Chapter 5

JJ stood with Hotch as they watched the church explode in front of them. JJ grabbed his hand. He squeezed it tight as he turned to find the Sheriff. "Get me down there now please." The Sheriff nodded, moving towards his vehicle.

"I'm coming with you," JJ said, as Hotch loosened his hand.

"No you aren't." He looked her in the eye. "There's too much smoke and garbage up there," he said gently rubbed her expanding womb for a brief moment. "I'll keep you in the loop." He burrowed a look into her eye. JJ knew that ended the argument.

"Get going Hotch," she said. Hotch climbed into the squad car with the Sheriff, and they flew to the scene.

As he jumped out of the squad car and rushed forward, Dave, along with some survivors were the first ones to come around the building, Dave gently pushing the survivors to get to them safety. Emily wasn't far behind and Hotch quickly moved up to the scene. But his team wasn't all counted for.

As Rossi led the group down to the waiting arms of Dan's team, Emily looked back at the burning church. "Morgan? Reid?" She repeated the call. Hotch took a deep breath.

Morgan and Reid emerged from the ashes and chaos, both coughing badly. They had barely made it out. But they did. Hotch let go of a sigh of relief, and then realized he was still missing one. His main man; the member of his team that put his butt on the line, every time, to make sure they were all safe; with a wife and three kids at home. Morgan looked at him and Rossi as Emily hugged Reid.

Morgan, limping a bit, having just escaped the explosion blast, pushing Reid out the door first, looked at him. "Hotch, he told us to find doors to get out. He called it." Hotch just shook his head at Morgan and then looked at Rossi.

"Hotch to Cob. Cob come in," Hotch hammered over the comm system. He, Rossi, and Morgan only heard static.

Dan, standing next to Hotch, Dave and Morgan, shouted into his comm. "Martinez!"

"Sorry boss! I lost them. The explosion must have taken out their comms."

On the backside of the church, Matt did a check of his team members, quickly seeing that one had a piece of wood wedged into the back of his upper leg. As the team member thrashed around in pain, Matt pinned him down.

"Stay still; I've got you. I know you're hurting but you can't roll around." The agent relaxed. Cob nodded at the lead team member to keep his person quiet. He tried his comm, with no response. The blast obviously had blown that system to bits.

Matt quickly checked the agent over. He looked at the rest of the team. "Agent, hang on. I've got you. You're not going to die. The wood piece that is stuck in the back of your leg missed the femoral artery. You'll live."

"But, goddamn Cob; it hurts like hell," he said as Matt held him prone on the ground. He did a quick look around. "Anyone else?"

"Sir, Simons got grazed alongside the head." The team leader had a compress on it.

Simons looked at Cob. "I'm fine sir. Just take care of T-Bone."

Matt smiled. "I've got T-Bone. He's not going to bleed out."

"But shit sir," T-Bone said, "It hurts like hell."

"That damn piece of wood may have lodged into your femur. I've got ya T-Bone. Hang on." Matt looked at the team. "Handkerchiefs; anything to pack around that wound." He looked around, finding the team leader. "Who's on the roof?"

"Markin sir," he replied.

"I need my bag." The team leader shouted at Markin to get the bag down. Less than thirty seconds later, Cob's bag was on the ground. Matt dug out his first aid kit; packed T-Bone's wound and wrapped it with the first available t-shirt he could get off the team. His cell phone pinged in his pocket, which he ignored. T-Bones' team members picked him up and carried him out with Johansson, the team leader holding his leg elevated, per Cob's orders. Cob grabbed Simons to help him.

Hotch paced at the front of the blown out church, looking at Dan. "Why can't Martinez make contact?" he fumed. Dan looked at Rossi to know he wasn't far behind that sentiment.

"Sir, I don't know. Martinez is working on it."

Emily, pulling out of her hug with Reid, looked around and saw Morgan. "What's going on?"

Morgan shook his head. "We haven't heard from Cob and his team."

Less than two heart-stopping minutes later, the main assault team moved around the non-burning part of the building, carrying T-Bone. Morgan, Hotch, Rossi and Dan all hollered for medical help at the same time.

Matt, as always, the commander of his troops, walked out last, helping Simons. An EMT member ran up to the two of them, taking over Simons' care. Hotch silently looked at Rossi and just shook his head. Once again, it was too close of a call with Cob. As Cob started to move towards the team, the agent that had his sniper rifle handed it to him, along with his bag. Matt slung the rifle, barrel side down over his left shoulder and grabbed his bag with his left hand. The agent reached out to shake his hand. Matt smiled and exchanged the handshake, and then slapped the agent on the shoulder as he walked away.

"JJ, its Hotch. We've got them all."

"Thank God." Hotch felt that sentiment in his bones.

Matt walked up to the team and looked at Emily. "You OK?"

"I'm fine Cob."

He took a deep look. "You don't look it to me." He waved an EMT over. The EMT came up. "Please check those two as well," he nodded at Morgan and Reid. He looked at Hotch.

"You OK?" Hotch asked his partner.

"I need a shower, a shave, and a 12 pack of beer." Hotch smiled as Rossi rubbed Matt's shoulder.

"Make that a case of beer and bottle of scotch." Matt lightly touched Rossi's side as they turned to see Kathy Evanson approaching them. Matt just shook her head at her as Emily walked to her and gave her a hug. They didn't need words to tell her the news. She already knew.

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