch?" He listened again as Prentiss updated him on their friend's condition and that they were staying at the hospital, and for him to come there when he's done. Morgan promised he would before disconnecting the call and putting his phone away. The Chief watched the agent raise his head and look up at the ceiling. He swallowed the lump in his throat before turning around and facing Madison. He noticed Madison watching him with compassion in his eyes.

"How is Agent Hotchner?" the Police Chief asked.

Morgan exhaled deeply. "Physically, he'll recover; mentally, nobody really knows for sure. Right now he doesn't recognize anybody, he's afraid and confused. Hell, he doesn't even know his own name right now. About the only person he seems to connect with is Rossi. But then again, they've been friends long before any of us even joined the BAU. I can only hope that in time he'll regain what he's lost and be himself again."

"Well, even though I don't know him, I hope he fully recovers seeing how all of you seem to feel about him."

"Thanks, man. Hotch is the glue that holds our team together. If he doesn't come back from this, I don't know what we're gonna do. Also, I have no idea how to get his five-year-old son to understand that his daddy doesn't know or even remember him."

Madison rubbed the back of his neck. "That's gonna be rough on the little guy, that's for sure," he added softly. He decided to change the subject. "Did your agent have anything to say about Daria Hunt?"

"Yeah. Seems Ronald Hunt's wife was sleeping around. Her examination showed that other than the dead man, she had sex with at least one other man who was not her husband."

Chief Madison mulled over what the agent had told him. "Any idea who the other guy might be?"

"Daria Hunt doesn't strike me as the type of woman who would select just anybody to have an affair with. Her behavior says she's the type of woman who would seek to become involved with a man capable of giving her the kind of life she really wanted, the kind of life that apparently her husband or the late Terry Cochran couldn't give her," said Morgan.

"Yeah, but, Ronald Hunt had a good job as a nutritionist working at one of the most prestigious mental hospitals in the state. And this Terry Cochran was a counselor there as well. Both men made good money," Madison explained.

"True," Morgan agreed. "But Daria craved power and money, and there's someone else who made more money than both her husband and Cochran together, and could give her the kind of life and power she craved. The sex was just an added bonus."

"And who might that be?" asked Madison.

"Doctor Jack Hunt," Morgan replied. He saw the Police Chief's eyes widen in surprise as the man stared at him, speechless, thinking the agent was joking. It took him a few minutes to see that Morgan wasn't kidding.

"You can't be serious, Agent Morgan," Madison said. "You're accusing Dr. Jack Hunt of having an affair with his own daughter-in-law? His son's wife? You really expect me to believe that?"

Morgan looked at the Police Chief. "You don't have to believe it," he said. "As long as Ronald Hunt does, we may be able to get him to roll on his father."

Rossi awoke with a start when he heard the sound. Still in the throes of sleep, he closed his eyes briefly, and pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head to eliminate the cobwebs thinking the sound was in his head only. He then heard the sound again and knew he hadn't been dreaming it; it was very real. Leaning forward, he noticed Hotch was whimpering in his sleep, his fingers clutching the blanket's edge so hard his knuckles were white. Rossi, sensing his friend was in the midst of having a bad dream, he reached out a hand and rested it on his friend's shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Aaron," he said softly so as not to frighten him. "Aaron, wake up. You're having a bad dream." He shook Hotch's shoulder a bit harder. "Aaron."

Hotch's eyes flew open and Rossi could see the panic in the dark brown eyes along with the fear. He looked at the older man and found something in his brown eyes that gave him comfort as if to say everything would be all right somehow. He moved the oxygen mask aside. "I…I'm sorry…bad dream…you…you were in it with some others though."

Rossi arched both eyebrows at Hotch's words, but he fought to quash the hopeful feelings he had upon hearing them. "Can you tell me about your dream?"

"I…I'm not sure…couldn't see the others clearly…one was very small…like a…a child I think…."

Rossi gripped his friend's shoulder firmly. "Just tell me what you remember."

Hotch replaced the oxygen mask and took a few deep breaths. "Just take your time, Aaron," he heard Rossi say. Hotch moved the mask again.

"I…I kept seeing people standing…in front of me…their faces were clouded and blurred…couldn't make them out…" he replaced the breathing mask again for a few seconds before removing it again. "Then I…I heard your…voice…couldn't see your face…just hear your voice."

