How fast was that? You guys so owe me.

Kidding, I write 'cause I love you guys. (: thanks for the support!

Ashes of Our Lives – Chapter 3

Nearly every under-aged person at the bar had cleared out the moment Hotch's vicious gaze had swept through the dimly lit room. The entire team slunk through the building, relieved that the ruckus was dying down and yet worried that witnesses were escaping.

Morgan sidled up to one of the remaining bartenders, an older looking man with graying hair and dark, worried eyes. Morgan's own expression was so determined; it could easily be mistaken for anger. He held up his badge to the bartender, who froze at the site. The agent slipped the ID back into his pocket and pulled two photographs from his wallet, slapping them down onto the counter.

"You seen them tonight, sir?" He asked gruffly.

The older man leaned forward to peer at the pictures. One held the portrait of a smiling young lady with friendly blue eyes and neatly groomed blonde hair.

"This is an older picture," Morgan supplied when the man's nearly-white brow furrowed. "She has bangs now."

"I've seen her," He replied quickly. "Earlier tonight. She went out back with a man a little older than her. I remember 'cause she was dressed formally for a place like this… lot o' girls come in here wearing hardly nothin'."

"What did he look like?"

The bartender shrugged one shoulder and Morgan resisted the urge to snap at his callousness. "Average height, fit… blonde, I think. I didn't catch his eye color."

"And him?" Morgan pushed the other picture toward the man. Reid's expression looked neutral, but it was a good picture; recent, so his shortish hair was splayed in every direction and flipped at the ends. His hazel eyes were curious, as always.

"Oh, that sleepy looking fellow," The bartender said after a moment, "dressed all in slacks and a tie in a bar, not easy to forget that. When that girl went on outside he walked on over here and was on the phone. He went outside too after a minute and that was the last I saw of 'em."

"Thanks," Morgan said, stuffing the pictures back into his wallet and sauntering over to where Hotch and Emily were watching Rossi. The senior agent was looking closely at a mark on the floor.

"What's that?" Derek asked upon arrival. Two dark sets of eyes met his as Emily and Hotch offered him their attention.

"A scuff," Emily said, "could be nothing, but based on what you told us on the phone… Reid said JJ was calling when you talked to her. He could've left a scuff from his shoe if he took off fast."

"Oh," Morgan replied, "well the bartender said he saw JJ go out back with a man and that Reid followed a few minutes later."

"Let's get back there then," Hotch replied immediately, and the three set off toward the back." Rossi stared at the smudge on the ground a moment longer before he moved to meet them out back.

Emily was bending to look at something, and Dave stepped up beside her, his brow lifting toward his hairline in surprise.

The weapon that rested on the ground in front of them mirrored the ones they all carried. Emily felt a dull shiver creep up her spine. "Reid's gun… JJ didn't have one on her. But why would the unsub leave it here for anyone to find?"

"He wanted us to find it," Rossi replied grimly.

"Other than the gun," Hotch said suddenly, "we have nothing to go on. We don't know the unsub's name; only that he was blonde and of average height. What was the name he gave us when we sent Reid and JJ to meet him?"

"Jacob something," Morgan sighed, "Hollinder, maybe? I can't remember…"

"We can have Garcia trace the phone he called you from," Hotch murmured, shaking his head. "It's a long shot but it's the best we have right now. We're going to need more than what we've got if we're going to find them."

He turned to head back out front but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to meet Morgan's desperate gaze.

"Hotch," he asked quietly, his tone strained. "You know what this guy does to his victims…"

"Morgan," the older agent chided immediately, but Derek shook his head.

"What if we can't find them in time?"

"JJ is an emotionally strong woman," Hotchner replied softly. "All she has to do is stay strong; you know as well as I do that she's capable of doing just that."

"And Reid?"

"He's hope," Hotch said, looking upward. "If JJ can stay strong, Reid can figure out a way to get them loose. If there was ever a time to be thankful for his intelligence…"

"His smarts are always valued, Hotch," Morgan replied quickly, "always."

"If only he knew that."

"Come on," Rossi said suddenly, a frown on his normally collected face. "We'd better head back to the station. There's nothing more we can do here."

The three men headed back toward the SUV at front, while Emily picked up Reid's abandoned gun in one gloved hand, gazing at it intently with intense, nearly-black eyes. Lips parted slightly in thought, she stood and followed her colleagues to the FBI issued vehicle, holding the weapon as tightly as she dared.

