Avenger of Blood
Chapter 4
Digging Deeper

"The thing about a hero, is even when it doesn't look like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, he's going to keep digging, he's going to keep trying to do right and make up for what's gone before, just because that's who he is." – Joss Whedon

'JJ is that you?'

'Morgan?'

'It's ok, JJ. We're getting you out.'

JJ felt hot tears course down the sides if her face. She gripped onto Morgan's hand and he held hers tightly. The light increased as more debris was pulled away, and JJ breathed in the fresh dust free air. Morgan took her other hand.

'Does it hurt anywhere, JJ?' he asked.

'I'm fine, just a few grazes.'

She smiled at Morgan, as she was finally pulled through the gap into the sunshine.

-0-0-0-

The man with the guns was pacing, and muttering to himself. He was staring to think that he didn't want to die after all. He wanted to get out of there.

The man poked Dave in the side with Aaron's gun.

'Get over here and start digging. I want to get out of here.'

Dave opened his eyes and looked up at his captor.

'I don't think I can. You shot me, remember?'

'I will shoot you again, David, if you don't do as I say.'

'You won't get out of here alive, you know. You will get killed as soon as we see daylight.'

'I don't think so.' he said, fingering the trigger of the guns

Dave did as he was told. His hip was numb now, and the pain was distant. He felt light headed and a little sick, he thought it as a result of breathing foul air and losing blood. He couldn't stop the man from beating Aaron and the guilt he felt was unbearable. He looked across to where Aaron was lying, eyes closed against the pain he was in.

Aaron also noticed that the air was becoming thick and unbreathable. They had to get out quickly now or that would suffocate. It felt as if they had been down there for days, although it was difficult to tell.

Dave began to dig with his bare hands at the masonry that was covering the stairs from the basement.

Aaron was thinking about the rest of his team. He had no way of knowing if any of them had died in the explosion. He opened his eyes. He still felt thoroughly sick and he found it difficult to move.

'What are you doing?' he called hoarsely.

'I told you I didn't want to hear your voice!' the man said angrily, and he kicked Aaron's leg again. He grimaced in agony, but fought back the desire to scream. He watched as Dave struggled to move boulders of concrete, and he began to pull himself across the floor to help him. The man pointed the gun.

'Stay back.'

'Let me help him.' Aaron said. 'He's weak and ....... injured. With both of us working we'll .......... get out quicker.'

The man appeared to think for a second and then he waved the gun at Aaron, but he made no attempt to help him.

He couldn't do it though. He managed a few feet and then rolled onto his back.

'I'm sorry, Dave..... can't make it.'

Aaron closed his eyes and moaned softly as the pain hit him again. He wanted to help Dave, he wanted to be by his side, but he felt too ill to move. He felt a hand grip his ankle and drag him across the floor. The rough concrete tore into his tee shirt.

'Now help him.'

Aaron turned and crawled to Dave's side.

'I think he's starting to panic.' Dave said under his breath. Aaron nodded pushed his hand behind some masonry and pulled forwards. It was dangerous work. Move the wrong piece and the whole lot could come down on them. The man put the gun into his pocket and grabbed the two agents by the hair.

'You're not working fast enough!' he shouted and knocked their heads together with all his strength. Aaron cried out as the blood began to run from his ear again. Dave passed out and fell forwards onto the floor. Neither of them were able to obey the man with the gun.

The man took the guns out of his pocket and started to pace up and down their prison, his hands pressed against his head. He was starting to lose it, and Aaron was afraid that he might just shoot them for the hell of it, but it showed his state of mind. The next bullet might kill. Aaron turned to Dave and shook him slightly. He felt for a pulse, and found one – weak and thready.

'Dave, wake up Dave.' he whispered, but there was no movement from his friend.

-0-0-0-

'It's not broken, so I am leaving!' Reid yelled.

'I recommend........'

'I know what you recommend; that I stay here while a man who is very important to me could be lying dead at a bomb site. I'm leaving!' he said. 'Just bring me whatever it is I have to sign, and please call me a cab.'

The doctor sighed, and sent a nurse to get the paperwork.

'You do realise that you are doing yourself more damage, don't you.'

'I would die for that man, a little pain is nothing......... Thank you.' Reid signed the papers and swung his legs off the bed. One foot was heavily bandaged, but he was able to walk by favouring the other leg. He hobbled to the lift and called it. He got out his cell and called Morgan.

'Hey I'm on my way back.' he said. 'Any news of the others?'

'They are getting JJ out now. She seems to be ok. Hotch and Rossi are still missing though.'

Reid got into the lift.

'I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.' he said, and snapped the phone shut.

Morgan closed his phone too and watched as they strapped JJ to a spinal board. She seemed unhurt but they weren't taking any chances. He put a call through to the ward where Prentiss was.