"Just one last question, Aaron," Rossi leaned forward with arms on thighs and hands between his knees. "You said there was a child. How do you know it was a child? Did he or she say anything to you?"

Hotch's eyes narrowed. "Couldn't make out what…was being said…too faint to hear…sounded like daddy. But not sure."

Smiling, Rossi then adjusted the oxygen mask over Hotch's mouth and nose. "That's enough for now. Just try and get some more sleep, Aaron." But the minute the older man removed his hand, Hotch moved the mask aside. He looked at Rossi quizzically.

"Why do you…keep calling me…Aaron?"

"Because that's your name. Aaron Hotchner." He replaced the mask and chuckled seeing his friend's confused look. "Now shut up and go to sleep. I promise you it'll all come back to you in time." At least I hope so, he thought to himself. He watched as Hotch settled down in the bed, but instead of closing his eyes, continued to look at the older man curiously. Rossi smiled affectionately at his friend and noticed the corner's of Hotch's mouth turn upward. The older man felt that his friend feeling comfortable in his presence was a start; but deep down, he wondered how would things go when the rest of the team came to see him, as well as Haley and Jack. For now, Rossi found himself in agreement with the doctor that it would be best for Jack to be kept away from his father, at least for now. He was brought back to reality when Hotch moved the mask.

"Aaron?"

"What's your name?" Hotch asked with narrowed eyes.

"Dave. Dave Rossi. But you can call me Dave."

Hotch scrunched his face as he tried to remember why that name sounded familiar to him. "Dave. That name…familiar somehow…but can't remember…." He tensed as Rossi replaced the mask.

"No more talking. Just try and get some sleep. I promise you I won't let anybody hurt you." Rossi could see the smile on Hotch's face under the mask; then, he watched his friend close his eyes.

Ron Hunt looked up at the sound of a door opening and saw Morgan and Chief Madison enter, Madison closing the door behind them. Morgan held three folders in one hand.

"Well, it's about damn time," Hunt stated, annoyed. "Just what the hell am I doing here anyway? And where's my father and wife?" He looked back and forth between the Police Chief and FBI agent, both of whom remained silent but stood eying him impassively. "Do you even have any charges?"

"Oh we have charges all right," said Morgan coolly as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from Hunt facing him, the folders in front of him. Madison, arms crossed over his chest, stood behind Hunt but just to the side of him. Morgan opened one of the folders in front of him and one at a time, laid the pictures of six women side-by-side in front of the man. "You recognize these women?" He watched Hunt's face as the man glanced at each of the photos, and saw a subtle tensing of the man's face. Hoping to fool the profiler, Hunt looked up at Morgan and shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"Sorry, but none of them look familiar at all. Who are they?"

"They're the six dead women who were discharged from Central State Hospital in Louisville where you, your wife, and father were all employed at the time," Morgan explained keeping his face neutral. He produced another photo of a close-up of the burn mark on one temple of one of the women. "Each of these women had identical burn marks on both temples similar to this one. Any idea what caused that and where it came from?"

"Nope." Hunt continued to smirk at Morgan who wanted nothing more than to leap across the table and launch himself at Hunt, and pummel him into the floor; not only for what was done to twelve innocent women, but to Hotch as well.

"How about these women then?" Morgan asked removing photos from a second folder and placing them above the previous photos. "Do you recognize any of them?"

"Sorry," Hunt smugly replied. "Don't recognize any of them." He looked up at the Police Chief. "Look, I have no idea what you think I've done, but you've got the wrong man. I am innocent of whatever it is you think I'm guilty of. Now, where are my father and wife?"

Morgan opened another folder and removed a photo of Aaron Hotchner and placed it in front of the man and instantly saw a look of disdain cross his face. "This my boss, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner of the FBI. He disappeared three years ago. Perhaps you can explain to me how he came to be a patient in your hospital under the name Adam Hefner?"

Hunt stared at Morgan. "Look, I have no idea who this Aaron Hotchner is. I only knew the patient as Adam Hefner. My father was the one who met the ambulance when it arrived with the patient and handled the paperwork."

"So you're just gonna sit there and tell us you were completely innocent in all this?" asked Morgan, his eyes hardening.

"That's right. Now, where's my wife and father?"

"Your father's being questioned by one of my men," Madison responded causing Hunt to look up at him. "And as for your wife, well, she's been admitted to Sacramento General."

"You're lying!" Hunt shouted jumping to his feet staring first at the Police Chief, and then at Morgan. "What did you do? Where is she!"