JJ hid her trembling well as she leaned back against the concrete wall behind her. She stared blankly at her bloodied hands, trying to resist the urge to move to Reid's side. She desperately wanted him to know she was strong; but the dog had been more than she could handle. At least it wasn't that bad yet.

The gashes in her forearms and the punctures in her right hip were burning and throbbing, and the aching was giving her a migraine. She turned glassy blue eyes to where Reid was resting a few feet away. His head was tilted back, with his eyes closed and pale lips parted slightly. His fingers were as bloodied as hers, but the dog had only gotten one good bite at him. She could see the deep punctures at the base of his throat, just at his collarbone and she remembered the harsh snap of the bone as the animal had ripped backward.

Thankfully, Alex had only left the canine loose for a few minutes before he came down to call it off. The dog was currently enclosed in one of the kennels a few yards away, watching them with copper eyes. His bloodied muzzle continually poked out between the bars of the cage and his glossy, black nose twitched as he scented their blood in the air. JJ felt sick.

Reid didn't stir when Alex came downstairs again, but JJ felt her body tense like a drawn bowstring. The man held a box in each hand by a handle, and JJ nearly squirmed at the thought of what the boxes contained. When he set them down and opened one to pull out medical supplies, she felt her surprise must have been clear.

He noticed it immediately, and he eyed her carefully while pulling a bottled solution from the kit. He moved toward her, dabbing a cotton wad in the liquid and pressing it to one of the cuts on her arm. She hissed, trying to pull away but he held fast.

"You look surprised," he commented after a moment, moving to clean the other gashes along her arms. "I can't have you dying on me just yet, can I? I tend to get… attached, to my girls."

JJ's eyes were hard, and she glanced at Reid. "Are you going to help him too?"

"Of course. You're prettier, in my opinion, but I don't want him dead just yet either."

"His collarbone is broken. I heard it break."

"Yeah," Alex agreed nonchalantly, and JJ had to grit her teeth. "Tank's pretty rough… I did warn you."

"Why did you let him loose? We hadn't done anything."

"Exactly. You weren't expecting it… made it twice as fun. For me, anyway. And I'm sure Tank enjoyed himself." Alex sneered, wrapping gauze around JJ's slim arms and taping it in place. "Don't you move now."

He reached for the waist of JJ's knee-length skirt, and the blonde stiffened, moving her legs away from him.

"Please, don't," she whispered, watching his fingers slip toward the button with wide blue eyes. He didn't listen; he unbuttoned her skirt with ease and slipped the edge down in order to see the cut in her hip. Her eyes watered, but he paid no heed as he cleaned and dressed the injury there.

He slipped his hand a little lower under the waistline and JJ bit her lip, but he went no further and soon withdrew, buttoning her skirt and pulling her blouse down.

"That'll do for now," he said gruffly. "But it'll have to be changed later."

"Please, help Spence."

"Spence, is it? How cute. I'll help your little boyfriend out, don't you worry your pretty little head." He moved over to the male agent, who stirred and watched him carefully without saying a word.

"Hi Spence, how you feeling?"

Reid didn't reply, but his tilted his head back to allow access to the jagged wound at the base of his throat. Alex raised one brow.

"Straight to the point I see. Well, I'll get this done as carefully as I can." He pressed his fingers against the injury and Reid grunted at the pressure against the fractured bone. Alex pushed a little until he felt the edges slip into place and Reid dug his nails into the ground, refusing to make a sound. Alex dabbed the disinfectant on the torn edges and taped down a gauze pad.

"Ah, that should do it my friend." Alex Napuri packed the supplies back into the kit and moved to open the second one. Both agents blinked in surprise and watched curiously as he lifted out a covered plate and two water bottles.

"As much as I'd love to starve you," Alex drawled lazily, peeling the tin foil cover off the plate to reveal two sandwich halves and some apple slices, "you gotta eat a little if you're going to last long enough to be any fun. So, here you are… and do enjoy it, I don't know when you'll get fed next."

He left slowly, closing and locking the door behind him.

JJ scooted over to be closer to Reid, until their shoulders were nearly touching. She looked at the food, her mouth set in a grim line. "Reid… how long do you think until he… he decides to…" She paused, and he looked at her sadly. "He put his hand down my skirt a little, and I'm afraid of what comes next."