'Please can you give a message to Agent Prentiss......... Reid and JJ are ok....... thank you.'

Now they had to find Hotch and Rossi.

-0-0-0-

Reid clambered awkwardly up the pile of masonry to get to where Morgan was digging through the rubble. He knelt down to help.

'JJ's ok. We dug her out and she's on her way to hospital to be checked over.' Morgan said. 'What about your foot? Is it ok?'

'Just twisted. It's fine.' Reid said, not making eye contact.

Truth was, it was hurting like hell, but he had to be there to try and dig out Hotch and Rossi. Reid had a special closeness with Hotch, which had grown more and more since Gideon deserted him. He couldn't imagine a life without Aaron.

And Dave – well Dave was his hero. He had read all his books, and they were brilliantly written. It was so bad in fact that when he had first started back at the BAU, Reid found it difficult to engage in conversation with him. Now he had signed copies of all the books Rossi had written, and they were sealed in plastic on his book shelf, next to the unsealed ones that were there for him to re read should he ever need to. For the time being it was unnecessary. He knew the books off by heart.

He pulled at the debris, lifting s beam of concrete with Morgan's help.

We're coming, Aaron, Rossi. Hold on........

-0-0-0-

Emily was sitting up in bed, pretending that she wasn't in agony from her fractured pelvis. She was pale and shaky, and she laid back down, sighing with relief as the pain lessened. The nurse came in and told her the message from Morgan.

'Reid and JJ are safe.' she said.

'Oh thank god.' she said, her mind going straight to Hotch and Rossi. Were they still alive? She prayed that they were.

-0-0-0-

Hotch heard sounds above him as rubble was moved away and the rescuers got closer. He wasn't sure what was going to happen when they broke through. Would the UnSub simply shoot them both, or would he take a hostage? The hostage would have to be him. Dave was unconscious, not responding to anything Aaron did or said. The man was sitting on the block again. His head was resting on the backs of his hands, in which he still grasped the guns.

Aaron loosened the belt at the top of his leg for a few seconds, and then tightened it again. The pain of the renewed blood flow was excruciating and he groaned and almost passed out. He watched the man fiddling with the guns, as if he was itching to fire them.

Suddenly, he pointed the guns at David. His face was twitching and he looked stressed as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Aaron heard the bullets click into their chambers. He had to get his attention, and quickly.

'What are you going to do?' Aaron asked. The man swung the guns away from Dave and pointed them at Aaron as he looked across at him.

'I told you I didn't want to hear your voice, and now I am going to kill you, you murdering son of a bitch.' he said, and stood up. He stepped towards Aaron, who tried to get up and face him. He made it onto his hands and knees when the man decided it was enough. He kicked Aaron in the face and he fell onto his back. He turned over and tried again to get up. He had to keep the man's attention away from Dave. The man grabbed Aaron's hair on the back of his head and pulled him backwards. He was still holding a gun in the same hand. A misfire, and Aaron would be dead. Aaron tried to reach the man's hand, but he couldn't get it out of his hair. He pulled him over to the other side of the room, and pulled him upright onto his feet, his hand on the other gun never wavering, pressing it into the side of Aaron's neck. Aaron closed his eyes, expecting at any moment to be shot to death. He had never felt so helpless and useless. His friend was dying and he could do nothing to help him.

He pulled suddenly hard and Aaron fell back, looking up into the man's eyes. Then he started to hurt him. He kicked his leg and body, cracking his head on the ground. He stamped hard on Aaron's face and he felt a crack as his nose broke and blood gushed. Aaron's teeth dug deep into his lips and more blood flowed. He spat it out as it filled his mouth. Then the man stood on Aaron's injured thigh. Aaron cried out weakly. The pain was intolerable, and his eyes unfocused as he tried to stay conscious.

Then he stopped, and spoke to him.

'Do you have anything to say before I kill you?'

He knelt down and held one gun against his uninjured thigh.

'Do you have anything to say?'

Aaron looked up at him.

'Yes. I do. I'm worried about my friends.....'

This was his only chance. He made a grab for the gun. The man jerked it out of the way and pulled the trigger. Aaron groaned as the bullet tore through flesh and bone and embedded in his femur. Tears sprang to his eyes, but still he kept hold of the man's wrist. Another bullet flew, but this one hit the wall. Aaron tried to twist the gun from his hand. The man raised the second gun – Aaron's own ankle gun, and hit Aaron on the side of his head with it. Aaron's grip on his wrist fell away and he collapsed back onto the floor. He turned his head to the side and saw Dave, still unmoving.

I am so sorry, Dave. I am so sorry.......

Aaron fainted as the blood ran from his thigh.