"Sit down," Morgan ordered. The look on his face told Hunt he'd better do as he was told. He slowly sat back down.

"What…what happened to Daria? Is she all right? Can I see her?"

Morgan exhaled deeply. "I'm afraid not. She's under arrest on the same charges as you and your father. But she was assaulted by a Terry Cochran in your hospital who was shot and killed earlier." He noticed Hunt grinding his lower jaw. "Any idea why he would attack her?"

Hunt bowed his head. "He…she had a brief affair with him but broke it off. He…he didn't take it too well and was always bothering her." He raised his head and looked at Morgan. "You said she was attacked. What did you mean exactly by attacked?"

"She was raped and viciously beaten. But according to what I've been told, she should recover." Morgan hesitated a few moments before continuing. "But there's something else you should know."

Stricken, Hunt lowered his head, wondering what else could there possibly be. "What?" he asked in a strained voice, tears running down his cheeks.

Morgan sighed. "An examination showed your wife had sex with someone else as well as Cochran. However, there was no evidence of relations between you and your wife. Why is that?"

Dazed over this new information, Ron Hunt couldn't think straight. "I always used a condom when we had sex. Daria insisted on it. She didn't want children. At least not mine." He looked up at Morgan. "Do you know who this other man is?"

"You would know better than me, Ron. Has there been anybody your wife's been extremely close to of late?" asked Morgan, studying the man's reaction. "Anybody she's been spending a lot of time with at or outside of work?"

Hunt shrugged, still dazed over Morgan's news. "She wasn't close to anybody at the hospital. She kept mostly to herself. Except for when she spent time with my father." Suddenly, Ron's eyes narrowed and he looked up again. "She spent an awful lot of time with my father. And I use to see the subtle looks they gave each other when they thought I wasn't looking. How could he? My own father!"

"Sounds like your father betrayed you, Ron," Morgan said quietly, maintaining eye contact. He was aware the interrogation was being videotaped, and wanted to keep the man talking. "Both of them betrayed you in the worst way, man. You don't owe either of them any loyalty whatsoever."

Ron stared into Morgan's eyes with red eyes of his own. "What do you want to know?"

Morgan pointed to the photograph of Aaron Hotchner. "Let's begin with why you kidnapped Agent Hotchner three years ago and what was done to him during that time. We know the ECT treatments didn't begin until we got involved in the investigation back in Louisville, so what happened from that moment on?"

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Ron Hunt looked straight into the black agent's face, eyes never wavering.

"I should have known Daria had an ulterior motive when she suggested we take Agent Hotchner with us that day. I had suggested we kill him when he and that dark-haired female agent were searching the building. I saw the way she looked at him and could tell her interest in him was not professional, but I shrugged it off. I should've stuck to my original plan of killing him right there, but I gave in to Daria who thought Agent Hotchner might make a good test subject for Jack's experiment."

"Experiment?" inquired Madison, puzzled. "What kind of experiment?"

Hunt didn't even look at him. "Jack believed a person's existing memories could be wiped out and replaced with new memories thereby making a new person out of that person. He tried it with the six women in Louisville and again here. All of them ended up having to be killed because somehow the experiment failed."

Morgan's eyes hardened. "So you're admitting to us right here and now that this is what you, your father, and your wife did to all those young women and to Agent Hotchner?" Hunt didn't respond. "Did any of you give any thought to these young women who were in your care needing your help? Did it even matter to you that Agent Hotchner has a wife and a five-year-old son? Did any of that mean anything to you at all?" Again, Hunt didn't answer but looked at his hands. "Answer me, dammit!" Morgan shouted slamming his hands on the table jumping up causing Hunt to nearly jump out of his skin. The man looked at the agent swallowing hard, frightened by the dangerous look in Morgan's eyes.

"Y'know what I don't get, Ron?" a disgusted Madison interjected hoping to ease the tension. "I don't get why you kept that FBI agent alive for three years. I mean, seems to me you could have just as easily killed him and left his body for these other agents to find. So why did you hold onto him?"

"I already told you, Daria thought he might make a good test subject for Jack's experiment. Especially since none of the women survived."

"Okay," Morgan stated slightly calmer. "Start at the beginning. I want to know what happened starting from exactly how you and your wife captured Agent Hotchner."

Then, as both men listened, Ron Hunt began explaining exactly what happened that day three years ago.