"I won't let him touch you if I can help it JJ," Reid replied quietly, his voice tired. "I'm not going to sit by and let him… rape… you…" He didn't think to come up with a gentler word, and he regretted it the moment he felt the slight blonde stiffen against him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, looking at her from under dark lashes.

She shook her head. "Don't be… I know you'll help me in any way you can." She sniffed. "Should we eat that?" She gestured to the sandwich, but Reid just eyed it warily.

"We won't have a choice before long; but I'm willing to bet it's drugged or mildly poisoned. He wants control and he likes tricking us. I bet the water's dosed too."

"So what do we do?"

Reid shrugged. "For now, avoid it. But soon, hunger will take over and we won't have a choice. Let's just put it off for as long as we can."

JJ folded her hands around her aching abdomen, pulling her eyes from the food to instead look at the German Shepherd, glowering at them from the far corner of the room.

"I can be there first thing tomorrow morning."

"Baby, you know we want you here," Morgan replied slowly, hating the way Penelope's voice sounded so distraught and teary. She had nearly panicked the moment he'd relayed the news. With a sigh, he tightened his grip on the cell phone. "We want you here, and Reid and JJ would want you here too but we need you back there, helping us find this guy."

"You know I'm going to help in any way I can, handsome, but I need to be there helping to look. I can't leave them alone…"

"You have to stay back in Quantico and help us find him," Morgan repeated, feeling at a loss. His heart sank at the realization of how badly Garcia wanted to be there in California with them.

"I can set up a system out there. Derek, I need to be there."

"Garcia, just… just give it a few days, okay? We're going to try as hard as we can to get something for you, I know you feel helpless right now but we need you more than ever, okay? Just a few days, if we can't get anything by then, you can meet us out here. Reid and JJ will want to see you when we get them back."

His words seemed to reassure her, because she didn't protest or reply right away. When she spoke, her tone was shaky. "I miss you, thundercat. I could use one of those hugs of yours. Promise me we'll get them back."

"You know we will, Garcia," he replied strongly, his voice soothing. "I promise."

"Get some rest and then find them, Derek. I'll talk to you later… goodnight."

"Goodnight Penelope. I miss you too." He stared at the phone for a few seconds after she hung up, blinking slowly until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Morgan glanced up to see Prentiss watching him. Her dark eyes were troubled, her entire demeanor weary.

"Hotch wants us to head back to the hotel to get some sleep," she said quietly. She continued before he could protest, "we can come back first thing in the morning, but for now, there's nothing for us to go on."

"I just don't see how I'm gonna get any sleep when they're out there in all sorts of hell." His expression was pained and Emily looked away, unsure of what to say.

"Let's go," she said after a moment. He followed her to the SUV, avoiding Hotch and Rossi's inquisitive gaze. He slipped into the backseat beside Emily. The tension in the car was thick enough to be cut with a knife, but Hotch's stern voice broke through it just as easily.

"Listen," he started, gaining the attention of everyone in the vehicle. His own dark eyes didn't tear from the road, but his fingers tightened on the suburban's steering wheel. "I know we're all worried, and with reason. But we're no use to Reid or JJ running on empty, and we have nothing to go on for now. We're going to get some sleep and start again in the morning with fresh eyes."

Nobody spoke, but the message had gotten across. None of them liked it, but the point of Hotch's words were understood. The rest of the drive went in relative silence until the group found themselves standing in the hotel room lobby.

"We'll regroup down here in the morning," Hotchner said, eyeing the team members carefully before turning to head back to his room. The team split up seconds after.

Morgan hesitated in front of his door, unsure of whether he wanted to open it or not. Heaving a tired sigh, he finally did, wincing at the sight of Reid's belongings scattered on his side of the room beside Morgan's much neater half. Notebooks and case files were littering the bed, his go-bag resting under the end-table. It was open and clothes were sticking out. Morgan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Reid's disorganization, but instead he sauntered over to the bed and picked up one of the notebooks, clutching it as though desperately hoping that the young genius had left some clue there. As if he'd known what would happen.

He opened the cover and his eyes widened at the sight of the first page, which read simply: 'Morgan, stay out of my stuff!' with a tiny smiley face doodled in one corner. He couldn't help the smile that tore at the edges of his mouth, and it was accompanied by a searing wave of sadness. It was just so Reid. Throwing the notebook down at the bed, he turned and headed toward his own side of the room to get ready to get to sleep.

