**There is some strong language and sexual references in this chapter but nothing of a graphic nature.***

Chapter 20-Moving Up a Schedule

Armitage sat on the edge of the bed smirking with his legs crossed and looked at his captive. "It's ringing," he said with a chuckle. "I bet you're wondering which member of your team I'm calling." Hotch remained silent as he waited to see who on his team would answer. He also kept his eyes on the meat cleaver lying beside Armitage on the bed wondering what use it might be put to either during or after the call.

Prentiss quickly walked up the ramp and noticed Morgan coming from the direction of the conference room. She had telephoned both of the agents after seeing Rossi escort the waitress into Hotch's office.

"What's going on?" asked Morgan as he spotted Prentiss approaching from the opposite end.

"We have a witness who works in a diner in Alexandria who may have spoken to our UnSub. Rossi wants you, me and JJ to sit in on the interview."

"What about Reid?"

"He wants him to keep working with Garcia." She and Morgan both now stood outside Hotch's closed office door. Morgan knocked, and opened it when he heard Rossi tell them to enter.

JJ was about to walk out of her office and to Hotch's when her cell phone rang. Removing it from her jacket pocket she looked at the caller ID and didn't see anything. A suspicious thought crossed her mind. Pushing a button, she put the phone to her ear. "Agent Jareau speaking."

"Ah yes, Agent Jennifer Jareau. It's so nice to hear a woman's voice instead of the gruff voices of Agents Rossi and Morgan. I'm sure you won't antagonize me like them now will you? Besides, it'd be nice to hear a woman's opinion of Agent Hotchner's performance on the latest video."

JJ knew immediately who was speaking to her and it took every fiber of her being to control her temper and not anger Hotch's captor thus causing him to take out his anger on Hotch again.

"What do you want?" she asked calmly as she closed the door of her office and walking towards her desk, sat down on it's edge.

"I want you to tell me what you thought of Aaron's not being able to control his own body. Did seeing him react as he did excite you as a woman, Jennifer? Did it turn you on? Did it make you wish you had been doing him instead of me? Be honest now."

JJ was about to reply when she heard Hotch shout something she couldn't quite make out which was followed by the sound of a hand striking flesh and guessed Armitage had struck Hotch for saying something about what he was saying to her. What she heard next chilled her blood.

"You open your mouth one more time without my permission and I'll cut your tongue out. You understand me, Aaron," she heard him say. His comment was met by only silence on Hotch's part.

"Sorry for the interruption, Jennifer," Armitage replied smugly. "But your boss needs to learn he doesn't speak without my permission. Now, as to my question to you about…."

"You want to know what I thought of Hotch's reaction on that video as a woman? Fine, I'll tell you. As a woman, I think what you did and are doing to humiliate Hotch is disgusting and revolting. He is a fine man and when we find you, you will pay for what you're doing."

Armitage smirked knowing his captive could only hear his side of the conversation. "So you found Agent Hotchner disgusting, Jennifer?" Armitage smirked again as his eyes landed on the agent who tried hard not to reveal his shame and humiliation at what he imagined JJ was saying.

"I knew she would be disgusted by my reactions. I knew it," Hotch told himself grimly

"That's not what I said and you know it, Armitage. You want Hotch to believe I do just to humiliate him even more." She heard the man on the other end chuckle.

"You are a feisty one Jennifer, I'll grant you that," he said. "However, Aaron's right here, and he's just so eager to say something. Please hold." JJ then heard Armitage's muffled voice telling Hotch something. Then she heard the voice of the man she respected more than anything.

"JJ," Hotch's voice sounded raspy. "I…I'm sorry the team had to see that video. I can only imagine what all of you must think of me."

"Hotch." JJ's voice was trembling. "Don't listen to him. We all still have the utmost respect for you and are coming for you. We intend to get you back. Just hang on a little while longer. And don't listen to him when he says we find you disgusting and revolting because we don't. We never could." She then heard Armitage's voice as he spoke into the mouthpiece of the phone guessing his mouth was right next to Hotch's.

"That's not what you told me, Aaron," he whispered. "You told me how when your body was responding you were thinking of Jennifer and wishing she was doing you instead of me. Now don't be shy, Aaron. Tell her the truth."

"Go. To. Hell," she heard her boss say. She then again heard the sound of flesh striking flesh, and knew Armitage had just struck Hotch a second time; she chewed her lower lip to keep her emotions under control and to keep from crying.

"Tell her, Aaron. Or I might have to use the meat cleaver and remove something a man knows is important to his love life."

"Go ahead," Hotch said. "Because I refuse to embarrass and humiliate Agent Jareau like that."

JJ then knew what Armitage was threatening to do to her boss and friend and knew she had to stop it from happening if she could. She just hoped Hotch would pick up on what she was doing and understand.

"Hotch…Aaron…it's okay. You can tell me. I want you to tell me what you were thinking while you were…" She didn't finish her sentence.

Hotch sensed immediately what JJ was doing knowing she never called him by his first name, and he was inwardly grateful to her for trying to help keep him from being hurt again. He feigned at being horrified. But despite that, he really was embarrassed to say what Armitage wanted him to say to JJ. He'd rather let the man do what he wanted to him than humiliate her like that. And what if the others were listening to this conversation as well? "I can't do that, JJ," he said. "Don't ask me to say that to you. It's too degrading and embarrassing to you. I won't subject you to that."

JJ swallowed the building lump in her throat. "It's okay, Aaron. I want to hear it. Please tell me what you were thinking." Please Hotch, she thought, just say what he wants you to say. It's all right. Just say it so he won't use that knife he has. Please.

"You heard her, Aaron," Armitage chimed in. "Jennifer's obviously got the hots for you and wants you to tell her how much you wished it was her mouth working you."

Hotch winced at the thought. He knew his captor knew how humiliating saying what he wanted him to say to JJ would be for him, and that his dream might come true if he didn't. But somehow he couldn't force himself despite the threat. He hesitated even as Armitage held up the meat cleaver in front of his eyes before sticking the edge of the blade just beneath the elastic of Hotch's boxers.

"You'd better make up your mind soon, Aaron," Armitage teased. "Once I disconnect this call, I start cutting off your cock and balls. And once I do that, should you survive the bleeding and shock, you won't be able to please any woman ever again. Not even pretty little Jennifer. Now, what's it going to be?"

JJ closed her eyes picturing the knife being used on a sensitive part of Hotch's body and shuddered. "Please, Aaron. It's okay. I really want to hear it. You know, as a woman, it's flattering to know you thought of me at that precise moment. I never knew you felt that way about me. Please. Please tell me." JJ was secretly hoping Hotch would give in; this was no time to be stubborn and proud. And if saying those embarrassing things to her kept him from being seriously hurt, then so be it. "My being embarrassed is a small price to pay to keep you from being hurt more," she told herself. It was the only way she could think of to help her friend not be hurt again.

Hotch swallowed hard. "JJ…" he began slowly and ran his tongue over his lips. "I…I really wanted my dick in your mouth and…you bringing me to an orgasm. I also wanted to feel…you massaging my balls with…with your small delicate hands." Hotch squeezed his eyes shut as he spoke as if by doing that he could block out the blond's face in his mind. He suddenly felt Armitage's hot breath on the side of his face.

"Tell her how much you wanted to fuck her," the man said with a chuckle.

"Oh God, JJ," Hotch told himself, "Please forgive me for saying these things to you." He swallowed hard. "I…I really wanted to fuck you and hear you cry out my name." Armitage smirked and chuckled again; JJ heard him over the phone and sensed the man was getting off on Hotch's humiliation. She knew how difficult it was for her boss to say those things to her, and she was going to help him through it as best as she could.

"Thank you, Aaron," she said with a sad smile. "I'm flattered that you think of me that way. I wish I could have been with you too."

"Tell me, Jennifer," Armitage said to her. "Before I disconnect this call, I wanted to let you know I saw your press conference. You are a very beautiful woman. I can see why Aaron would want to fuck you. I bet you're a real tigress in bed. But I digress. After seeing your press conference, I realize it's risky to stay where I am, so I'm moving up the schedule. You and the others will never find me. But, you never told me what you personally thought of your boss's performance on the tape?"

JJ thought quickly. "I thought…I thought he was impressive," she said hoarsely. "Then again, he always has been as an agent, a Unit Chief, a friend, and as a man. But you wouldn't understand that, would you?"

Armitage laughed heartily. "Two last things, Jennifer. I suppose the others are a bit upset at the video, aren't they? I haven't heard any comments from them during this call. Especially not from the volatile Agent Morgan."

"That's because they are not here right now. They're out of the office," she lied.

"Trying to find me, I assume," Armitage snickered. "But were they upset?"

"We're all angry and upset at what you're making Hotch do and your humiliation of him. But then, you already know we would be; so don't act surprised about it."

"I'm glad to hear it. As today is Wednesday, I will be sending all of you a final video on Thursday. Your boss will be saying his goodbyes to all of you. Once you receive it make sure all of you watch it. Wouldn't want any of you to think Aaron overlooked anybody. I will then be contacting your team later that same day. And just keep in mind that the following day, Friday, your boss dies."