Ten minutes later when he was dressed and his teeth were brushed, he climbed into bed and threw Reid's stuff one last, long look before setting his alarm and letting himself slip into a troubled sleep.

"I'm hungry."

Reid awoke with a sharp jolt at the sound of JJ's voice, and the sudden movement sent a shock of pain through his shattered clavicle. She was watching him, her expression troubled and her pale lips set in a frown. He glanced over to see the food Alex had left for them had remained untouched.

He tilted his head. "We're going to have no choice soon, anyway, so if you're starving you might as well go ahead. Besides, we don't know for sure if he's drugged it or not. The water, probably, but maybe not the food…"

"Can't the profile tell you?" Her pale brow furrowed and she pushed the plate toward him. "You need to eat too if it's safe."

"He wants to control us, yes, but he's doing that pretty well already. Unless he has something big planned for soon, there isn't really a reason to poison us with food. Likely, he just needs us to stay alive."

JJ thought for a moment, then picked up one half of the sandwich, holding it out to him. "It doesn't look too great but we don't have a choice."

He shook his head. "You eat it, keep up your strength… you've already lost blood."

She sat up straighter, wincing at a slash of pain across her hip. "Spence, no-"

"JJ," he cut her off, and she was silenced by the resigned fear she saw in his normally bright eyes. "What we know about him tells me that you're going to need your strength for what's to come. Please, please trust me."

She tried again to protest but he wouldn't listen. Resigned, and teary-eyed, she nibbled the food helplessly while he urged her quietly throughout. When she was done, she turned away from the plate harshly and met his eyes with her own watery blue ones.

"Feel better?" he asked softly. "You're going to have to be strong, JJ. I'm going to try to protect you as best I can but you have to be strong too."

She slid over to where he was leaning against the concrete wall, grateful to be closer to him and farther from the dog that paced in his cage. After a moment of thinking, she slipped her arm through his, allowing his limp hand to rest in her lap. She took his hand in her free one and traced patterns in his palm, massaging the skin. She pressed two fingers to his wrist, feeling his pulse beat strongly under her fingertips. She smiled weakly, and he tilted his head toward her.

"It's reassuring," she explained, though she knew she didn't have to. He'd already known. They enjoyed the temporary peace until once again, the noise of Alex's boots coming toward the door and finally coming down the stairs stole their attention once again. JJ's grip tightened on Reid's hand and he folded his fingers in to touch hers.

"Stay strong," he reminded her, and she nodded slowly.

Alex came down the steps hurriedly this time. He made a beeline for JJ and Reid sat up straighter, straining forward as their captor reached for her.

"Don't touch her," he said roughly, pulling at his bindings and watching the man intently. Without a glance, Alex ripped the pistol he'd threatened them with earlier from his belt and fired it at Reid.

JJ cried out at the sound of the firing weapon, but she couldn't see what had happened before Alex was on her, pinning down her wrists and straddling her hips. She gasped when he lifted one hand and slipped it downward, undoing her skirt and working it off. She squirmed, trying to tilt her head but she hadn't been able to before he dug his nails into her, forcing her attention back on him.

"Don't look at him, bitch, look at me," Alex hissed, and she complied, breathing harshly through her tears. When her skirt came loose and he began working on removing her underwear, she flinched started to struggle madly.

"Reid!" She cried, feeling Alex's hand grope her where he didn't have a right to. He grew violent and she twisted, pushing at him with all her might, digging her pale-pink painted nails into his shoulders. He glared back at her viciously, mouth set in a tiny smile. She bared her teeth at him, blue eyes smoldering between anger and despair. He began easing himself up and her struggles doubled in intensity.

"Reid! Spence, god, Spence," she tried, but she had no way of telling whether or not Reid had heard her. "Spence, help, please…"

She didn't hear a response from him and she remembered the gunshot. She felt the bottom of her stomach drop out and she struggled not to vomit, staring into Alex Napuri's hard blue eyes. He slipped out of his pants and straddled her again. Until now, she hadn't known just how bad it'd be.

"Reid!"

Don't kill me, you don't know what's going to happen yet. Only I do, mwaha.

To make up for the short last chapter, not to mention how long it took me to post it, here's chapter therein a jiffy and much longer. (:

Thanks for all the reviews guys, I really, really appreciate it. Let me know what you think about this chapter! I'll have the next part up as soon as I can.

Til all are one,

Sharky