"Wait…" JJ called out but heard the click on the other end and knew Armitage had disconnected the call. She looked at the caller ID on her phone as if hoping somehow something would magically show up but knowing there would be nothing. Holding the phone in her hand, her eyes wet with unshed tears, JJ put her fingertips to her lips. Then with a weary sigh, she hurried out of her office and in the direction of Hotch's where she knew the others were. Right now she needed to speak with them badly.

Armitage smirked as he looked at Hotch who, with closed eyes, had tears rolling down the sides of his face from the corners of his eyes.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it, Aaron?" Armitage asked smugly. "You get to keep your manhood for a while longer. Doesn't that make you feel good?" He got up and taking the phone and meat cleaver with him, left the room leaving Hotch alone with his physical and emotional pain.

Hearing his captor leave the room, Hotch opened his eyes looking at the ceiling. While he was extremely grateful for what JJ had done for him over the phone by urging him to talk dirty to her to avoid being castrated, it still troubled him having to embarrass her that way, and didn't know how he would ever face her again. He would be just too ashamed; but then, that was why Armitage wanted him to do it to begin with. He knew saying those things to JJ would humiliate him. I should have just outright refused and let him kill me, Hotch thought. But then JJ might have heard me being killed over the phone and I couldn't let her hear that. It would destroy her.

"If I get out of here I will kill him," Hotch said softly. "Armitage, you are a dead man for making me humiliate JJ like that." But then Hotch remembered his captor's final words to the media liaison. 'Today is Wednesday. You will be receiving a final video on Thursday and a phone call later that same day. The following day, Friday, your boss will die.'

With a deep sigh, Hotch now realized that his life would come to an end in forty-eight hours unless he got lucky.

Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss slowly walked out of Hotchner's office and down the ramp leading to the bullpen area when they spotted JJ hurrying towards them, almost at a run; her long blond hair flowing behind her. Even from a short distance they could tell she'd been crying.

"JJ?" Prentiss hurried ahead of the others until she and the blond woman came face-to-face; the raven-haired woman embraced her friend and felt her body trembling. "JJ, what's wrong?" She felt the woman's hands tighten on her shoulders. "What happened?" She looked around at Morgan and Rossi with worry.

"He called before I could leave my office," JJ's voice was trembling as her tears fell unashamedly.

Prentiss stepped back allowing JJ to lift her head and the two women looked into each other's eyes. "Armitage?" she asked. The three agents saw their media liaison nod her head.

"What did he say?" asked Morgan, upset by his friend's reaction and fearful at what had made her upset.

JJ repeated her conversation with Armitage and Hotch. "I could tell Hotch didn't want to do it even after being threatened with castration. I had to convince him it was all right for him to do it; that I wanted him to do it."

"And did he?" asked a worried Rossi.

"He did," JJ replied. "But I could tell that he was so embarrassed to do it regardless. But I hope he knows I wanted him to say those things so he wouldn't be hurt again."

"I'm sure he knows that," Rossi said in a gentle voice with a sad smile.

"But there's something else, isn't there, JJ?" Morgan asked with growing fear. "What else did he say to you?"

JJ let out a deep breath. "Armitage said we would get a final video on Thursday and a phone call later the same day. He added that the following day, Friday, Hotch will die."

Morgan ran a hand over his bald head and mumbled something under his breath. "That gives us two days to find him, Rossi."

JJ wiped at her moist eyes with her fingertips. "Any luck with the waitress Emily told me about?"

Rossi shook his head. "Not really. She remembered serving the UnSub lunch when he came into the diner prior to Aaron being kidnapped and she picked Armitage's photo out of a lineup. That's about all."

Prentiss suddenly looked at the older profiler. "Rossi, didn't you tell me you had an idea as to where Armitage might be holding Hotch?" The others were now looking at him as well.

Rossi rubbed the back of his neck. "I might. But this is going to sound weird so when I tell you don't look at me like I've gone off the deep end."

"Right now if Santa Claus appeared and said he had a clue as to where Hotch was, I'd believe it," Morgan replied seriously.

"Okay," Rossi explained. "I was in Hotch's office and nodded off. While I was sleeping, Aaron appeared to me in a dream. I recall asking him if there was some clue he could give that would help us find him. All he would say is for us to think of Shane and Brandon Cooper when we thought of him."

"What?" asked JJ looking puzzled.

"You heard me," Rossi said. "I told you it sounded weird. But I don't care how weird it sounds, we don't have much of anything else to go on right now and time is running out. So if anybody thinks it might be a waste of time tell me now."

"So what are you thinking?" asked Morgan. "Another anagram possibly?"

"That's what I'm hoping," the older agent answered. "And for that we need our resident genius, Spencer Reid."

A/N: This story is winding down. Should be completed in another 4 or 5 chapters. I thank all of you who have stuck with this story up to now and hope you'll stay until the end.